Subelement A: RADAR Principles – 10 Key Topics – 10 Exam Questions – 8 Drawings— Topic 6: Pulse Width - Pulse Repetition Rates
Question 8-6A4
Element 8 (RADAR)If the RADAR unit has a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 2000 Hz and a pulse width of 0.05 microseconds, what is the duty cycle?
Explanation
In pulsed systems like radar, the duty cycle represents the fraction of time the transmitter is actively sending a pulse compared to the total cycle time. It's a key parameter in understanding average power output.
The duty cycle is calculated by multiplying the pulse width (the duration of each pulse) by the pulse repetition frequency (PRF), which is the number of pulses transmitted per second.
Duty Cycle = Pulse Width × PRF
First, convert the pulse width from microseconds to seconds:
0.05 microseconds = 0.05 × 10$^{-6}$ seconds
Now, calculate the duty cycle:
Duty Cycle = (0.05 × 10$^{-6}$ s) × (2000 Hz)
Duty Cycle = 100 × 10$^{-6}$
Duty Cycle = 0.0001
Therefore, the duty cycle is 0.0001. Options B, C, and D are incorrect calculations based on different magnitudes or unit errors.
Related Questions
8-6A2 If the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is 2000 Hz, what is the pulse repetition interval (PRI)?8-6A3 The pulse repetition rate (PRR) refers to:8-6A5 Small targets are best detected by:8-6A6 What is the relationship between pulse repetition rate and pulse width?8-7A1 What component of a RADAR receiver is represented by block 46 in Fig. 8A1?