A Photonics-assisted Instantaneous Frequency Measurement Receiver

Measuring the instantaneous frequency accurately of a signal takes a critical effect on many fields such as radio detection, and the frequency coverage is wide in the modern electronic warfare environment, it is claimed that the frequency measurement is not only real-time and accurate, but also can be able to realize accurate measurement of the high frequency and ultra-wideband signals. Due to the current level of the electronic devices, the processing speed of digital receiver is not enough to meet the needs of modern electronic warfare, so it is necessary to introduce the Photonics method into the Instantaneous Frequency Measurement (IFM) method. In the recent study, the optical ADC breaks through the dilemma of electronic ADCs providing the possibility of high-speed and high-precision analog-to-digital conversion. This paper introduces an improved photonics assisted instantaneous frequency measurement technology. In this system, Photonics method is an assisted part to take the signal frequency down, while the frequency measurement is still in electronic area.