The demands placed on modern radars create challenges for both the radar designer and test engineer. Advanced radar systems require greater precision to measure narrower pulse widths and/or to examine intra-pulse behavior with finer resolution, including rise/fall edge effects or the profile within a pulse compression signal. In order to best understand the complexity of testing today’s radar designs, it is good to first review some basic applications of radar systems and the fundamentals of pulse measurements. By Walt Strickler, senior product manager, Anritsu Company