On-board SAR data processing and visualization for PAMIR

Abstract:
This paper describes an on-board processing and visualization system for SAR image generation and data analysis. It has been used by our experimental SAR system PAMIR during some of the last data acquisition campaigns. The system is a valuable tool for scientists, because it enables them to monitor the quality of the collected data. If problems occur during the data collection (e.g. calibration error), appropriate corrective actions can be initiated immediately. The system has been designed so that it can be used both in online and offline mode. Operating in online mode, the system main goal is to enable scientists to optimize the surveying journeys of the measuring equipment carrier platform, avoiding unnecessary repetitions and increasing the number of successful measurements. The offline mode operation, on the other hand, is a fast, easy to use, SAR image engine, that can be used to obtain high-resolution SAR images.