Editing Radar (section)

===Modulators===
[[Modulation|Modulators]] act to provide the waveform of the RF-pulse. There are two different radar modulator designs:
* High voltage switch for non-coherent keyed power-oscillators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radartutorial.eu//08.transmitters/Radar%20Modulator.en.html|title=Radar Modulator|work=radartutorial.eu|access-date=29 November 2015|archive-date=7 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207181518/http://www.radartutorial.eu/08.transmitters/Radar%20Modulator.en.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These modulators consist of a high voltage pulse generator formed from a high voltage supply, a [[pulse forming network]], and a high voltage switch such as a [[thyratron]]. They generate short pulses of power to feed, e.g., the [[magnetron]], a special type of vacuum tube that converts DC (usually pulsed) into microwaves. This technology is known as [[pulsed power]]. In this way, the transmitted pulse of RF radiation is kept to a defined and usually very short duration.
* Hybrid mixers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radartutorial.eu//08.transmitters/Fully%20Coherent%20Radar.en.html|title=Fully Coherent Radar|work=radartutorial.eu|access-date=29 November 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208042044/http://www.radartutorial.eu//08.transmitters/Fully%20Coherent%20Radar.en.html|url-status=live}}</ref> fed by a waveform generator and an exciter for a complex but [[Coherence (physics)|coherent]] waveform. This waveform can be generated by low power/low-voltage input signals. In this case the radar transmitter must be a power-amplifier, e.g., a [[klystron]] or a solid state transmitter. In this way, the transmitted pulse is intrapulse-modulated and the radar receiver must use [[pulse compression]] techniques.