Which option correctly describes the duty factor: the inverse of PRF, the duration of the emitted pulse, the fraction of time the beam is on during a cycle, or the time between pulses, with the correct choice located as specified?

Which option correctly describes the duty factor: the inverse of PRF, the duration of the emitted pulse, the fraction of time the beam is on during a cycle, or the time between pulses, with the correct choice located as specified?

• A. The inverse of PRF
• B. The duration of the emitted pulse
• C. The fraction of time the beam is on during a cycle
• D. The time between pulses

Answer: (C)

Duty factor is the fraction of time the beam is on during one cycle. It describes how long the system transmits relative to the total cycle time. In practical terms, it equals the pulse width (how long the emitted pulse lasts) divided by the pulse repetition period (the time from the start of one pulse to the start of the next). Since the pulse repetition period is the reciprocal of the pulse repetition frequency, you can also write DF = PW × PRF. This value is a dimensionless ratio, typically a small number much less than 1. The inverse of PRF is the time between pulses (PRP), and the duration of the emitted pulse is the pulse width, both separate from the duty factor itself.

Duty factor is the fraction of time the beam is on during one cycle. It describes how long the system transmits relative to the total cycle time. In practical terms, it equals the pulse width (how long the emitted pulse lasts) divided by the pulse repetition period (the time from the start of one pulse to the start of the next). Since the pulse repetition period is the reciprocal of the pulse repetition frequency, you can also write DF = PW × PRF. This value is a dimensionless ratio, typically a small number much less than 1. The inverse of PRF is the time between pulses (PRP), and the duration of the emitted pulse is the pulse width, both separate from the duty factor itself.