Accurate and robust DOA estimation using uniform circular displaced antenna array

Abstract

A major design factor for an accurate and successful DOA estimation in smart antenna systems is the appropriate choice of the antenna array configuration. This paper proposes a new array configuration called Uniform Circular Displaced Antenna Array (UC-DAA), which is especially useful for detecting coherent signals encountered in multipath environments. The proposed configuration is composed of two concentric uniform circular arrays with angular rotational separation. Numerical results show that the proposed UC-DAA configuration outperforms both uniform circular arrays (UCA) and uniform linear displaced antenna array (UL-DAA) configurations, in terms of reduced computational complexity and improved angular resolution of coherent signals without the need of spatial smoothing.