PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF BEAMFORMING FOR MIMO RADAR

Abstract

The full MIMO radar and the partial MIMO one are introduced. The performance analysis of beamforming for MIMO (Multiple-input Multiple-output) radar and comparisons with the phased-array radar are given. The expressions of beamwidth, gain loss and detection range for MIMO radar are derived. Theoretical analysis and simulations show that the beam of the full MIMO utilizing all virtual array elements is identical to the two-way beam of the phasedarray radar, and that the beam of the partial MIMO selecting elements with different phase centers (phase shifts) is narrower, but has a gain loss. Additionally, the partial MIMO can avoid aliasing in space when the transmitting antennas are spaced at greater than half-wavelength spacing. As scanning radar, the partial MIMO radar has smaller detection range than the phased-array radar, and the full MIMO radar has the same range as the phased-array radar.