MIMO radar demystified and where it makes sense to use

Abstract

Contrary to claims made Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) radars do not provide an order of magnitude or better angle resolution, accuracy and identifiability (the ability to resolve and identify targets) over conventional radars. This claim for MIMO results from making the wrong of a full/thin MIMO array to a full conventional array rather than to a conventional full/thin array. It is shown here that a conventional full/thin array radar can have the same angle accuracy, resolution and identifiability as a MIMO full/thin array. Where does the MIMO radar provide a better angle accuracy than a conventional radar? A monostatic MIMO array radar does provide a better angle accuracy than its conventional monostatic equivalent, but it is only about a factor of 1/√2 (29 percent) better and its resolution is the same. Contrary to what may be thought MIMO does not offer an advantage re barrage noise jammers or hot clutter (a jammer scattered from the ground) over a conventional array. It does offer a potential advantage re strong clutter because nulls can be adaptively put in the transmit pattern in the direction of the clutter. However this type clutter can be handled in conventional arrays by putting nulls in the direction of the clutter whose location is known.