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 is based on using a MIMO array radar system consisting of a full transmit array and thinned receive array (or vice versa; called here a full/thin array). This claim for MIMO results from making the wrong comparison 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.