Characterizing and Improving the Probability of Correct Phase Ambiguity Resolution for Uniform Circular Array Phase Interferometers

Abstract

Correct phase ambiguity resolution (CPAR) for a uniform circular array (UCA) phase interferometer is formally defined and some theoretic results for CPAR are derived. The probability of CPAR is numerically investigated considering the impact of baseline formulation, number of elements, radius wavelength ratio and phase measuring mechanism. Three methods for improving the probability of CPAR are proposed based on the findings of the characteristics of UCA phase interferometers. An extensive numerical investigation is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The investigation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods and suggest choosing among the three proposed methods by considering the specific needs and engineering limitations.