The Effect of Antenna Place Codes for Reducing Sidelobes of SIAR and Frequency Diverse Array Sensors

Abstract

Synthetic impulse and aperture radar (SIAR) is a technique that frequency diverse array (FDA) radars can imply in practice, thus overcoming some of their challenges. SIAR radars, used in various fields like transportation and defense, can detect the range, azimuth angle, elevation angle, and Doppler of the target with their 4D-matched filter and a single receiver. However, the challenge of high-amplitude sidelobes is a significant concern for researchers. They have attempted to reduce it through various approaches, including frequency code, range–angle coupling, and range–Doppler coupling, to accurately identify target characteristics. This paper presents the antenna place code (AP code) parameter as a significant factor in minimizing sidelobe amplitudes. The parameter specifies that, rather than having all antennas active, a certain number of antennas are active in each pulse repetition interval (PRI) to achieve a lower sidelobe. Researchers have found that using AP codes can effectively lower the amplitude of the range–angle sidelobe, the range–Doppler sidelobe, error coupling, the repetition of sidelobe strands, and the output of angle error for different target angles. All studies are conducted on a linear array for simplicity. The output of various AP codes is compared to the previously common uniform array.