Assessment of a millimeter-wave antenna system for MIMO radar applications

Abstract

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radars show improved angular resolution compared to traditional phased-array radar systems. Exploiting the advantages of MIMO radars could thus significantly improve the performances of the next generation of automotive radar sensors. The placement and the characteristics of the antenna arrays affect the performance of the MIMO system. For such applications, different metrics like the ambiguity function of the antenna system must be accurately evaluated. This letter presents a detailed characterization of an MIMO antenna configuration at millimeter-wave frequencies. To prove the effectiveness of this method, a five-element nonuniform antenna configuration based on cavity antenna arrays has been designed and tested.