Dual-Function Mimo Radar-Communications Employing Frequency-Hopping Chirp Waveforms

Abstract

A dual-function radar-communication system is a technology equipped with a joint platform that enables performing a radar function (primary function) and a communication function (secondary function) simultaneously. This duality has become increasingly necessary, since it alleviates congestion and ease competition over frequency spectrum. In this paper, we put forward a technique for information embedding, specifically to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar employing frequency-hopping chirp (FHC) waveforms. We use FHC codes to implement the primary function (i.e., MIMO radar operation), while embedding communication symbol, for example, phase shift keying (PSK), in each FHC code for secondary function (i.e., communication operation). We show that the communication operation does not interfere with the MIMO radar function. In addition, standard ratio testing is used at the communication receiver to detect the embedded PSK symbols. Furthermore, the waveform designed has the superiorities of high range resolution, constant time domain and almost constant frequencydomain modulus, large time-bandwidth product, and low time-delay and frequency-shift correlation peaks. Numerical results show that: 1) data rates can be accurately detected, and thus, several Mbps are achieved in the system; 2) the SER performance characteristics are significantly improved; 3) the orthogonal frequency-hopping chirp waveforms achieve better range and Doppler resolution with reduced sidelobes levels compared to that of conventional frequency hopping waveforms. INTRODUCTIONThe concept of coexistence of radar and communications on a single platform has been proposed as a solution to the radio frequency spectrum congestion and also attracted a lot of attention [1,2]. Since there has been a huge demand from communication operators, the competition between the radar and communication in terms of frequency spectrum could be eased by allowing both systems to share the same resources and operate simultaneously from a single platform [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. This implies that we can achieve an efficient utilization of the limited frequency spectrum resources. Recently, the concept of dual-function radar-communication (DFRC) has been proposed [16]. The main idea about this concept is to utilize identical signals and the same antenna array for both radar (primary function) and communication (secondary function) operations simultaneously. A number of papers [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] have investigated the capabilities of dual-function radar-communication (DFRC) system. DFRC systems utilize the full potential of radar resources, for instance, high quality hardware and high transmit power. Embedding information into the radiation of single-input multiple-output (SIMO) radar can be done by employing the following: 1) waveform diversity, 2) sidelobe control, and 3) time modulated array.Lately, information embedding into the radiation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar has been reported in [23][24][...

Systematization of Knowledge: Spectrum Sharing Between Radar and Communications

“…Joint RadComm Approach Description Advantages Disadvantages [150], [153] [165], [184], [190], [204] Chirped Spread Spectrum Radar and communications signals are fed into separate chirp filters in radio hardware, and they are mixed and transmitted in one device.…”

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