A Novel Sparse MIMO Array Imaging System Based on Millimeter-wave Band

In this paper, a novel millimeter-wave sparse multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array imaging system with a working frequency of 70-80GHz is presented. In this system, 8 identical millimeter-wave radio frequency (RF) front-end modules are integrated and a self-designed sparse linear array structure is adopted, in which 93% of the transmitting channels and 50% of the receiving channels are reduced while ensuring the imaging quality. The sparse linear array can not only reduce the required cost, but also shorten the data acquisition time. In addition, to make the equivalent phase center (EPC) array evenly distributed and almost no redundancy, a new array working method is proposed, which can achieve fast image reconstruction of the target after combining with the range migration algorithm (RMA). Experimental results prove the high-resolution imaging capability of the designed millimeter-wave sparse MIMO array imaging system.