High-performance MIMO imaging RADAR with hybrid receiver array

In this study a sparse MIMO system with difference co-array processing is presented. It consists of two dense transmitter arrays in split configuration and a symmetrical hybrid receiver array. A combination of a periodically thinned array and two non-uniform sub-arrays is proposed to synthesize the receiver structure with low optimization effort. High angular resolution is achieved in the MUSIC spectrum by implementing a difference co-array concept together with spatial smoothing. A thinning rate in excess of 95% is demonstrated. The performance of the proposed system is validated by simulation and measurements.