Reducing the Waveform Cross Correlation of MIMO Radar With Space–Time Coding

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar is attractive for target detection, parameter identification, and target classification due to diversity of waveform and perspective. However, the mutual interference among the waveforms may lead to performance degradation in resolving spatially close returns. In this paper, we consider the use of space-time coding (STC) to mitigate the waveform cross-correlation effects in MIMO radar. First, it turns out that a joint waveform optimization problem can be decoupled into a set of individual waveform design problems. Second, a number of monostatic waveforms can be directly used in a MIMO radar system, which offers flexibility in waveform selection. We provide conditions for the elimination of waveform cross correlation, and discuss four kinds of space time codes. In addition, we also extend the model to partial waveform cross-correlation removal based on waveform set division. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of STC in MIMO radar for waveform decorrelation.