Unified radar-communication (RadCom) multi-port interferometer transceiver

A multifunctional transceiver architecture in support of joint radar-communication functions is proposed and developed based on a multiport interferometer technique. Following a recently developed time-agile waveform modulation scheme, this transceiver is made simpler, more compact and robust. This attractive property is much attributed to a specially proposed six-port topology used in the receiver design. With a theoretical analysis of its operation principles, the functionality of transceiver is studied through preliminary system- level measurements. The system is able to estimate target's range, angular position, velocity and direction of motion when operating in radar mode. Moreover, it is also capable of operating as a wireless data communicator. When the system operates in joint radar-communication manner, sensory-data fusion can enhance the reception quality of data transmission. These features make the proposed scheme suitable for intelligent transportation platforms.