An Approximate Cramer–Rao Lower Bound for Multiple LFMCW Signals

In this paper we focus on deriving an approximate Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the parameters of a multicomponent linear frequency modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) signal corrupted by complex additive white Gaussian noise. The approximation is necessary due to the discontinuities inherent in the mathematical model of the instantaneous phase of each LFMCW signal model. By comparing our approximate bound to a simulation of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the LFMCW parameters, we confirm our analysis. In general, the CRLB is a useful tool for feasibility studies or in evaluating the degree of suboptimality that non-MLE methods exhibit. For passive detection and estimation of LFMCW signals, the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test and the associated MLE are difficult to implement in practice, primarily due to their large computational requirements. So, lower bounds on performance, such as those provided by the CRLB, are necessary to evaluate suboptimal methods that are more suited for practical implementations.