Evaluation of Antenna Calibration and DOA Estimation Algorithms for FMCW Radars

High-resolution subspace-based direction of arrival (DOA) estimation methods critically rely on a correct model of the array steering vectors. In order to achieve a high accuracy of parameter estimation, an antenna array calibration is necessary. This paper presents a comparative study of different active calibration methods for frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars. Additionally, improvements to the presented local calibration method are suggested. The theoretical performance of the methods is evaluated with simulations and validated with data from real-world measurements.