Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network

Radar networks offer the possibility to overcome the limitations of single sensors. However, without coherent signal processing, the full potential of radar networks cannot be exploited. Therefore, the synchronization of independent radar sensors is crucial in order to mitigate performance degradati...

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Main Authors: Julian Aguilar, David Werbunat, Vinzenz Janoudi, Christina Bonfert, Christian Waldschmidt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2024-01-01
Series:IEEE Journal of Microwaves
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10557779/
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author Julian Aguilar
David Werbunat
Vinzenz Janoudi
Christina Bonfert
Christian Waldschmidt
author_facet Julian Aguilar
David Werbunat
Vinzenz Janoudi
Christina Bonfert
Christian Waldschmidt
author_sort Julian Aguilar
collection DOAJ
description Radar networks offer the possibility to overcome the limitations of single sensors. However, without coherent signal processing, the full potential of radar networks cannot be exploited. Therefore, the synchronization of independent radar sensors is crucial in order to mitigate performance degradation due to frequency deviations of uncoupled reference oscillators. Systematically derived synchronization criteria for coupling-induced errors such as sampling frequency offset (SFO), carrier frequency offset (CFO) and symbol timing offset (STO) of uncoupled orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) radar sensors enable to determine hardware specifications, such as the required reference oscillator frequency stability. This aids in the design of digital radar networks and ensures error-free signal processing in advance. The concept of deriving said criteria is applicable to other modulation types used for digital radar sensors. Additionally, signal processing-based error estimation and correction methods are presented. By exploiting standard radar images, namely range profiles and range-Doppler images, the proposed methods estimate and correct any occurring SFO, CFO and STO. Furthermore, by applying the signal processing synchronization methods, they allow for a more lenient radar network design. Measurements using a 77 GHz digital radar demonstrator verify the derived criteria and error estimation and correction methods.
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spelling doaj-art-ab09073e37e1401cac514a6df3cb4a3d2025-08-20T03:47:06ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of Microwaves2692-83882024-01-014345947210.1109/JMW.2024.340563310557779Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor NetworkJulian Aguilar0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5434-5931David Werbunat1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7051-8217Vinzenz Janoudi2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1322-069XChristina Bonfert3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6963-6144Christian Waldschmidt4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2090-6136Institute of Microwave Engineering, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyInstitute of Microwave Engineering, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyInstitute of Microwave Engineering, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyInstitute of Microwave Engineering, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyInstitute of Microwave Engineering, Ulm University, Ulm, GermanyRadar networks offer the possibility to overcome the limitations of single sensors. However, without coherent signal processing, the full potential of radar networks cannot be exploited. Therefore, the synchronization of independent radar sensors is crucial in order to mitigate performance degradation due to frequency deviations of uncoupled reference oscillators. Systematically derived synchronization criteria for coupling-induced errors such as sampling frequency offset (SFO), carrier frequency offset (CFO) and symbol timing offset (STO) of uncoupled orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) radar sensors enable to determine hardware specifications, such as the required reference oscillator frequency stability. This aids in the design of digital radar networks and ensures error-free signal processing in advance. The concept of deriving said criteria is applicable to other modulation types used for digital radar sensors. Additionally, signal processing-based error estimation and correction methods are presented. By exploiting standard radar images, namely range profiles and range-Doppler images, the proposed methods estimate and correct any occurring SFO, CFO and STO. Furthermore, by applying the signal processing synchronization methods, they allow for a more lenient radar network design. Measurements using a 77 GHz digital radar demonstrator verify the derived criteria and error estimation and correction methods.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10557779/Bistaticcarrier frequency offset (CFO)digital radarmultistaticOFDM radarphase noise
spellingShingle Julian Aguilar
David Werbunat
Vinzenz Janoudi
Christina Bonfert
Christian Waldschmidt
Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
IEEE Journal of Microwaves
Bistatic
carrier frequency offset (CFO)
digital radar
multistatic
OFDM radar
phase noise
title Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
title_full Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
title_fullStr Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
title_full_unstemmed Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
title_short Uncoupled Digital Radars Creating a Coherent Sensor Network
title_sort uncoupled digital radars creating a coherent sensor network
topic Bistatic
carrier frequency offset (CFO)
digital radar
multistatic
OFDM radar
phase noise
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10557779/
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AT christinabonfert uncoupleddigitalradarscreatingacoherentsensornetwork
AT christianwaldschmidt uncoupleddigitalradarscreatingacoherentsensornetwork