Work

A Novel MIMO SAR Scheme with Intra–Inter-Pulse Phase Coding and Azimuth–Elevation Joint Processing

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Echo separation has long been a challenging and prominent research focus for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Synthetic Aperture Radar (MIMO SAR) systems. Digital beamforming (DBF) plays a critical role in achieving effective echo separation, but it often comes at the cost of high system complexity. This paper proposes a novel MIMO SAR scheme based on phase-coded waveforms applied to both inter-pulses and intra-pulses. By introducing phase coding in both dimensions and performing joint azimuth–elevation processing, the proposed method effectively suppresses interference arising during the echo separation process, thereby significantly improving separation performance. Additionally, the approach allows for a significantly simplified array configuration, reducing both hardware requirements and computational burden. The effectiveness and practicality of the proposed scheme are validated through numerical simulations and distributed scene experiments, highlighting its strong potential for application in MIMO SAR systems—particularly in cost-sensitive scenarios and systems with limited elevation channels.

Source: Remote Sensing

DOI: 10.3390/rs17213544

Authors: Wulin Peng, Wei Wang, Yongwei Zhang, Yihai Wei, Zixuan Zhang

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute

Language: English

Topic: Advanced SAR Imaging Techniques

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258

Funder: National Key Research and Development Program of China