PARC PSD Optimization via Design of Deterministic Waveform Component

Dual-function radar-communications (DFRC) is a method of co-designing a single radio frequency system to perform both radar and communication functions. Recently, a DFRC method known as phase-attached radar-communications (PARC) was introduced that encodes information onto a base radar waveform via continuous phase modulation. Previous PARC implementations encoded information onto the phase function of a linear frequency modulated waveform, where the resulting growth in the power spectral density (PSD) was dependent on the communication parameters (e.g., symbol rate and modulation index). This growth was controlled via guard symbols at the beginning and ends of the pulse, which reduces the overall data throughput. Here, we introduce a method of optimizing the base radar waveform of a PARC signal according to a desired communications modulation structure to match to a desired PSD without the need for guard symbols. Base radar waveforms are optimized for low and high data rate GMSK communications modulations and narrow and wide bandwidth spectral templates, and the PSD and autocorrelation performance is experimentally validated in a loopback capture using a software-defined system.