Capon DOD/DOA Estimation Algorithm for Bistatic MIMO Radar Using Dipole Antenna Arrays with Known Mutual Coupling

This study focuses on the joint estimation of the direction of departure (DOD) and direction of arrival (DOA) of multiple targets in bistatic multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar systems employing orthogonal waveforms. A linear array of half-wavelength dipole antennas (HWD) with known mutual coupling is utilized. The proposed method applies a two-dimensional Capon (2D Capon) algorithm to estimate both the DOD and DOA of multiple targets. To mitigate the adverse effects of mutual coupling, an efficient compensation mechanism is integrated into the Capon direction-finding algorithm. This mechanism relies on realistic electromagnetic modeling in which mutual coupling is represented using Toeplitz-structured coupling matrices. Through computer simulations, the influence of various system parameters on the algorithms performance is evaluated, with particular emphasis on its resolution capability and estimation accuracy. The results clearly demonstrate that incorporating mutual coupling compensation significantly enhances the accuracy of the 2D Capon algorithm.