On sensing ability of distributed MIMO radar networks

In this paper, Fisher information of a widely separated MIMO radar network is analyzed by taking into account the impact of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in a typical two-dimensional target detection and localization scenario. A decentralized target detection scenario for a MIMO radar is considered and its performance is compared with that of a centralized detector. Following an earlier work, we re-derive the Fisher information matrix of a generic MIMO radar system with respect to target location where the impact of SNR is taken into account. The sensing capability of a MIMO radar network is analyzed in terms of the amount of information and the localization error bound. Detection probability performance, Fisher information and CRLB are presented for simulations. This work intends to highlight the potential to optimize the sensing capability of a MIMO radar network over the region of interest via the placement of transmitters and receivers in the sense of maximizing Fisher information.