Multiple-input Multiple-output Radar and Sparse Array Synthetic Impulse and Aperture Radar

Radar theory and radar system have developed a lot for the last 50 years or so. Recently, a new concept in array radar has been introduced by the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar, which has the potential to dramatically improve the performance of radars in parameters estimation. While an earlier appeared concept, synthetic impulse and aperture radar (SIAR) is a typical kind of MIMO radar and probes a channel by transmitting multiple signals separated both spectrally and spatially. To the best knowledge of the authors, almost all the analyses available are based on the simple linear array while our SIAR system is based on a circular array. This paper first introduces the recent research and development in and the features of MIMO radars, then discusses our SIAR system as a specific example of MIMO system and finally the unique advantages of SIAR are listed