Abstract:
Analysis and calibration of mutual coupling is more complicated in the presence of structure scattering caused by the platform or conducting plate located near the array. The parametric model of mutual coupling matrix should be extended, this makes the mutual coupling matrix is no longer a square matrix. Besides, the existing parametric array calibration methods for mutual coupling don’t work yet because they are proposed on the assumption that the mutual coupling matrix is a square matrix with a special structure. By using some instrumental sensors (the mutual coupling between them can be omitted) and auxiliary sources of unknown locations, an algorithm for array mutual coupling calibration in the presence of scattering is proposed. Firstly, the equal relation between the angularly dependent gain and phase distortion and the non-square mutual coupling matrix is presented. The non-square mutual coupling matrix can represent the effects of the mutual coupling between the array elements and the scattering simultaneously. Secondly, the angularly dependent gain and phase distortion of every array element and the DOA of the auxiliary source can be estimated every time with only one auxiliary source, the angularly dependent gain and phase distortion is a function of both the array steering vector and the non-square mutual coupling matrix. Lastly, repeat second procedure a few times, a few equations can be established. Combining the equations obtained together and solving equations with the help of Tikhonov Regularization, the non-square mutual coupling matrix can be computed effectively. Then the mutual coupling can be calibrated with the estimated non-square mutual coupling matrix. Computer simulation results demonstrate the proposed algorithm can achieve a favorable estimation of the non-square mutual coupling matrix for the purpose of array mutual coupling calibration in the presence of scattering. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is also demonstrated by the simulation results.