Broadband DOA Estimation Based on Nested Arrays

Abstract

Using the structure of nested arrays, a broadband direction of arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm is presented. The algorithm combines different sensors data to construct a covariance matrix, which is equivalent to that of the uniform linear array whose aperture is same as the nested arrays, and then the DOAs of broadband sources can be estimated by the incoherent MUSIC algorithm. Compared to the traditional coherent subspace algorithms, the proposed algorithm does not need to pre-estimate the azimuths of sources. When the number of sources is greater than the number of sensors, it can still perform well. Under the condition of same array aperture, the number of the sensors is reduced considerably by using nested arrays, and the good localizing performance and spatial resolution can be obtained. Finally, computer simulations show the performance of the proposed algorithm.