Array configuration optimization using an objective function for accurate DOA estimation

Abstract

This paper proposes a deterministic method of array configurations using an objective function for accurate DOA estimation in a wide frequency range. The objective function is defined to describe appropriate baseline distributions of an 8-elemnt circular array for the max-min frequency ratio of 6:1 and used to finds the most similar distributions among a number of random array configurations. The resulting array configuration obtained from the proposed method is evaluated by root mean square error (RMSE) and ambiguity in comparison with a uniform circular array (UCA). The results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient for achieving accurate DOA estimation in a wide frequency range. © 2013 IEEE.