L. I. Ponomarev, A. A. Vasin

Analysis of mutual influence of vibrators in structure of the few elements linear and ring antenna arrays on direction finding accuracy of multipath signals against the background of white noise is presented in this article. It is supposed that there are narrow-band filters in each channel of the antenna array. These filters are meant for division of desired frequency band into a number of more narrow-band subranges with independent processing in each one. Direction finding process consists of following steps: finding of correlation matrix of single element output signal complex amplitudes, eigenvector expansion (into signal and noise ones) of correlation matrix, determination of receiving antenna eigen direction diagrams in terms of eigenvectors, compiling and solution of system of functional equations by searching of discrete values of directions through the observable angle range with given step. Directions of arrival are evaluated from the condition of each eigen noise direction diagram cancellation of signal components, arriving from the different angles. The method is quite sensitive to deviations of real-world scene from assumed model, particularly to single vibrators direction diagram shape and impedance changing because of interaction effects in antenna array. The bearing error can be minimized in case of taking into account mutual influence of antenna array elements. The value of this error is defined only by accuracy of solution of above-mentioned system of functional equations.