Combining MIMO radar with OFDM communications

MIMO radar systems have been proposed elsewhere which utilise OFDM waveforms as the scene illuminator. This suggests an opportunity exists to code the OFDM radar waveform in such a way as to provide a communication link to broadcast the radar data to remote users. The benefit of this would arise from the dual use of the microwave band, addressing the problem where demand for bandwidth is exceeding capacity. This paper explores the technical issues associated with this idea and outlines some of the key features of such a system. We describe how OFDM waveforms can be applied to MIMO radar; and what constraints must he placed on the waveform to ensure robust operation for both radar and communication functions. A candidate system design is presented, along with basic analysis of the expected performance of both radar and communications functionality.