Estimation of arrival directions using MUSIC algorithm with a planar array

As one of the technologies used to overcome multipath fading in land mobile communications, adaptive array antennas and adaptive equalizers have been investigated. To put adaptive array antennas to practical use, the multipath signal propagation characteristics, such as the time delay and arrival direction, must be clarified. This can be accomplished via the antenna design and by developing an adaptive algorithm. The author has already proposed methods for measuring complex delay profiles with a virtual planar array. This involved scanning a linear array antenna and estimating the time delays and arrival directions of multipath signals by a two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform. This time, the author applied MUSIC algorithm to the virtual planar array to precisely estimate the arrival directions of multipath signals. In this paper, we clarify the performance and features of the MUSIC algorithm in estimating the arrival directions of multipath signals via computer simulation.