Experimental investigations on radio direction finding utilizing high resolution spectral estimation techniques

Radio direction findings is of great significance especially in the field of electronic reconnaissance. There exist many radio direction finding algorithms, but most of them fail in interference fields caused by existence of more than one radiation source or by multipath transmission. High resolution spectral estimation techniques are useful to resolve interference fields with more than one incoming wave. In this paper one of these algorithms, the MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) algorithm, is described. A measurement system, the nine channel receiver for the HF- and VHF-band, which allows hardware independent the implementation of various direction finding algorithms, is presented. Furthermore, in simulations and measurements, the MUSIC algorithm is compared with conventional beamforming techniques. The results show the superiority of the MUSIC algorithm