Sidelobe Performance Analysis of Noise Waveforms Considering the Doppler Mismatch

Waveform design and optimization algorithms generally assume a zero-Doppler ideal case to reach an optimum or satisfactory solution in terms of the matched filter output. Therefore, its performance is usually characterized only in terms of the resultant waveforms autocorrelation function, neglecting the practical situation in which the received signal is modulated by the target’s Doppler shift. Within this context, this work investigates the Doppler mismatch effects in the Integrated Sidelobe Level (ISL) performance of previously designed/optimized noise waveforms. The analysis has shown that, despite much better results for steady targets, the increasing Doppler mismatch reduces the ISL performance of optimized waveforms, until similar levels achieved when no optimization is performed. To address that, a subpulse Doppler processing approach is also considered, and the results have shown that, besides increasing the Doppler tolerance, it has also increased the optimized waveform robustness to the Doppler mismatch, reducing the resultant ISL loss and thus extending its applicability.