CRB-Optimal Arrays and Waveforms in Active Sensing: Role of Redundancy and Spatial Covariance of Array Geometry

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: van der Werf, Ids, Rajamäki, Robin, Leus, Geert
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866916064884948992
author van der Werf, Ids
Rajamäki, Robin
Leus, Geert
author_facet van der Werf, Ids
Rajamäki, Robin
Leus, Geert
contents This paper characterizes the performance limits of optimal array designs using orthogonal and coherent waveforms for both linear and planar arrays. For orthogonal waveforms, we show that the single-target Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB) depends on the sum of the so-called spatial variances of the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) arrays, or equivalently, the spatial variance of the sum co-array weighted by the multiplicities of the virtual sensors. This reveals that CRB-optimal geometries are inherently redundant, highlighting a fundamental trade-off between mean squared error (MSE) and identifiability in parameter estimation. Moreover, we derive optimal Tx-Rx sensor allocations given a total sensor budget and show that unequal allocation (favoring the Rx) is optimal even for nonredundant arrays, questioning conventional designs. We extend our results to planar arrays, providing a new general condition that the spatial covariances of the Tx and Rx arrays should satisfy for the optimal waveforms to direct power in the target direction. Additionally, we establish a connection between Diophantine equations and array geometries with equal CRB, along with a constructive method for designing such arrays. Our work provides new guidelines for and insights into optimal array and waveform design with relevance in emerging active sensing multiple-input multiple-output systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_31059
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle CRB-Optimal Arrays and Waveforms in Active Sensing: Role of Redundancy and Spatial Covariance of Array Geometry
van der Werf, Ids
Rajamäki, Robin
Leus, Geert
Signal Processing
Information Theory
This paper characterizes the performance limits of optimal array designs using orthogonal and coherent waveforms for both linear and planar arrays. For orthogonal waveforms, we show that the single-target Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB) depends on the sum of the so-called spatial variances of the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) arrays, or equivalently, the spatial variance of the sum co-array weighted by the multiplicities of the virtual sensors. This reveals that CRB-optimal geometries are inherently redundant, highlighting a fundamental trade-off between mean squared error (MSE) and identifiability in parameter estimation. Moreover, we derive optimal Tx-Rx sensor allocations given a total sensor budget and show that unequal allocation (favoring the Rx) is optimal even for nonredundant arrays, questioning conventional designs. We extend our results to planar arrays, providing a new general condition that the spatial covariances of the Tx and Rx arrays should satisfy for the optimal waveforms to direct power in the target direction. Additionally, we establish a connection between Diophantine equations and array geometries with equal CRB, along with a constructive method for designing such arrays. Our work provides new guidelines for and insights into optimal array and waveform design with relevance in emerging active sensing multiple-input multiple-output systems.
title CRB-Optimal Arrays and Waveforms in Active Sensing: Role of Redundancy and Spatial Covariance of Array Geometry
topic Signal Processing
Information Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.31059