Joint Radar-Communication Systems: Modulation Schemes and System Design

• Published in: IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 1521 - 1551
• Main Authors: Giroto de Oliveira, Lucas, Nuss, Benjamin, Alabd, Mohamad Basim, Diewald, Axel, Pauli, Mario, Zwick, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.03.2022; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Chirp; Chirp sequence (CS); Communication; Communications systems; Continuous radiation; Hardware; Modulation; OFDM; orthogonal chirp-division multiplexing (OCDM); Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing; orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM); phase-modulated continuous wave (PMCW); Radar; Radar applications; radar-communication (RadCom); Sensors; Signal processing; State-of-the-art reviews; Systems design
• ISSN: 0018-9480; 1557-9670
• DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2021.3126887

The joint radar-communication (RadCom) concept has been continuously gaining interest due to the possibility of integrating radar sensing and communication functionalities in the same radio frequency hardware platform. Besides a number of challenges in terms of hardware design and signal processing, the choice of suitable modulation schemes plays a significant role in driving the performance of RadCom systems. In this sense, this article presents an overview of state-of-the-art modulation schemes for RadCom systems, namely, chirp sequence, phase-modulated continuous wave, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, and orthogonal chirp-division multiplexing. For each of them, a detailed system model is outlined, and parameters for quantifying both radar and communication performances are presented. Finally, a comparative analysis of the aforementioned RadCom modulation schemes is carried out to illustrate the presented discussion.