Two-Dimensional DOA Estimation Using Two Parallel Nested Arrays

In this letter, we propose a new method for two-dimensional (2-D) direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation using two parallel nested arrays. In this method, an augmented covariance matrix is firstly constructed using the outputs of two parallel difference coarrays. Based on the augmented covariance matrix, the 2-D DOA estimation problem is then converted into two one-dimensional estimation problems. Finally, the azimuth and elevation angle estimates are derived using the estimated direction cosines. Unlike the traditional methods, our algorithm exploits the difference coarray to increase the array aperture and degrees of freedom. Moreover, it does not require any peak searching and can achieve parameter automatic pairing. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed method.