Comparison of amplitude-matching and complex monopulse algorithms with respect to SNR

Direction of arrival (DOA) determination is an important subject for remote sensing. For radar applications monopulse principles are widely used. This article compares the amplitude matching algorithm [1] to the complex monopulse algorithm [2, 3] with respect to the influence of noise. While the overall assessment of the angular estimation process is performed by simulation, the major features can be confirmed by analytical analysis. The results show that by using phase and magnitude information a better error characteristic performance within the multibeam-illuminated area can be achieved.