The invention provides a method for constructing a thinned
MIMO (
Multiple Input Multiple Output)
planar array radar antenna, which is on the basis of a
phase center approximation principle and combines an
MIMO antenna thought. The antenna arrangement
optimal design is carried out by adopting the
MIMO antenna thought. When all transmitting array elements simultaneously (or in turns) transmit orthogonal signals and receiving array elements simultaneously receive echo signals, a virtual
planar array with uniform intervals is subjected to equivalence
processing by utilizing the
phase center approximation principle. According to the thinned MIMO
planar array radar antenna constructed according to the invention, few transmitting
antenna array elements and few receiving
antenna array elements can be adopted and the equivalent full-array-element arrangement
planar antenna array is virtually realized. Compared with the
planar array antenna which is the same size as the equivalent virtual planar array and is directly arranged, the thinned MIMO planar array
radar antenna constructed according to the method disclosed by the invention has the
advantage of greatly reducing the requirement on the number of the array elements.