False peak restraint of DOA estimation using element adjustment and virtual array transformation

When the element-spacing in ULA (Uniform Linear Array) is bigger than half wavelength, ambiguity will appear in DOA (Direction of Arrival) estimation. This paper analyzes the ambiguity cause from the point of steer-vector. Theoretically, the steer-vector can be corrected and the false peak may be restrained by adjusting antenna element. In fact, the element adjustment method is not suitable to the actual antenna design. To solve the problem, virtual array transformation is applied to replace the actual element adjustment in ULA. This paper studies the influence of element adjustment extent and virtual array transform error on the false peak restraint. For the ULA with large element-spacing, the method proposed in the paper will be helpful for restraining the false peak in DOA.