Adaptive frequency-domain sliding block correlators for PMCW radar processing

Abstract

Phase-modulated continuous-wave (PMCW) radars offer better multiple antenna support and flexible waveform design. These radars, however, suffer from the high computational complexity of correlation processing used to obtain the range of targets, particularly due to the use of long code sequences. To address this, we exploit signal sparsity and propose an adaptive sliding block-based fast Fourier transform (FFT) correlator that selectively processes only the relevant range bins and dynamically aligns processing blocks using a time-shift parameter. This sliding mechanism minimizes boundary effects and reduces the number of blocks required for processing. The framework also incorporates external sensor data for context-aware range-bin selection and includes an analytical formulation for optimal block size selection. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed method preserves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and target peaks while significantly reducing processing time. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through numerical simulations.