OFDM-MIMO radar assisted dual-function radar communication system using index modulation *

Dual-function radar communication (DFRC) system exploits a hardware platform to achieve both radar and communication functions. Compared to utilizing separate radar and communication systems, DFRC has better performance in spectrum utilization. In this paper, assisted by orthogonal frequency division multiplexing -multiple input multiple output (OFDM-MIMO) radar, we propose a DFRC system architecture combining generalized space shift keying (GSSK) modulation and subcarrier index modulation (SIM) techniques. In this scheme, linear frequency modulation (LFM) signal is explored as the transmission waveform of OFDM-MIMO radar to complete the radar function. Furthermore, the proposed scheme combines GSSK and SIM to carry the communication information to the antenna index and subcarrier index to complete the communication function. Based on this architecture, a novel low complexity frequency detection communication demodulation algorithm is proposed, and the achievable rate communication performance of the system is analyzed. Numerical and simulation results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system.