I’m currently conducting tests indoors in the office, but when I move the signal source, the KrakenSDR DOA does not achieve accurate measurements. I suspect this is due to the short distance indoors, since the MUSIC algorithm assumes far-field input signals. However, as I’m working on this alone, it’s inconvenient to place the signal source and receiving antenna very far apart. Therefore, I’d like to ask: under normal circumstances, what would be an appropriate distance between them?
The transmitter should be in the far field of the antenna array for accurate DOA estimation. A good rule of thumb is to place it at least 5–10 meters away for typical KrakenSDR antenna arrays, although the exact minimum depends on the array size and operating frequency.
If you’re testing indoors, reflections and multipath are often a bigger source of error than distance alone, and they can significantly degrade MUSIC algorithm performance. For the best results, test outdoors or in an open area with a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the array.
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The bigger problem you are having with indoor measurements is multipath. The signal reflections off walls and items in the room will be skewing the results signficantly.
But yes, you should be in the far field also, roughly 10x the wavelength is a good rule.