{"paper":{"title":"Fundamental Performance Limits of Non-Coherent ISAC: A Data-Aided Sensing Perspective","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"Data-aided sensing in non-coherent ISAC systems delivers a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement at low SNR and faster distortion scaling at high SNR than pilot sensing.","cross_cats":["math.IT"],"primary_cat":"cs.IT","authors_text":"Chengkai Zhao, Dongsheng Peng, Jun Chen, Ping Chen, Yihong Li, Zhiqing Wei","submitted_at":"2026-05-15T17:11:50Z","abstract_excerpt":"In this paper, we investigate a bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system over block-fading channels, focusing on the scenario where the sensing and communication receivers (Rxs) are co-located. Under the assumption of unknown channel state information (CSI) at the Rx, two schemes are considered: pilot sensing (PS) and data-aided sensing (DAS). The communication rate-sensing distortion functions for both schemes are characterized. For the DAS scheme, a closed-form asymptotic expression for the sensing distortion is derived by using random"},"claims":{"count":4,"items":[{"kind":"strongest_claim","text":"For the DAS scheme, a closed-form asymptotic expression for the sensing distortion is derived by using random matrix theory (RMT). The asymptotic performance analysis explicitly quantifies the significant gains of the DAS scheme, revealing a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement in the low-SNR regime and a strictly faster performance scaling rate in the high-SNR limit compared to the PS scheme.","source":"verdict.strongest_claim","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C1","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"weakest_assumption","text":"The analysis assumes unknown channel state information at the co-located sensing and communication receivers together with a block-fading channel model; if this non-coherent premise is relaxed or the receivers are not co-located, the claimed rate-distortion functions and asymptotic gains no longer apply directly.","source":"verdict.weakest_assumption","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C2","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"one_line_summary","text":"In non-coherent bistatic MIMO ISAC, data-aided sensing yields a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement at low SNR and faster performance scaling at high SNR versus pilot sensing, via closed-form random matrix theory asymptotics.","source":"verdict.one_line_summary","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C3","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"headline","text":"Data-aided sensing in non-coherent ISAC systems delivers a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement at low SNR and faster distortion scaling at high SNR than pilot sensing.","source":"verdict.pith_extraction.headline","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C4","attestation":"unclaimed"}],"snapshot_sha256":"7ebbced2c19a87c8dd9b51f5c0ef9098fe37217c3bb0865d84ee898d72b28ebf"},"source":{"id":"2605.16196","kind":"arxiv","version":1},"verdict":{"id":"d8891783-cd1a-4a17-9cfe-56adce90fe09","model_set":{"reader":"grok-4.3"},"created_at":"2026-05-19T18:37:18.879921Z","strongest_claim":"For the DAS scheme, a closed-form asymptotic expression for the sensing distortion is derived by using random matrix theory (RMT). The asymptotic performance analysis explicitly quantifies the significant gains of the DAS scheme, revealing a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement in the low-SNR regime and a strictly faster performance scaling rate in the high-SNR limit compared to the PS scheme.","one_line_summary":"In non-coherent bistatic MIMO ISAC, data-aided sensing yields a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement at low SNR and faster performance scaling at high SNR versus pilot sensing, via closed-form random matrix theory asymptotics.","pipeline_version":"pith-pipeline@v0.9.0","weakest_assumption":"The analysis assumes unknown channel state information at the co-located sensing and communication receivers together with a block-fading channel model; if this non-coherent premise is relaxed or the receivers are not co-located, the claimed rate-distortion functions and asymptotic gains no longer apply directly.","pith_extraction_headline":"Data-aided sensing in non-coherent ISAC systems delivers a strict 3 dB effective SNR improvement at low SNR and faster distortion scaling at high SNR than pilot sensing."},"integrity":{"clean":true,"summary":{"advisory":0,"critical":0,"by_detector":{},"informational":0},"endpoint":"/pith/2605.16196/integrity.json","findings":[],"available":true,"detectors_run":[{"name":"doi_title_agreement","ran_at":"2026-05-19T19:01:18.891496Z","status":"completed","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"doi_compliance","ran_at":"2026-05-19T18:51:21.878366Z","status":"completed","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"cited_work_retraction","ran_at":"2026-05-19T17:51:56.223994Z","status":"completed","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"citation_quote_validity","ran_at":"2026-05-19T17:49:46.780062Z","status":"skipped","version":"0.1.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"ai_meta_artifact","ran_at":"2026-05-19T17:33:29.738734Z","status":"skipped","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"external_links","ran_at":"2026-05-19T17:31:38.925582Z","status":"completed","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0},{"name":"claim_evidence","ran_at":"2026-05-19T16:41:55.407642Z","status":"completed","version":"1.0.0","findings_count":0}],"snapshot_sha256":"bafc88f1dc6732044678ebe95e35a16d9ddc7361cbfeea51630f453b070009c5"},"references":{"count":28,"sample":[{"doi":"","year":2022,"title":"Integrated sensing and communications: Toward dual-functional wireless networks for 6G and beyond,","work_id":"3fae8072-eada-4944-ab7c-35b24cdfe601","ref_index":1,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2022,"title":"A survey on fundamental limits of integrated sensing and communication,","work_id":"f66316ec-8b55-4a99-8ab8-9ead13c3cca3","ref_index":2,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2023,"title":"Twelve scientific challenges for 6G: Rethinking the foundations of communications theory,","work_id":"b41e1dff-eb4c-49d6-8bbe-59b13ddc197c","ref_index":3,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2020,"title":"A vision of 6G wireless systems: Applications, trends, technologies, and open research problems,","work_id":"42b2c0c1-8cec-437e-afc0-817d94000d12","ref_index":4,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2011,"title":"Waveform design and signal processing aspects for fusion of wireless communications and radar sensing,","work_id":"55850a75-d3cc-4b63-9e9c-b41be07cd1d1","ref_index":5,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false}],"resolved_work":28,"snapshot_sha256":"3ad510b018367e0f8875d59149435705a472124b0722bb61f4d3b4220a1b5116","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":1,"snapshot_sha256":"978362870c7b32307d586e5d1285fded898209f8a6037c13b5f7b72f646a3792"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}