Development of a Hybrid Adaptive Beamformer
F.W. Lee · Naval Research Lab. Report · 1990
Abstract : Elements of adaptive array systems are reviewed and compared with the Adaptive Processing Laboratory equipment. Candidate locations for the beamforming network are investigated and development of an Intermediate Frequency Adaptive Beamformer is presented. Due to the hybrid analog/digital nature of the IF Beamformer, numerical techniques are developed for both characterization and control of the device. Performance data for the beamformer are presented. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of a fully adaptive linear array beamformer. Radar systems routinely use sensor arrays for signal detection and estimation. The use of sensor arrays, instead of single sensor systems, provides radar systems the advantages of improved antenna directive gain and the ability to exploit the geometrical properties of their spatial beam patterns. One such sensor array system is an adaptive array. Adaptive array systems sense the signal environment and then automatically adjust their spatial beam patterns to improve a specified performance index, usually the signal-to-interference noise ratio (SINR). These systems, therefore, perform optimally in adverse signal environments without prior knowledge of that environment. Adaptive arrays also overcome sensor failure more gracefully than conventional arrays.