Large Scale Adaptive Beamforming

Array antennas may be built with I/Q digital I/O for each antenna element. Technology in data convertors and digital signal processing components and packaging has advanced sufficiently such that advanced algorithms may be implemented in or adjacent to the array antenna. Digitization down to the element level dramatically increases the array data rates, but localized signal processing can significantly reduce those data rates. However, the benefits of element level digitization at or near the antenna can be achieved by implementation of the algorithms in the FPGA.