Lecture-2

7.4 Types of Smart Antenna Systems

Basically, there are two major configurations of smart antennas:

Switched-Beam: A finite number of fixed, predefined patterns

Adaptive Array: A theoretically infinite number of patterns (scenario-based) that are
adjusted in real time according to the spatial changes of SOIs and SNOIs.

A. Switched-Beam Systems
A switched-beam system is a system that can choose from one of many predefined patterns in
order to enhance the received signal. When an incoming signal is detected, the base station
determines the beam that is best aligned in the signal-of-interest direction and then switches to
that beam to communicate with the user. The switched-beam, is based on a basic switching
function, and select the beam that gives the strongest received signal. The overall goal of the
switched-beam system is to increase the gain according to the location of the user. However,
since the beams are fixed, the intended user may not be in the center of any given main beam.
Switched beam employs an antenna array which radiates several overlapping fixed beams (see
Fig. 7.4) covering a designated angular area. It subdivides the sector into many narrow beams.
Each beam can be treated as an individual sector serving an individual user or a group of users.
The spatially separated directional beams leads to increase in the possible reuse of a frequency
channel by reducing potential interference and also increases the range. The Switched beam
antenna has a switching mechanism that enables it to select and then switch the right beam which
gives the best reception for a mobile user under consideration. The selection is usually based on
maximum received power for that user. Note that same beam can be used both for uplink and
downlink communication.

Fig. 7.4 Switched

S
beaam coveragee pattern
A more generalizatio
on to the sw
witched-beam
m concept iss the Dynam
mical Phasedd Array (DP
PA). A
typical sw
witched beam
m system fo
or a base station would cconsist of m
multiple arrayys with eachh array
covering a certain seector in the cell. Consid
der a switchhed beamform
ming system
m shown in figure
7.5. It consists of a phase shiffting networrk, which fo
forms multipple beams llooking in ccertain
direction
ns. The RF switch
s
actuaates the rightt beam in thhe desired ddirection. Thhe selection of the
right beaam is made by the conttrol logic. The
T control llogic is govverned by ann algorithm which
scans all the beams and selects the one recceiving the sstrongest siggnal based oon a measurrement
made by the detectorr.

Fig.7.5 Block
B
diagram
m of switcheed beam systtem
There aree certain disaadvantages of
o this switch
hed beam syystem:

Th
his techniquee is simple in
n operation but
b is not suuitable for higgh interferennce areas.
Th
hese systemss lead to freq
quent hand-o
offs when thhe mobile useer is activelyy moving froom the
areea of one beam to another. Therefore these intraa-cell hand-ooffs have to bbe controlledd.

Switched beam systems cannot reduce multipath interference components with a direction
of arrival close to that of the desired signal.

Despite all these disadvantages, the switched beam approach is less complicated (compared to
the completely adaptive systems) and provides a significant range extension, increase in
capacity, and a considerable interference rejection when the desired user is at the center of the
beam. Also, it is less expensive and can be easily implemented in older systems.

B. Adaptive Systems
Adaptive antenna array is an array of multiple antenna elements that continuously adjusts its own
pattern with time by collecting feedback from the surrounding environment to keep the array in
optimum state. The principal purpose of an adaptive array sensor system is to enhance the
detection and reception of certain desired signals. In addition to shape the pattern and steer the
beam towards desired direction in space by applying the amplitude and phase weighting of the
array elements, the adaptive arrays sense the interference sources from the environment and
suppress them automatically by implementing advanced signal processing techniques. Hence the
adaptive array provides improved QoS.
The major reason for the progress in adaptive arrays is their ability to automatically respond to
an unknown interfering environment by steering nulls and reducing the sidelobe level in the
direction of interference, while keeping the desired beam characteristics. Adaptive antenna
arrays are commonly equipped with signal processors which can automatically adjust, by a
simple adaptive technique, the variable antenna weights of a signal processor so as to maximize
the signal to noise ratio.

Basic Working mechanism:

Adaptive arrays utilize sophisticated signal-processing algorithms to continuously distinguish
between desired signals, multipath, and interfering signals, as well as calculate their Directions
of Arrival (DOA). Basically, the DOA computes the direction of arrival of all signals by
computing the time delays between the antenna elements. This approach updates its transmit
strategy continuously based on changes in both the desired and interfering signal locations.
Lastly the adaptive algorithm, using a cost function, computes the appropriate weights that result
in an optimum radiation pattern. As a result, a beam is steered in the direction of the desired
signal and the user is continuously tracked, as he moves while placing nulls at interfering signal
directions by constantly updating the complex weights.
As discussed previously the direction of radiation of the main beam in an array depends upon the
phase difference between the elements of the array. Therefore it is possible to continuously steer
the main beam in any direction by adjusting the progressive phase difference between the
elements. The same concept forms the basis in adaptive array systems in which the phase is

adjusted to achieve maximum radiation in

n the desireed directionn. A typical adaptive digital
beamform
ming networrk shown in fig.7.6.

Fig.7.6 Block
B
diagram
m of adaptiv
ve array system