SMART ANTENNA SYSTEM TESTBED

This book discusses a smart antenna system testbed (SATB) development which covers the design of a) broadband microstrip antenna array, b) software reconfigurable digital beamforming system c) beamforming algorithm, and d) modular design. The broadband microstrip antenna array achieves an impedance bandwidth of 17.32%, maximum achievable gain of 11.9 dBi, and -20 dB crosspolarization level. The digital signal processor with its beamforming algorithm generated the required weight vector and providing the software reconfigurability for testing different algorithm. The novel beamforming algorithm referred to as “MI-NLMS” was developed by combining the SMI and the NLMS algorithms taking the individual good aspects of both algorithms; the block adaptive and sample by sample techniques. The beamforming algorithm provides faster convergence speed, low BER, and less complexity. The novel SATB with its modular design and software reconfigurable approach provides a 3G testbed for testing smart antenna system in an independent manner, thus allowing the smart antenna system to be developed and tested in parallel, hence reducing the design time.