System Architecture of Smart Antennas in Software Defined Radio
The common array configurations for smart antennas include linear arrays, circular arrays, and planar arrays. The spacing between array elements is typically half the wavelength. If the element spacing is too large, the correlation between received signals decreases; if too small, it can cause unwanted grating lobes in the radiation pattern. Therefore, half-wavelength spacing is generally adopted.
Smart antennas employ digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to determine the Direction of Arrival (DOA estimation) of user signals and form the antenna's main beam in that direction. By providing different channels based on the distinct spatial transmission paths of user signals - analogous to using different cables in wired transmission - they can effectively suppress interference.
Considering that Software Defined Radio (SDR) systems require sampling at the Intermediate Frequency (IF) stage followed by software-based IF processing, the sampling rates of tens of millions of samples per second demand that the DSP must be fast enough to handle these operations. However, rough calculations indicate that implementing down-conversion functionality purely in software on a DSP is impractical, even with the fastest available components, as DSPs are primarily suited for baseband processing.
A more practical solution involves using specialized programmable logic devices to handle high-speed filtering and processing, thereby alleviating the burden on the DSP. Due to the high processing speed requirements for real-time operations, relying solely on the performance improvements of single DSP systems is no longer sufficient. Parallel general-purpose floating-point DSPs, which integrate inter-chip parallel processing capabilities within a single chip, offer high parallel processing power and efficiency. Consequently, practical systems commonly use parallel DSP arrays to enhance processing capability.
Theoretically, N parallel DSPs can provide N times the processing power. However, achieving this in practical systems often requires significant compromises in algorithm design. An effective algorithm should be highly parallelizable, suitable for simultaneous implementation across multiple DSPs, and must minimize and expedite data exchange between processors.
System Architecture of Smart Antennas in Software Defined Radio
by sdruav.com | Sep 28, 2025 | Articles
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