Algorithms for beamforming and beamsteering of adaptive antennas for satellite communications and navigation

Abstract

In the past few years, satellite navigation has known an great increase of interest, and in particular a major realization with the birth of the American global positioning system GPS and the European Union now plans to achieve its own positioning system Galileo by 2008. New applications in the field of satellite communications and navigation are being developed and require larger bandwidth. The need for wide-band networks entails the use of higher frequency ranges, and thus compact terminals equipped with smart antennas. The DLR – the German Aerospace Center – is working on the SANTANA (Smart Antenna Terminal) project with other companies. One of the main aspects of these smart antennas is the capability to achieve digital beamforming (DBF), this means that the radiation pattern of the antenna can be changed as desired. Hence the conditions in reception and emission are optimized. In this paper, the work on some algorithms for beamforming will be discussed. In a first part, the work environment will be shortly described; in the second and third part, the problem and the main results will be exposed. The second and third parts will refer to appendices constituting the fourth part. The reader will also find a bibliography at the end of the report.