Pointing correction in an adaptive array for communications

Abstract

The authors discuss DSP procedures for pointing correction in adaptive arrays which uses a spatial reference to form the optimum beam (generalized sidelobe canceller, GSLC). The problem of adequate pointing arises from many effects on the aperture and the receiver front-end of every array channel. Component aging, channel mismatching, sensor location, etc., promote steering errors that may produce the rejection of the desired signal. Currently, highly complicated telemetry systems and monopulse radars are used for steering correction. The authors describe the existing alternatives as well as further improvements that can be achieved from the use of temporal references combined with the GSLC beamformer