The ability for base stations to be able to beam-form their signals, directing the signal energy to specific users, is a topic of research that has been heavily studied during the last decades. The beam-forming technique aims to increase the signal-to-interference-and-noise-ratio of the user and, consequently, increase the capacity and coverage of the communication system. One such method is the Differential Beam-Forming technique, that has been developed at Ericsson Research. In this version of beam-forming, the beams can be dynamically sharpened and widened when tracking a specific terminal, to try to optimize the signal energy sent to that terminal. Beam-forming, however, makes the link-adaptation algorithm process substantially harder to perform. The reason for this is that the link-adaptation algorithm now has to take into account not only the changing radio environment, but also the changing transmit signal that is being beam-formed. Fortunately, since the beam-formed signal is known at the point of transmission, there should be a potential to utilize this knowledge to make the link-adaptation more efficient. This thesis, investigates how the link-adaptation algorithm could be changed to perform better in beam-forming setups, as well as what information from the beam-forming algorithm that could be included and utilized in the link-adaptation algorithm. This is done by designing and investigating three new link-adaptation algorithms, in the context of Differential Beam-Forming in an LTE FDD system. The algorithms that has been designed are both of a beam-forming-aware and beam-forming-unaware character, meaning if the beam-forming information is utilized within the algorithm, or not. These algorithms have been simulated for different base station antenna array-sizes. Unfortunately, due to simulator restrictions, the terminals have been simulated in a stationary environment, which has proven to be a limiting factor for the results. However, the results still show that smarter beam-forming-aware link-adaptation could possibly be used to increase the performance of the link-adaptation when using beam-forming.

The work here presents a review of beam forming architectures. As an example, the author presents an 8x8 Butler Matrix passive beam forming network including the schematic, design/modeling, operation, and simulated results. The limiting factor in traditional beam formers has been the large size dictated by transmission line based couplers. By replacing these couplers with transformer-based couplers, the matrix size is reduced substantially allowing for on chip compact integration. In the example presented, the core area, including the antenna crossover, measures 0.82mm×0.39mm (0.48% the size of a branch line coupler at the same frequency). The simulated beam forming achieves a peak PNR of 17.1 dB and 15dB from 57 to 63GHz. At the 60GHz center frequency the average insertion loss is simulated to be 3.26dB. The 8x8 Butler Matrix feeds into an 8-element antenna array to show the array patterns with single beam and adjacent beam isolation.

Yes / A novel beam-forming module based on Wilkinson power divider technology, including attenuators and phase shifter chips is designed, fabricated and evaluated to be incorporated in a Relay Station connecting it with the Base Station under a 4G network. The proposed module is a 1:8 port circuit, utilizing two substrates, providing approximately 700 MHz bandwidth over 3.5 GHz frequency band and less than −20 dB transmission line coupling. Moreover an external control unit that feeds the beam-forming module with code-words that define the proper amplitude/phase of the excitation currents is established and described. The presented module is connected to a planar array and tested for two beam-forming scenarios, providing satisfactory radiation patterns.

A redução do ruído externo gerado por aeronaves operando nas proximidades de grandes centros urbanos é apontada como uma questão vital para a manutenção e expansão sustentável das atividades da aviação civil. Nas últimas décadas, reduções significativas no ruído gerado pelos sistemas de propulsão da aeronave tornaram relevantes as contribuições do trem de pouso e dos dispositivos de hiper-sustentação (flapes e eslates) para o ruído global da aeronave. A caracterização do espectro acústico de cada componente hiper-sustentador é necessária para o desenvolvimento de métodos preditivos de ruído e projetos aerodinâmicos que viabilizem a redução de ruído sem penalizações severas para o desempenho e a segurança da aeronave. Experimentos com modelos em escalas mostram que a contribuição de cada elemento hiper-sustentador para o ruído global é determinada pelo tamanho e modelo da aeronave. Tal fato dificulta a generalização dos resultados experimentais e determina a caracterização do espectro acústico de cada componente de um aerofólio em termos de sua geometria e configuração operacional. Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a caracterização do ruído do eslate a partir de medições experimentais com um aerofólio hiper-sustentador McDonnell Douglas (30P30N), composto por flape, eslate e elemento principal. Os experimentos foram realizados em túnel de vento de seção fechada, e as medições acústicas contaram com o uso de uma antena composta por 62 microfones. Os dados acústicos foram processados com algoritmos de beam-forming convencional e deconvolução DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources). A aplicação de técnicas de beam-forming permite representar uma distribuição espacial de fontes na forma de um mapa acústico e determinar o nível de ruído gerado por fontes que concorrem de forma independente para o ruído global. A base de dados experimentais permite o estudo do ruído do eslate sob diferentes configurações operacionais e geométricas do aerofólio. A análise do espectro acústico do eslate revela a ocorrência de ruído tonal em baixa e alta frequências, e ruído de banda larga em média frequência. Os mapas de beam-forming obtidos associam o ruído de banda larga com uma distribuição bidimensional de fontes ao longo da envergadura do eslate. O ruído do eslate aumenta com a velocidade de escoamento livre, enquanto que os picos tonais de baixa frequência e o ruído de banda larga decrescem com o aumento do ângulo de ataque do aerofólio de 2° para 10°. Os espectros de ruído do eslate colapsam quando reescalados pelo número de Mach do escoamento livre elevado a uma potência entre 4 e 5, e o ruído tonal colapsa em Strouhal dado pela corda do eslate e pela velocidade do escoamento base. Os resultados mostram que o ruído do eslate é fortemente dependente da geometria do aerofólio, particularmente para variações de overlap. Uma boa correspondência quantitativa foi obtida comparando-se espectros experimentais de ruído do eslate com espectros numéricos, obtidos a partir de um modelo com a mesma geometria e em condições de teste idênticas, o que indica a viabilidade do uso de túneis de vento de secção fechada para a realização de experimentos aeroacústicos. / The reduction in the noise produced by aircraft operating in the vicinity of large urban centers is an important issue for a sustainable growth in the civil aviation activities. Over the last decades, from a signicant reduction achieved in the noise generated by aircraft propulsion systems, the contribution of both landing gears and high-lift devices (flaps and slats) has become important to the aircraft overall noise. The identication of the noise signature of each high-lift component is required for the development of both noise prediction methods and new aerodynamic design concepts toward achieving a noise reduction without severe penalty over the aircraft performance and safety. Scaled model experiments have shown that the importance of each airframe component to the overall noise is determined by particularities in both aircraft geometry and size. Such noise model dependence hampers the generalization of experimental results from a reference testing model and leads to the necessity of assessing noise generation according to the testing model geometry and operational condition. This study focuses mainly on the characterization of slat noise from experimental measurements on a high-lift Mcdonnell Douglas (30P30N) airfoil, composed of a slat, a ap and a main element. Measurements were performed in a closed-section wind tunnel by a 62-microphone array and the acoustic data were processed with in-house codes based on conventional beam-forming and DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for theMapping of Acoustic Sources) algorithms. Beam-forming techniques potentially enable the representation of a spatial source distribution as an acoustic map, from which the contribution of independent sources to the overall noise can be estimated. The experimental database enables the study of the slat noise from dierent airfoil operational conditions and geometrical settings. The slat noise spectral signature reveals the occurrence of tonal noise over both low- and high-frequency bands and also broadband noise over a mid-frequency range. Beam-forming maps indicate the slat broad-band noise originates from a source spatially distributed along the slat span. The slat noise increases in function of the ow speed, whereas low-frequency tonal peaks and the broadband noise decrease as the airfoil angle of attack increases from 2 to 10. The slat noise spectra scalle when the Mach number is raised to a power between 4 and 5, and the tonal noise collapses with Strouhal based on the slat chord and the ow speed. Results show the slat noise is strongly in uenced by the airfoil geometry, particularly for variations in the overlap. A good quantitative agreement was achieved through the comparison between the experimental and numerical slat noise spectra for the same model geometry and test conditions, which indicates the viability of performing aeroacoustic experiments in closed-section wind tunnels.

A redução do ruído externo gerado por aeronaves operando nas proximidades de grandes centros urbanos é apontada como uma questão vital para a manutenção e expansão sustentável das atividades da aviação civil. Nas últimas décadas, reduções significativas no ruído gerado pelos sistemas de propulsão da aeronave tornaram relevantes as contribuições do trem de pouso e dos dispositivos de hiper-sustentação (flapes e eslates) para o ruído global da aeronave. A caracterização do espectro acústico de cada componente hiper-sustentador é necessária para o desenvolvimento de métodos preditivos de ruído e projetos aerodinâmicos que viabilizem a redução de ruído sem penalizações severas para o desempenho e a segurança da aeronave. Experimentos com modelos em escalas mostram que a contribuição de cada elemento hiper-sustentador para o ruído global é determinada pelo tamanho e modelo da aeronave. Tal fato dificulta a generalização dos resultados experimentais e determina a caracterização do espectro acústico de cada componente de um aerofólio em termos de sua geometria e configuração operacional. Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a caracterização do ruído do eslate a partir de medições experimentais com um aerofólio hiper-sustentador McDonnell Douglas (30P30N), composto por flape, eslate e elemento principal. Os experimentos foram realizados em túnel de vento de seção fechada, e as medições acústicas contaram com o uso de uma antena composta por 62 microfones. Os dados acústicos foram processados com algoritmos de beam-forming convencional e deconvolução DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources). A aplicação de técnicas de beam-forming permite representar uma distribuição espacial de fontes na forma de um mapa acústico e determinar o nível de ruído gerado por fontes que concorrem de forma independente para o ruído global. A base de dados experimentais permite o estudo do ruído do eslate sob diferentes configurações operacionais e geométricas do aerofólio. A análise do espectro acústico do eslate revela a ocorrência de ruído tonal em baixa e alta frequências, e ruído de banda larga em média frequência. Os mapas de beam-forming obtidos associam o ruído de banda larga com uma distribuição bidimensional de fontes ao longo da envergadura do eslate. O ruído do eslate aumenta com a velocidade de escoamento livre, enquanto que os picos tonais de baixa frequência e o ruído de banda larga decrescem com o aumento do ângulo de ataque do aerofólio de 2° para 10°. Os espectros de ruído do eslate colapsam quando reescalados pelo número de Mach do escoamento livre elevado a uma potência entre 4 e 5, e o ruído tonal colapsa em Strouhal dado pela corda do eslate e pela velocidade do escoamento base. Os resultados mostram que o ruído do eslate é fortemente dependente da geometria do aerofólio, particularmente para variações de overlap. Uma boa correspondência quantitativa foi obtida comparando-se espectros experimentais de ruído do eslate com espectros numéricos, obtidos a partir de um modelo com a mesma geometria e em condições de teste idênticas, o que indica a viabilidade do uso de túneis de vento de secção fechada para a realização de experimentos aeroacústicos. / The reduction in the noise produced by aircraft operating in the vicinity of large urban centers is an important issue for a sustainable growth in the civil aviation activities. Over the last decades, from a signicant reduction achieved in the noise generated by aircraft propulsion systems, the contribution of both landing gears and high-lift devices (flaps and slats) has become important to the aircraft overall noise. The identication of the noise signature of each high-lift component is required for the development of both noise prediction methods and new aerodynamic design concepts toward achieving a noise reduction without severe penalty over the aircraft performance and safety. Scaled model experiments have shown that the importance of each airframe component to the overall noise is determined by particularities in both aircraft geometry and size. Such noise model dependence hampers the generalization of experimental results from a reference testing model and leads to the necessity of assessing noise generation according to the testing model geometry and operational condition. This study focuses mainly on the characterization of slat noise from experimental measurements on a high-lift Mcdonnell Douglas (30P30N) airfoil, composed of a slat, a ap and a main element. Measurements were performed in a closed-section wind tunnel by a 62-microphone array and the acoustic data were processed with in-house codes based on conventional beam-forming and DAMAS (Deconvolution Approach for theMapping of Acoustic Sources) algorithms. Beam-forming techniques potentially enable the representation of a spatial source distribution as an acoustic map, from which the contribution of independent sources to the overall noise can be estimated. The experimental database enables the study of the slat noise from dierent airfoil operational conditions and geometrical settings. The slat noise spectral signature reveals the occurrence of tonal noise over both low- and high-frequency bands and also broadband noise over a mid-frequency range. Beam-forming maps indicate the slat broad-band noise originates from a source spatially distributed along the slat span. The slat noise increases in function of the ow speed, whereas low-frequency tonal peaks and the broadband noise decrease as the airfoil angle of attack increases from 2 to 10. The slat noise spectra scalle when the Mach number is raised to a power between 4 and 5, and the tonal noise collapses with Strouhal based on the slat chord and the ow speed. Results show the slat noise is strongly in uenced by the airfoil geometry, particularly for variations in the overlap. A good quantitative agreement was achieved through the comparison between the experimental and numerical slat noise spectra for the same model geometry and test conditions, which indicates the viability of performing aeroacoustic experiments in closed-section wind tunnels.

The proliferation of modern wireless networks increases demand for high capacity and throughput in order to provide faster, more robust, efficient and broadband services to end users. Mobile WiMAX and LTE are examples of such networks in which for some cases they have exposed limited connectivity due to harsh environment. Relay stations are preferred to overcome problems of weak or no access for such network devices, that are placed in specific positions to maintain high quality of data transfer at low cost and provide the required connectivity anywhere anytime. These stations should be equipped with an antenna system capable of establishing communication between base station (backhaul link) and end users (access link). This thesis focuses on the design and development of a new antenna system that is suitable for a relay-based wireless network. Planar geometries of microstrip patch antennas are utilized. The antenna system comprises two antenna modules: a new design of a single antenna for access link and a new design of an antenna array for backhaul link realization. Both antenna specifications are compatible with the IEEE802.16j protocol standard. Hence, relay station should be capable of pointing its radiation pattern to the base station antenna, thus to achieve the desired radiation pattern of the relay station, a new beam-forming module is proposed, designed and developed to generate the proper radiation pattern. The beam-forming module incorporating digital phase shifters and attenuator chips is fabricated and tested. The optimization process using the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm is considered in this study to assign the proper phase and amplitude that is necessary to each radiation element excitation current, to produce the desired steered radiation pattern. A comprehensive study on the coupling effects for several relative positions between two new backhaul and access link antenna elements is performed. Two new antenna configurations for coupling reduction are tested and the simulated and measured results in terms of antenna radiation performances were compared and commented.

ITC/USA 2011 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Seventh Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2011 / Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada / At ITC 2009, we described the real-world complications of fielding an airborne Synthetic beamforming Telemetry System, which simultaneously supports 20 individual beams (10 at each of 2 polarizations). We described how our layered Open-Source software approach helped us to modify the system rapidly after delivery without disrupting mission operations. Since then, we have further extended the software toolset that we developed to dissect the System behavior via post-mission replay and analysis, and to compare high-resolution in-flight measurements with our detailed physics simulations. This analysis has shown that the most significant factor affecting operational performance of the System was variation in the relative phase of the elements from day to day. These variations were traced to a variety of hardware issues, none of which could be resolved without major cost and effort. As an alternative approach, we developed a dynamic auto-tuning capability that optimizes the phase calibration of the System using each actual signal source as it is being tracked. This results in improved signal-to-noise performance while reducing the need for dedicated in-air calibration flights that we had previously created. We believe that the flexibility of digital beamforming, allied with a modular and easily-extensible software architecture, have again proven capable of quickly and cheaply mitigating real-world operational issues, without (so far) requiring any hardware modification of the delivered System.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This project comprises the design, analysis, and construction of a Rotman lens with reduced conjugate-port coupling. The Rotman lens is a beam-forming network, used in wide-angle scanners to feed an antenna array. The scanning operation is based on optics and is therefore frequency invariant, a desirable feature of the Rotman lens compared to other beam-forming networks which employ phase shifters. The antenna array is connected to the lens's array ports via transmission lines. These array ports lie on the array contour which is designed so that a signal incident onto the antenna array will propagate into the lens and focus at a particular point. The position of this focal point depends on the signals direction of arrival at the array. Ports are placed on these focal points to feed and receive signals. Bootlace lenses allow up to four focal points for linear arrays whereas the Rotman lens is designed for three foci. Scanners usually require to scan many beam-widths, thus ports are employed along a focal arc which intersect these foci. Inter-focal ports do not focus perfectly and result in phase errors distributed across the array aperture. The derivation of three and four foci lenses is provided. There are several degrees of freedom at the designer's disposal, the e ect which these available parameters have on the lens geometry and phase errors is investigated. The waveguide implementa- tion of these lenses is examined, in which we use vertically polarised horns as feed ports and coaxial probes as array ports. Some designs of Rotman lenses published in literature show excess mutual cou- pling between symmetrically opposed feed ports. Using a model which approximates the array contour as a re ecting wall, we show that this is due to the re ected energy focusing on conjugate ports. It is identi ed that Rotman lenses designed for mini- mum phase errors will have near maximum conjugate-port coupling. Two Rotman lenses have been designed at 3; 5GHz for ve feed ports, eleven elements, and up to 30 scan angles. The rst is designed for minimum phase errors, and the second for the defocusing of the re ected energy from the focal arc. Simulations show up to a 10dB reduction in conjugate-port coupling for the second lens with a negligible degradation in performance from the phase errors. Measurements show that the re ected energy is spread between the feed ports as expected, compared to the focusing at a single port of the traditional Rotman lens. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie projek behels die ontwerp, analise en konstruksie van 'n Rotmanlens met verminderde simmetries oorstaande poort koppeling. Die Rotmanlens is 'n patroon- vormingsnetwerk wat gebruik word as samestellingvoer in wye hoek skandeerders. 'n Gewensde eienskap van die Rotmanlens bo faseskuif voernetwerke is dat die skan- deerwerking gebasseer is op optika en dus frekwensie onafhanklik is. Die antennasamestelling word deur transmissielyne verbind aan die antennapoorte van die lens. Hierdie poorte l^e op die samestellingkontoer wat ontwerp is om te verseker dat seine wat inval op die antennasamestelling sal voortplant in die lens en fokus op 'n spesi eke punt. Die posisie van die fokuspunt hang af van die invalshoek van die sein op die samestelling. Poorte word op hierdie fokuspunte geplaas om te seine te ontvang en te lanseer. Hierdie tipe lense kan tot vier fokuspunte h^e , waar die Rotman lens spesi ek vir drie fokuspunte ontwerp word. Skandeerders moet normaalweg etlike bundelwydtes wyd kan skandeer, en daarom word poorte geplaas op 'n straal wat die fokuspunte onderskep. Poorte wat weg van die fokus geplaas word toon 'n e ens uit fokus gedrag, wat vertaal na fasefoute in die samestelling stralingsvlak. Die a eiding van drie en vier fokus lense word verskaf. Daar is verskeie grade van vryheid tot die beskikking van die ontwerper, en die e ek wat die beskikbare parameters op die geometrie van die lens en die fase foute het word ondersoek. Die gol eier implimetering van hierdie lense word beskryf, waar vertikaal gepolariseerde horings as voerpoorte, en ko-aksiale lyne as antennapoorte gebruik word. Sommige Rotman lens ontwerpe in die literatuur toon beduidende koppeling tussen die simmetries oorstaande voerpoorte. Deur van 'n model gebruik te maak wat die samestellingkontoer as 'n weerkaatsende muur benader toon ons aan dat die koppeling geskied as gevolg van die weerkaatsde energie wat fokus in die simme- tries oorstaande poorte. Dit word identi seer dat Rotman lense wat vir minimum fasefoute ontwerp word bykans maksimum koppeling tussen simmetries oorstaande poorte tot gevolg het. Twee Rotman lense is ontwerp by 3; 5GHz vir vyf voerpoorte, elf antenna ele- mente en skandeer hoeke van 30. Die eerste is ontwerp vir minimum fasefoute en die tweede vir uit fokus weerkaatsde energie vanuit die fokus straal. Simulasies toon tot 10 dB vermindering in koppeling tussen simmetries oorstaande poorte vir die tweede lens met weglaatbare werkverrigting verswakking as gevolg van fasefoute. Metings toon dat die weerkaatsde energie, soos verwag, versprei word tussen die voerpoorte vergeleke met energie gefokus in 'n enkele poort soos by die tradisionele Rotman lens.

The demand for higher throughput and lower latency in telecommunication systems is growing. Upcoming telecommunication systems will operate at higher frequencies (above 15 GHz) compared with previous systems (below 6 GHz). Antenna arrays will be employed in upcoming systems for increased link budget (coverage) and multiple input multiple output channels. This implies that narrow beams will be used. Beam tracking and beam steering is necessary to follow the user equipment. It is hypothesised that changing beam direction changes the channel condition for the communication link. In this work beam changes in data gathered with a 5G testbed is analysed at both 15 GHz and 28 GHz. The results show that the channel is indeed affected by beam changes. Statistical results of the conducted analysis are presented followed by specific examples on how the channel is affected by the beam changes. Knowledge on how the channel is affected by beam changes is of interest when designing systems for beam selection. The results show a nearly threefold increase of rank changes immediately after a beam change at 15 GHz. The probability for a rank change up or down is found to be equal. At 28 GHz the metric used for channel richness is singular value ratio. The statistical results show that the difference in singular value ratio before and after a beam change is increased by a factor 2. It is also shown that grating lobes may have a significant effect on the channel richness when changing beam direction.

The proliferation of modern wireless networks increases demand for high capacity and throughput in order to provide faster, more robust, efficient and broadband services to end users. Mobile WiMAX and LTE are examples of such networks in which for some cases they have exposed limited connectivity due to harsh environment. Relay stations are preferred to overcome problems of weak or no access for such network devices, that are placed in specific positions to maintain high quality of data transfer at low cost and provide the required connectivity anywhere anytime. These stations should be equipped with an antenna system capable of establishing communication between base station (backhaul link) and end users (access link). This thesis focuses on the design and development of a new antenna system that is suitable for a relay-based wireless network. Planar geometries of microstrip patch antennas are utilized. The antenna system comprises two antenna modules: a new design of a single antenna for access link and a new design of an antenna array for backhaul link realization. Both antenna specifications are compatible with the IEEE802.16j protocol standard. Hence, relay station should be capable of pointing its radiation pattern to the base station antenna, thus to achieve the desired radiation pattern of the relay station, a new beam-forming module is proposed, designed and developed to generate the proper radiation pattern. The beam-forming module incorporating digital phase shifters and attenuator chips is fabricated and tested. The optimization process using the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm is considered in this study to assign the proper phase and amplitude that is necessary to each radiation element excitation current, to produce the desired steered radiation pattern. A comprehensive study on the coupling effects for several relative positions between two new backhaul and access link antenna elements is performed. Two new antenna configurations for coupling reduction are tested and the simulated and measured results in terms of antenna radiation performances were compared and commented.