SMART ANTENNAS

Why Smart Antennas?

Large increase in Capacity

Increased range
Potential to introduce new services
More security
Reduced Multipath propagation

Improved link quality

What are Smart

Antennas?
In

a
cellular
system
the
radio
communication is between the user and a
base station, which provides radio
coverage within a certain area, called a
cell.
The base stations are omni directional or
sectored.
This is a waste of power as most of it will
be radiated in other directions than toward
the user.
The power radiated in other directions will

Illustration of Smart
Antennas

Sharing the Radio

Spectrum
Users communicating via the same base
station
have been separated in various ways:
- by frequency as in FDMA ( frequency

division multiple access),

- by time as in TDMA ( time division multiple
access),
- by code as in CDMA ( code division multiple
access) and
- by space through SDMA ( space division
multiple access) in smart antennas.

The Concept
Smart Antenna consists of a number of

radiating
elements, a combining/dividing
network and a control unit.
Control unit can be called the smart antennas
intelligence. It is realized using a digital signal
processor (DSP).
Based on this definition of smart antenna, one
can define levels of Intelligence.

Types of Smart Antennas

1.) Switched lobe (SL)
- simplest technique, also called switched
beam.
- comprises of only a basic switching
function between separate directive
antennas or predefined beams of an array.
- the setting that gives the best performance
is chosen.

Types of Smart Antennas(contd)

2.)Dynamically phased array (PA):
- a direction of arrival (DOA) algorithm is
included
for the signal received from the user.
- continuous tracking can be achieved.
- generalization of the switched lobe concept.

Types of Smart Antennas(contd)

3.) Adaptive array (AA):
- a DOA algorithm for determining the
direction toward interference sources (e.g.,
other users) is added.
- the radiation pattern can then be adjusted
to null out the interferers.

Types (Summary)

Evolution of Smart Antennas

An evolution can be foreseen in the
utilization of smart antennas. The evolution
can be divided into three phases:
- Smart antennas are used on uplink only. This
concept is called high sensitivity receiver
(HSR).
- In the second phase, directed antenna
beams are used on the downlink direction in
addition to HSR.

Conventional Antennas & Arrays

Top
View

Top View

Antenna
Array

Antenn
a

Omnidirectional

Sectorized

WHY SMART ANTENNA ARRAYS ARE

SUPERIOR TO CONVENTIONAL ANTENNAS

Active
Beam

Antenn
a Array

Switched Beam System

Desired
User

Interferin
g User

Antenn
a Array

Adaptive Array

Interference Rejection Comparison

Desired Signals
Co-channel Interfering Signals

Applications
cellular and wireless networks
radar
electronic warfare (EWF) as a
countermeasure to electronic jamming
satellite systems

CONCLUSION
Smart antennas are the intelligent antenna
systems that vastly improve the efficiency
of wireless transmission.
Promising technology to resolve the traffic
capacity bottlenecks in future high-speed
broadband wireless access networks and
reduce RF pollution.
Efficient utilization of the scarcest resource
of todays wireless communication, the RF
spectrum.

Thank You!