The Effect of the Conventional Beampattern on Adaptive Beamformer Performance

Abstract : This report develops an expression that relates the adaptive beamformer array response function to the conventional beamformer beampattern function in the sidelobe region. Specific examples for deterministic, randomized, and random arrays are evaluated. These examples clearly indicate that sidelobes in the conventional beampattern function produce spurious peaks in the adaptive array response. The probability that a spurious peak exceeds a threshold for the adaptive array response of random arrays is developed. The probability tha a signal peak exceeds that peak spurious peak for minimum-energy adaptive beamforming with random arrays is developed. Keywords: Spurious peak; Array response; Random arrays; Adaptive arrays.