Smart antennas for wireless systems

TLDR

The article reviews how smart and adaptive antenna arrays can enhance wireless systems. The authors describe standard cellular antennas, smart fixed‑beam arrays, adaptive base‑station antennas, handset technologies, and the challenges of integrating these systems into CDMA, GSM, and IS‑136 networks across rural, suburban, urban, and indoor environments. The study demonstrates that smart antennas can extend range, provide multipath diversity, suppress interference, increase capacity and data rates, and that theoretical, simulation, experimental, and field trials confirm these benefits.

Abstract

In this article we discuss current and future antenna technology for wireless systems and the improvement that smart and adaptive antenna arrays can provide. We describe standard cellular antennas, smart antennas using fixed beams, and adaptive antennas for base stations, as well as antenna technologies for handsets. We show the potential improvement that these antennas can provide, including range extension, multipath diversity, interference suppression, capacity increase, and data rate increase. The issues involved in incorporating these antennas into wireless systems using CDMA, GSM, and IS-136 in different environments, such as rural, suburban, and urban areas, as well as indoors, are described. Theoretical, computer simulation, experimental, and field trial results are also discussed that demonstrate the potential of this technology.