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Beamforming is a signal processing technique that is utilized in many communications and signal processing applications. Beamformers help to improve signal quality and enhance the performance of sensor networks and communications arrays. Current digital design methods may require the use of an FPGA or ASIC to perform signal processing. These implementations can be very expensive in terms of design cost and production cost. For this reason, it is worth investigating analog design approaches which can be implemented efficiently and inexpensively using analog design techniques. This thesis explores the recent developments in method and algorithm, and demonstrates applicability to analog beamforming.Two algorithms are investigated and tested: the Delay Vandermonde Matrix (DVM) and a novel analog implementation of the Farrow filter. The DVM design implements a five-beam multi-beam beamformer while the analog Farrow filter implements a single beam which is steerable in the range of 0º to 60º. These two algorithms are analyzed in the analog domain and prototype designs were developed, built, and tested in the laboratory. The prototype designs implemented audio beam-forming using analog electronic components for a four-element array of miniature speaker drivers. A 64-element array of miniature speaker drivers was also analyzed and tested using the same prototype designs. The results from these prototype designs were analyzed and show that a 10dB to 15dB beam intensity can be achieved with the speaker arrays. The results demonstrate that the analog design approach can be a viable and cost effective alternative to typical digital design approaches. This research may have specific applications to teleconference, home theater, virtual reality, and other audio applications. |
