Design Considerations of Time-Interleaved Discrete-Time Beamformers Toward Wideband Communications

Efficient exploitation of wide bandwidth data communication requires antenna array providing high gain across all frequency components for both transmit and receive equipment. In contrast to the frequency-dependent phased array, true-time-delay (TTD) arrays are appealing yet insufficiently investigated alternative for both fast initial access (IA) process and wideband directional data communications. In this brief, the mathematical relationship of delay before and after the frequency conversion is first discussed, which lays a foundation of the TTD beamformed system followed by a step-by- step design procedure and its tradeoff. Finally, system-level analysis is presented to estimate the minimum interleaving factor and silicon area for both IA and data communications associating the circuit design tradeoffs. The three-part analysis aims to provide a quick starter guide to design a TTD array.