Beamforming investigation for wireless communication at 60 GHz

With the current scenario of increasing number of cell phone users, wireless communication technology is certain to demand more channel capacity and higher data rates with less interference. Increased number of users using various applications and use of pre-existing congested bandwidth is primary reason for this scenario. With emerging wireless technology, Space Division Multiple Access in unlicensed millimeter wave spectrum can be suitable approach for capacity improvement and interference minimization in future. Beamforming is considered as space division multiple access (SDMA) technique. In Beamforming, an antenna array selects signals spatially on the basis of their time of capture at each element. Capture time varies on each element based on the direction of arrival (DOA) with exception of signal arriving orthogonally at an array. Basics on beamforming, selection of factors impacting the issues in beamforming like sensor elements of an array, spacing between array, number of elements in an array, operating frequency and its range etc. are discussed in this paper. Contrast between the Conventional and Adaptive beamforming is brought with MATLAB simulation at 60 GHz.