Impact of Localization Error on Open-Loop Distributed Beamforming Arrays

We present an analysis on the required two-dimensional positioning accuracy of the location of nodes in open-loop distributed beamforming arrays. For distributed antenna arrays in dynamic motion to operate coherently, localization is required to adjust the relative phase shift between the nodes in the array to maintain coherent beamforming. We investigate the required localization accuracy in a hierarchical architecture, where the secondary nodes localize and synchronize themselves to a primary node. We discuss a model for distributed beamforming and present analysis of the required ranging and angle estimation accuracy as a function of the secondary node locations and the beamforming gain using wireless frequency synchronization.