Fully Digital Ultra-low-bit Linear Embedding Beamforming System with Quantization Compensation

We propose the first digital ultra-low-bit precision implementation of a Linear Embedded Beamforming (LE-BF) system, which transforms high-dimensional input signals into low-dimensional outputs. The use of quantization compensation in this operation ensures beamforming performance is preserved. The system then processes the low-dimensional outputs to generate the final output with lower power consumption. The paper presents two different implementations of LE-BF systems: 1) An FPGA-based 2-bit LE-BF system configured with 64 inputs and 1 output, achieving a $12.4 \times$ decrease in design component utilization and a $11.2 \times$ decrease in power consumption compared to corresponding traditional True-Time-Delay digital beamforming (TTD-DBF) designs. 2) An ASIC-based (TSMC 28nm) 2-bit LE-BF configured with 256 inputs and 1 output, exhibiting a $18.7 \times$ greater efficiency in both design area and power consumption compared to corresponding TTDDBF designs. The ASIC-based system is capable of supporting a 1 GHz instantaneous bandwidth.