| This dissertation investigates, in a comprehensive and unified effort, smart antenna systems for high capacity mobile ad hoc networks. More specifically, it focuses on the interaction and integration of several critical areas (network throughput, antenna array design, and signal processing algorithms) of mobile ad hoc networks using smart antennas. One of the central motivations for this work comes from the observed dependence of the overall network throughput on the design of the adaptive antenna system and its underlying signal processing algorithms. Thus, the overall efficiency of the network in terms of the antenna pattern and the length of the training sequence by the adaptive beamforming algorithm is analyzed and documented. Also, to improve the overall performance of the system, mutual coupling was considered to generate more accurate element weights, and sidelobe control was implemented to reduce clutter noise. Therefore, this dissertation unifies these three areas (network throughput, antenna array design, and signal processing algorithms) to achieve a high performance network using the throughput not only as a figure of merit but also as a guideline in the design of the antenna array and the adaptive beamforming algorithm. |
