Analysis of Quantization Noise Suppression Gains in Digital Phased Arrays

TL;DR

This paper analytically and numerically demonstrates that digital phased arrays can significantly reduce ADC resolution requirements at millimeter-wave frequencies by leveraging quantization noise suppression through coherent combining.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical and numerical analysis of quantization noise suppression in digital phased arrays, enabling ADC resolution reduction.

Findings

Quantization noise suppression factor increases with the number of antennas.

ADC resolution can be reduced by 1-2 bits in 8-16 antenna arrays.

Digital phased arrays can be more power-efficient than previously thought.

Abstract

Digital phased arrays have often been disregarded for millimeter-wave communications since the analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are power-hungry. In this paper, we provide a different perspective on this matter by demonstrating analytically and numerically how the ADC resolution can be reduced when using digital phased arrays. We perform a theoretical analysis of the quantization noise characteristics for an OFDM signal received and processed by a digital phased array, using Gaussian approximation of the OFDM signal. In particular, we quantify the quantization noise suppression factor analytically and numerically. This factor describes how much the coherent combining reduces the quantization noise as a function of the number of antennas, which allows for reducing the ADC bit resolution. For instance in a 8-16 antenna digital phased array the ADC resolution can be reduced with 1-2 bits compared to the ADC required for an analog phased array.