Distributed Beamforming Using Decentralized Time Synchronization in a Six-Element Array
Abstract
We demonstrate a distributed beamforming and beamsteering from a six-node distributed phased array using fully wireless coordination with decentralized time synchronization. In wireless applications such as distributed beamforming, high-accuracy time synchronization across the array is crucial for high coherent gain. The decentralized time synchronization method employed is based on the average consensus algorithm and the two-way time transfer method presented in our previous work, which achieved picosecond time synchronization with a cabled frequency reference. The system presented in this paper utilizes a centralized wireless frequency transfer method to achieve wireless frequency syntonization in a fully wireless coordination and a distributed computing system architecture. We experimentally evaluate system performance through beamforming and beamsteering to a receiver 16.3 m away from the six-node non-uniformly distributed antenna array, achieving an average coherent gain of 98% of the ideal gain at a carrier frequency of 1.05 GHz. The average time synchronization accuracy achieved was less than 36 ps.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2505.13248,
title = {Distributed Beamforming Using Decentralized Time Synchronization in a Six-Element Array},
author = {Naim Shandi and Jason M. Merlo and Jeffrey A. Nanzer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.13248},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
"This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication." This paper consists of 13 pages and 14 figures