Reference Loop Phase Shift in an N-Element Adaptive Array

Adaptive arrays based on the LMS algorithm require the generation of a reference signal which is usually derived from the array output. A particular problem associated with this technique is that of a phase shift in the reference signal loop. The effects of this phase shift on the performance of an N-element adaptive array are discussed. It is shown that a reference loop phase shift causes the array weights to cycle, thereby frequency translating the signals at the output. The weight-cycling frequency is related to various system parameters of an N-element array. In particular, it is observed that the cycling frequency increases as the number of antennas (N) increases.