What are Smart Antennas?

Usually we consider antennas as passive structures receiving and transmitting signals received by them. But smart antennas are antenna arrays with signal processing algorithms which can detect the direction of arrival of the signal and can use beam forming techniques to improve reception and transmission. This will be typically useful in mobile communications, radar and radio astronomy. Detection of direction of the arrival of the signal needs an array of antennas and not a single antenna. Quick signal processing to detect direction of arrival of the signal is followed by steering of the antenna beam in the direction of the received signal to optimise reception and transmission. The signal processing system should also be capable of rejecting any interfering signal.
Two types of smart antenna systems are switched beam smart antennas and adaptive array smart antennas. While the former selects from a set of fixed beam patterns, the latter is adaptive and can continuously steer the beam in any direction to match the received signal. Beam steering using phased array antennas was discussed in a previous post. Wonder whether smart antennas will be available for use in amateur radio for LEO satellite operations to track the fast moving satellites, instead of mechanical tracking with antenna rotators!
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