16-Element Uniform Linear Array with Half-Wavelength Element Spacing

This experiment utilizes a 16-element uniform linear array with half-wavelength element spacing, implementing uniformly weighted conventional beamforming. In code implementation, this typically involves creating a steering vector matrix using element positions and calculating uniform weight coefficients. Five uncorrelated far-field target sources transmit signals with azimuth angles of -40°, -42°, -5°, 30°, and 33° relative to the array baseline. Each signal arrives at the array with identical 10dB signal-to-noise ratio. The signal model can be simulated using complex Gaussian noise and constructing covariance matrices from steering vectors. We compare beamspace and element-space MUSIC algorithms to evaluate their performance in signal detection and direction of arrival estimation. The beamspace MUSIC algorithm first applies beamforming to reduce dimensionality before performing spectral estimation, while element-space MUSIC operates directly on sensor data. Key implementation aspects include covariance matrix estimation, eigenvalue decomposition, and noise subspace identification. The comparative analysis focuses on understanding the characteristics and effectiveness of both algorithms under identical array configuration and signal conditions. Performance metrics may include angular resolution, computational complexity, and robustness to correlated sources. This detailed experimental setup provides comprehensive background information and clearly defines the research objectives, enabling readers to better understand the comparative study framework and expected outcomes for MUSIC algorithm evaluation in array signal processing applications.