Scalable On-Array Processing (SOAP)

Today's digital phased array architectures face the challenges of exponential growth in processing and digital data flow as arrays increase in size, element count, instantaneous bandwidth, and other factors. Traditional methods of beamforming, adaptive beamforming, and heretofore unexplored array functions cannot be sustained due to processing and data flow bottlenecks common to current digital architectures, which remain linked to inherently analog methods of beam-oriented array processing. DARPA's Scalable On-Array Processing (SOAP) [1] aims to look at new architectures that support new forms of on-array distributed processing architectures and data flow management to enable digital arrays to realize their full potential.