Applying beamformer time modulation to blank sidelobes

Time modulation is explored as a tool for inexpensive sidelobe blanking in a digital beamformer. Rapid switching of the steering coefficients encodes acquisition and sidelobe suppression beams within a single output during beamforming so that they are separable by a synchronized decoder. The computational cost is the same as traditional beamforming, making this method advantageous versus other sidelobe blanking methods. Experimental results are shown using data from the Allen Telescope Array.