A new broadband beamformer using IIR filters

In this letter, a new broadband beamformer using infinite impulse response (IIR) filters is proposed. The unique feature of our letter is that by replacing all the delay elements with tap-to-tap IIR filters under some structural restrictions, the Frost processor is naturally extended from the finite impulse response (FIR) beamformer to the IIR beamformer. In the new beamformer, the feedforward and feedback weights are computed with the constrained and unconstrained least-mean-squares algorithms, respectively. The stability of the IIR filters in the proposed beamformer could be monitored easily. Simulation results demonstrate the improved performance of the new IIR beamformer relative to the Frost beamformer.