The modern transceivers can be implemented by a relatively new technology called software defined radio SDR. In the software defined radio the radio consists of a digital base band processing, data converters and an rf front end. Digirtal signal processing can be used to implement the base band. Also the radio can be configured and controlled using micro controller. A specific application has given by Hager when one can uses normally signal processing for beam forming in Massive MIMO applications.
You can find a wealth of literature about Massive Mimo and beam forming.
yes, they can be combined as in beamforming. Array factor of the antenna array can be processed to control the function of these antennas. adaptive beamforming technique is a good example for the cooperation between microwave and signal processing fields.
for more information, kindly read the ref.: Optimum Array Processing, Harry L. Van Trees.
The modern transceivers can be implemented by a relatively new technology called software defined radio SDR. In the software defined radio the radio consists of a digital base band processing, data converters and an rf front end. Digirtal signal processing can be used to implement the base band. Also the radio can be configured and controlled using micro controller. A specific application has given by Hager when one can uses normally signal processing for beam forming in Massive MIMO applications.
You can find a wealth of literature about Massive Mimo and beam forming.