determine the output of a corresponding element the output of the plurality of n elements is a composite signal the method includes the steps of transmitting a calibration signal to input the plurality of n elements of the remote system selecting a first set of beamforming bits for each of the plurality of n elements based upon entries of a predetermined invertible matrix processing the calibration signal at the remote system according to the beamforming bits for each of the n plurality of elements detecting a reference signal from the remote system and the composite signal transmitted from the n plurality of elements based on the first set of beamforming bits repeating steps for successive sets of beamforming bits to generate a set of signals and processing the set of signals for generating calibration data for each of the n plurality of elements of the remote system preferably the remote system comprises a phased array system and wherein each of the n plurality of elements comprises an individual antenna in the phased array system application_number US 84343901 A description although this invention is applicable to numerous and various types of systems which employ coherent signals such as coherent electromagnetic signals employed in radar lidar communications systems and the like or coherent sound signals employed in sonar ultrasound systems and the like it has been found particularly useful in the environment of phased array systems therefore without limiting the applicability of the invention to phased array systems the invention will be described in such environment referring now to the figure consider a general transmitting system 100 of n individual elements 102 placed on an array 104 and driven by a common input signal 106 the array 104 is typically carried.