An Experimental Testbed for Research in Advanced Wireless Communications

近年来，对无线服务的需求经历了爆炸性的增长，而且没有减弱的迹象。无线通信中剩余的许多潜在收益本身就需要理论和实验方法的协同作用。这个项目的目标是通过一个紧密的、协同的理论-实验循环来实现无线系统性能和频谱效率的显著提高。拟议的七个重点领域的研究目标概述如下：无线测试床：将利用现有的和运行正常的无线测试床来建立一个实验系统，这是拟议研究的基础。这种灵活的设计允许在多个频率下工作，具有多个带宽和阵列能力。多址信令：先进的多用户接收器将通过考虑多址干扰、固有参数失配和提供多个数据速率的系统的新特性来设计。将采用耦合的模型阶次选择/参数估计技术来最优地表征和减轻干扰。空时调制解调器：将通过现场测试来验证传统的空时特性模型。实验改进的模型将被用来优化空时码。将开发耦合和解耦的空时处理算法来执行多数据速率系统的多用户分离和信道均衡。差错控制：将采用物理层系统设计和网络层协议设计之间的交互/迭代设计过程来有效地分配系统复杂度。为此，将对实验误差统计进行表征，并开发误差统计成形方法。对于给定的错误统计数据，我们将设计和分析最优的协议。接入方法：根据实验数据得出的错误特征，我们将设计媒体接入控制协议，以支持在存在信道错误和衰落的情况下及时建立消息流，并支持不同级别的时间服务质量。移动性：试验台将用于研究无线链路的信道错误和衰落特性如何影响切换机制的设计，以及如何对错误特征进行整形和调整以便于设计。流量控制：流量控制是可靠数据传输的重要资源管理问题，特别是在高需求的情况下。针对通信网络基本流量控制问题中出现的一类时变、时滞系统模型，提出了一种稳定、鲁棒、自适应的控制器设计方案。该项目的设计是协作性和跨学科的，每个问题都是专门选择的，以利用奥斯陆大学小组现有的和经过验证的专门知识。此外，要成功实现研究目标，就必须将理论活动与实验活动相结合。该项目利用了现有的设施，但也将改善未来研究和教育努力的基础设施。研究生培训将在执行拟议的研究中发挥主要作用，这项工作独特的理论和实验双重性质将提供丰富的教育环境。

The demand for wireless services has experienced explosive growth in recent years with no signs of abatement. Much of the remaining potential gains in wireless communications inherently require the synergy of both theoretical and experimental methods. The objective of this project is to achieve significant gains in wireless system performance and spectral efficiency through a tight, synergistic theory-experiment loop. The research objectives of the seven proposed focus areas are summarized below:Wireless Testbed: An existing and functioning wireless testbed will be leveraged to build an experimental system which forms the bedrock of the proposed research. This flexible design permits operation at multiple frequencies, with multiple bandwidth and array capabilities.Multiple Access Signaling: Advanced multi-user receivers will be designed by considering novel characterizations of multiple access interference, inherent parameter mismatch, and systems that offer multiple data rates. Coupled model order selection/parameter estimation techniques will be employed to optimally characterizecand mitigate interference.Space-Time Modems: Traditional models for space-time characteristics will be validated via field tests. Experimentally refined models will be used to optimize space-time codes. Both coupled and decoupled space-time processing algorithms will be developed to perform multi-user separation and channel equalization for multiple data rate systems.Error Control: An interactive/iterative design process between physical layer system design and network layer protocol design will be employed to efficiently distribute system complexity. To this end, experimental error statistics will be characterized and error statistic shaping methods will be developed. For given error statistics, optimal protocols will be designed and analyzed.Access Methods: Based on the error characteristics drawn from experimental data, we will design medium access control protocols to support timely establishment of message streams and to support different levels of temporal QoS in the presence of channel errors and fading.Mobility: The testbed will be used to study how the channel error and fading characteristics of wireless links impact the design of a robust handoff mechanism and how error characteristics can be shaped and tuned to facilitate the design.Flow Control: Flow control is an important resource management problem for reliable data transmission, especially in a high demand situation. A stable, robust, adaptive controller design scheme will be developed for a class of time-varying, time-delay system models appearing in basic flow control problems of communication networks.This research project addresses several of the priorities established by the NSF for sponsored research programs. The project has been designed to be collaborative and interdisciplinary and each problem has been specifically chosen to take advantage of existing and proven expertise of the OSU team. Additionally, successful achievement of the research objectives necessitates the merging of theoretical and experimental activity. The project leverages existing facilities, but will also improve the infrastructure for future research and educational endeavors. Graduate student training will play a major role in the execution of the proposed research and the unique dual theoretical and experimental nature of the work will offer an enriched educational environment.