Development of Reconfigurable Technology Platforms for the Millimeter-Wave Communication of Sensor Nodes

21世纪的曙光见证了对无线（非拴）通信服务的巨大需求，其工作频率延伸到毫米波范围（Ku到q波段）。多媒体应用（如无线实时视频传输、互联网接入）对越来越多的带宽的需求，以及较低频段的日益过度拥挤，推动了向更高（毫米波）频率的移动。该提案的愿景是一个多功能平台，可以快速重新配置，以支持多点对多点毫米波通信，在一组独立通信或传感器节点之间使用低截获概率（LPI）视距通信。应用包括跟踪雷达传感器、电子战（EW）和电子情报（ELINT）功能。与商业应用相比，安全传感器通信有额外的限制，包括：小尺寸、抗干扰、低探测概率和保证任务寿命。因此，民用网络中流行的UHF和低微波频段可能会输给毫米波，尽管这些较低频段具有更成熟的技术和更好的传播信道的优势。该方案的智力价值在于为可重构通信节点的发展奠定了基础，该节点可以作为系统-包（SOP）平台实现，并可作为未来可重构传感器网络的基础。可以重新配置用于不同功能（化学/爆炸/生物探测、不同频段的安全应急通信、机场和车站的监视传感器）的传感器网络对国家反恐努力至关重要，并有望显著改善国家安全和预防，以及在紧急情况下快速反应时间。最后但并非最不重要的一点是，垂直集成和小型化与低成本的能效相结合，可能为部署大型传感器网络提供一条途径。”

The dawn of the 21st century is witnessing a tremendous demand for wireless (untethered) communications services operating at frequencies extending into the millimeter-wave regime (Ku to Q-band). The move tohigher (millimeter-wave) frequencies has been motivated by the need for more and more bandwidth for multimedia applications such as wireless real-time video transmission, internet access, and by the increasedovercrowding of the lower frequency bands. The vision of this proposal is a multi-function platform that can rapidly reconfigure to support multipoint-to-multipoint mmW communications using low probability ofintercept (LPI) line-of-sight communications among a group of independent communications or sensor nodes. Applications include tracking radar sensors, and electronic warfare (EW), and electronic intelligence (ELINT)functions. Secure sensor communications have additional constraints over commercial applications including: small size, immunity to jamming, low probability of detection, and guaranteed mission life. Thus UHF and low microwave frequency bands popular in civilian networks may lose out to mmW, in spite of the advantages of more mature technology and better propagation channels afforded in these lower frequency bands.The intellectual merit of this proposal is to establish a foundation for the development of reconfigurable communication nodes, which could be implemented as a System-On-Package (SOP) platform and could serve as a foundation for the reconfigurable sensor networks of the future. Sensor networks that can be reconfigured for different functions (chemical/explosive/bio-detection, secure emergency communications for different frequency bands, surveillance sensors in airports and stations)are critical for national anti-terrorism efforts and offer the promise of a significantly improved national security and prevention, as well as a quick reaction time in emergency situations. Last, but not least, the proposed vertical integration and miniaturization coupled with the power efficiency in a cost efficient way may provide a path to the deployment of very large sensor networks."