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

世纪的黎明见证了对在延伸到毫米波范围（Ku到Q波段）的频率上操作的无线（无缆）通信服务的巨大需求。移动到更高的频率（毫米波）的动机是需要越来越多的带宽多媒体应用，如无线实时视频传输，互联网接入，并通过增加overcrowded较低的频段。该提案的愿景是一个多功能平台，可以快速重新配置，以支持多点到多点毫米波通信使用低截获概率（LPI）的视线通信之间的一组独立的通信或传感器节点。应用包括跟踪雷达传感器、电子战（EW）和电子情报（ELINT）功能。安全的传感器通信在商业应用上具有额外的约束，包括：小尺寸、抗干扰性、低检测概率和有保证的使命寿命。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，尽管这些低频段具有更成熟的技术和更好的传播信道的优势。该建议的智力价值是为可重构通信节点的开发奠定基础，其可以实现为系统级封装（SOP）平台，并且可以作为未来可重构传感器网络的基础。传感器网络可重新配置，用于不同的功能（化学/爆炸物/生物探测、不同频带的安全应急通信、机场和车站的监测传感器），这对国家反恐工作至关重要，并有望大大改善国家安全和预防工作，以及在紧急情况下的快速反应。最后，但并非最不重要的是，所提出的垂直集成和小型化以成本有效的方式与功率效率相结合，可以为部署非常大的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."