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

21世纪的黎明见证了对工作在毫米波制度(Ku至Q频段)的频率的无线(非绳索)通信服务的巨大需求。转向更高(毫米波)频率的动机是对多媒体应用(如无线实时视频传输、互联网接入)越来越多的带宽的需求，以及更低频段日益拥挤。该方案的愿景是一种多功能平台，该平台可以快速重新配置以支持在一组独立通信或传感器节点之间使用低截获概率(LPI)视线通信来支持多点对多点毫米波通信。应用包括跟踪雷达传感器、电子战(EW)和电子情报(ELINT)功能。安全传感器通信对商业应用有额外的限制，包括：体积小、抗干扰性、低检测概率和有保证的任务寿命。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，尽管这些低频频段具有更成熟的技术和更好的传播信道。该方案的智力优势是为可重构通信节点的开发奠定了基础，该节点可以实现为系统级封装(SOP)平台，并可以作为未来可重构传感器网络的基础。可为不同功能(化学/爆炸物/生物探测、不同频段的安全紧急通信、机场和车站的监视传感器)重新配置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。最后但并非最不重要的一点是，拟议中的垂直集成和小型化，再加上成本效益高的功率效率，可能会为部署超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."