Communications Theory Perspectives on the Design of Compact Multi-Antenna Wireless Transceivers

最近对多输入多输出（MIMO）通信的研究表明，在发射机和接收机上部署阵列可以显著提高无线多径信道的容量。由于收发器的物理尺寸通常是有限的，增加阵列元素的数量通常需要更紧密的元素间距，并导致信号相关和相互耦合。耦合会对接收功率、分集和系统容量产生深远的影响。此外，这种影响主要取决于收发器设计的各个方面，如天线匹配和主要噪声源。智力优势：该项目旨在开发用于无线通信的紧凑型阵列收发器设计的系统级视角。其目的是了解天线、匹配网络、放大器和通信算法如何相互作用以确定整体性能，并共同优化这些相互作用子系统的设计。解决了三个问题：(1)信道模型包含各种噪声源、收发器设计和窄带和宽带信道的其他用户干扰；(2)不同噪声源和传播环境对耦合MIMO系统基本性能限制的影响，以及对特定分集和复用技术性能的影响；(3)信息论设计准则，共同优化阵列、匹配、放大器和通信算法。更广泛的影响：这个多学科项目结合了理论研究和使用天线试验台的实验。理论和硬件演示的结合将为学生在各个层面的参与提供机会。这项工作有可能通过提供更统一的射频前端视图，以及通过开发可能显著提高无线性能的新模型、通信算法和匹配技术，显著推进科学和工程。

Recent research on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications has shown that deploying arrays at the transmitter and receiver can dramatically improve the capacity of wireless multipath channels. Since the physical size of a transceiver is often limited, increasing the number of array elements often requires closer inter-element spacing and leads to signal correlation and mutual coupling. Coupling can profoundly impact the received power, diversity and system capacity. Moreover, this impact depends essentially on aspects of the transceiver design, such as antenna matching and the dominant sources of noise. Intellectual Merit: This project seeks to develop a systems-level perspective on the design of compact array transceivers for wireless communications. The aim is to understand how antennas, matching networks, amplifiers and communications algorithms interact to determine overall performance, and to jointly optimize the design of these interacting subsystems. Three issues are addressed: (1) channel models which incorporate diverse noise sources, transceiver design and interference from other users for both narrowband and broadband channels; (2) the impact of different noise sources and propagation environments on the fundamental performance limits of coupled MIMO systems, as well as on performance of specific diversity and multiplexing techniques; (3) information-theoretic design criteria to jointly optimize the array, matching, amplifiers and communications algorithms. Broader Impacts: This multi-disciplinary project combines theoretical studies with experiments using an antenna testbed. The mix of theory and hardware demonstrations will provide opportunities for student participation at all levels. This work has the potential to significantly advance science and engineering by providing a more unified view of the RF front end and by developing new models, communications algorithms and matching techniques which may significantly improve wireless performance.