MRI-R2: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Development and Testing of Digital Beamforming Antennas

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This proposal will be awarded using funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), and meets the requirements established in Section 2 of the White House Memorandum entitled, Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds, dated March 20, 2009. I also affirm, as the cognizant Program Officer, that the proposal does not support projects described in Section 1604 of Division A of the Recovery Act. "See Section I.B. above for additional information on implementation of ARRA Section 1604Intellectual MeritThis instrumentation supports research and development of adaptive digital beam forming antennas and related digital signal processing techniques to enable reliable high-speed wireless communications in ad hoc and mesh networks. This project explores the use of smart, adaptive antennas in conjunction with a high bandwidth radio system to yield improved range and also to suppress potential interference from unwanted signals. The goal is to develop a compact, low cost, light weight, smart, adaptive antenna system using digital signal processing techniques that can readily inter-work with new chip-scale radio technologies. This technology has commercial and government application in remote sensor networks, fixed and mobile ad hoc networks, intelligent transportation networks, and high-speed internet access and backbone networks. The facilities will serve as a center of excellence for the test, measurement and characterization of analog and digital communication equipment and systems, providing unique research and training opportunities in the Rocky Mountain west.Broader ImpactsThe instrumentation provides design and system-level training to graduate students, postdoctoral students, research staff and undergraduates in the use of state-of-the-art RF and digital test equipment and methodology. This instrumentation further enables interdisciplinary work combining RF design, embedded systems, digital signal processing and telecommunications. This instrumentation grant leverages REU and other programs designed to encourage graduate education for Native American students, providing additional educational opportunities. The instrumentation is foundational to continued curriculum development for RF design, telecommunications and embedded systems courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.