Collaborative Research: Frequency-agile filterless software-defined radio

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The objective of this research is to develop fundamental radio-frequency building blocks enabling the development of software-defined radio technology to demonstrate ubiquitous reconfigurability for increased connectivity and natural resource preservation. The approach is based on the cooperative operation of the radio-frequency circuitry with the baseband signal processing unit to achieve high average power efficiency and linearity. Intellectual Merit: A new power amplifier operating principle in which tunable matching networks work cooperatively with an envelope predistorter will be developed to optimize overall average power efficiency while delivering linear RF transmitted power. A new filter-less up-converter implemented using a polyphase mixer integrated with a new digitally controlled rotary traveling wave oscillator will be developed for spurious control and frequency agility. Demonstration testbeds will be realized to validate the cooperative operation concepts. Broader Impacts: Power-efficient and standard-compliant wireless technology will have profound societal and economic impact by saving energy and preserving natural resources through hardware reuse. The scientific results will be disseminated in the classroom and educational laboratories, through the Connection One NSF Industry/University Collaborative Research Center, and in scientific journals. The research will provide significant support to the wireless industry by training personnel for wireless technology. Half of the research activity will be conducted at North Carolina A&T State University, an institution with a large undergraduate and graduate minority population. Underrepresented minority undergraduate students in engineering will be recruited through summer internships and outreach activities to work on this project.