PFI:AIR - TT: Technology for Sustainable Growth of Wireless Communication Capacity

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目致力于翻译一种新颖的通信信号设计算法，名为“双链路算法”，以满足无线通信容量持续增长的需要。该项目将在软件定义的无线电平台和双链路算法的FPGA平台上产生原型。双链路算法具有以下独特的特点：接近最优的干扰管理，它是适合分布式实现，它是可扩展的网络规模，它具有快速和可证明的收敛。这些功能提供了以下优点：允许用户共享频谱，渐近数据速率不会随着用户数量的增加而减少，适用于大型和小型网络，并且能够适应更快的信道时间变化，与该市场领域的领先竞争技术相比：加权和速率最大化算法。该项目解决了以下技术差距，因为它从研究发现转化为商业应用。双链路算法是在集中式优化和网络全信道知识的假设下设计的，而在实际应用中，需要分布式实现，每个节点通过不完全估计只有局部信道知识。为了弥补这一差距，该项目将1）采用分布式信道和协方差矩阵估计的分布式方式实现双链路算法; 2）在硬件资源和功率限制的约束下优化性能; 3）在软件定义无线电平台上建立原型; 4）进一步开发FPGA的实时硬件IP-该项目聘请了伍斯特理工学院的Xinming Huang教授的研究小组进行硬件设计，并在FPGA平台上对算法进行原型设计，随着智能手机用户数量的增加，当前容量增长的方法是不可持续的，这最终将导致用户数据传输速度的降低。 双链路算法的成功原型演示将提供一种解决方案，以适应智能手机普及所带来的指数增长的数据需求。 无线通信行业正面临着来自更多用户和更高数据速率的干扰造成的容量紧缩，迫切需要在该项目中转化的此类技术。此外，预计未来五年即将到来的5G无线网络的潜在经济影响将是显著的，这将有助于提高美国在无线通信技术和服务领域的竞争力。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a novel communication signal design algorithm, named "dual link algorithm," to fill the need of sustainable growth of wireless communication capacity. The project will result in prototypes on a software defined radio platform and an FPGA platform of the dual link algorithm. The dual link algorithm has the following unique features: near optimal interference management, it is suitable for distributed implementation, it is scalable with the size of the networks, and it has fast and provable convergence. These features provide the following advantages: allows users to share frequency spectrum with asymptotic data rates that do not diminish with the increased number of users, useful for large and small networks, and able to accommodate faster channel time variation, as compared to the leading competing technology in this market space: weighted sum-rate maximization algorithms. This project addresses the following technology gap as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. The dual link algorithm was designed under the assumption of centralized optimization and full channel knowledge of the network, while in practice, distributed implementation is desired and each node has only local channel knowledge through imperfect estimation. To bridge the gap, the project will 1) implement the dual link algorithm in distributed fashion with distributed channel and covariance matrix estimation; 2) optimize performance under constraints of hardware resource and power limits; 3) build a prototype on software defined radio platform; 4) further develop a real-time hardware IP for FPGA-based platform.The project engages Prof. Xinming Huang's research group at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to perform hardware design and to prototype the algorithm on FPGA platform in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.As the number of smart phone users increases, the current method of capacity growth is not sustainable, which will ultimately result in a decrease in the speed of data transfer for users. The successful prototype demonstration of the dual link algorithm will offer a solution to accommodate the exponentially growing data demand caused by the popularity of smart phones. The wireless communication industry is facing a capacity crunch caused by interference from more users and higher data rates and is in urgent need of such technologies translated in this project. In addition, the potential economic impact is expected to be significant for the upcoming 5G wireless networks in the next five years, which will contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in the sector of wireless communication technology and service.