NeTS: SHF: Medium: Collaborative Research: Integrated Design and Optimization of Millimeter-Wave Multi-Beam MIMO Networks for Gigabit Mobile Access

随着数据需求旺盛的设备和应用程序的激增，无线技术正面临频谱短缺。毫米波（mmW）技术工作在30GHz到300GHz之间，是一种很有前途的新兴解决方案，它提供比当前系统大几个数量级的带宽，并通过波束成形有效地利用频谱。虽然最近的研究表明，毫米波无线在实现前所未有的频谱效率、千兆速率和低延迟方面具有巨大潜力，但它受到重大理论和技术挑战的制约。特别是，天线和毫米波电路的硬件复杂性，以及数字处理的计算复杂性挑战了当前的范式，需要一种新的跨学科方法来解决性能、复杂性和能耗之间的权衡。该项目通过集成通信和信号处理技术、硬件设计和网络协议的框架，研究宽带毫米波无线网络设计中的基本权衡。由于他们的专业知识互补，四名研究者的研究小组是唯一有资格承担这项研究的人。该项目为六名研究生提供支持，并通过课程开发和推广工作，扩大本科生和代表性不足群体对前沿研究的参与。产业关系为研究提供信息，为学生提供机会，促进技术转让。一种新的跨域框架正在开发，用于集成设计可扩展的毫米波多输入多输出（MIMO）网络，该网络采用多天线阵列进行多波束多用户通信。研究范围包括通信理论和信号处理、毫米波硬件和数据转换器设计、网络协议以及最先进的测试平台的实验验证。该研究基于四个目标：1)开发用于移动接入的多波束MIMO网络架构和通信/信号处理技术；2)面向多波束MIMO的可扩展可重构片式毫米波收发器设计研究；3)研究介质访问控制和更高层协议，以解决毫米波传播挑战，并充分利用先进的物理层能力；4)综合系统建模与性能评估，复杂性-能量优化与实验验证。正在研究几个关键的操作需求，包括多波束形成和数据多路复用、动态波束频率分配和载波聚合、动态硬件可重构性以及针对不同用例的灵活网络协议。研究成果有望：1)推动毫米波无线基础理论和设计策略的发展；ii)作为毫米波无线网络跨学科设计和分析的催化剂，iii)导致更深层次的基本理解和设计方法，这可能影响其他应用，包括成像，传感和雷达。

Wireless technology is heading for a spectrum crunch with the proliferation of data-hungry devices and applications. Millimeter-wave (mmW) technology, operating between 30GHz to 300GHz, is a promising emerging solution that offers orders-of-magnitude larger bandwidth than current systems and efficient spectrum usage through beamforming. While recent research shows the tremendous potential of mmW wireless in realizing unprecedented spectral efficiency, Gigabit rates and low latency, it is tempered by significant theoretical and technological challenges. In particular, the hardware complexity of the antennas and mmW circuits, and the computational complexity of digital processing challenge the current paradigms and require a fresh cross-disciplinary approach for addressing tradeoffs in performance, complexity, and energy consumption. This project is investigating fundamental tradeoffs in the design of wideband mmW wireless networks through an integrated framework spanning communication and signal processing techniques, hardware design, and networking protocols. The four-investigator research team is uniquely qualified to undertake this research due to their complementary expertise. The project is supporting six graduate students, and broadening participation in cutting-edge research to undergraduates and underrepresented groups through curriculum development and outreach efforts. Industrial relationships are informing research, providing opportunities for students, and facilitating technology transfer. A new cross-domain framework is being developed for integrated design of scalable mmW multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) networks that employ multi-antenna arrays for multi-beam multiuser communication. The research spans communication theory and signal processing, mmW hardware and data converter design, networking protocols, and experimental validation with a state-of-the-art testbed. The research is anchored on four goals: 1) Development of a multi-beam MIMO network architecture and communication/signal processing techniques for mobile access; 2) Investigation of a scalable and reconfigurable slice-based mmW transceiver design for multi-beam MIMO; 3) Investigation of medium access control and higher layer protocols to address mmW propagation challenges and to fully exploit the advanced physical layer capabilities; and 4) Integrated system modeling and assessment for performance-complexity-energy optimization and experimental validation. Several key operational requirements are being investigated, including multi-beam forming and data multiplexing, dynamic beam-frequency allocation and carrier aggregation, dynamic hardware reconfigurability, and flexible networking protocols for diverse use cases. The research results are expected to: i) advance the state-of-the-art of basic theory and design strategies for mmW wireless; ii) act as a catalyst for cross-disciplinary design and analysis of mmW wireless networks, and iii) lead to a deeper fundamental understanding and design methodologies which could impact other applications including imaging, sensing and radar.