CNS Core: Small: Towards MIMO Power Line Communication for Scalability, Coverage and High Data Rate

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This project exploits ubiquitous powerlines to enable high data rate communication by allowing multiple devices to send / receive data simultaneously; currently, only one device can send / receive data at a given time. This technology is attractive in that it leverages existing power line plant and can work with existing wireless access points to improve reliability, coverage and data rate. It has deep implications for existing internet technologies. It can be used as a backbone network for existing wireless access points to share coordination information, control and data to significantly improve wireless network reliability and data rate. The research outcome from this project is useful not only to the networking community, but also to powerline researchers, Internet service providers and Internet device manufacturers. The proposed work can also enable Internet service in remote rural areas where there is no cellular and cable internet service. If successful, it will be the first project to demonstrate a scalable powerline communication technology that allows multiple devices to send and receive data simultaneously.The goal of this project is to demonstrate multi-user multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO) techniques on powerlines. Preliminary observations of the spatial independence of channels suggests that MU-MIMO is feasible. The project will build a new wideband coupler that will interface a software-defined radio with the powerline. It will characterize the powerline channel and study its impact on spatial independence. It will study the transients and noise observed on the powerline from high-power appliances, and their impact on the proposed techniques. It will also test the scalability of the architecture as the number of users increases. The project will perform experiments in a variety of environments such as homes, offices, schools and warehouses. This project has the potential to enable Internet service in remote rural areas where there is no cellular and cable internet service. The project plans to develop new pedagogical methods to enhance the participation of underrepresented groups at the undergraduate level, and a middle-school summer curriculum that introduces wireless technology to those groups.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.