Energy-Efficient Broadband Spectrum Sensing in Real Time Based on a Frequency-Domain Analog Signal Processor

基于频域模拟信号处理器的实时节能宽带频谱感测

• 批准号: 2318759
• 负责人: Wooram Lee
• 金额: $ 46万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-15 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2318759&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Energy; Efficient; Broadband; Spectrum; Sensing

RF spectrum is a scarce resource as the number of wireless electronic devices continues to explode. To maximize the utilization of the limited spectrum resource, temporal and spatial spectrum sharing is essential in next-generation wireless networks. Real-time spectrum sensing is a crucial technology to enable dynamic spectrum sharing. It identifies available spectrum instantaneously in the crowded frequency spectrum and helps the networks to dynamically adapt operating parameters such as transmit power, carrier frequency, and modulation format. As more applications continue to occupy millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectrum, broadband spectrum sensing which covers both traditionally spectrum-congested frequency bands and new mm-wave bands will be needed. However, scanning a very broad spectrum bandwidth of more than 10 GHz is challenging due to the power-hungry high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry. To address these challenges, this project will explore a novel silicon-based frequency domain analog signal processor co-designed with advanced signal processing algorithms. The research will be the first theoretical and experimental study of applying frequency-dependent constructive and destructive interference in an array of digitally programmable on-chip elements to frequency-domain analog signal processing. The research outcomes from this project can be adopted by industry to benefit a wide range of semiconductor and wireless network companies. The success of the project will also help maintain the continuous leadership of the United States in wireless technologies and semiconductors by training students to be innovative engineers in wireless industry.The goal of this project is to develop a silicon-based frequency domain analog signal processor co-designed with advanced signal processing algorithms to realize an energy-efficient ( 100 mW power consumption), broadband (25 GHz bandwidth), and low-latency (100 ns scan time) spectrum sensor. The design is based on frequency-dependent constructive and destructive interference in an array of on-chip programmable dispersion-engineered elements to create the frequency response of a digitally tunable narrow-bandpass filter. The proposed analog processor can sweep the center frequency of a "pencil-like" narrow passband linearly over a wide frequency range for spectrum scanning while maintaining a constant bandwidth. For the silicon implementation of the proposed analog processor, several fundamental IC and architecture-level innovations will be explored for the design of 1) a dispersion-engineered element that consists of a multi-functional phase shifter and cascaded delay cells, 2) a scalable path-sharing delayed signal combiner for chip area reduction, and 3) a digital control circuitry co-designed with advanced signal processing algorithms to orchestrate the dispersion-engineered elements for the optimal trade-off among resolution bandwidth, scan range, latency, and energy efficiency. The proposed signal processing algorithms leverage the recent advances in compressive sensing and hierarchical group testing and utilize the programmability of the proposed architecture to improve the sensing performance further. The successful development of the proposed broadband, energy-efficient, low-latency spectrum sensing will enable dynamic spectrum sharing to revolutionize the operation and management of modern and future wireless networks by dramatically alleviating the constantly increasing demands of the limited radio spectrum and maximizing utilization of the spectrum.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.

随着无线电子设备数量持续爆炸式增长，射频频谱成为稀缺资源。为了最大限度地利用有限的频谱资源，时间和空间频谱共享在下一代无线网络中至关重要。实时频谱感知是实现动态频谱共享的关键技术。它可以在拥挤的频谱中即时识别可用频谱，并帮助网络动态调整发射功率、载波频率和调制格式等操作参数。随着越来越多的应用继续占用毫米波（mm-wave）频谱，将需要覆盖传统频谱拥挤频段和新毫米波频段的宽带频谱感测。然而，由于高速模数转换器 (ADC) 和数字信号处理 (DSP) 电路非常耗电，扫描超过 10 GHz 的宽频谱带宽具有挑战性。为了应对这些挑战，该项目将探索一种与先进信号处理算法共同设计的新型硅基频域模拟信号处理器。该研究将是第一个将数字可编程片上元件阵列中的频率相关相长和相消干扰应用于频域模拟信号处理的理论和实验研究。该项目的研究成果可以被业界采用，使广大半导体和无线网络公司受益。该项目的成功还将通过培养学生成为无线行业的创新工程师，帮助保持美国在无线技术和半导体方面的持续领先地位。该项目的目标是开发一种与先进信号处理算法共同设计的硅基频域模拟信号处理器，以实现节能（100 mW功耗）、宽带（25 GHz带宽）和低延迟（100 ns） 扫描时间）光谱传感器。该设计基于片上可编程色散工程元件阵列中与频率相关的相长和相消干涉，以创建数字可调窄带通滤波器的频率响应。所提出的模拟处理器可以在宽频率范围内线性扫描“铅笔状”窄通带的中心频率，以进行频谱扫描，同时保持恒定的带宽。对于所提出的模拟处理器的硅实现，将探索几项基本的 IC 和架构级创新，用于以下设计：1) 由多功能移相器和级联延迟单元组成的色散工程元件，2) 用于减少芯片面积的可扩展路径共享延迟信号组合器，以及 3) 与先进信号处理算法共同设计的数字控制电路，以实现 协调色散设计元素，以在分辨率带宽、扫描范围、延迟和能源效率之间实现最佳权衡。所提出的信号处理算法利用压缩传感和分层组测试的最新进展，并利用所提出架构的可编程性来进一步提高传感性能。所提出的宽带、节能、低延迟频谱感知的成功开发将使动态频谱共享成为可能，通过极大地缓解对有限无线电频谱的不断增长的需求并最大限度地利用频谱，彻底改变现代和未来无线网络的运营和管理。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势进行评估，认为值得支持。 以及更广泛的影响审查标准。