Design, characterization and development of a new mm-wave antenna arrays for future MIMO wireless underground communication systems

MIMO天线系统在未来无线网络中的应用是不可避免的。在无线网络中使用MIMO系统带来了许多好处，包括提高了网络的可靠性、安全性、数据吞吐量和容量。然而，成本、复杂性和物理尺寸等问题限制了其广泛的商业应用。拟议的三年项目将监督一种新型毫米波MIMO天线系统的开发，该系统是为使用多天线系统的新兴商业无线通信的需求量身定做的。这项理论和实验研究将使我们来自LRTCS-UQAT、INRS-EMT和UQO Long与我们的行业合作伙伴TéLébec的合作团队能够领导加拿大和全球的努力，为地下矿山新兴的MIMO无线通信市场开发具有成本效益的高性能解决方案。具体地说，我们的研究工作旨在开发和实现适用于移动终端的新型毫米波天线阵，并将其应用于实现低成本和紧凑的实验性MIMO系统。我们的方法是基于新型宽带毫米波平面天线阵。通过这种方法，将使用微带或共面波导技术实现实验性的MIMO天线系统，该技术允许将天线阵和MIMO收发机集成在同一块板上。因此，我们的研究方向如下：(I)将开发精确和通用的毫米波技术来设计平面天线；(Ii)将设计、制造和测试平面天线阵；(Iii)将开发简单实用的MIMO信道模型来研究使用MIMO天线系统的无线通信性能；将设计、制造和实现实验MIMO系统。最后，这一项目产生的新知识以及与这项工作的不同阶段相关的高素质人员的培训，必将有助于提高加拿大在高技术部门的全球竞争力。

Application of MIMO antenna systems in future wireless networks is inevitable. Using MIMO systems in wireless networks brings many benefits including improvement of the network reliability, security, data throughput and capacity. However, there are some issues such as cost, complexity and physical size which have prohibited their widespread commercial applications. The proposed three year project oversees the development of a novel millimeter-wave MIMO antenna systems tailored to the needs of emerging commercial wireless communications using multi-antenna systems. This theoretical and experimental research will allow our collaboration team from LRTCS-UQAT, INRS-EMT and UQO long with our industrial partner Télébec, to lead Canadian and worldwide efforts in developing cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the emerging MIMO wireless communication market in underground mines. Specifically, our research effort is directed toward developing and implementing new designs of millimeter-wave antenna arrays for mobile terminals and then their applications to implement experimental MIMO systems with low cost and compact size. Our approach is based on new class of wideband millimetre-wave planar antenna arrays. With this approach, an experimental MIMO antenna system will be implemented using microstrip or CPW technology, which allows integration of the antenna array and the MIMO transceiver on the same board. Therefore our research effort will be directed as follows: (i) Accurate and general millimeter-wave techniques will be developed for the design of planar antennas; (ii) Planar antenna arrays will be designed, fabricated and tested; (iii) Simple and practical MIMO channel models will be developed for investigating the performances of wireless communications using MIMO antenna systems; Experimental MIMO system will be designed, fabricated and implemented. Finally, the new knowledge generated from this project and the training of highly qualified personnel associated to the different stages of this work will certainly contribute to enhance Canada's global competitiveness in high-technology sectors.