16 Channel Massive MIMO Characterization and Development Platform for Enabling Research into the Physical-layer of the Sub-6 GHz 5G Communication Systems

为5G无线通信开发具有超高吞吐量、超低延迟和泛在连接的新型可重构网络的研究工作继续在全球范围内扩展。海量多输入多输出(MMIMO)的概念支撑了5G物理层的成功优化，因为它具有同时提高频谱效率和系统吞吐量、降低传输功率、改善用户体验和降低用户设备复杂性的潜力。业界正在竞相开发具有成本效益的基础设施解决方案，其射频(RF)硬件能够满足现实运行条件下对信号质量和功耗的苛刻要求。为了成功实现充分实现5G承诺的无线解决方案，研究人员必须以协同的方式开发功率高效的MMIMO射频前端和实时数字信号处理(DSP)算法，以解决实际约束和限制。 所要求的mMIMO表征和开发平台将包括16通道亚6 GHz数字到射频收发器硬件，具有完全可重构的实时信号处理能力和高吞吐量的点对点通信，以形成加拿大第一个真正的亚6 GHz 5G mMIMO试验台。该平台将为研究生提供先进的数字信号处理技术、微波和无线通信系统工程、测试和测量技术、数字硬件和实时系统等方面的全面理论和技术培训，对申请者具有国际竞争力的研究项目至关重要。这些项目的成果(新的分析、模型、算法和射频前端模块原型)对申请者的跨国行业合作伙伴至关重要。此外，至少15名学生、研究助理和博士后研究员将在亚6 GHz MMIMO通信技术发展的最前沿发展知识和实践技能。这些高素质的人员将与来自世界领先行业合作伙伴的研究人员和工程师密切合作，他们的研究将为这些合作伙伴提供基于MMIMO的实际基础设施部署的关键知识。这将有助于确保加拿大工业能够获得高技能劳动力，并走在5G网络设备商业化的前沿。此外，所要求的设备取得的成果将帮助我们实现mMIMO通信技术的好处，以满足无线通信部门服务提供的数字化转型所带来的惊人的高数据速率、低延迟和高连接需求。

Research efforts into the development of new reconfigurable networks with ultra-high throughput, ultra-low latency, and ubiquitous connectivity for 5G wireless communication continue to expand globally. The concept of massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) underpins successful optimization of the 5G physical-layer, given its potential to simultaneously increase spectral efficiency and system throughput, reduce transmission power, improve user experience, and reduce the complexity of user equipment. Industry is racing to develop cost-effective infrastructure solutions with radio frequency (RF) hardware capable of meeting the challenging requirements of both signal quality and power consumption under realistic operating conditions. To succeed in realizing wireless solutions that achieve the full promise of 5G, researchers must develop, in a synergistic manner, power efficient mMIMO RF frontends and real-time digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms which account for the practical constraints and limitations. The requested mMIMO characterization and development platform will include 16-channel sub-6GHz digital-to-RF transceiver hardware with fully reconfigurable real-time signal processing capabilities and high-throughput peer-to-peer communication to form the first truly sub-6GHz 5G mMIMO test bed in Canada. This platform will allow researchers to carry out comprehensive theoretical and technical training in advanced DSP techniques, microwave and wireless communications systems engineering, test and measurement techniques, digital hardware, and real-time systems for graduate students, and is critical to the internationally-competitive research programs of the applicants. Outcomes of these programs (new analyses, models, algorithms and RF frontend module prototypes) are essential to the applicants' multinational industry partners. In addition, at least 15 students, research associates and postdoctoral fellows will develop knowledge and practical skills at the very leading edge of the sub-6GHz mMIMO communication technology evolution. These highly qualified personnel will work closely with researchers and engineers from world-leading industry partners, and their research will provide those partners with critical knowledge for practical mMIMO-based infrastructure deployment. This will help ensure Canadian industry has access to highly-skilled labor and is at the forefront of the commercialization of 5G networking equipment. Moreover, the outcomes made possible with the requested equipment will help us realize the benefits of mMIMO communication technology to meet the staggeringly high data rate, low latency and high connectivity demands imposed by the digital transformation of service provision in the wireless communication sector.