Targeting Next-Generation Millimetre-wave Wireless Systems

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“Wireless” and “data exchange” are closely related concepts that are largely involved in our daily lives. None can even imagine life without wireless. However, this trend comes with an exponential growth of data consumption. As stated by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, with the second greatest number of 4G/LTE networks in the world and over 30 million subscribers, from which around 73% have smartphones, Canadian wireless market sector revenues are the largest component of total telecommunications revenues. Furthermore, “data consumption increased by 44% in 2014-2015, and mobile data traffic is expected to grow fivefold from 2016 to 2021.” To effectively address the above challenges, professional are privileging millimetre-wave (mm-wave) frequency bands, particularly through the imminent implementation of the 5th generation (5G), expected to begin in 2020. In fact, even if the specific technologies/standards that will be part of the 5G have yet to be finalized, there is a broad consensus that mm-wave bands will enable wider bandwidths and higher data rates. Yet, data exchange is not restricted to 5G technology and related smart-devices while referring to mm-wave wireless applications. In fact, a relatively new player is emerging in the mm-wave wireless market namely, the MilliMetre-wave IDentification (MMID), a counterpart of the well-known Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID). In fact, MMID systems have several unique characteristics such as light weight, small size, high accuracy, and fine resolution as well as the potential of encoding a larger number of data bits, making them ideal for efficient and secure tracking and identification. However, as highlighted in several technical papers, the above technologies raise critical issues related to performance. In fact, because of the operating frequency range (mm-waves), such features involve enhanced solutions in both circuit and antenna designs to address issues related to high propagation loss, expensive semiconductor and packaging technologies, lack of foundry models, unwanted radiation and coupling effects, lack of gain/power at higher frequencies, to name a few. To assure consistent design and meet the above technology standards and objectives, designers need to be provided with reliable computer-aided design (CAD) tools and improving system performance. The aim of the present proposal is to propose high-performing circuit designs, improve active device modeling/characterization and circuit analysis capabilities, quantify/minimize electromagnetic effects (multipath, parasitic coupling ), as well as enhance antenna array performance for next-generation mm-wave wireless systems.