Transmission Channels Measurements and Communication System Design for Future mm Wave Communications (mm Wave TRACCS)

随着移动无线电系统的发展，其工作频率增加到第五代移动无线电网络（5G）中首次使用的毫米（mm）频段（> 30ghz）。现在，当我们展望5G之后，人们正在考虑更高的频率，对140-170 GHz（称为d频段）和更高（275 GHz频段）的兴趣越来越大。在这些频率上，有足够的可用频谱来满足无线系统对频谱的需求，因此需要新的设计，而世界范围内在这方面的工作很少。该提案将三个世界领先的英国研究小组的专业知识互补，以综合和整体的方式研究，设计和实验演示在这些频率下工作的系统。对于这样的工作，有三个关键的挑战有关的无线电信道和信号和系统设计。挑战1：要设计无线通信系统，最重要的是要有一个可验证的物理传播信道模型，通过收集测量数据从一个专家和定制设计的设备称为“信道测深器”，它在空中发送信号和接收器测量这些信号后传播。这种模型取决于几个物理因素，但主要取决于传输信号参数，如传输频率、信号带宽，以及传播信道物理参数，如信道大小、环境以及是室内还是室外、环境因素、是否存在障碍物、水分、污染等因素。Salous教授和她在达勒姆的团队已经建立了三十多年的信道测深仪，她开发的模型被认为是世界上最好的，被监管机构、行业和联合国通过国际电信联盟（ITU）使用。Salous教授建议在D波段和更高的275千兆赫波段设计和测试新的信道探测。这些将是独特的探测仪，其目的是开发独特的模型，并为下一代无线系统设定标准。这些模型将通过与QMUL和UCL的团队合作在实际环境中进行验证。挑战2：高频率信息的传输需要专门的电路和设备设计。虽然有几个电路处理这些信号，但很少有天线可以传输和接收信号并在空间上处理它们。QMUL的杨浩教授从事高频天线设计近三十年，他将设计专业天线，使用简单的3D打印工艺制造，与达勒姆大学设计的系统集成，进行全通道测量。设计将在团队之间协商并考虑渠道模型的情况下进行优化。结果是一个具有多个天线的系统，可以聚焦传输波束并改变它们的形状和方向（一个称为波束形成的过程），这样一个系统就可以充分利用高频的优势，并连接到UCL团队处理的信号。挑战3：在过去的20年里，由Darwazeh教授领导的伦敦大学学院团队设计并演示了在移动和无线系统中使用专业信号，这些信号可以最大限度地增加信息量，同时最大限度地减少良好信号传输所需的能量；这些过程被称为光谱效率和能量效率。伦敦大学学院将根据杜伦大学的D波段信道模型设计频谱和节能信号，并适用于使用QMUL设计的天线进行传输；最终将形成一个完整的D波段传输系统，预计比特率将超过50 Gbit/s；几乎比使用5G系统所能达到的效果高出一个数量级。这三个团队带来了强大的产业支持，以实现预计将成为世界第一，并引起各界的兴趣。

As mobile radio systems developed, their operating frequency increased to the millimeter (mm) wave band (> 30 GHz) first used in the fifth-generation mobile radio network (5G). Now, as we look beyond 5G, higher frequencies are being considered with increased interest in the 140-170 GHz (termed D-band) and beyond (275 GHz band). At these frequencies, where there is plenty of available spectrum to satisfy the spectrum hungry applications of wireless systems, new designs are required, with little work done in this area world-wide. This proposal brings the complementary expertise of three world leading UK research groups, to research, design and experimentally demonstrate systems working at these frequencies, in an integrative and holistic fashion. For such work, there are three key challenges relating to the radio channel and the signal and system design.Challenge 1: to design wireless communication systems, it is paramount to have a verifiable model of the physical propagation channel by collecting measurement data from a specialist and bespoke designed equipment termed "channel sounder", which sends signals over the air and the receiver measures these signals after propagation. Such a model depends on several physical factors, but mainly the transmission signal parameters e.g. the frequency of transmission, the bandwidth of the signal, and the propagation channel physical parameters, such as the channel size and environment and whether it is indoors or outdoors, environmental factors, presence of obstacles, water moisture, pollution and other factors. Professor Salous and her group at Durham has been building channel sounders for over thirty years and the models she has developed are considered amongst the best in the world, used by regulators, industry and the United Nations through the International Telecommunications Union, (ITU). Professor Salous proposes to design and test new channel sounding in the D Band and at the higher 275 GHz band. These will be unique sounders and the aim is to develop unique models and set the standards for future generation wireless systems. The models will be verified in a practical setting through collaboration with the teams at QMUL and UCL. Challenge 2: The transmission of information at high frequencies requires specialist circuit and equipment design. Whilst there are several circuits for such signals, there are few antennas that can transmit and receive the signals and process them spatially. Professor Yang Hao at QMUL, who has been designing antennas for high frequencies for nearly three decades, will design specialist antennas, to be manufactured using simple 3D printing processes, to integrate to the system designed at Durham for full channel measurements. The designs will be optimized with consultation between the teams and taking the channel models into account. The outcome is a system with multiple antennas that can focus the transmission beams and change their shape and direction (a process termed beam forming) so that a system can be constructed that will fully utilize the benefits of the high frequencies and link to signals addressed by the UCL team.Challenge 3: for the past 20 years the UCL team, led by Professor Darwazeh, has designed and demonstrated the use of specialist signals for mobile and wireless systems that can maximise the amount of information while minimizing the energy required for good signal transmission; these processes are termed spectral and energy efficiencies. UCL will design spectrally and energy efficient signals, based on the D Band channel models derived at Durham and suitable for transmission using the antennas designed by QMUL; the outcome will be a complete transmission system at D Band with projected bit rates beyond 50 Gbit/s; nearly an order of magnitude beyond what can be achieved using 5G systems.The three teams bring strong industrial support to achieve what is predicted to be a world first and which brings interest from all sectors.