6G Sub-Terahertz Software Defined Radio Testbed

通过5G和WiFi等无线网络进行的快速数据速率通信对我们的社会变得非常重要，影响着各个层面的生计，经济和安全。最近在家工作的经验突出了我们对可靠和弹性高速连接的依赖，特别是通过无线网络的实时和流媒体视频服务。这些趋势将不断增长，并需要更多的数据流量来支持通过全球网络提供的虚拟世界，全息远程呈现和网络物理系统。为了应对这一未来的互联网，对6 G网络的研究正在进行中，这一新的连接模式的核心是使用亚太赫兹电磁波，其带宽超过10 GHz，以实现1 Tbit/s以上的数据速率。实现6 G雄心的核心是无线电系统的设计，从波形的选择，通过收发器电路和信号处理到用于控制空中接口上的数据流的协议。SDR 6 G +这里提出的设施旨在支持英国的学术和工业部门进行研究和开发6 G无线电系统，提供全面的实验测试能力以及在实际环境中无线电系统性能的所有方面。该设施将使用户能够从技术准备水平1的基本概念到技术准备水平6的技术演示进行研究，从而满足学术和行业的兴趣。这些功能将通过先进的SDR平台实现，该平台集成了先进的波形生成、多个空中亚太赫兹路径、极宽带宽数字化以及信号和系统的软件控制。这些功能允许在系统以及设备和组件级别进行全面的性能表征。SDR 6 G+平台的多功能性将使不同类型的用户能够对他们的研究概念和原型进行实验性评估。例如，研究波形的用户组将能够合成新的波形，并评估它们在实际亚太赫兹信道上的行为和弹性。研究功率放大器、低噪声放大器、带通滤波器和天线的用户组将能够测试他们的设备，并评估它们对6 G无线电性能的影响。研究数字采集的用户将能够测试直接亚太赫兹采样方案，以确定最佳SDR架构。研究介质访问控制协议的用户将能够测量实际端到端传输信道的吞吐量性能。该设施的一个主要方面将是其为物理层使用的机器学习/人工智能应用程序生成原始数据的能力。该设施既及时又重要，将使英国处于6 G网络及其他网络新无线电系统研发的国际前沿。该设施将支持英国对先进无线通信系统国家能力的需求，旨在应对快速变化的国际格局中的重大挑战。例如，开发用于分类网络标准的节能无线电技术，这有助于英国实现供应商多样化和2050年净零目标。该设施将支持英国电信行业的广泛领域，包括移动的无线电和卫星供应商及其供应链。重要的是，该设施将在一个全面，协作和充满活力的跨学科环境中培训和激励未来英国学术和工业领导者和创新者的不同群体。

Fast data rate communication over wireless networks like 5G and WiFi has become immensely important to our society, influencing livelihoods, economy and security on every level. The recent experience of home working has highlighted our dependence on reliable and resilient high-speed connectivity, in particular, real-time and streaming video services over wireless networks. These trends are set to grow and with them the need for more data traffic in support of the metaverse, holographic telepresence and cyber-physical systems delivered via a global network of networks. To address this future internet, research into 6G networks is underway and central to this new connectivity paradigm is the use of sub-terahertz electromagnetic waves, which bring bandwidths above 10GHz to achieve data rates above 1 Tbit/s. At the heart of realising the 6G ambition is the design of the radio system from the choice of waveform, through transceiver circuits and signal processing to protocols for controlling the flow of data over the air-interface.The SDR6G+ facility proposed here aims to support the UK's academic and industrial sectors undertaking research and development into 6G radio systems by providing a versatile capability to experimentally test at full scale and across realistic environments all aspects of the radio system performance. The facility will enable users to take research from fundamental concepts at Technology Readiness Level 1 to technology demonstration at Technology Readiness Level 6, thereby accommodating academic and industry interests. These capabilities will be achieved via a cutting-edge SDR platform incorporating advanced waveform generation, multiple over-the-air sub-terahertz paths, extreme wide bandwidth digitisation and software control of the signals and system. These capabilities allow full performance characterisation at the system as well as device and component level. The versatility of the SDR6G+ platform will enable different types of users to experimentally evaluate their research concepts and prototypes. For example, user groups studying waveforms will be able to synthesise new waveforms and evaluate their behaviour and resilience over realistic sub-terahertz channels. User groups researching power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, bandpass filters and antennas will be able to characterise their devices and assess their impact on 6G radio performance. Users researching digital acquisition will be able to test direct sub-terahertz sampling schemes to determine optimum SDR architectures. Users studying medium access control protocols will be able to measure throughput performance on realistic end-to-end transmission channels. A major facet of the facility will be its ability to produce raw data for machine learning/ artificial intelligence applications used at the Physical layer. The facility is both timely and important and will position the UK at the international forefront of new radio systems research and development for 6G networks and beyond. The facility will support the UK requirement for national capabilities in advanced wireless communication systems aimed at addressing major challenges in a rapidly changing international landscape. For example, to develop energy efficient radio technologies for disaggregated network standards, which facilitate the UK's supplier diversification and 2050 net-zero targets. The facility will support a broad cross-section of the UK telecommunications industry including mobile radio and satellite vendors, and their supply chains. Importantly, the facility will train and inspire diverse cohorts of future UK academic and industrial leaders and innovators in a holistic, collaborative, and vibrant cross-disciplinary environment.