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必然的。在无线网络中使用MIMO系统可以提高网络的可靠性、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阻碍了其广泛的商业应用。该计划为期三年，将监督开发一种新型毫米波MIMO天线系统，以满足使用多天线系统的新兴商业无线通信的需求。这项理论和实验研究将使我们来自LRTCS-UQAT， INRS-EMT和UQO的合作团队与我们的工业合作伙伴t2013.2013.10一起，领导加拿大和全球为地下矿山新兴的MIMO无线通信市场开发具有成本效益，高性能的解决方案。具体来说，我们的研究工作是针对开发和实现移动终端的毫米波天线阵列的新设计，然后将其应用于实现低成本和紧凑尺寸的实验性MIMO系统。我们的方法是基于新型宽带毫米波平面天线阵列。采用这种方法，将使用微带或CPW技术实现实验性MIMO天线系统，该技术允许在同一板上集成天线阵列和MIMO收发器。因此，我们的研究工作将指导如下：(i)将开发精确和通用的毫米波技术用于平面天线的设计；平面天线阵列将被设计、制造和测试；将开发简单实用的多输入多输出信道模型，以研究使用多输入多输出天线系统的无线通信性能；实验MIMO系统的设计、制作和实现。最后，从这个项目中产生的新知识以及与这项工作的不同阶段有关的高素质人员的培训肯定会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.