mm-Wave Data Transmission and Measurement Techniques: A Holistic Approach
Doctoral thesis, 2019
The ever-increasing demand on data services places unprecedented technical requirements on networks capacity. With wireless systems having significant roles in broadband delivery, innovative approaches to their development are imperative. By leveraging new spectral resources available at millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequencies, future systems can utilize new signal structures and new system architectures in order to achieve long-term sustainable solutions.
This thesis proposes the holistic development of efficient and cost-effective techniques and systems which make high-speed data transmission at mm-wave feasible. In this paradigm, system designs, signal processing, and measurement techniques work toward a single goal; to achieve satisfactory system level key performance indicators (KPIs). Two intimately-related objectives are simultaneously addressed: the realization of efficient mm-wave data transmission and the development of measurement techniques to enable and assist the design and evaluation of mm-wave circuits.
The standard approach to increase spectral efficiency is to increase the modulation order at the cost of higher transmission power. To improve upon this, a signal structure called spectrally efficient frequency division multiplexing (SEFDM) is utilized. SEFDM adds an additional dimension of continuously tunable spectral efficiency enhancement. Two new variants of SEFDM are implemented and experimentally demonstrated, where both variants are shown to outperform standard signals.
A low-cost low-complexity mm-wave transmitter architecture is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A simple phase retarder predistorter and a frequency multiplier are utilized to successfully generate spectrally efficient mm-wave signals while simultaneously mitigating various issues found in conventional mm-wave systems.
A measurement technique to characterize circuits and components under antenna array mutual coupling effects is proposed and demonstrated. With minimal setup requirement, the technique effectively and conveniently maps prescribed transmission scenarios to the measurement environment and offers evaluations of the components in terms of relevant KPIs in addition to conventional metrics.
Finally, a technique to estimate transmission and reflection coefficients is proposed and demonstrated. In one variant, the technique enables the coefficients to be estimated using wideband modulated signals, suitable for implementation in measurements performed under real usage scenarios. In another variant, the technique enhances the precision of noisy S-parameter measurements, suitable for characterizations of wideband mm-wave components.
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This thesis proposes the holistic development of efficient and cost-effective techniques and systems which make high-speed data transmission at mm-wave feasible. In this paradigm, system designs, signal processing, and measurement techniques work toward a single goal; to achieve satisfactory system level key performance indicators (KPIs). Two intimately-related objectives are simultaneously addressed: the realization of efficient mm-wave data transmission and the development of measurement techniques to enable and assist the design and evaluation of mm-wave circuits.
The standard approach to increase spectral efficiency is to increase the modulation order at the cost of higher transmission power. To improve upon this, a signal structure called spectrally efficient frequency division multiplexing (SEFDM) is utilized. SEFDM adds an additional dimension of continuously tunable spectral efficiency enhancement. Two new variants of SEFDM are implemented and experimentally demonstrated, where both variants are shown to outperform standard signals.
A low-cost low-complexity mm-wave transmitter architecture is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A simple phase retarder predistorter and a frequency multiplier are utilized to successfully generate spectrally efficient mm-wave signals while simultaneously mitigating various issues found in conventional mm-wave systems.
A measurement technique to characterize circuits and components under antenna array mutual coupling effects is proposed and demonstrated. With minimal setup requirement, the technique effectively and conveniently maps prescribed transmission scenarios to the measurement environment and offers evaluations of the components in terms of relevant KPIs in addition to conventional metrics.
Finally, a technique to estimate transmission and reflection coefficients is proposed and demonstrated. In one variant, the technique enables the coefficients to be estimated using wideband modulated signals, suitable for implementation in measurements performed under real usage scenarios. In another variant, the technique enhances the precision of noisy S-parameter measurements, suitable for characterizations of wideband mm-wave components.
estimation theory
data transmission experiment
spectral efficiency
microwave network analysis
communication system
millimeter wave (mm-wave) system
mutual coupling effects
spectrally efficient frequency division multiplexing (SEFDM)
vector network analyzer
wideband measurement.
coherent optical system
impairment compensation algorithm
identification theory
multiplier based transmitter
digital signal processing
Active load pull
linear measurement technique
Author
Dhecha Nopchinda
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics
Included papers
Dual Polarization Coherent Optical Spectrally Efficient Frequency Division Multiplexing
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters,;Vol. 28(2015)p. 83-86
Journal article
8-PSK Upconverting Transmitter Using E-band Frequency Sextupler
IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters,;Vol. 28(2018)p. 177-179
Journal article
Measurement Technique to Emulate Signal Coupling Between Power Amplifiers
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,;Vol. 66(2018)p. 2034-2046
Journal article
Experimental Demonstration of Spectrally Efficient Frequency Division Multiplexing Transmissions at E-Band
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,;Vol. 67(2019)p. 1911-1923
Journal article
Nopchinda, D., Eriksson, T., Zirath, H., Buisman, K. Measurements of reflection and transmission coefficients using finite impulse response least-squares estimation
Manuscript
Popular science description
English
A holistic approach deals with a system as an interconnected body and not as separate parts. In this thesis, we employ this philosophy in the development of millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communication systems.
Firstly, mm-wave systems transmit and receive signals at very very high frequencies, much higher than the frequency your phone uses when connected to Wi-Fi or when you listen to music through that noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones. The exact number is within the range 30 to 300 GHz. We will look into these systems not only because they provide us with interesting research problems, but also out of necessity. As lower frequencies are congested, realizing mm-wave systems allows us to explore unoccupied territories. Nevertheless, in order to create a long term sustainable solution, the utilization efficiency of these new frequencies must be at the heart of the development.
Secondly, communication systems are very complicated and consist of various connected devices, sub-systems, and systems. As each component is connected, they interact with each other. These interactions are both linear and nonlinear, the complexities of which increase with the frequency. Even if the characterization of individual components reveals satisfactory performance with regular metrics, the situation could change significantly after integration and deployment in transmission scenarios. Such interactions are complex; existing circuit simulation tools often cannot reveal these nuances completely due to complexity constraints. New measurement techniques must be developed to alleviate this problem.
This thesis is a collection of interesting (read peculiar) and effective techniques developed under multi-disciplinary efforts to address these issues. To demonstrate: in one work a signal is intentionally made worse such that it is better! By compressing (squeezing) the signal in the frequency domain, the spectral efficiency is increased and the resulting impairments are addressed through various demonstrated techniques in the thesis. In another work, a frequency multiplier is used to replace the functionalities of a mixer and an oscillator to generate mm-wave signals! A measurement system was built to characterize components when used in antenna arrays without requiring any array to be constructed, the whole array can be emulated with only one copy of the component, and the exact signal to be transmitted in the array can be used to perform the measurement! An FIR filter, a component which typically suppresses spectral components, is used to increase the precision of measurement systems without any filtering, in the traditional sense, being performed!
If I have managed to interest you in any way, I would highly encourage you to look inside. If not, I would also encourage you to look inside, so that I may change your mind.
Firstly, mm-wave systems transmit and receive signals at very very high frequencies, much higher than the frequency your phone uses when connected to Wi-Fi or when you listen to music through that noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones. The exact number is within the range 30 to 300 GHz. We will look into these systems not only because they provide us with interesting research problems, but also out of necessity. As lower frequencies are congested, realizing mm-wave systems allows us to explore unoccupied territories. Nevertheless, in order to create a long term sustainable solution, the utilization efficiency of these new frequencies must be at the heart of the development.
Secondly, communication systems are very complicated and consist of various connected devices, sub-systems, and systems. As each component is connected, they interact with each other. These interactions are both linear and nonlinear, the complexities of which increase with the frequency. Even if the characterization of individual components reveals satisfactory performance with regular metrics, the situation could change significantly after integration and deployment in transmission scenarios. Such interactions are complex; existing circuit simulation tools often cannot reveal these nuances completely due to complexity constraints. New measurement techniques must be developed to alleviate this problem.
This thesis is a collection of interesting (read peculiar) and effective techniques developed under multi-disciplinary efforts to address these issues. To demonstrate: in one work a signal is intentionally made worse such that it is better! By compressing (squeezing) the signal in the frequency domain, the spectral efficiency is increased and the resulting impairments are addressed through various demonstrated techniques in the thesis. In another work, a frequency multiplier is used to replace the functionalities of a mixer and an oscillator to generate mm-wave signals! A measurement system was built to characterize components when used in antenna arrays without requiring any array to be constructed, the whole array can be emulated with only one copy of the component, and the exact signal to be transmitted in the array can be used to perform the measurement! An FIR filter, a component which typically suppresses spectral components, is used to increase the precision of measurement systems without any filtering, in the traditional sense, being performed!
If I have managed to interest you in any way, I would highly encourage you to look inside. If not, I would also encourage you to look inside, so that I may change your mind.
Research Project(s)
Lösningar för trådlös kommunikation med hög datatakt
Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) (SE13-0020), 2014-03-01 -- 2019-06-30.
Categorizing
Areas of Advance
Information and Communication Technology
Infrastructure
Kollberg Laboratory
Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Telecommunications
Communication Systems
Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Signal Processing
Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Identifiers
ISBN
978-91-7905-201-0
Other
Series
Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 4668
Publisher
Chalmers
Public defence
2019-11-15 10:00
Kollektorn, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 9, Gothenburg.
Opponent: Associate Professor Marco Spirito, Electronics Research Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.