Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SMArT (Switch-Mode Analog Signal Processing for Integrated 5G Transceivers)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-08-01 bis 2022-07-31
The EID project SMArT (short for Switch-Mode Analog Signal Processing for Integrated 5G Transceivers), grant ID 860921, is progressing well towards the goal outlined in the project proposal, which is “to train a new generation of innovative, versatile, and application-focused researchers through cutting-edge research to develop advanced transceiver technologies for highly ambitious extensions of 5G communication that will provide economically viable high-speed fixed wireless internet access to rural areas.” The short-term goal of training researchers with application-focussed multidisciplinary skills crucial for the industry as well as the long-term goal of developing enabling technologies to bridge the urban-rural digital divide through fixed wireless netwroks are important to ensure digital equality and maintain EU lead in technology development for 5G-Advanced. The two objectives of the project as described in section 1.1 of the DoA are described below.
Objective 1: Develop technology for energy-efficient ultra-wideband transceivers to enable 10Gb/s 5G home outdoor modem: SMArT project will develop ground-breaking transceiver technologies for 5G and beyond, with an immediate emphasis on the requirements for energy-efficient 10Gb/s home outdoor modem to provide high-speed fixed wireless internet aceess to rural areas.
Objective 2: Train future researchers through active industry–academia collaboration: SMArT will create a platform to train a new generation of innovative Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) through technology development to address the industrial demand for highly skilled researchers required to shape future communication systems. The active collaboration of academia and industry in the training activities as well as in the technology development will empower the ESRs with a unique mix of highly valued transferable research skills and application-focused industry perspective.
Objective 1: Develop technology for energy-efficient ultra-wideband transceivers to enable 10Gb/s 5G home outdoor modem: SMArT project will develop ground-breaking transceiver technologies for 5G and beyond, with an immediate emphasis on the requirements for energy-efficient 10Gb/s home outdoor modem to provide high-speed fixed wireless internet aceess to rural areas.
Objective 2: Train future researchers through active industry–academia collaboration: SMArT will create a platform to train a new generation of innovative Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) through technology development to address the industrial demand for highly skilled researchers required to shape future communication systems. The active collaboration of academia and industry in the training activities as well as in the technology development will empower the ESRs with a unique mix of highly valued transferable research skills and application-focused industry perspective.
Work carried out and results towards Objective 1: The objective described in the DoA aims to develop ultra-wideband transmitter technologies to enable 10Gb/s 5G modem for fixed wireless broadband operating in the sub-6 GHz band. So far, we have successfully developed the concept of a flexible outphasing transmitter employing a unique phase modulator, supporting multiple modulation schemes. We also designed a transmitter prototype which is now sent for fabrication with a 22 nm CMOS technology. According to transistor-level simulations, the power amplifier is capable of operating at 32 GHz, much higher operating frequency than the original sub-6 GHz. The phase modulator design operates only at around 16 GHz, which is still much higher than the original plan. We intend to improve this further in the next prototype. The digital predistortion (DPD) research is also progressing well. There again, we went a step further than the original plan and are investigating the application of artificial neural network (ANN) to devise efficient high-performance DPD for over-the-air combining array transmitters. The initial results are promising with one paper published and more in the pipeline.
Work carried out and results towards Objective 2: The ESRs are recruited onboarded on time despite COVID-related delays and are enrolled in doctoral programs at respective universities. Their research and studies are progressing well. The industrial secondment plan is already implemented with all ESRs having started with their secondments. ESR1 and ESR2 employed by AALTO (Aalto University) are currently spending time at NOKIA (Nokia Bell Labs Belgium) for their industrial secondment, while ESR3 employed by NOKIA has spent some time at TAU (Tampere University). A workshop has also been organized by AALTO on the topic ‘Challenges in 5G Transceiver Design’, which featured several lectures by invited experts including from the industry.
Work carried out and results towards Objective 2: The ESRs are recruited onboarded on time despite COVID-related delays and are enrolled in doctoral programs at respective universities. Their research and studies are progressing well. The industrial secondment plan is already implemented with all ESRs having started with their secondments. ESR1 and ESR2 employed by AALTO (Aalto University) are currently spending time at NOKIA (Nokia Bell Labs Belgium) for their industrial secondment, while ESR3 employed by NOKIA has spent some time at TAU (Tampere University). A workshop has also been organized by AALTO on the topic ‘Challenges in 5G Transceiver Design’, which featured several lectures by invited experts including from the industry.
In order to catch up with the aggressive technological progress that is happening in the area, we decided to aim higher and work towards a transmitter technology operating at much higher frequencies, and potentially higher bandwidths than originally planned. Hence, we are likely to end up with a transceiver performance higher than originally envisioned. What this means in terms of impact could be a superior technology enabling faster data rates, thus significantly improving the quality of digital access in rural and remote areas. Further, a more future-ready technology is also welcome by the industry in terms of long-term return-on-investment as they can use the deployed infrastructure for longer duration of time before the technology gets outdated.