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Content archived on 2024-05-18

Smart Antenna Technology in Universal bRoadband wireless Networks

Objective

The ability of smart antennas to increase the capacity of circuit-switched cellular mobile radio systems is well understood by the communications industry, however smart antennas can also enhance packet-switched performance and provide value-added services in other wireless applications:
* Enhanced diversity and fading migration in Local and Campus wireless networks
* Provision of location information in mobile networks smart antennas can additionally offer fading countermeasures through the deployment of arrays at both the transmit and receive nodes (Multiple-input Multiple-output architectures). The SATURN project proposes to address the above issues and, by identifying architectural commonalities amongst the various application areas, contribute towards the development of re-configurable radio systems and networks.

Objectives:
Recent research addressing SMART antenna technology has recognised the significance of advanced diversity methods.

In UMTS transmit diversity schemes using cross-polarised antennas will be analysed in this project.

At the same time, the potential benefits of using smart antenna technology to increase the bit rate capacity of a fading channel will be exploited in applications other than cellular mobile radio, such as wireless local and campus area networks using HIPERLAN technology.

In addition, a new application of smart antenna technology has emerged from the growing interest in location based services. Array processing technology will be used to enhance the mobile location function, particularly in areas where triangulation between several base-stations is problematic.

The SATURN project is designed to address these issues, with the following objectives:

To promote enhanced availability of high bit rate wireless services with the use of smart antennas for mixed tele-traffic scenarios. This means making services available to more people, more of the time at higher speeds (mobility/location), and/or at greater ranges.

To consider how smart antennas can provide enhanced location information

Work description:
The objectives will be met by theoretical investigation, simulation and experimental validation for three types of wireless networks, characterised by different requirements on mobility, bit rate, and, partly, types of services:

Outdoor high bit rate (UMTS-based) networks

Local and wide area networks

The investigation will deal with the classical advantages of introducing smart antennas: range extension, capacity increase, interference reduction. The impact on the physical, MAC, link and network layers will be assessed for several types of traffic, in particular connectionless packet data.

Advanced MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output) array diversity techniques, which use array antennas both at the remote and at the base station, will be analysed. An investigation for the synthesis of pertinent access techniques for packet data traffic will be carried out.

The potential of array processing to provide enhanced location information will be investigated for UMTS-based outdoor broadband networks.

Key Issues:
Smart Antennas
Wireless Broadband Networks
Local and Wide Area Wireless Networks
UMTS
Location Information in UMTS Networks

Expected Impact

By using antenna arrays at both the transmitter and receiver a MIMO fading channel is created resulting in marked increase in channel capacity.

Array processing technology will be used to enhance the mobile location function.

Wireless local and campus area networks using HIPERLAN technology will benefit from the use of smart antenna techniques to help mitigate fading and to provide diversity.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

THALES COMMUNICATIONS S.A.
EU contribution
No data
Address
160 BOULEVARD DE VALMY
92700 COLOMBES
France

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Total cost
No data

Participants (7)