SWIFT: Transceiver and algorithms for multiband mobile communications in co-existence with passive uses at millimeter wave spectra

Demand on the wireless spectrum by mobile broadband access has driven the need for expanding spectrum usage to millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies and prompted the question on the feasibility of sharing spectra currently allocated to passive uses such as satellites and passive sensors. This project will investigate the possibility of co-sharing such millimeter-wave bands with mobile cellular services.

The project puts forth the analysis of aggregated interference created to the passive-sensor satellites in these bands as a function of mobile system transmit power and densities of users and base stations to assess the feasibility of coexistence. The project will involve the design of a novel dual-band millimeter-wave wireless transceiver and associated joint power control, frequency allocation, and connections assignment algorithm to ensure meeting spectral masks to the passive devices while enabling effective cellular communications.

Research results will serve as a baseline for any 5G/6G and beyond mobile transceiver design, algorithm design, integration, and implementation especially at mmWave frequencies, contributing to smaller form factor and higher power devices as well as expanding spectrum usage in co-existence with other passive uses.

This project is aiming to advance the fundamental knowledge and have a direct and significant impact on practical systems in both hardware innovation and algorithm design. On the hardware front, the focus is to demonstrate new ideas and novel design of a wireless transceiver that can perform carrier aggregation of both uplink and two downlink frequency bands in millimeter-wave spectra.

This includes innovative and novel circuit architectures to enable and/or enhance the performance of mmWave filter, power amplifier, and low noise amplifier. The result of hardware research will be the integration of all these components into a complete front-end mmWave dual-band transceiver in a multi-layer laminate substrate, verified with extensive simulations and prototyping fabrication.

On the algorithm design, the proposed research will address the joint problem of power control, frequency allocation, and user association (connection assignments) in a mobile mmWave broadband network in the context of co-existence with passive uses. The algorithm design takes into account the aggregated interference generated to the passive-sensor satellites in these bands as a function of the transmit power and density of mobile users and base stations within the satellite’s footprint.

The algorithm also provides power levels for biasing the proposed power amplifiers in the mmWave transceiver and integrates the proposed filters for computing interference in adjacent bands. These hardware and algorithm innovations have the potential for immense impact on future mobile communication systems.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.