Reconfigurable antennas for adaptive MIMO communication systems

The requirements for the next generation wireless systems seek to provide reliable high data rate at low cost. Unfortunately the current wireless communication infrastructure is notfully equipped to over this unprecedented quality of service. Major obstacles include: limited bandwidth availability, limited transmit power, and signal strength uctuations which are intrinsic to the multivariate wireless channel. Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna systems have emerged as one of the most significant technical breakthrough in modern wireless communications able to satisfy these stringent requirements. However the necessity of assuring a high data rate in a large variety of environments while reducing the antenna array space occupation on portable devices requires an improvement in current MIMO technology. To overcome these limitations, we propose in this thesis, the use of reconfigurable antennas that adaptively change, through RF switches, their radiation properties and frequency of operation according to wireless channel characteristics.The key idea of this work is to show that reconfigurable antennas, through their capability to dynamically change their electrical and radiation properties, can be used to change the propagation characteristics of the wireless channel existing between the transmitting and receiving antennas. The proposed MIMO system breaks from the conventional wisdom that the wireless propagation channel cannot be changed intentionally by the transceivers in the link.Three different novel classes of electrically multi element reconfigurable antennas are proposed as suitable candidates for reconfigurable MIMO systems: i ) a reconfigurable printeddipole antenna array that exploits inter element mutual coupling to achieve pattern reconfigurability, ii ) circular patches capable of exciting higher order modes to achieve pattern and polarization diversity, and iii ) a metamaterial leaky wave array that can be reconfigured in pattern to achieve unprecedented degrees of pattern reconfigurability.To effectively use such antennas with actual communication systems, a low power consumption method for selecting the array configuration is proposed. This technique exploits the close relationship between the environment that surrounds the antenna array and the antenna radiation characteristics in order to select optimal array radiation patterns without the need for intense channel sensing or excessive training. A complete reconfigurable antenna system composed of mutli-element reconfigurable antennas and a control unit capable of efficently driving the antennas is proposed to deliver unprecedented system performance.Analytical models of the proposed system are used to fully characterize the functionality and performance of the technology. A complete evaluation of the proposed system is conducted through electromagnetic simulations and eld measurements collected with a channel sounder speciiically designed to measure the performance of multi element antennasystems. It is demonstrated that the novel multi element reconfigurable antenna system is capable of providing i ) increased data rate compared to common non reconfigurable antennas in single link communications as well as in multi-link ad hoc networks, ii ) reduced space occupation by the antenna on the communication device exploiting the principles of pattern and polarization diversity, iii ) reduced number of radio-frequency chains needed at the receiver/transmitter and iv ) reduced amount of transmit power for achieving performancecomparable to that of standard non reconfigurable antenna systems.Ph.D., Electrical Engineering -- Drexel University, 200

Pattern Diversity Characterization of Reconfigurable Antenna Arrays for Next Generation Wireless Systems

The use of multi-antenna technology in wireless radio communications has attracted tremendous attention due to its potential to increase data rates without requiring additional bandwidth and transmission power. This has been driven by the burgeoning demand for high data rates and the need for instantaneous and ubiquitous access to information. It is therefore no surprise that current and future generation wireless standards such as LTE and WiMAX have adopted the use of adaptive multi-antenna systems also known as adaptive Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) as their de facto transmission technology. In this thesis work, we focus on the design of a smart wireless antenna system, and the study of relevant techniques that enable us to reap the benefits of their deployment in small wireless devices with MIMO capability. Specifically, we employ a new class of adaptive antenna systems known as Reconfigurable Antenna Systems (RAS) for portable devices. These antennas are capable of dynamically changing their electrical and radiation characteristics to suit the conditions of the wireless channel. The changing radiation patterns lead to pattern diversity gains that improve system performance. This is in contrast to conventional non-reconfigurable arrays which depend on signal processing techniques such as antenna grouping and beamforming to achieve performance gains. However, despite the demonstrable system-level performance benefits of RAS in adaptive MIMO, few of these antennas have been adopted and integrated in state-of-the-art wireless standards. Their usage has been partly inhibited by the prohibitive costs of implementation and operation in a real wireless infrastructure. As part of this thesis research effort we attempt to integrate these new antennas into a cost-effective real wireless MIMO testbed for use in current generation technologies. The solution integration is carried-out through the use of readily available software-defined radio frameworks. We first design, analyze and characterize the pattern diversity in RAS antenna arrays that resonate at frequencies suitable for 4G applications. We then study the benefits of pattern diversity obtained from RAS arrays over conventional space diversity approaches such as antenna grouping and beamforming. This dissertation also presents low-complexity adaptive physical layer models and algorithms to exploit the benefits of RAS array integration in MIMO wireless systems. We implement these algorithms in software-defined radio frameworks, experimentally test, and benchmark them against other established approaches in literature. And finally, integrate and test these RAS array design prototypes as part of the MIMO wireless system that leverages a state-of-the-art wireless base station and mobile terminals.Ph.D., Electrical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201

A Generalized Spatial Correlation Model for 3D MIMO Channels based on the Fourier Coefficients of Power Spectrums

Previous studies have confirmed the adverse impact of fading correlation on the mutual information (MI) of two-dimensional (2D) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. More recently, the trend is to enhance the system performance by exploiting the channel's degrees of freedom in the elevation, which necessitates the derivation and characterization of three-dimensional (3D) channels in the presence of spatial correlation. In this paper, an exact closed-form expression for the Spatial Correlation Function (SCF) is derived for 3D MIMO channels. This novel SCF is developed for a uniform linear array of antennas with nonisotropic antenna patterns. The proposed method resorts to the spherical harmonic expansion (SHE) of plane waves and the trigonometric expansion of Legendre and associated Legendre polynomials. The resulting expression depends on the underlying arbitrary angular distributions and antenna patterns through the Fourier Series (FS) coefficients of power azimuth and elevation spectrums. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the SCF being valid for any 3D propagation environment. The developed SCF determines the covariance matrices at the transmitter and the receiver that form the Kronecker channel model. In order to quantify the effects of correlation on the system performance, the information-theoretic deterministic equivalents of the MI for the Kronecker model are utilized in both mono-user and multi-user cases. Numerical results validate the proposed analytical expressions and elucidate the dependence of the system performance on azimuth and elevation angular spreads and antenna patterns. Some useful insights into the behaviour of MI as a function of downtilt angles are provided. The derived model will help evaluate the performance of correlated 3D MIMO channels in the future.Comment: Accepted in IEEE Transactions on signal processin

Characterization of Single- and Multi-antenna Wireless Channels

The wireless propagation channel significantly influences the received signal, so that it needs to be modeled effectively. Extensive measurements and analysis are required for investigating the validity of theoretical models and postulating new models based on measurements. Such measurements, analysis, and modeling are the topic of this thesis. The focus of the included contributions are Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) propagation channels and radio channels for sensor network applications. Paper I presents results from one of the first MIMO measurements for a double-directional characterization of the outdoor-to-indoor wireless propagation channel. Such channels are of interest for both cellular and wireless LAN applications. We discuss physical aspects of building penetration, and also provide statistics of angle and delay spreads in the channel. The paper also investigates the coupling between DOD and DOA and the two spectra are found to have non-negligible dependence. We test the applicability of three analytical channel models that make different assumptions on the coupling between DODs and DOAs. Our results indicate that analytical models, that impose fewer restrictions on the DOD to DOA coupling, should be used preferrably over models such as the Kronecker model that have more restrictive assumptions. Paper II presents a cluster-based analysis of the outdoor-to-indoor MIMO measurements analyzed in Paper I. A subset of parameters of the COST 273 channel model, a generic model for MIMO propagation channels, are characterized for the outdoor-to-indoor scenario. MPC parameters are extracted at each measured location using a high-resolution algorithm and clusters of MPCs are identified with an automated clustering approach. In particular, the adopted clustering approach requires that all MPC parameters must be similar in order for the MPCs to form a cluster. A statistical analysis of the identified clusters is performed for both the intra- and inter-cluster properties. Paper III analyzes the spatial fading distribution for a range of canonical sensor deployment scenarios. The presented results are relevant to communicating within, and between, clusters of nodes. Contrary to the widely accepted assumption in published literature that the channel is AWGN at a small-enough distance, our measurements indicate that values of the Rice factor do not, in general, increase monotonically as the Tx-Rx distance is reduced. A probability mixture model is presented, with distance dependent parameters, to account for the distance dependent variations of the Rice factor. A simulation model that includes small- and large-scale fading effects is presented. According to the modeling approach, a sensor node placed anywhere within the spatial extent of a small-scale region will experience the channel statistics applicable to that region. Paper IV presents results characterizing a radio channel for outdoor short-range sensor networks. A number of antennas are placed on the ground in an open area and time-variation of the channel is induced by a person moving in the vicinity of the nodes. The channel statistics of both the LOS path and the overall narrowband signal are non-stationary. We investigate the stationarity interval length to be used for small-scale analysis. Our analysis of the various measured links shows that the Rx signal strength is significantly influenced by a moving person only when the person blocks the LOS path. We present a generic approach for modeling the LOS blockage, and also model the time-variant Doppler spectrum of the channel's scattered components

Layer 2 Path Selection Protocol for Wireless Mesh Networks with Smart Antennas

In this thesis the possibilities of smart antenna systems in wireless mesh networks are examined. With respect to the individual smart antenna tradeoffs, a routing protocol (Modified HWMP, MHWMP) for IEEE 802.11s mesh networks is presented, that exploits the full range of benefits provided by smart antennas: MHWMP actively switches between the PHY-layer transmission/reception modes (multiplexing, beamforming and diversity) according to the wireless channel conditions. Spatial multiplexing and beamforming are used for unicast data transmissions, while antenna diversity is employed for efficient broadcasts. To adapt to the directional channel environment and to take full benefit of the PHY capabilities, a respective MAC scheme is employed. The presented protocol is tested in extensive simulation and the results are examined.:1 Introduction 2 Wireless Mesh Networks 3 IEEE 802.11s 4 Smart Antenna Concepts 5 State of the Art: Wireless Mesh Networks with Smart Antennas 6 New Concepts 7 System Model 8 Results and Discussion 9 Conclusion and Future Wor

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Communications Systems Using Reconfigurable Antennas

RÉSUMÉ Depuis les années 1990, l'utilisation des systèmes de communications sans-fil à entrées multiples-sorties multiples (MIMO) a été introduit pour fournir des transmissions fiables à grande vitesse. Cette thèse porte sur l'application et l’étude des systèmes MIMO avec des antennes reconfigurables, qui sont ajustable électroniquement pour produire différents diagrammes de rayonnement d'un seul élément d'antenne et ainsi offrir une diversité de diagrammes de rayonnement. En particulier, nous étudions le comportement de la capacité de canal des systèmes MIMO à sélection de diagrammes de rayonnement (PS-MIMO), et nous proposons aussi des algorithmes de sélection du diagramme de rayonnement atteignant la capacité maximale. Tout d'abord, nous étudions l'application des antennes reconfigurables dans l'estimation des statistiques spatiales à long terme de canaux spatiaux avec grappes de multi-trajets (cluster). Nous proposons un estimateur de spectre de type Capon et une technique d'adaptation de la covariance (COMET) pour estimer conjointement l'angle moyen et l’étalement angulaire de la grappe spatiale avec des antennes reconfigurables. En second lieu, sur la base des statistiques à long terme du canal MIMO, nous proposons des algorithmes de sélection de diagramme de rayonnement MIMO (SPS-MIMO) pour atteindre la capacité maximale de canal ergodique. L'analyse de la maximisation de la capacité ergodique du système SPS-MIMO indique que le modèle statistique de sélection fournit des gains supplémentaires en améliorant la puissance du signal reçu et en décorrélant les signaux reçus avec différents diagrammes de rayonnement directionnels. Troisièmement, nous nous concentrons sur le modèle de sélection instantanée des diagrammes de rayonnement MIMO (IPS-MIMO) basé sur des informations instantanées d'état de canal (CSI) afin de maximiser la capacité instantanée pour chaque réalisation de canal. Nous démontrons que l’ordre de diversité des systèmes MIMO peut être multipliée par le nombre de diagrammes de rayonnement avec sélection de diagramme instantanée. Afin d'évaluer la capacité moyenne de l'IPS-MIMO, nous proposons un nouvel algorithme qui permet d’approximer étroitement la moyenne de la valeur maximale de la capacité du canal MIMO avec des trajets arbitrairement corrélés. Nous proposons également un algorithme pour sélectionner instantanément les diagrammes de rayonnement pour atteindre la capacité moyenne. En outre, sur la base d'une simple expression en forme fermée de la capacité coefficient de corrélation, nous sommes en mesure de proposer un algorithme de sélection de sous-ensemble de diagrammes qui offre un compromis entre performances et la complexité de l’algorithme de sélection. En conclusion, des gains de performance importants peuvent être obtenus grâce à la combinaison de l'utilisation d’antennes reconfigurables et de systèmes MIMO avec soit des algorithmes de sélection de diagramme de rayonnement statistique ou instantanée. La capacité des systèmes PS-MIMO à améliorer les performances du système, y compris la capacité et de l'ordre de la diversité, est démontrée par l'analyse théorique et des simulations numériques.----------ABSTRACT Since the 1990s, the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has been introduced to modern wireless communications to provide reliable transmission at high data rates. This thesis focuses on the application of MIMO systems with reconfigurable antennas, which are electronically tunable to produce a number of radiation patterns at a single antenna element and provide pattern diversity. In particular, we investigate the capacity performance of the pattern selection MIMO (PS-MIMO) systems, and we also present maximum capacity achieving algorithms for radiation pattern selection. First, we investigate the application of reconfigurable antennas in estimating long term spatial statistics of spatial clustered channels. We propose a Capon-like spectrum estimator and a covariance matching technique (COMET) to jointly estimate the mean angle and the angular spread of the spatial cluster with reconfigurable antennas. Second, based on the long term statistics of the MIMO channel, we propose statistical pattern selection MIMO (SPS-MIMO) algorithms to achieve maximum ergodic channel capacity. Analysis of the ergodic capacity maximization of the SPS-MIMO indicates that the statistical pattern selection provides additional gains by enhancing received signal power and decorrelating received signals with different directional radiation patterns. Third, we focus on the instantaneous pattern selection MIMO (IPS-MIMO) based on instantaneous channel state information (CSI) in order to maximize the instantaneous capacity for every channel realization. We prove that the diversity order of MIMO systems can be multiplied by the number of radiation patterns with instantaneous pattern selection. In order to evaluate the mean capacity of the IPS-MIMO, we propose a novel algorithm which closely approximates the mean of the maximum of the channel capacity of arbitrarily correlated MIMO channels. We also propose an algorithm for instantaneously selecting radiation patterns to achieve the mean capacity. In addition, based on a simple closed-form approximation to the capacity correlation coefficient, we are able to propose a subset pattern selection algorithm which enables the trade-off between performances and complexity. In conclusion, important extra gains can be obtained as a result of combining the use of reconfigurable antennas and MIMO systems with either statistical or instantaneous radiation pattern selection. The capability of the PS-MIMO to improve system performances, including capacity and diversity order, is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations

Near-Field Communications: A Comprehensive Survey

Multiple-antenna technologies are evolving towards large-scale aperture sizes, extremely high frequencies, and innovative antenna types. This evolution is giving rise to the emergence of near-field communications (NFC) in future wireless systems. Considerable attention has been directed towards this cutting-edge technology due to its potential to enhance the capacity of wireless networks by introducing increased spatial degrees of freedom (DoFs) in the range domain. Within this context, a comprehensive review of the state of the art on NFC is presented, with a specific focus on its 1) fundamental operating principles, 2) channel modeling, 3) performance analysis, 4) signal processing, and 5) integration with other emerging technologies. Specifically, 1) the basic principles of NFC are characterized from both physics and communications perspectives, unveiling its unique properties in contrast to far-field communications. 2) Based on these principles, deterministic and stochastic near-field channel models are investigated for spatially-discrete (SPD) and continuous-aperture (CAP) antenna arrays. 3) Rooted in these models, existing contributions on near-field performance analysis are reviewed in terms of DoFs/effective DoFs (EDoFs), power scaling law, and transmission rate. 4) Existing signal processing techniques for NFC are systematically surveyed, encompassing channel estimation, beamforming design, and low-complexity beam training. 5) Major issues and research opportunities associated with the integration of NFC and other emerging technologies are identified to facilitate NFC applications in next-generation networks. Promising directions are highlighted throughout the paper to inspire future research endeavors in the realm of NFC.Comment: 56 pages, 23figures; submit for possible journa