On the Impact of Hardware Impairments on Massive MIMO

Massive multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems are one possible key technology for next generation wireless communication systems. Claims have been made that massive MU-MIMO will increase both the radiated energy efficiency as well as the sum-rate capacity by orders of magnitude, because of the high transmit directivity. However, due to the very large number of transceivers needed at each base-station (BS), a successful implementation of massive MU-MIMO will be contingent on of the availability of very cheap, compact and power-efficient radio and digital-processing hardware. This may in turn impair the quality of the modulated radio frequency (RF) signal due to an increased amount of power-amplifier distortion, phase-noise, and quantization noise. In this paper, we examine the effects of hardware impairments on a massive MU-MIMO single-cell system by means of theory and simulation. The simulations are performed using simplified, well-established statistical hardware impairment models as well as more sophisticated and realistic models based upon measurements and electromagnetic antenna array simulations.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for presentation at Globe-Com workshop on Massive MIM

Comparative Analysis of Procedures and Solutions to Improve Energy Efficiency of Massive MIMO

The blustery growth of high data rate applications leadsto more energy consumption in wireless networks to satisfy servicequality.Therefore, energy-efficient communications have been paidmore attention to limited energy resources and environmentallyfriendly transmission functioning. Countless publications arepresent in this domain which focuses on intensifying networkenergy efficiency for uplink-downlink transmission.It is done eitherby using linear precoding schemes, by amending the number ofantennas per BS, by power control problem formulation, antennaselection schemes, level of hardware impairments, and byconsidering cell-free (CF) Massive-MIMO.After reviewing thesetechniques, still there are many barriers to implement thempractically. The strategies mentioned in this review show theperformance of EE under the schemes as raised above. The chiefcontribution of this work is the comparative study of how MassiveMIMO EE performs under the background of different methodsand architectures and the solutions to few problem formulationsthat affect the EE of network systems. This study will help choosethe best criteria to improve EE of Massive MIMO whileformulating a newer edition of testing stand-ards.This surveyprovides the base for interested readers in energy efficient MassiveMIMO

Comparative Analysis of Procedures and Solutions to Improve Energy Efficiency of Massive MIMO

The blustery growth of high data rate applications leadsto more energy consumption in wireless networks to satisfy servicequality.Therefore, energy-efficient communications have been paidmore attention to limited energy resources and environmentallyfriendly transmission functioning. Countless publications arepresent in this domain which focuses on intensifying networkenergy efficiency for uplink-downlink transmission.It is done eitherby using linear precoding schemes, by amending the number ofantennas per BS, by power control problem formulation, antennaselection schemes, level of hardware impairments, and byconsidering cell-free (CF) Massive-MIMO.After reviewing thesetechniques, still there are many barriers to implement thempractically. The strategies mentioned in this review show theperformance of EE under the schemes as raised above. The chiefcontribution of this work is the comparative study of how MassiveMIMO EE performs under the background of different methodsand architectures and the solutions to few problem formulationsthat affect the EE of network systems. This study will help choosethe best criteria to improve EE of Massive MIMO whileformulating a newer edition of testing stand-ards.This surveyprovides the base for interested readers in energy efficient MassiveMIMO

Digital Predistortion of Millimeter-Wave Phased Antenna Arrays

The cost of deployment of reliable, high-throughput, fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave (mm-wave) base stations will depend significantly on the maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) that the base stations can transmit. High EIRP can be generated using active beamforming antenna arrays with large apertures and driven by an array of power amplifiers (PAs). However, given the tight half-wavelength lattice that the arrays must retain to ensure a wide beam steering range, the achievable EIRP quickly becomes thermally-limited. Efficient power amplification is thus imperative to low-cost and reliable beamforming antenna array design. This work considers the application of Digital Predistortion (DPD) as an efficiency-enhancement technique for mm-wave beamforming antenna arrays. Two RF beamforming configurations were considered and corresponding DPD schemes were investigated. First, a single-input single-output (SISO) DPD is proposed that can linearize a single-user RF beamforming array in the presence of non-idealities such as PA load modulation and variation of phase shifter gain with phase. The SISO DPD relies on a feedback signal which reflects a coherent summation of the PA outputs. The SISO DPD is then validated by measurement of a 4-element and 64-element array at 28 GHz with 800 MHz modulated signals using a single over-the-air feedback signal. The SISO DPD uses different sets of coefficients to cope with changes in both linear and non-linear distortions as the beam is steered. Second, the SISO DPD formulation is extended to multi-user RF beamforming to linearize multiple sub-arrays. In this configuration, non-negligible inter-user interference can affect the DPD training. To address the interference, a linear estimate of the interference is calculated and canceled for each user before extracting the SISO DPD coefficients in each sub-array. The SISO DPD with interference cancellation is validated by measurement of a 2-user 2x64-element subarray hybrid at 28 GHz with 800 MHz modulated signals across different combinations of steering angles for the two users

Receptores de rádio-frequência melhorados e disruptivos

This Ph.D. mainly addresses the reception part of a radio front end, focusing on Radio Frequency (RF) sampling architectures. These are considered to be the most promising future candidates to get better performance in terms of bandwidth and agility, following the well-known Software-Defined Radio (SDR) concept. The study considers the usage of an RF receiver in a standalone operation, i.e., used for receiving unknown data at the antenna, and when used as observation path for Power Amplifier (PA) linearization via Digital Predistortion (DPD), since nowadays this represents a mandatory technique to increase overall system’s performance. Firstly, commercial available RF Analog-Digital-Converters (ADCs) are studied and characterized to understand their limitations when used in DPD scenarios. A method for characterization and digital post-compensation to improve performance is proposed and evaluated. Secondly, an innovative FPGA-based RF single-bit pulsed converter based on Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is addressed targeting frequency agility, high analog input bandwidth, and system integration, taking profit of an FPGA-based implementation. The latter was optimized based on PWM theoretical behavior maximizing Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) and bandwidth. The optimized receiver, was afterwards evaluated in a 5G C-RAN architecture and as a feedback loop for DPD. Finally, a brief study regarding DPD feedback loops in the scope of multiantenna transmitters is presented. This Ph.D. contributes with several advances to the state-of-the-art of SDR receiver, and to the so-called SDR DPD concept.Este doutoramento endereça principalmente a componente de receção de um transcetor de rádio-frequência (RF), focando-se em arquiteturas de receção de amostragem em RF. Estas são assim consideradas como sendo as mais promissoras para o futuro, em termos de desempenho, largura de banda e agilidade, de acordo com o conhecido conceito de Rádios Definidos por Software (SDR). O estudo considera o uso dos recetores de RF em modo standalone, i.e., recebendo dados desconhecidos provenientes da antena, e também quando usados como caminho de observação para aplicação de linearização de amplificadores de potência (PAs) via pré-distorção digital (DPD), pois atualmente esta é uma técnica fundamental para aumentar o desempenho geral do sistema. Em primeiro lugar, os conversores analógico-digital de RF são estudados e caracterizados para perceber as suas limitações quando usados em cenários de DPD. Um método de caracterização e pós compensação digital é proposto para obter melhorias de desempenho. Em segundo lugar, um novo recetor pulsado de um bit baseado em Modulação de Largura de Pulso (PWM) e implementado em Agregado de Células Lógicas Programáveis (FPGA) é endereçado, visando agilidade em frequência, largura de banda analógica e integração de sistema, tirando proveito da implementação em FPGA. Este recetor foi otimizado com base no modelo comportamental teórico da modulação PWM, maximizando a relação sinalruído (SNR) e a largura de banda. O recetor otimizado foi posteriormente avaliado num cenário 5G de uma arquitetura C-RAN e também num cenário em que serve de caminho de observação para DPD. Finalmente, um breve estudo relativo a caminhos de observação de DPD no contexto de transmissores multi-antena é também apresentado. Este doutoramento contribui com vários avanços no estado da arte de recetores SDR e no conceito de SDR DPD.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Eletrotécnic