Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This RTI grant application aims at the significant expansion of current experimental platforms and measurement capabilities available in Poly-Grames through this completely new addition of two building blocks of measurement systems, namely arbitrary waveform generator or AWG and millimeter-wave (mmW) signal power amplifier (PA) module. The resulting hardware characterization test-beds and measurement set-ups will be able to support a wide range of emerging waveform-based and/or mmW-based wireless antenna, circuit, system and analog signal processing research and development projects, which have been carried by the applicants and their groups.<br /> The requested AWG will be used as a fundamental timed-domain signal source for various bandwidth applications and different modulation platforms. The requested amplifier is one of the critical parts in the mmW system measurements to mitigate high mmW signal loss and to enable correct circuit and system measurements and characterizations at mmW frequencies. Therefore, their specific use in the planned research projects will be arranged in conjunction with particular measurement set-ups and requirements. The proposed equipment will be used in conjunction with the existing instruments in Poly-Grames, for example,&nbsp;to create an ultra-wideband direct up-conversion transmitter compatible with all the current and future communication modulation schemes and radar waveforms. Generally, the AWG will enable the flexible choice of signal features and properties for different measurement needs. The requested mmW signal amplifier will be an important addition to the existing infrastructure as more and more mmW research projects will be developed in many years to come. <br /> The proposed equipment is indispensable for the planned and emerging&nbsp;research activities of the applicants. With this equipment, the anticipated research activities will be enabled through different formats and also accurate measurements and parameter characterizations will be made possible for numerous projects of the applicants. The equipment will be accessible and easy-to-use as it represents exchangeable and embeddable building blocks of measurement systems. Poly-Grames has developed a well-formulated rule for the sharing of all the equipment and tools available through centralized management and maintenance. The acquired equipment will be managed in the same manner as other equipment and instrumentations for its operations. A large number of graduate students and research fellows will actively participate in the use of the proposed equipment for their research projects. This will provide them with engineering &ldquo;hands-on&rdquo; experiences for practical problem-solving, which are crucial for their future engineering practices and professional works. In addition, they will learn how to effectively share the equipment for different projects. <br />