Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Worldwide, fifth generation (5G) wireless communication focused research efforts continue to expand, their goal being the development of new reconfigurable networks with ultra-high throughput, ultra-low latency, and ubiquitous connectivity. Interest in the concept of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), a cornerstone of the future 5G physical layer, continues to grow given its capacity to simultaneously increase spectral efficiency and system throughput, reduce transmission power and improve user experience while reducing the complexity of user equipment. Industry players are competing to be the first to bring wireless solutions to market that achieve the full potential of 5G. To succeed, they must possess cost-effective infrastructure solutions with radio frequency hardware capable of meeting the challenging requirements of both signal quality and power consumption under realistic operating conditions. The proposed project is the result of collaborative exploratory research carried out by the co-applicants and industry. It will develop efficient real-time digital signal processing (DSP) precoding methods that account for practical constraints and limitations associated with radio frequency hardware, mixed-signal circuits and computer hardware. This will be critical to the realization of low-power 5G transmitters that will unlock the full potential of massive MIMO. The project will provide a comprehensive theoretical and technical training in advanced DSP techniques, microwave and wireless communications systems engineering, test and measurement techniques, digital hardware, and real-time systems for graduate students. These students will work closely with researchers and engineers from Ericsson and Keysight, and the project will provide industry partners with critical knowledge for practical massive MIMO-based infrastructure deployment. This will help ensure Canadian industry has access to highly skilled labor and is at the forefront of the commercialization of 5G networking equipment.