Hardware Limitations of Dynamic Metasurface Antennas in the Uplink: A Comparative Study

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the practical hardware limitations of Dynamic Metasurface Antennas (DMAs) in uplink wireless communications, comparing their performance and energy efficiency with hybrid phased arrays.

Contribution

It introduces a realistic model for DMA power consumption and evaluates the impact of hardware constraints on system performance.

Findings

DMA performance is significantly affected by hardware limitations.

DMA can outperform hybrid arrays in energy efficiency under certain conditions.

Hardware constraints must be considered for realistic assessment of DMA capabilities.

Abstract

Dynamic Metasurface Antennas (DMAs) have emerged as promising candidates for basestation deployment in the next generation of wireless communications. While overlooking the practical and hardware limitations of DMA, previous studies have highlighted DMAs' potential to deliver high data rates while maintaining low power consumption. In this paper, we address this oversight by analyzing the impact of practical hardware limitations such as antenna efficiency, power consumed in required components, processing limitations, etc. Specifically, we investigate DMA-assisted wireless communications in the uplink and propose a model which accounts for these hardware limitations. To do so, we propose a concise model to characterize the power consumption of a DMA. For a fair assessment, we propose a wave-domain combiner, based on holography theory, to maximize the achievable sum rate of DMA-assisted antennas. We compare the achievable sum rate and energy efficiency of DMA antennas with that of a partially connected hybrid phased array. Our findings reveal the true potential of DMAs when accounting for the limitations of both designs.