A mmWave Software-Defined Array Platform for Wireless Experimentation at 24-29.5 GHz

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-cost, portable, and programmable millimeter-wave software-defined array platform operating at 24-29.5 GHz, enabling real-time wireless experimentation with high performance and accessible control.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, affordable, and flexible SDA platform with integrated RF and signal processing, validated through comprehensive beamforming and communication performance measurements.

Findings

Beam scan range of -45 to +45 degrees

Supports up to 1.613 Gb/s throughput with 64-QAM

Achieves up to 30 dB SNR at short distances

Abstract

Advanced millimeter-wave software-defined array (SDA) platforms, or testbeds at affordable costs and high performance are essential for the wireless community. In this paper, we present a low-cost, portable, and programmable SDA that allows for accessible research and experimentation in real time. The proposed platform is based on a 16-element phased-array transceiver operating across 24-29.5 GHz, integrated with a radio-frequency system-on-chip board that provides data conversion and baseband signal-processing capabilities. All radio-communication parameters and phased-array beam configurations are controlled through a high-level application program interface. We present measurements evaluating the beamforming and communication link performance. Our experimental results validate that the SDA has a beam scan range of -45 to +45 degrees (azimuth), a 3 dB beamwidth of 20 degrees, and support up to a throughput of 1.613 Gb/s using 64-QAM. The signal-to-noise ratio is as high as 30 dB at short-range distances when the transmit and receive beams are aligned.