Toward intelligent wireless networks in computer chassis

TL;DR

This paper proposes transforming a computer chassis into a smart radio environment using reconfigurable intelligent surfaces to enable high-data-rate wireless communication between processing units, addressing scattering challenges.

Contribution

It introduces the novel application of RIS technology inside a computer chassis to improve short-range wireless communication performance.

Findings

Experimental validation within a typical computer chassis

RIS can create pulse-like channel impulse responses

Enhanced wireless links for data processing units

Abstract

Processing the exponentially growing amount of data produced daily requires efficient communication between different processing units in a computer. Traditionally, wired interconnects have been used to maintain these data links due to their energy efficiency and ability to support high data rates. However, as computing demands continue to increase in size and speed, these wired interconnects can become longer and less effective. One possible solution is to enhance the wired interconnects with short-range wireless communication (SRWC), which offers flexible resource allocation and the ability to broadcast data. However, implementing SRWC inside a computer chassis presents challenges due to multiple scattering. This scattering stretches the channel impulse response (CIR), leading to inter-symbol interference (ISI) and limiting data rates. To address this issue, we propose transforming the computer chassis into a smart radio environment by utilizing a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). The RIS elements adjust the phase of reflected waves so that the multipath components combine at the receiver in a way that creates a pulse-like CIR. This approach has been experimentally validated within a typical computer chassis. The results of this study pave the way for integrating RIS-enabled SRWC to enhance wireless links in both current and future data processing units.