Present day wireless networks coordinate transmissions of different network nodes
such that they will not interfere with each other too much. This is achieved by
controlling when, at which frequency, and where transmissions can happen. This coordination
has been necessary, as there has not existed technology to successfully receive several
simultaneous transmissions on the same frequency, having similar strength.
The downside of the coordination has been the need for precise network control,
increasing control traffic and energy consumption.
These overheads have been limited in networks with relatively few nodes with
high average data rates. A good example are modern mobile networks, where the typical user
traffic load has been much larger than the overheads.
It is foreseen that one of the new frontiers of wireless networking is going to be
the connection of devices (the Internet of Things), rather than humans. Such wireless
networks can be characterized as generating random traffic, often with small amounts
of data at a time. Strict coordination of each transmission would result in that the
network would mostly send control data to organize the transmissions, and little useful
information.
This project will solve the coordination bottleneck by using Massive MIMO
technology to enable an uncoordinated network design, where nodes can transmit at will.
The utilization of more than 100 receiver antennas, any colliding transmissions can be
received successfully, removing the necessity to coordinate. Additionally, Massive MIMO
will mitigate a fundamental problem of radio communications, the fluctuations of
received power, and thus enabling better quality connections, increased coverage
and reduced energy consumption.
The project will build an experimental system on the Reconfigurable Radio Network Platform,
a national research infrastructure, located at the Department of Electronic Systems, NTNU.
The finalizing phase of MASSI (270897) concentrates on two main directions: bringing the Phase 1 work to publication phase, and finding a strategy for the funding of further work for the topic.