140 GHz Digital Beamforming Antenna Tile Array
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Solution Overview
Problem
The terahertz band poses significant challenges due to inefficient device design, high losses from dielectric and skin-depth effects, and severe path-loss and atmospheric absorption, making stable THz communications difficult to achieve.
Innovation Solution
An end-to-end 140 GHz fully digital beamforming system is developed, utilizing a transceiver with a base-tile antenna array comprising RFICs and antenna elements, which transmits data via multiple channels by partitioning signals across different rotations and polarizations, enabling adaptive beam steering and efficient data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If terahertz band communication is implemented, then data transmission capacity is improved, but signal loss and path attenuation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple independently controllable antenna tiles, each capable of forming its own beam. This segmentation allows the system to transmit high-capacity terahertz signals through multiple directional paths simultaneously, distributing the total data load across multiple lower-power channels, thereby achieving high data transmission capacity while reducing individual signal loss
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes spatial dimensionality by deploying antenna tiles at different rotations and orientations. Each antenna tile transmits signals in different spatial directions and polarizations, creating a three-dimensional beamforming capability. This dimensional approach enables the system to overcome path loss by establishing multiple spatial channels for data transmission
2Reliability
If antenna tiles are disposed at different rotations for polarization diversity, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is segmented into modular antenna tiles that can be independently configured at different rotations. Each tile is a self-contained unit with its own RFIC and antenna elements, allowing for standardized manufacturing and simplified assembly. The modular design reduces overall system complexity while enabling polarization diversity through selective orientation of individual tiles
Solution Approach 2:
Each antenna tile is designed as a universal module capable of functioning in multiple orientations and polarizations. The same tile design can be deployed at different rotations to achieve various beamforming patterns and polarization states, eliminating the need for multiple specialized antenna types and reducing device complexity
3Measurement precision
If digital beamforming is implemented at 140 GHz, then beam steering precision is improved, but processing requirements and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The digital beamforming processing is segmented and distributed across multiple antenna tiles, each with its own RFIC performing local signal processing. This distributed architecture reduces the processing burden on a central unit and allows for parallel processing of multiple beams simultaneously, improving beam steering precision while managing energy consumption through localized processing
Data Source
AI summary
An end-to-end digital beamforming system includes a transmitter configured to transmit data and a receive configured to receive the data. Each of the transmitter and receiver includes a transceiver configured to communicate via a wired or wireless communication medium. Each of the transmitter and receiver also includes a processor and a base-tile antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna tiles. Each of the antenna tiles includes a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and an antenna-array-in-package comprising a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna tiles are disposed a different rotations such that a first antenna tile is disposed to transmit a first signal at a first polarization and a second antenna tile is disposed to transmit a second signal at a second polarization. Additionally, each of the antenna tiles transmits a part of a bandwidth.