Shared Transmitter and DAC Multiplexing for MIMO Antenna Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional MIMO communication systems with multiple transmit antennas face high costs and power consumption due to the need for multiple transmitters and digital to analog converters (DACs), making it impractical to implement larger antenna arrays for achieving high spatial coverage and throughput in home networking scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves sharing a digital to analog converter (DAC) and transmitter among multiple antennas, using a multiplexer to select and cycle through digital input signals, and a demultiplexer to provide analog output signals to each antenna, reducing the number of required transmitters and DACs while maintaining effective beamforming and multiplexing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple transmitters and DACs are used for each antenna in MIMO systems, then the spatial coverage and throughput are improved, but the cost and power consumption increase proportionally with the number of antenna elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmitter and DAC functions into a single shared transmitter and DAC unit that serves multiple antenna elements. The multiplexer time-division multiplexes digital input signals to the shared DAC, and the demultiplexer distributes the resulting analog signals to multiple antennas, allowing one transmitter/DAC to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate units.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared transmitter and DAC unit performs multiple functions by time-division multiplexing among different antenna elements. The single transmitter and DAC serve as universal components that can transmit signals to any of the multiple antennas in sequence, making the system more cost-effective and energy-efficient while maintaining MIMO capabilities.
2Productivity
If multiple transmitters and DACs are used for each antenna in MIMO systems, then the throughput is improved, but the cost increases proportionally with the number of antenna elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transmitter and DAC functions into a single shared transmitter and DAC unit that serves multiple antenna elements. The multiplexer time-division multiplexes digital input signals to the shared DAC, and the demultiplexer distributes the resulting analog signals to multiple antennas, allowing one transmitter/DAC to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate units.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic time-division multiplexing where the shared transmitter and DAC cycle through different antenna elements in a periodic sequence. The multiplexer switches between digital input signals at regular intervals, and the demultiplexer distributes analog signals to antennas in a periodic pattern, enabling efficient resource utilization while maintaining high throughput.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If a shared transmitter and DAC are used among multiple antennas, then the power consumption is reduced, but real-time signal transmission to all antennas simultaneously becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic time-division multiplexing where the shared transmitter and DAC cycle through different antenna elements in a periodic sequence. The multiplexer switches between digital input signals at regular intervals, and the demultiplexer distributes analog signals to antennas in a periodic pattern, enabling efficient resource utilization while maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiplexer and demultiplexer operate continuously to maintain uninterrupted signal flow. The multiplexer continuously cycles through digital input signals, the DAC continuously converts analog signals, and the demultiplexer continuously distributes signals to antennas, ensuring that real-time transmission requirements are met despite the shared resource architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of signal processing, or corresponding apparatus, includes providing digital input signals representing beamforming data to be transmitted on respective antennas. One of the digital input signals is selected at a time among a plurality of times, to cycle through the digital input signals repeatedly and provide a multiplexed digital signal, which is converted to a multiplexed analog signal. The multiplexed analog signal is filtered to pass a predetermined frequency band and demultiplexed to provide analog output signals. One of the analog output signals is selected and provided to a corresponding antenna for transmission. Sharing a transmitter and DAC among multiple antennas results in reduced cost and power. Such cost and power reductions in turn enable larger antenna arrays than are available with prior art techniques, thereby promoting increased throughput and coverage.