Enabling technologies for wireless connectivity with optimal flexibility and adequate services at low power

San Jose, California, September 30, 2003 --- IMEC, Europe’s leading independent microelectronics and ICT research center, directs its long-term R&D on broadband wireless communication towards multi-mode, multi-hop terminals. New research activities are launched on flexible digital communication engines, software-defined radios and quality-of-experience (QoE) engine controllers that perform cross-layer optimization. The resulting technologies will set the foundations for the wireless grids of the future where distributed compute and storage power guarantee broadband wireless multimedia communication at minimal power and desired quality.

Future wireless communication systems need to offer more multimedia services at better quality, with the same or larger battery lifetime than today’s systems. Analysis of traditional architectures that consist of access points and terminals, shows that several physical limits will be reached, such as intrinsic compute power and spectrum availability. Moreover, a migration to frequencies above 10GHz, would give rise to problems in range versus transmit power and cost in the front end. Completely novel architectures that break through the traditional base stations concept, need to be developed.

To this end, IMEC is launching research activities within the wireless grid concept where a conglomeration of discrete devices will automatically be configured into an ad-hoc network that will provide maximum flexibility, service quality and quantity to broadband wireless communication. Several challenges have yet to be solved, but IMEC has already achieved several milestones which lay the foundations of its program on ubiquitous broadband wireless communication.

Given the variety in geographical environment and terminals, one ideal transmission scheme cannot be defined. A generic transmission scheme that adapts to the link and the Quality-of-Service (QoS) demands is required. To this end, IMEC is researching flexible communication engines that can handle different modes such as advanced coding schemes for full mobile broadband (wide band CDMA) and WLAN upgrades based on current and future multiple antenna systems (MIMO). In this way, optimal spectral efficiency and power bookkeeping can be achieved.

The flexible communication engine will control the software-defined radio, which features a multi-mode, multi-frequency and flexible front-end. To integrate the software-defined radio, a highly-integrated “system-in-a-package (SiP)” strategy is deployed, which combines IC integration and RF multi-chip-module (MCM) technology. The reconfigurable front-end requires a combination of the best quality technologies and enhancements to the design space with advanced technological components such as RF-MEMS.

Smart multiple antenna enhancements will boost range, reliability and data rates. They will also be key to soft and seamless handovers between different air interfaces, and provide interference suppression in the wireless grid.

Although traditionally, such flexibility results in an increase in power, IMEC has proven that by providing intelligent flexibility in the design and operation, lower power consumption can be achieved. IMEC’s methodology enables cross-layer performance-energy trade-off exploration, providing the necessary information to carry out system adaptation at run-time. The approach has already been applied to WLAN systems in a simple single-hop networking scenario. First results show that, by only considering one layer crossing, a 7-fold energy gain is expected when applying the proposed approach to next-generation WLAN systems.

IMEC’s foundations for the wireless grid are based on generic patented technologies, which are accessible to industrial partners through a variety of business solutions and dynamic interaction programs ranging from long-term research contracts, bilateral collaboration contracts, technology transfers and license agreements to industrial affiliation programs.

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Notes to editors

About IMEC

IMEC (Inter-university MicroElectronics Center) was founded in 1984 and today is Europe’s largest independent research center in the field of microelectronics, nanotechnology, enabling design methods and technologies for ICT systems. IMEC's activities concentrate on the design technology for integrated information and communication systems; silicon process steps and modules, silicon processes; nanotechnology, microsystems, novel devices and packaging; solar cells; and advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has a staff of more than 1250 people including over 380 industrial residents and guest researchers. Its revenue of more than 138Meuro is derived from agreements and contracts with the Flemish government, equipment and material suppliers and semiconductor and system-oriented companies worldwide, the EC, MEDEA+ and ESA. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be.

For more information:

IMEC contact:                                                        

Katrien Marent                                                        

Corporate Communication Manager             

IMEC, Kapeldreef 75                                              

B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium                            

Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37     

Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be