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Smart Antennas for Next Generation Wireless Communications

 
 
Next generation wireless communication systems allowing a suitable quality of service (QoS) and an enhanced security are needed to properly deal with complex scenarios characterized by multiple users as well as different standards. In this framework, smart antennas have been recognized as promising tools for an efficient management of the physical layer thanks to their capability to steer the main lobe of the beam pattern to track the desired signal and cancel the interferences. Unfortunately, the methodological difficulties in controlling fully-adaptive solutions prevented a widespread application of smart antennas in current wireless communications. Accordingly, the development of robust, high-performance and computationally efficient control algorithm to reconfigure the smart antenna system in real time are currently of great interest from the scientific and industrial viewpoint.
   
Wireless Cellular Networks, WIFI Systems, Mobile Communications

 
Smart Antenna Prototype

 
Example Of Pattern Reconfiguration
 
Members of the ELEDIA Research Center have developed several optimization-based methodologies for the control of smart antenna systems, which are based on the exploitation of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs). Such approaches are motivated by the fact that the real-time optimal control of smart antennas can be easily recasted as an optimization problem where the fitness function depends on the SINR and is continuously updated at each time-step to take into account the changing interference/environment conditions. More specifically, the research activities carried out in the ELEDIA Research Center have been focused on the study, development, and prototyping of fully-adaptive smart antenna systems controlled through EAs such as the Particle Swarm Optimization. Moreover, the application of Memory-Enhanced control strategies has been investigated as well.
   

Keywords: Smart Antennas, Next Generation Wireless Communications, Evolutionary Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimizer, Adaptive Arrays.


See Also
  • M. Benedetti, R. Azaro, A. Massa, "Memory Enhanced PSO-Based Optimization Approach for Smart Antennas Control in Complex Interference Scenarios," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 56, no. 7, pp. 1939-1947, July 2008
    doi:10.1109/TAP.2008.924717
  • M. Benedetti, G. Oliveri, P. Rocca, and A. Massa, "A fully-adaptive smart antenna prototype: ideal model and experimental validation in complex interference scenarios," Progress In Electromagnetics Research, vol. 96, 173-191, 2009.
    doi:10.2528/PIER09080904
  • M. Benedetti, R. Azaro, D. Franceschini, A. Massa, "PSO-Based Real-Time Control of Planar Uniform Circular Arrays," IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 545-548, Dec. 2006
    doi:10.1109/LAWP.2006.887553
  • M. Benedetti, R. Azaro, A. Massa, "Experimental validation of fully-adaptive smart antenna prototype," Electron. Lett., vol. 44, no. 11, pp. 661-662, May 2008
    doi:10.1049/el:20083689
  • M. Benedetti, G. Oliveri, M. Donelli, P. Rocca, A. Massa, "Experimental validation of a smart antenna system model," 2009 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, pp.1-4, 1-5 June 2009
    doi:10.1109/APS.2009.5171473
  • M. Benedetti, P. Rocca, R. Azaro, A. Massa, "A fully-adaptive smart antenna prototype: Numerical modeling and experimental validation," 2008 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, pp.1-4, 5-11 July 2008
    doi:10.1109/APS.2008.4619897
  • M. Benedetti, G. Oliveri, A. Massa, "Validation of a smart antenna prototype: Model and experiments," 2009 European Radar Conference, pp. 172-175, Sept. 30--2009-Oct. 2 2009
  • M. Benedetti, P. Rocca, M. Donelli, L. Lizzi, F. Viani, M. Martinelli, L. Ioriatti, A. Massa, "On the integration of smart antennas in Wireless Sensor Networks," 2008 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, pp. 1-4, 5-11 July 2008
    doi:10.1109/APS.2008.4619571
  • L. Poli, P. Rocca, M. Salucci, and A. Massa, "Reconfigurable thinning for the adaptive control of linear arrays," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 61, no. 10, pp. 5068-5077, Oct. 2013.
    doi:10.1109/TAP.2013.2272452