Disruptive Beamforming

Trends Improving mmWave 5G

5G is now a reality and the first stage of
its infrastructure (sub-6 GHz) is already
deployed in major cities around the
world. The high data rate demand for
5G mobile users is shown to be fulfilled
using the famous Multiple-Input Multiple-
Output (MIMO) technology [1]. The
next deployment stage of 5G is expected
to utilize the millimeter-wave (mmWave)
frequency spectrum, and the forthcoming
base station antennas will operate at
frequency bands around at 28 GHz and
39 GHz. At these high frequencies, a
steerable RF beam can reliably serve a
communication device in a much better way
compared to an isotropic RF radiator having
inefficient directivity, and this is possible by
performing beamforming at the base station
end, illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. mmWave beamformer serving About the Authors:
Beamforming is a technique by which
mobile terminals in mmWave 5G network.
a radiator is made to transmit radio signals Dr. M. Ali Babar Abbasi is a researcher in the Centre
in a particular direction. A communication for Wireless Innovation and lecturer at the School of
device that performs this function is Electronics Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast,
called a beamformer. The most common UK. Profile.
• Huge losses faced by the
and simplest type of a beamformer is an
electromagnetic waves while propagating Professor Vincent Fusco (FIEEE, FREng, FIAE, MRIA,
array of half-wavelength spaced antennas
through the free space, hence highly FIET) is a researcher in the Centre for Wireless
connected to a single radio frequency (RF)
directive radiation is desirable. Innovation, Professor of High Frequency Electronics
source via a network of power dividers. Such
at the School of Electronics Engineering and CTO
a beamformer is referred to as a corporate- • The required network of phase-shifters
of the Institute of Electronics, Communications and
feed array. More sophisticated beamformers and power dividers to add beam steering
Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen’s University
involve a bank of phase shifters connected to capabilities is lossy and expensive.
Belfast. Profile.
each antenna element to add beam steering
• The theoretical array theory
capability to a simple corporate-feed array. References:
supporting MIMO require each antenna
Advanced beamformers involve digitally
to be connected separately to the E. Bjornson, L. Van der Perre, S. Buzzi and E. G.
controlled phase shifters, lens structures,
baseband processing unit, making the Larsson, “Massive MIMO in Sub-6 GHz and mmWave:
intelligent and meta-surfaces, etc., which
overall system prohibitively expensive, Physical, Practical, and Use-Case Differences,” in IEEE
enhances the beamformer performance.
especially when it comes to implementing Wireless Communications, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 100-108,
Disruptive mmWave Beamforming a 64 or 128 element mmWave massive April 2019.
Technologies: MIMO system.
For detailed information on our mmWave 5G
Designing 5G-ready beamformer hardware Later, we will describe how we propose to beamformers, please contact Norbert Sagnard,
at mmWave is challenging due to three address the above-mentioned challenges. Business Development Manager, at Queen’s University
major reasons: Belfast [E] n.sagnard@qub.ac.uk

© Queen’s University Belfast 2020