Massive MIMO – Proof-of-Concept in 5G Berlin
Co-funded by the Department for Economics, Technology and Research
Duration: June 2016 – December 2016
Today, massive MIMO (M-MIMO) is the core technology for 5G networks. However, the achievable benefits depend heavily on the geometry of the antennae, the base station architecture, the traffic distribution and the applicable algorithms for the PHY (physical) and MAC (medium access control) layers. In order to get our heads around these complex relationships we use innovative evaluation methods to combine the various parameters from systems simulations, proof-of-concept hardware and intuitive visualization. This will allow us to analyze and illustrate the various parameters influencing a multi-user scenario in a large network.
The objective is to develop the basis for a manufacturer-independent proof-of-concept demonstration platform, which comprises the key access technologies for future 5G networks.
The Fraunhofer HHI will contribute the following expertise:
- Massive MIMO 5G SDR toolkit (software-defined radio)
- Channel modeling and system level simulation environment
The combined components provide the platform, which will allow us to demonstrate and evaluate the various benefits of massive MIMO signal processing. This includes the uplink user localization as well as the downlink performance analysis in the 3.5-GHz FDD band. In the project, we plan to analyze various antenna geometries and architectures.