Learning multiple antenna schemes without the maths! - Present and future technologies

Dr Tim Brown is a senior lecturer in RF, Antennas and Propagation at the Institute for Communication Systems (home of the 5G Innovation Centre) University of Surrey, UK. He has also past work experience both in industry and academia with Nortel Networks, Nokia Mobile and Aalborg University, Denmark.

His research interests in radio have spanned many technologies across the RF and microwave spectrum including wireless communications, RFID, space, satellite communications, numerical magnetic resonance and radar. His PhD work began with studying diversity antennas for mobile terminals, which has extended to working on several intelligent multi antenna solutions. He has also co-authored a book, “A Practical Guide to the MIMO Radio Channel”.

Abstract

This course is aimed at early stage researchers carrying out work relating to array antennas that may include radar, diversity, beamforming and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) schemes to understand in a practical sense the function of array antennas and how they operate in a practical case. This will lead the participant to understand and think about how real practical RF impairments and propagation phenomena can impede performance of state of the art and future radio systems. It is sure to stimulate further thought from those working on antenna design and system design for real antenna arrays.

Course Outline

The earlier part of the course will introduce the physical concepts behind array antennas, forms of polarisation and also it will introduce practically how MIMO systems work based on beamforming, interference cancellation and multiplexing. The approach will be from a purely practical sense so that the physics of operation can be appreciated and maths will be referred to only where absolutely necessary. By using real examples it will show how multi antenna methods are realised in practical systems and illustrating how they relate to key mathematical terminologies such as eigenmodes and commonly used precoding techniques.

The latter part of the course will extend the knowledge gained to understand how improvements in throughput are realised in future technologies such as massive MIMO and it will address technical limitations that will impede performance due to RF impairments including non linearities of RF power amplifiers and channel estimation considerations. To conclude, the lecture will provide an introduction to metrology considerations in future MIMO schemes including findings from the Met5G project.