EPSRC-SFI: Multi-domain configurable power amplifiers for software-defined RF transmitters - MUST-RF

While aiming at increased wireless connectivity to enable revolutionary technologies such as autonomous driving or smart cities and industries, telecom networks of the future will have sustainability at their heart. Only with a network-as-a-whole coordination of resources, it will be possible to achieve an optimized trade-off between level of service and energy consumption. However, holistic orchestration of resources can only become a reality if each wireless front end in the infrastructure is flexible enough to tune its working conditions as needed, while operating efficiently. The most important bottleneck stopping this change is the high frequency power amplifier (PA) due to its high energy consumption and limitations imposed by the analogue design. MUST-RF will propose new solutions for the design, modelling and digital signal processing of PAs and wireless transmitters with improved energy efficiency and flexibility. Its main aim is to evolve the most advanced techniques in the field and introduce new ideas to provide significant advancements in all the aspects of PA design. In particular, the Cardiff University team will study multiple-input single-output (MISO) PAs advancing waveform engineering to a multi-port framework and, at modelling level, adding multi-port and memory formulations to the "Cardiff behavioural model". The Maynooth University (Ireland, Dublin) team will focus on the conditioning and control of the MISO PAs, leveraging on their experience in the linearisation of advanced PAs and introducing advanced algorithm and practical DSP solutions for the multi-input control with single observable output. The project, that will culminate in the design and testing of PAs and multi-antenna transmitters at C- and Ka- band, will offer to the scientific community new results, tools, and data which inspire new research and position the British Isles at the forefront of the field. The impact of the project will be accelerated by the involvement of several project partners from Academia and Industry, participating to the Steering Committee and supporting with significant in-kind contributions.