Microcell

About: Microcell is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1389 publications have been published within this topic receiving 26206 citations.

Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless Networks: Potentials and Challenges

Abstract: Millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies between 30 and 300 GHz are a new frontier for cellular communication that offers the promise of orders of magnitude greater bandwidths combined with further gains via beamforming and spatial multiplexing from multielement antenna arrays. This paper surveys measurements and capacity studies to assess this technology with a focus on small cell deployments in urban environments. The conclusions are extremely encouraging; measurements in New York City at 28 and 73 GHz demonstrate that, even in an urban canyon environment, significant non-line-of-sight (NLOS) outdoor, street-level coverage is possible up to approximately 200 m from a potential low-power microcell or picocell base station. In addition, based on statistical channel models from these measurements, it is shown that mmW systems can offer more than an order of magnitude increase in capacity over current state-of-the-art 4G cellular networks at current cell densities. Cellular systems, however, will need to be significantly redesigned to fully achieve these gains. Specifically, the requirement of highly directional and adaptive transmissions, directional isolation between links, and significant possibilities of outage have strong implications on multiple access, channel structure, synchronization, and receiver design. To address these challenges, the paper discusses how various technologies including adaptive beamforming, multihop relaying, heterogeneous network architectures, and carrier aggregation can be leveraged in the mmW context.

A stochastic MIMO radio channel model with experimental validation

Abstract: Theoretical and experimental studies of multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) radio channels are presented. A simple stochastic MIMO model channel has been developed. This model uses the correlation matrices at the mobile station (MS) and base station (BS) so that results of the numerous single-input/multiple-output studies that have been published in the literature can be used as input parameters. The model is simplified to the narrowband channels. The validation of the model is based upon data collected in both picocell and microcell environments. The stochastic model has also been used to investigate the capacity of MIMO radio channels, considering two different power allocation strategies, water filling and uniform and two different antenna topologies, 4/spl times/4 and 2/spl times/4. Space diversity used at both ends of the MIMO radio link is shown to be an efficient technique in picocell environments, achieving capacities within 14 b/s/Hz and 16 b/s/Hz in 80% of the cases for a 4/spl times/4 antenna configuration implementing water filling at a SNR of 20 dB.

Cellular communications system with centralized base stations and distributed antenna units

Abstract: A microcellular communications network includes a plurality of base station units and corresponding antenna units. The base station units are housed in a common location. Each includes either conventional transmitters and receivers or all digital transmitter and receiver equipment, and interface circuitry to a mobile telecommunications switching office. The microcell traffic output is applied to a frame generator/multiplexer. The output of the frame generator/multiplexer is applied to a digitally modulated laser. The laser output is conveyed by fiber to a remote antenna unit, which demultiplexes the microcell traffic signal and applies it to a digital-to-analog converter. The output of the digital-to-analog converter is applied to a power amplifier, which in turn is connected to a main antenna. RF signals from the mobile units are received at both a main and a diversity antenna. The received signals are filtered, digitized, multiplexed together and transmitted over the optical fiber back to the base station. The strongest signal is selected for use.

A geometrically based model for line-of-sight multipath radio channels

Abstract: This paper provides a geometrically based model for single bounce multipath components in line-of-sight (LOS) microcell radiowave propagation channels. The model characterizes the excess delay, direction-of-arrival, and received power of multipath components and is particular useful for microcell and PCS systems with low transmitter and receiver antenna heights. The model includes analytical expressions for the probability density functions for all critical channel parameters and is thus useful for analytical purposes. The model is also useful for simulating both wideband and narrowband systems and in particular the model has been used extensively in a study of code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular radio systems employing adaptive antennas and switched beam systems at the base station.

Path loss, delay spread, and outage models as functions of antenna height for microcellular system design

Abstract: This paper presents results of wide-band path loss and delay spread measurements for five representative microcellular environments in the San Francisco Bay area at 1900 MHz. Measurements were made with a wide-band channel sounder using a 100-ns probing pulse. Base station antenna heights of 3.7 m, 8.5 m, and 13.3 m were tested with a mobile receiver antenna height of 1.7 m to emulate a typical microcellular scenario. The results presented in this paper provide insight into the statistical distributions of measured path loss by showing the validity of a double regression model with a break point at a distance that has first Fresnel zone clearance for line-of-sight topographies. The variation of delay spread as a function of path loss is also investigated, and a simple exponential overbound model is developed. The path loss and delay spread models are then applied to communication system design allowing outage probabilities, based on path loss or delay spread, to be estimated for a given microcell size. >