arXiv subjects

Stefano Buzzi

Publications and source records attributed to Stefano Buzzi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

User-Centric 5G Cellular Networks: Resource Allocation and Comparison with the Cell-Free Massive MIMO Approach

Recently, the so-called cell-free (CF) Massive MIMO architecture has been introduced, wherein a very large number of distributed access points (APs) simultaneously and jointly serve a much smaller number of mobile stations (MSs). The paper extends the CF approach to the case in which both the APs and the MSs are equipped with multiple antennas, proposing a beamfoming scheme that, relying on the channel hardening effect, does not require channel estimation at the MSs. We contrast the CF massive MIMO approach with a user-centric (UC) approach wherein each MS is served only by a limited number of APs. Since far APs experience a bad SINR, it turns out that they are quite unhelpful in serving far users, and so, the UC approach, while requiring less backhaul overhead with respect to the CF approach, is shown here to achieve better performance results, in terms of achievable rate-per-user, for the vast majority of the MSs in the network. Furthermore, in the paper we propose two power allocation strategy for the uplink and downlink, one aimed at maximizing the overall data-rate and another aimed at maximizing system fairness.

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arXiv2017

Single-Carrier Modulation versus OFDM for Millimeter-Wave Wireless MIMO

This paper presents results on the achievable spectral efficiency and on the energy efficiency for a wireless multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) link operating at millimeter wave frequencies (mmWave) in a typical 5G scenario. Two different single-carrier modem schemes are considered, i.e., a traditional modulation scheme with linear equalization at the receiver, and a single-carrier modulation with cyclic prefix, frequency-domain equalization and FFT-based processing at the receiver; these two schemes are compared with a conventional MIMO-OFDM transceiver structure. Our analysis jointly takes into account the peculiar characteristics of MIMO channels at mmWave frequencies, the use of hybrid (analog-digital) pre-coding and post-coding beamformers, the finite cardinality of the modulation structure, and the non-linear behavior of the transmitter power amplifiers. Our results show that the best performance is achieved by single-carrier modulation with time-domain equalization, which exhibits the smallest loss due to the non-linear distortion, and whose performance can be further improved by using advanced equalization schemes. Results also confirm that performance gets severely degraded when the link length exceeds 90-100 meters and the transmit power falls below 0 dBW.

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arXiv2017

Energy Efficiency and Asymptotic Performance Evaluation of Beamforming Structures in Doubly Massive MIMO mmWave Systems

Future cellular systems based on the use of millimeter waves will heavily rely on the use of antenna arrays both at the transmitter and at the receiver. For complexity reasons and energy consumption issues, fully digital precoding and postcoding structures may turn out to be unfeasible, and thus suboptimal structures, making use of simplified hardware and a limited number of RF chains, have been investigated. This paper considers and makes a comparative assessment, both from a spectral efficiency and energy efficiency point of view, of several suboptimal precoding and postcoding beamforming structures for a cellular multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) system with large number of antennas. Analytical formulas for the asymptotic achievable spectral efficiency and for the global energy efficiency of several beamforming structures are derived in the large number of antennas regime. Using the most recently available data for the energy consumption of phase shifters and switches, we show that fully-digital beamformers may actually achieve a larger energy efficiency than lower-complexity solutions, as well as that low-complexity beam-steering purely analog beamforming may in some cases represent a good performance-complexity trade-off solution.

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arXiv2017

Cell-Free and User-Centric Massive MIMO at Millimeter Wave Frequencies

In a cell-free (CF) massive MIMO architecture a very large number of distributed access points (APs) simultaneously and jointly serves a much smaller number of mobile stations (MSs); a variant of the cell-free technique is the user-centric (UC) approach, wherein each AP just decodes a reduced set of MSs, practically the ones that are received best. This paper introduces and analyzes the CF and UC architectures at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. First of all, a multiuser clustered channel model is introduced in order to account for the correlation among the channels of nearby users; then, an uplink multiuser channel estimation scheme is described along with low-complexity hybrid analog/digital beamforming architectures. Interestingly, in the proposed scheme no channel estimation is needed at the MSs, and the beamforming schemes used at the MSs are channel-independent and have a very simple structure. Numerical results show that the considered architectures provide good performance, especially in lightly loaded systems, with the UC approach outperforming the CF one.

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arXiv2017

Downlink Power Control in User-Centric and Cell-Free Massive MIMO Wireless Networks

Recently, the so-called cell-free Massive MIMO architecture has been introduced, wherein a very large number of distributed access points (APs) simultaneously and jointly serve a much smaller number of mobile stations (MSs). A variant of the cell-free technique is the user-centric approach, wherein each AP just decodes the MSs that it receives with the largest power. This paper considers both the cell-free and user-centric approaches, and, using an interplay of sequential optimization and alternating optimization, derives downlink power-control algorithms aimed at maximizing either the minimum users' SINR (to ensure fairness), or the system sum-rate. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms, as well as that the user-centric approach generally outperforms the CF one.

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arXiv2017

Multiuser Millimeter Wave MIMO Channel Estimation with Hybrid Beamforming

This paper focuses on multiuser MIMO channel estimation and data transmission at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. The proposed approach relies on the time-division-duplex (TDD) protocol and is based on two distinct phases. First of all, the Base Station (BS) sends a suitable probing signal so that all the Mobile Stations (MSs), using a subspace tracking algorithm, can estimate the dominant left singular vectors of their BS-to-MS propagation channel. Then, each MS, using the estimated dominant left singular vectors as pre-coding beamformers, sends a suitable pilot sequence so that the BS can estimate the corresponding right dominant channel singular vectors and the corresponding eigenvalues. The low-complexity projection approximation subspace tracking with deflation (PASTd) algorithm is used at the MSs for dominant subspace estimation, while pilot-matched (PM) and zero-forcing (ZF) reception is used at the BS. The proposed algorithms can be used in conjuction with an analog RF beamformer and are shown to exhibit very good performance.

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arXiv2017

Subspace Tracking Algorithms for Millimeter Wave MIMO Channel Estimation with Hybrid Beamforming

This paper proposes the use of subspace tracking algorithms for performing MIMO channel estimation at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. Using a subspace approach, we develop a protocol enabling the estimation of the right (resp. left) singular vectors at the transmitter (resp. receiver) side; then, we adapt the projection approximation subspace tracking with deflation (PASTd) and the orthogonal Oja (OOJA) algorithms to our framework and obtain two channel estimation algorithms. The hybrid analog/digital nature of the beamformer is also explicitly taken into account at the algorithm design stage. Numerical results show that the proposed estimation algorithms are effective, and that they perform better than two relevant competing alternatives available in the open literature.

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arXiv2017

Massive MIMO 5G Cellular Networks: mm-wave vs. μ-wave Frequencies

Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) is one of the key use-cases for the development of the new standard 5G New Radio for the next generation of mobile wireless networks. Large-scale antenna arrays, a.k.a. Massive MIMO, the usage of carrier frequencies in the range 10-100 GHz, the so-called millimeter wave (mm-wave) band, and the network densification with the introduction of small-sized cells are the three technologies that will permit implementing eMBB services and realizing the Gbit/s mobile wireless experience. This paper is focused on the massive MIMO technology; initially conceived for conventional cellular frequencies in the sub-6 GHz range (μ-wave), the massive MIMO concept has been then progressively extended to the case in which mm-wave frequencies are used. However, due to different propagation mechanisms in urban scenarios, the resulting MIMO channel models at μ-wave and mm-wave are radically different. Six key basic differences are pinpointed in this paper, along with the implications that they have on the architecture and algorithms of the communication transceivers and on the attainable performance in terms of reliability and multiplexing capabilities.

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arXiv2016

Are mmWave Low-Complexity Beamforming Structures Energy-Efficient? Analysis of the Downlink MU-MIMO

Future cellular systems based on the use of above-6 GHz frequencies, the so-called millimeter wave (mmWave) bandwidths, will heavily rely on the use of antenna arrays both at the transmitter and at the receiver, possibly with a large number of elements. For complexity reasons, fully digital precoding and postcoding structures may turn out to be unfeasible, and thus suboptimal structures, making use of simplified hardware and a limited number of RF chains, have been investigated. This paper considers and makes a comparative assessment, both from a spectral efficiency and energy efficiency point of view, of several suboptimal precoding and postcoding beamforming structures for the downlink of a cellular multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) system. Based on the most recently available data for the energy consumption of phase shifters and switches, we show that there are cases where fully-digital beamformers may achieve a larger energy efficiency than lower-complexity solutions, as well as that structures based on the exclusive use of switches achieve quite unsatisfactory performance in realistic scenarios.

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arXiv2016

Doubly Massive mmWave MIMO Systems: Using Very Large Antenna Arrays at Both Transmitter and Receiver

One of the key features of next generation wireless communication systems will be the use of frequencies in the range 10-100GHz (aka mmWave band) in densely populated indoor and outdoor scenarios. Due to the reduced wavelength, antenna arrays with a large number of antennas can be packed in very small volumes, making thus it possible to consider, at least in principle, communication links wherein not only the base-station, but also the user device, are equipped with very large antenna arrays. We denote this configuration as a "doubly-massive" MIMO wireless link. This paper introduces the concept of doubly massive MIMO systems at mmWave, showing that at mmWave the fundamentals of the massive MIMO regime are completely different from what happens at conventional sub-6 GHz cellular frequencies. It is shown for instance that the multiplexing capabilities of the channel and its rank are no longer ruled by the number of transmit and receive antennas, but rather by the number of scattering clusters in the surrounding environment. The implications of the doubly massive MIMO regime on the transceiver processing, on the system energy efficiency and on the system throughput are also discussed.

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arXiv2016

On Clustered Statistical MIMO Millimeter Wave Channel Simulation

The use of mmWave frequencies is one of the key strategies to achieve the fascinating 1000x increase in the capacity of future 5G wireless systems. While for traditional sub-6 GHz cellular frequencies several well-developed statistical channel models are available for system simulation, similar tools are not available for mmWave frequencies, thus preventing a fair comparison of independently developed transmission and reception schemes. In this paper we provide a simple albeit accurate statistical procedure for the generation of a clustered MIMO channel model operating at mmWaves, for both the cases of slowly and rapidly time-varying channels. Matlab scripts for channel generation are also provided, along with an example of their use.

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arXiv2016

A Survey of Energy-Efficient Techniques for 5G Networks and Challenges Ahead

After about a decade of intense research, spurred by both economic and operational considerations, and by environmental concerns, energy efficiency has now become a key pillar in the design of communication networks. With the advent of the fifth generation of wireless networks, with millions more base stations and billions of connected devices, the need for energy-efficient system design and operation will be even more compelling. This survey provides an overview of energy-efficient wireless communications, reviews seminal and recent contribution to the state-of-the-art, including the papers published in this special issue, and discusses the most relevant research challenges to be addressed in the future.

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arXiv2016

Spectral Efficiency of MIMO Millimeter-Wave Links with Single-Carrier Modulation for 5G Networks

Future wireless networks will extensively rely upon bandwidths centered on carrier frequencies larger than 10GHz. Indeed, recent research has shown that, despite the large path-loss, millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies can be successfully exploited to transmit very large data-rates over short distances to slowly moving users. Due to hardware complexity and cost constraints, single-carrier modulation schemes, as opposed to the popular multi-carrier schemes, are being considered for use at mmWave frequencies. This paper presents preliminary studies on the achievable spectral efficiency on a wireless MIMO link operating at mmWave in a typical 5G scenario. Two different single-carrier modem schemes are considered, i.e. a traditional modulation scheme with linear equalization at the receiver, and a single-carrier modulation with cyclic prefix, frequency-domain equalization and FFT-based processing at the receiver. Our results show that the former achieves a larger spectral efficiency than the latter. Results also confirm that the spectral efficiency increases with the dimension of the antenna array, as well as that performance gets severely degraded when the link length exceeds 100 meters and the transmit power falls below 0dBW. Nonetheless, mmWave appear to be very suited for providing very large data-rates over short distances.

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arXiv2014

Modulation Formats and Waveforms for the Physical Layer of 5G Wireless Networks: Who Will be the Heir of OFDM?

5G cellular communications promise to deliver the gigabit experience to mobile users, with a capacity increase of up to three orders of magnitude with respect to current LTE systems. There is widespread agreement that such an ambitious goal will be realized through a combination of innovative techniques involving different network layers. At the physical layer, the OFDM modulation format, along with its multiple-access strategy OFDMA, is not taken for granted, and several alternatives promising larger values of spectral efficiency are being considered. This paper provides a review of some modulation formats suited for 5G, enriched by a comparative analysis of their performance in a cellular environment, and by a discussion on their interactions with specific 5G ingredients. The interaction with a massive MIMO system is also discussed by employing real channel measurements.

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arXiv2014

What Will 5G Be?

What will 5G be? What it will not be is an incremental advance on 4G. The previous four generations of cellular technology have each been a major paradigm shift that has broken backwards compatibility. And indeed, 5G will need to be a paradigm shift that includes very high carrier frequencies with massive bandwidths, extreme base station and device densities and unprecedented numbers of antennas. But unlike the previous four generations, it will also be highly integrative: tying any new 5G air interface and spectrum together with LTE and WiFi to provide universal high-rate coverage and a seamless user experience. To support this, the core network will also have to reach unprecedented levels of flexibility and intelligence, spectrum regulation will need to be rethought and improved, and energy and cost efficiencies will become even more critical considerations. This paper discusses all of these topics, identifying key challenges for future research and preliminary 5G standardization activities, while providing a comprehensive overview of the current literature, and in particular of the papers appearing in this special issue.

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arXiv2014

Energy-Efficient Scheduling and Power Allocation in Downlink OFDMA Networks with Base Station Coordination

This paper addresses the problem of energy-efficient resource allocation in the downlink of a cellular OFDMA system. Three definitions of the energy efficiency are considered for system design, accounting for both the radiated and the circuit power. User scheduling and power allocation are optimized across a cluster of coordinated base stations with a constraint on the maximum transmit power (either per subcarrier or per base station). The asymptotic noise-limited regime is discussed as a special case. %The performance of both an isolated and a non-isolated cluster of coordinated base stations is examined in the numerical experiments. Results show that the maximization of the energy efficiency is approximately equivalent to the maximization of the spectral efficiency for small values of the maximum transmit power, while there is a wide range of values of the maximum transmit power for which a moderate reduction of the data rate provides a large saving in terms of dissipated energy. Also, the performance gap among the considered resource allocation strategies reduces as the out-of-cluster interference increases.

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arXiv2011

Potential Games for Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation in Multipoint-to-Multipoint CDMA Wireless Data Networks

The problem of noncooperative resource allocation in a multipoint-to-multipoint cellular network is considered in this paper. The considered scenario is general enough to represent several key instances of modern wireless networks such as a multicellular network, a peer-to-peer network (interference channel), and a wireless network equipped with femtocells. In particular, the problem of joint transmit waveforms adaptation, linear receiver design, and transmit power control is examined. Several utility functions to be maximized are considered, and, among them, we cite the received SINR, and the transmitter energy efficiency, which is measured in bit/Joule, and represents the number of successfully delivered bits for each energy unit used for transmission. Resorting to the theory of potential games, noncooperative games admitting Nash equilibria in multipoint-to-multipoint cellular networks regardless of the channel coefficient realizations are designed. Computer simulations confirm that the considered games are convergent, and show the huge benefits that resource allocation schemes can bring to the performance of wireless data networks.

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arXiv2009

Blind user detection in doubly-dispersive DS/CDMA channels

In this work, we consider the problem of detecting the presence of a new user in a direct-sequence/code-division-multiple-access (DS/CDMA) system with a doubly-dispersive fading channel, and we propose a novel blind detection strategy which only requires knowledge of the spreading code of the user to be detected, but no prior information as to the time-varying channel impulse response and the structure of the multiaccess interference. The proposed detector has a bounded constant false alarm rate (CFAR) under the design assumptions, while providing satisfactory detection performance even in the presence of strong cochannel interference and high user mobility.

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