Real-time Beamforming Testbed and Tracking Relay for mmWave Applications

As the deployment of fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless networks continues to gain momentum, researchers are already focusing on the challenges and opportunities of the next sixth generation (6G). To meet the ever-increasing demand for higher data rates and support the development of new services, 6G is expected to exploit millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies. However, the complex propagation characteristics at mmWave require beamforming technology, which introduces significant complexity in the communication system. Herein, we propose a real-time testbed platform to evaluate beamforming and other communication solutions designed for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mmWave-based 6G networks. This platform serves as an enabler for 6G technologies evaluation under realistic propagation conditions, accelerating the development and deployment of robust and efficient 6G networks. To demonstrate the capabilities of our platform, we have implemented a smart relay with real-time beam control and tracking. The platform is able to perform an exhaustive search of 64 reception beams in less than 256 μs. Additionally, the platform can maintain the optimal beam even in mobility scenarios using a gradient-based tracking system that achieves a low overhead of less than 5%, with an update rate of 100 Hz.