Steerable Subarrays for Practical mmWave Massive MIMO: Algorithm Design and System-Level Analysis
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| Title: | Steerable Subarrays for Practical mmWave Massive MIMO: Algorithm Design and System-Level Analysis |
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| Authors: | Kanters, Noud B., Alayón Glazunov, Andrés |
| Source: | IEEE OPEN JOURNAL OF VEHICULAR TECHNOLOGY. 6:2224-2235 |
| Subject Terms: | Array signal processing, Antenna arrays, Computer architecture, Channel estimation, Millimeter wave communication, Signal to noise ratio, Vectors, Radio frequency, Phase shifters, Spectral efficiency, multi-user MIMO, partially-connected hybrid beamforming |
| Description: | This paper investigates the application of recently proposed practical subarray (SA)-based hybrid beamforming (HBF) architectures-implemented entirely with passive beamforming networks and switches-for millimeter wave (mmWave) multi-user (MU)-MIMO base stations. Building on this practical hardware platform, we propose a joint SA configuration and signal processing framework that exploits the natural non-uniformity of user locations in 3-D space via elevation domain subsectorization. Specifically, we adapt established channel estimation and HBF techniques to the constraints of switch-based SAs, and introduce a novel 2-stage channel estimator that leverages the unique properties of mmWave channels. System-level simulations in realistic line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation scenarios demonstrate that the proposed solution delivers strong performance with low complexity, providing a viable path toward practical, scalable mmWave MU-MIMO deployments. In LoS scenarios, using directions-of-arrival-based channel estimation, the proposed framework achieves up to 92.6% of the average spectral efficiency (SE) of a full-digital array antenna with the same number of elements but 4 times more radio frequency chains. In NLoS environments, using the novel 2-stage estimator, this increases up to 99.7%. |
| File Description: | electronic |
| Access URL: | https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-217544 https://doi.org/10.1109/OJVT.2025.3597730 |
| Database: | SwePub |
Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | This paper investigates the application of recently proposed practical subarray (SA)-based hybrid beamforming (HBF) architectures-implemented entirely with passive beamforming networks and switches-for millimeter wave (mmWave) multi-user (MU)-MIMO base stations. Building on this practical hardware platform, we propose a joint SA configuration and signal processing framework that exploits the natural non-uniformity of user locations in 3-D space via elevation domain subsectorization. Specifically, we adapt established channel estimation and HBF techniques to the constraints of switch-based SAs, and introduce a novel 2-stage channel estimator that leverages the unique properties of mmWave channels. System-level simulations in realistic line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation scenarios demonstrate that the proposed solution delivers strong performance with low complexity, providing a viable path toward practical, scalable mmWave MU-MIMO deployments. In LoS scenarios, using directions-of-arrival-based channel estimation, the proposed framework achieves up to 92.6% of the average spectral efficiency (SE) of a full-digital array antenna with the same number of elements but 4 times more radio frequency chains. In NLoS environments, using the novel 2-stage estimator, this increases up to 99.7%. |
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| ISSN: | 26441330 |
| DOI: | 10.1109/OJVT.2025.3597730 |