Antenna System Design for Providing ICT Services on Board High Speed Trainsusing LTE-Advance

Antenna System design for providing ICT services on board high speed trainsusing LTE-Advance

Icomera AB

Icomera is today the world's leading provider of open Internet connectivity and application platforms for passenger transport and public safety. The company’s products are today deployed on rail, road and sea, serving more than 15 million Wi-Fi users in over 20 countries. Icomera has around 25 employees and is based in Göteborg

Background

Passenger internet is today often provided through Icomera’s system solution that enables simultaneously connectivity with multiple radio carriers at different frequencies, standards and by different operators. The system then aggregates all of the received capacity into one “big pipe” which is then through a WiFi system distributed in the train. Using the current standard of LTE technology, this combination of carriers results today in an aggregated channel of up to 100Mbps (for illustration see figure below).

Multiple-Antenna System has become one of the key features that are expected to enable the next generation wireless systems to reach data rates of up to 1Gbps [1]. Using N antennas at both the transmitter and the receiver ends, it has been shown that it is possible to multiplex up to N data streams [2]. The LTE-Advance standard include advanced MIMO options up to 8x8 in DL and 4x4 in UL.

However, even though the area of multiple antenna communication has been thoroughly investigated since the beginning of the 90-ties there are still a number of open issues concerning its implementation both at the base station [4] as well as the terminal side [5]. A major issue is still the channel rank for various environments: in the event that the channel is not full rank it may not be possible for the system to multiplex the desired number channels regardless of the number of antennas deployed at the base or in the terminal [6].

Task and expected results

In this MSc Thesis proposal, we propose a project with the ambition to study the plausibility of providing up to high data rate and low latency ICT services to trains using MIMO and LTE-A. In order to do so we propose to study RF/antenna implementation issues at the BTS and at the train, as well as channel issues (eigenvalue dispersion) in various propagation environments along the track side.

Plan for project / work (contents)

The ambition with this project is to conduct both theoretical modelling as well as measurements on board a Swedish high speed train. Measurement set-up and equipment will be provided by Icomera and their partners

The thesis project will include:

-Theoretical studies

-Theoretical modeling

-Practical experiments: planning, measurements and analysis

-Comparing theoretical models with experimental data

-Report writing

-Presentation

Expected expertise / knowledge

The candidate is expected to have a good understanding of wireless systems, standards, signal processing, antennas and propagation

Applications

Applicants should contact:Claes Beckman, Wireless@KTH,Department of Communication Systems

School of ICT, KTH, Kista by email:

Apply not later than: November 15, 2013

Period for project: Spring 2014

Duration: 30 credits (20 weeks full time)

Subject category: Communications systems

Related projects

This project proposal is closely related to the MSc thesis executed at Wireless@KTH by Mohamad Asalai []

References

[1]Paulraj A. J. “An Overview of MIMO Communications—A Key to Gigabit Wireless” PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, VOL. 92, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 2004

[2]G. J. Foschini, “Layered space–time architecture for wireless communication in a fading environment when using multiple antennas,” Bell Labs Syst. Tech. J., vol. 1, p. 41–59, Autumn 1996.

[3]Dahlman, E. Parkvall, S. Sköld, 1. J. & Beming, P., 2007, 3G “Evolution: HSPA and LTE for Mobile Broadband”. 3rd ed, Oxford, Academic Press

[4]Lau, B.K.; Ow, S.M.S.; Kristensson, G.; Molisch, A.F.;”Capacity analysis for compact MIMO systems”, Vehicular Technology Conference, 2005. VTC 2005-Spring. 2005 IEEE 61st

[5]R. Tian, B. K. Lau and Z. Ying, “Multiplexing efficiency of MIMO antennas,” IEEE Antennas Wireless Propagat. Lett., vol. 10, pp. 183‐186, 2011.

[6]Suvikunnas, P.; Salo, J.; Kivinen, J.; Vainikainen, P.;”Empirical comparison of MIMO antenna configurations” Vehicular Technology Conference, 2005. VTC 2005-Spring. 2005 IEEE 61st

[7]Alasali M. LTE MIMO Performance Measurements on Trains. 2012. Trita-ICT-EX, 2012:206.