Low cost smart antennas for mesh networks: Difference between revisions

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The capacity of a mesh network can be improved substantially if smart antennas are employed. The smartness of such antennas comes from the intelligent algorithms controlling antenna. The intelligence may include using the ability to steer the beam in order to enhance the node discovery and node self-healing. Beamforming and beam-switching antennas which are '''integrated''' with routing protocols is a new areas of research.
The capacity of a mesh network can be improved substantially if smart antennas are employed. The smartness of such antennas comes from the intelligent algorithms controlling antenna. The intelligence may include using the ability to steer the beam in order to enhance the node discovery and node self-healing. Beamforming and beam-switching antennas which are '''integrated''' with routing protocols is a new areas of research.


== Directions ===
== Directions ==
1. Basic control and monitoring tools.
1. Basic control and monitoring tools.
2. Integration with MAC layer
2. Control of radiation pattern via a separate interface by-passing MAC TCP etc.
3. Ability to do direction-of-arrieval (DOA) finding
3. More intellegent integration with MAC layer.
4. Further integration with MAC layer
4. Ability to do direction-of-arrieval (DOA) finding.
5. Further integration with MAC layer.


The topics 2 and 4 are the most complex.
The topics 3 and 5 are the most complex.

Revision as of 15:24, 6 August 2008

Team members

Albert Lysko

Notes: Collaboration with Hungarian researchers (USZ) is on the way.

Abstract

Smart antenna is an antenna that is capable of adapting its properties to satisfy particular goal(s). The goals may for example include radiation pattern shaping (beamforming/beamswitching). The beamforming provides spatial (directional) selectivity and permits to enhance gain in a desired direction and also to lower the influence of a source of interference.

The capacity of a mesh network can be improved substantially if smart antennas are employed. The smartness of such antennas comes from the intelligent algorithms controlling antenna. The intelligence may include using the ability to steer the beam in order to enhance the node discovery and node self-healing. Beamforming and beam-switching antennas which are integrated with routing protocols is a new areas of research.

Directions

1. Basic control and monitoring tools. 2. Control of radiation pattern via a separate interface by-passing MAC TCP etc. 3. More intellegent integration with MAC layer. 4. Ability to do direction-of-arrieval (DOA) finding. 5. Further integration with MAC layer.

The topics 3 and 5 are the most complex.