Title
Hybrid MIMO Architectures for Millimeter Wave Communications: Phase Shifters or Switches?
Abstract
Hybrid analog/digital MIMO architectures were recently proposed as an alternative for fully-digital-precoding in millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless communication systems. This is motivated by the possible reduction in the number of RF chains and analog-to-digital converters. In these architectures, the analog processing network is usually based on variable phase shifters. In this paper, we propose hybrid architectures based on switching networks to reduce the complexity and the power consumption of the structures based on phase shifters. We define a power consumption model and use it to evaluate the energy efficiency of both structures. To estimate the complete MIMO channel, we propose an open loop compressive channel estimation technique that is independent of the hardware used in the analog processing stage. We analyze the performance of the new estimation algorithm for hybrid architectures based on phase shifters and switches. Using the estimate, we develop two algorithms for the design of the hybrid combiner based on switches and analyze the achieved spectral efficiency. Finally, we study the trade-offs between power consumption, hardware complexity, and spectral efficiency for hybrid architectures based on phase shifting networks and switching networks. Numerical results show that architectures based on switches obtain equal or better channel estimation performance to that obtained using phase shifters, while reducing hardware complexity and power consumption. For equal power consumption, all the hybrid architectures provide similar spectral efficiencies.
Year
DOI
Venue
2015
10.1109/ACCESS.2015.2514261
Access, IEEE
Keywords
Field
DocType
Millimeter wave,hybrid architecture,switches,channel estimation,precoding
Efficient energy use,Computer science,Communication channel,MIMO,Converters,Electronic engineering,Radio frequency,Spectral efficiency,Hybrid system,Electrical engineering,Analog signal processing,Distributed computing
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
PP
99
2169-3536
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
115
2.66
42
Authors
5
Search Limit
100115
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Roi Méndez-Rial12238.57
Cristian Rusu239945.44
Nuria González Prelcic3111455.80
Ahmed Alkhateeb4170867.18
Robert W. Heath51153.34