Testbed Description
The TeraNova platform is the world’s first integrated testbed for ultra-broadband communication networks in the terahertz (THz) band. The platform consists of several transmit and receive nodes with radio-frequency (RF) front-ends able to operate at frequencies up to 1.05 THz (i.e., true THz), and digital signal processing (DSP) back-ends or engines able to process up to 32 GHz of bandwidth.
RF Front-ends
In transmission, state-of-the-art Schottky-diode-based frequency multipliers are used to generate a (sub) THz carrier at 120-140 GHz, 210-240 GHz or 1-1.05 THz. A mixer based on the same technology is used to modulate the THz carrier signal with the broadband signal to be transmitted, generated by one of the digital signal processing (DSP) engines available to the platform. In reception, the same setup is used to down-convert the modulated THz signal and recover the transmitted symbols. Directional antennas with gains ranging from 21 dBi to 55 dBi are available at the different frequencies. No wired connection between the transmitter and the receiver exists.
DSP Back-ends
The platform currently offers three different DSP engines. First, to support the development of not only propagation and channel models, but more importantly physical layer solutions (including synchronization, channel estimation and equalization, modulation and error control), a state-of-the-art arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) with 32 GHz of bandwidth per channel with up to two channels can be used to quickly transition any signal describable in Matlab or any numerical processing tool into a real IF, to be inputted to the front-ends. At the receiver, a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) with up to 63 GHz of bandwidth per channel is used to store the received downconverted signals prior to offline signal processing. This solution offers extremely easy and fast way to transition theoretical research to experimental over the air research. The second DSP engine leverages the National Instruments (NI) mmWave Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform. This offers a 5G-like physical layer solution with up to 800 MHz of baseband bandwidth working in real-time. This solution is specially useful to test real-time networking procotols (MAC and above). Currently, 8 nodes are available for this platform. Finally, in order to increase the bandwidth of the real-time DSP engine, our team has created a first of a kind multi-channel platform that leverages the state of the art in Radio Frequency Systems on Chip (RFSoC). This platform currently supports up to four (4) 2-GHz-wide channels for a total multiplexed bandwidth of 8 GHz, processed in real-time. This last engine is currently under development, but will enable the testing of ultrabroadband networking protocols.
Experimental Data
We are committed to sharing measured experimental data-sets to facilitate the development of experimental THz wireless research.
Our first public data set has been released in August 2021.
Now accepting custom data requests
Do you have a new communication or signal processing technique to experimentally test? We are ready to collect the data for you. Reach out to [email protected].
Publications
P. Sen, V. Ariyarathna, A. Madanayake and J. M. Jornet, “A versatile experimental testbed for ultrabroadband communication networks above 100 GHz” Elsevier Computer Networks (COMNET), vol. 193, p. 108092, April 2021. PDF
P. Sen, D. Pados, S. Batalama, E. Einarsson, J. P. Bird, and J. M. Jornet, “The TeraNova Platform: An Integrated Testbed for Ultra-broadband Wireless Communications at True Terahertz Frequencies,” Elsevier Computer Networks (COMNET), vol. 179, no. 9, October 2020. PDF
V. Ariyarathna, A. Madanayake and J. M. Jornet, “Real-Time Digital Baseband System for Ultra-Broadband THz Communication,” in Proc. of the 45th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), Buffalo, NY, USA, November 2020. PDF
P. Sen, V. Ariyarathna, A. Madanayake and J. M. Jornet, “Experimental Wireless Testbed for Ultrabroad-band Terahertz Networks,” in Proc. of the 14th ACM Workshop on Wireless NetworkTestbeds, Experimental evaluation CHaracterization (WiNTECH 2020), September 2020. PDF
P. Sen and J. M. Jornet, “Experimental Demonstration of Ultra-broadband Wireless Communications at True Terahertz Frequencies,” in Proc. of the 19th IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), Nice, France, July 2019. PDF