An Adaptive cmWave/FR3 Channel Sounder for Integrated Sensing and Communication

2025-09-30

AI Summary

To address the urgent demand for high-resolution, high-sensitivity, and low-latency channel probing in multi-scenario cellular communications—including indoor/outdoor environments, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) links, and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC)—this paper designs and implements an adaptive channel probing system for centimeter-wave (cmWave) and FR3 frequency bands. The system incorporates high-precision time-delay resolution, wide-dynamic-range path-loss measurement, and a reconfigurable RF front-end architecture to enable rapid acquisition of bidirectional angular and omnidirectional angle-delay spectra. It achieves an unprecedented 2.5 ns time-delay resolution, a 170 dB path-loss dynamic range, and completes full 360° power-angle-delay spectrum measurement within 0.9 ms. Furthermore, the system supports cross-band rapid reconfiguration, significantly enhancing sensing accuracy and experimental flexibility in complex propagation environments.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Multiagent Systems: Agent Communication

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web measurements

Abstract

In this paper, we present an advanced channel sounding system designed for sensing and propagation experiments in all types of cellular deployment scenarios. The system's exceptional adaptability, high resolution, and sensitivity makes it an invaluable tool for utilization in a variety of indoor and outdoor measurement campaigns. The sounder has a 2.5 ns delay resolution, 170 dB path loss measurement capability and is able to measure a {360 extdegree} power-angular delay profile of the channel in less than 0.9 ms. Additionally, the system can be easily reconfigured to measure different frequency bands by changing the RF front-end antennas. This versatile sounder is suitable for double directional channel sounding, high-speed vehicular experiments such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, and integrated communication and sensing experiments.

Problem

• Develops adaptive channel sounder for cellular sensing scenarios
• Enables high-resolution propagation measurements in diverse environments
• Supports integrated communication and sensing experiments

Innovation

• Adaptive cmWave/FR3 channel sounding system
• 2.5 ns delay resolution with 170 dB capability
• Reconfigurable RF front-end for multiple frequency bands