SBIR Phase II: Adaptive/Cognitive Software Radio Architecture for Gbps+ Wireless Networking

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop interference-mitigating technology for wireless networks. The traditional 802.11 WLAN systems that have been used for data communications are becoming ubiquitous. The next generation of these systems will be relied upon for video distribution, metropolitan networking, as well as a host of other applications that are as yet undefined. They must achieve aggregate network throughput rates in excess of one Gbps while operating in the unlicensed ISM bands. This, however, must be done in the face of ever increasing interference in the bands that in turn pose a serious threat to continued market growth. The current effort will address the interference problem by successfully combining novel spectrum sensing and cognitive approaches (observe, learn, react) with a host of powerful PHY, MAC, and combined PHY-MAC protocols. This effort will look to heavily leverage a new tool in the arsenal, namely that of multiple antennae enabled nodes that are included in the major Wi-Fi and WiMax standards. The FCC revolutionized the wireless industry by opening up the unlicensed ISM bands. These bands reduce the barrier to entry for companies to introduce wireless services to niche markets without the expense and delays associated with obtaining a proprietary licensed band. The price paid for utilization of the ISM bands is interference. Traditionally these bands have been sparsely occupied, however, with ever increasing adoption of WLANs, and the emergence of WiMax and metropolitan networking in this band, interference is going to increase in significance. If successful, the current effort will allow high utilization of the ISM bands for high throughput high fidelity applications, and will help ensure low price wireless access to the society at large.