Scalable, High Performance, Field Ready SF-STAR Modules for Tactical Radios

In this proposal, Kumu Networks (“Kumu”) and MIT Lincoln Labs (“MITLL”) bring together field proven technology and put together a Same Frequency Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (SF-STAR) prototype that also suppresses in-band noise from friendly, co-located interferers and non-co-located external interferers. Using a combination of both teams’ techniques, we expect to meet and/or exceed the key goals of this BAA. Kumu has previously solved the SF-STAR part of this problem for 4G LTE using our Analog and Digital Self-Interference Cancellation technology that was been pioneered by Kumu founders in their research at Stanford University. Kumu Full-Duplex LTE Relays have at their core Analog + Digital Self Interference Cancellation modules that are already commercially deployed in US mobile operator LTE networks serving live network traffic and meet commercial performance KPI’s. Separately, MITLL has demonstrated the use of Antenna Cancellation and Adaptive Digital Receive Beamforming techniques to enhance cancellation performance and dynamically create beamforming null patterns that can be used to enhance co-located and non-co-located interference cancellation. Our technical solution offers superior cancellation performance of >100dB self-interference cancellation (excluding antenna isolation) as well as the ability to mitigate interference from friendly co-located in-channel interferers and not friendly, non-co-located interferers (e.g. electronic attack). The first component of our solution is Antenna Cancellation that has been proven to achieve >25dB cancellation. Second, for Analog Cancellation we have field proven, chip-scale solution that achieves >40-45dB self-interference cancellation and can already support a wide range of bands using appropriate external mixers. Third, our Digital Canceller has demonstrated >40dB of isolation enhancement including across 400MHz bandwidth in 28GHz mmWave band. Fourth, using Adaptive Digital Receive Beamforming, we expect to mitigate external interferers. Finally, our Fast Direct Solve real-time tuning algorithms have been improved, field-tested and optimized over the last multiple years and help continuously tune the antidote signal Analog and Digital Cancellers generate to account for constantly changing channel conditions including reflectors in the environment (e.g. moving vehicles), channel fading and TX/RX power levels such that system performance is maintained.