Scientists from Tokyo Technological Institute in the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies of Japan have achieved a significant breakthrough in wireless communication technology. They have developed a new chipset that boasts an impressive data transfer speed of 640 Gb/s.
This groundbreaking chipset is created using CMOP technology (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor), making it a cost-effective solution suitable for mass production. To meet the increasing demand for high-speed wireless Internet and the transmission of large data volumes, millimeter waves are currently utilized.
While fifth-generation 5G mobile networks operate at frequencies of 24-47 GHz and offer data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s, the next generation of wireless networks will operate in the 110-170 GHz range, requiring new types of microcircuits. At these higher frequencies, there is an increased risk of signal deterioration, necessitating a chipset design that maintains signal strength.
Under the guidance of Professor Kaniti Okada, a set of chips capable of achieving 640 Gbit/s throughput is developed using 65-nm silicon technology with a bandwidth of 56 GHz. The transmitter component of the chip measures only 1.87 x 3.30 mm, while the receiver component is 1.65 x 2.60 mm in size.
The chipset is equipped with various amplifiers to enhance communication quality: low-noise amplifiers increase signal strength and minimize noise, while distributed amplifiers improve linearity. The built-in frequency converter allows for configuring the necessary range.
To evaluate the capabilities of the device, researchers connected an external antenna using wave-water, rather than a linear data transfer format. By employing a 32 QAM signal and achieving symbolic speeds of 40 GBD, the researchers were able to reach speeds of 200 Gbit/s with an error coefficient of less than 10^-3. Using 16 QAM modulation, speeds of 120 Gb/s were achieved at a distance of around 15 meters.
By implementing multiple inputs and outputs (MIMO) configuration, where separate antennas were connected to 4 transmitters and 4 receivers for independent data streams, speeds of 160 Gbit/s were reached on each antenna at 16 QAM, resulting in a total of 640 Gbit/s – a remarkable 100 times faster than current 5G systems.
“The proposed chipset holds great promise for the next generation of wireless networks essential for applications such as automated driving, telemedicine, and advanced virtual reality,” stated