R&D
Non-Terrestial Communication Systems and UAV Based Channel Characterization
Recently, HİSAR Laboratory is taking a step towards establishing a test platform for the integration of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) with terrestrial networks (TN). The test platform will include drone base stations with backhaul through LEO satellites and High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), or the direct inclusion of HAPS as mega base stations. The major issues of NTN-TN integration such as co-existence, interference, cross-layer optimization, and resource allocation have been already addressed and preliminary studies has started.
Non-terrestrial and UAV-based communication networks are at the forefront of 5G and beyond communication standards to meet increasing coverage and bandwidth needs. In order to measure NTN and UAV channels, a size,weight and power(SWaP) optimized, software defined radio(SDR)-based broadband channel sounder system has been developed for measuring sub-6-GHz communication channels. Up to 50 MHz bandwidth air channels can be measured with high resolution, high dynamic range and low error vector magnitude(EVM). Since the receiver and transmitter of the system are SWaP optimized, it can be used not only in air-to-ground measurements but also in air-to-air measurements. Currently, this measurement system has been used on a UAV to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground channel measurements for different frequency bands and the measurement results have been presented at major academic conferences.
