6G-REFERENCE - 6G haRdware Enablers For cEll fRee cohEreNt Communications & sEnsing

6G-REFERENCE targets transceiver hardware innovations enabling 6G densely distributed systems exploiting Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO). To allow for flexible deployment, fiber access cannot be taken for granted. Synchronization in frequency and time over the air then becomes a key challenge. Moreover improvements in data capacity are wanted, while also supporting distributed sensing functionality. Realizing all this functionality in practical hardware with low complexity, cost, and power consumption is a key challenge. We believe this may be possible exploiting cm-wave 10-15GHz spectrum. Hence the 6G-REFERENCE project has 5 goals: (i) transceiver cm-wave Radio Frequency hardware innovations to address the data capacity and scheduling challenge of D-MIMO.  (ii) Novel solutions for accurate over the air frequency, phase and time syncronization. This would not only support high-capacity data rate communication, but may also enable high-resolution UTC distribution and accurate positioning and sensing. (iii) New RF and antenna components providing extend spatial and frequency domain selective capabilities at reduced complexity, cost, and energy consumption. (iv) Hardware solutions with low complexity, low cost, and low power consumption. (v) Coexistence with existing services in the 10-15GHz range, which is targeted since it not only provides new spectrum opportunities but also efficiently balances the benefits and drawbacks of sub-6GHz and mm-wave solutions.

6G-REFERENCE will contribute to the European leadership in microelectronic solutions for communication infrastructure by developing hardware enablers for densified cell-free deployments targeting not only coherent data transmissions but also high accuracy localization and sensing, thus materializing the connection between physical, digital and human worlds. The green transition in 6G-REFERENCE will rely on densified deployments of low energy distributed nodes capable of providing at the same time enhanced multiuser beamforming schemes for data transmission and accurate sensing. Enabling a densified deployment of distributed radio units.