MMIC and Module Design and Performance for Millimetric Transceiver Front-ends for Transport Applications

Millimeter wave transceiver front-end modules have been made for use in high data rate telematics transceiver applications in the frequency band 63 to 64 GHz. The modules incorporate a highly integrated core-transceiver MMIC, fabricated using a commercially available production GaAs pHEMT technology, for up- and down- conversion, signal amplification and image rejection functions. Packaging technologies are identified to realise potential low cost production of the front-ends. Under the millimetric tansceivers for transport applications (MILTRANS) project, a consortium of UK organisations, this hardware has been used in a system demonstrator based on modulation schemes compliant with the IEEE 802.11a standard and using a custom antenna designed for vehicle-to-roadside and vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Front-end performance characteristics are reported together with initial system performance for a network of nodes operated in static and mobile configurations