Interference cancellation in microwave backhaul systems

1. A system comprising:

a first microwave backhaul assembly comprising:

a first antenna operable to receive a first microwave signal;

a front-end circuit operable to convert said first microwave signal to a lower-frequency digital signal, wherein said lower-frequency digital signal has energy of a second microwave signal and energy of a third microwave signal;

an inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit operable to receive information from a second microwave backhaul assembly; and

an interference cancellation circuit operable to use said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit during processing of said lower-frequency digital signal to remove, from said first microwave signal, said energy of said third microwave signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises a signal having energy of said second microwave signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises a signal having energy of said third microwave signal.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises an indication of an amount of energy of said third microwave signal received by said second microwave backhaul assembly.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

said second microwave signal is destined for said first microwave backhaul assembly; and

said third microwave signal is destined for said second microwave backhaul assembly.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first antenna and a second antenna of said second microwave backhaul assembly are adjacent to one another such that one or more radiation lobes of said first antenna overlap with one or more radiation lobes of said second antenna.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said first antenna and said second antenna of said second microwave backhaul assembly are mounted to the same support structure.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein

said first antenna comprises a first parabolic reflector;

said second antenna comprises a second parabolic reflector;

said first parabolic reflector and said second parabolic reflector are mounted facing away from each other on a support structure.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit is operable to output said lower-frequency digital signal to a destination external to said first microwave backhaul assembly.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

said front-end circuit is operable to measure a performance metric for said first microwave signal; and

said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit is operable to output said measured performance metric to a destination external to said first microwave backhaul assembly.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first antenna of a first microwave backhaul assembly, a first microwave signal;

converting, via a front-end circuit of said first microwave backhaul assembly, said first microwave signal to a lower-frequency digital signal, wherein said lower-frequency digital signal has energy of a second microwave signal and energy of a third microwave signal;

receiving, via an inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit of said first microwave backhaul assembly, information from a second microwave backhaul assembly; and

processing, by an interference cancellation circuit of said first microwave backhaul assembly using said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit, said lower-frequency digital signal to remove said energy of said third microwave signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises a signal having energy of said second microwave signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises a signal having energy of said third microwave signal.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said information received via said inter-backhaul-assembly interface comprises an indication of an amount of energy of said third microwave signal received by said second microwave backhaul assembly.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

said second microwave signal is destined for said first microwave backhaul assembly; and

said third microwave signal is destined for said second microwave backhaul assembly.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first antenna and a second antenna of said second microwave backhaul assembly are adjacent to one another such that one or more radiation lobes of said first antenna overlap with one or more radiation lobes of said second antenna.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first antenna and said second antenna of said second microwave backhaul assembly are mounted to the same support structure.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein

said first antenna comprises a first parabolic reflector;

said second antenna comprises a second parabolic reflector;

said first parabolic reflector and said second parabolic reflector are mounted facing away from each other on a support structure.

19. The method of claim 11 , comprising outing, by said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit, said lower-frequency digital signal to a destination external to said first microwave backhaul assembly.

20. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

measuring, by said front-end circuit, a performance metric for said first microwave signal; and

outputting, by said inter-backhaul-assembly interface circuit, said measured performance metric to a destination external to said first microwave backhaul assembly.