Nodes for high frequency fixed wireless access network
A high frequency data network access system leverages commodity WiFi chipsets and specifically multi spatial stream (e.g., 802.11 ac) chipsets in combination with phased array antenna systems at the aggregation nodes. Examples can be very spectrally efficient with both polarization and frequency diversity.
1. A node in an access network, the node comprising:
a high frequency communication module for transmitting and receiving information to and from one or more aggregation nodes, the high frequency module including:
a WiFi modem including an 802.11 radio chipset, an antenna printed circuit board including an antenna system for transmitting and receiving high frequency signals to and from the one or more aggregation nodes;
an extremely high frequency printed circuit board including up converting circuitry for upconverting WiFi signals from the 802.11 radio chipset to high frequency signals for transmission to the one or more aggregation nodes via the antenna system, and down converting circuitry for downconverting high frequency signals received from the one or more aggregation nodes received by the antenna system to WiFi signals provided to the 802.11 radio chipset,
a metal chassis in which the antenna printed circuit board is secured to one side of the metal chassis and the extremely high frequency printed circuit board is attached to the other side of the metal chassis, and
a metal heat sink, wherein the extremely high frequency printed circuit board is located between the metal chassis and the metal heat sink; and
a local wireless module for transmitting and receiving the information with network devices at a premises via a local wireless access point that maintains a wireless local area network for the subscriber's premises.
2. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the node communicates with the one or more aggregation nodes in a spectral band of 10 GHz to 300 GHz for the high frequency signals.
3. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the node communicates with the one or more aggregation nodes in a spectral band of 30 GHz to 60 GHz for the high frequency signals.
4. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the up converting circuitry and the down converting circuitry each include mixers for upconverting the WiFi signals to the high frequency signals in a spectral band of 10 GHz to 300 GHz and down converting the high frequency signals to the WiFi signals received by the 802.11 radio chipset.
5. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the antenna system transmits the high frequency signals to the aggregation nodes in two polarizations.
6. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the antenna system receives the high frequency signals from the aggregation nodes in two polarizations.
7. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the high frequencies signals are transmitted with horizontal polarization HTx and vertical polarization VTx, simultaneously from the antenna system.
8. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the WiFi modem includes power splitter for receiving power from a power injector over wiring providing a data connection to the local wireless module.
9. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein four Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) outputs of the 802.11 radio chipset are combined into two intermediate frequency signals and upconverted to the high frequency signals which are transmitted with a horizontal polarization and a vertical polarization.
10. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein local oscillator signals are used by the up converting circuitry, which includes a first mixer, and the down converting circuitry, which includes a second mixer, for the up conversion and the down conversion, respectively.
11. The node in the access network of claim 10 , wherein the local oscillator signals are generated from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal received via a GPS antenna.
12. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the local wireless module and the 802.11 radio chipset are located on a common circuit board.
13. The node in the access network of claim 1 , further comprising a radome, wherein the antenna printed circuit board, extremely high frequency printed circuit board, and metal chassis are located in the radome.
14. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the extremely high frequency printed circuit board includes a power detector for measuring transmit power and a microcontroller for monitoring the detected transmit power for automatic level control.
15. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the extremely high frequency printed circuit board includes a temperature sensor for measuring temperature in proximity to transmit paths and a microcontroller for monitoring the detected temperature for automatic level control.
16. The node in the access network of claim 1 , wherein the extremely high frequency printed circuit board further includes: a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna for detecting a GPS signal; a GPS amplifier for amplifying the GPS signal; and a phase locked oscillator or synthesizer to create a local oscillator signal that is used by the up converting circuitry and the down converting circuitry for upconverting the WiFi signals to the high frequency signals in a spectral band of 10 GHz to 300 GHz and down converting the high frequency signals to the WiFi signals received by the 802.11 radio chipset.