One-shot wideband delay measurement with sub-sample accuracy for parallel receivers and/or generators, and alignment procedure

1. A method for time-aligning a plurality of receivers in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system, the method comprising:

for each of the plurality of receivers:

receiving a first wideband pilot signal from a signal generator through a respective system channel;

determining a respective first rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received first wideband pilot signal; and

determining a respective first time delay associated with the received first wideband pilot signal based on the respective first rate of change; and

employing a programmable delay based on the first time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between the plurality of receivers.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first time delays are-determined to sub-sample precision.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

subsequent to employing the programmable delay:

communicatively coupling a plurality of generators to respective ones of the plurality of receivers;

transmitting, by each of the plurality of generators, a second wideband pilot signal to its respective receiver;

for each of the plurality of receivers:

receiving the respective second wideband pilot signal;

determining a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determining a respective second time delay associated with the received second wideband pilot signal based on the respective second rate of change; and

adjusting the programmable delay based on the second time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between the plurality of generators.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to receiving the first wideband pilot signals, calibrating the system channels by:

for each of the respective system channels:

connecting the signal generator to a first receiver of the plurality of receivers using the respective system channel;

transmitting a second wideband pilot signal from the signal generator to the first receiver through the respective system channel;

receiving, by the first receiver, the second wideband pilot signal;

determining a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determining a respective second time delay associated with the respective system channel based on the respective second rate of change; and

reducing a timing misalignment in a subsequent MIMO communication session using the system channels based on the second time delays.

5. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein said receiving the first wideband pilot signal by each of the plurality of receivers employs a programmable delay based on the second time delays to reduce a timing misalignment caused by differences between the system channels.

6. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein each of the system channels comprises a switch that is usable to switch the respective system channel between a wired connection and a wireless connection, and

wherein said calibrating the system channels is performed while the system channels are switched to the wired connection.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of receivers share a local oscillator (LO).

8. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein, in determining the first rates of change of the phase shift:

a fast Fourier transform (FFT) is applied to the received first wideband pilot signal to obtain a first FFT signal;

the FFT is applied to a reference wideband pilot signal to obtain a reference FFT signal; and

phase information of the first FFT signal is subtracted from phase information of the reference FFT signal to obtain phase shift information, wherein the first rates of change of the phase shift are determined based on the phase shift information.

9. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the first rates of change of the phase shift are determined further based on averaging over phase shift information associated with a plurality of different frequency bins of the FFT.

10. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein, in determining the first rates of change of the phase shift based on the phase shift information, a least squares regression linear fit is applied to the phase shift information across FFT frequency bins to obtain the first rates of change, and

wherein the application of the least squares regression linear fit also determines a phase offset at 0 Hz between local oscillators of the signal generator and receivers.

11. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein a frequency selective method is used to determine frequency bins of the FFT with the best signal to noise ratio and signal quality for use in the estimation of the first rates of change.

12. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first wideband pilot signal comprises at least one of:

a time-domain sync impulse;

a Zadoff-Chu sequence;

a multi-sine signal; and

a frequency chirped wideband signal.

13. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio system comprising a plurality of receivers and signal generators coupled to one or more processors, wherein the MIMO radio system is configured to:

for each of the plurality of receivers:

receive, by a receiver of the plurality of receivers, a first wideband pilot signal from a signal generator of the plurality of signal generators through a respective system channel;

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective first rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received first wideband pilot signal; and

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective first time delay associated with the received first wideband pilot signal based on the first rate of change; and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

employ a programmable delay based on the first time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between the plurality of receivers.

14. The MIMO radio system of claim 13 , wherein the MIMO radio system is further configured to:

subsequent to employing the programmable delay:

transmit, by each of the plurality of signal generators, a second wideband pilot signal to a respective receiver;

for each of the plurality of receivers:

receive, by a receiver of the plurality of receivers, the second wideband pilot signal;

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective second time delay associated with the received second wideband pilot signal based on the respective second rate of change; and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

adjust the programmable delay based on the second time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between ones of the plurality of signal generators.

15. The MIMO radio system of claim 13 , wherein the MIMO radio system is further configured to:

prior to receiving the first wideband pilot signals,

for each of the respective system channels:

connect, by the one or more processors and using the respective system channel, a first signal generator of the plurality of signal generators to a first receiver of the plurality of receivers;

transmit, by the first signal generator, a second wideband pilot signal to the first receiver through the respective system channel;

receive, by the first receiver, the second wideband pilot signal;

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determine, by the one or more processors, a respective second time delay associated with the respective system channel based on the respective second rate of change; and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

reduce a timing misalignment in a subsequent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication session using the system channels based on the second time delays.

16. The MIMO radio system of claim 13 ,

wherein the first wideband pilot signal comprises at least one of:

a time-domain sync impulse;

a Zadoff-Chu sequence;

a multi-sine signal; and

a frequency chirped wideband signal.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions executable by a processor of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system to cause the MIMO communication system to:

for each of a plurality of receivers in the MIMO communication system:

receive a first wideband pilot signal from a signal generator through a respective system channel;

determine a respective first rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received first wideband pilot signal; and

determine a respective first time delay associated with the received first wideband pilot signal based on the respective first rate of change; and

employ a programmable delay based on the first time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between the plurality of receivers.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 17 ,

wherein the first time delays are determined to sub-sample precision.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the MIMO communication system to:

subsequent to employing the programmable delay:

transmit, by each of a plurality of signal generators of the MIMO communication system, a second wideband pilot signal to a respective receiver of the plurality of receivers;

for each of the plurality of receivers:

receive the second wideband pilot signal;

determine a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determine a respective second time delay associated with the received second wideband pilot signal based on the respective second rate of change; and

adjust the programmable delay based on the second time delays to reduce a timing misalignment between ones of the plurality of signal generators.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the MIMO communication system to:

prior to receiving the first wideband pilot signals,

for each of the system channels:

connect the signal generator to a first receiver of the plurality of receivers using the respective system channel;

transmit a second wideband pilot signal from the signal generator to the first receiver through the respective system channel;

receive, by the first receiver, the second wideband pilot signal;

determine a respective second rate of change of a phase shift as a function of frequency of the received second wideband pilot signal; and

determine a respective second time delay associated with the respective system channel based on the respective second rate of change; and

wherein said receiving the first wideband pilot signal by each of the plurality of receivers employs a programmable delay based on the second time delays to reduce a timing misalignment caused by differences between the system channels.