Noncoherent MIMO in the FR3 Upper Mid-Band Using Grassmannian Signaling: Prototype and Experimental Evaluation

Abstract: This work presents a prototype implementation of a noncoherent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system based on Grassmannian signalling, where neither the transmitter nor receiver requires channel state information (CSI), operating at a carrier frequency of 15 GHz in the frequency range 3 (FR3) upper mid-band envisioned for 6G. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prototype implementation of Grassmannian signaling reported in the literature beyond sub-6 GHz bands. We identify the motivation of applying Grassmannian signaling, a form of unitary space-time modulation (USTM), in this band for wireless and mobile applications with low spectral-efficiency requirements but strict reliability and power-efficiency demands. With this idea in mind, we present a system design integrated with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) that addresses the challenges associated with the higher carrier frequencies of FR3 while providing reliable operation across a broad range of scenarios, including urban and rural environments as well as vehicular communications. We then present the prototype implementation of the proposed design, based on software-defined radio (SDR) devices integrated with radio-frequency (RF) mixers, filters, and power amplifiers to ensure adequate operation in the targeted band. Over-the-air (OTA) experiments based on symbol error rate (SER) measurements under non-line-of-sight (NLoS) and line-of-sight (LoS) scenarios, and across different data rates, show good agreement with software simulations, thereby validating the prototype implementation.