6G-OpenLab - Open Scientific-Technologic Laboratory of Research in 6G of the UPC

Cellular and Wireless Network

The private cellular network provides connectivity aligned with 5G+/6G and WiFi standards (WiFi 6, 6E and 7). The cellular network offers high bandwidth and low latency, with a multi-cell setup that enables handover testing under various conditions. The network operates in a basic mode to ensure service and connectivity, supporting experiments at higher network layers. Additionally, it is configurable for research projects focused on the radio access level. The system supports both FR1 and FR2 frequency ranges; FR2 has been deployed as part of the ELEGANT project, serving as an extension of this initiative. The two 5G+/6G core of the two campuses are connected via a DWDM link, offering redundancy.

CBL base stations

The CBL campus features five distinct cellular base stations: those operating in FR1 are marked in red, while those in FR2 are highlighted in yellow.

Millimetric Wave Study

One of the key aspects of 5G and 6G systems is energy efficiency, particularly in the power amplifiers integrated into radio access networks. The linearity of these amplifiers is closely linked to their energy consumption and RF efficiency, making linearity and its compensation critical areas for analysis. To support this, specialized equipment has been acquired, including an Arbitrary Waveform Generator and a Real-Time Oscilloscope, designed to operate in the bands of interest.

Use Cases

The test devices can be used in various forms, and are available for research projects. The use cases that are being tested are:

  • The characterization and linearization of power amplifiers. It is achieved using an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG), which can generate signals with up to 5 GHz bandwidth (8 GSa/s at 14-bit resolution). The AWG has two channels that allow direct RF analog signal generation, which is sent through a Device Under Test (DUT), such as a power amplifier (PA). The output signal from the PA, after attenuation, is then digitized by an Oscilloscope (OSC) with 4 channels, 10-bit resolution, and a sampling rate of 128 GSa/s. Both the AWG and OSC are controlled by a PC running MATLAB.
  • The goal is to set up a mm-wave MIMO testbed. To achieve this, we use two AWGs that generate up to four intermediate frequency (IF) signals, with bandwidths up to 5 GHz. Up-down mm-wave converters then convert these signals to and from millimeter-wave frequencies. After down-conversion, the IF signals are digitized using the four channels of the oscilloscope (OSC). A beam-forming system is also included to enable operation in the mm-wave range.