PI: Hampus Malmberg, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University
co-PI: Baktash Behmanesh, Dept. of Electrical and Information Technology, LTH
6G operation from sub-6 GHz through Frequency Range 3 (FR3) to millimeter-wave (mmWave) demands analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) of unprecedented efficiency, yet state-of-the-art performance has plateaued and technology scaling no longer delivers its historical uplift. We contend that incremental ADC improvements alone may no longer suffice—and that a fundamental rethinking of the analog–digital interface could be the key to unlocking the next leap. The control-bounded analog-to-digital converter (CB-ADC) framework—originated by the PI at ETH Z¨urich and siliconvalidated to technology readiness level (TRL) 4 (see Preliminary Results)—is precisely such a rethinking, absorbing mixing, reconfigurability, and signal processing into the conversion interface itself. This project pushes the paradigm into 6G’s FR3 upper mid-band through a reconfigurable bandpass prototype with an analytical roadmap toward mmWave, and into integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) transceiver integration anchored on digitally-assisted self-interference cancellation, unlocking 6G/radar dual-use operation. The outcome: a potential step-change in receiverlevel energy efficiency, direct long-term impact on Swedish wireless-infrastructure, semiconductor, and radar/sensing industries, and a foothold in a young scientific topic with broad and potentially explosive long-term reach.
Project number: H5