Connection One: Communication Circuits & Systems Research Center

Arizona State University
University of Arizona
University of Hawaii
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

A National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center since 2002

The primary focus of the center is on communication circuits and systems to enable higher integration and smaller communication devices to facilitate system-on-a-chip (SOC). The research areas include: design and new technologies in RF IC Design, on-chip antennas & passives, transceiver system on-a-chip, filters, mixers, LNA's, VCO's, and other related areas.

Center Mission and Rationale

The vision of this research center is reflected by its name: Connection One …to simplify and enable a small portable all-in-one communication device. Connection One is embarking on new, up-to-the-minute research projects to enable higher integration of communication devices. This is accomplished by the appropriate combination of innovative systems and RF integrated circuit techniques. This exclusive industry/university partnership encompasses a new educational program, state-of –the-art research initiatives and development of new devices that will handle multiple communication protocols on one small system. The mission of Connection One is two-fold: educational component and research component. With the support of the companies, this new center will enable renovation and modernization to establish a state-of-the-art educational program in RF, analog/digital, mixed-signal, and communication devices. This center is a Cooperative Research Program where each project is sponsored and supported by an industrial member and there is a one-to-one link between the faculty/students and the industrial member. The center will strongly support and establish a Student Fellowship program to allow students to perform their research at ASU followed by an internship program at the industrial site to facilitate technology transfer and enable students to gain practical experience.

Research Program

The Research focus of Connection One is on the following areas:

RF & Transceiver Design:

• Multi-Mode Wireless Transceiver Architecture
• RF Front-End IC Design
• Low Power Transceiver Design
• RF, LNA, Oscillator and VCO in CMOS, SiGe and new technology
• High-Q MEM Resonators
• Broadband Communications Circuits
• Ultra-Wide Band Communication Receivers

Integrated Circuits:

• High Resolution CMOS A/D for Telecom applications
• Tunable High Order Sigma Delta Converters
• High frequency, low-dropout voltage regulators and power management
• IC's
• Next Generation Packaging and Mixed-Signal Test
• Design and Testing of Integrated Passive Components for RF applications

Telecommunication Systems:

• Systematic Modeling and Simulation of Transceiver Architecture
• Performance Degradation of Transceiver based on the system non-linearity,
• distortion, and noise
• Adaptive Modulation method for CDMA and OFDM to increase capacity
• Adaptive Multiple Antenna with Space Time diversity
• Low-Power Design: Architectural approaches to leakage energy reduction in
• caches
• Receiver Design for Multi-path Fast Fading Wireless Communication Channels

Currently funded projects include:

• Propagation Modeling for Multi-Antenna System Optimization
• Software-Defined and Cognitive Radio
• Broadband AMC Surfaces for Low Profile Phased Array Antenna Designs
• Conformal Antenna Arrays for Reduced-Dimension Spread Spectrum Communication
• Low-Cost Narrow Beam Hybrid Adaptive Antenna  Array for Advanced Wireless Applications
• RAPID for Scalable Storage Area Networks
• Research on Network Device Architecture and Adaptation Mechanisms
• Efficient Techniques for Multi-Path Routing in Packet-Switched Networks
• MIMO-SDMA Networks with Adaptive M-QAM Modulation
• Low Noise, Wide Bandwidth CMOS Low-Dropout Regulator Modules for RF Transceivers
• High-Efficiency Switching Mode Polar Power Amplifier
• Development of Current Feedback Amplifier for High-Speed High-Performance Signal Processing
• Integrated Interactive Power Management System with Digital Adaptive DC-DC Conversion
• Ultra-Low Power Digital Logic Design for Nanometer Technology
• A Pipelined Charge Division ADC Architecture for Low Power, HS Data Conversion
• Terahertz Plasma Wave Electronics for Testing Silicon VLSI
• Compact MEMS Switched-Band Filters for Software-Defined Radio
• Photoluminescence Studies of Nitride Films for RF and Photonic Applications

Contact Information

Connection One
Arizona State University
Goldwater Center – Room 302
PO Box 878406
Tempe, AZ 85287-8406
TEL: (480) 727-8044 FAX: (480) 965-0616
WEB: www.connectionone.org
EMAIL: connectionone@asu.edu

Center Director:
Sayfe Kiaei – Arizona State University
(480) 727-8044 sayfe.kiaei@asu.edu

Center Co-Director
Jeff Rodriguez – University of Arizona
(520) 621-8732 rodriguez@ece.arizona.edu

Center Co-Director
Magdy Iskander – University of Hawaii
(808) 956-3434 iskander@spectra.eng.hawaii.edu

Center Co-Director
Michael Shur - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(518) 276-2201 shurm@rpi.edu

Center Evaluator:
Craig Scott
(206) 221-3368 scottcs@u.washington.edu