[paper] IoT Vision empowered by EH-MEMS and RF-MEMS

Internet of things (IoT); internet of everything (IoE); tactile internet; 5G
A (not so evanescent) unifying vision empowered 
by EH-MEMS (energy harvesting MEMS) and RF-MEMS (radio frequency MEMS)

 Jacopo Iannacci
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Trento (IT)

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 272 (2018): 187-198

Abstract: This work aims to build inclusive vision of the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Everything (IoE), Tactile Internet and 5G, leveraging on MEMS technology, with focus on Energy Harvesters (EH-MEMS) and Radio Frequency passives (RF-MEMS). The IoT is described, stressing the pervasivity of sensing/actuating functions. High-level performances 5G will have to score are reported. Unifying vision of the mentioned paradigms is then built. The IoT evolves into the IoE by overtaking the concept of thing. Further step to Tactile Internet requires significant reduction in latency, it being enabled by 5G.

The discussion then moves closer to the hardware components level. Sets of specifications driven by IoT and 5G applications are derived. Concerning the former, the attention is concentrated on typical power requirements imposed by remote wireless sensing nodes. Regarding the latter, a set of reference specifications RF passives will have to meet in order to enable 5G is developed. Once quantitative targets are set, a brief state of the art of EH-MEMS and RF-MEMS solutions is developed, targeting the IoT and 5G, respectively. In both scenarios, it will be demonstrated that MEMS are able to address the requirements previously listed, concerning EH from various sources and RF passive components.

FIG: Scheme of the pillar drivers supporting evolution of the IoT into IoE andTactile Internet.
Some relevant IoT technology enablers are indicated.

In conclusion, the frame of reference depicted in this work outlines a relevant potential borne by EH-MEMS and RF-MEMS solutions within the unified scenario of IoT, IoE, Tactile Internet and 5G, making the forecast of future relentless growth of MEMS-based devices, more plausible and likely to take place.

QUCS mentioned in IEEE-EDL paper

Jacopo Iannacci, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento, Italy, has recently published an article in the IEEE Electron Device Letters (EDL) where he used and explicitly mentioned the QUCS, FOSS CAD/EDA simulator:

RF-MEMS Technology for Future Mobile and High-Frequency Applications:

Reconfigurable 8-Bit Power Attenuator Tested up to 110 GHz

J. Iannacci, M. Huhn, C. Tschoban and H. Pötter

in IEEE EDL, vol. 37, no. 12, pp. 1646-1649, Dec. 2016.

Abstract: In this letter, we present and test—to the best of our knowledge, for the first time—, an 8-bit (256-state) reconfigurable RF-MEMS attenuator, from 10 MHz up to 110 GHz, realized in the CMM-FBK technology. Resistive loads, in series and shunt configuration, are selectively inserted on the RF line by means of electrostatic MEMS ohmic switches. The network exhibits several attenuation levels in the range of −10/−45 dB that are rather flat up to 50 GHz, and a certain number of configurations with VSWR smaller than 4 from nearly dc up to 110 GHz, and better than 2 on a frequency span of ~80 GHz.

doi: 10.1109/LED.2016.2623328

[read more: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=7726036&isnumber=7739309]