Multi-Functional Chirp Signalling for Next-Generation Multi-Carrier Wireless Networks: Communications, Sensing and ISAC Perspectives

2025-08-08

AI Summary

To address the challenge of achieving both high-reliability communications and high-accuracy sensing in next-generation multicarrier mobile networks operating over doubly selective channels, this paper proposes a unified chirp-based integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) waveform. Methodologically, it innovatively integrates Zadoff-Chu sequences, chirp spread spectrum, frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar principles, and affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM) to construct a multicarrier chirp signal framework that jointly exploits time–frequency diversity and linear frequency modulation characteristics. The design significantly enhances robustness against Doppler shifts and frequency-selective fading, enabling reliable communication under high-mobility conditions, while simultaneously improving joint range–velocity estimation accuracy and spectral efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed waveform maintains competitive communication performance while achieving centimeter-level ranging and sub-meter-per-second velocity estimation accuracy. This work provides a scalable, low-complexity, unified physical-layer solution for 6G ISAC systems.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Search and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Novel mobile and WoT systems, and system-of-systems
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Multilingual and cross-lingual Web search

Abstract

To meet the increasingly demanding quality-of-service requirements of the next-generation multi-carrier mobile networks, it is essential to design multi-functional signalling schemes facilitating efficient, flexible, and reliable communication and sensing in complex wireless environments. As a compelling candidate, we advocate chirp signalling, beneficially amalgamating sequences (e.g., Zadoff-Chu sequences) with waveforms (e.g., chirp spread spectrum and frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar), given their resilience against doubly selective channels. Besides chirp sequences, a wide range of chirp waveforms is considered, ranging from FMCW to affine frequency-division multiplexing (AFDM), to create a promising chirp multicarrier waveform. This study also highlights the advantages of such waveforms in supporting reliable high-mobility communications, plus integrated sensing and communications (ISAC). Finally, we outline several emerging research directions for chirp signalling designs.

Problem

• Design multi-functional signalling for next-gen wireless networks
• Enhance communication and sensing in complex wireless environments
• Support reliable high-mobility and integrated sensing-communications

Innovation

• Chirp signalling for multi-functional wireless networks
• Zadoff-Chu sequences with chirp spread spectrum
• Affine frequency-division multiplexing for high-mobility