Advancements in COREnext WP3 Architecture - Building Trustworthy and Efficient Systems for the Future
The COREnext project continues to make significant strides in developing advanced architecture for trustworthy and efficient digital infrastructures. The focus of Work Package 3 (WP3) is to ensure that the project’s architectural design not only meets the current technological needs but also anticipates future challenges. This post highlights the latest developments and achievements within WP3.
Objectives of WP3
WP3 is dedicated to translating the requirements outlined in Work Package 2 (WP2) into tangible architectural strategies. The first phase involved breaking down these requirements into architecture concerns, with a focus on defining disaggregation dimensions, data flows, and attacker models. The architectural design spans three key tiers: terminal, base station, and edge cloud, each with specific security and data flow requirements. The data flows between these tiers must be carefully managed to ensure efficiency and security, from the internal cores within systems-on-chip to services across radio links.
In the next phase, WP3 focused on identifying the necessary component innovations to advance both processing capabilities and system trustworthiness. This involved pinpointing the key technology building blocks that are essential for progressing the overall architecture. The team worked closely with WP4 and WP5 to translate these architectural needs into specific component advancements.
Balancing trustworthiness and efficiency is a core challenge in the architecture, and WP3 has been continuously analyzing the trade-offs. This work ensures that components developed in WP4 and WP5 meet the validation targets set by WP6.
Key Architectural Elements
The COREnext architecture comprises multiple tiers—terminal, base station, and edge cloud—each playing a critical role in managing data and ensuring secure communication. Data flows occur within system-on-chip cores, between servers on physical sites, and across radio links connecting these systems. Managing these flows effectively is essential for maintaining both efficiency and security.
Technology Building Blocks and Innovations
Significant progress has been made in identifying key technology building blocks that support the advancement of the COREnext architecture. Joint Communication and Sensing was identified as an essential capability, where communication antennas can be used for radar sensing. However, this approach raises privacy concerns that need to be addressed. In terms of performance, heterogeneous accelerators were identified to enhance both performance and energy efficiency.
Another critical innovation involves virtualization and disaggregation, which helps increase resource utilization by allowing more flexible allocation of computational power. For security, component isolation and access control were identified as key elements, implemented through capability-based systems that uphold the principle of least authority (POLA). In addition, WP3 developed systems for trusted execution and attestation, providing cryptographic proof of software operations on remote machines, which ensures secure execution across the network.
Challenges and Solutions in Integration
WP3 faced several challenges related to integrating a diverse set of components, often from third-party vendors. The project aims to balance trustworthiness and efficiency while incorporating both trusted and untrusted elements. To address these challenges, WP3 introduced the M³ hardware/software co-design platform, which helps reduce the system's attack surface. Additionally, a Trusted Communication Unit was developed to ensure secure isolation and communication between components.
Impact and Contributions
The advancements within WP3 have led to multiple impactful outcomes. So far, six publications have emerged from the work, contributing valuable knowledge to the community. The M³ platform is now available as open-source hardware and software, fostering further innovation and collaboration in the field.
WP3’s contributions have also extended into standardization and regulation. Enhancements to 3GPP RAN have been proposed, particularly for supporting low-end devices. Regulatory opportunities related to Joint Communication and Sensing were also identified, creating pathways for further integration of these technologies.
In addition to these technical advancements, WP3 plays a pivotal role in achieving the project’s sustainability goals. By aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, the architecture promotes trustworthy infrastructure, essential for resilient industrial and societal digitization. WP3 also contributes to SDG 11 by integrating energy-efficient accelerators that support sustainable smart cities.
Product and Business Opportunities
WP3’s innovations offer significant benefits for European companies by focusing on trustworthiness and efficiency in their designs. The architecture is compatible with existing software stacks, which ensures seamless integration with traditional hardware components. Furthermore, by connecting the edge cloud with terminal systems, WP3 opens up new avenues for product development and business opportunities.
With the M³ platform available as open-source hardware and software, the project promotes open innovation, creating opportunities for other organizations to build upon its advancements. As COREnext progresses, the contributions of WP3 will continue to be central to its success, ensuring that both trustworthiness and efficiency remain at the forefront of its architecture.
Want to know more stories from COREnext? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube to keep up to date!
Frida Strombeck Presents Latest Research at European Microwave Week 2024
At the prestigious 27th European Microwave Week (EuMW 2024) in Paris, Frida Strombeck showcased the research on high-speed polymer microwave fiber communication technology. As part of the COREnext project, Frida's presentation focused on the findings outlined in her scientific paper titled "A Transmitter/Receiver Link for High Data Rate Polymer Microwave Fiber Communication at Y-band".
This paper presents the design and fabrication of a Y-band (170-260 GHz) ultra-high data rate transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) using a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process. The system successfully demonstrates data rates up to 30 Gbps over a one-meter polymer microwave fiber (PMF) link, operating at a carrier frequency of 237 GHz. This achievement marks the first PMF link above 200 GHz to reach a one-meter distance, highlighting the potential of PMF technology as a robust and cost-efficient solution for high-frequency, high-data-rate communication systems, particularly in applications like intra-box or module-to-module vehicle communications.
The 27th edition of the European Microwave Week (EuMW 2024) took place in Paris, continuing the long-running series of successful microwave events that began in 1998. EuMW 2024 featured three co-located conferences: the European Microwave Conference (EuMC), the European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), and the European Radar Conference (EuRAD). In addition to these, the event hosted forums on Defence, Security and Space, the Automotive Forum, the 6G Forum, and a large trade show. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in conferences, workshops, short courses, and special events like Women in Microwave Engineering. The event also included Europe's largest RF and microwave trade show, complemented by technical seminars and exhibitor workshops showcasing commercial products and innovations.
Presentations at such high-profile conferences highlight the importance of innovative microwave technology in achieving faster and more reliable communication systems. The COREnext project, through research of this kind, continues to drive advancements in digital communication and infrastructure.
Stay tuned as the publication: "A Transmitter/Receiver Link for High Data Rate Polymer Microwave Fiber Communication at Y-band" will available soon on IEEE platform and our website!
Want to know more stories from COREnext? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube to keep up to date!