COREnext's Progress, Technological Achievements, and Impact on Sustainability
The COREnext project is at a crucial milestone as it undergoes its Mid-term Review, bringing together project partners and reviewers to assess progress, achievements, and challenges. This review is essential for reflecting on the project's ambition, its technological advancements, and the impact made in the first period. We are excited to talk with the COREnext Project Coordinator, Michael Roitzsch to gain insights into the review, discussing key highlights and lessons learned, and what lies ahead for the remainder of the project.
During the Mid-term Review, there was a focus on the project's ambition. How would you describe the progress made during the first period, and did it meet your expectations?
MR: The overall goal of COREnext is to infuse the next generation of mobile communication networks with trustworthiness built-in by default. In the beginning of the project, we had to stake out what this actually means and how we could design an architecture to support this vision. From this architecture, concrete component needs were derived. In the first period, the COREnext project not only delivered all of this work but can already show the first prototypes on the required components. We now have the building blocks we can put together in the second period.
In the technology achievements section, WP2 Trustworthiness and use cases were presented. What key developments have been made in ensuring trustworthiness across the project's use cases, and why are they important for COREnext's success?
MR: We selected three model use cases as condensation points for our thinking about trustworthiness. These are: augmented reality and XR, automotive infrastructure, and a smart city platform. Each of these use cases has clear requirements, where they are different from others: XR needs very low latency communication and high throughput data transfer. Automotive applications must securely coordinate between multiple participants and roadside infrastructure all acting within a distributed system. Finally, smart city use case emphasizes sustainability and energy efficiency needs. But across all these, trustworthiness is a common concern.
With WP3 focusing on disaggregation and computing architecture, how is the project advancing in terms of its goal to create a robust computing architecture for the next-generation infrastructure?
MR: In WP3, the project architecture must balance contradicting needs. Just some examples: Disaggregation increases flexibility by allowing flexible assignment of compute jobs to resources but can worsen energy consumption and overall efficiency. Improving security and isolation of processing workloads benefits trustworthiness but can worsen communication latency. We must think about these trade-offs and find solutions that balance or work around these constraints.
What are the key milestones achieved so far in the development of digital components, and how do they align with the project’s overall objectives (WP4)?
MR: WP4 addresses key elements of the mobile communication signal processing chain, replacing or advancing existing components to improve energy efficiency and trustworthiness. We have the first prototypes based on RISC-V processors as well as the M3 architecture for isolated computation. These components will be developed further and evaluated in the second period.
What specific roles do the analog components play in the broader context of the project’s architecture, especially in terms of signal processing and energy management (WP5)?
MR: The wireless radio interface is the most exposed and therefore most attackable interface. We have to particularly harden it against spoofing and malicious communication. In addition, we are developing polymer fibers as a novel interconnect technology for energy efficient disaggregation. These components complement the COREnext architecture.
What are the primary goals of the computation-communication platform integration, and what progress has been made toward achieving them (WP7)?
MR: Within WP7, COREnext will follow in the footsteps of the COREnect project and consult with industry and other external experts to compose a roadmap for further research needed. Within the first period, we conducted initial discussions internally but will bring these thoughts to a wider audience in the second period.
What have been the key findings from the lab validation tests conducted so far, and how do they impact the project's development trajectory (WP6)?
MR: Lab validation is still mostly in the planning phase and will ramp up significantly in the second period. We will verify that the components we have developed actually meet the expectations required by the COREnext architecture. This work package will be the ultimate reality check for our research.
The review agenda highlights a discussion on the project’s impact. What have been the major challenges or successes in demonstrating the technical output from period 1, and how has it influenced the next steps for COREnext?
MR: COREnext has made great progress in the first period. We have summarized our viewpoints, our vision, and our agenda in a whitepaper. It is available on the project website and presents our mission of bringing trustworthiness to the future of our communication infrastructure.
The COREnext project aims to contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How do you see the project's technological advancements aligning with these SDGs, and what impact do you anticipate in terms of sustainability and societal benefits?
MR: We believe that trustworthiness in something as essential as our communication networks is a major foundation for our democratic society. In this sense, we contribute to the goals of stability and privacy. But COREnext also contributes to improving energy efficiency, which helps to realize a sustainable energy future.
How has the project management strategy ensured smooth coordination among the different work packages, and what are the key challenges in managing such a multidisciplinary team across various technical areas (WP1)?
MR: Our approach has been to foster collaboration amongst the partners with a flexible meeting structure. Ultimately, it is the individual researchers who make the tangible contributions, so it is also important to give them enough time and space to do their best work. Regularly we meet in person or online to update each other and coordinate the way forward.
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COREnext Trustworthy Analogue Components
Work Package 5 (WP5) of the COREnext project focuses on improving the reliability and performance of communication links through the development of analogue components. By leveraging hardware imperfections and advancing ultra-high-speed interconnect technologies, WP5 aims to provide secure and energy-efficient solutions for next-generation communication systems.
Enhancing Radio Link Trustworthiness
A significant focus of WP5 is the development of Radio Frequency Fingerprinting (RFF) technology. This method uses inherent hardware imperfections to enhance the reliability and security of radio links. Necessary training to validate RFF concepts data are obtained from software and hardware platforms covering different frequency bands, namely a sub-6GHz software-defined-radio, a sub-10GHz transmitter testbench and a sub-THz multiuser MIMO simulation platform. The latter one is furthermore designed to evaluate link robustness to imperfections and security threats such as eavesdropping in the challenging D-band.
Advancing Ultra-High-Speed Interconnects
WP5 is making progress in developing short-range, high-speed data communication using Plastic Microwave Fibres (PMFs). These fibres offer a practical alternative to traditional interconnects due to their low cost, reduced energy consumption, and adaptability to high-frequency ranges such as the H-, Y-, and D-bands. Recent achievements include the design and prototyping of integrated transmitters and receivers using advanced BiCMOS processes. Measurements have shown data transmission rates of up to 102 Gbps in the D-band and 30 Gbps in the Y-band. Additional work has focused on developing packaging solutions, including 3D-printed PMF holders and low-k material designs, to enhance integration and efficiency.
Sustainability and Industry Impact
WP5 also aligns with sustainability objectives by proposing means to reduce energy consumption and adopting environmentally friendly materials. For instance, the use of PFAs-free materials in PMFs addresses environmental and health concerns associated with traditional materials. Furthermore, a patent application has been submitted for the RF Fingerprinting authentication method, which highlights its potential to contribute to industry standards and practices. The work undertaken in WP5 supports an increase in technology readiness levels (TRLs) and creates opportunities for applications in secure and efficient communication hardware.
WP5’s developments in analogue components contribute to improving the trustworthiness and performance of communication systems. By addressing both security and operational efficiency, the results of this work support the foundation for reliable and energy-conscious networks in the 6G era.
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COREnext’s progress in Digital Components for 6G
The COREnext project’s Work Package 4 (WP4) focuses on developing foundational digital components for communication systems. By addressing key areas such as hardware acceleration for power efficient signal processing and protocol acceleration, hardware orchestration and trusted environments, WP4 contributes to the advancement of technologies required for 6G networks. Recent progress demonstrates developments in these areas.
Efficiency Increase
WP4 has delivered solutions aimed at improving the energy efficiency of communication systems. The introduction of programmable many-core RISC-V accelerators, including the TeraPool-SDR cluster, supports low-latency and high-throughput tasks necessary for 5G and future 6G systems. Additional work on vector processing accelerators and LDPC decoders has enabled efficient and reliable data transmission with throughput capabilities reaching gigabit-per-second levels. To optimise resource usage, WP4 developed AI-based MAC scheduling accelerators that improve resource allocation in complex networks.
Security Enhancements
In terms of security, the TokSek framework enables multi-tenant use of FPGA resources in cloud environments while maintaining data integrity and confidentiality. This approach addresses challenges in securely sharing hardware resources.
Further advancements include the virtualisation of DSPs to improve computational resource management and the development of tile-based processing platforms equipped with isolation mechanisms to enhance security. RF fingerprinting, used for device authentication, provides an additional layer of trust by accurately identifying devices in communication networks.
Contributions to Research and Standardisation
WP4 has produced several publications documenting the outcomes of its work, with contributions to open-source tools and methods. The RF fingerprinting technology has led to a patent application, indicating potential for future applications in communication systems.
The work aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG9 (Innovation in Infrastructure) and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities). By focusing on energy efficiency, WP4 supports the broader goals of sustainable and resilient communication systems.
Readiness for Deployment
The technology readiness levels (TRLs) of platforms developed under WP4 have increased, indicating progress towards deployment. The validation of the RISC-V environment, encompassing both hardware and software, creates opportunities for practical application and further development in communication technologies.
WP4’s ongoing work in digital components contributes to the technical objectives of the COREnext project, with progress focused on addressing practical needs and ensuring alignment with long-term goals for communication system development.
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