BD-RIS chip shifts 6G signal processing from digital to wave domain
Analog wave processing could cut 6G baseband power by orders of magnitude...
Researchers from top institutions have introduced a transceiver-integrated BD-RIS (Beyond-Diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) that performs analog wave-domain processing at the antenna aperture, offloading linear operations from power-hungry digital baseband. The paper, submitted to IEEE, argues that conventional 6G designs rely on digital baseband processing that scales poorly with array size and carrier frequency, making them unsustainable for the sub-meter localization and multi-Gbps throughput targets of 6G.
By embedding BD-RIS as an analog processing unit, the system can manipulate electromagnetic waves directly, dramatically reducing ADC/DAC power, digital computational load, and overall energy consumption. The proposed architecture supports modular, scalable deployment for XL-MIMO systems, aligning 6G with sustainability and inclusiveness goals—enabling high-performance connectivity in energy-constrained environments without sacrificing data rates or sensing accuracy.
- BD-RIS performs linear signal processing (beamforming, precoding) in the analog wave domain, not digital baseband
- Targets extra-large antenna arrays (XL-MIMO) for 6G, where digital processing costs grow linearly with carrier frequency and array size
- Reduces power consumption and computational complexity, enabling sustainable and scalable 6G transceivers
Why It Matters
Wave-domain processing could make 6G energy-efficient and cost-effective enough for widespread deployment in remote or resource-limited regions.