IIT Mandi and C-DOT Partner to Advance Semiconductor Chips for Wideband Spectrum Sensing

IIT Mandi and C-DOT have signed an agreement to develop a Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC Chip, aiming to enhance spectrum utilization by leveraging spectrum holes to improve broadband services in rural India.

IIT Mandi and C-DOT Partners

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the Telecom R&D centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu), to develop a "Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC Chip" aimed at enhancing spectrum utilization.

The agreement falls under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. This initiative supports Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions in designing, developing, and commercializing telecommunication products and solutions. It aims to provide affordable broadband and mobile services, contributing significantly to bridging the digital divide across India.

Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC Chip Project

The project aims to develop a reliable and hardware-friendly wideband spectrum sensing (WSS) algorithm to enhance spectrum efficiency by identifying and utilizing spectrum holes, enabling broadband services in rural India. Spectrum sensing allows cognitive radio users to adapt to their environment by detecting unused spectrum without interfering with primary networks. The initiative will focus on designing communication algorithms optimized for hardware implementation, capable of sensing wideband spectrum (over 2 GHz bandwidth) to detect and utilize underutilized bands (white spaces), thereby improving spectrum utilization efficiency. Efficient hardware architectures will be developed to achieve minimal sensing time, high data throughput, and enhanced hardware efficiency.

As part of the project, a hardware solution will be created to scan over 2 GHz of spectrum with minimal sensing time, significantly boosting the throughput of cognitive radio networks. A wideband cognitive radio module targeting the 6 GHz satellite band (5.925–7.125 GHz) will be demonstrated for spectrum sensing and communication.

Dr. Raj Kumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT underscored the key role of indigenously designed & developed spectrum sensing technologies in meeting the specific requirements of our diverse country, reaffirming the commitment towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

At the event, Dr. Shrestha and Dr. Chaurasiya reaffirmed their commitment to advancing dynamic spectrum access technology through the development of innovative algorithms and hardware modules for wideband spectrum sensing. Their efforts align with the objectives of the Government of India's Make-in-India initiative and the India Semiconductor Mission.

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