Dynamic Metasurface Antenna Enabled Real-Time 60 GHz Wireless Video Streaming: A System-Level Demonstration with USRPs and mmWave Front-Ends

Abstract

This paper presents a real-time 60 GHz wireless video transmission system enabled by a millimeter-wave (mmWave) Dynamic Metasurface Antenna (DMA) and offers a 60 GHz transceiver solution. The end-to-end communication system is established using off-the-shelf mmWave up/down-conversion modules (EK1HMC6350, HMC6300, and HMC6301) with a connectorized DMA-based transmit front-end and universal software radio peripheral (USRP) for digital baseband processing. The proposed framework eliminates the need for costly high-frequency signal generators and spectrum analyzers, thus simplifying implementation and validation while reducing operational costs. A real-time HD video stream at 720p resolution (1280 x 720) is transmitted and successfully retrieved over a wireless link using QPSK modulation, achieving a data rate of about 3 Mbps with high reliability. The demonstrated platform can support various 60 GHz standard physical-layer protocols, such as IEEE 802.11ad/ay and 802.15.3c. This work highlights the potential of programmable metasurface antennas as a compact, energy-efficient alternative to legacy phased arrays for next-generation 6G and beyond mmWave/sub-THz wireless communication systems, small-cell outdoor backhaul links, and RF sniffing and channel sounding.