Power-efficient Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for B5G/6G Networks: Y.RIS Debuts at the 3rd Taiwan-EU 6G SNS Joint Seminar.

At the invitation of the MoEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs), YTTEK was thrilled to participate in the 3rd Taiwan-EU 6G SNS Joint Seminar, where we showcased the Y.RIS LC-RIS (Liquid Crystal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface). Designed to address the power consumption challenges of indoor mmWave communication systems, Y.RIS offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for 5G mmWave connectivity.

 

The Y.RIS is an innovative LC-RIS product developed using a cost-effective 24-inch LCD panel. By harnessing the panel’s fine-pitch characteristics, each unit cell was meticulously engineered to be just one-fifth the size of a wavelength, resulting in a product comprising approximately 40,000 unit cells.

 

With power consumption below 2W—merely 5-10% of the energy typically required by mmWave small cells and repeaters—Y.RIS significantly reduced both energy usage and deployment costs. This remarkable efficiency positioned Y.RIS as a frontrunner in the ESG era, where sustainability and cost-effectiveness are paramount.

 

YTTEK’s CEO, Jiangson Chen, highlighted the pressing challenge of 5G mmWave, specifically the obstacles posed by walls and partitions that could obstruct signals indoors. He stated, “Our RIS product effectively addressed these challenges by allowing flexible adjustments to incident and reflection angles, ensuring robust signal coverage in diverse environments. Y.RIS employed liquid crystal technology for phase control, delivering superior phase resolution through precise voltage application. In contrast to PIN diode and Varactor-based RIS products, which required more components and incurred higher manufacturing costs, our liquid crystal solution was more mature, economical, and energy-efficient, providing a significant advantage in power consumption.”

 

Looking ahead to 2024, YTTEK announced plans to collaborate with UK-based DIREK and Surrey University, with support from the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the MoEA. By integrating DIREK’s positioning and AI-assisted tracking technology with Surrey University’s FR1 RIS design and measurement expertise, Y.RIS aimed to enhance its beam angle flexibility and control, balancing coverage and bandwidth requirements.

 

As the mmWave communication ecosystem continued to evolve, YTTEK actively forged partnerships with telecommunications equipment providers, system integrators, and telecom operators to expedite the development of Y.RIS network integration solutions. These initiatives aimed to empower customers to achieve optimal private network deployments, addressing the growing demand for high-speed, low-latency communication networks. Y.RIS is poised to become an indispensable product for mmWave communication network deployments.