Enabling mmWave Wireless Rack Area Networks: Channel Characterization Within a Server Rack

This letter presents 60 GHz radio measurements and channel characterization for wireless rack area network (WRAN) application within a networking enclosure, commonly known as a server rack. The propagation characterization is conducted with wideband and narrowband measurements to characterize the propagation phenomena and investigate the feasibility of a reflected non-line-of-sight (RNLoS) link. The impact of obstruction by networking cables and a human hand is also investigated to extract the fading depth, fading rate, and the time varying shadowing. The implications on WRAN system design are accordingly deduced. It is found that optimal RNLoS channel response is characterized by a clustering effect with a 7.82 dB reflection loss. The obstruction by networking cables introduces significant channel dispersion and contributes to significant fading depth and fading rate values.