A model for wireless-access network topology and a PSO-based approach for its optimization

By the year 2020, the global network of connected sensors and devices will contain 50 billion connected devices and be the single largest factor in global power consumption. The planet’s ICT infrastructure already exceeds 10% of mankind’s power consumption (tendency: rising). The complexity of designing the topology for extend wireless access to ensure a thorough and economically sound signal coverage in buildings (from a building’s base station to distributed antennas throughout the building, through a complex network of coaxial cables and power splitters) increases exponentially (O(n^n-2)). We present our results from using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to provide near optimal network topology for distributed in-building antenna systems. We use Prüfer code representation to efficiently traverse through different spanning tree solutions. Our approach is scalable and robust, capable of producing I-DAS design advice for buildings beyond one hundred floors. We demonstrate that our model is capable of obtaining optimal solutions for small buildings and near optimal solutions for tall buildings.