Next-gen wireless chip boosts battery life and reduces signal errors

A team of researchers has developed a new kind of transmitter chip that could change how wireless devices send signals. This chip uses less energy and can help devices stay connected longer. That means better battery life and more reliable connections for anything from smart thermostats to factory sensors.

The researchers behind this innovation come from MIT, Boston University, and Northeastern University. Their work, published in the journal, IEEE Explore, aims to help current devices perform better and prepare for future wireless standards like 6G, which demand more energy efficiency.

At the center of their approach is a new way of “modulating” signals — which means changing how digital data is turned into a signal that travels through the air. Traditional systems use evenly spaced signal patterns to avoid interference. These work fine, but they’re not very flexible. And they waste energy when wireless conditions aren’t ideal.

Instead, the team tried a smarter approach. They used what’s called “non-uniform modulation,” which changes based on the signal quality. This method can save energy, but it’s usually risky — because if the signals get messy, the receiver can’t tell where one symbol ends and another begins.

To fix this, the MIT-led team added small “padding” bits between signals. These extra bits help the receiver figure out what’s what. It’s a simple trick that makes a big difference. By doing this, the new chip keeps the energy savings of non-uniform modulation but avoids the confusion it normally causes.

One big reason this system works so well is because of a decoding method the researchers used. It’s called GRAND, short for “Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding.” Instead of trying to decode messages directly, GRAND guesses what kind of noise scrambled the message. Then it removes that noise to reveal the original message.

This clever approach allows the receiver to handle the padding bits correctly. It adjusts the message back to its real length and cleans up the signal — all without wasting extra energy.

“Now, thanks to GRAND, we can have a transmitter that is capable of doing these more efficient transmissions with non-uniform constellations of data, and we can see the gains,” said Muriel Médard, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and one of the project’s leaders.

What’s more impressive is that this method outperformed many traditional designs — even those that didn’t try to save energy. That means this chip isn’t just greener. It’s also more accurate.

The chip itself is compact and flexible. Its small size makes it perfect for all kinds of devices — from smart home gadgets to industrial tools. It also works well with today’s tech, so it could be added to many existing systems without needing major changes.

According to the researchers, the chip produced only one-quarter the signal errors seen in traditional systems using the best available energy-saving methods. Even compared to older, more stable methods, the chip showed lower error rates — a surprising win.

“The traditional approach has become so ingrained that it was challenging to not get lured back to the status quo,” Médard explained. “Especially since we were changing things that we often take for granted and concepts we’ve been teaching for decades.”

This shows how hard it can be to break from tradition — even when doing so leads to better results. But in this case, challenging the old system paid off.

The design’s flexibility is another strength. Because it’s modular, engineers can adapt it easily. That makes it suitable for current wireless networks as well as future ones like 6G, where every bit of saved energy will matter more.

This chip could show up in all sorts of places. Think of devices that are always on, like smart sensors in a factory. These gadgets need to send data constantly, but they can’t afford to drain their batteries too fast. With this new chip, they could keep working longer without sacrificing performance.

It also fits well with appliances that send updates in real time. That includes smart fridges, security cameras, and even fitness trackers. Each one would benefit from having a chip that can communicate clearly while using less power.

As Médard puts it, “By thinking outside the box, we created a more efficient, intelligent circuit for next-generation devices that is also even better than the state-of-the-art for legacy architectures.”

In other words, the chip doesn’t just work for the future — it improves the present.

The chip was presented at the IEEE Radio Frequency Circuits Symposium, a major conference for wireless tech. Along with Médard, the paper was co-authored by Timur Zirtiloglu, the lead author and graduate student at Boston University, as well as several other researchers from BU and Northeastern.

While the results are exciting, the team isn’t stopping here. They plan to improve the chip even more by adding other energy-saving methods and reducing errors even further. Their goal is to push the limits of what’s possible in wireless communication.

For example, they want to explore how to better match their chip with software that can react in real time to signal conditions. That would make the chip even smarter — adjusting itself automatically to use the least amount of energy needed to get the message across.

Their work also opens the door to smarter 6G design. Instead of just making networks faster, future systems could become more aware of their surroundings and adjust accordingly. This kind of adaptive tech could help create a whole new class of wireless devices that use power carefully and perform better than ever.

For now, the new transmitter chip stands as a major step forward. It combines clever algorithms, smart modulation, and a thoughtful chip design to offer faster, cleaner, and more energy-friendly communication.

In a world where billions of devices are online at once, saving energy — and doing it without sacrificing performance — is not just useful. It’s necessary.

Note: The article above provided above by The Brighter Side of News.

Like these kind of feel good stories? Get The Brighter Side of News' newsletter.