Preamble Design and Noncoherent ToA Estimation for Pulse-Based Wireless Networks-on-Chip Communications in the Terahertz Band

The growing demand for high-speed data transfer and ultralow latency in wireless networks-on-chips (WiNoC) has spurred exploration into innovative communication paradigms. Recent advancements highlight the potential of the terahertz (THz) band, a largely untapped frequency range, for enabling ultrafast tera-bit-per-second links in chip multiprocessors. However, the ultrashort duration of THz pulses, often in the femtosecond range, makes synchronization a critical challenge, as even minor timing errors can cause significant data loss. This study introduces a preamble-aided noncoherent synchronization scheme for time-of-arrival (ToA) estimation in pulse-based WiNoC communication operating in the THz band (0.02-0.8 THz). The scheme transmits the preamble, a known sequence of THz pulses, at the beginning of each symbol, allowing the energy-detection receiver to collect and analyze the energy of the preamble across multiple integrators. The integrator with maximum energy output is then used to estimate the symbol's ToA. A preamble design based on maximum pulse energy constraints is also presented. Performance evaluations demonstrate a synchronization probability exceeding 0.98 for distances under 10 mm at a signal-to-noise ratio of 20 dB, with a normalized mean squared error below 10-2. This scheme enhances synchronization reliability, supporting energy-efficient, high-performance WiNoCs for future multicore systems.