Don't miss an interesting article on the techniques necessary to support next-gen wireless technologies, such as LTE. Written by Nigel Wright and Mike McKernan of Spirent Communications, it is called Meeting the challenge of over-the-air MIMO testing
They begin:
They begin:
Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna techniques are a key factor in achieving the high data rates promised by next-generation wireless technologies such as LTE and LTE-Advanced. These new techniques impose significant challenges on the design and development of wireless devices, greatly complicating the associated RF testing.
With multiple antennas used to differentiate multiple incoming faded signals, it is necessary to test actual reception over the air (OTA). Field OTA testing can record results at a specific time and place, but cannot produce the required statistically meaningful data sets.
A better approach is to identify real-world RF characteristics and re-create them in the laboratory using RF channel emulators and a chamber to provide a realistic, controllable, and repeatable test at reasonable cost. More has to be learnt about the OTA behaviour of MIMO systems before it will be possible to create virtual OTA models, so current laboratory testing is performed physically in two forms: the one using a large anechoic chamber and the other using a smaller and less costly reverberation chamber.Read the full article >>
