Spirent Communications, Inc.

Alfonso Rodriguez-Herrera

John Douglas Reed

Jukka-Pekka Nuutinen

Disclosed is an anechoic test chamber that includes six antenna probes, replacing a single probe with a small array, and using the array to form a beam to provide a similar signal to the probe signal, and reducing the transmission loss. At least five of the probes are aligned in the anechoic chamber such that the probes are aligned in azimuth along four columns separated from a center point by +/−5 degrees and +/−15 degrees. The probes are further aligned in elevation along three rows at the center point and separated from the center point by +/−5 degrees, wherein the alignments in azimuth and elevation are within 3 degrees measured spherically of the alignments stated. Also disclosed is a planar array that replaces probe antennas and forms beams to provide coverage to the chamber, and utilizing probe arrays to emulate base station signals to evaluate UE performance.

Positioning and weighting test probes in an anechoic chamber

Disclosed is a method of calibrating phase alignment of signals from multiple transmit antennas on multiple channels during OTA testing of a MIMO DUT, including generating a noisy test signal by adding noise to a signal pattern and transmitting the noisy test signal to the DUT on first and second channels OTA and sweeping a relative phase of the signal pattern, but not the added noise, in the first and second channels, while receiving from the DUT reports of a SNR for a received signal on at least one of the first channel and subsequently on the second channels. The method also includes analyzing variation in the SNR to determine phase alignment of the first and second channels, as received and processed by the DUT and using the determined phase alignment to perform OTA testing of the DUT. The method can also include receiving a RSRP and/or a RSSI.

Mobile-assisted phase calibration method and system

The disclosed systems and methods for conducted massive MIMO array testing uses an efficient method of utilizing hardware resources for emulating signals from a massive MIMO base station transceiver to a MIMO mobile unit as dictated by a channel model; and also for emulating signals from a MIMO mobile unit to a massive MIMO BS transceiver, as dictated by a channel model. The system uses a phase matrix combiner to emulate the angular behavior of the propagation using virtual probes, combined with a radio channel emulator to create the temporal, multipath, and correlation behavior of the propagation. Using a phase matrix function increases the number of antenna elements that can be utilized in a massive MIMO array emulation while keeping the required number of fading channels within the radio channel emulator at a reduced number, thus forming a cost effective, yet realistic test system for massive MIMO testing.

Calibrating a programmable phase matrix and channel emulator and performing massive MIMO array testing using the calibrated phase matrix and channel emulator

Massive MIMO array testing using a programmable phase matrix and channel emulator

A method is provided for calibrating a test platform to establish a phase relationship between copies of a signal at a measurement location within the test platform. Phase relationships of the copies of the signal traversing signal paths and ending at the measurement location are manipulated. Vector signal addition from the copies of the signal is analyzed as the phase relationships are manipulated to find a phase offset adjustment that establishes a particular phase relationship between the signal paths.

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Denton, TX, United States of America

Alfonso Rodriguez-Herrera