Systems and methods for performing multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) over-the-air testing

• US 10,033,473 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kyrolainen, Jukka, Kyosti, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Trandai, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US15/412,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/3911 Fading models or fading generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/3912 Simulation models, e.g. distribution of spectral power density or received signal strength indicator [RSSI] for a given geographic region
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) over-the-air (OTA) test system and method are provided that enable a device under test (DUT) to be tested that has no antenna connectors for interfacing antenna elements of the DUT with the MIMO OTA test system. The MIMO OTA test system and method can include a lens system that allows the OTA tests to be performed in a radiating near-field zone, thereby allowing a relatively small and less expensive anechoic chamber to be used in the MIMO OTA test system.

Claims

1. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) over-the-air (OTA) test system for testing a device under test (DUT), the test system comprising:

a transmitter device having a plurality of antenna ports from which a plurality of time-varying radio frequency (RF) signals are transmitted;

a fading emulator having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, the time-varying RF signals being received in the input ports, the fading emulator being configured to operate on the received time-varying RF signals in accordance with a preselected reference channel model and a set of fading channel coefficients to produce a plurality of time-varying RF output signals, the time-varying RF output signals being outputted from the fading emulator via the output ports of the fading emulator;

an anechoic chamber, an array of probe antenna elements being disposed in the anechoic chamber and electrically coupled to the output ports of the fading emulator to receive the time-varying RF output signals outputted from the output ports of the fading emulator, the array of probe antenna elements emitting an electromagnetic (EM) beam having a predetermined beamform and beamshape that are based on the preselected reference channel model and the fading channel coefficients, wherein the DUT is disposed in the anechoic chamber and has a plurality of antenna elements electromagnetically coupled via a non-wired, air interface with the array of probe antenna elements, the antenna elements of the DUT detecting the EM beam and producing RF output signals; and

a test system computer that is in communication with at least the DUT and the fading emulator via respective communication links, wherein the test system computer configures the fading emulator with the preselected reference channel model and the set of fading channel coefficients to cause the EM beam emitted by the array of probe antenna elements to have the predetermined beamform and beamshape, and wherein the test system computer receives measurement information from the DUT relating to the RF output signals produced by the antenna elements of the DUT.

2. The test system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens system between the array of probe antenna elements and the DUT, the lens system coupling the EM beam onto the antenna elements of the DUT.

3. The test system of claim 2, wherein the DUT is located within a radiating near-field zone of the array of probe antenna elements.

4. The test system of claim 1, wherein the DUT is located within a radiating far-field zone of the array of probe antenna elements.

5. The test system of claim 1, wherein the DUT comprises a base station and the transmitter device comprises a user equipment (UE) device or UE device emulator.

6. The test system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device comprises a base station and the DUT comprises a user equipment (UE) device or UE device emulator.

7. The test system of claim 1, wherein the DUT includes no external antenna connectors for electrically interfacing the test system with the antenna elements of the DUT.

8. The test system of claim 1, wherein the test system computer executes an algorithm that calculates weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

9. The test system of claim 1, wherein the test system computer executes an algorithm that determines weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model via a calibration process and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

10. The test system of claim 1, wherein the test system computer executes an algorithm that obtains weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and causes the weighting coefficients to be uploaded to the fading emulator, and wherein the fading emulator couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

11. A method for testing a device under test (DUT) in an anechoic chamber of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) over-the-air (OTA) test system, the method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of time-varying radio frequency (RF) signals from a plurality of antenna ports of a transmitter device of the MIMO OTA system;

receiving the time-varying RF signals in respective input ports of a fading emulator of the MIMO OTA system, operating on the received time-varying RF signals in accordance with a preselected reference channel model and a set of fading channel coefficients to produce a plurality of time-varying RF output signals, and outputting the time-varying RF output signals from the fading emulator from output ports of the fading emulator;

receiving the time-varying RF output signals with an array of probe antenna elements of the anechoic chamber electrically coupled to the output ports of the fading emulator of the MIMO OTA test system, respectively, and performing beamforming and beamshaping operations in accordance with the received time-varying RF output signals to emit an electromagnetic (EM) beam from the array of probe antenna elements having a predetermined beamform and beamshape that are based on the preselected channel reference model and on the set of fading channel coefficients;

prior to transmitting the plurality of time-varying RF signals from the antenna ports of the transmitter device, configuring the fading emulator, using a test system computer that is in communication with the fading emulator and with the DUT via respective communication links, with the preselected reference channel model and the set of fading channel coefficients to cause the EM beam emitted by the array of probe antenna elements to have the predetermined beamform and beamshape;

detecting the EM beam with a plurality of antenna elements of the DUT, and producing RF output signals; and

receiving measurement information at the test system computer from the DUT relating to the RF output signals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling the EM beam having the predetermined beamform and beamshape onto the antenna elements of the DUT using a lens system disposed in the anechoic chamber between the array of probe antenna elements and the DUT.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the DUT is located within a radiating near-field zone of the array of probe antenna elements.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the DUT is located within a radiating far-field zone of the array of probe antenna elements.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the DUT comprises a base station and the transmitter device comprises a user equipment (UE) device or UE device emulator.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitter device comprises a base station and the DUT comprises a user equipment (UE) device or UE device emulator.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the DUT includes no external antenna connectors for electrically interfacing the test system with the antenna elements of the DUT.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the test system computer obtains the set of fading channel coefficients by executing an algorithm that calculates weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the test system computer obtains the set of fading channel coefficients by executing an algorithm that determines weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model via a calibration process and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the test system computer executes an algorithm that obtains weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and causes the weighting coefficients to be uploaded to the fading emulator, and wherein the fading emulator couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

21. A computer program comprising computer code for execution by a test system computer of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) over-the-air (OTA) test system for causing a fading emulator of the MIMO OTA test system to operate on time-varying RF signals received at input ports of the fading emulator in accordance with a preselected reference channel model and a set of fading channel coefficients and produce a plurality of time-varying RF output signals, the computer code being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer code comprising:

a first code portion that executes an algorithm that obtains the set of fading channel coefficients; and

a second code portion that configures the fading emulator to model the preselected reference channel model with the obtained set of fading channel coefficients, causing the fading emulator to operate on the time-varying RF signals received at the input ports in accordance with the preselected reference channel model to produce time-varying RF output signals output to an array of probe antenna elements of an anechoic chamber including a device under test (DUT), the array of probe antenna elements emitting an electromagnetic (EM) beam, having a predetermined beamform and beamshape based on the preselected reference channel model, received by the DUT.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the first code portion includes computer code that calculates weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

23. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the first code portion includes computer code that determines weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model via a calibration process and couples the weighting coefficients with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.

24. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the first code portion includes computer code that obtains weighting coefficients for the preselected reference channel model and causes the weighting coefficients to be uploaded to the fading emulator to be coupled by the fading emulator with channel coefficients of the preselected reference channel model to obtain the set of fading channel coefficients.