WML: Bridging from Conductive to Over-The-Air Characterization and Test for Integrated Active Antenna Systems Using Reverberation Techniques

Presentation Abstract
The market for integrated active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems is rapidly growing for ground-based and satellite telecommunications, as well as for automotive and aerospace and defense applications. Engineers, accustomed to traditional conductive characterization of RF front-ends, are increasingly confronted with over-the-air (OTA) interfaces, which makes their jobs more difficult in designing the test setups and measurement techniques while keeping measurement uncertainties small. Besides the wide use of anechoic chambers, reverberation chambers have been researched and explored for the past years to characterize different aspects of AESA / MIMO systems OTA with the focus on their active or electronic behavior, ie separate from the antenna characteristics. The goal of the workshop is to inform engineers about the state-of-the-art in reverberation measurement techniques, how they differ from those of anechoic chambers and how one may gain certain insights into the electronic behavior behind the antenna, similar to what traditional conducted measurements provided. The concepts and some exciting results will be demonstrated to make it more tangible. Attendees will learn how to make better tradeoffs related to selecting the proper characterization and test methods in every stage of AESA / MIMO product development, ie from characterizing the first design, to design validation and production.