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3D Spherical antenna measurement system for CTIA OTA testing and

characterizing of mobile MIMO terminals

Conference Paper · November 2006

DOI: 10.1109/ISAPE.2006.353370 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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 School of Engineering
Information and Communications University

Subject:
3D Spherical Antenna Measurement System for CTIA OTA Testing and Characterizing of Mobile MIMO Terminals
Authors: Jung-Hwan Choi, Yong-Sun Shin, Ki-Bok Kong and Seong-Ook Park
Topic: Antenna Measurements

Authors Information
Authors A. (Corresponding Author)
1. Jung-Hwan Choi, Ph.D. Candidate in school of engineering, ICU
2. 119, Munjiro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-732, Korea,
Microwave and Antenna Laboratory, Information and Communications University
3. Email: [email protected]
4. URL: http://ma.icu.ac.kr
5. Fax: +82-42-866-6227
6. Tel: +82-42-866-6511

Authors B.
1. Yong-Sun Shin, Ph.D. Candidate in school of engineering, ICU
2. 119, Munjiro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-732, Korea,
Microwave and Antenna Laboratory, Information and Communications University
3. Email: [email protected]
4. URL: http://ma.icu.ac.kr
5. Fax: +82-42-866-6227
6. Tel: +82-42-866-6202

Authors C.
1. Ki-Bok Kong, Research Professor in school of engineering, ICU
2. 119, Munjiro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-732, Korea,
Microwave and Antenna Laboratory, Information and Communications University
3. Email: [email protected]
4. URL: http://ma.icu.ac.kr
5. Fax: +82-42-866-6227
6. Tel: +82-42-866-6297

Authors D.
1. Seong-Ook Park, Associate Professor in school of engineering, ICU
2. 119, Munjiro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-732, Korea,
Microwave and Antenna Laboratory, Information and Communications University
3. Email: [email protected]
4. URL: http://ma.icu.ac.kr
5. Fax: +82-42-866-6227
6. Tel: +82-42-866-6132
 3D Spherical Antenna Measurement System for CTIA OTA Testing
and Characterizing of Mobile MIMO Terminals
Jung-Hwan Choi*, Yong-Sun Shin, Ki-Bok Kong, and Seong-Ook Park
Information and Communications University, Daejeon, Korea
*Email:[email protected]

Abstract antenna in mobile terminals has been arisen as the hot

This paper describes the 3D spherical antenna issue [2-4]. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate
measurement system for a passive antenna measurement, 3D spherical antenna measurement system and to show
CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications & Internet the feasibility of passive and active measurement (CTIA
Association) OTA (Over The Air) testing and OTA testing procedure) and a simple evaluation of an
characterizing of mobile MIMO (Multiple-Input experimental model of the mobile MIMO terminal.
Multiple-Output) terminals. The measurements of the
monopole box are performed for the calibration of the 2. Spherical antenna measurement system
proposed measurement system. Finally, the proposed
system is able to measure the experimental model of Three-dimensional radiation patterns are needed to
MIMO terminal with adapting the diversity antenna calculate various parameters of antennas. Measurements
system. and evaluation can be done by a spherical antenna
measurement system. Largely, these systems are able to
Keywords: Antenna measurement, CTIA, OTA, divide into 2 types; a distributed axis system, a
diversity antennas, mobile MIMO terminals, mobile combined-axis system.
communications. The figure 1 shows the overall schematic diagram of
the developed spherical antenna measurement system
This system, which has the distributed axes for azimuth
1. Introduction and elevation scanning, can measure three-dimensional
radiation pattern for electrically small antenna in the
To predict and estimate the performance of antennas far-field range directly. To measure the horizontal and
rapidly and accurately are important in mobile vertical component of fields rapidly, a dual polarized
communications because the communication horn antenna (ETS-Lindgren, 3164-04) is used as a
performance of mobile terminals is mainly determined probe with a SPDT microwave switch. Figure 2 shows
by antennas. To investigate the performance of antennas, the developed software that perform the role as user
a passive antenna measurement is widely used in the interface of the measurement system, motion control,
handset development process. However, with data collecting, data post-processing, and the export
considering the real environment, the passive one is not function.
enough to ensure the acceptable sensitivity of mobile Also it can be able to extend CTIA OTA testing such
terminals because various factors in actual mobile as TRP, TIS with popular base station simulators, for
terminals affect its sensitivity performance. Therefore, example, Agilent 8960 and R&S CMU200. In addition, a
both a passive and an active antenna measurement diversity antenna system used in mobile MIMO
should be considered to improve communication terminals can be estimated in terms of spatial correlation,
reliability. CTIA provides the guideline for OTA diversity gain, mean effect gain, and so on.
performance testing such as TRP (Total Radiated Power) Because a gear or belt have an inherent backlash
and TIS (Total Isotropic Sensitivity). It is considered as mechanically, a positioning error is inevitable. As the
standard evaluation criteria of AMPS, CDMA, TDMA, radius of rotation become larger, the cumulated
GSM, GPRS and EGPRS in the commercial service positioning error is quiet large at the edge of rotation. To
industry [1]. eliminate these errors, this system employs DDR (Direct
In MIMO wireless systems, the antenna diversity Drive Rotator) at both azimuth and elevation axis. After
technique is used to reduce multi-path fading and to fine-tuning of the measurement system, the precise
improve the mobile channel capacity. Applying this positioning performance can be obtained.
technique into the mobile terminals is a hot topic in The support bar for the elevation scanning of the
antenna industry. Since there have no standard guideline probe is made of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) to
unlike single antenna systems, the estimation of multiple minimize reflection and perturbation and to guarantee
 Figure 1. Spherical antenna measurement sytem

Figure 4. Measured 3D co-polarized radiation pattern

of the simple handset model at 1.9 GHz

handset reference antenna. It is operating at 1.9 GHz and

has typical radiation characteristics of a general
monopole antenna. The measured results of the reference
model are obtained in fully anechoic chamber.
Figure 4 shows the measured 3D co-polarized
radiation pattern of the monopole box model at 1.9 GHz.
The elevation plane is measured at the each discrete
degree of 15° from 0° to 165°. Also the azimuth plane is
measured at the same 15° from 0° to 360°. It doesn’t
Figure 2. The developed SW of the measurement measure the radiated value at 180° because of its
system mechanical limitation. However it doesn’t affect the
manipulated results such as gain, efficiency, TRP and
TIS in discrete equation forms.
The measured result as shown in Fig. 4 has a typical
tendency of a monopole antenna. Because the facility is
not installed in anechoic chamber currently, a little of
roughness in the measured radiation pattern appears.
Through measurements of 3D radiation patterns by
the same way above, the values of TRP, TIS can be
calculated using equation (1) and (2).

π N −1 M −1
TRP =
2MN
∑∑[EIRPθ (θ ,φ ) + EIRPφ (θ ,φ )]sin(θ )
i =1 j =0
i j i j i (1)

2 NM
TIS = N −1 M −1
(2)
(a) (b) π ∑∑ [1/ EISθ (θi ,φ j ) + 1/ EISφ (θi ,φ j )]sin(θi )
Figure 3. The monopole box (a) dimensions, (b) i =1 j = 0
picture (unit : mm)

the space between the elevation axis and AUT. Without 4. Measurement of the experimental model of the
any additional equipment, most of commercial bands can mobile MIMO terminal
be measured using this system from 0.8 GHz to 6 GHz.
In MIMO wireless systems, the antenna diversity
3. Measurement of the simple handset model and technique is used to reduce multi-path fading and to
CTIA OTA testing procedure improve the mobile channel capacity. Under multi-path
environments like an urban and an office, the actual
The monopole box shown in figure 3 is used as the
 model are shown in Fig. 5. This model is a type of a
printed planar monopole antenna, adapted to a PCMCIA
(Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association) network card for practical laptop
applications [6].
The radiation patterns of the diversity antenna are
measured by the developed 3D antenna measurement
system. Figure 6 shows the measured 3D co-polarized
radiation pattern at 5.15 GHz after the antenna 2 is
matched to 50 ohm. Also, figure 7 shows the measured
3D co-polarized radiation pattern at 5.15 GHz after the
antenna 1 is matched to 50 ohm. These results show how
Figure 5. Geometry of the experimental model of the the diversity antenna system is operated spatially. In the
diversity antenna (unit : mm) multi-path environment, the signals arrived from the
different directions can be received more well. Through
measured results, some criteria can be calculated such as
complex correlation and mean effective gain using [5,
eq.1] and [5, eq.30].

5. Conclusion
This paper describes the developed 3D spherical
antenna measurement system. It can perform the antenna
measurement of 3D radiation patterns in the far-field
region rapidly. This system can be applied to test CTIA
OTA performance testing and estimate the spatial
characteristics of the diversity antenna system.
Figure 6. Measured 3D co-polarized radiation pattern
of the antenna 1 of the experimental model at 5.15 References
GHz [1] CTIA Certification Test Plan for Mobile Station Over
the Air Performance, Method of Measurement for
Radiated RF Power and Receiver Performance, Rev.
2.1 (2005).
[2] C. Braun, G. Engblom and C. Bechman, “Evaluation
of Antenna Diversity Performance for Mobile
Handsets using 3D Measurement Data,” IEEE Trans.
Antenna and Propagation, Vol. 47, pp.1736 – 1738
(1999)
[3] M. Karaboikis, C. Soras and V. Makios, “Compact
Dual-Printed Inverted-F Antenna Diversity System
for Portable Wireless Devices,” IEEE Antennas and
Wireless Propagat. Lett., Vol. 3, pp.9 – 14 (2004).
[4] K. Ogawa, H. Iwai and N. Hatakenaka,
“3D-Radiation Measurements of a Handset Diversity
Figure 7. Measured 3D co-polarized radiation pattern
Antenna Close To a Realistic Human Phantom in a
of the antenna 2 of the experimental model at 5.15 PDA situation,” IEEE Antenna and Propagat. Society
GHz International Symposium, Vol. 2, pp. 1029 – 1032
(2003).
channel capacity of the diversity antenna system can be [5] T. W. C. Brown, S. R. Saunders and B. G. Evans,
evaluated statistically and spatially. But, an outside “Analysis of Mobile Terminal Diversity Antennas,”
experiment is time-consuming work and influenced by a IEE Proceedings Microwave, Antennas and
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overcome the development speed of the present mobile [6] Y. S. Shin and S. O. Park, “Diversity Planar
communication industry. To show measurement abilities, Monopole Antenna for WLAN application,”
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The geometry and dimensions of the experimental

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