MIMO OTA Testing in Small Multiprobe Anechoic Chamber Setups

Abstract

Over-the-air (OTA) testing of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable terminals is often performed in large anechoic chambers, where planar waves impinging the test area are assumed. Furthermore, reflections from the chamber and probe coupling are often considered negligible due to the large dimensions of the chamber. This letter investigates the feasibility of reducing the physical dimension of 2-D multiprobe anechoic chamber setups for MIMO OTA testing, with the purpose of reducing the cost and space of the setup. In the letter, a channel emulation algorithm and chamber compensation technique are proposed for MIMO OTA testing in small anechoic chambers. The performance deterioration in a small anechoic chamber, i.e., with a ring radius of 0.5 m, is demonstrated via simulations.