OTA testing system and method for 5G large-scale array antenna testing

Abstract

The invention provides an OTA testing system and method for 5G large-scale array antenna testing. The OTA testing method comprises the steps that a near-field sampling probe returns an in-place confirmation signal to a multi-task control device every time the near-field sampling probe reaches a spatial sampling point; the multi-task control device responds to the signal in real time and sends thestored test task information to an array plane control device in sequence; the array plane control device sequentially generates corresponding beams to be measured; a to-be-tested large-scale array antenna deviceand the near-field sampling probe transmit or receive test signals; the to-be-tested large-scale array antenna device converts a radio frequency test signal into an IQ test signal, generates an IQ reference signal and sends the IQ reference signal to a test computer; and the test computer performs normalization processing on the IQ test digital signal based on the IQ reference digitalsignal, and determines the OTA performance index of the to-be-tested large-scale array antenna device through near-far field transformation. According to the scheme, OTA performance testing of multiple beam states under multiple frequency points of the to-be-tested equipment can be completed through single scanning.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of OTA testing, in particular to an OTA testing system and method for 5G large-scale array antenna testing. Background technique [0002] With the development of mobile broadband networks (5G, 6G), the future of mobile communication antennas is developing in the direction of large-scale array, multi-frequency, multi-beam, active integration, and miniaturization. The rapid development of mobile communication antenna technology and antenna industry scale has brought new challenges to antenna test accuracy, test efficiency and test functions of antenna measurement sites. [0003] Massive MIMO large-scale array antennas and the introduction of new spectrum in the millimeter wave band are the key technologies for 5G to achieve a significant increase in spectral efficiency and system capacity. Large-scale antenna arrays can support multiple independent spatial data streams by increasing the number of antennas on ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0007] The 5G large-scale array antenna system is based on a system architecture that is deeply integrated with large-scale antenna arrays and multi-channel radio frequency devices. It is difficult to separate antennas and radio frequency devices. Therefore, base station testing has to break the traditional passive antenna pattern and conducted radio frequency index tests. In this way, the antenna index and radio frequency index are combined, and the OTA test scheme is adopted; in order to meet the requirements of diverse application scenarios of 5G, the beam radiation characteristics of large-scale antenna array systems tend to be complicated, and the antenna radiation characteristic test also needs to be tested from the traditional one. The single-dimensional single-beam shape test has evolved to the three-dimensional multi-beam shape test; different from the traditional passive base station antenna or analog beamforming architecture, the 5G large-scale array antenna system adopts digital or digital-analog hybrid beamforming architecture, which is very important for the test system. Test accuracy and test efficiency pose great challenges

[0009] For the far-field (tight field) test system: the construction of the far-field (tight field) to meet the test requirements of 5G large-scale array antenna system is huge, and the construction cost of the darkroom is extremely high; facing the complex beam radiation of 5G large-scale antenna array system characteristics, the process of finding the main beam and testing the cut plane is lengthy and inefficient

[0010] In addition, whether it is a far-field (compressed field) or spherical near-field test system, a single scan can only complete the measurement of one beam state, which is difficult to meet the engineering test requirements in complex beam radiation scenarios in the 5G era

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