Channel Emulator Port Concatenation for AAS Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for testing Advanced Antenna Systems (AAS) using channel emulators are inefficient due to the requirement for multiple emulators when the AAS radio has more ports than the channel emulator, leading to high costs and limited test coverage.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that concatenate AAS radio ports to utilize a minimum number of channel emulator ports by employing elevation and azimuth steering devices within the RF apparatus and channel emulator, respectively, to emulate wireless communication channels, allowing for comprehensive testing with fewer emulators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple channel emulators are used to test AAS radio ports, then comprehensive performance evaluation is achieved, but testing cost increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple channel emulator functions into a single emulator by implementing port concatenation technology. The single channel emulator is configured to emulate multiple wireless communication channels simultaneously, allowing it to replace multiple separate emulators. This merging approach maintains comprehensive performance evaluation capability while reducing the number of required devices and simplifying the testing system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enhances the functionality of a single channel emulator to perform multiple roles. The emulator is designed with universal capabilities to handle port concatenation, emulate multiple channels, and support both azimuth and elevation beamforming testing. This multi-functionality allows one device to replace several specialized emulators, reducing system complexity while maintaining testing comprehensiveness.
2Device complexity
If port concatenation is implemented, then the number of channel emulators is reduced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary configuration layer between the physical ports and the emulated channels. This configuration layer maps physical port connections to logical channel representations, providing a standardized interface that simplifies detection and measurement. The intermediary layer handles the complexity of port concatenation internally while presenting a simplified view to the testing operations, making the system easier to use despite the underlying complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for emulating a plurality of wireless communication channels is provided. The system includes a plurality of elevation steering devices configured to modify at least one elevation characteristic of a plurality of signals and a plurality of combiners. Each combiner is configured to combine at least two signals of the plurality of signals to output a combined signal. The plurality of combiners output a plurality of combined signals. The system includes a plurality of azimuth steering devices configured to modify at least one azimuth characteristic of the plurality of combined signals. The plurality of elevation steering devices and the plurality of azimuth steering devices emulate the plurality of wireless communication channels.