Semi-Active TDD Base Station Antenna With TxRx Timing Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing base station antenna systems face issues with high installation and maintenance costs due to integrated active antennas, signal loss in coaxial cables, and deficiencies in beam steering, particularly in 5G NR networks with m-MIMO antennas.
Innovation Solution
A time division duplex semi-active base station antenna system with integrated transmission/reception-combined antenna elements, a TxRx switching block, and a TxRx timing recovery block, allowing separate transmission and reception paths through timing signals, reducing the need for external integration with RRH units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If an integrated active antenna structure is used to reduce cable loss, then signal transmission quality is improved, but installation and maintenance costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the antenna system into separate active components (transmitter and receiver) and passive components (antenna elements), allowing the active components to be located remotely in RRH units while the passive antenna elements remain on the tower. This segmentation reduces the need for expensive integrated active antennas while maintaining signal quality through separate transmission and reception paths.
2Productivity
If m-MIMO antennas with integrated radio units are deployed to improve transmission capacity, then data transmission speed and capacity are enhanced, but initial installation cost increases dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna elements are designed to support multiple functions: they can be used with different RRH units, support both transmission and reception modes, and work across multiple frequency bands. This multi-functionality allows a single antenna structure to serve various purposes, reducing the need for specialized expensive m-MIMO integrated antennas while maintaining high transmission capacity.
3Reliability
If integrated active antennas are used to improve uplink coverage, then signal reception capability is enhanced, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The active components (power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, signal processing units) are extracted from the antenna structure itself and placed in separate RRH units located on the ground. This extraction simplifies the antenna structure to passive elements that are easier to install and maintain, while the active components remain accessible for maintenance and can be replaced independently if needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a time division duplex semi-active base station antenna system. The time division duplex semi-active base station antenna system includes: an antenna block including a plurality of transmission/reception-combined antenna elements; a TxRx switching block configured to separate a transmission path and a reception path, which are connected to the transmission/reception-combined antenna elements, from each other by a timing signal for time division control; and a TxRx timing recovery block configured to generate the timing signal from a transmission signal provided from a radio unit.