A Low-Cost and Very Compact Wireless Terminal Integrated on the Back of a Waveguide Planar Array for 26 GHz Band Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Systems

A compact wireless terminal (WT) with a high-gain planar array has been developed for the Wireless IP Access System (WIPAS), which is a point-to-multipoint Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) system in the 26 GHz band. For the point-to-multipoint FWA services in rural areas, the drastic cost and size reduction of WT with the high-gain antennas and RF module is indispensable. In this paper, remarkable cost reduction of 1/10 and downsizing of 1/5 are realized by using an alternating phase fed single layer waveguide array antenna and Microwave Monolithic IC (MMIC) technologies. This terminal is 190 190 55 mm in volume and less than 2.0 kg in weight which accommodates over 31 dBi very high efficiency antenna with a radome, RF module, IF modules, application specific IC (ASIC) for modem, time division multiple access (TDMA) equipment control, and medium access control (MAC). Only an Ethernet cable with 24 V dc power supply is attached on the terminal.