Over-the-Air Testing of MIMO-Capable Terminals: Evaluation of Multiple-Antenna Systems in Realistic Multipath Propagation Environments Using an OTA Method

A new over-the-air (OTA) testing method is required for evaluating multiple-antenna systems in realistic multipath propagation environments. Antenna design and propagation channels are the two key parameters that ultimately determine the multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) device performance. As antennas are inherently included in OTA testing, it is important to also consider realistic channel models for MIMO device-performance evaluation. This article shows that the multiprobe anechoic chamber (MPAC) setup is capable of emulating realistic and accurate multipath environments, making it a suitable method for testing terminals equipped with multiple antennas. In comparison to the mode-stirred reverberation chamber (RC) setup that represents an isotropic multipath environment, the MPAC method is capable of generating arbitrary spatial channel models with polarization characteristics.