Compact 28-GHz phased array antenna for 5G access

Requirements of upcoming 5G millimeter-wave communications, such as high antenna gain and beamforming agility, are addressed by designing, manufacturing and measuring a compact and scalable phased array antenna for 28-GHz access network. The antenna is based on a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) with 64 radiating elements and 16 commercial quad-core monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) providing independent 5-bit phase and amplitude controls for each radiating element. The focus is on measured radiation patterns, which show good characteristics (beamwidth, side lobe level, cross-polar discrimination, beam steering range) and correspondence with theory, even without calibration. The antenna reaches effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) up to 48 dBm. Measurements with real modulated signal confirm the feasibility of the antenna for multi-Gbps communications.