Design and Simulation of a 28 GHz Plane Wave Generator for NR Measurements

Design constraints for a plane wave generating array antenna at mm-wave frequencies are investigated. Focus is on how to realize the power distribution network and the amplitude tapering of the array element excitation in a cost-effective manner. These are key decisions that need to be made for a plane wave generator. In this paper, we specifically look at a few design solutions which are constrained by practically realizable tapering distributions. It is shown that the best tapering distribution, taking into account the design aspects of a realistic distribution network, is different from the best solution for an ideal radiating aperture. We also briefly discuss the impact of the radiating antenna element and show that it has a minor impact on the end performance.