Feasibility and Challenges of Over-The-Air Testing for 5G Millimeter Wave Devices

The evolution from 1G through 5G cellular technologies has been fueled mainly by the insatiable need for speed, lower latency, high reliability and enhanced flexibility of use across the wireless ecosystem. Using multiple antennas in conjunction with complex modulation schemes has rendered each generation of cellular technology an enhanced version over its former counterpart. 5G technology aims to exploit previously unchartered higher millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies & larger bandwidths towards realizing the goal of greater data throughput, while simultaneously enhancing data reliability and reducing latency. The small wavelength of mmWave signals makes it possible to design 5G devices using several multi-element phased array antennas with small element-element spacing. However, unlike the antenna designs of 2G/3G/4G devices, 5G multi-element antennas would be integrated with the radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) board of the 5G device. The tight integration between antennas and RFIC renders the antenna port of the device under test (DUT) inaccessible for physical connections using cables/connectors to the test equipment. Since conducted testing with cables is not feasible anymore, radiated over-the-air (OTA) testing becomes mandatory for 5G mmWave device verification. This paper aims to assess the feasibility of candidate OTA test methods for 5G mmWave test requirements. The challenges of testing 5G mmWave devices over-the-air have been elucidated and alternative OTA test solutions for overcoming these challenges have also been discussed.