Simulation and testing study of the active antenna system for the 5G base station

Abstract

Nowadays, the active antenna system (AAS) has been developed and employed by the 5G New Radio technology to realize the massive multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) and the 3D beamforming. Numerical modeling of the AAS can help the engineer analyze the AAS performance and measure the 5G base station efficiently. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method combined with the Complex Frequency Shifted-Perfect matched layer (CFS-PML) is employed for the AAS radiation pattern simulation. The Over the Air (OTA) testing method is more efficient and practical for the 5G AAS base station. The compact antenna test range (CATR) is introduced and employed to study the key radio frequency parameters, such as the Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), Total Radiated Power (TRP), Equivalent Isotropic Sensitivity (EIS). Moreover, a 3D AAS radiation pattern has been simulated in the CATR.