A new approach to antenna beamforming for millimeter-wave fifth generation (5G) systems

Abstract

A proposed antenna system for a 5th generation millimeter wave radio that employs digital beamforming is demonstrated and its measured performance is compared with simulated results. The design approach, based on a pair of identical antenna arrays that are placed in proximity to one another, violates rules of traditional beamforming antenna array design to avoid the high-complexity associated with the calibration and to simplify over-the-air (OTA) testing. The antenna arrays are realized on a multi-layer printed-circuit board (PCB) alongside the radio circuitry, and they rely on a low-loss top-layer dielectric material (Rogers 4350).