Performance of integrated antenna arrays for MIMO enabled laptops

Abstract

This work compares the system-level performance of two laptop antenna array designs for MIMO communications. The arrays are integrated into laptop display housings and differ in that one array has elements with directional radiation patterns while the other has elements designed for omnidirectional radiation. The performance of each laptop array is tested using a pair of MIMO radios in a full range of indoor multipath scenarios. The performance of both arrays is then compared using MIMO capacity related metrics. It has been shown that antenna arrays must have omnidirectional elements and low mutual coupling to be optimal in the MIMO sense. The results presented in this study show how well this requirement is met by an array of integrated back-to-back elements.