Skip to main content
EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking
Download PDF
  • Research Article
  • Open access
  • Published:

Tower-Top Antenna Array Calibration Scheme for Next Generation Networks

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking volume 2007, Article number: 041941 (2007) Cite this article

Abstract

Recently, there has been increased interest in moving the RF electronics in basestations from the bottom of the tower to the top, yielding improved power efficiencies and reductions in infrastructural costs. Tower-top systems have faced resistance in the past due to such issues as increased weight, size, and poor potential reliability. However, modern advances in reducing the size and complexity of RF subsystems have made the tower-top model more viable. Tower-top relocation, however, faces many significant engineering challenges. Two such challenges are the calibration of the tower-top array and ensuring adequate reliability. We present a tower-top smart antenna calibration scheme designed for high-reliability tower-top operation. Our calibration scheme is based upon an array of coupled reference elements which sense the array's output. We outline the theoretical limits of the accuracy of this calibration, using simple feedback-based calibration algorithms, and present their predicted performance based on initial prototyping of a precision coupler circuit for a array. As the basis for future study a more sophisticated algorithm for array calibration is also presented whose performance improves with array size.

[1234567891011121314151617181920212223]

References

  1. Tyler N, Allen B, Aghvami H: Adaptive antennas: the calibration problem. IEEE Communications Magazine 2004,42(12):114-122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Simmonds CM, Beach MA: Downlink calibration requirements for the TSUNAMI (II) adaptive antenna testbed. Proceedings of the 9th IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC '98), September 1998, Boston, Mass, USA 3: 1260-1264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Sakaguchi K, Kuroda K, Takada J-I, Araki K: Comprehensive calibration for MIMO system. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications (WPMC 3'02), October 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 2: 440-443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. See CMS: Sensor array calibration in the presence of mutual coupling and unknown sensor gains and phases. Electronics Letters 1994,30(5):373-374. 10.1049/el:19940288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Sorace R: Phased array calibration. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation 2001,49(4):517-525. 10.1109/8.923310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Dandekar KR, Hao L, Guanghan X: Smart antenna array calibration procedure including amplitude and phase mismatch and mutual coupling effects. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Personal Wireless Communications (ICPWC '00), December 2000, Hyderabad, India 293-297.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kaiser T: When will smart antennas be ready for the market? Part I. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine 2005,22(2):87-92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Rayal F: Why have smart antennas not yet gained traction with wireless network operators? IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine 2005,47(6):124-126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Brown G: 3G base station design and wireless network economics. Unstrung Insider 2006,5(10):1-30.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fredrick JD, Wang Y, Itoh T: A smart antenna receiver array using a single RF channel and digital beamforming. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 2002,50(12):3052-3058. 10.1109/TMTT.2002.805150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ishii S, Hoshikuki A, Kohno R: Space hopping scheme under short range Rician multipath fading environment. Proceedings of the 52nd Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC '00), September 2000, Boston, Mass, USA 1: 99-104.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cooper AJ: 'Fibre/radio' for the provision of cordless/mobile telephony services in the access network. Electronics Letters 1990,26(24):2054-2056. 10.1049/el:19901325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Brown G: Open basestation bonanza. Unstrung Insider 2005,4(7):1-20.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cooper T, Farrell R: Value-chain engineering of a tower-top cellular base station system. Proceedings of the IEEE 65th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC '07), April 2007, Dublin, Ireland 3184-3188.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Cooper TS, Farrell R, Baldwin G: Array Calibration. Patent Pending S2006/0482.

  16. Cooper T, McCormack J, Farrell R, Baldwin G: Toward scalable, automated tower-top phased array calibration. Proceedings of the IEEE 65th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC '07), April 2007, Dublin, Ireland 362-366.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Analog Devices Datasheet : 400 MSPS 14-Bit DAC 1.8V CMOS Direct Digital Synthesizer. 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cooper TS, Baldwin G, Farrell R: Six-port precision directional coupler. Electronics Letters 2006,42(21):1232-1234. 10.1049/el:20062331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Agilent EEsof Palo Alto, Calif, USA. Advanced Design System, Momentum.

  20. CadSoft Computer 801 South Federal Hwy., Suite 201, Delray Beach, FL 33483-5185. Eagle.

  21. ECS Circuits Unit 2, Western Business Park, Oak Close, Dublin 12, Ireland.

  22. Rhode & Schwartz Vertiriebs-GmbH Muehldorfstrasse 15, 81671 Muenchen, Germany.

  23. Hromkovic J: Algorithmics for Hard Problems. 2nd edition. Springer, Berlin, Germany; 2004.

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain Research, Institute of Microelectronics and Wireless Systems, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland

    Justine McCormack, Tim Cooper & Ronan Farrell

Authors
  1. Justine McCormack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tim Cooper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ronan Farrell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justine McCormack.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCormack, J., Cooper, T. & Farrell, R. Tower-Top Antenna Array Calibration Scheme for Next Generation Networks. J Wireless Com Network 2007, 041941 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/41941

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/41941

Keywords