Analyzing Measurement Errors Associated with the Millimeter Wave Channel Sounder

Abstract

Propagation measurements made by millimeter wave channel sounders are expected to be vital for the development of 5G radio systems, but there are many challenges that arise when collecting data. In addition to the high costs and specialized equipment required to make such measurements, there are many errors that arise when working with these channel sounders. In this project, two important issues were examined. These involved errors in measured distances and angle relative to the transmitter, which have large effects when dealing with these small wavelengths. Errors in these values impact the path loss calculations as well as angle of arrival estimates for radio signals. As such, minimizing and finding bounds on the errors was vital to ensure accurate results. This project made use of a mobile robotic system that hosted a receiving channel sounder for these millimeter waves. The robot reported back its coordinates and heading while traveling, which was used to calculate the distance between the transmitter and the robot. Using surveying techniques and equipment, the accuracy of the robot’s reports were tested against the reported surveying results to determine the error in positions. In addition, knowing the error in the heading of the robot was essential to determine the angle of arrival of radio signals. The measurement of heading errors involved the traditional use of trigonometry and a laser range finder. Given these results, the propagation in the errors can then be analyzed in the parent functions to see how it ultimately affects the measurements taken from the channel sounder.

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