McCormack, Justine and Cooper, Tim and Farrell, Ronan (2007) Tower-Top Antenna Array Calibration Scheme for Next Generation Networks. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking (41941). ISSN 1687-1499

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2007 Justine McCormack et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords:	Coupler; Antenna Array; Array Size; Smart Antenna; Calibration Scheme;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Electronic Engineering Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Institute of Microelectronics and Wireless Systems
Item ID:	10290
Depositing User:	Ronan Farrell
Date Deposited:	05 Dec 2018 17:08
Journal or Publication Title:	EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking
Publisher:	Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Refereed:	Yes
Funders:	Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
URI:	https://jwcn-eurasipjournals.springerope...
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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