On the number of required probes for anechoic chamber based method for MIMO OTA testing

The state of the art in measurement methods for the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) capable equipment are discussed in this paper. The principles of four anechoic chamber based candidates in standardization organizations are explained. Conventionally, most of these candidates would ask for 8 probes or more to perform test correctly. The idea of Selectively Distributing Probes Algorithm (SDPA) is briefly introduced, which reveals the possibility to reduce the number of required probes used for channel reconstruction. The effectiveness of this algorithm is proved by both simulations and practical measurements under Urban Microcell (UMi) channel model.