A Novel Reconfigurable Test Zone Based Multi-Probe Anechoic Chamber Setup for Virtual Drive Testing

With the rapid development of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), the demand for evaluating in-vehicle wireless communication system performance is increasing. This paper focuses on Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Over-the-Air (OTA) testing for vehicles using the Multi-Probe Anechoic Chamber (MPAC) method. To address the issue of an excessively large test zone caused by the vehicle's size in whole-vehicle testing, we propose an optimization method based on dynamic test zone adjustment. Given the limited anechoic chamber space and probe count, the test zone is dynamically reconfigured as the vehicle antenna rotates by adjusting probe weights in real time. This approach effectively reduces the required test zone volume, optimizes test space distribution, and lowers both the number of required probes and the demand for channel emulator resources. Simulation results demonstrate that this method enhances test efficiency, significantly reduces costs, and offers high flexibility and adaptability.