3D wave-field synthesis for testing of radio devices

For the sake of new radio devices to conform to respective standards, implementing functionality such as cognitive radio, Long Term Evolution beyond 2×2, or Global Navigation Satellite Systems, a demand for extensive testing arises. A promising solution is the validation inside an Over-the-Air testbed that creates a virtual electromagnetic environment using wave-field synthesis. This paper analyzes the polarimetric accuracy of a wave field generated by a hemispheric (3D) antenna arrangement. As most radio devices have a flat shape (e.g. smart phones, tablets, compact cognitive radio antennas) or a metallic backplane along a defined surface, the complexity of the optimization problem can be reduced. Analyzing the wave-field synthesis accuracy, it has to be kept in mind that for most radio devices the signal-to-noise ratio is limited in a range between 0–30 dB, which indirectly defines the upper limits of the required wave-field synthesis accuracy.