Interlaboratory Millimeter-Wave Channel Sounder Verification

The channel sounder verification program within the National Institute of Standards and Technology-coordinated 5G mmWave Channel Model Alliance aims to place channel sounders on a sound metrological foundation by using well-established laboratory verification methods coupled with modern waveform metrology tools. To provide comparison-to-reference verification of channel sounder hardware measurements, we begin by measuring deterministic conducted channels, established using a channel sounder verification artifact and temperature control unit. This artifact produces multiple stable and repeatable environments to compare the channel sounders' hardware performance to a reference measurement provided by a vector network analyzer. The reference vector network analyzer measurements have an uncertainty analysis including systematic and random components to verify the channel sounder performance. Due to its portable nature, this artifact has potential use in a robin-robin testing between laboratories. General insights and common problems are provided using measurements of the verification box from a one channel sounder in the Alliance.