Over the air testing for massive MIMO arrays

1. A system that tests a massive MIMO array antenna, the system including:

an anechoic chamber;

a mount for a MIMO array antenna positioned in the chamber, wherein the array has at least 8×4 antenna elements that are individually activated to steer transmissions from the array;

at least 3 dual element antenna probes positionable in the anechoic chamber;

feeds coupling one or more UE sources to the antenna probes, the UE sources generating RF in over-the-air communication with the array, the UE sources emulating multiple UE devices;

base station electronics coupled to the array;

a test controller coupled to the base station electronics;

wherein the test controller signals the UE sources over-the-air via the array to invoke a connection to the UE sources and measure over-the-air channel performance between the array and each of the multiple UE devices emulated, the performance including at least throughput; and

a first distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially separated to allow the massive MIMO to observe isolation between directions to multiple users, then evaluating the performance for this set of probes according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mount is controllable to rotate and tilt relative to a horizontal base of the anechoic chamber.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the mount is further controllable to roll relative to a point of attachment of the array to the mount.

4. The system of claim 1 , further including at least one pair of dual element antenna probes coupled to a single source, thereby emulating an angular spread in arrival direction among signal components of a signal originating at UE.

5. The system of claim 1 , further including the feeds coupling one or more UE sources through a channel emulator that varies over-the-air channel conditions between the antenna probes and the array.

6. The system of claim 1 , further including the base station electronics configured to send commands, to the UE sources over RF signals, to adjust UE power level, data connection and data rate.

7. The system of claim 6 , further including a network emulator that acts as the base station electronics.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the UE sources include a UE source device simulator that emulates the multiple UE devices.

9. The system of claim 1 , further including a radio distribution unit, connected between the array and the base station electronics, wherein the radio distribution unit distributes signals to each array element and controls one or more beam patterns by selectively weighting signals distributed to the antenna elements by complex gain and delay values.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measured over-the-air channel observed by the massive MIMO array is an emulation of a bi-directional channel, including downlink and uplink.

11. The system of claim 1 , further including a second distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially clumped in a similar area to allow the massive MIMO to observe lower isolation between directions to multiple users, then evaluating the performance for this set of probes according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage.

12. The system of claim 1 , further including increasing spacing between selected test probes in the chamber that are spatially distributed to allow the massive MIMO to observe lower isolation between directions to multiple users, then evaluating the performance for this set of probes according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage.

13. A method for testing a massive MIMO array antenna, the method including:

positioning a MIMO array antenna on a mount in an anechoic chamber, wherein the array has at least 8×4 antenna elements that are individually activated to steer transmissions from the array;

using at least 3 dual element antenna probes positioned in the anechoic chamber,

generating RF in over-the-air communication with the array, with feeds coupling one or more UE sources to the antenna probes, wherein the UE sources emulate multiple UE devices;

signaling the UE sources over-the-air via the array, using base station electronics coupled to a test controller, connecting with the UE sources;

evaluating the performance according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array for a first distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially separated to allow the massive MIMO to observe isolation between directions to multiple users, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage; and

measuring over-the-air channel performance between the array and each of the multiple UE devices emulated, the performance including at least throughput.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one pair of dual element antenna probes are coupled to a single source, thereby emulating an angular spread in arrival direction among signal components of a signal originating at UE.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the feeds representing one or more UE sources are conditioned by a channel emulator that varies over-the-air channel conditions between the antenna probes and the array.

16. The method of claim 13 , further including the base station electronics sending commands, to the UE sources over RF signals, to adjust UE power level, data connection and data rate.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the UE sources include a UE source device simulator that emulates the multiple UE devices.

18. A tangible non-transitory computer readable media with instructions that are combinable with a processor and memory coupled to the processor to carry out a method for testing a massive MIMO array antenna positioned within an anechoic chamber and having individually activated antenna elements to steer transmissions from the array, the method including:

using at least 3 dual element antenna probes positioned in the anechoic chamber,

generating RF in over-the-air communication with the array, with feeds coupling one or more UE sources to the antenna probes, wherein the UE sources emulate multiple UE devices;

signaling the UE sources over-the-air via the array, using base station electronics coupled to a test controller, connecting with the UE sources;

evaluating the performance according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array for a first distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially separated to allow the massive MIMO to observe isolation between directions to multiple users, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage; and

measuring over-the-air channel performance between the array and each of the multiple UE devices emulated, the performance including at least throughput.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein at least one pair of dual element antenna probes are coupled to a single source, thereby emulating an angular spread in arrival direction among signal components of a signal originating at UE.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein the feeds representing one or more UE sources are conditioned by a channel emulator that varies over-the-air channel conditions between the antenna probes and the array.

21. The tangible non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , further including the base station electronics sending commands, to the UE sources over RF signals, to adjust UE power level, data connection and data rate.

22. The tangible non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein the UE sources include a UE source device simulator that emulates the multiple UE devices.

23. A system that tests a massive MIMO array antenna, the system including:

an anechoic chamber;

an MIMO array antenna positioned in the chamber, wherein the array has antenna elements that are individually activated to steer transmissions from the array;

at least 3 dual element antenna probes positionable in the anechoic chamber;

feeds coupling one or more UE sources to the antenna probes, the UE sources generating RF in over-the-air communication with the array, the UE sources emulating multiple UE devices;

base station electronics coupled to the array;

a test controller coupled to the base station electronics;

wherein the test controller signals the UE sources over-the-air via the array to invoke a connection to the UE sources and measure over-the-air channel performance between the array and each of the multiple UE devices emulated, the performance including at least throughput; and

a first distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially separated to allow the massive MIMO to observe isolation between directions to multiple users, then evaluating the performance for this set of probes according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage.

24. A method for testing a massive MIMO array antenna, the method including:

positioning a MIMO array antenna in an anechoic chamber, wherein the array has antenna elements that are individually activated to steer transmissions from the array;

using at least 3 dual element antenna probes positioned in the anechoic chamber, generating RF in over-the-air communication with the array, with feeds coupling one or more UE sources to the antenna probes, wherein the UE sources emulate multiple UE devices;

signaling the UE sources over-the-air via the array, using base station electronics coupled to a test controller, connecting with the UE sources;

evaluating the performance according to a reference direction of the massive MIMO array for a first distribution of test probes in the chamber that are substantially separated to allow the massive MIMO to observe isolation between directions to multiple users, wherein the massive MIMO array can be rotated or tilted or rolled to observe the performance when probes fall at the center versus at an edge of array coverage; and

measuring over-the-air channel performance between the array and each of the multiple UE devices emulated, the performance including at least throughput.