System and method for emulation of wireless channels and multi-antenna transmit and receive circuits

1. A device for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the device comprising:

an emulation processor configured to receive baseband data, process the received baseband data, and transmit the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation; and

a controller configured to:

configure the emulation processor according to configuration information which pertains to the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver to be emulated, and

process the received baseband data according to the configuration information comprising first parameters relating to the wireless channel and second parameters relating to one or more antennas coupled to at least one of the wireless transmitter or the wireless receiver,

wherein the second parameters relating to the plurality of antennas comprise at least one of gain patterns, placements, orientations, beamforming weights, or precoding matrices.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the configuration information pertaining to at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver is received from one or more devices under test (DUTs).

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver comprises data relating to at least one of (i) beamforming weights or precoding matrices for a plurality of antennas, (ii) gain control or polarization for one or more of the antennas, or (iii) a placement or an orientation for one or more the antennas.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to analog beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming or (ii) digital beamforming.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to digital beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming or (ii) digital beamforming.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to hybrid beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming or (ii) digital beamforming.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to analog beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to hybrid beamforming.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to digital beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to hybrid beamforming.

9. The device of claim 3 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to hybrid beamforming and the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to hybrid beamforming.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless channel comprises parameters relating to a channel impulse response.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless channel comprises parameters relating to a mobility of at least one of the wireless transmitter or the wireless receiver.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the emulation processor comprises a plurality of programmable finite impulse response (FIR) filters.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein updated configuration information pertaining to one or more of the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter, and the wireless receiver is received; and wherein the controller is further configured to configure the emulation processor to operate according to the received updated configuration without substantially affecting the substantially real-time operation.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to configure the emulation controller in response to the updated configuration information.

15. A device for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the device comprising:

an emulation processor configured to receive baseband data, process the received baseband data, and transmit the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation; and

a controller configured to:

configure the emulation processor according to configuration information which pertains to the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver to be emulated,

wherein the emulation processor comprises a plurality of programmable finite impulse response (FIR) filters, and

wherein the controller is configured to program the plurality of programmable FIR filters based on:

one or more spatial signatures relating to a plurality of paths comprising the wireless channel; and

one or more beamforming matrices relating to at least one of the wireless transmitter or the wireless receiver.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to program the plurality of programmable FIR filters to emulate at least one of (i) a multiple-input, multiple output (MIMO) channel or (ii) emulate a single-input, single-output (SISO) channel for each of the plurality of paths comprising the wireless channel.

17. A method for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, with an emulation processor, baseband data, processing the received baseband data, and transmitting the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation;

receiving configuration information pertaining to one or more of the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter, and the wireless receiver to be emulated;

configuring the emulation processor according to the received configuration information; and

processing the received baseband data according to the configuration information comprising first parameters relating to the wireless channel and second parameters relating to one or more antennas comprising at least one of the wireless transmitter or the wireless receiver,

wherein the parameters relating to the plurality of antennas comprise at least one of gain patterns, placements, orientations, beamforming weights, or precoding matrices.

18. A device for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the device comprising:

an emulation processor configured to receive baseband data, process the received baseband data, and transmit the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation; and

a controller configured to:

configure the emulation processor according to configuration information which pertains to the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver to be emulated,

wherein the configuration information pertaining to at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver comprises data relating to at least one of (i) beamforming weights or precoding matrices for a plurality of antennas, (ii) gain control or polarization for one or more of the antennas, or (iii) a placement or an orientation for one or more the antennas,

wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming, (ii) digital beam forming, or (iii) hybrid beamforming, and

wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming, (ii) digital beamforming, or (iii) hybrid beamforming.

19. A method for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, with an emulation processor, baseband data, processing the received baseband data, and transmitting the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation, wherein the emulation processor comprises a plurality of programmable finite impulse response (FIR) filters;

receiving configuration information pertaining to one or more of the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter, and the wireless receiver to be emulated;

configuring the emulation processor according to the received configuration information; and

programming the plurality of programmable FIR filters based on:

one or more spatial signatures relating to a plurality of paths comprising the wireless channel; and

one or more beamforming matrices relating to at least one of the wireless transmitter or the wireless receiver.

20. A method for emulation of a system which includes a wireless channel, a wireless transmitter, and a wireless receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, with an emulation processor, baseband data, processing the received baseband data, and transmitting the processed baseband data, in substantially real-time operation;

receiving configuration information pertaining to one or more of the wireless channel, the wireless transmitter, and the wireless receiver to be emulated; and

configuring the emulation processor according to the received configuration information,

wherein the configuration information pertaining to at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver comprises data relating to at least one of (i) beamforming weights or precoding matrices for a plurality of antennas, (ii) gain control or polarization for one or more of the antennas, or (iii) a placement or an orientation for one or more the antennas,

wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless transmitter relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming, (ii) digital beam forming, or (iii) hybrid beamforming, and

wherein the configuration information pertaining to the wireless receiver relates to at least one of (i) analog beamforming, (ii) digital beamforming, or (iii) hybrid beamforming.