Antenna scanner upgrade to enable measurements in millimeter frequency bands for upcoming wireless communication systems

对工作在毫米波段的便携式和高数据速率通信系统的需求已经产生了对具有高增益和大带宽的紧凑、高效天线的设计和开发的迫切需要。然而，为了符合未来的5G通信系统以及毫米波段的更高要求，效率、紧凑性和波束成形能力已经成为天线研究领域具有挑战性的品质指标。从这个角度来看，我们已经提出了几个研究项目，针对新的先进毫米波天线。这些项目的主要里程碑涉及数字设计、原型制作和实验表征，从而使天线在紧凑性和效率方面具有高性能。基于电磁场仿真的数值分析和设计已经被用于设计毫米波天线。虽然数值分析为初始设计和优化提供了更深入的见解，但为了证明所提出的概念，必须进行准确的实验验证。两个主要工具是数值模拟软件（HFSS和CST）和原型制作设备（LPKF ProtoLaser S Machine），它们在我们的RF实验室中可用且功能齐全。然而，毫米波天线特性的最关键的设施需要迫切的硬件和软件升级的天线测量扫描仪安装在我们的电波暗室，射频实验室，INRS。该天线扫描仪仅适用于1至18 GHz微波频段的天线方向图和增益测量。此外，这款扫描仪到2020年6月将满18岁，它的一些部件，如放大器、收发器和RF电缆，正在变得过时。由于这些原因，迫切需要更新和扩大该系统，以便继续成为我们学术研究和培训活动的有用工具。因此，在此应用中，我们的目标是升级和增强我们的天线测量扫描仪，以便为即将到来的无线通信系统（例如下一代（5G）无线系统和在Ka和V波段运行的物联网（IoT）应用）提供微波和毫米频段的测量。天线表征系统的升级要求将加强我们在INRS射频实验室已有的设备。本申请的目的是：（i）测试用于未来毫米波无线通信系统的新的高效毫米波高增益和宽带天线，与加拿大高技术产业的具体需求一致，以及（ii）训练高素质的人员以响应我们社会的科学和技术挑战。

Demands for portable and high data rate communication systems operating at millimeter-wave bands have created an urgent need for the design and development of compact, efficient antennas with high gain and large bandwidth. However, in order to comply with the future 5G communication systems and beyond at millimeter-wave bands, efficiency, compactness and beamforming capability have become challenging figures of merit in the field of antenna research. In this perspective, we have proposed several research projects that target new advanced millimeterwave antennas. The major milestones of these projects involve numerical design, prototyping and experimental characterization which results in antennas with high performances in terms of compactness and efficiency. The numerical analysis and design based on electromagnetic field simulations have been used to design mm-wave antennas. Although numerical analysis provides a deeper insight to the initial design and optimization, accurate experimental validation is mandatory to prove the proposed concept.***The two main tools are the numerical simulation software (HFSS and CST) and prototyping facility (LPKF ProtoLaser S Machine), which have been available and fully functional in our RF laboratory. However, the most critical facility for millimeter-wave antenna characterization needs urgent hardware and software upgrade of the antenna measurement scanner installed in our anechoic chamber, RF laboratory, INRS. This antenna scanner covers antenna pattern and gain measurements only for the microwave band between 1 to 18 GHz. In addition, this scanner will turn eighteen years old by June 2020, and some of its parts, such as amplifiers, transceivers, and RF cables, are becoming outdated. For these reasons, it urgently needs to be upgraded and expanded in order to continue to be a useful tool for our academic research and training activities. Therefore in this application, our goal is to upgrade and enhance our antenna measurement scanner to enable measurements in both microwave and millimeter frequency bands for upcoming wireless communication systems, such as the next generation (5G) wireless systems and Internet of Things (IoT) applications operating at Ka and V bands. The requested upgrade of the antenna characterization system will strengthen the equipment already available in our RF laboratory at INRS. The objectives of the present application are: (i) testing new efficient mm-wave high gain and broadband antennas for future mm-wave wireless communications systems, consistently with the specific needs of the high technology Canadian industry, and (ii) train highly qualified personnel to respond to the scientific and technological challenges of our society.