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

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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eighteen years old by June 2020, and some of its parts, such as amplifiers, transceivers, and RF cables, are becoming outdated.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.