Rohde & Schwarz has developed a new setup for its antenna test system that enables 3D RF measurements even in extreme temperature conditions. The new R&S ATS TEMP climate option when integrated with the R&S ATS1000 antenna test system makes it possible to combine RF OTA testing with climatic condition testing, into a single procedure, saving engineers measurement time.
Thermal effect diagnostics on devices under test (DUT) are crucial when analyzing the effect of temperature on a chipset and UE performance since the device heating or cooling can affect the RF components and consequently the radiation pattern of the antennas. The combination of the R&S ATS1000 and R&S ATS TEMP makes it possible – for the first time ever in a single testing process – to diagnose temperature effects in addition to the regular over-the-air (OTA) tests such as total radiated power (TRP), gain, efficiency, and radiation diagram. The unique single testing process enabled by ATS-TEMP will be highly useful for those working with 5G related solutions, e.g. chipset and mobile device manufacturers as well as antenna designers.
Used inside the R&S ATS1000, the ATS-TEMP option allows fast and accurate 3D thermal measurements in extreme temperatures (–20 °C to +85 °C) with excellent repeatability and angular resolution. It consists of a semisphere-shaped dome made of Rohacell, with a permittivity close to that of air. The device has minimal influence on DUT radiation and influence amplitude of < 0.2 dB at 28 GHz. Since the test environment permits significant variations in temperature, it also has several features designed to prevent condensation. In order to generate the heated or cooled airflow, a third-party climate control device (Temptronic ThermoStream) should be supplied in line with customer requirements.
Rohde & Schwarz will be presenting the new R&S ATS-TEMP climate option at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 25 to 28, 2019. It is now available and can be ordered already integrated into an R&S ATS1000 antenna test system. Existing ATS1000 systems can also be retrofitted.
