Robots arm themselves for 5G testing

A dual robot arm system is helping researchers test the next generation of antennas for the coming 5G revolution.

A new test facility belonging to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is enabling researchers to pioneer new antenna measurement methods, with future 5G systems in mind.

The Large Antenna Positioning System (LAPS) has two robotic arms designed to position ‘smart’ or adaptable antennas.

LAPS can test transmissions to and from antennas located on fast-moving mobile devices, which requires coordination between the timing of communication signals and robot motion.

“Measurements of antenna signals are a great use for robotics,” NIST Electronics Engineer Jeff Guerrieri said. “The robotic arms provide antenna positioning that would be constrained by conventional measurement systems.”

NIST is still validating the performance of the LAPS and is beginning to introduce it to industry. The system was described at a European conference in early April.

It is hoped that LAPS will contribute to the development of transmitter antenna arrays with tens to hundreds of elements that focus the antenna power into a steerable beam that can track mobile devices operating in the 30 to 300 GHz range.

The dual-robot system will also help researchers understand the interference problems created by ever-increasing signal density.

NIST's new Large Antenna Positioning System (LAPS) uses two robotic arms to measure and test antennas for applications such as advanced communications systems. Credit: Burrus/NIST.

The new facility is the next generation of NIST’s Configurable Robotic Millimeter-Wave Antenna (CROMMA) Facility, which has a single robotic arm. CROMMA, developed at NIST, has become a popular tool for HF antenna measurements.

Companies that integrate legacy antenna measurement systems are starting to use robotic arms in their product lines, facilitating the transfer of this technology to companies such as Boeing.

As CROMMA can measure only physically small antennas, NIST developed the LAPS concept of a dual robotic arm system — one robot in a fixed position and the other mounted on a large linear rail slide — to accommodate larger antennas and base stations.

Designed and installed by NSI-MI Technologies, LAPS has a radar designed to prevent collisions of robots and antennas within the surrounding environment, and to protect operators.

The system’s measurement capabilities for 5G systems include flexible scan geometries, beam tracking of mobile devices and improved accuracy and repeatability in mobile measurements.

The LAPS has replaced NIST’s conventional scanners and will be used to perform near-field measurement of basic antenna properties for aerospace and satellite companies requiring precise calibrations and performance verification. The near-field technique measures the radiated signal very close to the antenna in a controlled environment and, using mathematical algorithms developed at NIST, calculates the antenna’s performance at its operating distance, known as the far field.

But the ultimate goal for the LAPS is to perform dynamic, over-the-air tests of future 5G communication systems. Initial validation shows that basic mechanical operation of the LAPS is within the specified design tolerances for still and moving tests to at least 30 GHz. Final validation is ongoing.

Images courtesy NIST.

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