System Distortion Model for the Cross-Validation of Millimeter-Wave Channel Sounders David G
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System Distortion Model for the Cross-Validation of Millimeter-Wave Channel Sounders David G. Michelson1, Camillo Gentile2, Andreas F. Molisch3, Jack Chuang2, Anuraag Bodi2, Anmol Bhardwaj1, Ozgur Ozdemir4, Wahab Ali Gulzar Khawaja4, Ismail Guvenc4, Zihang Cheng3, Thomas Choi3, Robert Müller5 1 Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, [email protected] 2 Wireless Networks Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA 3 Ming Hsieh Dept. of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 4 Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA 5 Dept. of Electronic Measurements and Signal Processing Group, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany Abstract — Because millimeter-wave directional channel be steerable horns, virtual arrays, switched arrays or phased measurements are time-consuming and expensive to collect, arrays. Probing signals may be swept frequency, multi-carrier there is considerable interest in combining measurement data or spread spectrum signals. After initial processing, MPCs obtained with different channel sounders in order to yield more may be extracted from received signals using algorithms such comprehensive datasets. The simplest way to verify that the results obtained with these different instruments in a given as SAGE, MUSIC, RiMAX, and CLEAN [4],[5],[6]. Before environment are comparable would be to transport the channel combining measurement data or intermediate results obtained sounders to that environment, collect and process measurement with different channel sounders, it is essential to verify that data, and then compare the results. Because this is rarely the results returned by these different instruments are feasible, we propose an alternative method that is much more comparable. While the simplest approach would be to practical. It involves: 1) Generating an ideal three-dimensional transport the channel sounders in question to a common channel impulse response that corresponds to a scenario of interest, 2) Degrading the ideal response by applying a environment, collect and process measurement data and distortion model that capture the factors that limit the spatio- compare the results, this is rarely practical. temporal resolution and dynamic range of each channel The NIST-led 5G Millimeter-Wave Channel Model sounder, and 3) Applying the multipath component (MPC) Alliance has brought together a large number of research labs extraction techniques used by the channel sounder to the from around the world to collaborate on mmWave channel distorted response. After the last step, one will observe: measurement and modelling. A sub-group within the a) correctly estimated, b) incorrectly estimated, c) missing, and Alliance’s working group on measurement techniques, d) spurious MPCs. Discrepancies between the ideal and distorted responses will be readily apparent and the including researchers from NIST, the University of British performance of the channel sounders can be easily compared in Columbia, the University of Southern California, North a given environment. The effort required to fully characterize Carolina State University and the Technical University of the three-dimensional patterns of the transmitting and receiving Ilmenau, has taken up the challenge of devising a practical antennas is considerable and further work is required to methodology for comparing the quality and resolution of determine the corresponding accuracy requirements. measurements obtained using different channel sounders. Index Terms—Antenna, measurement, propagation. This work introduces and demonstrates a practical approach to comparing the performance of different channel I. INTRODUCTION sounders. The proposed methodology involves: 1) Generating an ideal three-dimensional channel impulse response that Interest in directional channels was originally motivated corresponds to a scenario of interest, 2) Distorting the ideal by the development of smart antennas and multiple-input response by applying system model that captures the factors multiple-output antenna systems in the 1990’s. Significant that determine the spatio-temporal resolution and dynamic early contributions were made under the COST 259 project range of each channel sounder, 3) Applying the multipath [1]. Until the mid-2000’s, most efforts focused on bands component (MPC) extraction techniques used by the channel below 6 GHz [2]. Current interest is strongly linked to recent sounder to the distorted response. Differences between the efforts to develop mmWave (millimeter-wave) wireless ideal and distorted three-dimensional channel impulse technology for Wi-Fi and 5G wireless systems [3]. Because responses will be readily apparent mmWave directional channel measurements are time- The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: In consuming and expensive to collect, there is considerable Section II, the proposed methodology is presented In Section interest in comparing and possibly combining measurement III, the channel sounders used by the members of the subgroup data obtained with different channel sounders in order to yield and against which the procedure has been demonstrated are more comprehensive datasets. described and typical measurement and simulation results are A variety of approaches and instrument configurations are presented. In Section IV, the outcomes of the work to date and currently used for mmWave channel sounding. Antennas may issues to be addressed going forward are summarized. II. METHODOLOGY where �(�) is the band-limited transmitted signal (at The proposed approach involves three steps. First, a space baseband) and �b is the center frequency. with dimensions comparable to the environment of interest A generic model for the array geometries is shown in *h ?i "# and transmitting and receiving antenna locations Fig. 2, where � and � are the positions of the � * corresponding to use cases of interest are defined. The ideal "# *h h transmitting and � receiving array element and � (� ) three-dimensional channel impulse response is then predicted ? ?i i using ray-tracing. Second, this ideal response is distorted by and � (� ) are their antenna patterns. It follows that *h *3 applying a system model that accounts for the limited spatio- the delay at � with respect to � is given by temporal resolution and dynamic range of the channel * *3 *h sounder. These include the three-dimensional patterns of the * �(�&) ⋅ (� − � ) � h = transmitting and receiving antennas, the impulse response of & � the measurement system, and the system link budget and the delay at �?h with respect to �?3 is given by including the system noise floor. Third, the MPC extraction technique used in conjunction with the channel sounder is ? ?i �(�?) ⋅ (� 3 − � ) applied to the distorted response to yield a final result. ?i & �& = , Discrepancies between the ideal and distorted responses will � be readily apparent and the performance of the channel where the unit angle vector is given by sounders can thus be compared. / 0 A. Simulated Measurement Scenarios ���(� ) ⋅ ��� (� ) �(�) = p ���(�/) ⋅ ���(�0) r . The set of ideal channel responses provided by NIST was 0 generated from the Quasi-Deterministic model for ten ���(� ) transmitter-receiver locations in a lecture room [7]. The map- based model uses the method of images to ray-trace the direct Finally, the distorted response between any two array path and specular reflections (diffraction is neglected in light elements is given by of its relative weakness at mmWave frequencies) given the ? ? � t�, �*h , � i, �*h , � i u geometry of the environment See Fig. 1. The ceiling, ground, � and walls had different reflection losses characterized O * *h * h through measurement. A cluster of diffuse reflections (not = N �& � (�& − � ) shown) originating from surface roughness is associated with &PQ ? ? ?i ? i *h i each specular reflection, multiplying the 21 specular ⋅ � t�& − � u ⋅ � t� − �& − �& − �& u reflections to nearly 500 combined. The cluster properties, x yi WvXYZ w\] \] h\] z{| (~)• such as angular spread (~3º) and the relative strength of the ⋅ � [ ^ ^ ^ } + �(�) diffuse reflections with respect to the specular reflections (~6 where and ( ) are the thermal and phase noise dB), were also characterized through measurement. For the �(�) �ƒ � "# components, respectively. � ray, the polarization-dependent complex amplitude (�&), * *,/ delay (�&), and the Angle of Departure (AoD) (�& = [�& *,0 * *,/ *,0 �& ]) and Angle of Arrival (AoA) �& = [�& �& ]) in both azimuth (A) and elevation (E) were outputted. B. Array System Model The channel impulse response measured by a channel sounder will be distorted compared to the ideal raytracing response due to the finite spatio-temporal resolution and sensitivity of the instrument. The effect will be to blur the rays, make it difficult to resolve rays that are closely spaced in angle or delay, and miss weaker rays. The instruments are operated in the linear regions of their components so non- linear distortions are not considered. *3 Consider a transmitting array centered at � and a ?3 receiving array centered at � . When accounting for the individual contributions of the � rays, the channel response between the array centers is expressed as O Fig. 1. An ideal three-dimensional channel impulse response within a *3 ?3 WXYZ[(\]^) 3 m ×10 m × 20 m box with transmitting and receiving antennas placed as �L�, � , � M = N