Investigation of Antenna Array Multi-Path Mitigation using a Bench-top Wireless Channel Emulator

The use of wireless communication technology is increasingly being integrated into everyday life. The development of new technologies must take into account the signal rich environment of the modern world. A bench-top, hardware-based system capable of emulating varying multi-path conditions common in wireless communications links is under development. This system, called the Compact Reconfigurable Channel Emulator (CRCE), is capable of producing over a million discrete channel conditions via electronic and mechanical re-configurations. In this work the ability to control the severity of multi-path effects in a given channel condition through the use of antenna arrays is being explored. The arrays being investigated are Multiple Input Single Output(MISO) diversity arrays of differing antenna separations. MISO is one of several diversity array types which serve as the basis to many emerging “Smart Antenna” technologies. It is expected that antenna arrays will have generally better transmission characteristics, however the effects of different array configurations is uncertain. The CRCE will provide the capacity to measure the effects and efficacy, through statistical analysis, of every modifier mentioned on proposed antenna array concepts, in order to create antenna setups apt to specific communications links. These measurements will be interpreted through the use of cumulative distribution functions (CDF\u27s) and probability distribution functions (PDF\u27s), which plot transmission power against time and phase delay, or the position of a metal stirrer blade