Diversity and MIMO Second Antenna

2174008-2.0
Author: Sierra Wireless Date: January 30, 2017

APN Content Level BASIC INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED Confidentiality Public Private

MC and EM series
Hardware
Product Line AirPrime Series Q2698, SL809x, SL9090, AR7, HL7, WP7 series
Compatibility
All modules with a diversity/MIMO antenna

Document
Software Compatibility ALL Application Note Technical Note
Type

1 Version
Application Notes may be updated over their lifetime. To ensure you are designing with the correct version, please check the
application notes page in www.sierrawireless.com for latest versions.

2 Introduction
This Application Note (APN) is provided to Sierra Wireless distributors and clients to aid more rapid development of embedded
applications using the Sierra Wireless portfolio of cellular solutions. To request a new application note, please contact your
regional Sierra Wireless Product Marketing Manager.

3 Overview
Mobile devices using 3G and LTE are equipped with a second receive antenna for improved performance. This second
antenna is required for receive diversity and MIMO. These concepts with their associated benefits, requirements and test
possibilities are described in this application note in a Q&A format.

4 Glossary

Initials Definition

3G 3rd Generation of mobile phone standards and technology, also called UMTS
3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project
4G Fourth generation of mobile phone standards, also referred to as LTE
BER Bit Error Rate
GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
HSDPA High Speed Downlink Packet Access
HSUPA High Speed Uplink Packet Access
HSPA High Speed Packet Access
LTE Long Term Evolution (referred to generaly as 4G)
MEG Mean Effective Gain
MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output
Node B UMTS base station
PTS Product Technical specification
SIMO Single Input Multiple Output
SISO Single Input Single Output
S/N Signal to Noise Ratio
TRP Total Radiated Power
UE User Equipment
UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

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5 Diversity and MIMO History

Major UMTS 3G network enhancements are specified in 3GPP Releases.
Since the first original 3GPP release, referred as to Release 99, new features have been successively introduced:
3GPP Release 5 : HSDPA with improved downlink throughput.
3GPP Release 6 : HSUPA with the addition of improved uplink throughput. The combination of HSDPA and HSUPA
is referred to as HSPA.
3GPP Release 7 brings significant downlink and uplink throughput enhancement by improving spectrum efficiency
and using now a second downlink antenna for receive diversity and MIMO in some classes. This is referred as to the
HSPA+, or 3G+ upgrade.
3GPP Release 8: 3G Long Term Evolution or LTE concepts introduction. MIMO is now used as a standard feature.

6 Diversity Overview

6.1 Diversity Introduction

Diversity is used from the 3G+ upgrade introduction to enhance downlink HSDPA channel decoding for improved throughput.
Receive diversity is based on the reception of the same signal on two different antennas using two separate receivers usually
called Main and Diversity. The two received signals are combined to provide a single signal with improved characteristics.
The receive diversity path is a completely distinct chain with the same specifications, i.e. same sensitivity, bandwidth and
dynamic range as the main receive path.
There are two areas of gain which lead to signal improvement:
Power gain: Where twice as much power is received then the signal to noise ratio (S/N) is improved by 3 dB.
Combining gain: Through digital signal processing in the modem firmware, the two different received signals are able
to be smartly added, allowing mitigation of multipath, fading and further improvement to the SNR.
To achieve this, the two received signals must have low correlation, i.e. must come from statistically independent propagation
paths.
Practically, this can be reached by physically separating the antennas as far as possible (minimum spacing discussed later),
this is referred to as space diversity, and/or by using a different polarisation for each antenna, which is referred to as
polarisation diversity.

6.2 Diversity Benefits

Using receive diversity will not improve an already very good communication link, but will enable a significant increase in the
HSDPA throughput in cases of average and changing radio link conditions.
It is difficult to accurately quantify the diversity improvement as it changes significantly with propagation conditions. Where
figures are needed, a propagation model for the urban environment called Rayleigh fading is commonly used.
The following Error! Reference source not found. uses this mathematical propagation model and gives the probability for
Main/Div and Combined signals of being less than a given S/N threshold (dB).

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Probability of Relative SNR with Rayleigh distributed signals

1

0.1
Cumulative probability

Main or Div
Diversity gain
0.01 Combined

0.001
-30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5

Relative SNR threshold(dB)

Figure 1. Main/Div and Combined Signals Mathematical Propagation Model

The combining gain is the dB gap between Main or Div channels and Combined for a given probability: near 12dB at 99%
(0.01 cumulative probability).

6.3 Optimal/Minimum/Maximum Distances between Antennas

As discussed previously, Space diversity and/or Polarisation diversity can be used to maintain low correlation between the
Main and Diversity propagation channels. Each method has a different impact on the antenna distance.
Space diversity is reached when antennas are placed sufficiently far apart.

The maximum distance is only limited by practical considerations.

The minimum distance is limited by the need to reach a low correlation between both received signals. Usually, half a
wavelength is considered correct, with a minimum usable limit around half this value. The 3G band1 frequency is near
2GHz, so half a wavelength is around 75mm. With the band 8, frequency is close to 900MHz and half a wavelength is
166mm.
Polarisation diversity: In theory, by using orthogonally polarized antennas, the correlation between received signals
will naturally be low and distance between antennas will not be critical. However, when setting physically shortened
monopole antennas, and this is the case for most commercial antennas, the orthogonality, i.e. the actual difference
between both polarisations, can be low and some distance between antennas is required.

6.4 Using Identical vs. Different Antennas

Using the same antenna for each port would be usual for a system designer, however completely different antennas can be
used to accommodate particular constraints. Each one being optimized as usual for matching and radiating diagram will then
contribute to improve the HSDPA throughput.

6.5 Antenna Hardware Type Recommendations

Antenna polarisation, location and relative distance will influence the overall diversity gain.
Depending on the environment, using orthogonally polarized antennas can help, so being able to rotate at least one of the
antennas needs to be considered a requirement if throughput and receiver performance are critical.

6.6 Diversity Setup vs. a Single Antenna Setup

The diversity reception is intended to improve the HSDPA throughput. This improvement can be huge, depending on the RF
link characteristics, S/N and multi path fading environment.

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There is no available indicator through AT commands which gives the actual throughput, this has to be measured by the
application as invariably an application that has a requirement for high throughput will be using an OS with an external IP stack
capable of this. This is the only way to check the diversity in practical terms which the user can see.

6.7 Testing the Diversity Path

Different AT commands can be used to check the diversity receiving chain. These commands can differ between AirPrime
modules.
The signal quality and/or signal strength can de measured for each receive chain, allowing comparison between them.
Useful AT commands are:
Q2698, Q26Extreme modules
AT+WHCNF: makes it possible to switch the receive path from main to diversity.
AT+CCED : to check the received signal level and quality.
SL809X, SL9090 modules
AT!RXDEN: to enable/disable diversity and to use the diversity path as main path.
AT+RSCP?: report of the P-CPIH power in dBm
AT!GSTATUS?: report of the received signal level in dBm
MC cards
AT!RXDEN: to enable/disable diversity and to use the diversity path as main path.
AT!GSTATUS?: report of the received signal level in dBm.
Please refer to the applicable AT Commands user guides for complete information.

7 MIMO Overview

7.1 MIMO Introduction

MIMO stands for Multiple Input Multiple Output, it has been been introduced to increase downlink throughput in 3GPP
Release 7 and is a standard feature of LTE with different classes.
The current LTE deployment uses MIMO 2X2, meaning that two different data downstreams are simultaneously received by
two receivers to double the data throughput.
With MIMO, the second receiving path is not only used to improve the signal quality, which is referred to as Spatial Diversity
as discussed previously, but also to double the downlink throughput by receiving a second data stream transmitted on the
same frequency. This is referred to as Spatial Multiplexing.
The Error! Reference source not found. shows the different transmit and receive paths between a Node B and a user.

Main

Node B UE

Diversity
Main

Figure 2. Transmit and Receive Paths between a Node B and a User

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7.2 SISO and SIMO

The terms SISO for Single input /Single Output and SIMO for Single Input / Multiple output can be found in different
specifications. They refer to the downlink receive path in a wording similar to MIMO and are used to specify some particular
receive sensitivity.
The SISO concept refers to a basic two-way communication between a transmitter and a receiver, each with a single antenna.
Some PTS give a SISO sensitivity, this is the main receiver intrinsic sensitivity.
The SIMO concept is used to specify the receive sensitivity when a single transmit signal is received by both main and
diversity receivers. This sensitivity is usually measured under static conditions and shows the 3dB maximum combining gain
compared to intrinsic main and diversity sensitivity.

7.3 MIMO Antennas Implementation Constraints

With MIMO, the antenna requirements are more stringent than for diversity only and there is also a requirement for similar
performance between the main and diversity/MIMO antennas.
In addition to the usual gain recommendations, some new parameters are specified in product PTSs to allow for a better
design. These are Isolation, Mean Effective Gain Imbalance and Envelope Correlation Coefficient. As an example the below
extracts are from from the MC7304 PTS:
Isolation between Ant1 and Ant2 (S21):

> 10dB.
Envelope correlation coefficient between Ant1 (Main) and Ant2 (Diversity/MIMO):

< 0.4 on 791894 MHz and 925960 MHz bands.

< 0.2 on 18051990 MHz and 21102170 MHz bands.

< 0.1 on 26202690 MHz band.

Ant1 and Ant2 Mean Effective Gain Imbalance, MEG1 / MEG2 :

< 2 dB for MIMO operation.

< 6 dB for diversity operation.

7.4 Isolation Definition, and Reaching the Request

Isolation is the coupling factor between antennas. It can be measured by transmitting a signal on one antenna and checking
the received level on the second antenna. The dB difference is isolation.
The larger the isolation between antenna, the lower the interaction between them, i.e. their tuning and gain pattern interaction.
Practically, with 30 to 40 millimeters distance (this may vary across antenna design), the 10dB requirement will be achieved on
the 900MHz band, making this easier than fulfilling the following Envelope Correlation request.

7.5 Envelope Correlation Coefficient and Dealing with It

The envelope correlation coefficient is used to quantify the antennas ability to receive statistically independent propagation
channels. This coefficient can vary from 1 for completely correlated channels to 0 for uncorrelated channels. Radiating
diagrams, distance and relative position between antennas will influence the correlation coefficient.
As a practical rule of thumb, the antennas need to have 0.2 to 0.25 wavelength minimum spacing to reach correlation
coefficient below 0.4. This means that an antenna spacing correct for the lower frequency band will certainly work efficiently on
the higher bands.
The below Error! Reference source not found. shows a typical correlation coefficient variation versus antenna spacing:

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Typical correlation coefficient versus antenna spacing

1

0.9

0.8

0.7
Correlation coefficient

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Antennas spacing (wavelength)

Figure 3. Typical Correlation Coefficient Variation vs. Antenna Spacing

Error! Reference source not found. shows Diversity gain variation versus correlation coefficient with Rayleigh distributed
signals (at 1% BER):

Diversity gain versus Correlation coefficient

12
11
10
9
Diversity gain (dB)

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Correlation coefficient

Figure 4. Diversity Gain Variation vs. Correlation Coefficient

The degradation can be seen to be very progressive, with limited impact up to correlation coefficient around 0.5

7.6 Measuring the Correlation Coefficient

There are two methods that can show this, each having its own accuracy limitation, one is based on S-Parameters
measurements, the second uses radiated measurements.
The S parameter method can be performed using a Network Analyzer with the Main antenna on port 1 and the Div/MIMO
antenna on port 2:

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| 11 12 + 21 22 |2
=
(1 |11 |2 |21 |2 )(1 |22 |2 |12 |2 )
The Radiated method is more complex, where 3D radiated measurements need to be taken in an anechoic chamber.
Some Test Houses can give correlation information from radiated measurements.

7.7 Mean Effective Gain Imbalance

The Mean Effective Gain concept has been introduced by 3GPP to improve antenna characterization. This antenna gain
specification is used to match with the actual received power in the case of scattered (multipath) signals.
The MEG is not measured by Network Operators which still refer to a more practical specification, the Total Radiated Power
(TRP).
With MIMO, the main and diversity receivers have similar influence on downlink throughput and will therefore need similar
antenna performance, i.e similar total radiated gain.

7.8 Testing the MIMO Path

This test is not different to that of the diversity test where the same AT commands can be used to check the diversity/MIMO
receiving chain. The signal quality and/or signal strength can de measured for each receiving chain, allowing comparison
between them.
Please refer to the 6.7 chapter related to diversity testing.

7.9 Monopole Antenna Use and Ground Plane Size

When using monopole antennas there is a requirement for a quarter wave length ground plane for best antenna efficiency.
Successful designs have been done using the main PCB as the ground radiating part for both antennas, without the need to
double the ground area. However, the relative monopole positions is crucial and needs to be validated by the antenna
designer.

8 Useful Links
Rohde & Schwarz application notes page: http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/en/search/applications_63466.html?term=*
3GPP : http://www.3gpp.org/specification-numbering
Studies of Diversity Performance in Mobile Terminals Lund University: http://ebookbrowse.com/teat-5088-pdf-
d18202440
Antenova: http://www.antenova.com/
Taoglas : http://www.taoglas.com/

9 Support
For direct clients: contact your Sierra Wireless FAE
For distributor clients: contact your distributor FAE
For distributors: contact your Sierra Wireless FAE

10 Document History

Revision Date History

1.0 April 5, 2013 Creation, first release.

2.0 January 30, 2017 AirPrime modules applicability updated.

11 Legal Notice
Important Notice

Due to the nature of wireless communications, transmission and reception of data can never be guaranteed. Data may be delayed, corrupted (i.e., have errors) or be totally lost. Although significant delays or losses of data are
rare when wireless devices such as the Sierra Wireless modem are used in a normal manner with a well-constructed network, the Sierra Wireless modem should not be used in situations where failure to transmit or receive data

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could result in damage of any kind to the user or any other party, including but not limited to personal injury, death, or loss of property. Sierra Wireless accepts no responsibility for damages of any kind resulting from delays or
errors in data transmitted or received using the Sierra Wireless modem, or for failure of the Sierra Wireless modem to transmit or receive such data.

Safety and Hazards

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atmospheres, medical equipment, or any other equipment which may be susceptible to any form of radio interference. The Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals that could interfere with this equipment. Do not operate the
Sierra Wireless modem in any aircraft, whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight. In aircraft, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE POWERED OFF. When operating, the Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals that
could interfere with various onboard systems.

Note: Some airlines may permit the use of cellular phones while the aircraft is on the ground and the door is open. Sierra Wireless modems may be used at this time.

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2017 Sierra Wireless. All rights reserved.

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