Simulation-Enabled 5G

Antenna Design

Martin Leung

CST – COMPUTER SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY | www.cst.com

Agenda
1. 5G Motivation and Challenges

2. Antenna Array Simulation, MIMO

3. Mobile Device Antenna Array Example

 Element -> Array Design
 Device level performance
 System level performance

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 5G Motivation and Challenges
Consumer device bandwidth requirements increasing at
rapid rates

Historical (4, 3G) bands below 3 GHz increasingly

crowded

Push for 28+ GHz frequency for 5G

– subject to relatively high atmospheric attenuation
- smaller wavelength more susceptible to multipath loss

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 5G Motivation and Challenges
Efficiency is critical, Gain of 12 dB for mobile device and 25 dB targeted

Gain cannot come at the expense of coverage – beam steered arrays ideal solution

Diversity Gain can also be leveraged - MIMO

High frequency and array topology pose simulation challenges (memory, system
complexity)

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Antenna Arrays Categories
Large Arrays Small Arrays

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Small Arrays
All elements need to be simulated.

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Distributed Computing
Multiple ports, frequency points, and parameter values
can be simulated simultaneously.
Port 1

CST STUDIO frontend Port 2

with 22 port model

Port 3

…………
Port 22

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Array Postprocessing
 Use Combine Results and Correlation Coefficient result
templates to achieve a desired beam shape.
 Purely postprocessing, no further 3D simulations
needed!

How can I achieve

a pattern like this?

All amplitudes = 1 Amplitudes = ????

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Array Postprocessing
Initial beam shape
Template Based
Postprocessing as a
“Simulation type”
Parameters for
amplitude weights

Desired beam shape Achieved beam shape

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 Array Feeding Networks
CST DESIGN STUDIO
 ideal parts
 analytical blocks
 other 3D models

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO

(nearfield and farfield)
results updated to take
into account the
attached circuitry!

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Large Arrays
 Can be approximated as an
infinite array which
requires the simulation of
only a single element.

 To include edge effects

and other physical
realities, the entire array
needs to be modeled.

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Finite Array Analysis
As the array becomes larger, the center element pattern
starts to resemble the infinite array results.

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 CST ARRAY WIZARD

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CST Array Wizard – Sim Proj

Grid Angle 60°

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Drag&Drop your Unit Array Element

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Finite Array Sim. Proj.

Set Elements Active/Passive/Empty

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 MIMO Antennas

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Communication Networks
Communication antennas need to cope with a complex environment

All base-station antennas are Multi-path signal transmission

placed near the horizontal plane may lead to destructive signal
 Mean Effective Gain (MEG) overlay, resulting in local deep
dips (called Rayleigh-Fading)
 Diversity/MIMO

Tilted reflecting planes change

signal polarization
 Cross Polarization Rate (XPR)

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Diversity / MIMO Antennas
Simple Maximal Signal Diversity Gain
Multi-path signal transmission may
lead to destructive signal overlay
resulting in local deep dips
(called Rayleigh-Fading)

Antenna 1

Antenna 2
Multiple antennas (antenna diversity)
may overcome this problem
„best of“ (diversity gain)

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Diversity / MIMO Antennas
Select from:
 Diversity Gain
 Envelope Correlation Coefficient
 Multiplexing Efficiency
 Mean Effective Gain

Load farfield of second antenna

Envelope Correlation from Farfield: Envelope Corr. from S-Parameters:

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Mobile Antenna Array

 Element -> Array Design

 Device level performance
 System level performance

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Antenna Magus

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Mobile Antenna – Element Design

Magus Antenna Synthesis generates initial square

patch design for 28 GHz operating frequency

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Mobile Antenna – Element Performance

Magus also provides

performance estimation for
initial design qualification

Initial design is clearly

‘approximate’ – Microwave
Studio can be used to optimize
and modify

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Mobile Antenna – Element Performance

3D Simulation Results show similar performance issues in initial design

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Optimization

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Results

Retuned for 28 GHz, at the expense of

impedance match quality

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Mobile Antenna – Array Synthesis

Synthesize planar array for 8 dB gain from

Array Factor @ 28 GHz

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Mobile Antenna – Array Synthesis

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Finite Array Generation

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Finite Array Performance

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Best Achievable Pattern
Envelope Theta = 0 deg
Phi = 0 deg

Theta = 15 deg
Phi = 30 deg

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 Achievable Array
Patterns Theta=10

Theta=45 Theta=85

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 Installed Performance

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 System Assembly Modelling

System Assembly Modelling provides

convenient layout assembly to bring in
phone + other antenna models

Several copies of array independently

placed and parameterizable

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Layout Modelling
After wiring system, switch to layout view
and align antenna arrays

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 Layout Modelling

Lower hemispherical array needs

to be flipped to aim ‘downward’

Rotate on axis for diversity

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 Simulation Task

In this case, all models will

be solved together in 3D by
MWS T solver

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 Simulation Performance

3.5 Minutes simulation time per excitation on dual CPU workstation with nVIDIA
Kepler 20 GPU (10% GPU capacity)

3.48 GB of system Memory utilized for initial Matrix Calculation

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Installed Performance - Coupling

Both arrays operating (boresight), pattern intact

In band coupling to WIFI antenna, GPS coupling at 5G operating freq
Designing Clean Mobile Devices CST Webinar available at
https://www.cst.com/webinar14-10-23~

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 Installed Performance - Envelope

Relatively, low coupling to GPS at 28 GHz, but radiation angles towards GPS antenna
are affected

‘Best Achievable Pattern’ envelope clearly shows performance degraded

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 System Level – Bio Models

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 Posable CTIA Hand Models

CST Installation Help Files include both static and posable CTIA Hand (+spacer)
models

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 System Assembly Modelling

Add posed hand model to System

model and align to spacer in Layout
mode

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Simulation Performance

15 Minutes simulation time per excitation

on dual CPU workstation with nVIDIA Kepler
20 GPU (~35% GPU capacity)

8.5 GB of system Memory utilized for initial

Matrix Calculation

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 Effects of Hand Model
‘Top’ hemisphere array is largely unaffected

‘Bottom’ array highly dependent on finger proximity

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Summary
 5G Antenna Device design will require high efficiency devices at
frequencies approaching mm wave

 CST Array Simulation Workflows provide smooth design process for

large and small finite arrays

 Antenna Magus provides Antenna and Array synthesis for rapid

design exploration

 System level simulation increasingly important for antenna

performance
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 Thank you for your attention

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