Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1315957
43 | To avoid interference and signal interruptions, transmitters continuously track receiving equipment and recalculate optimum data paths. This enables transmission adjustments in real time to ensure consistent, uninterrupted data connections when 5G devices (for example, vehicles or cell phones) move or when objects block an optimum signal path. Beamforming is a calculation-intensive process that requires active MIMO antennas with robust signal processing capabilities. Downlink and Uplink Requirements The 5G specification facilitates a maximum downlink data rate that is twice the uplink data rate in given use cases. In current deployment phases below 2.6GHz, 5G requires at least a 4 x 4 downlink MIMO and recommends at least a 2 x 2 uplink MIMO. Antenna Designs for Different Use Cases 5G deployments will require many antenna packages for indoor and outdoor use, small cell and macro- coverage, and many different kinds of terminal equipment. The following are some 5G antenna design considerations based on several common deployment cases. Base Stations Most cell phone towers today are highly congested. Building compact 5G antennas that integrate lower and higher frequencies is the most cost-effective solution. In addition, placing antennas on light poles and corners of buildings for small cell coverage will require compact designs. Several telecom operators have begun deploying small 4G cells to address bandwidth and latency issues. Early 5G deployments will involve placing 5G antennas beside existing 4G LTE antennas or installing replacement antenna units that serve as both 4G LTE and lower-frequency 5G antennas in one. Eventually, different frequency ranges will be used for different implementations. For example, some outdoor coverage in 700MHz- range macro and small-cell implementations will operate in the 3 to 5GHz range. High-bandwidth indoor and outdoor applications will likely take advantage of micro-cell architectures that use distributed antenna systems. As this higher frequency 5G rolls out, mMIMO arrays with many antenna elements will help reduce network congestion and increase base station capacity. User and Terminal Equipment Data, communication requirements, operational frequencies, and equipment design will dictate antenna designs in different 5G applications. There are many uses for 5G connected sensors and control equipment, especially in manufacturing, infrastructure monitoring and control, agriculture, and fixed wireless Internet access, to replace cable connections. Sensors and controllers optimized for low- data rates and low latencies will need to operate at specific frequencies. Fixed wireless Internet access is likely to use a combination of sub- 6GHz frequencies for control plane signals and millimeter wavelengths that deliver high throughput and low latencies for end-user equipment. Other applications, such as autonomous vehicles, will