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have more complex requirements
involving vehicle-to-anything (V2X)
communications, which include low-
latency control functions and high
bandwidth requirements. Vehicles
offer flexibility for embedding antenna
arrays into the bodies of the vehicles
themselves.
Cell Phones
Cell phones are already packed
with antennas, so adding antennas
to support the full range of 5G
frequencies will be a challenge. These
phones also have limited real estate,
but they will need MIMO antennas for
high-level performance and antennas
located on the phones' edges and
corners that support beamforming,
specifically to compensate for
objects that block millimeter waves
(mmWaves), like a user's hand.
The Challenges of 5G
Antenna Designs
5G antennas have a key role to play in
making 5G communications work, but
they present engineering challenges.
Antenna designers typically begin
with antenna simulation software
that, given certain assumptions, can
project signal fields. But, this is only a
first step.
A significant challenge in 5G
antenna designs is antenna
testing. 5G antennas are not static,
omnidirectional devices. They
are active, and they beam their
transmissions to specific devices.
Putting a 5G antenna in a test room
and applying a static test does not
show how it will perform when it is
simultaneously communicating with
a thousand moving devices in a
noisy RF environment. Most antenna
designers are not sure of the most
effective means to test or validate
performance for devices that use
mMIMO arrays. Testing methods
will likely involve scenario-based
automated testing.
5G antenna designs are still very
much a work in progress. The initial
phase of the 5G deployment is
just beginning, and it will involve
installing low-frequency 5G to work
in collaboration with 4G LTE. This is
the testbed for future deployments
requiring more complex antenna
designs.
mouser.com/nxp-5g-mmimo
mouser.com/johnson-cinch-5g-connectors
Johnson / Cinch Connectivity Solutions
Connectors for 5G Applications
NXP 5G mMIMO High-Efficiency
Power Amplifier Modules
