IoT Challenges: Antenna Efficiency and TIS Measurements in a Reverberation Chamber

Student thesis: Master

Abstract

Recently developed Internet-of-Things (IoT) appli-
cations can cause new challenges in reverberation-chamber
measurements, due to the introduction of a narrowband commu-
nication protocol, Narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT), and
the introduction of new antenna designs. The first can result in
higher uncertainties in the chamber transfer function and Total
Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS), which we will show with preliminary
results. The latter can contain designs with high losses or high
frequency selectivity. Such characteristics imply low efficiencies at
some frequencies which makes it more challenging to accurately
measure them, since noise can start to affect the measured S-
parameters, hence the antenna efficiency estimate when the one-,
two-, or three-antenna method is used. We provide an extensive
explanation of this issue, and we provide a solution. We provide
novel methods for determining uncertainty for antenna efficiency
and TIS. This work will inform users on previously unknown
challenges and will provide means of resolving them.
Date of Award1 Oct 2019
Original languageEnglish
SupervisorL.A. (Sander) Bronckers (Supervisor 1), Kate A. Remley (External coach) & A.B. (Bart) Smolders (Supervisor 2)

Keywords

  • Antenna Efficiency
  • Chamber Transfer Function
  • Internet of Things
  • Noise
  • Reverberation Chambers
  • Total Isotropic Sensitivity
  • Uncertainty

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