Millimeterwave Wireless Channel Measurements with a Channel Sounder in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honor Thesis

Research in inexpensive millimeter wave devices and electronically steerable antennas forbodes future high speed communications that use carrier frequencies at millimeterwave frequencies such as 38 and 60 GHz. At these frequencies, the available RF bandwidth is much greater than that of current 4G systems, resulting in massive amounts of data rates, and high gain millimeterwave steerable antennas can be much smaller than antennas at current frequencies. As the carrier frequency is increased, behaviors of the wireless signals in different environments need to be better understood. The thesis presents results from an extensive channel measurement campaign for peer-to-peer, peer-to-vehicle, and rooftop-to-ground (base station-to-peer) propagation measurements with a sliding correlator channel measurement system at 38 GHz or 60 GHz carrier frequencies in an outdoor urban campus environment using directional and mechanically steerable antennas. This work provides angle of arrival (AOA) and channel characteristics for directional antenna beams that may exploit non-line-of-sight propagation paths for futuristic channels at 38 GHz and 60 GHz. The thesis also includes descriptions of an antenna positioning track that was designed to assist in future channel measurements. The track enables automatic mechanical steering in an antennas azimuth angle and horizontal position, and manual mechanical steering in elevation angle, polarization, and vertical positions. Details on the track design, design concerns, parts, as well as the tracks control software are provided.