Parallel receiver channel sounder for spatial and MIMO characterisation of the mobile radio channel

The paper briefly compares the architecture of commonly used channel sounders for single input multiple output (SIMO) and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) applications. The architecture of a novel dual UMTS band parallel receiver sounder developed for the purposes of such studies is outlined. The performance of the sounder from back-to-back measurements and calibration considerations are discussed. Outdoor SIMO measurements and indoor/outdoor MIMO measurements obtained with different antenna arrays demonstrate its capability.