Using Reverberation Chambers as Test Environments for mmWave
Wireless Systems
Alfredo De Leo,
Luca Bastianelli,
Valter Mariani Primiani,
Davide Micheli,
Renzo Lattanzi,
Pietro Obino,
Max Moccia,
Thirumaran Muthiah,
Riccardo Diamanti and
Franco Moglie
This study presents millimeter-wave propagation measurements at 60 GHz conducted in a reverberation chamber to emulate realistic multipath-rich indoor environments. Both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios are investigated using commercial off-the-shelf devices. The impact of stirring conditions and lossy environments is evaluated through key performance indicators, including Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), and throughput. Results show that mechanical stirring speed and the placement of absorbing materials significantly affect channel characteristics and system performance. In NLOS conditions, multipath propagation dominates, where dynamic beamforming demonstrates improved robustness. In contrast, LOS scenarios are highly sensitive to blockage, leading to notable performance degradation. Overall, the findings confirm that the reverberation chamber is an effective platform for over-the-air testing and characterization of 60 GHz wireless systems, offering valuable insights into system behavior under complex indoor propagation conditions relevant to future 5G and 6G deployments.
