Antennas and Signal Processing Lab

The Lab enables fundamental research in areas such as antennas, propagation and signal processing for mobile and satellite systems. Lab facilities are available for rent with accompanying personnel for carrying out measurements on short term projects.

Lab facilities in detail

Anechoic chamber

The anechoic chamber has fully automated antenna measurement software, controlling a vector network analyser and turntable. We have a wide choice of linear and circular polarised reference antennas over a wide frequency range.

The chamber can be configured for multiple purposes including antenna pattern measurements and specialist propagation measurements.

GHz sensing experiment platform (GBSense)

GBSense, funded by EPSRC, offers new creative and implementable possibilities over a framework of real-time experimental platform without requiring Nyquist-rate sampling.

GBSense gives users access to a flexible hardware platform and application software that enables real-time over the air GHz bandwidth signal sensing, analysis, and communication at both sub-6GHz and mm-wave frequency bands.

Propagation measurements

Our wideband multiple-input and multiple-output channel sounder (PropSound) includes several antenna arrays, supporting up to 54 transmit channels and 32 receive channels at 2GHz and 5GHz bands.

Other work carried out with our network analyser up to 67GHz enables us to characterise features for mmWave such as building surface roughness effects and diffraction loss from small items such as tree shrubs and street furniture.

Software defined mmWave Transceiver System

The mmWave Transceiver System (MTS) is a modular reconfigurable research and prototyping platform for two-way communications and channel sounding. Combined with LabVIEW software, this hardware can be reconfigured to service the continually growing demands of innovative wireless research.

The MTS can be used to create over-the-air testbeds. When combined with LabVIEW based IP and more field programmable gate arrays, a new radio based physical layer runs in real-time.

The equipment

Our labs are well equipped with:

Spectrum and vector network analysers supporting up to 67GHz
Narrowband and wideband channel sounder supporting 2GHz and 5GHz bands
Multiple signal sources
Standard test antennas up to 60 GHz.

Consultancy

We are proud of our facilities at the Antennas and Signal Processing Lab and allow external organisations to hire these facilities.

If you are interested in collaborating with us on measurement campaigns, propagation modelling/analysis, or antenna research, or want to know more about our capabilities and research interests in this field, please contact us.