Development of a system for testing the performance and functionality of wireless devices

• Grant number: 19/07044-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2020
• End date: August 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Measurements, Instrumentation
• Agreement: FINEP - PIPE/PAPPE Grant
• Principal Investigator: Saint Clair Henrique Nunes
• Grantee: Saint Clair Henrique Nunes
• Company: Lace Serviços de Engenharia e Representação Ltda
• CNAE: Testes e análises técnicas ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• Principal investigators: Arthur Roza Augusto ; Pedro Campos Assunção
• Associated research grant: 17/11836-3 - Development of enclosures for test and qualification of electroelectronic components, AP.PIPE

Abstract

The research encompasses the development of OTA cameras with automated system of testing of Internet of Things devices, which had its viability proven during PHASE 1 of this project. The OTA camera system is electromagnetically closed, anechoic and equipped with instruments such as turntable, VNA, generators and antennas. The function of this system is to support the development of wireless devices such as smart devices and Internet of Things devices, providing information on performance and functionality through tests such as Over-The-Air Performance, the result of which provides the radiation diagram of the tested equipment, allowing the developer to gauge the gain, efficiency and directivity parameters of the antennas (passive and active), and to predict if the devices will be able to maintain communication with a satisfactory level of quality in a previously specified environment. The market demand for solutions such as the OTA camera system is in all sectors, from the aeronautical to the telephony, as it is directly influenced by the increased connectivity of electronic devices. With the advancement of IoT technology and the arrival of the 5G network, it foresees an exponential growth in the use of connectivity, in appliances, industrial equipment, electro-medical equipment, autonomous vehicles (V2V) and many other applications. Such devices during their development phase need to undergo performance and functionality testing and subsequently meet the telecommunications standards imposed by FCC.Currently there are shielding solutions for testing devices that operate on the 3G, 4G, WiFi and BT networks, however, such solutions have a very high cost and do not meet the demand of the 5G / New Radio network. Aiming to serve a growing market our challenge is to provide testing solutions for devices that operate on IoT technologies, at a competitive cost, allowing Brazilian companies, Startup and small, to develop IoT devices.Currently there are shielding solutions for testing devices that operate on the 3G, 4G, WiFi and BT networks, however, such solutions have a very high cost and do not meet the demand of the 5G / New Radio network. Aiming to serve a growing market our challenge is to provide testing solutions for devices that operate on IoT technologies, at a competitive cost, allowing Brazilian companies, Startup and small, to develop IoT devices. According to MarketandMarket, the global T & M (Test & Measurement) market, considering only electromagnetic shielding solutions, will reach $ 5 billion by 2020 resulting in an annual average growth rate of 6.09%. The Brazilian market is estimated at R$ 500 million per year, having as potential customers telecom operators, product developers, laboratories and research institutes as well as universities. During the Phase 1 research, the mechanical design and prototype of the armored camera were developed, based on the frequency range of 100 MHz up to 8 GHz with attenuation of 60dB, allowing the tests in the new IoT technologies. During the development, we considered the shielding techniques and materials to be used, using electromagnetic simulations (CST) to better understand the influence of materials, their thicknesses and spacing. An innovative, patentable solution was adopted on the door, critical region regarding shielding. The research proposal in Phase 2 is to develop a boxed system, capable of offering flexibility of tests, covering different communication protocols, both current W-CDMA, GSM, LTE / LTE-A, and new SIGFOX, RADIO VESE, NR, LORA and CAT-M, thus reducing the cost of the IoT developer. Such a shielded box system shall guarantee 100 dB of minimum attenuation in the 700 MHz to 8 GHz frequency range and shall have a set of antennas that meet the protocols and different types of test. (AU)