Track A5-Overcome Massive MIMO Beamforming Challenges Between Devices and Base Stations-Lily Lin

Overcome Massive MIMO
Beamforming Challenges between

Devices and Base Stations
Lily Lin, Solutions Engineer, Keysight Technologies
October 2022
1
Agenda
01 Why mMIMO Beamforming?
02 How mMIMO Beamforming Work?
03 Test Challenges
04 Test Solutions
05 Summary
© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2

01 Why mMIMO
Beamforming ?
• What is MIMO ?
• What is massive MIMO ?
• What is beamforming ?
• What is their benefit ?
© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc 3

Massive MIMO Key Techniques & Gain
What is MIMO?
SISO
• Single antenna port transmission,
fixed beam.
• SISO link suffers the time domain

and frequency domain fading due
to multipath propagation
SISO Multipath

What is MIMO?
MIMO – transmit diversity

• Improve reliability by transmitting
redundant copies of data in space
and/or time domain
• Space diversity：Transmit data
via multiple non-corelated
propagation paths
• Fixed MIMO precoding with

limited channel state awareness
MIMO with 4 BS TRx and adaptation and beamforming
resolution

What is MIMO?
MIMO – spatial multiplexing

• Improve data rate transmitting parallel
data streams in spatial domain
• Parallel data streams are called MIMO
layers
• Open loop or closed loop (PMI-based)
selection of precoding matrix among pre-
defined set
• Enhanced channel state adaptation and
beamforming capabilities in 5G → mMIMO
• Fixed MIMO precoding with limited

MIMO with 4 BS TRx channel state awareness and adaptation
and beamforming resolution

What is MIMO?
Massive MIMO
• Higher number of antennas (32 to
hundreds) to enable good resolution for
beamforming
• Adaptive MIMO precoding with enhanced
channel state awareness and adaptation
and beamforming resolution
mMIMO

Massive MIMO Delivers Better Network Coverage and Higher Capacity
Massive MIMO (mMIMO) combines techniques to deliver higher data throughput and capacity
Spatial Multiplexing Multi-user MIMO Beamforming

Simultaneous independent data
Multiple transmissions Form beams to
streams or “layers” to one user
to different users direct power to a user
N layers = N x throughput
64T64R
Going from To Massive MIMO

MIMO… (> 8 channels)
Radio unit (RU) with 64 TRX,
4- or 8-port MIMO
128 horizontal & vertical
remote radio head
polarized antenna elements -45° polarization +45° polarization
Benefits of mMIMO
• Beamforming gain
• Increased power level at the receiver

Benefits of mMIMO
• MIMO capacity
• Better resolution to utilize multipath
propagation to deliver multiple parallel
data streams (layers) to one UE

Benefits of mMIMO
• MIMO capacity
• Better resolution to utilize multipath
propagation to deliver multiple parallel
data streams (layers) to one UE
• Multi-user Co-scheduling
• Better resolution to utilize spatial
separation of UEs to deliver parallel data
streams (layers) to multiple UEs

Massive MIMO Market Projected To Grow Rapidly
ABI: Shipments of mMIMO radios expected to grow from

1.8 million in 2020 to 7.7 million in 2026 (27.4% CAGR).
Fact.MR Massive MIMO Market Report:

GlobalData: In 2020, these 5 companies offered
127 mMIMO products supporting LTE, 5G, or both. mMIMO market revenue estimated at $7 billion in 2021.
Expect growth through 2031 to $71 billion with CAGR of 26.1%.

01 How mMIMO
beamforming Work ?
• gNB
• O-RAN

mMIMO Key Techniques & Gain
gNB
• Receives channel state UEs move

gNB
feedback from individual UEs Antenna
Array
• Their channel state feedback
• Estimates the radio channel changes
and reveals the UE positions • The gNB continuously adapts the
beam weights
• Computes or selects from a • The beam follows/tracks the UEs
codebook beam weights
optimized for every UE, also
minimizing interference

O-RAN Beamforming Method
Predefined Weight Attributed Channel

01 BF 02 Based BF 03 Based BF 04 Information
Based BF
• PREDEFINED BF sends actual Freq/Time • Send the desired • O-DU estimates the channel
Beamforming properties between O-RU and each
Beamforming weights
• Index based rather than beam weight User
beamforming • O-DU signals the estimated
• Properties such as
channel Matrix to O-RU
• Beam ID Zenith and Azimuth,
beamwidth, Sidelobe • O-RU calculates a precoding
suppression matrix according to this matrix
to apply to the multiple
© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. streams to multiple Users 15
3GPP MIMO to O-RAN Beamforming
• MIMO (TAE) PAE

• O-RAN Beamforming method
• Predefined-Beam BF
• Weight-Based
• Attribute-Based BF
• Channel Information-Based BF
• Test Scope
• …the tests do not aim to test the O-
RU beamforming performance or
capabilities but …the RF energy or
sensitivity into a specific direction

02 Test Challenges
• What is the DUT ?
• Consideration and Challenge
• Development and Testing Phase
• Traditional RF MIMO Test Solutions

gNB traditional radio unit? O-RAN radio unit (O-RU)?
What is the DUT? Conducted Test
Interface
Antenna Array Panel
gNB Radio Unit (RU)
UE #1
RF Module
DAC
…
a0 UE #2
ADC
Centralized Distributed a1
Unit Unit Digital DAC
BF
…
(CU) (DU)
an (Precoding) ADC
+
IQ data Digital DAC
…
streams Front End
ADC
(layers)
UE #3
DAC
…
ADC
UE #4
Analog BF
Hybrid Beamforming
Massive MIMO O-RU / gNB R&D, Acceptance & Deployment Workflow
Development Acceptance Deployment
Focus on What to test:
conducted test PHY RF
parameters, beam
weights, pattern, & More ports ->
How to test: system Increase in test time
RF Module RF/L1 L1/L2 Full Stack and cost.
New How to
& Load Test performance?
RU only or gNB, O-RAN End-to-End Ongoing
Tests & Beam Functional 3GPP O-RAN Carrier
Interoperability Performance Release Optimization
Antenna Validation
Beamforming
conducted or OTA? (RF/L1)
with UEE
Validation
Conformance Conformance decrease
Acceptance test time?
Rollouts (Field to Lab)
Calibration (SU & MU)(SU & MU) (SU & MU)
O-RU O-CU+O- O-CU+O-

O-RU O-RU O-DU +O-RU O-RU DU+O-RU DU+O-RU
gNB gNB O-RAN
gNB
Beamforming
Conformance Test Calibrate DUT
Validate dynamic Tx/Rx paths for
beamforming magnitude & phase
Calibrate complex
multiport test
system

Traditional RF MIMO Test Solutions
Up to 8 Channels
N5182B MXG M9384B VXG MXR E6680E

Signal Generator Signal Generator Oscilloscope 4-ch. Transceiver
• Up to 8 channels with • 2 channels with timing • 4 or 8 channels signal • Based on M9410A VXT
timing sync and phase sync and phase analysis with phase PXIe Transceiver
coherency coherency coherency • 4 channels signal
generation and analysis
with timing sync

03 Test Solutions
• MIMO Switch Matrix
• Beam MIMO Detect
• Channel Emulator

MIMO Switch Matrix

Early Stages: RF Tx/Rx Testing, 1 or 2 Channels at a Time
L8990A-01A
4x32 MIMO Switch Matrix
Add 2nd SA or SG for
relative measurements Test TAE for
between Port 1 and each DUT port
6 4
• Turn-on test Port 2 to 32 relative to Port 1
• Channel Calibration
• Antenna path calibration
32 bidirectional
SA or SG test ports
• Basic RF measurements on 1 path at a time: connected to 1
channel power, OBW, EVM, ACLR, etc DUT port at a time 1
(half-duplex)
• Amplitude & phase (relative) meas. on 2 or more ports 2
• Supports 3GPP BTS Tx/Rx conformance tests
using signal analyzers, signal generators, and 5G NR
software 3
Connect to
• Switch matrix solution enables faster automated testing Add 2nd SG as expansion
with single connection to DUT ports interfering signal switch matrix to
for Rx test test 64 port DUT
• Reference path enables relative magnitude & phase
measurements between Port 1 and one of Ports 2 to 32 5

Keysight Advantage: Making Switch Matrix Measurements Easier and Faster
Easier Guided Calibration Corrections Applied
Automated Sequential Measurements
in VSA
P7006A Calibration SW with Error Tracking/Removal
• Guides user through S-parameter Import correction files into
calibration of switch matrix using VNA 89600 VSA SW. VSA VSA SW controls switch matrix to
automatically applies acquire measurements.
correction for each port/path. • Input measurement, DUT and analyzer
Calibrate at end
Calibrate at
end of cable
of cable that
connects to
information to configure sequential
that connects
to radio unit
instrument measurements
L8990A-01A • Reference channel is tracked, used to
Reference Signal Reference remove phase/timing error
1
Conditioning
2
3
4 1x32 Receiver A
5 Signal Source A
6 Switch
etc.
Conditioning Source B

Demo: VSA Measurement of 8-port DUT Using Sequential Acquisition
Frame Start Trigger
10 MHz Reference
Simulated 8-port DUT
4x32 Switch Reference

8x8 Butler Matrix Path (Port 1)
RF Out Matrix (With
Signal Generator Reference Ports 2 to 8 89600 VSA SW
Path)
MXR Oscilloscope
Signal generator Butler matrix simulates Switch matrix with reference path VSA SW controls switch matrix to
used to generate an 8-port RU DUT with used. Path 1 (reference path) make sequential measurements of
5G NR signal, different magnitude connected to MXR Ch. 1 input. all ports, automatically removing
input to one port and phase on each DUT ports 2 to 8 switched into phase error due to frequency drift
of Butler matrix. port. Ch. 3 on MXR. with time on different captures.
Calibration for switch matrix and VSA applies calibration data (s2p
cables done with VNA, generating file) from switch matrix to correct
s2p corrections files. for magnitude/phase in switch
matrix paths and cabling.
Example Massive MIMO/Beamforming Analysis for 8-port DUT
Power/time/phase
differences across
all paths
Channel frequency
response for each path
(mag and phase)

Beam MIMO
Detect (BMD)

Current mMIMO Testing Techniques
1. Analog phase shifters or Butler matrices

Issues!!!
• Testing limited to just a few static beams
• RF quality degradation Test Complexity
• Dependent on specific RAN implementation
Time Consuming
2. Separation of devices through large spaces,

multiple antennas, anechoic chambers Poor Reproducibility
• Can prove extremely expensive
• Testing usually limited to just a few devices No Scalability

What is Beam MIMO Detect?
Powerful digital beamforming and MU-MIMO

test and verification solution
Compact form factor
Used in conjunction with Keysight UeSIM UE Emulator

to simulate in the lab a population of spatially distributed and moving UEs

Beam MIMO Detect in Conjunction with Keysight’s UEE
Simulate in the lab a population of spatially distributed and moving UEs
UeSIM - UEE
• Multi UE emulation
• Full Stack, E2E, real applications
Core/IMS • Performance testing, large scale (1000s UEs)
UEE
(UeSIM)
BMD Macro gNB Emulator • Full RF support
(CoreSIM)
Beam MIMO Detect Functionalities

DuT: complete macro gNB
with up to 64T64R AAS/O-RU • Conducted mode
• 64 RF ports at FR1
• Fully connected, synchronized, 64x16 switch matrix
• Phase and Amplitude controlled in real time by UeSIM
Beam MIMO Detect and UeSIM – E2E Features

• Auto calibrating
Core/IMS
• Beam separation and composition
UEE
(UeSIM)
BMD O-RU O-DU O-CU Emulator • Static and dynamic positioning of UEs
(CoreSIM) • Large scale validation of E2E MU-MIMO
DuT: O-RAN based gNB implementation

Beam Discovery Procedure
First measures and records the beam weights

for every Synchronization Signal Block (SSB)
Subsequent calls are established between

gNB Antenna Array
the gNB and the UE emulator
During the calls all possible PMIs are

reported incrementally to the gNB
So that the corresponding PMI beam weights

can then be measured and recorded

Test Results
2 Rank4 4x8 ports CSI-RS resources with multi-UE (50 UEs/Dbeam)
Co-scheduling
100 MHz BW
About 0.1 DL BLER

1,4 Gbps each beam
Total tput 2,8 Gbps
SNR around 35 dB

S8803A Massive
MIMO Base Station
Fading Performance
Toolset

Effects of the Channel in Communications
Propsim Channel Emulation Solutions
gNB, O-RU or • S8811A device real

Network networks performance
Emulator
S8803A toolset is used in lab to
assess Device data
performance in real-world
DL mobility RF impairment
conditions.
CHANNEL • In S8811A toolset
advanced Mobility Test
UL Scenarios for lab testing
can be created with
Channel Studio GCM Tool
or RF Field to Lab Tool to
stress test Device – NW
UEs or UE Test with field conditions performance.
Emulator
before field deployment

PROPSIM for E2E Massive MIMO fading performance testing
Demo-1
• Three positions (near/mid/far)

• At each position model with dynamic AoA spread
High RSRP Mid RSRP Low RSRP

near-cell scenario mid-cell scenario cell-edge scenario

mMIMO 64x4 Equal-Gain Cluster Model
Eigen values over time
Cluster Angle-of-Departure (AoD)

Massive MIMO demo description (1/n)
Story behind - High RSRP / near-cell scenario

Massive MIMO demo description (2/3)
Story behind - Mid RSRP / mid-cell scenario

Massive MIMO demo description (3/3)
Story behind - Low RSRP / cell-edge scenario

Challenges - Why PROPSIM and WaveJudge?
Reproduce Channel Conditions and Analyze Issues
O-RU or
Network Emulator
Full control over complex Get visibility into the real

multi link RF mobility 5G stack: PHY to upper
conditions in laboratory layers
DL
100% repeatability of RF PROPSIM UL/DL Eliminate multi-vendor

mobility conditions – test Channel discrepancies (3GPP
again and again Emulator 3GPP real official specifications)
stack WaveJudge SW
UL
High Density RF IO with Advanced PHY and

Superior Precision, Protocol correlation &
Linearity and Stability event triggers
UEs or UE Emulator
Example : S8811A Data T’put Test Case Run
Issue Found
• From S8811A Toolset UE reports we

can see that Data call drop is
happening after 12 seconds
• UE report log does not give enough

details to see what is causing this
issue-
→ Network or UE issue?
TC Start TC run @ 12 seconds

S8811A Data Tput Test Case Run – Where to measure?
Test Case speed profile: 30 kmph (Pos#1-2), 400 kmph (Pos#3), 450 kmph(Pos#4), 400 kmph (Pos#5), 3 kmph (Pos#6)
Channel Studio F986000A S8811A-A64 Toolset – F64 Standard Tools GUI
From UE log we see that @12

second issue occurs -> Let’s start
capture at ~11s
12 seconds 12 seconds 12 seconds

Example SU-MIMO 4x4 Data Tput TC with live 5G NR NSA
RAN/Base Station – PROPSIM + WaveJudge S8811A-A64 Toolset
DL signal
captured before
Channel Studio F986000A fading
UL signal
captured before 8 antenna port
fading
MIMO gNB
gNB n78
IQ data NR
IQ data NR and Downlink
LTE Uplink eNB B3
IQ data LTE 4 antenna port
WaveJudge SW Downlink MIMO eNB
Dynamic mobility RF Channel DL & UL signals
(DL not faded)
mimic’s real-world scenario in field
Test Case speed profile: 30 kmph (Pos#1-2),
• Signals are captured at DL input ports to PROPSIM and at UL input
ports to PROPSIM - as shown with the red dots in the figure above
400 kmph (Pos#3), 450 kmph(Pos#4), 400 kmph
• IQ capture
(Pos#5), 3 kmph (Pos#6)
• 5G NR 8 DL Antenna Ports
• 5G NR 1 UL UE Antenna Port
WaveJudge Analysis
Low Doppler Channel
UE behavior with low doppler

reporting as expected
(Rank Indicator: 1)

WaveJudge Analysis
High Doppler Channel
UE behavior with high doppler

wrong reporting
(Rank Indicator: 3)

05 Summary

Summary
Why mMIMO Test mMIMO

01 mMIMO? 02 technique 03 Challenges 04 Testing
Solutions
• Beamforming Gain • gNB • Test Complexity • MIMO Switch Matrix
• MIMO Capacity
• RU • Time Consuming • MTRX
• MU-MIMO
• MU-MIMO • BMD
• Channel Fading • Prosim

Thank you
48
50
51
O-RAN NR Beamforming Methods
PPredefined
R E D E F I NBeamforming
E D - B E A M (beamId
B E A M Fbased
O R MBF)
ING
C-Plane
• O-DU signals index based beamforming
communication to O-RU Signals BeamID
• BeamID is a pointer to pre-defined table of:

• Frequency Domain Beam Weights
• Time Domain Beam Weights
Beam Id Frequency Domain Time Domain

Beam Weights Beam Weights
0x13  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y
0x25  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y

0x83  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y
0x8F  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y  1.0 ,  1.1… x,y
WReal
E I GTime
H T Weight
BASED BEA
based MFORMING
Beamforming
C-Plane
• O-DU signals frequency domain weights (φ)
and time domain (θ) beam weights in real Signals weights
time
• Frequency domain weights φ are applied to
the frequency domain IQ data per section
• Time domain weight θ are applied to the time
domain IQ data per OFDM symbol
• Weight compression options for fronthaul BW Beam Id Frequency Domain Time Domain / Analog
Beam Weights Beam Weights
saving  1.0 ,  1.1 , …,  1.K , …,  K’,1 , …, K’,K
0x13  1.0 ,  1.1 , …. ,  1,K’
0x25  2.0 ,  2.1 , … ,  2,K’  1.0 ,  1.1 , …,  1.K , …,  K’,1 , …, K’,K

AT T RTime
Real I B U Attributed
T E B A S Ebased
D B EBeamforming
AMFORMING
C-Plane
• First level: Bullet, 20pt Signals Attributes

• Second level: Sub-bullet 1, 18pt
• Third level: Sub-bullet 2, 16pt
• Fourth level: Sub-bullet 3, 14pt
• Fifth level: Sub-bullet 4, 12pt
bfZePt1 “Zenith angle θ”
bfZePt1 “Zenith Beamwidth”

bfAzPt1 “Azimuth Beamwidth”
Beam Id Beam Properties

0x13 bfAzPt1 bfZePt1 bfAz3dd1 bfZe3dd1 bfAzSI1 vfZeSI1
0x25 bfAzPt2 bfZePt2 bfAz3dd2 bfZe3dd2 bfAzSI2 vfZeSI2
bfAzSl1 “Sidelobe Suppression”
bfAzPt1 “Azimuth angle φ”

CChannel
H A N N EInformation
L I N F O R based
M AT I Beamforming
ON BEAMFORMING
• Typical scenario is a Radio Unit serving

multiple K Users at once (MU-MIMO)
• O-DU signals the estimated channel
information H to the O-RU C-Plane
• The O-RU generates the precoding

Signals Estimated Channel
beam weights G from H by
implementing an algorithm
• An example algorithm is the Zero-
forcing:
Precoding
1 G
G𝑍𝐸𝑅𝑂 𝐹𝑂𝑅𝐶𝐼𝑁𝐺 = (𝐻𝐻 𝐻)−1 𝐻𝐻
𝛾

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Overcome Massive MIMO

Beamforming Challenges between

01 Why mMIMO Beamforming?

02 How mMIMO Beamforming Work?

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc 3

• SISO link suffers the time domain

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 4

MIMO – transmit diversity

• Fixed MIMO precoding with

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 5

MIMO – spatial multiplexing

• Fixed MIMO precoding with limited

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 6

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 7

Spatial Multiplexing Multi-user MIMO Beamforming

Going from To Massive MIMO

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 9

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 10

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 11

ABI: Shipments of mMIMO radios expected to grow from

Fact.MR Massive MIMO Market Report:

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 12

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 13

• Receives channel state UEs move

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 14

Predefined Weight Attributed Channel

• MIMO (TAE) PAE

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 16

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 17

O-RU O-CU+O- O-CU+O-

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 19

N5182B MXG M9384B VXG MXR E6680E

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 20

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 21

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 22

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 23

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 24

Frame Start Trigger

Simulated 8-port DUT

4x32 Switch Reference

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 26

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 27

1. Analog phase shifters or Butler matrices

2. Separation of devices through large spaces,

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 28

Powerful digital beamforming and MU-MIMO

Compact form factor

Used in conjunction with Keysight UeSIM UE Emulator

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 29

Beam MIMO Detect Functionalities

Beam MIMO Detect and UeSIM – E2E Features

DuT: O-RAN based gNB implementation

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 30

First measures and records the beam weights

Subsequent calls are established between

During the calls all possible PMIs are

So that the corresponding PMI beam weights

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 31

About 0.1 DL BLER

Total tput 2,8 Gbps

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 32

© Copyright 2022: Keysight Technologies, Inc. 33

gNB, O-RU or • S8811A device real