Scholz/Bingham MCS-08/2005

Null-fill Requirement on Base Station Antennas for Mobile Communications KATHREIN-Werke KG performed studies on the necessity of null-fill features on Base Station Antennas for Mobile Communications some years ago. The results and conclusions can be summarised as follows: 1. A symmetrically designed antenna with equal phase and power feeding of the individual radiating elements creates side-lobes with the corresponding minimums between them. Theoretically these minimum are real nulls, however, in practice these minimums are 25 30 dB below the main beam power level. This results in a null-fill of 25 30 dB as standard. In order to achieve a higher level of null-filling (15 20 dB) the phase distribution to the radiating elements has to be redesigned from the existing ideal solution, thereby sacrificing the gain of the antenna. Kathreins policy is to realise antennas with the highest possible gain and therefore additional null-fill is normally not included in the standard specification. Drive tests have confirmed that the minimums of the vertical pattern are actually higher in field-strength than theoretically calculated. This is due to reflections from the ground which can be compared to multi-path horizontal coverage situations. Due to this vertical multi-path coverage and the corresponding summation of the reflected signals, additional minimums in the field-strength measurement appear which have nothing to do with the vertical antenna characteristic. These minimums are a function of the ground reflections and may be deeper than those created by the vertical pattern. The bottom line is whether or not both kinds of minimums have an effect on the required minimum field-strength within the cell and whether dropped calls are caused. Kathrein measured and calculated the decrease in field-strength from the base station to the cell border. It was found that the field-strength at the border of the cell is lower than that near the base station. Clearly, if a certain field-strength is sufficient at the cell border, an even higher one cannot be considered too low near the base station. Therefore, additional null-fill on base station antennas does not improve the level of service. On the contrary such requirements are detrimental as the antenna gain is sacrificed unnecessarily. Kathrein agree with the point of view of all major OEMs (Ericsson, Nokia, Siemens) that null-filling is not required for network functionality.

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KATHREIN-Werke KG Anton-Kathrein-Strae 1 3 Postfach 10 04 44 D-83004 Rosenheim Deutschland Telefon (0 80 31) 18 40 Fax (0 80 31) 18 43 06