One predominant trend in the wireless industry is the migration from conducted measurements to over-the-air (OTA) testing. Modern smartphones with cellular, 3G/4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS radios demand OTA test methods due to a sheer number of connections. Especially in devices using multiple antennas in products incorporating MIMO and beamforming technologies, OTA test has now become increasingly important. Review OTA test methods and metrics under development at 3GPP and CTIA and discuss practical approaches to fast and accurate OTA-based production testing.
