Automated Angular Received-Power Characterization of Embedded mmWave Transmitters Using Geometry-Calibrated Spatial Sampling

TL;DR

This paper introduces RAPTAR, an autonomous system for precise, repeatable angular power measurements of embedded mmWave transmitters, overcoming traditional alignment and coverage challenges with a geometry-calibrated robotic approach.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel autonomous measurement system that uses geometry-calibrated spatial sampling and a collaborative robot to accurately characterize embedded mmWave transmitters.

Findings

Achieved mean absolute received-power error below 2 dB compared to simulations.

Reduced measurement error by 36.5% relative to manual probe-station methods.

Enabled practical power-domain characterization without near-field transformations.

Abstract

This paper presents an automated measurement methodology for angular received-power characterization of embedded millimeter-wave transmitters using geometry-calibrated spatial sampling. Characterization of integrated mmWave transmitters remains challenging due to limited angular coverage and alignment variability in conventional probe-station techniques, as well as the impracticality of anechoic-chamber testing for platform-mounted active modules. To address these challenges, we introduce RAPTAR, an autonomous measurement system for angular received-power acquisition under realistic installation constraints. A collaborative robot executes geometry-calibrated, collision-aware hemispherical trajectories while carrying a calibrated receive probe, enabling controlled and repeatable spatial positioning around a fixed device under test. A spectrum-analyzer-based receiver chain acquires amplitude-only received power as a function of angle and distance following quasi-static pose stabilization. The proposed framework enables repeatable angular received-power mapping and power-domain comparison against idealized free-space references derived from full-wave simulation. Experimental results for a 60-GHz radar module demonstrate a mean absolute received-power error below 2 dB relative to simulation-derived references and a 36.5 % reduction in error compared to manual probe-station measurements, attributed primarily to reduced alignment variability and consistent spatial sampling. The proposed method eliminates the need for coherent field measurements and near-field transformations, enabling practical power-domain characterization of embedded mmWave modules. It is well suited for angular validation in real-world platforms where conventional anechoic measurements are impractical.