Socowave is pioneering the configurable MIMO solution, the Active Panel Antenna. It harnesses the power of an array of micro-transceivers which is digitally synchronised at the point of transmission/reception, embedded inside a conventional panel antenna housing.

The Active Panel Antenna (APA) unleashes step-function improvements in wireless link quality to mobile users.

This configurable system architecture changes the way we think about designing and optimising radio networks. Its digital architecture permits a variety of array matrix options, allowing easy re-configuration during the life of the network. For the first time, network planners can rely on an APA to independently control the uplink and downlink of their radio access network. This allows the planner to lay down an electronically adjustable transmit beam while relying on the APA to automatically optimise the uplink using uplink spatial filtering to mitigate cell interference. It also allows the network planner to locate the baseband equipment remote from the antenna site, using fibre optic links.

The APA structure utilises a planar array (multiple columns) of antenna elements to provide the spatial signature of incoming RF signals. The spatial signature is determined from the different signal arrival times at each element and can be used to determine the ‘angle of arrival’ of incoming signals. This new information (spatial signature) can be used to optimise the communication link.