Characterization of Implemented Algorithm for MIMO Spatial Multiplexing in Reverberation Chamber

Previously, the throughput for a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) system was successfully tested in a reverberation chamber (RC), and the results were in good agreement with a model based on the ideal threshold receiver. In the present communication, we measure the throughput of a 2 × 2 open loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with full spatial multiplexing (i.e., two data streams), and we compare the results with an extended throughput model taking the spatial multiplexing into account. The measured throughput is found to be in agreement with the simulated one of a simple zero-forcing (ZF) receiver. The throughput degradations due to correlation and power imbalance (caused by different embedded radiation efficiencies of antennas) are studied and referred to as a throughput multiplexing efficiency. These can, to a large extent, be explained by the ZF algorithm. The results show clearly that the rich isotropic multipath (RIMP) environment generated by an RC can be used to study how effective different MIMO algorithms are when there is correlation and efficiency imbalance between the antenna elements.