DASY8 Module APD V1.0 – Unlocking Absorbed Power Density for 5G NR FR2

DASY8 Module APD V1.0 is the world's first near-field absorbed power density test solution for evaluating exposure at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. It complies with current and all evolving regulations and enables thorough compliance testing of 5G and 6G devices while reducing test conservatism.

In 2020, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and in 2019, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published their respective guidelines titled "Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)" and "C95.1-2019 - IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields, 0 Hz to 300 GHz". These guidelines introduced the novel dosimetric quantity absorbed power density (APD), also called epithelial power density, as the basic restriction for evaluating exposure at frequencies greater than 6 GHz. Various regulators worldwide have already adopted APD or are in the process of replacing incident power density with APD as the dosimetric quantity for frequencies above 6 GHz.

As SPEAG strives to fulfill our commitment to stay ahead of standardization, we are proud to release DASY8 Module APD V1.0, a tool for measuring the APD of devices transmitting in the New Radio Frequency Range 2 (NR FR2) or upcoming FR3 frequency ranges. Module APD 1.0 is also fully compatible with the Chinese GB21288-2022 and the latest International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) draft technical report (TR) on APD. The APD of WiFi 6E/7 devices operating in the 6 GHz band can already be measured with DASY8/6 Module SAR.

DASY8 Module APD V1.0 Measurement System

Module Description

DASY8 Module APD V1.0 is comprised of:

• flexible and user-friendly application software
• EuAPDV1 near-field probe for the 10 – 45 GHz frequency range
• PHA-30G phantom covering the 24 – 30 GHz frequency range
• skin-simulating liquid (SSL) covering the 24 – 30 GHz frequency range
• MD4APDV5 for positioning the device-under-test under the PHA-30G phantom

SPEAG will release additional phantoms and SSL products in 4Q2024 to cover the entire 10 – 45 GHz frequency range.

Benefits

The measurement uncertainty of the module is low, <1.7 dB (k = 2), and the compliance margin gain is comparable to that for testing with incident power density limits based on the results by Christ et al. (Bioelectromagnetics, 41(5), 2020 and Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 192(1), 2020).

Validation

DASY8 Module APD V1.0 was designed to emulate the absorption characteristics of the human skin in the frequency range from 24 – 30 GHz. With future releases of DASY8 Module APD, we will extend the frequency range by adding additional APD phantoms and SSL to cover all FR2 and future FR3 bands from 10 – 45 GHz.

DASY8 Module APD V1.0 was experimentally validated with the validation source according to IEC/IEEE 63195, a standard gain horn antenna, and an open-ended WR-28 waveguide. The validation results demonstrate agreement of better than 0.45 dB between the numerically simulated and measured surface averaged APD over an area of 1 cm². The full validation report will be published in January 2024.

Validation results for the cavity-back dipole array antenna according to IEC/IEEE 63195 positioned below and in contact with the PHA-30 phantom. Left: simulated, right: measured with DASY8 Module APD V1.0.

Intuitive Software and Post-Processing

The DASY8 Module APD V1.0 software makes use of established and proven measurement and post-processing workflows and the graphical user interface of DASY8/6 Module SAR and Module mmWave. Existing users of these modules will experience Module APD as a natural extension of Module SAR to cover millimeter wave frequencies.

SSL Dielectric Measurements

DASY8 Module APD supports the direct import of dielectric measurement data from our DAK software. We recommend the use of DAK-1.2E for the frequency range covered by Module APD V1.0.

Further Details

Please consult the DASY8 Module APD product page for more information and further details.

For a quote or additional information on DASY8 Module APD or any of our other products, please contact us at info@speag.swiss or any of our sales channels.

Kind regards,

Your DASY Team