In an era of rapid development of 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous systems, there is a growing need for precise testing of radio equipment. The great news is that VŠB – TUO has successfully implemented a long-term project, and a new anechoic chamber laboratory (LABEK) has been built on the university campus, operating under the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
SECTRON is a long-term partner
The cooperation between SECTRON and the Department of Telecommunications Engineering is long-term and based on mutual trust and shared expertise. The launch of the LABEK project represents a milestone that further deepens this cooperation and expands it into new areas of teaching, research, and applied development.
Thanks to the laboratory's state-of-the-art technical equipment, it is possible to verify the electromagnetic field properties of SECTRON products with high accuracy. The chamber allows measurements in both the far field (FF) and the spherical near field (SNF).
The most common use is for measuring antenna parameters. Impedance characteristics such as S11 and VSWR can be measured, as well as other antenna parameters such as gain, attenuation, front-to-back ratio, radiation angle, and directional radiation patterns. Practical testing under controlled conditions allows measurement results to be transferred from development and to optimise products intended for series production and real-world deployment. These control measurements are particularly valuable for deploying products in demanding industrial and safety applications.
For the academic community, LABEK represents an important platform for the development of applied research, the involvement of doctoral students in solving specific technical problems, and the creation of topics for diploma or dissertation theses with a direct link to practice. Students thus gain valuable practical experience, learn to work with professional measuring equipment, and become familiar with the real requirements of industrial development, which increases their employability in the labor market.
For SECTRON, the added value of the cooperation lies primarily in the opportunity to develop innovations in the long term and accelerate the transfer of research results into specific products intended for retail and specialised customers. This creates a mutually beneficial environment in which science, research, and teaching are linked to the real needs of industrial practice.
What is an anechoic chamber?
It is a specialised measuring facility at the Department of Telecommunications Engineering, designed to simulate free space without any reflections of electromagnetic waves. The walls of the chamber are covered with special absorbers, and the entire room is perfectly shielded from external influences. This allows for extremely accurate and repeatable measurements that would not be possible in a normal environment.
Technical capabilities and applications
The laboratory offers modern equipment for analysing electromagnetic field propagation:
• Frequency range: Measurements are performed in a wide band from 700 MHz to 40 GHz.
• Main activities: Measurement of antenna directional characteristics, testing of radio modules, and verification of wireless device parameters.
• Background: The project was implemented with the support of the REFRESH strategic project.
