Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic Field Sensors

Abstract

This paper compares different low-cost sensors that can measure (5G) RF-EMF exposure. The sensors are either commercially available (off-the-shelf Software Defined Radio (SDR) Adalm Pluto) or constructed by a research institution (i.e., imec-WAVES, Ghent University and Smart Sensor Systems research group (S³R), The Hague University of Applied Sciences). Both in-lab (GTEM cell) and in-situ measurements have been performed for this comparison. The in-lab measurements tested the linearity and sensitivity, which can then be used to calibrate the sensors. The in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware sensors and SDR can be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. The variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average, with a maximum deviation of 5.26 dB. Values between 0.09 V/m and 2.44 V/m were obtained at a distance of about 50 m from the base station. These devices can be used to provide the general public and governments with temporal and spatial 5G electromagnetic field values.

Smartphone-Based Methodology Applied to Electromagnetic Field Exposure Assessment

“…The cost of the equipment (thousands of Euros per device) is a very important limiting factor for both fixed measurements and personal exposure meters. This has led to the search for low-cost solutions for the measurement of the new 5G mobile networks [ 5 ].…”

SDR-Based Portable System for Evaluating Exposure to Ambient Electromagnetic Fields

“…The field of exposimetric portable sensors for evaluating electromagnetic pollution at an individual level is an emerging and evolving area of research. Currently, the research is focused on the development of narrow-band sensors [18]. Most restricted-capability solutions have limitations concerning frequency bandwidths and lack correlation between the measured field data and the geographic position of the measurements [19,20] or are limited to indoor environments [21].…”