On the systematic measurement errors of correlative mobile radio channel sounders

We show that measurements of time-varying mobile radio channels obtained with uncalibrated correlative channel sounders are affected by four different types of systematic errors (commutation, pulse-compression, aliasing, and misinterpretation error). We analyze these errors and provide upper error bounds that are formulated in terms of channel and sounder parameters. Based on these error bounds, we provide guidelines for a judicious choice of important sounder parameters. Computer simulations using a simple two-path channel illustrate our theoretical results. Finally, we show how our results can be used to assess the accuracy of measured channel data.