Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic Field Sensors

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 ((SR)-R-3), 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.

Automated summary

This paper compares different low-cost sensors that can measure (5G) RF-EMF exposure, including commercially available ones and those constructed by research institutions. In-lab and in-situ measurements were conducted to test the linearity, sensitivity, and assess the RF-EMF radiation. The results showed that these low-cost sensors and SDR can provide temporal and spatial 5G electromagnetic field values for the general public and governments.