Test gear suppliers such as Aeroflex, Agilent, Anritsu, Keithley Instruments, Rohde & Schwarz and others have also outlined initial strategies for the development of test products to support the upcoming 3G LTE standard. According to Aeroflex, it is designing a pair of test products, the Aeroflex TM500 LTE and Aeroflex 6401 LTE, which will support the physical layer testing of networks and mobile devices, respectively. The complete visibility into the lowest layers of the radio modem will allow users to diagnose the actual cause of a synchronization problem rather than just knowing that synchronization has failed.

Aeroflex has developed a powerful graphical user interface to allow both the TM500 LTE and the 6401 LTE to be easily configured without the need to write software to execute the test. The GUI facilitates parameter configuration through dialogue boxes, which allows users to select their values using engineering terms and units. Furthermore, the TM500 and 6401 have been designed from the start to be integrated into an automated test environment.

The implementation of MIMO antennas to improve the signal strength received by mobile devices from the network is a key new feature of 3G LTE. The supplier said that it will develop test features especially for MIMO to ensure that both the network and mobile devices are able to get the signaling right and then transmit and receive in full synchronization with the signaling.

“Historically, new technology rollouts have been subjected to delays, often due to problems experienced when the new technology mobile devices are tested against the new technology networks,” said Phil Windred, business unit manager of the wireless group at Aeroflex Test Solutions. “Aeroflex will provide powerful test tools to support both network and mobile device testing at the earliest development stages of 3G LTE products. Experience shows that the earlier problems are detected, the lower the cost of correcting them. The TM500 and 6401 can play a major role in the mobile test industry in terms of providing diagnostic data geared specifically to the needs of 3G LTE that will not only ensure the early detection of implementation problems but also help accelerate the rate at which they are resolved.”

Likewise, Agilent is addressing LTE needs via its Advanced Design System (ADS) LTE design library, which can simulate uncoded EVM and features constellation and BER receiver measurements for the downlink with the latest subcarrier specifications. It also provides flexible, platform-based equipment that works in conjunction with ADS to generate and analyze real signals.

Throughout this year and next, the manufacturer will introduce several new measurement products and solutions specifically designed to address the emerging needs of LTE — including pattern generators, logic analyzers, signal generators and signal analyzers, as well as a one-box tester. These offerings will support early R&D in components, base station equipment and mobile devices with design automation tools and flexible instrumentation, said Agilent. Plus, it will also introduce solutions for manufacturing as LTE products near commercial launch.

Like others, Rohde & Schwarz also supports the enhancement of the standard with its test and measurement equipment. The company has already added the new technology to its product portfolio. The R&S SMx-K55 option turns the R&S SMU200A, R&S SMJ100A, and R&S SMATE200A into the generators for LTE signals. When equipped with the R&S FSQ-K100 option, the high-end R&S FSQ spectrum analyzer also lends itself to LTE.

Equipped with the SMx-K55 option, the SMU200A, SMJ100A, and SMATE200A signal generators generate high-quality downlink signals for performing tests on base station components as well as on mobile phone components and receivers. Since the option runs directly on the instruments, no external software is required, according to Rohde & Schwarz. The SMx-K55 option supports the OFDMA transmission method, channel bandwidths up to 20 MHz, as well as the QPSK, 16 QAM, and 64 QAM modulation modes. Plus, it offers predefined scenarios. Moreover, it is also possible to flexibly set the parameters of reference symbols and control and synchronization channels (BCH, SCH) as well as to configure the sub frames independently of each other. Modifications to the standard are covered via free updates, said the manufacturer.

For analyzing downlink LTE signals, the FSQ vector signal analyzer and high-end spectrum analyzer can be equipped with the FSQ-K100 option, which is a flexible PC software application for the development of base stations. This option also makes it possible to quickly respond to modifications to the standard. The FSQ-K100 option analyzes LTE signals in the spectral, time, and modulation domains with all channel bandwidths specified in the standard, stated Rohde & Schwarz. For measuring signals in the baseband — whether balanced or unbalanced — the optional baseband inputs of the FSQ are available, said the manufacturer.

As per the supplier, the two options are compatible with one another and can, therefore, be used together. Furthermore, according to R&S, their high flexibility accommodates the fact that the specifications are not yet fully defined in the standard. According to R&S, the uplink will be available for both solution in the near future — as a free-of-charge firmware update for the SMx-K55 option, and as the FSQ-K100 option for the FSQ.

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