At Mobile World Congress 2019, Rohde & Schwarz will be presenting its latest test solutions for 5G base stations and the associated massive MIMO antenna arrays and amplifiers. Highlights will include signal analysis and signal generation solutions for 5G base station tests in the millimeter wave range and an innovative OTA test solution. It is the first solution worldwide that allows the far-field properties of 5G antenna arrays to be characterized at short distances. A cloud-based test solution for automated 5G production tests will also be on display.
As a leading provider of test and measurement equipment for the connected world of today and tomorrow, Rohde & Schwarz offers test solutions for the new 5G mobile communications standard – for example for generating and analyzing 5G NR signals in line with the latest 3GPP specifications (Version 15.2.0). 5G New Radio (NR) specifies new frequency bands above and below the bands presently used for mobile communications.
In the FR1 frequency range below 6 GHz, the most important bands are between 3.4 GHz and 4 GHz, and in the millimeter wave range (FR2) between 26 GHz and 29 GHz. The new R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyzer, to be showcased at MWC, analyzes 5G NR signals in the uplink for the development of 5G devices and components such as power amplifiers and in the downlink for 5G base station tests. It determines all key performance parameters such as error vector magnitude (EVM). The R&S SMW200A RF vector signal generator produces the required signals for uplink and downlink receiver tests. Both instruments are ideal for characterizing the high-performance, efficient Doherty amplifiers needed for 5G base stations. The two-path SMW200A generates highly synchronized signals, while the R&S FSW provides the right analysis functions for optimizing the properties of Doherty amplifiers and other amplifiers.
Performance Tests in the 5G Millimeter Wave Range
New for performance tests on 5G NR base stations is the wideband R&S SMW-B15 fading simulator option integrated into the signal generator. To test base station data reception under realistic conditions, the wideband version of the SMW200A simulates the required high-precision transmit signals in the millimeter wave range in line with the test specifications for 5G NR Rel.15. Signals with bandwidth up to 2 GHz and fading channels with bandwidth up to 200 MHz can be generated with carrier frequencies up to a maximum of 44 GHz at the press of a button. The SMW-B15 option adds the fading capability within the FR2 frequency range to the industry-leading single-box signal generator, enhancing existing FR1 frequency range capability for performance testing of LTE and 5G NR base stations.
Testing Far-Field Properties in the Near Field with a Compact Test Setup
Another highlight will be the patented R&S PWC200 plane wave converter. This converter makes it possible for the first time to precisely measure far-field properties in the antenna near field. The extremely compact plane wave converter generates a spherical 3D quiet zone with a diameter of 1 meter in real time at a very short distance of just 1.5 meters. Radiated power and transceiver measurements, such as equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP), adjacent channel leakage power (ACLP) and equivalent isotropic sensitivity (EIS), can be made in this zone. The PWC200 enables very compact far-field measurement setups for characterizing massive MIMO base stations in the FR1 frequency range.
Cloud-Based Production Tests
Rohde & Schwarz will also be presenting a cloud based solution for 5G base station production testing with speed-optimized data processing on a server or in the customer’s cloud. The demo test system at the trade fair consists of an R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator and the new R&S FSV3000 spectrum analyzer, which is designed for analyzing 5G NR signals and for fast data transfer in the cloud. Users can configure and control production tests via the R&S Quickstep automation software. 5G micro services based on the R&S VSE signal explorer software quickly analyze the data.
Rohde & Schwarz will present its test solutions for 5G base stations at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 26 to 28, 2019, at booth #6C40 in hall 6.
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