Test and measurement expert Rohde & Schwarz has completed its commercial 5G NR network measurement solution. In combination with the new R&S TSME30DC down converter, the R&S TSMx6 network scanner analyzes 5G NR signals up to 30 GHz, covering the majority of high frequency 5G NR use cases. Rounding out the solution are an updated version of the R&S ROMES4 drive test software and the R&S SmartAnalytics web-based software suite launched at MWC 2019.
Understanding 5G NR coverage in the real-world environment is important. In particular, new frequencies in the mm-Wave range, such as 28 GHz, can create uncertainties for 5G NR technology providers. In addition to 5G NR coverage, there is also a need to test the network – device connection and KPIs using pre-commercial or commercial 5G NR devices. In order to address the challenges involving the new 5G NR technology, Rohde & Schwarz has created a new solution for mm-Wave frequencies and end-to-end measurements.
Until now, the R&S TSMx6 network scanner could analyze 5G NR signals only up to 6 GHz. With the new R&S TSME30DC down converter, the network scanners can analyze signals up to 30 GHz. The solution uses an updated version of the R&S ROMES4 drive test software, which already supports measurements on 5G NR user equipment, e.g., evaluation boards, USB dongles, pre-commercial, and commercial smartphones as they become available. This allows manufacturers of 5G NR technology to gain early insights into a device’s performance and its interaction with real 5G NR networks.
The solution includes the recently introduced R&S SmartAnalytics web-based software suite. The R&S SmartAnalytics provides intuitive and powerful analytics and drill down functions to analyze the collected measurement data over the entire network test cycle, supporting the analysis and visualization of 5G NR scanner and UE measurements.
5G NR is the new radio access technology for the next generation mobile communication standard that is significantly different from LTE. The technology uses new frequency bands below and above 6 GHz, promising globally available frequency ranges with the principle ones being: 3.4 to 4 GHz and 26 to 29 GHz. It also uses beamforming and has a wide flexibility of physical radio parameters such as channel bandwidth, subcarrier spacing and symbol duration. These characteristics have an impact on the signal propagation and consequently increase the need for accurate coverage measurements to enable and verify correct 5G NR network planning and the rollout of base stations.
Click here to learn more about 5G Testing Solutions from Rohde & Schwarz.
