Rohde & Schwarz has introduced the R&S CMW270 wireless connectivity tester, the first tester to emulate all IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards, including 802.11ax. Until now, the RF properties of WLAN stations (STA) were mainly tested in an artificial remote control operation, the non-signaling mode. For IEEE 802.11ax, this is only possible to a certain extent. IEEE 802.11ax uses OFDMA technology to significantly increase the efficiency of WLAN networks. The available bandwidth is shared between multiple STAs that simultaneously transmit to the access point. This requires precisely coordinated timing among all STAs, and power levels need to be individually controlled. The innovative IEEE 802.11ax presents new challenges for all those involved with testing WLAN components – from development to production.
With the R&S CMW270 wireless connectivity tester, users can now test the RF properties of WLAN stations under real-world conditions. The tester has 160 MHz of bandwidth and required additional hardware to emulate an 802.11ax access point to test the RF properties and performance of a STA under realistic conditions. The R&S CMW270 can also simultaneously and comprehensively test other devices, e.g. Bluetooth devices.
The solution will be presented to the public for the first time at Mobile World Congress 2018. It will be available as of April 2018 from Rohde & Schwarz. Click here to learn more about this test solution.
