Rohde & Schwarz presents mobile network infrastructure testing from design to production at MWC21 in Barcelona

Radio access network (RAN) landscapes deploy various kinds of infrastructure equipment, ranging from macro to small cell base stations. Evolving 5G NR technology in particular makes infrastructure equipment testing challenging due to increasing MIMO complexity and beamforming, wider bandwidths and new spectrum bands up to the mmWave range. Mobile World Congress is returning to Barcelona in June 2021, and Rohde & Schwarz will be showcasing its latest class-leading mobile network infrastructure testing solutions, which address various needs and enable the mobile industry to leverage the opportunities of 5G.

The Rohde & Schwarz portfolio for mobile network infrastructure testing covers all phases of the product lifecycle – from R&D of RF and digital designs, design validation and integration to 3GPP-defined base station conformance testing and production testing. The company will be presenting current highlights from this portfolio at Mobile World Congress 2021 (MWC21).

R&D testing at the edge of 5G with 67 GHz vector signal generator

The Rohde & Schwarz signal generation and analysis solutions portfolio meets 5G bandwidth and frequency requirements and includes software applications to address 5G testing challenges. At MWC21, Rohde & Schwarz will demonstrate a setup to test 5G NR physical layer parameters, which will be included in Release 17. As part of this setup, the company will present for the first time the new microwave frequency option up to 67 GHz for the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator. The setup consists of the signal generator and the R&S FSW85 high-end signal and spectrum analyzer, which supports image-free spectrum analysis at up to 90 GHz and up to 8.3 GHz of internal analysis bandwidth. Release 17 will include new parameters for signal bandwidth, subcarrier spacing and modulation. These key physical layer parameters are already covered by the signal generation and analysis tools, since both instruments can easily handle these demanding signals with wide bandwidth up to 2 GHz at high frequencies. Such a setup allows R&D engineers to implement and test the performance of next generation 5G components and devices. The new 5G NR features and the new frequency option for the R&S SMW200A will be available later this year.

Midrange RF test with best-in-class characteristics

Rohde & Schwarz redefines midrange testing with the R&S SMM100A vector signal generator and the R&S FSVA3000 signal and spectrum analyzer. Designed with best-in-class RF characteristics to bring laboratory performance to the midrange test market, these instruments support up to 1 GHz of signal generation and analysis bandwidth and place an emphasis on high-quality measurement characteristics for generating and analyzing signals for the most advanced 5G NR devices. Both instruments feature a frequency range of up to 44 GHz and are well suited for the complexity of today’s standard 5G projects as well as emerging 5G and Wi-Fi standards. The two benchtop instruments offer advantages in performance and flexibility by providing out-of-the-box functionality and reducing complexity.

For developers who are moving on from FR1 to FR2 components and devices and want to upgrade their test instruments, Rohde & Schwarz will present at MWC21 the R&S FE44S (single transmit/receive) and R&S FE50DTR (dual transmit/receive) frontend modules to cover frequencies up to 44 GHz and 50 GHz, respectively. The frontends enable the up-conversion and down-conversion of signals, allowing low-loss transmission at the lower intermediate frequency. This results in higher sensitivity on the receiver path and more power on the transmitter path. Furthermore, the modules can be mounted close to the OTA test chamber and provide excellent RF performance at a competitive price.

High speed RF testing for BTS production

The R&S SMM100A vector signal generator and the R&S FSVA3000 signal and spectrum analyzer can also be used as RF test solutions for speed-optimized production tests of 5G base stations. Rohde & Schwarz will be demonstrating R&S Server Based Testing, a scalable high speed measurement analysis platform that separates the RF data capturing, performed by the test instruments, and the data processing, performed by the server. The COTS solution is designed for highly repetitive testing scenarios such as BTS production and RF component characterization. In applications with complex multicarrier component signals, R&S Server Based Testing delivers both unprecedented measurement speeds and flexibility thanks to its parallelization approach and a simplified interface.

Rohde & Schwarz will be showcasing highlights from its mobile network infrastructure testing portfolio at Mobile World Congress 2021 from June 28 to July 1 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona in hall 3, booth 3K30, as well as online via the Rohde & Schwarz Signals webpage. For more information, visit www.rohde-schwarz.com/mwc