Mobile World Congress 2023 - application video series
5G extended reality application testing
The R&S®CMX500 radio communication tester is suitable for all signaling use cases through all stages of 5G device production. It includes a comprehensive feature set for application testing, which forms the basis for Extended Reality (XR) testing. Features such as IP impairments or throughput measurements can be applied to IP traffic during XR streaming over the 5G link. For the Extended Reality application testing demo, NVIDIA CloudXR was used to stream content to VR goggles connected to a Motorola 5G neckband with an integrated 5G modem to provide a WLAN-independent XR experience.
5G high throughput band combination testing with power consumption tests
With thousands of MRDC and NR band combinations supported by 5G devices, testing maximum throughput with various band combinations can be an immensely important verification topic. In addition, 3GPP introduced many power saving features in Release 16, which are going to be adopted in real networks and 5G mobile devices making verification of their impact on the power consumption necessary.
3GPP 5G Release 17 RedCap device testing
Introduced in 3GPP NR Rel. 17, RedCap targets at leveraging the proliferation of massive machine type communications (mMTC). This includes the aspect of service continuation of legacy technologies such as NB-IoT and also the support of enhanced and new machine type services. RedCap targets at IoT services requiring higher data rate as mMTC services but less data rates as 5G eMBB with the simultaneous reduction of UE complexity and leveraging power saving aspects. Typical examples are stationary devices such as cameras and industrial sensors in private 5G networks.
The R&S CMX500 OBT lite radio communication tester comes with a streamlined configuration that perfectly serves the need for customers testing RedCap devices in R&D and type approval.
Component and 5G NR base station testing in production
The R&S PVT360A is an integrated vector signal generator and analyzer with two TRX channels. Covering a frequency range up to 8 GHz, all 5G FR1 bands are covered. The instrument is tailored for base station, small cell and active component testing in production and characterization environments, offering dedicated measurement personalities for 5G NR and more. With the R&S VSE signal explorer software, amplifiers can be characterized in depth. ACLR, raw EVM, gain compression and many more results can be measured from a single capture using almost any input signal – whether mobile comms, satellite or just a ramp signal. With the option to calculate and apply pre-distorted waveforms within the measurement option, the spectral performance and EVM gains can be evaluated when applying a DPD algorithm. In parallel a second measurement can be carried out on the second analyzer generator pair of the R&S PVT360A
3GPP Release 17 NB-NTN (non-terrestrial networks) device testing
Wireless communication over non-terrestrial networks (NTN) have become a major boost of interest since the launch of SOS messaging via satellites on the Iphone 14. Besides NTN in 5G, the technology is also added for legacy technologies such as NB-IoT. The main use case is to provide global network coverage via satellites in case of an emergency in rural or remote areas as well as worldwide tracking. The R&S CMW500 mobile radio tester, the unrivaled network simulator for all IoT technologies, supports latest 3GPP Release 17 NB-NTN technology for R&D and type approval testing.
Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) 4x4 true-MIMO testing
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) 4x4 true MIMO measurements up to 320 MHz bandwidth and up to 6 GHz frequency band based on the R&S CMP180 CMPflexx system using a Wi-Fi 7 router as device under test (DUTs).
The R&S CMP180 radio communication tester is equipped with two analyzers, two generators and two times eight RF ports in a single box. By stacking several testers it can easily be scaled up to a CMPflexx system. The R&S CMP180 offers a frequency range up to 8 GHz and a bandwidth up to 500 MHz and enables simultaneous testing of multiple DUTs supporting cellular technologies up to 5G NR-FR1 and non-cellular technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and many more.
Testing 6G JCAS in FR2 frequency bands
Joint or integrated communication and sensing (JCAS/ICAS) is one of multiple 6G research items investigated in various projects around the world. This test solution enables object emulation within the FR2 frequency band, which is one of the frequency bands of interest, by combining the R&S®AREG800A Automotive Radar Echo Generator with the R&S®FE44 External Frontend. The demo includes R&S signal generators and signal and spectrum analyzers to demonstrate and visualize cutting edge JCAS test capabilities by Rohde & Schwarz.
Towards 6G: AI/ML-based neural receiver
The wireless industry anticipates that a future 6G standard supports an Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) based air interface natively. In this joint demonstration, Rohde & Schwarz and Nvidia demonstrate a neural receiver approach, using a trained machine learning model for signal processing tasks such as channel estimation, channel equalization, and demapping. Due to the lack of a 6G standard, we showcase a 5G NR PUSCH multi-user MIMO scenario, emulating two users with 2x2 MIMO, that are independently faded to simulate realistic channel conditions using the R&S SMW200A vector signal generator. The signal is captured using the MSR4 satellite receiver and transferred to a server. Our server-based testing (SBT) framework, including vector signal explorer (VSE) microservices is used to pre-process the data. The generated post-FFT data is input to Nvidia's SIONNA software framework, an open-source library for 6G physical layer research. We showcase the performance based on a BLER over SINR measurement and compare it to ideal, perfect channel knowledge performance and traditional receiver implementation used in today's 4G LTE and 5G NR networks.
Conformance test for O-RAN fronthaul from Rohde & Schwarz, VIAVI Solutions, and Analog Devices
Watch a demonstration of O-RAN radio unit conformance test. Using a test setup from Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions run tests conforming to O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications on an Analog Devices 8T8R radio reference platform. Together, Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions provide input test signals, an emulated O-RAN distributed unit, automated conformance tests with pass/fail results, and spectrum analysis for signal quality. The Analog Devices radio reference platform acts as O-RAN radio unit device under test, to demonstrate touch-of-a-button conformance tests for O-RAN radio units. This video was recorded at MWC 2023.