Rohde & Schwarz is continuously expanding its portfolio of test and measurement solutions for 5G base stations as well as the associated huge system of MIMO antennas and amplifiers. Among the main products is an over-the-air (OTA) test solution with specific front-end modules for the 2G FR5 frequency range and a solution for performing speed-optimized 5G base station tests. Both solutions are ideal for production. There is also an innovative new solution that allows developers to perform multi-channel measurements with up to 4×4 MIMO in the FR1 range. Rohde & Schwarz is a leading manufacturer of test and measurement solutions for wireless communications that has expanded its portfolio for 5G waveform generation and analysis. RF test solutions for 5G base stations are presented in the 5G frequency ranges, both FR1 (450 MHz to 7125 GHz) and FR2 up to 44 GHz.
Customized solution for OTA testing in the FR2 range
Rohde & Schwarz presents a unique solution for OTA testing on 5G base stations in the FR2 range based on the R&S FE44 front-end modules. With them it is possible to generate and analyze low frequency signals in the IF band. This facilitates the transmission of 5G signals with little attenuation and the use of cheaper T&M instruments, since there is no need for equipment designed for the range of millimeter waves. The R&S SMW200A generates the 5G signals and the R&S FSVA3000 provides the right analysis functions. Both are ideal for 5G testing due to their outstanding RF characteristics. Front-end modules can be mounted close to the DUT antennas in the OTA test chamber. In the transmit direction, the 5G signals generated in the IF band by the R&S SMW200A are converted to the FR2 range up to 44 GHz. This ensures that high transmit power is generated exactly where it is needed. On the receive side, the R&S FE44E converts the signal from FR2 on the antenna inputs to the IF band, sending it with little attenuation to the R&S FSVA3000 for analysis. This solution is suitable for test and measurement systems in production.
Server-based production tests
Rohde & Schwarz has developed a scalable, high-performance, server-based analysis platform for speed-optimized testing of 5G base station production. The R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator and the R&S FSVA3000 spectrum analyzer are used as RF test solutions. The powerful R&S QuickStep software is used to automatically control the test setup and verify the results. The solution uses a 10 Gigabit Ethernet network where the combination of this server-based strategy and parallel processing allows for extremely high measurement speeds. The infrastructure is made up of commercially available components. The combination of the R&S SMBV100B and the R&S FSVA3000 is also ideal for flexible testing of 1/2 WLAN, cellular and IoT components and devices in testing, production and R&D.
Multichannel measurements with up to 4×4 MIMO
Rohde & Schwarz now offers a new test and measurement solution for base stations and small cells that enables multi-channel measurements up to 4×4 MIMO in 5G transmissions in the FR1 range. The solution consists of the R&S SMW200A signal generator, two R&S SGT100A vector RF sources, the R&S RTP164 high-performance oscilloscope used as a measurement receiver, and the 5G analysis options of the R&S VSE vector signal explorer software running on a PC. laptop. The R&S SMW200A generates 5G signals according to 3GPP that can be transmitted on up to four channels using the two additional vector RF sources. The oscilloscope provides phase coherent acquisition of all four signals, a basic prerequisite for multichannel measurements. The R&S RTP164's integrated digital, hardware-accelerated down-converter mixes the signals and down-converts them to baseband in real time. The R&S VSE software performs measurements according to the 3GPP specifications. Users can also perform specific MIMO measurements and flexibly compile the results. The solution is suitable for testing during the development and verification of 5G base stations. Demonstration videos of these and other state-of-the-art solutions from Rohde & Schwarz for testing wireless communications are available at www.rohde-schwarz.com/mwc.
