Wireless communication testers and analysers are going through rapid technological advancements. They now have multiple capabilities and higher accuracies, and are more compact. Electronics Bazaar reports on the latest test and measurement instruments available
By Samonway Duttagupta
Satish was running late for office, but Google Maps saved the day for him—he found the shortest route by which he could cheat the traffic and reach in time for his presentation. A world without wireless communication can leave today’s typical urbanites helpless, since their lives depend heavily on this technology—from to-do reminders to sharing what they like, all with the tap of a finger. The need of the hour is to provide good quality wireless communication services, for which it is important to test and analyse these signals to ensure their optimum potency. This is where wireless communication testers and analysers enter the picture.
A plethora of growing needs
With the growing needs of consumers, there’s an increased demand for high volumes of data at the fastest possible speeds, all at lower rates. The transition is evident in the world of mobile Internet requirements. The world has moved from 2G to 4G within a short time, and will soon embrace 5G. Experts suggest that there will be a time when users would want the experience of true broadband services on mobile phones. And since user demand is of paramount importance, service providers would require the best wireless communication testing devices available in the market to ensure the delivery of fine quality services. Naresh Narasimhan, country marketing manager, Tektronix India, voices a similar opinion. He says, “Future systems must put user needs centre stage—seamlessly integrating the many different communication systems we see emerging today so as to deliver personalised enhanced services to users. In addition, they will require seamless quality compliance and testing requirements.”
Narasimhan also points out certain other interesting factors that could be crucial in driving the demand for wireless communication testers and analysers. He says, “A basketful of new radios, for everything from wireless charging to millimetre-wave radar, are in the works for the Internet of Things (IoT), and this basket is growing rapidly. The emerging 802.11ah specification for running low-power Wi-Fi over 900MHz at distances up to a kilometre is one of the most promising new radios. Combined, both trends have been creating a growing demand for wireless communication testers and analysers.”
Ashish Jain, applications engineer, Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd, draws attention to the hardware and software complexities from the perspectives of both the designer and the testing requirements. He says, “Testing the new hardware that supports the new generation of technologies with new features and capabilities is all the more necessary to deliver the best to the customers.”
Providing multiple solutions with one device
The need of the hour is to bring about constant technological advancements in these devices. Only then can the advances in wireless communications enhance the quality of the service provided to the end consumers.
With wireless communication becoming more complex, wireless communication testers and analysers that have multiple functions in one device are the most in demand. The companies involved in manufacturing these devices are doing their best to respond to this need by bringing unique solutions to the table.
Companies like Tektronix are offering products that are capable of spectrum analysis and also perform functions that oscilloscopes do. Such devices simplify work by providing two key functions, apart from advanced analysis capabilities for various applications including budget-conscious research and development, mobile radio network installation, interference hunting and university level lab classes, among others. Tektronix claims that its Tektronix MDO3000 is the only series of mixed domain oscilloscopes in the market. These six-in-one devices have both spectrum analysers and oscilloscopes in them. According to Tektronix, the reason for developing this kind of device is that more than 60 per cent of oscilloscope customers also use spectrum analysers.
Being a part of every stage of production
Wireless communication networks need attention and care right from the first stage of production to avoid quality failures when these reach the end consumer. So a wireless communication tester and an analyser must be capable of providing meaningful solutions and insights at every stage of the development of a network. This is of paramount importance also because it enables service providers to ensure that they offer wireless communication services that meet certain international communication standards. Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd, for instance, is working on these lines. Commenting on what the company’s wireless communication testers and analysers are capable of, Jain says, “In the R&D phase, these test instruments are used to test the features and capabilities of the next generation of products. In the manufacturing phase, the test instruments are required for calibration and verification of the products to guarantee the specified performance and product quality.”
Keysight has recently launched two products in this segment, named UXM E7515A and EXM E6640A, catering to the needs of wireless R&D and wireless manufacturing, respectively. Both these products are ideal for R&D test scenarios for technologies from GSM to LTE and LTE-A. The EXM E6640A wireless test set plays a key role in the manufacturing phase. The device enables customers to perform non-signalling cellular as well as connectivity tests with speed, accuracy and repeatability on the manufacturing floor with high levels of efficiency.
Keysight is not the only company making such devices. Rohde & Schwarz has been constantly upgrading its R&S CMW500 wireless communication tester in tune with the constantly evolving wireless standards. Apart from that, the company claims to have always designed its upgradations keeping future market demands in mind. This device comes with three basic functions in one box – a radio frequency (RF) generator, an RF analyser and a signaller (network emulation). This enables the wireless tester to be of use in all stages of production. Jayanth Ramachandran, business development manager – telecom, Rohde & Schwarz, explains, “Its extreme scalability, test speed and measurement accuracy translate into minimal test costs. This compact tester with standard commands for programmable instrumentation (SCPI) that can be remotely controlled minimises the effort involved in planning and maintaining production test systems.”
The R&S CMW500 comes with a useful bonus feature. In order to increase the wireless device’s test depth, Rohde & Schwarz has made it capable of supporting non-cellular standards such as WLAN or Bluetooth as well as broadcast standards. Ramachandran says, “This versatility provides many advantages for the user; for instance, multimode test set-up cabling requires considerably less effort. The energy consumption of the T&M equipment, especially when used in production, is lower than that of set-ups involving multiple measuring instruments; the air conditioning requirements are also reduced. It is much easier to integrate a single tester into automation and remote control systems.”
Customisation and speed are the key
Test and measurement requirements vary from one company to the other. At times, it becomes difficult for a company to find the precise solutions to its requirements because the manufacturing team is not able to decide what really works. This is when a wireless communication tester with an open architecture and programmable software comes to the rescue. It allows companies to get their own technical team to brainstorm and install the company’s intellectual property into the device, and make it function precisely in tune with its own unique testing requirements.
National Instruments (NI) has worked on these lines and has recently come up with an exemplary wireless communication tester named NI Vector Signal Transceiver. The device comes with an RF front-end, and a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is the main processor and is completely programmable through NI’s LabVIEW software. Raviteja, technical marketing engineer, National Instruments, says, “The traditional vector signal analysers used by communication researchers come with a system in which the information regarding the signal of an instrument is flashed on the computer screen. As opposed to this, National Instruments is pioneering these FPGA based devices which can go into the instrument through programmability; they can define what the instrument does every microsecond.” This not only enhances the accuracy of a wireless communication tester but also increases the speed.
The smaller the better
Today, devices and equipment are continually shrinking in size and weight in order to become handier. Test and measurement instruments, including wireless communication testers and analysers, are also following this trend.
Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd is also selling such an instrument currently—Anritsu’s Cell Master MT8212E is a wireless communication tester comprising 30 analysers in one device. It is a powerful handheld device which comprises a cable analyser, antenna analyser, return loss and cable loss, among a lot of other functions. Scientech claims this device is the smallest, lightest and most economical solution for 2G, 3G, 4G and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) base station transmitter testing, and Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting – Terrestrial (ISDB-T) and Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial/Handheld (DVB-T/H) digital broadcast field testing. It is ideal for installation and commissioning as well as for maintenance and troubleshooting. Vivek Mantri, country manager, industrial segment, Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd, explains, “This optimal combination of base station test capabilities in one handheld device eliminates the need for several independent test instruments, thereby reducing the number of tools the user must carry and learn to operate. Whether it’s sweeping cables, making power measurements, finding interference, troubleshooting base station signal quality, or verifying backhaul performance, the Cell Master MT8212E is the ideal all-in-one instrument to help keep your network up and running.”
A few things to consider
In a world full of options in the field of wireless communication testers and analysers, the question that remains for buyers is how to choose the right one for their business. In our interactions with industry experts, we have understood that what matters is a company’s unique requirements. The ideal way should be to list out the key testing requirements and analyse the end results by trying out these instruments. After this, if required, a company can choose to go for a wireless communication tester that has the flexibility to get customised as per its needs. Or for instance, a firm that has testing requirements at all stages of production can even go in for instruments that have multiple capabilities. The best way is to choose a compact instrument that hits most of the checkboxes.
Wireless communication plays a key role in our lives. As mentioned earlier, it’s something we just cannot do without, today. The current communication testers cope well with the rapidly changing environment and technological advancements in this field. The best part is that the manufacturers of these T&M instruments are thinking out-of-the-box, and implementing new and unique innovations in their products. This, in turn, is maximising the options for the users of these instruments. The ideal situation would be if service providers can offer the best quality wireless communication services.
Latest in the Market
MDO3000 series from Tektronix India
- USP: Multi-purpose, including spectrum analyser and oscilloscope functions
- Frequency range: 9kHz to 6.2GHz
- Bandwidth: Ranging from 100MHz to 1GHz
Dimensions: - Height – 203.2mm
- Width – 416.6mm
- Depth – 147.4mm
- Weight: 4.2kg
R&S CMW500 from Rohde & Schwarz
- USP: Three functions in one box, supports non-cellular standards
- Frequency range: 70MHz to 6GHz
Dimensions: - Height – 197.3mm
- Width – 465.1mm
- Depth – 517mm
- Weight: 18kg
EXM E6640A from Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd
- USP: Useful in multiple stages of production, including R&D
- Frequency range: Between 380MHz and 6GHz, depending upon the choice of RF port
- Bandwidth: Ranging between 380MHz and 3.8GHz
Dimensions: - Height – 190.4mm
- Width – 449.9mm
- Depth – 581mm
- Weight: Ranging between 21.4kg and 25.9kg
Anritsu Cell Master MT8212E from Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd
- USP: 2G, 3G, 4G testing along with WiMAX base station transmitter testing, and ISDB-T and DVB-T/H field testing. All functions in a handheld device
- Frequency range: 2MHz to 4GHz for cable range, 9KHz to 4GHz for spectrum analysis
- Bandwidth: 200MHz instantaneous bandwidth
Dimensions: - Height – 199mm
- Width – 273mm
- Depth – 91mm
- Weight: 3.71kg
NI Vector Signal Transceiver from National Instruments
- USP: Can be customised completely, thanks to the FPGA processor
- Frequency range: 65MHz to 6GHz • Bandwidth: 200MHz instantaneous bandwidth
- Software defined physical layer testing for GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX, DVB-T
Dimensions: - Height – 177.04mm
- Width – 257.05mm
- Depth – 212.85mm
- Weight: 7.7kg
UXM E7515A from Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd
- USP: Useful in multiple stages of production, including R&D
- Frequency range: Between 300MHz and 6GHz
Dimensions: - Height – 305mm
- Width – 435mm
- Depth – 445mm
- Weight: Ranging between 33kg and 36kg
