Evaulation_Engineering_August_2020 - 17

RF components will now involve some
level of FPGA and embedded processor
software design," he said.
Langlois said that meeting these
challenges requires a development environment that provides flexible signal
generation and analysis for 5G standardcompliant waveforms, as well as for new
waveforms as the standards evolve. "The
generation and analysis capability must
also be able to communicate with the
hardware in a way that allows RF engineers to concentrate on the RF performance of the hardware, and not worry
about programming embedded devices,"
he said. "To ensure a seamless workflow
between system-level exploration and RF
characterization, the development system
should include a proven pre-engineered RF
front end allowing capture of real-time
signals over-the-air which can serve as
stimuli to drive the system model."
Jeffrey Phillips, head of automotive marketing at NI, commented on the challenges
of testing V2X devices. He first cited constant changes in underlying technology
and new standards, which create changes
in test needs. "Speed is creating a challenge
in test," he said. "Customers can't buy systems fast enough, so we help them 'buy' an
integrated test system that they can still
edit/upgrade over time."
Phillips next commented on system integration. "Connectivity is a critical component of autonomous vehicles," he said.
"Validating the entire system means bringing together hardware, software, and communication from multiple vehicle domains."
He also addressed a software-connected
approach. "Systems are built to the customer's need, but done so on top of open,
reconfigurable software running on
modular, flexible, COTS-based hardware,"
Phillips said. "They can evolve the tester
as the test requirements evolve, meaning
smaller upgrades to systems. We've seen
this approach reduce the time to build a
tester by 50%, 70%, 80%."
When asked what challenges customers are facing, Reiner Stuhlfauth, wireless
technology manager at Rohde & Schwarz
in Munich, responded, "Let me reply to
this question with two major aspects: the
past and the future. We enable technologies, thus we have to deliver test solutions

covering the forefront of technology evolutions. In close contact with our customers,
we try to anticipate testing needs. This is
the look into the future."
Stuhlfauth continued, "The introduction
of new technologies does not stop the evolution of existing technologies. This is the
look into the past, as we fully need to support legacy technologies." He added that
the company's solutions need to cover a
wide range in terms of both technology
and application. "To give an example in
terms of technology: mobile radio technology today ranges from 2G to 5G and
includes non-cellular technologies like WiFi 6, UWB or Bluetooth," he said, adding
that with respect to the application, those
RAT technologies are subject to R&D test,
conformance test, and production test, "...
so our solutions need to cover a wide application range as well."
Legacy testing entails various user and
programming interfaces depending on
the application, according to Stuhlfauth.
"While early R&D testing requires the
programming of user-specific scenarios
with detailed access to all layers within
the protocol stack, users in the field of conformance testing require an easy parameterization and a reporting concept when
running RF or protocol test cases," he said.
"With the combination of R&S CMsquares
and R&S Contest, we provide an expert
solution for each application. The new
CMsquares offers one single user interface
for protocol development, RF parametric
test, and application testing. And the existing R&S Contest brings the long experience
from type approval testing into the area of
protocol testing in the lab."
Stuhlfauth said that with the introduction of 5G NR, the test-and-measurement
world sees a paradigm change. "The connection between DUT and system simulator becomes over the air," he said. "Even
if OTA testing is not new, it has become
more important as it's a pivotal element
of an everyday test setup. With a wide
range of OTA antenna testing and chamber portfolio, Rohde & Schwarz supports
an easy upgrade of conducted to OTA, and
integration of shielding chambers into the
measurement setup for all possible devices,
ranging from a single component via complete device up to a full vehicle."

According to Amr Haj-Omar, market
segment leader for wireless communications at Tektronix, circuit density on RF
chips is exploding because of integrated
antennas on a single chip and MIMO requirements. "Bandwidths on these devices
are also going up," he said. "The unique
challenge of multiple channels at a wide
bandwidth is something that has been difficult not only for chip designers, but also
for test instrument vendors. Tektronix is
uniquely positioned in this area, because of
in-house ASICs that address both multiple
channels and wide bandwidths."

Products
Hendricks at Anritsu commented on
several products and enhancements that
address next-generation communications technologies including Wi-Fi 6, 5G,
and V2X. "The Wireless Connectivity Test
Set MT8862A WLAN tester has been enhanced to support RF TRx characteristics
of IEEE802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 devices," he said.
"By using the MT8862A Network Mode,
RF TRx characteristics, such as Tx power
and modulation accuracy (EVM), can be
measured with the Wi-Fi 6 devices in realistic operating conditions," he said. "The
MT8862A can simulate access points (AP)
and stations (STA) to establish the DUT
network connection using IEEE802.11a/
b/g/n/ac/ax WLAN protocol messaging,
allowing it to measure devices utilizing
any Wi-Fi generation."
Hendricks also said Anritsu's recently-released LTE-V2X Tx Measurement
MX887068A software for its Universal
Wireless Test Set MT8870A enables it to
measure Tx power, frequency deviation,
occupied frequency bandwidth, and adjacent channel leakage power, as well as
conduct spectrum emission mask test
and modulation analysis as specified by
3GPP. "The bundled LTE-V2X Waveforms
MV887068A package includes general RF
test-signal waveform files required for nonsignaling Rx testing for easy output of RF
test signals, simply by selecting the waveform file," he said. "The MT8870A, specifically designed for high-volume manufacturing environments, can also be used in
R&D. It supports 5G NR sub-6-GHz, LTE,
NB-IoT, Cat-M, WLAN up to 11ax Wi-Fi 6,
and Bluetooth up to v 5.0."
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