Test System Simulates LTE Fading Profiles

Aeroflex is introducing a one-box test system for mobile phone signal fading simulation to speed up real-world testing of mobile handsets for LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks. Integrated within the 7100 Series digital radio test set, the new fading simulator option offers RF engineers an inexpensive and reliable baseband tool for signal fading profiling, a requirement for LTE certification. Until now, testing and simulating LTE fading profiles meant buying and cabling together two separate test instruments.

By integrating the LTE fading simulator into the 7100 Series, Aeroflex saves customers the cost of purchasing additional test equipment and circumvents potential calibration errors that cause faulty test results. In addition, customers can be confident in the repeatability of the fading profiles, said Phil Medd, product manager at Aeroflex Test Solutions. Fading simulators, combined with noise generators, modify RF signals transmitted by the LTE system simulator (in this case the 7100 Series) and emulate degradations introduced into the radio channel by real-life obstacles such as buildings and foliage.

For LTE developers who must profile signal fading on mobile handsets to meet 3GPP requirements before a network is available, the 7100 Series fading simulator allows engineers to perform realistic signal fading simulations in a reliable and repeatable lab environment. As the world's mobile network operators work towards adopting LTE, the demand is growing to meet all of the LTE requirements, including fading profiles specified by 3GPP in 36-521-1. The Aeroflex 7100 Series test platform provides fading simulation that meets or exceeds all 3GPP requirements, as well as flexibility in allocating cells and fading taps for LTE user equipment (UE) without the need for manual reconfiguration.

The repeatable test scenarios presented by the 7100 Series with the fading simulator include the emulation of dynamic environments and realistic and accurate testing of MIMO (multiple-input/multiple output) scenarios. RF engineers, system integrators and regression test engineers need to be ready to test new frequency allocations for LTE features at any time. The 7100 Series fading simulator supports all LTE bandwidths to 20MHz with a frequency range up to 6GHz. The Aeroflex fading simulator supports all 3GPP fading profiles, allowing users to determine if their device conforms to 3GPP test specifications. Based on Aeroflex's tried and tested RF and baseband technology, the 7100 Series digital radio test set supports both RF parametric and protocol testing for LTE terminal devices.

It simulates a network from the physical layer to the core network IP infrastructure. Focused on the RandD market from components to handsets, the Aeroflex 7100 Series is a comprehensive test system for LTE mobile devices incorporated into a small footprint, single bench-top instrument. The 7100 digital radio test set with fading simulator is available immediately for order. The Fading Simulator (option 101) is a software option and can be licensed and installed on units already in the field.