Keysight Technologies’ New 89600 VSA Software Release Helps Component, Module, System Designers Achieve 5G First-to-Market Goals

Highlights:

• Software ships with pre-5G modulation analysis based on Verizon 5G technology forum (5GTF) specifications
• Pre-5G modulation analysis enables signal quality measurements; enhanced with standard-compliant 5G new radio (NR) measurements upon standard’s final release

Keysight Technologies, Inc., announced that its pre-5G modulation analysis option, available in the latest 89600 VSA software release enabling component, module and system designers to be first-to-market with the upcoming 3GPP 5G NR standard.

Pre-5G is a 5G radio specification published by Verizon Wireless (www.5gtf.org), in cooperation with partner companies. The specification targets fixed wireless access at 28-GHz frequencies for initial trials and deployments.

Keysight’s new 89600 VSA provides comprehensive time, frequency, and modulation domain analysis for pre-5G signals based on the Verizon 5G open trial specification. The software allows designers to configure result traces (e.g., acquisition time and spectrum) and pre-5G specific modulation quality metrics and traces for quick and easy identification of signal characteristics. The software also helps designers troubleshoot intermittent error peaks and repeated synchronization failures.

Support for 3GPP 5G NR:

3GPP 5G NR is the emerging global 5G standard. The specification is expected to be included in Release 15 of the 3GPP standard, which is due out in 2018. With Keysight’s new 89600 VSA software release, early adopters can design and verify performance to the draft specification now, before it is published, and be fully prepared to work with the official standard once it is available.

Using 89600 VSA, designers can make EVM and other signal quality measurements of 3GPP 5G NR-like signals. Measurements for DFT-spread orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) (SC-FDMA) and CP-OFDM are made using a custom OFDM modulation analysis application. The software’s close link to the Keysight EEsof EDA SystemVue simulation environment gives designers even more flexibility when working with the draft specification.

“3GPP 5G NR represents yet another technology milestone in the evolution of 5G,” said Charles Plott, marketing and planning manager of Keysight Technologies’ Design Engineer Software organization. “Keysight is committed to supporting the standardization effort and our customer’s needs throughout that process. With our latest software release, we have accomplished that goal, giving designers the functionality they need to work with the draft specification today to be first-to-market with 5G.”

Once 3GPP Release 15 is officially published, Keysight will enhance the 89600 VSA software and its pre-5G functionality with standard-compliant 5G NR measurements. This will further simplify 5G NR signal analysis and in turn, 5G NR development.

U.S. Pricing and Availability:

Keysight’s 89600 VSA software, version 22.21, is available now with multiple license types and terms, including a pre-5G modulation analysis configuration. Pricing is as follows:

More information on Keysight’s 89600 VSA software with Pre-5G modulation analysis is available at www.keysight.com/find/89600_5g.