ETS-Lindgren & Anritsu Announce 5G NR Stand-Alone Mode & Carrier Aggregation Test Support

Anritsu MT8000A Integrates with ETS-Lindgren EMQuest EMQ-100 to Support Evolving Standards Developed by Global Operator & Standards Bodies

ETS-Lindgren and Anritsu Company continue years of successful collaboration on 5G test capability with verification of stand-alone (SA), dual-connection (EN-DC), and several carrier aggregation combinations within ETS-Lindgren’s EMQuest EMQ-100 Antenna Measurement Software using Anritsu’s Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A.  The additional 5G connection modes and band scenarios allow the construction of tests mimicking network settings particular to an individual wireless carrier.  As smartphones, modules, and base stations utilizing 5G transceivers continue to expand to new applications and form factors, over-the-air (OTA) testing provides confirmation that the device will perform well in the intended network and use case.

“Adapting the link settings to match the dozens of 5G network configurations found worldwide was an important milestone,” said James Young, Director, Business Development with ETS-Lindgren “The device manufacturers gain critical insight on antenna and radio performance from these radiated tests, as all the discrete systems come together in the final form.  EMQuest EMQ-100 and MT8000A now link to commercially available 5G devices driven by different chipsets in SA mode.  This collaborative work between ETS-Lindgren and Anritsu is critical for our test lab customer base who rely on the test system to handle whatever link settings are available on the chipset.”

Anritsu Wireless Market Development Manager Keyvan Yasami added, “Our collaboration with ETS-Lindgren addresses SA and carrier aggregation testing needs to create a solution that helps test labs and OEMs keep current with the expanding requirements of global operators, regulatory bodies, and industry standards issued by CTIA and 3GPP.  We will continue to work with fellow market leaders such as ETS-Lindgren to ensure maximum utilization of 5G test equipment and chambers.”

ETS-Lindgren’s EMQuest EMQ-100 offers a wide range of fully parameterized test methods for measuring basic antenna performance metrics, as well as testing both radiated and conducted performance of various wireless devices.  Flexible in its design, the EMQuest EMQ-100 can be used to analyze antennas in SA applications, or to test an embedded antenna system and radio module against any of the industry standard OTA radiated performance test requirements.

Anritsu’s MT8000A test platform supports the latest 5G technologies, including wideband signal processing and beamforming required by 5G NR enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB).  The MT8000A all-in-one platform supports FR1 and mmWave band (FR2) signaling RF tests covering 400 MHz to 7.125 GHz, as well as the 28 GHz and 39 GHz 5G NR bands.  The MT8000A supports both non-stand-alone (NSA) and SA modes and is the first 5G NR test platform to support 5G NR channel models implemented via digital baseband fading.  It can also be paired with the LTE-A Radio Communication Analyzer MT8821C to provide a natural upgrade path to 5G for existing LTE customers.

Click here for more information on ETS-Lindgren’s Wireless Test Solutions, including the industry-leading AMS family of test chambers and EMQuest antenna measurement software.  You’ll find ETS-Lindgren’s solutions overview for 5G wireless testing here, including the 5G upgrade package for existing OTA test systems installed by ETS-Lindgren and other manufacturers.  You can also visit the Anritsu’s Path to 5G Resource Center.  This comprehensive information portal has webinars, technical literature, and other educational materials to help in the design, manufacture, and deployment of 5G technologies.