Test and Measurement: Keysight validates Rel. 16 power

Jun 19, 2023

Keysight Technologies said that it has received Global Certification Forum approval for the first validated test cases for 5G New Radio Release 16 power-saving features; specifically, demodulation and radio resource management (RRM) in Band n78 (3.5 GHz).

Keysight said that it also received GCF approval for what it says is the first test tool validation covering radio frequency (RF) performance for four-component carrier (4CC) aggregation downlink test cases.

Those test cases are supported via Keysight’s S8705A RF/RRM DVT and Conformance Toolset; Keysight said that it covers 98% of all 5G NR-validated test cases.

Muthu Kumaran, GM of Keysight’s device acceptance solutions, said that power saving is a “priority” for the industry and that in addition to the Rel. 16 test cases, the company is also working on power-saving test cases for Rel. 17.

In other news this week from Keysight, the company said that it worked with China Telecommunication Technology Labs (CTTL) to put together the first multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) over-the-air dynamic channel model test and user equipment (UE) performance validation system. The system is based on CTIA requirements for sub-6 GHz 5G New Radio, according to the test company, and essentially serves as a digital twin for assessing real-world channel effects in order to optimize and validate UE hardware and software.

In other test news:

-More on the subject of GCF-approved test cases: Rohde & Schwarz says it was the first to submit & get validation for 5G Next Generation eCall (NGeCall) protocol test cases from GCF, and it is launching an NGeCall application option via its R&S CMX500 tester that “simulates the public safety answering point (PSAP) functions required for the end-to-end conformance tests that verify the interoperability of the equipment under test for the complete communication exchange.”

eCall, which was introduced in 2015 and currently uses 2G/3G connections, is the automatic emergency call system for vehicles sold within the European Union, and there is an effort already in place to require the system to be updated for 4G and 5G.

–TÜV Rheinland North America announced testing vendor partners who will be supporting the company’s new Technology and Innovation Center in Massachusetts. Strategic partners include Ametek-CTS, ETS-Lindgren, Rohde & Schwarz, Fair-Rite and Innova; partners will provide essential equipment as well as trainings at the training center which is part of the 20,000 square-foot facility. It also has collaborative office space and advanced lab testing capabilities.

Jonathan Kotrba, VP of products in the Americas region for TÜV Rheinland, said that the collaborations with those vendors allows the company to off “an extensive range of advanced equipment and training. Manufacturers can now conduct comprehensive EMC testing, optimize their product development processes by reducing time-to-market, and ensure compliance with industry standards.”

–Viavi Solutions debuted a new capability for 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) device emulation on its TM500 platform. More details available in this story.

–Teledyne LeCroy announced its OakGate R350-G5-PowerPlus three-unit rackmount appliance for PCI Express 5.0, for analyzing voltage and current over time and under stress in solid solid state drives, aimed at supporting the needs of data centers and hyperscalers to understand SSD performance during various power states.

-ICYMI: A new report from Opensignal concludes that U.S. highways offer a better mobile experience than the national average. Read the full story here.

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