September 10, 2014. Anritsu announced it is developing a small cell manufacturing test solution that also supports technologies such as cellular, WLAN 802.11ac, Bluetooth, and location-based services (LBS). Leveraging the flexible MT8870A Universal Test Set platform, Anritsu addresses the growing need for small cell measurement solutions that can lower the cost of test and speed time to market of next-generation wireless chipsets and devices.
Optimized for high-volume manufacturing environments, the MT8870A is a more cost-efficient and comprehensive alternative to spectrum analyzers and signal generators traditionally used in small cell production applications. Because the MT8870A supports small cell as well as other technologies such as cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and GPS, it allows chipset and device manufacturers to standardize on a single solution to validate products that integrate numerous features. With the Intel® Transcede™ T2xxx and T3xxx product families for residential to enterprise segments and enterprise to Pico and Metro segments respectively, the MT8870A has the flexibility to increase the speed of the test and manufacturing process with dual-mode capable devices that support concurrent 3G and LTE operation.
“The small cell market is experiencing tremendous growth and the expectation is that deployments will continue to rise for the next five years. Anritsu recognized this market development and the dynamics it has created for device and chipset manufacturers. We are now able to offer a solution that effectively addresses the test complexities and market constraints associated with manufacturing small cells,” said Pete Alexander, PhD, Vice President and General Manager of Anritsu.
Specifically designed for manufacturing environments, the MT8870A is an all-in-one platform with a modular design that can accommodate up to four test modules, all of which feature a high-speed CPU and large memory. This flexible design lowers manufacturing test costs and allows for faster measurements, as well as makes it simpler and more cost-efficient to expand as test needs change. By combining four instruments into one mainframe, the MT8870A occupies a footprint that is 50-75% smaller than test solutions with similar measurement capability.
With continuous frequency coverage from 10 MHz to 6 GHz and 160 MHz bandwidth, the MT8870A has the performance to address current test needs, while also meeting the requirements for next-generation designs. Four RF test ports per TRx module allow the MT8870A to support up to 16 RF connections or four 4×4 true MIMO devices.