May 24, 2013. CETECOM has selected Rohde & Schwarz to enhance the test laboratory's over-the-air (OTA) testing capabilities. Rohde & Schwarz announced at CTIA 2013 (held May 21-23 in Las Vegas) that a new test system, the TS8991, includes LTE multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and 802.11n functionality. The TS8991 test system can perform OTA measurements for LTE MIMO in addition to all cellular 2G, 3G, and 4G technology standards. It is not only capably of performing the legacy IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards for a, b, and g, but, said Rohde & Schwarz, is the first system in any third-party test lab worldwide capable of performing 802.11n WLAN OTA measurements. Unique to the system is its auto-calibration capability, which decreases system calibration time from hours to under 30 minutes, while achieving the same accuracy and repeatability in results.
With the global adoption of LTE and the importance placed on customer satisfaction and wireless performance, device manufacturers have to ensure that their antenna subsystems adhere to the latest in conformance and interoperability standards in order to minimize any negative impacts to the overall customer experience. With this new test system, CETECOM’s OTA testing capabilities are expanded to ensure compliance to the latest MIMO industry methodologies from CTIA and 3GPP as well as any operator-specific test plans.
The R&S TS8991 OTA test solution was installed at CETECOM’s facility in Milpitas, CA. From a hardware perspective, the configured TS8991 system consists of the R&S CMW500 radio communications analyzer, the R&S ZNB 8 four-port vector network analyzer, the R&S NRP2 power meter together with dual Z11 power sensors, and the R&S OSP RF switch platform. The wireless performance test chamber is a combination of The Howland Company’s conical-cut positioning system, including the dual theta axis positioners for MIMO, and the fully anechoic chamber is provided by AP Americas. The R&S AMS32 test and measurement control software is used to control the positioning equipment as well as the R&S test equipment.
“As a highly sought-after house for testing next generation wireless devices, CETECOM is now able to perform tests to help its customers improve their overall device quality in addition to accelerating their time-to-market with some of the unique capabilities that the Rohde & Schwarz OTA test solution provides,” said Achim Gerstner, a senior manager at Rohde and Schwarz. “We are excited at the opportunity to extend our long-standing relationship with CETECOM while providing a key capability to extend our leadership position in wireless device testing.”
“We are very excited to be offering our customers this unique capability, in addition to the full support and commitment from our LTE and OTA experts and staff to help further accelerate the testing process,” said Heiko Strehlow, COO at CETECOM. “We offer flexible, fast and easy access for customers to our facilities, helping them get their products to market faster and with higher quality.”