Support for upgrades to provide a robust and up-to-date OTA measurement solution

Anritsu Corporation and Bluetest have combined their recent product upgrades to produce a robust and up-to-date OTA measurement solution to verify WLAN RF performance in this new 6 GHz band, as well as existing WLAN standards (802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax) in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The collaboration provides customers with a complete WLAN OTA test solution to transmit power (TRP) and receiver sensitivity (TIS) measurements to devices and access points. Measuring OTA performance under realistic but repeatable conditions enables manufacturers of small and large WLAN-equipped devices, as well as IoT and smart home devices, to optimize radio performance and end-user satisfaction.

For a long time, 6 GHz was the upper frequency limit of most public communication systems. This is now expanding with the IEEE 802.11ax WLAN standard which extends up to the 7.125 GHz range (“Wi-Fi 6E”). The growth of WLAN connected devices and services is expected to benefit greatly from this increase in the available frequency space and the number of 160 MHz channels.

The Anritsu MT8862A wireless connectivity test set is dedicated to the WLAN standard, therefore optimized for stable and reliable connections with a wider dynamic range, even in a discolored environment such as in the Bluetest reverberation chamber. It is now updated with a new radio module adding support for the 6 GHz band and 160 MHz channels, as well as the already supported 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The test setup is simply extended to support 2×2 MIMO measurements using two MT8862A units.

Bluetest has meanwhile upgraded the entire range of reverberation test systems with increased default frequency coverage. The compact and economical RTS25 chamber is improved by adding the new 6-7.125 GHz band. This chamber primarily targets the buzzing WLAN and Bluetooth industry. The RTS65, along with the larger RTS85 and RTS95, now support 4×4 MIMO for frequencies up to 12 GHz, as well as previously released 5G FR2 packages with 2×2 MIMO support up to 43.5 GHz.

Bluetest Product Manager Klas Arvidsson says: “Increasing the default frequency range from 6 to 12 GHz with full support for multiple 4×4 MIMO carriers means that we are fully prepared for the continued evolution of WLAN and 5G standards and shows the strength of our flexible product design. . “

Keita Masuhara, Product Manager, IoT Testing Solutions Division, Anritsu Corporation, adds: Extending the spectrum to the 6 GHz band is expected to bring new services and will require a concrete performance assessment to avoid issues with new challenges. Anritsu worked with Bluetest to provide valuable solutions for OTA RF performance evaluation. I am convinced that the new measurement system will contribute to effective performance testing.