Signal Generators and Analyzers Serve O-RAN-Compliant 5G Platforms

May 24, 2023

The R&S SMW200A and SMM100A vector signal generators and FSW and FPS signal and spectrum analyzers have been approved by Qualcomm for testing the QRU100 5G RAN platform.

Alix Paultre

Related To: Microwaves & RF

This article is part of the TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement.

Rohde & Schwarz's SMW200A and SMM100A vector signal generators and its FSW and FPS signal and spectrum analyzers have been approved by Qualcomm for testing its QRU100 5G RAN platform. The O-RAN-compliant platform, which offers architecture flexibility, is designed for scalable and cost-effective 5G network deployments. Those who integrate the Qualcomm solutions can utilize the R&S SMW200A and R&S SMM100A vector signal generators and the R&S FSW and R&S FPS signal and spectrum analyzers for design verification and production testing.

The QRU100 5G RAN platform helps operators and OEMs enable flexible network deployments, with features support ranging from mmWave to sub-6-GHz massive MIMO, as well as 64T64R capabilities to 4T4R remote radio heads. The solution can help improve coverage, cell-edge data speeds, and overall network capacity, thus accelerating the deployment of 5G networks. Depending on application and budget, one can combine either the R&S SMW200A and R&S FSW or the R&S SMM100A and the R&S FPS for a complete base station and small-cell testing solution with full automation.

The R&S SMW200A has an I/Q modulation bandwidth of up to 2 GHz, which covers fourth- and fifth-generation standards such as 5G, LTE-Advanced, and IEEE802.11 e.g. standard versions ac/ad/be. The R&S FSW offers an internal analysis bandwidth of 8.3 GHz for wideband-modulated or frequency-agile signals, and it can measure multiple standards simultaneously.

The R&S SMM100A is presented as the only mid-range vector signal generator with mmWave testing capabilities, covering the bands used by existing wireless standards as well as the bands for both 5G NR FR1 and 5G NR FR2. It also anticipates future bandwidth requirements with its internal baseband generator, which supports a maximum RF modulation bandwidth of 1 GHz.

The complementary R&S FPS signal and spectrum analyzer has measurement routines optimized for speed and high data throughput, making it up to 5X faster than comparable analyzers, according to the company.

Read more articles in the TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement.

Alix Paultre | Editor-at-Large, Microwaves & RF

Alix is Editor-at-Large for Microwaves & RF.

An Army veteran, Alix Paultre was a signals intelligence soldier on the East/West German border in the early ‘80s, and eventually wound up helping launch and run a publication on consumer electronics for the U.S. military stationed in Europe. Alix first began in this industry in 1998 at Electronic Products magazine, and since then has worked for a variety of publications, most recently as Editor-in-Chief of Power Systems Design.

Alix currently lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.