National Instruments (NI) announced early access support for testing next-generation 802.11ac WLAN chipsets and devices. This announcement exemplifies how NI’s modular, software-defined wireless test platform continually expands to address the latest cellular and wireless connectivity standards including 802.11ac.

NI’s 802.11ac WLAN test solution provides flexibility in testing 802.11ac devices in addition to testing 802.11a/b/g/n devices. It works with a wide range of signal bandwidths, including 20, 40, 80 and 80+80 160 MHz for both Tx and Rx for up to 4 x 4 MIMO configurations.

“By supporting the latest WLAN standard, 802.11ac, we are demonstrating the power of NI’s software-defined, modular test systems,” said James Truchard, president, CEO and cofounder of National Instruments. “Our modular test platform delivers faster test times and lower total cost of ownership, and by combining it with LabVIEW, we help engineers address the latest emerging wireless standards.