Anritsu Company introduces two Gigabit LTE software options for its Signalling Tester MD8430A to support the increased communications speeds associated with LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro). The LTE DL 6 Carrier Aggregation Option and LTE UL 256-QAM Option extend the measurement capability of the MD8430A and provide engineers with a comprehensive test solution to accurately and efficiently evaluate LTE-A Pro chipsets, terminals and accessory equipment.

With the new software options, the MD8430A becomes the world’s first solution that supports data throughput tests at up to 2 Gbps (DL) and up to 300 Mbps (UL) by using DL 6CA and UL 256-QAM with LTE-A Pro terminals supporting these features. Engineers can use the MD8430A, with the software installed, to perform tests in environments with more component carriers (CC) supporting higher throughputs, as well as performance tests using different channel models to evaluate LTE-A Pro terminal performance in real-world environments. The software emphasizes Anritsu’s commitment to support LTE-A Pro and other technologies to provide a smooth transition from current LTE technology to 5G.

The Signalling Tester MD8430A is an LTE-A Pro base station simulator that creates real-world environments so chipset and mobile device manufacturers, as well as mobile operators can cost-efficiently verify performance. It can output multiple base station signals in the same band from one Tx antenna, reducing the number of MD8430A units required to conduct tests, even when Tx signals are increased due to additional CCs.

Moreover, the Rapid Test Designer (RTD) GUI-based test sequence creation tool simplifies writing test cases needed to simulate base stations in MIMO environments. It also efficiently configures various test environments, such as locations with poor reproducibility when using actual base stations. The result is significantly lower cost-of-test and greater confidence in product performance.