After some record‐setting E2E latencies OTA tests for 5G SA with Vodafone and Ericsson, EMITE announces the very first OTA test system worldwide capable of simultaneously testing 5G FR1 sub‐6 GHz frequencies (from 3 to 6 GHz) with FR2 mmWave frequencies (24 to 110 GHz) at Mobile World Congress America 2018.

The new test bed is based on the 3GPP‐permitted Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) OTA test method, achieving unheard‐of capabilities for OTA testing of 5G NR SA or NSA carrier aggregation (CA) or dual‐connectivity (EN‐DC). The new 5G SA/NSA FR1+FR2 OTA test bed has been developed at the EMITE 5G Lab in Cartagena, Spain.

Highlights:

• The new test bed makes use of EMITE OTA CATR small‐size test systems.
• With excellent 15 um peak‐to‐peak manufacturing accuracies, the modified‐design serrated‐edges reflector and feed‐source for  the H285 Compact Antenna Test Range is now capable of providing uniform wavefronts for frequencies from 3 to 110 GHz.
• With 30 and 60 cm Quiet Zones, the new test bed achieves < 0.5 dB and /±2 degrees amplitude/phase ripples.
• Customers can now benefit from fast, effective and realistic 5G OTA laboratory tests for 5G combinations of sub‐6 GHz and mmWave frequencies.

The use of FR1 frequencies are limited to 3 to 6 GHz at the tested design for now, and EMITE is already manufacturing a patented design capable of testing the full 5G frequency range. With just about 3 m x 2 m x 2 m, the small‐size compact antenna test range outperforms any existing model in the market, providing excellent both amplitude and phase uniformity for a relatively large quiet zone.

“The uniformity results are astonishingly good, and we are now proceeding to test E2E tests with the new 5G OTA test bed. Customer can now test what they can only hope for a few months ago,” said Prof. David A. Sanchez‐Hernandez, CEO of EMITE.

Interested parties can get more information at MWC America, Hall South, Stand S.1460.