Keysight Technologies has announced Open RAN Studio, which Keysight says is the first O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) emulation software for validating O-RAN compliant radio units (O-RU).

As 5G chipset and network equipment manufacturers, as well as mobile operators, roll out 5G services using base stations from multiple network equipment manufacturers, Keysight’s Open RAN Studio software can accelerate the development and integration of O-RAN compliant equipment, combining visibility, validation and performance test capabilities across the RF and protocol measurement domains.

As editor of the O-RAN fronthaul interface conformance test specification in the O-RAN Alliance, Keysight is helping speed conformance validation and interoperability verification between O-RUs and O-DUs. O-RAN members benefit from Keysight’s unique cross-domain test and measurement expertise in both digital and RF. Combined, Keysight’s Open RAN Studio and signal sources and analyzers create a complete test environment, including 5G NR modulation analysis.

Giampaolo Tardioli, vice president of Keysight and general manager of the network access group, said, “Our test suite for end-to-end performance verification of any 5G network element — from the physical layer to the application layer — accelerates the delivery of innovative connectivity services for both consumers and vertical industries.”

At Mobile World Congress in 2019, Keysight partnered with leaders in the wireless industry for the first O-RAN 5G mmWave radio white box demonstration, using open, interoperable interfaces.

Developers of O-RAN radio units and system-on-a-chip solutions, such as Xilinx and SOLiD, have realized the benefits of using Keysight’s Open RAN Studio software.

Dan Mansur, vice president of marketing of the wired and wireless group at Xilinx, said, “Strong technology partners who are committed to driving rapid innovation, such as Keysight with the new Open RAN Studio O-DU emulation software, allow Xilinx to accelerate the deployment of our adaptive computing technology to create highly agile platforms that support the stringent demands of 5G.”

Dae-Young Kim, executive vice president of the global wireless business at SOLiD, said, “SOLiD understands the significant role ubiquitous wireless coverage plays in keeping people connected and safe in a rapidly changing world. This is why we choose to partner with Keysight, a company with 5G test solutions that enable us to accelerate performance validation of SOLiD’s O-RAN radio units.”