Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and Keysight Technologies, Inc. announced a collaboration that accelerates network interoperability and compliance testing for Open RAN radio units (O-RUs).

The companies are collaborating to create a robust test bench to verify the interoperability of a new O-RU that includes ADI’s low-PHY baseband, software defined transceiver, power and clock integrated with an Intel© FPGA. Applying Keysight’s Open RAN emulation, signal generation and signal analysis capabilities to a wide range of use cases improves the testing process, reducing complexity and testing time.

“We are pleased to align our resources with ADI, a leader in O-RU technology solutions, to help service providers realize the full potential of the O-RAN specifications,” said Kailash Narayanan, vice president and general manager of Keysight’s Commercial Communications Group. “Keysight and ADI offer technology and test solutions that create an effective bridge between the radio unit and the core network, resulting in accelerated development and interoperability testing.”

Open RAN technology is expected to account for more than 10 percent of the overall radio access network market by 2025, according to the Dell-Oro Group. The ADI and Keysight collaboration addresses commercial opportunities in this industry that is transitioning toward open, disaggregated and virtualized RAN (vRAN) architectures.

“As a result of combining our technology, tools and design resources, ADI and Keysight are able to provide the O-RAN ecosystem with a robust platform to quickly develop reliable O-RUs,” said Joe Barry, vice president of Wireless Communications at Analog Devices. “By working together, we offer our customers the fastest path for developing cost-effective, power-efficient and interoperable O-RAN-based O-RUs.”

An O-RAN infrastructure, based on O-RAN ALLIANCE open interfaces, enables mobile operators to create a robust multi-vendor network environment designed to streamline the delivery of advanced 5G services for enterprises in manufacturing, financing, transportation, logistics and healthcare. 

Performance validation of O-RUs and interoperability testing between network elements from the edge of the RAN to the 5G core (5GC) allows mobile operators to effectively deploy O-RAN in multi-vendor 5G networks.