Rohde & Schwarz has cooperated with the U.S.-based CTIA organization to authorize the first multiple angles of arrival (multi-AoA) test system for CTIA over the air (OTA) performance certification. The solution is based on the successful conformance test system R&S TS8980 while also leveraging the R&S CMX500 5G tester together with the R&S ATS1800M mmWave (FR2) chamber from the advanced chamber portfolio from Rohde & Schwarz.
5G NR mmWave technology will witness the adoption of new, complex technologies such as beamforming, sophisticated antenna array systems and new usable communications spectrum. For FR2, every device will have to be tested OTA, without any cable connections. Many advanced 5G NR applications also rely on ultra-high data rates and ultra-low latencies. Both are only accessible in FR2. The test solution from Rohde & Schwarz is tailored to address these requirements and features. Certification by CTIA is the door-opener for validating 5G devices including FR2 frequencies for device manufacturers and network operators in the U.S., and a recognized stamp of approval worldwide.
The certification of mobile devices against common standards is one of the most important cornerstones of ensuring their interoperability. Rohde & Schwarz is the first test and measurement supplier authorized by the CTIA to supply these certification tests in a 5G FR2 test system that also offers full multi-AoA capabilities. Multi-AoA is critical for verifying the performance of mobile devices in the mmWave space, as radio waves at these high frequencies (e.g. 28 GHz) suffer from high path loss and therefore need to be focused in narrow beams that are challenging to find, track and hand over while moving.
The new test system is the same advanced test platform that recently achieved the industry’s first Test Platform Approval Criteria for RRM 5G NR FR2. Scalable from 30 to 40 cm quiet zone, from single-AoA to multi-AoA and from in-band to out-of-band, the test system is already prepared for advanced testing challenges. These include phantom testing with two hand landscape, single hand portrait and head testing, for which specification work is ongoing at CTIA. Furthermore, support for the upcoming test requirements from 3GPP release 16, 17 and 18, is being planned, giving customers the confidence to invest in a future-proof platform.
Dr. Thomas Eyring, director of Mobile Device Certification at Rohde & Schwarz, said, “We are proud to support CTIA’s endeavors to accelerate the roll-out of wireless connectivity broadband across the U.S. and beyond. With our considerable experience in OTA testing with the latest 5G mmWave products, we were able to create a leading test system to cover the full certification needs for RF and RRM. This gives customers the unique opportunity to fully automate the RF and RRM certification testing process on a single test system, covering OTA performance tests from CTIA as well as tests defined by 3GPP and GCF."