Test companies are spotlighting internet of things testing and 5G at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with offerings that reflect the continued ramp-up of new technology and an increased focus on devices as 5G commercialization comes closer.
Rohde & Schwarz said that it is serving up “groundbreaking test scenarios” with its R&S CMW wireless testers, including what it says is the world’s first combined test solution for radio frequency and functional testing for narrowband IoT and Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy. That test is set up on an an R&S CMW290 IoT radio communication tester and the device under test is designed for rental bicycles and has interfaces for both NB-IoT and Bluetooth. Rohde said that its CMW platform is “unique in enabling parallel tests on cellular and non-cellular transmissions” and support Bluetooth RF signaling tests using over-the-air measurements, which “permits detailed analysis of antenna characteristics and transitions between NB-IoT and Bluetooth.” Rohde & Schwarz will also be demonstrating a test set-up checking that a read module that that monitors smart metering security has been correctly implemented and that battery life is optimized; and simulation of realistic field conditions for wireless modules with NB-IoT and LTE interfaces.
Keysight Technologies, meanwhile, this week launched a scalable 5G user equipment emulation offering from its Ixia Solutions Group. That solution is aimed at helping service providers and network equipment manufacturers to validate 5G New Radio functions at scale in preparation for 5G devices to start making their way onto the networks; it is already in use by Japanese network operator NTT DoCoMo. Keysight also said that it has been assisting Motorola Mobility on commercialization of a 5G NR smartphone device that uses millimeter wave spectrum, and the company launched what it says is the first dual-channel microwave signal generators, which supports up to 44 GHz signals and 2 GHz RF modulation in one instrument.
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In other test news:
–Rohde & Schwarz is supporting the University of New Hampshire’s InterOperability Lab‘s automotive Ethernet testing, with equipment that enables 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 compliance testing, including physical layers and electronic control units.
–Fortive, which includes test brands Tektronix and Fluke, reported net earnings from continuing operations were $222.8 million, with revenues up 11.4% year-over-year to $1.8 billion for the quarter. Core revenue growth was 7.4%, Fortive said.
James Lico, president and CEO of Fortive, said that the company’s fourth quarter “provided a strong finish to what was another transformational year for Fortive, as we generated high single-digit core revenue growth and 30% adjusted net earnings growth. This performance demonstrated strong execution by our team as we continued to leverage the power of the Fortive Business System to reposition our portfolio in higher growth end-markets, while delivering continued share gains and driving innovation to enhance our long-term competitive advantage.”
–API Technologies has sold its Electronics Manufacturing Services business Scandinavian electronics manufacturing company Kitron, through a stock transaction. API CEO Bob Tavares said that the sale will allow API to “be singularly focused on strengthening and growing our … technology and market leading product capabilities within our core RF/microwave, microelectronics, electromagnetic integrated solutions, power solutions and secure systems and information assurance businesses.”
–Viavi Solutions has put out its third annual report on the status of 5G — and this year, as the technology moves closer to commercialization, the report is for the first time christened the “State of 5G Deployments.” Read the full story here.
–Keysight Technologies said recently that its test solutions were used to support an industrial IoT scenario for 5G at the Consumer Electronics Show, in collaboration with Naver Labs with a demonstration that leveraged a Qualcomm Snapgradon X50 5G modem to control an industrial robotic arm.
-Testing and inspection company TÜV Rheinland is partnering with industrial cyber security and operational visibility company Nozomi Networks to provide industrial control cyber security. The solutions, aimed at manufacturing plant operators, energy and utility companies, transportation and transit system operators and the two companies are aiming to “improve the detection and remediation time of cybersecurity threats that target operational technology infrastructure.”
