As 5G networks begin to proliferate indoors, Keysight Technologies has introduced a backpack set-up for walk-testing them. The new Nemo Backpack Pro is aimed at benchmarking 5G New Radio end-user experience across multiple mobile operators’ 5G networks in airports, arenas, enterprises and other indoor environments, the company said. It can fit up to 18 devices plus 1-2 scanning receivers in a carbon-fiber internal structure plus a backpack; Keysight says that the system is designed so that it “does not add over-the-air … path loss to measurements” and claims it is also the lightest available backpack testing solution.
“5G deployments in indoor environments require test solutions that efficiently assess end-user QoE across any 3GPP-specified frequency band, benchmark networks and devices, while optimizing new technology functionality,” said Petri Toljamo, vice president and general manager for Nemo wireless solutions at Keysight adding that the new Nemo system makes it easy to efficiently capture data and, with the Nemo Outdoor software, to analyze results in real-time.
In other test news:
–Tektronix launched a multi-gigabit test compliance solution for validation and debugging of automotive Ethernet chipsets and electronic control units (ECUs) that meets the current version of IEEE’s 802.3ch MultiGBASE-T1 specification.
–Rohde & Schwarz says it has improved the precision of its mmWave-based solution for measuring the material reflections of automotive radomes that house radars for advanced driver assistance systems. The R&S QAR-K50 single-cluster measurement software enables OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to achieve measurement results “very close” to those that are obtained with a vector network analyzer and a quasi-optical (QO) setup, Rohde says, but in a nondestructive and two-dimensional way.
–Anritsu has expanded the Forward Error Correction (FEC) analysis capability of its 116-Gbps PAM4 Error Detector (ED) MU196040B module, for the test copmany’s Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A series bit error rate testers. Anritsu says that the new module makes its BERTs the first to support real-time measurement of FEC symbol errors in 400 GbE testing, and that the instrument also supports jitter tolerance measurements for testing FEC capabilities. “For the first time, engineers can monitor changes in bit errors and FEC symbol errors with changes in input amplitude and jitter conditions in real-time,” the company said, adding that the new FEC function addresses emerging market need.
-The University of New Hampshire’s InterOperability Lab said that it recently completed its second multi-vendor virtual plugtest event focused on NVM Express (nonvolatile memory express) and NVMe over Fabrics testing. UNH-IOL moved to virtual testing early in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and said that response has been positive.
“The completion of the second virtual NVMe Plugfest has allowed companies to stay on schedule with their own internal testing and development,” said Kerry Munson, operations manager for Datacenter Technologies at UNH-IOL. “Being able to continue hosting our test events has posed to be a major accomplishment to the IOL and our members, as devices continue to be tested against NVMe technology conformance standards.”
