Signal generators upgrade for LTE compliance

A new option turns the R and S SMU200A, SMJ100A and SMATE200A into the world's first generators for LTE signals.

Although the first mobile radio networks were upgraded to high speed packet access (HSPA) only a short time ago, the next advance in UMTS - UMTS long-term evolution (LTE) - is already imminent.

Rohde and Schwarz has already added the new technology to its product portfolio.

The R and S SMx-K55 option turns the R and S SMU200A, SMJ100A and SMATE200A into the world's first generators for LTE signals.

When equipped with the R and S FSQ-K100 option, the high-end R and S FSQ spectrum analyser also becomes a pioneer in the field of LTE.

Rohde and Schwarz has already presented both solutions at trade fairs, and now they are available for purchase.

With LTE, the goal is to achieve datarates of up to 100Mbit/s in the downlink and up to 50Mbit/s in the uplink.

Moreover, LTE provides significant improvements with respect to access times, data throughput, and spectral efficiency, thus ensuring, above all, the long-term competitiveness of UMTS.

As with WiMAX, data transfer from the basestation to the mobile phone is based on orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA).

In the uplink, the single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) transmission method is used.

The 3GPP LTE standard is specified in 3GPP Release 8 and is scheduled to be launched in 2009.

Equipped with the R and S SMx-K55 option, the R and S SMU200A, SMJ100A and SMATE200A signal generators generate high-quality downlink signals for performing tests on basestation components as well as on mobile phone components and receivers.

Since the option runs directly on the instruments, no external software is required.

The R and S SMx-K55 option supports the OFDMA transmission method, channel bandwidths up to 20MHz, as well as the QPSK, 16QAM and 64QAM modulation modes, plus it offers predefined scenarios.

Moreover, it is also possible to flexibly set the parameters of reference symbols and control and synchronisation channels (BCH, SCH) as well as to configure the subframes independently of each other.

Modifications to the standard are covered via free updates.

For analysing downlink LTE signals, the R and S FSQ vector signal analyser and high-end spectrum analyser can be equipped with the R and S FSQ-K100 option, which is a flexible PC software application for the development of basestations.

This option also makes it possible to quickly respond to modifications to the standard.

The R and S FSQ-K100 option analyses LTE signals in the spectral, time, and modulation domains with all channel bandwidths specified in the standard.

For measuring signals in the baseband - whether balanced or unbalanced - the optional baseband inputs of the R and S FSQ are available.

The two options are compatible with one another and can therefore be used together.

Their high flexibility accommodates the fact that the specifications are not yet fully defined in the standard.

The uplink will be available for both solutions in the near future - as a free-of-charge firmware update for the R and S SMx-K55 option, and as the R and S FSQ-K101 option for the R and S FSQ.

The R and S SMx-K55 option for generating downlink LTE signals and the R and S FSQ-K100 option for analysing downlink LTE signals are now available from Rohde and Schwarz.

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