Software expands scope of wireless testers

A Yokogawa - Test and Measurement product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jan 16, 2006

New PC-based multiformat OFDM analysis and generation software extends wireless test instruments to emerging technologies such as WiMAX, 802.11n, Super3G, 4G and ISDB-T and DVB-T.

Yokogawa Europe has introduced new PC-based multiformat OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplex) analysis and generation software utilities for use with the company's ranges of wireless test instruments, extending their application to emerging technologies such as WiMAX, 802.11n, Super3G, 4G and ISDB-T and DVB-T digital broadcasting.

The analysis software is designed for use with Yokogawa's VN7100 wideband modulation analyser, and the generation software is designed for use with the VB8000 and VB8300 baseband signal generators or with the VG3000E/VG6000 synthesised vector signal generators with the arbitrary waveform generator option.

The multiformat OFDM signal analysis utility analyses the OFDM modulated signal as measured by the VN7100, with the measured signal transferred from the instrument to the PC via an Ethernet connection.

Parameters analysed include frequency spectrum, error vector magnitude, flatness and complementary cumulative density function.

The software allows the user to freely define parameters such as the training sequence file, the pilot setup file and the modulation format of subcarriers.

Nonstandardised OFDM modulated signals can be analysed by the utility with a user-defined file.

The multiformat OFDM signal generation utility generates the OFDM modulated signal for use in the appropriate instrument, and again allows the user to define the training sequence file, pilot setup file and modulation format of subcarriers.

Nonstandardised OFDM modulated signals can be generated via a user-defined file.

The software will handle modulation parameters of between 64 and 8192 FFT points, and will carry out modulation processing to bit/sK, QPSK, Pi/4 QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, DBPSK, DQPSK, D8PSK operations.

The guard interval size ranges from 1 to 25% of the number of FFT points, and the input data file is an arbitrary bit string.

Standards currently supported by both utilities include 802.16-2004 OFDM (WiMAX), 802.11a (Wi-Fi), ISDB-T (Terrestrial Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting).

Future support will include 802.16e OFDMA, 802.11n, Super3G, 4G, and DVB-T (DVB-H).