Azimuth Systems‘ channel emulator is going to be used to test drones for Parrot, which specializes in wireless products in the civilian drone, automotive and connected-things market. Azimuth’s ACE MX channel emulator will test drones’ communication and data transfer links, establishing a controlled radio frequency environment with repeatability for testing. Azimuth noted that its system provides either built-in standard channel models or playback of custom conditions, including conditions recorded in the field, and that “the ability to test drones under field conditions in the lab also assumes significance in light of the growing constraints and regulations around outdoors testing of drones.”
• Keysight Technologies said that it has successfully verified Category 11 user equipment data rates of 587.5 Mbps with its E7515A UXM wireless test set. This relied on carrier aggregation with three-component carriers and 256 QAM, and Keysight said that it was able to achieve “sustained bidirectional” throughput.
“The addition of 256 QAM modulation in the downlink allows users to experience even higher data rates when coupled with three-component carrier aggregation,” said Joe DePond, GM of Keysight’s mobile broadband operation, in a statement.
Keysight also released a new version of its SystemVue software that includes a 5G simulation reference library to enable 5G research. The library bundle has both references for LTE-Advanced, legacy support for 2G/3G standards and what Keysight referred to “forward-looking references for 5G PHY candidates, beginning with a full transmit/receive reference for Filter Bank Multi-Carrier (FBMC).” The bundle was part of connected-instrument and channel-sounding demos at Mobile World Congress this year. Keysight said it also has a source code exploration library available for 5G and that SystemVue users will receive more 5G algorithmic references as they are released.
• Continuing the 5G theme, National Instruments has officially opened the new Wireless Innovation Lab at its Austin, Texas, headquarters, highlighting the 5G research that it supports in industry and academia. Demos and projects currently on display in the lab include millimeter wave cellular systems, a 5G massive MIMO testbed and LabVIEW’s Communication System Design Suite.
• Rohde & Schwarz’s electronics group, which includes its test and measurement organization, is expanding its offerings in the network security space with the acquisition of German company Sirrix, which provides cybersecurity for businesses and government agencies.
R&S said that the purchase of Sirrix brings “additional know-how in the growing IT security market” and that its portfolio includes “user-friendly products for endpoint security and trusted infrastructure,” such as virtual desktop solutions, secure Internet browsing and VPN communications between locations along with mobile access.
Rohde & Schwarz is privately held, and terms of the Sirrix transaction were not disclosed. Sirrix was founded 10 years ago as a spin-off from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence at Saarland University; it has three locations in Germany.
Also this week, Rohde announced that its CMW-PQA test platform now supports PTCRB and Global Certification Forum requirements on data throughput tests based on 3GPP’s TS 37.901 specification.
• Also of note in the overall network testing and monitoring space is that NetScout’s acquisition of Danaher’s communications business – including Tektronix Communications, Fluke Networks and network security-focused Arbor Networks – recently received Department of Justice approval so that the transaction can move ahead.
