Comms tester takes on high-speed datalinks

First one-box tester to combine a 7.2Mbit/s HSDPA and 2Mbit/s HSUPA IP data connection with real-time 3GPP network emulation and HSPA/W-CDMA/GGE RF measurements

Agilent Technologies has added 7.2/2Mbit/s HSPA IP data connection and HSUPA RF measurement capabilities for its wireless communications test set running the special high datarate W-CDMA/HSDPA lab application. This one-box benchtop test solution supports parametric through functional test of wireless UMTS user equipment, and is available via subscription release to Agilent 8960 customers with E6720A annual contracts.

These new HSPA capabilities build on the 8960 lab application's value of providing the broadest, most cost-effective benchtop solution for meeting a wide variety of user equipment (UE) design needs, including functional test and RF measurements for device validation, integration and regression testing.

It is the first one-box tester to combine a 7.2Mbit/s HSDPA and 2Mbit/s HSUPA IP data connection with real-time 3GPP network emulation and HSPA/W-CDMA/GGE RF measurements.

As a result, the 8960 enables today's cellular designers to effectively evaluate, on the bench, a device's ability to process HSPA IP data flowing at rates of 7.2Mbit/s down and 2Mbit/s up.

It is also the only one-box tester to provide all of the HSUPA functions - RB test mode, PS data and power, ACLR, spectrum emissions mask, and code domain measurements - with real-time connection status reporting and HSPA IP data.

Agilent's new HSPA IP data connection capability helps to ensure UE design will meet the most stringent network conditions by testing the impact of datarates on UE hardware components and analysing RF parametric performance of the UE transmitter and receiver.

It allows cellular designers to further stress their design by testing data throughput while emulating a real HSPA network with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), fading, and inter-RAT voice and data handover.

'Agilent continues to be a leading provider of HSPA test solutions, ranging from Advanced Design System software and signal generation to spectrum analysis and network emulation', says Niels Fache, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Mobile Broadband Division.

'The addition of HSUPA test capabilities to the 8960 further extends this leadership role and reaffirms our continued commitment to deliver cost-effective, innovative and value-added solutions to manufacturing and R and D activities in support of new and emerging communication technologies like HSPA'.

The Agilent E6703T special high datarate lab application works with Agilent's 8960 wireless communications test set to create a cost-effective desktop network in a box with RF measurement performance to meet the needs of today's UE design environment.

With its high accuracy and repeatability, this integrated solution expedites the chip, module, application and wireless-device development process.

The new 7.2Mbit/s plus 2Mbit/s HSPA IP data connection and HSUPA RF measurement capabilities can be ordered via the E6720A lab application annual contract.

This contract not only offers all new official releases that will come out during the year, but also gives customers access to subscription releases, which are early releases of leading-edge test capabilities added to UMTS lab applications.