First CTIA MIMO OTA Dynamic Channel Model Validation Solution Released

Aug. 17, 2023

Developed in a collaborative effort between Keysight and CTTL, the platform implements and validates what's said to be the first dynamic MIMO over-the-air channel model for the 5G New Radio FR1 frequency band.

Alix Paultre

Related To: Microwaves & RF

This article is part of the TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement.

The Overview

Keysight Technologies released what is presented as the first MIMO over-the-air (OTA) dynamic channel model test and user-equipment (UE) performance validation system, along with China Telecommunication Technology Labs (CTTL). Based on CTIA requirements for the 5G New Radio (NR) FR1 frequency band, the solution benchmarks the performance of equipment from different manufacturers and chipset vendors.

UE can suffer from performance degradation during real-world use as a result of various propagation channel effects, which are addressed by optimizing UE hardware and software design. To do this and validate them under real-world conditions, designers need consistent, reliable, and repeatable digital twins emulating real-world channel effects.

Who Needs It & Why?

Design engineers are consistently looking for new 5G dynamic MIMO test solutions to further expand their ability to serve a wide range of customers. Using this solution, engineers can provide comprehensive services for research, development, testing, and certification across the entire industry. This test system for MIMO OTA with dynamic channel model validation, the industry can continue to drive the development of standards in CTIA.

Under the Hood

Keysight and CTTL collaborated to create the solution by integrating the CTIA-compliant MIMO OTA test system with a dynamic channel model validation test. The new validation tool leverages Keysight's OTA Emulation Solutions for emulating real-world environments to perform OTA testing for UE with multiple antennas.

Read more articles in the TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement.

Alix Paultre | Editor-at-Large, Microwaves & RF

Alix is Editor-at-Large for Microwaves & RF.

An Army veteran, Alix Paultre was a signals intelligence soldier on the East/West German border in the early ‘80s, and eventually wound up helping launch and run a publication on consumer electronics for the U.S. military stationed in Europe. Alix first began in this industry in 1998 at Electronic Products magazine, and since then has worked for a variety of publications, most recently as Editor-in-Chief of Power Systems Design.

Alix currently lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.