Rohde & Schwarz provides testing for 5G LBS

Rohde & Schwarz supports 5G LBS with assisted GPS and 5G NR FR2 mmW performance testing

Photo: Rohde & Schwarz

Simulator and test company Rohde & Schwarz has verified assisted GPS (AGPS) performance in a commercial mobile device, while simultaneously transferring data using 5G millimeter wave (mmW). This capability is now available with the Rohde & Schwarz TS-LBS (location-based services) test system.

As wireless network operators roll out 5G NR in the millimeter wave spectrum, it is critical to ensure continued reliability of E911 calls and accurate determination of location in mobile devices.

5G NR utilizes frequencies in the FR1 frequency range (<7.125GHz) and in the FR2 mmW frequency range (>24GHz). FR2 creates unique challenges for mobile devices in terms of power consumption and heat. With FR2 becoming more common in North American mobile devices, performance of critical services such as E911 emergency calls cannot be allowed to degrade when utilizing this mmW spectrum.

When used together in the TS-LBS test system, the R&S CMX500 radio communication tester and R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester provide a seamless and comprehensive test platform capable of testing LTE, 5G NR FR1 and FR2, while the R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator simulates the GPS L1 & L5, GALILEO, GLONASS & BEIDOU satellite constellations for A-GNSS.

Other positioning technologies that use barometric pressure sensors, Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth are also available in the same solution. Legacy technologies such as GSM, WCDMA and LTE are all supported using the same hardware.

“The addition of FR2 mmW to our TS-LBS test solution gives customers the latest capabilities needed to continue certifying their mobile devices to evolving 5G standards,” said Bryan Helmick, Rohde & Schwarz. “Customers can easily add 5G to existing LTE TS-LBS systems with the simple addition of an R&S CMX500. FR2 support only requires some hardware on the R&S CMX500 and an R&S CMQ500 mmW shield cube.”

5G NR in the sub 6 GHz frequency range (FR1) can be seen as a natural evolution of LTE to achieve higher bandwidth and more flexibility on the physical layer in order to realize all the new and additional use cases defined for a next-generation mobile network.

The real technical challenge, however, comes with 5G mmWave (FR2), which opens up a new level of complexity in device development. mmWave frequencies imply measurement challenges that call for new testing approaches.