Keysight Technologies Inc. announced that its E6650A EXF wireless test set for femtocell now supports high-volume manufacturing test for designs using Broadcom Corp.’s BCM617xx series small cell chipsets. The EXF one-box tester delivers the speed, performance and scalability today’s manufacturers need to quickly ramp up production and lower its cost-of-test.

Femtocells are small-cell base stations designed for indoor and outdoor use in residential and enterprise environments. Rapidly gaining momentum, they are often used by service providers to extend their coverage, increase capacity and improve quality-of-service in outlying areas. However, to make the use of femtocells financially viable for a consumer market, they must have a low per-unit cost, and providers must be able to produce them in high volume with a low cost-of-test.

The EXF is specifically designed for high-volume manufacturing test floors, allowing customers to tailor their solution over time to address any particular test capability and capacity needs that arise. Because it is now validated with Broadcom’s BCM617xx series chipsets, customers can speed their time to market when they use the EXF with associated reference drivers and automation software.

“Keysight’s EXF wireless test set support for Broadcom’s BCM617xx small cell devices will enable faster time to market and lower total cost for femtocell manufacturers,” said Greg Fischer, Broadcom senior vice president and general manager, Broadband Carrier Access. “As a result, carriers will be able to choose from low-power, high data rate small cell solutions that meet consumer demand for a consistently high quality, high performance mobile experience.”

“The EXF platform combines our experience in providing test solutions for macro base stations and high-volume user devices to deliver a scalable solution that is dedicated to the needs of femtocell manufacturing,” said Satish Dhanasekaran, marketing manager at Keysight’s Microwave and Communications Division. “Support for Broadcom’s BCM617xx Series further ensures that we are giving customers the tools they need to cost-effectively manufacture femtocells in high volume.”

More information on the Keysight E6650A EXF is available at www.keysight.com/find/EXF. More information on femtocell test is available at www.keysight.com/find/femtocell. Images of the E6650A EXF are available at www.keysight.com/find/EXF_images. Information about Keysight is available at www.keysight.com.