Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/10861-agilent-extends-support-for-802-11ac-design-and-analysis

Agilent Extends Support for 802.11ac Design and Analysis

March 18, 2011

Agilent Technologies Inc. announced that its 89600B vector signal analysis software is now able to test 802.11ac signals. This is the first dedicated 802.11ac signal analysis solution on the market.

Agilent is also announcing a new SystemVue 802.11ac library, the W1917EP WLAN baseband verification library, which interoperates with the 89600B VSA 802.11ac software. Wireless system architects and verification engineers can use this personality to design and validate next-generation networking capabilities.

“Agilent is a leading provider of wireless connectivity solutions and, in particular, test solutions for 802.11a/b/g/n,” said Guy Séné, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent’s Microwave and Communications Division. “With the new 89600B VSA 802.11ac software and SystemVue W1917EP WLAN library, Agilent further extends this leadership by being first to market with dedicated 802.11ac WLAN design and analysis solutions.”

Agilent’s 89600B VSA 802.11ac software allows engineers to view and troubleshoot all 802.11ac modulation formats, from BPSK up to 256QAM, implemented in components and receivers. For even greater flexibility, the software supports all signal bandwidths, including 20, 40, 80 and 160 MHz, and up to 4x4 MIMO. Using the 89600B VSA 802.11ac software, engineers gain greater insight into their next-generation 802.11ac WLAN chips and devices, regardless of the 802.11ac format implemented.

SystemVue is Agilent’s premier EDA platform for designing emerging communications formats. The new W1917EP WLAN library is available for SystemVue 2011.03, which provides transmit source support for 802.11ac, as well as full transmit/receive support for legacy 802.11a signal-processing blocks. The library interoperates with the 89600B VSA software to provide models and test benches for end-to-end system modeling and simulation of the physical layer of WLAN systems. What’s more, 802.11ac TX/RX simulation support for SystemVue will be further expanded later this year.