Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/29869-ethertronics-unveils-5g-mmwave-test-services-and-chamber
Ethertronics

Ethertronics Unveils 5G mmWave Test Services and Chamber

February 26, 2018

Ethertronics announced the industry’s first cost-effective 5G test services and test chamber to address the complex test and verification challenges for 5G mmWave devices. Due to the unique challenges of mmWave radio communications, next generation 5G networks require sophisticated, high-precision testing solutions to thoroughly validate device-level radio performance and ensure time-to-market for new 5G network rollouts. Come visit and see first-hand the Ethertronics 5G mmWave test chamber in Hall 1 stand 1E11 at Mobile World Congress, February 26-March 1, 2018 in Barcelona.

The unique nature of 5G networks–including ongoing standards evolution, diverse radio spectrum deployments, radio-level challenges, and ballooning testing costs–creates a previously unseen level of complexity for 5G device and systems developers. For companies and engineers who are developing devices for next-generation of 5G wireless networks, rapid and precise OTA testing solutions are critical for identifying issues and enabling fast prototyping cycle time during product design and validation phases.  

Ethertronics solves these challenges with a cost-effective and highly accurate solution for testing 5G antenna performance up to mmWave frequencies in a mobile shielded chamber. Ethertronics new 5G testing services and chambers provide complete performance assessment for 5G OTA testing, including gain, efficiency, directivity, polarization and beam characteristics, while providing fast and accurate 3D radiation pattern measurements.

“5G and mmWave represent the most disruptive generational change in cellular networks since the movement to digital. Everything becomes more difficult in higher frequencies, including ill-behaved propagation, beamforming and OTA testing,” said Olivier PAJONA, chief scientist, Ethertronics. “The nature of mmWave frequencies makes antennas extremely sensitive to physical positioning and to phase and gain measurement accuracy. Additionally, the increasing use of antenna arrays places significant additional demands on antenna testing capabilities. Our cost-effective 5G mmWave test services and test chamber, with one-degree resolution and precision in radiation pattern measurement, provides a highly precise and robust solution to help device makers and operators test and commercialize new 5G products and services.”

Ethertronics mmWave 5G Test Chamber Features:

  • Designed for 5G device radio performance testing and validation from 28 to 60 GHz mmWave bands
  • Provides a broad spectrum of far field radio characterization capabilities–gain, directivity, beamwidth, 3D radiation pattern, antenna efficiency–across a wide range of mmWave bands (from 26.5 to 40 and 50 to 67 GHz)
  • Designed to support forthcoming 5G mmWave regulatory and emissions testing standards, including TRP/TIS, EIRP and EIS
  • Supports Device-Under-Test sizes up to of a standard 17 in. laptop.
  • Fine-stepped in-chamber Device-Under-Test rotation to within 1 degree of accuracy in both Elevation and Azimuth angles
  • Advanced control UI with user-friendly software tools for measurement and post processing tasks

Availability

Ethertronics-based testing services using 5G mmWave chamber and first customer deliveries of the chamber will begin in 2Q18. Ethertronics will be demonstrating its new 5G test chamber at at Mobile World Congress in Hall1 stand 1E11, February 26-March 1, 2018 in Barcelona.