Higher line productivity and lower costs with automatic testing for next-generation mobile devices

Anritsu Corporation has released three new software packages to expand the measurement standards supported by the Universal Wireless Test Set MT8870A, offering fast and fully automatic testing in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax test specifications. The new packages are the WLAN 802.11ax Tx Measurement MX887033A and WLAN 802.11ax Waveform Files MV887033A for evaluating IEEE 802.11ax devices, along with a Full Automatic Measurement Program. Installing these packages in the MT8870A offers what is claimed to be the world's first turnkey system for production-line testing of IEEE 802.11ax standard-compliant devices with the fastest fully automated testing of RF TRx characteristics simultaneously in up 16 devices. The program removes the need to develop customer control programs, serving to increase productivity and cut costs. IEEE 802.11ax is a next-generation WLAN standard developed to improve average data throughput in locations with high client device densities, such as offices, sports stadiums, rail stations, etc. It is currently under review by the IEEE 802.11ax Task Group (TG), targeting release as an international standard in 2019. As the key markets for the IEEE 801.11ax standard are mobile terminals, it is expected to see widespread adoption by smartphones, tablets, AR/VR equipment and automotive. The test set is aimed at production-line measurements of multiple wireless equipment and modules. Four high-performance test units are placed in the main frame, and each of these units maintains fully independent parallel simultaneous measurement of up to four wireless devices.