Germany’s test and measurement equipment provider Rohde & Schwarz and Ireland’s ultra-wideband (UWB) technology developer Decawave have jointly developed test and measurement capabilities for production line testing of UWB functions in chipsets and complete devices
As part of the cooperation, Decawave provided knowledge of required test strategy and test methods, as well as the Decawave DW3000 as a test device.
Rohde & Schwarz has added UWB test capabilities to their R&S CMP200 radio communication tester, making it the only test platform on the market able to provide R&D and production RF tests for 5G FR2 and UWB functions.
The UWB technology, based on the IEEE 802.15.4a and 802.15.4z standards, aims to enable centimetre-accurate location measurements at distances up to 75 metres. In addition, UWB includes secure data communication at rates up to 27 Mbps, with very low power requirements.
UWB opens opportunities in the fields of mobile communication, automotive, IoT and Industry 4.0 applications. The very wide bandwidth and very low power density make it possible for UWB signals to share spectrum with other narrowband and wideband systems without causing interference.
The 802.15.4a/z standards include several frequency bands. As a founding member of the UWB Alliance, Decawave supply products using frequencies from 3.5 to 6.5 GHz. However, interest is now concentrating on the high band, with channels defined between 5.8 and 10.6 GHz, supporting higher power transmission, leading to longer range.
The DW3000 chipset shall operate using UWB channels five and nine in the high band, with a bandwidth of 500 MHz.
Anton Messmer, vice-president for mobile radio testers at Rohde & Schwarz, said, “As OEM and ODM customers get ready to deploy their UWB products, they expect test equipment to be ready and capable to meet their manufacturing needs.”
Jeff Clancy, vice-president of engineering at Decawave, commented, “This joint cooperation enables our customers to efficiently manufacture high volume products with reduced time to market.”
The R&S CMP200 radio communication tester is designed to meet RF test requirements for devices operating from six to 20 GHz in stand-alone mode and for essential 5G FR2 bands including 28 GHz and 39 GHz when used with the remote radio head, the R&S CMPHEAD30.
