National Instruments will add Long-Term Evolution (LTE) test capabilities to its RF test product portfolio with the NI LTE Measurement Suite, which operates with PXI RF signal generators and analyzers. Designed for testing 3GPP LTE wireless components, subsystem components, and mobile stations, the software-defined test system will provide a fast, flexible, and accurate solution for engineers developing automated validation and production test systems for LTE products, the company says.

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The LTE Measurement Suite is based on NI’s automated test software and PXI modular instrumentation. It consists of new NI LTE Measurement Suite software, the NI PXIe-5663E 6.6-GHz vector signal analyzer, the NI PXIe-5673E 6.6-GHz vector signal generator, and a PXI chassis and controller (see the figure). Test engineers can use all of its hardware to test previous RF and wireless standards as well as LTE and other next-generation standards.

Based on NI’s automated test software and PXI modular instrumentation, the LTE Measurement Suite consists of new NI LTE Measurement Suite software, the NI PXIe-5663E 6.6-GHz vector signal analyzer, the NI PXIe-5673E 6.6-GHz vector signal generator, and a PXI chassis and controller.

According to initial performance results, the LTE test system can achieve modulation accuracy measurements (RMS error vector magnitude) as low as –48 dB and perform automated measurements up to three times and five times faster than traditional instrumentation, NI says. The system also is designed to complement additional RF measurement tools from the company such as signal generators, signal analyzers, power meters, and other dc and baseband instruments. It integrates with more than 1500 PXI instruments from NI and more than 70 other vendors as well.

National Instruments