Dramatically simplifies the test
setup required for comprehensive receiver performance
analysis.
Wireless equipment’s mitigation of the
effects of co-channel and adjacent
channel interference directly affects key
performance metrics such as capacity,
quality, and coverage. A receiver’s
performance must be characterized over
a variety of channel conditions that
reflect real world operating conditions.
This characterization must be done
precisely, as small differences in receiver
performance can have a dramatic
impact on performance metrics.
Uncertainty in test conditions leads to
an even greater uncertainty in test
results.
Creating a test setup for today’s
wireless receivers can be a challenging
task given all of the elements required.
Covering all types of real-world
interference requires combining signal
generators, noise generators, cables,
and RF combiners. The challenges
inherent in constructing a test rack for
receiver characterization include:
■
Interferer Phase Noise
■
Modulated Interferer ACLR
Major Features:
■
Precise, repeatable C/N and C/I
emulation in one integrated
instrument
■
Application-specific UMTS and
CDMA2000 interferers
■
Integrates functionality of multiple
signal generators, attenuators and
measurement devices
■
Signal generation engine with long
data sequences for maximum
confidence in test results
Test set VSWR interactions
contributing to amplitude
uncertainty
■
Signal-to-noise ratio accuracy
■
Receiver sensitivity testing
accuracy
■
Test set self-intermodulation
■
Test set repeatability and
reproducibility
■
Minimization of technical resource
involvement necessary to perform
the test
Spirent’s TAS5600 Universal
Interference Emulator addresses these
issues by combining all of the necessary
hardware to facilitate receiver testing.
The TAS5600 addresses critical receiver
test setup issues such as signal-to-
■
GSM modulated inteferer, with
optional fading, is ideal for dual
mode test applications
■
Combines with Spirent’s SR5500 to
provide fading conditions necessary
for complete receiver testing
■
Two independent RF channels for
receiver diversity testing
■
Maintains signal path during
calibration cycle to speed up test
execution
■
TASKIT® software provides easy
setup and control
noise ratio accuracy, output power
accuracy, phase noise, ACLR, test set
VSWR interaction, and repeatability
over time and across multiple test
setups.
Specifically, the TAS5600 combines
the functionality of two highperformance, low phase noise signal
generators, two arbitrary waveform
generators, two real-time signal
generators, a precision instrument
grade power meter, and high accuracy
RF attenuators, across multiple RF
channels to support diversity testing.
This powerful combination of hardware
is housed within a single rackmountable chassis.
TAS5600 is a
powerful,
integrated
solution for
evaluating receiver
performance.
Benefits:
■
Increases confidence in test results
■
Reduces test time
■
Assures repeatable results over time
and across multiple test setups
■
Integrates of all receiver testing
components eliminating unweildy
test setups
Analyze
AccelerateAssure
TM
TAS5600 Architecture
2TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
RF In 1
RF In 2
Σ
Level
Control
Duplexer
Generator 1
CW
Digital*
Arbitrary
Waveform
External
Interference
MUX
Power
Meter
Generator 2
CW
Digital*
Arbitrary
Waveform
External
Level
Σ
TAS5600 combines precision interference generators, a power meter, attenuators,
signal combiners and a duplexer in one compact, easy-to-control instrument.
* The TAS5600’s digitally-modulated interferers include AWGN, WCDMA, GSM and CDMA2000.
Control
RF Out 1
RF Out2 1
RF Out 2
Receiver performance test setups
require multiple signal generators, RF
attenuators and signal combiners. To
increase level accuracies a
measurement device is typically
included into the test setup. A
calibration methodology, control
software, and maintenance are
required.
The TAS5600 addresses these
complex requirements inherent to
receiver testing. The TAS5600 is a two
channel instrument that combines
multiple signal generators with the
required RF components and an
instrument grade power meter to satisfy
receiver testing requirements. The
internal signal generators can be
configured to provide low phase noise
CW, popular modulated interferer types,
or AWGN. The two signal generators
can be combined and sent to one or
both channels, or used individually on
a per channel basis. The instrument
grade power meter within the TAS5600
automatically samples RF power levels
at multiple locations within the
instrument to assure accurate level
settings.
The TAS5600 has been optimized to
be repeatable over time to give
consistent results across multiple test
setups.
Operation of the TAS5600 is via
TASKIT/5600 control software.
Alternately, user-generated control code
can be employed via the TAS5600’s
comprehensive remote command set
over GPIB, Ethernet, or RS 232.
TAS5600 Application Examples
3TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
C2K-LAB and UMTS-LAB Test
Systems
The TAS5600 combines with Spirent’s
SR5500 RF Channel Emulator to provide
complete transmission media
emulation for testing handset and base
station receiver performance. The
combination of the TAS5600 and
SR5500 meets or exceeds all the critical
additive interference and multipath
fading requirements in both the UMTS
and CDMA2000 specifications.
The SR5500 channel simulator
provides all of the channel propagation
models required to test modern
receivers. Channel propagation models
such as Rayleigh and Rician multipath
fading, multipath delay spread, moving
propagation, and birth-death
propagation conditions are all
simulated in the SR5500. Combining
the SR5500 with the TAS5600 creates
a compact test setup for complete
physical layer receiver testing. With the
TAS5600 internal duplexer, external
hardware, such as combiners, splitters,
and circulators, is eliminated.
The TAS5600 combines with the
SR5500 to reduce test deployment and
execution time. It is no longer
necessary to interpret cryptic test
specifications and then calibrate an
unwieldy test setup. For UMTS testing,
Spirent offers UMTS-LAB – a
combination of the SR5500 along with
the TAS5600, including interferers
specific to testing UMTS UEs and Node
Bs. Spirent offers C2K-LAB for testing
to CDMA2000 standards. This
combination includes an SR5500 and
a TAS5600 including interferers specific
to CDMA2000 testing. For these
systems, Spirent provides UMTS and
CDMA2000 test configuration files with
our instruments and on our website for
use with the TAS5600 and SR5500.
TAS5600 and SR5500
combine to form a
physical layer test system
for handsets.
TAS5600 and SR5500
combine to form a
physical layer test system
for base stations.
System
Simulator
Mobile
Simulator
Tx
Rx
Tx
Rx
Mobile Test Configuration Example
SR5500 Wireless
Channel Emulator
SR5500 Wireless Channel Emulator
TAS5600 Universal
Interference Emulator
UNIVERSAL INTERFERENCE EMULATOR
TAS5600
Base Station Test Configuration Example
UNIVERSAL INTERFERENCE EMULATOR
SR5500 Wireless Channel Emulator
SR5500 Wireless
Channel Emulator
TAS5600
TAS5600 Universal
Interference Emulator
Mobile Under
Test
BS Under
Test
Unprecendented Performance
4TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
Measurement Performance
Challenge
Accuracy
In order to have confidence in receiver
performance test results, the level of
uncertainty of the test system must be
When constructing a test setup for
receiver testing one of the most
important performance criteria is the
accuracy of signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios.
Unlike analog modulation schemes,
modern receivers use spread spectrum
in conjunction with convolutional or
turbo coding and have error rate
performance that degrades rapidly as
certain breakpoints are crossed. For
this reason, signal-to-noise ratio
accuracy is extremely important. Small
errors in SNR will show up as large
Receiver Performance Characterization
-1
10
minimized. Further, parasitic signals
not associated with the test should not
be present.
differences in error rate. In order to
have confidence in the error rate results,
there must be a high degree of
confidence in the SNR setting.
By combining an instrument grade
power meter along with factory
calibrated signal paths, the 5600
provides:
■
Accurate ratio generation and
level setting
■
Excellent repeatability
■
Increased confidence in test
results
Impact on BLER/FER
Measurement Accuracy
-2
10
BLER/FER
C/N Setting Accuracy
-3
10
Ior/I
oc
TAS5600's high C/N (and C/I) ratio setting accuracy make it
ideal for receiver performance breakpoint characterization.
Purity
When testing the interference performance
of a receiver, undesired spurious signals can
reduce the confidence in test results. In
interference tests, a signal with an amplitude
much higher than the desired signal is placed
adjacent to the receiver’s channel. The
purpose of the test is to determine whether
the receiver’s adjacent channel selectivity is
sufficient. The value of this test can be
degraded if the phase noise of the CW signal
or the ACLR of the modulated signal is too
high. The TAS5600 has been specifically
designed to offer:
■
Ultra-Low Phase Noise
■
Excellent ACLR Performance
The TAS5600 exceeds the phase noise
and ACLR requirements of popular receiver
test standards. Using the TAS5600 for receiver
testing assures that the adjacent channel
performance of the receiver is being tested
with equipment that will deliver ultra clean,
accurate channel conditions thus giving
confidence in the test results.
5TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
TAS5600 with the Low Phase Noise Option demonstrates
extremely low phase noise, eliminating co-channel noise
during adjacent channel testing scenarios.
Realism
Both narrow and wideband interference are
present in the radio environment and must
be simulated as interference during receiver
testing.
The TAS5600 delivers signals for cochannel and adjacent channel testing that are
realistic. Simultaneous generation of different
interferer types reflects real-world scenarios.
Further, the data that is used to generate the
user channels that are modulated onto the
interfering carrier has a long repetition interval.
This combination of long data repetition
interval along with ultra-low phase noise and
low ACLR combine to make the TAS5600 the
highest performing, most realistic test set for
receiver co-channel and adjacent channel
testing.
TRACE A: Ch1 Spectrum
-50
dBm
LogMag
10
dB
/div
-150
dBm
Center: 2 GHz Span: 60 MHz
User’s
SignalCWInterferer
Modulated
Interferer
UMTS Receiver Testing
6TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
The Answer to 3GPP Testing
Accurate Interferer Generation
In order to verify that UMTS User
Equipment and Node-Bs conform to
3GPP standards, various co-channel
and adjacent channel interference tests
are required. These conformance tests
verify a minimum level of receiver or
transmitter performance in the presence
of co-channel and adjacent channel
The TAS5600 exceeds the 3GPP
accuracy requirements by combining
precision signal generation techniques
with extremely accurate hardware
calibration to provide unprecedented
interference performance. The low
phase noise CW generators combined
with the precision baseband signal
generators within the instrument create
modulated RF signals with extremely
low Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio
(ACLR). These low phase noise CW and
low ACLR modulated interferers assure
that during adjacent channel selectivity,
blocking, or spurious response tests,
the receiver under test will not have its
receive channel falsely polluted with
phase noise, spectral re-growth, or
spectrum “spill-over” which would
greatly devalue the test results.
An important characteristic of the
WCDMA or GSM modulated interferers
is their data sequence repetition rate.
To produce accurate BLER/BER test
case results, the data contained in the
Dedicated Physical Channels should
interfering signals. The types of signals
required can include uplink and
downlink WCDMA signals, GSM signals
with propagation effects, single and
dual tones, or AWGN. The level
accuracy required for these interfering
signals is demanding.
not repeat for the duration of the test.
However, sequences from digital signal
generation engines in signal generators
used for WCDMA and GSM performance
testing can repeat as frequently as every
frame. Uniquely, the TAS5600 uses a
real-time approach to achieve a data
sequence length of greater than one
hour, while generating a 3GPP-specified
Downlink Modulated Interferers that
contains common channels and 16
Dedicated Physical Channels. Similarly,
the TAS5600 generates Uplink
Modulated Interferers that contain one
control channel and one data channel
with a data sequence length of over
one hour.
The TAS5600 includes the following
UMTS interferer types:
■
WCDMA Uplink
■
WCDMA Downlink
■
Faded GSM
■
Single and Dual CW
■
AWGN
The interferers in the
TAS5600 are designed
to exceed the ACLR
requirements of all
adjacent interference
tests currently
specified by 3GPP for
WCDMA receiver
performance.
Low Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR)
Modulated Interferer
3GPP ACLR Specification
Interferer
Channel
ACLR
Interferer
Channel
ACLR
7TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
Wide Range of UMTS Interferers
TAS5600 provides all
the applicable
WCDMA Uplink and
Downlink channels.
This is a Code Domain
plot for a WCDMA
Downlink Channel.
GSM Modulated Interferers
To effectively address the testing
requirement of UMTS UEs and NodeBs, the TAS5600 provides extremely
accurate and realistic interference
generation. All required interferer types,
such as uplink and downlink WCDMA,
GSM, AWGN, and CW are included. The
format of the WCDMA modulated
interferer is defined in the appropriate
3GPP downlink (TS 34.121 and TS
The GSM modulated interferer allows
verification of adjacent channel receiver
performance in the presence of a
second GSM channel. This is an ideal
tool for manufacturers who want to test
dual-mode UMTS UEs. The GSM
34.122) and uplink (TS 25.141 and TS
25.142) specifications. Each WCDMA
interference signal within the TAS5600
is comprised of multiple downlink or
uplink channels. These channels are
then modulated on to an RF carrier at
the desired interference frequency
using a scrambling code provided by
the user.
modulated interferer provides a GMSK
modulated carrier with optional fading.
The interferer meets UMTS testing
standards as defined in 3GPP TS
51.010-1 Section 3.6.1 and Annex A5.2
for uplink and downlink testing.
The 5600 provides GSM
Interferers with Optional
Fading as specified in 3GPP
TS 51.010-1 Section 3.6.1.
CDMA2000 Receiver Testing
8TAS5600 Universal Interference Emulator
Addressing IS-97 and IS-98 Test
Requirements
Accuracy and Purity
In order to verify that CDMA2000
handsets and base stations conform to
the requirements of IS-97 or IS-98
standards, various co-channel and
adjacent channel interference tests are
performed. These tests verify a
minimum level of receiver or transmitter
performance in the presence of co-
In order to accurately assess the Frame
Error Rate (FER) performance of a
CDMA2000 receiver it is critical to set
the Ior/Ioc ratio accurately. Highly
accurate level settings can be difficult
to achieve in custom built setups given
the implications of VSWR interaction,
power level requirements, and fading
conditions. A custom built setup will
also require calibration with each use
and consistency across different test
stations will be difficult to achieve.
Inaccurate ratio settings can invalidate
days of testing and cause
inconsistencies in performance
evaluations. Because of the nature of
CDMA, small errors in Ior/Ioc cause
channel and adjacent channel
interfering signals. The types of
interfering signals required can include
forward and reverse link CDMA2000
signals, single and dual tones, or
AWGN. The level accuracy and purity
required for these interfering signals is
demanding.
large changes in FER. The TAS5600 has
been designed specifically to address
this ratio accuracy challenge. Using an
internal instrument grade power meter,
factory calibration, and proprietary
techniques, the TAS5600 demonstrates
a level of performance that ensures
accurate and consistent results over
time and across different test setups.
The TAS5600 contains the necessary
modulated interferers for both forward
and reverse link receiver adjacent
channel interference testing. Low
Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR)
performance and long data sequence
length ensure the highest level of
confidence for Adjacent Channel
Selectivity tests.
For handset testing, the TAS5600
generates an interfering forward link
base station signal that includes the
pilot, paging, sync, and six traffic
channels. The reverse link modulated
interferer, used for base station testing,
contains a reverse link pilot only, as
required by CDMA2000 standards. An
important characteristic of the
CDMA2000 modulated interferer is its
data sequence repetition rate. To
produce accurate FER test case results,
the data contained in the paging, sync,
and traffic channels should not repeat
for the duration of the test. Unlike many
commercial signal generators that have
data sequences which repeat as often
as every frame, the TAS5600 uses realtime signal generation techniques to
generate data sequences with very low
repetition rates. To maximize
confidence in FER test case results, the
data on each of the channels in the
forward link interferer is random and
has a minimum sequence length of one
hour. This significantly exceeds
industry test requirements.
The TAS5600 includes the following
CDMA2000 interference types:
■
Forward Link CDMA2000
■
Reverse Link CDMA2000
■
Single and Dual CW
■
AWGN
TAS5600 provides all the
applicable CDMA2000
Uplink and Downlink
channels. This Code
Domain plot shows a
CDMA2000 channel.
Unlike most CDMA signal
generators, the sequence
length of the generators
in the TAS5600 results in
a test duration long
enough to give a high
degree of confidence in
the test results.