Conformance Testing of international location-based Services

13 March 2012 - A smartphone without location-based services is unthinkable nowadays. This has increased the need for additional testing by network operators, wireless device manufacturers and test houses. To meet these needs, Rohde & Schwarz has added a new member to its growing family of RF test systems – the R&S TS8980LBS. The system fulfills standard as well as network operator-specific test requirements for location-based services.

The R&S TS8980LBS from Rohde & Schwarz allows users to be confident that location-based services such as LTE positioning protocol (LPP) work properly during network operation. Manufacturers of mobile wireless devices and components can now perform preconfigured conformance tests such as SUPL2.0 in compliance with the standards defined by GCF and PTCRB. In addition, the R&S TS8980LBS can perform protocol tests and specific network operator test cases that combine data transmission tests and position location, for example.

The RF test system is based on the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester, which simulates a mobile radio network for the connected wireless device, including LBS servers. When equipped with the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) software option, the R&S SMBV100A signal generator serves as a satellite simulator for GPS, Galileo and Glonass. This makes it possible to characterize the GNSS receivers of the mobile wireless devices. The signal generator is used to generate different realtime scenarios with up to twelve satellites and supports several mobile radio, wireless and radio standards simultaneously. In addition, an R&S AMU200A fading simulator provides realistic testing conditions.

The R&S TS8980 RF test system from Rohde & Schwarz is scalable, economical and future-ready. Many configurations are available to meet differing requirements, ranging from small development lab versions to complex conformance test systems. The upgradeability of the system makes it possible to include new standards and requirements. Users already working with an R&S TS8980 simply need to add an R&S SMBV100A signal generator equipped with the LBS software option. The resulting system is an R&S TS8980LBS that can perform both RF and LBS tests. The R&S TS8980LBS features the user-friendly, tried-and-tested R&S CONTEST user interface, which can easily compile individual test plans that combine test cases from different standards in a single sequence.

The R&S TS8980LBS RF test system is now available from Rohde & Schwarz.