Search Application Notes & Cards
Learn how to configure Rohde & Schwarz products to fit your application. Search our database by product, technology, or application to find relevant technical documents.
Search Application Notes & Cards
Learn how to configure Rohde & Schwarz products to fit your application. Search our database by product, technology, or application to find relevant technical documents.
72 Results
Spectrum Rider, FPH, FSH, ZPH, Cable Rider, ZVH, 5G, Interference hunting, Zero span mode, G NR TDD signal Handheld solutions from Rohde & Schwarz support a gated trigger, enabling users to separate uplink and downlink signals in the time domain. 5G NR – interference hunting in the uplink of TDD networks Spectrum Rider, FPH, FSH, ZPH, Cable Rider, ZVH, 5G, Interference hunting, Zero span mode, G NR
09-Apr-2019
This application note shows how to use Rohde & Schwarz signal generators and analyzers for testing early 5G New Radio components, chipsets and devices. Methods for easy creation and analysis of custom OFDM are explained. The solution provides● a single user interface for signal generation and analysis configuration● Flexible OFDM configuration and signal generation incl. flexible pilot and data allocation● User defined modulation schemes including complex scenarios, e.g. 5G NR PSS
23-Oct-2017 | AN-No. 1MA308
Energy efficiency of RF Frontends (RFFE), especially transmitters, continues to gain greater prominence.Meeting the efficiency challenge is increasingly difficult at higher operating frequencies and bandwidths, such as those proposed for 5G.There is a group of transmitter RFFE architectures whose signal output is constructed from two, or more, efficiently generated components. This signal construction in effect, means that such architectures use predictive, post-correction linearization. Their predictive nature enables distortion to be completely eliminated.The capabilities of multi-channel signal synthesis setups with R&S®SMW200A, in combination with the R&S®FSW analyzer enable measurement, hence development, of these types of transmitters.The document focusses on devices for the 3.5 GHz NR (5G New Radio) candidate band, but its findings are equally applicable to developments and measurements for, for example, K-band satellite applications or mmW NR candidate bands, where efficiency is an even more crucial design target.
01-Aug-2017 | AN-No. 1MA289
Widespread adoption of higher order modulation schemes, larger signal bandwidths and higher operating frequencies, to enable higher data throughput in communication links like 5G, places increasingly tough demands on the frontend. Signal fidelity is often enhanced with linearization.The greater number of RF chains and signal bandwidth in 5G Frontends mean that DPD (Digital Pre-Distortion) may no longer be the default linearization choice; 5G Frontends will be completely different from their 4G predecessors.The key metrics of Efficiency, Linearity, Bandwidth and Output Power remain, as does the question of how to optimally create the signal with just enough fidelity and power, with a minimum of wasted power. The solution set to that question, however, has never been greater.Amongst other topics, this White Paper, (i) proposes a classification of Linearization schemes, (ii) introduces the hard limiter, (iii) illustrates linearization of an exemplary mmWave PA using non-DPD techniques, and (iv) introduces a class of linearized transmitters that create their signal and linearity from efficiently generated components.
25-Feb-2016 | AN-No. 1MA269
Integrated beamformer ICs shrink the size of antenna feed electronics. Multiport network analyzers shrink the necessary test setup down to one instrument.
08-Jan-2019
More frequency bands and larger dynamic ranges increase the number of test points required in characterization and production of the latest RF frontends (RFFE). Actively managing test time and cost while maintaining quality is more important than ever before.
08-Jun-2020
The R&S®CMX500 radio communication tester is ideal for testing the maximum possible IP throughput for mobile device transmitters and receivers.
13-Jun-2022
O-RAN radio units (O-RU) contribute significantly to the high power consumption of 5G networks. Making O-RUs energy efficient without sacrificing O-RAN innovations is a top priority.
19-Mar-2024
Millimeter-wave bands are of increasing interest for the satellite industry and potential 5G bands.Antennas for 5G applications make use of these high frequencies to incorporate a large count of radiating elements. These antenna arrays are essential for beamforming operations that play an important part in such next generation networks.This white paper introduces some of the fundamental theory behind beamforming antennas. In addition to these basic concepts, calculation methods for radiation patterns and a number of real world measurement results for linear arrays are shown.
15-Sep-2016 | AN-No. 1MA276
Radio frequencies in bands around 28 GHz are being discussed as candidates for mobile communications of the fifth generation (5G). Beam steering will be a key feature in the context of 5G. It will be a major challenge to test the beam steering capabilities of base stations and user equipment in every phase from research and development through production. Conducted measurements will be mainly replaced by over-the-air measurements of electromagnetic radiation. Rohde & Schwarz offers the R&S®NRPM Over-the-Air (OTA) Power Measurement Solution that perfectly fits such measurement needs.Part of this solution are the R&S®NRPM-A66 antenna modules. They have integrated diode detectors. Thus, there are no cables between the antenna and the detector as in traditional setups. This avoids high and potentially unknown RF losses. The R&S®NRPM-A66 antenna modules with their integrated diode detectors are factory calibrated, which means that the user does not have to calibrate them to achieve highly accurate measurement results.This application note contains theoretical background on OTA power and pattern measurements. It gives step-by-step instructions for the verification of the power level and the radiation pattern of a device under test (DUT) in comparison to a golden device, and it presents an approach for verifying the accuracy of beam steering.
29-Aug-2017 | AN-No. 1GP118
Solutions and Tipps for NR FR1 in TDD Downlink Mode
5G New Radio (NR) is a radio technology specified by 3GPP and was first released in 3GPP release 15. It is designed to target three use cases, i.e. enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC) and ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). Among these three use cases, eMBB represents actually a further evolution of mobile broadband communication from LTE standard. According to the technical performance requirement defined by IMT-2020, by deploying 5G technology, peak data rates of eMBB application are expected to reach 20 Gbps in downlink (DL) and 10 Gbps in uplink (UL) direction, respectively. Typical use cases of eMBB are data hungry applications, such as high resolution 8K video streaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) etc.Verification of a 5G capable user equipment (UE) with respect to its achievable maximum data throughput under controllable and deterministic test conditions is an essential process during the design phase of the product. Performance centric verification through identification of the data throughput bottleneck, product benchmarking against a golden device enhances tremendously the user experience in the end.This document focuses on 5G NR frequency range 1 (FR1) with TDD duplex mode in E-UTRAN New-radio Dual Connectivity (ENDC) operating mode. As 5G NR physical layer offers a plethora of flexibility, the motivation here is to provide a kind of guideline of relevant parameter settings to stimulate device under test (DUT)'s max throughput capacity. The status quo of the R&S solutions at the time when the application note is created are described. Shown feature sets are constantly evolving, so the screenshots used and the parameters shown may change.
07-Jul-2022 | AN-No. 1SL379
During development of MU-MIMO antenna arrays, the beamforming algorithms undergo steady revision. Whether used in regression testing or verification of newly introduced features, fast beamforming verification helps to speed up R&D for beamforming antennas and improve performance of your product.
07-Jul-2020
radiated conformance testing according to TS 38.141-2, Rel. 16
3GPP defines the Radio Frequency (RF) conformance test methods and requirements for 5G NR Base Stations (BS) in the technical specifications TS 38.141. This application note describes all mandatory radiated RF transmitter tests (TS 38.141-2, chapter 6), according to Release 16.Furthermore, this document provides a brief introduction about the different R&S OTA antenna test solutions and how they are applicable for base station conformance testing. Rohde & Schwarz offers solutions for any test case that is mentioned in this application note.
20-Dec-2019 | AN-No. GFM324
conducted conformance testing according to TS 38.141-1, Rel. 16
3GPP defines the Radio Frequency (RF) conformance test methods and requirements for 5G NR Base Stations (BS) in the technical specifications TS 38.141. This application note describes how all mandatory RF performance tests (TS 38.141-1, chapter 8), according to Release 16, can be performed quickly and conveniently with signal generators from Rohde & Schwarz by either choosing manual operation or a remote control approach.In Addition, a new Python software library comes with this application note to enable the remote control approach of base station testing. This example requires the RsInstrument module which can be found on pypi.org or installed via 'pip' and is provided as is.
24-Oct-2019 | AN-No. GFM315
conducted conformance testing according to TS 38.141-1, Rel. 15
3GPP defines the Radio Frequency (RF) conformance test methods and requirements for 5G NR Base Stations (BS) in the technical specifications TS 38.141. This application note describes how all mandatory RF receiver tests (TS 38.141-1, chapter 7), according to Release 15, can be performed quickly and conveniently with signal generators from Rohde & Schwarz by either choosing manual operation or a remote control approach. Moreover, one test case requires a signal or spectrum analyzer from Rohde & Schwarz which is highlighted seperately in the corresponding chapter.In Addition, a new Python software library comes with this application note to enable the remote control approach of base station testing. This example requires the RsInstrument module which can be found on pypi.org or installed via 'pip' and is provided as is.
02-Dec-2020 | AN-No. GFM314
conducted conformance testing according to TS 38.141-1, Rel. 16
3GPP defines the Radio Frequency (RF) conformance test methods and requirements for 5G NR Base Stations (BS) in the technical specifications TS 38.141. This application note describes how all mandatory RF transmitter tests (TS 38.141-1, chapter 6), according to Release 16, can be performed quickly and conveniently with signal or spectrum analyzers from Rohde & Schwarz by either choosing manual operation or a remote control approach. Moreover, some test cases require additional signal generation equipment from Rohde & Schwarz.In Addition, a new Python software library comes with this application note to enable the remote control approach of base station testing. This example requires the RsInstrument module which can be found on pypi.org or installed via 'pip' and is provided as is.
27-Jan-2021 | AN-No. GFM313
With all these new flexibilities introduced with 5G, the radio access has become more complex to understand and analyze. More network interfaces and RAN configuration parameters have to be managed and the RAN and in particular the connection control, mobility and measurement reporting are decisive for the network performance. It will be vital for the system experts and radio engineers to gain knowledge and evolve their methods and tools to facilitate the work to optimize and troubleshoot 5G and 4G RAN performance. Thus, tools are needed that allow for easier understanding of the message flows in the radio protocols. The R&S®ROMES4 KPIs and Smart Events will help doing the work much easier and quicker. They are defined for a key set of LTE, EN-DC and NR RRC connection control and mobility procedures where the performance is crucial to achieve high quality network performance. Trouble shooting problematic cases and optimization of RAN protocols are key drivers to improve the mobile network performance with R&S®ROMES4.
28-Jun-2022 | AN-No. 8NT06
5G networks will need to offer more capacity and flexibility while lowering the operational expenses of the system. Two new technologies can simultaneously address both the increase in capacity and the increase in energy efficiency: Virtualization & Massive MIMO. This white paper provides an overview of test solutions addressing current and future requirements for antenna verification including both conducted and over-the-air (OTA) test methods, which result from applying Massive MIMO antenna technology.This white papers complements the white paper (1MA276) from Rohde & Schwarz, which introduces fundamental theory behind beamforming antennas and provides calculation methods for radiation patterns, a number of simulation results as well as some real world measurement results for small linear arrays.
11-Nov-2016 | AN-No. 1MA286
With the start and spread of 5G communications services and new form factors such as wearables and foldable phones, an increasing number of flexible printed circuit boards (PCB) that support high frequency signals are being produced. These boards must exhibit excellent frequency characteristics. In the past, a PCB’s frequency characteristics were subjected to sampling inspection using a test coupon. For flexible PCBs, a new method is needed to provide repeatable and proper verification. The Yamaha® MP Series combined with the R&S®ZNBT vector network analyzer measure the high frequency characteristics of a production lot at high speed and high accuracy, enabling 100 % measurement of mass produced rigid and flexible PCBs.
27-Jan-2020
Comprehensive test solutions guide for production and R&D
Small cell is a compact base station with smaller form factor and lower transmission power in comparison to the conventional macro base station. It covers relatively small area and serves less users. Usually, small cell can be integrated into the existing mobile network. By the evolution of radio access technology, the role of small cell has been changing through the evolution path. In the 2G/3G time, its role was to provide coverage in corner cases. Later during LTE, networks are not just providing coverage but capacity too. Small cells were then used to provide the addition capacity where required without adding additional spectrum. Now in 5G era, network operators use densification as an important strategy to provide seamless 5G services which demand coverage, capacity and performance too. With use cases requiring the 5G millimeter wave (mmW) rollouts, it makes sense to use small cells for densification due to the propagation characteristics of mmW.In this application note, we will shed light on the testing aspects of a small cell throughout the product life cycle with particular focus on the production test solution for the small cell device under test (DUT) in FR2 (frequency range 2, mmW frequency band) in Over the Air (OTA) environment for option 6 split based on radio communication tester R&S®CMP200 and OTA chamber R&S®CMQ200. The document is complemented with more insights into test solutions used in typical R&D test applications towards the second half of the application note.
19-Jun-2023 | AN-No. 1SL395
Ensure that your M2M device equipped with an embedded SIM can deliver permanent and ubiquitous connectivity around the globe
22-Aug-2019
The new IP connection security analysis solution for the R&S®CMW500 platform identifies IoT and mobile communications devices’ IP connection vulnerabilities in an early stage of development.
04-Apr-2017
The R&S®CMX500 radio communication tester is ideal for analyzing VoNR and VoLTE voice quality and performance in mobile devices.
21-Feb-2023
Thanks to their multichannel capability, oscilloscopes are ideal for multichannel applications such as the analysis of MIMO signals (e.g. 5G NR, WLAN), multi-antenna radar signals and differential high-speed digital signals (e.g. USB 3.x). These applications require the oscilloscope channels to be tightly aligned. This means the channel-to-channel residual skew has to be measured accurately so that it can be compensated. The channel-to-channel phase mismatch is reduced to a minimum, which plays a crucial role in achieving reliable measurement results.
06-May-2020
The required bandwidth span for power amplifiers is growing, driven by the latest 5G and satellite enhancements.Ideally, amplifiers support multiple bands. This makes wideband testing more essential than ever before.
19-May-2020
The Doherty Amplifier continues to be rolled out in an increasing number of TxFE (Transmit Frontend) applications, as the quasi-linear amplifier architecture of choice.The advent of 5G, with its inevitable microwave or millimeter wave air interface, increase the design challenges associated with its construction; not least of all because of the potential for increased dispersion in the constituent amplifiers and combiners.This application note describes a measurement-based development methodology by which the Doherty Amplifier may be enhanced, increasing performance and/or performance bandwidth. This methodology is supported with a working example.The methodology may also be extended to balanced, spatially combined and anti-phase (so called "pushpull" or "differential") amplifiers, the latter often itself nested in Doherty configurations.The R&S®Quickstep sequencing software may be downloaded from:
26-Sep-2016 | AN-No. 1MA279
With its small footprint, the R&S®ATS1000 antenna test system is the ideal direct far-field OTA system to test phased array antennas. The system tests and optimizes the radiation characteristics of any modules using the AiP technology from 18 GHz to 87 GHz.
12-Mar-2020
Verification of the spectrum allocation and in depth analysis of the transmitted signals is very important in many domains. For example, the IEEE 802.11ad standard makes use of approximately 2 GHz bandwidth in the 60 GHz frequency domain. Researchers and developers of Automotive radar discuss the 79 GHz frequency band with an available bandwidth of up to 4 GHz. Finally the upcoming 5G technology for cellular networks discusses the use of up to 2GHz signals in the cm and mm-wave frequency bands.This technical evolution already indicates the need of signal measurement and analysis in the mm-wave domain with high bandwidth.Therefore, this application note presents a method to measure and analyze signals with an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 2 GHz using new tools on the R&S®FSW Signal and Spectrum Analyzer platform in collaboration with an R&S®RTO Digital Oscilloscope.
16-Jun-2015 | AN-No. 1EF92
Rapid and accurate verification of beamforming weights is required for example, for codebook generation or beamforming algorithm development or verification. This document describes the unique application of Rohde & Schwarz VNA (Vector Network Analyzers) to fully characterize the passive part of multi-element antennas intended for beamforming.A range of R&S VNA models are optionally equipped with multiple independent sources, whose relative amplitude and phase may be arbitrarily controlled ("defined coherence mode"), in addition to frequency and true time delay. These sources may be connected to individual elements of a multi-element antenna to derive and verify transmit (Tx) mode beamsteering and beamforming operation.The R&S®ZVA in "Defined Coherence Mode" can electronically be switched to / from the conventional S-parameter mode. Therefore, Sparameter and beamforming measurements may be performed efficiently within a single connection cycle of the antenna.Multiple VNA may be daisy-chained, to extend the concept shown to support an arbitrary number of ports.The R&S®Quickstep sequencing software may be downloaded from:https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/software/quickstep/
20-Mar-2017 | AN-No. 1MA278
RF interference is one of the largest contributors to poor network performance. It shows up in dropped calls and low data throughput rates. Traditionally, interference hunting means you get a list of sites with bad performance from an OSS. This defines the areas for interference hunting quite well.If, however, the problem remains after attempts at mitigation, it could be because other sources often mask symptoms of RF interference. Usually the strongest masking is due to the overlap between the interference signal and your network's signals. Analysis could involve complete cities or even countries, an error-prone task when using traditional spectrum analyzers and/or portable receivers and one that consumes a significant amount of time and budget.A more automated solution for larger areas can make the effort involved more manageable. The Rohde & Schwarz network scanner family (R&S®TSME, R&S®TSMA and R&S®TSMW) plus the network problem analyzer (NPA) feature of the R&S®ROMES4 measurement software is such a solution. It allows you to perform a fast drive test with a fleet of cars and collect spectrum data for your targeted or even complete network area in next to no time. Back at your office, the NPA tells you where to send dedicated interference hunting teams with an analyzer or receiver to track down the source of interference. This paper introduces the approach in detail.
02-Oct-2017 | AN-No. 1MA293