Hybrid Testing

Enable hybrid and over-the-air testing

The RF architecture in 5G and Wi-Fi 6E devices and the higher frequencies being used require hybrid test environment that combines conductive & over-the-air (OTA) testing. This test platform supports three OTA testing methodologies approved by 3GPP for conformance testing.

The key element of this test setup is Spectrum Control's Butler Matrix, which enables the connection of multiple radios to a single antenna. A butler matrix ideally produces a channel condition number of 1, maximizing throughput.

This enables the butler matrix to deliver a dissimilar number of channels and antennas to be connected. This testbed is also suitable when the DUT does not have an antenna port and controlled conductive testing cannot be performed.

This RF environment can be upgraded by adding a Multipath emulator (10444-4) to reproduce multipath conditions in the Wi-Fi 6E frequency bands. Spectrum Control’s digital Lab assistant is included to help manage test automation for “out of the box” testing supporting secure remote operation and control through web, Telnet and TCP/IP interfaces.

A Smart Power Distribution Subsystem upgrade enables you to deploy a full lights-out lab enabling both RF testing and power control of the test platform and connected devices under test.