Rohde & Schwarz CMP200 radio communication tester

Rohde & Schwarz has added ultra-wideband (UWB) test capabilities to its R&S CMP200 radio communication tester. Because of its ranging, power consumption and security capabilities, UWB may feature on a range of IoT peripherals and industry 4.0 applications in the future; plus may be a standard technology of most smartphones.

Testing the performance of UWB devices is important in the lab and on the production line to ensure regulatory aspects, correct functioning and the accuracy of the positioning application. The tester provides a range of UWB test solutions for research and development, certification, and chipset characterisation and production, and measures parameters such as: time of flight and angle of arrival. Rohde & Schwarz supports global cross-industry standards for UWB interoperability by joining the FiRa and Car Connectivity Consortium.

UWB, based on the IEEE 802.15.4a and 802.15.4z standards, enables centimetre-accurate location measurements at short distances, most effectively up to 70 m. The technology includes secure data communication at rates up to 27 Mbps, with low power requirements. The wide bandwidth of 500 MHz and more, combined with low power spectrum density, make it possible for UWB signals to share spectrum with other technologies without causing interference.

The radio communication tester is able to provide R&D and production radio frequency tests for both 5G mmWave/FR2 and UWB functions. The tester combines the capabilities of a signal analyser and a signal generator in a single instrument.