Rohde & Schwarz CMX500 5G device tester

Rohde & Schwarz has released its CMX500 one-box tester, a 5G test platform for simplified device testing.

The one-box tester approach radio communication tester enables complex test set-ups for all 5G NR deployments, supporting a large variety of the present and future 3GPP band combinations. The simplified set-up, in a single platform, results in a small laboratory footprint.

The tester provides support for all 5G NR deployments covering LTE, 5G NR FR1 and FR2 in non-standalone and standalone mode, for both FDD and TDD. Manufacturers of 5G NR capable chipsets and devices, as well as certification providers, can cover an entire product lifecycle with the one tester; from all early R&D design phases to end-to-end application testing, including device certification.

In combination with the remote radio heads, which now cover mmWave frequencies up to 50 GHz in FR2, the one-box tester can simulate challenging 5G NR band combinations. For example, higher order carrier aggregation with up to 8CC combinations of FR1 and FR2 in downlink is possible, which can achieve data rates of 10 Gbps and beyond on the IP layer.

The tester complements its modular hardware design with CMsquares. This web-based graphical user interface lets users manage 5G testing tasks with the help of intuitive measurement squares, from RF callbox measurements to protocol verification to higher layer application tests. The test portfolio includes related peripheral solutions like shielded chambers for over-the-air measurements in FR2, all from a single source, which users can integrate into their test set-ups.