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Products :: Test & Measurement :: Cellular & Wireless


Azimuth                                                                             prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | next

Azimuth offers three types of test platforms on which users can either run a standard test or automate custom tests. Azimuth provides both a comprehensive library of standard tests as well as the engineering toolkit to perform customization.

While the three types of Azimuth platforms are aimed at meeting different customer needs, Azimuth platforms are run using either the DIRECTOR™ or DIRECTOR™ II test executive software and results of tests from any platform can be managed using STUDIO™ test data management software.

  • Scalable System Platforms – The W-Series and ADEPT-n MIMO test platforms provide a 360-degree view of a wireless network and a controlled environment that measures client/infrastructure reactions to analyze the effects of mobility.
  • Channel Emulators – The ACE400NB for Wi-Fi and the ACE400WB for WiMAX accurately emulate multipath environments to provide thorough feedback on the performance of wireless devices in a real world environment.
  • Certification Devices – The ADEPT-WFA functions as a capture engine when testing application-specific devices (ASD) and Azimuth automates the specialized conformance and functional tests required for Wi-Fi certification

  • In addition, Azimuth offers a range of Testbed Components that are designed to increase the efficiency and of our customers’ engineering efforts.

Azimuth Scalable System Platforms

Azimuth scalable system platforms enable vendors and service providers to thoroughly test the performance, interoperability and functionality of Wi-Fi devices and networks in a static channel environment. These platforms provide controlled, accurate and repeatable results even under simulated motion conditions and with controlled interference sources. The scalable platform architecture enables interoperability testing of real Wi-Fi clients and Access Points whether set-ups are point-to-point, point-to-multipoint or multi-point to-multipoint. Finally, protocol capture and analysis capabilities enable thorough performance evaluation of products under test.

All Azimuth platforms are fully automated solutions that enable customers to speed product time-to-market through test efficiency and improve product quality through increased test coverage. Scalable system platforms provide the ability to easily design tests, control devices and equipment, and implement standard or custom scripts with flexible batch/remote operation to accelerate the product development cycle.

Azimuth offers two scalable system test platforms for testing Wi-Fi products. They are:

  • ADEPT-n - Platform for performance and conformance testing of 802.11a/b/g/n devices
  • W-Series – Platform for performance and conformance testing of 802.11a/b/g devices

Azimuth Channel Emulators

Real world wireless IP products are subject to multipath effects that significantly alter performance of products as perceived by the end user. Performance of Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) products degrade with multipath whereas Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) product performance can improve in the presence of multipath. This is because MIMO products leverage multiple transmit and receive antennas to employ spatial multiplexing, adaptive antenna processing, and space time coding to deliver greater wireless throughput and range. The improved performance enables ubiquitous high-speed voice, video as well as data services.

Comprehensive performance characterization of MIMO products includes testing in controlled multipath environments that mimic real-world situations. To ensure repeatable results in a multipath environment, traditional field tests should be largely replaced by methodologies that use MIMO channel emulation which submit RF signals to real-word multipath conditions. An effective channel emulation device, known as a channel emulator, can accurately create multipath behavior and measure its effect on system performance.

Azimuth offers high-performance, fully integrated channel emulators for testing Wi-Fi and WiMAX products. They are:

  • ACE 400NB MIMO Channel Emulator – 4 x 4 Bi-directional MIMO Channel Emulator for Wi-Fi Devices
  • ACE 400WB MIMO Channel Emulator – 4 x 4 Bi-directional MIMO Channel Emulator for WiMAX Devices

The Azimuth™ ADEPT™-WFA Test Tool

The ADEPT-WFA Test Tool is a certification device approved for use by the Wi-Fi Alliance in two Wi-Fi Alliance certification test beds. The same physical unit can be used for both tests. The ADEPT-WFA can be used as;

  • The capture engine and test script platform for automating certification testing of Test Engine-enabled devices
  • The NAV/PLCP/MIC Attacker “intelligent device" in baseline certification testing

Capture Engine in the Wi-Fi Alliance Test Engine Certification Process

The ADEPT-WFA is a key component in the Wi-Fi Alliance Test Engine methodology defined by the Alliance to simplify certification of Application Specific Devices (ASDs). The Test Engine provides Alliance members the ability to interface, control, and capture data from non-PC products including phones, games and consumer electronics products.

The ADEPT-WFA is included with Azimuth AzCert Software as part of the Azimuth Test Engine Certification Suite. The Azimuth components act as a controller to run the device certification script and then automates the capture, interpretation and reporting of the certification test results.

As a component of the Test Engine testbed, the ADEPT-WFA provides:

  • Traffic Capture with accurate time-stamping enabling advanced analysis and precise measurement on a packet-by-packet basis
  • a Traffic Test Tool allows users to implement the testing process manually or automate it with simple TCL commands

Intelligent Device in Baseline Certification Testing

As an intelligent device, the ADEPT-WFA test tool is used to transmit defined exception traffic to validate device behavior in Wi-Fi Alliance certification testing. This includes NAV (network allocation vector), PLCP (physical layer convergence procedure), and Message Integrity Check (MIC) Attacker functional tests.

As an “intelligent device” the ADEPT-WFA platform enables users to:

  • Replace multiple vendor-supplied tools with a single standardized test tool that handles multiple performance and interoperability tests;
  • Reduce certification test time and cost through "pre-certification" testing which ensures a product will pass Wi-Fi Alliance certification test plans the first time; and

For certification purposes, the ADEPT-WFA Test Tool can be managed using a command line prompt from a standard PC. The ADEPT-WFA can also be managed using Azimuth's DIRECTOR™ Test Executive software, which provide full test management and automation capability. This automation can significantly reduce time to market and also enables the results of tests run on the ADEPT-WFA Test Tool to be easily analyzed and shared using Azimuth's STUDIO™ Test Data Management software.

Testbed Components

Azimuth provides testbed components that are designed to work with Azimuth platforms that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our customers’ engineering efforts. Like Azimuth platforms, they are precision engineered to improve product quality and reduce time to market.
RadioProof™ Enclosures

Azimuth RadioProof Enclosures facilitate the accurate testing of wireless equipment by isolating devices under test from unwanted RF interference. State-of-the-art mechanical and electrical filtering technology enables repeatable and reliable test results. The enclosures provide superior isolation from 800 MHz to 6 GHz, support 4 x 4 MIMO products and are ideal for testing Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 3G Cellular, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies.

RadioProof enclosures are available in several sizes and with cooling and power source options.

  • RadioProof Enclosure RPE-401 Single chamber for notebook PCs and similar size devices
  • RadioProof Enclosure RPE-401L Large single chamber for mesh APs, desktop PCs and similar size devices
  • RadioProof Enclosure RPE-401LAC Large single chamber with AC filter
  • RadioProof Enclosure RPE-402 Dual chamber for APs, phones, ASDs and similar size devices