TM500 O-RU Tester
Validating the timing and synchronization
Validating the timing and synchronization between an emulated O-DU and O-RU. This is important as the timing ensures that all aspects of the management, control and user planes are synchronized and eliminates the risk of latencies or lost/dropped packets.and hybrid methods.
Ensuring inter-operation of the O-DU with different vendor O-RUs
Ensuring inter-operation of the O-DU with different vendor O-RUs, which are all supposed to operate according to the O-RAN standard. This sounds easy and is one of the key goals with Open-RAN architecture, but in practice, it comes with challenges. Different vendor O-RUs may have different delay profiles, different software implementations and a different performance, meaning they may not plug, play and operate correctly.
Guaranteeing the performance is as expected in a multi-vendor scenario
The latency, maximum throughput and handling of certain features, such as beamforming, may not produce the same performance between two different vendors. Due to the flexibility that the O-RAN standard encompasses, testing must address the complexity of using different vendor combinations while expecting consistent results.
O-RAN provides flexibility. It also means that the complexity in testing can increase owing to mixing O-RAN components from different vendors.
Simplifying the evaluation of the O-RU
The TM500 O-RU Tester goes beyond conformance specifications and provides the simplicity of evaluating the O-RU to enhance productivity for the customer and also provides advanced test methods that reduce the risk of the O-RU underperforming from an E2E point of view.
Test Journey
By following the VIAVI Test Journey and the outlined test progression, you can speed up your product's time to market.
- Reduce or remove potential issues when integrating with other O-RAN network components, performance and efficiency in testing.
- Avoid limitations in the performance of the O-RU. For example: achieving maximum throughput under different sub-carrier spacings, bandwidths and carrier aggregation scenarios.
- Ensure that not only the O-RAN fronthaul semantics and syntax work, but 3GPP U-plane data can successfully be decoded before any form of E2E testing where issues are more difficult to diagnose due to the O-RAN vendor diversity.
Simplifying the evaluation of the O-RU
The TM500 O-RU Tester goes beyond conformance specifications and provides the simplicity of evaluating the O-RU to enhance productivity for the customer and also provides advanced test methods that reduce the risk of the O-RU underperforming from an E2E point of view.
In partnership with Rohde & Schwarz
The TM500 O-RU Tester is designed with two versatile test setup modes to cater to a variety of testing requirements and budget constraints. Both setups offer real-time generation of the Open RAN C/U-plane messaging for the IQ data stream; flexibility to test a wide range of frequencies and bandwidths; and customizability to allow users to easily configure and modify test parameters.
TM500 O-RU Tester with VSA/VSG Test Setup
- Use Case: Primarily used for conformance and certification testing. Ensures that the O-RU meets rigorous conformance and certification requirements, facilitating seamless integration into broader network deployments.
- High Precision: Utilizes a standalone Vector Signal Analyzer (VSA) and Vector Signal Generator (VSG) for broad capability signal analysis and generation, ideal for detailed performance assessment.
- Flexibility: Offers the ability to test a wide range of frequencies and bandwidths, supporting diverse O-RU configurations and compliance testing needs.
- Customizability: Adaptable to a variety of test scenarios, allowing users to configure and modify test parameters according to specific network demands.
TM500 O-RU Tester with PVT360A Test Setup
- Use Case: Designed for early-stage development where numerous engineers need to work in parallel, performing functional and system-level testing. Accelerates the R&D process by enabling comprehensive testing across multiple parameters, ensuring robust development from the ground up.
- Integrated Solution: Incorporates the PVT360A, a compact, single-box VSA/VSG instrument that enhances test efficiency and reduces operational complexity.
- High Throughput: Designed for rapid testing with capabilities for simultaneous multi-port testing, reducing test times significantly.
- Scalability: Offers scalable options from basic single-generator setups to advanced configurations with multiple generators and analysers.
Why VIAVI
- Solution designed for scalability
- Streamlined single control point for simplified usage
- Singular support ownership post-sales through VIAVI
- Compatible with TM500 for performance testing
- Leverage VIAVI RANtoCore market dominance, rooted in the industry-leading TM500
- Use R&S top-tier RF capabilities and market leadership
Direct Performance Testing (DPT)
In addition to conformance testing, our approach goes beyond O-RAN standards to test at the 3GPP level. We call this Direct Performance Testing (DPT), where the O-RU is tested with an emulated O-DU over the 3GPP stack. This method offers numerous advantages, facilitating a much smoother integration with a real O-DU before E2E testing.
Benefits of Direct Performance Testing (DPT)
- Achieve optimal performance for each O-RAN network element before E2E testing.
- Improve efficiency before integration with O-DU and E2E performance testing by eliminating issues that E2E testing might conceal.
- Reduce the blame game between vendors' components.
- Enhance the reputation of vendor network components, as O-RU conformance testing alone does not ensure compatibility with the 3GPP 5G stack.
End-to-End Testing
O-RUs, O-DUs, and O-CUs are tested alongside a real or emulated core network to achieve optimal performance across all network components. This type of testing is typically conducted by a System Integrator or an OTIC laboratory.
Watch a demonstration of end-to-end testing here:
Capacity Testing
Capacity testing involves scaling the number of User Equipment (UE) devices with carriers to emulate a real deployment. This realistic test ensures the best Quality of Service (QoS) for each user under various mobility and fading conditions.
O-RAN Alliance - Virtual Exhibition
Why the TM500 O-RU Tester
- Simplifies the testing of O-RUs throughout the entire test lifecycle.
- Accelerates time to market by resolving issues earlier in development.
- Works seamlessly with the industry-standard TM500 and TeraVM Core Emulator.
- Reuses a derivative of the TM500 and its software, reducing integration risks, providing quality and stability, and ensuring interoperability and performance testing.
- Offers a single point of control for running, configuring, and enhancing productivity.
- Utilizes a mature and proven O-RAN CUSM interface for smoother interoperation with different vendor O-RUs while maintaining peak performance.
- Ensures consistent and repeatable O-RAN tests and results with TM500 software.
Key Features
- NETCONF Client to support Start-Up and get/edit configuration of M-plane attributes in the O-RU under test
- O-RAN C/U-plane functionality to exchange I/Q data over Lower Layer Split 7-2x interface
- Real time C/U-plane eCPRI packets generation
- Embedded protocol analyzer for OFH traffic analysis
- C/U-plane messaging support with eCPRI over Ethernet
- PTP/SyncE Grandmaster + PTP Client for Synchronization with external PTP Master
- OFH interface connectivity monitoring
- Wide range of synchronization topologies
- Multiple options for stimulus waveform generation
Applications
- Conformance Testing
- Direct Performance Testing
- End-to-end Testing
- Capacity Testing
- O-RAN Fronthaul Testing
- 5G Physical Layer Testing
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