The two companies were able to verify the complete test solution, with interoperability between HEAD acoustics hardware platform labCORE, its measurement and analysis software ACQUA, and the latest generation CMX500 wideband radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz.
This setup allows simulation of a voice connection in both 5G (VoNR) and 4G (VoLTE) networks. This enables manufacturers of 5G-capable telecommunications devices to test the voice quality of their devices at an early stage before market introduction. The solution was originally unveiled at the Mobile World Congress event in Shanghai in February 2021.
The test solution from Rohde & Schwarz is based on the tried and tested R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester for 2G/3G/LTE and WLAN. The test scope for 5G NR can be upgraded with the R&S CMX500 radio communication tester, allowing 5G NR devices to be tested in both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) TDD and FDD mode. The R&S CMX500 supports the sub6 GHz (FR1) and mmWave (FR2) frequency bands and provides all required technologies for VoLTE and VoNR calls in both SA and NSA mode.
Mobile phones under test can register with the integrated IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server of the R&S CMX500 platform via the simulated 4G or 5G mobile network, depending on the use case. labCORE is connected through wired Ethernet using the integrated IP forward mode of the IMS server, specifically developed for this use case. This allows users to forward the voice data of a call established with the R&S CMX500 directly to labCORE for detailed voice quality analysis. In this mode, the system fully supports 5G speech codecs including EVS (Enhanced Voice Service), and legacy Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) and Adaptive Multi-Rate Narrowband (AMR-NB).
Using HEAD acoustics’ measurement and analysis software ACQUA to run the TS 26 131-32 test suite, the system fully covers all significant acoustical requirements, enabling manufacturers of 5G-capable telecommunications devices to test the voice quality of their devices at an early stage and prepare for rollout of 5G voice services.
“The successful collaboration between the two companies in the field of voice quality analysis for 2G, 3G and 4G, based on the R&S CMW500 platform, is extended to 5G with our R&S CMX500. The jointly verified test solution enables reproducible test results and allows device manufacturers and network operators to ensure an optimized 5G voice experience at an early stage,” says Christoph Pointner, Senior Vice President Mobile Radio Testers at Rohde & Schwarz.
"The interoperability between our labCORE platform and the radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz is another milestone for our customers with regard to testing and optimizing the communications quality of 5G devices,” adds Christian Schüring, Head of Sales Department Telecom at HEAD acoustics GmbH. "This is an important step to measure and optimize the communication quality of 5G-enabled devices."
As a leading provider of communication quality measurement, analysis, and optimization solutions, HEAD acoustics is addressing the challenges of fast-developing 5G and future 6G infrastructure solutions, working with industry partners to offer comprehensive test solutions.
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