US : Azimuth Systems announced an expanded channel emulator product line designed to address the complex needs of emerging 4G wireless broadband technologies, including LTE, IEEE 802.16m, UMB and other technologies that will be deployed in the 700 MHz spectrum.

Inset is Jim Iuliano, CEO of Azimuth Systems quoted below.

The Azimuth ACE™ MX product line builds upon the unmatched success of the company’s industry leading WiMAX and Wi-Fi channel emulators, to deliver a new universal channel emulator with broader capabilities. As the leading supplier of channel emulators for broadband wireless test, Azimuth’s ACE platforms are the first and only channel emulators specifically built to meet complex 4G smart antenna requirements, including those for MIMO and beam-forming.

The complex physical layer and open access requirements of new MIMO-based 4G technologies such as WiMAX, LTE, UMB and IEEE 802.16m put greater demands on RF testing. Featuring a scalable architecture, universal frequency support and the industry’s highest RF fidelity for error free testing, the ACE MX product line enables equipment manufacturers and operators to recreate real world conditions and achieve necessary MIMO test coverage efficiently and cost-effectively. The new ACE hardware supports frequency bands between 400 MHz and 6 GHz, scalable MIMO configurations, and uni- or bi-directional operation for both FDD and TDD applications.

“4G has made RF testing more complex than ever. There is an urgent need across the entire industry for conducting testing and pilot rollouts of these technologies, requiring the right test tools to help reduce total program costs and time to market,” said Jessy Cavazos, measurement and instrumentation industry manager at Frost & Sullivan. “Azimuth has clearly identified a significant need – the ability to test MIMO wireless technology efficiently – and the company’s focus on developing and releasing a channel emulation product optimized for the advanced technology of LTE and 4G is well-timed.”

The ACE MX platforms are protocol agnostic, with a fully featured architecture to support the fullest capabilities at the lowest cost. The modular design provides “future proofing” through scalability to allow test configurations to grow and capabilities to be added as the new technologies evolve. The multi-link, multi-model design provides simple setup and configuration, intuitive system management and a full automation interface.

“Market needs have changed the requirements for channel emulators. When we designed our ACE 400WB, we built the only channel emulator specifically for MIMO, raising the standard of performance for RF fidelity. We have taken the same approach to meet the needs of 4G technologies,” said Jim Iuliano, CEO of Azimuth Systems. “Channel emulation is a major focus for Azimuth, and our ACE MX product initiative demonstrates that we will continue to anticipate the evolving needs of our customers to help make 4G mobility a reality.”