Europe : Anritsu will preview its new 3G W-CDMA Signaling Tester, a BTS (base station) simulator which supports the HSDPA system and sets a precedent for practical data communication testing featuring maximum data rate of 14 Mbps. In addition to testing 3G W-CDMA, GSM and GPRS system equipment, the simulator can also test wireless and protocol layers of mobile phone HSDPA channels based on the Release 5 of 3GPP Standards. The system allows the testing of chip sets and mobile phones corresponding to the 3G and 3.5G formats to enhance development efficiency and speed verification of extended functions.

High-speed data communication services utilizing the 3.5G HSDPA system will soon be introduced, adding to 3G mobile services that are spreading rapidly throughout the world. As a result, chip set and mobile phone manufacturers are developing and verifying operations of HSDPA-compatible UMTS mobile phones. The HSDPA system is characterized by stable data communication at a maximum speed of 14 Mbps - faster than W-CDMA. However, since HSDPA employs no BTS, a BTS simulator is indispensable for developing and verifying operations of chip sets and mobile phones at manufacturing sites.

The HSDPA-compatible W-CDMA Signaling Tester utilizes functions and development data of the conventional W-CDMA Signaling Tester and is a BTS simulator that can test functions of modulation/demodulation processing in mobile phones corresponding to various communication systems, protocol sequence (location registration, call/reception and handover), as well as application tests using HSDPA high-speed packets.

The HSDPA channel supports all 12 categories defined by the 3GPP Standards. Employing a new platform, realizing high-speed throughputs of 30 times higher than for conventional platforms, it sets a precedent for practical data communication tests at a maximum of 14 Mbps. This enables it to cope with the more complex performance of next-generation mobile phones.

Moreover, used along with Anritsu’s protocol test system (PTS), the new system will help users in building a total protocol conformance test environment conforming to 3GPP Standards, from development to final verification of HSDPA chip sets and mobile phones.

The BTS Simulator has been designed to accommodate as many of the customers’ resources as possible. The device allows the users of Anritsu’s conventional equipment to complement existing resources and testing environments, eliminating the need to re-train developers and debuggers.