Europe : Agilent Technologies announced that engineers from Agilent, picoChip and mimoOn have successfully tested a 3GPP LTE femtocell reference design using Agilent’s MXA signal analyzer VSA test solutions. Above shows a MXA Signal Analyzer.

The three companies have collaborated to ensure that the tests of their reference design meet the requirements of the LTE standard in development. Their engineering cooperation has advanced the technology needed to meet the demands of the emerging LTE femtocell market.

The test solutions used to validate the femtocell reference design included an Agilent MXA Signal Analyzer with the Agilent 89600 Series Vector Signal Analysis (VSA) software and its new 3GPP LTE modulation analysis option. This recently introduced option provides RF and baseband engineers working on early LTE devices with the industry’s most comprehensive signal analysis solution for physical layer testing and troubleshooting. The Agilent 3GPP LTE VSA option enables LTE signal analysis from the analog or digital baseband through to the RF antenna for Node B infrastructure as well as end-user equipment prototype designs.

“Agilent is fully committed to addressing the complete functionality and performance test requirements that engineers need to create high-quality products for the LTE market,” said Guy Sene, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Signal Analysis Division. “These advances in testing for femtocells will significantly contribute to the market delivery of this innovative technology.”

mimoOn (www.mimoOn.de), a leader in software defined radio solutions for advanced wireless standards, developed the reference design code to run on picoChip’s multicore DSP platform. The reference designs allow OEMs to achieve faster time-to-market and lower development costs because they can focus their resources on adding value and differentiating their products. As a software-defined solution, it is future-proof and can be upgraded as the LTE standard is refined and updated.

“LTE is the next market for picoChip,” said Guillaume d’Eyssautier, president and CEO, picoChip. “We are the only femtocell silicon vendor with operator commitment, and it is crucial that we continue to leverage that at every stage. Simply put, the two-year experience lead that we have over the competition in femtocells, plus our industry-leading expertise in WiMAX™, will sustain our LTE customers’ competitive edge -- accelerating their programs, improving development efficiency and reducing cost.”

picoChip (www.picochip.com) is one of the leading suppliers of femtocell technology. The company recently announced the availability of the industry’s first LTE femtocell and picocell reference designs, the PC8608 Home eNodeB and PC8618 eNodeB respectively. picoChip is currently the only company shipping femtocell silicon, with customers that include Ubiquisys, ipAccess and a number of Tier One OEMs.

About Agilent and 3GPP LTE Test

Agilent is leading the way with design automation tools and flexible instrumentation for early R&D design in components, base-station equipment and mobile devices. Along with its partners, Agilent is working to provide a broad, comprehensive portfolio of solutions that address the entire UE lifecycle -- from early development through production test and deployment. Using knowledge gained as a member of the various standards committees, Agilent’s design engineers are developing scalable products with best-in-class measurement techniques.