Europe UK : The new AR-7200 air recorder from Yokogawa is a mobile communications test instrument that records the WCDMA/GSM air interface for later reproduction in order to replicate a real-time environment.

The AR-7200 is designed to replicate the entire air interface environment, providing the ability to repeat a particular tested scenario with no need for physical connection required to Node B, the network or the UE (user equipment).

'This new approach to air interface testing will save valuable time during debugging, problem analysis and system optimisation', says Terry Marrinan, Sales & Marketing Director, Europe & Africa, of Yokogawa Europe's Test & Measurement Group: 'Operators can now replicate the entire communication air test environment and repeat specific test scenarios - processes that were
previously complex and time-consuming.'

The instrument records the radio signals between Node B points in the network and UEs, stores them in its internal hard disk drives and plays them back as I/Q (in-phase/quadrature) data. It is the ideal companion for Yokogawa's AP-6000 air protocol analyser in situations where multiple UEs
have to be analysed at the same time. By using both the AR-7200 and AP-6000, a user can play back the air interface several times and select a different UE each time to analyse that particular call. It can also be used with other devices that supporting analogue I/Q inputs.

The instrument carries out RF down conversion and I/Q demodulation, and stores downloaded and uploaded I/Q baseband signals on its hard disk drive for subsequent playback and analysis. It operates on frequency bands I, II, III, V, VI and IX in 3GPP UMTS/WCDMA systems.

The AR-7200 incorporates two RF units which feed into 12-bit analogue-digital convertors, and two outputs that are generated via 14-bit digital-analogue convertors. The instrument can carry out up to one hour of recording at two frequencies, and offers two buffer modes: single or ring. Other features include a data export/import function and a WCDMA cell search function.