Europe : The new WLAN Protocol Tester R&S PTW70 from Rohde & Schwarz is a versatile test platform for the development, integration and verification of wireless local area network (WLAN) systems and components in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Various measurement and display modes, automated test sequences and a clear-cut graphical user interface make working with the test instrument easy. With the R&S PTW70 - which is also operable by remote control - manufacturers of WLAN components, test houses and operators of WLAN systems can check compliance with the standard and identify error sources in every phase of product development and approval and when setting up networks.

The implementation of wireless WLAN networks is in full swing worldwide. Rohde & Schwarz will present a new WLAN protocol tester for manufacturers of WLAN components, terminals or systems, WLAN operators and system integrators. The R&S PTW70 contains all the required test routines and simulations for WLAN according to the 802.11 standard. In addition to pure function testing, the tester can even simulate typical errors and incompatibilities in WLAN systems to determine how the DUT responds in the event of an error. This presently unique function is indispensable especially for developers.

The WLAN Protocol Tester R&S PTW70 offers a wide range of test possibilities, from the physical protocol layer to the MAC layer to the application layer. The instrument consists of a measurement unit and a PC controller. The two components are connected either directly or networked via Ethernet. The measurement site and the workstation can thus be at separate locations. The R&S PTW70 is configured and operated via a clear-cut graphical user interface. The PC controller is also used to collect and evaluate the measurement data. Users compile and control their own customized test sequences on the script interface. As the R&S PTW70 can also be integrated into existing test environments, typical test sequences can be automated.

The measurement unit can be equipped with one or two WLAN protocol inputs. Due to the modular design of the R&S PTW70, several of them can be networked, allowing the influence of a number of WLAN terminals to be simulated. The measurement unit meets the most exacting demands: measurement values are collected, recorded and transferred to the controller simultaneously and in realtime. For WLAN measurements, the R&S PTW70 can simulate both a base station and a terminal in line with the standard. For test purposes, the instrument also simulates faulty behaviour in a special mode, enabling the response of the DUT to be determined in case of a system incompatibility or an error. The tester analyzes protocol sequences with a high resolution of up to 50 ns, which allows not only the errors but also their sources to be pinpointed. In the graphical analyzer, which is a special graphical interface, the protocol sequence is shown as either a detailed step-by-step representation or as a trace versus time.

The WLAN Protocol Tester R&S PTW70 is now available from Rohde & Schwarz. Subsequent WLAN standards can be loaded to the R&S PTW70 by means of software update. The test instrument thus provides optimum safety of investment.