WLAN tester supports Wi-Fi 7 comms evaluation
Devices based on the Wi-Fi 7 communications standard are already being developed, creating a growing demand for test instrumentation that can evaluate them.
To meet this need, Anritsu has introduced a Network Mode option for its MT8862A wireless connectivity test set. This mode emulates real world operation to evaluate RF characteristics. It uses the data link layer communication protocol implemented in both the chip and the tester to establish communication. In addition to evaluating RF characteristics using conducted tests, the network mode is useful for over the air (OTA) wireless performance testing, including antenna characteristics, of finished products.
Developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the IEEE802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) wireless communication standard is the successor to the IEEE802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E) WLAN standard, supporting theoretical maximum speeds up to 9.61Gbps.
The new standard is designed to achieve a transmission speed of 30Gbps or more, which is much faster than Wi-Fi 6/6E. In addition to extending conventional technologies, including 4096 QAM, 320 MHz channel bandwidth, and Multi-RU, Wi-Fi 7 also adopts new technologies such as multi-link operation (MLO), enabling a device to simultaneously send and receive data across different frequency bands and channels.
The development of the Wi-Fi 7 standard is scheduled for completion in 2024 and is expected to be used for devices that support the latest applications and services, such as ultra-high-definition video streaming and AR/VR. Devices using chips based on the draft standard of Wi-Fi 7 have already appeared and there is rapidly increasing demand for test instruments to evaluate these devices.
The MT8862A allows the user to specify the data rate for the test, enabling RF evaluation to be conducted at all the data rates used by the major WLAN standards, including Wi-Fi 7.
It also provides a test environment for evaluating RF TRX characteristics (e.g., TX power, modulation accuracy, RX sensitivity) of WLAN devices, including Wi-Fi 7.
