Rohde and Schwarz provides test solutions for Broadcom newest WiFi technology

Rohde & Schwarz has announced the availability of test solutions for the Broadcom 6GHz WiFi 6E chipsets, the industry’s first to operate in the 6 GHz band. The German company verified the R&S CMP180 wireless device test platform, which is especially suitable for R&D as well as production. OEMs and ODMs of wireless equipment, who integrate Broadcom WiFi 6E chipsets, now have access to the right test solution for R&D, quality control, and production prototyping.

The IEEE 802.11ax amendment (Wi-Fi 6/6E), operating in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, intends to improve WLAN system efficiency, especially the throughput per station in dense signal environments and outdoor environments. With up to 1.2 GHz of WiFi spectrum available for unlicensed use in the 6-GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E can access up to seven 160-MHz channels to support various bandwidth-driven use cases.

These technologies pose challenges for test and measurement equipment. For example, the 1024QAM modulation requires signal generation capabilities which transmit reference signals with very low distortion over a bandwidth of up to 160 MHz and the required analysis bandwidth. The R&S CMP180 has been qualified for characterizing Broadcom 6 GHz WiFi chipsets at the RF level for tests such as error vector magnitude (EVM), timing measurements and spectrum emission compliance.

Christoph Pointner, Senior Vice President Mobile Radio Testers at Rohde & Schwarz, says: “We are happy to provide tailored test solutions that help Broadcom’s customers bring the newest WiFi technology to the market. The joint efforts with Broadcom for Wi-Fi 6E also provide a solid foundation to enhance our test solution for next generation Wi-Fi 7, which will leverage on the 6 GHz band to deliver higher performance and throughput.”