5G NR/5G-Advanced Modulation Analysis PathWave Vector Signal Analysis (89600 VSA)

5G NR/5G-Advanced Modulation Analysis PathWave Vector Signal Analysis (89600 VSA)

Technical Overviews

  • See through the complexity of 3GPP Rel-15, Rel-16, and Rel-17 signals with a comprehensive and forward compatible set of tools for demodulation and vector signal analysis
  • Examine performance of users, or signals, with up to 8x8 spatial multiplexing MIMO or up to 64 channels massive MIMO (mMIMO) and beamforming
  • Integral part of Keysight's Open RAN solution to perform O-RU uplink and downlink conformance measurements compliant with O-RAN WG4 Fronthaul standard
  • Analyze downlink and uplink signals and derive signal quality: Overall EVM, EVM across symbols and subcarriers, constellations, IQ error plots and more
  • Use the color coding and marker coupling features to identify and isolate specific signal and channel effects and impairments
  • Analyze LTE and 5G NR simultaneously for NR and LTE coexistence through dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS)

5G NR Modulation Analysis

The 89600 VSA software’s 5G NR application (89601BHNC) provides comprehensive analysis capabilities in the frequency, time, and modulation domains for signals based on 3GPP’s 5G NR specification (www.3gpp.org). The software provides frequency-, time-, and modulation-domain analysis results in a single measurement. By configuring result traces of spectrum, acquisition time, and NR specific modulation quality traces and tables, engineers can identify overall signal characteristics and troubleshoot intermittent error peaks or repeated synchronization failures. For automated testing, .NET API and SCPI remote interfaces are available to accelerate design, which enables quicker transition to the design verification and manufacturing phases. 5G NR is among over 75 signal standards and modulation types supported by the 89600 VSA software. The software is a comprehensive set of tools for demodulation and vector signal analysis. These tools enable you to explore virtually every facet of a signal and optimize even the most advanced designs. As you assess your design tradeoffs, the 89600 VSA helps you cut through the complexity.

Analysis and Troubleshooting

Perform 5G NR transmitter measurements 89601BHNC supports 5G NR modulation analysis measurements according to Release 15, Release 16, and Release 17 of 3GPP’s TS38 specification. Supported features include:

1. Waveform, numerology and frame structure

  • CP-OFDM waveform for DL and UL
  • Transform precoding (DFT-S-OFDM) waveform for UL
  • All numerologies (µ = 0-6 representing 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, 960 kHz subcarrier spacing)
  • Mixed numerologies within a single or multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs)
  • Flexible slot structure for FDD and TDD: All UL, all DL, mixed UL and DL
  • All signal bandwidths for frequency range 1 (FR1) and frequency range 2 (FR2-1, FR2-2)
    • FR1 (sub-7.125 GHz): 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 MHz
    • FR2-1 (24.25 - 52.6 GHz): 50, 100, 200, 400 MHz
    • FR2-2 (52.6 - 71 GHz): 400, 800, 1600, 2000 MHz

2. UL and DL channels and signals with corresponding modulation formats and individual power boosting

  • Initial access channels and signals: PSS, SSS, PBCH
  • DL reference signals: DMRS (for PDSCH, PDCCH, PBCH), PTRS (for PDSCH), CSI-RS, RIM-RS
  • DL control and shared channels: PDSCH, PDCCH
  • UL reference signals: DMRS (for PUCCH and PUSCH), PTRS (for PUSCH), SRS
  • UL control and shared channels: PUSCH, PUCCH, PRACH

3. LDPC decoding for PDSCH and PUSCH Polar decoding for PBCH, PDCCH and PUCCH

4. Beamforming and up to 8x8 MIMO for DL and 4x4 MIMO for UL

5. Up to 64 channels Massive MIMO and beamforming

6. Test models for FDD and TDD per 3GPP TS 38.141-1 and TS 38.141-2 specifications

7. Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) with simultaneous demodulation of LTE and 5G NR signals

8. 3GPP Release 16: NR unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), enhanced MIMO (eMIMO), enhanced DSS (eDSS), SRS for positioning

9. 3GPP Release 17: 1024QAM modulation for PDSCH, new numerology (480 and 960 kHz sub carrier spacing) resulting up to 2 GHz signal bandwidth, , extended frequency lock range for nonterrestrial networks (NTN), reduced capability (RedCap) NR devices

Easy setup with complete parameter control

For successful demodulation and troubleshooting, configure your VSA using the easy to follow graphical user interface (GUI). The Block Diagram window provides a left-to-right flowing visual representation of the VSA measurement setup. Each block corresponds to a set of related parameters in the Menu Bar. You can click any block to open a dialog that contains the full set of related parameters (also accessible from the Menu Bar). In addition, you can use one of the quick setups to load one of the commonly used configurations and modify it for your specific measurement. Dynamic Help allows you to access the help text, and learn about the 5G NR format and the features available for option BHN. Detaching the Dynamic Help window and moving it to the side of the screen, as shown in Figure 2, enables easier viewing as it follows your menu choices. You can even lock it to stay fixed on important Help data topics.

Understand the structure and quality of 5G NR signal

Use the powerful demodulation, decoding and analysis tools to understand the structure and quality of the transmitted NR signal. A user has complete flexibility to choose the trace format and the number of simultaneous traces. Figure 5 shows an example of a downlink NR signal. The different traces show an orthogonal view of the signal, and many more views are possible depending on the purpose of the analysis.

Description of some of the digital demodulation traces

  • Trace A (top, left), shows a composite IQ constellation of the demodulated signal containing 256QAM allocated to PDSCH down to BPSK allocated to PSS, and SSS.
  • Trace B (top, center), shows frame summary table, which is the key to the color coding and the modulation format used by each channel/signal within the radio frame. For each entry, there is an assigned color, and measurement results are displayed: EVM, power, modulation format, number of resource blocks occupied, RNTI and the ID number of the BWP that is associated with the channel.
  • Trace C (top, right), shows a color-coded view of the transmitted signal structure. This two-dimensional grid with frequency (subcarriers) on the vertical axis and time (symbols) on the horizontal axis shows the transmitted signal, in this example SS/PBCH blocks followed by PDCCH and multiple PDSCHs.
  • Trace D ( middle, left), shows a slot summary table, organized into BWP/subframe/slot groupings.
    • For each entry, RNTI, EVM, Power, modulation format, number of resource blocks occupied, and CRC for each channel within each slot are displayed.
  • Trace E (middle, center), shows the error summary table providing quality statistics for the composite signal including EVM, frequency and phase error, symbol clock error, IQ offset, IQ gain imbalance, IQ quadrature error, and time offset.
  • Trace F and G (middle, right), shows a 3D power plot and a 3D EVM plot respectively.
  • Trace H (bottom, left), show the RF spectrum of the transmitted signal at 39 GHz center frequency.
  • Traces I (bottom, center) and J (bottom, right), shows EVM as a function of OFDM symbols and subcarriers respectively.

Note: A user has full control of each channel’s color and display in traces, and whether they are included in EVM calculations.