P705xA O-RAN Radio Unit Test Automation Solution

Introduction

Next generation 5G NR RAN equipment design, validation, and production teams face emerging test challenges. O-RAN standardized fronthaul architectures and gNB disaggregation are driving the need for testing gNB components in isolation, flexible peer emulation, and conformance and interoperability test of new O-RAN devices. These tests require multi-domain combinations of 5G test scenarios with O-RAN CUSM protocol generation and measurement.

Conformance Test Solution Overview

The Keysight P705xA O-RAN Radio Unit Test Automation Solution is an integrated software package for automated conformance testing of an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU).

This solution operates in combination with the Test Management Center software environment, a test sequencer software with timing analyzer, result viewer, and other useful tools for test automation development.

The P705xA O-RAN Radio Unit Test Automation Solution integrates measurements within a range of technical disciplines, including network protocols, baseband and RF measurements, along with instruments and device control, system design and calibration, and technical standards expertise, to help you exercise and validate an O-RAN CUSM compliant Radio Unit (O-RU).

Conformance Test Solution Highlights

• Single vendor comprehensive solution enabling conformance test for all 4 planes, Control Plane, User Plane, Management Plane and Synchronization Plane. 

• Scalable solution from SISO to Massive MIMO with an option to use MTRX with up to 64 TRX channels for massive MIMO. 

• Test Management Center which is browser-based, allows simultaneous multi-user access and integrated analytics for smooth management of test work-flow.

Conformance Test Challenges

Equipment manufacturers

To accelerate the O-RAN Radio Unit’s regression, conformance, validation, or production test, automated solutions help reproduce tests in a deterministic way while minimizing the risk of errors. This operation must be repeated after any change (software or firmware) that may influence the operation of the Radio Unit.

Operators and service providers

Automated test solutions are required for screening new equipment and validating conformance to standard specifications.

Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTICs)

OTICs use automated test solutions for Badging of O-RU units that conform to O-RAN WG4 standards.

Solution Features and Benefits

Test Management Center is the platform used for test automation, equipment and DuT configuration, test campaign management and result analysis. 

Managing test projects and plans

• Easy creation or modification test projects. Import and export test plans, add or remove test cases, change test case parameter values and select which test cases to run. • Smart test case selection based on O-RU capabilities.  • Multi-user access for test plan creation and execution.  • Test execution sequencing on shared set-ups. If the set-ups are not shared, execution is parallel.

Test environment configuration

• Configuration of the test environment according to the specific features of the Radio Unit prior to running test cases

Radio unit configuration

• Set up of the Radio Unit through the M-Plane or using a DUT’s specific test port.

Test result analytics

• Test result verdicts and benchmarking of measurement results 

Report generation

• Automated reports with a detailed list of pass/fail results for tests. TIFG compliant test report generation and Keysight detailed custom report.