NI releases WLAN Test toolkit 17.0 for IEEE 802.11ax draft standard
National Instruments (NI) announces the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 with support for Draft 1.1 of the IEEE 802.11ax standard. The WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 supports comprehensive 802.11ax multi-user test with what NI describes as ‘excellent’ error vector magnitude performance
Combined with NI’s second-generation Vector Signal Transceiver (VST), the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 supports 802.11ax waveform generation and analysis for characterissation, validation and production test of products, such as RF front end components, wireless modules and user devices, that implement Draft 1.1 of the IEEE 802.11ax standard.
The WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 delivers the ability to generate and analyse a range of 802.11ax standard-compliant waveforms, including extended single user, multi-user OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing access) and multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) with per-user configuration and measurement results. The WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 helps users solve demanding new access point test cases by generating signals that simulate multi-user environments, including per-user impairments. Engineers can also use the new software to generate trigger frames to test the real-time response of client devices and make power pre-correction and relative centre frequency measurements, says the company.
With the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 and second-generation VST, engineers can configure up to 8×8 MIMO systems in a single PXI chassis. Users can also expect EVM measurements better than -50 dB, leading to rigorous device characterisation and reliable test results. Furthermore, engineers can control their systems with the toolkit’s generation and analysis soft-front panels, and benefit from extensive NI LabVIEW, C and .NET system design software application program interfaces (APIs) and example code when programming and automating their systems.
The WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 expands NI’s portfolio for testing 802.11a/b/g/j/n/p/ac/ax, Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, 4G, FM/RDS, GNSS and low-power Internet of Things (IoT) wireless standards. NI’s platform-based approach helps ensure that users can update their existing PXI RF test systems to support 802.11ax device testing with a simple software update, and continue to do so as the 802.11ax standardisation process evolves. Engineers can take advantage of this smarter approach to RF test to help lower their cost of test and better prepare for future connectivity and cellular standardisation initiatives, such as 5G.
