NI, Spirent Announce First Comprehensive Test Solution for OpenRAN O-RU Customers
June 5, 2023 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
NI and Spirent Communications announced the first and only O-RU (Radio Unit) test solution that uses application layer testing with any commercial device, providing comprehensive, real-time O-RU validation. This unique capability enables customers to validate their systems faster and in a real-world environment while reducing costs - all in one highly capable validation solution.
Traditional testing of O-RAN systems has been very time-intensive and cost-prohibitive due to its need for engineers to manually test their systems from beginning to end. Built on common technologies, the Spirent/NI joint solution combines Spirent’s software and emulation environment, including pre-built test cases, with NI’s high-performance instrumentation, providing a robust and integrated O-RU validation solution that improves time to market with full automation through a single, intuitive GUI while also minimizing instrument cost and footprint.
“Spirent and NI have a long history of providing joint solutions that enable our customers to accelerate the production of their products,” said Chen Chang, Senior Director, Strategic Business Development, NI. “Combining Spirent’s best-in-class methodology with NI’s versatile and powerful product lineup is a critical step in standardizing and accelerating O-RAN ORU development.”
“Major chipset developers, equipment manufacturers, and carriers around the world are already benefitting from NI and Spirent working together to provide innovative solutions,” said James Kimery, Vice President of Product Management, Lifecycle Service Assurance, Spirent. “This latest solution for the Open RAN space demonstrates how our continued collaboration is addressing critical testing gaps created by disaggregating the RAN that will expand the market by unambiguously validating true multivendor interoperability.”
The solution wraps the O-RU with a real-time O-DU emulator through a fully compliant O-RAN 7.2 interface, a CU emulator, a core network emulator, and a commercial UE emulator for real-world Interoperability Testing (IOT) to deliver a testbed capable of running real-world test scenarios in the lab. Customers can also use a commercial device in place of the UE emulator to validate all timing, full throughput including 4x4 MIMO, and any system-level test that an O-RU would experience in a real-world deployment scenario to test true performance and interoperability at a functional level rather than at the interface. On the production side, NI also has an O-RAN O-RU APT test system which uses the same O-DU emulation and combines this with NI’s PXIe-5841 VST for parametric measurements for best-in-class efficiency with unmatched measurement accuracy.
This test system is highly configurable, real-time, and ORAN FH compliant. It enables customers to configure the O-DU to emulate various timing profiles, test corner cases, and validate the system performance under real-time conditions. In addition, having the same test systems used in validation facilitates a streamlined O-RU development process that connects validation to production and drastically reduces test time, cost, and development effort.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/03/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week’s most important news is strategic—and telling. When one puts together the IPC industry reports, we simply have to include the recent conversation with Shawn DuBravac and Tom Kastner. On the design side, check out the latest “On The Line With…” podcast featuring Brad Griffin from Cadence Design Systems, discussing SI and PI in the realm of intelligent system design.
Industrial PC Market Size to Record $1.75 Billion Growth from 2023-2027
05/03/2024 | PRNewswireThe global industrial pc market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.75 billion from 2023 to 2027, according to Technavio. This growth is expected to occur at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of almost 6.29% during the forecast period.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Sigma Engineering's Recycling and Regeneration Systems for PCB Etching
05/02/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEvan Howard of Schmoll America interviews Kristoffer Bjorklund, Sigma Engineering's supply chain manager. We learn about Sigma's recycling and regeneration systems for PCB industry etching and the benefits and challenges of implementing these systems in existing factories.
Boeing T-7A Red Hawk Triples Progress
05/01/2024 | BoeingThe Boeing T-7A Red Hawk achieved three recent milestones, propelling the advanced pilot trainer for the U.S. Air Force forward.
Merlin Flex invests in New Schmoll Direct Imaging System
04/30/2024 | Merlin Flex LtdMerlin Flex has fully installed and commissioned its 2nd Schmoll MDI Direct Imaging system. This new machine includes a twin bed, 4 head system which enhances Merlin Flex’s direct imaging capability for its 1.4M long flexible circuits.