NTN applications are beginning to converge with cellular
Keysight Technologies has added updates to its flagship Pathwave design software to support designs for 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), by enabling architectural digital twins. Keysight says this changes the design flow from one that is hardware-centric to one that is simulation-centric.
“New 5G NTN systems have challenging complexity, which is stressing development lifecycles,” the company explained in a release, adding, “Simulations that use measurement-derived models deliver higher fidelity in mission-critical applications such as satellite communications and aerospace defense. System architects want to explore real-world ‘what if’ scenarios prior to building hardware to reduce technical risk and minimize time-to-market.”
There have been several notable announcements recently that relate to convergence of cellular and satellite-based technologies: For instance, T-Mobile US’ news that it will share spectrum with Starlink and use LEO satellites to provide satellite-based texting; and Apple’s announcement that the iPhone 14 will include satellite connectivity for emergency calls.
“5G applications are evolving towards 6G, requiring the need for tools that address the entire digital engineering design and validation workflow,” said Peter Blood, Keysight’s director of product management for PathWave System Design. “Organizations are demanding that systems are virtually prototyped in their target scenario, so system and mission engineers are turning to simulation, virtual prototyping, and digital twins. These techniques shift the development process left in time and remove the need for multiple physical prototypes. PathWave System Design blends simulation with measurement-derived models and offers a complete RF system workflow to rapidly architect, design, and verify these complex NTN systems with updated 5G libraries.”
In other test news:
-Antenna design and manufacturing company Taoglas is teaming up with Arrow Electronics’ eInfochips on RF design services for companies that want to add wireless connectivity to their products. Additionally, Taoglas said that it has established a new testing facility adjacent to eInfochips’ design center in Ahmedabad, India, with capabilities including a multi-probe anechoic chamber that has a range of 650 MHz-18 GHz, passive antenna testing and active cellular over-the-air testing, among others.
“Taoglas has been investing in India for over a decade, and this collaboration affirms our dedication to the region,” said Taylor Kimmerle, global VP of sales for Taoglas. “India is the next big engineering frontier and we’re excited to partner with an innovative R&D leader like eInfochips to strengthen our wireless centers of excellence and serve a more diverse and global customer base.”
-Recent 5G C-band deployments by AT&T and Verizon are helping the pair catch up to T-Mobile US, says Opensignal. Full story here.
–Rohde & Schwarz says that it will supply the Portuguese army with software-defined communications radios for soldiers, through Portuguese Defense technology company EID.
–KT plans to put together a private 5G testbed to enable multiple customers to access its core network equipment from the public cloud and test private or “specialized” networks. Read more in this story.
–Mavenir has announced the release of ns-O-RAN, an open-source Open RAN simulator developed with researchers at Northeastern University’s Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT). Mavenir claims it’s the first open-source platform for end-to-end simulation of 5G Open RAN wireless networks.
-As new 5G spectrum continues to be turned up, there are RF challenges to be faced. Read about three of them in this article, and for an in-depth conversation on the 5G spectrum landscape and RF issues, check out this recent RCR Wireless News editorial webinar featuring LitePoint and Anritsu.
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