Designing and characterizing components and RF subsystems for base stations, microcells, picocells, repeaters and mobile devices is becoming more complex as multi-antenna designs require increasingly complex multi-channel test configurations. Agilent's new test solution provides tools to generate complex LTE/LTE-A multi-channel/MIMO waveforms and analyze multiple channels in the frequency and modulation domains simultaneously.

The easy-to-use graphical user interface shortens the time it takes to set up a test configuration. In addition, measurement setups are optimized for LTE/LTE-Advanced MIMO and carrier aggregation configurations.

The test solution's chassis backplane trigger tool configures and routes the backplane triggers for proper time synchronization in MIMO configuration for up to two PXIe chassis. Time-synchronized MIMO testing (2x2 or 4x4) is easily accomplished using Agilent's RF M9381A PXIe vector signal generators and M9391A PXIe vector signal analyzers, which provide less than 0.38% EVM and less than 20 nsec time synchronization between channels.

In addition, the up to 160 MHz signal generation and analysis bandwidth is capable of supporting the widest LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation applications.