The Biggest Challenge in the Test and Measurement Industry Spotted
Keysight delivers advanced design and validation solutions that help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight’s dedication to speed and precision extends to software-driven insights and analytics that bring tomorrow’s technology products to market faster. During an interaction with Niloy, Sudhir Tangri, Country General Manager at Keysight Technologies discussed the biggest challenge test and measurement industry is currently facing, Keysight’s tech know-how to keep innovating in the dynamic T&M industry. Also in the edited excerpts below the T&M industry veteran underlines about Keysight’s solutions and how it has been helping customers to streamline their testing operations.
What is the biggest challenge you currently witness in the test and measurement industry and how do Keysight strategies to stay ahead of the curve?
In the modern test and measurement world, we encounter several significant challenges that require careful attention and strategic solutions. Some of these challenges include:
- Testing Across Various Standards: The test and measurement equipment market faces the complexity of delivering solutions that comply with diverse standards governing the quality, safety, performance, and interoperability of devices and systems. These regulations vary across different regions and industries and continually evolve alongside technological advancements. To address this, we prioritize staying up to date with the latest standards and investing in flexible and adaptable testing solutions.
- Post-Pandemic Supply Chain Dynamics: The aftermath of the pandemic has seen settling supply chains and improved availability of parts. However, it also brings the challenge of balancing this dynamic with inventory build-ups driven by pent-up demand. To cope with this, we focus on efficient supply chain management and collaborate closely with suppliers to ensure a steady flow of essential components.
- Staying Ahead of the Competition: As competition intensifies, factors like size, weight, power, and cost remain crucial considerations in test and measurement solutions. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver the fastest, smallest, and most energy-efficient solutions possible. Simultaneously, we strive to enhance our solutions with at least 10 times more resolution, performance, and measurement capability than the devices our customers are testing. This commitment to innovation keeps us at the forefront of the industry.
By acknowledging and actively addressing these challenges, we aim to provide our customers with cutting-edge test and measurement solutions that not only meet their immediate needs but also prepare them for future advancements in technology and industry standards. Our dedication to staying agile, responsive, and innovative drives us to overcome these challenges and deliver value to our customers.
The required use of highly complex electronics, increased data traffic, higher computing power, shorter development cycles and precise synchronization is changing the resulting demand for complex simulation, test, and measurement tasks. How Keysight solutions are helping customers to streamline their testing operations?
The question is extremely relevant as these are the challenges that most of our customers are facing in their current operational environments. Keysight has both the solutions and the strategies to make our customers successful in speed-to-market opportunities without compromising on test accuracy and verification of their designed limits.
Keysight enables our customers by early engagement in the customer design cycle, which is called shift left, predicting their test needs, developing solutions, and providing them before our customers get into the verification stage. Moreover, our measurement algorithms are consistent across the entire development and deployment workflow which enables our customers to correlate results during and predict outcomes at each stage of the workflow.
Our solutions are very comprehensive, and provide insights into several areas of customer test workflow. Keysight offers test solutions for TSN on 5G with our Novas and UXM platforms. Moreover, UXM can also emulate base stations for normal and multiple component carrier cases so that the device’s high throughput is verified.
Our KORA (Keysight Open RAN Architect) test platform allows full ORAN testing including MU-MIMO and other advanced features associated with high-speed data traffic. Keysight RIC tester allows testing with several traffic models to ensure QoS for the traffic class. Our unique 5G load core solutions allow performance and scalability tests for core. We also have test solutions for network security as well as visibility for compliance, that way we meet and exceed current and upcoming test requirements of customers.
Wireless communications, 5G, 5G Advanced, and RedCap (as specified in 3GPP Rel 17) are being deployed. A number of T&M companies have invested in test solutions for 5G RedCap as the range of use cases continues to grow, including wearables, video monitoring/surveillance, industrial monitoring, and telematics. Kindly share an anecdote on Keysight’s strategies.
RedCap is the new vertical of services in 5G to support requirements of the devices lower than what was envisioned in eMBB. Chipset makers and device developers like wearables, industrial sensors, and surveillance tools are developing RedCap capabilities for which we provide test solutions based on our standard UXM platform. For RedCap, Keysight offers E7515R UXM 5G with the following capabilities:
5G NR RedCap
Cat-M1 (eMTC)
LTE Cat-1bis
LTE Cat-4
NB-IoT
NB-IoT NTN
This Single platform for RedCap & C-IoT is optimized with a reduced hardware platform based on industry reference E7515B and leverages the same software and solutions across all these technologies. This enables our customers to test the performance of the devices with one tester regardless of device operations on legacy or 5G RedCap.
Keysight and MediaTek achieved 5G connection based on 3GPP Release 17 and RedCap technology. Through its collaboration with Keysight, MediaTek successfully established a 5G Rel-17 data call on its Dimensity 5G chipsets. This will allow MediaTek to accelerate the deployment of new Rel-17 5G features including reduced power use, and enhanced MIMO capability. Keysight’s network emulation platform also enabled MediaTek to validate RedCap connectivity on its 5G chips. The 5G RedCap specification introduces support for wireless devices with reduced 5G capabilities. These devices are less complex, lower cost, and consume less power, allowing them to address new use cases such as industrial sensors and wearables.
How do you think Custom Semiconductors can overcome Supply Chain Challenges?
Solving the challenges for future technology innovations not only requires manufacturing capacity, but also engineering breakthroughs in test and measurement processes. Custom-designed semiconductors can enable these breakthroughs, creating new measurement systems to test use cases that require greater spectrum and bandwidth.
Additionally, building custom chipsets can help relieve supply chain problems. Early in the Covid pandemic, some supplier lead times grew to 50 weeks or more. Companies that used their own semiconductor technology were better able to manage product flows and protect shipments from external gridlock.
Staying ahead of today’s technology and supply chain challenges requires strong, collaborative partnerships within the right ecosystem, enabling the advancement of custom semiconductors that will help us all create a more innovative and sustainable future.
How AI is Helping Accelerate Breakthroughs – Artificial Intelligence in 5G and 6G?
Every day, technology advances reshape the human experience — from how we live and work, to how we move through the world. Rapidly evolving technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, power endless imagination and innovation across industries.
People are receiving first-hand experiences through the power and potential of deep neural networks and machine learning (ML) with the public release of applications like ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a language model – it has been trained on text from the vast amount of text-based content on the internet and books allowing it to generate human-like text. This type of application is a perfect example of the strengths of AI. It can optimize an output to a complex scenario based on large sets of training data. Wireless networks are inherently complex, generate massive amounts of data, and have been growing in complexity with each new generation of technology that is introduced. This makes AI an ideal tool to optimize wireless networks.
As 5G matures, AI and ML are already being introduced for study by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the standardization body that maintains cellular standards. Applications of AI under consideration are primarily in the air interface, including network energy saving, load balancing, and mobility optimization. 6G is in its infancy, but it is already clear that AI / ML will be a fundamental part of all aspects of future wireless systems. On the network side, the term “AI native” is used widely in the industry despite not being officially defined.
There is tremendous complexity in wireless systems so, no closed analytical models that are solvable with reasonable computing power and time AI is expected to solve these problems. At Keysight, we expect that RAN optimization problems are ripe for AI/ML solutions and AI will permeate all aspects of RAN, core network and applications including Air interface (PHY layer) – coding, modulation, MAC Layer – MIMO weight optimization, channel state feedback, Radio Resource Management – Mobility Optimization, Beam management, dynamic spectrum sharing / licensing, Energy Optimization at subsystem and system level,
O-RAN has brought in RIC (RAN Intelligence Controller) as an architectural element that is a repository of much of the ML-based optimization modules and in 6G, we expect that each module will also have its native AI.
Kindly share your comments on new developments in wireless connectivity such as 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Massive MIMO, non-terrestrial networks, and O-RAN are in full deployment.
Wireless connectivity is moving towards flexibility, smart networks, wider coverage, and high reliability.
O-RAN increases the flexibility of the telecom operators opening the market to multi-vendors enabling more competition leading to lower costs by dividing the traditional base station into smaller parts. Along with enabling more companies to play in this market, it comes with new challenges like interoperability, security, and energy savings. For successful implementation and to achieve target plug-and-play operation between different parts of the network robust testing is required for interoperability. Multiple vendor-neutral labs are set up worldwide called OTIC (Open RAN Testing and Integration) to enable the certification of open interfaces and badging for interoperability.
Open interfaces also introduce security challenges. Thorough testing for security is of prime importance. Telecom operations having a huge infrastructure in any country are also major users of power. Power saving is now one of the criteria operators are looking for energy-efficient solutions from each vendor of O-RAN. Different algorithms and techniques are studied and used to achieve energy efficiency at each stage of O-RAN.
This also leads the network to be smart and AI becomes part of the network to efficiently manage the network based on the number of users, and type of area the network is deployed (Urban, metro, rural, sports/concert stadiums etc.,). RAN Intelligence Controller (RIC) plays the role of managing the same. With flexibility coming from ORAN testing is required beyond traditional testing to make it smart, energy efficient and secure.
Wider coverage and a reliable network are achieved by the adoption of multiple methods. NTN is one such introduction in release 15 which targets at achieving network coverage in underserved areas including, areas hit with natural calamities, emergencies, ships, mountains, and borders where the terrestrial network is broken or deploying it is impractical.
Massive MIMO is another technology that is obligatory with the growing demand for high bandwidth data and high user density. Networks are deployed with 32T32R Radios and work is in progress for 64T64R and 128T128R Radios. With this higher number of RF ports and complex scenarios of multi-users the test scenarios are more complex. However, overlooking testing before deployment costs more as all the scenarios cannot be tested on field and it is impractical.
Wi-Fi is growing hand in hand. New 6GHz Frequency band is added. There is strong handshaking between cellular and Wi-Fi for call over Wi-Fi to enable better coverage. Wi-Fi 7 also is in advanced stages. For reliable network Wi-Fi is has features like multi-link operation enabling dynamic change of connected band for device between 2 or 5 or 6GHz.
Keysight offers complete test solutions for all the new testing challenges to address the wireless testing needs.
Given India, which sectors are the potential and emerging markets for the T&M industry and how Keysight strives to lead in these emerging markets?
The build-out of the 5G network, 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and proliferation of commercial LEO satellite networks to bring wider coverage of broadband access, early 6G research, as well as geopolitical tensions driving increasing investment in A&D, are sectors creating demand. And, several indigenous initiatives in multiple nations for local semiconductor development and manufacturing are driving the demand for test and measurement equipment. The Government’s “Make in India” initiative to create and encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products in India incentivizes dedicated investments into manufacturing, increasing test and measurement equipment demand.
As a market-leading design, emulation, and test company, we continuously innovate for the market need. Keysight designs and manufactures custom MMICs in-house using advanced compound materials like Indium phosphide and gallium arsenide, and combines these high frequency, high-linearity chipsets with our patented digital signal processing to deliver world class performance and reliability so our customers can achieve their next breakthrough.
We recently unveiled Keysight ENA-X, the first midrange vector analyzer that produces fast, accurate error vector magnitude measurements and accelerates the characterization of 5G component designs by up to 50%. Demand for ever-increasing data speeds with ultra-low latency is pushing the next generation of wireless communications systems to operate at higher radio frequencies (RF). To ensure 5G New Radio (NR) transmitters meet these operational demands, RF engineers must fully test the design and performance of components such as power amplifiers (PA). Keysight’s new ENA-X addresses this need by giving engineers a midrange network analyzer platform that can perform multiple measurements with a single connection, which simplifies test setup, drives repeatability, and speeds testing.
Last year, Keysight introduced VXG Vector Signal to address 5G, 6G research, satellite communications and radar solutions. It’s the industry’s first vector signal generator with a scalable architecture enabling the most demanding wideband and multichannel test applications with frequencies up to 110 GHz. The VXG vector signal generator is helping customers deliver the next frontier of wireless technology such as 5G and satellite communications with a fully integrated, calibrated, and synchronized solution.
To ensure 5G New Radio (NR) transmitters meet ever-increasing data speeds with ultra-low latency operational demands, RF engineers must fully test the design and performance of components such as power amplifiers (PA). How is Keysight helping its customers in their journey?
RF component testing is a legacy strength of Keysight Technologies. Keysight has the widest portfolio of Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) addressing the basic needs to the most advanced requirements. Starting from field operating VNAs, multiport VNAs to high-performance VNAs, covering basic S parameters measurements required for any RF component to complex measurements like noise figure, load pull and non-linear parameter (X parameters) extraction.
To completely characterize an active device for its performance required in the wireless industry usually multiple instruments are required like VNAs to characterize parameters like Gain, VSWR, etc., and Vector signal generators (VSG) and Vector signal analyzers (VSA) to measure parameters like ACPR, EVM which affects the system performance as per standard specifications and performance directly. These multiple setups for different measurements require different test benches, different skills, higher time, and more connections and reconnections prone to higher uncertainty and human errors.
Keysight has introduced a solution called VCA (Vector Component Analyzers) which removes all the above issues. This solution is a combination of VSG and VNA which enables complete characterization of active devices covering all the parameters of VNA in addition to parameters like ACPR and EVM in a single connection. Single connection and single setup save time, reduce human errors, and bench space and the setup is a calibrated measurement (unlike VSA and VSG-based setup) reducing the uncertainties.
Where the above setup serves the design validation multiport VNAs by keysight with advanced capabilities occupying lesser space caters to the manufacturing industry. Modular instrument setup provides a higher number of ports within the same space enabling more device measurements in the simultaneously saving time and in turn reducing product cost.
