Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) recently
announced its participation, with ETS-Lindgren, in an educational panel
discussion - "MIMO OTA Measurements: The Next Generation Platform for
Wireless Testing" - at the International CTIA Wireless event in New
Orleans.
The session will be held May 10 from
noon to 2 p.m. (CDT) in Room 342 of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center. CTIA Wireless is the largest U.S. event covering the global wireless
communications marketplace.
The panel will include experts from
Agilent and ETS-Lindgren as well as co-organizers Elektrobit and Spirent
Communications. The discussion will follow a similar format used last year at
the event and will conclude with a Q&A session - all of which will be
webcast live.
Extensive efforts are under way to
standardize on a next-generation platform for performance testing of wireless
devices, taking into account LTE, A-GPS, uncertainty budgets and the use of
head/hand phantoms. This panel discussion will promote a deeper understanding
of system performance and present the core elements - such as the chamber,
software and instrumentation - that facilitate systematic and repeatable
measurements of MIMO devices.
"MIMO OTA remains one of the most
difficult measurement challenges facing the wireless industry," said Moray
Rumney, lead technologist, Agilent. "Plus, it is highly important. Without
high-performance multiband MIMO antennas, much of the potential of cellular
technology will not be realized. Agilent's approach in the development of MIMO
OTA test standards is to build on our legacy of innovation and excellence in
metrology to ensure that any recommendations are technically and commercially
viable."
"The evaluation of over-the-air
MIMO performance may be one of the biggest challenges ever to face the wireless
test-and-measurement industry," said Michael Foegelle, director for
technology development with ETS-Lindgren. "Not only has the complexity of
multiple antenna technologies advanced orders of magnitude beyond the
traditional SISO behaviors evaluated by TRP and TIS tests, but for the first
time in the history of OTA testing, we're attempting to answer a question that
hasn't yet been asked."
He went on to explain: "There are
not enough MIMO LTE networks deployed for carriers to have a good statistical
picture of the types of problems they're likely to encounter with mobile
devices, so they can't easily come to the test industry and say, 'Tell us how
to measure this in the lab.' Instead, we're trying to find methodologies that
can measure a wide range of MIMO performance-related metrics and then make good
educated guesses at which ones will be most likely to be problematic on a
deployed network."
Attendees of the MIMO Expert Forum at
CTIA will learn about the latest research and development addressing these
considerable challenges.
Additional Information
The CTIA Wireless 2012 MIMO OTA Expert Panels will
be hosted by David Vye, editor, Microwave Journal.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is
the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical
analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications. The company's 18,700
employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had net revenues
of $6.6 billion in fiscal 2011. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.