Agilent Technologies’ WiMedia-Based MB-OFDM Ultra-Wideband Validation Software Automates Verification/Compliance Testing

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the industry’s most automated WiMedia-based multiband orthogonal frequency domain modulation (MB-OFDM) ultra-wideband (UWB) validation software. This software provides engineers with an easy way to verify that their MB-OFDM designs perform to the parameters defined by the WiMedia UWB PHY 1.2 test specification.

The Agilent U7239A WiMedia-based MB-OFDM UWB software, which runs on Infiniium 90000 Series oscilloscopes, provides PHY verification and compliance measurements on radios based on WiMedia’s ISO-published radio standard. The application covers the physical-layer (PHY) transmitter testing required by the WiMedia 1.2 PHY test specification. Engineers can make measurements with the software and an Infiniium Series oscilloscope via a simple connection to the SMA input or by attaching the receiver antenna directly to the input of the oscilloscope for radiated testing.

The U7239A UWB PHY test software performs a wide range of tests required to meet the WiMedia PHY specification. It is designed to test the requirements documented in the WiMedia PHY test specifications versions 1.0 and 1.2. Products that incorporate technologies such as Wireless USB, wireless HDMI, and high-speed Bluetooth(r) devices that use MB-OFDM need to successfully pass a variety of compliance tests typically based on the original WiMedia specification. The U7239A software allows engineers to simply select testing to the original WiMedia specifications or testing to the Wireless USB specifications defined by the USB-IF.

The Agilent U7239A MB-OFDM PHY test software automatically configures the oscilloscope for each test and generates an informative HTML report at the end of the test. It compares the results with the specification test limit and indicates how closely the device passes or fails each test. The complex analysis runs seamlessly within the scope, which saves users time and effort compared to making and analyzing measurements manually.

Engineers designing and developing MB-OFDM UWB radios also can use the Agilent 89601A vector signal analysis Option BHB software, which covers testing specified by the WiMedia PHY test specifications and includes advanced features that are important for silicon development. The 89601A Option BHB software can be used in conjunction with the Agilent U7239A software. Both software systems provide measurement correlation, with the U7239A providing the key measurements used for certifying WiMedia-based PHYs and Wireless USB products. The 89601A Option BHB software provides deep analysis capabilities.

WiMedia-based MB-OFDM UWB technology operates in the spectra between 3.2 GHz and 10.6 GHz, with minimum analysis bandwidths of 500 MHz. This UWB technology presents unique RF test challenges that require unique test solutions. Agilent’s Infiniium 90000 Series oscilloscope, the Electra08Design and Test Product of the Year award winner, offers the industry’s lowest noise floor, deepest memory and flattest response. Using the 90000 Series oscilloscopes and the powerful U7239A MB-OFDM software, engineers can maximize their design margins and gain greater insights into their system performance.