Keysight Technologies has launched PROPSIM F64, a 5G new radio (NR)-ready channel emulation solution. The PROPSIM enables chip­­set, device and network equipment manufacturers to characterise end-to-end system performance of the latest 4G and 5G base stations and mobile devices by emulating real-world radio conditions in the lab.

5G NR deployments require advan­ced technologies to achieve higher data rates of up to 20 Gbps. The use of wider signal bandwidths, mmWave frequencies and massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) with hybrid beamforming leads to a more effective use of the wireless propagation channel to enable these higher data rates. Consequently, designers need to validate the end-to-end performance of multimode devices and base stations under real-world complex 3D fading and interference channel conditions.

According to Keysight Technologies, PROPSIM supports all 5G NR signal bandwidths and carrier aggregation schemes and offers the highest number of channels for massive MIMO channel emulation and testing. The solution integrates state-of-the-art channel modelling tools for user-defined 3D spatial scenarios and dynamic modelling of movement. It supports both conducted and over-the-air testing across sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequencies.

Further, it integrates seamlessly with Keysight’s end-to-end network emulation portfolio to address the entire device workflow from research and development to design validation and manufacturing. This enables users to validate protocol layers and radio frequency performance of a 5G NR device, as well as gain access to KPIs for beam management, data throughput and stability under 5G fading channel conditions.