analyse assure accelerate tm testing wcdma mobiles under real-life network conditions rev 2.12

Analyse Assure AccelerateTM

Testing WCDMA mobiles under real-life network

conditionsRev 2.12


Agenda

• Spirent Communications Overview

• Spirent WCDMA Test Solutions Overview

• Operator Challenges and Solutions WCDMA vs GSM

Beyond Minimum Conformance Testing

Real-life UE test requirements

Fully automated testing with no scripting

Inter-Operability Testing

Applications and Services Testing

• Summary


Spirent Communications Overview


Who We Are… The Value We Add

• Spirent Communications is a worldwide provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems for next-generation network technologies


Spirent Business Portfolio

LSE / NYSE Listed 2004 revenue: £475 million ($870 million)

BroadbandBroadbandBroadbandBroadband

Wireless and PositioningWireless and PositioningWireless and PositioningWireless and Positioning

Performance AnalysisPerformance AnalysisSolutions DivisionSolutions Division

Performance AnalysisPerformance AnalysisSolutions DivisionSolutions Division Service Service

AssuranceAssuranceSolutions DivisionSolutions Division

Service Service AssuranceAssurance

Solutions DivisionSolutions Division

Field TestField TestField TestField Test

BroadbandBroadbandBroadbandBroadband

Network ProductsNetwork ProductsNetwork ProductsNetwork Products SystemsSystemsSystemsSystemsSpirent CommunicationsSpirent CommunicationsSpirent CommunicationsSpirent Communications

Spirent plcSpirent plcSpirent plcSpirent plc


Spirent Communications

• One of the top 3 global telecom test companies

• 1,700 employees worldwide

• £252 million ($460 million) in annual revenue (2004)

• Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, USA

• Parent company: Spirent plc LSE: SPT / NYSE: SPM

• More than 1,500 customers worldwide


• UMTS 3GPP

• RAN 4

• RAN 5

• GERAN 3

• CDMA CDG. Member since 1996 3GPP2. Chair of (IS-2000) Signaling Conformance

Working Group

Spirent Wireless & Positioning

• Others PTCRB OMA Ad-hocs

• GCF SG CAG

Spirent is a key contributor to industry standards:


Enabling 3G Success - In Practice

Leading Carriers

Leading Test Houses


Spirent WCDMA Test Solutions Overview


Spirent WCDMA Test Solutions

• U-ATS fully-automated Conformance Testing and Performance Analysis System TS 34.121 RF and RRM conformance testing

UE performance characterization

• AirAccess WCDMA network emulator Real-time state machine

6 cells

GSM capability for inter-RAT handover testing


Spirent U-ATS

A single turnkey system that can provide both RF, RRM and HSDPA conformance and performance testing

Multi Region (Operating Band) test system (I, II, V and VI)

#1 in validated tests available for Region 2

Provides a wide variety of performance and automation tools for quick and easy UE benchmarking

A single turnkey system that can provide both RF, RRM and HSDPA conformance and performance testing

Multi Region (Operating Band) test system (I, II, V and VI)

#1 in validated tests available for Region 2

Provides a wide variety of performance and automation tools for quick and easy UE benchmarking

Unique Attributes

Unique Attributes

A WCDMA test solution which

addresses the needs of both conformance

and performance testing markets

A WCDMA test solution which

addresses the needs of both conformance

and performance testing markets


U-ATS Performance features

• Flexibility to create a wide variety of user-defined real world tests for UE benchmarking: Ability to adjust and vary parameters, levels and test criteria Characterize UE performance over a sweep of parameters (sweep

to graph feature for each test) Ability to seek and identify performance breakpoints using

characterization tests

• Industry leading automation capability for easy UE benchmarking UE remote control External equipment control Fine tuning of execution parameters


Operator Challenges and Solutions

WCDMA is not GSM!


WCDMA is not GSM!

Most operators deploying 3G networks have a strong GSM background

• GSM cells have a fixed capacity GSM mobiles do not impact network capacity or other

users

• WCDMA cells have a variable capacity A badly-performing WCDMA mobile adversely impacts

cell capacity and the experience of other users


WCDMA is not GSM!

• In order to successfully deploy 3G networks and services it is vital to ensure that network performance is not impaired by poor mobile performance

• The only way to do this is thorough mobile performance analysis – way beyond minimum 34.121 conformance testing!



Going Beyond Minimum Conformance Testing…


… of little use in characterizing UE performance under real network conditions.

Beyond Minimum Conformance …

Challenge: A traditional validated Conformance Test System must be “locked” & inflexible for Conformance testing…


Spirent SolutionSpirent Solution: Spirent’s U-ATS uses a single hardware platform to run two separate application modes.

Validated Conformance Testing

Flexible, configurable Performance testing




Validated Conformance Testing




Flexible, configurable Performance testing




Isn’t 34.121 testing enough?

No!


Example:Example: In ConformanceConformance mode, you might run the Reference Sensitivity Test from the 34.121 test spec…



…but in PerformancePerformance mode, you can characterize a UE’s Reference Sensitivity as a function of DPCH...



…then store the results in a database and graph them…



… and include them in an Adobe Acrobat report…




…automatically!


About Minimum Conformance…

My phone may not work properly, but I’m

happy because it passed Minimum

Conformance Tests!



• Operators are on a steep WCDMA deployment learning curve

• New problems are being found outside traditional GSM experience.

• Testing on live or trial networks does not allow the fine control needed to ascertain the root causes of these problems

• Operators are looking for test tools to help them identify these root causes.

• Conformance tests do not help!

• Detailed UE evaluation and benchmarking is critical to WCDMA network capacity and performance

Information gained directly from 3G operators:Information gained directly from 3G operators:


Create performance tests focusing on characterizing the RF performance of terminals in real-life conditions

Allow an operator to quantify the performance difference between various UE implementations

Provide the flexibility to tailor tests for different operator’s specific requirements


Spirent SolutionSpirent Solution


• Demodulation with a single radio link• Demodulation with soft handover• Adjacent Channel Interference• Receiver Sensitivity• Maximum Output Power• Measurement Accuracy• Downlink Outer Loop Power Control


Some test areas of concern:Some test areas of concern:



• Asymmetric data rate testing (e.g. 384 DL, 64 UL) to match real networks

• Typical Urban multi-path propagation channels

More sophisticated 12-path fading models

• Enable Downlink Power control for tests based on TS 34.121 Section 7

Measure average downlink DPCH Ec/Ior as a test result

See which UEs require the lowest average DL DPCH levels to maintain a specified quality level

• Vary Ior/Ioc (signal/noise ratio)

• Define own pass/fail limits for tests

Divergences from TS 34.121Divergences from TS 34.121



How do you determine:How do you determine:Which UE will perform best when far from the base station?

U-ATS Reference sensitivity characterization test!

Which UE will perform best in the presence of interference?

U-ATS Interferer characterization tests!

Which UE will impact network capacity least?

U-ATS Downlink Power Control average DPCH_Ec/Ior tests!

Which UE will perform best in real-life fading conditions?

U-ATS customized fading tests!

Which UE will give the longest battery life in standby and talk time?

U-ATS Energy Management tests!



Fully automated testing with no scripting


Designed with Efficiency in mind

Challenge: Some equipment and systems require

•an “expert”

•a steep learning curve

•system maintenance that quickly becomes an exercise in code control



Spirent SolutionSpirent Solution: U-ATS is automated by TestDrive UMTSTestDrive UMTS software…an intuitive, “quick and easy-to-learn” test executive .

It requires no scripting, even for automation. Time is used testing, rather than developing, debugging and maintaining test scripts.



Spirent SolutionSpirent Solution: Spirent’s X-API feature allows control of environmental equipment…no matter what brand or model.

…and automates control of the UE if resets are necessary.


Inter-Operability Testing Applications and Services Test


IOT, Applications & Services Testing

• Interoperability testing (IOT): Network, cell, broadcast and radio channel configuration is

a delicate combination that varies from operator to operator

UE interoperability with different network conditions and configurations needs to be tested in the lab prior to deployment

• Applications and services testing: Test tools need to help identify issues with end-to-end

applications to help manufacturers and operators identify field issues in the lab prior to deployment

A wide variety of circuit and high-speed packet services (over an IP connection) need to be tested


UE Performance Benchmarking

• Benchmarking UE functional performance: With UEs at various stages - from early

development to field trials and deployment, UE manufacturers need to test updated firmware and software of current models quickly

Network operators want to benchmark performance and functions of multiple UE models (and often multiple versions of each model) accurately and repeatably to help understand deployment issues

Regional and country-specific variations require a high degree of flexibility in the test system


• A real-time “active” state machine with response times representative of real networks

• Emulation of virtually any multi-cell deployment scenario (up to 6 cells, 3 nodeBs and 2 RNCs)

Spirent Solution - AirAccess WCDMA

AirAccess WCDMA is fully-configurable, multi-cell “network in a box” that provides:

• Quick and easy setup without the need for scripts or programming

• Emulates circuit and high-speed packet services, including QoS testing


AirAccess WCDMA

InternetCore Network

RNC2 UE

Cell 1

RNC1

NodeB

NodeBCell 2

Cell 1

Cell 2

NodeB

Cell 1

Cell 2

AirAccess WCDMA


AirAccess WCDMA GUI


AirAccess WCDMA

• For IOT: AirAccess WCDMA creates a real-time, multi-cell, multi-

frequency network in the lab with simple setup and recall of complex network configurations, call processing scenarios, channel setup and signalling sequences

• For testing new applications and services: AirAccess WCDMA provides comprehensive emulation of high-

speed data services (including QoS testing) without need for scripting or programming

• For benchmarking UE performance in the lab: AirAccess WCDMA enables manufacturers and network

operators to test under user-defined proprietary network conditions

AirAccess is easy to configure for regression testing and establishing a baseline of UE software/firmware versions


Summary


Summary

Beyond Minimum Conformance testing• Conformance Mode AND Performance Mode testing

• UE performance analysis under real-life network conditions

• Flexible TS 34.121-based tests

• Custom tests aimed at quantifying UE performance differences

• Full automation with no scripting or programming

• UE inter-operability testing

• Applications and Services testing

analyse assure accelerate tm testing wcdma mobiles under real-life network conditions rev 2.12

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