VIAVI Solutions Unveils Vertex Channel Emulator to Accelerate 6G, Wi-Fi 7/8 Development
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As the wireless industry rapidly pushes the boundaries of connectivity with the rollout of Wi-Fi 7, the early stages of Wi-Fi 8, and the foundational research for 6G, engineers face various challenges such as testing the developments of these systems in highly complex networks in a controlled lab environment and more. VIAVI Solutions has answered that call with the introduction of its Vertex® Channel Emulator, a state of the art test and measurement platform designed to replicate the chaotic, real world RF environments of tomorrow’s wireless networks. Here is a deep dive into the major features and benefits of VIAVI’s latest product and why it’s useful in telecom R&D labs.
Unprecedented Scalability in a Compact Form Factor
One of the most significant hurdles in modern RF testing is hardware footprint. The Vertex Channel Emulator tackles this by packing massive scalability into a compact 6U rack space.
Whether an engineer needs a basic 2-channel SISO setup or a dense MIMO configuration, the Vertex scales effortlessly. A single instrument can support up to 72 unidirectional RF ports or 256 digital links. By synchronizing up to four units using the Vertex Baseband Synchronizer (VBS), labs can achieve a staggering 64x8 bidirectional setup for Massive MIMO applications.
Furthermore, the hardware is highly modular. Field replaceable RF and DSP modules make upgrading easy and the optional FR3 MIMO Converter allows the system to stretch its frequency coverage up to 23.5 GHz; a critical frequency band for emerging 6G and advanced 5G research.
Built for Next-Gen Applications
VIAVI has clearly designed the Vertex platform with the future in mind. The emulator is engineered to handle the incredibly high channel densities required by next-generation wireless standards. Key testing applications include following.
- Wi-Fi 7 & Wi-Fi 8 (including MLO): Fully capable of handling the wide bandwidths and Multi-Link Operation (MLO) complexities of the newest Wi-Fi standards.
- 6G & ISAC Capabilities: Through the integration of optional VIAVI Raytracing software, the Vertex can emulate high fidelity, site specific scenarios. This includes moving object modeling, which is foundational for Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC); a core pillar of upcoming 6G networks.
- Satellite & NTN: Ready for the space race with support for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and aeronautical applications.
- Mesh Networks: Capable of supporting up to 16 independently communicating nodes (16x16 independent channel models) on a single instrument.
Advanced Emulation Features
To ensure devices will survive the real world, the Vertex brings a suite of advanced emulation capabilities into the lab as follows.
- Live Streaming Dynamic Environment Emulation (LSDEE): Traditional dynamic environment emulators require engineers to pre-compile channel states. LSDEE bypasses this by allowing real time, high-speed scenario adjustments on the fly, saving massive amounts of processing time.
- MIMO OTA Testing: Supports high density Over The Air (OTA) testing for both anechoic and reverberation chambers, allowing for quick switching between chamber types.
- Virtual Drive Testing: Signal handover testing can be done at the desk itself. Paired with VIAVI’s Live2Lab® VDT-CT software, the Vertex can convert real world log files (like QXDM or Accuver) into repeatable lab simulations for up to 16 SISO cells or eight 2x2 MIMO cells.
User Friendly GUI
High channel density usually means a nightmare of cables and complex software configurations. VIAVI has mitigated this with an incredibly intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI).
The software includes pre-built environments for everything from gNB OTA to Satellite testing. Configuring complex 2x8 MIMO correlation matrices is done via simple spreadsheet style entries rather than coding elaborate scripts. Most impressively, the GUI features a built-in cable connection diagram that visually guides users on exactly how to wire their hardware for complex setups, drastically reducing human error.
Summary
As wireless technologies like Wi-Fi 8 and 6G shift from theory to reality, the ability to isolate and identify performance issues early in the development cycle is critical. By combining incredible port density, real-time dynamic emulation and support for frequencies up to 23.5 GHz, the VIAVI Vertex Channel Emulator provides R&D teams with the exact sandbox they need to build the future of wireless communication.
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