Keysight’s 5G Conformance Toolset First to Achieve PTCRB Validation for 5G NR Device Certification

Keysight Technologies announced that the company’s 5G Conformance Toolset is the first test solution to be approved for 5G New Radio (NR) device certification by PTCRB, a certification forum comprised of select leading cellular operators, accelerating commercial availability of 5G mobile devices across the ecosystem.

This milestone was achieved as a result of the extended collaboration between Keysight and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, that focuses on verifying the validity and behavior of the radio frequency (RF) and protocol conformance test specifications as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Conformance tests adopted by certification bodies such as PTCRB help ensure commercial 5G devices comply to the latest 3GPP Release 15 specifications and operate as expected on mobile networks.

The Keysight 5G Conformance Toolset, based on Keysight’s UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform, and part of Keysight’s 5G Network Emulation Solution portfolio, supports the first and only 5G RF test case validated to help device manufacturers verify compliance to the 3GPP 5G NR NSA (Non-Standalone) requirements for minimum output power generated by a 5G mobile device in sub-6GHz frequencies.

“The PTCRB approval of Keysight’s 5G conformance test solution establishes an important milestone and enables Keysight to help the global mobile ecosystem accelerate 5G product design development and validation,” said Kailash Narayanan, vice president of Keysight’s wireless test group. “Keysight’s close collaborations with market makers and influential participation in standardization organizations have contributed to the realization of this industry-first achievement, facilitating early 5G commercial deployment.”

The Keysight 5G Conformance Toolset addresses the device development workflow from early design, to acceptance and manufacturing. The compact solution supports the entire device certification process and scales to facilitate mobile device verification and certification across RF, radio resource management (RRM) and protocol. The toolset enables users to certify new designs across both FR1 (sub-6GHz frequencies) and FR2 (mmWave frequencies).

“We’re excited to extend our collaboration with Keysight to help OEMs and mobile operators address 5G conformance requirements,” says Prashant Dogra, vice president, engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Keysight’s leading 5G test solutions are instrumental in accelerating commercial 5G development and rollout.”