Signal generation simulating a multi-user environment
Support for resolving new access point test cases

National Instruments (NI) announced WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0, which supports IEEE 802.11ax standard draft 1.1.

WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0, combined with NI’s 2nd Generation Vector Signal Transceiver (VST), supports 802.11ax waveform generation as well as the characterization, verification, and production test analysis of products implementing the IEEE 802.11ax Draft 1.1 standard, such as RF front-end components, wireless modules, and user devices.

WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 provides designers and engineers with the ability to generate and analyze a wide range of 802.11ax standard-compliant waveforms, including multi-user OFDMA and MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) that support extended single-user, per-user configurations, and measurement results.

This toolkit helps users solve challenging new access point test cases by generating signals that simulate multi-user environments, such as user-specific distortion.

Engineers can configure up to 8x8 MIMO systems in a single PXI chassis using WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 and 2nd generation VSTs. Additionally, users can expect rigorous device characterization and reliable test results with EVM measurements exceeding -50 dB. In addition, engineers can control the system from the toolkit's creation and analysis software front panel, while also utilizing various LabVIEW, C, and .NET system design software APIs and example code when programming and automating the system.

Charles Schroeder, Vice President of RF Marketing at NI, stated, “As the standardization and evolution of 802.11ax continue, engineers need a software-centric test approach that aligns with the latest standard features and can be applied to demanding new test cases,” and added, “By leveraging NI’s modular platform and 2nd generation VSTs, users can reduce test costs and accelerate time-to-market.”