Rohde & Schwarz joins the FiRa Consortium

3rd March 2021

Alex Lynn

0 0

Rohde & Schwarz has joined the FiRa Consortium as an associate member. FiRa, short for ‘fine ranging’, is an organisation dedicated to growing the UWB ecosystem by ensuring interoperability between multiple devices through compliance and certification programs.

The FiRa Consortium focuses on three core UWB services: hands-free access control, location based services and device-to-device services that rely on the latest UWB based secure ranging technology specified by the IEEE 802.15.4z.

The advantages of the UWB standard include centimetre-accurate location measurements, allowing for doors to open when approached with a UWB device or bringing positioning functionality to indoor environments. UWB also features secure device-to-device data communications with very low power requirements. The very wide bandwidth and very low power density make it easy for UWB signals to share spectrum with other narrowband and wideband systems without causing interference.

Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with industry partners to develop UWB test solutions for R&D, certification and production, including essentials like time of flight (ToF) and angle of arrival (AoA) measurements as well as device calibration procedures.

Alexander Pabst, Vice President Market Segment Wireless Communications, commented: “We at Rohde & Schwarz recognise the power of a secure and reliable UWB technology and are pleased to further strengthen our collaboration with members of the FiRa Consortium to establish a strong certification framework.”

The R&S CMP200 radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz, for instance, is well suited for solving UWB challenges in production as well as in R&D. It combines the capabilities of a signal analyser and generator in a single instrument. In combination with the Rohde & Schwarz WMT software service to implement automated wireless manufacturing testing and a wide portfolio of shielded chambers, the R&S CMP200 offers a complete solution for transmitter, receiver, ToF and AoA measurements in conducted and radiated mode, compliant to IEEE 802.15.4a/z specifications.

The R&S SMM100A is a midrange vector signal generator covering up to 44 GHz, and the only in its class to offer a maximum RF modulation bandwidth of 1 GHz, thus meeting the requirements to generate broadband signals used by UWB devices in R&D and production.