MWC 2017: Test set upgraded to support Bluetooth 5

It supports Basic Rate (BR), Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) measurement of transmit power, frequency, modulation, and receiver sensitivity required by Bluetooth RF test specifications.

In December 2016, Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) announced the launch of Bluetooth 5, designed to meet the needs of an evolving industry that demands a global wireless standard to provide simple, secure connectivity.

This latest version of Bluetooth focuses on new communications technologies for implementing longer range communications at faster speeds while maintaining low power consumption to support smartphones and IoT applications. And with this comes the requirement for measurement solutions that support these new specifications.

These new options for the MT8852B support the full range of PHY layer (RF) tests required by the new Bluetooth 5 specifications for designing and manufacturing Bluetooth devices and SoC, especially tests for 2-Mbps Low Energy PHY (2LE), which greatly improves battery life, and for Bluetooth Long Range (BLR), which extends communications over longer ranges of several hundred meters.

Although the MT8852B has supported the earlier Bluetooth Low Energy specification, this upgrade adds new measurement options for the 2LE and BLR specifications. New test cases can run as part of test scripts to simplify test-case creation and cut test times.

The MT8852B implements 2LE and BLR measurements by direct connection and can control the device under test (DUT) either via USB, 2-wire RS-232 HCI Direct Test Mode (DTM), or USB–Serial conversion adapter interfaces.