UWB test tool aids ecosystem development

Thanks to the capabilities of UWB for secure fine ranging, UWB-enabled devices can accurately and securely measure the distance and direction of connected devices.

These capabilities make UWB the perfect technology for use cases such as indoor navigation, social distancing, hands-free access, asset tracking, ticket validation, mobile payment, and point-and-trigger applications.

The FiRa Certification Program is intended to support interoperability of UWB-enabled devices on different layers. This includes physical layer conformance testing performed by FiRa Authorized Test Laboratories (ATLs). These labs use FiRa validated test tools like the test solution from Rohde & Schwarz.

Clint Chaplin, Secretary of the FiRa Consortium Board of Directors and co-chair of the Compliance and Certification Working Group says, “Delivering a seamless customer experience and device interoperability are essential for the wide success of UWB. Certification is one cornerstone to support interoperability. We are pleased that we now have a FiRa validated PHY Conformance Test Tool from Rohde & Schwarz in the FiRa Certification Program.”

As a supplier of wireless device testing, Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with industry partners and organisations like the FiRa Consortium to develop UWB test solutions. These test solutions are used for R&D, certification, chipset characterization and production.

The comprehensive set of UWB test capabilities of the R&S CMP200  radio communication tester controlled by the new UWB PHY Test Suite for test automation allows flexible pre-conformance testing. It also offers an option to run as a PCTT for FiRa certification.

Christoph Pointner, Senior Vice President for Mobile Radio Testers at Rohde & Schwarz, says, “We at Rohde & Schwarz, the leading supplier of wireless connectivity test solutions, are pleased to support the FiRa Consortium in its efforts to establish a strong certification framework for an open UWB ecosystem by providing a validated physical layer test tool. We look forward to continuing our work with members of the FiRa Consortium to cover upcoming UWB use cases and to strengthen the certification framework.”