Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) and Anite plc (LSE:AIE) today introduced the first product in a planned portfolio of 3GPP LTE R&D test products developed on Agilent’s new E6620A LTE UE test platform. The Anite SAT LTE Protocol Tester with Development Toolset was created as part of a partnership between Agilent and Anite, announced in November 2007. Featuring an impressive breadth and depth of features, this first-to-market SAT LTE Protocol Tester is ideal for engineers working in early protocol design of LTE mobile phones.
Agilent’s new LTE platform -- the E6620A Wireless Communications Test Set -- provides a powerful, common hardware platform and 3GPP-compliant protocol stack for building scalable test solutions across the LTE UE R&D lifecycle. As an advanced, one-box test set for LTE, it offers real-time, system-rate network emulation for L1/L2/L3 uplink and downlink via RF or digital baseband, and is designed to support MIMO and protocol conformance test, with full RF measurement capabilities.
“The E6620A builds on Agilent’s broad LTE portfolio by providing a powerful and scalable platform designed to cover the LTE UE development life cycle with a range of solutions -- from early protocol development to conformance test,” said Niels Faché, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Mobile Broadband Division. “These new products demonstrate our commitment to the LTE marketplace -- providing advanced test solutions when our customers need them, and ensuring they deliver successful LTE products to market while meeting their aggressive time-to-market goals.”
The Anite SAT LTE Protocol Tester with Development Toolset is the first commercially available product to be built on the E6620A LTE UE test platform. It features a suite of development test tools that include simple to use GUIs, developer’s API, and development aids for rapid generation of Layer 1-3 test applications. Other products currently under development on the E6620A are the Anite SAS and CT conformance test systems, and Agilent bench-top mobile application test and RF conformance test systems. This new LTE portfolio joins the existing portfolio of 8960/Anite 3G test equipment available for UE development through conformance test developed jointly by Anite and Agilent.
“Anite’s SAT Protocol Tester comprises proven technology compliant with the latest version of 3GPP standards,” said Paul Beaver, LTE business unit director, Anite. “This first-to-market solution delivers a 3GPP LTE test capability for Wireless R&D to advance the deployment of commercial LTE products and is a testament to our strategic partnership with Agilent. The integrated test environment supports all phases of UE development and will be further enhanced to support our leading Conformance Toolset and SAS products in the near future. We look forward to further demonstrating that commitment through development of future E6620A-based test solutions.”
Agilent will show the new E6620A Wireless Communications Test Set in Hall 1, Booth D45 here at Mobile World Congress 2008. Also showcased at the event is a robust set of test solutions for R&D, manufacturing and service providers, including RF verification and parametric test for chipset manufacturing, LTE UE protocol development solutions, drive test solutions, MSS End-2-End Monitoring and troubleshooting, LTE distributed performance management, and UU Monitoring.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Anite LTE Development Toolset is available now. Pricing is dependent on system configuration.
More information about the protocol tester is available at www.anite.com/wireless. Information about Agilent’s new E6620A Wireless Communications Test Set is available at www.agilent.com/find/e6620a. Photos of these new products are available at www.agilent.com/find/e6620aLTE_images.
Agilent and 3GPP LTE
While 3GPP LTE has the potential to enhance 3G networks and enable significant new service opportunities, its commercial success requires the early availability of measurement solutions that parallel the standard’s development.
Agilent is leading the way with design automation tools and flexible instrumentation for early R&D design in components, base-station equipment and mobile devices. Agilent, along with its partners, plans to provide a broad, comprehensive portfolio of solutions that address the entire UE lifecycle -- from early development through production test and deployment. Using knowledge as members of the standards committees, Agilent design engineers are developing scalable products with best-in-class measurement techniques. More information about Agilent’s 3GPP LTE products is available at www.agilent.com/find/LTE.
About Anite
Anite plc is an international IT company whose primary focus is the provision of business critical solutions based on its deep sector knowledge of the wireless, travel and public sector markets. Headquartered in the UK, Anite employs over 1,300 staff in 12 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia.
The Wireless division of Anite provides test solutions to equipment manufacturers, operators and test laboratories for early handset development, integration, conformance and interoperability test through to network measurement solutions. With in-depth expertise and over 18 years’ experience in providing customer-focused solutions, Anite and its products have played a major role in the advance of the global wireless market. For more information about Anite visit www.anite.com/wireless.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.4 billion in fiscal 2007. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.