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Handsets : Time to Innovate

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Voice&Data Bureau
New Update

Handset vendors cannot take customers for granted, as they are becoming more
and more quality conscious. Mobile handsets-be it basic or high-end
phones-require standard device testing; and phone makers need to follow best
handset testing practices. Handset device testing is very critical, but it is
reported that device manufacturers and engineering community often do not give
due importance to ensure quality of the handsets. Mobile technologies like 3G,
CDMA, and EVDO can work efficiently only when they are tested and deployed as
per the standards. Standard bodies are defining and upgrading the standards, so
that mobile phones' quality is maintained by the handset manufacturer. The best
handset makers and network operators will not only do the minimum required
tests, but also will add testing beyond these minimum standard requirements to
ensure that they can operate at a profit, while offering their subscribers the
best possible user experience.

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As the Indian telecom market has been witnessing a robust growth in the
subscriber base, handset manufacturing companies like Nokia, Motorola, and other
big players are attracted towards India, as plenty of engineering talent is
available here. With the world lapping up next generation mobile technologies
for both enterprise and entertainment purpose, advancements in GSM, EDGE, and
WCDMA technologies will continue to increase. All these developments require
advanced test and measurement solutions, and the handset makers need to utilize
these solutions to maintain the standard.

Test Dimension

There are various types of testing at different levels in a handset
manufacturing design house. Minimum performance testing, protocol and
interoperability testing, data-centric testing (throughput and data retry), and
location based services testing are some of the phases of testing to make a
final product; so as to ensure that the standards are maintained, and customer
satisfaction is given prime importance.

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The key testing is the lab based handset testing, before the handsets enter
the market. Minimum performance testing practice covers testing the basic RF
transmitter and receiver characteristics. It includes specialized testing for
devices that are capable of receiving diversity. Simon Wang, sales development
manager, wireless, APAC, Spirent Communications says, "Minimum performance
testing include tests that guarantee transmitters and receivers work in the
presence of weak signals, noise, other signals, and a phenomenon called fading
(the complex effect caused when signals dynamically reflect from nearby objects,
both moving and stationary). Receive diversity adds a second receive antenna to
the device to create a second RF path between the base station and device." He
adds, "In case of 3G/CDMA-EVDO handset testing, in addition to the minimum
performance test required by 3GPP2, operators and device manufacturers find it
advantageous to create customized testing. For example, our C2K-ATS system can
quickly create a test suite that sweeps one or more parameters, so the resulting
test report can be used to identify break-points in the device's operation.
These kinds of tests are extremely useful in comparing competing devices, or in
quantifying the effect of a modification to a device design."

Protocol and interoperability testing requires the capture, demodulation and
storage of messaging between device and network. Signaling testing should be run
with a realistic message timing, which can only be created when the network
emulation uses a real-time engine.

The data-centric testing encompasses data throughput testing and data retry
testing. The evolution of wireless data capabilities in high-end phones
facilitates some amazing applications and data based services for the end users.
When they are deployed well after going through the standard testing practices,
they can bring a lot of value to subscribers; and positive financial returns to
operators.

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Simon Wang says, "Data throughput testing can point out extreme capability
variations from one mobile device to another. Device manufacturers suffer when
subscribers compare competing devices, and identify poor-performing devices.
Even when the user experience is equivalent and all devices meet requirements,
some devices can be much more expensive for the operator to support; they use
more of the network's transmit power, data bandwidth, or both. Data retry
testing helps a network operator ensure that a single design failure will not
slow a commercial network to a crawl."

Thrust on Innovation

With the entry of smartphones built with a range of technologies and
capabilities, it becomes very essential to have innovative T&M solutions to test
each of these advanced features, before it reaches the end users. Jayanth
Ramachandran, head, business development (telecom account) and regional manager,
South India (T&M), Rohde & Schwarz says, "When it comes to innovation, it is a
continuous process of handset manufacturers and T&M solution vendors to come up
with ideas to reduce the test time in order to increase the productivity and
capacity of a production facility. The innovative test methodologies from R&S
like the R&S multi evaluation ensures a substantial reduction in the test time,
required to test and calibrate a mobile on the production floor."

Apart from basic phone testing tools, Rohde & Schwarz-understanding the
handset manufacturer's needs-has come up with a one box solution R&S CMW500 to
test all the features expected on a smartphone, which includes WLAN, GPS, WiMax,
DVB-/H, Bluetooth, FM, and so on. R&S CMW500 is its new launch, which is a
all-in-one solution catering to test everything from a basic mobile to the most
sophisticated PDA one can find in the market today.

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More than the basic phones, smartphone testing is very critical as the
features, data receiving and transferring capabilities are required to be in
sync with the customers' expectations. HS Bhaskar, country manager, Spirent
Communications says, "As smartphones are more complicated than traditional
mobile phones, data performance may be affected by many factors such as
operating system, software applications, power, etc. So the performance test is
critical to validate whether a smartphone can achieve the desired capability and
stick to the standards." One of the key players in the T&M vendor segment,
Spirent offers data performance test solution, which can evaluate the real data
throughput retry and throttling. Its comprehensive solution on data performance
test can simulate the test scenarios as in real network. It is a powerful tool
for the manufacturers of basic phones and smartphones to validate handsets as
per the standard and customer satisfaction.

Key Concerns

Though large volume manufacturing of various handset types is witnessed in
India, one of the key issues is that old T&M tools are also used for testing.
Rajesh Toshniwal, CEO, Toshniwal Enterprises Controls says that handset
manufacturing segment in India is using a lot of used T&M equipments and tools
brought in from old facilities. Many T&M vendors like Toshniwal Enterprises
Controls, Spirent Communications, Agilent Technologies, and Rohde & Schwarz are
offering the latest innovative solutions, and implementing all T&M solutions
calibration and setting up the AT for large manufacturers.

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Ramachandran of Rohde & Schwarz says, "Investments in T&M solution in India
is curbed, due to the transfer of used equipments from other countries. As
Indian market is into manufacturing of the low cost devices, the test
methodologies are adapted and optimized to yield the best with less number of
tests."

The general industry perception is that manufacturers often underestimate the
criticality of testing even for high-end phones. Educating the handset
manufacturing segment assumes importance, particularly the new players in the
manufacturing. HS Bhaskar of Spirent Communications observes, "So far, only
service providers and some smartphone companies have paid high attention to the
data performance test. But some newcomers have not yet understood the reason why
a full coverage test system-that covers RF, SC, data, LBS test-is so vital for
hand set designing and validation. So creating awareness is important to let
these handset makers know how to improve their product with the right T&M
tools."

Manufacturers can also use the automated system to do minimum performance
testing, as it offers them a great convenience, particularly in case of CDMA/EV-DO
device manufacturing, and also addresses many key concerns. Simon Wang says, "An
automated system designed to test this functionality must include network
emulation, wireless channel emulation, and RF measurement capabilities. An
example is Spirent's C2K-ATS automated testing system, which integrates
Spirent's AirAccess network emulator, SR5500 wireless channel emulator, and RF
signal switching with a measurement equipment. The Spirent system comes with a
software that can automate the entire process."

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Yet another concern for a manufacturer is addressing the challenge of a
shorter turn-around-time. With the turn-around-time (concept to design to volume
production) increasingly becoming shorter due to the market competition, new and
efficient methods of verifying the integrity and quality of the handsets and
similar products are required by all handset makers. With elements of design
regularly being developed in different places, it is important to have common
industry-standard test tools, that enable groups to share information and
resolve problems quickly. The quickening rate of technology changes means a
faster cycle time for new products entering the verification stage.

Gautam Awasthi, general manager, marketing, electronic measurement group,
Agilent Technologies, India says, "High-volume manufacturing requires
innovations from the T&M vendors, so as to lower test-costs and have policies to
increase the turn-around-time. Handset makers demand solutions that can help
them reach the market faster with a lower cost of testing, and consequently a
lower cost of production." T&M vendors are also prepared for the shorter
turn-around-time. Agilent products provide mobile phone manufacturers with
increased measurement speeds, improved accuracy, and exceptional flexibility for
testing mobile devices. Take 8960 test set for example, it offers full RF
parametric and functional test coverage for all the major cellular technologies.
The Agilent 8960 is your one-box solution for wireless device development,
manufacturing, and repair today and tomorrow.

There is an urgent need for handset manufacturers to understand the
complexity of device testing, as customers are demanding more and more in terms
of quality of experience, especially in the high-end phone market. Service
providers and mobile device makers need to make serious efforts on testing in
order to ensure their handset with advanced technologies like 3G, EVDO, etc,
functions efficiently as per the standard and customer satisfaction.

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Kannan K

kannan@cybermedia.co.in

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