Mobile World Congress 2009: Anite launches mobile WiMAX host tester

Details: Category: Consumer Ecosystems; 02 February 2009; 9012 views

Anite, which specialises in testing technology for the wireless industry, today announced the launch of its Mobile WiMAX Host Tester, claimed to be the only Host Testing Solution (HTS) available in the market for Mobile Station Stack (MSS) developers and integrators...

For mobile handset and base station developers, Anite's Host Tester (HT) allows the user to test the protocol stack in isolation of any hardware. This has benefits in two principal development phases, before ASIC fabrication and during SW regression testing. Using the HT, the user reduces the risk of multiple chipset development turns by correcting potential problems in the pre-silicon protocol development stage, providing developers with the ability to test before the final chipset hardware is completed. During regression phases, new SW updates can be tested in host mode to isolate whether problems have been introduced on the HW or SW. In addition to development tests, HT also supports Protocol Conformance Testing (PCT), a certification requirement of Mobile WiMAX as defined by the WiMAX Forum. HT supports data throughput testing and has loop-back functionality.

"A tool like this will significantly improve a product's maturity and time-to-market," said Vijay Harikumar, Director of Global Sales and Marketing, Anite. "For the development of WiMAX products, shortening the time to achieve product certification through effective testing is a critical success factor in the evolving WiMAX ecosystem."

Customers require a simple integration of their MAC layer to Anite's simulated physical (PHY) layer via a user-defined protocol connection. Anite's HT simulates the hardware and PHY layer functionality, which is required to run TTCN test cases for testing a mobile station's MAC layer. Additionally, HT provides flexibility where broadcast messages are changed in TTCN code and changes are reflected in PHY messages sent to MS MAC.

"When undergoing Mobile WiMAX testing, there is no need for hardware. Performing these processes in a software-only environment provides better quality testing and allows testing to be done in parallel with development efforts prior to ASIC involvement," said Tzachi Zack, Product Marketing Manager, Anite.

* Anite is an international IT company focused on the provision of test and operational systems in the wireless market as well as reservation and e-commerce solutions to the leisure travel industry. Headquartered in the UK, Anite employs around 500 staff in 13 countries across Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. The wireless division provides test solutions to equipment manufacturers, operators and test laboratories for early handset development, integration, conformance and interoperability test through to field measurement solutions.