Only over-the-air (OTA) GNSS testing provides the complete picture mobile device manufacturers need.
Given its critical role in enabling accurate location-based services (LBS) and fulfilling emergency service requirements (E911), Assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (A-GNSS) performance must be quantified and benchmarked. Although necessary, conventional testing performed over a cabled RF connection is insufficient. It bypasses the mobile device’s antenna and associated circuitry, providing a limited view of GNSS performance. Only over-the-air (OTA) GNSS testing provides the complete picture mobile device manufacturers need.
What to Test
OTA testing of mobile devices is performed in a controlled radiated environment (e.g. anechoic chamber) to provide a complete performance picture. GNSS OTA testing should take into account all interaction factors between the radio and the rest of the wireless environment including:
- GPS antenna characterization and performance
- Radiated sensitivity
- RF circuitry between antenna and receiver
- Cellular signal co-existence (or interference)
- Presence of head and hand
- Multiple antennas (GPS, cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth)
- Conformance to CTIA’s Test Plan for Mobile Station Over the Air Performance and operator-specific A-GNSS OTA performance requirements
Spirent Solutions
Spirent is the recognized industry leader in GNSS OTA testing. We offer A-GNSS test solutions that support a variety of OTA chambers (anechoic or reverberation) via third-party vendors or Spirent’s octoBox and provide full support for A-GPS OTA testing of CDMA, UMTS and LTE devices and chipsets:
In addition, Spirent offers full support and automation of all A-GPS OTA tests in the CTIA Test Plan for Mobile Station Over the Air Performance, version 3.1 and version 3.2 for A-GPS OTA LTE tests.
