Open RF test pack

• US 9,069,749 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spirent Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spirent Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Rumsby, Steven R., Morman, Joshua Barry, Turk, Ahmed A., Ledgerwood, Denis Joseph Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, CUONG V
• Application Number:
  US12/851,448
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 703/23, 703/19, 703/21, 370/252, 370/241, 370/419, 455/423, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/3912 Simulation models, e.g. distribution of spectral power density or received signal strength indicator [RSSI] for a given geographic region
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A channel emulator generates radio channel conditions of live cellular base station signals in a simulation of a radio environment of a fielded cellular network, based on a record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of cellular base stations in the fielded cellular network. A generates a simulation of a fielded cellular network. In one aspect, the radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment are synchronized with events in the simulation of the fielded cellular network. In another aspect, an event handling state machine directs configurable events in the simulation of the fielded cellular network in response to radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a channel emulator comprising one or more processors and accessing instructions executable by the processors including instructions that cause the channel emulator to generate radio channel conditions of live wireless base station signals in a simulation of a radio environment of a fielded wireless network, based on a record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, wherein the captured radio signal data includes multiple paths of a signal with at least attenuation and delay for each of the multiple paths;

a network emulator coupled to the channel emulator, the network emulator providing data to the channel emulator for the simulation by the channel emulator, the network emulator comprising one or more processors and storing instructions executable by the processors including instructions that cause the network emulator to generate a simulation of network events of the fielded wireless network,

wherein the radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment are synchronized with the network events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, for a configurable radio access technology, the radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment are synchronized with events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system generates a first log of the radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment and a second log of the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network, the first log and the second log being synchronized to a same time reference.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless receiver coupled to the channel emulator.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network include at least any of network messages sent by a device under test, or network messages sent by the fielded wireless network, and network procedures.

5. A system, comprising:

a channel emulator comprising one or more processors and accessing instructions executable by the processors including instructions that cause the channel emulator to generate radio channel conditions of live wireless base station signals in a simulation of a radio environment of a fielded wireless network, based on a record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, wherein the captured radio signal data includes multiple paths of a signal with at least attenuation and delay for each of the multiple paths;

a network emulator coupled to the channel emulator, the network emulator providing data to the channel emulator for the simulation by the channel emulator, the network emulator comprising one or more processors and storing instructions executable by the processors including instructions that cause the network emulator to generate a simulation of the fielded wireless network,

wherein an event handling state machine directs a configurable response to network events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network in response to conditions in the simulation of the radio channel conditions.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system supports a configurable topology of cells in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the system supports configurable network settings in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the system supports the simulation of the fielded wireless network of different wireless vendors.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the system supports automated configuration of the event handling state machine to match the fielded wireless network.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the event handling state machine guarantees timely handling of critical events from a device under test in the simulation.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the system plays back the radio channel conditions from the record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the system plays back network events from the record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the system plays back network events from the record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, and the network events are device under test initiated.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the system plays back network events from the record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, and the network events are device under test terminated.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the system graphically displays the simulation of the radio channel conditions overlaid with the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the system supports dynamically changing correlation of MIMO links.

17. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a wireless receiver coupled to the channel emulator.

21. The system of claim 5, wherein the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network include at least any of network messages sent by a device under test, or network messages sent by the fielded wireless network, and network procedures.

18. A method, comprising:

generating, with a channel emulator, radio channel conditions of live wireless base station signals in a simulation of a radio environment of a fielded wireless network, based on a record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, wherein the captured radio signal data includes multiple paths of a signal with at least attenuation and delay for each of the multiple paths; and

generating, with a network emulator providing data to the channel emulator for the simulation by the channel emulator, a simulation of a fielded wireless network; and

synchronizing the radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment with network events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network include at least any of network messages sent by a device under test, or network messages sent by the fielded wireless network, and network procedures.

19. A method, comprising:

generating, with a channel emulator, radio channel conditions of live wireless base station signals in a simulation of a radio environment of a fielded wireless network, based on a record of captured radio signal data of a plurality of wireless base stations in the fielded wireless network, wherein the captured radio signal data includes multiple paths of a signal with at least attenuation and delay for each of the multiple paths;

generating, with a network emulator providing data to the channel emulator for the simulation by the channel emulator, a simulation of the fielded wireless network;

directing, with an event handling state machine, a configurable response to network events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network in response to radio channel conditions in the simulation of the radio environment.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the events in the simulation of the fielded wireless network include at least any of network messages sent by a device under test, or network messages sent by the fielded wireless network, and network procedures.