Meeting the demands of Wi-Fi test

In January, Azimuth announced that it recently shipped its 1000th test module. I spoke with Azimuth CEO Ray Cronin to get his perspectives on the test needs of the Wi-Fi market.

Azimuth Systems CEO Ray Cronin sees the ability to emulate motion as a key element of wireless data communications test.

Q What has made your company so successful in the field of Wi-Fi test?

A Our people and our products. We saw that there was a need for a whole new class of test equipment for wireless data communications and consciously decided to fuse specific areas of expertise. We took the disciplines of wireless, Ethernet, and test equipment and put them together to build our team and fill that void in wireless test.

Q What do you mean by a "new class of test equipment?"

A Legacy test equipment has been based on testing the radio platform and the network separately. In fact, if you say "wireless," most engineers simply think "radio." We realized that there needed to be a shift. You need to test more than just the function of a device; you must also test the performance of the applications that the device runs, and test it as people are moving.

To do this, you have to control the physical layer to emulate motion and roaming. That introduces a whole new generation of problems, and we needed a new approach to test the motion-versus-performance issue as quickly and precisely as we can test the radio.

Q What is the role of standards in this new approach to testing?

A Having standardized tools and methods allows vendors and customers to get the same test results. With wireless, it can be hard to get a repeatable result, and it's almost impossible without standards.

Having repeatable results allows vendors and customers to communicate more effectively about problems when they arise. Standardized tools also help developers validate their applications robustly.

Q Where do you see Wi-Fi test going from here?

A Wireless communications is still in its infancy, and in the next few years, there is going to be a huge proliferation of applications that put the network into areas that haven't been expected. This includes the use of wireless for games and television, the use of phones as data ports, and establishing communications with automobiles. Over the next 10 years, we will move away from connecting computers through cable to connecting people over the airwaves. We will need to be able to test the effects of motion on video and voice as well as on data communications. The real question is: Will this stuff perform the way customers are used to when connected through cables?

Q Any final words of advice for Wi-Fi developers?

A Expect to move from testing the physical layer to higher layers in the stack. That is where the effects of motion, roaming, and rate adaptation will be felt. The silicon vendors will make sure their radio works. You need to test your design's functional performance.