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Ixia platform performs LTE small-cell validation

Susan Nordyk- July 5, 2012

The IxCatapult test platform from Ixia can be used to validate LTE small-cell systems to ensure high performance, resiliency, and quality of residential and enterprise LTE femto, pico, and microcells. In addition to simple top-level traffic diagnostics, it supports the complex lower-layer analysis required for full protocol-stack testing.

Small cells are low-power wireless access points that operate in licensed spectrum to connect standard mobile devices to a mobile operator's network. Femtocells and picocells offer many potential benefits to both consumers and operators, including increased performance, better coverage, and traffic offload from congested macrocells. Major challenges include scalability, security, mobility, ease of deployment, and interoperability.

IxCatapult evaluates all aspects of small-cell quality and performance, providing:

• Functional, negative, and performance testing of femto, pico, and micro home eNodeBs;
• Wraparound testing of small cells by emulating user equipment and the wireless core network;
• Testing of all protocol layers from the physical layer to the upper layer; and
• Comprehensive media emulation.

Depending on your test requirements, the IxCatapult system can be configured for different protocol testing or to go from functional testing to load testing.

Ixia, www.ixiacom.com/products/ixcatapult/index.php