Japanese test equipment company Anritsu and Sweden-based Bluetest have jointly developed an over-the-air (OTA) way to evaluate the performance of 5G IoT devices compliant with the RedCap specification for IoT applications.

This combines Bluetest’s RTS reverberation test system series of reverberation chambers (RTS65, 85 and 95) and the accompanying flow measurement control software with Anritsu’s MT8000A basestation simulator (www.anritsu.com/en-gb/test-measurement/products/mt8000a). It supports evaluation of RedCap-compatible devices, including total radiated power (TRP), total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) and throughput.

OTA testing using the RTS65 evaluates the overall communication performance of wireless devices, including antennas, in a realistic environment by transmitting and receiving signals through free space. While OTA testing can sometimes result in unstable communications depending on test conditions, the wide reception range of the MT8000A helps stabilise communications, enabling fast, efficient testing.

RedCap is a 5G specification characterised by low cost, low power consumption and compact design. The 3GPP Release 17 RedCap specification is optimised for IoT applications, such as industrial sensors, surveillance cameras and wearable devices. Commercial deployment started in China and the USA in 2024 with expansion expected in Japan and other regions from 2025 onwards.

Anritsu contributes to the global adoption of 5G IoT across a wide range of industries by supporting the development and evaluation of RedCap-compatible devices through this collaboration with Bluetest.

“By collaborating with Anritsu, we have combined the speed of reverberation chamber measurements with the ease of use of the MT8000A for RedCap devices,” said Sara Catteau, business development manager at Bluetest. “This provides users with a test that is easy to configure and produces accurate results quickly.”

Makoto Yamada, director at Anritsu, added: “We are pleased to contribute to the efficiency of performance testing for 5G IoT devices through our collaboration with Bluetest. As the number of RedCap-compatible devices increases, pre-evaluation of RF performance will become increasingly important. We are confident that this partnership will significantly contribute to the growth of this market and the transition to 5G.”

Bluetest (bluetest.se) is a pioneer in reverberation chamber technology for OTA testing of wireless devices and small antennas. Anritsu (www.anritsu.com) provides communications test and measurement products and has around 3500 employees in 90 countries.