Keysight, Metanoia Validate 5G Low Physical Layer Open Radio Unit

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Keysight Technologies, Inc. collaborated with Metanoia Communications Inc. to verify the low physical layer 5G Open Radio Unit (O-RU) JURA Platform using the end-to-end Keysight Open RAN Studio solution.

Traditional radio access networks (RAN) are evolving into a more open, intelligent, and virtualized architecture. To achieve this, the physical layer of Open RAN architecture is based on a functional split into low and high physical layers. This split allows for the distribution of computational tasks and disaggregation of various components in RAN architectures. The O-RU handles low physical layer functions, such as radio frequency (RF) processing, while the Open Distributed Unit (O-DU) handles high physical layer and RF characteristics. Previously O-RU vendors had to use commercial O-DUs in throughput testing, which compromised the test results because commercial O-DUs have their own impact on performance.

Using Keysight’s Open RAN Studio, Metanoia successfully performed uplink and downlink throughput testing. By emulating the O-DU, Keysight Open RAN Studio extends test coverage to verify the real-world performance of O-RUs without the need to integrate O-DUs from other vendors. Following the specifications of O-RAN ALLIANCE, Open RAN Studio allowed Metanoia to verify RF characteristics and throughput performance. The solution is a part of Keysight’s comprehensive Open RAN Architect (KORA) portfolio that provides test solutions covering Open RAN equipment, software, and interfaces.

Metanoia successfully validated its “One Stop” Cost / Power / Size effective 5G 4T4R O-RU JURA Platform, using:

• Keysight U5040B Open RAN Studio, which emulated the O-DU to connect with the O-RU via an open fronthaul interface to enable realistic throughput performance testing.
• Keysight P8800S UeSIM, which emulated the user equipment (UE) to verify performance of the massive UE under data transmission and receiving for throughput test requirement.

Stewart Wu, Chief Executive Officer at Metanoia, said: “Metanoia is pleased to collaborate with Keysight to enable a growing Open RAN ecosystem. Leveraging Keysight’s test solutions has been an important element in the development of Metanoia’s cutting-edge O-RU technology.”

Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager for Keysight’s Wireless Test Group, said: “Keysight continues to accelerate Open RAN deployments by allowing O-RU manufacturers to validate their designs with the most innovative test solutions. We offer our customers flexible deployment solutions as they gear up for commercial Open RAN market introduction.”