6.5 Transmitted signal quality

37.1413GPPMulti-Standard Radio (MSR) Base Station (BS) conformance testingNR, E-UTRA, UTRA and GSM/EDGERelease 17TS

Tools: ARFCN - Frequency Conversion for 5G NR/LTE/UMTS/GSM

6.5.1 Modulation quality

6.5.1.1 Definition and applicability

Modulation quality is defined by the difference between the measured carrier signal and a reference signal. Modulation quality can e.g. be expressed as Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Peak Code Domain Error (PCDE) or Relative Code Domain Error (RCDE).

6.5.1.2 Minimum Requirement

The minimum requirement is in TS 37.104 [2] clause 6.5.1.

6.5.1.3 Test purpose

The test purpose is to verify that modulation quality is within the limit specified by the minimum requirement.

6.5.1.4 Method of test

6.5.1.4.1 Initial conditions

Test environment: normal; see Annex B.2.

Base Station RF Bandwidth position to be tested: B_RFBW, M_RFBW and T_RFBW single-band operation, see clause 4.9.1 single-band operation.

1) Connect measurement device to the base station antenna connector as shown in Annex D.1.1.

6.5.1.4.2 Procedure

1) Set the BS to transmit according to the applicable test configuration in clause 5 using the corresponding test models or set of physical channels in clause 4.9.2.

2) Perform the modulation quality measurement on each carrier as outlined in respective measurement procedures in RAT-specific specifications, with the test configurations, test models or corresponding set of physical channels as defined in step 1:

– For EVM measurement on a NR carrier, see TS 38.141-1 [26] clause 6.5.3.4.2.

– For EVM measurement on an E-UTRA carrier, see TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.2.4.2.

– For EVM measurement on a UTRA FDD carrier, see TS 25.141 [10] clause 6.7.1.4.2.

– For PCDE measurement on a UTRA FDD carrier, see TS 25.141 [10] clause 6.7.2.4.2.

– For RCDE measurement on a UTRA FDD carrier, see TS 25.141 [10] clause 6.7.4.4.2.

– For EVM measurement on a UTRA TDD carrier, see TS 25.142 [12] clause 6.8.1.4.2.2.

– For PCDE measurement on a UTRA TDD carrier, see TS 25.142 [12] clause 6.8.2.4.1.2.

– For RCDE measurement on a UTRA TDD carrier, see TS 25.142 [12] clause 6.8.3.4.1.1.

– For EVM measurement on a GSM/EDGE carrier, see TS 51.021 [11] clause 6.2.2.

– For EVM measurement on an NB-IoT carrier, see TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.2.4.2.

In addition, for a multi-band capable BS, the following step shall apply:

3) For multi-band capable BS and single band tests, repeat the steps above per involved band where single band test configurations and test models shall apply with no carrier activated in the other band. For multi-band capable BS with separate antenna connector, the antenna connector not being under test in case of SBT or MBT shall be terminated.

6.5.1.5 Test Requirements

6.5.1.5.1 E-UTRA test requirement

For every measured E-UTRA carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.2.5.

6.5.1.5.2 UTRA FDD test requirement

For every measured UTRA FDD carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 25.141 [10] clause 6.7.1.5, 6.7.2.5 and 6.7.4.5.

6.5.1.5.3 UTRA TDD test requirement

For every measured UTRA TDD carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 25.142 [12] clause 6.8.1.5, 6.8.2.5 and 6.8.3.5.

6.5.1.5.4 GSM/EDGE test requirement

For every measured GSM/EDGE carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 51.021 [11] clause 6.2.3.

6.5.1.5.5 NB-IoT test requirement

For every measured NB-IoT carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.2.5.

6.5.1.5.6 NR test requirement

For every measured NR carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 38.141-1 [26] clause 6.5.3.5.

6.5.2 Frequency error

6.5.2.1 Definition and applicability

Frequency error is the measure of the difference between the actual BS transmit frequency and the assigned frequency. The same source shall be used for RF frequency and data clock generation.

It is not possible to verify by testing that the data clock is derived from the same frequency source as used for RF generation. This may be confirmed by the manufacturer’s declaration.

6.5.2.2 Minimum Requirement

The minimum requirement is in TS 37.104 [2] clause 6.5.2.

6.5.2.3 Test purpose

The test purpose is to verify that frequency error is within the limit specified by the minimum requirement.

6.5.2.4 Method of test

Requirement is tested together with Error Vector Magnitude test, as described in clause 6.5.1.

6.5.2.5 Test Requirements

6.5.2.5.1 E-UTRA test requirement

For every measured E-UTRA carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.1.5.

6.5.2.5.2 UTRA FDD test requirement

For every measured UTRA FDD carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 25.141 [10] clause 6.3.5.

6.5.2.5.3 UTRA TDD test requirement

For every measured UTRA TDD carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 25.142 [12] clause 6.3.5.

6.5.2.5.4 GSM/EDGE test requirement

For every measured GSM/EDGE carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 51.021 [11] clause 6.2.3.

6.5.2.5.5 NB-IoT test requirement

For every measured NB-IoT carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 36.141 [9] clause 6.5.1.5.

6.5.2.5.6 NR test requirement

For every measured NR carrier, the test requirement is specified in TS 38.141-1 [26] clause 6.5.2.5.

6.5.3 Time alignment error

6.5.3.1 Definition and applicability

This requirement applies to frame timing in:

– UTRA single/multi-carrier transmissions, and their combinations with MIMO or TX diversity.

– E-UTRA single/multi-carrier transmissions, and their combinations with MIMO or TX diversity.

– NR single/multi-carrier transmissions, and their combinations with MIMO.

– E-UTRA Carrier Aggregation, with or without MIMO or TX diversity.

– NR Carrier Aggregation, with or without MIMO.

– NB-IoT transmissions with TX diversity.

Frames of the WCDMA/LTE/NR/NB-IoT signals present at the BS transmitter antenna connector(s) are not perfectly aligned in time. In relation to each other, the RF signals present at the BS transmitter antenna connector(s) experience certain timing differences.

For a specific set of signals/transmitter configuration/transmission mode, Time Alignment Error (TAE) is defined as the largest timing difference between any two signals.

6.5.3.2 Minimum requirement

The minimum requirement is in TS 37.104 [2] clause 6.5.3.

6.5.3.3 Test purpose

To verify that the time alignment error is within the limit specified by the minimum requirement.

6.5.3.4 Method of test

For this requirement Tables 5.1-1 and 5.2-1 refer to single-RAT specifications; see clause 5. The following shall apply:

– For references to TS 25.141 [10], the method of test is specified in TS 25.141 [10], clause 6.7.3.4.

– For references to TS 25.142 [12], the method of test is specified in TS 25.142 [12], clause 6.8.4.4.

– For references to TS 36.141 [9], the method of test is specified in TS 36.141 [9], clause 6.5.3.4.

– For references to TS 38.141-1 [26], the method of test is specified in TS 38.141-1 [26], clause 6.5.4.4.

In addition, for a multi-band capable BS, the following step shall apply:

– For multi-band capable BS and single band tests, repeat the tests per involved band where single band test configurations and test models shall apply with no carrier activated in the other band. For multi-band capable BS with separate antenna connector, the antenna connector not being under test in case of SBT or MBT shall be terminated.

6.5.3.5 Test requirement

For E-UTRA, the test requirement for time alignment error is specified in TS 36.141 [9], clause 6.5.3.5.

For UTRA FDD, the test requirement for time alignment error is specified in TS 25.141 [10], clause 6.7.3.5.

For UTRA TDD, the test requirement for time alignment error is specified in TS 25.142 [12], clause 6.8.4.5.

For NB-IoT, the test requirement for time alignment error is specified in TS 36.141 [9], clause 6.5.3.5.

For NR, the test requirement for time alignment error is specified in TS 38.141-1 [26], clause 6.5.4.5.