UTStarcom has launched the SyncRing XGM30E precision time protocol (PTP) grandmaster. The SyncRing XGM30E is designed for mobile networks and other applications requiring accurate time and frequency synchronization. It is an addition to the company’s SyncRing line of network synchronization equipment.
The SyncRing XGM30E is an indoor PTP grandmaster offering echo time accuracy of more than ±40 ns, which can meet the stringent timing requirements of demanding applications including 4G and 5G networks. The clock complies with the PTP IEEE 1588-2008 standard, supporting major ITU-T frequency and phase and time profiles.
SyncRing XGM30E supports synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) output on all service interfaces for accurate frequency synchronization, and SyncE input for enhanced time holdover operation during GNSS outages.
The grandmaster includes an indoor rack-mount design and power supply redundancy with AC or DC built-in options and has flexible management options. The SyncRing XGM30E is available now.
Researchers at Delft University of Technology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and VSL have developed an alternative positioning system that is more robust and accurate than GPS, especially in urban settings.
The aim of the project — SuperGPS — was to develop an alternative positioning system that makes use of the mobile telecommunication network instead of satellites and that has better accuracy than GPS.
The working prototype that demonstrated this new mobile network infrastructure achieved an accuracy of 10 centimeters.
The new technology is important for the implementation of a range of location-based applications, including automated vehicles, quantum communication and next-generation mobile communication systems.
Much of our vital infrastructure relies on GNSS. Yet systems that rely on satellites have limitations and vulnerabilities. For instance, their radio signals are weak when received on Earth, making accurate positioning no longer possible if the radio signals are reflected or blocked by buildings.
“We realized that with a few cutting-edge innovations, the telecommunication network could be transformed into a very accurate alternative positioning system that is independent of GPS,” said Jeroen Koelemeij of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. “We have succeeded and have successfully developed a system that can provide connectivity just like existing mobile and Wi-Fi networks do, as well as accurate positioning and time distribution like GPS.”
Illustration: TU Delft / Stephan Timmers
One innovation is to connect the mobile network to a very accurate atomic clock so that it can broadcast perfectly timed messages for positioning, just like GPS satellites do with the help of the atomic clocks they carry on board. These connections are made through the existing fiber-optic network.
“With these techniques, we can turn the network into a nationwide distributed atomic clock — with many new applications such as very accurate positioning through mobile networks,” said Erik Dierikx, VSL. “With the hybrid optical-wireless system that we have demonstrated now, in principle anyone can have wireless access to the national time produced at VSL. It basically forms an extremely accurate radio clock that is good to one billionth of a second.”
The system also employs radio signals with a bandwidth much larger than commonly used. “Buildings reflect radio signals, which can confuse navigation devices. The large bandwidth of our system helps sorting out these confusing signal reflections, and enables higher positioning accuracy,” explained Gerard Janssen of Delft University of Technology. “At the same time, bandwidth within the radio spectrum is scarce and therefore expensive. We circumvent this by using a number of related small bandwidth radio signals spread over a large virtual bandwidth. This has the advantage that only a small fraction of the virtual bandwidth is actually used and the signals can be very similar to those of mobile phones.”
The results of the peer-reviewed research have been published in Nature.
U‑blox has added a GNSS receiver module to its cellular LTE Cat 1 portfolio. The GNSS receiver in the LENA-R8 is based on the u‑blox M10 platform.
U-blox also introduced the LARA-R6, its smallest LTE Cat 1 module with global coverage. Together, the modules comprise five certified global, multi-regional and regional product variants, simplifying logistics for product developers and increasing design flexibility.
Both modules offer device makers facing imminent 2G and 3G network sunsets a future-proof migration path to 4G technology for data-streaming applications.
Additionally, they offer MQTT Anywhere and MQTT Flex connectivity via u‑blox’s Thingstream platform out of the box, thereby enabling low-power, low-cost connectivity with globally ubiquitous, seamless roaming.
Tracking and Telematics
The LENA-R8 standard-grade module series targets customers in the tracking and telematics markets seeking to minimize costs associated to their bill of material and data charges. The compact module balances cost and performance with single Rx antenna and primarily targets customer deployments in the Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America regions.
The LENA-R8 supports a broad range of frequency bands with 2G fallback, providing maximum roaming coverage for global tracking applications using a single stock keeping unit (SKU).
A variant of the LENA-R8 series comes with an ultra-low power u‑blox M10 GNSS receiver for high performance asset tracking applications, reducing integration effort and time to market. Making no compromises in terms of GNSS performance, the module can concurrently receive up to four GNSS constellations for maximum position availability.
CellLocate Support
All variants of the LARA-R6 and LENA-R8 family support CellLocate, u‑blox’s cellular network-based location service, for coarse positioning data even in the absence of GNSS signals.
Engineering samples will be available in February.
Test and measurement specialist Rohde & Schwarz has supplied mobile network testing tools used in drone-based network coverage, performance and operation tests managed by Ericsson, a global leader in network infrastructure.
Testing mobile coverage. A project team based in Jorvas, Finland, and led by Ericsson’s 5G Readiness Program RAN Technical Lead Richard Wirén, has developed— together with Centria University of Applied Sciences — a novel system for testing cellular mobile network coverage.
The new system uses mobile network-testing scanners and smartphones from Rohde & Schwarz mounted on a drone that can be programmed to execute automatic tests with considerable flexibility, for example for precise route selection and drone speed control.
This solution is especially valuable for industrial use cases. It also has the advantages over traditional walk and drive tests by providing unprecedented repeatability and positional accuracy with the ability to verify beamforming and map coverage in 3D.
Drone-mounted scanner. The R&S TSMA6 network scanner is mounted on a drone and is able to simultaneously verify important LTE and 5G NR coverage metrics such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) in accordance with 3GPP standards.
When combined with the R&S QualiPoc Android smartphone-based optimizer, IP trace, application quality of service (QoS) metrics such as serving cell parameters are possible. The solution currently uses LTE user equipment (UE) but will soon be further developed to include 5G UEs such as the Samsung S10 5G.
The drone can be programmed to follow an exact three-dimensional route.
Repeatable tests. More than 20 successful measurement flights conducted so far have shown the solution procedure and results to be extremely repeatable. The drone flights were of various duration, altitudes and routes, depending on the test case.
Control, authentication and air traffic control are considerable challenges to the development of robust drone-based solutions. In this new system they are conducted over cellular networks, eliminating the requirement for line-of-sight connection between the drone and its pilot.
The unique procedure enables unprecedented 3D accessibility, positional accuracy and repeatability of the testing.
It also opens up new possibilities to ensure end-user QoS for demanding 5G use cases such as industry 4.0, automotive and public safety, Rohde & Scwarz said.
5G New Radio. The deployment of 5G New Radio (NR) brings new applications of cellular networks for subscribers, government and industry. It also makes the verification of the correct coverage, performance and operation of networks more critical, increasing the demand for accuracy and accessibility in traditional field network tests.
“For 5G to realize its promise, field verification of operation and quality is essential, and this development is a pioneering way to ensure our customers receive the network performance they require,” said Richard Wirén, 5G Readiness Program RAN Technical Lead from Ericsson. “We are delighted to utilize test solutions from Rohde & Schwarz that have proven themselves very reliable and are excited that we now have access to solutions based on commercially available 5G NR UEs such as the Samsung S10 5G.”
“We are delighted to combine our industry-leading mobile network testing know-how with Ericsson’s long tradition of network innovations to ensure the delivery of end-user Quality of Experience as 5G NR becomes a reality,” said Hanspeter Bobst, vice president of mobile network testing for Rohde & Schwarz.
Ericsson and Rohde & Schwarz are collaborating with Tampere University and Centria University of Applied Sciences, and the project forms part of the Business Finland 5G FORCE program.
Future developments will focus on testing critical 5G applications such as public safety and machine-type communications for Industry 4.0, extending the frequency to extremely high frequencies of the mmWave bands and testing in an urban environment.
