Mobile technologies today demand faster data speeds and the latest services. To answer the rising demand, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) developed Release 8 standards to define a new radio access technology optimized for all IP-based traffic, called Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE addresses the needs of mobile, fixed, and portable wireless broadband access. Alongside LTE development is the evolution of the core architecture called System Architecture Evolution (SAE), which maximizes data throughput and minimizes latency and network complexity.

LTE eNodeB Wrap Test Soluiton

The new functional elements in the LTE/SAE network include:

• Evolved Node B (eNB) - supports the LTE air interface and performs radio resource management
• Serving Gateway (SGW) - routes and forwards data packets, acting as the mobility anchor for the user plane
• Mobility Management Entity (MME) - manages mobility, UE identities and security parameters
• Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) - provides the UE with connectivity to the external packet data networks
• With years of UMTS testing experience, Ixia is well suited to perform LTE testing using the leading-edge IxCatapult test platform.

For eNB testing, Ixia specifically offers a full wrap around test solution. For UE simulation, Ixia has paired the Signalion SORBAS Test UE with IxCatapult to jointly simulate user equipment behavior on:

• User plane data
• Non Access Stratum (NAS)
• Radio Resource Control (RRC)
• Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)
• Radio Link Control (RLC)
• Medium Access Control (MAC) and physical layers.

In addition, the wrap around solution can simulate the control plane element, MME, the user plane element, SGW, as well as other eNodeBs.

Ixia's LTE testing systems provide network equipment manufacturers and service providers with full wrap around capability for eNodeB testing consistent with 3GPP standards.

Key features for eNodeB testing include:

• Scalable to support network testing of high peak user data rates and high average data throughput
• Simulates multi-UEs in a cell or sector with a single SORBAS Test UE
• Tests both control (signaling) and user plane
• Simulated nodes including MME, SGW, eNodeB and one or more UEs
• Supported interfaces: S1-MME, X2-C, S1-U, X2-U, Uu
• Supported protocols: S1-AP, X2-AP, GTP-U, (S1-U and X2-U), NAS, RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, physical
• Bearer testing: Audio, video, data and high user plane load
• Bit Level testing: BERT/BLERT
• Packet Level (QoS): RTCP Extended Report (packet loss, jitter, latency, etc.)
• Quality of Experience (QoE): PESQ, PEVQ
• X•Stream High Rate Packet Generation up to 1Gbps per S1 and X2 physical links
• IP Passthrough, which allows any external IP client or server application to transmit payload traffic such as FTP and HTTP sessions to the DUT
• Security: IPsec, TLS, ROHC, integrity protection and confidentiality (NAS and RRC)

Key LTE test scenarios covered are:

• Stress Testing Network Elements:
• Peak data rates
• User-plane throughput
• Control-plane capacity
• QoS
• Functional Testing
• Verify new network element (eNodeB) and new interfaces (S1, X2, Uu)
• User and control plane latency
• Mobility - handovers, security
• Radio resource management
• Negative testing
• Interoperability with GSM/UMTS/CDMA2000/WiMAX/IMS
• Handover scenarios
• Service and Support

Whitepaper

• eNode B Wraparound Testing

Brochures

• TD-LTE Solution Guide (Chinese) - outlines Ixia's solution for LTE UE simulation over TDD, including details of functional and performance test capabilities.