XAir2 LTE Module

The XAir2 LTE load module supports LTE UE simulation at the 3GPP LTE UU interface. The XAir2 module provides a rich array testing capabilities for all layers of 3GPP LTE User Equipment including the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC and NAS protocols. In conjunction with the Ixia PerfectStorm 10G Load Module and IxLoad, the XAir2 provides a complete evolved Node-B (eNB) test environment in a single powerful, intuitive, and easy to use system. Application layer traffic such as VoLTE, HTTP, FTP and streaming video can be generated on 1 or 1000s of simulated UEs. These simulated UEs can support the latest LTE Advanced PRO functionality for increased throughput such as multiple carrier aggregation (FDD and TDD).

XAir2 provides all of the key features and capabilities provided by the previous generation XAir XM module. In addition, the XAir2 module provides support for an increased number of carriers, increased throughput and the latest of LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced PRO PHY and MAC functionality.

Key Features

The XAir2 LTE load module features continue to be significantly enhanced with a steady stream of frequent and new software releases. New features and enhancements to existing features as defined in the 3GPP Release 10, Release 11,12 and 13 3GPP specifications. Not all of the features listed below will be available in the initial release. For a detailed description of available features, please consult Ixia representative.

Part Numbers

Part Numbers for XAir2 LTE Load Module and Supported Adapters are provided in the following table.

Part Numbers for XAir2 LTE Module
Model Number Part Number Description

XAir2

960-0518

  • 3GPP LTE UE Simulation Module

  • 1-slot

  • CPRI and 10GE interfaces

  • IxLoad Application Test Support

 

Specifications

The load module specifications are contained in the following table.

XAir2 LTE Load Module Specifications
Feature NOVUS-R100GE8Q28+FAN

Hardware Load Module Specifications

Chassis Slots Used

1 slot

Physical Interfaces per module

16

Number of CPRI Ports

4

Number of 10G Ethernet Ports

1

CPU and Memory

Multicore processor with 32GB Memory

Load Module Dimensions

17.3” (L) x 1.3” (W) x 12.0” (H)

440mm (L) x 33mm (W) x 305mm (H)

Load Module Weights

Module only: 12.9 lbs (5.85 kg)

Shipping: 19.7 lbs (8.94 kg)

Temperature

Operating: 41°F to 104°F (5°C to 40°C)

Storage: 41°F to 122°F (5°C to 50°C)

Humidity

Operating: 0% to 85%, non-condensing

Storage: 0% to 85%, non-condensing

Chassis Capacity: Maximum Number of XAir2 Cards per Chassis Model

XGS12-SD Chassis (940-0011)

12 load modules, 48 carriers

XGS2-SD Chassis (940-0010)

2 load modules, 8 carriers

LTE PHY Features

Number of carriers

4 carriers per XAir2 module

Bandwidths

5,10,15,20 MHz

CPRI line rate options

3,5 and 7 (2457.6, 4915.2, 9830.4 Mbit/s)

Bands

Supports all 3GPP defined LTE bands in the 400MHz to 6000 MHz range

Duplex

FDD, TDD

Physical Antenna Configurations

1x1, 2x2

Transmission Modes

TM1, TM2, TM3, TM4

Carrier Aggregation

2CA and 3CA Downlink in all R12 supported combinations of FDD and TDD

Channel Modeling

Custom channel modeling and pre-defined DL channel models based on 3GPP TS 36.101 (AWGN, EPA5Hz, EVA5Hz, EVA70Hz, ETU70Hz, ETU300Hz, HST)

Layer 4-7 Application Traffic Testing Support

Data

UDP, HTTP, HTTPS, TCP Session, FTP

Video

RTSP, IPTV, VoD

Voice

Advanced VoIP SIP & RTP, Audio & Video Codecs, VoLTE, MSRP, SMS, includes: Voice Quality and Video Quality for conversational video traffic

Access

IPv4, IPv6

 

Application Support

The Ixia application support for the XAir2 load module is provided in the following table:

XAir2 LTE Load Module Application Support
Application Support

Tcl API

Allows custom user script development for layer 2-7 testing.

IxLoad

Provides a scalable L4-7 solution for simulating a broad variety of traffic mixes commonly found on LTE User Equipment devices including Voice, Video and Data.

Additional Specifications

Front Panel

There are a total of 16 SFP+ transceiver ports on the XAir2 front panel with 8 labeled CPRI 1-8 and 8 more labeled Port 1-8. Not all ports are currently used on the XAir2 LTE product with the remaining unused ports available for possible future expansion features. The ports currently supported are CPRI 1, CPRI 2, CPRI 5, CPRI 6 and Port 4.

The front panel of the XAir2 LTE load module is shown in the following figure:

Figure: Front panel of XAir2 Load Module

LED Panel

The XAir2 LTE card has 16 multi-color LEDs visible on the front panel. Each LED is located directly below or directly above a SFP+ transceiver port. These LEDs provide you with a visible status related to the operation of each of the XAir2 ports. Not all SFP+ ports are currently used on the XAir2 module as described above. Therefore, the LEDs associated with ports that are not used are off. A description of the LEDs for the ports that are active on the XAir2 module are described in the table below.

LED panel Specifications for XAir2 LTE Load Module
SFP+ Port Label Active Port Numbers Description
    LED Color Meaning

CPRI

1, 2, 5, 6

Off

No test actively running

Red

Test running, no CPRI sync

Blue

Test running, CPRI Hyperframe sync but no LTE radio frame alignment

Yellow

Test running, CPRI Hyperframe sync and Radio Frame alignment successful, but no BCH sync

Green

Test running and BCH is being decoded

PORT

4

Off

No Link or no test actively running

Yellow

Test running, No Link Status on 10GE

Green

Test running, 10GE Link Status

Note: If more than one carrier is configured to utilize the same CPRI port, it is possible that one carrier is indicating Yellow (Radio Frame Alignment) and the second carrier is indicating Green (BCH decoded). In this case, the LED color will be Yellow, indicating that at least one of the carriers is not successfully decoding BCH. An example of this scenarios is where the radio is being used to support 2 independent 2x2 MIMO carriers (primary carriers or a primary and secondary carrier). The radio has a single CPRI connection supporting both carriers in this configuration. This would be different than the radio supporting a single 4x4 carrier.

Transceivers and Cables

The XAir2 LTE load module supports optical transceivers and fiber cables for each of the physical interfaces that are enabled for the product. The following SFP+ transceivers are supported and qualified on the specified SFP+ port.

Transceivers and Cables for XAir2 LTE Load Module
SFP+ Port Label Active Port Numbers Ixia Part Number Description

CPRI

1, 2, 5, 6

988-0012

Optical Singlemode, LC-LC 1310nm transceiver with pluggable SFP+ interface and 3m LC-LC singlemode optical cable. This provides the direct CPRI connection to the Ixia 6 GHz Wideband Radio.

Note: This SFP+ transceiver is also compatible with all 10/1 Gigabit Ethernet Novus, PerfectStorm, and Firestorm load modules and appliances.

PORT

4

988-0011

Optical Multimode, LC-LC 850nm transceiver with pluggable SFP+ interface and 3m LC-LC multimode optical cable. This SFP+ and cable provides the connectivity between the PerfectStorm L4-7 IxLoad application module and the XAir2 LTE module through the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch provided with the Ixia LTE Access XGS Connection Kit.

Note: This SFP+ transceiver is also compatible with all 10/1 Gigabit Ethernet Novus, PerfectStorm, and Firestorm load modules and appliances.

955-8123

Optical Multimode, LC-LC 850nm transceiver with pluggable SFP+ interface and 3m LC-LC multimode optical cable. This SFP+ and cable provides the connectivity between the PerfectStorm L4-7 IxLoad application module and the XAir2 LTE module through the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch provided with the Ixia LTE Access XGS Connection Kit.

Additional Hardware Required with XAir2 LTE

General Information

The complete XAir2 LTE Access UE Simulation solution requires several other hardware and software components. The additional hardware items are listed in the table below.

Additional Hardware Required with the XAir2 LTE Module
Category Options Ixia Part Number

Chassis

XGS12-SD, 12-slot chassis bundle with Standard Processor Module

940-0011

XGS2-SD, 2-slot chassis bundle with Standard Processor Module

940-0010

Connection Kit

LTE Access XGS Connection Kit. One connection kit is required for every chassis with an XAir2 module present

949-1035

Radio

LTE Access 6GHz Wideband Radio

949-1034

Radio Connection Enclosure

LTE Access Radio Connection Enclosure (RCE) Standard 700 MHz-2700MHz

949-1026

LTE Access Radio Connection Enclosure (RCE) High Band 1000MHz-3900MHz

949-1029

Radio

The XAir2 Module is connected to the Device Under Test (DUT), typically an evolved-NodeB (eNB) through a Radio Frequency (RF) connection provided by the Ixia 6GHz Wideband Radio. The specifications for this radio are provided in the table below.

Figure: Ixia 6GHz Wideband Radio

 

LTE Access 6GHz Wideband Radio
Feature XAir2 Specification

Physical Dimensions

 

General

19” Rack Mount

Height

1U

Depth

<500mm

Weight

<12kg

Mounting

Tool-less Rack Mount Kit (included)

Environmental

 

Operating Temperature

+5C to +50C

Humidity

0% to 85%, non-condensing

Power

 

Mains Power

100 – 240 VAC, 50-60 Hz

Front Panel Interfaces

 

Receiver inputs

4 SMA connectors, female

Transmitter outputs

4 SMA connectors, female

Status LED

16 multi colour LEDs

Rear Panel Interfaces

 

Mains input

IEC-C14

CPRI

Duplex LC

Ethernet

RJ45

Note: The Ethernet Port is designed for compatibility with an Ethernet cable meeting the requirements for Category 5e or Category 6, however the Ethernet port is not used in the Ixia IxLoad LTE Access solution and no Ethernet cable is required.

RF Specifications

 

Frequency Range

400MHx – 5925MHz

Bandwidths Supported

5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz, 20MHz

Display status indication

 

Sys Clk

  • Green Flashing = Not locked
  • Green=Locked

SFP1 status

(Only SFP 1 on Radio 0 is externally accessible)

  • Off=SFP not present
  • Orange = Initializing
  • Green = Link active

AxC TX

(TX baseband configuration status)

  • Orange = Awaiting config
  • Green = Configured for data

AxC RX

(RX baseband configuration status)

  • Orange = Awaiting config
  • Green = Configured for data

RF TX ports

Green = Active

RF RX ports

Green = Active

STS

(CPRI link embedded Ethernet status)

  • CPRI link embedded Ethernet status:
  • Orange = Initialising
  • Flashing Green = Network discovery
  • Green = configured to network