Making WiMAX work in an evolving market

Wireless communication systems are becoming increasingly complicated. They are shifting to higher frequencies and wider bandwidths to support high-speed communications, with the IEEE 802.16 WiMAX Standard an excellent example.

When developing WiMAX equipment, engineers must be sure it performs in the higher frequencies of the WiMAX spectrum. At the manufacturing stage, equipment must be tested efficiently. Once delivered and deployed, WiMAX sending and receiving equipment is subject to the usual challenges of antenna and transmission device tuning and radio interference.

All of these scenarios call for a new generation of test tools with excellent accuracy and wideband analysis at the higher frequencies utilized by WiMAX. In addition, equipment must be flexible to support WiMAX profiles which may vary from region to region and are frequently revised.

This area is designed as a one-stop reference for engineers involved in WiMAX testing and measurement including the selection of test equipment and software suites, the setup of base stations and antennas, and ongoing maintenance of Mobile and Fixed WiMAX communications systems. Here you'll find the latest news, educational documents and web seminars, as well as information on the latest products from Anritsu.

Education

Get Practical Tips from our WiMAX Webinars

Understanding WiMAX
This Webinar is designed as an introduction to WiMAX. Topics include the evolution of the IEEE 802.16 standard, the role of the WiMAX Forum, and Physical Layer features as they apply to Fixed and Mobile WiMAX. OFDM will be examined in the frequency domain and OFDMA will be examined in the time domain. Other topics include the ISI and the cyclic prefix, and subchannels and permutation zones.

Deploying and Testing WiMAX in the field.
Wireline/wireless, DSL, CLEC, and ISP operators are getting ready to deploy WiMAX networks to offer the best personal broadband experience. In this webinar, both new and experienced engineers will learn how to save time by automating measurements with tools from Anritsu.

Mobile WiMAX Installation, Field Test and Maintenance
Installing and maintaining 4G communications systems such as WiMAX are becoming increasingly complicated with the shift to higher frequencies and wider bandwidths. As these networks are deployed it becomes extremely important to properly test these systems to offer optimal performance and service to subscribers, in order to drive adoption and growth of WiMAX services.

Primer

A WiMAX Primer
WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a telecommunications communications technology based on wireless transmission methods defined by the IEEE 802.16 air interface standard. Intended for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WirelessMan), it can provide broadband wireless access at distances up to 30 miles for fixed stations, and up to 10 miles for mobile stations.

Potential WiMAX uses include high-speed mobile data and telecommunications services (e.g. 4G) providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last-mile broadband access and connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and with the internet.

To meet the requirements of different types of access, two versions of WiMAX have been defined. Both are engineered to help deliver ubiquitous, high-throughput broadband wireless services at a low cost.

Fixed WiMAX (defined in IEEE 802.16-2004) is popular with alternative service providers and operators in developing areas due to low cost of deployment, advanced performance, and ready availability of current products. Fixed WiMAX is also a possibility for backhaul of wireless base stations such as cellular, WiFi and other technologies.

Mobile WiMAX (defined in IEEE 802.16e-2005 and often referred to as "802.16e") improves on the modulation schemes defined in the Fixed WiMAX standard, and offers improved multipath performance in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments enabled by the adoption of SOFDMA (Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology. The enhancements offered over Fixed WiMAX can be attributed to many features including the following:

Improved robustness through coverage by the use of antenna diversity techniques and HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request)
Use of sub-channelization to improve multipath performance
Enhanced data security and date recovery performance through the use of coding techniques such as Convolutional Coding and Convolutional Turbo Coding
Improved performance coverage by the use of Adaptive Antenna Systems (AAS) and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology.

Library

Fixed WiMAX [Troubleshooting Guide]

Mobile WiMAX [Troubleshooting Guide]