GPS conformance testing

has announced a comprehensive test capability designed to address the rapidly emerging development and conformance test requirements of Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) location-based services for mobile phones.

Aimed at reducing time to market and the need for costly field trials by testing A-GPS implementation in the laboratory, the new test capability includes systems for all the major cellular technologies-GSM (2G), GPRS/EDGE (2.5G), UMTS (3G) and CDMA (CDMA2000 to 1x-EVDO).

The Aeroflex A-GPS location-based test systems are said to provide a single solution for both the verification of signalling protocols and RF performance testing of A-GPS mobile devices.

"The requirement for robust and comprehensive location-based conformance test systems is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon," said Paul Argent, Aeroflex's product manager responsible for location-based services. "This development was initially driven by the needs of the emergency services for which the FCC has set aggressive timescales for the mandatory support of accurate location-based services by the end of 2005. We fully expect the requirement to take on a wider dimension as network operators worldwide look to generate revenue streams from highly accurate, commercially-oriented location-based services that A-GPS will be able to deliver."

The Aeroflex A-GPS location-based test systems reportedly provide a fully integrated environment for repeatable R&D and conformance verification testing. The systems combine a 12 channel GPS simulator with Aeroflex's conformance test platforms that are already used in the cellular industry.

The systems include test case packages for 3GPP and 3GPP2 wireless standards, Network Assistance Data elements for flexible control over assistance data messaging and support for Location Services (LCS) message exchange, along with support for MS-Based and MS-Assisted positioning methods. The new test systems also support control and user plane techniques using LCS protocols, real-time logging/decoding of protocol signalling messages between mobile and network, and automatic report generation and analysis of results for the device under test.

Aeroflex's GSM and GPRS/EDGE A-GPS System is based on the Aeroflex 6103 AIME/CT GSM Conformance Test System and includes a Serving Mobile Location Centre (SMLC) emulator for control over Assistance Data Messaging as well as all the GPS signalling test cases as defined by 3GPP TS 51.010. Although there are currently no RF performance test cases defined for GSM, the system has been designed to be upgradeable for such support.

Aeroflex's UMTS A-GPS System is based on the Aeroflex 6401 AIME/CT UMTS Conformance Test System. It includes the same SMLC emulator as the GSM system along with the protocol signalling test cases as defined by 3GPP TS 34.123 and the RF performance test cases as defined by 3GPP TS 34.171.

Aeroflex's CDMA A-GPS System is based on the Aeroflex 6204 CDMA Conformance Test System. It includes a fully software emulated IS801 Position Determination Entity (PDE) network element for control over Assistance Data Messaging and support for all GPS, Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) and Hybrid, protocol signalling and RF performance test cases defined by TIA 916 (C.S0036).