Deliver on the full value of 5G with the industry-leading suite of cloud-enabled timing and synchronization solutions.
The arrival of 5th generation cellular technology has been accompanied by exponentially faster speeds, lower latency, and increased densification, along with significant updates to timing and synchronization requirements. Millimeter wave frequencies and shorter wavelengths make formerly insignificant timing errors detrimental, while service delivery incorporating disaggregated 5G RAN, beamforming, and Massive MIMO demands more tightly choreographed system performance than ever before.
These new requirements are pushing the limits of global network satellite system (GNSS) constellations, including the global positioning system (GPS) timing source servicing the United States. Maintaining precise timing and synchronization for 5G networks requires an equally precise set of test tools and practices to safeguard quality of service.
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VIAVI is Enabling 5G Timing and Synchronization
We partner with operators and service providers to help them overcome the challenges presented by stringent timing and synchronization requirements. Decades of collaboration and partnership with customers, equipment manufacturers, and standards bodies including the O-RAN Alliance, IEEE, and 3GPP have contributed to a suite of innovative solutions with intuitive test workflows and advanced capabilities including:
- Precision Time Protocol (PTP) conformance testing to verify all network clocks are synchronized and the timing errors between clocks are within acceptable limits.
- Time division duplex (TDD) frame and slot testing to verify adjacent 5G networks and cell sites do not experience interference based on simultaneous uplink and downlink communication over the same frequency.
- GNSS reception testing to determine the most viable GPS antenna locations, characterize signal strength from visible satellites, and map satellite positions to ensure diversity of signals.
- Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) protocol testing to verify clock performance in an Ethernet-based distributed system by quantifying time errors, packet delay variation, and floor packet percentile (FPP) using an emulated PTP clock.
Timing and Synchronization Solutions from VIAVI
VIAVI timing and synchronization solutions have the features needed to ensure conformance to the rigorous PTP/1588v2 and ITU-T standards that keep 5G and LTE wireless networks running like clockwork.
- OneAdvisor 800 Wireless is the first field-test device to perform fast over-the-air (OTA) timing and sync analysis for 5G cell sites. Real-time spectrum analysis provides a detailed representation of TDD LTE and 5G carriers that can prevent interference. MIMO verification and signal analysis can quickly detect impediments that disrupt coverage and service quality. The compact OneAdvisor 800 Wireless also performs advanced fiber, RF, timing and sync, and CPRI/Ethernet testing.
- T-BERD/MTS-5800 supports 5G timing and synchronization testing throughout the entire network service lifecycle. In addition to GPS signal verification and time error testing to the PTP protocol, the T-BERD/MTS-5800 can be used to verify SyncE performance and complete one-way delay and PDV (packet delay) testing over the network. The field-ready T-BERD/MTS 5800 also performs inspection, fiber, optics, and multi-protocol network tests.
With the collective wisdom and participation of 5G operators, service providers, and standards bodies around the world, together we can rise to the challenges brought on by stringent 5G timing and synchronization requirements.
