New-Tech Europe Magazine | February 2018

Testing Bluetooth® low energy systems

Johan Wallblad, Anritsu Europe

Almost every time a new product is being engineered today the question is raised whether it can be beneficial to be able to communicate with it for the purposes of information gathering or control: a concept which, has become known as the “Internet of Things” (IoT). In most cases the simplest and cheapest way of achieving this is via a wireless enabler of communication. There are many, sometimes competing, wireless technologies available for enabling the IoT over relatively short ranges using so-called Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) communication, but for IoT applications requiring very low power consumption the one expected to have the largest spread in consumer devices is Bluetooth low energy (BLE). In 2016, practically 100 percent of shipped smartphones were enabled with Bluetooth technology and more than 90% were Bluetooth low energy

capable [Bluetooth Market Watch, Nov 2016, ABI Research] As the market for IoT connected products grows, there will be a big increase in wireless testing needs. Traditionally, the major users of wireless test equipment have been the semiconductor companies making the wireless chipsets and the mobile handset manufacturers. Such companies already have extensive experience in wireless production testing and can easily adapt their existing setups for new technologies or requirements. However, there are new types of organizations entering this market. One common example might be a small startup developing smart software applications for products such as home automation appliances or fitness monitors. Another example might be a traditional company making a completely different type of product, such as automated power

tools or robotic lawn mowers. Such companies are ideal potential users of Bluetooth low energy technology, but they may be resource constrained or lack experience with RF development and in particular, RF test and measurement. What such developers share is the requirement for a test solution that is cost effective, validated, flexible and scalable, and easy to use while at the same time powerful. The Bluetooth Low Energy Test System is a turn- key solution addressing those needs and is now available as the result of a joint development programme by Anritsu and RTX (Fig.1) The new validated test solution is based on the Anritsu MT8852B Bluetooth test set and the RTX 2300 production test system. Anritsu is an Associate Bluetooth SIG member and helped develop the Bluetooth Core Specification. The MT8852 series has been used worldwide since

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