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S8820A PROPSIM FS16 Channel Emulation Toolset

Keysight’s S8820A PROPSIM FS16 Channel Emulation Toolset enables users to perform in-lab benchmarking of devices, base stations, digital radio and sensor systems across the entire product workflow.
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Keysight's S8820A PROPSIM FS16 Channel Emulation Toolset enables you to perform in-lab benchmarking of devices, base stations, digital radios, and sensor systems across the entire product workflow – from research and development to acceptance and field performance optimization. The toolset is based on the compact PROPSIM FS16 channel emulator, which emulates the dynamic radio channels between transmitters and receivers in real time. It cost-effectively supports uni-directional and bi-directional fading test configurations required in wireless testing across 5G, LTE and aerospace and defense applications.
The high modularity of the PROPSIM FS16 channel emulator with flexible uni- and bi-directional operation of each RF port enables users to implement cost-effective fading performance test systems for:
- 5G Device MIMO and MIMO OTA fading tests
- 5G Base station MIMO or uplink only Massive MIMO tests
- WLAN 802.11ax access points and devices
- Automotive wireless connectivity validation
- WLAN 802.11ax access point and client testing
- Keysight Virtual Drive Testing Toolset
PROPSIM FS16 supports a wide RF frequency range, from 3MHz to 44GHz, and an ultrawide instantaneous signal bandwidth feature for realistic, repeatable low-cost laboratory testing in the following use cases:
End-to-End Real-World Performance Testing in a Lab

5G introduces new advanced technologies, including wider signal bandwidths, mmWave frequencies and massive MIMO with hybrid beamforming. To address associated complexities, Keysight was the first to market with a 5G NR channel emulation solution, supporting the widest signal bandwidth and highest number of fading channels.
The S8820A PROPSIM FS16 Channel Emulation Toolset is designed for end-to-end realistic and repeatable real-world performance testing in the lab. The solution addresses all 5G NR key technical requirements, including:
- Signal bandwidths up to 400MHz
- Continuous carrier aggregation (CA) schemes up to 1.2GHz
- Massive MIMO using radio channel models defined in TR38.901 for both conducted and over-the-air (OTA) testing, across sub-6GHz and mmWave frequencies
The toolset supports a wide range of deployment scenarios:
- 5G NR non-standalone (NSA) mode (using LTE as an anchor cell)
- 5G NR standalone (SA) mode
- Coexistence scenarios – 5G NR together with 3G and/or 2G cells
- Wi-Fi offloading scenarios
- 802.11ax capable access points and devices up to 7.2GHz
Extend Your Channel Emulation Toolset
By combining the S8820A PROPSIM FS16 Channel Emulation Toolset with Keysight's E7770A Common Interface Unit and Keysight’s remote radio head (M1740A mmWave Transceiver for 5G), the solution extends to also address frequencies in 6-12GHz and mmWave 24/28/37/44GHz bands. Users can validate device and base station performance over-the-air (OTA) with multi OTA probe chambers designed for test cases across the device and base station workflow.
PROPSIM 5G RF fader platform seamlessly integrates with Keysight’s 5G Network Emulation Solution portfolio to coherently emulate complex fading test scenarios with protocol signaling for complete end-to-end device performance testing in sub 6GHz and mmWave bands.
- Massive MIMO Interoperability and Performance Testing
- Device MIMO Over-the-Air Testing
- mmWave Interoperability and Performance Testing
- mmWave Device Multi-beam MIMO Over-the-Air Testing

Channel Studio

Extend your S8820A toolset with Keysight’s F9860000A Channel Studio. The industry-leading Channel Studio software enables you to create customer-specific channel models. Its dynamic modeling capabilities include dynamic mobile speed, multipath profile, range delay, and base station antenna correlation, including noise and inter-symbol interference caused by base station signals as well as distant propagation path reflections to the device.
Channel Studio provides advanced radio channel modeling for:
- Real-time testing and performance evaluation of devices, radio systems, and transceivers with a channel emulator platform
- Wireless link and system level simulation software
Applications:
- Cellular technologies from 2G to 5G
- Wireless LAN up to 802.11 ax/be
- Vehicle-to-vehicle, device-to-device
- Airborne and satellite communications
- 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks
- MANET and mesh networks
- RF Field-to-Lab
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