Tunable Notch Filter
The Ranatec Tunable Band Reject Filters are critical tools for adaptation to stringent new ETSI/3GPP conformance test specifications for mobile device radio properties, that covers all sub-6-GHz mobile bands and channel bandwidths for 2G/3G/4G/5G. The new RI 268 targets device testing for mobile 2G/3G/4G/5G, WiFi 4/5/6/6E/7, Bluetooth, and covers all sub-8-GHz channel plans for design verification, product certification and product testing. The Ranatec Tunable Band Reject Filters are designed for formal conformance testing performed by accredited test houses, as well as internal verification by mobile device vendors. A flexible and easy to use test automation platform to support almost any ambition level, tailored to your demands.
The Tunable Band Reject Filters are fully equipped for conformance testing across all existing mobile bands and WiFi channels up to and including 8000 MHz. Filter characteristics remain constant across the entire frequency range. Frequency extension units are available as an option to complement the tunable band reject filters, extending the pass band up to 26.5 GHz or 40 GHz.
Overview
Tunable Band Reject Filter
Available as the following versions:
| Product | Tunable center frequency | Reject band 1 | Reject band 2 |
| RI 268 | 600-8000 MHz | 5 MHz | 160 MHz |
| RI 266 | 600-2700 MHz
700-6000 MHz |
5 MHz
– |
–
100 MHz |
| RI 264 | 600-2700 MHz | 5 MHz | – |
| RI 263 | 700-6000 MHz | – | 100 MHz |
| RI 262 | 600-4200 MHz | – | 100 MHz |
| RI 261 | 700-3800 MHz | – | 20 MHz |
| RI 260 | 700-2700 MHz | – | 20 MHz |
RI 268
Combined 5 & 160 MHz Tunable Band Reject Filter
600-8000 MHz
Features
- Combined 5 & 160 MHz reject bandwidth
-
Frequency tunable between 600 – 8000 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 2.5 ppm frequency stability
- 35 dB band reject depth
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime
- Remote control via LAN
- Rack mountable
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 268 | Combined 5 & 160 MHz tunable band reject filters 600-8000 MHz | 600-800
800-1000 1400-2050 2050-2700 3300-3750 3750-4200 4400-5000 5000-5600 5600-6200 6200-6800 6800-7400 7400-8000 |
480-1520
680-1720 1130-2320 1780-2970 2830-4220 3280-3750 4080-5320 4680-5920 5280-6520 5880-7120 6480-7720 7080-8320 |
5 / 160 | 3 / 10 |
Ordering
-
RI 268 Tunable Band Reject Filter
- RI 4278 Frequency Extension Box 40 GHz
Overview
The RI 268 is a high-performance digitally tunable band reject filter. It is fully equipped to conform to all existing sub-6-GHz mobile bands and all sub-7.125-GHz WiFi channels. This is achieved by ingenious microwave design, digital signal processing and use of state-of-the-art components. A frequency extension option for conformance testing up to 40 GHz is available.
Application
- Conformance testing according to TS 136 521-1 (LTE) and TS 138 521-1 (5G NR)
- WiFi testing according to IEEE 802.11.
- Spurious emissions measurements
- Receiver blocking measurements
- Design verification of radio transmitters and receivers
RI 266
600-2700 & 700-6000 MHz
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 600 – 6000 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 266 | Combined 5 & 100 MHz tunable band reject filters 600-2700 & 700-6000 MHz | 600-1000
1400-2000 2000-2700 700-1000 1400-2000 2000-2700 3300-4200 4400-5000 5150-5925 |
550-1600
1000-2400 1700-3000 600-1600 1000-2400 1700-3000 3200-4300 4000-5400 4925-6000 |
5
100 |
10 |
Ordering
-
RI 266 Tunable Band Reject Filter
- RI 4276 Frequency Extension Box 26.5 GHz
Product Description
The RI 266 is fully equipped for conformance testing across all existing mobile bands. Narrow bands (1.4, 3 and 5 MHz bandwidth channels) are defined from 450 to 2 700 MHz, and broad bands (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 MHz bandwidth channels) are defined from 600 to 5000 MHz. In addition, there are 3GPP V2X channels of 10 and 20 MHz bandwidth from 5150 to 5925 MHz. Filter characteristics remain constant across the entire frequency range. A frequency extension unit is available as an option, extending the pass band up to 26,5 GHz.
Programmable attenuators are included at both input and output of the RI 266 in order to allow signal level settings for optimum performance.
The basic test set-up for Transmitter output spurious emissions verification is shown in the figure below.
The mobile device under test can be set to transmit at any narrow band mobile channel and the RI 266 band reject filter programmed to suppress the transmitted signal at least 30 dB without impacting the level of any spurious emissions from the mobile device. As a result, the problem of the limited dynamic range of the spectrum analyzer is avoided.
To verify the receiver blocking characteristics of the mobile device under test, the basic test set-up looks as in the figure below.
RI 264
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 600 – 2700 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | filter bandwidth [MHz] | filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 264 | Tunable 5 MHz band reject filter 450-2700 MHz | 600-1000
1400-2000 2000-2700 |
550-1600
1000-2400 1700-3000 |
5 | 1.4 |
RI 263
100 MHz Tunable Band Reject Filter 700-6000 MHz
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 700 – 6000 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 263 | Tunable band reject filter 700-6000 MHz | 700-1000
1400-2000 2000-2700 3300-4200 4400-5000 5150-5925 |
600-1600
1000-2400 1700-3000 3200-4300 4000-5400 4925-6150 |
100 | 10 |
RI 262
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 600 – 4200 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 262 | Tunable band reject filter 600-4200 MHz | 600-700
700-1000 1400-2000 2000-2700 3300-3400 3400-3800 3800-4200 |
300-1100
600-1200 1200-2200 1700-3000 2700-4000 3100-4100 3500-4300 |
100 | 10 |
RI 261
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 700 – 3800 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 261 | Tunable band reject filter 700-3800 MHz | 698-1000
1400-2000 2000-2700 3400-3800 |
600-1200
1200-2200 1700-3000 3100-4100 |
20 | 10 |
RI 260
Features
-
Frequency tunable between 700 – 2700 MHz
- 1 kHz center frequency resolution
- 25 ppm frequency stability
- 20 MHz reject bandwidth as standard *
- 35 dB band reject depth as standard *
- Filter characteristics can be selected in runtime **
- 19”, 3 U rack mountable
- Remote control via LAN
- LabView drivers
* Other filter characteristics available on request
** Multiple filter characteristics available on request
Technical Data
| Model Number | Description | Frequency bands for filter center frequency [MHz] | Measurement bands [MHz] | Filter bandwidth [MHz] | Filter slopes [MHz] |
| RI 260 | Tunable band reject filter 700-2700 MHz | 698-1000
1400-2000 2000-2700 |
600-1200
1200-2200 1700-3000 |
20 | 10 |
Background
Connected devices and mobile applications require wireless network access that is resilient, secure and able to protect individuals’ privacy. For this reason, a massive number of harmonized standards and specifications have been developed by the wireless industry. Conformance to these standards and specifications is the way to accomplish resilient and secure wireless access.
More specifically, ETSI/3GPP has released an extensive conformance test specifications (TS 136 521-1 for LTE and TS 138 521-1 for 5G NR) that stipulate how and to what levels the radio properties of a mobile device should be verified in order to enable high quality wireless access. Two important objectives for the conformance test specification are to detail requirements applicable for any mobile device with respect to:
- Transmitter output spurious emissions
- Receiver blocking characteristics
(Receiver blocking characteristic is a measure of the receiver’s ability to receive a wanted signal in the presence of an unwanted interferer.)
Appropriate testing and conformance to these requirements are needed to safeguard the quality of the wireless access for an individual user as well as for the overall network performance.
In some cases, the performance requirements – and hence the test levels – are so stringent that the capabilities of conventional test instruments are not enough. This is in particular the case for commercially available:
- Spectrum analyzers – that do not have the dynamic range needed to fully verify transmitter output spurious emissions
- Signal generators – that exhibit too much broadband noise to adequately verify receiver blocking characteristics
To address this, Ranatec has developed the RI 266 – a state-of-the-art, programmable notch filter. The RI 266 extends the dynamic range in spurious emission measurements with at least 30 dB by selectively suppressing the wanted transmitted signal, while leaving the spurious outputs unaffected. Similarly, the RI 266 can be set up to lower the noise level at the wanted receive frequency from any signal generator with up to the same amount, thus enabling adequate verification of receiver blocking characteristics.
The RI 266 is intended for both formal conformance testing, performed by accredited test houses, as well internal verification by mobile device vendors.
Typical Test Setup
The Signaling units emulates the Radio Access Network base stations / access points in both downlink and uplink. A set of standard lab instruments (typically power meters, a spectrum analyzer and a signal generator) are required for calibration of the various signal paths as well performing some of the actual measurements. All these parts of the generic test set-up are typically supplied by the tier 1 players within wireless test equipment (Anritsu, Keysight or Rohde & Schwarz).
At the center of this generic test set-up sits the parts supplied by Ranatec:
- Signalling Selection and MIMO Multiplexing contains the programmable switches, couplers and attenuators needed to accommodate the adequate signal constellation in both uplink and downlink
- Signal Routing is the core of the test automation and provides flexible routing and level setting across the test system, by means of programmable switches, couplers and attenuators
- Frequency Extension contains switchable high-pass and low-pass filters to allow for spurious emission measurements over the entire frequency range up to 26.5 GHz
- Programmable Notch Filter refers to the Ranatec RI 26X family of tunable band reject filters
- DUT and MIMO Multiplexing is the correspondence of the Signalling Selection and MIMO Multiplexing and provides and adequate signal constellation in both uplink and downlink to/from the devices under test
The actual test set-up depends on the overall ambition in terms of coverage of standards and frequency bands, type and number of DUT:s used, the selection of signaling units and lab instrumentations – as well as the ambition level in terms of level of automation. Ranatec has developed a flexible and easy to use test automation platform to support almost any ambition level, tailored to the customer demands. The key component in any such set-up is the RI26X family of programmable notch filters.
An example of such a test set-up is shown in the picture below.
