A new RF channel emulator brings 6G and Wi-Fi 7/8 propagation conditions into laboratories, helping engineers validate wireless devices, networks, and specialized systems under realistic operating environments.
A new channel emulation platform by VIAVI Solutions Inc. is designed to reproduce complex real-world wireless propagation conditions for next-generation cellular, Wi-Fi, military, and aerospace systems. The Vertex 6.0 channel emulator provides 400 MHz instantaneous bandwidth and supports carrier frequencies up to 23.6 GHz, targeting laboratory testing requirements for emerging 6G and Wi-Fi 7/8 technologies.
The platform natively supports newly defined 6G waveform requirements and exceeds the bandwidth requirements of Wi-Fi 7/8. It builds on earlier 5G FR1/FR2 capabilities while adding support for more complex RF environments, allowing engineers to evaluate wireless performance before field deployment.
The key features are:
- Supports carrier frequencies up to 23.6 GHz
- Provides 256 digital links per chassis
- Uses field-replaceable RF modules
- Supports LEO, MEO, and GEO NTN scenarios
- Enables anechoic and reverberation chamber testing
It uses field-replaceable RF modules that fit into an existing 6U Vertex chassis. Each chassis supports up to 36 RF ports, 256 digital links, and 1.6 GHz aggregate bandwidth. For cellular testing, the system supports FR3 bands with up to 1 GHz bandwidth, along with multiuser MIMO, phase alignment, and both time-division duplexing and frequency-division duplexing modes.
For Wi-Fi testing, the platform supports 320 MHz channels, 4096-QAM modulation, and 2×2 through 8×8 configurations. These capabilities enable evaluation of high-throughput wireless links and complex multi-antenna systems under controlled propagation conditions.
The emulator also supports land-to-land, land-to-air, and air-to-air transmission scenarios. Applications extend to non-terrestrial networks using LEO, MEO, and GEO satellites, mesh networks, drone communications, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), and over-the-air testing in anechoic and reverberation chambers.
When combined with an FR3 MIMO converter and ray-tracing capabilities, Vertex 6.0 can create a digital representation of RF propagation. This enables engineers to reproduce realistic signal environments for applications such as FR3 development, AI-RAN, Wi-Fi 7/8, and ISAC.
By moving difficult propagation scenarios into the laboratory, the platform can help identify wireless performance issues earlier in development. This reduces dependence on costly field testing while allowing chipset, device, infrastructure, and specialized RF-system developers to test increasingly complex wireless designs in repeatable conditions.
