Abstract Mobile phone manufacturers require a repair and testing system at their service centers capable of testing both GSM and EDGE protocols. However, existing traditional instruments only support analysis and testing under the GSM protocol and cannot perform testing under the EDGE protocol. VI Service Network, one of NI's system consortium partners in China, specializes in testing and measurement for automotive electronics and telecommunications products. They have previously used NI's virtual instrumentation technology to provide solutions for GSM, CDMA, and SCDMA testing, completing the integration of the entire EDGE testing system in just one month, saving users nearly half the cost. In VI Service Network's modular solution, the use of the NI PXI-5660 (2.7GHz RF signal analyzer) combined with VI Service Network's self-developed Wireless Test Toolset allows for convenient and efficient programming of digital demodulation programs, effectively solving the key challenges of EDGE testing. Using the NI PXI-5670 (2.7GHz RF signal generator), not only can RF mobile phone test signals be transmitted, but also FM stereo signals. Combined with the NI PXI-4070 6.5-digit digital multimeter board and the NI PXI-5122 14-bit high-precision oscilloscope board, testing functions are added and testing performance is enhanced while meeting the original testing requirements. Because PXI integrates all these modules, utilizing mature PC technology and the high-performance driver NI-DAQmx, all functions are integrated into a 3U PXI chassis. Applications Mobile Phone Testing Background and Challenges China's mobile phone market is developing rapidly, with major global mobile phone manufacturers vying for users. In such fierce competition, mobile phone functions are becoming increasingly diverse, including features such as cameras, MP3 players, and FM radios. Simultaneously, mobile communication protocols are emerging in large numbers, such as GSM, CDMA, GPRS, CDMA2000, EDGE, and WCDMA. To cope with the ever-changing product landscape, engineers face the challenge of improving efficiency and shortening time-to-market, requiring a flexible and powerful universal testing platform. Let's first look at the advantages of a universal testing platform in response to changes in mobile communication protocols. As we know, 2G protocols such as GSM and CDMA have been successfully implemented in the market, while 3G protocols such as WCDMA and CDMA2000 are the inevitable future trend. The transition from 2G to 3G faces challenges such as customer base, equipment replacement, and technological maturity risks. Operators hope for a smooth transition, upgrading the switching network first without losing existing mobile phone users. This allows users to use transitional 2.5G products, and then upgrading the wireless network to 3G standards when the time is right. While 2G testing instruments are relatively mature, and 3G testing products are under rapid development, dedicated 2.5G testing equipment is scarce due to traditional instrument manufacturers' concerns about R&D costs and market prospects. A well-known mobile phone manufacturer has produced a 2.5G mobile phone product supporting the EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) protocol and needs a testing solution for this product. EDGE is a specialized protocol, and because it's relatively new and not widely understood, building an EDGE testing system in a short period is a significant challenge. To compete in the market, the testing equipment needs to be operational within a month. Products Used The hardware of the entire system comprises a PXI chassis containing: ● An embedded PC with an NI PXI-8186 2.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, pre-installed with Windows XP operating system ● An NI PXI-5660 2.7 GHz RF signal analyzer, 9 kHz to 2.7 GHz, 20 MHz real-time bandwidth, 80 dB true dynamic range ● An NI PXI-5670 RF signal generator, 250 kHz to 2.7 GHz, 16-bit, 100 MS/s arbitrary waveform generation, 22 MHz real-time bandwidth ● An NI PXI-5122 14-bit digitizer, 100 MS/s real-time sampling, 2 GS/s random interval sampling, 100 MHz bandwidth ● An NI PXI-4070 6.5-digit digital multimeter, 6 ppm accuracy Of these, the NI PXI-5660 is used as a vector signal analyzer, the NI PXI-5670 as an RF signal generator, and the NI PXI-5122 as an oscilloscope. The PXI-4070 was used as a digital multimeter. The software utilized the LabVIEW graphical development environment and NI-DAQmx drivers. The solution from VI Service Network (Shanghai Juxing Instruments Co., Ltd.) was also utilized. VI Service Network is one of NI's system alliance partners in China, specializing in testing and measurement of automotive electronics and telecommunications products. They have previously provided solutions for GSM, CDMA, and SCDMA testing using NI's virtual instrument technology, completing the integration of the entire EDGE testing system in just one month. EDGE Protocol Introduction: EDGE is an enhanced application of GPRS (General Purpose Radio Service) technology based on GSM, using a 3π/8 PSK (Phase Shift Keying) approach, as shown in the diagram below. Using this new technology, the peak data processing speed can be increased from 160 Kbps for GPRS to 473.6 Kbps. Detailed Test Solution: Mobile phone manufacturers require a repair and testing system at their repair stations capable of testing both GSM and EDGE protocols. However, existing traditional instruments only support analysis and testing under the GSM protocol and cannot perform testing under the EDGE protocol. The simplified test system framework is shown in the figure below. The key part of the entire system is the digital demodulation module. Increased modulation efficiency often comes with increased complexity. Using the NI PXI-5660 (2.7GHz RF signal analyzer) combined with VI Service Network's self-developed Wireless Test Toolset allows for convenient and efficient programming of digital demodulation programs, solving key issues in EDGE testing. Numerous subsequent test items are included, such as spectrum testing, EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) testing, modulation quality testing, power spectrum testing, etc. VI Service Network, leveraging the NI PXI-5122 (14-bit digitizer), NI PXI-4070 (6.5-digit digital multimeter), LabVIEW's built-in signal analysis and processing tools, and experience with GSM test systems, integrates multiple tests onto a single open platform, providing excellent test scalability to adapt to rapidly evolving products. In addition, manufacturers need to test other characteristics of these mobile phones, such as the performance of the RF receiver module and the FM radio. To facilitate testing by technicians, high-precision digital multimeters and high-precision oscilloscopes are also required. Using five separate instruments—a VSA (Vector Signal Analyzer), an RF signal analyzer, an RF signal generator, a digital multimeter, and an oscilloscope—for these tests is space-consuming and makes simultaneous testing of the mobile phone using the RF signal generator and RF signal analyzer difficult. The modular solution proposed by VI Service Network, using the NI PXI-5670, can transmit both RF mobile phone test signals and FM stereo signals. Combined with the 6.5-digit digital multimeter board NI PXI-4070 and the 14-bit high-precision oscilloscope board NI PXI-5122, it adds testing functionality and enhances testing performance while meeting the original testing requirements. Because PXI integrates all these modules, utilizing mature PC technology and the high-performance driver NI-DAQmx, all functions are integrated into a 3U PXI chassis. Conclusion The increasing product functionality and intensifying market competition force major mobile phone manufacturers to improve production efficiency and shorten product time-to-market to gain a foothold in the market. VI Service Network leverages the mature commercial PC technology and excellent synchronization features of PXI to integrate multiple testing capabilities into a single system. It utilizes NI-provided RF signal generators, RF signal analyzers, high-precision digital multimeters, and digitizers to build a cost-effective and efficient testing solution. By employing NI's open software platforms LabVIEW and NI-DAQmx, VI Service Network independently developed a LabVIEW wireless test toolkit, allowing for easy adaptation to new testing requirements with minor program modifications. Compared to the user's previous traditional solutions, the entire solution reduces costs by nearly half while significantly expanding testing capabilities. The user's test engineers, after using this solution, exclaimed, "There are such compact yet fully functional products in the world!"