Glossary

2G

Second-generation digital cellular networks used by mobile phones designed as a replacement for analog first-generation radio (1G). Designed primarily for voice using digital standards.

3G

Third-generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology, required by International Mobile Telecommunications for the year 2000 (IMT-2000) standard from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to support at least 200 kbps at peak rate. First mobile broadband utilizing IP protocols added text and image messaging to voice phone calls.

3GPP - 3rd Generation Partnership Project

A mobile communications industry collaboration that organizes the development and management of mobile communications standards. Concerning 5G, 3GPP is managing the evolving 5G standards. 4G Fourth-generation mobile telecommunications technology, designed to succeed 3G. A mobile broadband standard designed to support an all Internet Protocol (IP) network for calls, video, data, and web access. The performance goals of 4G are 100 Mbps for high-speed mobile applications such as automobiles and 1 Gbps for low-mobility use cases, including pedestrians and fixed-location access.

4G

Fourth-generation mobile telecommunications technology, designed to succeed 3G. A mobile broadband standard designed to support an all Internet Protocol (IP) network for calls, video, data, and web access. The performance goals of 4G are 100 Mbps for high-speed mobile applications such as automobiles, and 1 Gbps for low-mobility use cases including pedestrians and fixed-location access

5G

Fifth-generation of mobile telecommunications technology, required by International Mobile Telecommunications for the year 2020 (IMT-2020) standard to support an all Internet Protocol (IP) network. Supports faster data rates, higher connection density, and much lower latency.

AAT – Antenna array tool

Software tool for embedding antenna parameters and radiation patterns in test scenarios.

ACP – Adjacent channel power

The power contained in a frequency channel next to the specified channel.

ACPR – Adjacent channel power ratio

The ratio of the power contained in a specified frequency channel bandwidth relative to the total carrier power.

ACLR – Adjacent channel leakage ratio

The ratio of the transmitted power on the assigned channel to the power received on the adjacent channel after passing through a root raised-cosine filter.

AM distortion

Undesirable distortion caused by amplitude variation in a communications system

AMF – Access and mobility management function

A component of the 3GPP core network architecture that manages user equipment registration, authentication, identification, and mobility. AMF also terminates non-access stratum signaling.

AM/PM distortion

Undesirable distortion that causes signal degradation in a communications system, typically as the result of the interaction between an amplifier’s phase response and the power level (or amplitude) of the input signal.

AUSF – Authentication server function

A major component of the 5G core network used to facilitate security processes. The AUSF authenticates UEs and stores authentication keys

AWG – Arbitrary waveform generator

Electronic equipment used to generate signals for injection into a device under test (DUT) to characterize its performance.

Backhaul

The part of the network responsible for transporting communication data between the baseband unit (BBU) and the core network. Connects smaller outlying networks with the core network. Backhaul was often proprietary in earlier cellular generations but is moving to ethernet in 5G.

Base station network emulator

A tool for simulating protocol and network traffic in a test environment. Works in concert with UE emulation and channel emulation to provide an end-to-end system for testing and measuring 5G network performance at scale.

BBU – Baseband unit

A component of the base station. Equipment which handles radio communications and radio control processing functions. The baseband unit converts data into a digital signal and sends it on to the remote radio head (RRH), which then converts it into an analog signal. In a C-RAN architecture, the baseband unit is usually geographically separated from the radio head.

Beam acquisition

The process of discovering and connecting with UEs. This process is substantially changing in 5G with the deployment of highly directional antenna arrays and beamforming techniques.

Beamforming

The method of applying relative phase and amplitude shifts to each antenna element to shape and provide discrete control of the direction of a transmitted beam. Beamforming requires communication channel feedback to implement real-time control of the beam.

Beam steering

A set of techniques used to focus the direction and shape of a radiation pattern. In wireless communications, beam steering changes the direction of the signal and narrows the width of the transmitted signal, typically by manipulating relative phase and amplitude shifts of the signal through an array of multiple antenna elements.

IMSI

International Mobile Subscriber Identity

PCAP

Packet Capture