Spirent intros Wi-Fi positioning access point simulator

SUNNYVALE, USA: The rapidly-growing demand for ubiquitous location-based applications is driving the use of Wi-Fi positioning, in addition to existing location technologies such as A-GPS and Cell ID, to provide subscribers with location information more quickly and in more places.

To test Wi-Fi positioning capabilities in suitably-enabled devices and chipsets, Spirent has introduced the GSS5700 Wi-Fi Positioning Access Point Simulator.

As the industry’s first solution for comprehensive testing of Wi-Fi positioning, the GSS5700 is the latest in a long line of innovative Spirent tools specifically designed for testing location-based services (LBS) and their enabling technologies.

The use of Wi-Fi positioning in conjunction with other location technologies can extend LBS coverage to areas with poor application performance, such as indoors and in urban streets. For this reason, more high-profile applications such as Google Maps and Nokia’s Ovi Maps, as well as personal electronic devices such as the Apple iPad, are now taking advantage of Wi-Fi positioning. The market opportunity for the technology is expected to be substantial, given that Wi-Fi is already present in the majority of today’s mobile devices.

“The wide availability of signals from Wi-Fi access points lowers the barriers to deploying Wi-Fi positioning, however, effective verification and testing is critical to ensure that the user experience meets the expectations of today’s demanding consumer,” said Peter Boulton, CTO for Spirent’s Positioning Technology Division.

“Spirent is uniquely situated to make sure that Wi-Fi implementations work well across a wide range of real-world scenarios, especially those where GPS performance is likely to be compromised.”

As the industry’s first and only lab-based instrument for testing Wi-Fi positioning, Spirent’s GSS5700 provides a comprehensive solution. Its advanced software allows real-world test scenarios, including simultaneous simulation of up to 48 Wi-Fi access points in the lab. This approach greatly reduces the need to conduct large-scale field trials while adding essential capabilities such as full user control and test repeatability.

The GSS5700 can be combined with Spirent’s GPS and multi-GNSS Simulation Systems to test hybrid Wi-Fi and GPS/GNSS technologies, with the unique ability to simulate motion of a mobile device through environments where both sets of signals are present. The GSS5700 will also integrate with Spirent’s 8100 ULTS and C2K-ATS Location Technology Solutions to form part of a complete, integrated solution for testing hybrid location technologies in UMTS and CDMA mobile devices.