Keysight makes a significant hardware donation to University of Oulu's 6G research

Over the years, Keysight has donated several valuable radio frequency measurement instruments to the university. The newly donated waveform generator and last year's vector signal analyser are significant donations and crucial for keeping the university's 6G research at the global forefront, as the equipment has already enabled breakthroughs that would have otherwise been impossible.

"The donated equipment gives us the capability to make radio frequency measurements up to 330 GHz," says Marko E. Leinonen, Research Director at the Wireless Communications Centre (CWC). "We can make these measurements using broadband signals with a baseband bandwidth of up to 65 GHz. Since current 5G signals are only a few GHz wide, this world-class instrumentation will enable advanced measurements crucial for 6G radio research."

The importance of this corporate partnership extends beyond monetary value. It facilitates crucial information exchange and expert collaboration. This trust and appreciation are the backbone of our research.

"The close cooperation between the University of Oulu and Keysight began eight years ago, and both parties have been very satisfied," adds Aarno Pärssinen, Professor of Radio Engineering. "By visiting Keysight's headquarters in Santa Rosa, USA, every year to share our latest findings, we have been able to collaborate with the world's leading experts. These discussions have opened up new research ideas and cooperation opportunities, providing a significant advantage for all of Finnish wireless communications research."

During the co-operation in 6g research Keysight has supported the University of Oulu's radio frequency research in equipment donations and measurement equipment options. As a key co-creator of the 6G Flagship, Keysight shares a vision with the university's researchers that 6G is the next major step in mobile communications. This evolution will inevitably reshape the measurement and testing systems currently used for 5G.

“The 6G-Flagship research program is a fine combination of fundamental and applied research, which enables understanding of how technological progress can shape the future. Sharing Keysight’s capabilities and advanced equipment with the University of Oulu staff provides Keysight with valuable engagement and a clear understanding of potential technological needs. This helps Keysight improve our solutions, move the state of the art on the measurement side, and gives insights into how we can co-shape the future of telecom systems”, states Michael Dieudonne, R&D Manager at Keysight Technologies.

The radio frequency measurement equipment donated by Keysight has provided a strong foundation for the University of Oulu's 6G radio technology research and prototype verification. These donations have helped establish one of Europe's leading academic laboratories, especially in the field of digital radio frequency signals. The equipment is available to all university researchers and is used daily by experts in radio technology, electronics, and microelectronics.

"The latest donation, a waveform generator, can simultaneously synthesise two independent 65 GHz digital waveforms," explains Research Director Leinonen. "Last year's donation of a vector signal analyser supports measurements up to 43 GHz and is particularly valuable for its digital modulation capabilities with very low phase noise RF oscillators."

Over the past decade, Professor Pärssinen's group has significantly advanced the field of RF research, extensively participating in the development of 5G and 6G technologies. Their work covers frequencies from the millimeter-wave (mmW) spectrum all the way up to 300 GHz.