RF Traffic Emulator - Stress Tester for Wireless IoT Systems

Wireless IoT systems primarily use license-free frequency bands that are shared by multiple wireless technologies. Therefore, the behavior and performance of an IoT system in heavily congested radio environments must be evaluated and optimized as early as the development phase. Developing reliable IoT systems requires realistic radio environments to be reproduced in a controllable and repeatable manner. Setting up a large number of competing wireless applications is time-consuming and uneconomical. While test equipment manufacturers offer dedicated, high-priced signal generators for individual wireless standards, these are limited to generating individual, standards-compliant radio signals.

The project uses an SDR-based system to emulate competing wireless applications through the pseudo-random synthesis and transmission of radio signals (Multi-X: Multi-Standard, Multi-Channel, Multi-Network). A multi-standard radio signal library is combined with traffic models derived from real-world wireless traffic. The RF Traffic Emulator is suitable for prototype development and end-of-line testing and is aimed at industrial developers and manufacturers of IoT products, for example in the fields of industrial measurement technology, e-sports, and medical technology.

As part of the project, the RF Traffic Emulator will be expanded to include wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.15.4 and additional traffic models. The frontend and backend will also be adapted to enable integration into automated test systems (CI/CD). A key focus is the early involvement of potential customers through prototype test setups and the incorporation of customer feedback. In addition, video material will be created to support customer engagement and clearly communicate the system’s benefits.

Objectives

• Expansion of the signal library and traffic models to include additional IoT wireless standards and applications
• Expansion of interfaces to facilitate integration into automated test systems (CI/CD)
• Creation of video material for customer engagement