IoT manufacturers strengthen RF and signal integrity testing

Manufacturers in the IoT sector are integrating Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G RedCap connectivity into increasingly compact, power-constrained devices. These products must meet strict certification requirements while delivering stable wireless performance, long battery life and reliable high-speed data transmission.

As wireless standards evolve toward higher bandwidths and new modulation schemes, the risk of late-stage design failures grows. Undetected RF impairments, excessive power consumption under real network conditions or degraded signal integrity on high-speed interfaces can lead to certification delays, redesigns or field failures.

To address these challenges, device manufacturers are deploying comprehensive RF and signal integrity testing across the entire development cycle from early design validation to pre-compliance and production.

At Embedded World (9–11 March 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany), held in Nuremberg, Anritsu Corporation presented test solutions designed to help IoT developers identify performance limitations early and quantify their impact under realistic operating conditions.

Strengthening Wi-Fi RF validation
For Wi-Fi-enabled IoT devices, accurate characterization of RF transmit and receive performance is essential to ensure stable connectivity across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands.

Anritsu demonstrated how its wireless connectivity test platform supports measurement of IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be devices, enabling manufacturers to detect RF faults and assess their effects on throughput and reliability. By performing detailed TRx measurements during development and production, device makers can prevent costly failures during certification testing and ensure consistent performance in the field.

The approach focuses on quantifying key RF parameters rather than relying solely on functional testing, thereby reducing uncertainty before market launch.

Ensuring reliable Bluetooth performance
Bluetooth remains a core technology for short-range IoT communication, but real-world connectivity can be affected by RF impairments that are not immediately visible in functional tests.

Anritsu illustrated how real-time RF measurements allow developers to analyse signal behaviour, compare performance across design iterations and identify marginal conditions early in validation or troubleshooting.

By integrating RF testing into standard development workflows, manufacturers can reduce interoperability issues and improve connection stability in practical deployment scenarios.

Measuring RedCap power consumption under realistic 5G conditions
Battery life is a critical performance parameter for cellular IoT devices. In 5G RedCap applications, network conditions such as signal strength, bandwidth allocation and modulation schemes can significantly influence energy consumption.

Anritsu presented a controlled 5G network emulation environment that enables manufacturers to measure device power consumption under varying conditions. This approach allows developers to:

Controlled and repeatable testing reduces development risk and supports optimisation of battery performance in real deployment scenarios.

Accelerating PCIe Gen6 and high-speed compliance testing
Beyond wireless interfaces, modern IoT and embedded systems increasingly rely on high-speed differential interconnects for data transfer. Maintaining signal integrity at multi-gigabit speeds is essential to prevent data errors and performance degradation.

In collaboration with Teledyne LeCroy, Anritsu demonstrated an integrated solution for Ethernet, general-purpose R&D and PCIe Gen6 compliance testing. The setup combines high-quality PAM4 signal generation with real-time analysis and automated stressed-signal calibration aligned with PCI-SIG guidelines.

Automation of compliance workflows improves repeatability and reduces setup time, enabling faster transition from development to certification without compromising measurement confidence.

Validating high-speed differential interconnects
For data center, embedded and high-performance computing designs, differential insertion loss, return loss and crosstalk must be accurately characterised.

Anritsu showcased a 4-port broadband vector network analysis solution supporting measurements up to 43.5 GHz. Integrated fixture extraction and de-embedding tools enable precise evaluation of backplanes, cables, connectors and SERDES interconnects without requiring external software.

By consolidating signal-integrity validation into a streamlined workflow, manufacturers can shorten development cycles while maintaining compliance with evolving interface standards.

Deployment approach: Testing across the full development cycle
Rather than positioning RF and signal integrity testing as a final verification step, Anritsu’s demonstrations highlighted the value of integrating measurement solutions from early design through production.

This lifecycle-based methodology allows IoT manufacturers to:

By shifting fault detection to earlier stages, companies reduce redesign costs, improve time to market and enhance overall product reliability.

Conclusion
As IoT devices adopt more advanced wireless standards and high-speed interfaces, comprehensive RF and signal integrity testing becomes a strategic requirement rather than a supplementary step.

The solutions presented by Anritsu at Embedded World 2026 illustrate how controlled, repeatable and standards-aligned measurement processes help manufacturers improve connectivity reliability, optimise power consumption and accelerate compliance key factors in delivering robust, market-ready IoT products.

www.anritsu.com