ALifecom Debuts Groundbreaking IoT Platform For Enhanced Satellite Communication Testing

TAIPEI -- In a significant development for the satellite communications sector, ALifecom has unveiled its Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) IoT Platform at SATELLITE 2024, held in Washington, D.C. This innovative platform marks a milestone as the first of its kind to incorporate a channel emulator within ALifecom's NE6000 network emulator. This integration aims to streamline and enhance the simulation and testing processes for NTN communications, offering a solution that is both user-friendly and cost-effective.

The ALifecom NE6000 network emulator has received an upgrade to align with the latest 3GPP release 17 standards, enabling support for NB-IoT communication over non-terrestrial networks. The NE6000's architecture, which includes an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), evolved NodeB (eNB), and an integrated channel emulator, is designed to accurately mimic real-world signal propagation conditions. This setup allows for thorough testing and validation of IoT-NTN devices, ensuring their reliability and performance in actual deployment scenarios.

Targeted at a wide range of applications, from academic research to early R&D, functional testing, verification, and Proof-of-Concept demonstrations, the NE6000 IoT-NTN network emulator is versatile. It supports the verification and measurement of user terminal product designs, RF transmit/receive functionalities, performance metrics, and run-time behavior post-connection to the NB-IoT NTN.

The NE6000 features a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies setup and operation. The GUI displays essential NTN parameters such as ephemeris information, Feeder Link RTT, Service Link RTT, and UE band details in an accessible manner. Additionally, an integrated protocol analyzer offers real-time diagnosis of protocol message exchanges between user terminals and base stations, aiding in troubleshooting and analysis.

"We are very excited to be able to support the Satellite communications market with a user-friendly, small form factor, and cost-effective solution," expressed Max Lin, CEO of ALifecom. "With the release of the IoT-NTN platform, we hope to accelerate the development of new IoT-NTN communication devices that in turn will grow the connected world."

The NE6000 IoT-NTN Network Emulator is now available for orders. It can be delivered as new hardware or as an upgrade to existing NE6000 hardware configurations. For more information or to place an order, interested parties are encouraged to contact the ALifecom sales team at [email protected] or reach out to their local distributor.

This launch not only signifies ALifecom's commitment to advancing satellite communication technologies but also provides researchers, developers, and engineers with a powerful tool for developing next-generation IoT-NTN devices.