BOX-18  enables mesh testing and performance testing for IoT devices.

Antwerp, Breda, Munich, Paris, 04-08-2017. Tucana’s partner octoScope, introduced the latest addition to the octoBox® product line namely the compact, stackable, and rackable BOX-18 test chamber. Like all octoBox models, BOX-18 provisions an optimal environment for isolated over-the-air (OTA) testing. The BOX-18 is ideal for testing and evaluating the performance of a wide variety of Internet of Things (IoT) topologies including Wi-Fi extenders, handoff behavior, load balancing, and performance optimization.

Measuring only 18 x 12 x 29 inches deep and fully rack-mountable, BOX-18 is ideal compact installations where each individual device under test (DUT) requires its own isolated environment. BOX-18 is ideal for a broad range of wireless testing scenarios, with complete interoperability with the BOX-26 and BOX-38 models. It’s also compatible with the remainder of the octoScope product line such as the quadAtten® and iGen. octoScope provides the most robust and capable wireless testing solutions available today. BOX-18 enables flexible new testbed topologies for product developers, manufacturers, and carriers and operators everywhere.

Benefits of Complete Environmental isolation

It’s nearly impossible to test and evaluate wireless devices in open-air, “freespace” settings.  Especially in the unlicensed bands used by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and many other products. Radio-wave propagation cannot be controlled, or even predicted, and interference is always a concern. The octoBox product line provisions complete isolation from the unmanageable real world, creating a controlled and repeatable environment. This precise reproducibility, and productivity-optimizing ease of use. Test like throughput vs. range, throughput vs. orientation, throughput vs. interference and many more are made easy via the octoBox and other members of the octoScope product family. The octoBox is effective across a very board range frequencies, from 700 MHz. to 6 GHz.

Wireless Mesh Networks and the Box-18

Wireless mesh networks are self-organizing, building wireless relay links between mesh nodes for optimum Wi-Fi reliability and throughput performance.
Because the operational behavior of a mesh network can be complex, it’s important to isolate each mesh node in its own test chamber and interconnect the chambers in order to evaluate this behavior effectively and productively. BOX-18 is ideal for this application – its small size enables as many nodes as required to be configured for test in minimal lab space.

Internet of Things (IoT) Devices and BOX-18

The testing and evaluation of IoT devices similarly requires the isolation of each device. BOX-18 makes it easy to configure connections between multiple devices simply by stringing cables between the RF connectors on each BOX-18. Also for integrating other octoBox RF building blocks, such as quadAttens, Pals, multipath emulators, MIMO RF splitters, and more. BOX-18 makes it easy to configure a vast set of possible alternatives with minimal time and effort.

Roaming Without Motion
Testing and evaluating roaming behavior is essential for all mobile client devices. BOX-18, coupled with octoScope’s quadAtten programmable attenuator and Pal partner devices can provide accurate and reproducible roaming behavior for mesh, IoT, and many other test scenarios, enabling the evaluation of roaming speed and other handoff behavior with minimal engineering effort.

About TUCANA
With over 30 years of experience in testing and measuring networks Tucana Telecom B.V. understands the struggles and concerns of system engineers, CISO’s, IT managers and executives who are monitoring their company network. The solution is 100% visibility in your network. The broad portfolio of Tucana Telecom B.V. can help the costumer by monitoring various networks, quality testing of video, VoIP, data storage and cyber security. Next to the solutions, Tucana Telecom B.V. will provide the customer with additional support, consultancy, training, outsourcing and maintenance for converged networks.

The company has offices in Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands.  To learn more, visit https://www.tucana.com or follow us at @Tucana_MM on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Rutger Bogaert
Tel: +31 76 57 94 111
Email: rutger.bogaert@tucana.com