The RF performance of nRF9161 is designed to meet the 3GPP TS 36.101 specification. RF performance can be tested with a cellular tester that supports RF measurements specified in the 3GPP specification, such as Rohde & Schwartz CMW500 or Anritsu MT8821C.
Nordic Semiconductor has used CMW500 in internal RF performance verification. For details on the options needed on CMW500 for the LTE-M and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) modes, see Appendix. For non-signaling mode testing, the Rohde & Schwartz CMW100 can also be used.
Radiated performance should also be verified. This testing requires an anechoic RF chamber and is typically conducted by a test house that provides this service.
The following figure shows an example setup for a signaling mode RF performance test. A separate RF signal generator can be used for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements or the signal can be taken from an LTE tester.