Description
The Equipment Under Test (EUT) is a formal designation used throughout 3GPP technical specifications, primarily in the 3GPP TS 25-series, 36-series, and 37-series, which define test methodologies for User Equipment. It refers to the specific UE device, or the UE combined with any necessary ancillary equipment like test adapters or specific antennas, that is the subject of conformance, radio, or performance testing. The EUT is the controlled entity in a test setup, against which all test cases and measurement procedures are executed to verify compliance with 3GPP standards.
The role of the EUT is central to the certification and type approval process for mobile devices. Test specifications meticulously define the test conditions, configurations, and pass/fail criteria for the EUT across various operational scenarios, including transmitter and receiver characteristics, radio resource management, signaling protocols, and end-to-end performance. The EUT must be configured in a specific, repeatable state (e.g., specific power class, supported bands, and features enabled) to ensure test results are reproducible and comparable across different test laboratories.
Key components of the EUT definition include its RF connectors, supported frequency bands, power classes, and the specific protocol stack implementations being tested. The test specifications detail how the EUT interfaces with the test system, often a base station emulator or radio communication tester. Measurements taken on the EUT include output power, frequency error, modulation accuracy (EVM), receiver sensitivity, blocking characteristics, and protocol signaling correctness. By rigorously testing the EUT, 3GPP ensures that commercial UEs will operate reliably and without causing harmful interference in live networks, guaranteeing a baseline level of performance and interoperability for end-users.
Purpose & Motivation
The concept of EUT exists to provide a clear, unambiguous reference point in 3GPP test specifications. Before standardized testing, device interoperability was a significant challenge, as manufacturers could implement standards with slight variations leading to network failures or poor user experience. Defining the 'Equipment Under Test' formalizes the device being evaluated, separating it from the test instrumentation and creating a consistent framework for certification.
Its creation was motivated by the need for a global, harmonized type approval process for mobile terminals. As cellular technology evolved from 2G to 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE), the radio and protocol complexity increased exponentially. A standardized test object definition was necessary to develop repeatable, objective test cases that could be executed by independent test labs worldwide. This ensures that any UE bearing a certification mark has demonstrably passed the same rigorous set of tests, fostering consumer confidence and enabling global roaming.
The EUT designation addresses the limitation of ad-hoc testing methodologies. It specifies exactly what is being tested (e.g., the UE's RF front-end, not the entire device including non-cellular components), under what conditions, and with what interfaces. This precision is crucial for testing advanced features like carrier aggregation, MIMO, and power saving states, where the behavior of the EUT must be precisely controlled and measured to verify standard compliance.
Classification
Detected Changes Across Releases
from 3GPP Change RequestsSpecific changes extracted from the „Change history“ tables of 3GPP specifications (26 CRs across 5 releases). Complements the general historical overview above with the evidence-based evolution of this function.
Studied in Rel-4, normative work from Rel-15.
In Release 15, the specifications for Equipment Under Test (EUT) were expanded to include new performance criteria and test methods for ancillary equipment in New Radio (NR). Specifically, the release introduced detailed performance criteria for both continuous and transient phenomena affecting ancillary equipment, as well as a defined test method for conducted emissions at the AC mains power input/output port. These additions, documented in updates to TS 38.113, provided a more comprehensive framework for NR device conformance testing.
- New Annex to TR 37.843: Power density measurements close to EUT TS 37.843CR0006
- CR to TS 38.113 Cat.B draftCRs R4-1802055 - Draft CR to Section 6.3 in TS 38.113 (NR) Performance criteria for continuous phenomena for Ancillary equipment R4-1802056 - Draft CR to Section 6.4 in TS 38.113 (NR) Performance criteria for transient phenomena for Ancillary equipment R4-1802057 - Draft CR to Section 8.4 in TS 38.113 (NR) Test method for conducted emissions AC mains power input output port R4-1803318 [NR] DraftCR 38113 Test conditions (4) TS 38.113CR0003
- Approved by plenary – Rel-15 under change control TS 37.843
- Approved by plenary – Rel-15 spec under change control TS 38.113
- Approved by plenary – Rel-15 spec under change control TS 38.124
In Release 16, the specifications for Equipment Under Test (EUT) were updated to explicitly include requirements for radiated emission testing of ancillary equipment. This was implemented through coordinated changes to the test specifications TS 37.113, TS 38.113, and TS 38.175. These changes ensure that ancillary equipment connected to the EUT is properly assessed for its radiated emissions contribution.
- CR to TS 38.175: Radiated emission, ancillary equipment TS 38.175CR0014
- CR to TS 37.113: Radiated emission, ancillary equipment TS 37.113CR0113
- CR to TS 38.113: Radiated emission, ancillary equipment TS 38.113CR0038
- Approved by plenary – Rel-16 spec under change control TS 38.175
- Approved by plenary – Rel-16 spec under change control TS 38.827
In Release 17, the primary update for the Equipment Under Test (EUT) function was the introduction of specifications for EUT positioning, as detailed in a Change Request to TS 38.551. This addition was formally approved and placed under change control, culminating in the establishment of the Release 17 specification version 17.0.0. The work involved both technical and editorial refinements to integrate this new positioning capability for test equipment.
- CR to TS 38.551 on EUT positioning TS 38.551CR0013
- Approved by plenary – Rel-17 spec under change control TS 38.114
- Approved by plenary – Rel-17 spec under change control and editorial TS 38.114
- Approved by plenary – Rel-17 spec under change control TS 38.151
- Under change control TS 38.161
- Approved by plenary – Rel-17 spec under change control TS 38.181
+ 3 more changes
In Release 18, the primary update for the Equipment Under Test (EUT) function was the correction of test equipment references within the specifications. This involved updating the relevant normative text to ensure proper alignment and functionality of the test equipment as defined for the release. The changes were approved by plenary for Rel-18 specifications now under change control.
- Correction of Test Equipment Reference TS 38.551CR0059
- Approved by plenary – Rel-18 spec under change control TS 37.113
- Approved by plenary – Rel-18 spec under change control TS 38.114
- Approved by plenary – Rel-18 spec under change control TS 38.761
- Approved by plenary – Rel-18 spec under change control TS 38.870
In Release 19, the primary change for the Equipment Under Test (EUT) function was the formal approval and placement of its specification under formal change control by the plenary. This established a stable, version-controlled foundation for all future testing procedures and requirements.
Explore further
Broader topics and technologies where EUT plays a role.
Defining Specifications
3GPP specifications that define or reference EUT, with the latest known release. Sourced from the 3GPP document catalog — see methodology.
| Specification | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
| TS 25.113 vj00 | EMC Requirements for UTRA Base Stations & Repeaters | Rel-19 |
| TS 31.117 vj10 | USIM Application Toolkit Test for Non-Removable UICC | Rel-19 |
| TS 31.127 vi40 | UICC-terminal interaction testing specification | Rel-18 |
| TS 34.124 vj00 | EMC Requirements for 3G UTRA Terminals | Rel-19 |
| TS 36.113 vj00 | EMC Requirements for E-UTRA Base Stations | Rel-19 |
| TS 36.124 vj00 | EMC for E-UTRA User Equipment | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.113 vj00 | EMC Requirements for Multi-Standard Radio Base Stations | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.114 vj00 | EMC for Active Antenna System Base Stations | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.544 vg70 | UE Radiated Performance Test Procedures | Rel-16 |
| TR 37.843 vf70 | AAS BS Radiated RF Requirement Background | Rel-15 |
| TS 38.113 vj00 | NR Base Station EMC Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.114 vj00 | EMC Requirements for NR Repeaters and NCR | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.124 vj00 | NR UE EMC Requirements | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.141 vj20 | NR Base Station RF Conformance Testing Part 1 | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.151 vj00 | NR UE MIMO OTA Performance Requirements | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.161 vj10 | NR UE TRP and TRS Requirements for FR1 | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.175 vj00 | EMC for NR IAB Nodes | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.181 vj10 | NR Satellite Access Node RF Testing | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.551 vi30 | User Equipment (UE) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Over-the-Air (OTA) performance | Rel-18 |
| TS 38.561 vj00 | UE Conformance for TRP/TRS FR1 | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.761 vj00 | MIMO OTA Performance Measurements for UE | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.762 vj00 | Dynamic MIMO OTA Test Methodology for NR FR1 | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.817 | 3GPP TR 38.817 | Rel-4 |
| TS 38.827 vg80 | NR MIMO OTA Radiated Metrics & Test Methodology | Rel-16 |
| TR 38.834 vh20 | NR FR1 TRP/TRS Test Methodology | Rel-17 |
| TS 38.870 vj20 | Enhanced OTA Test Methods for NR FR1 TRP/TRS | Rel-19 |