Test lab launches to support start ups

The lab, housed in the University of Bath's Innovation Centre, is available to members of the centre, while virtual membership of the centre is available to enable any company to access the test services. Director of the Innovation Centre and ceo of SiliconSouthWest, Simon Bond (pictured) said: "The large capital outlay and the high cost of test equipment during product development cycles can be prohibitive to early stage start up businesses. SiliconSouthWest Labs is targeted at meeting the test requirements and reducing the cost of testing for these companies by offering an affordable, flexible and fully equipped facility." The Lab provides both rf and Networks testing. The rf section is aimed at wireless digital and analogue performance test on protocols such as WiFi, GSM, Bluetooth and rfid, while the network test offers an extensive list of equipment for the emulation of both copper and optical networks on a 40G testbed. The equipment can be configured to individual company requirements and additional specialist equipment can be included through SiliconSouthWest's partner companies such as Microlease, Agilent Technologies and Rohde and Schwarz. The Centre opens to customers on April 16th at the SiliconSouthWest Networking Seminar, Testing Times.