TMY Technology Inc. (TMYTEK), a provider of mmWave and advanced wireless solutions, announced the launch of its 6G FR3 Platform, a modular research platform designed to help wireless researchers move FR3 research and next-generation algorithms beyond simulation and into real-world over-the-air (OTA) validation.
Centered on the 7.125 to 8.3 GHz upper mid-band, the platform integrates TMYTEK’s BBox Lite FR3 phased array beamformer, XRifle Dynamic RIS FR3 reconfigurable intelligent surface and UD Box 0630 6 to 30 GHz bidirectional RF up/down converter.
Together, the three technologies combine frequency conversion, active beamforming and programmable reflection within a common research environment. Researchers can extend existing sub-6 GHz SDRs, USRPs and laboratory instruments into FR3 without rebuilding their existing baseband infrastructure, enabling OTA experiments for channel sounding, beamforming, MIMO, ISAC, radar, SATCOM, NLoS communications and spatial multiplexing research.
From Simulation to Real-World RF Validation
As wireless research expands into upper mid-band spectrum above 7 GHz, understanding how next-generation systems perform in real RF environments is becoming increasingly important.
3GPP Release 19 introduced channel-model enhancements for the 7 to 24 GHz range, extending the technical foundation for studying propagation effects such as path loss, reflection, multipath, and blockage at frequencies relevant to future wireless systems. As 3GPP advances into Release 21, the normative phase of 6G specification work is beginning, moving the industry closer to the first generation of 3GPP 6G technical specifications.
In parallel, ITU-R studies under WRC-27 Agenda Item 1.7 are examining sharing and compatibility conditions for potential IMT use in spectrum including the 7.125 to 8.4 GHz range.
Simulation provides an essential starting point for wireless system development, but real RF behavior is shaped by reflection, multipath, blockage, mobility and changing line-of-sight conditions. Beamforming, sensing, propagation, and other next-generation algorithms ultimately need real RF hardware and OTA measurements to evaluate how they perform outside simulated environments.
“6G will not be defined by simulation alone. It ultimately has to be measured, repeated and proven over the air,” said Su-Wei Chang, Founder & President of TMYTEK. “As FR3 research and next-generation algorithms advance, researchers need a faster path from code to real RF evidence. Our 6G FR3 Platform makes the signal path, beam and propagation environment programmable, helping teams compare simulation with real-world measurements and validate system designs through repeatable OTA experiments.”
From the Bench to Realistic FR3 RF Scenarios
Real-world FR3 links are shaped by blockage, reflection, mobility and multipath. TMYTEK’s 6G FR3 Platform combines frequency conversion, active beamforming and programmable reflection to reproduce these conditions in repeatable OTA experiments.
The UD Box 0630 bridges existing sub-6 GHz SDRs and test instruments into FR3. BBox Lite FR3 provides electronically controlled beamforming for MIMO, beam tracking, ISAC, radar and dynamic beamforming algorithms. XRifle Dynamic RIS FR3 adds programmable reflection, allowing researchers to create controlled NLoS paths and dynamically alter the RF propagation environment.
Together, the platform enables researchers to move from conventional RF links toward more realistic scenarios involving blocked paths, reflected signals, moving targets, multi-user MIMO, spatial multiplexing and integrated sensing and communication.
BBox Lite FR3: Sub-2 μs Beam Switching for Real-Time Algorithm Validation
The new BBox Lite FR3 is a modular phased array beamformer for FR3 research in the 7.125 to 8.3 GHz range.
The system combines a 7 to 16 GHz beamformer RF front end with a modular dual polarized phased-array antenna kit. A single unit provides four independently controllable RF channels and supports flexible active subarray configurations for different research requirements.
Through its SPI interface, BBox Lite FR3 supports T/R mode, with beam switching in less than 2 μs (
Its modular architecture allows multiple units to operate in parallel, supporting larger arrays and 4T4R MIMO configurations as research expands from a single RF link to multichannel spatial experiments.
XRifle Dynamic RIS FR3: Making the Propagation Environment Programmable
XRifle Dynamic RIS FR3 extends TMYTEK’s reconfigurable intelligent surface technology into the 7.125 to 8.4 GHz FR3 upper mid-band.
The system features a 16 × 16, 256-element PIN-diode array with 1-bit phase control (0°/180°) and beam switching in less than 10 μs (
By electronically reconfiguring reflected beams, researchers can create repeatable experiments for FR3/6G OTA channel sounding, RIS beamforming validation, NLoS communications, coverage extension, ISAC, multi-user MIMO and spatial multiplexing research.
Built on TMYTEK’s existing XRifle platform, the FR3 version reuses the XRifle SPI controller board and TKLCore API, while its thin-bezel modular design supports scalable tile-up configurations for larger reflective surfaces.
UD Box 0630: Extend Existing Sub-6 GHz Infrastructure into FR3
The UD Box 0630 serves as the frequency bridge between existing laboratory infrastructure and the FR3 RF front end.
Covering 6 to 30 GHz RF, with a 1 to 8 GHz IF range and 1 GHz instantaneous bandwidth, the bidirectional up/down converter allows researchers to extend existing SDRs, VSGs, VSAs, VSTs and other sub-6 GHz instruments into FR3, Ku-band, selected FR2 frequencies and other higher frequency applications without replacing their existing baseband infrastructure.
Its dual-channel architecture and synchronization capabilities support phase-coherent signal paths for MIMO, phased array, radar and SATCOM algorithm validation.
Ethernet and SPI control, together with TMXLAB Kit APIs for Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C++ and C#, allow researchers to integrate frequency conversion into existing automation and algorithm-development workflows.
One Platform Across Multiple 6G Research Domains
From compact benchtop experiments to multichannel and programmable-propagation environments, the TMYTEK 6G FR3 Platform supports a broad range of next-generation wireless research:
- FR3 Channel Sounding & Algorithm Research: Characterize upper mid-band propagation and validate channel and beamforming algorithms with real OTA measurements
- ISAC & Radar Algorithm Validation: Evaluate communications, sensing, and radar functions within the same RF environment
- Programmable Channel & RIS Validation: Reconfigure reflected RF paths to study NLoS propagation, coverage extension and RIS beamforming
- MIMO & Spatial Multiplexing Research: Scale BBox Lite FR3 for multichannel and 4T4R configurations while exploring multi-user MIMO and spatial multiplexing
- SATCOM Waveform Validation: Extend existing laboratory equipment across the UD Box 0630’s 6 to 30 GHz RF range for satellite-related waveform research.
With a common hardware and software environment, research teams can connect simulation, algorithm development, OTA validation and subsequent field trials within a repeatable workflow — accelerating the path from FR3 research toward future 6G systems.
For more information about the TMYTEK 6G FR3 Platform, including specifications, evaluation requests, pricing and availability, contact TMYTEK or visit tmytek.com.