Interference analysis for RFoCPRI - 31 January 2017 - Concilium Technologies

Viavi Solutions has enhanced its RFoCPRI technology to help RF engineers and cell-site technicians to more efficiently perform verification and troubleshooting of fibre-to-the-antenna cell sites.

As the radio access network continues to evolve with different radio types, incremental numbers of transmitting and receiving antennas, and carrier aggregation, performing RFoCPRI (RF over common public radio interface) interference tests can be challenging. With the newest enhancements to CellAdvisor, Viavi improves RFoCPRI testing so technicians can more easily and confidently perform interference tests.

With the fast increase in fibre-based remote radio deployments, wireless service providers and their contractors struggle with rising costs related to commissioning, insurance and maintenance, as well as safety concerns due to tower climbs. CellAdvisor with RFoCPRI technology effectively reduces maintenance costs and risks to the technician.

CellAdvisor’s RFoCPRI IQ data block status helps technicians quickly configure RFoCPRI tests while allowing them to accurately set radio configuration of different line rates, channel bandwidths and antenna configurations (MIMO). LTE signal analysis provides additional information regarding the signal under test, including channel bandwidth and centre frequency, enabling them to conduct multi-carrier radio tests with confidence. A radio profile database virtually eliminates the need for configuration by allowing technicians to select from a large list of pre-configured CPRI mappings for different radios from different vendors.

An FFT function performs spectrum measurements significantly faster, detecting fast and intermittent interfering signals, especially in cases where high sensitivity is required. RFoCPRI quad-spectrum allows technicians to display up to four active spectrum measurements on a single screen, enabling them to quickly identify any diversity imbalance issues in MIMO radios with four receivers. It also provides the ability to overlay these four active measurements in the same spectrum scale, making diversity imbalance measurements accurate and easy.

A RFoCPRI multi-carrier signal generator enhances the BBU emulation feature by enabling CellAdvisor to generate different signal LTE formats to test radios supporting carrier aggregation, or radios in a daisy-chain. It also allows CellAdvisor to perform a two-tone PIM Analysis. Interference analysis for GSM/EDGE allows operators with radio access technologies supporting 2G, 3G and 4G to perform RFoCPRI interference analysis from the ground across all the technologies with a single solution.

For more information contact Lizzy Mabaso, Concilium Technologies, +27 (0)12 678 9200, info@concilium.co.za, www.concilium.co.za