Understanding Cable & Antenna Analysis

By Stefan Pongratz, Anritsu Company

While a problematic base station can be replaced, a cable and antenna system is not so easy to replace. It is the role of the field technician to troubleshoot the cable and antenna system and ensure that the overall health of the communication system is performing as expected. Field technicians today rely on portable cable and antenna analyzers to analyze, troubleshoot, characterize, and maintain the system. The purpose of this white paper is to cover the fundamentals of the key measurements of cable and antenna analysis, including return loss, cable loss, and distance-to-fault.