LTE Scanner Supports RF Multiband And Multi-Mode Measurements
Lake Forest, CA -- Ascom Inc., an industry-leading supplier of wireless test systems for field applications and network performance optimization, today announced the availability of its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) 700 MHz spectrum scanning receiver solution, which supports simultaneous multiband and multi-mode RF measurements. The new scanner design supports LTE baseband scanning in the 700 MHz bands while simultaneously supporting EvDO scanning of the 850/1900 MHz bands, simplifying deployment of multi-mode LTE/EvDO systems and offering advanced baseband decoding analysis for LTE deployment. An enhancement of Ascom's existing leading RF scanner design, this third generation Software-Defined Radio (SDR) solution builds on Ascom's proven technology while serving to increase its utility and improve performance at the same time.
"The addition of LTE support extends the capability of our leading multi-technology scanning receiver family to the 700 MHz frequency band and it adds 4G capabilities to our evolving scanner range," said Mark Chapman, president and general manager of Ascom Inc. "Our multiband, dual-mode scanner is ideally suited to carriers deploying new and exciting fourth generation broadband wireless data networks in the U.S. and I believe this further demonstrates our commitment to lead the market for multi-technology scanning solutions."
Supporting precise measurements of the downlink signal strength in 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, and 700 MHz bands, the scanner is offered in three forms: as a standalone scanner product, as an upgrade to Ascom's popular Symphony™ Quality of Service (QoS) wireless network benchmarking and optimization products, and as an OEM version for integration with third party test and monitoring equipment.
The scanner module is fully programmable and supports simultaneous scanning of multiple technologies (CDMA-1x, EvDO, and LTE) and provides both received signal strength indication (RSSI) and high performance, technology specific baseband decoding. As with previous designs, CDMA modes deliver Ec/Io, Ec/Ep, individual Walsh code measurements, All PN scan, and an automated Top PN scan. The unit's rapid CDMA scan rate of 100ms/512 PNs coupled with high precision measurements offers unparalleled analysis capabilities for CDMA operators, simplifying pilot pollution detection and neighbor list optimization as well as identifying "island cell' conditions and other timing related and multi-path interference induced issues.
Similarly, the LTE mode provides E-UTRA carrier RSSI, Reference Symbol received power, Ec/No and SIR on the primary and secondary synchronization signals, Cell IDs, Cell Master Information Block data, Cell System Information Block data, MIMO reference signals, Ec/Io, SIR, and CCIR, and a wealth of other LTE RF information. The LTE scanner performs synchronization detection at a rate of six LTE channels per second.
As with all Ascom scanners, the LTE scanner's high performance RF front-end offers superior out-of-band signal rejection and high frequency stability, and its robust design ensures accurate measurements even in the presence of strong interfering signals. This makes it ideal for operations where absolute RF accuracy of all signals is required, such as RF propagation validation, automated frequency planning data collection, and network optimization. Its high IP3 also provides operational resilience in applications where close proximity to other transmitting antennas can induce intermodulation interference such as drive test and competitive benchmarking programs. The scanner is intended for use by carriers deploying cellular voice and data services in the AWS frequency block and in applications such as spectrum clearing, initial deployment, and network service coverage determination. It also offers cellular operators the ability to add extended service coverage monitoring to their existing QoS benchmarking programs.
Built to exacting standards, the Ascom scanning receivers are fully RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant and designed to operate reliably in real world field conditions and under harsh operating environments, ensuring integrity of data collection and maximizing engineering productivity.
SOURCE: Ascom