Assembly Instructions

Navini Networks, Inc. Ripwave Base Station I&C Guide
Part #40-00047-00 Rev F v1.0 (TTA) 209
October 23, 2003
Appendix S: Single Antenna Test Procedure
Objective
The object of the RFS Single Antenna Test Procedure is to verify the functionality of each
antenna element in the Ripwave Radio Frequency Subsystem (RFS). The 8 antenna elements
work together to create the beamforming that results from using a Smart Antenna - Phased Array
technology. Using 8 combined single antenna elements creates the beamed radiation that is part
of what constitutes the gain of up to 18 dB during transmission of data.
Each antenna element has an associated (and hard cabled) RF/Power Amplifier (PA) card in the
Base Transceiver Station (BTS). In order to verify the correct beamforming and that each single
antenna is working properly, we have to turn off the individual PA that controls each antenna
element, one at a time.
The Single Antenna Test should be performed after completing an equipment check and after
performing the Base Station Calibration Verification* procedure described in the Ripwave Base
Station Installation & Commissioning Guide. This test is necessary since an equipment check
does not check the functionality of the RFS, and the Calibration Verification only sweeps for
losses in the RFS, not RFS functionality.
*Note: The Calibration Verification, where you check both transmit power and receive
sensitivity, is also sometimes referred to as the RF Sanity test.
More specifically, the Single Antenna Test checks the following:
1. Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) at the RFS. LNAs are an integral part of the smart antenna
technology.
2. Power Amplifiers. Each PA is a module in the BTS RF shelf that creates the RF
transmission. With one per element, there are a total of 8 PAs in the shelf. The
transmission is measured in dBm. This is what makes possible the transfer of data over-
the-air.
3. Modulations. As each antenna element is checked, the variable modulations are tested.
The higher the modulation, the higher the power and the better the data rate. The test
ensures that all modulations possible, i.e., QPSK, 8PSK, and QAM16, are working
properly.