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Drive Test Procedure
Drive-testing plays an important role in creating and maintaining a strong GSM network. In mobile communication system drive testing should be used to collect real-time RF information from the field.Generally this is done using a vehicle, but it can also be carried out on foot where circumstances dictate (like inside a building for IBS Testing ).In any case, keeping mobile phone network optimized is vital. Changes in the environment continually affect network performance. Operator can’t afford to have unhappy subscribers because there are holes in their coverage or because interference is causing dropped or blocked calls. To migrate to new technologies and applications operators need a drive-test system that will expand with their needs.The Purpose of Drive Testing
Drive testing is principally applied in both the planning and optimization stage of network development.However, there are other purposes for which drive testing can be used:
· To provide path loss data for initial site survey work
· To verify the propagation prediction during the initial planning of the network.
· To verify the network system parameters.
· To provide the initial test parameters used in Benchmarking.
· To verify the performance of the network after changes have been made e.g. when a new
· TRX is added; the removal or addition of a new site; any power adjustments or changes
· to the antenna; any changes in clutter or traffic habits.
· To measure any interference problems such as coverage from neighboring countries.
· To locate any RF issues relating to traffic problems such as dropped or blocked calls.
· To locate any poor coverage areas.
· To monitor the network against a slow degradation over time, as well as monitoring the network
· After sudden environmental conditions, such as windstorm or electrical storms.
· To monitor the performance of a competitor’s network.
When to Drive Test
Drive testing can take place during the day or at night and is dependant upon the Operator’srequirements and subscriber habits. Drive testing during the day will imitate the conditions as seen by subscribers, but may clog up the network if call analysis is being performed. Drive testing during the night will allow a greater area to be surveyed due to the reduction in vehicular traffic jam. It will also allow for certain test signals to be transmitted and tested, particularly when setting up a new site, without interrupting normal operation. However, night-time testing does not imitate the conditions experienced by subscribers. For planning purposes, drive testing is typically performed at night and for maintenance purposes, drive testing is performed during the day.
Where to Drive Test
Some areas of a network will have greater performance problems than others. Drive testing should not be regular throughout the whole network, but should be weighted towards areas where there are significant RF problems. There may be other areas of the network that require temporary coverage during a certain time of the year e.g. an exhibition centre or a sports stadium. These areas should be examined and planned in greater detail. Sometime operators can perform drive test for their customary check for a certain city or some specific clusters of a city.Types of drive Test
Drive test can be performed in very many ways. Different types of drive test fulfill different types ofrequirement from the customer.
1. Single site Drive Test
2. Cluster Drive Test
3. Acceptance Drive Test
4. Site Swapping Drive Test
5. Benchmarking Drive Test
6. Functionality Test
7. Walk Test for IBS
Tools ( Drive Test Kit )
Drive testing needs some distinctive type of tools, like some special mobile phones and software. The followings are list of tools generally required for drive test:
Hardware:
1. Drive test vehicle
Four wheeler vehicles are perfect for drive test to access important but tough access roads or
muddy roads.
2. Power Inverter
This device inverts DC power to AC power. We can use it to invert vehicle’s DC power to AC
power to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the laptop and other electronic devices during
DT.
3. Laptop computer
DT laptop should be with good condition and configuration, like high speed processor and
especially RAM volume should be more for smooth drive testing.
4. Mobile phones and phone charger
Special mobile phones designed with field measurement features. How many mobile phone
should we use during DT depends on the types of DT. Some testing requires one phone and
some other requires two or more. Chargers are also compulsory to keep the phone always
charged.
5. Data cables
Data cable depends upon the model of the mobile phone. Every mobile phone has its own data
cable to transfer measured data to the software installed in the laptop.
6. External antennas
Every mobile phone should be connected with external antenna during DT. Generally when we
use mobile phones inside the car during DT, there is an enormous possibility to get poor field
data. External antenna can minimize this problem. Usually it is attached on top of the vehicle
using a magnetic base.
7. Car GPS
GPS generally used for positioning purpose. In DT, positioning is very important both for
visualization (current position during DT) and analytical point of view. Car GPS also attached on
top of the vehicle like external antenna and connected with laptop through cable.
8. Dongle ( Key for DT software )
One of the most important hardware for drive test is Dongle. Every drive test software needs
this key to run during DT. Except this key all the drive testing features of DT software will be
disabled, until the key is not attached with the laptop. Physically it looks very similar as pen drive.
9. USB Hub
Sometime when we need to work with two or more mobile phones then we need more USB
ports, but our laptop ports are limited. So we have to use USB hub or PCMC USB card, which
will provide us more USB ports to connect more equipment.
1. Data collection Software
This is the software through which field data will be collected. With this software we can analyze
the field data also. This software should be licensed from the vendor company for proper
authorization. Every software has a key to work properly. The most popular software for data
collection is “TEMS Investigation” from ERICSSON.
During drive test digital map is necessary for finding the way to reach the selected site/cluster
and do DT according to some predefined routes. We can load the digital map of the whole
region or we can load the map of some specific roads that need drive test. This map comprises
all the accessible DT routs.
We must load the cellfile into the data collection software. A cellfile contains all the necessary
information related to the site, like ID of that site, assigned frequencies of that site, direction of
the antennas of that site etc. Whenever we load the cellfile we can see the position of that site in
the digital map. Then we can easily find out our required sites form the map and also the roads
to be covered for that site.
MapInfo allowed us to include mapping functionality into DT software. We can easily plot our
sites position, routes, and building drawings (for indoor test) with this software. MapInfo has the
ability to combine and display, on a single map, data from a variety of sources that are in
different formats and projections. The software is capable of overlaying vector layers on the
same map.
FIG: MapInfo Software
All the mobile phones and GPS need driver software to synchronize with the drive test software.
Every equipment drivers must be installed properly in the laptop otherwise they will not work
properly.
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