GB2379833A - Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station - Google Patents

Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2379833A
GB2379833A GB0122498A GB0122498A GB2379833A GB 2379833 A GB2379833 A GB 2379833A GB 0122498 A GB0122498 A GB 0122498A GB 0122498 A GB0122498 A GB 0122498A GB 2379833 A GB2379833 A GB 2379833A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
base station
wireless
antenna
transmit antenna
telecommunications base
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0122498A
Other versions
GB0122498D0 (en
Inventor
Stephen Edward Cooper
John Fitzgerald Finnell
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nokia of America Corp
Original Assignee
Lucent Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lucent Technologies Inc filed Critical Lucent Technologies Inc
Priority to GB0122498A priority Critical patent/GB2379833A/en
Publication of GB0122498D0 publication Critical patent/GB0122498D0/en
Publication of GB2379833A publication Critical patent/GB2379833A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B17/00—Monitoring; Testing
    • H04B17/0082—Monitoring; Testing using service channels; using auxiliary channels
    • H04B17/0085—Monitoring; Testing using service channels; using auxiliary channels using test signal generators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B17/00—Monitoring; Testing
    • H04B17/10—Monitoring; Testing of transmitters
    • H04B17/15—Performance testing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B17/00—Monitoring; Testing
    • H04B17/20—Monitoring; Testing of receivers
    • H04B17/21—Monitoring; Testing of receivers for calibration; for correcting measurements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B17/00—Monitoring; Testing
    • H04B17/10—Monitoring; Testing of transmitters
    • H04B17/15—Performance testing
    • H04B17/17—Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B17/00—Monitoring; Testing
    • H04B17/10—Monitoring; Testing of transmitters
    • H04B17/15—Performance testing
    • H04B17/19—Self-testing arrangements

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

A method of testing whether a transmit and receive antenna in a wireless telecommunications base-station are functioning by applying a signal from a signal generator to the transmit antenna and measuring the magnitude of signal received by the receive antenna by using a processor for the determination. Power may be the measured parameter, the test signal may be sent to the processor by a wired, loop-back or wireless transmission. The antennae may be cross polarised, spatially separated, or housed in a radome. The antennae may also be connected to the processor via a coupling and rectification stage. The base station may also be compliant with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, UMTS or another third generation standard.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1>
A WIRELESS-TELECOMMUNICATIONS BASE STATION, AND A METHOD OF TESTING WHETHER ANTENNAS OF A WIRELESS-TELECOMMUNICATIONS BASE STATION ARE ACCEPTABLY FUNCTIONING Technical Field The present invention relates to a wireless-telecommunications base station comprising a transmit antenna, a receive antenna, and a test signal generator, and also to a method of testing whether antennas of a wireless-telecommunications base station are acceptably functioning.
Background of the Invention It is known to measure transmitting (Tx) antenna voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR, which is VmaxNmin) by measuring forward and reverse power using radio frequency (RF) couplers. However, this technique only allows the correct functioning (i. e integrity) of transmitting antennas (not receive only antennas) to be verified.
To measure functioning of the other antenna (the receive only antenna), it is known to launch a pulse of low level RF power from an on-board signal generator to the receive-only antenna and then measure the level of the reflected power. In the event of a poor electrical match, ie high VSWR, there will be high levels of reflected power.
In summary, the known solutions require two processes to fulfil the task of measuring integrity of transmit and receive antennas. Furthermore, because the antennas are located at the end of feeders which will also contribute finite losses, any degradation of the VSWR at the location of the antenna interface will be reduced by the feeder losses, making accurate determination of antenna integrity difficult. Also the known system only tests the VSWR at the BTS antenna interface i. e the existing system can only measure the VSWR of the cascaded system.
<Desc/Clms Page number 2>
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a wireless-telecommunications base station comprising a transmit antenna, a receive antenna, and a test signal generator, the test signal generator being operative to send a test signal to the transmit antenna for wireless transmission, the receive antenna being operative to receive the signal transmitted, the base station also comprising a processor operative to determine whether the antennas are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal.
An advantage provided by preferred embodiments of the present invention is that it provides a single, elegant measurement that verifies both antennas in a cross-polarised radome housing are properly connected to their feeders from a UMTS base station. A further advantage is that the integrity of both antennas is tested in a more elegant manner than present. Additionally, all connections within the entire feeder/antenna system are tested, in other words the integrity of all connection interfaces relating to the antenna/feeder system are tested. Significantly no additional hardware is generally required for this, as an internal signal generator is already normally provided in known base stations.
Preferably the processor is operative to relate a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the received signal to a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the transmitted signal so as to determine whether the antennas are acceptably functioning. Preferably the parameter is power.
Preferably the test signal is sent to the processor from the generator both by way of a wired-only path and by way of wireless transmission.
Preferably the transmit antenna and receive antenna are cross polarised.
Alternatively, preferably the transmit antenna and receive antenna are spatially separated.
Preferably the transmit antenna and receive antenna are in a radome housing.
Preferably each antenna is connected to the processor via a coupling and rectification stage.
Preferably the wireless-telecommunications base station is compliant with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UMTS standard or another
<Desc/Clms Page number 3>
third generation standard. Preferably the wireless-telecommunications base station is compliant with a second generation standard such as Global System for Mobiles GSM.
The present invention also provides corresponding methods.
The present invention also provides a method of testing whether antennas of a wireless-telecommunications base station are acceptably functioning, the base station comprising a transmit antenna and a receive antenna, the method comprising sending a test signal to the transmit antenna, the transmit antenna transmitting the test signal, the receive antenna receiving the signal, and determining whether the antennas are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal.
Furthermore, preferably the method of testing is undertaken automatically periodically. Furthermore preferably the method of testing is undertaken at quiet times.
Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a wireless-telecommunications base station.
Detailed Description As shown in Figure 1, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) base station (BTS) 2 has a crossed polarised antenna (3, Node B) including a transmit (Tx) antenna 4 and a receive (Rx) antenna 6 The transmit (Tx) antenna 4 is operative to transmit and receive. The receiver (Rx) antenna 6 is operative to receive only.
The transmit antenna 4 is connected via a feeder cable 8, and transmit and receive duplex filters 12 to a signal processing circuitry 14. The circuitry 14 includes an outlet port (TxA) an inlet port (RxA) both connected to the transmit antenna 4. An on-board signal generator 16 is connected via a coupler 10 to feeder cable 8 to the transmit antenna 4.
The receive antenna is connected via a further feeder cable 9, and further duplex filters 20 to a further inlet port (RxB) to the signal processing circuitry 14.
<Desc/Clms Page number 4>
The on-board signal generator 16 launches a test pulse of power at one or more receive frequencies to the transmit antenna 4. The attenuated pulse is received on the'opposite'receive leg (6,9, 20, RxB) which, of course, includes the receive antenna 6. The test pulse is attenuated by the known cross-coupling loss between the antennas 4. 6 in addition to the known feeder 8,9 losses and known duplex filters'12, 20 insertion losses.
The power from the signal generator arrives at the signal processing circuitry on both receive paths, A and B, the signal on path B having passed from transmit antenna 4 to receive antenna 6. If the integrity of the connectivity from the base station to both antennas 4,6 is good (i. e the antennas are functioning acceptably, being in particular correctly connected) then the measured level of attenuation will equate to the summed losses of the feeders and antenna.
For the purposes of the test, the received signal on Rx A is simply ignored.
The test is performed under the control of the management system. This test procedure may be supported or controlled by software, possibly additional software to that for usual base station operation This monitoring test is performed periodically, during quiet periods.
This development is applicable to cross polarised antennas where both antennas are housed in the same radome housing. It is also applicable to any other radio teclmology that involve cross polarised antennas, and also to systems including spatially separated antennas instead provided the cross coupling loss is sufficiently low to allow reception of the transmitted signal.

Claims (12)

Claims:
1. A wireless-telecommunications base station (2, 3) comprising a transmit antenna (4), a receive antenna (6), and a test signal generator (16), the test signal generator (16) being operative to send a test signal to the transmit antenna (4) for wireless transmission, the receive antenna (6) being operative to receive the signal transmitted, the base station also comprising a processor (14) operative to determine whether the antennas (4,6) are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal.
2. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to claim 1, in which the processor (14) is operative to relate a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the received signal to a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the transmitted signal so as to determine whether the antennas (4,6) are acceptably functioning.
3. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to claim 2, in which the parameter is power.
4. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which the test signal is sent to the processor from the generator both by way of a wiredonly path and by way of wireless transmission.
5. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which the transmit antenna (4) and receive antenna (6) are cross polarised.
6. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the transmit antenna (4) and receive antenna (6) are spatially separated.
7. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which the transmit antenna (4) and receive antenna (6) are in a radome housing.
8. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which each antenna is connected to the processor via a coupling and rectification stage.
<Desc/Clms Page number 6>
9. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, which is compliant with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UMTS standard or another third generation standard.
10. A method of testing whether antennas (4,6) of a wireless-telecommunications base station (2, 3) are acceptably functioning, the base station comprising a transmit antenna (4) and a receive antenna (6), the method comprising sending a test signal to the transmit antenna (4), the transmit antenna transmitting the test signal, the receive antenna (6) receiving the signal, and determining whether the antennas (4,6) are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal.
<Desc/Clms Page number 7>
Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A wireless-telecommunications base station (2, 3) comprising a transmit antenna (4), a receive antenna (6), and a test signal generator (16), the test signal generator (16) being operative to send a test signal to the transmit antenna (4) for wireless transmission, the receive antenna (6) being operative to receive the signal transmitted, the base station also comprising a processor (14) operative to determine whether the antennas (4,6) are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal, in which the transmit antenna (4) and receive antenna (6) are cross polarised.
2. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to claim 1, in which the processor (14) is operative to relate a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the received signal to a parameter value dependent on the magnitude of the transmitted signal so as to determine whether the antennas (4, 6) are acceptably functioning.
3. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to claim 2, in which the parameter is power.
4. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which the test signal is sent to the processor from the generator both by way of a wired-only path and by way of wireless transmission.
5. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which the transmit antenna (4) and receive antenna (6) are in a radome housing.
6. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, in which each antenna is connected to the processor via a coupling and rectification stage.
<Desc/Clms Page number 8>
7. A wireless-telecommunications base station according to any preceding claim, which is compliant with the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UMTS standard or another third generation standard.
8. A method of testing whether antennas (4, 6) of a wirelesstelecommunications base station (2, 3) are acceptably functioning, the base station comprising a transmit antenna (4) and a receive antenna (6), the transmit antenna (4) and the receive antenna (6) being cross polarised, the method comprising sending a test signal to the transmit antenna (4), the transmit antenna transmitting the test signal, the receive antenna (6) receiving the signal, and determining whether the antennas (4, 6) are acceptably functioning dependent on the magnitude of the received signal.
ZD 9. A method of testing according to claim 8 undertaken automatically periodically.
10. A method of testing according to claim 8 or claim 9 undertaken at quiet times.
11. A wireless-telecommunications base station substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figure.
12. A method of testing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figure.
GB0122498A 2001-09-18 2001-09-18 Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station Withdrawn GB2379833A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0122498A GB2379833A (en) 2001-09-18 2001-09-18 Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0122498A GB2379833A (en) 2001-09-18 2001-09-18 Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0122498D0 GB0122498D0 (en) 2001-11-07
GB2379833A true GB2379833A (en) 2003-03-19

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GB0122498A Withdrawn GB2379833A (en) 2001-09-18 2001-09-18 Method of testing antennas of a wireless telecommunications base station

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3970940A (en) * 1960-01-28 1976-07-20 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Overall equipment condition checking
DE4334216A1 (en) * 1993-10-07 1995-04-13 Detecon Gmbh Method for monitoring radio devices
JPH08274727A (en) * 1995-04-03 1996-10-18 Hitachi Ltd Radio transmission and reception equipment with fault detecting function
US5857012A (en) * 1994-10-15 1999-01-05 Nokia Telecommunications Oy Radio telephone base station with a monitoring apparatus
WO2000031892A1 (en) * 1997-10-10 2000-06-02 Arraycomm, Inc. Method and apparatus for calibrating a wireless communications station having an antenna array
US6107965A (en) * 1998-04-03 2000-08-22 Robert Bosch Gmbh Dual polarized antenna element with reduced cross-polarization

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3970940A (en) * 1960-01-28 1976-07-20 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Overall equipment condition checking
DE4334216A1 (en) * 1993-10-07 1995-04-13 Detecon Gmbh Method for monitoring radio devices
US5857012A (en) * 1994-10-15 1999-01-05 Nokia Telecommunications Oy Radio telephone base station with a monitoring apparatus
JPH08274727A (en) * 1995-04-03 1996-10-18 Hitachi Ltd Radio transmission and reception equipment with fault detecting function
WO2000031892A1 (en) * 1997-10-10 2000-06-02 Arraycomm, Inc. Method and apparatus for calibrating a wireless communications station having an antenna array
US6107965A (en) * 1998-04-03 2000-08-22 Robert Bosch Gmbh Dual polarized antenna element with reduced cross-polarization

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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