December 10, 2015
As anyone who spends time in the field climbing towers knows, the need for documentation of antenna systems is increasing. A typical tower-based antenna system may require 50-150 measurements, traces, and photos to show that the installation meets quality standards. That is nothing compared to a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), which might need 1,000-15,000 traces, photos, and other deliverables to verify the installation is to specification. Each deliverable needs to be inspected, renamed, and in some cases have the markers and limit lines set and judged.
Typically, all of this has been performed via manual inspection procedures. While that was (barely) acceptable for tower environments, it does not scale well for the much larger DAS systems. For tower inspection professionals, verifying the completion of tests and documenting said measurements are required to get paid. Therefore, developing a process that allows them to close out jobs, get paid, and move on to the next job more efficiently is imperative to successful operations.
Tools for Greater Efficiency
Cloud-based trace management tools, such as SkyBridge Tools™ (figure 1), have been designed to simplify this growingly complex environment. Contractors or owner/operators can use these online tools to show that their work is complete so they can be paid faster. DAS system installers will find these tools particularly beneficial, as they automate the collection and validation of thousands of traces. It creates a place for each and every deliverable, and shows progress towards meeting those requirements. These virtual slots, so to speak, can be designated for line sweep traces, OTDR traces, PIM traces, site photos, as well as any required construction documents.
Figure 1
Another benefit of cloud-based tools is that site technicians have access to real-time information. They also make uploading test data easier. Through these systems, confusion is eliminated and project management involvement reduced because pass/fail results are very clear and easy to read.
As mentioned earlier, a cloud-based tool can be particularly effective in DAS installations. Here are three steps to take that will simplify this complex workflow.
- Create Test Plan – Cloud-based tools can gather input from custom software, Excel or similar spreadsheets, and customer-supplied test criteria to efficiently build a comprehensive test plan that enables test sequencing, job progress tracking, trace judgement, and report generation.
- Test Sequencing – A set of instrument control scripts for the test plan can be created by simply pressing a single button on a compatible field analyzer (figure 2). Necessary tests, precise instrument setups, limit lines, and accurate file names for the resulting traces are included in the scripts that can run on the test instrument to greatly reduce workload. Technicians will be able to see failures immediately while the cable is still connected to the instrument. They no longer have to worry about missing or duplicated tests, misconfigured setups, or misnamed traces, thereby improving efficiently.
- Reporting – There are several choices for reporting. Traditional PDF or zipped reports are available. Reporting is also available in a CSV format, with one row per test. Each row contains the test name, the criteria, a significant number for the measurement, a pass/fail indication, and a PDF of the trace. These reports automate what has been a tedious process in past.
Figure 2
Cloud-based tools can offer other benefits in DAS and tower-based antenna systems. To see how these solutions integrate with test instruments and can simplify closing out system testing for faster payment, download this application brief on cloud-based tools.
