1 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

RX antenna supervision by comparing RSSI

The purpose of this feature is to monitor the Rx antenna condition. Rx antennas can be
monitored for major problems by taking a long-term average of the difference between the Main Rx RSSI
and the Div Rx RSSI. This feature provides continuous antenna supervision for the BTSs, which have
main and diversity in use. It also offers an alternative solution for Tx monitoring in cells that use
duplexing. This detects, for example, antennas with poor VSWR and inadequate feeders.
The monitoring is based on the principle that all received bursts, where the Rx level of main
or diversity branch is above the defined limit value (-95dBm), are accepted as samples and used in the
averaging process. The differences of the TRXs connected to the same antennas are counted up, and
the average difference per main and diversity antennas is calculated. If the difference is above the
threshold (default value 10 dB), an alarm is activated. For the Nokia PrimeSite base station, the Rx
branch difference is calculated separately per TRX. The threshold default value of 10 dB can be
changed by a parameter at the BSC between 5-64. The functionality of the feature can be disabled by
using the maximum value.
It is still possible that both antennas are damaged simultaneously and the difference
algorithm cannot detect the fault. For this reason, the BTS also observes the assignment and handover
success rate per antenna. Excessive failures are detected by Bias-T unit, and an SWR alarm is raised.

6 5

7
1

8 2

In case of alarm:
1 Check if the LNA is installed at the Diversity RX. If yes ignore alarm or adjust the parameter RXD
2 If no LNA installed at Diversity RX go to 2.1
 2 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

2.1 To investigate, connect to BTS remotely by Remote BTS Manager open the RSSI comparison
value in Supervision menu to get the compared result.

Example:

***************************
RSSI Comparision Values
***************************

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 3 -84 -87 n/a n/a 3 0.00
TRX 4 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 0.00
Avg. Diff. 1.25

Sector 14
TRX 5 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 -0.67
TRX 6 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 -0.67
TRX 7 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 -0.67
TRX 8 -86 -86 n/a n/a 0 2.00
Avg. Diff. 0.25

Sector 15
TRX 9 -85 -85 n/a n/a 0 1.00
TRX 10 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 -0.50
TRX 11 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 -0.50
Avg. Diff. 0.67

Antenna Ant:1 Ant:2

TRX 1 -84 -85 1
TRX 2 -84 -85 1
Avg. Diff. 1.00

Antenna Ant:2 Ant:1

TRX 3 -84 -87 3
TRX 4 -84 -84 0
Avg. Diff. 1.50

Antenna Ant:3 Ant:4

TRX 5 -84 -84 0
TRX 6 -85 -84 1
Avg. Diff. 0.50

Antenna Ant:4 Ant:3

TRX 7 -84 -84 0
TRX 8 -86 -86 0
Avg. Diff. 0.00

Antenna Ant:5 Ant:6

 3 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

TRX 9 -85 -85 0

TRX 10 -84 -85 1
Avg. Diff. 0.50

Reliable values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 3 -84 -87 n/a n/a 3 0.00
TRX 4 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 0.00
Avg. Diff. 1.25

Sector 14
TRX 5 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 -0.67
TRX 6 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 -0.67
TRX 7 -84 -84 n/a n/a 0 -0.67
TRX 8 -86 -86 n/a n/a 0 2.00
Avg. Diff. 0.25

Sector 15
TRX 9 -85 -85 n/a n/a 0 1.00
TRX 10 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 -0.50
TRX 11 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 -0.50
Avg. Diff. 0.67

Antenna Ant:1 Ant:2

TRX 1 -84 -85 1
TRX 2 -84 -85 1
Avg. Diff. 1.00

Antenna Ant:2 Ant:1

TRX 3 -84 -87 3
TRX 4 -84 -84 0
Avg. Diff. 1.50

Antenna Ant:3 Ant:4

TRX 5 -84 -84 0
TRX 6 -85 -84 1
Avg. Diff. 0.50

Antenna Ant:4 Ant:3

TRX 7 -84 -84 0
TRX 8 -86 -86 0
Avg. Diff. 0.00

Antenna Ant:5 Ant:6

TRX 9 -85 -85 0
TRX 10 -84 -85 1
Avg. Diff. 0.50
 4 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

The following are the example of possible case:

1. Cable (1) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -104 -85 n/a n/a 19 0.00
TRX 2 -104 -85 n/a n/a 19 0.00
TRX 3 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 4 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
Avg. Diff. 19.5

2. Cable (2) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 3 -104 -84 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 4 -104 -84 n/a n/a 20 0.00
Avg. Diff. 20

3. Cable (3) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 3 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 4 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
Avg. Diff. 10.5

4. Cable (4) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 3 -104 -84 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 4 -104 -84 n/a n/a 20 0.00
Avg. Diff. 10.5
 5 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

5. Cable (5) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -104 -85 n/a n/a 19 0.00
TRX 2 -104 -85 n/a n/a 19 0.00
TRX 3 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 4 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
Avg. Diff. 10

6. Cable (6) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 3 -85 -104 n/a n/a 19 0.00
TRX 4 -85 -104 n/a n/a 19 0.00
Avg. Diff. 10

7. Cable (7) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -84 -104 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 3 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 4 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
Avg. Diff. 5.75

8. Cable (8) failed

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -104 -85 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 2 -84 -85 n/a n/a 20 0.00
TRX 3 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
TRX 4 -85 -84 n/a n/a 1 0.00
Avg. Diff. 5.75
 6 (6)

Technical Support
Punlarp Maipaiboon 11 April 2005

9. No any cable failed but one feeder and/or antenna have VSWR better that
another or vice versa, alarm can be activated.

Newest values:
TRX ID Ant 1 Ant 2 Ant 3 Ant 4 Diff. Rel. Diff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector 13
TRX 1 -82 -94 n/a n/a 12 0.00
TRX 2 -82 -94 n/a n/a 12 0.00
TRX 3 -93 -82 n/a n/a 11 0.00
TRX 4 -93 -82 n/a n/a 11 0.00
Avg. Diff. 11.5

For the case(9) if measure the Ant1 and Ant2 with Site Master, the
VSWR for both are acceptable but one is quite better than another. In this
case the problem cab be the connector or Feeder jumper etc.

However if cable (1) and (2) are failed simultaneously alarm will
not generate because there is no diffence between them. In case RSSI
comparison result show that RX cable like cable number (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)…
failed, this fall can be confirm by perform TRX test remotely.