RF Link Quality Test

Fundamentally, an RF Link Quality test provides an indication of how well the specific data patterns of an RF test packet have been decoded by each of the TD-RF modems in the specified RF path. This information, in turn, is indicative of the relative quality (i.e. Signal to Noise Ratio) of the RF signal received by the associated FM transceivers.

Before executing an RF Link Quality test, one must first specify the RF path to be tested. This can be done in one of two ways. If all the devices in the RF path to be tested are configured in the network map, simply select the RFRemote-TD/PB that represents the end of the path. (Right-clicking the end of path RFRemote-TD/PB will simultaneously select the RF path and launch a popup window for selecting Start Test.) If one or more of the RFRemote-TD/PB devices in the path to be tested is not configured in the network map, one must specify the RF path by first selecting the RFBase-TD that is configured in the network map and then manually entering the RFIDs of each TD-RF modem along the path in the RF Base Codes/RFIDs field. (see RF Base Codes/RFIDs)

Once the RF path has been designated, the RF Link Quality test is initiated by clicking the Start Test button.

LoggerNet responds by sending an RF Test command packet, containing a definition of the RF path to be tested, to the RFBase-TD. The RFBase-TD executes the RF Link Quality test by sending an RF Test Packet across the network to the RFRemote-TD/PB at the end of the RF path. As the end of path modem receives the RF Test Packet, it internally logs a TD-RF Quality Report detailing information about the size of the packet and its ability to decode the data contained in the packet. (For details, see TD-RF Quality Report.) The end of path modem will then send the RF Test Packet back across the network toward the RFBase-TD. As the RF Test Packet makes the return trip across the network, each RFRemote-TD/PB modem in the path as well as the RFBase-TD will log a TD-RF Quality Report based on the received packet. The RFBase-TD then sends a command across the network to collect the TD-RF Quality Report from each of the modems involved in the test. The RFBase-TD sends the collected reports to LoggerNet in the RF Test response packet.

The TD-RF Quality Reports are displayed in the right-hand pane of the TD-RF Quality Test window in the order (top-down) they were collected; starting with the end of path modem and ending with the RFBase-TD.