Making An Average Power Measurement - Agilent Technologies N9342C User Manual

3 Functions and Measurements

Making an Average Power Measurement

Average power measurements provide a key metric
in transmitter performance.
Base station transmit power must be set accurately
to achieve optimal coverage in wireless networks. If
the transmit power is set too high due to
inaccurate power measurements, undesired
interference can occur. If the transmit power is set
too low, coverage gaps or holes may occur. Either
case may affect system capacity and may translate
into decreased revenue for service providers.
Average power can be measured for the channel of
interest while the base station is active. All other
channels should be inactive. Average power is a
broadband measurement. If other signals are
present the analyzer will also measure their power
contributions.
The maximum power for the RF IN port and the RF OUT
CAU TI O N
CAU -
port of the analyzer is +20 dBm. The maximum power for
the Power Sensor port is +24 dBm. When directly coupled
to a base station, the test set can be damaged by exces-
sive power applied to any of these three ports.
To prevent damage in most situations when directly
coupling an analyzer to a base station, use a high power
attenuator between the analyzer and the BTS.
The analyzer supports the U2000 Series USB power
sensors.
The U2000 Series USB power sensors do not need
manual calibration and zero routines performed.
Calibration and zeroing are performed without
removing the power sensor from the source,
through internal zeroing. With internal zeroing of
U2000 Series USB power sensors, there is no need
to disconnect the sensor or power-off the DUT.
The U2000 Series do not require 50 MHz reference
signal calibration, allowing the factory calibration
to ensure measurement accuracy. To ensure
accuracy, users are recommended to perform
56 N9342C/43C/44C User's Guide