Walk Test Data Interpretation

UMTS

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UMTS Summary
UMTS channels are 5 MHz in bandwidth
All sectors transmit at the same frequencies but different scrambling codes (SC)
The scrambling code is transmitted by each sector as a pilot signal
UE (user equipment or basically mobile) measures the received pilots and
establishes communication with the sector with the strongest pilot (most of the
time)
A good performing system will have a strong pilot dominating other pilots by 5-6
dB
When pilot levels are similar (within a couple of dBs), UE speaks with more than
one sector transmitter simultaneously (soft handoff, softer handoff)
This is not very good except for the transition regions between the cells
Parameter ranking (Good, OK, Poor) suggested here are my personal scale.
Different companies have different criteria to gauge their own coverage
A combination of parameters determine the quality of signal not a single
parameter in isolation
The ranking stated here mainly reflects the macro performance
Criteria used to judge macro system performance is not the same as the ones
used when there is a DAS system installed
2

All Rights Reserved Alcatel-Lucent 2011

iDAS usually adheres to stiffer
set of requirements

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Pilot Ec: Strength of the pilot signal

Scale: The bigger, the better
Good Values

OK Values

Poor Values

> -85 dBm

-85 dBm> Ec > -95 dBm

< -95 dBm

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Same things as previous slide but for the second strongest pilot

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Pilot Ec/Io: Indication of interference/noise to the pilot signal

Scale: The bigger, the better
Good Values
> -10 dBm

OK Values
-10 > Ec/Io > -14 dBm

Poor Values
< -14 dBm

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PSC: Primary Scrambling Code, the pilot that were dominant in

different areas
Scale: It is better to have one PSC dominate every where

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Same information as slide 3 for a specific detected pilot

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Same information as slide 3 for a specific detected pilot

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Same information as slide 3 for a specific detected pilot

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Same information as slide 3 for a specific detected pilot

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Receiver Power: Strength of the signal received across the UMTS

channel including wanted and unwanted signals
Scale: Usually the bigger, the better if they are the intended signal
not interference
Good Values
> -75 dBm

OK Values
-75 dBm> RSSI> -85 dBm

Poor Values
< -85 dBm

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CS (Circuit Switched, Voice) Short: Short term calls are made

continuously to gauge system connectivity

Active AGG Ec/Io: Similar to slide 5
iRAT (Inter Radio Acees Technology Handover): Handover between UMTS and
GSM to avoid call disconnection, value 0 is preferred
iFHO (Inter Frequency Handover): Handover between two UMTS frequencies to
avoid drop calls, value 0 is preferred

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Same things as slide 3 but with different verbiage because it is from the voice call

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Number of pilots detected during the call. The value is preferably 1, higher values
indicate lack of dominance

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Same things as slide 6 for the short duration voice calls

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UARFCN (UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number): The UMTS

channel number used by the mobile during the calls

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UE Transmit Power: Mobile output power at each location

Scale: The lower, the better
Good Values
< -10 dBm

OK Values
-10 dBm> Tx > +10 dBm

Poor Values
> +10 dBm