Identify PIM At Cell Sites

Feb. 9, 2011

New cell sites are being erected everywhere, it seems, as wireless carriers scramble to provide the most competitive wireless coverage and services possible. And each time a new cellular tower goes up, it has to be tested. Even after it is operation, performance can change with time, and it still must be tested periodically. Fortunately, test-equipment supplier now offer complete radio testers in a handheld box, such as the one developed by Anritsu and reported on in the January issue of Microwaves & RF.

This handy tester is capable of measuring passive intermodulation distortion (PIM) and antennas and other components in a cell site to evaluate sources of performance degradation at the site. The company's model MW8219A PIM Master operates in the 1900- and 2100-MHz Personal Communications Services (PCS) and Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bands, and works with one of the company's analyzer products to read and isolate higher-order intermodulation products. For more details, click here.

About the Author

Jack Browne

Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.