Setup of PN Scan: PCTel

63.3.1 Setup of PN Scan: PCTel

With PCTel SeeGull MX(flex) and EX(flex) scanners, multiple concurrent PN scans can be performed: for example, one PN scan on a CDMA2000 frequency and one on an EV-DO frequency. The output to information elements remains exactly the same with this setup: All scanned frequencies, regardless of technology, are presented within the information element range "1st" â¦ "12th". If a total of more than 12 frequencies are scanned, only the first 12 selected for scanning are presented.

General Settings (Not Technology-dependent)

Technology	Select one of the supported technologies.
Band	Select one of the supported bands.
Channels	Enter channel numbers and/or ranges separated by commas, followed by the associated band. Example "1,3,512-514[1800]" selects the first occurrence of channel 1, 3 on any band and 512 to 514 on the 1800 band.

Settings Specific to CDMA2000 (IS-2000) and EV-DO (IS-856)

Type of Scanning	The set of pilots (PNs) to scan on each RF channel is composed in one of the following ways: Scan selected: User-defined, static set of pilots (up to 512, i.e. no restriction on number of pilots), common to all selected RF channels. Note: This option is only available when using PCTEL LX Scanners. Scan strongest: The strongest pilots ("Top N"; up to N = 32) on each RF channel. The scanner automatically finds the strongest pilots.
Selected Numbers	This field is visible if Type of Scanning is set to "Scan selected". Here you pick the pilots you want to scan.
Number of Pilots	This field is visible if Type of Scanning is set to "Scan strongest". Entering the number N means scan the N strongest pilots. Min: 1. Max: 32.
PN Threshold	This is a signal code power threshold (in dB) used for the Delay Spread measurements. If the PN threshold is set too low, the Delay Spread values will be affected by random noise more than may be desired. By raising the threshold you reduce the influence of random noise correlations, and you will thus be able to discern multipath and fading effects more accurately. The setting –20 dB is recommended.
Remaining Measurement Points	See section "Notes on Scanner Multitasking".

Settings Specific to CDMA One (IS-95) and CDMA2000 (IS-2000)

Use Pilot Increment	This refers to the inter-sector pilot PN increment used by the access network in assigning PN offsets to sectors. This parameter, along with "Start Pilot" and "Pilot Increment", are applicable only in "Scan selected" mode. If a pilot increment is used, TEMS Investigation will filter the list of selectable PNs: for example, if Start Pilot = 0 and Pilot Increment = 3, only the PNs 0, 3, 6, ... will appear in the list.
Start Pilot	The index of the first PN allocated.
Pilot Increment	The PN increment.
Max Cell Radius	The maximum radius within which to detect pilots.

Settings Specific to EV-DO (IS-856)

Pilot Window Length

This parameter indicates the length, in chips, of the time window in which the pilot is searched.

The maximum pilot window length supported by the scanning receiver is 64. This is also the default and recommended setting.

Search Window Size

Normal (64 chips), Wide (128 chips), or Wider (256 chips).

Selection of Measurements to Perform

On the rows that follow you specify whether to measure each of the following (at least one item must be set to Yes):

Ec/Io	The peak pilot E_c/I₀ value.
Pilot Delay	The number of chips between the expected arrival time and the actual arrival time of the signal.
Aggregate Ec/Io	The sum of all peak pilot E_c/I₀ values above the PN threshold.1
Delay Spread	The number of chips between the first and last pilot E_c/I₀ peaks above the PN threshold.

Remaining Options

Measurement Mode (EX only)

There are two choices, High Speed and High Dynamic. These are two algorithms with different priorities.

High Dynamic puts the emphasis on accuracy. Each sample reported by the scanner is typically based on a measurement 20 ms in length.

High Speed is faster and accordingly less accurate. Each reported sample is typically based on a 10 ms measurement.

Timing Mode

Here you select by what method the scanner should synchronize to the base station's transmissions.

GPS Only: The scanner will rely exclusively on its internal GPS for timing.

Pilot Sync Only: The scanner will rely exclusively on the Pilot and Sync channels for timing.

GPS Preferred: The scanner will use its internal GPS for timing whenever possible and resort to the Pilot and Sync channels in other cases.

This setting is enabled only if the scanner has been purchased with the Sync Channel Timing option. Pilot synchronization allows the scanner to operate in indoor environments where GPS coverage is lacking. Without the Sync Channel Timing option, the scanner can only use its GPS for timing.

The Timing mode setting is applicable for IS-95 and IS-2000 only, not for IS-856.

Integration (chips)

This is the number of chips over which each signal energy value is integrated. Setting this parameter high improves the accuracy and reliability of the output but also slows the scan down.

The default and recommended value is 2048 for IS-2000 and IS-95, and 3072 for IS-856.