tony holmes
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Technical Training Seminar on “Egress & Ingress Testing and Troubleshooting” for CCTA Member Companies August 25, 26 and 27, 2009 San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mario Sebastiani. Tony Holmes. Seminar Summary. How the Egress and Ingress of unwanted signals in the forward and reverse plant behave - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Technical Training Seminar on
“Egress & Ingress Testing and Troubleshooting”
for CCTA Member Companies
August 25, 26 and 27, 2009 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Technical Training Seminar on
“Egress & Ingress Testing and Troubleshooting”
for CCTA Member Companies
August 25, 26 and 27, 2009 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tony Holmes
Mario Sebastiani
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Seminar SummarySeminar Summary
How the Egress and Ingress of unwanted signals in the forward and reverse plant behave
How they effect picture, data and voice quality
What to look for and how to fix it
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Technical Training OutlineTechnical Training Outline Egress terminology What is egress Why do we test for egress What causes egress Egress characteristics Locating source of egress Signal Egress/Leakage Automation
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Egress TerminologyEgress Terminology Leakage Radiation (Never Say!!!) µV/M Squelch Calibration Tagging (CT-2 or CT-3)
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
What is Egress/Leakage? What is Egress/Leakage?
Definition: – Undesired emission of signals out of HFC
networks – Egress is generally referred to as signal leakage
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Egress & IngressEgress & Ingress
Ingress – RF or electrical energy
that enters the coaxial environment
Egress – RF signal leaking out
of the coaxial environment
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Why do we test for leakage?Why do we test for leakage?
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Reason #1 to Test for LeakageReason #1 to Test for Leakage
Meet FCC Compliance
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Spectrum ChartSpectrum Chart
108MHz 137MHz
Aircraft Radio & Navigation
CH 98 CH 99 CH 14 CH 15 CH 16
Off-air
Cable
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Cumulative Leakage Index (CLI)Cumulative Leakage Index (CLI) CLI is the net effect of the combination of all the
leaks in the system added together These cumulative leaks form an invisible cloud of
unwanted RF energy over the cable system
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
CLI Quarterly RulesCLI Quarterly Rules
Ride out 100% of system and log all leaks Log should include Date found and Date
fixed Documenting leakage levels isn’t required
for this drive out Actual practice for your system may vary!
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
CLI Annual RulesCLI Annual Rules
Ride out 75% of the oldest part of the system and log all leaks location and measured level
Must be performed within a reasonable period of time– Usually within 2 wks of due date
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Required ActionsRequired Actions
All leaks 20µV/m must be logged and fixed Only leaks above 50 μV/m are used in CLI
calculation All measurements taken outside 108-137
MHz must be converted as if they were taken within the band
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
μV/MμV/M
Standard unit of measure for CLI
50 Ohm off air measurement Voltage developed in 1 meter of infinitely
thin section of wire submerged in a leakage field produces 1µV of energy
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Acceptable Procedures for Leakage MeasurementAcceptable Procedures
for Leakage Measurement Use a calibrated halfwave dipole antenna Antenna must be elevated 3 meters off the
ground and positioned 3 meters from the leakage source
Antenna must be rotated 360º in the horizontal plane for maximum reading
CLI Fly-over
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Reason #2 to Test for Leakage
Reason #2 to Test for Leakage
Prevent Off-Air Interference
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Off-Air InterferenceOff-Air Interference
Aeronautical & Aircraft Communications Amateur Communications Broadcast TV signals (Analog & Digital) Public and Emergency Communications Radio Mobile Communications
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009 30
0
400
500
900
700
800
Off-Air Spectrum (forward path) Off-Air Spectrum (forward path)
Source: NTIA
Frequency in MHz
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Reason #3 to Test for Leakage
Reason #3 to Test for Leakage
Improves System PerformanceReduces Repeat Service CallsLocate Physical problems
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Common CausesCommon Causes 70% of all leakage is caused by problems
between the tap and entry to the house – Aging and environmental stress– Physical trauma to cables or connectors– Loose drop connectors– Inferior quality coaxial cable, passives, or
connectors– Loose hard line connectors
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Other Causes of LeakageOther Causes of Leakage Improperly installed connectors Cracks in the trunk and feeder cables Animal chews Poorly-shielded drop cables Bad connectors at the taps Bad/loose port terminators Corroded connectors
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Other Causes ContinuedOther Causes Continued Customer installed equipment Damaged amplifier housings Loose amplifier housing lids Broken tap ports Poor installation of splices and connectors Poorly-shielded customer premise equipment
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Polarization AnglePolarization Angle Dipole
Monopole
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Leakage Antennas-WhipLeakage Antennas-Whip
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Leakage Antennas-DipoleLeakage Antennas-Dipole
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Signal phasingSignal phasing
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Standing Waves Standing Waves
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Electrical NoiseElectrical Noise
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Leakage Field StrengthLeakage Field Strength
HighestPotential
LowestPotential
Amp
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Distance Correction Distance Correction
Reading x Distance (meters)
----------------------- = Corrected Reading
3
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
30 meters
3 meters20µVm
2 μVm
Patrolling for LeakagePatrolling for Leakage
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Walking Out a Leakage AreaWalking Out a Leakage Area
5 – 10 meters
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Leakage Detection ToolsLeakage Detection Tools
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Seeker LiteSeeker Lite
Frequency Agile Leakage Detector
Built-in directional Antenna
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
How to Automate the Signal Leakage Process
How to Automate the Signal Leakage Process
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Seeker GPS SystemSeeker GPS System
Seeker
BluetoothGPS Rx
SerialGPS Rx
LAWServer
MCA
LAWClient
BB-2
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Seeker GPSSeeker GPS
Data StorageGPS EquippedWiFi Upload CapableMapQuest MappingServer Based
Data StorageGPS EquippedWiFi Upload CapableMapQuest MappingServer Based
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Driving PreparationDriving Preparation
GPS– This icon is shown when the Seeker is placed in the
mobile mount and a GPS connection is established with the MCA. When the icon is not shown, the Seeker is not in the mobile mount or the GPS connection cannot be established with the MCA. If the icon blinks the MCA is connected to the GPS but the GPS does not have a good position fix
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Seeker Data PathsSeeker Data Paths
Records uploaded to client
Leak Readings
Records
From GPS
WIFIPort 24007
Law
ServerPort 80
Third Party
Software
Other Applications
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Work Order DistributionWork Order Distribution As leaks are uncovered, work orders will be
assigned – to technicians assigned to a specific leakage territory– or to the supervisor responsible for the area
Work order sent to designated person via email Techs can act on a leak reported via email, take
the appropriate pre- and post-fix snapshots, upload the data in the usual manner and the work orders will then close themselves out as the leaks are repaired
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
LAW MapLAW MapVersatile Map
Interface
Sort-able Leak List
Simple Work Order
Generation
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Aerial ImageAerial Image
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Work Order DistributionWork Order Distribution
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Pre and Post-Fix MeasurementsPre and Post-Fix Measurements
Snapshot ModeUse the Seeker’s Snapshot button to access the snapshot mode
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Demonstration
Egress/Leakage
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Reason #4 to improve system quality
Reason #4 to improve system quality
Eliminates forward and return Ingress Prepares network for triple play deployments To increase plant performance and reliability
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
IngressIngress
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress on Analog ChannelsIngress on Analog Channels Lines in picture Ghosting Pay-per-view problems High speed data problems Interference with two-way radio services
using the same frequencies Repeat Service Calls
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress on Digital ChannelsIngress on Digital Channels
Macro Blocking (Tiling) Freeze Frame Picture and Sound go to black Robotic Voice Data Packet Loss or slower speeds Repeat Service Calls
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Increased implementation of services requiring return path activation– If a system has egress it will most likely
have ingress– Ingress brings the viability of two-way
services into question–VoIP demands higher network reliability
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Forward and Return Ingress
Troubleshooting Tools
Forward and Return Ingress
Troubleshooting Tools
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
QAM EVSQAM EVS Troubleshooting in-channel
ingress is easy with the QAM EVS mode– Typical ingress areas
Loose connector Tap plate loose Home wiring Sometimes
– CSO/CTB from an over driven amplifier
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
ConstellationConstellation
Good MER Poor MER
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Digital signals work well until very close to the point of failure
Measurement of digital carriers critical to determine the system margin– Signal level– MER– BER
The BER Mode helps to find problems
BERBER
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Demonstration
Interferences from VHF/UHF sources
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Return Path Ingress Troubleshooting Techniques
Return Path Ingress Troubleshooting Techniques
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress Funnelling EffectIngress Funnelling Effect
Bi-directional system return path funnelling effect
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
ImpairmentsImpairments
Radio Communications and Transient Noise
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Off-Air Spectrum (return path) Off-Air Spectrum (return path) 3MHz 9MHz
10MHz 40MHz30MHz
Source: NTIA
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress Mitigation TestIngress Mitigation Test This is a test where you can quickly check the
drop and home wiring for ingress
Set Ref level so as to not over-load
the meter Detector set for averaging RBW at 300 KHz 10 db/div Spectrum 5-108 MHz Use peak hold
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress Mitigation TestIngress Mitigation Test What you should see is NOTHING!
Just the noise floor
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress Mitigation TestIngress Mitigation Test
Look for ingress
by using the
“Peak Hold” function
Identify the problem by working
back towards the house
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Ingress Mitigation TestIngress Mitigation Test
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Using the I-Stop ProbeUsing the I-Stop Probe Press the button on the side of the probe
– If the ingress decreases by 4-6 dB when the button is depressed, the source of the ingress is farther from the node than you are
– Ingress that doesn't decrease is entering the system nearer to the node than you are.
The I-Stop Probe has little or no visible effect on forward path signals.
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Preparing for Return Path Monitoring
Preparing for Return Path Monitoring
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Network TopologyNetwork TopologyViewer II Clients
Viewer II Server
SST 9581 R4s
TCP 24007Live Spectrum
UDP 162SNMP Traps
TCP 80 and/or 443Viewer II Services
TCP 24007SST Data
UDP 161SNMP
UDP 24008Multicast on
224.1.2.3
UDP 24008Multicast on
224.1.2.3
9581 SSTReturn Path Analyzer
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Monitoring ThresholdsMonitoring Thresholds Alarm threshold
information is stored in the 9581 SST
Five degrees of severity– For Ingress levels
Critical to Warning– For Outages
No Signal Warning Persistence Settings
– Authenticate alarm conditions
Traffic Curve– Identifies the frequency
and amplitude of carrier
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Viewer II User InterfaceViewer II User Interface Components
– Status Tree– Incident Log– Alarm History– Node Reporting– Spectrum Display– ADIA Web View
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Node Status TreeNode Status Tree Geography
– Groups nodes by City Headend Hubsite
Services– Groups nodes by
CMTS Blade
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Incident LogIncident Log Displays Current Node Alarm
Events based on – SNMP Traps received by the
Guardian II Server Traps Originate in the 9581
SST based on – Alarm Threshold Violations – Persistence Settings
Displayed information is based on Status Tree Configuration, but typically includes– Node ID– Severity– Elapsed Time– Total Alarm Time
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Alarm ManagementAlarm Management Prioritize Alarm Information
– Sorting Tools Organize alarm information into logical groupings for
managing service interruptions
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Alarm TroubleshootingAlarm Troubleshooting To investigate alarm
conditions NOC operators can click on alarm events in the incident log– Brings up Spectrum view
with Alarm threshold and
ingress signature that caused the alarm event
Allows operator to correlate alarm data from other monitoring sources
Evaluate the effect of ingress on system services
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
ReportingReporting Node Service Report
– Returns Alarm Activity over user specified time periods and locations Provides correlation of service interruptions and
return path ingress events Identifies and prioritizes nodes in need of
maintenance– Selection Criteria
Alarm severity Number of nodes per location
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Node Service ReportNode Service Report Summary View
– Includes selection criteria
– Lists nodes meeting selection criteria Grouped by location Number of nodes per
location or top X nodes Number of alarm
events per location
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Spectrum DisplaySpectrum Display View
– Max/Min/Avg ingress spectra over reporting period
– Pass/Fail Threshold– Pass/Fail Tolerance
Ratio (dB) between threshold & ingress spectra
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
ADIA Web ViewADIA Web View Real time access to
headend ingress levels– Max/Min/Avg Traces– Markers with
Frequency Amplitude Delta
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
• Digital TV Transmitters• Return Path Ingress
Demonstration
Impairments from :
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Response to Your Question!!!! s
Technical Training Presentation – CCTA 2009
Thank you-Gracias-Merci-Masha danki…
Thank you-Gracias-Merci-Masha danki…
Trilithic Applications [email protected] Tel: 800-344-2412----------------------------------------------------------------------
Incospec Communications Inc.Your Value Adder Trilithic Re-Seller for the Caribbean
Mario Sebastiani ([email protected])Bernard How ([email protected])