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The performance of a transmission feed line system may be affected by excessive signal re-
flection and cable loss. Signal reflection occurs when the RF signal reflects back due to an
impedance mismatch or change in impedance caused by excessive kinking or bending of
the transmission line. Cable loss is caused by attenuation of the signal as it passes through
the transmission line and connectors.
To verify the performance of the transmission feed line system and analyze these problems,
three types of line sweeps are required:
Return Loss Measurement
¾
Measures the reflected power of the system in decibels (dB).
This measurement can also be taken in the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) mode, which is the
ratio of the transmitted power to the reflected power.
Cable Loss Measurement
¾
Measures the energy absorbed, or lost, by the transmission
line in dB/meter or dB/ft. Different transmission lines have different losses, and the loss is
frequency and distance specific. The higher the frequency or longer the distance, the greater
the loss.
Distance-To-Fault (DTF) Measurement
¾
Reveals the precise fault location of compo-
nents in the transmission line system. This test helps to identify specific problems in the
system, such as connector transitions, jumpers, kinks in the cable or moisture intrusion.
The different measurements are defined as:
Return Loss - System Sweep
¾
A measurement made when the antenna is connected at the
end of the transmission line. This measurement provides an analysis of how the various
components of the system are interacting and provides an aggregate return loss of the entire
system.
Distance To Fault - Load Sweep
¾
A measurement is made with the antenna disconnected
and replaced with a 50
W
precision load at the end of the transmission line. This measure-
ment allows analysis of the various components of the transmission feed line system in the
DTF mode.
Cable Loss Sweep
¾
A measurement made when a short is connected at the end of the
transmission line. This condition allows analysis of the signal loss through the transmission
line and identifies the problems in the system. High insertion loss in the feed line or jump-
ers can contribute to poor system performance and loss of coverage.
This whole process of measurements and testing the transmission line system is called Line
Sweeping.
CW Mode
CW mode can be used to maximize sweep speeds of both frequency and DTF measure-
ments. With CW on, sweep times can be twice as fast as with CW off. However, making
measurements with CW on will reduce the instrument’s immunity to interfering signals. In
a controlled environment, this reduced immunity should not be a problem. In the field
however, there can be stray signals from nearby or co-located transmitters that can affect
frequency and DTF measurements. Turning CW on and off can verify that the Site Master
is reducing the interfering signals. If there is no appreciable difference, then it should be
safe to make measurements with CW on.
4-2
Chapter 4 Cable & Antenna Measurements