Our DRIVE solution generates the same QMDL log files you're familiar with, but without the high costs, complexity, resource demands, reliability issues and operational challenges associated with legacy test systems
Measuring and benchmarking mobile network performance and service quality by drive testing is the only way of definitively understanding what is happening exactly where it counts – on the ground, and remains the “gold standard”.
But, legacy drive testing systems haven’t evolved in decades, and have only become more complex, less reliable, more difficult to operate, and more costly.
Then, processing, working with and gaining insights from drive testing data faces the very same challenges.
We believe that innovation is much-needed, and is long overdue.
Problem
Complex hardware
Legacy drive test equipment comprises multiple hardware components and numerous handsets, interconnected with a web of cables, and is extremely complex to set up and operate. All of which means that drive testing is slow, and that specialised skills are required – typically 2-person teams – adding to cost.
Problem
Poor reliability
Equipment failures and ‘glitches’ are commonplace, and even driving on rough roads can cause cables to move, resulting in equipment freezing and problems that require stopping, re-starting and even re-booting components. Most customers’ experience is that legacy drive testing equipment is 80% reliable.
Problem
time consuming testing
Configuring tests, initialising handsets, and ensuring that equipment bootup and test start sequences are followed strictly is time-consuming, and is often impacted by unexpected and sometimes seemingly random problems. It’s not uncommon for a drive testing team to spend an hour or more getting equipment up and running before being able to start testing.
Problem
Slow and difficult data processing and access
The challenges don't end with log file collection. Processing, querying, storing, accessing and utilising drive test data are also hindered by complexity, reliability issues, resource demands and high costs— all of which delay your time-to-insight and time-to-action
CERNOᵀᴹ is a completely self-contained mobile network test device that’s no larger than a standard laptop, and supports idle and fully-scripted UE-based active testing of up to 6 networks or bands, producing the same industry-standard QMDL log files that you’re familiar with.
Unmatched scalability
Each CERNOᵀᴹ can be easily and quickly expanded with the addition of cellular modules, each of which contains 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon based UEs. For the first time, it’s now possible to test up to 96 bands or networks, using just 4 CERNOᵀᴹ devices in a standard roof carrier installed in minutes on any vehicle. And because band-locked testing of every deployed band is now easily achievable, you no longer have to rely on the reduced measurement capabilities of radio scanners.
new levels of performance
Unlike legacy test tools, CERNOᵀᴹ captures all data output by the inbuilt Qualcomm modem without binning or averaging, and at the modem’s output rate of between 50 and 100 samples per second per band in complete QMDL log files. And because all CERNOᵀᴹ devices are installed on the car roof, the effects of vehicle-induced attenuation are eliminated – so all measurement data is true and accurate, and compensation applied in post-production is eliminated.
Adaptability
The very same CERNOᵀᴹ devices that you use for drive testing can be installed in a backpack for walk testing, eliminating the cost and operational complexity of having to own, manage and operate 2 entirely different sets of testing equipment.
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unrivalled reliability
With the elimination of multiple hardware components, and the many cables that interconnect them, CERNOᵀᴹ operates at reliability levels that exceed 99%. And CERNO'sᵀᴹ inbuilt fault-tolerant data storage means than no more than 3 seconds of measurement data is lost even in the event of a power outage. The rest is less time spent resolving problems, and more time spent drive testing.
ease-of-use
CERNOᵀᴹ is simple to set up, with configuration, scripting, and administration of up to 24 UEs all done through one, intuitive administration screen. All tests can be setup and configured back at the office as CERNOᵀᴹ retains all test configuration parameters in non-volatile memory – so, once on site, testing can start within a few minutes of power-up. And with inbuilt auto-scanning and identification of channels, the test team no longer requires detailed knowledge of spectrum, channel numbers and SSBs. CERNOᵀᴹ is so simple and reliable that you no longer need to allocate your valuable and skilled technicians to drive testing.
test p25 and mobile networks concurrently
CERNOᵀᴹ can be optionally provisioned with P25 radios, so that you can test all available mobile and P25 networks on the same drive.
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CERNOᵀᴹ is complemented by the RAN-DPS cloud-based data processing, storage, and analysis system to provide a complete, integrated full-stack drive testing solution.
same-day log file processing
The RAN-DPS incorporates a complete and fully-automated QMDL log file processing sub-system. Log files uploaded to the RAN-DPS at the end of a drive are processed immediately, and all extracted RF metric data, together with the original raw QMDL log file, is stored persistently in the inbuilt hyperscale datastore.
query all of your drive test data, from anyway, at anytime
All of your drive test data is always instantly available for querying, retrieval and analysis. And because the RAN-DPS has been optimised for speed as well as scale, your queries run to completion within seconds, rather than minutes . . . or even longer.
information accessible to both engineers, and non-technical users
Engineers that require full access to all RF metric data, together with business users that simply want to understand coverage, and benchmark it against their competitors’ are both catered for. The comprehensive RanMaps Analyser GUI provides engineers with the querying, visualisation and analysis tools that they’re familiar with . . . and some new capabilities. While the much simpler RanMaps GUI allows non-technical users to quickly obtain the information they need. With these GUIs, and access to the same datasets, a single source of truth is available to everyone in the business for the first time.
log file library
Raw QMDL log files are also stored in the RAN-DPS hyperscale datastore, and are cross-referenced to the RF metric data. So now, it’s fast and simple to identify and download the original raw log files, irrespective of whether they were collected yesterday, or last year.
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