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A CommScope Compony
Test Equipment

Possive Intermodulotion (PlM) Distortion Testing Guidelines

PIM is the production of unwonted signols, sometimes interfering with the bose receiver. Common couses of ptttt include:
Site

Moteriols
Hysteresis
Rusl

Guy wires
Sleel tower

Poor quoliry loods

Olher sites' IMD

Lighling

Contominof ion on conducting surfoces

Ferromognelic moteriols Semiconductive films

Poor quolity ploting

Contominotion left in dielectric moteriql

Low quolity or domoged irrmnerq ndonfers ond conneclors

Sweep nnel ir-]entifies ornss ellols Mensr rres ret.rrn Inss {Rl I v|'v l|\Li'
Relol velv eosv

to set rro ond meosJre

Distonce To Foult (DTF) Used to identify discontinuily or locote the foult for coble Requires greoler understonding to interpret the results
PIM Requires proclices thot conkol the test equipment, conneclors, odoplers, jumpers, ond the surrounding RF environmenl Requires greoter knowledge to successfully interpret the resulis

More sensitive to

RF

poth foults, but olso very sensitive to other foctors besides the system being meosured

RF System

Condition

Rt/DTF
Foil
r

PIM
Poss Poss Poss

Open circuit
Short circuil Dent in cooxiol coble
Loose connection
Poss Poss Poss Poss

ro tl

.l

Foil

or Foil* or Foil* or Foil* or Foil*

Poss

Foil

Woter ingress
Corrosion Poor moterio l/components

or Foil*
Fo

Foi
Fo

Contominqtion in

RF

poih filings, wire edge, ploting flecks

Poss Poss Poss Poss Poss Poss Poss Poss Poss

Poor fitting cooxiol coble to connector surfoce

Fqi
Fo

Dielectric moteriol between cooxiql coble ond connector moting surfoce

Split in flore due to over tightening Crocked solder ioinl

Unmolched connector ports lnternol ontenno foulb, loose screws, crocked ioints Smoll crock in cooxiol coble
Loose brqid in iumper coble
RF

Foi Foi Foi Foi Foi Foi

System Condition moy yield eilher resull.

t' ore regisfered trodemo*s or @ 2Cf.l,9 CommScope, Inc. All rights reserved. Andrew is q trodemo* of CommScope. All trodemo*s identified by @ or lrodemorks, respeciively, of CommScope. This docurnent is for plonning purposes only ond is noi intended to modify or supplement ony specificotions or worroniies reloting to Andrew products or services.
TP-102945-EN (3/09)

roge I of I

Verify Test Equipmenl Performonce

Minimize number of odopters Connector foces must be undomoged Connectors must be tight There should be no mechonicol stroin on the connectors True verificofion of low lM requires swept frequency equipment Only use o lood with low lM . A regulor high power lood hos poor lM becouse of the obsorbing element . Use o low lM lood from lhe supplier of the lM test equipment
'l ' AVO|O Usrng ^

o . o o o o o

Volidote the test equipment

Use low lM jurnper, ooopters ono lood

o o . . . I

| ll o |Ororded| coble lumPer Most broided cobles hove ooor lM oerformonce becouse of o loose broid weove

Some moy be good initiolly but con woTsen with repeoied flexing Use o jumper wilh o continuous outer conductor iHEtlAyol AII connections must be cleon ond tight ot both inner ond outer conductors A loose conioct is on lM generotor. especiolly ot lhe iqner cond..rctor Minimize the number of odopiers Components of the tesl equipment must be in good condition Use low lM iumper, odopters ond lood Connector foces must be undomoged Connector contocts must be unsfressed Slpporl heovy itens Use o iumoer to connect to ontenno
ll.o n irrmnor ln nnnnarl ln lnrna.^hlo.

Do not use old or worn odopiers

For relioble lM meosurements

o o r o o o
r

. r .

Verify test equipment performonce

Use correct tools ond follow oll instructions
mrrct ho <^r^ra -o-h, 'rro! ond free of debris Tighien clomping nut ond coupling nut to correct torque

Coble preporotion must be done corefully ond correcdy

o Cohle nrenorotion

Field testing must verify thot onienno hos no interfering signols o A survey of the frequencies in use is recommended prior to the testing to eliminole locol frequencies from the test

. . . o .

$ot moy interfere with the PIM test The inslrument ond test leods should be verified by o known good lood The site should be verified with o "Golden Anlenno" to determine thot the instrument ond environment is copoble of moking the meosurement A<c,,ro thnt toct no..eppsl moinloin o Sofe distonce from the ontenno, os defined in FCC OET65, to ovoid hormful
eff--cts of R[ exnos,rre

Antennos not currenfly mounled or being tesied ot o worehouse need to hove o 'cleor sky"condition. lt is imporfont thot the on lennq hos on unobslructed view of the sky ond is set owoy from neorby oblects to ovoid the possibility of PIM belng creoted by obiects which then show up incorrectly os ontenno PIM issues. Be sure to only lronsmit those frequencies which you ore licensed by the FCC to lronsmit

Actuol PIM meosuremenl should be performed using the some set-up os the site verificotion tesl lo minimize moving components, ^l.l;^^ rnmnanonr< .hcnging the environment, etc. PIM meosurementerrors of +5 to + lO dB ore common when meosurrng low-power signols which ore close to the noise or interference levels of the test equipment. Use of iesl equipmeni thoi signol power levels thot ore less thon 2O wotis connot be directly conpored to res,.rlts of test equipnent thot uses signol levels of 20 wotts.

rM ore regislered trqdemorks or is o trodemo* of Commscope. All trodemorks identified by @ or kodemorks, respectively, of Commscope. This document is for plonning purposes only ond is not intended to modiFy or supplemeni ony specificoiions or wqrronties reloting to Andrew products or services.

O 2OO9 CommScope, Inc. All rights reserved. Andrew

TP-r

02e4s-EN (3/09)

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