Fluke Networks has announced AirMagnet Spectrum ES, a spectrum analysis tool specifically designed to streamline in-field testing and troubleshooting of cellular offload deployments, including Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and Small Cells.

AirMagnet Spectrum ES offers portability, affordability and enhanced in-field productivity features. This includes the industry’s first automated new signature detection and location of RF interference sources, automated location-specific carrier and technology spectrum scan setup and intuitive network visibility, which is needed to verify and troubleshoot at every stage of the project lifecycle. These features help ensure offload deployment and troubleshooting are done quickly and correctly.

With the majority of mobile traffic originating from within buildings, the ongoing explosion in mobile data usage, the transition from 3G to LTE and the need for consistent coverage and capacity in commercial settings, the market is experiencing strong growth in infrastructure to offload macro cellular traffic. Yet these DAS, Small Cell and Wi-Fi deployments have lacked a tool that is actually designed around the portability, affordability and in-field testing features necessary for efficient multi-team installation projects at the customer site. As a result they have had to rely on sharing bulky and expensive lab-based test equipment that lacks the right functionality, slowing deployments and often leading to costly retest and rework.

AirMagnet Spectrum ES is extremely agile and portable, designed for use with any Windows 7 or Windows 8 based laptop or tablet PC for easy testing in the field (for complete compatibility details please refer to the product data sheet). It is also significantly less expensive than any similar tool, ensuring that each team can speed deployment by having the tool they need readily at hand.

Moreover, AirMagnet Spectrum ES not only delivers the core spectrum analysis that is mandatory in any spectrum analyser, but also offers enhanced productivity features required for efficient testing of DAS and Small Cell deployments. This includes determining the root cause of performance problems due to interference with its built-in automated signature detection and location capability of detecting RF interference sources in the licensed bands. It also delivers automated location-specific technology or carrier based frequency scans to reduce manual and error-prone frequency configurations and provides innovative visualisations of core spectrum data with the detection of LTE, UMTS, CDMA and GSM data/voice events and carrier/technology overlays.

Its simplicity, ease of use and broad functionality ensures that a range of technicians with varying skillsets can continue to use AirMagnet Spectrum ES through every project phase, from initial benchmarking through installation to ongoing maintenance.

Fluke Networks WLAN business unit vice president Chia-Chee Kuan says, “Every one of our tools, including AirMagnet Spectrum ES, is designed to enhance testing efficiency and streamline troubleshooting in the field, allowing faster project completion and ensuring that things are done right – the first time, every time.”