Antenna and feeder cable tester

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a receiving antenna by means of a receiving feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the receiving antenna, a testing apparatus comprising:

• a test tone generator, having an output for coupling to the top end of the receiving feeder cable;
• first means for measuring, at the top end of the receiving feeder cable, power of a reflected test tone signal from the receiving antenna;
• a processor, coupled to the test tone generator and to the first means, for controlling a reflected power measurement operation and receiving a reflected power measurement value;
• and
• communication means, coupled to the processor, for sending information from the processor to the base station, and for receiving information from the base station and supplying the received information to the processor,
• wherein in response to the received information being a first command, the processor initiates the reflected power measurement operation, and
• wherein the communication means comprises a digital communications interface, coupled to the processor and having an interface for coupling to the top end of the receiving feeder cable, the communication means using the receiving feeder cable as a communications medium.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a transmission antenna by means of a transmission feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the transmission antenna, a method of testing the transmission feeder cable comprising the steps of:

• in the base station, supplying to the transmission feeder cable a signal having a known value of power;
• in a testing apparatus coupled to the transmission feeder cable, measuring incident power of the signal at the top end of the transmission feeder cable, thereby producing a measured value of incident power being supplied to the transmission antenna;
• transmitting the measured value of power to the base station;
• and
• in the base station, comparing the measured value of power to the known value of power.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a transmission antenna by means of a transmission feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the transmission antenna, a method of testing the transmission antenna comprising the steps of:

• in the base station, supplying to the transmission feeder cable a signal having a known value of power;
• in a testing apparatus coupled to the transmission feeder cable, measuring incident power of the signal at the top end of the transmission feeder cable, thereby producing a measured value of incident power being supplied to the transmission antenna;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the transmission feeder cable, power of a reflected signal from the transmission antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• transmitting the measured values of incident and reflected power to the base station;
• and
• in the base station, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the measured values of incident and reflected power, and comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a transmission antenna by means of a transmission feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the transmission antenna, a method of testing the transmission antenna comprising the steps of:

• in the base station, supplying to the transmission feeder cable a signal having a known value of power;
• in a testing apparatus coupled to the transmission feeder cable, measuring incident power of the signal at the top end of the transmission feeder cable, thereby producing a measured value of incident power being supplied to the transmission antenna;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the transmission feeder cable, power of a reflected signal from the transmission antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• in the testing apparatus, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the measured values of incident and reflected power;
• transmitting the measured voltage standing wave ratio to the base station;
• and
• in the base station, comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a transmission antenna by means of a transmission feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the transmission antenna, a method of testing the transmission antenna comprising the steps of:

• in the base station, supplying to the transmission feeder cable a signal having a known value of power;
• in a testing apparatus coupled to the transmission feeder cable, measuring incident power of the signal at the top end of the transmission feeder cable, thereby producing a measured value of incident power being supplied to the transmission antenna;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the transmission feeder cable, power of a reflected signal from the transmission antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• in the testing apparatus, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the measured values of incident and reflected power, and comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio to generate a test result alternatively indicative of proper or faulty operation of the transmission antenna;
• and
• transmitting the test result to the base station.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a receiving antenna by means of a receiving feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the receiving antenna, a method of testing the receiving feeder cable comprising the steps of:

• in a testing apparatus, supplying to the top end of the receiving feeder cable a test signal having a known value of power;
• in the base station, measuring, at a base station end of the receiving feeder cable, a power value of the test signal;
• and
• in the base station, comparing the measured power value with the known value of power.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a receiving antenna by means of a receiving feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the receiving antenna, a method of testing the receiving antenna comprising the steps of:

• in a testing apparatus, supplying to the top end of the receiving feeder cable a test signal having a known value of incident power;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the receiving feeder cable, power of a reflected test signal from the receiving antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• transmitting the measured value of reflected power to the base station;
• and
• in the base station, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the known value of incident power and the measured value of reflected power, and comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a receiving antenna by means of a receiving feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the receiving antenna, a method of testing the receiving antenna comprising the steps of:

• in a testing apparatus, supplying to the top end of the receiving feeder cable a test signal having a known value of incident power;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the receiving feeder cable, power of a reflected test signal from the receiving antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• in the testing apparatus, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the known value of incident power and the measured value of reflected power;
• transmitting the measured voltage standing wave ratio to the base station;
• and
• in the base station, comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio.

In a communications system including a base station coupled to a receiving antenna by means of a receiving feeder cable having a top end that is substantially at or near the receiving antenna, a method of testing the receiving antenna comprising the steps of:

• in a testing apparatus, supplying to the top end of the receiving feeder cable a test signal having a known value of incident power;
• in the testing apparatus, measuring, at the top of the receiving feeder cable, power of a reflected test signal from the receiving antenna, thereby producing a measured value of reflected power;
• in the testing apparatus, determining a measured voltage standing wave ratio from the known value of incident power and the measured value of reflected power, and comparing the measured voltage standing wave ratio with a predetermined voltage standing wave ratio to generate a test result alternatively indicative of proper or faulty operation of the receiving antenna;
• and
• transmitting the test result to the base station.