Channel Measurement (PHY Channel)
2 minutes
The channel measurement (PHY Channel Testing) enables detailed analysis of the physical layer of PLC communication, and builds on the functionality of the same name in the nBox-Tool.
Transmit mode and Tool-AUX PLC can also be configured.
Channel Measurement Workflow
After opening the channel measurement view, the displayed data is continuously updated.
If no data is available yet (i.e., no packets have been received), this is indicated accordingly.
The display on smartphones is compressed (abbreviation of modulation, reduced labeling of sub-bands) to keep all data visible.
Completing the Measurement: The measurement of a phase is manually completed at the user’s discretion (when enough data has arrived) via a corresponding button. After completing all phases, the channel measurement is saved and added to the measurement campaign.
Number of Phases: If the corresponding extra field is configured, you can select whether the channel measurement is done on only one phase or all 3 phases (without selection, 3 phases are measured). For measurements on 3 phases, switching phases is done via manual confirmation; when switching phases, an Rx reset is automatically sent to the nBox-Tool.
Prerequisite: Before starting a channel measurement, a measurement campaign must be started. If no active measurement campaign exists, the dialog to start the measurement campaign is automatically displayed.
Configuration
The channel measurement must be enabled in the App Settings in the portal.
The extra fields for channel measurements are also configured in the portal.
Transmit Mode
Transmit mode activates the sending of test packets on the currently connected nBox-Tool.
Controls:
- In a dedicated view, transmit mode can be enabled and disabled
- While transmit mode is disabled, one of 8 transmission power levels can be selected
- It shows whether transmit mode is active and which power level is being used
TX Indicator: The app menu bar shows when transmit mode is active (TX symbol). Clicking on this symbol leads directly to the transmit mode settings.
Frequency Band Configuration Tool-AUX PLC
Switching the frequency band of the additional Tool-AUX PLC hardware is possible via a button.