Distance-To-PIM Gear For Wireless Techs

The MW8208A PIM Master test solution from Anritsu applies the company’s patented Distance-to-PIM technology to 850 MHz wireless use. It also includes the MW8209A for the E-GSM band and the MW8219A for the PCS/AWS bands.

Distance-to-PIM helps field technicians and engineers responsible for deploying, installing, and maintaining wireless networks locate the source of passive intermodulation (PIM), whether it is in the base station antenna system or in the surrounding environment.

According to Anritsu, by using the MW8208A PIM Master, techs can determine the distance and relative magnitude of all static PIM faults simultaneously, including those caused by dirty, corroded, over-torqued or microscopic-arcing connectors. The device also can locate PIM outside the antenna system – a feature Anritsu claims is the only one in the industry today.

Here’s how it works: The MW8208A generates two high-power tones in the transmit band of a base station, and it can measure the third-, fifth- and seventh-order intermodulation products in the receive band coming down the same cable. Using the GPS feature on the Anritsu handheld analyzers, users can record the location of the measurement.

Another advantage of the MW8208A, says the manufacturer, is its 40-watt testing, compared to alternative methods that only measure at 20 watts. “Utilizing 40 watts simulates real-world power that activates the PIM that might not otherwise be activated by 20-watt systems,” Anritsu says. “In addition, using double the power allows PIM Master to locate intermittent failures due to light corrosion, high-traffic loading or changing weather conditions.”

The MW8208A integrates with Anritsu’s S332E/S362E Site Master cable and antenna analyzers, MS2712E/MS2713E and MS272xC Spectrum Master handheld spectrum analyzers, MT8212E/MT8213E Cell Master handheld analyzers, and MT8221B/MT8222B BTS Master handheld analyzers.