User guide

Canopy System User Guide
pmp-0229 (Mar 2013)
420
Chapter 21: Growing Your Network
Keys to successfully growing your network include
• monitoring the RF environment.
• considering software release compatibility.
• redeploying modules appropriately and quickly.
Monitoring the RF Environment
Regardless of whether you are maintaining or growing your network, you may encounter new RF
traffic that can interfere with your current or planned equipment. Regularly measuring over a
period of time and logging the RF environment, as you did before you installed your first
equipment in an area, enables you to recognize and react to changes.
Spectrum Analyzer
In both an FSK and an OFDM module, the spectrum analyzer measures and displays the detected
peak power level. This is consistent with the received Power Level that various tabs in the FSK
modules report. However, it is inconsistent with received Power Level indications in OFDM
modules, which use this parameter to report the detected average power level. For this reason, you
will observe a difference in how the spectrum analyzer and the Power Level field separately report
on the same OFDM signal at the same time.
The integrated spectrum analyzer can be very useful as a tool for troubleshooting and RF planning,
but is not intended to replicate the accuracy and programmability of a
high-end spectrum analyzer, which you may sometime need for other purposes.
IMPORTANT!
When you enable the Spectrum Analyzer on a module, it enters a scan mode
and drops any RF connection it may have had. Scanning mode ends w
hen either
you click Disable on the Spectrum Analyzer page, or it times out after 15
minutes and returns to operational mode.
For this reason
◦ do not enable the spectrum analyzer on a module you are connected to
via RF. The connection will drop for 15 minutes, and when the
connection is re-established no readings will be displayed.
◦ be advised that, if you enable the spectrum analyzer by Ethernet
connection, the RF connection to that module drops.