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Agilent Technologies, Inc. announced a new software feature for handheld wireless measurements on its E6474A network optimization platform that turns a standard WiMAX PC Card (CPE) into the industry’s smallest WiMAX scanning solution for Drive Test. This new mode of operation gives network equipment manufacturers and wireless operators’ RF engineering teams the most cost-effective way to confirm WiMAX coverage and provide basic troubleshooting tasks to assess signal quality.

A commercial WiMAX CPE and Agilent’s E6474A network optimization platform with option E6474-655 enables this new mode of operation. A single WiMAX CPE can be used either in “Phone” mode as a standard WiMAX CPE or in “Scanning Mode,” providing dedicated RF measurements on up to 10 channels. For each channel, a Preamble Index Decode, BSID, RSSI, CINR and MAC messages are reported for the dominant, visible server(s), providing a comprehensive view of the surrounding network.

Benefits of the Agilent E6474A Drive Test WiMAX Scanning Mode option include:
Small size: Smallest, lightest WiMAX scanning solution available – ideal for indoor testing.

“Phone” and “Scanner” capability: Single WiMAX CPE can be used as a phone to validate WiMAX service performance and as a scanner to assess WiMAX coverage and signal quality.

Ease of use: Single solution addresses multiple optimization tasks.

Future-proof of investment: Same software license used for the WiMAX Scanning Mode also enables WiMAX measurements for the W1314A Receivers; simply add a WiMAX-capable W1314A receiver when more advanced troubleshooting is needed.

Advanced troubleshooting capabilities: Increased measurement speeds, greater multicarrier support and dedicated interference and spectrum analyzer modes.

The Agilent E6474A Scanning Mode feature is available now in Release 12.0. Pricing starts at $15,600.