SwissQual, the independent Swiss network quality measurement company, has launched a new network quality testing probe which offers a combination of high performance and reliability coupled with completely automatic operation.    The Diversity Unattended probe has all of the testing options, including RF scanning and intrusive video testing, and the high performance and environmental specifications, of the rest of the Diversity range.   The probe is also completely compatible with the back end systems, file format and test configurations used in the SwissQual Evolution network quality management system.

Says Magnus Hylen, SwissQual Product Manager:  “The Diversity range of probes has long been recognised for high levels of reliability and accuracy.   This is due to features such as active heating and cooling, controlled power supply and built in shock mounting.   As a result the Diversity range offers quite possibly the best MTBF figures in the business.   Now we have transferred all of this functionality and performance into an automatically operated unit.   In automated units, reliability is of even greater importance than it is for traditionally operated units.”

The Diversity Unattended probe incorporates a number of features that are specifically designed to improve automated operation.    The unit includes, for example, both a phone and a data card, used for testing, and a wireless router, using a separate data card, to provide a dedicated and reliable remote link over cellular or WiFi networks.   This enables the simultaneous recording of both voice and data services information.  It also means that data can be transferred, over the air, for real time analysis without taking the unit “off line”.   In addition the system uses SwissQual’s “Intelligent Data Reduction” feature to eliminate unnecessary data prior to transmission.   This improves the overall duty cycle, lowers data management costs and speeds the overall analysis process.

Diversity Unattended probes can be maintained over the air with measurement software upgrades, Windows patches and anti virus updates.   The probe also contains features to recover and repair software, both automatically and remotely.

Says John May, SwissQual’s CEO:   “The use of unattended probes offers significant savings in drive test costs.   This allows operators to mount cost effective continuous monitoring campaigns.   However, for the savings to be fully realised, the probes need to have high reliability and high duty cycles.   With Diversity Unattended we have delivered both of these requirements.”