Battery-life testing capability for TETRA radios from Aeroflex

The new option will allow Aeroflex 3900 Series users to configure battery test scenarios that simulate particular operational conditions. Additionally, it will provide the testing flexibility to characterise the expected battery life performance when the device is being used on the network.

“Aeroflex developed this new option for testing TETRA battery life in response to a number of requests from key mobile manufacturers,” said Graham Stevens, product manager, Aeroflex. “Aeroflex continues to lead the market in developing testing capabilities that support the evolving and emerging technologies being used in the professional mobile radio market, particularly in the areas of TETRA protocol and TETRA conformance test.”

Even in idle mode, a TETRA mobile station must monitor the infrastructure to detect signalling information, such as a new incoming call transmitted by the basestation. This constant monitoring by the mobile radio uses energy and degrades the battery life, even though messages to the handset may occur infrequently. The EEM procedure is a method of conserving energy while in idle mode. EEM works by assigning the mobile radio to an energy economy group, which tells it how long it can “sleep” in-between monitoring the messages from the basestation.

By testing the energy economy mode, it is possible to determine if the protocol has been implemented properly and also test the effect the economy mode has on power consumption and battery life. The testing parameters include the energy economy group and the quantity of signalling activity, for instance, anything that causes the mobile station to temporarily suspend the sleeping cycles. Whenever the TETRA mobile station receives a signalling message, it will temporarily suspend its sleeping cycle until it sends its last signalling message. Therefore, the more signalling messages it receives, the more times its sleep is interrupted.

The TETRA EEM option provides protocol signalling to control a mobile radio’s energy economy mode from active mode through energy groups EG1 (shortest sleep) to EG7 (longest sleep) and is used in conjunction with the comprehensive signalling capabilities already within Aeroflex’s TETRA mobile station option.

The Aeroflex 3900 Series can be field upgraded with the TETRA EEM Option (Option 114) which is available to order. The Aeroflex 3901 and 3902 require software version 1.5 or above and must also have TETRA Mobile Station Option (Option 110) licensed and enabled. The Aeroflex 3901 and 3902 are both immediately available for order.