DSAM 24 Hour POP Report Thursday, January 28, 2016 Page 1 of 19
Table of Contents... 1... 1 Table of Contents... 2 Introduction... 3 POP Test Configuration Location File, Channel Plan, Limit Plan... 4 POP Reports Limits... 6 POP Default Report Limits... 7 POP Reports Units of Measure... 8 Executing POP Tests on DSAM... 9 Generating POP Reports... 12 Example POP Report - HTML... 13 Example POP Report - Excel... 15 APPENDIX A. DSAM 24 Hour POP Report Details... 16 When does a 24 hour POP report fails?... 16 APPENDIX B. Summary of FCC Proof of Performance Test... 18 Overview of FCC Proof of Performance Test Requirements... 18 Who must run the tests?... 18 When do the tests need to be run?... 18 How many channels need to be tested?... 18 How are the test channels selected?... 18 How many test sites do we need?... 18 Where, in the system, are the tests conducted?... 19 Are there specified procedures for each test?... 19 Where do we send the test results?... 19 What happens if we don't pass?... 19 Where do I go for more information on Proof Testing?... 19 Page 2 of 19
Introduction The term Proof of Performance tests may have different interpretations depending on your geographic locality. In North America, Proof of Performance tests can tie directly to testing mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); however, in other localities Proof of Performance test may simply refer to having the ability to run test over various times and physical constraints such as weather and/or temperature. The DSAM meter can perform Proof of Performance tests immediately or over any set of time intervals that you desire. This is particularly useful when you are running the 24- Hour test required by the FCC in the US and by other international governing bodies. It is a fact that all cable systems need to be able to consistently check measurements in their network during various times and over a wide temperature range. The DSAM together with provides a seamless way for operators to conduct Proof of Performance. This document will provide key step-by-step instructions on setting up to work in conjunction with the DSAM to deliver the Proof of Performance functionality. Page 3 of 19
POP Test Configuration Location File, Channel Plan, Limit Plan Proof of Performance testing is configured using. A typical Location File configuration for performing Proof of Performance test is shown below. These same steps are similar when configuring the Channel Plan and Limit Plan configurations. 1. Select Assets -> Manage Templates -> DSAM 2. Select the Location File link in the left panel in the Global Archive section (or you can chose a named Template instead). 3. Create a new Proof Location File by clicking on the + New Location File link. 4. Customize the Proof of Performance configuration file name, Initial Values and/or Field Names. Page 4 of 19
5. Save the Location File. 6. On the Global Archive list page, select that Location File, open the Actions dropdown and select Deploy. 7. Select the desired DSAMs to deploy to. Press Next. Confirm your selections and press Deploy. 8. Synchronize selected meters with the Server. Page 5 of 19
POP Reports Limits Below are the editable limits, applies these modified limits while performing the DSAM 24 hour POP report. On the top of your browser window, select System Settings. These instructions assume you have permissions to view/edit these settings. From the left panel, select DSAM 24 Hour Report Limits. This page allows a user to edit POP FCC limits that are used in validating POP tests. Click on Done to save changes to any edited fields. To restore default FCC limits, click on Restore To Default button at the top of page followed by click on the Done button to save changes. A description of the Analog Delta Video Offset and Digital Delta Video Offset can be found in Appendix A. Remaining limits that are visible after scrolling: Page 6 of 19
POP Default Report Limits Below table lists the default POP limit values used by. Limit Name Limit Value Comment 24 Hour Deviation 8 db Maximum Adjacent Channel 3 db Maximum Analog Delta Video 10 db Analog Delta Video Offset 1 db For bandwidth > 300 MHz, Offset will be added to Maximum Analog Delta Video limit for each additional 100 MHz above 300 MHz Maximum Digital Delta Video 10 db Digital Delta Video Offset 1 db For bandwidth > 300 MHz, Offset will be added to Maximum Analog Delta Video limit for each additional 100 MHz above 300 MHz Minimum Video Level 3 dbmv Video level for analog channels. Minimum Digital Level -10 dbmv Video level for digital/docsis channels. Minimum Standard Video/Aural Carrier 10 db Level Delta Maximum Standard Video/Aural Carrier Level Delta 17 db Page 7 of 19
POP Reports Units of Measure Below are the editable units of measure, applies these while creating the DSAM 24 hour POP report. If your user has ever visited the My Preferences -> Measurement Units page and pressed Done, then that data will override the System Settings values. On the top of your browser window, select My Preferences. From the left panel, select Measurement Units. Click on Done to save changes to any edited fields. On the top of your browser window, select System Settings. These instructions assume you have permissions to view/edit these settings. From the left panel, select Measurement Units. Click on Done to save changes to any edited fields. Page 8 of 19
Executing POP Tests on DSAM Key steps in running the Proof of Performance test on the DSAM include the following: 1. Press the AutoTest button on the DSAM 2. Scroll down to and select proof of performance 3. Configure the Proof of Performance Test Channel Plan, Limit Plan, Filename to save to, Ambient Temp, etc. Name entered in Filename to save to field will become folder name for the proof of performance files. 4. Configure Proof of Performance Test Scheduling via Scheduled Soft Key Page 9 of 19
Meter shuts down until time of Auto Test and wakes itself Input start time, interval, date, etc... 4 sessions over a 24 hour period 5. Input location data (i.e. Location, Location Type, Area, Trunk, AMP ID ) 6. Start Proof of Performance Test 7. Monitor progress and Review Results. Page 10 of 19
8. Results are saved in an appropriately named folder as entered in Filename to save to field in step3. 9. Sync the DSAM to the Server to transfer test results to the server Page 11 of 19
Generating POP Reports 1) Retrieve the appropriate test data list. This is available in 2 methods: a) When 1 asset took all 4 POP test data files: i. Select Asset -> Asset List from the top menu. ii. Find the DSAM asset that took all of the results iii. Double click that asset row to get the asset details page. iv. In the right panel named Most Recent Test Data, click the link Create DSAM 24 Hour Report b) Otherwise: i. Select Test Data -> Test Data List ii. Under the Asset Type column header, click the empty box and select the DSAM asset type and Apply. Page 12 of 19
iii. Under the Data Type column header, click the empty box, type Pro and select the Proof Of Performance data type and click the test data list (Optionally select one of the following instead: TechComplete Home Certification Test, AutoTest - Video Channels or AutoTest Combo). 2) Select exactly 4 files from the test data list by checking the checkbox in the left column of a desired row. Selections can be made on multiple pages. 3) Click the Actions dropdown and select Reports -> DSAM 24 hour report Example POP Report - HTML Page 13 of 19
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Example POP Report - Excel You may also Print or Export-to-Excel the results. When exporting to Excel, it is recommended that you open the results in Excel (which does a conversion from HTML to Excel format) and then save to the XLS or CSV formats as desired. Snapshot of 24 hour POP report in Excel Page 15 of 19
APPENDIX A. DSAM 24 Hour POP Report Details When does a 24 hour POP report fails? 24 hour POP report status is fail if: 1. Channel type or frequency does not match among measurements 2. Missing channels in measurement files 3. 4 measurement files are not used 4. If measurements are not with in 6, 12, and 18 hours from the 1st test (plus or minus 1 hour). 5. If 24 hour deviation is not with in 24 Hour Deviation Limit as set in POP Reports Settings page. The default value is 8dB. 6. If Adjacent Visual Signal Level a.k.a Adjacent Channel is not with in Maximum Adjacent Channel limit as set in POP Reports Settings page. The default value is 3dB. This 3dB is applicable for both analog and digital channels. 7. If there are pair of analog (TV or Dual) channels which happen to be with in 6 MHz frequency separation and there is no adjacent channel data measured. 8. If Minimum Visual Signal Level is less than Minimum Video Level Limit as set in POP Reports Settings page. The default value is 3dBmV. 9. If Minimum Digital Level is less than Minimum digital Level Limit as set in POP Reports Settings page. The default value is -10dBmV. 10. If Aural Carrier Level a.k.a V/A Level is not in between MINIMUM STANNDARD VIDEO/AURAL CARRIER LEVEL DELTA and MAXIMUM STANDARD VIDEO/AURAL CARRIER LEVEL DELTA. Default min and max are 10dB and 17 db respectively. 11. If Analog Delta Video is not with in Maximum Analog Delta Video Limit. Maximum Analog Delta Video Limit is calculated as follows using Maximum Analog Delta Video and Analog Delta Video Offset as set in POP reports settings page: If bandwidth > 300MHz then Maximum Analog Delta Video Limit = Maximum Analog Delta Video + Analog Delta Video Offset for each additional 100MHz above 300 MHz. else Maximum Analog Delta Video Limit = Maximum Analog Delta Video The default limit and offset are 10dB and 1dB respectively. 12. If Digital Delta Video is not with in Maximum Digital Delta Video Limit. Maximum Digital Delta Video Limit is calculated as follows using Maximum Digital Delta Video anddigital Delta Video Offset as set in POP reports settings page: If bandwidth > 300MHz then Page 16 of 19
Maximum Digital Delta Video Limit = Maximum Digital Delta Video + Digital Delta Video Offset for each additional 100MHz above 300 MHz. else Maximum Digital Delta Video Limit = Maximum Digital Delta Video Note: - If there are no analog channels i.e. only digital channels are present or if there exists analog channels that do not fall in 6 MHz separation with analog channel next to it, and if there is no Adjacent Visual Signal data for any channel then Adjacent Visual Signal status is displayed as No data and it is not taken into consideration for the overall report status calculation. Page 17 of 19
APPENDIX B. Summary of FCC Proof of Performance Test Overview of FCC Proof of Performance Test Requirements For details of the Proof of Performance test requirements, refer to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 47, part 76. This book is available from the US Government Printing Office, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328. Many cities in the US have US Government Printing Office stores that sell Government publications directly to the public. Who must run the tests? All systems with 1000 or more subscribers. Smaller systems are required to comply with the Cumulative Leakage Index requirements (including quarterly measurements) but are not normally required to demonstrate proof of performance of the other technical standards. The technical standards are expected to be met by all systems -- but small systems don't need to prove it. When do the tests need to be run? Most tests need to be conducted "at least twice each calendar year (at intervals not to exceed seven months)". The "24 hour" tests "shall be measured and recorded, along with the date and time of the measurement, once every six hours (at intervals of not less than five hours nor more than seven hours after the previous measurement), to include the warmest and the coldest times, during a 24 hour period in January or February and in July or August". The 24 hour test is the only one required during those particular months. The color tests (Chrominance to Luminance Delay Inequality, Differential Gain, and Differential Phase), need to be conducted at least triennially (once every three years). How many channels need to be tested? Many tests are required on all "NTSC or similar video channels" of the system. Other tests are required "a minimum of four (4) channels plus one additional channel for every 100 MHz, or fraction thereof, of cable distribution system upper frequency limit (e.g. 5 channels for cable system upper frequency limit of 101 to 216 MHz; 6 channels for cable television systems with a cable distribution system upper frequency limit of 217-300 MHz; 7 channels for cable television systems with a cable distribution upper frequency to 300 to 400 MHz, etc.)." All channels are required to meet all of the technical standards. However, for certain of the technical standards, you only need to demonstrate "proof of performance" on a sampling of the channels... How are the test channels selected? "The channels selected must be representative of all the channels within the cable television system." Generally, systems select channels from across the system's spectrum. How many test sites do we need? For systems from 1000 to 12,500 subscribers, tests "... shall include measurements taken at six (6) widely separated points. However, within each cable system, one additional test point shall be added for every additional 12,500 subscribers or fraction thereof (e.g., 7 test points if 12,501 to 25,000 subscribers, etc.). " Also, there must be at least one test point "for each portion of the cable system served by a technically integrated microwave hub". Page 18 of 19
Note that this does not mean a test point for each fiber node. Where, in the system, are the tests conducted? Test points "shall be balanced to represent all geographic areas served by the cable system. At least onethird of the test points shall be representative of subscriber terminals most distant from the system input and from each microwave receiver (if microwave transmissions are employed), in terms of cable length". Measurements may be made at convenient monitoring points in the system so long as the data reflects system performance for nearby subscribers. Some measurements (visual signal level and 24 hour tests) are required to be measured "at the end of a 30 meter (100 foot) cable drop that is connected to the subscriber tap,..." Usually, all tests in the field are conducted at the end of a 100 foot drop cable. The 100 foot drop cable simulates typical drops provide to homes. For tests at the output of a set-top converter, connect the converter to the end of the drop cable. Are there specified procedures for each test? In general, no. However, good engineering practices are to be used for all tests. For some measurements, the rules refer to documents such as the "NCTA Recommended Practices for Measurements on Cable Television Systems, 2nd edition, November 1989". A review of that document is an excellent starting point. Of course, measurement equipment and techniques are continually evolving. There is a lot of test equipment available today that make the tests much easier than some of the procedures described in the NCTA documents. Before you decide to use any procedure, you should of course, have a thorough understanding of the test requirements and the algorithms used by your test gear. Do not blindly trust automated test gear simply because it provides "numbers"! Where do we send the test results? Unless told otherwise by the FCC or your franchise authorities, you simply keep the data on file for at least five years. The test data is required to be made available to the FCC or local franchise authorities upon request. What happens if we don't pass? Tests have been run on over 50 systems, many of them multiple times. So far, one system has "passed" all the requirements (it passed one of the two times in which tests were run on it). Given the complexity of today's cable systems, the thousands of mechanical connections involved the number of back hoes and other rodents in our society; something, somewhere, is likely to be broken at any given point in time. The most important thing is to run the tests, find the problems, fix them, and keep a log of the whole process. Of course, carrier leakage problems should be addressed as soon as they are discovered. Authorities tend to frown when aircraft start honing in on bad splices. Where do I go for more information on Proof Testing? http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/601.html http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/604.html Page 19 of 19