Sjzl20062591-ZXG10 B8018 (V1 (1) .00) Maintenance Manual Troubleshooting)

ZXG10 B8018
In-Door Base Transceiver Station

Maintenance Manual
(Troubleshooting)
Version 1.00
ZTE CORPORATION
ZTE Plaza, Keji Road South,
Hi-Tech Industrial Park,
Nanshan District, Shenzhen,
P. R. China
518057
Tel: (86) 755 26771900 800-9830-9830
Fax: (86) 755 26772236
URL: http://support.zte.com.cn
E-mail: doc@zte.com.cn
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are disclaimed, including without limitation any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose,
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Revision History
Date Revision No. Serial No. Reason for Revision

12/21/2006 R1.0 sjzl20062591 First edition
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ZXG10 B8018 (V1.00) In-Door Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual (Troubleshooting)
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Contents
About this Manual ........................................................... xi

Purpose .............................................................................. xi
Intended Audience ............................................................... xi
Prerequisite Skill and Knowledge ............................................ xi
What is in This Manual .......................................................... xi
Related Documentation........................................................ xii
Conventions ....................................................................... xii
How to Get in Touch............................................................xiii
Chapter 1.......................................................................... 1
Maintenance Safety ......................................................... 1

Safety Instructions................................................................ 1
Safety Signs......................................................................... 1
Precautions .......................................................................... 2
Chapter 2.......................................................................... 5
Maintenance Overview .................................................... 5

Troubleshooting Procedure ...............................................5
Fault Information Collection.................................................... 5
Fault Analysis ....................................................................... 6
Fault Locating....................................................................... 6
Fault Removal ...................................................................... 6
Common Fault Analysis and Locating Methods .....................7
Alarms and Operation Log Check............................................. 7
LED Status Analysis............................................................... 7
Performance Analysis ............................................................ 7
Analysis with Instruments and Meters ...................................... 7
Plug/Unplug ......................................................................... 8
Comparison and replacement.................................................. 8
Isolation .............................................................................. 8
Self -Test............................................................................. 8
ZTE Customer Support ...........................................................8
Chapter 3.......................................................................... 9
Transmission Faults ......................................................... 9

OVERVIEW ...........................................................................9
Troubleshooting ....................................................................9
All LAPD links of BTS Are Broken ........................................... 10
LAPD Link Establishment Failure between Cascaded Sites.......... 11
Poor Conversation Quality with High Transmission BER ............. 11
OAM Link of CMB is Broken ................................................... 12
Individual DTRU LAPD Links Establishment Failure.................... 12
LAPD Links of Many BTS Sites are Broken ............................... 13
Transmission Link Break....................................................... 13
Abnormal Transmission Link ................................................. 14
OAM Link of the BTS Site is Broken ........................................ 14
LAPD Links of Some Carriers of a BTS Site are Broken .............. 15
LAPD Links of Carriers of Many BTS Sites are Transiently Broken 16
Chapter 4........................................................................19
Antenna Feeder Faults...................................................19

Overview ........................................................................... 19
Troubleshooting .................................................................. 20
VSWR Faults....................................................................... 21
Coverage Shrinkage ............................................................ 22
VSWR Alarm of the Combiner................................................ 22
Poor Uplink Quality .............................................................. 23
Poor Downlink Quality .......................................................... 23
VSWR Alarm of the Power Amplifier (PA) ................................ 24
Tower Mount Amplifier (TMA) Power Alarm.............................. 25
TMA Alarm ......................................................................... 25
LNA Alarm.......................................................................... 26
Chapter 5........................................................................29
Voice Faults ....................................................................29

Troubleshooting .................................................................. 29
Voice Abnormalities Caused by RF Faults ................................ 30
Voice Abnormalities Caused by Configuration Faults ................. 30
One-way conversation ......................................................... 30
Two-way Blocking ............................................................... 31
Poor Conversation Quality .................................................... 32
Crosstalk ........................................................................... 33
Poor Conversation Quality of a BTS........................................ 34
Noises in Outgoing Toll Call .................................................. 34
Unstable MS Signals in the Idle State..................................... 34
Unstable MS Signal in the Busy State..................................... 35
Echo in MS Conversation...................................................... 36
Typical Case ................................................................. 36
Fault Information Collection.................................................. 37
Fault Analysis ..................................................................... 37
Troubleshooting.................................................................. 40
Summary .......................................................................... 42
Chapter 6........................................................................ 45
Loading Faults................................................................ 45
Software Version Cannot be Imported.................................... 45
Loading Failure ................................................................... 45
CMB/DTPB Board Unable to Start .......................................... 46
The Board Software cannot be Imported ................................ 46
Repeated Loading of CMB..................................................... 46
Repeated Loading of DTRU ................................................... 47
LAPD Link Establishment Failure after Software Loading ........... 47
FU LAPD and HDLC Disconnection Alarms ............................... 48
Chapter 7........................................................................ 49
Clock Faults .................................................................... 49

Overview ..................................................................... 49
Symptom........................................................................... 49
Notification Messages and Alarms.......................................... 49
Fault Analysis ..................................................................... 50
Troubleshooting ............................................................ 50
Clock Module Reset/Restart .................................................. 50
Carrier Clock Faults ............................................................. 50
Classified Faults.................................................................. 51
Clock alarms ...................................................................... 51
L3 Software Not Responding................................................. 52
PLL Lock Loss Alarm Frequently Occurs/Recovers .................... 52
Metal Noise during Conversation ........................................... 52
Call Drop during Handover ................................................... 53
High Handover Failure Ratio.................................................. 53
Chapter 8........................................................................55
Service Faults.................................................................55
Overview ..................................................................... 55
Symptoms ......................................................................... 55
Troubleshooting ............................................................ 56
BTS Call Test ...................................................................... 56
Performance Analysis........................................................... 56
Signaling Procedure Analysis................................................. 57
Poor Signal Quality or Signal Fluctuation................................. 57
Frequent Call Drops due to Hard Handover.............................. 57
No Traffic in the Cell or Sudden Rise of Call Drop Ratio ............. 58
MS indicates Signal Fluctuation or No Signal............................ 58
System Prompts Failure to Connect........................................ 59
Strong Signals but Unable to Make a Call ................................ 59
Handover Failure................................................................. 60
Occupation of Carrier for Short Time ...................................... 60
The Carrier Cannot be Occupied ............................................ 60
Long SDCCH Occupation Time ............................................... 62
Sudden Rise of Call Drop Ratio .............................................. 62
BTS Overload Message ......................................................... 63
Low TCH Assignment Success Ratio ....................................... 63
Chapter 9........................................................................65
Board Faults ...................................................................65

Trunk Node Alarm ............................................................... 65
Backplane Fault .................................................................. 65
Abnormality of Standby CMB Board........................................ 66
HW Link Interruption for a Long Time..................................... 66
PA VSWR Alarm .................................................................. 66
Major Clock Alarm on Active and Standby CMBs....................... 67
Appendix A .....................................................................69
CBA Parameter...............................................................69
CBA Parameter Modification .................................................. 69
Appendix B .....................................................................71
DTMF Signal Tone ..........................................................71

DTMF Signal Tone Generation ............................................... 71
Appendix C ..................................................................... 73
Abbreviations ................................................................. 73
Appendix D ..................................................................... 75
Figures............................................................................ 75
Tables ............................................................................. 77
Index .............................................................................. 79
About this Manual
Purpose
This Manual provides procedures and guidelines that support the
troubleshooting of ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station.
Intended Audience
This document is intended for engineers and technicians who
perform troubleshooting activities on the ZXG10 B8018 Base
Transceiver Station.
Prerequisite Skill and Knowledge

To use this document effectively, users should have a general
understanding of wireless telecommunications technology.
Familiarity with the following is helpful:
ZXG10 system and its various components
Local troubleshooting procedures
What is in This Manual

This Manual contains the following chapters:
TABLE 1 - CHAPTER SUMMARY
Chapter Summary
Chapter 1 Maintenance Introduces the safety measures that are
Safety taken during the troubleshooting process
Chapter 2 Maintenance Introduces the common troubleshooting
Overview methods
Chapter 3 Transmission Introduces the BTS faults caused due to
Faults transmission Failure
Chapter 4 Antenna Introduces the faults caused due to
Feeder Faults antenna feeder problems
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ZXG10 B8018(V1.00)In-Door Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual(Troubleshooting)
Chapter Summary
Chapter 5 Voice Faults Introduces the analysis and
troubleshooting procedures of voice faults
Chapter 6 Loading Analyzes the faults that may occur during
Faults software loading process
Chapter 7 Clock Faults Analyses the clock synchronization
problems
Chapter 8 Service Analyzes faults such as weak signal, call
Faults drop, poor voice quality and handover
faults
Chapter 9 Board Faults Introduces the troubleshooting procedures
to solve board faults
Appendix A CBA Introduces the methods for modifying the
Parameter Modification CBA parameter
Appendix B DTMF Introduces principles of DTMF signal tone
Signal Tone Generation generation
Appendix c, Lists English abbreviations used in this
Abbreviations manual
Appendix D, Figures Lists all the figures used in this manual
Appendix E, Tables Lists all the tables used in this manual
Index Index for reference to different topics
Related Documentation
The following documentation is related to this manual:
ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station Documentation Guide
ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station Technical Manual
ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station Installation Manual
ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual
(Routine Maintenance)
ZXG10 B8018 Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual
(Troubleshooting)
Conventions
Typographical ZTE documents employ the following typographical conventions.
Conventions
TABLE 2 - TYPOGRAPHIC AL CONVENTIONS
Typeface Meaning
Italics References to other Manuals and documents.
xii Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

About this manual
Typeface Meaning
“Quotes” Links on screens.
Bold Menus, menu options, function names, input
fields, radio button names, check boxes, drop-
down lists, dialog box names, window names.
CAPS Keys on the keyboard and buttons on screens
and company name.
Constant width Text that you type, program code, files and
directory names, and function names.
[] Optional parameters.
{} Mandatory parameters.
| Select one of the parameters that are delimited
by it.
Note: Provides additional information about a
certain topic.
Checkpoint: Indicates that a particular step needs
to be checked before proceeding further.
Tip: Indicates a suggestion or hint to make things
easier or more productive for the reader.
Mouse TABLE 3 - MOUSE OPERATION CONVENTIONS

Operation
Conventions Typeface Meaning
Click Refers to clicking the primary mouse button (usually
the left mouse button) once.
Double-click Refers to quickly clicking the primary mouse button
(usually the left mouse button) twice.
Right-click Refers to clicking the secondary mouse button
(usually the right mouse button) once.
Drag Refers to pressing and holding a mouse button and
moving the mouse.
How to Get in Touch

The following sections provide information on how to obtain
support for the documentation and the software.
Customer If you have problems, questions, comments, or suggestions
Support regarding your product, contact us by e-mail at
support@zte.com.cn. You can also call our customer support
center at (86) 755 26771900 and (86) 800-9830-9830.
Documentation ZTE welcomes your comments and suggestions on the quality
Support and usefulness of this document. For further questions,
Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION xiii

ZXG10 B8018(V1.00)In-Door Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual(Troubleshooting)
comments, or suggestions on the documentation, you can

contact us by e-mail at doc@zte.com.cn; or you can fax your
comments and suggestions to (86) 755 26772236. You can also
browse our website at http://support.zte.com.cn, which contains
various interesting subjects like documentation, knowledge base,
forum and service request.
xiv Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

Chapter 1
Maintenance Safety
This chapter includes the following topics:

Safety Instructions
Safety Signs
Precautions
Safety Instructions
Only trained professionals must operate and maintain the
BTS equipment.
Follow the local safety codes when operating and maintaining
the BTS equipment.
Safety precautions used in this manual are only
supplementary to the local safety codes.
ZTE shall not bear any liabilities incurred by violation of the
universal safety regulations or violation of safety standards
for designing, manufacturing and usage of the equipment.
Safety Signs
The general safety signs used in this manual are listed in Table 4.
TABLE 4 - SAFETY SIGNS
Safety Signs Meaning

Danger: Indicates an
imminently hazardous situation,
which if not avoided, will result
in death or serious injury. This
signal word should be limited to
only extreme situations
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ZXG10 B8018 (V1.00）In-Door Base Transceiver Station Maintenance Manual (Troubleshooting)
Warning: Indicates a potentially

hazardous situation, which if
not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
Caution: Indicates a potentially
hazardous situation, which if
not avoided, could result in
minor or moderate injury. It
may also be used to alert
against unsafe practices.
Erosion: Beware of erosion.
Electric Shock: There is a risk

of electric shock
Electrostatic: The device may

be sensitive to static electricity.
Microwave: Beware of strong

electromagnetic field.
Laser: Beware of strong laser

beam.
No flammables: No flammables
can be stored.
No touching: Do not touch.
No smoking: Smoking is
forbidden.
Precautions
Equipment Strictly follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) of
Operations the equipment.
Wear antistatic wrist strap when touching any hardware of
the equipment.
Never perform operations such as plugging/unplugging,
resetting, starting or switching, loading/modifying equipment
data without prior permission.
2 Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

Chapter 1 - Maintenance Safety
Board Wear an antistatic wrist strap when touching a board.

Operations
Prepare working staff and boards in advance before
plugging/unplugging or replacing any important board.
Check the spare parts regularly to ensure that the common
spare parts are properly stocked, intact and free from
moisture and mold.
Keep the spare parts separately from the faulty parts
replaced during maintenance, mark them separately and
store them in antistatic bags.
Data Perform operations such as data synchronization and data

Maintenance modification during low-traffic hours (such as midnight).
Perform operations that take more CPU time during low-
traffic hours (such as midnight).
Backup important data and record the backup before data
modification.
Periodically backup all data for future use.
Periodically observe all databases, especially the
performance measurement and alarm databases (once every
two weeks). Delete the old data to avoid disk overflow.
Operations Generally operation rights fall in to three levels:

Rights
f Super administrator: Has the highest level of rights in the
Management
system and can execute all operations.
f Advanced operator: Has operation rights such as
configuring/modifying data, diagnosis test, performance
statistics, alarm query and status query.
f Operator: Has operation rights such as alarm query and
status query.
Assign only one super administrator for system management.
Super administrator must handle network management and
password management tasks.
Periodically change the password used to log on to the server
and the client.
Virus Do not change the network settings and the settings of OAM
Protection for server or client without prior permission.
the System
Use CDs and disks provided by ZTE for installing software for
Operation and Maintenance (OAM) server or client.
Do not install and run any program irrelevant with operation
and maintenance on the OAM server or client.

Install copyrighted antivirus software on every client and the

servers and enable the real-time virus detection function.
Timely update the virus definitions (once every week).
Fault Report Detect the problems and faults and report major problems to
the relevant officials and the local ZTE office.
Record the detailed troubleshooting procedures.

Chapter 2
Maintenance Overview
This chapter introduces the common troubleshooting methods.
Troubleshooting Procedure
The troubleshooting procedure consists of four phases:
Fault information collection

Fault analysis
Fault Locating
Fault removal
Fault Information Collection

Collect fault information from the following:
Customers fault complaints

Exceptions found during routine maintenance or inspection
Alarm messages and notification messages in the OMC client
LED status of boards

Fault Analysis
After collecting information about the faults, analyze the possible
fault causes.
Fault can be categorized as follows:
Transmission faults
Antenna feeder faults
Voice faults
Loading faults
Clock faults
Service faults
Board faults
This manual analyzes the faults based on the above fault types
and introduces the troubleshooting methods.
Fault Locating
After analyzing the fault causes, use various troubleshooting
methods to rule out the impossible fault causes and locate the
exact fault cause.
For detailed information regarding fault analysis methods, refer
to Common Fault Analysis and Locating Methods
Fault Removal
After locating the fault, take appropriate steps to remove the
fault and recover normal operation of the system.

Chapter 2 - Maintenance Overview
Common Fault Analysis and

Locating Methods
Alarms and Operation Log Check
The first method of fault locating is checking the alarms and the
operation log in iOMCR.
Alarm management interfaces in iOMCR helps to observe and
analyze alarm messages reported by network elements, such as
current alarms, history alarms and common notification
messages. Operation log browsing interface in iOMCR helps in
tracing modifications on system parameters, locating the
relevant terminal and detecting the personal faults.
LED Status Analysis

LED Status Analysis is a method often used to locate a fault.
Be familiar with the status and meanings of all LEDs in order to
locate the fault exactly.
Performance Analysis
Performance analysis is done through performance management
interface in the iOMCR.
Analyze performance measurement tasks, performance reports
and BSS performance indices, detect load distribution in the
network and adjust network parameters to improve the network
performance.
Signaling trace is done through signaling trace interface of
iOMCR to locate signaling faults.
Analysis with Instruments and

Meters
Use auxiliary instruments such as test MS, signaling analyzer
and BER analyzer to analyze, locate and remove faults.

Plug/Unplug
Upon detecting fault in a board, plug or unplug the board and
external connectors, in order to remove the faults caused by
poor contact.
In addition, remove the faults caused by poor contacts by
pressing the cable connectors.
Comparison and replacement

Compare a possible faulty board with a normal board at the
similar position in the system and find the faulty board.
Also, replace a faulty board with a spare board or another
normally working board of the same type and check whether the
fault disappears after replacement.
Caution: During fault analysis, strictly follow the relevant

requirements for board plugging/unplugging.
Isolation
Isolate the faulty part from the other relevant board or rack, and
decide whether the fault cause is due to mutual influence
between them.
Self -Test
Judge a fault by observing the flashing of LEDs on the board
panel after the system or board is re-powered on.
ZTE Customer Support

Incase of further queries, contact ZTE Customer Support via
telephone, fax or e-mail.
Hotline: 86-755-26770800, 86-800-8301118, 86-400-8301118
Fax: 86-755-26770801
Website: http://support.zte.com.cn
Customer service e-mail: 800@zte.com.cn

Chapter 3
Transmission Faults
This chapter analyzes the BTS faults caused due to transmission

failure.
OVERVIEW
Transmission faults may create the following alarms:
Broken LAPD link of a BTS site
Broken OAM link of a BTS site
E1 interface frame out of sync
E1 interface code slip notification
Troubleshooting
Transmission faults are mainly caused by the following:
Transmission bit errors
Time slot allocation problems
The basic troubleshooting steps for transmission faults are:
Performing bit error test
Checking E1 time slot (TS) allocation
Transmission Bit errors cause system instability and transmission interruption

Bit Errors (when BER is over 10-5 ).
The causes for bit errors are as follows:
Bit errors caused by internal mechanisms
Such bit errors are caused by various noise sources, phase
jitters, multiplexers, inter connected equipments or switches,
or inter-symbol interference.

These bit errors affect the long-term bit error performance of

the system.
Bit errors caused by interferences
These bit errors are caused due to electromagnetic
interference, transient power interference and equipment
failure. These bit errors are in bursts and bulky and they
occur suddenly.
These bit errors affect the short-term bit error performance
of the system.
TS Allocation TS allocation problem can cause BTS LAPD link interruption

Problem under normal transmission conditions (there is no transmission
alarm).
The possible causes for TS allocation problem are as follows:
Inconsistent configured data between the BSC and the BTS.
The inconsistency between the background configuration
data and the settings of DIP switches in the BTS causes LAPD
link failure.
Cross connection of transmit and receive ends of a
transmission line.
The uplink and downlink communications fails and BTS
cannot start normally when there is cross connection
between transmit and receive ends of a transmission line.
Failure of E1 Timeslot add/drop multiplexer
Working failure of E1 timeslot add/drop multiplexer present
in the middle of the transmission path, causes inconsistent
TS allocation between the BTS and BSC.
BTS LAPD link fails when the timeslot add/drop multiplexer
fails or when its data configuration is incorrect.
All LAPD links of BTS Are Broken

Symptoms LAPD links of all boards in a BTS are broken
iOMCR displays the site as gray
Site cannot function properly
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the following:

Faulty CMB board
Faulty transmission equipment
Defective backplane connection
Faulty BSC hardware

Chapter 3 - Transmission Faults
Troubleshooting Reset the CMB board and check whether the fault is removed.
Conduct self-loop test and check if the physical link between
the BTS and BSC is broken.
Check the BSC, transmission equipment and BTS for any
fault.
Confirm if the DIP switch setting is correct and matches the
configuration data.
LAPD Link Establishment Failure

between Cascaded Sites
Symptoms Lower level site cannot establish a link with the main site.
iOMCR indicates fault in the lower level site.

Mismatch of DIP switch setting with the configured LAPD
timeslot.
Incorrect OAM timeslot configuration.
Troubleshooting Interchange the upper and lower level relations of the two
sites and check whether the problem is solved.
Check the equipment for faults.
Check the DIP switch setting.
Poor Conversation Quality with High

Transmission BER
Symptoms Bit errors

Frame out of sync
Code slip notification
Poor conversation quality in all cells of the site

Faulty CMB board
Incorrect clock reference

Troubleshooting Check for impedance mismatch between the connections

from E1 to EIB.
Measure the clock reference.
Replace the corresponding equipment.
OAM Link of CMB is Broken

Symptom Only OAM link of the site is broken while the FU LAPD link is
normal.

Interferences
Multiplexing Problems
Software processing problems
Troubleshooting Reset the CMB.

Upgrade the software to the latest version.
Individual DTRU LAPD Links

Establishment Failure
Symptom The LAPD links of all other boards except a DTRU is normal.

Faulty DTRU equipment
Software processing problem
Troubleshooting Observe and check for any alarm in DTRU and confirm its
normal operation.
Reset the DTRU and observe whether it can recover.
Upgrade the software to the latest version.

LAPD Links of Many BTS Sites are

Broken
Symptom LAPD links of many BTS sites on the same transmission line or
the sites connected to the same BSC board are broken.

Faulty BSC equipment
Troubleshooting Confirm the connections of the faulty BTS and check if the
equipment related to the BSC has the same problem.
Transmission Link Break

Symptoms BSC
The TIC or SMB board related to the particular BTS reports
‘all 1s or all 0s’ alarm.
LED of the corresponding port on the TIC or SMB board is ON.
BTS
SYN LED on the CMB board is red or flashes in red.

Faulty BSC equipment
Faulty BTS equipment
Faulty Transmission equipment
Troubleshooting Perform two-way self-loop test to check the normality of SYN

LED status and TIC (or SMB) board LED status.
Incase of ambiguity in finding the problematic spot in a line;
divide the line between BSC and BTS in to segments.
Perform self-loop test to the segments. If ‘all 1s or all 0s’
alarm of the TIC (or SMB) board appears again after a
segment is self-looped, that segment must be problematic.

Abnormal Transmission Link

Symptom Discontinuous transmission link

Fault in uplink from BTS site to the BSC.
Fault in down link.
Even though the LAPD link is normal, there are transmission
fault alarms like E1 out of frame, E1 code slip notification
and CMB out of lock for a long time.
Both sides of the transmission line may be normal but there
are BTS LAPD alarms.
Troubleshooting Check for proper grounding of equipments like BTS, DDF,

BSC and transmission equipment.
Check if the timeslot add/drop multiplexer (if any) works
normally.
Check if the DIP switches of the TIC (or SMB) work normally.
Self-loop the E1 line segment by segment starting from the
segment near the BSC. If a problem is detected in a segment,
replace the connection line or the equipment on this segment.
Check the transmission indices using an E1 transmission
tester.
Check if the BIECOM file configuration of the BSC is correct.
Check if the OAM TS configuration is consistent with the DIP
switch setting on the CMB board.
Check if the cabling of transmission line conforms to the
relevant requirements.
OAM Link of the BTS Site is Broken

Symptoms OAM link of the BTS site is disconnected
BTS Could not start normally

Incorrect OAM timeslot configuration data
Faulty BTS E1 interface

Troubleshooting Troubleshoot the fault according to its cause.

Broken transmission line
f Perform self-loop test and check whether the
transmission line is normal.
Broken timeslot
f Find and remove the faults of the timeslot multiplexer.
Inconsistent versions of configuration data
f Install the correct versions of configuration data.
Tip: Good transmission quality is required to download the

version and data. So re-download all the data when downloading
fails due to transmission errors.
OAM timeslot configuration data inconsistency
f Inconsistency of OAM timeslot configuration data with the
DIP switch setting can cause the OAM timeslot of BTS to
break.
Cascaded site Bypass
f When two cascaded BTSs share the same OAM timeslot
configuration and when the upper-level BTS is bypassed
due to power failure, the link between the two BTS sites
fails.
f To solve this problem, reset the lower-level BTS site.
BTS equipment failure
f When E1 interface is faulty or the E1 interface cable has
a dry solder, the OAM LAPD link of the BTS fails.
f Perform self-loop test to solve this problem. If the E1 LED
of the BTS is ON after the test, the fault may be in the
BTS.
f Replace the related board(s).
LAPD Links of Some Carriers of a

BTS Site are Broken
Symptoms LAPD links of some carriers of a BTS are broken
LAPD board of BSC shows related alarms

Backplane connection error
DTRU failure
BSC hardware failure

Transmission failure
Troubleshooting Remotely reset the CMB to reset the BTS. If the system
indicates connection timeout, the communication link
between the iOMCR and the CMB of the BTS must be broken.
Check if there are alarms from all DTRUs in the BTS. If yes,
follow the steps below to troubleshoot the fault:
f Check if the E1 line is correctly connected.
f Check if the TIC and LAPD boards on the BSC report
alarms. If so, remove the corresponding fault.
f Measure the transmission Bit Error Ratio (BER) using a
BER tester. If BER is abnormal, remove the transmission
faults including transmission equipment faults and
grounding faults.
f Check whether the DIP switch on the TIC board is set to
an appropriate position.
Note: DIP switch setting must be in 75 Ω position when a

coaxial cable is used and in 120 Ω position when a twisted pair is
used.
f Check the connections of backplane if the LAPD links of
DTRUs in a single layer are broken.
f If the LAPD link of one DTRU is broken, reset the DTRU.
If the problem persists, replace the DTRU.
Note: Transmission alarms of BSC appear only when the

physical connection is broken. Transmission bit error or poor
grounding does not result in such alarms.
LAPD Links of Carriers of Many BTS

Sites are Transiently Broken
Symptom LAPD links of some BTSs break and automatically recover in 10
~ 20 seconds without manual intervention.

Transmission interruption or instability, which can be
detected from transmission alarm or alarm record.
Transmission problem between the Main Processor (MP) and
LAPD boards of the same BSC.
The symptom is that the break or recovery time of the LAPD
links of carriers of same LAPD board is similar (in terms of

seconds) while that of different LAPD boards differ slightly

from one another.
CMB Reset
The symptom is that the LAPD links of carriers of the BTS are
broken or recovered at a time slightly different from one
another (the time difference is only several seconds).
Troubleshooting Check if transmission alarms occur during LAPD interruption.

If yes, do the following :
f Check if the contacts of E1 interface is proper
f Check if the transmission equipment is properly grounded
f Check if alarms occur due to transmission faults
f Remove the faults
Analyze the LAPD interruption and recovery time to find the
faulty LAPD board and then reset it. If the problem persists,
replace the faulty LAPD board.
If LAPD interruption is caused by CMB reset, the system will
automatically become normal without manual intervention.


Chapter 4
Antenna Feeder Faults
This chapter deals with the analysis of faults such as signal

fluctuation, coverage shrinkage and poor conversation quality,
caused due to antenna feeder equipment problems.
Overview
Symptoms Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) alarm
Poor uplink or downlink quality
Related Alarms iOMCR may indicate the following three types of alarms:
Major VSWR alarm of a Combiner
This alarm occurs when the VSWR value of the antenna
feeder system connected with the combiner is greater than
3.0.
Minor VSWR alarm of a Combiner
This alarm occurs when the VSWR value of the antenna
feeder system connected with the combiner is between 1.5
and 3.0.
LNA alarm of a divider
This alarm indicates that the divider is faulty.
Tip: The alarms of combiners and dividers are related to

configuration data and physical connections. Therefore, make
sure that the configuration data are consistent with the actual
physical connections so that the system correctly processes the
alarms.
Two transceivers are located in each DTRU – DTRU1 and DTRU2.
Following example describes the problem occurring when the
physical connections are inconsistent with data configuration:

Physical connections:
DTRUA1 - Combiner A - Antenna feeder A
DTRUA2 - Combiner B - Antenna Feeder B
Data configuration:
DTRUA2 - Combiner A - Antenna feeder A
DTRUA1 - Combiner B - Antenna Feeder B
Background combiner A1 reports a major VSWR alarm when
VSWR serious alarm occurs at antenna feeder A1. However, the
system blocks DTRU A2 due to data configuration error. DTRU
A1 still transmits power. In this case, Cell A does not support
normal calls due to big VSWR and neither Cell B because it is
blocked due to error.
Troubleshooting
Replacement 1. Replace the CDU that may be faulty with a normal CDU.
2. Check whether the antenna feeder system is normal.
3. Connect the antenna feeder system that may be faulty and
the normal CDU using a jumper.
4. If an alarm occurs, the fault lies in the antenna feeder
system. If not, the fault lies in the CDU.
Systematic Any one of the following problems may cause the antenna feeder
Check system faulty:
Improper installation of connectors
Improper sealing of connectors with water-proof
Damages in feeder or jumpers
High VSWR value of lightning arrestor
High VSWR value of antenna
Water enters the antenna
Check the antenna feeder system and replace the faulty parts if
necessary.
If a part does not satisfy the VSWR requirement, it must be
faulty. First, check the easily accessible parts before checking
the parts hard to reach.
If VSWR alarm occurs occasionally, then the problem may be
due to poor contact of cables.
Shake the parts to check the reliability of cable connection.

Chapter 4 - Antenna Feeder Faults
Caution: Disconnect the feed from the tower top amplifier

(if any) before measuring VSWR at the TX/RX port on the CDU,
to prevent damages due to short circuits.
VSWR Faults
Symptom VSWR alarm (Minor or Major)
A minor VSWR alarm occurs when the VSWR value is
between 1.5 and 3.0 while a major VSWR alarm occurs when
the VSWR value is greater than 3.0.
Source Board LEDs
Background Operation and Maintenance System
Related Parts CDU

Antenna Feeder System
DTRU
Fault Analysis A CDU reports a major VSWR alarm when it has VSWR2 alarm
that lasts for one minute. Upon receipt of this major alarm, the
OAM automatically turns off the DTRU.
Troubleshooting 1. Check whether the CDU is faulty.

Replace the DTRU connected to the CDU by a normal DTRU and
test with a test MS if the BTS can normally receive or send
signals.
If the BTS can receive or send signals normally, reset the
CDU and see if the CDU misreports any alarm.
If the fault does not re-occur after CDU resetting, it indicates
that the CDU misreported the alarm. Replace the CDU.
If the fault re-occurs, it indicates that the CDU did not
misreport the alarm, and then determine if the CDU is faulty
by replacing it with a normal CDU.
If the CDU is not faulty, it indicates that the antenna feeder
system may be faulty.
2. Check whether the antenna feeder system is faulty.
Check the VSWR of the antenna feeder system at the
connector of 1/2̎ jumper that is connected with the TX/RX
ANT port of the CDU.
Shake this 1/2̎ jumper and the 1/2̎ jumper on the cabinet top
and check whether there is a big change in VSWR value. If
so, the cable may have loose contacts.

If the VSWR value is more than 1.5, the antenna feeder

system may be faulty. Solve the fault by checking the
antenna feeder system systematically.
3. If the cause of the VSWR1 alarm cannot be determined after
performing the above steps, then the fault may be due to the
following:
f Unstable VSWR processing function of the CDU.
f Mismatch of TX/RX ANT port and the 1/2̎ jumper.
Replace the CDU in the first case and replace both the CDU
and the 1/2̎ jumper in the second case.
4. Check whether the TX port on the DTRU is properly
connected to the CDU and the connectors are tightened
properly when the DTRU reports a VSWR alarm.
5. Replace the DTRU and check if the DTRU misreports alarm.
Coverage Shrinkage
Symptoms Output power of the BTS equipment decreases
Coverage shrinks after a period of time
Fault Analysis The aging and overload of devices may cause performance
deterioration.
Troubleshooting Measure the output power of the BTS and replace the AEM if
output power is abnormal.
Ensure that the operating temperature is within the specified
range.
Ensure that the latest version of software is in use.
VSWR Alarm of the Combiner

Symptoms iOMCR indicates a VSWR alarm
Blockage of carriers

External environmental interferences
Problem with internal alarm detection mechanism
Troubleshooting Confirm the time of alarm occurrence and the radio

interference at that time.

Replace the AEM.
Ensure that the latest version of software is in use.
Poor Uplink Quality

Symptoms Poor conversation quality
Poor uplink quality when viewed from signaling analysis

Faulty antenna or CDU
Faulty CPU
Connection problem between the antenna input port of the
CDU and the cabinet top
Faulty antenna feeder system
Troubleshooting Check if the CDU reports any Tower Mount Amplifier (TMA)
alarm. If so, handle the fault in the way as handling a TMA
alarm. For details, refer to TMA alarm
.
Check if the CDU reports any Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)
alarm. If so, handle the fault in the way as handling an LNA
alarm. For details, refer to LNA Alarm
.
Check if the connection from the antenna input port on the
CDU to the cabinet top is normal. If the connection is
abnormal, replace the connection cable.
Check the VSWR of the antenna feeder systematically,
starting from the cabinet top.
Poor Downlink Quality

Symptoms Could not make or receive calls from a place where calls
were made or received previously.
Poor signal quality or no signal at places where signal quality
was good previously.
More dropped calls than before.

Fault Analysis The following factors may influence the coverage of the BTS:
Poor BTS environment
Poor construction quality or maintenance of the BTS
Low PA output power
Decreased receiver sensitivity
Inclined azimuth
Altered antenna pitch angle
Altered gain and height
Feeder cable or combiner loss
Altered working frequency and transmission environment
Troubleshooting Check if the threshold of RACH receiving level is altered. If

the threshold is much greater than before, it may
decrease the BTS coverage.
Check if strong interference exists around the BTS.
Check the RF cable connection between the DTRU and AEM
for any signal leakage or losses.
Check if the SWR1 LED on the AEM panel is ON. If so, check
the VSWR values of the jumper, main feeder and antenna
segment by segment, until the VSWR fault cause is
determined.
Check and adjust the power if the PA output power is
abnormal and the operating temperature inside the BTS is
too high. If the output power is still low after the adjustment,
replace the DTRU.
Check if other antennas or obstacles exist around the BTS
antenna. If so, adjust the azimuth and height of the antenna
to reduce the influence.
Check if there is a change in the azimuth and pitch angle of
the antenna. If so, adjust the azimuth and height of the
antenna to exact positions.
Trees with abundant leaves may also affect the BTS
coverage.
VSWR Alarm of the Power Amplifier

(PA)
Symptom PA VSWR alarm

Problems in alarm judgment

Problems in GUI processing mechanism
Troubleshooting Replace the DTRU that may be faulty with a DTRU of a normal
cell. Check if the cell reports the same alarm.
There are the following possibilities:
If the cell reports alarm even after replacing DTRU, then the
problem may not be in DTRU. The problem may lie in PA,
antenna feeder or backplane.
Replace the boards to eliminate board faults.
If the cell does not report any alarm when DTRU is replaced,
then the fault lies in DTRU. Replace the faulty DTRU.
If the alarm of the problematic DTRU disappears and the
normal DTRU does not generate any alarm, then the fault
may be due to the poor contact of DTRU. If the fault remains,
then the fault may be in the threshold settings or other
hidden problems. In this case do further analysis to
troubleshoot the problem.
Tower Mount Amplifier (TMA) Power

Alarm
Symptom Tower mount amplifier power alarm

Power fault
Connection problem
Troubleshooting Check whether the connections are proper.

Remove the power fault.
TMA Alarm
Symptom TMA alarm

Faulty CDU
Faulty TMA
Faulty DTRU

Troubleshooting 1. Reset the CDU and check whether the TMA alarm
disappears. If the alarm does not disappear, it indicates that
the CDU misreports alarm. So replace the CDU.
Tip: Upon TMA alarm, CDU automatically disconnects TMA

from the feed. Therefore, normally TMA alarm disappears after
CDU reset.
2. If the TMA alarm disappears after the CDU is reset,

disconnect the jumper from the antenna port on the CDU.
Check if the antenna feeder system has any short circuit.
Check the feeder, jumpers, and TMA and locate the short
circuit.
3. If the antenna feeder has no short circuit, enable the TMA
(turn on the TMA feeder through the CDU on the Man
Machine Interface (MMI)). Check whether the CDU reports
any TMA alarm. If an alarm appears, it indicates that the
feed output is normal.
4. Connect an ammeter and 120-ohm resistor in series between
the antenna port on the CDU and the 1/2̎ jumper. Make sure
that the external conductor of the port and that of the
jumper are in good electrical connection. Enable the TMA
feed; check whether the feed voltage and feed current are in
the normal working range. TMA is bypassed when the
voltage is normal and the current is zero. Replace the TMA.
Tip: Check whether the TMA is faulty by interchanging the

faulty TMA with a normal TMA, if the requirements for these
steps are not ready.
5. Replace the TMA if the TMA is found faulty.

6. If the antenna feeder system is normal, then the problem
may be in the receiving channel of DTRU. Replace the DTRU.
LNA Alarm
Symptom LNA alarm
Fault Analysis An LNA reports an alarm when the LNA current exceeds 30%
more than the normal operating current.

The fault can be located by observing the DTRU. The DTRU

connected with the LNA cannot work if the main and diversity
LNAs are faulty, or cannot work properly if one LNA is faulty.
Troubleshooting Replace the AEM.

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Chapter 5
Voice Faults
This chapter deals with the analysis and troubleshooting

procedures of voice faults.
Common voice faults are as follows:
One-way conversation
Cross talk
Two-way blocking
Noise
Poor conversation quality
Troubleshooting
Users often report two-way blocking as one-way
conversation problems. So locate and determine the exact
problem.
Check whether the fault occurs to a single BTS or BSC or a
larger range.
If the fault occurs only to outgoing calls, check the
corresponding outgoing trunk and data. Check all the parts if
the fault lies within the local office.
Locate the fault by checking the hardware and data
configuration, assisted by dialing test.
If the fault is in BTS, perform drive test and record the
frequency and the timeslot occupied by a call, using test MS.
If the fault is in a module, perform A-interface circuit dialing
test, determine the trunk occupied by a call and locate the
relevant boards through interface message analysis.
For troubleshooting one-way conversation, make a call from
an MS to a fixed phone and determine whether the fault lies
in the uplink or downlink.

Voice Abnormalities Caused by RF

Faults
Symptoms Call drop
Noise
No voice
Fault Analysis RF faults may cause signal loss and poor call quality.
Troubleshooting Replace the AEM board connected to the faulty carrier.
Voice Abnormalities Caused by

Configuration Faults
Symptom Some timeslots are abnormal and are not assigned properly to
some carriers during conversation.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the wrong configuration of connection
relations, mostly incase of multiplexing.
Troubleshooting Reconfigure the site
One-way conversation
Symptom The calls can be dialed normally but only one party can hear the
voice of the other party.

Error in timeslot configuration between the BSC and MSC.
Faulty connection between the transmitting and receiving
ends of the PCM line.
Error in Dual Rate Transcoder (DRT) timeslot connection.
Error in Digital Switch Network Interface (DSNI) or Bit-
Oriented Switching Network (BOSN) timeslot connection.
Uplink or downlink power imbalance on the edges of BTS
coverage area.

Chapter 5 - Voice Faults
Error in Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) timeslot connection

between the MSC and the fixed switch.
Troubleshooting Check whether the fault occurs inside the local office or at
the interconnected systems. Perform dialing tests on the
trunk circuits to troubleshoot the problem.
If the fault occurs to the whole MSC, check whether the
equipment buyer or other relevant staff has reconfigured the
MSC data or performed relevant operations during cutover.
Check whether the transmitting and receiving ends of the
trunk line on the A-interface is connected properly.
If the fault occurs to the entire BSC or many BTSs of the BSC,
Check whether the DRT version is correct. If so, switch over
the active DSNI/BOSN with the standby DSNI/BOSN and
check whether the problem persists after the switchover.
If the fault occurs to only one BTS, verify the radio
parameters and check whether the maximum MS transmit
power is correct.
If the problem persists, do dialing test with a test MS to
confirm whether the one-way conversation problem is related
to a carrier timeslot or not.
If the problem always occurs to a certain carrier, replace the
corresponding AEM equipment. Ensure that the latest version
of software is in use.
Two-way Blocking
Symptom Neither party of the conversation can hear the peer party.
Fault Analysis Subscriber may report two-way blocking as one-way

conversation. Therefore ensure to locate the exact fault.
The fault may be due to the following:
Transmission line self loop
Carrier Identification Code (CIC) mismatch between the two
ends of the transmission line
Faulty timeslot in the transmission circuit
Improper configuration of the timeslot multiplexer with the
time slots when the E1 is shared
Faulty DRT/EDRT or TIC board
An individual timeslot is not configured with the related
Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
Faulty AEM.

Troubleshooting First, second and fourth cause may lead to two-way blocking
of many BTSs. Troubleshoot according to the cause.
Third cause may lead to two-way blocking of single BTS.
Troubleshoot according to the cause.
If the problem always occur to a certain carrier and there is
no multiplexing, replace the corresponding AEM equipment
or connector.
Ensure that the software is upgraded to the latest version.
Poor Conversation Quality
Symptoms Poor voice quality with distinct noises.

Call disconnection during conversation.
Fault Analysis The fault may be mainly due to faulty antenna feeder equipment
or software problem.
Poor voice quality is due to high voice BER at the radio
interface, which is caused by low receiving level, clock faults
or co-channel interference.
Low frequency level may be caused by the following factors:
f Inappropriate parameter configuration.
For example, the MS maximum transmission power
MSTXMAXCCH (power used during access) and MS
maximum transmission power MSTXPWRMAX (power for
power control) are inconsistent.
f Antenna feeder system faults, such as abnormal VSWR,
improper setting of azimuth angle, and pitch angle.
f Low BTS transmission power.
Troubleshooting Observe the MS signal intensity. If the intensity is low, the

receiving level will be low. Comply with the following steps to
troubleshoot the fault:
Check if the RF cable between the DTRU and the combiner is
normal. If abnormal, connect the cable again.
Check if the SWR1 LED on the AEM panel is on. If so, check
the VSWR values of the jumpers, main feeder and antenna
segment by segment from the combiner output port, until
the cause of VSWR deterioration is found. Replace the faulty
parts.
If the alarm LED on the AEM is off, check if the azimuth and
pitch angle of the antenna are normal. If not, adjust the
antenna.

If the antenna angles are normal, check the measurement

report of BTS. Check whether the radio parameters are
configured properly. These radio parameters include
MSTXMAXCCH and MSTXPWRMAX. Set the two parameter
values to 33 dBm in GSM900 network and 30 dBm in
GSM1800 network.
If the parameter configuration settings are normal, check the
RF cable connection between the divider and DTRU. If the
connection is not proper, reconnect the RF cable.
Check whether clock alarms occur at the CMB through the
background, or check the CLK LED on the CMB. If the green
LED is ON, it indicates that the module is normal (the
network synchronization is in locked status). If red LED is ON,
replace the CMB. If the CMB LED status is normal, use the
Local Monitoring Terminal (LMT) to check whether the
frequency offset of the 13 MHz clock output is within the
specified range.
If the clock is normal, check if the DTRU reports a phase-
locked loop alarm. If there is such an alarm, replace the
DTRU.
Accurately set the E1 DIP switch settings on the EIB.
Check whether co-channel interference occurs, if yes, adjust
the frequency data.
Replace the antenna feeder equipment and upgrade the
software to the latest version.
Crosstalk
Symptom The conversation party hears an unexpected third party voice.
Fault Analysis The fault may be caused when the transmitting and receiving
ends of transmission line are incorrectly connected.
Troubleshooting Check whether the fault occurs to intra-office or inter-office

calls.
f If the fault is in intra-office calls, check whether the
transmitting and receiving ends of transmission lines are
connected correctly.
f If the fault occurs in inter-office calls, check the outgoing
circuit connections.
f If the fault lies only with a BTS, focus on the transmission
of the BTS.
If some E1s use timeslot multiplexers, block the E1 device
that uses the timeslot multiplexer before the check.

Poor Conversation Quality of a BTS
Symptom Poor conversation quality on busy hour and normal conversation

quality when there is little traffic.

Faulty BTS equipment
External interference
Troubleshooting Observe the interference band through the background.

Interference band is 5 when the conversation quality is poor
and 1 when the conversation quality is normal.
Adjust the antenna directions and check if the interference is
strong in a particular direction. If yes, it indicates that the
there is no fault in the antenna feeder and the equipment.
According to the symptoms, the interference is related to the
traffic. So the fault may be in indoor repeater system.
Observe the interference and determine the interference
direction through a frequency sweeper.
Noises in Outgoing Toll Call

Symptom Good conversation quality in the calls made within the office, but
noises in outgoing calls.
Fault Analysis The fault may be related to E1 and timeslot multiplexer.
Troubleshooting Perform call tests on the toll circuits one by one.

If the E1 lines are found to have a poor conversation quality,
then the timeslot multiplexer of the E1 lines may be faulty.
Replace the circuits.
Unstable MS Signals in the Idle

State
Symptoms In idle state, there is fluctuation in the receiving MS signals.
Sometimes signals disappear and appear again.

Fault Analysis Apart from the phone quality and unstable performance caused
by the long use of the MS, the factors that influence the wireless
signal intensity of a place are as follows:
Environment
Unstable transmission power of DTRU
Cell reselection
Troubleshooting Analyze whether the place is covered by multiple overlapped

cells. If so, check the reselection relations and reselection
parameter settings between cells. Reset the cell reselection
settings.
Check whether the RF cable between the DTRU and the AEM
is connected normally. If abnormal, connect the RF cables
correctly.
Test the PA output power and observe whether the test
signal level fluctuates, so as to check the stability of the
transmission power of DTRU. Replace the DTRU if it is faulty.
Check the surrounding area of 500 meters around the MS. If
multiple obstacles exist, various reflection waves overlap
with the MS receiving signal. This causes Raleigh fading and
a change of 10 dBm ~ 20 dBm to the receiving MS signal. If
obstacles exists near the MS, adjust the azimuth and height
of the antenna.
Unstable MS Signal in the Busy

State
Symptom Unstable MS signal during conversation
Fault Analysis If the TCH and BCCH occupied by the MS does not belong to
the same carrier and the DTRU is unstable, it will cause the
MS to present strong signal in idle state and weak signal
during conversation.
Frequent MS handover (ping-pong handover) may cause
unstable MS signal during busy state.
Troubleshooting Perform on-site dialing test using a test MS and check

whether the unstable signal occurs to some time slots of a
carrier or multiple carriers.
If the fault occurs to some time slots of a carrier, perform
the following troubleshooting steps:
f Reset the carrier.

f Check the RF cable connection between the DTRU and the

combiner, and that between the divider and the DTRU. If
the connection is incorrect, connect them correctly.
f Replace the DTRU.
If the fault occurs to multiple carriers of a cell, perform the
following troubleshooting steps:
f Check whether the main and diversity antennas of the
abnormal cell are consistent in azimuth and pitch angle.
If not, adjust the antenna angles.
f Measure the VSWR of the antenna feeder system and
check whether the antenna feeder connector is connected
properly and is water proof.
Echo in MS Conversation
Symptom Echo occurs when the MS is in a conversation.

Fault occurs at the Echo Canceller (EC) set between PLMN
and PSTN.
Faulty Transcoder (TC) unit at the BSC.
Faulty transmission circuit of MS.
Loop formed during careless routine maintenance of A
interface circuit or Abis interface circuit.
Fault of the device which is responsible for voice decoding in
DTRU.
Troubleshooting Check the MS for faults that may create echo.

Confirm whether the echo occurs only to the PLMN and PSTN
subscribers in conversation. If yes, the EC may be faulty.
Check whether loops occur at A interface and Abis interface.
If yes, cancel the loop.
Replace the DTRU.
Check if alarms are generated by the DRT (EDRT) board at
the BSC, if yes, reset the board. If the fault remains, replace
the DRT (EDRT) board.
Typical Case
This section introduces the methods to locate the one-way
conversation problem in the GSM BSS network.

Tip: Problems such as one-way conversation, two-way

blocking or crosstalk are rather similar and have different
symptoms of the same fault in most cases. Therefore such
problems are simply referred as one-way conversation problems.
Fault Information Collection

One-way conversation problem is mostly discovered by
subscribers. Subscribers report the fault to the customer
services center of the operator.
The customer services center transfers the problem report to
the maintenance engineer.
Maintenance engineer transfers the problem to the ZTE
onsite engineer.
Onsite engineer visits the complaining subscriber and
understands the fault symptom. The details that must be
collected are as follows:
f The MS number of the complaining subscriber and the
model of MS used by the customer.
f The location area where the subscriber discovered the
problem.
f The called number dialed by the subscriber.
f Fault symptom details: Confirm whether the fault is one-
way conversation, two-way blocking, crosstalk or poor
conversation quality.
f The BTS and the cell in which the subscriber was most
probably in, when the problem occurred.
f Check whether the one-way conversation problem occurs
to one BTS or many BTSs.
f Confirm the date when the problem started.
f Confirm whether any big network adjustment or data
modification operation was done before and after the
problem occurred.
Tip: The subscribers’ description of the problem may

slightly differ from the fact and the collected information may
not completely reflect the existing problem. So collect all the
relevant original information and learn the relevant information
as concise as possible from the customer.
Fault Analysis
1. Determine the range of fault occurrence

After collecting fault information, analyze the possible fault

causes and locate the fault as per the following:
i. Check whether the MS has the problem
If the subscriber’s MS is of poor quality or if the
subscriber uses the MS improperly, one-way conversation
problem may occur. Perform dialing test with another MS
of same model and check whether the problem
disappears. If the problem disappears, it indicates that
the MS used by the subscriber is problematic.
ii. Check whether the problem is caused by radio defects
Confirm whether the fault is one-way conversation or
two-way blocking or cross talk. When radio interference
occur in the uplink/downlink, the subscriber may not be
able to hear any voice and misreports the problem as
one-way conversation problem.
Perform dialing test at the site and confirm whether the
problem is caused by interference. Also check the
performance analysis report to find the interference in
uplink/downlink.
iii. Check whether the problem is caused by the BTS
If the problem occurs only to one or two BTSs, then the
BTS (s) may be faulty.
iv. Check whether the problem is caused by the BSC
If the problem occurs to many BTSs of the BSC, then the
BSC may be faulty.
v. Check whether the problem is caused by the MSC or
GMSC
If the problem occurs to many BSCs connected to an MSC,
then the MSC may be faulty.
2. Onsite dialing test
Perform onsite dialing test with a special test MS (generally
SAGEM).This special test MS can display cell information,
lock the frequency, and implement forced handover. Modify
the parameters of the cell to be tested so as to allow only the
test MS to access the cell; otherwise the test may be
interfered by ordinary subscribers. For detail information,
refer to CBA Parameter
The actual networking is as follows:

FIGURE 1 - SYSTEM NETWORKING
Consider BSC1-BTS2 as the hot spot complained by the

subscriber. BSC1 is a BSC provided by ZTE. BTS1 is a BTS of an
adjacent cell, and the connection between BSC2 and the BTSs
are normal.
i. Test
f Lock the MS A to the frequency of BTS2.
f Make calls from MS A to MS B until the one-way
conversation problem occurs to a call. Remain connected.
ii. Record
Record the cell information in which MS A resides, the
used BCCH/TCH frequency, the timeslot number, and BER
in the downlink.
iii. Confirmation
If ambiguity arises in determining whether MS A or MS B
has one-way conversation problem, use another MS C to
call MS A. If one-way conversation problem occurs during
the conversation between MS A and MS C, it indicates
that MS A has problem. Otherwise, MS B has problem.
Similarly, use another MS C to call MS B and determine
whether MS B has problem.
Also use Dual-tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signal to
judge the side which has a problem. For detailed
information about DTMF, refer to DTMF Signal Tone
iv. Handover

If BTS2 is a directional antenna covering more than one

cell and if the MS A is in cell 1, forcibly handover MS A to
cell 2 and check whether the one-way conversation
problem exists. If the problem disappears, it indicates
that the DTRU of cell 1 is faulty.
If BTS2 is an Omni directional BTS and covers only one
cell, forcibly handover MS A to its adjacent cell and check
whether the one-way conversation problem still exists. If
the problem disappears, it indicates that the BTS2 is
faulty.
Handover MS A from BTS2 to BTS3 and check whether
the problem disappears. If so, it indicates that BSC1 is
faulty.
3. Voice route analysis
Analyze the path of voice flow between MS A and the
MSC. The voice flow is as follows:
MS - Antenna - AEM - DTRU - CMB - Abis
interface/Transmission equipment - TIC - BIPP - BOSN -
TCPP - EDRT - AIPP - TIC - A interface/transmission
equipment - MSC.
BOSN board of the BSC provides the switching function
while the physical timeslots on the other boards
correspond one to one.
If the problem lies in the BTS, then the fault must be in
the following paths: Antenna – AME – DTRU – CMB – Abis
interface/transmission equipment – TIC – BIPP – BOSN.
Troubleshooting
1. Troubleshooting BTS fault
The troubleshooting steps for a BTS fault are as follows:
i. Check whether there is software mismatch in BTS boards.
ii. Check whether there is any abnormal BTS alarm.
iii. Delete the BTS hardware data and reconfigure the data
so as to eliminate data errors.
iv. Replace the problematic DTRU board and check whether
the fault is caused by DTRU.
v. Replace the CMB board and check whether the fault
disappears.
vi. Modify the data and connect the BTS to another BTS port
if another Abis interface exists, and check if the fault
disappears. If the fault disappears, replace the TIC board
and BIPP board in turn and find out the faulty board.
2. Troubleshooting BSC fault

i. Test
If the fault is detected in many BTSs, then the BSC must
be faulty. If there is coverage of the BSC in the
equipment room, perform frequency locking test using a
test MS. Otherwise install a test BTS for the test. Conduct
the test after 0000 Hrs so as to facilitate fault locating
and to avoid influence on subscribers.
Most of the one-way conversation problem is related to A
interface circuit. Conduct dialing test on the A interface.
ii. Record
Record the A interface CIC occupied by each call during
the test. Check whether the fault occurs and the fault
symptom is similar.
iii. Fault locating
BSC generally contains a central module and several
peripheral modules. Check and judge whether the fault is
related to all peripheral modules or a single peripheral
module. If the fault is related to one module, focus and
check the module and the cable connections between the
peripheral module and the central module. If the fault is
related to all peripheral modules, focus the check on the
central module and the A interface circuit.
iv. Board switchover
If the fault is suspected to be in the boards such as BOSN
and PP that has active/standby modes, perform board
switchover and check whether the fault lies in these
boards.
v. Board resetting
Many fault symptoms may disappear after board
resetting but avoid resetting the board before the fault is
completely located, because the fault may reoccur.
vi. A interface check
Two conclusions can be finally drawn from the dialing test:
f One-way conversation problem is related to the specific
circuit in the A interface.
f There is no fixed relationship between the one-way
conversation problem and the A interface circuit.
In the first case, if the one-way conversation problem
occurs to all the timeslots of a 2 Mbps circuit, then the A
interface circuit line may be cross connected with another
circuit line, as shown in Figure 2.

FIGURE 2 - CROSS-CONNECTED CIRCUITS
If the one-way conversation problem occurs to a single

timeslot, the problem may not lie in the cable but may be
in boards such as EDRT and BOSN. Do Switchover, reset,
or replace boards to determine the faulty board.
If a timeslot is normal sometimes and abnormal other
times, the problem may be in the boards such as BOSN
and EDRT.
Summary
The causes for one-way conversation problem are summarized
as below:
Problems of the MS
The design, aging or faults of MSs may cause one-way
conversation problem.
BTS equipment problems, for example faulty timeslot of
DTRU or CMB board.
Problems of the Abis interface circuit, for example, an
individual timeslot embezzled by subscribers, faulty TIC or PP
board.
Problems of the connection cable between the peripheral
module and the central module, such as poor contact.
BOSN board problems.
Problems of the EDRT, TCPP, AIPP or TIC board, mostly EDRT
board problems.
Problems of the A interface. For example, incorrect cable
connection and cross-connection of wires.

Data problems, such as incorrect CIC correspondence

between the BSC and the MSC.
In practice, problems often occur to the BTS, the DRT board and
the A interface.


Chapter 6
Loading Faults
This chapter analyses the faults that may occur during the
software loading process.
Software Version Cannot be

Imported
Symptom iOMCR prompts errors when importing software version.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the mismatch of version file name and
the internal ID.
Troubleshooting This fault is mostly caused by incorrect creation of the new

version or manual change of the file name.
Avoid changing the file name manually.
Loading Failure
Symptoms Loading process keeps repeating.
BTS site keeps restarting and could not start normal
operation.
Fault Analysis Signaling analysis helps to locate the fault causes. The causes
are as follows:
Transmission errors, which causes reloading
Mismatch of software version with the hardware

Troubleshooting Check for transmission errors and remove the errors.

Update the software version so that the version matches the
hardware.
Precautions Load the software strictly in accordance with the up gradation

procedure.
CMB/DTPB Board Unable to Start

Symptom After loading the software and when the board is restarted, the
CMB/FUC board could not start normal operation and the boards
LEDs stop flashing.
Fault Analysis The downloaded software version CMB_FPGA/DTPB_FPGA may

be incompatible with the hardware
Troubleshooting Follow the up gradation procedure strictly and download the

software version of the problematic board by using the local
downloading tool.
The Board Software cannot be

Imported
Symptom iOMCR prompts version mismatch.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the Mismatch of version ID and the
version name.
Troubleshooting Generally this problem is caused by operation errors in the

process of making the version file.
Strictly use the software version released in the formal
version library.
Repeated Loading of CMB

Symptoms CMB of the BTS site keeps restarting and loading
FU LAPD link is broken
System indicates a cell interruption alarm

Chapter 6 - Loading Faults

CMB version mismatch
Packet loss during transmission
Troubleshooting Perform Abis signaling trace and check whether the loading
process is completed.
Check the data transmission if:
f The BTS does not respond in the loading process.
f Re-transmission of loaded data exceeds certain number
of times which leads to re-initiation of the loading.
If software loading is successful, but software fails to activate,
then check whether a correct version is loaded.
Repeated Loading of DTRU

Symptom CMB loading is completed, the configuration data are normally
received, HDLC link of the DTRU has been established, but the
DTRU keeps loading and resetting.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to DTRU software version mismatch.
Troubleshooting Check the compatibility between the DTRU software version and
the hardware.
LAPD Link Establishment Failure

after Software Loading
Symptom CMB cannot establish a link after software loading.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the mismatch of Software version
(CMB_FPGA).
Troubleshooting Directly download the available version of the CMB software

using the local downloading tool.
Precautions Upgrade the software strictly in accordance with the version up

gradation procedure.

FU LAPD and HDLC Disconnection

Alarms
Symptoms DTRU keeps loading or resetting
LAPD and HDLC links are broken as viewed from iOMCR
Fault Analysis The fault is mainly due to the mismatch of software version and
the hardware.
Troubleshooting Download the version again.

If the DTRU could not start, download the version using the
local downloading tool.

Chapter 7
Clock Faults
This chapter analyzes the problems that may occur during clock
synchronization.
Overview
Symptom
The symptoms for clock faults are as follows:
CMB alarm
DTRU alarm
Slow internet access of the MS
MS handover failure
Poor conversation quality of the MS
Notification Messages and Alarms

The system generates alarms for the first two symptoms. So
handle the faults according to the alarms.
Last three symptoms are related to the BTS clock and the
system may not generate any alarms. So check whether any
exceptions occur to the clock during the troubleshooting process.
The following alarms are related to the clock:
Abnormal Clock (13 MHz, FCLK, SYNCLK)
Accumulative frame number of the software is inconsistent
with the accumulative frame number of the hardware
L3 software of the FUC is not responding temporarily

Clock alarm between the TPU and the CMB

TPU frame number alarm
Local oscillator PLL1 or PLL2 of the receive RF is out of lock
Local oscillator PLL1 or PLL2 of the transmit RF is out of lock
PLL of the 52 MHz reference clock is out of lock
Local oscillator PLL of the transmit IF is out of lock
DLRC_AL downward check error
Fault Analysis
The main cause of a clock fault is that the BTS clock severely
deviates from the clock required for the normal running of the
BTS. The symptom is that the RF unit does not get a precise
clock.
The clock fault is caused by the following:
Inaccurate 13 MHz clock signal generated by CMB
Unstable 13 MHz clock signal generated by CMB
CMB is in synchronization with the external clock but the
clock reference received from the BSC is unstable
Faulty PLL of the DTRU
Poor contact of the clock cable with the CMB and the DTRU
PLL is deadlocked
Troubleshooting
Clock Module Reset/Restart
Reset the modules (CMB and DTRU) which had alarms.
Power off the modules (CMB and DTRU) which had alarms.
If it can be recovered through the above ways, it indicates
that the PLL is deadlock and hardware is normal.
Carrier Clock Faults

Check the clock cable between the CMB and DTRU if the
DTRU reports a PLL out-of-lock alarm.
If the clock cable is found normal, replace the CMB.

Chapter 7 - Clock Faults
If the problem persists, replace the DTRU.
Classified Faults
Symptoms Clock and frame number alarms
PLL clock loss
DSP WATCHDOG overflow
Slow internet access of the MS
Problem in handover
Poor voice quality
Fault Analysis The clock deviation causes

Unstable system running
Increased bit errors
Hardware response problem
Troubleshooting Check the synchronization between the BTS and the BSC.
Check the clock locking function of the CMB board.
Precautions The problem may occur to extended racks.
Clock alarms
Symptom Clock alarms and frame number alarms occur to the CMB and
DTRU
Fault Analysis Synchronization abnormalities occur

CMB could hardly lock its clock phase during external
synchronization
CMB reference clock deviates during internal synchronization
Troubleshooting Measure the CMB clock reference, check the transmission for
external synchronization and calibrate the CMB reference clock
for internal synchronization.

L3 Software Not Responding

Symptoms L3 software of FUC no response alarm occurs
Calls often drop

Faulty clock transmission between the CMB and the DTRU
Unstable HDLC link
Abnormal working of DTRU
Troubleshooting Check the backplane and replace the DTRU.
PLL Lock Loss Alarm Frequently

Occurs/Recovers
Symptom PLL alarm occurs and recovers soon. This keeps repeating.
Fault Analysis PLL lock loss caused by unstable clock differs from the PLL
permanent PLL lock loss caused by hardware fault.
Troubleshooting Check the clock and backplane

Plug/unplug or replace the DTRU
Metal Noise during Conversation

Symptom A sharp noise like the metal collision sound is heard during
conversation.
Fault Analysis The clock deviation causes bit errors and error frames during the
decoding process.
Troubleshooting Check the clock and the backplane.

Plug/Unplug or replace the DTRU.

Chapter 7 - Clock Faults
Call Drop during Handover

Symptom Call drop occurs during handover but the signal level is good and
there is no interference.
Fault analysis Onsite test results show that the frequency offset of 13 MHz
clocks of some BTSs is as high as 2.5 Hz (far more than the
standard value 0.65 Hz).
Many BTSs reports 8 kHz clock alarm.
MSC often reports the normal/abnormal phase locking of the
clock software alarm, indicating that the MSC clock is also
inaccurate. Therefore, it can be determined that the call drop
problem during handover may be due to the MSC clock
instability.
Troubleshooting Adjust the MSC clock reference source.
High Handover Failure Ratio

Symptom High inter-BSC handover failure ratio for a newly deployed BTS
Fault Analysis An inter-BSC handover failure can be caused by either of the two
BSCs.
The fault may be due to the following:
Free running of adjacent BTSs of other vendors.
Big clock deviation of adjacent BTSs of other vendors.
Troubleshooting Adjust the clock working mode of the BTSs of other vendors.


Chapter 8
Service Faults
This chapter analyzes the faults such as weak signal, call drop,
poor voice quality, and handover faults.
Overview
Symptoms
Service-related faults are the faults that occur to the call service
when the BTS does not give any alarm.
These faults include
Weak signal
Call drop
Poor voice quality
Handover failure
No traffic in a cell
Fault Analysis The fault may be caused due to the following:

Data configuration errors or physical connection errors that
occur during commissioning.
Board hardware problems.
Environmental problems, such as the coverage change
caused by flourishing trees in summer.
Antenna feeder system problems.
Problems of network optimization (such as co-channel
interference and improper parameter setting).

Troubleshooting
BTS Call Test
Tools SAGEM MS or NOKIA test MS
Test Procedure In urban areas, dial calls at about 200-300 m away from the
antenna of each cell in the positive direction.
In suburban areas, dial calls at about 500-1000 m away from
the antenna of each cell in the positive direction.
Ensure that the call test cover each carrier.
Record the level and quality of the call on each timeslot of
each carrier.
Use Table 5 for the call test records.
TABLE 5 - CALL TEST RECORD
TRX1
CELLID
TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7
CH
RXLEV
RQ
CH
RXLEV
RQ
Check After If any problem occurs to the receiving level or the voice quality
Test during carrier testing, handle the problem in time and ensure
that the equipment commissioning quality is good.
Performance Analysis
Generate a report that covers all performance indices. For voice
calls related problems, perform the following steps:
Check the interference band.
Check the uplink/downlink level.
Check the uplink/downlink quality.
Check SDCCH and TCH assignment time.
Check the assignment success ratio.

Chapter 8 - Service Faults
For handover related problems, perform the following steps:

Check the handover attempts.
Check the handover success ratio.
Create a handover observation task and observe the specific
handover data of the problematic cell.
Signaling Procedure Analysis

Use the data obtained through drive test and Abis/A interface
signaling analysis, and analyze the problems in the call
procedure and call processing.
Poor Signal Quality or Signal

Fluctuation
Symptoms MS indicates unstable signal
Signal sharply fluctuates when the MS is in idle state

Problem in software processing
Problem in GPRS related services
Troubleshooting Check if the GPRS services are activated in the particular cell.
Check whether the cell system messages indicate any GPRS-
related information.
Check whether the connection between the CDU and the RF
equipment is normal.
Check whether the output power is normal.
Precautions The problems that occur periodically are mostly related to

software problems. So perform signaling analysis to solve such
problems.
Frequent Call Drops due to Hard

Handover
Symptoms Handover does not take place
Week signal

Call drop

Incorrect handover setting
Inconsistency between parameter settings and the actual
situation
Poor network coverage
Clock deviation
Troubleshooting Perform signaling analysis and find the fault cause.

Observe the signal receiving status of the moving MS.
Observe the signal quality of adjacent cells and check
whether any handover request has been initiated.
No Traffic in the Cell or Sudden Rise

of Call Drop Ratio
Symptoms No call in the cell during busy hours
MSs in the coverage area cannot make calls or even access
the network
Cell performance suddenly deteriorates
A call on a certain carrier is soon dropped
The signal is strong and there is no alarm
Fault Analysis The fault may be mostly due to the failure of components inside
the TRX.
Troubleshooting Reset the TRX or CMB to solve the problem temporarily.

Upgrade the software to the latest version to solve the
problem permanently.
MS indicates Signal Fluctuation or

No Signal
Symptom Signal level suddenly drops when the MS is idle or in
conversation without fast moving, but the conversation is normal.

Fault Analysis Some MSs indicate CS signal fluctuation when the PS ATTACH
operation fails. This fault is mainly due to the GPRS
configuration errors.
Troubleshooting Check the GPRS configuration or disable the GPRS option of the
cell.
System Prompts Failure to Connect

Symptom The called MS is idle, the cell also has idle channels but the
caller receives a message that the called MS is not in the service
area.
Fault Analysis The called MS may be attempting PS ATTACH. Most MSs may
not respond to the CS paging message when processing the PS
service, and as a result the network reports that the MS is not in
the service area.
Troubleshooting Confirm whether the PS service rights of the MS are correct.

Confirm whether the PS configuration of the cell is correct.
Precautions Continuous ATTACH operations may affect the network

performance.
Strong Signals but Unable to Make a

Call
Symptoms MS indicates good signal strength but the user cannot dial
any call.
According to the performance statistics, all the indices of this
cell are 0.
Fault Analysis The BCCH of the cell fails and cannot receive any signal from the
MS.
Troubleshooting Reset the BCCH to solve the problem temporarily.
Upgrade the BTS software to the latest version.
Precautions When this problem occurs to a carrier other than the BCCH, that
carrier may have a high call drop ratio.

Handover Failure
Symptoms Week MS signal during conversation
MS does not perform handover operation until a call drop
occurs

Poor network coverage
Improper adjacent cell configuration
Improper handover configuration
Inaccurate BTS clock
Troubleshooting Check and confirm whether the network and handover

parameters are configured properly.
Calibrate the BTS clock.
Occupation of Carrier for Short Time

Symptom TCH is assigned normally but it cannot be occupied for long time.
Fault Analysis The fault may be due to the faulty hardware or its incorrect
connections.
Troubleshooting Check whether the connection between the DTRU and PA is

normal.
Check whether the connectors are in good contact.
Replace the cables if necessary.
Check whether the RF cables between the two signal input
ends and divider output ends of the carrier are connected
normally. Replace the RF cable if necessary.
Dial calls with the test MS on site and observe the timeslot
occupation of the carrier using the dynamic tracing function
in the background. If this symptom happens at once when a
timeslot is occupied, reset the carrier and check if the fault
disappears. If the fault persists, replace the carrier.
The Carrier Cannot be Occupied

Symptom

The carrier is normal, but the frequency of the carrier cannot be

occupied always.

According to the TCH assignment algorithm of ZTE BSC, if
the time slot is assigned unsuccessfully, the priority of this
time slot will be decreased and the time slots of other
carriers will be assigned first in the next assignment. This
time slot may not be assigned until the traffic becomes
heavy. So after blocking the other TCH carriers, the time slot
of this carrier can be normally occupied.
Poor contact of DTRU pins with the backplane.
Low output power of the carrier.
Troubleshooting Observe the timeslot occupancy of this carrier through

dynamic data management (with the tracing function) and
confirm that this carrier is not been occupied for a long time.
Block the TCH timeslots of other carriers by blocking the
logical channel during low traffic hour.
If the TCH is occupied stably for a long time, the fault may
be due to the assignment errors in the assignment algorithm.
Keep the carrier unchanged, continue to observe whether the
fault still occurs and the current cell performance indices
decrease.
If the timeslot is temporarily occupied (less than 10 seconds),
check if there is any faulty timeslot in this carrier. Reset the
carrier and continue the observation. If the problem persists,
check if the output power of the carrier or PA is too low.
Go to the BTS site and test the power or the receiving level
of the test MS and check if the RF cables from the two RX
ports of the DTRU are connected properly with the divider
and not damaged.
If the carrier is still not occupied after blocking the other
carriers, go to the BTS site and check whether the DTRU-PA-
divider RF cables are connected properly. Also, check if the
DTRU is inserted properly in the backplane. If necessary,
interchange the DTRU with another.

Long SDCCH Occupation Time

Symptom SDCCH is occupied for a long time.

Faulty SDCCH carrier.
Transmission bit errors.
Incase of a new site, the MSC may not have included the site
in Cell Identity (CI), causing MS location update failure.
Troubleshooting Check if the SMB/TIC board of the BSC is replaced recently

and if the DIP switch of the SMB/TIC is configured correctly.
Impedance mismatch of the SMB/TIC DIP switch may cause
bit errors in the transmission. Use BER tester to measure bit
errors.
Configure the channel for this carrier or change the carrier.
Sudden Rise of Call Drop Ratio

Symptom The call drop ratio in a cell rises
Fault Analysis The fault may be mainly due to the equipment instability.
Troubleshooting Check the operation log and confirm that no parameter

change that may affect the network operation has been
conducted.
Check if the antenna feeder system is altered before fault
detection. If yes, go to the BTS site and check the antenna
feeder connections, the standing wave ratio, and the RF
cable connections.
Observe alarm records of the CMB board. Check if there is
any abnormal transmission alarm.
Check the alarms of every carrier to see whether there are
alarms of RPP-to-CHP main set, or diversity uplink data
check error (DSPO). If so, replace the carrier.
Block the TCHs of all carriers except one carrier through the
iOMCR dynamic data management window (Ensure not to
block the SDCCH). Observe (using the tracing function) the
timeslot occupancy of this carrier.

Check whether the TCH occupancy of a timeslot is below 10 s.

If the timeslot is faulty, reset the DTRU remotely and
observe whether the call drop ratio is improved.
BTS Overload Message

Symptoms No calls can be made under the BTS.
BTS overload messages are indicated in the Signaling trace.

External interference
CMB fault
Incorrect cable connections in the backplane
Troubleshooting Check the interference band and use alternative frequency.

Replace the CMB.
Check the backplane cable connections.
Low TCH Assignment Success Ratio

Symptom TCH assignment ratio is low (about 30% - 40%), but recovers
soon.
Fault Analysis The fault may lie in the hardware and its connection.
Troubleshooting Select an appropriate time when the traffic is low; Block all
TCHs of the other carriers except one TCH through dynamic
data management. Observe whether calls can be made
normally and then check the system until the faulty DTRU
and TCH are located.
If alarm occurs, handle the fault according to the alarm
information.
If no alarm, handle the fault as the following steps:
i. Check the RF cable connection between the DTRU and the
combiner of AEM, and the RF cable connections between
two receiving ends of the DTRU and the AEM divider
output port. If the RF cables are incorrectly connected,
connect the cables correctly.
ii. Reset the DTRU. If the problem persists, replace the
DTRU.

iii. If DTRU is normal, replace the AEM.

Chapter 9
Board Faults
This chapter introduces the troubleshooting procedures to solve

board faults.
Trunk Node Alarm

Symptom Trunk node alarm is not correctly reported.
Fault Analysis The valid bits of Trunk node alarm are not in the default values
(zeros and ones). The recovery strategy may not work for trunk
node during BTS processing.
Troubleshooting Check whether the CMB board location is the same as in the
configuration.
Reset the CMB.
Clear the BSC alarm and get the alarm again.
Backplane Fault
Symptom The backplane has no corresponding alarm slots, but clock,
HDLC, LAPD or other faults may occur.
Fault Analysis Backplane is responsible for the clock and communication

between CMB/DTRU/AEM/EAM, and a backplane fault may lead
to communication fault.
Troubleshooting Check whether the board is faulty. If the board is normal, the
fault lies in the backplane. Contact local ZTE office or ZTE
customer support center.

Abnormality of Standby CMB Board

Symptoms An alarm indicates that the standby CMB board is abnormal
or not in position.
System indicates the active CMB board as standby.

The actual slot where the CMB board is located is not the
same as the configured one.
The local board alarms reported by the CMB are rejected by
the BSC while the standby board information reported by the
CMB is considered as the active board information.
Troubleshooting Adjust the CMB location

Change the configuration
HW Link Interruption for a Long Time

Symptom All HDLC links of DTRUs in the BTS site are disconnected.

Faulty communication port of CMB
Faulty CMB backplane
Troubleshooting Replace the board.
PA VSWR Alarm
Symptom A VSWR alarm occurs to the PA

Faulty DTRU internal circuits
Faulty TX interface connection line.
Troubleshooting Reset the DTRU.

Replace the RF cable.

Chapter 9 - Board Faults
Major Clock Alarm on Active and

Standby CMBs
Symptom A major clock alarm occurs to both active and standby CMBs.

Faulty clock related boards.
Faulty active CMB board (possibly internal chip failure).
Troubleshooting Switchover the CMB, and replace the faulty CMB.


Appendix A
CBA Parameter
This section deals with the modification of Cell Bar Access (CBA)
parameter.
CBA Parameter Modification

During the test, it is sometimes necessary to put the cell in to
the test status, so that common MSs cannot access the cell and
comprehensive tests can be conducted with a test MS without
any interference from common MSs. The simplest solution is, to
modify the Cell Bar Access (CBA) parameter of the cell, as
shown in Figure 3.
FIGURE 3 - CBA MODIFICATION

Cell Bar Access option is not selected for normal cells. When it is
selected, common MSs will not be able to access the cell.
After modifying this parameter, find the corresponding CBA
option on the test MS and change the status into Reverted or
Disabled.

Appendix B
DTMF Signal Tone
This section explains the generation of DTMF signal tone.
DTMF Signal Tone Generation

In GSM system, on pressing a numeric key on MS (after the
establishment of call connection), the peer party hears a DTMF
signal tone generated by MSC. Actually the MS sends the START
DTMF signaling to MSC via BSC. The specific function board of
the MSC generates the DTMF signal tone to send it to the peer
end. When the numeric key is released, the MS sends the STOP
DTMF signaling. After receiving the signaling, MSC stops sending
the DTMF signal tone. The signaling procedure is shown in Figure
4.
FIGURE 4 - DTMF SIGNAL TONE GENERATION
MMI MS BSS MSC

key X depressed START DTMF（X）
START DTMF（X）
START DTMF（X） START DTMF（X） Tone X ON

ACKNOWLEDGE
ACKNOWLEDGE ACKNOWLEDGE
key X released STOP DTMF STOP DTMF Tone OFF
STOP DTMF STOP DTMF

ACKNOWLEDGE ACKNOWLEDGE
ACKNOWLEDGE
As long as the MS-BSC-MSC signaling is normal (the MS can

make calls and get through), the MSC generates the DTMF signal
tone when the subscriber presses any numeric key on MS. If the
called party could hear the DTMF signal tone but not the voice,
then the voice channel from MS A to MSC may be faulty and
there is no problem with the voice channel from the MSC to the
called party.


Appendix C
Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Name

A
AEM Antenna Equipment Module
AIPP A Interface Peripheral Processor
B
BIPP Abis Interface Peripheral Processor
BOSN Bit Oriented Switching Network
BSC Base Station Controller
BTS Base Transceiver Station
C
CHP Channel Processor
CI Cell Identity
CLK Clock
CMB Controller & Maintenance Board
D
DRT Dual Rate Transcoder
DSNI Digital Switch Network Interface
DTRU Dual-carrier Transceiver Unit
E
EAM External Alarm Module
EDRT Enhanced DRT
EMI Electro-Magnetic Interference
F
FDM Fan Distribution Module
H
HDLC High Level Data Link Controller
I

Abbreviation Full Name

IF Intermediate Frequency
L
LAPD Link Access Procedure ‘D’ Channel
LMT Local Management Terminal
M
MS Mobile Station
MSC Mobile Switching Center
P
PA Power Amplifier
PLL Phase Lock Loop
PP Peripheral Processor
S
SWR Standing Wave Ratio
T
TCPP Transcoder Unit Peripheral Processor
TIC Trunk Interface Circuit
TPU Transceiver Process Unit
TRM Transceiver Module

Appendix D
Figures
Figure 1 - System Networking ............................................ 39

Figure 2 - Cross-connected circuits ..................................... 42
Figure 3 - CBA Modification ................................................ 69
Figure 4 - DTMF Signal Tone Generation .............................. 71


Tables
Table 1 - Chapter Summary ................................................ xi

Table 2 - Typographical Conventions ................................... xii
Table 3 - Mouse Operation Conventions ...............................xiii
Table 4 - Safety Signs .........................................................1
Table 5 - Call Test Record .................................................. 56

This Page is intentionally blank.

Index
add/drop multiplexer ........... 10 forced handover ................. 39

AEM. ................................. 27 FUC board ......................... 46
antenna feeder system ........ 34 GPRS ................................ 57
azimuth ............................. 24 Handover .......................... 57
Backplane Fault .................. 66 LNA alarm ......................... 27
BER .................................. 16 Local Monitoring Terminal .... 33
BIECOM ............................. 14 network optimization........... 55
BOSN ................................ 31 OMCR ................................. 7
BTS clock........................... 60 One-way conversation ......... 30
call processing .................... 57 PA VSWR Alarm .................. 67
call test record.................... 56 PCM line ............................ 30
Carrier Identification Code.... 31 ping-pong handover ............ 36
CBA ....................ii, 39, 71, 72 pitch angle......................... 24
CDU .................................. 21 PLL ................................... 50
cell interruption .................. 47 Poor Conversation Quality .... 32
Cell reselection ................... 35 Poor Downlink Quality ......... 23
co-channel interference........ 32 Poor Uplink Quality ............. 23
Combiner........................... 19 power ............................... 20
connection timeout.............. 16 PS ATTACH ........................ 59
Coverage Shrinkage ............ 22 Pulse Code Modulation......... 31
Crosstalk ........................... 33 SDCCH .............................. 62
dialing test ......................... 29 Signaling trace ..................... 7
DIP switch ................... 16, 33 Super administrator .............. 3
divider............................... 19 SYN LED............................ 13
DLRC_AL ........................... 50 SYNCLK............................. 49
drive test ........................... 57 test MS ............................. 29
DRT/EDRT.......................... 32 TMA Alarm......................... 26
DSP WATCHDOG ................. 51 Toll Call ............................. 34
DTMF ................................ 73 Tower mount amplifier......... 25
Dual Rate Transcoder .......... 30 Trunk Node Alarm............... 66
Dual-tone Multi Frequency.... 40 TS allocation ...................... 10
E1 transmission tester. ........ 14 Two-way Blocking ............... 31
Echo ................................. 36 virus ................................... 4
Echo Canceller .................... 36 VSWR ..........................19, 20
FCLK ................................. 49

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Sjzl20062591-ZXG10 B8018 (V1 (1) .00) Maintenance Manual Troubleshooting)

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ZXG10 B8018

In-Door Base Transceiver Station

Copyright © 2006 ZTE CORPORATION.

Date Revision No. Serial No. Reason for Revision

Your evaluation Accessibility:

About this Manual ........................................................... xi

Maintenance Safety ......................................................... 1

Maintenance Overview .................................................... 5

Transmission Faults ......................................................... 9

Antenna Feeder Faults...................................................19

Voice Faults ....................................................................29

Clock Faults .................................................................... 49

Board Faults ...................................................................65

DTMF Signal Tone ..........................................................71

Prerequisite Skill and Knowledge

What is in This Manual

TABLE 1 - CHAPTER SUMMARY

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION xi

TABLE 2 - TYPOGRAPHIC AL CONVENTIONS

xii Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

Mouse TABLE 3 - MOUSE OPERATION CONVENTIONS

How to Get in Touch

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION xiii

comments, or suggestions on the documentation, you can

xiv Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

This chapter includes the following topics:

TABLE 4 - SAFETY SIGNS

Safety Signs Meaning

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION 1

Warning: Indicates a potentially

Electric Shock: There is a risk

Electrostatic: The device may

Microwave: Beware of strong

Laser: Beware of strong laser

No touching: Do not touch.

2 Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

Board  Wear an antistatic wrist strap when touching a board.

Data  Perform operations such as data synchronization and data

Operations  Generally operation rights fall in to three levels:

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION 3

 Install copyrighted antivirus software on every client and the

4 Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

This chapter introduces the common troubleshooting methods.

 Fault information collection

Fault Information Collection

 Customers fault complaints

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION 5

6 Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

Common Fault Analysis and

LED Status Analysis

Analysis with Instruments and

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION 7

Comparison and replacement

Caution: During fault analysis, strictly follow the relevant

ZTE Customer Support

8 Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION

This chapter analyzes the BTS faults caused due to transmission

Transmission Bit errors cause system instability and transmission interruption

Confidential and Proprietary Information of ZTE CORPORATION 9

These bit errors affect the long-term bit error performance of

TS Allocation TS allocation problem can cause BTS LAPD link interruption

All LAPD links of BTS Are Broken

Board Wear an antistatic wrist strap when touching a board.

Data Perform operations such as data synchronization and data

Operations Generally operation rights fall in to three levels:

Install copyrighted antivirus software on every client and the

Fault information collection

Customers fault complaints

Symptoms Bit errors

Troubleshooting Check for impedance mismatch between the connections

Troubleshooting Reset the CMB.

Troubleshooting Perform two-way self-loop test to check the normality of SYN

Troubleshooting Check for proper grounding of equipments like BTS, DDF,

Troubleshooting Check if transmission alarms occur during LAPD interruption.

Related Parts CDU

Troubleshooting Confirm the time of alarm occurrence and the radio

Troubleshooting Check if the threshold of RACH receiving level is altered. If

Problems in GUI processing mechanism

Troubleshooting Check whether the connections are proper.