Comarco adds new algorithms

Comarco Wireless Test Solutions has added new algorithms and data tests to its existing Seven.Five Multigenerational Wireless Test System, enabling quality of service measurements of both voice and data networks from the perspective of the wireless subscriber.

These algorithms and data tests, developed in partnership with SwissQual AG of Zuchwil, Switzerland, can objectively measure voice quality, streaming video quality, and data quality by automatically making voice calls, checking e-mail, downloading files, sending and receiving MMS and SMS messages, viewing video programming or browsing the Internet. They can also determine the root cause of quality problems.

The VQuad algorithm assesses the quality of streaming video from the customer’s perspective by actually modeling many features of human vision, even simulating masking and contrast sensitivity, which are subject to perception. The output of the video test is a related mean opinion source value combined with information such as block distortion, blurring, edge busyness, jerkiness and noise. It also assesses related audio and video/audio synchronization.

To conduct the test, reference video sequences are transmitted across the network. At the receiving end, the transmitted sequences are captured and objectively validated by perceptual comparison with the reference sequences.

The voice test algorithm, SQuad, models human hearing to test audio during drive tests. SQuad measures the overall audio quality considering all significant factors having an impact on audio quality degradation and is able to detect where and which factors are contributing to degradation. Specialized algorithms are available for measuring clean speech, noise suppressors, and echo cancellers. Unique to these algorithms is their ability to produce data that identifies the sources of audio quality impairments along with a mean opinion source of the audio.

In addition to the video and audio quality algorithms, Seven.Five customers can test the effectiveness of their data networks from the customer’s perspective by executing tests that mimic customer use of their data-capable phones. SMS, MMS, Internet browsing using Microsoft Internet Explorer, e-mail using Outlook, and downloading files with FTP or UDP are subsets of these tests. As with the video and audio algorithms, substantial amounts of data are collected to provide the carrier with the engineering information required to understand the source of impairments to data quality.