Benchmarking & Drive Testing
Smartphones / Handsets for Voice and Data Quality
Latest Software
- VQuad™ Software Ver 11.4
- Voice Analysis Tool (VAT™) Ver 1.2
- VQT Software Ver 8.1
- WebViewer™ (ORACLE & MySQL) Ver 6.3
- AutoVQT™ Software Ver 2.3
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Overview
Benchmarking tests highlight the performance of mobile networks based on various Quality of Service (QoS) parameters laid down by the telecom regulating authority of respective countries. Independent agencies conduct sample ‘Drive tests’ across various cities as part of audit for a service provider and assess the mobile networks performance. Testing requirements include call control along with a variety of audio metrics, including delay, while assessing the customer network for accessibility, retainability, and integrity.
As depicted in the image above, GL's VQuad™ mTOP™ solution includes high density Rackmount and portable Probe variants. mTOP™ Probe is all-in-one self-contained VQuad™ with Dual UTA HD test instrument along with PC interface designed for conveniently testing independent telephony devices in your lab.
GL's VQuad™ mTOP™ Rackmount is a high-density form factor solution, which provides benchmarking smartphones and handset tests with a combination of Drive Tests, Walk Tests, and In-Lab Tests. mTOP™ is a 1U/2U rack unit which can house any combination of multiple USB test devices. Two-stacked 1U mTOP™ test instrument greatly increases the scalability accommodating up to 6 Dual UTA HD units, thus supporting up to 12 telephony devices. VQuad™ mTOP™ rackmount is economical as it reduces the licensing costs per device.
In addition, GL launches mTOP™ Probe variant, which is an all-in-one self-contained test instrument. The latest VQuad™ mTOP™ Probe includes Dual UTA HD device combined with the PC in one single portable box. The comprehensive mTOP™ Probe hardware unit is designed for easier portability and convenient for field testing as it includes necessary PC interfaces along with Windows® 10 64-bit operating system and remote accessibility via scripting and remote desktop. There are no moving parts with the unit, so reliability and longevity are integral.
Dual UTA HD (High Density) includes support for Bluetooth® Wideband, FXO Wideband and SIP Wideband (ex: AMR WB), with which you can easily interface with any Mobile Device, FXO, or SIP devices supporting HD Voice. It has the ability to generate Wireless as well as 2-Wire and 4-wire analog calls using same hardware. You can perform simultaneous Voice, Video, Data, Fax, and Time Delay Measurements from a single VQuad™ mTOP™ test solution.
Both mTOP™ rack and probe test equipment can conveniently be deployed in a car/moving vehicle for drive test (and possible walk tests) throughout the area, both indoor and outdoor, including all major and inner roads and collect Voice and Data performance metrics. VQuad™ supports multiple tests to run simultaneously on devices connected to Dual UTA HD. The tests include placing voice calls and permissible data tests between mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-fixed for evaluating end-user experience with respect to various networks (GSM, UMTS, LTE, and possibly VoLTE).
Use Cases
VQuad™ mTOP™ can perform simultaneous In-lab Tests, Drive Tests, Walk-around tests and benchmark performance of up to 12 wireless devices (via Bluetooth®, Wi-fi, 3G, 4G, LTE, VoLTE, 5G, PTT Mobile Radio) independent of underlying network type, such as Cellular networks Land Mobile Radios, and Wired networks. The solution can be easily scaled up to support a greater number of telephony devices.
All variants of VQuad™ appliances includes support for Bluetooth® Wideband, and FXO Wideband, with which you can easily interface with any Mobile Device, or FXO devices. It allows to generate Wireless as well as 2-Wire and 4-wire analog calls. Perform simultaneous Voice, Video, Data, Fax, and Time Delay Measurements from a single VQuad™ mTOP™ test system.
The entire test process can be automated, and test results are automatically sent to a central system in the lab via TCP/IP for remote monitoring and call control. All results and events of the drive tests are sent to Central Analysis and Database system deployed in a static location, which can be accessed remotely using the WebViewer™ (web browser). The performance Voice, Data KPI parameters are displayed graphically as well. The Google Maps plotting feature within WebViewer™ gives the voice or data coverage distribution across the area.
Drive Tests, Combination of Drive and Walk Tests (Indoor, Outdoor)
Drive Test with mTOP™ (in a car)
In-car configuration includes two-stacked 1U VQuad™ mTOP™ appliances equipped to support 20 mobile phones connected to the 20 Bluetooth interfaces of the four mTOP boxes. Using the daisy chain feature of GPS, a single GPS receiver plugged to one mTOP™ unit allows to pass GPS to each of the mTOP™ systems. The phones connect to the different mobile networks for assessing Voice, and Data performance. All systems are connected to the central system for remote monitoring, remote operation, and storing results/events.
Walk-around Tests
Walk-around Test with mTOP™
In Walk-Around System, either a single VQuad™ Probe HD (with single Dual UTA) or a 1U VQuad™ mTOP™ (with 3x Dual UTAs) is used for portability and convenient testing. In other words, the VQuad™ mTOP™ solution supports drive tests (and possible walk tests), both indoor and outdoor, and including all major and inner roads for tests including mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-fixed (VQuad™ Probes connected to 2-wire).
In-Lab Tests
The picture depicts a real-time lab setup where the two-stacked VQuad™ mTOP™ solution is deployed in the lab to perform simultaneous Voice, Video, and Data Quality tests to benchmark performance of up to 6 Dual UTA HDs (12 telephony devices) in the network. For this solution we are using two mTOPs (mTOP™ 1 that includes an SBC connects to mTOP™ 2 via USB). All telephony devices are supported including FXO, 4-wire Analog, PTT, and Bluetooth®.
You can use ready-to-use scripts for simultaneously testing Voice, Video, and Data Quality and benchmark performance of up to 20 mobile devices in the network. The entire test process can be automated, and test results automatically sent to a central system in the lab via TCP/IP for remote monitoring and call control.
The In-lab test solution also includes Central Database with WebViewer™, VQT POLQA, GL NetTest Mobile Device Controller (MDC), GL NetTest Target Server, and VAC Agents. All systems are connected to the central system for remote monitoring, remote operation, and storing results/events.
All results and events can be queried and filtered using the WebViewer™ (web browser). Create Custom Reports, display results graphically, show results on Google Maps, and display status of all connected systems. Using the WebViewer™ you can also remote control the individual VQuad™ systems.
Reporting
During the Drive test the vehicle carrying the testing equipment (VQuad™ mTOP™ Solution) repeatedly establishes calls, records and measures the key performance indicators (KPI).
The test results obtained from the drive tests are presented to explain the network conditions in terms of Network Coverage (Signal level), Voice Quality, Data Quality, Accessibility, and Retainability, which are the prescribed performance benchmark parameters.
Typical Voice test performance KPIs include Call Success Rate (to check network accessibility), and Call Dropped/Failed Rate (to check network retain-ability) and received signal level (to check network coverage). See below table for complete list.
Voice and Signal
| Network Coverage (%) |
|---|
 Received Signal Strength Indicator - RSSI |
| Accessibility (%) & Retainability (%) |
|---|
 Call Setup Success Rate - CSR, CSSR , |
| Voice Rx Quality | |
|---|---|
 PESQ (ITU-T P.862)  POLQA (ITU-T P.863)  Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) |
|
The Data drive tests also provides various performance KPIs to quantify web browsing delay, download and upload speeds. See below table for complete list. GL NetTest package for Data Testing includes downloadable apps supported on any Android/Apple mobile devices. Data tests can be fully automated using the VQuad™ scripting. While testing mobile devices, the VQuad™ remotely accesses the Android/Apple phone/tablet for initiating the test and retrieving the results.
Data
| Web Browsing Experience | |
|---|---|
 FTP, DNS  TCP and UDP Download and Upload Throughputs  Mobile Devices Identification results  HTTP Delay and Latency |
|
| Data Integrity Tests |
|---|
VoIP Up link /Down link Packet loss  SMS and Email |
The GPS co-ordinates of Mobile Devices are sent to WebViewer™ are plotted in the Google map. This helps to find problematic areas within the network. These are differentiated using default color codes and call-outs. Plotting can be done real-time while drive testing and testing at fixed locations world-wide.
| Route | |
|---|---|
 VQT POLQA Results Plotted on Google Maps within WebViewer™  NetTest Results Plotted on Google Maps within WebViewer™ |
|
Network Types
Connectivity - Bluetooth® NB & WB, PTT, GPS, Wired Headset Smartphone ACC, 4-wire Balanced I/O Interfaces on Dual UTA HD
Devices – Military/Mobile Radios, 4G/3G/Wifi Smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), Bluetooth® Headsets/Stereo/Car Kits, Mobile devices with Smartphone ACC
Wireless networks can impair voice quality by various means including poor mobile phone quality, voice/video compression and decompression algorithms, delay, loss or gain in speech levels, noise, acoustic and landline echo, and other distortions.
GL provides a compact and portable solution for testing Wireless and Mobile Radio devices for voice, video, and data quality using the GL VQuad™ application with the Dual UTA HD, or all-in-one VQuad™ Probe HD. The Dual UTA HD includes interfaces for Push-to-Talk for mobile radios, and Bluetooth for connecting to any mobile phone.
Enhanced VQuad™ supports two methods for automated testing of mobile devices, Bluetooth and Wired Headset using new Smartphone with Automated Call Control (ACC) cable.
Some of the important features include:
- Test mobile end-to-end voice, video, and data, quality measurement and analysis results
- Control Smartphones on any wireless network (Bluetooth®, 5G, VoLTE, VoWiFi, VoFemto, 3G) - both NB and WB voice supported
- Automated mobile phone testing using either Bluetooth or the Wired Headset Smartphone ACC methods
- Mobile Phone call control – supports Bluetooth®, Dual PTT, 3.5mm Output Audio Jack, and Dual 3.5mm In/Out terminations
- Support for voice quality testing on VoLTE network with AMR Wideband codec (with 16000 Sampling Rate) using Bluetooth® Wideband
- Control Mobile Radios with Push-to-Talk functionality; Supports radio keying and send/record audio
- Bluetooth® option for Testing Bluetooth® Phones and Bluetooth® Headsets
- Bluetooth® also performs RSSI, Battery level functions, and Network identity
- Wired Headset supports NB, WB, SWB
- Impair outgoing traffic using a noise file or user-defined white noise
- All results along with call control information are sent to central database. Query results remotely using the WebViewer™
- Compatible with automated GPS location time-stamping
Some of these applications include
- Voice Quality Testing (VQT) software for analysis according to widely accepted ITU (International Telecommunications Union) voice comparison algorithms (POLQA, PESQ LQ/LQO/WB)
- Data Quality Testing (NetTest™)application for performing automated data testing on a wireless or wired network; tests include TCP, UDP, VoIP, Route, HTTP, FTP, DNS, SMS, Email, SIMInfo, Phone Info, and UEInfo
- Video Quality Testing (VAC™) application for performing fully automated Video Conference testing and get Audio and Video MOS QoS results along with several analytical metrics
- Echo Measurement Utility (EMU) for echo and delay measurements, including RTD, OWD, ERL, EPD, and more
- Voice-band Analyzer (VBA) for monitoring voice band traffic (Speech Level, Activity Factor, RMS Factor, DC Level, Noise Level, Jitter, Echo Return Loss, Echo Delay, and Echo Dispersion)
- Fax Quality Testing for emulation and analysis of T.30 faxes (GLInsight™ or FaxScan™)
- Drive Testing solution for plotting all results and call control information along with co-ordinates using GPS receiver option in VQuad™, and Google Maps option within WebViewer™
- WebViewer™ for web based controlling and monitoring VQuad™ nodes over the entire network
For more details, please visit Voice, Video, and Data Testing in Wireless Network webpage.
- Connectivity – 2-Wire FXO, 4-Wire Balanced I/O, HSET Interfaces on Dual UTA HD
- Devices – Analog Phones, Next Generation Gateways, PBX, ATAs over PSTN network
GL's VQuad™ with Dual UTA HD provides the solution for testing analog 2-wire interfaces (PSTN, ATA, Media Gateway). The Dual UTA HD supports 2 Analog FXO interfaces (RJ11) and provides Off/On- Hook, DTMF Dialing, Flash Hook, Tone Detection (Dialtone, Ringback, Busy, Fast Busy, SIT) and CallerID.
The Dual UTA HD Analog interface supports two-stage dialing, IVR testing, Voice Quality Testing, Delay Measurements, and Echo Measurements.
- Supports 2 independent FXO ports per Dual UTA HD
- Dual UTA HD connect to any PSTN, ATA, and next generation Gateways
- Global support – can connect to any 2-wire interface anywhere
- Wide Band (WB) and Narrow Band (NB) support (for HD and SD Audio)
- Manual or Automatic operation of traffic generation and full call control
- Each analog port may be controlled independently for traffic and call control
- Supports all standard and customized call progress tones
- Send/detect DTMF /MF digits, and tones of different frequencies (NB – up to 4 KHz, WB – up to 8KHz, SWB – up to 24 KHz)
- Support for No Call Control (Quick Connect) on FXO interface
- Call control with Caller ID detection and display
- Impair outgoing traffic using a noise file or user-defined white noise
- Full FXO Functionality via flexible Scripts
- All results along with call control information are sent to central database. Query results remotely using the WebViewer™
- Additional functionalities –
- Voice Quality Testing (VQT) (POLQA, PESQ LQ/LQO/WB)
- Echo and Delay Measurements (RTD, OWD, ERL, EPD)
- Voice-band Analysis (Speech Level, Activity Factor, RMS Factor, DC Level, Noise Level, Jitter, Echo Return Loss, Echo Delay, and Echo Dispersion)
- Fax Testing (up to 4 simultaneous T.30 faxes)
For more details, please visit Automated Analog (2-wire, 4- wire) Voice Quality Testing webpage.
- Connectivity – Internal SIP cores within VQuad™ (SIP and H.323 Signaling - Does not require Dual UTA HD), 4-wire Balanced I/O, HSET Interfaces on Dual UTA HD
- Devices – VoIP Phones, Soft Phone, HATS
With the growing requirements for voice quality testing within VoIP networks, a major concern is testing the VoIP Network, VoIP phones, VoIP Softphones, and Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATA).
GL's VQuad™ with VoIP option, provides the ability to perform manual or automated tests on Softphones in the VoIP network.
The VQuad™ provides direct connection to the VoIP network with up to 12 user agents per VQuad™ connected simultaneously.
- Manual or Automatic call control (SIP protocol) with user-defined parameters for authentication and proxy
- SIP Call Control within VQuad™ supports handling up to 4 SIP cores, and support up to 12 User Agents
- Time/Digit/Tone triggering of send/receive voice files
- Testing Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs)
- Supports outband DTMF/MF digits for RFC4733 and RFC2833
- Impair outgoing traffic using a noise file or user-defined white noise
- Supports almost all standard Voice Codecs (G.722, AMR, G.729 & more)
For more information to voice-codecs webpage
- Additional functionalities –
- Voice Quality Testing (VQT) (POLQA, PESQ LQ/LQO/WB)
- Data Quality Testing (NetTest™) (TCP, UDP, VoIP, Route, HTTP, FTP, DNS, SMS, Email, SIMInfo, Phone Info, and UEInfo)
- Video Quality Testing (VAC™) (Audio and Video MOS)
- Echo and Delay Measurements (RTD, OWD, ERL, EPD)
- Voice-band Analysis (Speech Level, Activity Factor, RMS Factor, DC Level, Noise Level, Jiiter, Echo Return Loss, Echo Delay, and Echo Dispersion)
For more details, please visit VoIP Testing using VQuad™ webpage.
- Connectivity – T1/E1 Interface facilitated through GL’s T1/E1 Analyzer Hardware (ISDN and CAS Signaling - Does not require Dual UTA HD)
- Devices – Digital Phones, PBX, Media Gateways
Using the T1/E1 Analyzer, the VQuad™ can generate and receive up to 12 simultaneous CAS or PRI ISDN or No Call Control (NOCC) calls on T1 or E1 trunks. Once the call is up, send/record voice via the VQuad™ to get VQT MOS results.
The T1/E1 option includes a script based CAS State Machine for creating any desired CAS protocol. Included with the PRI ISDN are all variants associated with ANSI and ETSI specifications.
- Supports Call Control for PRI ISDN and CAS Protocols
- Also supports No Call Control (NOCC), where the T1/E1 call is connected without any call control required
- Send/detect DTMF /MF digits, and tones of different frequencies (NB – up to 4 KHz, WB – up to 8KHz, SWB – up to 24 KHz)
- Supports up to 12 simultaneous T1/E1 channels using VQuad™ interface
- Impair outgoing traffic using a noise file or user-defined white noise
- Additional functionalities –
- Voice Quality Testing (VQT) (POLQA, PESQ LQ/LQO/WB)
- Echo and Delay Measurements (RTD, OWD, ERL, EPD)
- Voice-band Analysis (Speech Level, Activity Factor, RMS Factor, DC Level, Noise Level, Jitter, Echo Return Loss, Echo Delay, and Echo Dispersion)
- Fax Testing (up to 4 simultaneous T.30 faxes)
For more details, please visit VQT in TDM Networks webpage.
OWD - End points at same location
RTD - End points at separate location
- Both sides of the established call may be co-located on same Dual UTA HD or geographically separated
- One Way Delay (OWD) - VQuad™ includes an advanced method for performing One Way Delay (OWD) measurements using a Correlator algorithm. The Correlator method is extremely accurate and works with the next generation Dual UTA HD
- Round Trip Delay (RTD) – the enhanced correlator algorithm method for accurate RTD measurements supported on Dual UTA HD
- The measurements require GPS only for OWD and if the two sides of the call are geographically separated (not on same Dual UTA HD)
- Post Dial Delay (PDD)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR = S/N)
- Oscilloscope and Spectral Display
- RMS Power as well as C-Message
- Audio analysis of any recorded voice file for both Power and Frequency. RMS power and frequency response outputs are necessary for testing the network for full WB voice support
Audio Analysis
OWD using Correlator
For more details, please visit Network Delay Measurements webpage.
Echo Identification
Acoustic Echo Canceller Testing
- Supports echo measurements over any network using EMU
- Assess sidetone, line, and acoustic echo and the corresponding delays
For more details, please visit Echo Measurement Utility webpage.
- Monitor voice band traffic
- Measure Active Speech Level, Activity Factor, RMS Factor, DC Level, Noise Level, Echo Return Loss, Echo Delay, and Echo Dispersion statistics
For more details, please visit Voice Band Analysis webpage.
Automated Voice Quality Measurement
- Network-independent VQT – Supports legacy, as well as Next Generation networks
- POLQA (ITU-T P.863)
- PESQ (ITU-T P.862), PESQ LQ, LQO (P.862.1), PESQ WB (P.862.2)
- Call control analysis (Failed Calls, Dropped Calls, and Call ID)
- Monitoring IVR System for voice and data quality
- Includes Text-to-Speech technology (VQT009) for automatically creating the necessary voice prompt for placing call over Siri or Google Voice
- Supports PESQ/POLQA (both NB and WB) measurements
- Supports both Narrow band (NB) and Wideband (WB) audio codecs (both 8k and 16k samples/sec)
- Auto detects voice files with wideband attributes
- All VoIP Codec supported including - G.711, G.711 App II with VAD, G.729, G.726, G.726 with VAD, GSM, AMR NB and WB, EVRC, SMV, iLBC, SPEEX NB and WB, G.722, and G722.1
Visit Voice Codecs webpage for more comprehensive information.
For more details, please visit Voice Quality Testing webpage.
VQuad™ is enhanced to support Data Testing including TCP, UDP, VoIP, Route, HTTP, FTP, DNS, SMS, Email, PhoneInfo, SimInfo, and UEInfo. The Data Tests are configured via the VQuad™ scripting and supports Wireless devices as well as PC Ethernet connections (wired, WiFi, Broadband 3G/4G, and LTE).
- Network independent, supports 4G LTE, 3G, WiMax, and Wired Internet connections
- Supports Mobile devices (i.e. iPhone, Android)
- Supports PC Ethernet connection (Wired, Wi-Fi, Broadband (3G or 4G))
- Different type of tests supported - TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, DNS, VoIP, Route, SMS, Email, PhoneInfo, SimInfo, and UEInfo
- End-to-End SMS Testing over wireless network directly and remotely
- Remotely perform Data tests from GLNetTestApp on mobile devices (iPhone, Android); this requires connection with Mobile Device Controller server. Mobile device communicates with Mobile Device Controller from anywhere in the world
- Fully automated and remote testing with all results accessible via WebViewer™
VQuad™ can now initiate, control, test, and measure video conferencing services over IP, and Wireless networks, using additional support of a Video Controller/Server and Video Clients (Agents).
Video Tests can be configured between any two active video clients with flexibility of specifying the typical characteristics of the Video test. Video Test agents generates simulated video calls to other test agents as per these test parameters.
- Fully automated Video Conference testing performed with QoS results provided along with several analytical metrics
- Support for Android, PC and Linux based video clients (end points) for active Video Quality Testing
- Both manual and automated tests are supported
- Tests can be run directly from the Android phone or using the VQuad™ interface
- Configure unlimited test plans; video test parameters include Codec, Bandwidth, Latency, Frame Rate, GoP (Group of Pictures) Structure, Echo, and Resolution
- Test results include Video MOS, Audio MOS, and A/V MOS along with a variety of analytical and quality metrics
- Fully automated and remote testing with all results accessible via WebViewer™
- Drive test with any Wireless device with real-time GPS mapping
- GPS connectivity for recording timing and location of tests performed
- The GPS mapping records and adds the real-time GPS information to all test results and VQuad™ call control
- GPS Location includes stamping each result with Latitude, Longitude, and GPS Time Stamp
- The Indoor Tracking System (ITS) in VQuad™ is developed to support VQT in remote locations where GPS signal is unavailable
- The ITS information (location, timestamp) is saved to the database per VQuad™ Measurement
- GPS information is automatically sent to central database and accessed via Google Maps feature in WebViewer™
For more details, please visit Drive Testing webpage.
- Supports Fax testing (sending and receiving) up to 4 independent and simultaneous T.30 faxes over 2-Wire, and 4-wire analog networks
- Support higher resolution and multi-page fax TIF files
- Tx and Rx fax rate from 2400 baud to 33600 baud with V.34 fully supported
- Interfaces supported for fax generation include 2-wire FXO and 4-wire analog
- Automatically save the fax session (both East and West directions) to a PCM file
- Supports higher resolution and multi-page fax TIF files
- Use GLInsight™ or GL Fax Scan analysis software packages for further analysis of the recorded fax files. GL's FaxScan™ can be configured for fully automated analysis
For more details, please visit Fax Emulation Using VQuad™ webpage.
- Simulate IVR Users and IVR System
- Single-box portable solution and Rackmount PC solution for higher density
- Complete automation with enhanced scripting and remote operation including traffic generation and call control scripting
- Automate the IVR testing process - call establishment and traffic generation detection process through scripts
- Monitoring IVR System for voice and data quality
- Perform Quality of Service (PESQ) or path confirmation tests
- Within a proper voice call, additional analysis is available such as Round Trip Delay (RTD) and Voice Quality Testing (VQT)
- Support for Command Line Interface (CLI) to access VQuad™ remotely
For more details, please visit Testing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) & Voice Mail (VM) Systems webpage.