SQUAD-HD

SQuad-HD is SwissQual’s proprietary full-reference quality assessment algorithm for HD voice channels. It makes use of pre-processed speech samples transmitted over the channel under test to determine the degradation from the channel itself. On the receiving end the degradation impact is determined by comparing the degraded sample to the original test sample.   SQuad-HD consists of three key elements:

a) a pre-processing unit that adjusts the reference and coded samples in the time and level-domains;
b) a psychoacoustic model is that used to reduce both samples to the perceptually relevant features; and
c) an opinion unit which evaluates the perceptual difference between reference and degraded samples and outputs the result as a MOS objective value.

The output quality scale is mapped onto the metrics of the “overall listening quality” and “single talk conditions” by using the Absolute Category Rating (ACR) opinion scale per ITU-T’s recommendation P.800.1. For each speech clip evaluated, SQuad-HD provides detailed information such as:

MOS rating
Temporal clipping
Interruptions / Impulsive noise
Frequency shift
Delay spread & deviation
Active speech level
Noise level
Static SNR
Channel gain pattern
Channel frequency response

POLQA

POLQA – which stands for “Perceptual Objective Listening Quality Analysis” – is the standard, next-generation voice quality testing technology for fixed, mobile and IP based networks. It offers a new level of benchmarking capability to determine the voice quality of HD Voice, 3G and 4G/LTE mobile network services.

POLQA is also the only HD quality assurance algorithm that has official ITU-T approval. In 2010 POLQA was selected to form the new ITU-T voice quality testing standard, P.863, after rigorous testing and a four-year competition between the leading companies in speech quality testing.

And an enormous amount of effort has gone into ensuring POLQA works quickly and accurately. For example, more than 100,000 samples of mobile and VoIP phone calls were used to train and optimize the POLQA algorithm, meaning that POLQA is superior to existing standards, and has overcome all known issues and limitations of PESQ.

POLQA, which was developed in conjunction with OPTICOM and TNO, offers immediate, strong support for testing of new wideband 4G/LTE networks delivering HD-quality voice services.

SwissQual Offers New LTE Investigation & Optimization Toolset Free-of-Charge

Optimizer LiTE: 4G, 3G, & 2G Radio Network Investigation & Optimization for Free

It may sound too good to be true, but it’s for real: SwissQual, the world’s no.1 supplier of radio network quality testing equipment, is giving away a complete LTE investigation, optimization and testing suite called Optimizer LiTE for free.

As thousands of radio network engineers worldwide have already discovered in the 18 hours since launch, Optimizer LiTE can be downloaded for free directly from http://lite.swissqual.com/.

“With SwissQual’s new Optimizer LiTE you can download the software, install on an existing RF investigation or optimization laptop, and start drive testing LTE today - completely for free.” said John May, SwissQual CEO. “Optimizer LiTE lets you get to work on LTE without paying for expensive upgrades, and also supports 2G, 3G and 3.5G technologies - again, all for free. It’s the kind of offer radio engineers - and their budget holders - dream about.”

Optimizer LiTE is a lightweight, real-time version of SwissQual’s widely-used Diversity Optimizer software suite that can be downloaded from http://lite.swissqual.com/. Optimizer LiTE gives field engineers a basic, free-of-charge toolkit to carry out radio engineering and drive testing tasks such as problem investigation and troubleshooting, initial deployment setting tuning or optimizing an operational network.

In addition to LTE testing capabilities - already field-proven at downlink speeds of 100 Mbps - SwissQual’s new Optimizer LiTE also supports WCDMA, CDMA/EVDO, HSxPA, GSM, GPRS, and EDGE, completely free-of-charge.

Unusually, Optimizer LiTE is not time-limited trial software; instead it is a perpetually-licensed, lightweight version of the full Diversity Optimizer toolset that offers the ability to collect live radio network measurement data and carry out real time field analysis completely free of charge.

SwissQual also offers a simple upgrade to the full Optimizer Pro version, which offers numerous additional features, and announced new pricing that guarantees a lower cost than the price of upgrading an existing investigation and optimization installation. Optimizer LiTE can be downloaded for free from http://lite.swissqual.com/.

More about SwissQual Optimizer LiTE’s features and functions:

LTE for Free
Optimizer LiTE offers you the chance to work on LTE without spending a fortune on upgrading existing installations. There’s nothing else quite like it in the market today - a completely free-of-charge investigation & optimization solution for lightweight live radio engineering tasks.

Multi-technology
Optimizer LiTE delivers extensive technology test support for WCDMA, CDMA/EVDO, HSxPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE - even LTE at downlink speeds of over 100 mbps - all for free.

Reports & Charts
Optimizer LiTE makes 100+ ETSI-compliant KPIs available in real-time, and 700+ IE measurement values are available for customized presentation in charts, lists and tables.

Data Collection
Optimizer LiTE can collect 100+ radio network performance KPIs and event traces for 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, from 50+ Qualcomm™-based handsets, data cards and the most popular RF scanners.

Service Testing
Optimizer LiTE allows investigation, optimization and troubleshooting of a useful range of mobile network services including voice, data, and web browsing.

Device Support
Optimizer LiTE supports 40+ Qualcomm™-based test devices from Nokia™, LG™, Samsung™, Huawei™, Novatel™, Pantech™, Sierra Wireless™, ZTE™, as well as RF scanners from PCTel™ and Anite™.

Easy Setup
With a new look and feel, a clever installation wizard for easy configuration, and auto-detection of connected devices, Optimizer LiTE is a lightweight, user-friendly RF quality toolkit.

New Online Support Forums
SwissQual offers online support and assistance via a new web-based user support forum. FAQs and user guides are pre-loaded, and questions will be answers as they arise by engineering moderators.