Hello All,
I'm working on a project of mapping LTE-4G signal performance parameters of a certain area by a drone.
The main goal of this project is research, so everything must be self-made in the university laboratory using open-source boards (Raspberry Pi , Arduino), we can use LTE-4G boards.
But still I have a confusion in shaping the guideline that I have to follow, as the performance parameters we are asked to find (RSRP,RSRQ,RSSI,SNIR,Downlink,Uplink...etc) are almost all of them, and Quectel boards and LTE shields do not provide more than some parameters.
Can you please help me to find the rough plan that I have to follow in order to reach the goal ?
I don't have communication background btw.

 

As I see it you have two problems:

1. Understand and instrument the parameters of interest, without regard to putting them on an airborne platform.
2. reducing the size and weight to be compatible with a chosen airborne platform.

I suggest you attack these two problems in parallel, if you can. If you are a solitary researcher, then you must attack them serially.

 

As I see it you have two problems:

1. Understand and instrument the parameters of interest, without regard to putting them on an airborne platform.
2. reducing the size and weight to be compatible with a chosen airborne platform.

I suggest you attack these two problems in parallel, if you can. If you are a solitary researcher, then you must attack them serially.

Thank you Papabravo,
This is exactly what I'm doing, I have a good experience in designing UAVs and autopilots.
But the problem is I have no idea at all about RF-signals , I'm confused how to acquire the LTE-Signal , and how to decode it.
So if I receive the signal as a raw signal (electromagnetic wave) , and I know some SDR that are compatible with Matlab.
Or I receive the signal after being decoded (digital information) by a router.
not sure how things work

 

I suggest you start with the equipment that a wireless carrier technician might use to check the health of a cellular carrier. I anticipate that he might have a portable device for making such measurements. Don't know if such equipment would be available to a civilian, but your position in the university might be helpful.

 

I suggest you start with the equipment that a wireless carrier technician might use to check the health of a cellular carrier. I anticipate that he might have a portable device for making such measurements. Don't know if such equipment would be available to a civilian, but your position in the university might be helpful.

Yes they have a portable device, but these portable devices are usually expensive and not designed to be interfaced with microprocessors.

 

all mobile phones do some of the measurements you intend to do.

The mobile network operator technicians and engineers, when measuring such parameters, most of time do not use expensive test receivers, but a standard mobile phone with a service SIM card.

Base stations already broadcast the data you need, but common mobile phone phones do not show it up. It's more a software limitation.

In year 2000 Rohde&Schwarz Spain tried to sell an expensive van equipped with custom small roof antennas, and expensive test equipment inside, but the operator gave the contract to a competitor that offered .. a laptop with a mobile phone, and of course service sim card along with all the software to show on screen all the parameters that both base station and mobile phone have to solve in order to establish maintain and hand over uplink downlink among towers.

And the drone thing? have you considered driving around? it may be also cheaper.