Key RF measurements: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, CQI, RI, PMI

Signal Strength and Quality Metrics

Drive test engineers track multiple RF measurements simultaneously. RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) measures the average power of resource elements carrying reference signals — it indicates raw signal strength. Good RSRP is above -90 dBm, marginal is -90 to -110, and poor is below -110. RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) combines signal strength with interference and noise, ranging from -3 dB (excellent) to -20 dB (poor). SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) is the most important quality metric because it directly determines achievable throughput — values above 20 dB…