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System Test & Commissioning Checklist Generator

Generate a complete system test & commissioning checklist for the link or device you are commissioning — a point-to-point microwave hop, a TETRA / DAMM site, a DMR or analogue repeater, a leaky feeder run or an RF site — with the task, method, acceptance criterion and reference standard already written for every item, then record results in a fast grid and export the deliverable as CSV, clipboard, JSON or a printable acceptance-test sheet.

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Overview

A system test & commissioning checklist — the acceptance-test procedure (ATP) a comms or RF engineer works through to prove a link or device is installed, configured and performing to specification — is one of the core handover deliverables on any communications project. The hard part is not the form; it is knowing what should be in it, item by item: the right tests in the right order, how each is measured, and the criterion it must meet. This tool puts that knowledge in a catalogue.

Look up the system you are commissioning and a complete checklist is generated with the task, method, acceptance criterion and reference standard already written for every item. Fourteen templates ship, spanning radio, transmission, power and IT: a point-to-point microwave link (alignment, RSL, transmit power, errored-performance soak, throughput), a TETRA site such as a DAMM TetraFlex outdoor base station, DMR Tier II/III, conventional analogue LMR and P25 repeaters, a leaky feeder / DAS distribution, an in-building public-safety BDA, a satellite / VSAT terminal, a generic RF site, fibre & structured cabling (OTDR / certification), an IP network switch, a UPS & DC battery plant, IP CCTV and a Wi-Fi / WLAN survey. A project can hold several systems at once, so a multi-equipment site becomes one acceptance pack.

On site it works like a spreadsheet you record into: type the result, set the status (Pass / Fail / N/A / Defect; blank is Pending), or tick rows and set many at once. Test IDs number themselves from the system and section. The Summary tracks completion per system and section with a readiness statement and a defect list, and you export the deliverable as a CSV, a clipboard paste for Excel, a JSON project file, or a formatted, sign-off-ready acceptance-test sheet for print or PDF. Default acceptance values are typical commissioning norms to confirm against the project specification — and result cells are always blank, so the tool records what you measure and never fabricates a reading.

Capabilities

A catalogue, not a blank checklist

Pick the system you are commissioning and a complete checklist is generated with the task, method, acceptance criterion and reference standard written for every item. Fourteen templates ship — point-to-point microwave link, TETRA / DAMM, DMR, analogue LMR and P25 repeaters, leaky feeder / DAS, public-safety BDA, satellite / VSAT, RF site infrastructure, fibre & structured cabling, IP network / switching, UPS & DC battery plant, IP CCTV and Wi-Fi / WLAN — each laid out across the relevant commissioning sections from documentation and installation through power, earthing, RF, configuration, performance and acceptance.

One project, many systems

A project is a site-acceptance pack. Add several systems at once — a backhaul link, a base station and the RF site they live on — and every checklist row carries the system it belongs to. The grid filters by system and section, and the Summary rolls completion up per system and per section, so a multi-equipment commissioning job is tracked in one place.

Record results, track readiness

On site it is a spreadsheet you record into: type the result and set the status — Pass, Fail, N/A or Defect, with a blank status reading as Pending — or tick rows and set many at once. The Summary shows percent complete, a readiness statement and the defect / failure snag list. Test IDs number themselves from the system and section using a pattern you control (MW-RF01, TET-PWR02).

Honest acceptance criteria

Default acceptance values are typical industry commissioning norms — VSWR ≤ 1.5:1, transmit power within ±1 dB, earth resistance ≤ 10 Ω, call setup ≤ 0.3 s — a defensible starting point to confirm against the project specification, never a measured result. Every acceptance cell is editable, and result cells always start blank, so the tool records exactly what you measure and never fabricates a reading.

Tailored to the client, saved as a template

Every column is customisable — add, rename, reorder and hide them and set each one’s type and engine role. Build the Test-ID pattern from tokens ({sys}, {sec}, {seq:n}), edit the status values and section labels, and save the column layout and numbering format as a named client template to reapply on the next job; existing data is carried across where columns match.

Export and the printable acceptance sheet

Export the checklist or just the outstanding items to CSV (project-headed, formula-injection safe), copy either to the clipboard for an Excel template, or save the whole project to JSON. For a near-final client deliverable, print a formatted acceptance-test sheet — grouped by system and section with a result / status / sign-off column and a handover signature block — straight to PDF. Everything auto-saves to the browser.

Honest, bounded scope

This is a commissioning documentation and acceptance deliverable — it builds, numbers, records, validates and exports the checklist and acceptance-test sheet. It is not a measurement instrument and does not perform the tests; you bring the readings from your service monitor, analyser and meters, and the tool turns them into the deliverable.

Standards & methodology

  • ITU-R P.530 and ITU-T G.826 / G.828 (microwave path performance and error performance)
  • RFC 2544 / ITU-T Y.1564 (Ethernet service activation and throughput)
  • ETSI EN 300 392 (TETRA) and ETSI TS 102 361 (DMR)
  • AS/NZS 1768 (lightning protection) and AS/NZS 3000 (electrical installations)
  • ARPANSA RPS S-1 / ICNIRP (RF exposure)
  • Default acceptance criteria are typical commissioning norms to confirm against the project specification

When to use this tool

  • Generating a system test & commissioning checklist (ATP) for a point-to-point microwave link
  • Commissioning a TETRA site (e.g. DAMM TetraFlex) — feeder sweep, ERP, sensitivity, registration, call setup and coverage
  • Commissioning a DMR Tier II/III or conventional analogue LMR repeater
  • Proving a leaky feeder / DAS distribution — amplifier levels, system gain and coverage survey
  • RF site acceptance — power, earthing & bonding, lightning protection, feeder sweep and RF-exposure compliance
  • Building a multi-system site-acceptance pack covering several pieces of equipment at once
  • Recording results and tracking readiness per system and section through to handover
  • Maintaining a defect / snag list of failed and outstanding items for retest
  • Tailoring the checklist layout to a client standard and reusing it as a template
  • Producing a printable, sign-off-ready acceptance-test sheet as a client deliverable

Is this the right tool for you?

Reach for the System Test & Commissioning Checklist Generator in any of the following situations.

  • You are commissioning a new microwave backhaul hop and need an acceptance-test procedure that covers alignment, RSL, transmit power, the errored-performance soak and the throughput test — without writing it from scratch.
  • You are handing over a TETRA / DAMM site and need a checklist covering the feeder sweep, ERP, receiver sensitivity, registration, call setup and a coverage survey, each with its acceptance criterion.
  • A single site carries a backhaul link, a base station and shared RF infrastructure, and you want one acceptance pack that tracks all of them and rolls completion up per system.
  • Your client has its own ATP format and you need the checklist columns and Test-ID numbering to match theirs, saved so you can reuse it on the next job.
  • You need to walk off site with a defect list of every failed and outstanding item, and a percent-complete figure for the project manager.
  • You need a clean, formatted acceptance-test sheet with a sign-off block to hand to the client at witness testing.

Frequently asked questions

What does the catalogue actually generate?

You pick the system you are commissioning — a point-to-point microwave link, a TETRA / DAMM site, a DMR or analogue repeater, a leaky feeder run, or a generic RF site — and the tool generates a complete commissioning checklist for it. Every item ships with its task, the method to test it, the acceptance criterion it must meet, and a reference standard. The engineering thought per item is already done; you record the result and status on site.

Are the acceptance criteria reliable?

They are typical industry commissioning norms — sensible, defensible starting points such as VSWR ≤ 1.5:1, transmit power within ±1 dB, earth resistance ≤ 10 Ω or call setup ≤ 0.3 s. They are not a substitute for the project specification: every acceptance cell is editable, and you should confirm each against the contract spec. Result cells always start blank — the tool never invents a measured reading.

Can one checklist cover several systems?

Yes. A project is a site-acceptance pack. Add as many systems as the site has — a backhaul link, a base station, the RF infrastructure — and every row carries the system it belongs to. The grid filters by system and section, and the Summary rolls completion up per system and per section.

How do the Test IDs work?

Each check is numbered from the system code and the section using a pattern you control on the Setup tab: {sys} for the system code, {sec} for the section, and {seq:n} for a zero-padded sequence. The default {sys}-{sec}{seq:2} gives MW-RF01, TET-PWR02. Auto-ID fills blanks and Renumber-all re-sequences everything.

What can I export?

Export the full checklist or just the outstanding / defect items to CSV (project-headed and formula-injection safe), copy either to the clipboard as tab-separated text for an Excel template, or save the whole project to JSON to reload later. For a near-final client deliverable, print a formatted acceptance-test sheet — grouped by system and section with a result / status / sign-off column and a handover signature block — straight to PDF.

Does the tool perform the tests?

No. It is a commissioning documentation and acceptance deliverable — it builds, numbers, records, validates and exports the checklist and acceptance-test sheet. It is not a measurement instrument; you bring the readings from your service monitor, cable/antenna analyser and meters, and the tool turns them into the deliverable.