ePMP 3000 SMART BEAMFORMING AND BEAM STEERING

Products ePMP
1

Hello,

When using the Beam Steering antenna is there a minimum degree of separation between SU?   Not sure it works similar to the 450M where 11deg is needed or if it even applies to the ePMP3000.

Thanks in advance. 

2

FYI, ATM the BSA is not supported in firmware on the e3k... it will be supported with a later firmware update. Beams are dynamically created and are around 15° beamwidth for Azimuth in a 90deg coverage area.

3

Please,

could You kindly tell me if now Beam Forming Antenna is supported and it works properly?


Kind Regards

4
@Alberto Vigolo wrote:

could You kindly tell me if now Beam Forming Antenna is supported and it works properly?

Firmware 4.5 is released, and it has support for the Beam Steering Smart antenna.  Make sure you have the leads connected H-to-H and V-to-V
https://support.cambiumnetworks.com/files/epmp3000/#r2

1 Like
5

Dear Cambium, Dear All,

please see attached snapshots, we tried also the latest beta version available, but the problem persist,

cables are crossed but it seams the BSA doesn't switch on.

Maybe the BSA is damaged? 

ePMP 3000 (even if is powere-up with PSU in the packing list) report "Generic Power Supply", 

may be the problem is there?

Kind Regards

6

We had to upgrade both banks (upgrade twice) to 4.5 to get the BSA to work with our 3000 AP. It showed disconnected after the 1st upgrade, then worked fine after the 2nd.

Also keep in mind that the upgrade to 4.5 will change the AP setting for 'Forced Sector'. So you'll have to go back and change to Auto after the upgrade.

1 Like
7

"We had to upgrade both banks "

Well this seems to be a recurring theme with the new AC stuff.  We do it by default now due to it being required on the F300-16 (is that still required or was that a firmware specific problem ?) and seeming to fix other issues with other radios thus rendering the whole point of having two banks useless and making it just an annoying extra step...

1 Like
8
@Alberto Vigolo wrote:

please see attached snapshots, we tried also the latest beta version available, but the problem persist,

Hi. I'm unclear (sorry) but when you say you ''tried the latest bet''a - do you mean that you tried BOTH the official release version of 4.5, as well as a 4.5 beta (are you referring to RC69 or some other beta?).  I'm guess what I'm asking is - you did try the full 4.5 release version among the things you're trying, right?  :) 
https://support.cambiumnetworks.com/files/epmp3000/#r2

Also, did you upgrade the AP twice to the same version - to upgrade both banks.  Some people are reporting that as necessary.
(NOTE: IT HAS BEEN POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THIS WAS WAS ONLY A SITUATION WITH F300-16's IN A MUCH EARLIER VERSION - AND IS APPARENTLY NO LONGER A CONCERN IN V4.5)

You may also want to send screen captures of your CONFIG -> RADIO screens to see if anything jumps out at anyone.

9
@brubble1 wrote:

"We had to upgrade both banks "

Well this seems to be a recurring theme with the new AC stuff.  We do it by default now due to it being required on the F300-16 (is that still required or was that a firmware specific problem ?) and seeming to fix other issues with other radios thus rendering the whole point of having two banks useless and making it just an annoying extra step...

No it is not required. The reason why it helped with BSA because sometimes after moving to 4.5 it is required additional reboot to get BSA firmware flashed.

There is absolute no need in any circumstances to flash both banks to get things working. The only usage of a second bank is in case the firmware in a first bank got corrupted during flashing so we can still boot up.

Dmitry

10

Hey Dmitry,

how to force rewrite BSA firmware?

thank you

NR

11
@netreality wrote:

Hey Dmitry,

how to force rewrite BSA firmware?

thank you

NR

The BSA doesn't have a firmware. The e3k has two firmware banks. You'll need to flash the radio with 4.5 twice (upload-reboot-upload-reboot) in order to have both banks running 4.5. However, as mentioned above, you do not need to have both banks running 4.5.

12

A post was split to a new topic: ePMP 3000 BSA misbehaving

13

Ehh pretty sure there was a thread on these forums where there was some “circumstances” that Cambium said the F300-16 had to have the same firmware in both banks.

Edit: It was you actually - ePMP GPS issues - #15 by Dmitry_Moiseev

Also , if that is true then why is “Upgrade both banks the same version of firmware” the step right after “send us the support file from the radio” ? Every single time I’ve worked with support making sure both banks are the same is always step #2 yet you claim “no need in any circumstances” to flash both banks to get things working ?

14

I would really like to se a response from Cambium to your post… would really like to see the update both banks or not put to bed.

15

Like Dmitry said “(always flashing both banks) is not exactly true. The only thing we do recommend is to update F300-16 twice when you go from the earlier firmware to 4.4.0 or later. And more to it do twice only in case you see any instabilities.”

  1. This was just advice for the F300-16

  2. If you’re already running 4.4.0 or later on your F300-16, then there’s no need to flash both banks again.

  3. As standard practice we never flash both banks with the same firmware on any ePMP radio and everything is fine.

  4. This has nothing to do with the OP asking regarding early BSA support on e3k.

This thread is now completely off topic, I suggest a new thread be started regarding flashing best practices.