CellScout User Manual

1. Quick Start Guide

CellScout is designed to operate immediately upon deployment with minimal initial setup. Because CellScout queries raw hardware data at the device's baseband layer, specific system-level permissions must be configured first.

A. Granting Essential Permissions

Upon launching the application for the first time, you will be prompted to grant the following permissions:

• ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION (Always Allow): Required to associate cellular telemetry values with precise GPS coordinates. For best results on Android 10+, set this permission to "Allow all the time" so background logging can continue with the screen turned off.
• READ_PHONE_STATE: Allows the application to read active SIM card configurations, Carrier Network Operators, and subscription identifiers in multi-SIM models.

2. SIM Switching (Dual-SIM Devices)

CellScout fully supports active Dual-SIM multi-standby devices, allowing you to monitor and log telemetry from either SIM slot dynamically.

Step-by-Step SIM Switching:

1. Locate the SIM / Carrier Widget in the **top header bar** of the main dashboard. This widget displays the name of your active operator (e.g., T-Mobile, Vodafone) and its associated SIM slot number.
2. Tap directly on the sim_selector widget in the header.
3. An **Active SIM Selection Popup** will appear on the screen, displaying a list of all recognized SIM card subscriptions currently active on your phone.
4. Tap the slot or carrier name of the SIM you wish to select.
5. The system will instantly re-bind its baseband scanners to the chosen subscription, updating all active metrics, bands, and log streams in real-time.

3. Background Mode & Optimization Setup

To record long drive-test logs continuously without data drops, the operating system must be prevented from putting the application's baseband threads to sleep when the screen is locked.

Essential System Configurations:

1. Disable Battery Optimization: Navigate to your phone's System Settings > Apps > CellScout > Battery Usage. Change the setting from "Optimized" to Unrestricted. This exempts CellScout from Android's background limits.
2. Background Location Permissions: Navigate to your phone's System Settings > Apps > CellScout > Permissions > Location. Ensure that it is set to Allow all the time. If it is only set to "Allow only while using the app", location reporting will halt immediately upon locking the screen.
3. Verify background service: When CellScout is recording, a persistent **"CellScout Active Logger" notification** will remain pinned in your system status bar. Do not clear this notification; it forces the OS to recognize the logging thread as a high-priority, unkillable foreground service.

4. Primary Dashboard Tabs & Map Styles

The main application layout consists of six highly detailed tabs that organize all active telemetry, diagnostics, and visual maps.

A. Cell Info Tab

Displays detailed, real-time parameters of your active serving cell. This includes serving parameters such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, Timing Advance (TA), PCI, ECI, and the fully resolved LTE/5G frequency band designation (e.g., Band 71, n78).

B. Cell Table Tab

Aggregates all serving and neighbor cells (LTE, 5G NR, WCDMA, GSM) into a clean, real-time grid. This tabular overview allows you to compare neighbors instantly to identify co-channel interference or cross-feed antenna issues.

C. GPS Diagnostics Tab

Monitors location metrics. It tracks GPS receiver latency, satellite counts, horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP), and altitude. It also showcases our real-time 2Hz Location Delivery Rate tracking to verify spatial accuracy.

D. Map Interface & Changing Map Styles

The **Map Tab** plots color-coded signal markers along your path, providing an instant visual heat map of signal coverage and handovers. To change the visual layer or aesthetic of the map:

1. Tap the Menu Button (three dots icon) in the **top-right corner** of the screen and select Settings.
2. Scroll down to **Map Settings** and tap the **Map Style / Color Scheme** option.
3. Choose your preferred visual layout:
   • Satellite View: Direct satellite imagery of the terrain.
   • Hybrid View: Satellite photography overlaid with street and road names.
   • Terrain View: Normal topographic map highlighting physical geographic features.
   • Google Dark Mode / Light Mode: Standard high-contrast vector street layouts.
   • Custom A-Z (Light / Greyscale / Dark): Clean, minimalist editorial cartography schemas, perfect for high-contrast visibility of drive-test signal paths.
4. Return to the Map Tab; the style scheme will update instantly.

E. Speed Test Tab

Provides passive and active network speed metrics. You can run automated latency monitoring (Ping / Jitter) alongside instant throughput validation to measure real-world performance under load.

5. Drive Test Logging

CellScout features an industrial-grade logger that records telemetry parameters to your local device. Data is recorded at a continuous 1Hz rate, aligned precisely with location fixes.

A. Recording Formats

You can choose your logging file format in the application settings:

• CSV (Comma-Separated Values): Human-readable, text-based sheets that can be directly imported into Excel, GIS mapping tools, or diagnostic software.
• CSL Binary Format: Our high-efficiency, encrypted proprietary format. It compresses logs to a fraction of the size of CSV while utilizing strict military-grade XOR key protection for Enterprise logs.

B. How to Start and Stop a Recording

1. Tap the Menu Button (three dots) on the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
2. Under **Log Settings**, locate the **Drive Test Recording** toggle switch.
3. Toggle the switch **ON** to start. The status bar will show an active recording icon.
4. To stop recording, return to Settings and toggle the switch **OFF**. The log file will instantly close, compile, and save to your local device folder at /Download/CellScout/.

6. Multi-Device Synchronization

CellScout excels in commercial multi-operator drive tests via its **Master/Slave Synchronization** mode. This allows a single operator to control up to eight separate benchmarking devices simultaneously from a single master screen over a secure Bluetooth RFCOMM connection.

A. Bluetooth Pairing and Permissions

Because the Device Sync architecture operates strictly over local Bluetooth sockets, ensure the following setup is configured on all benchmarking devices:

1. Android Bluetooth Pairing: Open your phone’s system settings, turn Bluetooth ON, and pair (bond) all Slave devices with your primary Master device. They must be listed under "Paired Devices" in the system settings.
2. Bluetooth Permissions: Ensure CellScout is granted **Bluetooth Connect** and **Bluetooth Scan** permissions (on Android 12+).

B. Configuring Roles

• Master Device (Bluetooth Server):
  1. Open the Device Sync activity inside the side menu.
  2. Enable **Master Mode**. This initiates the Bluetooth RFCOMM server socket listener, allowing it to coordinate recording start/stop triggers and broadcast its high-precision GPS coordinate stream.
• Slave Devices (Bluetooth Clients):
  1. Open the Device Sync activity inside the side menu.
  2. Enable **Slave Mode**. Under the "Paired Devices" list, locate and tap the name of your **Master Device**.
  3. The Slave will establish an active RFCOMM client connection. Once connected, Slaves will automatically synchronize their logging clocks, file configurations, and map paths with the Master.

7. External GPS & Hardware Integrations

For professional drive-testing and advanced signal mapping, CellScout supports external hardware integrations to achieve sub-meter spatial accuracy.

Wired USB GPS (GNSS) Receiver Integration

While modern smartphones have highly capable internal GPS receivers, professional vehicle drive-testing often demands dedicated, high-precision external GNSS antennas mounted to the vehicle roof. CellScout allows you to connect an external GPS receiver directly via USB-OTG:

1. Connect Your Receiver: Connect your external GPS receiver (such as a u-blox, Trimble, or Garmin GNSS antenna) to your phone using a standard USB-OTG (On-The-Go) cable or adapter.
2. Launch the USB GPS Manager: Open the side menu and select the USB GPS Manager.
3. Configure Connection Settings: Grant the application permission to access the USB serial device when prompted, select the correct serial baud rate (typically 9600 or 115200 for NMEA receivers), and tap Connect.
4. Real-Time Auditing: Once connected, CellScout will dynamically stream raw NMEA sentences from your roof-mounted external antenna, bypassing your phone's internal GPS and logging your path with maximum professional-grade coordinate accuracy.

8. Advanced RF & Security Configurations

For telecommunication engineers and enterprise field teams, CellScout integrates expert-level cellular configurations to ensure accurate decoding and data protection.

A. 5G NR gNodeB ID Bit Partitioning

Unlike 4G LTE where cell identity partitions are standard, 5G Standalone (SA) uses variable-length **gNodeB IDs** within its 36-bit global NR Cell Identity (NCI). If your bit partitioning length is configured incorrectly, your gNodeB ID and sector cell ID values will be decoded incorrectly.

• Navigate to Settings > 5G gNB Bit Length.
• Select the bit partition length that matches your regional network operator. For example:
  • 22 Bits: Default standard partition used by major US carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon).
  • 24 to 28 Bits: Common partitioning layouts for specific European, Asian, and neutral-host industrial private networks.
• The system dynamically recalculates LCID masks to output perfectly aligned gNodeB sector mappings on your dashboard and logs.

B. Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) Roaming Detection

CellScout dynamically monitors shared RAN (Radio Access Network) configurations. If you are operating on a shared carrier network or neutral host, CellScout’s compatibility layer continuously compares your SIM card's home MCC/MNC with the tower’s active broadcast registers.

When a mismatch is identified (such as roaming on a shared tower architecture), the dashboard automatically displays the active MOCN Roaming Flag, indicating neutral-host resource sharing is active.

C. Sharing & Replaying CSL Logs

CellScout’s proprietary CSL Binary Format is highly secure and compressed to save valuable storage space during long benchmarking runs. While raw decryption is strictly managed for enterprise security, users can seamlessly share, review, and replay their runs:

• In-App Log Replay: Navigate to the side menu and select Load Replay. Select any saved CSL file from your device’s local /Download/CellScout/ folder to play back the drive-test directly on the interactive in-app dashboard.
• Sharing Logs with Technicians: CSL logs can be shared directly with other team members via email or messaging apps. Any user running CellScout can import your shared CSL log to view identical map paths, signal markers, and cell transitions.
• CellScout Web Replay Panel: Upload your CSL files to the secure Web Replay Dashboard on our website to visualize, filter, and inspect your full signal route on a high-resolution desktop interface.

9. Troubleshooting FAQ

Q: Why are my cell coordinates occasionally missing or delayed?

A: This is commonly caused by RIL-blocking states during handovers. CellScout's built-in Smart Hybrid Cooldown™ will protect your phone's processor by engaging a 1-second cached memory fallback until the modem completes its tower handshakes.

Q: Why does my device warm up during long Dual-SIM drive tests?

A: Running parallel, uncoordinated active queries on Dual-SIM devices can severely strain single-modem architectures. Ensure that Multi-SIM Pressure Mitigation™ is enabled in Settings to gracefully serialize access, which cuts device temperature and saves up to 40% battery standby life.

Q: Why does my recorded path look slightly delayed or jagged when driving at highway speeds?

A: Asynchronous GPS and cellular reporting clocks on standard mobile OS platforms can cause tracking offsets. CellScout resolves this using a proprietary, hardware-locked alignment engine that coordinates cellular measurements directly with fresh satellite fixes. For best results, ensure your phone has an unobstructed view of the sky (e.g., mounted on the dashboard or windshield) to maintain sub-meter tracking and zero spatial drift.

Q: How do I export my completed log sessions?

A: Complete logs are saved directly to your device's /Download/CellScout/ folder. You can retrieve them via the file manager or plug your phone into a PC using a standard USB MTP connection.