Pat h Cal c ul at or

User Gui de
2007 AS SAF Tehnika
Revision History
Revision Date Comments
1.0 January 29, 2007 Initial release.
Table of Contents

1 Overview..............................................................................................................4
1.1 Configuration Options ......................................................................................4
1.2 Work Sheet Appearance...................................................................................4
2 Work Sheets .........................................................................................................6
2.1 CFM 1+0 .......................................................................................................6
2.2 CFM 1+1 HSB.................................................................................................8
2.3 CFM 1+1 SD................................................................................................. 11
2.4 CFM 1+1 FD................................................................................................. 14
2.5 CFQ 1+0...................................................................................................... 16
2.6 CFQ 1+1 HSB............................................................................................... 19
2.7 CFQ 1+1 SD................................................................................................. 22
2.8 CFQ 1+1 FD................................................................................................. 25
2.9 Rain Zone .................................................................................................... 27
3 References ......................................................................................................... 28
4 SAF Tehnika Contacts........................................................................................... 28

Path Calculator User Guide. Rev. 1.0
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1 Overview
The present User Guide describes the SAF Tehnika proprietary Path Calculator a point-to-
point radio link calculation tool designed to detect various parameters essential for planning
and installing the digital microwave data transmission systems, e.g. link availability, fade
margin, received signal level, etc. The Path Calculator assists system designers in selecting the
equipment with appropriate specifications, considering the climatic conditions, necessary link
capacity and available location for site setup. It provides the opportunity to choose between
wide range of operating frequencies, equipment configuration options and operating
parameters in order to establish reliable and efficient data transmission.
The SAF Tehnika Path Calculator is based on the ITU-R recommendation P.530-11.
The Path Calculator is designed as a Microsoft Excel file, including nine work sheets eight of
them are supposed for calculating the link related parameters, each of these eight sheets
represents a different link configuration option. The ninth sheet provides a Rain Zone map
which can be used to determine the precipitation for a particular area.
To perform calculation some parameter values should be known in advance:
Distance between antennas and/or geographic coordinates of the sites
Antennas height over sea level
Rain zone
Radio transmitter output power
Frequency
After the calculation result is received it is possible to judge whether selected parameters
ensure the necessary system performance in terms of link availability, fade margin, received
signal level, etc, considering the particular needs. If customer requires higher Availability or
Fade margin, it is possible to readjust antennas, radio output power, or operating frequency till
desired level is achieved.
1.1 Configuration Options
CFM links:
1+0 (unprotected link)
Protected configuration:
1+1 HSB (Hot Stand By)
1+1 SD (Space Diversity)
1+1 FD (Frequency Diversity)
CFQ links:
1+0 (unprotected link)
Protected configuration:
1+1 HSB (Hot Stand By)
1+1 SD (Space Diversity)
1+1 FD (Frequency Diversity)
1.2 Work Sheet Appearance
The work sheet appearance varies with the selected configuration option. Still calculation work
sheets have several common properties:
Title Path Calculation displaying the chosen configuration option.
The cells with grey background are intended for data input.
The cells with yellow background and containing text in red allow the choice between
parameter options.
The cells with scroll arrow (appearing on the right after selecting the cell) allow the
choice between options listed in the drop-down box.
The cells with yellow background contain the result of calculating availability.
Each of calculation work sheets contains cells with general information, which are optional for
filling in:
Date: the current date is displayed automatically, or user can enter desired date manually.
Project: the name of the project can be entered for reference purposes.
Site A: the name of the site A can be entered.
Site B: the name of the site B can be entered.
The example of calculation work sheet is presented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Path Calculation work sheet for CFM 1+0 configuration.
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2 Work Sheets
2.1 CFM 1+0
The CFM 1+0 configuration is an unprotected radiolink configuration for sites equipped with
CFM series units.
The Path Calculation 1+0 work sheet (see Fig. 1) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio capacity
Enter the desired radio link capacity. It is possible to choose between 4, 8, 16 or 34 Mbps
the capacity can be entered manually or using the drop-down list appearing after pressing
the scroll arrow.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Table 1
Rain Zone Amount of precipitation, mm/ h
A 8
B 12
C 15
D 19
E 22
F 28
G 30
H 32
J 35
K 42
L 60
M 63
N 95
Q 115
P 145
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
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Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 2
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Table 2
Frequency, GHz Maximum transmitter power, dBm
4.5 33
7 27
8 27
10.5 27
11 27
13 20
15 20
18 19
23 19
26 19
32 16
38 14
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 4.5; 7; 8; 10.5; 11; 13; 15; 18; 23; 26; 32; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
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Antenna A
Enter the site A antenna diameter (in meters) or choose necessary value from the drop-
down list. The possible options for Comhat-Provexa antennas are following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2;
1.8; 2.4; 3; L250. The options for DG antennas and other antennas are: 0.3; 0.6; 0.8;
1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3.
Antenna B
Enter the site B antenna diameter (in meters) or choose necessary value from the drop-
down list. The possible options for Comhat-Provexa antennas are following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2;
1.8; 2.4; 3; L250. The options for DG antennas and other antennas are: 0.3; 0.6; 0.8;
1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.2 CFM 1+1 HSB
The CFM 1+1 HSB configuration is a protected link configuration. In HSB mode, both the
incoming (Rx) and outgoing (Tx) traffic is switched to either one link or other, only one link is
operating; the transmitter of the inactive outdoor unit (ODU) is switched off at each side.

Fig. 2
The Path Calculation 1+1 HSB work sheet (Fig. 2) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio capacity
Enter the desired radio link capacity. It is possible to choose between 4, 8, 16 or 34 Mbps
the capacity can be entered manually or using the drop-down list appearing after pressing
the scroll arrow.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
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Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 2
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 4.5; 7; 8; 10.5; 11; 13; 15; 18; 23; 26; 32; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose 1+1 HSB configuration mode
Either Using 2 antennas and coupler or Using 4 antennas option can be chosen from the
drop-down list. In case of choosing the first one, the cells intended for coupler parameters
input will appear. When second option is chosen, it will be possible to view/enter the
parameters of four antennas.
Using 2 antennas and coupler
It will be necessary to enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters of A and B
antennas, choosing from the 0.3; 0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3; L250 range if Comhat-
Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6; 0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3 if DG antennas or
Other option was selected from the Choose type of antenna drop-down list. The
Comhat-Provexa and DG antennas options provide automatic input of antenna gain in
the appropriate cells. If Other option has been chosen the antenna gain should be
entered manually in cells under the heading Manual antenna gain input.
The coupler parameters are coupler attenuation values which should be entered for both
site A and site B primary and standby links.
Using 4 antennas
It is necessary to enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters (and antenna
gain, in case of using Other antennas) of site A and site B antennas the options are
the same as when using 2 antennas and coupler. The equal values (antenna diameter
and gain) of antenna A2 and antenna B2 will be entered in the appropriate cells
automatically.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm. The value for the standby
link will be displayed if Using 2 antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
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Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
). The values for the standby link will be displayed if
Using 2 antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2 antennas and
coupler option has been chosen.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2
antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2
antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
2.3 CFM 1+1 SD
The CFM 1+1 SD configuration is a protected link configuration with four antennas necessary.
In this configuration one transmitter and two receivers operate for each direction, and only one
frequency pair is used.

Fig. 3
The Path Calculation 1+1 SD work sheet (Fig. 3) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio capacity
Enter the desired radio link capacity. It is possible to choose between 4, 8, 16 or 34 Mbps
the capacity can be entered manually or using the drop-down list appearing after pressing
the scroll arrow.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
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Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 2
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 4.5; 7; 8; 10.5; 11; 13; 15; 18; 23; 26; 32; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
Enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters (and antenna gain, in case of using
Other antennas) of two site A and two site B antennas. The options are the following: 0.3;
0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3; L250 range if Comhat-Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6;
0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3 if DG antennas or Other option was selected from the Choose
type of antenna drop-down list.
Antenna vertical separation
Enter the distance (in meters) between the antennas at each site.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.4 CFM 1+1 FD
The CFM 1+1 FD configuration is a protected link configuration with two frequency pairs used.
In FD mode, the outgoing (Tx) traffic at each site is passed to both ODUs, the transmitters of
both ODUs are always switched on; the incoming signal (Rx) is picked from one of the indoor
units (IDU), depending on the received signal level and alarm status of the link. The FD
configuration allows using two or four antennas.
Frequency diversity calculation applies only to the following ranges of parameters:
2 f 11 GHz
30 d 70 km
f / f 5%

Fig. 4
The Path Calculation 1+1 FD work sheet (Fig. 4) includes the following rows:
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Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio capacity
Enter the desired radio link capacity. It is possible to choose between 4, 8, 16 or 34 Mbps
the capacity can be entered manually or using the drop-down list appearing after pressing
the scroll arrow.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 2
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 4.5; 7; 8; 10.5; 11; 13; 15; 18; 23; 26; 32; 38.
Choose 1+1 FD configuration mode
The possible options are using 2 antennas and using 4 antennas. In the latter case it is
necessary to specify the Transmitter power FD and Frequency FD parameters values.
The ranges for these parameters are the same as for Transmitter Power and Frequency.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
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Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
Enter (or select from the drop-down list) the antennas diameters (and antenna gain, in case
of using Other antennas). The options are the following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3;
L250 range if Comhat-Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6; 0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3
if DG antennas or Other option was selected from the Choose type of antenna drop-
down list. In case of using two antennas there will be two rows intended for antenna data
input, in case of using four antennas the additional rows for Antenna A FD and Antenna B
FD will appear.
Main frequency
Enter the main frequency in GHz.
Diversity frequency
Enter the diversity frequency in GHz.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.5 CFQ 1+0
For CFQ equipment the factor determining radio capacity is modulation type. The CFQ 1+0
configuration is an unprotected radiolink configuration for sites equipped with CFQ units.

Fig. 5
The Path Calculation 1+0 work sheet (Fig. 5) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio modulation
Enter the necessary type of modulation. It is possible to choose between QPSK, QAM16,
QAM32, QAM64, or QAM128 the modulation can be entered manually or using the drop-
down list appearing after pressing the scroll arrow. Depending on the selected modulation
type the capacity will differ. The corresponding values are presented in Table 3.
Table 3
Modulation type Max capacity, Mbps
QPSK 34
QAM16 75
QAM32 95
QAM64 115
QAM128 155
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
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The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 4
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Table 4
Frequency, GHz Maximum transmitter power, dBm
7 24
13 22
18 19
38 14
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 7; 13; 18; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
Antenna A
Enter the site A antenna diameter (in meters) or choose necessary value from the drop-
down list. The possible options for Comhat-Provexa antennas are following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2;
1.8; 2.4; 3; L250. The options for DG antennas and other antennas are: 0.3; 0.6; 0.8;
1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3.
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Antenna B
Enter the site B antenna diameter (in meters) or choose necessary value from the drop-
down list. The possible options for Comhat-Provexa antennas are following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2;
1.8; 2.4; 3; L250. The options for DG antennas and other antennas are: 0.3; 0.6; 0.8;
1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.6 CFQ 1+1 HSB
The CFQ 1+1 HSB configuration is a protected link configuration. In HSB mode, both the
incoming (Rx) and outgoing (Tx) traffic is switched to either one link or other, only one link is
operating; the transmitter of the inactive outdoor unit (ODU) is switched off at each side.

Fig. 6
The Path Calculation 1+1 HSB work sheet (Fig. 6) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio modulation
Enter the necessary type of modulation. It is possible to choose between QPSK, QAM16,
QAM32, QAM64, or QAM128 the modulation can be entered manually or using the drop-
down list appearing after pressing the scroll arrow. Depending on the selected modulation
type the capacity will differ. The corresponding values are presented in Table 3.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
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Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 4
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 7; 13; 18; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose 1+1 HSB configuration mode
Either Using 2 antennas and coupler or Using 4 antennas option can be chosen from the
drop-down list. In case of choosing the first one, the cells intended for coupler parameters
input will appear. When second option is chosen, it will be possible to view/enter the
parameters of four antennas.
Using 2 antennas and coupler
It will be necessary to enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters of A and B
antennas, choosing from the 0.3; 0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3; L250 range if Comhat-
Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6; 0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3 if DG antennas or
Other option was selected from the Choose type of antenna drop-down list. The
Comhat-Provexa and DG antennas options provide automatic input of antenna gain in
the appropriate cells. If Other option has been chosen the antenna gain should be
entered manually in cells under the heading Manual antenna gain input.
The coupler parameters are coupler attenuation values which should be entered for both
site A and site B primary and standby links.
Using 4 antennas
It is necessary to enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters (and antenna
gain, in case of using Other antennas) of site A and site B antennas the options are
the same as when using 2 antennas and coupler. The equal values (antenna diameter
and gain) of antenna A2 and antenna B2 will be entered in the appropriate cells
automatically.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm. The value for the standby
link will be displayed if Using 2 antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
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Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
). The values for the standby link will be displayed if
Using 2 antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2 antennas and
coupler option has been chosen.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2
antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization. The values for the standby link will be displayed if Using 2
antennas and coupler option has been chosen.
2.7 CFQ 1+1 SD
The CFQ 1+1 SD configuration is a protected link configuration with four antennas necessary.
In this configuration one transmitter and two receivers operate for each direction, and only one
frequency pair is used.

Fig. 7
The Path Calculation 1+1 SD work sheet (Fig. 7) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
Radio modulation
Enter the necessary type of modulation. It is possible to choose between QPSK, QAM16,
QAM32, QAM64, or QAM128 the modulation can be entered manually or using the drop-
down list appearing after pressing the scroll arrow. Depending on the selected modulation
type the capacity will differ. The corresponding values are presented in Table 3.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
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Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 4
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 7; 13; 18; 38.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
Enter (or select from the drop-down list) the diameters (and antenna gain, in case of using
Other antennas) of two site A and two site B antennas. The options are the following: 0.3;
0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3; L250 range if Comhat-Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6;
0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3 if DG antennas or Other option was selected from the Choose
type of antenna drop-down list.
Antenna vertical separation
Enter the distance (in meters) between the antennas at each site.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.8 CFQ 1+1 FD
The CFQ 1+1 FD configuration is a protected link configuration with two frequency pairs used.
The FD configuration allows using two or four antennas.
Frequency diversity calculation applies only for the following ranges of parameters:
2 f 11 GHz
30 d 70 km
f / f 5%

Fig. 8
The Path Calculation 1+1 FD work sheet (Fig. 8) includes the following rows:
Use this listbox to specify the distance between sites
Choose the option for data input from the drop-down list either distance between sites
or exact longitude/latitude of each site. The first one requires the manual input of distance
and approximate coordinates. Choosing the second option only exact coordinates input
(degrees, minutes, seconds and hemisphere label N/S and E/W) is necessary, the distance
will be calculated automatically.
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Radio modulation
Enter the necessary type of modulation. It is possible to choose between QPSK, QAM16,
QAM32, QAM64, or QAM128 the modulation can be entered manually or using the drop-
down list appearing after pressing the scroll arrow. Depending on the selected modulation
type the capacity will differ. The corresponding values are presented in Table 3.
Annual temperature
Enter the average annual temperature in Celsius degrees.
Rain zone
Choose the letter according to the approximate amount of precipitation in the area. Rain
Zones comply with Recommendation ITU-R P.837-4 and can be found in 'Rain Zone' sheet.
The possible variants with their corresponding values are listed in Table 1 (these values can
also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Latitude A
Enter the latitude for site A.
Longitude A
Enter the longitude for site A.
Latitude B
Enter the latitude for site B.
Longitude B
Enter the longitude for site B.
Manual Distance Input
This row appears only if distance between sites option has been chosen in the cell Use
this listbox to specify the distance between sites. Enter the distance between sites.
Calculated distance
This cell contains the calculation result for distance between sites based on the exact
coordinates entered, in case of using exact longitude/latitude of each site option. If
distance between sites option has been chosen, the value of this cell will be equal to the
distance entered in Manual Distance Input cell.
Transmitter Power
Enter the transmitter power in dBm or choose the desired value from the drop-down list.
The maximum transmitter power depends on operating frequency. The maximum
transmitter power values corresponding to particular frequencies are presented in Table 4
(these values can also be seen in a pop-up note in the Path Calculator work sheet).
Frequency
Enter the desired frequency in GHz or choose the necessary value from the drop-down list.
The possible choices are the following: 7; 13; 18; 38.
Choose 1+1 FD configuration mode.
The possible options are using 2 antennas and using 4 antennas. In the latter case it is
necessary to specify the Transmitter power FD and Frequency FD parameters values.
The ranges for these parameters are the same as for Transmitter Power and Frequency.
Antenna A height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site A.
Antenna B height over sea level
Enter the antenna height over sea level (in meters) for the site B.
Choose type of antenna
Choose an option from the drop-down list. The options Comhat-Provexa and DG
antennas, if chosen, provide the automatic antenna gain input (in dBi) in the appropriate
cells. In case Other option has been chosen, it is necessary to enter the antenna gain
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value manually (the cells entitled Manual antenna gain input will appear after choosing
this option).
Enter (or select from the drop-down list) the antennas diameters (and antenna gain, in case
of using Other antennas). The options are the following: 0.3; 0.6; 1.2; 1.8; 2.4; 3;
L250 range if Comhat-Provexa antennas are used, or 0.3; 0.6; 0.8; 1.2; 1.8; 2; 2.4; 3
if DG antennas or Other option was selected from the Choose type of antenna drop-
down list. In case of using two antennas there will be two rows intended for antenna data
input, in case of using four antennas the additional rows for Antenna A FD and Antenna B
FD will appear.
Main frequency
Enter the main frequency in GHz.
Diversity frequency
Enter the diversity frequency in GHz.
Losses
In case of using antennas with waveguide it is necessary to enter the level of losses in dB.
Received signal level
This cell will contain the calculated received signal level in dBm.
Fade Margin
These two cells will contain the calculated fade margin values corresponding to the
particular BER level (10
-3
and 10
-6
).
Automatic Rx Threshold input
This cell allows switching between automatic and manual Rx Threshold input, using scroll
arrow to open the drop-down list containing the mentioned options. In case of choosing
automatic input the Rx threshold value will be entered automatically. If manual input was
preferred, it will be necessary to enter the desired threshold value in additional cells
appearing after this option has been chosen.
Multipath Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated multipath availability (%) at
particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and horizontal antenna
polarization.
Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated link availability (%) in rain
conditions at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
Multipath+Rain Availability
The cells under this heading will represent the calculated aggregate multipath and rain
availability (%) at particular BER levels (10
-3
and 10
-6
respectively) for both vertical and
horizontal antenna polarization.
2.9 Rain Zone
The Rain Zone work sheet (Fig. 9) is intended for determining the respective amount of
precipitation in equipment installation area. This work sheet represents the world map with
precipitation indexes (in mm/h, exceeded for 0.01% of the average year) shown on it.

Fig. 9. Source: ITU-R P.837-4 "Characteristics of precipitation for propagation modelling".
3 References
ITU-R P.453-9 "The radio refractive index: its formula and refractivity data"
ITU-R P.835-3 "Reference standard atmospheres"
ITU-R P 530-11 "Propagation data and prediction methods required for the design of terrestrial
line-of-sight systems"
ITU-R P.837-4 "Characteristics of precipitation for propagation modelling"
ITU-R P.676-5 "Attenuation by atmospheric gases"
4 SAF Tehnika Contacts
Most up to date contacts of SAF Tehnika A/S could be found at Web site www.saftehnika.com.
SAF Tehnika A/S technical support could be reached at:
Email: techsupport@saftehnika.com
Telephone: +371 7046840
Fax: +371 7046809

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