Physical Layer Optimization Automatically Using Atoll

By Panji Ryan W

One of another way to do physical layer optimization in a cluster is by using Atoll software as a
planning tool. Assume propagation model and clutter already set and we would like to do physical
optimization by antenna tilting to reduce interference.

1. Filtering zone area that we would like to optimize or import polygon tab file.

2. This is example view after filtering area or cluster.

3. Right click on Transmitter (Network tab), calculation, calculate pathloss matrices

4. Check validity of pathloss matrix on transmitter then select properties

5. Go to ACP (Automatic Cell Planning), click New or properties if you want to reconfigure the
default setting, otherwise direct to New option.

6. Set RS coverage objective by default is 90% and threshold -85dB or you can change it by your
self.
7. Set RS CINR objective by default is 100% and threshold 10 dB.

8. On LTE there are six criteria can be set which is RSSI, Signal level, RSRP, C/N, CINR&RSRQ,
Overlap. Change service to peak performance and terminal to NSN terminal. Check or Uncheck
“Enable shadowing margin” depend on shadowing margin is used or not.
9. Signal level will be different if you set shadowing margin or not. I prefer to uncheck this.

10. Same setting on service and terminal.

11. Uncheck shadowing margin on RS CINR if no shadowing margin in calculation.

12. Overlap setting by default the threshold is 5 dB and minimum signal level is -105 dB.
13. Go to Sites tab on Reconfiguration tab and uncheck Site Removable if we don’t want to remove
any cells/sites in this optimization.

14. To uncheck all, just uncheck first row then block the column until end of row and finishing by
press ctrl D.
15. On Transmitter tab check configuration that would like to be optimized, in this case electrical tilt
only will be count on calculation. We can change tilt and calculate 1,2 or all sites by selecting
“Use” option.

16. Put antenna type element on Antenna tab.

17. Go back to Optimization tab and revise number of iteration equal to recommended value. Click
OK after finished all reconfiguration.

18. In the main panel, right click on Setup then run.

 19. Running view and chart will appear like this.

20. Wait until finish and check the result on main panel (Network, click down on setup and right
click to find the optimization properties as below).

Objective shown above is achieved if we are setting target to 80% improvement for RS coverage(step 6
change to 80%), also there are coverage and SINR improvement. Please remind that we are only use
electrical tilting changes in this case (see step 15 ).
21. We can find the changes on Change Details tab, there are Initial, Final and quality improvement
ratio.

22. Click commit to implement final changes, otherwise click ok to validate with another method.
 Please get attention that all data simulation above is not changed yet unless we select commit
on commit tab, don’t worry if you are not satisfied with the result you can go back to previously setting
by selecting Roll Back to Initial State on commit tab. In order to make you sure the result is, don’t select
commit first and select OK to have some prediction RSRP and SINR simulation.

23. Calculate RSRP as well as SINR

24. Generate report RSRP and SINR and save it to excel

After that, let’s go to optimization result setting by clicking commit as mention on step 22, and
recalculating again RSRP and SINR to have comparison before after as data below showing better SINR
result in optimization setting than before.
 RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) Surface (km²) Before Surface (km²) After
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-70 4.7796 4.2268
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-80 14.8748 13.0756
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-90 33.5164 30.7964
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-100 58.3608 59.1548
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-110 95.0424 109.4824
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-120 176.3288 206.936
RSRP Level (DL) (dBm) >=-140 176.3288 206.936

SINR Surface (km²) Before Surface (km²) After

SINR >=30 0.56 1.763
SINR >=27 1.395 3.725
SINR >=24 3.06 6.97
SINR >=21 6.045 12.968
SINR >=18 10.413 22.568
SINR >=15 16.868 39.045
SINR >=12 26.46 62.84
SINR >=9 43.03 96.95
SINR >=6 72.363 141.833
SINR >=3 117.87 185.788
SINR >=0 161.738 204.568
SINR >=-3 174.978 206.503
SINR >=-6 175.077 206.54
SINR >=-9 175.077 206.54

Chart RSRP

RSRP
250

200

150

100

50

0
RSRP Level RSRP Level RSRP Level RSRP Level RSRP Level RSRP Level RSRP Level
(DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm) (DL) (dBm)
>=-70 >=-80 >=-90 >=-100 >=-110 >=-120 >=-140

Surface (km²) Before Surface (km²) After

Chart SINR

SINR
250

200

150

100

50

0
SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR SINR
>=30 >=27 >=24 >=21 >=18 >=15 >=12 >=9 >=6 >=3 >=0 >=-3 >=-6 >=-9

Surface (km²) Before Surface (km²) After

Result of this automatic planning is vary depends on what we were setting and before submitting
the plan or sending change request data, we should compare with real network by seeing other data such
as drive test data (if available), google earth, site database. In this example we can see RSRP getting lower
but SINR getting better and that is not problem as long as coverage area decrement could be tolerated.

Another idea to combine this method with other analysis tool such as Actix or Tems. After we
have got what sites are to be a pollutant to the others or having poor coverage then we can select only
those sites for tilting,power, or other changes.