Back

Instructions
Table of Contents
Tab Window Antenna Selection Band Beamwidth Gain Name ElTilt BTS Parameters Mechanical Tilt Orientation Power Propagation Model Tilt Method 3D Method Plot Window Link Calculator Normal Input Parameters TRX Output Power Combiner Loss Feeder Loss Jumper Loss Antenna Gain TMA Tx Insertion Loss TMB Tx Gain Fading Margin (BTS) Diversity Gain BTS Sensitivity BTS Noise Figure TMA/TMB Rx Noise Figure TMA/TMB Rx Gain Calculated / Alternative Input Cabinet Power

TMB Output Power ERP Bandwidth BTS Noise Figure Required S/N System NF without TMA System NF with TMA Sensitivity Gain MS Parameters MS Output Power MS Antenna Gain Fading Margin MS Sensitivity

Tab Window
Antenna Selection Parameters
Band Choose frequency band for your antenna. Selecting a band will filter the below choices. Back Beamwidth Choose a nominal horizontal beamwidth to narrow down the selection. Back Gain Choose a nominal gain to further narrow down the selection. Gain is expressed in dBi. Back

Name Choose an antenna by name. The names are on the form family-bandbeamwidth-gain-downtilt-antenna connctor Back Eltilt Choose electrical downtilt. Fixed antenna downtilt will only have one option here which will be chosen by default. For variable electrical tilt antennas (AEDT), the available antenna patterns for each measured tilt will be listed. Back Frequency Choose what measurement frequency to use for the chosen antenna. By default the first frequency in the list of available frequencies will be chosen. Please note that it is important to choose a frequency for multiband antennas in order for the coverage calculation to calculate for the right frequency band. Back BTS Parameters The following BTS parameters can be changed; Mechanical tilt, Antenna Orientation, Antenna Input power, Propagation model, Tilt Method Back Mechanical Tilt Set the mechanical tilt in whole degrees. Positive numbers means uptilt, negative numbers means downtilt.>

Default : Range : Back

0 -90 - +90 degrees

Orientation Set the antenna direction. 0 means north and will increase clockwise. Default : Range : Back Power The power setting indicates the power measured in dBm at the antenna input terminal. The power setting should hence correspond to the base station output power minus any external combiner and feeder losses in the normal BTS case. The ERP (Effective Radiated Power) will be power setting plus antenna gain. To change the power setting, just edit the value or click on the link calculator that will bring up a small calculator for you. Default value : 38 dBm Range: Back Propagation Model Choose propagation model to use for this option when calculating image in plot window. Choose the same model for all options unless you deliberately want to compare models. Three types of models are available: Free-Space: 0 - 50 dBm 0 0 - 359 degrees

Statistical: Okumura-Hata model with corrections for rural, suburban and urban areas respectively. Model also includes correction for frequencies above 1000 MHz as recommended by Cost 231 project. Terrian: Prediction files are important from a radio planning system that will incorporate shadowing effects from terrain elevation and morphology. Frequency will be picked from the frequency box above. Default : Range : Back Tilt Method Choose a tilt method. The simplified model will not take into account changes in horizontal angles towards the antenna when antenna is tilted. Default : Range : Back Simplified Simplified, Correct Free-Space Free-Space, Terrain or Statistical

Link Calculator Instructions

BTS Parameters
Normal Input
TRX Output Power Set the TRX output power. Default: 42 dBm (16 Watts, typical value for GSM equipment)

Range: unusual. Back

Manufacturer dependent. Over 46 dBm (40 Watts) is

Combiner Loss Total transmit losses in BTS between TRX and antenna feeder. Includes combiner, filter and duplex losses. Default: Range: Back Feeder Loss Loss of feeder from cabinet to top of mast. Loss is dependent mainly on length and dimension of feeder. Loss is also frequency dependent. Feeder loss is assumed to include "normal" jumper cables between actual antenna feeder and BTS cabinet and antenna respectively. Default: -3 dB Range: -10 to 0 dB Back Extra Jumper Loss Loss of additional jumper required in case of TMA or TMB. Default: - 0.5 dB Range: Back Antenna Gain 0 to -1 dB - 1 dB -6 to 0 dB

Gain expressed in dBi of BTS antenna. Default: Picked up from Chosen antenna. 18 dBi if no antenna is chosen (typical high gain 65 degree antenna) Range: 0 to 25 dBi Back TMA Tx Insertion Loss Transmit insertion loss for TMA. In case of shared feeders for receive and transmit (duplex), the TMA will introduce a small loss in the transmit path. Only applicable in case of equipment = TMA. Setting equipment to BTS only or TMB will force this value to 0. Default: -0.4 dB Range: -1 to 0 dB. Back TMB Tx Gain Gain of Tower Top Power Amplifier. Gain is port to port, i.e. includes insertion loss. Default: 5 dB Range: Allgon manufactures devices that ranges from typically 5 to 12 dB gain. Maximum output power is 43 dBm for all devices but the higher gain can be utilized to boost range of low power BTS's or reduce TRX output power. TRX power is not reduced automatically when gain is altered. Back Fading Margin (BTS) Fading margin required to provide sufficent voice quality. Includes margin for short term fading (dynamic channel) and log normal fading.

Default: 15 dB Range: 0 to 30 dB Back Diversity Gain Required signal increase in a noise limited environment that would equal the quality improvement by using diversity. Gain depends on manufacturer diversity implementation, antenna diversity arrangement (horizontal, vertical, polarisation), spacing between antennas, quality threshold where gain is identified, propagation conditions and speed of mobile etc. Default: 5 dB Range: 2 to 8 dB Back BTS Sensitivity Minimum input signal to base staion equipment to give sufficient link quality measured at BTS cabinet input under static condition. Default: -107 dBm (typical value for GSM equipment) Range: System and manufacturer dependent. Back TMA/TMB Rx Noise Figure Noise figure of receive side Tower Top Amplifier (LNA). Default: 2 dB Range: 1.5 to 5 dB Back

TMA/TMB Rx Gain Gain of receive side Tower Top Amplifier (LNA). Default: 12 dB Range: Allgon manufactures devices that ranges from 5 to 15 dB gain. Back

Calculated / Alternative Input

The following are parameters that are calculated from the normal input parameters when the "calculate now" button is pressed. If any of these parameters are known rater than the corresponding "normal" parameter, they can be typed in a the corresponding "normal" parameter is calculated when the alternative calculation button is pressed. The alternative calculation button is marked with a red arraw and located next to the alternative input parameter. Back Cabinet Power Calculated output power at the top of the BTS equipment. Formula: TRX Output Power + Combiner Loss. (parameters that normally have negative numbers in red) Back TMB Output Power Calculated output power from TMB. Maximum output power for TMB is typically 43 dBm (per carrier).

Formula: TRX Output Power + Combiner Loss + Feeder Loss + TX Insertion Loss + TMB Gain (parameters that normally have negative numbers in red) Back Antenna Input Power Calculated input power to the antenna. Formula: TRX Output Power + Combiner Loss + Feeder Loss + TX Insertion Loss + TMB Gain + Jumper Loss (parameters that normally have negative numbers in red) Back ERP Calculated effective radiated power in antenna main beam. Restricted in some countries and system, maximum of 62 dBm in GSM/PCS 1900 for example. Formula: Antenna Input Power + Antenna Gain Back BTS Noise Figure Calculated noise figure. Formula: BTS Sensitivity - (-174 + log(Bandwidth) + Req S/N)

Back Bandwidth Channel bandwidth for system. Used to calculate BTS noise factor and sensitivity. Default: 200 kHz (typical GSM channel) Range: System specific. Back Required S/N Required Signal to Noise ratio for acceptable quality. Used to calculate BTS noise factor and sensitivity. Default: 9 dB (typical GSM value. Analogue systems may require around 18 dB while negative values are valid for spread spectrum (CDMA) systems. Remember the higher bandwidth though...) Range: System specific. Back System NF without TMA System noise without TMA. Formula: NF = Back System NF with TMA System noise with TMA.

Formula: NF = Back Sensitivity Gain Uplink sensitivity gain from using TMA. Formula System NF without TMA - System NF with TMA Back

MS Parameters
MS Output Power Output power of Mobile Station Default: 30 dBm Range: System Specific. Some examples: Mobile Class 1 2 3 4 5 GSM 900 43 39 37 33 29 dBm dBm dBm dBm dBm GSM 1800 30 dBm 24 dBm 36 dBm

Observe that these are nominal values, actual mobile performance is normally lower. Back MS Antenna Gain

Gain of mobile stations antenna. Typically below 0 dBi for handhelds, even less if body loss is to be included. Default: -2 dBi Range: -7 to 3 dBi. (lower value for handheld with built in antenna and including body loss, higher value for vehicle mounted co-linear antenna) Back Fading Margin (MS) Fading margin required to provide sufficent voice quality. Includes margin for short term fading (dynamic channel) and log normal fading. Default: 15 dB Range: 0 to 30 dB Back MS Sensitivity Minimum input signal to mobile staion to give sufficient link quality under static condition. Default: -104 dBm (typical value for GSM equipment) Range: System and manufacturer dependent. Also depends on mobile class in GSM systems even though most modern handsets easily outperforms recommended sensitivities. Back