Link Budget

Tool

70-00047-01-DRAFT Proprietary Redline Communications © 2004 June 19, 2006

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 Product Tools
Link Budget

Copyright Information
All rights reserved June 19, 2006. The information in this document is
proprietary to Redline Communications Inc. This document may not in
whole or in part be copied, reproduced, or reduced to any medium without
prior consent, in writing, from Redline Communications Incorporated.

Contact Information Redline Communications Inc.

302 Town Centre Blvd.
Markham, ON
Canada L3R 0E8
Web site: http://www.redlinecommunications.com
Sales Inquiries:
North American [email protected]
Toll-free sales line 1-866-633-6669
International [email protected]
Support:
Email [email protected]
Telephone Contact your Redline Distributor
Document ID: 70-00047-01-Link_Budget_Tool_20060615b.doc

Disclaimer
The statements, configurations, technical data, and recommendations in this
document are believed to be accurate and reliable, but are presented without
express or implied warranty. Additionally, Redline makes no representations or
warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding the contents of this product.
Redline Communications shall not be liable for any misuse regarding this product.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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Link Budget

CONTENTS

1 The Link Budget Tool.............................................................................. 4

1.1 General Description................................................................................... 4
1.2 Range Value.............................................................................................. 4
1.3 Fresnel Zone ............................................................................................. 4
1.4 Signal-to-Noise Ratio................................................................................. 6
1.5 Fade Margin .............................................................................................. 6
1.6 Availability.................................................................................................. 6
1.7 Parameter Overview.................................................................................. 7
1.8 The Link Profile Graphic ............................................................................ 9
1.9 Example: Using the Link Budget Tool ..................................................... 10
1.10 For More Information ............................................................................... 11

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Fresnel Zone Obstruction....................................................................... 5
Figure 2: Fresnel Zone Radius.............................................................................. 5
Figure 3: Link Budget: Uplink/Downlink Parameters ............................................. 7
Figure 4: Link Budget Freznel Zone Graphic ........................................................ 9
Figure 5: Link Budget: Settings ............................................................................. 9
Figure 6: Link Budget For 64 QAM ¾ Code Rate ............................................... 11

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Range Calculation ................................................................................... 4
Table 2: Fresnel Zone Calculation ........................................................................ 5
Table 3: Signal/Noise Calculation ......................................................................... 6
Table 4: Availability Versus Outage Time ............................................................. 6

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Link Budget

1 The Link Budget Tool

The Link Budget Tool is designed to help characterize the range performance of
wireless systems for LOS, OLOS (optical line of sight) and NLOS conditions and
various system parameters. This tool estimates the distance over which the system
can operate at a desired error rate while achieving robust communication. A link is
considered robust if the average error rate is less than 1 bit out of every 1000
million, expressed as 10-9, for an availability of 99.99%. Availability is described
in more detail below.

1.1 General Description

The Link Budget Tool provides a first-order approximation based on a generalized
terrain and empirical formulas approved by governing bodies such as the IEEE and
ITU. This model does not consider the details of any specific terrain profile that
may impact performance, or variations arising from temperature fluctuations, cable
loss tolerance, antenna alignment errors, etc. The table below describes the net
data rate (after coding overhead) that can be obtained for each modulation type in
an ideal propagation situation.
Higher order modulation schemes require greater S/N to maintain the same BER
performance. The noise in this case is defined as the noise floor of the receiver and
assumes no interference from other sources.

1.2 Range Value

The main path calculation for determining range performance is given as:

Table 1: Range Calculation

RSL = Ptx + Gtx: FSL + Grx
Where:
Ptx is the transmit power level in dBm
Gtx is the transmit antenna gain in dB
FSL is the free space loss attenuation in dB, and
Grx is the receive antenna gain in dB

1.3 Fresnel Zone

The FSL value is dependent on the range between the two terminals, the type of
terrain over which the link is deployed, and if the link is operating line of sight
(LOS), optical line of sight (OLOS) or non-LOS (NLOS). The LOS FSL
calculation is based on absolutely no obstacle near the direct path. The precise
method for determining the amount of clearance required for LOS uses a factor
known as the Fresnel zone.

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Figure 1: Fresnel Zone Obstruction

A Fresnel zone is defined as a path difference of λ/2 away from the direct path, as
shown in Figure 1: Fresnel Zone Obstruction
A clear LOS link assumes there are no obstacles are within 60% of the first
Fresnel zone of the direct path. The diagram below illustrates OLOS conditions,
where a treetop is within the first Fresnel zone, and a clear direct path exists
between the antennas.

Figure 2: Fresnel Zone Radius

The formula for calculating the radius of the first Fresnel zone, as depicted in
Figure 2, is given as:

Table 2: Fresnel Zone Calculation

D1 * D 2
R = 72.1 (ft)
f * ( D1 + D 2)
Where,
- D1 and D2 are the distances from the terminals to the point
of interest (in miles), and
- f is the frequency (in GHz)
Multiply results by 0.3048 to obtain a solution in meters.

Specific FSL formulas are required to deal with NLOS deployment. There are
many NLOS calculations available from established institutions chartered with
developing standardized calculations (Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) and International (Telecommunications Union (ITU)). The Link
Budget Tool is designed based on these formulas; however, it is important to note
that all calculations are an estimate only, with relatively large standard deviations
(5 to 15 dB) depending on the actual deployment scenario and obstacle
characteristics.
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1.4 Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Another element to consider in the path calculation is the signal to noise (S/N)
ratio, which is defined as:
Table 3: Signal/Noise Calculation
S/N = RSL: Smin
Where,
Smin is the receiver sensitivity expressed in dBm.

The Smin is determined by the thermal noise generated by the amplifier and the
bandwidth of the filter used in the receiver front-end. This defines the power level
the receiver is sensitive enough to accurately detect the signal.

1.5 Fade Margin

To ensure the link will continue to operate correctly with unexpected attenuation
effects and seasonal fades, the S/N must be set higher than the S/Nmin specific for
each modulation level. The difference between these two levels is called the Fade
Margin (FM). Fade Margin is similar to a 'power reserve' in which extra power is
designed into the Link Budget results to compensate for fades arising from
seasonal climatic conditions, multipath dispersions, and shadowing effects from
buildings and natural foliage.
The Fade Margin is determined by the required availability. Availability is defined
as the amount of time (expressed in % per year) that a link properly detects the
signal (BER is less than 10-9). The table below describes the outage period per year
that corresponds to the different availability values.

Table 4: Availability Versus Outage Time

Availability (%) Outage Period Per Year
99.9 8.8 hours
99.99 53 minutes
99.999 5.3 minutes
99.9999 32 seconds

1.6 Availability
It is recommended that a link be designed for an availability of greater than
99.99%. The Link Budget Tool automatically calculates the estimated required
fade margin over distance to achieve this availability.
A key advantage of Redline products is a transmission correction scheme called
Automatic Repeat ReQuest (ARQ). The ARQ algorithm detects packet loss due to
fading, and requests the remote-end system re-transmit the specific packets. This
feature provides an equivalent link budget gain of over 5 dB, which translates
directly to an improved margin.
Another advantage is the multiple modulation schemes, including BPSK, QPSK,
16 QAM, and 64 QAM. Systems allow individual selection of the uplink and
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downlink modulation scheme. Schemes can be adjusted dynamically for changing

propagation conditions, achieving optimum spectral efficiency. Higher order
modulation schemes are (64 QAM) are typically deployed at reduced ranges while
lower order modulation schemes (BPSK) are implemented at long distances.

1.7 Parameter Overview

This section lists each of the RF parameters listed in the tool, and describes their
function. The two columns are organized by path direction (not device). The left
column represents the transmitter located at site A, and its receiver is located at
site B. Only drop-down menu items and values displayed in blue can be entered by
the user. All other values are calculated by the tool.

Figure 3: Link Budget: Uplink/Downlink Parameters

Transmitter:
Select the wireless device being used for this link before entering any other
technical information. Selection of a device automatically adjusts the display
headings and the selections available for the transmitters, antennas, etc.
Frequency: Select the operating band for this link.
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ODU Tx Power: Enter the (maximum) output power of the transmitter.

Tx Antenna Gain: The antenna gain value is determined by the antenna selection
(see Antenna Gain field in Settings). A value can be entered manually.
Tx Implementation Loss: Enter the signal loss due to implementation (cables,
connectors, lightning arrestors, etc).
EIRP: Displays Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP). This is the apparent
power transmitted towards the receiver.
Propagation
Range: Enter the distance between the two ends of the link along the bore sight.
Path loss: Display the predicted loss for the wireless link. This value is primarily
based on the selected operating frequency, path loss model, and range.
Link Profile:
Modulation / Coding Rate: Select the modulation and coding rate combination.
This is used for calculating the wireless threshold and Ethernet throughput values.
This field can also be calculated automatically using the Auto-Rate button
(Settings); calculated results will be based on Fade Margin selection.
Minimum Required CINR: Display the minimum CINR required for operating at
the selected Modulation / Coding Rate. This is a calculated value.
Expected Channel Throughput: Display the calculated un-coded throughput
rate. This value is calculated based on device type, coding rate, and channel size.
Max Unidirectional Throughput: Display the calculated maximum
unidirectional Ethernet throughput. This value is based on the Expected Channel
Throughput.
Receiver:
Receiver Gain: This value is the Tx Antenna Gain for the opposite direction.
Rx Implementation Loss: This value is the Tx Implementation Loss for the
opposite direction.
RSSI: Display the calculated received signal.
Threshold at BER=10-6: Display the calculated minimum required RSSI for the
selected modulation and coding rate combination.
Fade Margin: Display the difference between the RSSI and the Threshold.

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1.8 The Link Profile Graphic

The link budget utility uses the link range, RF frequency, and antenna heights to
estimate the path profile. For ease of interpretation, this profile is displayed in a
side-view. The green arc across the bottom represents the earth-bulge due to the
curvature of the earth. The link budget tool does not allow elevation data to be
entered, and assumes the terrain between the antenna sites is completely flat. The
grey line in the center represents the link’s bore sight, while the two outer curves
represent the positive and negative 0.6 Fresnel zones. Blue lines represent an
unobstructed Fresnel zone. Red lines indicate that the Freznel zone is obstruction
by earth-bulge.

Figure 4: Link Budget Freznel Zone Graphic

Settings Overview:
This section lists each of the utilities options and a brief description of the usage.

Figure 5: Link Budget: Settings

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Antenna Height: Enter the height of each antenna. This value is used in the
ERCEG path loss models. This value is also used with the link range, RF
frequency to identify Fresnel zone obstruction by earth-bulge (see graphic).
Antenna Gain: Select the antenna gain from the available list (based on product
selection). This selection populates the Tx Antenna Gain field. If a value is entered
manually, this field will be displayed as 'Custom'.
Fade Margin: Select the mode for calculating fade margin. Select 'Ideal' for the
default value or select 'Specified' and enter a fade margin value.
Auto Rate: Click this button to automatically calculate the highest possible
Modulation / Coding Rate with the given path loss.
Auto Range: Click this button to automatically calculate the longest link possible
using the currently configured Modulation / Coding Rate.
Disable Automatic Tx Power Adjustment: Select this feature to prevent the tool
from automatically adjusting Tx Power to remain within device limitations.
Disable Automatic Antenna Heights: Select this feature to prevent the tool from
automatically adjusting the antenna heights to prevent Fresnel zone obstruction
due to earth-bulge.
Calculator: Click this button to open a dialog window and enter GPS coordinates
(link distance will be calculated automatically).
Measurement Unites: Select metric or imperial units of measure.
Path Loss Model: Select the path loss model. Press the help button (?) for a
description of each model.
TDM Configuration: If the selected device supports this feature, specify the
number of T1 or E1 ports in use. The tool calculates and displays the required
bandwidth.
Channel Bandwidth: If the selected device supports this feature, select the
channel bandwidth. This selection has a considerable effect on sensitivity
thresholds and channel throughput.

1.9 Example: Using the Link Budget Tool

This example is for a customer planning to install a new PTP AN-50 link. The link
distance is 9 km, and the antennas are 2 foot flat panel antennas, with 28 dB gain.
Here are the steps taken to derive a link budget:
1. Select AN50/AN30PTP as a device type
2. Select Metric for the measurement type and enter 9 into the range field
3. Select the antenna present 2 ft 4.5 deg (F) as the antenna type for each unit, or
manually enter 28 for the uplink and downlink antenna gain.
4. Press the Auto Rate button to determine the best possible modulation / coding
rate for this path profile

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Figure 6: Link Budget For 64 QAM ¾ Code Rate

1.10 For More Information

For further technical support during the upgrade procedure please contact
your Redline Certified Partner or the Redline Technical Support group at
1.866.999.3537 or via email at [email protected].

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302 Town Centre • Suite 100 • Markham, Ontario • Canada • L3R 0E8
www.redlinecommunications.com
Copyright © 2004 Redline Communications Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject
to change without notice. The statements, configurations, technical data, and recommendations in this document
are believed to be accurate and reliable, but are presented without express or implied warranty. Users must take
full responsibility for their applications of any products specified in this document. The information in this
document is proprietary to Redline Communications Inc.

70-00047-01-DRAFT Proprietary Redline Communications © 2004 June 19, 2006

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