BASIC RF

Components

CELL PLANNING
SMART Communications Inc.

OBJECTIVES:
Review the Basic Units, terminology
and RF components
Applications

I. Basic of Telecom
a. Transmitter the equipment that generates and
amplifies a RF carrier signal, modulating the
carrier signal with intelligence, and feeding the
modulated carrier to an antenna for radiation into
space as electromagnetic wave.
b. Receiver an equipment used for receiving
radio waves and converting them into the original
intelligence
c. Information/Intelligence the actual message
that is being sent in a communication system.

Hi! Good
Morning.

Rx

Tx

Hi! Good
Morning
too.

II. Terms and Units

a. Relative and Absolute

i. Ratios units which are in absolute form and
represent division of values. Ex. C/I, S/N, etc.
ii. Logarithmic units which are converted into
its equivalent logarithmic values. Ex. decibel
b. Amplitude or Signal Level
- signifies the strength of the given signal

i. Watts - the SI unit of electric power that in

one second gives rise to energy to one joule.
- it is named after the Scottish inventor
James Watt

Amplitude

Amplitude the value of a varying signal at a specific period

in time

ii. Decibel a power measurement unit referred to another

unit.

dBm the power level of a certain signal taking 1

milliwatt as the reference
iii. Losses and Gains -energies that are either
added/absorbed and subtracted/released in a system
iv. C/I or S/N the ratio of the desired signal to the
undesired signal or interference/noise
- this is a measure of the strength of a
signal compared to any unwanted
signal.

c. Frequency - the number of complete cycle per unit of

time for a periodic quantity such as alternating current,
sound waves and radiowaves.

i. Hertz the SI unit of frequency equal to cycle

per second

T
Frequency =

1
Period ( T )

Vel of Propagation
=
Frequency

v. 3 dB points Half power points

- points on the waveform where of
the maximum signal is located
- this is the reference when we take the
bandwidth of a certain waveform
amplitude

Max pt.
3dB pt

Bandwidth
frequency

ii. Center Frequency - the average frequency of the

emitted wave when modulated by a symmetrical signal
iii. Bandwidth the range of frequencies which have
been specified as performance limits for a filter, amplifier
or attenuator, defined as the 3dB points at the high pass
and low pass ends of the frequency response curve

CF
Bandwidth

d. SPECTRUM ANALYZER

Spectrum Analyzer - an instrument

that measures the amplitudes of the
components of a complex waveform
throughout the frequency range of the
waveform.

Spectrum analyzer

f. Law of Conservation of Energy

- this states that energy can neither be
created nor destroyed, instead it will
just transform from one form to
another.

IV. RF COMPONENTS

a. Active - components that introduces

additional energy and reprocess the received
signal

b. Passive components that do not introduce

any additional energy on the signal.

c. Basic RF Components
i. ANTENNA - a device that radiates and receives
radio waves
- they transition point in the
communication chain, where the signal
changes from a wireline signal to a radio
wave propagating signal and vice versa.

Types

- British term is AERIAL

- sometimes called RADIATOR

Omnidirectional antennas : radiate with the same intensity to

all directions (in azimuth)
Directional antennas : main radiation energy is concentrated
to certain directions

antennas
yagi

panel
pico

radiation pattern

a. Practical Requirements
i. Number of Antenna - reduce the required
number of antenna relative to the number of
radios. One to one ratio of antenna to radio is
impractical.
ii. Antenna isolation the separation
between two antennas that is usually
considered when employing a space
diversity technique. The distance should be
multiple of the half wavelength.

Antenna Isolation: Vertical

The following is valid for 900 Mhz.,
1800,1900Mhz and co-located 900 + 1800/1900
Mhz.

Requirements:

Tx -Rx and Rx- Tx: 30 dB

Pre-condition:
No influence from tower
structures More than 2m bet Ant and tower.
( A in figure)

Vertical Separation: Tx - Rx and Rx - Tx

Minimum 0.2 m
( K in figure)

Antenna Isolation: Horizontal

Requirements:

Tx -Rx and Rx- Tx: 30 dB

Vertical Separation:

See Table Below

Table:

Horizontal Separation

Gain dBi

900 Mhz

1800/1900

900+1800/1900

<10

3m

1.5m

1m

>10

5m

2.5 m

1m

DIVERSITY
There is a need for receiver diversity in cellular systems
to improve the uplink.

Space Diversity
dd

Horizontal Separation, dd

Common
TX/RX
Antenna

for diversity = 12-18 (wavelength)

for isolation = 30 dB = 2 (wavelength)
[antennas with 65 degrees beamwidth,
all gain values]
TX1/RXA TX1/RXA
BTS Equipment

DIVERSITY

Polarization Diversity using dual-polarized antennas

vertical
array

horizontal
array

+45
degrees

- 45
degrees

antenna
housing

connectors
feeders

vertical + horizontal polarization

+/- 45 degrees polarization

DIVERSITY

Polarization Diversity using dual-polarized antennas

Required isolation >30 dB between

the two antenna parts...

1.5 dB downlink loss

TX1/RXA TX1/RXA

ii. Filters - a selective device that allows a

desired range of energy to pass through
and substantially attenuating all other
ranges.

- they are used to separate, combine or

suppress microwave frequencies.
- they are used to ensure that no
harmonics are transmitted

1. Low Pass Filter a filter that

attenuates frequencies higher than
the cut-off frequency

Amplitude

Amplitude

Frequency

Input

Frequency

Output

fc

2. High Pass Filter -a filter

that permits frequencies
higher than the cut-off
frequency.

Amplitude

Amplitude

Frequency

Input

Frequency

Output

fc

3. Band pass Filter - a filter that

accepts a band of
frequencies and
considerably attenuates
higher and lower frequencies
than the desired band.
Amplitude

Amplitude

Frequency

Input

fc
Output

fc

Frequency

4. Band stop/Notch Filter - a

filter that prohibits the
passage of a certain
band of frequencies and
allows other
frequencies.

Amplitude

Amplitude

Frequency

Input

fc
Output

fc

Frequency

iii. Amplifier - a device that

increases the strength of a
signal without appreciably
altering its characteristic
waveform.

Amplitude

Amplitude

Time

Time

Input

Output

iv. Circulator - a waveguide component that has a number

of terminals so arranged that energy entering one terminal
is transmitted to the next in a particular direction. This can
be used as a duplexer

v. Directional Coupler - a device that

couples a secondary system only to a
wave traveling in a particular
direction while completely ignoring
the wave traveling into the opposite
direction

vi. Splitter/Divider - a device that has

the capability to distribute one input
signal to two or more output
without introducing distortion to the
signal.

vii. Resistive Load - component that can absorb the

transmitted energy and behaves like an actual load such
as an antenna.

viii. Attenuator - a device that uses resistive

components to reduce the strength of a
signal without introducing considerable
distortion.
Amplitude

Amplitude

Time

Time

attenuator

ix. Isolator - allows a signal to pass through in one

direction and attenuates it in the other direction. This is
usually used to prevent a very high SWR.
Incident Wave

Reflected Wave

x. Connectors - device that joins two or more circuit

Connectors

xi. Cables - a transmission line

where energy can pass through
without considerable decrease
on the energy

Cables

xii. Leaky Cables - a cable which has a leak where

energy escapes out continuously

d. Complex RF Components
i. Combiners are needed to enable more than
one transmitter to be connected to one
common transmitting antenna.
In GSM, two different TX combiners can be
used
FILTER COMBINER

HYBRID COMBINER

Transceiver 1
Transceiver 2
Transceiver 3
Transceiver 4

ii. Duplexer - a switching device that permits

alternate use of the same antenna for both transmit
and receive.

Tx
Rx

Duplexer Block Diagram

Tx Filter

Tx

Antenna
Rx Filter

LNA

Rx

iii. Diplexer - a coupling system that allows two

different transmitters to operate simultaneously
or separately from the same antenna.

Tx1

Tx 2

Diplexer Block Diagram

Port 900

Dual Band
Antenna
Port 1800

vi. RECEIVER MULTICOUPLER UNIT (RMU)

- amplifies the received signals and divides them to the
receivers (Rx) of the Transceiver units (TRXs).
RX 1
RX 2
ANT

Test
Module

RX
Filter

Amplifier
Module

TEST

RX 3

RX 4

RX 5

RX 6

Main Functional Part of the RMUA (1800)

IV. Implementation
a. BTS Base Transceiver Station
- this is the outer most part of the network
and it interfaces the mobile subscriber to
the network

BSC

MS

BTS

MSC

Base Transceiver Station

Antenna
Rx

Transceiver

Tx

RMU
Rx

Transceiver

Tx

Duplexer

Rx

Transceiver

Tx

Combiner
Rx

Transceiver

Tx

b. Repeater - an amplifier that processes weak signals

and retransmits stronger signal without reshaping
their waveform

REPEATER
LNA

ATT

BSF

LNA

BPF

PA

Downlink
BPF

BPF

PSU

To BTS

Alarms

To MS

BPF

BPF

Uplink
PA

BPF

LNA

BSF

ATT

LNA

c. DAS Distributed Antenna System

- a system employed wherein several
antennas can be used to cover several areas
with only one transmitter
Splitter/divider

amplifier

Splitter/divider

D.A.S.

V. Link Budget
- this is a calculation of the
signal strength seen at the receiver
considering the output power of the
transmitter and the possible gains and
losses that might be incurred within
the system.

Downlink Link Budget

Mobile sensitivity = Bts transmit power - Combiner loss duplexer loss - Cable/feeder loss + Bts antenna gain - Maximum
path loss - fading margin - Building/Car penetration loss - body
loss + Mobile antenna gain

Uplink Link Budget

Bts sensitivity = Mobile transmit power + mobile antenna gain body loss - Maximum path loss - fading margin - building/car
penetration loss + Bts antenna gain + - Duplexer loss
- cable/feeder loss + Low Noise Amplifier