Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select Signal Level, Path loss, and Total losses from the Result Type list.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Link Budget: Select Link Budget to display a dialogue with the link budget.
- Model Details: Select Model Details to display a text document with details on the displayed profile analysis.
Model details are only available for the standard propagation model.

Displays data, including received signal, shadowing margin,

You can select a different transmitter and
cell edge coverage probability, propagation model used, and
choose to display a profile only with a selected
transmitter-receiver distance.
carrier.

Fresnel ellipsoid Line of sight Attenuation with diffraction.

Figure 12.14: Point Analysis Tool - Profile tab

12.2.9.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage

As you are building your radio-planning project, you may want to check the coverage of a new base station without having
to calculate the entire project. You can do this by selecting the site with its transmitters and then creating a new coverage
prediction.
This section explains how to calculate the signal level coverage of a single site. A signal level coverage prediction displays
the signal of the best server for each pixel of the area studied.

Note: You can use the same procedure to study the signal level coverage of several sites by
grouping the transmitters. For information on grouping transmitters, see "Grouping Data
Objects by a Selected Property" on page 65.

To study the signal level coverage of a single base station:

1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder and select Group by > Sites from the context menu. The transmitters are now
displayed in the Transmitters folder by the site on which they are situated.

Tip: If you want to study only sites by their status, at this step you could group them by status.

3. Select the propagation parameters to be used in the coverage prediction:

a. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
b. Right-click the group of transmitters you want to study. The context menu appears.
c. Select Open Table from the context menu. A table appears with the properties of the selected group of trans-
mitters.
d. In the table, you can configure two propagation models: one for the main matrix, with a shorter radius and a
higher resolution, and another for the extended matrix, with a longer radius and a lower resolution. By calcu-
lating two matrices you can reduce the time of calculation by using a lower resolution for the extended matrix
and you can obtain more accurate results by using for the main and extended matrices propagation models
best suited for each distance.
e. In the Main Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
f. If desired, in the Extended Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 751

Atoll User Manual

g. Close the table.

4. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the group of transmitters you want to study and select Calculations >
Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
The Study Types dialogue lists the coverage predictions available. They are divided into Standard Studies,
supplied with Atoll, and Customized Studies. Unless you have already created some customized coverage
predictions, the Customized Studies list will be empty.

5. Select Coverage by P-CCPCH RSCP and click OK. A coverage prediction properties dialogue appears.
6. You can configure the following parameters in the Properties dialogue:
- General tab: You can change the assigned Name of the coverage prediction, the Resolution, and you can
add a Comment. The resolution you set is the display resolution, not the calculation resolution.
To improve memory consumption and optimise the calculation times, you should set the display resolutions of
coverage predictions according to the precision required. The following table lists the levels of precision that
are usually sufficient:

Size of the Coverage

Display Resolution
Prediction

City Centre 5m

City 20 m

County 50 m

State 100 m

Country According to the size of the country

Note: If you create a new coverage prediction from the context menu of either the Transmitters
or Predictions folder, you can select the sites using the Group By, Sort, and Filter
buttons under Configuration. Because you already selected the target sites, however,
only the Filter button is available.

- Condition tab: The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you to define the signals that
will be considered for each pixel (see Figure 12.15). You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the
terminal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined
in the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add (P-
CCPCH RSCP threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the
coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier
with the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible
transmitters. Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected car-
rier does not exist in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select
"All," Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no pre-
ferred carrier is defined in the service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier
with the highest P-CCPCH power, or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmit-
ters.

- Timeslot: The coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP is performed for TS0.

- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

752 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.15: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP

- Display tab: You can modify how the results of the coverage prediction will be displayed.
- Under Display Type, select "Value Intervals."
- Under Field, select "Best Signal Level."
- You can change the value intervals and their displayed colour. For information on changing display prop-
erties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.
- You can create a tooltip with information about the coverage prediction by clicking the Browse button

( ) next to the Tip Text box and selecting the fields you want to display in the tooltip.
- You can select the Add to Legend check box to add the displayed value intervals to the legend.

Note: If you change the display properties of a coverage prediction after you have calculated it,
you may make the coverage prediction invalid. You will then have to recalculate the
prediction to obtain valid results.

7. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window. The coverage
prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP can be found in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results
of a coverage prediction as soon as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction in the
Predictions folder. When you click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll only calculates unlocked coverage predictions ( ).

12.2.10 Studying Base Stations

When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone.
Figure 12.16 gives an example of a computation zone. In Figure 12.16, the computation zone is displayed in red, as it is
in the Atoll map window. The propagation zone of each active site is indicated by a blue square. Each propagation zone
that intersects the rectangle (indicated by the green dashed line) containing the computation zone will be taken into consid-
eration when Atoll calculates the coverage prediction. Sites 78 and 95, for example, are not in the computation zone.
However, their propagation zones intersect the rectangle containing the computation zone and, therefore, they will be
taken into consideration in the coverage prediction. On the other hand, the coverage zones of three other sites do not inter-
sect the green rectangle. Therefore, they will not be taken into account in the coverage prediction.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 753

Atoll User Manual

Figure 12.16: An example of a computation zone

Before calculating a coverage prediction, Atoll must have valid path loss matrices. Atoll calculates the path loss matrices
using the assigned propagation model. Atoll can use two different propagation models for each transmitter: a main prop-
agation model with a shorter radius (displayed with a blue square in Figure 12.16) and a higher resolution and an extended
propagation model with a longer radius and a lower resolution. Atoll will use the main propagation model to calculate
higher resolution path loss matrices close to the transmitter and the extended propagation model to calculate lower reso-
lution path loss matrices outside the area covered by the main propagation model.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Path Loss Matrices" on page 754.
• "Assigning a Propagation Model" on page 756.
• "The Calculation Process" on page 758.
• "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 758.
• "Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active" on page 758.
• "Signal Level Coverage Predictions" on page 759.
• "Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 767.
• "Signal Quality Coverage Predictions" on page 774.
• "HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 793.
• "Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 795.

12.2.10.1 Path Loss Matrices

Path loss is caused by objects in the transmitter-receiver path and is calculated by the propagation model. In Atoll, the
path loss matrices are needed for all base stations that are active, filtered and whose propagation zone intersects a rectan-
gle containing the computation zone (for an explanation of the computation zone, see "Studying Signal Level Coverage"
on page 751) and must be calculated before predictions and simulations can be made.

Storing Path Loss Matrices

Path loss matrices can be stored internally, in the Atoll document, or they can be stored externally. Storing path loss matri-
ces in the Atoll document results in a more portable but significantly larger document. In the case of large radio-planning
projects, embedding the matrices can lead to large documents which use a large amount of memory. Therefore, in the
case of large radio-planning projects, saving your path loss matrices externally will help reduce the size of the file and the
use of computer resources.
The path loss matrices are also stored externally in a multi-user environment, when several users are working on the same
radio-planning document and share the path loss matrices. In this case, the radio data is stored in a database and the path
loss matrices are read-only and are stored in a location accessible to all users. When the user changes his radio data and
recalculates the path loss matrices, the calculated changes to the path loss matrices are stored locally; the common path
loss matrices are not modified. These will be recalculated by the administrator taking into consideration the changes to
radio data made by all users. For more information on working in a multi-user environment, see the Administrator Manual.
When you save the path loss matrices to an external directory, Atoll creates:
• One file per transmitter with the extension LOS for its main path loss matrix.
• A DBF file with validity information for all the main matrices.
• A folder called "LowRes" with LOS files and a DBF file for the extended path loss matrices.

754 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

To set the storage location of the path loss matrices:

1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Predictions tab, under Path Loss Matrix Storage, you can set the location for your private path loss
matrices and the location for the shared path loss matrices:
- Private Directory: The Private Directory is where you store path loss matrices you generate or, if you are
loading path loss matrices from a shared location, where you store your changes to shared path loss matrices.

Click the button beside the Private Directory ( ) and select Embedded to save the path loss matrices in
the Atoll document, or Share to select a directory where Atoll can save the path loss matrices externally.

Note: Path loss matrices you calculate locally are not stored in the same directory as shared
path loss matrices. Shared path loss matrices are stored in a read-only directory. In other
words, you can read the information from the shared path loss matrices but any changes
you make will be stored locally, either embedded in the ATL file or in a private external
folder, depending on what you have selected in Private Directory.

Caution: When you save the path loss files externally, the external files are updated as soon as
calculations are performed and not only when you save the Atoll document. In order to
keep consistency between the Atoll document and the stored calculations, you should
save the Atoll document before closing it, if you have updated the path loss matrices.

- Shared Directory: When you are working in a multi-user Atoll environment, the project data is stored in a
database and the common path loss matrices are stored in a directory that is accessible to all users. Any
changes you make will not be saved to this directory; they will be saved in the location indicated in Private
Directory. The path loss matrices in the shared directory are updated by a user with administrator rights based
on the updated information in the database. For more information on shared directories, see the Administrator
Manual.
5. Click OK.

Checking the Validity of Path Loss Matrices

Atoll automatically checks the validity of the path loss matrices before calculating any coverage prediction. If you want,
you can check whether the path loss matrices are valid without creating a coverage prediction.
To check whether the path loss matrices are valid:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab. The path loss matrix information is listed in the Available Results table. You have the
following display options:
- Display all the matrices: All path loss matrices are displayed.
- Display only invalid matrices: Only invalid path loss matrices are displayed.
The Available Results table lists the following information for each displayed path loss matrix:

- Transmitter: The name of the transmitter.

- Locked: If the check box is selected, the path loss matrix will not be updated even if the path loss matrices
are recalculated.
- Valid: Whether or not the path loss matrix is valid.
- Origin of Invalidity: If the path loss matrix is indicated as being invalid, the reason is given here.
- Size: The size of the path loss matrix for the transmitter.
- File: If the path loss matrix is not embedded, the location of the file is listed.
5. Click the Statistics button to display the number of path loss matrices to be recalculated. The Statistics dialogue
appears (see Figure 12.17) with the total number of invalid path loss matrices and the reasons for invalidity, as
well as a summary of the reasons for invalidity.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 755

Atoll User Manual

Figure 12.17: Path loss matrices statistics

12.2.10.2 Assigning a Propagation Model

In Atoll, you can assign a propagation model globally to all transmitters, to a defined group of transmitters, or a single
transmitter. As well, you can assign a default propagation model for coverage predictions. This propagation model is used
as for all transmitters where the main propagation model selected is "(Default model)."
Because you can assign a propagation model in several different ways, it is important to understand which propagation
model Atoll will use:
1. If you have assigned a propagation model to a single transmitter, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation Model
to One Transmitter" on page 757, or to a group of transmitters, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation Model to
a Group of Transmitters" on page 757, this is the propagation model that will be used.
The propagation model assigned to an individual transmitter or to a group of transmitters will always have prece-
dence over any other assigned propagation model.

2. If you have assigned a propagation model globally to all transmitters, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation
Model to All Transmitters" on page 756, this is the propagation model that will be used for all transmitters, except
for those to which you have assigned a propagation model either individually or as part of a group.

Important: When you assign a propagation model globally, you override any selection you might
have made to an individual transmitter or to a group of transmitters.

3. If you have assigned a default propagation model for coverage predictions, as described in "Defining a Default
Propagation Model" on page 187, this is the propagation model that will be used for all transmitters whose main
propagation model is "(Default model)." If a transmitter has any other propagation model chosen as the main prop-
agation model, that is the propagation model that will be used.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters" on page 756.
• "Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters" on page 757.
• "Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 757.
For more information about the available propagation models, see Chapter 5: Managing Calculations in Atoll.

Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters

In Atoll, you can choose a propagation model for a single transmitter or globally for all transmitters.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
6. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for all transmitters.

756 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Note: Setting a different main or extended matrix on an individual transmitter as explained in

"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 757 will override this entry.

Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters

Transmitters that share the same parameters and environment will usually use the same propagation model and settings.
In Atoll, you can assign the same propagation model to several transmitters by first grouping them by their common
parameters and then assigning the propagation model.
To define a main and extended propagation model for a defined group of transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select from the Group By submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the transmitters.
The objects in the folder are grouped by that property.

Note: You can group transmitters by several properties by using the Group By button on the
Properties dialogue. For more information, see "Advanced Grouping" on page 66.

4. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.

5. Right-click the group of transmitters to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The
context menu appears.
6. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears with the transmitters from the
selected group.
For each transmitter, you can set the propagation model parameters in the following columns:

- Main Propagation Model

- Main Calculation Radius
- Main Resolution
- Extended Propagation Model
- Extended Calculation Radius
- Extended Resolution
7. To enter the same values in one column for all transmitters in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.

Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 50.

Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter

If you have added a single transmitter, you can assign it a propagation model. You can also assign a propagation model
to a single transmitter after you have assigned a main and extended propagation model globally or to a group of transmit-
ters.
When you assign a main and extended propagation model to a single transmitter, it overrides any changes made globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Propagation tab.
6. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
8. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for the selected transmitter.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 757

Atoll User Manual

12.2.10.3 The Calculation Process

When you create a coverage prediction and click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll follows the following process:
1. Atoll first checks to see whether the path loss matrices exist and, if so, whether they are valid. There must be valid
path loss matrices for each active and filtered transmitter whose propagation radius intersects the rectangle
containing the computation zone.
2. If the path loss matrices do not exist or are not valid, Atoll calculates them. There has to be at least one unlocked
coverage prediction in the Predictions folder. If not Atoll will not calculate the path loss matrices when you click
the Calculate button ( ).
3. Atoll calculates all unlocked coverage predictions in the Predictions folder. Atoll automatically locks the results
of the coverage predictions as soon as they are calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage
predictions in the Predictions folder.

Notes:

• You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button ( ) in
the toolbar.
• When you click the Force Calculation button ( ) instead of the Calculate button, Atoll cal-
culates all path loss matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations.

12.2.10.4 Creating a Computation Zone

To create a computation zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Computation Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the computation zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The computation zone is delimited by a red line. If you clear the computation zone’s visibility check box in the
Zones folder of the Geo tab in the Explorer window, it will no longer be displayed but will still be taken into
account.

You can also create a computation zone as follows:

• Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a computation zone by right-clicking it and
selecting Use as Computation Zone from the context menu.
• Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a computation zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Computa-
tion Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
• Fit to Map Window: You can create a computation zone the size of the map window by right-clicking the Com-
putation Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Fit to Map Window from the context menu.

Note: You can save the computation zone in the user configuration. For information on
exporting the computation zone in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User
Configuration" on page 75.

12.2.10.5 Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active

When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone. Before
you define a coverage prediction, you must ensure that all the transmitters on the sites you want to study have been acti-
vated. In the Explorer window, active transmitters are indicated with a red icon ( ) in the Transmitters folder and inac-
tive transmitters are indicated with a white icon ( ).
In Atoll, you can also set individual cells on a transmitter as active or inactive.
You can set an individual transmitter as active from its context menu or you can set more than one transmitter as active
by activating them from the Transmitters context menu, by activating the transmitters’ cells from the Cells table, or by
selecting the transmitters with a zone and activating them from the zone’s context menu.

758 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

To set an individual transmitter as active:

1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter you want to activate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Active Transmitter from the context menu. The transmitter is now active.
To set more than one transmitter as active using the Transmitters context menu:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select the transmitters you want to set as active:
- To set all transmitters as active, right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
- To set a group of transmitters as active, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder and
right-click the group of transmitters you want to set as active. The context menu appears.
3. Select Activate Transmitters from the context menu. The selected transmitters are set as active.
To set more than one transmitter as active using the Transmitters table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Open Table. The Transmitters table appears with each transmitter’s parameters in a second row.
4. For each transmitter that you want to set as active, select the check box in the Active column.
To set more than one cell as active using the Cells table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Open Table. The Cells table appears with each cell’s parameters in a second row.
4. For each cell that you want to set as active, select the check box in the Active column.
To set transmitters as active using a zone:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of Zones folder to expand the folder.
3. Right-click the folder of the zone you will use to select the transmitters. The context menu appears.

Note: If you do not yet have a zone containing the transmitters you want to set as active, you
can draw a zone as explained in "Using Zones in the Map Window" on page 41.

4. Select Activate Transmitters from the context menu. The selected transmitters are set as active.
Once you have ensured that all transmitters are active, you can set the propagation model parameters. For information on
choosing and configuring a propagation model, see Chapter 5: Managing Calculations in Atoll.
Calculating path loss matrices can be time and resource intensive when you are working on large projects. Consequently,
Atoll offers you the possibility of distributing path loss calculations on several computers. You can install the Atoll comput-
ing server application on other workstations or servers. Once the computing server application is installed on a workstation
or server, the computer is available for distributed path loss calculation to other computers on the network. For information
on distributed calculations, see the Administrator Manual.

12.2.10.6 Signal Level Coverage Predictions

Atoll offers a series of coverage predictions that are based on the received signal code power (RSCP) level per pixel. The
RSCP can be the P-CCPCH RSCP on TS0, the DwPCH RSCP on the DwPTS timeslot, or the UpPCH RSCP on the
UpPTS timeslot. Coverage predictions based on interference and network load conditions are covered in "Signal Quality
Coverage Predictions" on page 774, and "HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 793.
Once you have created and calculated a coverage prediction, you can use the coverage prediction’s context menu to make
the coverage prediction into a template which will appear in the Study Types dialogue. You can also select Duplicate
from the coverage prediction’s context menu to create a copy. By duplicating an existing coverage prediction that has the
parameters you want to study, you can create a new coverage prediction more quickly. If you clone a coverage prediction,
by selecting Clone from the context menu, you can create a copy of the coverage prediction with the calculated coverage.
You can then change the display, providing that the selected parameter does not invalidate the calculated coverage
prediction.
You can also save the list of all defined coverage predictions in a user configuration, allowing you or other users to import
it into a new Atoll document. When you save the list in a user configuration, the parameters of all existing coverage predic-
tions are saved, not just the parameters of calculated or displayed ones. For information on exporting user configurations,
see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 75.
The following standard coverage predictions are explained in this section:
• "Making a Coverage Prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP" on page 760.
• "Making a Coverage Prediction by P-CCPCH Best Server" on page 761.
• "Making a P-CCPCH Pollution Coverage Prediction" on page 762.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 759

Atoll User Manual

• "Making a Coverage Prediction by DwPCH RSCP" on page 764.

• "Making a Coverage Prediction by UpPCH RSCP" on page 765.

12.2.10.6.1 Making a Coverage Prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP

A coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP allows you to predict the signal strength (received signal code power) of the
pilot channel (TS0) using the main antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level,
path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by P-CCPCH RSCP and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.18). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set the following:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add
(P-CCPCH RSCP threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the
coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
on a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display
the coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
- Timeslot: The coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.18: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP

7. Click the Display tab.

For a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Best
Signal Level" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the coverage prediction
makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the P-CCPCH RSCP level. For information
on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

You can also set parameters to display the following results:

- RSCP Margin: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "RSCP Margin" as the Field. RSCP Margin
is the margin between the calculated P-CCPCH RSCP and the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add given for the selected
mobility.

760 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "Cell Edge Coverage
Probability" as the Field.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 12.19).

Figure 12.19: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP

12.2.10.6.2 Making a Coverage Prediction by P-CCPCH Best Server

A P-CCPCH best server coverage prediction allows you to predict which transmitter has the highest P-CCPCH RSCP at
each pixel. The coverage prediction is performed for TS0 using the main antenna of the transmitter. You can base the
coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by P-CCPCH Best Server and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.18). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel. On the Condition tab, you can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add
(P-CCPCH RSCP threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the
coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 761

Atoll User Manual

Figure 12.20: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server

7. Click the Display tab.

For a coverage prediction by transmitter, the Display Type "Discrete Values" based on the Field "Transmitter" is
selected by default. Each coverage zone will then be displayed with the same colour as that defined for each trans-
mitter. For information on defining transmitter colours, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the transmitter coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 12.21).

Figure 12.21: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server

12.2.10.6.3 Making a P-CCPCH Pollution Coverage Prediction

A P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction calculates the pixels that are, for a defined condition, covered by the P-CCPCH
signal of at least two transmitters. The coverage prediction considers the P-CCPCH RSCP (TS0) transmitted using the
main antenna of the transmitters.
To make a P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select P-CCPCH Pollution and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.22). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel. On the Condition tab, you can set:

762 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add
(P-CCPCH RSCP threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the
coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction is performed for TS0.

- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Pollution Margin: The margin for determining which signals to consider. Atoll considers signal levels which
are within the defined margin of the best signal level.

Figure 12.22: Condition settings for a P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For a P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Number of
Servers" is selected by default. Each pixel experiencing P-CCPCH pollution will then be displayed in a colour
corresponding to the number of servers received per pixel. For information on defining display properties, see
"Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 12.23).

Note: By changing the parameters selected on the Condition tab and by selecting different
results to be displayed on the Display tab, you can calculate and display information other
than that which has been explained in the preceding sections.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 763

Atoll User Manual

Figure 12.23: P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction

12.2.10.6.4 Making a Coverage Prediction by DwPCH RSCP

A coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP allows you to predict the signal strength of the DwPCH channel (DwPTS timeslot)
using the main antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total
losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by DwPCH RSCP and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.24). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The DwPCH RSCP threshold defined
in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP is performed for DwPTS timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

764 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.24: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP

7. Click the Display tab.

For a coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "DwPCH
RSCP" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the DwPCH prediction makes
available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the DwPCH RSCP level. For information on defining
display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

You can also set parameters to display the following results:

- RSCP Margin: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "RSCP Margin" as the Field. RSCP Margin
is the margin between the calculated DwPCH RSCP and the DwPCH RSCP threshold given for the selected
mobility.
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "Cell Edge Coverage
Probability" as the Field.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 12.25).

Figure 12.25: Coverage prediction by DwPCH RSCP

12.2.10.6.5 Making a Coverage Prediction by UpPCH RSCP

A coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP allows you to predict the signal strength of the UpPCH channel (UpPTS timeslot)
using the main antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total
losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by UpPCH RSCP and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 765

Atoll User Manual

On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.26). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The UpPCH power, gains, and losses
defined in the terminal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. UpPCH RSCP threshold defined in
the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP is performed for UpPTS timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.26: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP

7. Click the Display tab.

For a coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "UpPCH
RSCP" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the coverage prediction by
UpPCH RSCP makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the UpPCH RSCP level. For
information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

You can also set parameters to display the following results:

- RSCP Margin: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "RSCP Margin" as the Field. RSCP Margin
is the margin between the calculated UpPCH RSCP and the UpPCH RSCP threshold given for the selected
mobility.
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "Cell Edge Coverage
Probability" as the Field.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 12.27).

766 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.27: Coverage prediction by UpPCH RSCP

12.2.10.7 Analysing a Coverage Prediction

Once you have completed a coverage prediction, you can analyse the results with the tools that Atoll provides.
The results are displayed graphically in the map window according to the settings you made on the Display tab when you
created the coverage prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 751). If several coverage predic-
tions are displayed on the map, it may be difficult to clearly see the results of the coverage prediction you want to analyse.
You can select which coverage predictions to display or to hide by selecting or clearing the display check box. For infor-
mation on managing the display, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 28.
In this section, the following tools are explained:
• "Displaying the Legend Window" on page 767.
• "Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tooltips" on page 767.
• "Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab" on page 768.
• "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 768.
• "Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics" on page 770.
• "Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples" on page 771.

12.2.10.7.1 Displaying the Legend Window

When you create a coverage prediction, you can add the displayed values of the coverage prediction to a legend by select-
ing the Add to Legend check box on the Display tab.
To display the Legend window:
• Select View > Legend Window. The Legend window is displayed, with the values for each displayed coverage
prediction identified by the name of the coverage prediction.

12.2.10.7.2 Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tooltips

You can get information by placing the pointer over an area of the coverage prediction to read the information displayed
in the tooltip. The information displayed is defined by the settings you made on the Display tab when you created the cover-
age prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 751).
To get coverage prediction results in the form of tooltips:
• In the map window, place the pointer over the area of the coverage prediction that you want more information on.
After a brief pause, the tooltip appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the coverage prediction
properties (see Figure 12.28).

Figure 12.28: Displaying coverage prediction results using tooltips

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 767

Atoll User Manual

12.2.10.7.3 Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab

Once you have calculated the coverage prediction, you can use the Point Analysis tool.

1. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
pointer changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
2. At the bottom of the Point Analysis Tool window, click the Reception tab (see Figure 12.29).
The predicted signal level from different transmitters is reported in the Reception tab in the form of a bar chart,
from the highest predicted signal level on the top to the lowest one on the bottom. Each bar is displayed in the
colour of the transmitter it represents. In the map window, arrows from the pointer to each transmitter are displayed
in the colour of the transmitters they represent. A thick black line from the pointer to its best server is also displayed
in the map window. The best server of the pointer is the transmitter from which the pointer receives the highest
signal level. If you let the pointer rest, the signal level received from the corresponding transmitter at the pointer
location is displayed in the tooltip.

At the top of the Reception tab, you can select the carrier to be analysed.

Figure 12.29: Point Analysis Window - Reception tab

3. Right-click the Reception tab and select Properties from the context menu. The Analysis Properties dialogue
appears.
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.

12.2.10.7.4 Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report
The focus and hot spot zones define an area on which statistics can be drawn and on which reports are made. While you
can only have one focus zone, you can define several hot spot zones in addition to the focus zone.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus and hot spot zones. The computation zone defines the
area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage predictions, Monte Carlo, power control simulations, etc., while
the focus and hot spot zones are the areas taken into consideration when generating reports and results. When you create
a coverage prediction report, it gives the results for the focus zone and for each of the defined hot spot zones.
To define a focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Focus Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder, depending on whether you want to create a focus zone or
a hot spot. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the focus or hot spot zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
A focus zone is delimited by a green line; a hot spot zone is delimited by a heavy black line. If you clear the zone’s
visibility check box in the Zones folder of the Geo tab in the Explorer window, it will no longer be displayed but
will still be taken into account.
You can also create a focus or hot spot zone as follows:
• Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a focus zone by right-clicking it and selecting
Use as Focus Zone from the context menu.

Note: You can only create a focus zone, and not a hot spot zone, from an existing polygon.

768 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

• Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a focus or hot spot zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Focus
Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu. When you import hot
spot zones, you can import the name given to each zone as well.
• Fit to Map Window: You can create a focus or hot spot zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.

Notes: You can save the focus or hot spot zones so that you can use them in a different Atoll
document:
- You can save the focus zone in the user configuration. For information on exporting the
focus zone in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 75.
- You can right-click the Focus Zone folder or the Hot Spot Zones folder on the Data
tab of the Explorer window and select Export from the context menu.
You can include population statistics in the focus or hot spot zone by importing a
population map. For information on importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo
Data File" on page 107.

12.2.10.7.5 Displaying a Coverage Prediction Report

Atoll can generate a report for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). The report displays the
covered surface and percentage for each threshold value defined in the Display tab of the coverage prediction’s Proper-
ties dialogue.
The coverage prediction report is displayed in a table. By default, the report table only displays the name and coverage
area columns. You can edit the table to select which columns to display or to hide. For information on displaying and hiding
columns, see "Displaying or Hiding a Column" on page 55.
Atoll bases the report on the area covered by the focus zone and hot spot zones; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will
use the computation zone. Using a focus zone enables you to create a report without the border effect. In other words, the
results of a coverage prediction are delimited by the computation zone; results close to the border are influenced by fact
that no calculations have been made outside the computation zone. Basing a report on a focus zone that is smaller than
the computation zone eliminates the border effect. By using a focus zone for the report, you can create a report for a
specific number of sites, instead of creating a report for every site that has been calculated.
The focus zone or hot spot zone must be defined before you display a report; it is not necessary to define it before comput-
ing coverage. The focus or hot spot zone does not, however, need to be visible; even if it is not displayed, Atoll will take
it into account when generating the report. For information on defining a focus zone or hot spot zone, see "Creating a
Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 768.
Atoll can generate a report for a single prediction, or for all displayed predictions.
To display a report on a single coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction for which you want to generate a report. The context menu appears.
4. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.
5. Define the format and content of the report:
You can select the columns that will be displayed in the report and define the order they are in:
a. Select the check box for each column you want to have displayed.

b. Define the order of the columns by selecting each column you want to move and clicking to move it up or

to move it down.
You can save the current report format in a configuration:
a. Under Configuration, click the Export button. The Save As dialogue appears.
b. In the Save As dialogue, browse to the folder where you want to save the configuration and enter a File name.
You can apply a configuration that you have saved previously:
a. Under Configuration, click the Import button. The Open dialogue appears.
b. Select the configuration you want to import and click Open. The imported report configuration is applied
6. When you have finished defining the format and content of the report, click OK in the Columns to Be Displayed
dialogue. The coverage prediction report table appears. The report is based on the hot spot zones and on the
focus zone if available or on the hot spot zones and computation zone if there is no focus zone.
To display a report on all coverage predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 769

Atoll User Manual

4. Define the format and content of the report:

You can select the columns that will be displayed in the report and define the order they are in:
a. Select the check box for each column you want to have displayed.

b. Define the order of the columns by selecting each column you want to move and clicking to move it up or

to move it down.
You can save the current report format in a configuration:
a. Under Configuration, click the Export button. The Save As dialogue appears.
b. In the Save As dialogue, browse to the folder where you want to save the configuration and enter a File name.
You can apply a configuration that you have saved previously:

a. Under Configuration, click the Import button. a appears.

b. Select the configuration you want to import and click Open. The imported report configuration is applied
5. When you have finished defining the format and content of the report, click OK in the Columns to Be Displayed
dialogue. The coverage prediction report table appears. The report shows all displayed coverage predictions in
the same order as in the Predictions folder. The report is based on the focus zone if available or on the calculation
zone if there is no focus zone.
You can include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone by importing a population map. For information on
importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 107. Normally, Atoll takes all geo data into
consideration, whether it is displayed or not. However, for the population statistics to be used in a report, the population
map has to be displayed.
To include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Ensure that the population geo data is visible. For information on displaying geo data, see "Displaying or Hiding
Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 28.
2. Display the report as explained above.
3. Select Format > Display Columns. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.
4. Select the following columns, where "Population" is the name of the folder on the Geo tab containing the popula-
tion map:
- "Population" (Population): The number of inhabitants covered.
- "Population" (% Population): The percentage of inhabitants covered.
- "Population" (Population [total]): The total number of inhabitants inside the zone.
Atoll saves the names of the columns you select and will automatically select them the next time you create a
coverage prediction report.

5. Click OK.
If you have created a custom data map with integrable data, the data can be used in prediction reports. The data will be
summed over the coverage area for each item in the report (for example, by transmitter or threshold). The data can be
value data (revenue, number of customers, etc.) or density data (revenue⁄km², number of customer⁄km², etc.). Data is
considered as non-integrable if the data given is per pixel or polygon and cannot be summed over areas, for example,
socio-demographic classes, rain zones, etc. For information on integrable data in custom data maps, see "Integrable
Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 124.

12.2.10.7.6 Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics

Atoll can display statistics for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). By default, Atoll displays
a histogram using the coverage prediction colours, interval steps, and shading as defined in the Display tab of the cover-
age prediction’s Properties dialogue. You can also display a cumulative distribution function (CDF) or an inverse CDF
(1 – CDF). For a CDF or an inverse CDF, the resulting values are combined and shown along a curve. You can also display
the histogram or the CDFs as percentages of the covered area.
Atoll bases the statistics on the area covered by the focus zone; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will use the computation
zone. However, by using a focus zone for the report, you can display the statistics for a specific number of sites, instead
of displaying statistics for every site that has been calculated. Hot spot zones are not taken into consideration when
displaying statistics.
The focus zone must be defined before you display statistics; it is not necessary to define it before computing coverage.
For information on defining a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 768.
To display the statistics on a coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction whose statistics you want to display. The context menu appears.
4. Select Histogram from the context menu. The Statistics dialogue appears with a histogram of the area defined
by the focus zone (see Figure 12.30).

770 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- Under Histogram Based on Covered Areas, you can select to view a histogram, CDF, or inverse CDF based
on area or percentage.
- The Detailed Results section displays the covered area values, or the percentage of the covered area, along
the y-axis against the coverage criterion along the x-axis.
- You can copy the graph by clicking the Copy button.
- You can print the graph by clicking the Print button.
- Under Statistics Based on Study Conditions, you can view the mean and standard deviation of the cov-
erage criteria calculated during the coverage calculations, if available.

Figure 12.30: Histogram of a coverage prediction by signal level

12.2.10.7.7 Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples

Atoll allows you to compare two similar predictions to see the differences between them. This enables you to quickly see
how changes you make affect the network.
In this section, there are two examples to explain how you can compare two similar predictions. You can display the results
of the comparison coverage in one of the following ways:
• Intersection: This display shows the area where both prediction coverages overlap (for example, pixels covered
by both coverage predictions are displayed in red).
• Union: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour and pixels covered by
only one coverage prediction in a different colour (for example, pixels covered by both predictions are red and
pixels covered by only one prediction are blue).
• Difference: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour, pixels covered by
only the first prediction with another colour and pixels covered only by the second prediction with a third colour (for
example, pixels covered by both coverage predictions are red, pixels covered only by the first prediction are green,
and pixels covered only by the second prediction are blue).
To compare two similar coverage predictions:
1. Create and calculate a coverage prediction of the existing network.
2. Examine the coverage prediction to see where coverage can be improved.
3. Make the changes to the network to improve coverage.
4. Duplicate the original coverage prediction (in order to leave the first coverage prediction unchanged).
5. Calculate the duplicated coverage prediction.
6. Compare the original coverage prediction with the new coverage prediction. Atoll displays differences in coverage
between them.
In this section, the following examples are explained:
• "Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station" on page 771.
• "Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt" on page 773.

Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station

If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how you can verify if a newly added base station improves coverage.
A coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP for the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage Prediction
by P-CCPCH RSCP" on page 760. The results are displayed in Figure 12.31. An area with poor coverage is visible on the
right side of the figure.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 771

Atoll User Manual

Figure 12.31: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP for existing network

A new base station is added, either by creating the site and adding the transmitters, as explained in "Creating a TD-
SCDMA Base Station" on page 728, or by using a station template, as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a
Station Template" on page 736. Once the new base station has been added, the original coverage prediction can be recal-
culated, but then it would be impossible to compare the results. Instead, the original coverage prediction by P-CCPCH
RSCP can be copied by selecting Duplicate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated to show the effect of the
new base station (see Figure 12.32).

Figure 12.32: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH RSCP of the network with a new base station

Now you can compare the two predictions.

To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.

4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes adding a new base station made, you should choose Difference.

5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 12.33, shows clearly the area covered only by the
new base station.

772 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.33: Comparison of both coverage predictions by P-CCPCH RSCP

Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt

If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for improving
coverage. In this example, we will look at how modifying transmitter tilt can improve coverage.
A coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server for the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage
Prediction by P-CCPCH Best Server" on page 761. The results are displayed in Figure 12.34. The coverage prediction
shows that one transmitter is covering its area poorly. The area is indicated with a red oval in the figure.

Figure 12.34: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server for the existing network

You can try modifying the tilt on the transmitter to improve the coverage. You can access the properties of the transmitter
by right-clicking the transmitter in the map window and selecting Properties from the context menu. The mechanical and
electrical tilt of the antenna are defined on the Transmitter tab of the Properties dialogue.
Once the tilt of the antenna has been modified, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated, but then it would be
impossible to compare the results. Instead, the original coverage prediction by can be copied by selecting Duplicate from
its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show how modifying the antenna tilt has affected coverage (see
Figure 12.35).

Figure 12.35: Coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server of the network after modifications

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 773

Atoll User Manual

As you can see, modifying the antenna tilt increased the coverage of the transmitter. However, to see exactly the change
in coverage, you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.

4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes modifying the antenna tilt made, you can choose Union. This will display all pixels
covered by both predictions in one colour and all pixels covered by only one prediction in another colour. The
increase in coverage, seen in only the second coverage prediction, will be immediately clear.

5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 12.36, shows clearly the increase in coverage due
at the change in antenna tilt.

Figure 12.36: Comparison of both coverage predictions by P-CCPCH best server

12.2.10.8 Signal Quality Coverage Predictions

In TD-SCDMA, the quality of the signal and the size of the area that can be covered are influenced by the network load.
As the network load increases, the area a cell can effectively cover decreases. For this reason, the network load must be
defined in order to calculate signal quality coverage predictions.
If you have traffic maps, you can do a Monte Carlo simulation to model power control and evaluate the network load for a
generated user distribution. You can base a coverage prediction on simulation results by committing the results of a simu-
lation to cell properties. If you do not have traffic maps, you can enter these values manually in the Cells and Cell Param-
eters per Timeslot tables. Atoll calculates the network load using the UL load factor and DL traffic power defined for each
timeslot of each cell.
In this section, the signal quality coverage predictions will be calculated using UL load factor and DL traffic power param-
eters defined at the timeslot level for each cell. For the purposes of these coverage predictions, each pixel is considered
a non-interfering user with a defined timeslot, service, mobility type, and terminal.
Before making a prediction, you will have to set the UL load factor and DL traffic power and the parameters that define the
services and users. These are explained in the following sections:
• "Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Traffic Power" on page 775.
• "Service and User Modelling" on page 775.
Several different types of signal quality coverage predictions, based either on Eb⁄Nt, C⁄I, or traffic channel quality, are
explained in this section. The following quality coverage predictions are explained:
• "Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 779.
• "Making a DwPCH Signal Quality Prediction" on page 780.
• "Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage" on page 781.
• "Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Areas" on page 783.
• "Studying Effective Service Area" on page 785.
• "Studying Service Area (Eb⁄Nt) For MBMS" on page 787.
Making the following noise coverage prediction is explained:
• "Studying Downlink Total Noise" on page 787.

774 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

The following coverage predictions are available for determining and studying interference:
• To study the interference between cells in the case of asymmetric and different timeslot configurations used for
different cells, see "Studying Cell to Cell Interference" on page 789.
• To study the interference on UpPCH when the UpPCH is shifted to a traffic timeslot, see "Studying UpPCH Inter-
ference" on page 790.
Making another type of coverage prediction, the baton handover coverage prediction, is also explained:
• "Making a Baton Handover Coverage Prediction" on page 792.
You can define the minimum RSCP threshold for your network in order to limit the calculation range and optimise the calcu-
lation time. For all the calculations, Atoll only considers the pixels where the P-CCPCH RSCP exceeds the minimum
RSCP threshold. Defining the minimum RSCP threshold for the network is explained in the following section:
• "Defining the Minimum P-CCPCH RSCP Threshold" on page 778.

12.2.10.8.1 Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Traffic Power

If you are setting the UL load factor and the DL traffic power for a single transmitter, you can set these parameters on the
timeslot properties dialogue available from the Cells tab of the transmitter’s Properties dialogue. However, you can set
the UL load factor and the DL traffic power for all the timeslots of all cells using the Cell Parameters per Timeslot table.
To set the UL load factor and the DL traffic power using the Cell Parameters per Timeslot table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Timeslot from the context menu. The Cell Parameters per Timeslot table appears.
4. Enter the following values:
- DL Traffic Power (dBm): The value of downlink traffic power for downlink timeslots.
- UL Load Factor (%): The value of uplink load factor for uplink timeslots.
You can see the configuration of the uplink and downlink timeslots by referring to the cell’s Timeslot Configura-
tion. For a definition of the values, see "Cell Description" on page 732.

12.2.10.8.2 Service and User Modelling

Before you model services, you must have R99 radio bearers defined in your Atoll document. The following R99 radio
bearer parameters are used in predictions:
• Max TCH Power (dBm)
• Uplink and Downlink TCH RSCP Thresholds (dBm) per mobility
• Uplink and Downlink TCH Eb/Nt Thresholds (dB) or Uplink and Downlink TCH C/I Thresholds (dB) per mobility
• The type of bearer.
For more information on defining R99 radio bearers, see "Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on page 859.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Modelling Services" on page 775.
• "Creating a Mobility Types" on page 776.
• "Modelling Terminals" on page 777.

Modelling Services

Services are the various services available to subscribers. These services can be either circuit-switched or packet-
switched services. This section explains how to create a service. However, only the following parameters are used in
predictions:
• R99 radio bearer parameters
• Body loss
• HSDPA application throughput parameters
Before you model services, you must have defined R99 radio bearers. For more information on defining R99 radio bearers,
see "Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on page 859.
To create or modify a service:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Services New Element Properties dialogue appears.

Note: You can modify the properties of an existing service by right-clicking the service in the
Services folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.

5. You can edit the fields on the General tab to define the new service. Some fields depend on the Type of service
you choose. You can change the following parameters:

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 775

Atoll User Manual

- Name: Atoll proposes a name for the new service, but you can change the name to something more descrip-
tive.
- R99 Radio Bearer: Select an R99 radio bearer from the list. If you want to edit the settings of the selected

R99 radio bearer, click the Browse button ( ) to open the bearer’s Properties dialogue.
- Type: You can select either Circuit or Packet as the service type.
If you want the service to be able to use HSDPA channels, select Packet and the HSDPA check box. For pack-
et services that can use HSDPA channels, you have the following options:

- A-DPCH Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink A-DPCH activity factors (for services that support
HSDPA) are used to estimate the average power on A-DPCH channels.
- Average Requested Rate: You can enter the average requested rate for uplink and downlink. This rate
is the average requested HS-PDSCH rate which guarantees a minimum average downlink rate during an
HSDPA call. It is used twice in a simulation: once during user distribution generation in order to calculate
the number of HSDPA users attempting a connection and then once during power control as a quality
target to be compared to the real obtained average throughput.
- Application Throughput: Under Application Throughput, you can set a Scaling Factor between the
application throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput Offset. These
parameters model the header information and other supplementary data that does not appear at the appli-
cation level.
If you select Packet to create a service that does not use HSDPA, you have the following option:

- Efficiency Factor: The uplink and downlink efficiency factors are used to determine duration of usage by
the user during Monte-Carlo simulations. It does this by determining the average usage of the network by
the user. This paremeter is used when working with traffic maps per user profile only.
If you select Circuit, you have the following options.

- Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink activity factors are used to determine the probability of activity
for each user during Monte-Carlo simulations.
- Preferred Carrier: You can select one of the available carriers or all carriers. The specified carrier is
considered in simulations when connecting a mobile user to a transmitter. If the transmitter uses the
preferred carrier of the service, Atoll selects it. Otherwise, it chooses another one, based on the DCA
(Dynamic Channel Allocation) method selected when creating the simulation. If no preferred carrier is
specified in the service properties, Atoll will consider the carrier selection mode of the selected DCA
method. Similarly, coverage predictions that are calculated for "All" carriers are calculated for the preferred
carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the service properties, Atoll preforms
the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power, or the master carrier in case of
N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
- Priority: Enter a priority for this service. "0" is the lowest priority.
- Body Loss: Enter the body loss for the service. The body loss is the loss due to the body of the user. For
example, in a voice connection the body loss, due to the proximity of the user’s head, is estimated to be 3 dB.
6. If you selected Circuit as the Type in step 5., continue to step 7. If you selected Packet as the Type in step 5.,
an additional tab, the Packet tab, appears. Click the Packet tab.
In the Packet tab, you can set the following parameters for packet switched services:

- Under Session, you can set:

- Average Number of Packet Calls: Enter the average number of packet calls in the uplink and downlink
during one session.
- Average Time Between Two Packet Calls (ms): Enter the average time between two packet calls in
milliseconds in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet Calls, you can set:
- Min. Size (Kbytes): Enter the minimum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Max Size (Kbytes): Enter the maximum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Average Time Between Two Packets (ms): Enter the average time between two packets in milliseconds
in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet, you can set:
- Size (Bytes): Enter the packet size in bytes in the uplink and downlink.
7. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialogue.

Creating a Mobility Types

Radio propagation conditions as well as connection properties and criteria vary with the speed the user is travelling. A
mobile user travelling at a high speed and a pedestrian will not necessarily be connected to the same transmitters and
both users will not experience the same service characteristics. Ec⁄I0 requirements and Eb⁄Nt or C/I targets per radio
bearer and per link (up and down) are largely dependent on mobile speed.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
• P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add (RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold)
• P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop
• DwPCH RSCP Threshold
• UpPCH RSCP Threshold
• P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt Threshold or P-CCPCH C⁄I Threshold

776 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

• DwPCH C⁄I Threshold

• HS-SCCH Ec⁄Nt Threshold (DL)
• HS-SICH Ec⁄Nt Threshold (UL)

Note: You can select whether the P-CCPCH thresholds you define are Eb/Nt or C/I thresholds
by selecting the corresponding option in the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters
folder’s properties dialogue. For more information, see "The Global Transmitter
Parameters" on page 852.

To create or modify a mobility type:

1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Mobility Types folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue appears.

Note: You can modify the properties of an existing mobility type by right-clicking the mobility
type in the Mobility Types folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.

5. On the General tab, you can enter or modify the following parameters in the Mobility Types New Element Prop-
erties dialogue:
- Name: Enter or modify the descriptive name for the mobility type.
- Average Speed: Enter or modify an average speed for the mobility type. This field is for information only; the
average speed is not used in any calculation.
- Under Baton Handover Parameters, you can set the minimum required pilot signal levels from transmitters for
entering and exiting the list of potential servers.
- P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add (P-CCPCH RSCP Threshold): The minimum pilot signal level from transmitters
required for entering the list of potential servers.
- P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop: The signal level from transmitters below which a transmitter cannot enter the
list of potential servers.
- DwPCH RSCP Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum signal level required for the DwPTS coverage. This
value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the Coverage by DwPCH RSCP.
- UpPCH RSCP Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum signal level required for the UpPTS coverage. This
value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the Coverage by UpPCH RSCP.
- HS-SCCH Ec⁄Nt Threshold (DL): Enter or modify the minimum quality required for the HSDPA link to be avail-
able. Atoll calculates the HS-SCCH Ec⁄Nt from the HS-SCCH power set in the cell properties and compares
it to this threshold. This field is used only with HSDPA.
- HS-SICH Ec⁄Nt Threshold (UL): Enter or modify the minimum quality required for the HSDPA link to be avail-
able. Atoll calculates the HS-SICH Ec⁄Nt from the HS-SICH power set in the terminal properties and compares
it to this threshold. This field is used only with HSDPA.
- P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt Threshold or P-CCPCH C⁄I Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I
quality. This value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the P-CCPCH Reception Analysis (Eb⁄Nt)
or P-CCPCH Reception Analysis (C⁄I) coverage prediction.
- DwPCH C⁄I Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum DwPCH C⁄I quality. This value is used as the minimum
requirement limit for the DwPCH Reception Analysis (C⁄I) coverage prediction.
6. On the MBMS tab, you can enter the Eb/Nt vs. Throughput graph in the Eb/Nt = f(Throughput) field. Clicking the
Graph button opens a dialogue in which you can view and edit the Eb/Nt vs. Throughput graph.
This tab is only available if the optional MBMS feature has been activated. Activating this optional feature requires
data structure modifications (for more information, see the Administrator Manual).

7. Click OK.

Modelling Terminals

In TD-SCDMA, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a car’s
on-board navigation device.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
• Reception equipment
• Number of carriers supported
• Maximum terminal power
• UpPCH power
• Gain and losses
• Noise figure
• JD factor
• Rho factor
• HSDPA capability, UE category, and HS-SICH power.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 777

Atoll User Manual

To create or modify a terminal:

1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Terminals New Element Properties dialogue appears.

Note: You can modify the properties of an existing terminal by right-clicking the terminal in the
Terminal folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.

5. On the General tab, you can modify the following parameters:

- Name: You can change the name of the terminal.
- Reception Equipment: Select a type of reception equipment from the list. For more information on reception
equipment, see "Receiver Equipment" on page 861.
- No. of Carriers Supported: Select the number of carriers that the terminal can support.
- Under Power, you can set the minimum and maximum transmission power limits and the UpPCH power for
the UpPTS timeslot.
- Min. Power: Set the minimum transmission power. The minimum and maximum transmission powers
make up the dynamic range for uplink power control.
- Max Power: Set the maximum transmission power.
- UpPCH Power: The transmission power for the UpPTS timeslot (or the TS1 uplink timeslot in case of
UpPCH shifting).
- Under Interference, you can set the parameters that influence interference:
- Noise Figure: Set the terminal noise figure.
- JD Factor: Enter a joint detection (JD) factor. Joint detection is used to model interference cancellation at
the user terminal. JD is modelled by a coefficient from 0 to 1; this factor is considered in calculating down-
link interference. If JD is not supported, enter "0."
- Rho Factor (%): This parameter enables Atoll to take into account the self-interference produced by the
terminal. Because hardware equipment is not perfect, the input signal experiences some distortion which
affects, in turn, the output signal. This factor defines how much distortion the system generates. Entering
100% means the system is perfect (there is no distortion) and the output signal will be 100% equal to the
input signal. On the other hand, if you specify a value different than 100%, Atoll considers that the trans-
mitted energy is not 100% signal and contains a small percentage of interference generated by the equip-
ment, i.e., self-interference. Atoll considers this parameter to calculate the signal to noise ratio in the
uplink.
- Gain: Set the antenna gain.
- Losses: Set the reception losses.
- HSDPA Supported: Select the HSDPA Supported check box if the terminal is able to use HSDPA channels.
For an HSDPA-capable terminal, you can set the following parameters:
- UE Category: The HSDPA user equipment category. HSDPA user equipment capabilities are standard-
ised into 12 different categories according to 3GPP specifications. For more information on HSDPA UE
categories, see "Creating or Modifying HSDPA User Equipment Categories" on page 862.
- HS-SICH Power: The transmission power for the HS-SICH channel. When you are modelling static power
allocation, the HS-SICH Dynamic Power Allocation check box in the cell properties is cleared and the
actual power per HS-SICH channel is entered in this box. In case of dynamic HS-SCCH power allocation,
the value entered here represents the maximum power for the HS-SICH channel.
6. Click OK.

12.2.10.8.3 Defining the Minimum P-CCPCH RSCP Threshold

To define the minimum P-CCPCH RSCP threshold:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Predictions tab.
5. Under Calculation Limitation, enter a Min. Pilot RSCP Threshold.
6. Click OK.

12.2.10.8.4 Making Quality Coverage Predictions

In Atoll, you can make several predictions to study the quality. In this section, the following quality predictions are
explained:
• "Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 779.
• "Making a DwPCH Signal Quality Prediction" on page 780.
• "Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage" on page 781.
• "Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Areas" on page 783.
• "Studying Effective Service Area" on page 785.

778 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction

A pilot signal quality prediction enables you to identify areas where there is at least one transmitter whose pilot quality is
received sufficiently well.
Atoll calculates the best pilot quality received on each pixel. Then, depending on the prediction definition, it compares this
value either to the P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I threshold defined for the selected mobility type. The pixel is coloured if the condi-
tion is fulfilled (in other words, if the received pilot quality is better than the P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I threshold). The total
noise, Nt, includes the pilot power (P-CCPCH power). The processing gain used for the Eb⁄Nt coverage prediction is the
one defined on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue. For more information on the global
parameters, see "The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 852. The coverage prediction is limited by the P-CCPCH
RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a pilot signal quality prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select P-CCPCH Reception Analysis (Eb⁄Nt) or P-CCPCH Reception Analysis (C⁄I) and click OK. The predic-
tion Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.37). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The P-CCPCH Eb⁄Nt threshold or
P-CCPCH C⁄I threshold defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage
prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The P-CCPCH reception analysis predictions are performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.37: Condition settings for a P-CCPCH reception analysis (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For a pilot signal quality prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Eb⁄Nt (dB)" or
"C⁄I (dB)" is selected by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the pilot signal quality. For
information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 779

Atoll User Manual

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the pilot signal quality prediction. The progress
of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.38).

Figure 12.38: P-CCPCH reception analysis (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

Making a DwPCH Signal Quality Prediction

Atoll calculates the best DwPCH signal quality received on each pixel. Then, depending on the prediction definition, it
compares this value with the DwPCH C⁄I threshold defined for the selected mobility type. The pixel is coloured if the condi-
tion is fulfilled (in other words, if the received DwPCH signal quality is better than the DwPCH C⁄I threshold). The coverage
prediction is limited by the DwPCH RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a DwPCH signal quality prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select DwPCH Reception Analysis (C⁄I) and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.37). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The DwPCH C⁄I threshold defined in
the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All", Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The DwPCH reception analysis (C⁄I) predictions are performed for DwPTS.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

780 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.39: Condition settings for a DwPCH reception analysis (C⁄I) coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For a DwPCH signal quality prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "C⁄I (dB)" is
selected by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the DwPCH signal quality. For information
on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the DwPCH signal quality prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.38).

Figure 12.40: DwPCH reception analysis (C⁄I) coverage prediction

Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage

Atoll calculates the received traffic channel power on the uplink or on the downlink taking into consideration the effect of
any smart antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results stored for the selected
timeslot. The coverage prediction is limited by the P-CCPCH RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make an effective service area prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
- Coverage by Downlink TCH RSCP
- Coverage by Uplink TCH RSCP
The prediction Properties dialogue appears.

5. Click the General tab.

On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 781

Atoll User Manual

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.41). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used. For the uplink traffic channel coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the RSCP using
the maximum power defined for the selected terminal.
- Service: The R99 service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink TCH RSCP threshold or
downlink TCH RSCP threshold defined in the properties of the R99 radio bearer of the service is used as the
minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in the service properties is also used.
For the downlink traffic channel, Atoll calculates the RSCP using the maximum allowed downlink traffic
channel power defined for the R99 bearer of the selected service.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink TCH RSCP threshold or
the downlink TCH RSCP threshold defined in the selected service’s R99 bearer and corresponding to the
selected mobility type is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The coverage predictions by TCH RSCP can be performed for any downlink or uplink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.41: Condition settings for a downlink RSCP TCH coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For a downlink or uplink traffic channel coverage area prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the
Field "DL TCH RSCP" or "UL TCH RSCP" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which infor-
mation the TCH prediction makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the DL or UL TCH
RSCP level. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

You can also set parameters to display the following results:

- RSCP Margin: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "RSCP Margin" as the Field. The RSCP
margin is the margin between the calculated DL or UL TCH RSCP and the DL or UL TCH RSCP threshold,
respectively, given for the selected service’s R99 bearer.
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "Cell Edge Coverage
Probability" as the Field.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.42 and
Figure 12.43).

782 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.42: Coverage prediction by downlink TCH RSCP

Figure 12.43: Coverage prediction by uplink TCH RSCP

Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Areas

Atoll calculates the traffic channel quality, as defined by Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I, on the uplink or on the downlink considering the effect
of any smart antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results stored for the selected
timeslot. The coverage prediction is limited by the P-CCPCH RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a prediction on downlink or uplink service area (Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I):
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
- Service Area (Eb⁄Nt) Downlink
- Service Area (C⁄I) Downlink
- Service Area (Eb⁄Nt) Uplink
- Service Area (C⁄I) Uplink
The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.44). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used. For the uplink service area coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I
using the maximum power defined for the selected terminal.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 783

Atoll User Manual

- Service: The R99 service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold and
downlink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold (or uplink TCH C⁄I threshold and downlink TCH C⁄I threshold) defined for the
service’s R99 radio bearer are used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. The body loss
defined in the service properties is also used. For the downlink traffic channel, Atoll calculates the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I
using the maximum allowed downlink traffic channel power defined for the R99 bearer of the selected service.
The processing gains are also used for the Eb⁄Nt coverage predictions.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink and downlink TCH Eb⁄Nt
thresholds (or uplink or downlink TCH C⁄I thresholds), defined in the service selected above, corresponding to
the selected mobility type are used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The service area coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink or uplink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.44: Condition settings for a downlink service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For a service area prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Max Eb⁄Nt (dB)" or "Max
C⁄I (dB)" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the service area downlink or
uplink coverage prediction makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to traffic channel
quality. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

You can also set parameters to display the following results:

- The traffic channel quality relative to the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display
Type and "Eb⁄Nt Margin (dB)" or "C⁄I Margin (dB)" as the Field.
- The power required to reach the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and
"Required Power (dB)" as the Field.
- Where traffic channel quality exceeds the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I threshold for each mobility type: On the Condition
tab, select "All" as the Mobility Type. The parameters on the Display tab are automatically set.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the service area prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.45 and
Figure 12.46).

784 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.45: Downlink service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

Figure 12.46: Uplink service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

Studying Effective Service Area

The aim of this coverage prediction is to identify the areas where there might be coverage problems for a service either
on the downlink or on the uplink.
Atoll calculates the traffic channel quality, as defined by Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I, on the uplink and on the downlink taken into consid-
eration the effect of any smart antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results
stored for the selected timeslot. The effective service area is the intersection zone between the uplink and downlink service
areas. The coverage prediction is limited by the P-CCPCH RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make an effective service area prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Effective Service Area (Eb⁄Nt) or Effective Service Area (C⁄I) and click OK. The prediction Properties
dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.47). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used. For the uplink, Atoll calculates the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I using the maximum power defined
for the selected terminal.
- Service: The R99 service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold and
downlink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold (or uplink TCH C⁄I threshold and downlink TCH C⁄I threshold) defined for the

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 785

Atoll User Manual

service’s R99 radio bearer are used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. The body loss
defined in the service properties is also used. For the downlink traffic channel, Atoll calculates the Eb⁄Nt or C⁄I
using the maximum allowed downlink traffic channel power defined for the R99 bearer of the selected service.
The processing gains are also used for the Eb⁄Nt coverage predictions.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The uplink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold and
downlink TCH Eb⁄Nt threshold (or uplink TCH C⁄I threshold and downlink TCH C⁄I threshold), defined in the
selected service’s R99 bearer, corresponding to the selected mobility type are used as the minimum require-
ment for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The effective service area coverage predictions are performed for all downlink and uplink timeslots.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.47: Condition settings for an effective service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

For an effective service area prediction, the Display Type "Unique" is selected by default. The coverage prediction
will display where a service actually is available for the probe mobile. For information on defining display proper-
ties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.
8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.48).

Figure 12.48: Effective service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction

786 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Studying Service Area (Eb⁄Nt) For MBMS

This coverage prediction is only available if the optional MBMS feature has been activated. Activating this optional feature
requires data structure modifications (for more information, see the Administrator Manual).
MBMS, Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service, offers a solution for broadcasting television channels over SCCPCH
channels in TD-SCDMA. SCCPCH (FACH) does not perform power control in order to cover the entire cell area. Atoll
calculates the MBMS channel quality (as defined by Eb⁄Nt) using the MBMS power defined for an MBMS SCCPCH chan-
nel and timelslot. The coverage prediction is limited by the P-CCPCH RSCP threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a coverage prediction on MBMS service area (Eb/Nt) :
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Service Area (Eb/Nt) MBMS and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 170. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 57.

6. Click the Condition tab. The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you to define the signals
that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The MBMS Eb/Nt coverage prediction is calculated for an MBMS service.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Eb⁄Nt vs. Throughput graph
defined for the mobility is used in the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The MBMS service area coverage prediction can be performed for timeslots allocated to the MBMS
SCCPCH channels.
- MBMS Channel: You must also select an MBMS Channel.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab.
For the MBMS service area (Eb/Nt) coverage prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field
"Eb⁄Nt (dB)" is selected by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the MBMS channel quality.
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the service area (Eb⁄Nt) coverage prediction.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.

12.2.10.8.5 Studying Downlink Total Noise

This coverage prediction enables you to study the downlink total noise. In the downlink total noise prediction, Atoll calcu-
lates and displays the areas where the downlink total noise exceeds a set threshold. The downlink total noise is based on
the cumulate effect of all downlink powers, including P-CCPCH.
To make a downlink total noise prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Downlink Total Noise and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 787

Atoll User Manual

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.49). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The downlink total noise calculation does not depend on the mobility type.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All", Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The downlink total noise coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.49: Condition settings for a downlink total noise coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and one of the following options as Field:
- Min. Noise Level
- Average Noise Level
- Max Noise Level
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise
prediction. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.50).

788 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

Figure 12.50: Downlink total noise coverage prediction

12.2.10.8.6 Studying Interference

Coverage predictions are available that allow you to analyse the interference on different timeslots. The cell-to-cell inter-
ference prediction allows you to study the effect of different timeslot configurations allocated to different cells. Different
timeslot configurations have different switching points between uplink and downlink parts of the subframe. Different switch-
ing points can cause interference between the two links, up and down. If all the cells have the same timeslot configuration
assigned, there will be no inter-cell interference.
Another coverage prediction is also available that allows you to study the interference on the UpPCH, if it is shifted to TS1
instead of being transmitted on the UpPTS.
The following coverage predictions are explained in this section:
• "Studying Cell to Cell Interference" on page 789.
• "Studying UpPCH Interference" on page 790.

Studying Cell to Cell Interference

If different cells have different timeslot configurations assigned to them, the difference of switching point between the uplink
and the downlink parts of the subframe may cause interference between the two links, up and down, i.e., on the same
timeslot, a cell receiving data in the uplink is interfered by nearby cells transmitting in the downlink.
The Cell to Cell Interference Zones coverage prediction displays the level of interference received by a cell. The cover-
age prediction sums the interfering signals in the downlink received by the victim cell in the uplink over the selected times-
lot. Interference is calculated using the total transmitted power of the timeslot.
To make a cell-to-cell interference zones coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Cell to Cell Interference Zones and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.51). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 789

Atoll User Manual

- Timeslot: The cell to cell interference coverage prediction can be performed for any timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.51: Condition settings for a cell to cell interference zones coverage prediction

- Click the Display tab.

For a cell-to-cell coverage prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" and the Field "Max Interference Lev-
el" are selected by default. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects"
on page 33.

7. Click OK to save your settings.

8. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the cell-to-cell coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.

Studying UpPCH Interference

UpPCH is used for uplink synchronisation (SYNC_UL). This channel is usually carried by the UpPTS timeslot. However,
if the interference on UpPTS is high, there is a risk of uplink synchronisation failure, i.e., the SYNC_UL might not be
detected. Unsynchronised DwPTS or TS0 timeslots of other cells might cause interference on UpPTS. Lack of synchroni-
sation between the DwPTS or TS0 and UpPTS occurs in wide and flat areas where there are no obstacles to wave prop-
agation. For cells located in such areas, it is possible to shift the UpPCH channel from the UpPTS to any other uplink
timeslot which might be less interfered. This is called UpPCH shifting.
Without shifting, the UpPCH, or UpPTS, starts at the 96th chip after the DwPCH on DwPTS. The UpPCH can be shifted
to TS1, TS2, or TS3. However, in Atoll, the UpPCH can only be shifted to TS1 on the uplink. It can be shifted by selecting
the corresponding timeslot configuration at cell level.
If some cells in a network use UpPCH shifting, you can use this coverage prediction to study the interference generated
by traffic on other cells, in other words, the mobiles connected to the TS1 uplink timeslot of other cells, on the shifted
UpPCH of these cells. Atoll calculates and displays the areas where the interference on the TS1 uplink timeslot, which is
used for the UpPCH, exceeds a set threshold.
To make an UpPCH interference zones prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select UpPCH Interference Zones and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.52). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction.
The terminal, service, and mobility type are not used for the calculation of interference. The gains and losses
defined for these parameters are used to calculate the P-CCPCH coverage of the cells that are using UpPCH
shifting.

790 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The UpPCH interference coverage predictions are performed for TS1 uplink timeslot for UpPCH
shifting.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.52: Condition settings for an UpPCH interference zones coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab.

Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and one of the following options from the Field list:

- Min. noise level

- Average noise level
- Max noise level
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the UpPCH interference prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.53).

Figure 12.53: UpPCH interference zones coverage prediction

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 791

Atoll User Manual

12.2.10.8.7 Making a Baton Handover Coverage Prediction

In the baton handover coverage prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the zones where a baton handover can be made.
For a handover to be possible, there must be a potential serving transmitter, and the service chosen by the user must be
available.
The serving cell is first determined for each pixel. The serving cell is the one whose P-CCPCH RSCP at a pixel is above
the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add and is the highest among all the cells that satisfy the T_Add criterion. Then, all the cells whose
P-CCPCH RSCP are higher than the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop are added to a preliminary handover set. Next, from among
the cells listed in the preliminary handover set using the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop, only the cells whose P-CCPCH RSCP
is within the range defined by the P-CCPCH RSCP from the best server and the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Comp margin are
kept in the handover set. The number of potential neighbours per pixel displayed on the map is calculated from this set.
The P-CCPCH RSCP T_Comp is set per cell.
To make a baton handover coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Baton Handover Zones and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.54). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain and losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The R99 or HSDPA service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined in
the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add, and P-
CCPCH RSCP T_Drop defined in the mobility properties are used to define the signal level range for transmit-
ters to enter the preliminary handover set.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The baton handover coverage prediction is performed for TS0.

- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.54: Condition settings for a baton handover zones coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the prediction will
display.
For a baton handover analysis, the Display Type "Value Intervals" and the Field "Number of Potential Neigh-
bours" are selected by default. You can also display only the baton handover coverage surface area by selecting

792 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

"Unique" as the Display Type. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects"
on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 12.55).

Figure 12.55: Baton handover zones coverage prediction

12.2.10.9 HSDPA Coverage Prediction

The HSDPA coverage prediction allows you to study HSDPA-related parameters. The parameters used as input for the
HSDPA coverage prediction are the HSDPA power, and the total transmitted power for each timeslot. For information
about the cell and timeslot parameters, see "Cell Description" on page 732. For information on the formulas used to calcu-
late different throughputs, see the Technical Reference Guide.
To make an HSDPA coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select HSDPA Coverage and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name, Resolution, and the storage Folder for the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. For more information on the storage of coverage predictions, see "Defining
the Storage Location of Coverage Prediction Results" on page 200. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which sites to display in the results. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 70.

6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 12.56). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The HSDPA-compatible terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. The gain, losses, and
HSDPA UE category defined in the terminal properties are used.
- Service: The HSDPA-compatible service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The body loss defined
in the service properties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The downlink HS-SCCH Ec⁄Nt
threshold defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
For each pixel, the serving base station is determined according to the P-CCPCH RSCP from the carrier with
the highest P-CCPCH power, or from the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Afterwards, the coverage prediction is calculated for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier does not exist
in a transmitter, there will not be any pixels covered by this transmitter. If you select "All," Atoll will display the
coverage prediction for the preferred carrier of the selected service. If no preferred carrier is defined in the
service properties, Atoll will display the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest P-CCPCH power,
or the master carrier in case of N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.

- Timeslot: The HSDPA coverage prediction can be performed for any downlink or all timeslots. If you select
"All" timeslots, you can select an HSDPA bearer for which the prediction will be carried out.
- HSDPA Radio Bearer: The HSDPA bearer for which the coverage prediction is to be performed. Accessing
an HSDPA radio bearer requires at least two timeslots. Therefore, this option can only be selected when "All"
timeslots are selected.
- If you select the Shadowing taken into account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 793

Atoll User Manual

- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.

Figure 12.56: Condition settings for an HSDPA coverage prediction

7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the coverage pre-
diction will display.
If you have selected "All" timeslots in the Condition tab, you can set the following parameters:

- The HS-PDSCH RSCP relative to the RSCP threshold: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- Min. HS-PDSCH RSCP
- Average HS-PDSCH RSCP
- Max HS-PDSCH RSCP
- The HS-PDSCH Ec⁄Nt relative to the Ec⁄Nt threshold: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- Min. HS-PDSCH Ec⁄Nt
- Average HS-PDSCH Ec⁄Nt
- Max HS-PDSCH Ec⁄Nt
- The RLC peak rate relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Peak Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll displays
the RLC peak rate that the selected HSDPA bearer can provide. The RLC peak rate is a characteristic of the
HSDPA bearer.
- The MAC rate relative to the threshold: Select "MAC Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll calculates the MAC
rate from the transport block size of the selected HSDPA bearer.
If you have selected a particular timeslot in the Condition tab, you can set the following parameters:
- The uplink and downlink A-DPCH qualities: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- Max DL A-DPCH Eb⁄Nt (dB): Atoll determines downlink A-DPCH quality at the receiver for the maximum
traffic channel power allowed for the selected timeslot.
- Max UL A-DPCH Eb⁄Nt (dB): Atoll determines uplink A-DPCH quality at the receiver for the maximum
terminal power allowed.
- The HS-SCCH power, reception level, or quality: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- HS-SCCH Power: Atoll determines the HS-SCCH power required per pixel to get an HS-SCCH Ec/Nt bet-
ter than the minimum required HS-SCCH Ec/Nt. The coverage is limited by the HS-SCCH Ec/Nt threshold
defined for the selected mobility type.
- HS-SCCH RSCP: Atoll determines the HS-SCCH RSCP using the HS-SCCH power required per pixel to
get an HS-SCCH Ec/Nt better than the minimum required HS-SCCH Ec/Nt. The coverage is limited by the
HS-SCCH Ec/Nt threshold defined for the selected mobility type.
- HS-SCCH Ec/Nt: Atoll determines the HS-SCCH Ec/Nt per pixel. The coverage is limited by the HS-
SCCH Ec/Nt threshold defined for the selected mobility type.
- The HS-SICH power, reception level, or quality: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- HS-SICH Power: Atoll determines the HS-SICH power required per pixel to get an HS-SICH Ec/Nt better
than the minimum required HS-SICH Ec/Nt. The coverage is limited by the HS-SICH Ec/Nt threshold de-
fined for the selected mobility type.
- HS-SICH RSCP: Atoll determines the HS-SICH RSCP using the HS-SICH power required per pixel to get
an HS-SICH Ec/Nt better than the minimum required HS-SICH Ec/Nt. The coverage is limited by the HS-
SICH Ec/Nt threshold defined for the selected mobility type.
- HS-SICH Ec/Nt: Atoll determines the HS-SICH Ec/Nt per pixel. The coverage is limited by the HS-SICH
Ec/Nt threshold defined for the selected mobility type.
- The HS-PDSCH reception level or quality: Select one of the following in the Field list:
- HS-PDSCH RSCP: Atoll determines the HS-PDSCH RSCP using the HS-PDSCH power of the timeslot.
- HS-PDSCH Ec/Nt: Atoll determines the HS-PDSCH Ec/Nt using the HS-PDSCH power of the timeslot.
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 33.

8. Click OK to save your settings.

794 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.

12.2.10.10 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results

Once you have made a coverage prediction, you can print the results displayed on the map or save them in an external
format. You can also export a selected area of the coverage as a bitmap.
• Printing coverage prediction results: Atoll offers several options allowing you to customise and optimise the
printed coverage prediction results. Atoll supports printing to a variety of paper sizes, including A4 and A0. For
more information on printing coverage prediction results, see "Printing a Map" on page 61.
• Defining a coverage export zone: If you want to export part of the coverage prediction as a bitmap, you can
define a coverage export zone. After you have defined a coverage export zone, when you export a coverage pre-
diction as a raster image, Atoll offers you the option of exporting only the area covered by the zone. For more
information on defining a coverage export zone, see "Using a Coverage Export Zone" on page 46.
• Exporting coverage prediction results: In Atoll, you can export the coverage areas of a coverage prediction in
raster or vector formats. In raster formats, you can export in BMP, TIF, ArcView© grid, or Vertical Mapper (GRD
and GRC) formats. When exporting in GRD or GRC formats, Atoll allows you to export files larger than 2 GB. In
vector formats, you can export in ArcView©, MapInfo©, or AGD formats. For more information on exporting cov-
erage prediction results, see "Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 46.

12.2.11 Planning Frequencies

TD-SCDMA networks can work in single-carrier as well as multi-carrier modes. In single-carrier mode, each transmitter
has only one cell (carrier), which is considered a stand-alone carrier. In multi-carrier mode, each transmitter can have up
to six carriers. In this case, a transmitter would have one master carrier and several slave carriers. The master carrier is
used for P-CCPCH broadcast, scrambling code broadcast, and handover management, whereas the slave carriers are
only used for carrying traffic. The multi-carrier mode is called N-Frequency Mode in Atoll.
You can set the type of carrier for each cell of a transmitter manually, or you can let Atoll automatically allocate carrier
types to cells on transmitters that support the N-frequency mode. Allocating frequencies to the cells of an N-frequency
compatible transmitter means assigning a carrier type to each cell of that transmitter. A transmitter that is N-frequency
mode compatible can have one master carrier and a number of slave carriers. Transmitters that are not N-frequency mode
compatible have stand-alone carriers.
You can use automatic allocation on all cells in the document, or you can define a group of cells either by using a focus
zone or by grouping transmitters in the Explorer window. For information on creating a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus
or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 768. For information on grouping transmitters in the Explorer
window, see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 65.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Setting up N-Frequency Mode" on page 795.
• "Allocating Frequencies Automatically" on page 795.
• "Checking Automatic Allocation Results" on page 796.
• "Allocating Carrier Types per Transmitter" on page 796.
• "Checking the Consistency of the Frequency Allocation Plan" on page 796.

12.2.11.1 Setting up N-Frequency Mode

In Atoll, you can define whether transmitters are compatible with the N-frequency mode or not.
To set up N-frequency mode:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears.
4. In the Transmitters table, select the N-Frequency Mode check box for transmitters that are compatible with the
N-frequency mode and will be taken into account in the automatic frequency allocation.
For more information on transmitter properties, see "Transmitter Description" on page 729.

5. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.

For more information on automatic frequency allocation, see "Allocating Frequencies Automatically" on page 795.

12.2.11.2 Allocating Frequencies Automatically

Atoll can automatically allocate master and slave carriers to N-frequency mode compatible transmitters in a TD-SCDMA
network. Atoll allocates master carriers to transmitters according to the distance between transmitters and their orientation
(azimuths). Two transmitters which are very close to each other or are directed towards each other will not have the same
master carrier.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 795

Atoll User Manual

To automatically allocate frequencies (master and slave carriers):

1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > N-Frequency Mode > Automatic Frequency Allocation from the context menu. The
Automatic Frequency Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Select the Delete Existing Allocation check box if you want Atoll to delete the existing master⁄slave carrier allo-
cation before allocating.
5. Click Run. Atoll allocates master and slave carriers to N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
Under Results, Atoll lists the transmitters to which it has allocated master and slave carriers in the Transmitters
column and the carrier number of the transmitter’s master carrier in the Master Carrier column.

6. Click Commit to apply the allocation to the transmitters listed in the Transmitters column.
7. Click Close to close the Automatic Frequency Allocation dialogue.

12.2.11.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results

You can verify the results of automatic frequency allocation in the following ways:
• "Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map" on page 796.
• "Displaying the Coverage of the Master Carrier" on page 796.

12.2.11.3.1 Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map

You can view the master carrier allocation directly on the map. Atoll can display the master carrier number for every N-
frequency compatible transmitter.
To display the master carrier number on the map:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the Display tab.
5. Select "Discrete Values" as Display Type and "Cells: Carrier Type" as Field.
6. Select "Cells: Carrier Type" as Label.
7. Click OK.
The transmitters are coloured according to the carrier type, and the master carrier number is displayed on the map with
each transmitter.

12.2.11.3.2 Displaying the Coverage of the Master Carrier

By combining the display characteristics of a coverage prediction with the carrier type display options, Atoll can display
the coverage areas of a transmitter’s master carrier.
To display the coverage of the master carrier of a transmitter:
• Create, calculate, and display a coverage prediction by P-CCPCH best server, with the Display Type set to "Dis-
crete Values" and the Field set to "Cells: Carrier Type". For information on creating a coverage by transmitter pre-
diction, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by P-CCPCH Best Server" on page 761.

12.2.11.4 Allocating Carrier Types per Transmitter

Although you can let Atoll allocate frequencies and carrier types automatically, you can adjust the overall allocation of
carriers by allocating carrier types to transmitters using the Cells tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
To allocate TD-SCDMA carrier types using the Cells tab of the transmitter’s Properties dialogue:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter whose carrier types you want to change. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitter’s Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the Cells tab.
4. On the Cells tab, there is a column for each cell. Select the carrier type for each cell of the transmitter from the
Carrier Type list.
5. Click OK.

12.2.11.5 Checking the Consistency of the Frequency Allocation Plan

You can perform an audit of the current frequency allocation plan.
To perform an audit of the allocated frequency plan:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.

796 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

3. Select Cells > Global > N-Frequency Mode > Audit from the context menu. The N-Frequency Mode Audit dia-
logue appears.
4. The audit checks the following points:
- For Master Carriers:
- Transmitters in N-Frequency Mode: The transmitters that are not N-frequency mode compatible.
- One Master Carrier per Transmitter: The transmitters that have either no or more than one master
carrier.
- Defined P-CCPCH Power: The transmitters whose master carriers do not have a P-CCPCH power
defined.
- For Stand-alone Carriers:
- Defined P-CCPCH Power: The transmitters whose stand-alone carriers do not have a P-CCPCH power
defined.
- For Slave Carriers:
- Linked to a Master Carrier: The transmitters whose slave carriers are not linked to any master carrier.
In other words, the transmitters that do not have any master carrier, but have slave carriers.
- P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH Fields Empty: The transmitters whose slave carriers have
P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and other CCH powers defined.
- Timeslot Configurations, Scrambling Codes, and Neighbours Same as the Master Carrier: Select
this check box if you want the audit to check for slave carriers that do not have the same timeslot config-
urations, scrambling codes, and neighbours as the master carrier.
5. Click Run. Atoll performs the audit and lists the results under Problems occurred during the audit: X transmit-
ters have inconsistencies, where X is the number of transmitters with problems. The list includes:
- Several Master Carriers: Transmitters that have more than one master carrier.
- Master P-CCPCH Power Not Defined: Transmitters whose master carrier does not have a P-CCPCH power
defined.
- Stand-alone P-CCPCH Power Not Defined: Transmitters whose stand-alone carriers do not have P-CCPCH
powers defined.
- Slaves Without Masters: Transmitters that have only slave carriers and no master carrier.
- Slave Power Defined: Transmitters whose slave carriers have P-CCPCH, DwPCH, or other CCH powers
defined.
- Master-Slave Attribute Differences: Transmitters whose slave carriers have different timeslot configura-
tions, scrambling codes, and neighbours than the master carrier.
- Inconsistency: N-Frequency Mode⁄Carrier Types: Transmitters that are not N-frequency mode compatible.
6. Click Resolve to resolve the inconsistencies found by the audit. Atoll makes the timeslot configurations and
scrambling codes of the slave carriers the same as the master carrier. It also empties the neighbour list of the slave
carriers.
7. Click Close to close the N-Frequency Mode Audit dialogue.

12.2.12 Planning Neighbours

You can set neighbours for each cell manually, or you can let Atoll automatically allocate neighbours, based on the param-
eters that you set. When allocating neighbours, the cell to which you are allocating neighbours is referred to as the refer-
ence cell. The cells that fulfil the requirements to be neighbours are referred to as possible neighbours. When allocating
neighbours to all active and filtered transmitters, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the focus zone and
considers as possible neighbours all the active and filtered cells whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing
the computation zone. If there is no focus zone, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the computation zone.
The focus and computation zones are taken into account whether or not they are visible. In other words, the focus and
computation zones will be taken into account whether or not their visibility check box in the Zones folder of the Geo tab in
the Explorer window is selected.
Usually, you will allocate neighbours globally during the beginning of a radio planning project. Afterwards, you will allocate
neighbours to base stations or transmitters as you add them. You can use automatic allocation on all cells in the document,
or you can define a group of cells either by using a focus zone or by grouping transmitters in the Explorer window. For
information on creating a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 768. For information on grouping transmitters in the Explorer window, see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 65.
Atoll supports the following neighbour types in a TD-SCDMA network:
• Intra-technology Neighbours: Intra-technology neighbours are two TD-SCDMA cells defined as neighbours.
Intra-technology neighbours can be divided into:
- Intra-carrier Neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using the same carrier. Intra-
carrier neighbours in TD-SCDMA are based on the baton handover principle. Baton handover is a kind of soft
handover in which each mobile makes a list of transmitters, based on the P-CCPCH RSCP, called a handover
set. Mobiles make measurements of P-CCPCH RSCP from all the transmitters in the handover set continu-
ously in order to make a handover when needed.
For N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, intra-carrier neighbours are only calculated for master carri-
ers. If two transmitters have the same master carriers, they can have intra-carrier neighbours only, and no in-
ter-carrier neighbours.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 797

Atoll User Manual

- Inter-carrier Neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using a different carrier. Inter-
carrier neighbours in TD-SCDMA are based on the hard handover principle. Hard handovers are performed
based on overlapping surface areas between cells based on the P-CCPCH RSCP.
For N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, inter-carrier neighbours are only calculated for master carri-
ers. If two transmitters have different master carriers, they can only be inter-carrier neighbours and not intra-
carrier neighbours.

For N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, neighbours are only stored for the master carriers. The slave
carriers have the same neighbours as their master carrier.

• Inter-technology Neighbours: Inter-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours that use a tech-
nology other than TD-SCDMA.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Defining Exceptional Pairs" on page 798
• "Allocating Neighbours Automatically" on page 798
• "Checking Automatic Allocation Results" on page 801
• "Importing Neighbours" on page 804
• "Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell" on page 804
• "Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan" on page 807
• "Exporting Neighbours" on page 808.

12.2.12.1 Defining Exceptional Pairs

In Atoll, you can define neighbour constraints that will be taken into consideration during the automatic allocation of neigh-
bours. Exceptional pairs may be taken into consideration when you manually allocate neighbours.
To define exceptional pairs of neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
4. Right-click the cell for which you want to define neighbour constraints. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. The cell’s Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.

7. Under Exceptional Pairs, create a new exceptional pair in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ):
a. Select the cell from the list in the Neighbours column.
b. In the Status column, select one of the following:
- Forced: The selected cell will always be a neighbour of the reference cell.
- Forbidden: The selected cell will never be a neighbour of the reference cell.
8. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished creating the new exceptional pair.
9. Click OK.

Note: You can also create exceptional pairs using the Exceptional Pairs of Intra-Technology
Neighbours table. You can open this table by right-clicking the Transmitters folder and
selecting Cells > Global > Neighbours > Intra-Technology Exceptional Pairs.

12.2.12.2 Allocating Neighbours Automatically

Atoll can automatically allocate both intra- and inter-carrier neighbours in a TD-SCDMA network. Atoll allocates neigh-
bours based on the parameters you set in the Automatic Neighbour Allocation dialogue.
To automatically allocate intra-carrier TD-SCDMA neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neigh-
bour Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Click the Intra-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max No. of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of intra-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to a cell.
This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add: Enter the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add, which defines the minimum P-CCPCH
RSCP required for the serving cell. If there is more than one cell whose P-CCPCH RSCP is higher than
the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Add, the cell with the highest P-CCPCH RSCP is kept as the serving cell.

798 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009

 Chapter 12: TD-SCDMA Networks

- P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop: Enter the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop, which defines the minimum P-CCPCH
RSCP required for cells to enter a preliminary handover set. All the cells whose P-CCPCH RSCP is higher
than the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop are added to the set.
- P-CCPCH RSCP T_Comp: Enter the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Comp, which defines the handover set limit.
From among the cells listed in the preliminary handover set using the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Drop, only the
cells whose P-CCPCH RSCP is within the range defined by the P-CCPCH RSCP from the best server and
the P-CCPCH RSCP T_Comp margin are kept in the handover set.
- Shadowing taken into account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- Indoor Coverage: Select the Indoor Coverage check box if you want to use indoor losses defined per
clutter class in the calculations.
- Resolution: You can enter the resolution used to calculate the coverage areas of cells for the automatic
neighbour allocation.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cell’s coverage area must
overlap the reference cell’s coverage area.
5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Carriers: Select the carriers on which you want to run the allocation. You can choose one or more car-
riers; Atoll will allocate neighbours to cells using the selected carriers.
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force adjacent cells as neighbours: Select the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells that are adjacent to the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours. A cell is considered
adjacent if there is at least one pixel in the reference cell’s coverage area where the possible neighbour cell
is the best server.
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relationships to be reciprocal.
In other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the
neighbour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that possible neighbour
cell will be removed from the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Setting up N-Frequency Mode" on page 795.
- Delete existing neighbours: Select the Delete existing neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete
all current neighbours when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Delete existing neighbours check
box, Atoll will not delete any existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new
neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of a neighbour being admitted for coverage
reasons.
- Adjacency Factor: If you selected the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the min-
imum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being adjacent to the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the minimum
and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating intra-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks to see whether the
path loss matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates
them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Delete existing neighbours check box is
cleared, the Results table will be empty.

The Results table contains the following information.

- Cell: The name of the reference cell.

- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Adjacency
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing
- Coverage: The amount of reference cell’s coverage area that the neighbour overlaps, in percentage and in
square kilometres or miles.
- Adjacency: The area of the reference cell, in percentage and in square kilometres or miles, where the neigh-
bour cell is best server or second best server.
8. Select the Commit check box for each neighbour you want to assign to a cell. You can use many of Atoll’s table
shortcuts, such as filtering and sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data
Tables" on page 50.

© Forsk 2009 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 799

Atoll User Manual

9. Click Commit. All the neighbours whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the reference cells. Neigh-
bours are listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cell’s Properties dialogue.
To automatically allocate inter-carrier TD-SCDMA neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neigh-
bour Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Click the Inter-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max No. of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of inter-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to a cell.
This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- Min. P-CCPCH RSCP: Enter the minimum P-CCPCH RSCP which must be provided by reference cell A
and possible neighbour cell B.
- Handover Start: Enter the handover start margin which must be provided by reference cell A in an over-
lapping area. Reference cell A must also be the best server in terms of P-CCPCH RSCP in the overlapping
End Start
area. P-CCPCH RSCP Highest – M HO < P-CCPCH RSCP Cell A < P-CCPCH RSCP Highest – M HO
- Handover End: Enter the handover end margin between reference cell A and possible neighbour cell B
in the overlapping area.
- Shadowing taken into account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- Resolution: You can enter the resolution used to calculate the coverage areas of cells for the automatic
neighbour allocation.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cell’s coverage area must
overlap the reference cell’s coverage area.
5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Carriers: Select the carriers on which you want to run the allocation. You can choose one or more carriers;
Atoll will allocate neighbours to cells using the selected carriers.
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relationships to be reciprocal.
In other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the
neighbour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that possible neighbour
cell will be removed from the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Setting up N-Frequency Mode" on page 795.
- Delete existing neighbours: Select the Delete existing neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete
all current neighbours when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Delete existing neighbours check
box, Atoll will not delete any existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new
neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of the minimum percentage of shared cov-
erage between the possible neighbour cell and the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you have selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the
minimum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference
cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating inter-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks whether the path loss
matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Delete existing neighbours check box is
cleared, the Results table will be empty.

The Results table contains the following information.

- Cell: The name of the reference cell.

- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing

800 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited © Forsk 2009