RF Planning Procedure
RF Planning Procedure
RF Planning Procedure
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1. INTRODUCTION Network Planning Plays a critical role in any cellular design process. Nominal planning is performed to generate basic site count for a new network which forms the foundation stone of that network. By doing a proper Network planning by keeping the future growth plan in mind we can reduce a lot of problem that we may encountered in future and also reduce substantially the cost of optimization once the network will be on full swing. On the other Hand a poorly planned network not only leads to many Network problems, it also increases the Capex and Opex once the network is live. In current low cost/revenue scenario we need to focus on smart and accurate planning to reduce the Capex and Opex during the whole project. Several mechanism and logics are implemented to address such issue which we will discuss in subsequent pages. It is important to remember that local regulation and company policies may change the process or certain step in process. The practices presented in this section serve the purpose of highlighting the important area in RF Design.
Preliminary Planning
Final Design Fed into the RF design process are the design requirements such as link budget and traffic prediction, and the output of the process is the RF system design(location of the cell sites, cell site parameters, coverage prediction, site sketches, drive test data. Steps need to be followed while planning new network CW Testing Model Tuning Nominal Planning RF Survey/Candidate Selection
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1. CW Testing The Aim of the CW measurements from field to calibrate Macro cell Propagation Model for Network for different model like a) Dense Urban b) CBD c) Urban,
Principally each model should have 5 Sites for accurate measurement, however some time it becomes
customer dependent. Few customer demands it with 3 sites per model to save the budget. The objective of CW Drive testing & Model Tuning is: a) To ensure accurate propagation Model b) Aim is to produce Zero Mean Error & Minimize the standard Deviation (Less than equal to 8) Propagaton Test Kit
The propagation test kit consists of Test transmitter. Antenna (generally Omni ). Receiver to scan the RSS (Received signal levels). The receiver scanning rate should be settable so that it satisfies Lees law. A laptop to collect data. A GPS to get latitude and longitude. Cables and accessories. Wattmeter to check VSWR.
A single frequency is transmitted a predetermined power level from the candidate site. These transmitted power levels are then measured and collected by the Drive test kit. This data is then loaded on the Planning tool and used for tuning models.
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Activity Site Selection and Route Planning Hardware Installation Drive Testing and Data Collection Drive Length
Description This is the important part of CW testing as wrong selection will lead to bad results, therefore careful planning is crucial to achieve good results. Site selection should be in synch with customer. After site selection , hardware like Antenna, transmitter will be installed at site.AC main is required to energize the transmitter Radio receiver will be used to collect field measurement during drive testing. Drive tester will maintain average speed of 40 Km/Per Hour to get the better results. Since the drive will be conducted at higher frequencies therefore the drive route will less<6Kms as signal disappear after that in higher frequency.
2. Model Tuning This is the next step after CW sample collection, collected samples fed into the Asset tool for calibration and Model tuning. Steps followed during the model tuning represented in chart as mentioned below.
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Introduction
RF propagation is based on numerous factors resulting in a very complex process to attempt to model. There is no single correct method of calibrating a model but the process described here is widely used. During calibration data from CW surveys is used to calibrate the propagation models to improve their accuracy. Asset allows model parameters to be adjusted to obtain an accurate match between the CW survey data and predictions. The overall objective is to minimize the error between the Propagation Model and the Continuous Wave survey data. The metrics used to quantify the error are the Mean, RMS and Standard Deviation. The generic iterative calibration process can be described as follows:
Import the CW data into Asset. Edit CW Properties by entering the Transmitter Antenna details like Type of Antenna being used, Latitude, Longitude, Azimuth, Tilt, Transmitter Height, Power (EiRP) and so on. Analyze the CW data itself by thoroughly using tools like Histogram Analyses, Clutter Distribution and Regression Analysis. Average the CW samples on basis of Rayleigh Fading and Map resolution used. Filter the CW data on basis of Distance from Site and RSSI. Use AMT (Automatic Model Tuner) to tune the basic Planet General Model. Save the Model Tuning report. Note down the Mean and Standard Deviation achieved. See if the required targets (i.e. Mean=0, SD<8) are achieved. If targets are met Propagation Model is tuned, if not try and alter the Filtering parameters slightly. And Go to Step 6. One can also optionally fine tune the Clutter Absorption Loss(CAL) manually on top of AMT. This is achieved by placing a dummy site with the same configuration as that of the CW Transmitter.
One needs to continuously alter the model parameter in question, re-analyze against the measured data,
quantify the effect of the change in terms of whether the change was beneficial (i.e. it has reduced the standard deviation between the propagation model and the CW data) until and unless Mean and Standard Deviation cannot be reduced any further
After completing the procedure we get K1 to K7 values which will be used to calculate path loss as shown below.
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d = TX-Rx distance (m) Heff=Height Effective Hms=Test mobile effective height (m) Diffn=Diffraction Loss (dB) K1 and K2 =Intercept and Slope K3= Mobile antenna height Factor K4=Okumara Hata multiplying factor K5=Effective antenna height gain K7=A Multiplying factor for diffraction
3. Nominal Planning Nominal Planning is backbone of any network launch and acts as a foundation stone on which the entire Network is planned. Nominal Planning consists of determining the position and characteristics of each site to achieve compliance with coverage and traffic requirement. Coverage Plots of this nominal Cell Planning are issued to represent the result of this design step. For the purpose of bid, a Nominal plan will be prepared based on the equipment details, subscriber projection, coverage objectives, and coverage threshold and propagation model applicable in the desired circles. The objective is to provide a nominal cell plan, which will demonstrate the proposed design. This will include nominal plans for Coverage Preliminary Work a) Propagation Tool Setup
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1. Set up the planning tool hardware. This includes the server and or clients
which may be UNIX based. 2. Setup the plotter and printer to be used. b) Terrain, Clutter, Vector data acquisition and setup
1. Procure the terrain, clutter and vector data in the required resolution.
2. Setup these data on the planning tool. 3. Test to see if they are displayed properly and printed correctly on the plotter. c) Setup site tracking database 1. This is done using Project management or site management databases.
2. This is the central database which is used by all relevant department, viz. RF, Site acquisition, Power, Civil engineering etc, and avoids data mismatch.
d) Load master lease site locations in database 1. If predetermined friendly sites that can be used are available, then load this data into the site database.
e) Marketing Analysis and GOS determination for Capacity Management 1. Marketing analysis is mostly done by the customer.
2. Growth plan is provided which lists the projected subscriber growth in phases. 3. GOS is determined in agreement with the customer (generally the GOS is taken as 2%) 4. Based on the marketing analysis, GOS and number of carriers as inputs, the network design is carried out.
f)
Zoning Analysis 1. This involves studying the height restrictions for antenna heights in the design area.
g)
1. Link Budget Analysis is the process of aanalyzing all major gains and losses in
the forward and reverse link radio paths.
2. Inputs Confidential not for circulation Prepared by: Shailendra kumar Page 9
a.
3. Output
a. h) Initial cell radius calculation Maximum allowable path loss.
1. Using link budget calculation, the maximum allowable path loss is calculated. 2. Using Okumura Hata empirical formula, the initial cell radius can be calculated.
i) Initial cell count estimates
1. Once the cell radius is known, the area covered by one site can be easily
calculated. 2. By dividing the total area to be covered by the area of each cell, a initial estimate of the number of cells can be made. j) Morphology Definition
Run Propagation Analysis 1. Using generic models prepared by drive testing & prop test, run predictions for each cell depending on morphology type to predict the coverage in the given subareas.
2. Planning tool calculates the path loss and received signal strength using Coordinates of the site location, Ground elevation above mean sea level, Antenna
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height above ground, Antenna radiation pattern (vertical & horizontal) & antenna orientation, Power radiated from the antenna.
1. According to the predictions change the cell placements to design the network
for contagious coverage and appropriate traffic. n) System Coverage Maps 1. Prepare presentations as follows
2. Background on paper showing area MAP which include highways, main roads etc. 3. Phase 1 sites layout on transparency. 4. Phase 1 sites composite coverage prediction. 5. Phase 2 sites layout transparency.
o) Design Review With The Client 1. Initial design review has to be carried out with the client so that he agrees to the basic design of the network.
2. During design review, first put only the background map which is on paper.
Then step by step put the site layout and coverage prediction.
3. Display may show some coverage holes in phase 1 which should get solved in
phase 2 .
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Responsibility Matrix S No Activity 1 2 3 EiRP details Link Budget with K values Nominal RF Design Site details with Lat-Long, antenna height, tilt, azimuth, Coverage Plots, Statistics, XML export from planning Digital Map Data Hot Spot Location List of highways & Rail routes to be covered List of Sharing site details & Antenna height details Proposed polygons of cities Coverage Plots A0 plots Coverage & Site export in MapInfo format Coverage information in PPT Submission of Final Report
Vendor Customer P P P S -
4 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
P P P P P
P P P P -
4. RF Survey & Candidate selection This is the next step of nominal planning wherein we send the engineer in the field for physical verification Initial design review has to be carried out with the client so that he agrees to the basic design of the network. During design review, first put only the background map which is on paper. Then step by step put the site layout and coverage prediction. Display may show some coverage holes in phase 1 which should get solved in phase 2 . The site survey is the activity of describing a potential site, and evaluating its feasibility and preparedness for possible installation. Also examined are constraints and location specific information that would lead to the qualification or disqualification of the chosen location. A specific questionnaire is used as a guideline for this activity. This Candidate Information Report (CIR) questionnaire captures all information about the site including equipment room, antennas, power supply details, etc . Equipment room survey consists in drafting a plan of the room where the equipment will be installed.
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Examination of existing towers, antennas and environment on each site allows for determination of antennas best location. Information so gathered is input into a site survey report, which will be used for site selection and site engineering (when the site is selected).
a) Selection of Sites
Prepare Initial Search Ring
Note the latitude and longitude from planning tool. Get the address of the area from mapping software. Release the search ring with details like radius of search ring, height of antenna etc.
If there are friendly/sharing sites available that can be used (infrastructure sharing), then these sites are to be given preference. If these sites suite the design requirements, then visit these sites first.
Select Initial Anchor Sites Initial anchor sites are the sites which are very important for the network buildup, Eg - Sites that will also work as a BSC.
Perform Propagation Analysis Now since the site has been selected and the lat/lon of the actual site ( which will be different from the designed site) is known, put this site in the planning tool and predict coverage. Check to see that the coverage objectives are met as per prediction.
Reset / Review Search Rings If the prediction shows a coverage hole ( as the actual site may be shifted from the designed site), the surrounding search rings can be resetted and reviewed.
Candidate site Visit( Average 3 per ring) For each proposed location, surveys should carried out and at least 3 suitable site candidates identified.
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Details of each candidate should be recorded on a copy of the Site Proposal Form for that site. Details must include: Site name and option letter Site location (Lat./Long) Building Height Site address and contact number Height of surrounding clutter Details of potential coverage effecting obstructions or other comments (A, B, C,...)
Visit Site With All Disciplines( SA, Power, Civil etc ) A meeting at the selected site takes place in which all concerned departments like RF Engineering, Site acquisition, Power, Civil Engineer, Civil contractor and the site owner is present. Any objections are taken care off at this point itself.Otherwise this will create problem in future
Site Location
Proper site location determines usefulness of its cells. Site are expensive and have to be chosen carefully. The planner needs to visit each and every site if required
Simple logic for Good site We need to understand various factors we must take into account to ensure that the selected site is good. Simple way is to ask yourself three questions 1) Why am I putting this site ? 2) Will this selected site serve that purpose ? 3) Are there any possible problems that might arise if i select this site. If yes can I solve or avoid those problems? BAD SITE SELECTION Uncontrolled interference Interleaved coverage Awkward HO behaviours But are good for microwave links
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GOOD SITE SELECTION Sites off hilltop locations are preferable for a BTS site as hills can be used to separate cells interference can be easily controlled minimum overlapping will result can face problems for microwave links
b) SITE SELECTION CRITERIA Radio criteria for site selection Good view in the main beam direction
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Non-radio criteria
No surrounding nearby high obstacle Good visibilty of terrain Room for antenna mounting LOS to the two microwave site and if possible to the BSC Short cabling distance
Space for equipment Availaibilty of lease lines or microwave links Power supply Access restrictions Rental costs Ease of acquisition
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16. For sharing option make proper layout of shelter(Inside) indicating dimension and position of BTS,
Battery Bank, Power Supply,Tx Rack etc. 17. Consider all obstruction which can obstruct RF signal, take photograph fro each obstruction 18. Check the building feasibility properly a) Check the column, space for site b) Match the criteria justifying tower * building height relation 19. Always carry complete KIT along with extra battery. 20. Mobile phone should be switched on at any point of time.
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a) Short Summary of CALICUT City The city of Kozhikode, Calicut as it was known to the British and Europeans was the seat of active trade, political unrest and historical happenings. It is a tourist hotspot and a favored destination.
b) Assumption and Guidelines Map Used-25m(Resolution) Antenna Used for Nominal Planning-65 deg for City & 33 Deg for Highway
Bldg Loss 25 dB 20 dB 15 dB 8 dB
RF Antenna Ht 25 M 25 M 30 M 35-40 M
Standard Macro cell 3 Model:Its usage in the environments where the distance from the site is greater than 500 metres, BS antenna heights in the range of 15-200 metres and receiver heights in the range of 1-10 metres. Pathloss (dB)=k1 + k2log(d)+k3(Hms)+k4log(Hms)+K5log(Heff)+k6log(Heff)log(d)+k7(diffn) +C_Loss Where: d is the distance from the base station to the mobile station 9km Hms is the height of the MS above ground (m0)
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Heff is the effective BS antenna height (m) Diffn is the diffraction loss calculated using either the Epstein-Peterson, Bullington, Deygout or Japanese Atlas Knife edge techniques. K1 & k2 are the Intercept and Slope. These factors correspond to a constant offset (in dB) and a multiplying factor for the log of the distance between the BS and MS K3 is the MS antenna height factor. Correction factor used to take into account the effective MS antenna height. K4 is the multiplying factor for Hms K5 is the effective antenna height gain. This is multiplying factor for the log of the effective antenna height K6 is the multiplying factor for log(Heff)log(d) K7 is the multiplying factor for diffraction loss calculation C-Loss is the clutter specifications such as heights and separation are also taken into account in the calculation process. c) Link Budget ownlink(Dense Urban) Mean o/p power over burst 40 Power(Before 46.0 Combiner) 21 RxSens Interference degr. Div.gain Rx.ant gain Rx ant.cable loss UL duplexer loss Min Rx Level Tot.comb.&dupl.los s PA backoff??? Tx ant gain Tx ant. Cable loss EiRP Standard dev. Area Probability -102 3 0 0 0 0 -99 n.a. Urban W dBm 40 46.0 21 -102 3 0 0 0 0 -99 n.a. W dBm Suburban 40 46.0 21 -102 3 0 0 0 0 -99 n.a. W dBm Rural 40 46.0 21 -102 3 0 0 0 0 -99 n.a. W dBm Highway 40 46.0 21 -102 3 0 0 0 0 -99 n.a. W dBm
User input Tx (BS) 3 0 17 3 57.0 21 7 79% 3 0 17 3 57.0 21 7 79% 3 0 17 3 57.0 21 7 79% 3 0 17 3 57.0 21 4 79% 3 0 21 3 61.0 21 4 79%
Miscellaneous
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Fading magin Body Loss Indoor penetration loss (Inc LNF) Max.allow.PL Cell range Site area The Threshold Level Assume:
5.64 49 3
5.64 49 3
5.64 49 3
3.22 57 3
3.22 57 3
Km Sq.K m
Km Sq.K m
Km Sq.K m
Km Sq.K m
Km Sq.K m
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e) Polygon
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Statistics for GSM - GSM Best Server [Non-Simulator] Category summary Multiple categories - all display categories in Cumulative mode: Category -65.00 <= x dBm -70.00 <= x < -65.00 dBm -75.00 <= x < -70.00 dBm -85.00 <= x < -75.00 dBm Covered area(km) 24.149 34.781 39.956 42.015 Covered area(%) 57.37% 82.63% 94.92% 99.81%
Clutter summary Clutter urban_high_density urban_medium urban_low_density villages industrial low_dense_vegetation Total area(km) 0.55 4.351 12.578 0.94 0.015 9.127 Covered area(km) 0.55 4.351 12.573 0.937 0.015 9.103 Covered area(%) 100.00% 100.00% 99.96% 99.67% 100.00% 99.73%
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agriculture/fallow water open quasi_open river Sea Attribute summary Attribute CALICUT
i)
Clutter partition as Per Polygon CALICUT -Statistics Report (With Available Sharing Options) UNITECH COVERAGE STATISTICS DATE : 6/10/2008
CALICUT DENSE URBAN 0.550 With 0.528 96.00% 0.550 100.000 0.550 4.128 94.55% 4.241 URBAN 4.366
CLUTTER
% Area Covered With Coverage >-65 Area Covered Coverage >-70 With
% Area Covered With Coverage >-70 Area Covered Coverage >-75 With
12.048
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% Area Covered With Coverage >-75 Area Covered Coverage >-85 With
j)
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k) Summary 39 Sites Planned Outside the CALICUT City Polygon for Small Town & Highway out of which 03 Sites are not showing on the 2D view of Asset Tool.
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Total Sites Used to cover CALICUT City(polygon) 48 out of which 43 are sharing site, 05 other small
town sites.
l)
Recommendations
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Nominal Planning done with electrical tilt of 2 deg since the city is along with coastal boundary therefore mechanical tilt of 2 deg is recommended for border cells For Highways and railways we had used 2 sector with high gain antenna and one sector with 65deg city antenna 2 New site required with this link budget and the Clutter requirement. Change in Orientation based on coverage requirement
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