Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
User Manual
for Microwave Networks
AT332_UMM_E0
AT332_UMM_E0AT332_UMM_E0
AT332_UMM_E0
Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Atoll 3.3.2 User Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
About Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
About Forsk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Printing Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
About Atoll Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Contacting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.1
1.1.1
1.1.1.1
1.1.1.2
1.1.2
1.1.2.1
1.1.2.2
1.1.2.3
1.1.2.4
1.1.2.5
1.1.3
1.1.3.1
1.1.3.2
1.1.3.3
1.1.3.4
1.1.3.5
1.1.4
1.1.4.1
1.1.4.2
1.1.4.3
1.1.5
Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Standalone Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Available Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Creating a Standalone Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Documents Connected to a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Atoll Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Creating a Document from a Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Checking the Database Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Refreshing a Document from the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Archiving the Modifications in the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuring Document Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Projection and Display Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Setting a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Selecting the Degree Display Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting Measurement Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Defining a Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Saving Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Saving a Copy of a Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Creating and Sharing Portable Atoll Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuring Automatic Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Opening Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.4
1.2.4.1
1.2.4.2
1.2.4.3
1.2.4.4
1.2.4.5
1.2.4.6
1.3
1.3.1
1.3.2
1.3.3
1.3.3.1
1.3.3.2
1.3.4
1.3.5
1.3.5.1
1.3.5.2
1.3.5.3
Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Renaming an Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Deleting an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Modifying the Visibility of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Changing the Order of Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Accessing Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Setting the Display Properties of Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Setting the Display Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Setting the Transparency of Objects and Object Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Setting the Visibility Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1.3.5.4
1.3.5.5
1.3.5.6
1.3.5.7
1.3.5.8
1.3.6
1.3.6.1
1.3.6.2
1.3.6.3
1.3.6.4
1.3.6.5
1.3.6.6
1.3.6.7
1.3.6.8
1.3.7
1.4
1.4.1
1.4.1.1
1.4.1.2
1.4.1.3
1.4.1.4
1.4.2
1.4.3
1.4.3.1
1.4.3.2
1.4.3.3
1.4.3.4
1.4.4
1.4.5
1.4.6
1.4.7
1.4.8
1.4.8.1
1.4.8.2
1.4.8.3
1.4.8.4
1.4.9
1.4.10
1.4.10.1
1.4.10.2
1.4.10.3
1.4.10.4
1.4.10.5
1.4.10.6
1.4.10.7
1.4.11
1.4.11.1
1.4.11.2
1.4.11.3
1.4.11.4
1.4.11.5
1.4.12
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Configuring the Layout of the Map Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Displaying the Map Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Displaying Rulers Around the Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Displaying the Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Using Full Screen Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Moving the Map in the Document Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Changing the Map Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Zooming In and Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Choosing a Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Changing Between Previous Zoom Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Adjusting the Map Window to a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Using the Panoramic Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Opening a New Map Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Centring the Map Window on a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Favourite Map Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Searching for Objects on the Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Searching for a Map Object by Its Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Searching for a Map Object using Any Text Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Searching for a Point on the Map by its Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Searching for a Point on the Map by its Full or Partial Postal Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Measuring Distances on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Using Zones in the Map Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Filtering Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Computation Zone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Focus Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Printing Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Geographic Export Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Creating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Editing Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Vector Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Adding a Vector Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Creating Polygons, Lines, and Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Editing Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Editing Polygon Contours and Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Creating Complex Polygons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Map Window Pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
1.5
1.5.1
1.5.2
1.5.2.1
1.5.2.2
1.5.2.3
1.5.3
1.5.4
1.5.4.1
1.5.4.2
1.5.4.3
1.5.4.4
1.5.4.5
AT332_UMM_E0
1.5.4.6
1.5.5
1.5.5.1
1.5.5.2
1.5.5.3
1.5.6
1.5.7
1.5.8
1.5.9
1.5.10
Moving Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Editing the Contents of a Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Editing Table Entries Directly in the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Copying and Pasting in Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Searching for and Replacing Text Entries in Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Viewing a Statistical Analysis of Table Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Exporting Tables to Text Files and Spreadsheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Importing Tables from Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Exporting Tables to XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Importing Tables from XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
1.6
1.6.1
1.6.2
1.6.2.1
1.6.2.2
1.6.3
1.6.4
1.6.5
Printing in Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Printing Data Tables and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Printing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Printing Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Defining the Print Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Previewing Your Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Printing a Docking Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Printing Antenna Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
1.7
1.7.1
1.7.1.1
1.7.1.2
1.7.1.3
1.7.1.4
1.7.1.5
1.7.2
1.7.2.1
1.7.2.2
1.7.3
1.7.3.1
1.7.3.2
1.7.3.3
1.7.3.4
1.7.3.5
1.7.4
1.7.4.1
1.7.4.2
1.7.5
1.7.5.1
1.7.5.2
1.7.5.3
1.7.5.4
1.7.5.5
1.7.5.6
1.7.5.7
1.7.6
1.7.6.1
1.7.6.2
1.7.6.3
1.7.6.4
1.7.6.5
1.7.6.6
1.7.7
1.8
1.9
1.9.1
1.9.2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.4.1
2.3.4.2
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.3.6.1
2.3.6.2
2.3.6.3
2.3.7
2.3.8
101
101
102
103
103
103
104
104
105
105
106
106
107
107
2.4
2.5
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
Clutter Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning Names to Clutter Classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Clutter Class Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a Clutter Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Refreshing the List of Clutter Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Displaying Total Surface Area per Clutter Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6
2.7
2.7.1
2.7.2
2.7.3
2.8
2.8.1
2.8.2
2.9
2.9.1
2.9.2
2.10
2.10.1
2.10.2
2.10.3
2.10.4
114
114
115
115
115
2.11
2.11.1
2.11.2
2.11.2.1
2.11.2.2
2.11.2.3
116
116
117
117
118
118
2.12
2.13
2.13.1
2.13.2
2.14
2.14.1
2.14.1.1
2.14.1.2
2.14.1.3
2.14.1.4
2.14.2
121
121
121
121
122
122
122
2.15
2.15.1
2.15.1.1
2.15.1.2
2.15.2
123
124
124
125
125
108
108
108
109
110
110
111
111
111
112
AT332_UMM_E0
2.15.3
2.15.4
2.15.5
3.1
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
3.2.5
3.2.6
3.3
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
3.3.5
3.3.5.1
3.3.5.2
3.3.5.3
3.3.5.4
3.3.6
3.3.7
3.3.8
3.3.8.1
3.3.8.2
3.3.8.3
3.4
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.5
3.5.1
3.5.1.1
3.5.1.2
3.5.2
3.5.2.1
3.5.2.2
4.1
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
5.1
5.2
5.2.1
5.2.1.1
5.2.1.2
5.2.2
5.2.2.1
5.2.2.2
5.2.2.3
5.2.2.4
5.2.3
188
188
188
189
189
189
191
193
194
195
5.3
5.3.1
5.3.1.1
5.3.1.2
5.3.1.3
5.3.1.4
5.3.1.5
5.3.1.6
5.3.2
5.3.2.1
5.3.2.2
5.3.2.3
5.3.3
5.3.4
5.3.5
5.3.6
5.3.6.1
5.3.6.2
5.3.6.3
5.3.6.4
5.3.6.5
5.3.7
5.3.8
Creating Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Microwave Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Microwave Link Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Microwave Radio Link on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Microwave Radio Links On Existing Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying a Microwave Radio Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Power Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Port Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Other Transmission Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Transmission Link Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Other Transmission Links on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Other Transmission Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Sites and Links Directly on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Microwave and Other Transmission Links as Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Displaying Tips for Sites and Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Passive Repeaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Definition of a Passive Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opening the Passive Repeaters Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating or Modifying a Passive Repeater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Placing a Passive Microwave Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a Passive Repeater to a Microwave Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking Data Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
197
197
197
202
203
203
203
204
206
206
206
207
207
207
208
208
209
210
210
210
211
211
212
5.4
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.4.3
5.4.4
213
214
214
215
216
5.5
5.5.1
5.5.1.1
5.5.1.2
5.5.1.3
5.5.1.4
5.5.1.5
5.5.1.6
5.5.1.7
5.5.1.8
5.5.2
5.5.2.1
5.5.2.2
5.5.2.3
217
217
217
218
218
219
220
221
221
222
226
226
226
226
5.6
5.6.1
5.6.1.1
5.6.1.2
5.6.1.3
5.6.1.4
5.6.1.5
5.6.2
5.6.2.1
5.6.2.2
227
227
228
230
231
232
232
232
233
233
AT332_UMM_E0
5.6.2.3
5.6.3
5.6.3.1
5.6.3.2
5.7
5.7.1
5.7.2
5.7.2.1
5.7.2.2
5.7.2.3
5.7.3
5.8
5.8.1
5.8.1.1
5.8.1.2
5.8.1.3
5.8.2
5.8.3
5.8.3.1
5.8.3.2
5.8.4
5.8.5
5.9
5.9.1
5.9.1.1
5.9.1.2
5.9.2
5.9.3
5.9.3.1
5.9.3.2
5.9.3.3
5.9.3.4
5.9.4
5.9.4.1
5.9.4.2
5.9.4.3
5.10
5.10.1
5.10.2
5.11
5.11.1
5.11.1.1
5.11.1.2
5.11.1.3
5.11.1.4
5.11.1.5
5.11.2
5.11.2.1
5.11.2.2
5.11.3
5.11.4
5.11.5
5.11.5.1
5.11.5.2
5.11.5.3
5.11.5.4
5.11.6
5.11.7
5.11.7.1
5.11.7.2
5.11.7.3
5.11.7.4
5.11.7.5
5.11.7.6
5.11.7.7
5.11.7.8
5.11.7.9
5.11.7.10
5.11.7.11
284
284
284
285
286
286
6.1
6.1.1
6.1.1.1
6.1.1.2
6.1.2
6.1.2.1
6.1.2.2
6.1.2.3
6.1.3
6.1.3.1
6.1.3.2
6.1.3.3
6.1.3.4
6.1.3.5
6.1.3.6
6.1.3.7
6.1.4
6.1.5
292
292
293
293
294
294
295
295
296
297
297
298
299
300
300
302
302
303
6.2
6.3
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
6.3.4.1
6.3.4.2
6.3.4.3
6.3.5
6.3.6
6.3.7
6.3.8
6.3.9
6.4
6.4.1
6.4.2
305
305
306
307
307
307
308
308
309
309
310
310
311
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
10
AT332_UMM_E0
About Atoll
Atoll is a 64-bit multi-technology wireless network design and optimisation platform. Atoll is open, scalable, flexible, and
supports wireless operators throughout the network life cycle, from initial design to densification and optimisation.
Atoll Microwave is a complete backhaul and microwave link planning solution based on the leading Atoll platform, which
includes a high performance GIS and advanced data and user management features. Atoll Microwave can share its site database with Atoll radio planning and optimisation modules, thus allowing easy data consistency management across the operator organisation.
Atolls integration and automation features help operators smoothly automate planning and optimisation processes through
flexible scripting and SOA-based mechanisms. Atoll supports a wide range of implementation scenarios, from standalone to
enterprise-wide server-based configurations.
If you are interested in learning more about Atoll, please contact your Forsk representative to inquire about our training solutions.
About Forsk
Forsk is an independent company providing radio planning and optimisation software solutions to the wireless industry since
1987.
In 1997, Forsk released the first version of Atoll, its flagship radio planning software. Since then, Atoll has evolved to become
a comprehensive radio planning and optimisation platform and, with more than 7000 installed licenses worldwide, has
reached the leading position on the global market. Atoll combines engineering and automation functions that enable operators to smoothly and gradually implement SON processes within their organisation.
Today, Forsk is a global supplier with over 450 customers in 120 countries and strategic partnerships with major players in the
industry. Forsk distributes and supports Atoll directly from offices and technical support centres in France, USA, and China as
well as through a worldwide network of distributors and partners.
Since the first release of Atoll, Forsk has been known for its capability to deliver tailored and turn-key radio planning and optimisation environments based on Atoll.
To help operators streamline their radio planning and optimisation processes, Forsk provides a complete range of implementation services, including integration with existing IT infrastructure, automation, as well as data migration, installation, and
training services.
Getting Help
The online help system that is installed with Atoll is designed to give you quick access to the information you need to use the
product effectively. It contains the same material as the Atoll 3.3.2 User Manual.
You can browse the online help from the Contents view, the Index view, or you can use the built-in Search feature.
You can also download manuals from the Forsk web site at:
http://www.forsk.com/MyForskAccount/
If you want to print a single topic, select Print the selected topic.
If you want to print an entire section, including all topics and sections in that section, select Print the selected
heading and all subtopics.
11
5. Click OK.
To read PDF manuals, download Adobe Reader from the Adobe web site at:
http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Hardcopy manuals are also available. For more information, contact to your Forsk representative.
Forsk US
For North and Central America, contact the Forsk US support team:
Forsk China
For China, contact the Forsk China support team:
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi.
12
Chapter 1
Working Environment
This chapter presents the Atoll working environment and
explains the tools and shortcuts available.
"Documents" on page 15
"Objects" on page 30
"Maps" on page 41
14
AT332_UMM_E0
1 Working Environment
The Atoll working environment provides a wide set of tools to create and design microwave-planning projects in a single application and to create and export results based on your projects.
In Atoll, microwave-planning projects are modelled and managed through Atoll documents (files with the .ATL extension).
The Atoll working environment is flexible and supports standard Windows capabilities (such as simultaneous opening of
several windows, moving windows or objects by dragging and dropping them, commands accessible through context menus,
standard shortcuts).
Data and objects contained in an Atoll document are accessible from different ways:
Explorers: The explorers contain most of the objects in a document arranged in folders. Using the explorers, you can
manage all objects in the Atoll document: sites, calculations, as well as geographic data such as the Digital Terrain
Model (DTM), and clutter classes. You can, for example, define various coverage predictions or configure the parameters or display of data objects.
Maps: Atoll provides many tools for working with the map. You can change the view by moving or zooming in or out
and you can choose which objects are displayed and how they are displayed. You can also export the current display
definition, or configuration, to use it in other documents.
Data tables: The content of the folders in the explorers can be displayed in tables, allowing you to manage large
amounts of data. You can sort and filter the data in a table, or change how the data is displayed. You can also enter
large amounts of information into a table by importing data or by cutting and pasting the information from any Windows spreadsheet into the table.
This chapter provides an overview of the Atoll working environment and covers the following topics:
"Documents" on page 15
"Atoll Work Area" on page 26
"Objects" on page 30
"Maps" on page 41
"Data Tables" on page 58
"Printing in Atoll" on page 72
"Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data" on page 76
"Toolbars and Shortcuts" on page 91.
1.1 Documents
In Atoll, microwave-planning projects are modelled and managed through Atoll documents (files with the .ATL extension).
Each Atoll document can contain multiple technologies and assembles the following necessary information:
Microwave equipment such as sites, antennas, and other equipment. For more information on radio equipment, see
the technology-specific chapters.
Microwave data such as frequency bands, technology-specific parameters, coordinate systems. For more information
on microwave data, see the technology-specific chapters.
Geographic data such as clutter classes, clutter heights, Digital Terrain Model (DTM), . For more information on geographic data, see Chapter 2: Geographic Data.
In a single-user environment, Atoll documents are standalone documents. Atoll is delivered with document templates
that contain the data and folder structure necessary for the technologies you are using. You can also create your own
templates by opening an existing template, changing it to fit your own requirements, and then saving it as a new template.
In a multi-user environment, documents are connected to a database and can be created from an existing database.
When you create an Atoll document from a database, the database you connect to has been created with the technologies and data you need. Working with a database allows several users to share the same data while at the same
time managing data consistency.
15
parameters available differ according to the project. As well, the objects that are available are appropriate for the technology.
For example, UMTS cells are only available in UMTS documents and TRX are only available in GSM-TDMA documents.
If you create a multi-RAT document, Atoll enables you to select the multiple radio technologies you will be planning for. In a
multi-RAT document, the data and data structures for each radio technology planned for are made available in the new Atoll
document.
Once you have selected the appropriate template for your microwave-planning project, you must configure the basic parameters of the Atoll document.
This section covers the following topics:
Microwave Radio Links: This template enables you to create a physical backhaul network, including microwave and
other transmission links (fibre-optic links or leased lines).
Backhaul: This template enables you to create both a physical and a logical backhaul network. The logical layer allows
you to perform backhaul capacity planning activities.
Microsoft Access
Microsoft SQL Server
Oracle
Microsoft Data Link files
The exact procedure of connecting with the database differs from one database to another.
When you create an Atoll document from a database, Atoll loads the data to which you have rights from database into your
new document and then disconnects it from the database. The connection to the reference database is reactivated only when
necessary, thus ensuring access to the database by other users.
When you work in a multi-user environment, there are issues related to sharing data that do not arise when you are working
on a standalone document. For example, when you archive your changes to the database, the changes you have made may
occasionally interfere with changes other users have made and you will need to resolve this conflict.
This section covers the following topics:
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A central Atoll project: The central Atoll project can only be accessed, modified, and updated by the Atoll administrator. Through this central Atoll project, the Atoll administrator can manage all the data shared by all the individual
Atoll users or groups of users.
Shared data: Shared data is initially set up by the administrator using the central Atoll project and are then accessed,
modified, worked on, and updated by the Atoll users and the administrator. The shared data is mainly of the following
three types:
The central database: The central database stores all the radio data of all the Atoll user documents. It is initiated
through the central Atoll project by the administrator, and is then subdivided into sections on which users or
groups of users can work simultaneously. Once the database is in place, users can modify their projects, refresh
their projects from the data stored in the database, and archive their modifications in the database. The use of a
database means that potential data conflicts due to modifications from other users, modified or deleted records,
for example, can be detected and resolved.
Shared geographic data: Shared geographic data files are usually stored on a common file server with a fast access
connection. Since geographic data files are usually large, they are usually linked to an Atoll file, i.e., they are stored
externally, so as to minimise the size of the Atoll file. Users who modify geographic data locally, for example,
editing edit clutter or traffic in their respective projects, usually store these modifications locally, since these modifications rarely have an impact on other users.
Microwave link profiles: Shared microwave link profiles are calculated in the central Atoll project by the administrator. Users can read these shared profiles but cannot modify them. When a profile is changed in an users Atoll
document, then the new profile is stored locally in the users private profile folder. The shared profile is not modified.
Shared profiles are updated when the calculation administrator performs an update, taking into account the modifications made by other users that have been updated in the central database.
User Documents: Individual user documents are initialised by the administrator but are later worked upon and managed by each user. User documents are Atoll files which are connected to the central database, load only the required
part of the geographic data (as defined by the CFG file, for example), and have access to the shared microwave link
profiles folder.
17
For information on creating and maintaining the database, see the Administrator Manual.
You can configure Atoll to always use a defined database type (MS Access, SQL
Server, or Oracle) by setting an option in the Atoll.ini file. In this case, the Open
from a Database dialog box is replaced by the database-specific authentication
dialog box. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
Additional dialog boxes might open asking you to choose which project in the database to load or which site list to load.
3. Click OK. The Data to Load dialog box is displayed allowing you to select the data to load into the new Atoll document.
4. Select the Project, Site List, Custom Fields Groups, and Neighbours to be loaded from the database to create the document and click OK. If you load the intra-technology or the inter-technology neighbour list, the associated exceptional
pairs table is also loaded.
The new document opens with data loaded from the database.
If the north-west point of the project is by default the axis origin, the new document
opens with no site displayed in the map window. You can centre the document on the
data displayed in the Network explorer by expanding the Sites folder, right-clicking any
site, and selecting Centre in Map Window from the context menu (see "Centring the
Map Window on a Selection" on page 44).
If the document is connected to a database, the Database Connection dialog box appears.
If the document is a standalone document, a message is displayed to inform you that the document is not connected to a database. A document created from a template is not connected to any database.
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Archive your changes in the database: This option allows you to archive your changes to the server instead of
refreshing your document from the server.
Refresh unmodified data only: This option allows you to refresh from the database only those items that you have
not modified in your document.
Cancel your changes and reload database: This option allows you to cancel any changes you have made and start
over from the point of the last archive to the database.
If you chose Refresh unmodified data only or Cancel your changes and reload
database, Atoll proceeds without asking for confirmation.
If you chose Archive your changes in the database, the Archive dialog box
appears. For information, see "Archiving the Modifications in the Database" on
page 19.
3. Under Take into account, you can select the neighbour lists, Intra-technology Neighbours and Inter-technology
Neighbours, to refresh.
4. To create a report for the refresh process, select Generate Report under Modifications Since the Last Refresh.
5. Click OK. The document is refreshed according to the selected options.
If you selected to generate a report, Atoll creates a text file in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format in the temporary files
system folder and opens it. You can then rename the file and save it where you want. The report lists all the modifications
(deletions, additions, and updates) that were stored in the database since the last time you refreshed or opened your document.
1.1.2.5.1
19
To refresh the modification of an item with the original data from the database, select the item under Pending
changes and click Undo.
3. If some of the data has been modified on the database since you last refreshed, Atoll stops the archiving process and
asks you to resolve the conflict. For information on managing conflicts, see "Resolving Data Conflicts" on page 20.
4. Click Close when you are finished archiving.
1.1.2.5.2
Ignore: If you click Ignore, Atoll ignores items causing conflicts in the table being archived, archives all other modifications in the table, and continues with the next table. You can resolve the conflicts after the archiving process has
ended. However, if conflicts are found in other tables, Atoll will warn you with the Database Transfer Error dialog box
again.
Ignore All: If you click Ignore All, Atoll ignores all items causing conflicts in all tables being archived, and archives all
other modifications. You can resolve the conflicts after the archiving process has ended.
Abort: If you click Abort, the archiving process stops. You can attempt to resolve conflicts before restarting the
archiving process.
Whether you abort the archive process to resolve the conflict immediately, or wait until the end of the archive process, the
procedure to resolve the conflict is the same.
To resolve data conflicts one by one:
1. In the Pending Changes pane of the Archive dialog box, select the conflict you want to resolve and click Resolve. There
are two different types of data conflicts:
On a modified record: You are in the process of archiving your modifications on the database and another user
has modified the same data since you last archived or refreshed your data. A conflict is caused only by differences
in the same field of the same record between the database and the current Atoll document.
The Conflict in Changes dialog box appears, with the fields in conflict highlighted (see Figure 1.3). In the Conflict
in Changes dialog box, you can see the value of the field in the database in the Database values column, as well
as the value of the same field in your document in the Current values column.
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If you want to overwrite the database value with the value of the same field in your document, select the check
box next to the highlighted change and click Okay. Your modification will be written to the database, overwriting the value there.
If you want to accept the value of the field in the database, clear the check box next to the highlighted change
and click Okay. Your modification will be lost and the value in the database will remain unchanged.
On a deleted record: You are in the process of archiving your modifications on the database and another user has
deleted a record since you last archived or refreshed your data. For information, see "Resolving Data Conflicts" on
page 20.
Atoll displays a message explaining that the record you are trying to update has been deleted from the database
(see Figure 1.4). Select one of the following:
Yes: Select Yes to store your modifications in the database, thereby recreating the deleted record.
No: Select No to abandon your modifications to this record and delete this record from your document.
Cancel: Select Cancel to cancel.
Yes: Select Yes to accept all the modifications made by other users in the database and update your document
with values from the database.
No: Select No to overwrite the modifications made by other users in the database with the values from your document.
Cancel: Select Cancel to cancel.
21
The Lambert Conformal-Conic projection: a portion of the earth is mathematically projected on a cone conceptually
secant at one or two standard parallels. This projection type is useful for representing countries or regions that lay
primarily east to west.
The Universal Transverse Mercator projection (UTM): a portion of the earth is mathematically projected on a cylinder
tangent to a meridian (which is transverse or crosswise to the equator). This projection type is useful for mapping large
areas that are oriented north-south.
A geographic system is not a projection, but a representation of a location on the earth's surface from geographic coordinates
(degree-minute-second or grade) giving the latitude and longitude in relation to the origin meridian (Paris for the NTF system
and Greenwich for the ED50 system). The locations in the geographic system can be converted into other projections.
Atoll has databases including more than 980 international coordinate system references, a database based on the European
Petroleum Survey Group and another one regrouping only France's coordinate systems. Atoll uses the cartographic coordinate systems for projection and either cartographic or geographic coordinate systems for display.
The maps displayed in the workspace are referenced with the same projection system as the imported geographic data files;
thus, the projection system depends on the imported geographic file. By choosing a specific display system, you can see (using
the rulers or status bars) the location of sites on the map in a coordinate system different from the projection coordinate
system. You can also position on the map sites referenced in the display system: the coordinates are automatically converted
from the projection system to the display system and the site is displayed on the map.
All imported raster geographic files must be use the same cartographic system. If not, you
must convert them to a single cartographic system.
5. Click OK. The selected coordinate system appears in the Projection field and, by default, in the Display field as well.
1.
Snyder, John. P., Map Projections Used by the US Geological Survey, 2nd Edition, United States Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C., 313 pages, 1982.
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6. To set a different coordinate system for the display, click the Browse button to the right of the Display field and repeat
step 3. to step 5. For the display system, both cartographic systems (identified by the
tems (
) are available.
265629.9N
26d56m29.9sN
26.93914N
+26.93914
Radio:
Radiated power: Select either "EIRP" (Effective Isotropically Radiated Power) or "ERP" ()
Antenna gain: Select either "dBi" (decibel (isotropic)) or "dBd" (decibel (dipole))
Transmission: Select either "dBm" (decibel (milliWatt)), "W" (Watt), or "kW" (kiloWatt)
Reception: Select either "dBm" (decibel (milliWatt)), "dBV" (decibel (microvolt)), "dBV/M" (decibel (microvolt per metre)), or "V/M" (volts per metre)
Geo:
Climate:
3. Click OK.
23
Title: You can set a descriptive name for the project that is different from the file name of the Atoll project file.
Date: You can enter a timestamp for the project and then click the Lock button to prevent it from being changed.
By default Atoll enters the current time as the timestamp. Each time you access the Project tab, Atoll will update
the timestamp.
Owner: You can enter the name of the person responsible for the project, and then click the Lock button to prevent it from being changed. By default Atoll enters the name you used to log on to the computer.
Status: You can enter a description of the project status.
Logo: You define a logo for the project by clicking the Browse button and browsing to a graphic file that can be
used as a logo for the project. The logo will be used in reports exported in RTF format
Comments: You can enter any comments in the Comments field.
3. Click OK.
To link the copy of your Atoll document with the externalised calculation results files of the original document,
select Link with the externalised results of the original document.
To create copies of the externalised calculation results with the new document, select Make a copy of the externalised results.
To create a copy of your document without linking the externalised calculation results files of the original document, select Ignore the externalised results.
You can set an option in the [Settings] section of the Atoll.ini file to link, copy, or ignore
the externalised calculation results files and to hide the Externalised results dialog box
when saving a copy of a document.
3. Click OK in the Externalised results dialog box. The Save As dialog box is displayed.
4. Select the folder where the copy is to be stored, enter a File name, and click Save.
In most working environments, geographic data files are stored on a common file server and are linked to the ATL documents
of different users over a network. Often these geographic data files are quite large, and it is not feasible to embed these files
in an ATL file for reasons related to file size, memory consumption, and performance. It is, therefore, more useful to make a
project portable by creating an archive that contains the ATL and all linked geographic data files.
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To create an archive containing the ATL file and all linked geographic data files:
1. In the File menu, select Save to Zip. The Save As dialog box appears.
2. Select the folder where the created archive is to be stored, enter a File name for the archive to be created, select "Zip
Files (*.zip)" from the Save as type list, and click Save.
Atoll creates a ZIP file containing:
A copy of the ATL file with the same name as the name of the archive (ZIP file).
The ATL file added to the archive contains all the data that might be embedded in it (path loss matrices, geographic
data, coverage predictions, simulation results, measurement data, and so on).
A ".losses" folder containing a pathloss.dbf file and a LowRes subfolder which contains the pathloss.dbf file corresponding to the extended path loss matrices.
Externally stored path loss matrices are not added to the archive because they are not necessary for making a
portable document; they can be recalculated based on the network and geographic data in the ATL file. The pathloss.dbf files are stored in the archive because they are needed when reopening the archive in Atoll.
A "Geo" folder with all the linked geographic data available in the Geo explorer for the Atoll document.
This folder contains subfolders with the same names as the folders in the Geo explorer. Geographic data that are
found outside folders in the Geo explorer are stored in files under the Geo folder, and data present within folders
in the Geo explorer are stored inside their respective folders. If the geographic data files linked to the document
are located on a remote computer, such as a file server over a network, they are first copied to the local computer
in the Windows temporary files folder and then added to the archive.
Once the portable archive is created, you can open it directly from Atoll without first having to extract it using another tool.
To open an archive containing an ATL file and all linked geographic data files:
1. In the File menu, select Open from Zip. The Open dialog box appears.
2. Select the ZIP file that contains the ATL file and linked geographic data files and click Open. The Browse For Folder
dialog box appears.
3. Select the folder where you want to extract the contents of the ZIP file.
4. Click OK. Atoll extracts all the files from the archive to the selected folder. If necessary, it creates the subfolders
required for extracting the contents of the Geo folder. Once Atoll has finished extracting files from the archive, it
opens the extracted ATL file. Geographic data extracted from the archive are linked to the ATL file.
You do not need to have a compression utility, such as WinZip or WinRAR, installed
on the computer when working with archived ATL files.
The highest compression level is used when creating the archive.
25
It can take a long time to back up large documents. Therefore, you should set a correspondingly longer interval between backups when working with large documents in order
to optimise the process.
5. Click OK. If you selected the Prompt before starting automatic backup check box, Atoll prompts you each time before
backing up the document. If you click OK, Atoll proceeds to back up all open documents. If you click Cancel, Atoll skips
the backup once.
The automatic backup timer is stopped while the prompt is displayed. Atoll displays a message in the Events viewer
every time a backup file is updated. If you are performing calculations, which means coverage predictions or simulations, the automatic backup is delayed until the calculations have ended. The timer starts again once the calculations
are over. If you save the original document manually, the timer is reset to 0.
You can easily recover your backup document and open it in Atoll just like any other Atoll
document. If the original document is named "filename.atl," the backup document is
stored in the same folder and is named "filename.atl.bak".
If you just remove the BAK extension, your backup file will have the same file name as the
original file and Windows will not allow you to rename the file. Therefore, it is safer to give
a new name to the backup file and keep the original file until you are sure which version is
most recent.
26
A menu bar and several toolbars that give access to Atoll functions. For more information, see "Using Toolbars" on
page 91.
A document window that arranges by tab all the open Atoll documents, maps, data tables, and reports.
Explorers that arranges by folder data and objects contained in an Atoll document, such as network data, geographic
data, propagation models, and network settings.
Tool windows that are windows providing information or data and that can be docked or floating such as events
viewer, legend window, and panoramic window.
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1.2.2 Explorers
Explorers play a central role in Atoll by grouping the data and objects contained in an Atoll document:
Each explorer contains objects and folders containing objects. The name of each folder containing at least one object is
preceded by an Expand button ( ) or a Collapse button ( ).
You can expand or collapse all the folders in the explorer by pressing SHIFT while you click
on an expand or collapse button.
You can expand or collapse all folders that are selected as visible by pressing CTRL while
you click on an expand or collapse button.
In the Site explorer, you can expand or collapse all folders at a specific level by clicking the
arrow icons (
) in the title bar.
27
You can refresh the display of the Network explorer by clicking Refresh (
Each object and folder in the explorers has a context-specific menu that you can access by right-clicking. You can modify items
at the folder level, with changes affecting all items in the folder, or you can access and edit items individually.
The content of the folders in the explorers can be displayed in tables, allowing you to manage large amount of data. For information on working with tables, see "Data Tables" on page 58.
By default, explorers are displayed when launching Atoll. If the explorers are hidden you can display them by using the View
menu.
Events viewer: Atoll displays information about the current document in the Events viewer. The Events viewer displays information ( ), warning ( ), and error ( ) messages, as well as the progress of calculations. You can save
the information displayed in the Events viewer to a log file by selecting one or more events, right-clicking the selection,
and selecting Save As from the context menu. You can also automatically generate log files for each Atoll session and
select the level of information displayed in the Events viewer. For more information about these settings, see the
Administrator Manual.
Legend window: The Legend window contains information on the objects displayed on the map.
Panoramic window: The Panoramic window displays the entire map with all imported geographic data. A dark rectangle indicates what part of the geographic data is presently displayed in a document window, helping you situate
the displayed area in relation to the entire map. You can use the Panoramic window to:
For more information, see "Using the Panoramic Window" on page 44.
Find on Map window: The Find on Map window allows you to find object on the map. For more information, see
"Searching for Objects on the Map" on page 45.
Favourite View window: The Favourite Views window allows you to navigate between different predefined views
saved as favourite views. For more information, see "Favourite Map Views" on page 44.
New Horizontal Tab Group: A new horizontal tab group is created and the selected document window is
added.
New Vertical Tab Group: A new vertical tab group and the selected document window is added.
You can also add a document window to a new tab group by clicking its title and then selecting New Horizontal Tab
Group or New Vertical Tab Group from the Window menu.
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If you drag the window icon to the lower edge or right edge of an existing tab group, even
if there is only one tab group, an outline appears to indicate the tab group the window will
automatically be added to when you release the mouse.
3. Release the mouse. The explorer or toll window docks in its new position.
When auto-hide is activated on an explorer window, all the other explorers are reduced
to vertical tabs at the edge of the work area.
You can display the hidden explorer or tool window by resting the pointer over the name of the explorer or the tool
window.
29
2. In the title bar of the explorer or tool window, click Auto Hide (
their former positions.
The current X-Y coordinates (according to the defined display coordinate system).
The altitude (as defined in the DTM).
The clutter class (as defined in the clutter classes properties).
The clutter height (as defined in the clutter height file, or in the clutter classes).
X-Y coordinates
Altitude
Clutter class
1.3 Objects
In Atoll, the items found in the Network explorer or the Geo explorer and displayed on the map are referred to as objects.
Most objects in Atoll belong to an object type. For example, a transmitter is an object of the type transmitter.
Atoll enables you to carry out many operations on objects by clicking the object directly or by right-clicking the object and
selecting the operation from the context menu.
This section covers the following topics:
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In Atoll, objects such as sites are named with default prefixes. Individual objects are distinguished from each other by the number added automatically to the default prefix. You can
change the default prefix for sites by editing the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the
Administrator Manual.
Most objects in Atoll are case-insensitive. When renaming an object, you must make sure
that the same name isnt already used with different upper or lower-case characters.
3. To hide all the objects of an entire folder, clear the check box corresponding to the folder name in the Network or Geo
explorer.
4. To display an hidden object, select the check box corresponding to the object name in the Network or Geo explorer.
31
).
If you have made any changes to the properties of an item, Atoll prompts you to confirm
these changes before switching to the next Properties dialog box.
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4. Click OK.
Unique: defines the same symbol for all objects of this type. By defining a unique symbol for an object type, objects
of different types, such as sites, are immediately identifiable.
Discrete values: defines the display of each object according to the value of a selected field. This display type can be
used to distinguish objects of the same type by one characteristic. For example, you could use this display type to distinguish transmitters by antenna types, or to distinguish inactive sites from active ones.
Atoll applies colours automatically on 36-colour cycles. As opposed to shading, this is
particularly useful to distinguish neighbouring zones which have very close colour values.
You can configure Atoll to loop on as many user-defined colours as you want and you can
override user-defined colours, if any, and force shading (from red to blue) by setting
options in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
Value intervals: defines the display of each object according to set ranges of the value of a selected field. This display
type can be used, for example, to distinguish signal strength and the altitude of sites.
Advanced: only available for microwave links; this is a combined mode where you can select separate unique or discrete settings for the line colour, width, and style of the link. This allows you, for example, to assign one field value to
the width of the line and another field value to the colour.
Properties: The Display Parameters dialog box opens, which enables you to define the appearance of the selected
symbol in the table.
Refresh: Select this option to refresh the table.
Select all: All the values in the table are selected.
Insert before: When "Value Intervals" is the selected display type, a new threshold is inserted in the table before
the threshold selected in the table.
Insert after: When "Value Intervals" is the selected display type, a new threshold is inserted in the table after the
threshold selected in the table.
Delete: The selected value is removed from the table.
Shading: The Shading dialog box appears.
When "Value Intervals" is the selected display type, you select Shading to define the number of value intervals
and configure their colour. Enter the upper and lower limits of the value in the First Break and Last Break
boxes respectively, and enter a value in the Interval box. Define the colour shading by choosing a Start Colour
and an End Colour. The value intervals will be determined by the set values and coloured by a shade going
from the set start colour to the set end colour.
When "Discrete Values" is the selected display type, you select Shading to choose a Start Colour and an End
Colour.
Display Configuration: Select Load if you want to import an existing display configuration. Select Save if you want
to save the display configuration in a file.
7. Click OK.
33
When you create a map object, for example, a site, you must click the Refresh
button (
) to assign a colour to the newly created object according to the display
type.
You can define the default symbol used for sites and how it is displayed by setting
an option in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
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To select a field to be displayed in the label for the object type, select the field in the Available Fields list and click
to move it to the Selected Fields list.
To remove a field from the Selected Fields list, select the field and click
To change the order of a field in the list, select the field and click
or
.
to move it up or down.
4. Click OK to close the Field Selection dialog box then OK to close the Properties dialog box. The objects will be grouped
in the order of the fields in the Selected Fields list, from top to bottom.
For most object types, you can also display object information in the form of tip text that
is only visible when you move the pointer over the object. This option has the advantage
of not filling the map window with text. For more information on tip text, see "Associating
a Tip Text to an Object" on page 35.
When you have defined a link for a microwave link, you can change its position on the map using the mouse.
To change the position of a microwave link label using the mouse:
1. Select the link in the map window.
2. Click the link label and drag it to the new position.
When you move one of the sites defining a microwave link or when you load a configuration, Atoll resets the position of the label to its default position.
b. To remove a field from the Selected Fields list, select the field in the Selected Fields list and click
it.
to remove
For most object types, you can also display object information in the form of a label that is
displayed with the object. This option has the advantage of keeping object-related information permanently visible. For more information on tip text, see "Associating a Label to
an Object" on page 34.
4. Click OK.
Once you have defined the tip text, you must activate the tip text function before it appears by clicking Display Tips (
text are displayed when the pointer is over the object.
). Tip
35
The entries in the Legend column will appear in the Legend window.
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To display the results of a server coverage prediction with the transmitters set to the automatic display type:
1. Right-click the Transmitters folder in the Network explorer. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
3. Select the Display tab.
4. Select "Automatic" as the Display Type.
5. Click OK.
6. Click the Refresh button (
To change how the results of a signal level coverage prediction are displayed:
1. Expand the Predictions folder in the Network explorer and right-click the signal level prediction. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
3. Select the Display tab.
4. Click Actions to display the menu and select Shading. The Shading dialog box appears.
5. Change the value of the First Break to "-80". Leave the value of the Last Break at "-105."
6. Click OK to close the Shading dialog box.
37
7. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box and apply your changes.
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When you select a link, both ends appear white and the link itself appears outlined (
).
When one of the links is already selected on the map, right-clicking on its location will display the context menu
of the selected link.
39
If you make a mistake when changing the azimuth, you can undo your changes by using
Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo, by pressing Ctrl+Z, or by clicking
undo the changes made.
in the toolbar) to
1.3.6.7 Changing the Antenna Position Relative to the Site Using the Mouse
By default, antennas are placed on the site. However, antennas are occasionally not located directly on the site, but a short
distance away. In Atoll, you can change the position of the antenna relative to the site either by adjusting the Dx and Dy
parameters or by entering the coordinates of the antenna position on the General tab of the Microwave link Property dialog
box. Dx and Dy are the distance in metres of the antenna from the site position. You can also modify the position of the
antenna on the map, using the mouse.
To move a microwave link extremity using the mouse:
1. In the Network explorer, move the Microwave Radio Links folder on the top of the Sites folder as
explained in "Changing the Order of Layers" on page 31.
2. On the map, click the link extremity you want to move.
3. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green rectangle ( ). A cross appears under the
pointer.
4. Click the green rectangle and drag it to change the antennas position relative to the site. The current
coordinates (x and y) of the antenna are displayed in the far right of the status bar.
5. Release the mouse when you have moved the selected link extremity to the desired position. The position of the selected link extremity is modified on the General tab of the Microwave Link Properties
dialog box.
If you make a mistake when changing the position of the link extremity, you can undo your
changes by using Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo, by pressing CTRL+Z, or by clicking
in the toolbar) to undo the changes made.
1.3.6.8 Selecting Another Site for the Link Extremity Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can change the link extremity and place it on another site using the mouse.
To select another site for the link extremity on the map:
1. In the Network explorer, move the Microwave Radio Links folder on the top of the Sites folder as
explained in "Changing the Order of Layers" on page 31.
2. On the map, click the link extremity you want to move.
3. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green rectangle ( ). A cross appears under the
pointer.
40
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4. Click the green rectangle and drag it to the other site on the map.
5. Release the mouse when the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected. The site for the
selected link extremity is modified on the General tab of the Microwave Link Properties dialog box and
the link is renamed.
If you make a mistake when changing the position of the link extremity, you can undo your
changes by using Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo, by pressing CTRL+Z, or by clicking
in the toolbar) to undo the changes made.
Sites
Microwave Links
Multi-Hops
Point to Multipoint
Change The coordinate system to use in export by clicking the Change button.
Select the fields you want to export. You can select contiguous fields by clicking the first field, pressing Shift and
clicking the last field. You can select non-contiguous fields by pressing Ctrl and clicking each field separately.
To select a field to be exported, select the field in the Available fields list and click
Exported fields list. All fields in the Exported fields list will be exported.
to move it to the
To remove a field from the list of Exported fields, select the field and click
To change the order in which the fields will be exported, select a field and click or to move it up or down.
The top-most field under Exported fields corresponds to the left-most field under Preview.
The actual X and Y coordinates are stored in a hidden GEOMETRY field. The X and Y fields
are informative.
6. Click Export. The selected network elements are exported to the vector file.
You can import vector files in Atoll using File > Import. For more information, see "Importing Vector Format Geo Data Files"
on page 102.
1.4 Maps
Atoll has the following functions to help you work with maps:
41
With the toolbars and scrollbars hidden, you can still navigate around the map window using the keyboard shortcuts:
2. Move the pointer over the map and drag the map in the desired direction.
You can also move the map in the document window by placing the pointer over the map,
pressing the mouse wheel, and dragging the map in the desired direction.
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The following tools can also be used to zoom in and out in the map:
Mouse wheel: Place the mouse cursor where you want to zoom in (respectively
zoom out) and rotate the mouse wheel forward (respectively backward) to zoom
in (respectively zoom out) on the map.
Keyboard shortcuts: Press Ctrl++ to zoom in on the map or Ctrl+ to zoom out on
the map.
View menu: Select Zoom > Zoom In from the View menu to zoom in on the map
or Zoom > Zoom Out from the View menu to zoom in on the map.
Once you have returned to a previous zoom level, click the Next Zoom button (
43
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A favourite view contains a set of information regarding the visible elements of the map window. The following information
are saved in a favourite view:
Zoom level and map centre (coordinates of the centre of the map window).
Geographic data set, such as map display settings, visibility status of the objects contained in the Geo explorer, and
order of the layers in the Geo explorer.
Optionally, the definition of a computation and a focus zone.
To save the definition of a computation zone and a focus zone in favourite views and to
restore those zones when applying a favourite view, an option must be set in the [FavouriteViews] section of the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
By default, favourite views are stored in your user profile. You can store favourite views in
the document by setting an option in the [FavouriteViews] section of the Atoll.ini file. For
more information, see the Administrator Manual.
3. To save a favourite view in the document, right-click the favourite view under User Favourites and select Copy to Document Favourites from the context menu. The selected view is added to the Document Favourites list and will be
saved in the current document when the document is saved.
4. To save a favourite view of the document in your user profile, right-click the favourite view under Document Favourites and select Copy to User Favourites from the context menu. The selected view is added to the User Favourites list
and will be saved in your user profile.
5. To rename a favourite view, right-click the favourite view in the Favourite Views window and select Rename from the
context menu.
6. To delete a favourite view, right-click the favourite view in the Favourite Views window and select Delete from the
context menu.
7. To apply a favourite view, double-click the view in the Favourite Views window. The current applied view is identified
by the ( ) symbol in the Favourite Views window.
Vectors
Sites
Microwave links
Other link types
To search for a map object by name using the Find on Map tool:
1. Select Tools > Find on Map. The Find on Map window appears.
2. From the Find list, choose the map object you are searching for:
Vector
45
Site
MW Link
Other Link
An asterisk ("*") to represent multiple characters at the beginning of the name. For example, "*X" will find all
names that contain "X".
A question mark ("?") to represent the first alphanumerical character of the name. For example, "?X" will find all
"AX" to "ZX" and "0X" to "9X".
It is not possible to combine the "?" wildcard with other wildcards or to use "?" in any
other position than as the first character.
4. Select the object from the list. Atoll centres it in the map window. If the corresponding data table is open, then the
line containing the object is selected. You can also right-click the object in the list to display the context menu for the
object. You can also click Copy ( ) to copy to the clipboard the list of the object names that correspond to your
search criteria.
Vectors
Sites
Microwave links
Other link types
To search for a map object by a text property using the Find on Map tool:
1. Select Tools > Find on Map. The Find on Map window appears.
2. From the Find list, choose the map object you are searching for:
Vector
Site
MW Link
Other Link
3. From the Field list, select the text property on which you want to search, for example "Support Type" when you are
looking for a "Site".
4. Enter the name of the object in the text box marked with an equal sign ("="). In the Find on Map window, Atoll
searches and displays the results as you type. You can use an asterisk ("*") as a wildcard by entering it as the first character. For example, entering "*X" will find all names which contain "X".
5. Select the object from the list. Atoll centres it in the map window.
You can right-click the object in the list to display the context menu for the object. You can also click Copy (
to the clipboard the list of the object names that correspond to your search criteria.
) to copy
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1.4.8.4 Searching for a Point on the Map by its Full or Partial Postal Address
You can use Find on Map to search for a point by its postal address.
Atoll can use a geocoding service to locate a point on the map from a full or partial postal address. Atoll currently supports
the following geocoding providers: Microsoft Bing and MapQuest. To enable this service, see the Atoll Administrator Manual.
This geocoding service is not part of Atoll and is governed by the terms and conditions of
its provider, which are subject to change without notice.
To search for a point on the map by its full or partial postal address:
1. Select Tools > Find on Map. The Find on Map window appears.
2. From the Find list, choose Online.
3. Enter a postal Address. You can specify a full or partial address, for example: street name, precinct, city, county,
country, and so on.
4. Click Search. Atoll automatically begins searching and displays the results in the Find on Map window.
5. Select a result from the list. Atoll centres it in the map window.
Path: The total distance between the first point and the last point of a line segment or a polyline.
Line: The distance between the first point and the pointers position (for a line segment), or distance between the last
point and the pointers position (for a polyline).
Total: The total distance between the first point and the pointers location.
Azimuth: The azimuth of the pointers position with respect to the first point of a line segment, or with respect to the
last point of a polyline.
).
2. Click the starting point on the map. The information displayed in the status bar changes from "Ready" to the following
message:
47
5. Continue clicking points until you have clicked the last point. In the example shown in Figure 1.20, "BRU062" is the
first point, "BRU069" is the last point, the pointers location is 567 m away from the last point and its azimuth is 248
with respect to the last point.
6. Double-click anywhere on the map to exit distance measurement.
Filtering Zone: The filtering zone is a graphical filter that restricts the objects displayed on the map and in the Network
explorer to the objects inside the filtering zone. It also restricts which objects are used in calculations such as coverage
predictions, etc.
Computation Zone: The computation zone is used to define which microwave links are to be taken into consideration
in calculations and the area where Atoll calculates link budgets, link profiles, interference reports, etc.
Focus Zone: The focus zone defines the area on which you want to generate reports and results.
Printing Zone: The printing zone allows you to define the area to be printed.
Geographic Export Zone: The geographic export zone is used to define part of the map to be exported as a bitmap.
Zones are taken into account whether or not they are visible. In other words, if you have
drawn a zone, it will be taken into account whether or not its visibility check box in the
Zones folder of the Geo explorer is selected. For example, if you have filtered the sites
using a filtering zone, the sites outside the filtering zone will not be taken into
consideration in coverage predictions, even if you have cleared the filtering zones
visibility check box. You will have to delete the zone if you no longer want to select sites
using a filtering zone.
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When you have applied a filtering zone, you can perform the following actions on the filtered data:
The filtering zone is displayed with a blue contour on the map. The filtering zone is applied whether or not it is visible. In other
words, if you have drawn a zone, it will be taken into account whether or not its visibility check box in the Zones folder of the
Geo explorer is selected. You must delete the zone if you no longer want to restrict the selection to sites within the filtering
zone.
Sites 78 and 95 are not in the computation zone, but their propagation zones intersect with the rectangle containing
the computation zone. Therefore, they are taken into consideration in the calculations.
The propagation zones of sites 71 and 93 do not intersect with the computation zone. Therefore, they are not taken
into account in the calculations.
Site 130 is within the coverage zone but has no active transmitters. Therefore, it is not taken into consideration.
The computation zone is considered whether or not it is visible. In other words, if you have drawn a computation zone, it is
taken into account whether or not its visibility check box in the Zones folder of the Geo explorer is selected. You must delete
the zone if you no longer want to define an area for the calculations.
49
Filtering zones
Focus zones
Computation zones
Hot spots
Printing zones
Geographic export zones
To create a zone:
1. In the Geo explorer, expand the Zones folder, right-click the type of zone that you want to create. The context menu
opens.
To draw a polygon:
i.
To draw a rectangle:
i.
ii. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the zone.
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iii. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the zone. When you release the mouse, the zone
will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
To fit the zone to the displayed map area, click Fit Zone to Map Window.
The following alternative methods also allow you to create a computation zone:
In the Vector Editor toolbar, select a type of zone (highlighted in blue) and use the New Polygon (
Saving the computation zone in the user configuration: For information on saving
the computation zone in the user configuration, see "Saving a User Configuration"
on page 86.
Exporting the computation zone: You can export the computation zone by rightclicking the Computation Zone folder in the Geo explorer and selecting Export
from the context menu.
Selecting the polygon zone in the Zones folder in the Geo explorer,
Selecting the polygon zone by clicking it on the map, or
Selecting the polygon zone from the list in the Vector Editor toolbar.
Once you have the polygon zone in editing mode, you can edit it as explained in the following sections:
1.4.10.7.1
2. Edit the points on the contour as explained in "Editing Polygon Contours and Lines" on page 55
51
1.4.10.7.2
2. Edit the zone using the Vector Editor toolbar as explained in "Creating Complex Polygons" on page 56.
1.4.10.7.3
Deleting Zones
When you no longer need a polygon zone, you can remove the zone.
To remove a polygon zone:
1. In the Geo explorer, expand the Zones folder, right-click the folder containing the zone you want to remove, and select
Delete Zone from the context menu. The polygon zone is removed and all document data is now displayed.
You can also delete a zone by right-clicking the contour of the zone on the map and selecting Delete.
You can delete all zones by right-clicking the Zones folder and selecting Delete All Zones.
1.4.10.7.4
To copy the selected zone to the clipboard as a bitmap image, click Edit > Copy or press Ctrl-C.
To copy the selected zone as a bitmap image with a specific resolution, click Edit > Advanced Copy and follow the
following steps:
i.
In the Advanced Copy dialog box, select Bitmap image and specify a Custom resolution.
ii. Click OK
To copy the selected zone as a Windows metafile image, click Edit > Advanced Copy, select Metafile image, and
click OK.
To copy the selected zone as a list of coordinates, click Edit > Advanced Copy, select Georeference coordinates,
and click OK.
3. Open the application in which you want to paste the selected zone and select the Edit > Paste command (or press
Ctrl+V). The zone that you copied to the clipboard is pasted into the application document as an image or a list of coordinates.
1.4.10.7.5
Saving Zones
You can save zones as .geo files for later use or for sharing with other users. The type of zone and its shape and coordinates
are saved in the .geo file.
To save a zone:
1. In the Tools menu, select User Configuration and Save. The User Configurations window opens.
2. In the User Configuration window, select Zones and click OK. The Save As window opens.
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3. Select a directory, type a name for the .geo file, and click Save.
For more information on saving and loading user configurations, see "User Configurations" on page 85.
1.4.10.7.6
Loading Zones
You can load .geo zone files into the current Atoll document.
To load a zone:
1. In the Tools menu, select User Configuration and Load. The Open window is displayed.
2. Select a file to import, and click Load. The User Configurations window opens.
3. In the User Configuration window, select Zones and click OK. The zone is loaded.
By default, the loaded zone replaces an existing zone of the same type. An optional
merge feature allows you to merge the imported zone with the existing zone by adding
an option in the Atoll.ini configuration file. For more information, see the Atoll
Administrator Manual.
You can also use the File > Import menu to load zones. In this case, the imported zone
always replaces the existing zone regardless of the Atoll.ini setting.
For more information on saving and loading user configurations, see "User Configurations" on page 85.
1.4.10.7.7
Image files: BMP, PNG, ArcView Grid (TXT), TIFF, BIL, JPEG 2000, and JPG.
DTM files: TIF, BIL, or TXT format.
When saving in BIL format, Atoll allows you to save files larger than 2 Gb.
To export a map area as a raster file:
1. Select an existing zone or create geographic export zone or a printing zone as explained in "Creating Zones" on
page 50.
2. Select File > Save Image As. The Save As dialog box appears.
3. In the Save as dialog box, select a destination folder, enter a File name, and select a file type from the Save as type list.
4. Click Save. The Image Export Options dialog box appears.
5. In the Image Export Options dialog box, select the zone that you want to export and define the size of the exported
image in one of two ways:
Scale: If you want to define the size by scale, select Scale, enter a scale in the text box and a resolution. If you want
to export the image with rulers, select Include Rulers.
Pixel size: If you want to define the size by pixel size, select Pixel size, and enter a pixel size in the text box.
If you want to use the exported file as a digital terrain model, you must define the size of
the exported image by pixel size. A geo-referenced file is then created for the exported
image.
6. Click OK.
53
areas are in clockwise order, whereas the coordinates of the vertices of holes within polygonal areas are in counter-clockwise
order.
When you no longer need the polygon, line, or point, you can delete it from the map.
This section explains the different ways of editing polygons, lines, and points:
) on the Vector Editor toolbar. A folder named "Vectors" is created in the Geo
2. Right-click the Vector folder, click Rename, and type a name for the vector layer.
To draw a polygon:
i.
) in the toolbar.
To draw a rectangle:
i.
) in the toolbar.
ii. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the zone.
iii. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the zone. When you release the mouse, the zone
will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
If the polygon or rectangle is on the vector layer of a geoclimatic map,, you must define the
value the polygon or rectangle represents and map the vector layer. For more information,
see "Editing Geoclimatic Maps" on page 122.
To draw a line:
i.
) in the toolbar.
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin the line.
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) in the toolbar and click once on the map where you want to place the point.
3. Press ESC to deselect the currently selected button on the Vector Editor toolbar.
To move a point:
i.
Position the pointer over the point that you want to move. The pointer changes (
).
Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes (
).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
3. Select the polygon contour and edit the points of the polygon by performing any of the following actions:
To move a point:
i.
Position the pointer over the point that you want to move. The pointer changes (
).
Position the pointer over the polygon zone border where you want to add a point. The pointer changes (
).
ii. Right-click and select Insert Point from the context menu. A point is added to the polygon zone border at the
position of the pointer.
Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes (
).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
55
To edit a vector object using the icons on the Vector Editor toolbar:
1. In the Network explorer or the Geo explorer that contains the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder and select
Draw from the context menu. The vector tools on the Vector Editor toolbar are activated.
You can activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the Vector
Editor toolbar list.
2. Select the polygon contour and edit the polygon by performing any of the following actions:
).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the new polygon zone.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon zone.
iv. Double-click to close the polygon zone.
v. Draw more polygon zones if desired. Atoll creates a group of polygons of the selected and new contours. If
polygon zones overlap, Atoll merges them.
).
ii. Click the contour that you want to combine with the selected one. Atoll combines the two selected contours
into a single object, merging them if they overlap.
).
ii. Draw the area you want to delete from the selected polygon zone by clicking once on the map where you want
to begin drawing the area to delete.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the area.
iv. Double-click to close the area. Atoll deletes the area from the selected contour.
).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the polygon that will overlap the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon.
iv. Double-click to close the polygon. Atoll creates a new polygon of the overlapping area of the two polygons
and deletes the parts of the polygons that do not overlap.
).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the polygon that will split the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon.
iv. Double-click to close the polygon. Atoll separates the area covered by the polygon from the selected polygon
and creates a new polygon.
Description
Meaning
The zone selection pointer indicates:
Selection arrow
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Appearance
Description
Meaning
Polygon drawing
pointer
The polygon drawing pointer indicates that you can draw a zone to filter either sites
or links, draw computation/focus/filtering/printing/ geographic export zones, or
draw vector or raster polygons on the map. To draw a polygon, click once to start,
and each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon.
Close the polygon by clicking twice.
The rectangle drawing pointer indicates that you that can draw computation/focus/
Rectangle drawing
filtering/printing/geographic export zones, or draw vector or raster rectangles on
pointer
the map. To define a zone, click and drag diagonally.
Hand
The hand pointer indicates that you can move the visible part of the displayed map.
Zoom tool
The zoom pointer indicates that you can click to zoom in at the location of the
mouse pointer, right-click to zoom out at the location of the mouse pointer, and click
and drag to zoom in on an area.
Deletion
The deletion pointer indicates that you can delete a newly created polygonal clutter
zone by clicking its border.
Position indicator
The position indicator pointer indicates that you can select the border of a polygon.
Right-clicking the polygon border opens a context menu allowing you to add a point,
delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Select/create
points
The select/create points pointer indicates that you can modify the polygon in the
map window. You can add a new point and modify the polygon contour by clicking
on one of the edges and dragging. You can move an existing point by clicking and
dragging an existing point. You can right-click to open a context menu to delete a
point, delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Microwave link
start
End
The microwave link pointer indicates that you can click a point on the map to create
the first point of a microwave link. Once you have created the first point, the
microwave link pointer changes and the next click ends the link.
The multihop and multipoint pointer indicates that you can click once to create the
Multi-hop or point- first point of a multi-hop link or the hub of a point-to-multipoint link. In the case of a
to-multipoint
multihop link, each subsequent click creates another point in the link. In the case of
a point-to-multipoint, each subsequent link creates anew point, connected to the
microwave link
hub by a link.
Rotate hub
antenna of pointto-multipoint link
The rotate hub antenna pointer indicates that you can click the hub antenna and
drag it to a new position to change the azimuth of the hub antenna.
The measurement pointer indicates that you can click on the map to set the start
Measurements on
point of your measurement. As you move the pointer, the distance between the first
the map
point and the pointer is displayed in the status bar.
Terrain section
The terrain section pointer indicates that you can create a terrain section by clicking
once on the map to create the first point and once more to create the second point.
The terrain profile between the two points is displayed in the Point Analysis window
and stored under Terrain Sections in the Geo explorer.
57
You can browse the data in tables by either using the vertical or horizontal scroll bars, the mouse wheel, or by moving through
the table cell by cell using the cursor keys or the tab key.
This section covers the following topics:
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"(NOT USED)" indicating that the field is not used in the current Atoll release. The
corresponding check box is cleared in the Columns to be Displayed dialog box.
"(OBSOLETE)" indicating that the field is obsolete and will be removed in a future
Atoll release. The corresponding check box is not available in the Columns to be
Displayed dialog box.
Name: Enter the Name for the field that will appear in the database.
Field names must not contain special characters or spaces.
Type: Select a type for the field (text, short integer, long integer, single, double, true/false, date/time, currency,
or binary).
Size (only available for "Text" type): Enter the number of characters. a size in characters.
Group: If necessary, you can define the groups to which this custom field will belong separating each group name
with a semicolon. When you open an Atoll document from a database, you can then select groups of custom fields
to be loaded from the database, instead of loading all custom fields.
Legend: Enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll user interface.
Read-only: Select the Read-only check box if you do not want the custom field to be modifiable in the user interface.
Default value: If necessary, enter a default value that will appear when you create a new record of this object type.
Choice list (only available if you have selected the "Text", "Short integer", or "Long integer" type): You can create
a choice list by entering the list items in the Choice list text box and press ENTER after each list item, keeping each
choice on a separate line. You can prevent entering values other than those listed in the Choice list by selecting
the Restricted option.
In the Choice list text box, you can enter:
59
Figure 1.23: Creation of a list of associations and display of this list in a data table
For integer choice lists (short integer and long integer):
You cannot mix integer values and associations in the same list. If a line contains
an equal sign, the choice list is considered as a list of associations and the lines
that do not contain an equal sign are ignored.
If you do not associate integer values with the labels defined in the integer choice
list, the association will automatically be done by incrementing an integer value
for each line, starting with zero.
Associating integer values with the labels of your integer choice list is not mandatory but strongly recommended.
1. Access the object types table fields as explained in "Accessing Table Fields" on page 58.
2. Select the custom field that you want to delete.
Some fields can not be deleted. If you select a field and the Delete button remains
unavailable, the selected field is not a custom field and can not be deleted.
3. Click Delete. The field is deleted from the object types data table.
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4. In the colour palette, select a background colour. The colour is applied to the background of the selected columns.
In the colour palette, you can click Other to open the Colours dialog box and select a colour that is not listed in the
main palette.
You can also click Default to revert to the default column background colour corresponding to your Windows theme.
To align the content of the selected cells to the left, click Align Left (
).
To align the content of the selected cells to the centre, click Centre (
).
To align the content of the selected cells to the right, click Align Right (
).
).
).
61
You can change the width of several columns at the same time by selecting their
headers before clicking and dragging the border separating any two column
headers.
Double-clicking the border separating two column headers resets the width of the
column to the left of the border.
You can change the height of several rows at the same time by selecting their
headers before clicking and dragging the border separating any two row headers.
Double-clicking the border separating two row headers resets the height of the
row above the border.
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You can search for a column in the table by entering its name in the search field.
You can display or hide all the columns by selecting or clearing the (Select all) check
box.
You can change the order of columns in the table by selecting them in the list and
clicking the Up
and Down buttons.
You can restore the default list of displayed and hidden columns by clicking the
Reset button.
Column display settings can be saved to and loaded from configuration files using
the Save and Load buttons under Configuration.
5. Click Close.
You can also hide one or more columns in the table by selecting their headers and clicking the Hide Columns button (
the Table toolbar.
) in
3. Right-click the selected header or headers and select Freeze Columns from the context menu or click the Freeze Columns button (
) in the Table toolbar. Frozen columns are grouped to the left of the table and separated from other
columns with a vertical red line.
To unfreeze columns:
Right-click the table and select Unfreeze All Columns from the context menu or click the Unfreeze All Columns button
(
63
To move a column:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 58.
2. Select the header of the column you want to move. Click and drag over several headers to select more than one
column to move.
You can only move several columns at the same time when they are adjacent.
3. Click again on the selected column and drag to the desired position. As you drag the column, the position the column
will occupy is indicated by a red line.
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1.5.5.2.1
5. Select Edit > Paste to paste the copied data into the new row. Atoll, creates a new record from the copied data. The
name of the new record is the same as that of the copied record, preceded by "Copy of." You can edit this name.
65
1.5.5.2.2
To copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells, right-click the selection and select Edit >
Fill Down from the context menu or click the Fill Down button (
To copy the contents of the bottom cell of the selection into the other cells, right-click the selection and select
Edit > Fill Up from the context menu or click the Fill Up button (
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1.5.5.2.3
1.5.5.3.1
1.5.5.3.2
2. In the Replace button, define the text you want to find and replace:
a. Enter the text you want to find in the Find what box.
b. Enter the text you want to replace the text in the Find what box in the Replace with box.
c. If desired, select the Match case check box.
3. Click Find Next. Atoll proceeds to the next entry of the text entered in the Find what box.
You can replace the text found:
Replace: Atoll replaces the selected text with the entry in the Replace with box.
Replace All: Atoll replaces all occurrences of the text in the Find what box with the entry in the Replace with box.
67
Select the cells you want to analyse. You can select contiguous cells by clicking the first cell and dragging to the
last cell of the selection you want to analyse, or by clicking the first cell, pressing Shift and clicking the last cell. You
can select non-contiguous cells by pressing Ctrl and clicking each cell in the column separately.
In Atoll you can organise data in several different ways, allowing you to select only certain
data. For more information, see "Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data" on page 76.
To export a table:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 58.
2. Right-click the table. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export from the context menu. The Export dialog box appears with, at the bottom, a Preview of the table you
want to export according to the current Field separator setting (see Figure 1.34).
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7. Select the fields (displayed as columns in the table) you want to export. You can display all the fields belonging to a
table by clicking the Expand button ( ) to the left of the table name. You can select contiguous fields by clicking the
first field, pressing Shift and clicking the last field. You can select non-contiguous fields by pressing Ctrl and clicking
each field separately.
To select a field to be exported, select the field in the Available Fields box and click
Exported Fields list. All fields in the Exported Fields list will be exported.
to move it to the
To remove a field from the list of Exported Fields, select the field and click
To change the order of a field in the list, select the field and click
or
to move it up or down. The top-most
field under Exported Fields corresponds to the left-most field under Preview.
You can save the choices you made in the Export dialog box via the Save button next to
Configuration file. The next time you export a data table, you can click Load in the Export
dialog box to open the configuration file you saved and reuse the same settings.
8. Click Export. The Save As dialog box appears.
9. In the Save As dialog box, enter the File name and select the format from the Save as type list.
10. Click Save to export the table.
You can export the Sites, Links, Multi-Hops, Point to Multipoint tables to text files by selecting the folder or view in the
Network explorer and pressing Ctrl+E.
For information on importing data into a data table, see "Importing Tables from Text Files" on page 70.
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Source: The column headers from the text file you are importing.
Destination: The column headers from the Atoll data table.
Align the content of the source file with the content of the destination file by clicking the column header in the Destination row and selecting the corresponding column from the Atoll data file (see Figure 1.35). Select <Ignore> for the
columns that you do not want to import. In vector tables, you can also select <Create> to append custom fields, if any.
You can change the width of the columns to make the contents easier to work with. See
"Changing Column Widths and Row Heights" on page 62.
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You can save the choices you made in the Import dialog box via the Save button next to
Configuration file. The next time you import a data table, you can click Load in the Import
dialog box to open the configuration file you saved and reuse the same settings.
10. Select the Mode that will be used for import:
Add: use this mode to add records from the imported file which are missing in the current table. This is the safest
mode as records which are both in the imported file and the current table will not be modified in the current table.
Update and add: this mode (default) is identical to the Add mode with the addition that the values of records in
the current table will be updated with the corresponding values from the imported file.
11. Click Import. The contents are imported in the current table according to the selected import Mode.
You can import data from text files into the Sites, Links, Multi-Hops, and Point to Multipoint tables by selecting the corresponding folder or view in the Network explorer and
pressing Ctrl+I.
For information on exporting the information in a data table into a text file, see "Exporting Tables to Text Files and Spreadsheets" on page 68.
An index.xml file which contains the mapping between the data tables in Atoll and the XML file created for each table.
One XML file per data table which contains the data table format (schema) and the data.
The index.xml file stores the system, the technology of the document, and the version of Atoll used for exporting the data
tables to XML files. It also contains the mapping between the data tables in the Atoll document and the XML file corresponding
to each data table. For more information on XML files, see the Data Structure Reference Guide.
To export all the data tables in your document to XML files:
1. Open your document and select Document > Data Exchange > XML Export from the Atoll menu. The Select Folder
dialog box appears.
2. Select or create the folder where you want the exported XML files to be stored.
3. Click Select Folder. All the data tables in the document are exported to XML files.
If you want to export only selected tables to XML files, you must set the AdvancedXML
option in the [Export] section of the Atoll.ini file. When this option is set, you can select the
tables you want to export. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
the XML files and the current Atoll document must use the same system and technology,
and the Atoll version used to create the XML files must be identical to the Atoll version used to import the data.
When XML files are imported in a document, table and field definitions are not modified, i.e. "Networks" and "CustomFields"
tables are not imported. For more information on XML files, see the Data Structure Reference Guide.
To import data tables into your document from XML files:
1. Select Document > Data Exchange > XML Import. The Select Folder dialog box appears.
2. Select the folder containing the index.xml file.
3. Click OK. The data tables corresponding to the XML files listed in index.xml are imported in the document.
Tables are imported in the same order they appear in the index.xml file. You must not
modify the order of tables in index.xml. The order in which tables are imported is very
important; some data must be imported before other. For example, antennas used by
transmitters must be imported before the transmitters themselves.
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Data that exist both in the tables and in the XML files are overwritten by the data from the XML files.
Data that exist only in the tables and not in the XML files are not deleted from the tables.
Data that only exist in the XML files and not in the tables are imported from the XML files as new records in the tables.
Once the import is complete, Atoll performs a database integrity check and a duplicate records check to ensure that the
import did not create database problems.
You can define an area of the map to be printed in one of the following ways:
You can accept the default layout or you can modify the print layout (see "Defining the Print Layout" on page 73).
You can preview how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 75).
Printing graphics is a memory-intensive operation and can put a heavy load on your
printer. Before printing for the first time, review the "Printing Recommendations" on
page 73 to avoid memory-related problems.
To print a map:
1. Select the document window containing the map.
2. You now have the following options before printing the map:
Create a printing zone or a focus zone as explained in "Creating Zones" on page 50.
Modify the print layout as explained in "Defining the Print Layout" on page 73.
Preview how the map will appear once printed as explained in "Previewing Your Printing" on page 75.
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Points (vectors)
Roads and Lines (vectors)
Surface polygons (vectors)
Multi-format maps - geoclimatic, traffic maps (vector or raster), and others
Clutter class maps (transparent raster maps)
Images, DTM, or clutter height maps (non-transparent maps).
Sites and transmitters must be above all the other layers. Visible objects in the Network explorer, for example, sites, transmitters, and predictions, are displayed above objects in the Geo explorer. To improve performance, you can place vector
layers, such as roads, over predictions. This ensures that those vector layers are visible when you print the map.
To place vector layers over predictions in the Geo explorer:
1. Select the Geo explorer.
2. Right-click the vector layer you want to move to the Network explorer. The context menu appears.
3. Select Move to Network Explorer from the context menu.
4. Select the Network explorer.
5. Drag the vector layer to a position above Predictions but below Sites, Antennas, and Transmitters.
These settings can be saved as a configuration, allowing you to define a standard appearance which you can then load and
use the next time you print a similar document.
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2. Click the Page tab to define the page size, margins, and orientation and the scale of the printed map:
a. Under Orientation, select whether the page should be printed in Portrait or Landscape.
b. Under Paper, select the Size of the paper and, optionally, the Source of the paper.
c. Under Scaling, define the scale of the printed image either by selecting Fit to page, or by selecting Scale and defining the scale.
d. Under Margins, set the margins of the page in millimetres.
3. Click the Components tab.
a. Under Map, you can define the appearance of the printed map:
Select the Rulers check box if you want to print the map with a scale around it.
Select the Area inside focus zone only check box if you only want to print the part of the map inside the focus
zone.
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Select the Legend check box if you want to print a legend with the map.
Click the Font button to open the Font dialog box to define the font of the legend.
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c. Select the Comments check box if you want to print a comment with the map and set its Position. Clicking the
Properties button opens a dialog box where you can enter text and set variables such as the current time and date.
If you want the comment to appear on the map (and not outside of it), select the On the map check box.
4. Click the Header/Footer tab to set the position of graphic items.
a. Select the Map title check box to define a title for the map and set its Position. Clicking the Properties button
opens a dialog box where you can enter text and set variables such as the current time and date. If you want the
title to appear on the map (and not outside of it), select the On the map check box.
b. Under Logo 1 and Logo 2, you can define graphics that appear for the map. The graphics can be a company logo
or other information, such as copyright information, in the form of a BMP graphic.
i.
For the selected logo check box, click the Properties button. The Logo dialog box appears.
By default, Atoll searches for a file named logo.bmp in the Atoll installation folder to use as the default header
logo. However, you can select a different file.
ii. In the Logo dialog box, click File. The Open dialog box appears.
iii. Select the your graphic in BMP format and click Open.
Only BMP graphics can be used as logos. If your logo is in a different format, you must first
convert it using a graphics programme to the BMP format.
Click the Next Page and Previous Page buttons ( and ) to preview different pages to print. If your printing
zone contains more than one polygon, each printing zone appears on a separate page.
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Legend Window (for more information on this tool, see "Adding an Object Type to the Legend" on page 35)
Point Analysis Tool
CW Measurement Analysis Tool (for more information on this tool, see the Measurements and Model Calibration
Guide.
Drive Test Data Analysis Tool
Microwave Link Analysis (for more information on this tool, see "Studying Reflection" on page 236)
If you want to print a Point Analysis window, click the tab you want to print.
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Once you have grouped data objects, you can access their Properties dialog box from the context menu to edit properties on
all grouped objects. You can save the grouping parameters as a folder configuration. For more information, see "Folder Configurations" on page 88.
This section covers the following topics:
3. Right-click the selected sites or transmitters and select Group By Selection. The folder now contains two folders:
Selected and Not Selected.
4. To undo the grouping of data objects, right-click the folder or view whose grouping you want to reset, and select
Group By > None.
To group microwave links per frequency band, right-click the Microwave Radio Links folder and select Group By >
Frequency Band. The Microwave Radio Links folder now contains a folder for each frequency band.
3. To change the single property by which the data objects are currently grouped, right-click the folder or view whose
grouping you want to change, select Group By and choose another property by which you want to group the data
objects.
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4. To undo the grouping of data objects, right-click the folder or view whose grouping you want to reset, and select
Group By > None.
To make a field appear in the Group By submenu, select the field in the Available fields list and click
it to the Fields of the group list.
To remove a field from the Fields of the group list, select the field in this list and click
To change the order of a field in the list, select the field and click
or
to move
to move it up or down.
4. Click OK to close the Configure Menu dialog box then OK to close the Properties dialog box. The Group By submenu
now contains only the fields you selected, in the same order as in the Fields of the group list, and from top to bottom.
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To select a field to be used to group the data objects, select the field in the Available Fields list and click
move it to the Fields of the group list.
To remove a field from the Fields of the group list, select the field in this list and click
To change the order of a field in the list, select the field and click
or
to
to move it up or down.
To undo advanced grouping of data objects, remove all the fields listed under Fields of the
group.
4. Click OK to close the Group dialog box then OK to close the Properties dialog box. The data objects are now grouped
by these properties in the corresponding folder or view, in the order of the fields in the Fields of the group list, from
top to bottom (for example: "Antenna", "Height (m)", and "Site" in Figure 1.38 on page 79).
Sort Ascending: sort the data table records from the lowest value in the reference column to the highest value.
Sort Descending: sort the data table records from the highest value in the reference column to the lowest value.
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You can also sort data in a table by selecting the column as described and then clicking
either the Sort Ascending (
) or Sort Descending (
Sort Ascending: sort the data table records from the lowest value in the first reference column to the highest
value.
Sort Descending: sort the data table records from the highest value in the first reference column to the lowest
value.
You can also sort data in a table by selecting the column as described and then clicking
either the Sort Ascending (
) or Sort Descending (
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You can save the filtering parameters as a folder configuration. For information, see "Folder Configurations" on page 88.
This section covers the following topics:
3. Right-click the selected sites or transmitters and select Filter By Selection. The folder now displays only the filtered
objects.
To filter data objects that are inside an existing computation or focus zone, select Filter Inside a Polygon > Computation Zone or Filter By Polygon > Focus Zone.
To filter data objects by drawing a polygon on the map, select Filter Inside a Polygon > Draw. The mouse pointer
changes to polygon mode (
). Draw the filtering zone as explained in "Creating Polygons, Lines, and Points" on
page 54.
When the filter is applied, only the data objects located inside the selected zone are available.
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Filter by Selection: All records with the selected value or values are displayed. You can modify the filtered records
or make calculations on them as you would normally do with the entire data table (see Figure 1.40 on page 82).
Filter Excluding Selection: All records without the selected value or values are displayed. You can modify the filtered records or make calculations on them as you would normally do with the entire data table (see Figure 1.41
on page 83).
When the data in a table are filtered, a filter icon ( ) appears at the top of the leftmost
column and in the corresponding column header(s), as shown in Figure 1.40 and Figure
1.41. The icon in the leftmost column can prove useful when the column containing the
filtered data is not displayed due to a large table width.
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To express a filter on one or several fields combined with an AND operator (for example: a=1 AND b>5 AND b<10)
specify all the criteria on a single Criteria row, as in Figure 1.42. In the following example, the filtered table displays
antennas for which the manufacturer name starts with K and for which the gain is between 15 and 20 dBi:
Figure 1.42: The Advanced Filter tab - Conditions on multiple fields combined with an AND operator
To express a filter on a single field combined with an OR operator (for example: a<1 OR a>2) specify the first criteria
on the Criteria row and other criteria on the Or row, as in Figure 1.43. In the following example, the filtered table displays antennas for which the gain is either 17, or 18, or above 20 dBi:
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Figure 1.43: The Advanced Filter tab - Conditions on a single field combined with an OR operator
To express a filter on multiple fields combined with an OR operator (for example: a=1 OR b=2) specify the first criteria
in the first column of the Criteria row and the other criteria on the OR row of the next column, as in Figure 1.44. You
can combine the OR expressions with AND expressions. In the following example, the filtered table displays antennas
for which either the manufacturer name starts with K, or the gain is between 15 and 20 dBi:
Figure 1.44: The Advanced Filter tab - Conditions on multiple fields combined with AND and OR operators
In the filtering table, the priority of AND and OR conditions is defined by combining them first horizontally, then vertically.
To create an advanced filter:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 58.
2. Click the Advanced Filter button (
You can also access the Filter dialog box by clicking the Filter button on the General tab
of the Transmitter Properties dialog box.
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=X
<> X
<X
>X
<=X
>=X
=*X*
=X*
=*X
=?X
The ? wildcard cannot be combined with other wildcards or AND or OR operators and can
only be used as the first character.
To combine conditions with an AND operator, enter the conditions in separate columns on the same row.
To combine conditions with an OR operator, enter the conditions on separate rows.
5. Click OK to filter the data according to the criteria you have defined.
Geographic Data Set: Full paths of imported geographic maps, map display settings (such as, the visibility scale, transparency, tip text, etc.), clutter description (code, name, height, standard deviations, etc.), and raster or user profile
traffic map description.
When you save the geographic data set in a user configuration file, the coordinate
system of all vector geographic data must be the same as that of the raster geographic
data.
Map Centre and Zoom Level: X and Y coordinates of the centre of the map window and the zoom level.
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3. Right-click the selected sites and select Add Site to a List. A dialog box appears.
4. Select the name of an existing list from the dialog box or type a name new list name to create a list.
5. Click OK. The site is added to the selected list.
You can also create a list by filtering the contents of the Sites folder, right-clicking the
filtered Sites folder and selecting Site Lists > Add Sites to a List. For more information on
filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 81.
Select the name of the site in the row marked with the New Row icon (
).
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5. Click OK in the Properties dialog box when you have finished importing the file.
4. Select the check box of the list or lists that you want to display and click OK.
5. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box. Only sites that belong to the selected list are now displayed in the Network
explorer and in the map window.
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If you want to import other configurations at the same time, select those check boxes as well.
5. Click OK. The folder configuration is imported.
Once you have performed the actions on each view, you can compare the differences by displaying each view, with its grouping, sorting, or filtering settings, on the map. For more information on display properties, see "Setting the Display Properties
of Objects" on page 32.
To compare views:
1. In the Network explorer, clear the check boxes to the left of each view. The data objects are not displayed on the map.
2. Select the check box of one of the views, leaving the check boxes of the other views cleared. The data objects of the
selected view, with its associated grouping, sorting, or filtering settings, are displayed on the map.
3. Clear this check box and select the check box of a different view. How the objects are displayed on the map will
change, depending on the different grouping, sorting, or filtering settings of the selected view.
You can remove views by deleting them. When you delete a view, the data contained are not deleted. When you delete the
last view, the data reappear under the initial folder.
To delete a view:
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Export to Google Earth Add-in: This add-in can export items such as sites, transmitters, microwave links, their properties, and coverage prediction plots from Atoll single-RAT and multi-RAT documents to Google Earth.
Signal Level Export Add-in: This add-in is designed to export, from Atoll single-RAT and multi-RAT documents, the
signal levels received from transmitters at each pixel of a user-defined area. Transmitters are listed in decreasing
signal level order starting with the one with the strongest signal level.
MW Equipment File Import: This add-in is used to import microwave radios and radio families. This add-in cannot be
removed or disabled.
Many other add-ins are available from the Forsk support web-site, at:
http://www.forsk.com/support/
For more information about installing add-ins and macros, see the Atoll Administrator Manual.
For information about using an add-in, see the user manual for each add-in. The user manual is located in the installation
directory of the add-in.
The add-in versions that are installed with the product are the latest available at the
release of the Atoll version. Check the Forsk web-site for updates.
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Copy the contents of the bottom selected row into the rows above
Select the entire table
Align the contents of the selected columns to the left
Centre the contents of the selected columns
Align the contents of the selected columns to the right
Display the selected columns in bold
Display the selected columns in italics
Find specified text in the table
Replace specified text in the table
When you place the cursor over an icon, tip text appears, giving a short description.
Ctrl+D:
In tables: Copy the first cell of a selection down into all selected cells
In the map window: Move the map in the map window (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+E: Export the table of the selected Sites, Links, Multi-Hops, or Point to Multipoint folder or view to a text file.
For more information, see "Exporting Tables to Text Files and Spreadsheets" on page 68.
Ctrl+F:
Open the Find on Map window when the map is active (in the toolbar, click
Open the Find dialog box when a table is active (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+H: Open the Replace dialog box when a table is active (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+I: Import the table of the selected Sites, Links, Multi-Hops, or Point to Multipoint folder or view from a text
file. For more information, see "Importing Tables from Text Files" on page 70.
Ctrl+N: Open the Project Templates dialog box (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+O: Open the Open dialog box (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+S: Save the current active document (in the toolbar, click
Ctrl+U: Copy the last cell of a selection up into all selected cells
)
)
Ctrl+V: Paste the content of the clipboard (in the toolbar, click
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Ctrl+W: Zoom in, zoom out, and define a zoom area on the map (in the toolbar, click
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Ctrl+Y: Redo the previous undone modification (in the toolbar, click
ALT+: Previous zoom and location on the map (in the toolbar, click
ALT+: Next zoom and location on the map (in the toolbar, click
)
)
You can also access menus and commands by pressing the ALT key and typing the
underlined letter in the menu or command name.
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Chapter 2
Geographic
Data
In this chapter, the following are explained:
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2 Geographic Data
Several different geographic data types are used in an Atoll document. For example: the digital terrain model (DTM), clutter
classes, clutter heights, online maps, geoclimatic maps, and scanned images are types of the geographic data that you can
import or create. Some data types, such as clutter classes, can be used to give more realistic calculations. Other types such as
scanned images, are used to create a more realistic display of the region under study.
You can import a wide variety of both vector and raster-format geo data files. When you import a geo data file into Atoll, you
can decide in which folder it goes. The Geo explorer window has folders for the commonly used data types. Therefore, choosing a folder is choosing what the file will be used for. You can also create your own data type by importing a file and defining
what data is to be used.
Once you have imported a file into the Atoll document, you can edit the data, define how the geo data will be displayed. Atoll
also allows you to manage multiple files for a single data type, deciding the priority of data files with different information or
different resolutions. You can also display geo data over items in the Network explorer, either by transferring them to the
Network explorer, or by importing them directly to the Network explorer.
You can also create and edit geographic data. You can add a vector layer to certain data types to which you can add contours,
lines, or points, create new geographic data, or modify existing data. You can also create raster-based geographic data such
as traffic maps or clutter classes.
You can export most geo data objects (for example, DTM, clutter classes, clutter heights, raster polygons, or vector layers) for
use in other Atoll documents or in other applications. Atoll also allows you to save changes you make to geo data objects back
to the original files. This enables you to update the original files and, through the process of saving them, recompact the file.
This chapter explains the following topics:
Scanned maps
Online maps
Images from web map services (WMS)
Contours, lines, and points representing, for example, roads, railways, or regions.
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100
DTM files in the following formats: TIF (8 or 16-bit integer), BIL (8, 16 or 32-bit integer, 32-bit float), Planet (16-bit
integer), BMP (8-bit integer), GRD Vertical Mapper (16-bit integer), and Erdas Imagine (8, 16 or 32-bit integer, 32-bit
float)
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Clutter height files in the following formats: TIF (8 or 16-bit integer), BIL (8, 16 or 32-bit integer, 32-bit float), Planet
(16-bit integer), BMP (8-bit integer), GRD Vertical Mapper (16-bit integer), and Erdas Imagine (8, 16 or 32-bit integer,
32-bit float)
Clutter class and traffic files in the following formats: TIF (8-bit), BIL (8-bit), IST (8-bit), BMP (8-bit), Planet, GRC Vertical
Mapper (8-bit), and Erdas Imagine (8-bit)
Vector data files in the following formats: AGD, DXF, Planet, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Vector traffic files in the following formats: AGD, DXF, Planet, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Scanned image files in the following formats: TIF (1 to 24-bit), JPEG (1 to 24-bit), JPEG 2000 (1 to 24-bit), BIL (1 to
24-bit), IST (1 to 24-bit), BMP (1 to 24-bit), Planet, Erdas Imagine (1 to 24-bit), GRC Vertical Mapper (1 to 24-bit), and
ECW (8 or 24-bit)
Geoclimatic files in the following formats: AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Other data in the following formats: TIF (16-bit), BIL (16-bit), IST (16-bit), Planet, BMP (16-bit), Erdas Imagine (16-bit),
GRD/GRC Vertical Mapper (16-bit), AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
All imported raster maps must have the same projection coordinate system.
To import a digital terrain model (DTM), select Geo > Digital Terrain Model in the Import to list.
To import a clutter class map, select Geo > Clutter Classes in the Import to list.
To import a clutter heights map, select Geo > Clutter Heights in the Import to list.
To import a population map, select Geo > Population in the Import to list and select from the Use as list whether
the imported data is to be interpreted as a Density (number of inhabitants per square kilometre) or as a Value
(number of inhabitants).
To import a custom map image into an existing folder, select Geo in the Import to list.
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To import custom map image into a new folder, click New Folder > in Geo, and type a name for the custom data
folder.
To import traffic data maps, see "Importing Traffic Maps" on page 103
To import a raster image file into the Network explorer, select Network in the Import to list.
Typically, vector data should be stored in the Geo explorer. Importing into the Network
explorer can however be useful when comparing an image map file with a prediction for
example.
5. By default, the imported file is linked to the Atoll document. To embed the data file into the Atoll document, select
the Embed in Document check box. For information on embedding files, see "Embedding Geographic Data" on
page 107.
6. Click Import. The geo data file is imported and listed in the Geo explorer.
To import a vector file into the Network explorer, select Network in the Import to list.
Typically, vector data should be stored in the Geo explorer. Importing into the Network
explorer can however be useful when comparing an exported vector file with a prediction
for example.
To import a vector file as a computation, filtering, printing, focus zone or a hot spot, select Geo > Zones and the
type of zone in the Import to list that you want to create. For more information on using zones, see "Using Zones
in the Map Window" on page 48.
To import geoclimatic data, select Geo > Geoclimatic Parameters in the Import to list.
The temperatures in the geoclimatic file must be expressed in Celsius whether the measurement unit defined for
temperatures in the Atoll document is Farhenheit or Celsius.
To import population data, select Geo > Population in the Import to list and specify the data fields:
Under Fields to be imported, the first list contains the attributes of the population vector data file that you are
importing, and the second list lets you select whether the attribute corresponds to population density or to a number of inhabitants.
Select from the first list which field is to be imported and from the second list whether the imported field is a Density (number of inhabitants per square kilometre for polygons, number of inhabitants per kilometre for lines, or
number of inhabitants for points) or a Value (number of inhabitants) (see Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2).
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To import traffic data maps, see "Importing Traffic Maps" on page 103
To import custom vector data for reference purposes into an existing folder, select Geo in the Import to list.
To import custom vector data for reference purposes into a new folder, click New Folder > in Geo, and type a
name for the custom data folder.
5. By default, the imported file is linked to the Atoll document. To embed the data file into the Atoll document, select
the Embed in Document check box. For information on embedding files, see "Embedding Geographic Data" on
page 107.
6. The Vector Import window displays the Coordinate system that is used in the current Atoll document. If necessary,
you can convert the file from a different coordinate system into the current coordinate system. Click the Change
button to specify the coordinate system of the file that you are importing.
7. Click Import. The geo data file is imported.
You can import ellipses and arcs from MapInfo files (MIF and TAB). Rectangles are interpreted as polygons.
You can define mappings between the coordinate system used for the MapInfo/ESRI
vector files, defined in the corresponding MIF/PRJ files, and Atoll. This way, when you
import a vector file, Atoll can detect the correct coordinate system automatically. For
more information about defining the mapping between coordinate systems, please refer
to the Administrator Manual.
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d. Select the MSI Planet index file and click Open. The path and name of the file appears in the corresponding field
of the Planet Data to Be Imported dialog box.
4. If you are also importing network data, select the network Technology.
5. When you have selected all the types of data you want to import, click OK. The data is imported into the current Atoll
document.
Figure 2.3: Server URL list in the Web Map Services Data Import dialog box
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The list of WMS servers that appears in the Server URL list is defined by entries in the
Atoll.ini file. For information on defining these entries, see the Administrator Manual.
4. Click the Connect button. Atoll connects to the URL of the WMS server and displays the information available along
with a description of the service.
5. In the left pane of the Web Map Services Data Import dialog box, click the Expand button (
you want to add in the right pane.
6. Select the check box that precedes the image or the image group, i.e. a group preceded by an Expand button (
The images you select are automatically listed in the right pane.
).
Unless you select one or several images, the image or the group of images listed in the right pane will be imported.
To select the images you want to import:
i.
Click the first image, press Shift, and then click the last image to select contiguous images.
ii. Press Ctrl and click each image separately to select non-contiguous images.
7. Arrange the order in which you want multiple images to appear by selecting each image in the right pane and clicking
to move it towards the top or to move it toward the bottom. The images will be imported as a single object and
their appearance will depend on the order you define here.
8. If you want, you can also click
9. Click Import in the Web Map Services Data Import dialog box. The WMS Map Import dialog box appears.
The following information is given about the imported WMS data:
10. In the WMS Map Import dialog box, click Import. The image is imported by reference into the Atoll document. You
can not embed a WMS image in your document.
If you had selected more than one image or an image group, Atoll imports the group as a single object. You can not
modify this object. If you want to remove one of the images or add another one you will have to go through the import
process again.
11. In the Web Map Services Data Import dialog box, click Close.
12. In the Open dialog box, click Cancel to exit.
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3. From the Data Type list (on the File Import dialog box) or the Import To list (on the Vector Import dialog box), select
New folder in Geo. The New Folder dialog box appears.
If you want to import your file to the Network explorer, you can select New folder in
Network.
4. Enter a name for the folder in Folder Name box and click OK.
5. Click Import. Your file is imported into the newly created folder.
You can now import other geo data files into this folder by selecting it from the Data Type list (on the File Import dialog box)
or the Import To list (on the Vector Import dialog box) when you import.
You can transfer geo data that has been imported from the Geo explorer to the Network
explorer, or vice versa. Right-click the data in the Explorer window and select Move to
Network or Move to Geo.
Figure 2.4: New folder for vectors or images in Network and Geo explorers
You can change the name of the folder to give it a more descriptive name.
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Select the Embed in Document check box on the File Import or Vector Import dialog box.
To embed a geo data file that is already linked to the current Atoll document:
1. Select the Geo explorer.
2. Right-click the file you want to embed in the current document.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the General tab of the Properties dialog box.
5. Click Embed.
6. Click OK. The geo data file is now embedded in the current Atoll document.
If the geo data file is in a folder, such as the Clutter Classes, Traffic Maps, or DTM folder, click
folder.
to expand the
2. Right-click on the geo data file whose link you want to repair. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. On the General tab of the Properties dialog box, click the Find button.
5. Browse to the geo data file, select it and click OK.
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For information on Display tab settings, see "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32.
5. Move the Relief slider towards Flat, if you want to display very few little relief or towards x6 if you want to emphasise
the differences in altitude.
6. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.
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If Height is left blank, propagation models that use this value use 0 by default.
If clutter class heights are modified, you must recalculate path loss matrices by
clicking Force Calculation (
lations.
6. Enter default values in the first row of the table on the Description tab. or information about each field, see the
descriptions in the following step.
The default values are used if no clutter map is available. Even if there is a clutter classes map, you can select the Use
default values only check box on the at the bottom of the Description tab to make Atoll use the values specified in
this row instead of the values defined per clutter class.
7. If necessary, you can enter a value for each of the following fields applicable to the current document:
Model Standard Deviation (dB): to calculate shadowing losses on the path loss, as related to a user-defined
cell edge coverage probability.
Indoor Loss (dB): to be applied to the path loss and used in coverage predictions, point analysis, and Monte
Carlo simulations. Use this setting to define a value of indoor loss per frequency. If a network item operates
on a frequency for which the indoor loss is not defined in the indoor loss graph, an indoor loss value is interpolated from the values available in the graph.
8. If you want to use default values for all clutter classes, select the Use only default values check box at the bottom of
the Description tab.
9. Click the Display tab to define the display properties for clutter classes. In addition to the Display tab options described
in "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32, each clutter class display type has a visibility check box. By
selecting or clearing the visibility check box, you can display or hide clutter class display types individually.
Selecting white as the colour for a clutter class value or value interval will cause that clutter
class value or value interval to be displayed as transparent.
at the bottom of the table, enter an unused number from 1 to 255 in the Code
6. Fill in the remainder of the fields as described in step 5. and step 7. of "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 108.
7. Click OK.
You can now use the new clutter class when modifying the clutter class map. For information on modifying the clutter class
map, see "Creating a Clutter Polygon" on page 121.
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For information on Display tab settings, see "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32.
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Name: The name of the vector layer. You can rename the vector layer using this field.
Source File: The complete path of the vector layer file if the file is linked to the Atoll document; otherwise the file
is described as embedded.
Find: Click the Find button to redefine the path when the files location has changed.
Embed: Click the Embed button to embed a linked vector layer file in the Atoll document.
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Coordinate System: When a vector layer is linked, the coordinate system used is the files, as specified when the
file was imported. When the a vector layer is embedded, the coordinate system used is documents, as specified
when the file was embedded.
Change: Click the Change button to change the coordinate system of the vector layer.
Sort: Click the Sort button to sort the data contained in the vector layer. For information on sorting, see "Advanced
Sorting" on page 80.
Filter: Click the Filter button to filter the data contained in the vector layer. For information on filtering, see
"Advanced Data Filtering" on page 83.
4. Click the Table tab. You can use the Table tab to manage the vector layer table content. For information on the Table
tab, see "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on page 58.
5. Click the Display tab. You can use the Display tab to manage the vector layer display. For information on the Table tab,
see "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32.
File name: The name of the file, with its path relative to the current location of the index file.
XMIN: The beginning X coordinate of the file.
XMAX: The end X coordinate, calculated as XMIN + (number of horizontal bins x bin width).
YMIN: The beginning Y coordinate of the file.
YMAX: The end Y coordinate, calculated as YMIN + (number of horizontal bins x bin width).
0: The zero character ends the sequence.
nice1.tif 984660 995380 1860900 1872280 0
nice2.tif 996240 1004900 1860980 1870700 0
File name
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XMIN
XMAX
YMIN
YMAX
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To import an index
1. Select File > Import.
2. Select the index file and click Open. The File Import dialog box appears.
3. Select Image or Scan from the Data Type list.
4. Click Import. The image files imported and listed in the Geo explorer.
Colour: Select either Automatic, Shades of gray, or Watermark from the list.
Transparent Colour: Select White from the list if you wish parts of the scanned image that are coloured white to
be transparent, allowing objects in lower layers to be visible.
Lightness: Move the slider to lighten or darken the scanned image.
Contrast: Move the slider to adjust the contrast.
Visibility Scale: Enter a visibility scale minimum in the between 1: text box and maximum in the and 1: text box.
When the displayed or printed scale is outside this range, the scanned image is not displayed.
5. Click OK.
Data Mapping: The Data Mapping tab enables you to select which value from each imported vector file is part of
the geoclimatic map. The imported vector files are listed in the Name column, with the relevant data selected in
the Field column. You can select the parameter it corresponds to from the Parameters column.
Display: The Display tab enables you to define how the geoclimatic map appears in the map window. Value
interval is the only available display type.
For information on using the display tab, see "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32.
4. Click
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map. Atoll displays the statistics for the focus zone if there is one, for the computation zone if there is no focus zone and, if
there is no focus or computation zone, Atoll displays the statistics for the entire document.
To display the statistics of the geoclimatic data:
1. Select the Geo explorer.
2. Right-click the Geoclimatic Parameters folder.
3. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears with the distributions of each value interval.
Statistics are displayed only for visible data. See "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map"
on page 31.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Add a Tile Server dialog box appears.
4. Click the small triangle to the right of Name and select a tile server from the drop-down list.
Selecting a tile server from the drop-down list next to Name automatically fills the Name and Server URL fields.
Provider, Type, and Language fields remain greyed.
Name: Indicates the name of the tile server you selected. If you want, you can modify the name.
Server URL: (Read-only) Indicates the URL of the tile server you selected.
A server URL includes a tile set where:
"%z" represents the detail level, and "%x" and "%y" the tile coordinates, or
"%q" represents a quadkey identifying a single tile at a particular detail level.
5. Click OK to validate and close the Add a Tile Server dialog box. A new item appears in the Online Maps folder with the
online map icon ( ) followed by the Name currently defined in the Add a Tile Server dialog box.
6. In the Geo explorer, select the check box preceding the online map that you specified. The selected online map
appears in the background of the map window according to the scale currently defined in the toolbar.
The map tiles that you load in Atoll are stored in a specific cache directory named after the
corresponding tile server. By default, the location of this cache is "%TEMP%\OnlineMaps".
You can change this location by setting the TilesCachePath option in the [OnlineMaps]
section of the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
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2.10.2 Displaying Online Maps from the Microsoft Bing Tile Server
To display online maps from the Microsoft Bing tile server:
1. Set the relevant option with a valid key in the [OnlineMaps] section of the Atoll.ini file, e.g. BingKey=<key>.
2. Make sure that a projection coordinate system is specified (see "Setting a Coordinate System" on page 22) and that it
is the same system supported by the tile server.
If the projection coordinate systems are different, the map tiles can look disproportionate
when you drag the map away from the area targeted by the projection coordinate system.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Add a Tile Server dialog box appears.
5. In the Add a Tile Server dialog box, set the following options:
Name: Type the name you want to display in the Geo explorer under the Online Maps folder, for this tile server.
Provider: Select a provider from the drop-down list, e.g. "Bing"
Type: Select a map type from the drop-down list, e.g. "Aerial", "Road", "Hybrid"
Language: Select a language from the drop-down list (default languages are "English", "French", and "Japanese").
You can display other languages if they are specified in the Atoll.ini file (for example if Provider="Bing", you must
set the BingLanguage"X" and BingCulture"X" options in the [OnlineMaps] section for each additional language ).
6. Click OK to validate and close the Add a Tile Server dialog box. A new item appears in the Online Maps folder with the
online map icon ( ) followed by the Name currently defined in the Add a Tile Server dialog box.
7. In the Geo explorer, select the check box preceding the online map that you specified. The selected online map
appears in the background of the map window, according to the scale currently defined in the toolbar.
The map tiles which are loaded in Atoll are stored in a specific cache directory named after
the corresponding tile server. By default, the location of this cache is "%TEMP%\OnlineMaps". You can change this location by setting the TilesCachePath option in the [OnlineMaps] section of the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
2. Follow the procedure described in "Loading a Geo Data Set" on page 120.
Colour: "Automatic"
Brightness: slider at 50%
Contrast: slider at 50%
5. If you set Colour to "Watermark", the Brightness and Contrast settings are automatically set to 80% and 20%, resp.
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6. You can also change the Brightness and/or Contrast settings manually by moving the corresponding sliders.
Click Apply each time you change a setting to see on the map how it affects the displayed online map.
7. Click OK.
The display check box: The check box immediately to the left of the object name in the Geo explorer controls whether
or not the object is displayed on the map. If the check box is selected ( ), the object is displayed; if the check box is
cleared ( ), the object is not displayed. If the check box, is selected but shaded ( ), not all objects in the folder are
displayed. For more information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map" on page 31.
The order of the layers: The layer at the top of the Geo explorer is on top of all other layers in the map window. Data
on layers below is only visible where there is no data on the top layer or if you adjust the transparency of the objects
on the top layer. You can use drag and drop to change the order of layers by dragging a layer in the Geo explorer
towards the top or the bottom of the tab.
All objects in the Network explorer, such as transmitters, antennas, and predictions, are
displayed over all objects in the Geo explorer. Vector geo data, however, can be transferred to the Network explorer, where they can be placed over data such as predictions.
In this way, you can ensure that certain vector geo data, for example, major geographical
features, roads, etc., remain visible in the map window For more information, see "Moving
a Vector Layer to the Network Explorer" on page 112.
The transparency of objects: You can change the transparency of some objects, such as predictions, and some object
types, such as clutter classes, to allow objects on lower layers to be visible on the map. For more information, see "Setting the Transparency of Objects and Object Types" on page 34.
The visibility range of objects: You can define a visibility range for object types. An object is visible only in the map
window if the scale, as displayed on the zoom toolbar, is within this range. For more information, see "Setting the Visibility Scale" on page 34.
In Figure 2.6, vector data (including the linear vectors HIGHWAYS, COASTLINE, RIVERLAKE, MAJORROADS, MAJORSTREETS,
RAILWAYS and AIRPORT), clutter classes, DTM and scanned image have been imported and a UMTS environment traffic map
has been edited inside the computation zone. In the map window, the linear objects (ROADS, RIVERLAKE, etc.) are visible both
inside and outside the computation zone. The clutter class layer is visible in the area where there is no traffic data (outside
the computation zone). On the other hand, the DTM layer which is beneath the clutter class layer and the scanned map which
is beneath the DTM layer, are not visible.
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In this example, the file order of the DTM files in the Explorer window does not matter because they do not overlap; in both
Case 1 and Case 2, Atoll will take all the data from both "DTM 1 and "DTM 2 into account.
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Explorer window
Work space
Case 1
DTM
DTM 2 (20m)
DTM 1 (50m)
Case 2
DTM
DTM 1 (50m)
DTM 2 (20m)
Figure 2.7: Multi-layer management in calculations two DTM maps representing different areas
2.11.2.2 Example 2: Clutter Classes and DTM Maps Representing the Same Area
In this example, there are two imported maps:
Independently of the order of the two maps in the Explorer window, Atoll uses both the clutter and DTM data in calculations.
In Case 1, the clutter class map is on top of the DTM map. In Case 2, the DTM map is on top of the clutter class map. In both
Case 1 and Case 2, Atoll will use both the clutter and DTM data in calculations.
Explorer window
Work space
Case 1
Clutter classes
Clutter
DTM
DTM
Case 2
DTM
DTM
Clutter classes
Clutter
Figure 2.8: Multi-layer management in calculations Clutter and DTM maps representing the same area
In the case of two clutter class maps, Atoll uses the order of the maps in the Clutter Classes folder in the Geo explorer to
decide which data to use. In Case 1, "Clutter 2" is on top of "Clutter 1". Atoll will therefore use the data in "Clutter 2" where
it is available, and the data from "Clutter 1" everywhere that is covered by "Clutter 1" but not by "Clutter 2." In Case 2,
"Clutter 1" is on top and completely covers "Clutter 2." Therefore, Atoll will only use the data from "Clutter 1."
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Explorer window
Work space
Case 1
Clutter classes
Clutter 2 (20m)
Clutter 1 (50m)
Case 2
Clutter classes
Clutter 1 (50m)
Clutter 2 (20m)
Figure 2.9: Multi-layer management in calculations two clutter maps representing the same area
Hold the pointer over the geo data until the tip text appears. The surface area is only given for closed polygons.
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Clutter classes (for more information, "Editing Clutter Class Maps" on page 121)
Contours, lines, and points (for more information, "Vector Objects" on page 53)
Geoclimatic maps (for more information, "Editing Geoclimatic Maps" on page 122)
Traffic data maps
).
6. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the polygon.
7. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon.
8. Double-click to close the polygon.
You can copy the exact coordinates of a closed polygon by right-clicking it on the map and
selecting Properties from the context menu.
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3. Select Edit from the context menu. The Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 2.11).
4. Select the polygon. You can now edit the clutter polygon by:
Moving a point:
i.
Position the pointer over the point you want to move. The pointer changes (
).
Adding a point:
i.
Position the pointer over the polygon border where you want to add a point. The pointer changes (
).
ii. Right-click and select Insert Point from the context menu. A point is added to the border at the position of the
pointer.
Deleting a point:
i.
Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes (
).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
).
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You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the
Vector Editor toolbar list. Because Atoll names all new vector layers "Vectors" by
default, it might be difficult to know which Vectors folder you are selecting. By renaming
each vectors folder, you can ensure that you select the correct folder. For information on
renaming objects, see "Renaming an Object" on page 30.
a. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour.
b. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
c. Double-click to close the contour.
7. To draw a rectangle, click the New Rectangle button (
a. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle.
b. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle.
c. Release the mouse to create the rectangle defined by the two corners.
8. Right-click the new polygon or rectangle and select Properties from the context menu.
9. Enter a value:
Geoclimatic Parameters: Enter a value in the Rain Intensity field to indicate the intensity of rainfall for the polygon.
11. For Atoll to consider the new vector layer as part of the data map, you must map the vector layer. Right-click the Geoclimatic Parameters folder. The context menu appears.
12. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
13. Click the Data Mapping tab. For the following geo data:
Geoclimatic Parameters:
You can edit the vector objects as explained in "Vector Objects" on page 53.
Save modifications you have made to an external file: If you have made modifications to geo data, you can export
them to a new external file.
Update the source file with modifications you have made: If you have made modifications to a geo data type in Atoll,
you can save these changes to the source file.
Combine several raster files into one file: If you have several small raster files in one folder of the Geo explorer, you
can save them as one file.
Export an embedded file to be used in another Atoll document or in another application: You can save a file to an
external file, in the same format or in another one.
Create a new file from part of a larger one: You can select part of certain geo data types and then save the selected
part as a new file.
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BMP Files (*.bmp): When you select BMP format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding BPW file containing the georeference information.
PNG Files (*.png): When you select PNG format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding PGW file containing the georeference information.
ArcView Grid Files (*.txt, *.asc): The ArcView text format is intended only for export; no corresponding geo-reference file is created.
TIFF Files (*.tif): When you select tagged image file format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding TFW file
containing the georeference information.
BIL Files (*.bil): When you select the BIL format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding HDR file containing
the georeference information. When exporting in BIL format, Atoll allows you to export files larger than 2 Gb.
Vertical Mapper Files (*.grc,*.grd): Files with the extension GRC or GRD are Vertical Mapper files. When exporting
in GRD or GRC formats, Atoll allows you to export files larger than 2 Gb.
5. Click Save. The Export dialog box appears (see Figure 2.12).
The Entire Project Area: This option allows you to export the entire clutter class geo data file, including any modifications you have made to the geo data. The exported geo data file will replace the geo data file in the current
Atoll document.
Only Pending Changes: This option allows you to export a rectangle containing any modifications you have made
to the clutter classes. The exported geo data file will be added as a new object to the Clutter Classes geo data
folder.
The Computation Zone: This option allows you to export the clutter class geo data contained by a rectangle
encompassing the computation zone, whether or not the computation zone is visible. The exported geo data file
will be added as a new object to the selected geo data folder.
7. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1. The suggested resolution value is defined by the following criteria:
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If one object has been modified, the suggested resolution is the resolution of the modified object.
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If several objects have been modified, the suggested resolution is the highest resolution of the modified objects.
If there is no initial clutter class object, the resolution will equal the highest resolution of the DTM maps.
If the Atoll document in which you created the clutter class file has no DTM, no other clutter class geo data file,
or traffic objects, the suggested resolution is 100 m.
Once you save a vector layer, the exported file replaces the vector layer as a linked file. You can embed the file afterwards
(see "Embedding Geographic Data" on page 107).
You can simultaneously export the display configuration file (CFG) of the edited vector
layer by setting an option in the Atoll.ini file. The exported display configuration file will
have the same file name and will be saved in the same directory as the exported vectorformat file. For more information about setting options in the Atoll.ini file, see the
Administrator Manual.
To export a vector layer:
1. In the Explorer window, select the tab containing the vector layer you want to export.
2. Right-click the vector layer folder you want to export. The context menu appears.
3. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialog box appears.
4. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the folder where you want to save the file, enter a name for the file, and select
the file format from the Save as type list. You can select from one of the following file formats:
AGD: "Atoll Geographic Data" vector format created for Atoll. The latter can read AGD files faster than the other
supported vector formats.
SHP: ArcView vector format can be used for vector layers containing only polygons, only lines, or only points. If a
vector file has a combination of polygons, lines, and points, you should use the AGD, MIF, or TAB formats instead.
MIF and TAB: MapInfo vector formats.
5. Click Save in the Save As dialog box. The Vector Export dialog box appears. It displays the current coordinate system
which you can change by clicking Change.
6. Click Export. The vector layer is saved in the format and with the name you specified and the exported file replaces
the vector layer in the current document as a linked file.
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from the top down in the folder in the Geo explorer. If the files overlap on the map, the combined file will show the file on the
top.
You can create a one file from a section of the following geo data types:
The Entire Project Area: This option allows you to export the entire raster-format geo data file, including any
modifications you have made to the geo data. The exported file will replace the embedded file in the Geo explorer.
Only Pending Changes: This option allows you to export a rectangle containing any modifications you have
made to the geo data. The exported file will be added as an object in the geo data folder.
The Computation Zone: This option allows you to export the geo data contained by a rectangle encompassing
the computation zone, whether or not the computation zone is visible. The exported file will be added as an
object in the geo data folder.
b. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1.
c. Click OK. The selected data is saved in an external file.
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Clutter classes
Clutter heights
Scanned maps
Geoclimatic maps
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128
Chapter 3
Microwave
Antennas and
Equipment
This chapter provides the
information to work with
antennas and equipment in
Atoll.
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The radio modem that converts the digital signal into a form suitable for modulation on the radio carrier signal
The power supply for the Outdoor Unit (ODU)
The ability to send the transmitted power in only the desired direction
The ability to reject undesired signals coming from other directions.
Gain: The gain is the amount of power radiated in a given direction using only the RF power at the input terminals of
the antenna.
Front-to-Back Ratio (FBR): The FBR is the ratio of the power radiated in the desired direction to the power radiated
in the opposite direction, typically between 35 and 50 dB. In general, the higher the gain of the antenna, the higher
the FBR.
Radiation pattern: The radiation pattern is a diagram showing the direction of the radiated power. The portion of the
pattern where the maximum gain occurs is often referred to as the main lobe of the pattern
Polarisation: Polarisation is the ability to transmit only one of the two electromagnetic vector components of the
wave (either the horizontal component or the vertical component). Using polarisation enables the same radio frequency to be used by different radio systems in physical proximity to one another.
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Vertical polarisation
Horizontal polarisation
Figure 3.2: Polarisation
Cross Polarisation Discrimination (XPD): The XPD is the ratio of power received in the desired polarisation to the power
received in undesired polarisation. XPD is a design parameter that is maximised in the main lobe of the antenna pattern.
This chapter explains how to work with antennas and other equipment such as radios and feeders:
4. Click OK.
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General tab
Horizontal: The ratio of power received in the cross-polar section to the power received in the co-polar section, for the horizontal polarisation.
Vertical: The ratio of power received in the cross-polar section to the power received in the co-polar section,
for the vertical polarisation.
Comments: Any additional information on the antenna.
H or V Signal - H or V Plane tabs: A microwave antenna is defined by 8 radiation patterns. On each of the four tabs of
the antenna properties dialog box, you can define the co-polar and cross-polar sections for each plane of the antenna:
Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
For each of these combinations, these tabs display an antenna pattern diagram and a table that specifies the attenuation in dB (Att.) per Angle. You can specify antenna attenuation for as many as 720 angles. Therefore, attenuation
values can also be defined for angles other than integer values from 0 to 359.
The Copy and Print buttons enable you to copy the horizontal or vertical antenna diagram to the clipboard or to
print the antenna diagram.
The Log button switches between linear and a logarithmic scale for displaying the diagram.
Other Properties tab: This tab provides access to additional information and custom fields.
To create an antenna:
1. In the Parameters explorer, expand the Microwave Equipment folder, right-click the Antennas folder, and select New
from the context menu. The Antennas: New Record Properties dialog box appears.
2. Click the General tab. You can enter information in the following fields:
133
Horizontal: The ratio of power received in the cross-polar section to the power received in the co-polar section, for the horizontal polarisation.
Vertical: The ratio of power received in the cross-polar section to the power received in the co-polar section,
for the vertical polarisation.
Comments: Any additional information on the antenna.
3. Define the co-polar and cross-polar sections for each plane of the antenna.
A microwave antenna is defined by 8 radiation patterns. On each of the four tabs of the antenna properties dialog box,
you can define the co-polar and cross-polar sections for each plane of the antenna:
Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
To copy the co-polar and cross-polar sections for each plane from a word-processor or spreadsheet document:
a. Switch to the document containing the horizontal pattern.
b. Select the columns containing the angles and attenuation values of the horizontal pattern.
c. Copy the selected data.
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4. Click OK.
One file only: Choose this option if you only want to import one file.
Entire folder: Choose this option if you want to import all the files in a folder.
4. Click the Browse button to navigate to the file or the folder to be imported.
5. Select the file or folder to be imported and click Open.
6. Click Import. The file or folders are imported.
Atoll does not stop the import process if an error occurs. Atoll continues until all files are imported and then displays in the
Events viewer how many files have been successfully and unsuccessfully imported.
NSMA files contain antenna characteristics such as the frequency range of the antenna. During the import, Atoll uses this
information to select the suitable frequency band among all existing ones. If the frequency range includes two frequency
bands, Atoll creates two antennas, each one using one of these frequency bands. When the frequency range partially overlaps
one frequency band, Atoll creates a new frequency band based on the antenna frequency range and assign it to the antenna.
Atoll automatically calculates the antenna diameter from the antenna gain and average operating frequency. The average
operating frequency is calculated as (Maximum Frequency - Minimum Frequency)/2. The antenna diameter is calculated using
the following equation for a radiation efficiency of 55 %:
Gain dBi = 20 Log Diametre m + 20 Frequency MHz 42,2 , which gives:
Diametre m = 10
2
20
For more information on antenna file formats, see the Technical Reference Guide.
Some file formats do not support certain features. For example, the PL4 format does not
carry over adaptive modulation information. To import files with different values, you can
place the antenna files manually into separate folders and import them separately with
different default values for each folder.
135
6. Select the tab of the pattern you want to edit (for information on the tabs of the antennas Properties dialog box, see
"Microwave Antenna Properties" on page 133).
7. Edit the antenna pattern by entering new values in the table.
You can display antenna patterns with either linear or logarithmic axes. You can define the
display by right-clicking the pattern window and choosing the either Linear display or
Logarithmic display from the context menu.
Copying an Antenna Pattern to One or More Antennas
You can copy antenna patterns in the Antennas table. By copying and pasting patterns in the Antennas table you can assign
the antenna patterns of one antenna to another.
To copy an antenna pattern:
1. Select the Parameters explorer.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of the Microwave Equipment folder to expand the folder.
3. Right-click the Antennas folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Antennas table appears.
By resizing row height and column width, you can view all antenna patterns in order to be able to compare them (see
Figure 3.4).
You can also copy an antenna pattern by right-clicking the pattern on the tab of the
antennas Properties dialog box and selecting Copy from the context menu.
Patterns are displayed in the Antennas table with either linear or logarithmic axes
as defined in the Properties dialog box of an individual antenna. You can define the
display by right-clicking the pattern of an antenna and choosing either Linear display or Logarithmic display from the context menu.
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7. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Linear display or Logarithmic display from the context menu.
8. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Print from the context menu.
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Branching types: The branching types (i.e., protection configurations) supported by the radios of the series in the
selected frequency band.
ACU (Antenna Coupling Unit) losses: The losses related to the branching type for a given frequency band. You can
define the following parameters:
Transmission: The transmission losses due to the connection with the main equipment.
Reception: The reception losses due to the connection with the main equipment.
Protected reception: The transmission and reception losses due to the connection with the standby equipment.
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Figure 3.7: Radio Series Properties dialog box - Radio Equipment tab
).
4. Open the radio series Properties dialog box as defined in "Accessing Record Properties " on page 61. The radio series
Properties dialog box appears.
5. Modify the parameters described in "Description of a Radio Series" on page 137.
6. Click OK.
To modify an existing radio series:
1. In the Parameters explorer, expand the Microwave Equipment folder and the Radios Series folder, right-click the
radio series that you want to edit, and select Properties from the context menu. The microwave radio seriess Properties dialog box appears.
2. Modify the parameters described in "Description of a Radio Series" on page 137.
3. Click OK.
Minimum: The lowest output power supported by the radio after applying tuning.
Standard: The maximum output power for the standard power (SP) ODU configuration.
139
High: The maximum output power for the high power (HP) ODU configuration.
Low: The maximum output power for the low power (LP) ODU configuration.
Authorised values: The output powers allowed by the radio after applying tuning.
Max ATPC: The maximum output power supported by the radio after applying a power range reserved for
Adaptive Transmission Power Control (ATPC).
Step: The value interval between the allowed output powers when ATPC is used.
Channel bandwidth: The channel bandwidth.
Capacity: The capacity supported by the radio.
Transmission designator: ID dedicated to regulatory bodies. This field is for information only.
The following parameters can be defined for two values of BER, 10-3 and 10-6.
Sensitivity (dBm): The minimum receiver signal level (threshold) at a specified rate (BER) that the radio can
successfully demodulate. This will be used to calculate the thermal fade margin.
System gain (dB): The difference between the maximum power of the radio and the reception threshold, for
two values of BER, 10-3 and 10-6. This field is automatically calculated by Atoll. This is a performance indicator
for the radio.
Saturation (dBm): The maximum receiver sensitivity before saturation. It is used to calculate the signal
enhancement margin.
ATPC reference level (dBm): The desired received signal level when ATPC is enabled on a remote transmitter.
This parameter is for information only and is not used in calculations.
ACM step down (dBm): The transition level from a higher modulation state to a lower one. This parameter is
considered with the ACM step up parameter to calculate the link quality and availability when the radio
supports adaptive modulation.
ACM step up (dBm): The transition level from a lower modulation state to an upper one. This parameter is
considered with the ACM step down parameter to calculate the link quality and availability when the radio
supports adaptive modulation.
Minimum C/I (dB): The carrier-to-interference ratio in normal conditions, i.e., when no interference is experienced. This is used to evaluate the required margin against depolarisation when using a dual polarisation
transmission link. Atoll automatically calculates this parameter for two values of BER: 10-3 and 10-6.
You can set Atoll to use Min C/I values defined or calculated in old versions of Atoll by
adding an option in the Atoll.ini file. For more information on changing options in the
Atoll.ini file, see the Administrator Manual.
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All these parameters can be defined for other values of BER except the System gain and Minimum C/I which are
calculated. In order to change a BER value or to add a new threshold for another BER value, double-click the corresponding parameter in the grid.
XPIF: The maximum improvement factor reserved for cross-polarisation reduction (XPIF). This is used only when
an XPIC (cross-polarised interference canceller) is present. It is used to reduce the scattering of interference from
the undesired polarisation into the desired polarisation due to rain fading by increasing the cross-polarisation discrimination factor (XPD). XPIF is generally within the range of 15-20 dB.
141
DFM: The dispersive fade margin, for two different values of BER: 10-3 and 10-6. This parameter is used to predict
the composite fade margin when using the Vigants calculation method.
Under Radio Signature, you can choose the method and the parameters taken into account to predict frequency
selective fading when using ITU-R P.530 recommendations.
The radio signature parameters are not used by all types of receiver radios.
The radio signature chosen will characterise the ability of a receiving radio to perform successfully (i.e., produce
acceptable errors rates) in the presence of frequency-selective fading.
This information is available from the manufacturer.
Standardised: For a standardised signature, select Standardised and enter a value for the Kn Parameter. The
Kn parameter is mostly dependant on the modulation used.
Modulation
Kn
64-QAM
15.4
16-QAM
5.5
8-PSK
4-PSK
Rummler Model: If you want to use the Rummler model to predict outage times, select Rummler model, and
define the frequency shift (Signature width and Signature depth) for both minimum and non-minimum
phases and two values of BER, 10-3 and 10-6. For more information, see studies by C.W. Lundgren and W.D.
Rummler1 and the ITU P.530 recommendation.
1.
C.W. Lundgren and W.D. Rummler, "Digital radio outage due to selective fading- observation vs. prediction from
laboratory simulations," Bell System Technical Journal, pp. 1073-1100, May-June 1979.
W.D. Rummler, "Characterizing the effects of multipath dispersion on digital radios," IEEE Globecom Proceedings, pp. 17271732, 1988.
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Mean time before failure (MTBF): This parameter is used to define the reliability of the radio and corresponds to
the average length of time that the radio functions without failing. The MTBF is available from the radio manufacturer.
Hot standby commutation delay: The Hot Standby Commutation Delay is the maximum amount of time it would
take to switch to backup equipment if the main equipment fails. The Hot Standby Commutation Delay is used only
if the system configuration supports hot standby. Furthermore, when you define the properties for a microwave
link, you must indicate which channel will be used as a backup in case of main equipment failure. For more information on defining microwave link properties, see "Microwave Link Properties" on page 197.
143
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You can define a threshold-to-interference (TI) graph either by clicking the Use default graphs button, to let Atoll
create the graph from standard values, or by defining an attenuation in dB (Att.) for each frequency shift in MHz
(Delta F). This information is provided by the radio manufacturer.
The threshold-to-interference (T/I) ratio is used to calculate the interference fade margin (IFM) which defines the
vulnerability to co-channel and adjacent channel interference. The T/I graph defines the correspondence between
maximum interfering power levels and different frequency separations between the transmitter and victim receivers.
For each interfering transmitter, the received power level in dB is compared to the maximum power level to determine whether the interference is acceptable. This is done instead of calculating C/I values and comparing them to the
objectives for that microwave link.
The resulting TI graph is displayed in the graph window on the right.
You can also import radio files that are in Atoll XML format.
145
Radio series: This corresponds to a range of equipment using different frequency bands, modulations, channel bandwidths, and branching capabilities.
Operation mode: This provides categories that allow you to distinguish radio equipment within a radio series,
depending on how they are operated, for example for fixed or adaptive modulation and various duplex types.
Before importing the files, you must arrange the NSMA or Pathloss files in a folder structure where a first folder level represents each radio series, which contains a second folder level for the operation mode categories, as shown in Figure 3.15.
Figure 3.15: Folder structure for radio series and operation modes.
The folder names match the name of the radio series and operation mode in the tables:
To add the equipment files to an existing radio series or operation mode category, name the folders with the name of
the corresponding radio series or operation mode. When the files are imported, each equipment is associated with
the radio series and operation mode corresponding to the folder names.
To create a new radio series or operation mode category, name the folders with name of the new radio series or operation mode. When the files are imported, the operation modes and radio series corresponding to the folder names
are automatically created.
If an operation mode folder is not specified, the radio equipment is associated with the default fixed modulation operation
mode.
Pathloss v5.0 files can contain multiple radios in a single file. Therefore, all equipment in a
single Pathloss v5.0 file will share the same operation mode.
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After importing the equipment files, each new radio is associated to the radio series and operation mode category corresponding to the folders tagged <Series> and <Mode>. If the radio series or operation mode does not exist, a new one is
created.
If the import process encounters any modulations or capacities that do not exist in the Atoll database, those new items are
added to the corresponding tables and an asterisk (*) is appended to the name. To check for new items, in the Parameters
explorer, expand Microwave Settings > Configurations, right-click Modulations or Capacities, and click Open Table.
Atoll does not stop the import process when an error occurs. It continues until all the files
have been imported and then displays in the Events viewer how many files have been
successfully and unsuccessfully imported.
Data that exist both in the tables and in the XML files are overwritten by the data from the XML files.
Data that exist only in the tables and not in the XML files are not deleted from the tables.
Data that only exist in the XML files and not in the tables are imported from the XML files as new records in the tables.
Once the import is complete, Atoll performs a database integrity check and a duplicate records check to ensure that the
import did not create database problems.
For information on exporting the radios in your document to XML files, see "Exporting Microwave Radios to XML Files" on
page 147.
In addition, there is an index.xml file that contains the mapping between the exported XML files and each Atoll data table.
For more information about the formats of the XML files, see the Administrator Manual.
147
Minimum power: The lowest output power supported by the radios after applying tuning.
Standard power: The maximum output power for the standard power (SP) ODU configuration.
High power: The maximum output power for the high power (HP) ODU configuration.
Low power: The maximum output power for the low power (LP) ODU configuration.
Authorised values: The output powers supported by the radios after applying tuning. The values must be
separated by a space (" ").
Maximum ATPC: You can enter the maximum output power supported by the radio after applying a power
range reserved for Adaptive Transmission Power Control (ATPC).
Step: You can enter the value interval between the allowed output powers when ATPC is used.
Adaptive Transmission Power Control (ATPC) is used by the transmitter to adjust power by increasing or reducing
it in order to maintain signal quality in case of multipath or rain fading that temporarily attenuates the received
signal. The ATPC also enables the transmitter to respond to increased interference levels resulting from ATPC on
other links. The ATPC can be taken into consideration during calculations.
7. Click Next. The Channel Bandwidths screen appears:
148
Transmission: The transmission losses due to the connection with the main equipment.
Reception: The reception losses due to the connection with the main equipment.
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Protected reception: The transmission and reception losses due to the connection with the standby equipment.
You can change the properties of the selected branching type by clicking the Properties button. You can create a new
branching type by clicking the New button. For information on branching type properties, see "Creating or Modifying
Branching Types" on page 156.
9. Click Next. The Radio Equipment to Create screen appears where Atoll lists all combinations of the parameters you
have defined (frequency band, operation mode, modulation, and channel bandwidth) and displays the corresponding
capacity.
The displayed capacity is either an existing capacity or one calculated by Atoll (indicated by an asterisk appended to
the name displayed in the box).You can modify the capacity of each combination:
a. In the Capacity column, click the box corresponding to the bandwidth-modulation combination whose capacity
you want to modify. An arrow appears in the right of the box.
b. Click the arrow and select the capacity from the list that appears.
10. Click Finish. Atoll creates the radio series and the radios corresponding to the combinations.
149
).
4. Double-click in the left margin of the record to open its Properties dialog box (see Figure 3.17).
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5. You can now define an IRF graph, delete an IRF graph, or create an IRF graph using radio graphs or theoretical graphs
(see Figure 3.18):
g. Click OK.
To create an IRF graph between the transmission and reception radios from T/I graphs:
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries and select Calculate Using > T/I Graphs from the
context menu. The IRF Calculation dialog box appears.
b. From the T/I graph (Tx) list, select a theoretical T/I graph compatible with the operating frequency band of the
transmission radio. If there is a T/I graph defined for the radio, you can select "Same as Radio" to use it.
c. From the T/I (Rx) list, select a theoretical T/I graph compatible with the operating frequency band of the reception
radio. If there is a T/I graph defined for the radio, you can select "Same as Radio" to use it.
d. Click Calculate to calculate the IRF graph.
e. Click OK.
6. Click OK to close the IRF Settings dialog box.
151
IRF graphs when no IRF is defined in the IRF table. Default theoretical graphs are available for different frequency bands and
bandwidths.
Creating Theoretical Graphs
A theoretical graph contains information on the behaviour of microwave transceiver radio under different conditions of C/I.
It represents the changes in the bit error rate as a function of the level of interference.
To create a theoretical graph:
1. In the Parameters explorer, expand the Microwave Equipment folder, right-click on the Radios folder, and select
Theoretical Graphs from the context menu. The Theoretical Graphs table appears.
2. Right-click the theoretical graph you want to modify. The context menu appears.
3. Select Record Properties from the context menu. The theoretical graphs Properties dialog box appears.
You can create a new theoretical graph by entering a name in the row marked with the
New Row icon (
) and pressing ENTER.
If the graph describes the transmitter mask, define the attenuation of the main transmitted signal (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
If the graph describes the receiver mask, define the attenuation of the main received signal (in dB) as a function
of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
If the graph is a T/I graph, define the variation of the T/I (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
6. Click OK.
3.3.8.3.1
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) to add new Eb/No values for other BER values or change the BER values.
8. Click OK.
3.3.8.3.2
153
You can also define the properties of a digital trunk in its Properties dialog box.
To open a digital trunks Properties dialog box:
Double-click the digital trunk in the left margin of the Digital Trunks table. The digital trunks Properties dialog box
appears (see Figure 3.22).
3.3.8.3.3
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SR: Ici, rajouter + dinfos sur la technology, prciser ce quil faut dfinir en fonction de la technology slectionne. En 3.2.0.01,
prciser galement que ces champs soeront pris en compte pour le backhaul.
You can also define the properties of a capacity in its Properties dialog box.
To open a capacitys Properties dialog box:
Double-click the capacity in the left margin of the Capacities table. The capacitys Properties dialog box appears (see
Figure 3.24). In the capacitys Properties dialog box, either enter the TDM capacity in Mbps, or click the Calculate
button (
155
3.3.8.3.4
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Space Diversity: Select this option if the system supports space diversity.
Frequency Diversity: Select this option if the system supports frequency diversity.
MIMO: Select this option if MIMO is enabled.
Number of MIMO transmission antennas and Number of MIMO reception antennas: Specify the same number
of antennas for transmission and reception when MIMO is enabled. In a MIMO configuration, you must specify
either 2, 3 , or 4 antennas for both transmission and reception.
Number of MIMO transmission antennas: The number of transmission antenna ports used for MIMO (Multiple
Input Multiple Output).
Number of MIMO reception antennas: The number of reception antenna ports used for MIMO (Multiple Input
Multiple Output).(FR34834)
Double-click the branching type in the left margin of the Branching Types table. The branching types Properties dialog
box appears (see Figure 3.26).
3.3.8.3.5
Double-click the operation mode in the left margin of the Operation Modes table. The operation modes Properties
dialog box appears (see Figure 3.28).
157
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159
5. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Antenna-Feeder Compatibility table appears.
6. Create a new antenna/feeder compatibility pair by selecting an Antenna and a Feeder from the lists in the row marked
with the New Row icon (
). The values in the Antenna and Feeder lists are taken from the Antennas table and the
Feeders table, respectively. You can also, if desired, enter a Comment by double-clicking the Comment field to open
the records Properties dialog box.
If you have a large number of antenna or feeder compatibility definitions to enter, you can
import them by right-clicking on the table and selecting Import from the context menu, or
you can paste them into the Antenna-Feeder Compatibility table.
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8. Select the Feeder manufacturer from the list. Only feeders manufactured by the selected manufacturer is displayed
in the table. Clicking the Browse button opens the Properties dialog box of the selected manufacturer.
9. You can now define the compatibility between an antenna and a feeder or delete a defined compatible antennafeeder pair:
161
9. You can now define the compatibility between an antenna and a radio, delete a defined compatible antenna-radio
pair, or define compatibility with an antenna, a radio, and feeders:
162
Chapter 4
Radio
Calculations
and Models
This chapter provides the
information to work with
calculations in Atoll.
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Microwave Propagation Model and Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model: These propagation models are suited for microwave links in the 1.5 to 55 GHz band. While the Microwave Propagation Model is recommended for the calculation of
the useful signal, the Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model should be used to predict the signal level from interfering sites.
For more information, see "Working with the Microwave Propagation Model" on page 165 and "Working with the
Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model" on page 167.
Microwave E-Band Propagation Model: The Microwave E-Band Propagation Model is suited for microwave links in
the 60 to 90 GHz band, in order to calculate the useful signal as well as the interfering signal. For more information,
see "Working with the Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model" on page 167.
Clutter taken into account in diffraction: Select "1 - Yes" to have Atoll take clutter height information into account
when calculating diffraction. Otherwise, select "0 - No". If you choose to take clutter height into account, Atoll
uses the clutter height information in the clutter heights file if available. Otherwise, it uses average clutter height
specified for each clutter class in the clutter classes.
Step: Define the resolution in metres to be used to extract the profile. If you enter "0" as the resolution, Atolll uses
the highest resolution of the geographic maps considered in the profile (i.e., DTM, clutter classes and clutter
height maps).
K1, K2, and K3: Enter the K1, K2, and K3 values that will be used to calculate free space loss.
Deygout
Epstein-Peterson
Deygout with correction (ITU 526-5)
Millington
ITU 452-11
Full Deygout
K4: Enter "1" as the K4 value if you want Atoll to calculate diffraction. Entering "0" means that no diffraction will
be calculated.
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate tropospheric scattering:
165
Ktropo: Enter the value for the weight factor. The loss is multiplied by the selected method to calculate the tropospheric scatter loss.
N0: Enter the value for N0, which is the surface refractivity of the centre of the path.
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate attenuation due to vegetation:
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation (dB) due to atmospheric gases:
Rain attenuation: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation due to the rain. The rain attenuation will be considered in the total propagation losses.
No attenuation: No attenuation will be considered.
ITU-R P.530: The entire path will be considered as attenuated by the rain. This method is based on ITU-R
P.530-14 recommendations.
Rainfall rate: Select the method that will be used to evaluate the rainfall rate.
Property at 0.01% of the link: Atoll will use the rainfall rate set in the property of the link. It is the rainfall rate
exceeded 0.01% of the average year.
ITU-R P.837-4: The rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.837-4 recommendations.
Crane: The rainfall rate will be based on Crane method.
ITU-R P.837-5,6: The rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.837-5 and ITU-R P.837-6 recommendations.
Time percentage for which rainfall rate is exceeded: The time percentage of the average year the rainfall rate is
exceeded. This parameter is considered when using ITU-R P.837-4 and ITU-R P.837-5,6 recommendations or Crane
to calculate the rainfall rate.
Specific rainfall rate: Select the method that will be used to determine the specific rainfall rate.
ITU-R P.838-1: The specific rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.838-1 recommendations.
ITU-R P.838-3: The specific rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.838-3 recommendations.
Rain attenuation is already considered in availability calculations. It will be considered
twice if the ITU-R P.530 method is selected and the propagation model used for the calculation of the useful signal.
166
Method: Select the 2 rays model (ITU-R P.530) method if you want to consider the attenuation due to reflections
in the total propagation losses. Otherwise, select No attenuation.
Antenna height above the reflection plan: Select the method to be used to calculate antenna heights above the
reflection plan. You can choose between the Simplified method and the method with Linear regression on the
area.
Terrain roughness: Select the method to be used to calculate the terrain roughness. You can choose between the
Root mean square method, the Standard deviation method and the Interdecile range method.
Attenuation calculation: Select the method to be used to calculate the amplitude of the reflected signal. You can
choose between the Simplified method and the method with Equivalent reflection coefficient taken into
account.
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When there are more than one reflection zone along the calculated profile, Atoll considers
the highest attenuation over the zones.
Clearance per clutter class: Define a clearance (in metres) around each transmitter and each receiver site for each
clutter class. The clearance information is used when clutter is taken into account in diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the transmitter and the receiver sites (i.e., the clearance), where Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
Clutter categories: Select a clutter category for each clutter class. Clutter categories are taken into consideration
when studying reflections and must be defined in order to analyse reflections along the profile. Clutter categories
are ITU-standardised clutter classes. For information on clutter categories, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
4. Click OK.
For more information on the parameters of the Microwave Propagation Model, see the Technical Reference Guide.
Clutter taken into account in diffraction: Select "1 - Yes" to have Atoll take clutter height information into account
when calculating diffraction. Otherwise, select "0 - No". If you choose to take clutter height into account, Atoll
uses the clutter height information in the clutter heights file if available. Otherwise, it uses average clutter height
specified for each clutter class in the clutter classes.
Under Reference attenuation not exceeded during the average year, you can set the following parameter:
Required time percentage: Enter the percentage of time during which the global attenuation is not exceeded.
Under Rec. ITU-R P452 version, you can set the following parameter:
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate the global attenuation (dB) between an interfering transmitter and an interfered (victim) receiver:
ITU-R P.452-14
ITU-R P.452-12
Simplified ITU-R P.452-8
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation (dB) due to atmospheric gases:
Rain attenuation: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation due to the rain. The rain attenuation will be considered in the total propagation losses.
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Clearance per clutter class: Define a clearance (in metres) around each transmitter and each receiver site for each
clutter class. The clearance information is used when clutter is taken into account in diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the transmitter and the receiver sites (i.e., the clearance), where Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
Clutter categories: Select a clutter category for each clutter class. Clutter categories are taken into consideration
when studying reflections and must be defined in order to analyse reflections along the profile. Clutter categories
are ITU-standardised clutter classes. For information on clutter categories, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
7. Click OK.
For more information on the parameters of the Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model, see the Technical Reference Guide.
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4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab. Under Heights, you can set the following parameter:
Clutter taken into account in diffraction: Select "1 - Yes" to have Atoll take clutter height information into account
when calculating diffraction. Otherwise, select "0 - No". If you choose to take clutter height into account, Atoll
uses the clutter height information in the clutter heights file if available. Otherwise, it uses average clutter height
specified for each clutter class in the clutter classes.
Step: Define the resolution in metres to be used to extract the profile. If you enter "0" as the resolution, Atolll uses
the highest resolution of the geographic maps considered in the profile (i.e., DTM, clutter classes and clutter
height maps).
Deygout
Epstein-Peterson
Deygout with correction (ITU 526-5)
Millington
ITU 452-11
Full Deygout
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate attenuation due to vegetation:
Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation (dB) due to atmospheric gases:
Rain attenuation: Select the method that will be used to calculate the attenuation due to the rain. The rain attenuation will be considered in the total propagation losses.
No attenuation: No attenuation will be considered.
ITU-R P.530: The entire path will be considered as attenuated by the rain. This method is based on ITU-R
P.530-14 recommendations.
Rainfall rate: Select the method that will be used to evaluate the rainfall rate.
Property at 0.01% of the link: Atoll will use the rainfall rate set in the property of the link. It is the rainfall rate
exceeded 0.01% of the average year.
ITU-R P.837-4: The rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.837-4 recommendations.
Crane: The rainfall rate will be based on Crane method.
ITU-R P.837-5,6: The rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.837-5 and ITU-R P.837-6 recommendations.
Time percentage for which rainfall rate is exceeded: The time percentage of the average year the rainfall rate is
exceeded. This parameter is considered when using ITU-R P.837-4 and ITU-R P.837-5,6 recommendations or Crane
to calculate the rainfall rate.
Specific rainfall rate: Select the method that will be used to determine the specific rainfall rate.
ITU-R P.838-1: The specific rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.838-1 recommendations.
ITU-R P.838-3: The specific rainfall rate will be based on ITU-R P.838-3 recommendations.
Rain attenuation is already considered in availability calculations. It will be considered
twice if the ITU-R P.530 method is selected and the propagation model used for the calculation of the useful signal.
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Method: Select the 2 rays model (ITU-R P.530) method if you want to consider the attenuation due to reflections
in the total propagation losses. Otherwise, select No attenuation.
Antenna height above the reflection plan: Select the method to be used to calculate antenna heights above the
reflection plan. You can choose between the Simplified method and the method with Linear regression on the
area.
Terrain roughness: Select the method to be used to calculate the terrain roughness. You can choose between the
Root mean square method, the Standard deviation method and the Interdecile range method.
Attenuation calculation: Select the method to be used to calculate the amplitude of the reflected signal. You can
choose between the Simplified method and the method with Equivalent reflection coefficient taken into
account.
When there is more than one reflection zone along the calculated profile, Atoll considers
the highest attenuation over the zones.
6. Click the Clutter tab. Under Clutter Consideration, you can set the following parameters for each clutter class:
Clearance per clutter class: Define a clearance (in metres) around each transmitter and each receiver site for each
clutter class. The clearance information is used when clutter is taken into account in diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the transmitter and the receiver sites (i.e., the clearance), where Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
Clutter categories: Select a clutter category for each clutter class. Clutter categories are taken into consideration
when studying reflections and must be defined in order to analyse reflections along the profile. Clutter categories
are ITU-standardised clutter classes. For information on clutter categories, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
7. Click OK.
For more information on the parameters of the Microwave E-Band Propagation Model, see the Technical Reference Guide.
Name: Select a propagation model for non-line-of-site transmissionsh. This can be any of the radio technology
propagation models that are available in Atoll.
Method: Select the 2 rays model (ITU-R P.530) method if you want to consider the attenuation due to reflections
in the total propagation losses. Otherwise, select No attenuation.
Antenna height above the reflection plan: Select the method to be used to calculate antenna heights above the
reflection plan. You can choose between the Simplified method and the method with Linear regression on the
area.
Terrain roughness: Select the method to be used to calculate the terrain roughness. You can choose between the
Root mean square method, the Standard deviation method and the Interdecile range method.
Attenuation calculation: Select the method to be used to calculate the amplitude of the reflected signal. You can
choose between the Simplified method and the method with Equivalent reflection coefficient taken into
account.
When there is more than one reflection zone along the calculated profile, Atoll considers
the highest attenuation over the zones.
6. Click OK.
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For more information on the parameters of the Microwave Point-to-Area model, see the Technical Reference Guide.
Global parameters: Global parameters are defined for all microwave links and affect all links. For information on setting global parameters, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
Microwave Link parameters: Microwave link parameters are defined per microwave link and affect individual microwave links. For information on setting microwave link parameters, see "Microwave Link Parameters" on page 175.
As well, any parameters set for the propagation model affect calculations:
Microwave Propagation Model: For information on setting Microwave Propagation Model parameters, see "Working
with the Microwave Propagation Model" on page 165.
Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model: For information on setting Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model parameters, see "Working
with the Microwave ITU-R P.452 Model" on page 167.
Microwave E-Band Propagation Model: For information on setting Microwave E-Band Propagation Model parameters, see "Working with the Microwave E-Band Propagation Model" on page 168.
To define the global parameters for link quality and availability analysis, and objective selection:
1. In the Network explorer, right-click the Links folder and select Properties from the context menu. The Links Properties
dialog box appears.
2. Click the General tab. On the General tab, the parameters you define are valid for all types of analyses: quality and
availability analyses, objective selection, and interference calculation.
Median k factor: The value of the k factor (the earth curvature factor), observed 50% of time. Select the value to
be used in link analyses:
Calculated for each link: Atoll calculates the median value of the k factor according to the microwave link position. Then it takes into account the calculated value for the link analysis.
Same value for all links: If you select this option, the value you enter will be used as the k factor for all links in
link analyses.
Effective k factor: The value of the k factor (the earth curvature factor), observed 99% of time. Select the value to
be used in link analyses:
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Calculated for each link: Atoll calculates the effective value of the k factor according to the microwave link
position. Then it takes into account the calculated value for the link analysis.
Same value for all links: If you select this option, the value you enter will be used as the k factor for all links in
link analyses.
Under Power control on useful signal, you can select the output power to be considered in useful signal calculations when ATPC is active. You can choose between Use the nominal power and Use the coordinated power.
These options can be defined for quality and availability analyses separately.
Available modulations: Select if you want to display all modulations which are available for the operation mode
of the selected reference radio and compatible with its channel bandwidth (Based on the operation mode) or all
modulations compatible with the channel bandwidth of the selected reference radio without any additional filter
on its operation mode (Based on the status with or without ACM).
Under Bit Error Rate (BER), you can define the following options:
Use defined value for each link: If you select Use defined value for each link, Atoll performs the link analysis using
the values of the BER1 and BER2 defined in the properties of each microwave link.
Same value for all links: If you select Same value for all links, you can define a value for BER 1 and BER 2 that Atoll
will use for all microwave links.
3. Click the Models tab. On the Models tab, the parameters you define will be used for quality and availability analysis.
Method: Select the method to be used to calculate availability. Six availability analysis methods are available
(Crane and those based on implemented ITU recommendations: ITU-R P.530-5, ITU-R P.530-8, ITU-R P.530-10,
ITU-R P.530-11, ITU-R P.530-12, ITU-R P.530-13, ITU-R P.530-14, and ITU-R P.530-15).
Attenuation model for rain: Select the model to be used to calculate rain attenuation. Two attenuation models
for rain (ITU recommendations 838-1 and 838-3) are available.
Attenuation model for fog: Select the model to be used to calculate fog attenuation. Two attenuation models for
rain (ITU recommendations 840-3 and 840-6) are available.
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Method: Select the method to be used to calculate quality: Vigants-Barnett, KQ factor, ITU-R P.530-8, ITU-R
P.530-10, ITU-R P.530-11, ITU-R P.530-12, ITU-R P.530-13, ITU-R P.530-14, or ITU-R P.530-15.
If you select a method based on one of the ITU-R P.530 recommendations, you can set further parameters under
ITU-R P.530.
Multi-channel frequency diversity: Define whether the number of diversity-standby channels should have an
impact on the frequency improvement factor. The selected option is only considered in case of multi-channel frequency diversity systems when the equivalent frequency factor is calculated. Select Shared if you want the equivalent frequency factor to be in proportion to the number of diversity-standby channels. Otherwise, select
Continuous and the equivalent frequency factor will be the same for any N+M configuration (it will be equal to 1).
For more information see the Technical Reference Guide.
ITU-R P.530: If you selected a Method under Quality based on implemented ITU recommendations (ITU-R
P.530-8, ITU-R P.530-10, ITU-R P.530-11, ITU-R P.530-12, ITU-R P.530-13, ITU-R P.530-14, or ITU-R P.530-15), you
can set the following parameters:
Multi-path propagation: Under Multi-path propagation, select the Ignore Signal Enhancements check box if
you want Atoll to ignore signal enhancements.
Multipath occurrence method: If you select recommendation ITU-R P.530-10, ITU-R P.530-11, ITU-R P.530-12,
ITU-R P.530-13, ITU-R P.530-14, or ITU-R P.530-15, you can use either a simplified method or a method taking
roughness into account to calculate the geoclimatic factor (K).
Selective fading: Under Selective fading you can define reference delay values for the secondary signal t (tau)
for minimum and non-minimum phase conditions.
Erroneous blocks: Under Erroneous blocks you can define the network level consideration values for the
Residual Bit Error Rate (RBER), the number of errors per burst for Bit Error Rate between 10-3 and BERSES and
for Bit Error Rate between BERSES and RBER.
K.Q. method: If you selected "KQ factor" as the Method, under Quality, you can set the following parameter:
Under XPD degradation (ITU-R P.530), you can define the following parameter:
Ignore interruptions due to the reduction of discrimination decoupling: Select the Ignore interruptions due
to the reduction of discrimination decoupling check box if you want Atoll to ignore outages due to the reduction of the XPD.
4. Click the Objectives tab. On the Objectives tab, you can define objective-related parameters.
Under Performance objectives, you can define the type(s) of objective(s) to be considered for quality and availability (from ITU-T G.821, ITU-T G.826, or ITU-T G.828 recommendations for the quality objectives and ITU-T G.821
or ITU-T G.826 for availability objectives, or a customised objective) and how the objectives are selected. By
default, the objectives are selected according to the microwave link data rate and its length. Then, they can be
selected according to the type of the objective and the defined priority. Clicking the Browse button (
) beside
the Quality or Availability box opens a dialog box where you can select the type(s) of objective(s) to be used and
define their priority.
Under Apportionment of availability objectives, you can define the ratio between the different objectives considered in the global availability objective. Microwave link unavailability can be due either to rain (with its impact
on propagation), to equipment failure, or it can be random. Therefore, the global availability objective consists of
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three partial objectives for which you can define a weight. These weights are taken into consideration when calculating the performance objectives to be considered when analysing the microwave link unavailability due to rain
and the unavailability due to equipment failures.
5. Click the Clutter Categories tab. On the Clutter Categories tab, the parameters you define will be used to analyse
reflection and calculate vegetation losses.
Reflective: Select the Reflective check box if you want Atoll to consider all clutter classes with this clutter category
as reflection areas.
Vegetation with leaves: Select the Vegetation with leaves check box if you want Atoll to consider all clutter
classes with this clutter category as vegetation zones with foliage.
Vegetation without leaves: Select the Vegetation without leaves check box if you want Atoll to consider all
clutter classes with this clutter category as vegetation zones without foliage.
Soil type: Select the type of ground as defined in Rec. ITU-R P. 527-3. The type of ground is used to determine permittivity and conductivity values taken into account in reflection analysis. The following are the available types of
ground:
6. Click OK.
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Geoclimatic parameters: The geoclimatic parameters define the environment and the climate zone where the microwave link is operating, including terrain-climate factor, rain intensity (exceeding 0.01% of time), PL percentage, temperature, water vapour density, earth curvature factor (k), effective earth curvature factor (ke), and the geoclimatic
factor K.
Performance parameters: The performance parameters define the quality and availability of the microwave link.
Under ideal circumstances a microwave link should be completely reliable 100% of the time. In practice, this performance level is never achieved due to continuously changing propagation conditions and possible problems with the
equipment.
Propagation parameters: Propagation models can be defined to calculate useful and interfering signals. From the
useful signal, Atoll evaluates the margin which is then considered for calculating the quality and the availability of the
microwave link.
Link class: Each link class can have different performance objectives. By assigning the link class with the appropriate
performance objectives, you assign the performance objectives to the microwave link. For information on creating a
link class, see "Defining Link Classes" on page 272.
The microwave link parameters which affect calculations can be defined for a single microwave link and then applied to all
microwave links or to a group of microwave links that share the same characteristics. Defining parameters is explained in the
following sections:
The microwave link Properties dialog box has several tabs: General, Radio, Connections, Geoclimatic, Performance,
Propagation, and Display. The microwave link settings that affect calculations are on the Geoclimatic, Performance,
and Propagation tabs and are described here. For an explanation of the options available on the General, Radio,
Connections, and Display tabs, see "Backhaul Networks" on page 187.
6. Click the Geoclimatic tab (see Figure 4.6).
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Common Parameters: Under Common Parameters, you can define the parameters common to all calculation
methods.
Temperature: Set the average temperature of the zone in which the microwave link operates. Clicking the button (
) beside the Temperature text box opens a dialog box where you can select the temperature based
on Rec. ITU-R P.1510-0, ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the temperature set in the geoclimatic file. For
more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Refractivity gradient: Under Refractivity gradient, you can set the following parameters:
In normal conditions: Set the refractivity gradient observed 50% of time in N-units per km. Clicking the button
(
) beside the In normal conditions text box opens a dialog box where you can select the method to estimate the refractivity gradient under normal conditions. The refractivity gradient can be calculated from Rec.
ITU-R P.453-9, using a user-defined reference altitude, or the refractivity gradient can be based on data given
by Rec. ITU-R P.453-9 for less than 65 m. and a percentage of the year that N is not exceeded (50% is set by
default), or the refractivity gradient can be set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic
file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
The k factor median value, calculated using the set parameters, is displayed.
In sub-refraction conditions: Set the refractivity gradient observed 99% of time in N-units per km. Clicking the
button (
) beside the In sub-refraction conditions text box automatically calculates the refractivity gradient
under sub-refraction conditions.
The k factor effective value, calculated using the set parameters, is displayed.
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For converting month/year (Rec. ITU-R P.841): Select the climatic zone used to convert annual statistics into
worst-month statistics. You can choose between "Global", "Europe North West", "Europe Mediterranean",
"Europe Nordic", "Europe Alpine", "Poland", "Russian Federation", "Congo", "Canada (Prairie and North)",
"Canada (Coast and Great Lakes)", "Canada (Central and Montains)", "Indonesia" and "Japan".
For Tropospheric losses and interference (Rec. ITU-R P.617): Select the climatic zone considered in tropospheric scattering attenuation and interference calculations. You can choose between "Maritim Climate",
AT332_UMM_E0
"Equatorial Climate", "Tropical Climate", "Wet Tropical Climate", "Desert Climate", "Continental Climate" and
"Oceanic Climate". Clicking the button (
) beside the For Tropospheric losses and interference (Rec. ITU-R
P.617) text box opens a dialog box where you can select the zone based on Rec. ITU-R P.617-3.
Rainfall Rate: Under Rainfall Rate, you can define the conditions under which the microwave operates.
Value exceeded during 0.01% of the average year (Rec. ITU-R P.530): Set the rainfall rate exceeded 0.01% of
the average year (or, in other words, an amount of rainfall almost never observed). This information is used
only when working with Rec. ITU-R P.530 as availability calculation method. Click the button (
) beside the
Value exceeded during 0.01% of the average year (Rec. ITU-R P.530) text box to specify whether the value is
based on Rec. ITU-R P.837-4, Rec. ITU-R P.837-5 and Rec. ITU-R P.837-6, or the value set in the geoclimatic file.
For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Rain zone (Crane method): Select the rain zone in which the microwave link operates. This information is used
only when working with Crane as availability calculation method. You can select the following rain zones: "A",
"B", "B1", "B2", "C", "D1", "D2", "D3", "E", "F", "G" and "H".
Atmospheric Conditions (Rec. ITU-R P.530): Under Atmospheric Conditions (Rec. ITU-R P.530), you can define
the conditions under which the microwave operates. These parameters are used by ITU-R P.530 to calculate the
quality of the microwave link.
Water vapour density: Set the water vapour density in grams per cubic metre. Clicking the button (
) beside
the Water vapour density text box opens a dialog box where you can select the water vapour density based
on Rec. ITU-R P.836-3 (and select the percentage of the average year where the defined water vapour density
is exceeded), or based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the water vapour density set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113. The dialog
box also displays the water vapour pressure in hectopascals (hPa) calculated using your data and based on Rec.
ITU-R P.453-9.
Atmospheric pressure: Set the atmospheric pressure in hectopascal (hPa). Click the button (
) beside the
Atmospheric pressure box to specify whether the atmospheric pressure is based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and
select a season), or the value set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see
"Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Relative humidity: The Relative humidity displayed is calculated using the defined water vapour density.
Rain height (0C/32F Isotherm): You can enter the Rain height (0C/32F Isotherm) in metres. The rain height
is the height of the top of the rain column above mean sea level from the 0C isotherm. Click the button (
)
beside the Rain height box to specify whether the value is based on Rec. ITU-R P.839-3, or the value set in the
geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Geoclimatic factor: The parameters under Geoclimatic factor are used to calculate the quality of the microwave
link and are broken down by calculation method. You can set the following parameters:
ITU-R P.530-5, -8: Under ITU-R P.530-5, -8, you can select the Environment. You can choose between "Open
areas" for terrestrial microwave links where the height of the lowest antenna in the microwave link is lower
than 700 m; "Mountains" for terrestrial microwave links where the height of the lowest antenna in the microwave link is higher than 700 m; "Lakes" for microwave links over an expanse of water; or "Overwater" for microwave links over an extended expanse of water. Finally, you can define the PL factor. PL is the percent of
time the relative refractivity gradient is less than -100 NKm. The PL factor can be found on the ITU-R maps.
Rec. ITU-R P.530: Under ITU-R P.530, you can define the K factor. K models geoclimatic and terrain effects on
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climate factor C box opens a dialog box to specify whether the value is based on the roughness of the selected
terrain type or on a user-defined roughness value.
By default, only the ground altitude is used to evaluate terrain roughness. You can configure Atoll to consider both the ground altitude and the clutter height in roughness calculation by editing the Atoll.ini configuration file. For more information about editing the
configuration file, see the Administrator Manual.
K.Q. method: Under K.Q. method, you can define K.Q. for the K.Q method. K models geoclimatic and terrain
effects on climate while Q is the factor for variables other than those dependent on distance and frequency.
Link class: Under Link class, you can select the TDM and IP link classes.. Each link class can have different performance objectives. By assigning link classes to microwave links, you are assigning the target parameters and usage
limitations of the link class to the selected microwave links. For information on creating a link class, see "Defining
Link Classes" on page 272.
Clicking the Browse button (
The Quality Objectives and Availability Objectives tabs provide tables where you can view the selected performance objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG, IPER) for the specified link class. For SESR, ESR, and BBER parameters, Atoll displays the cutoff probability, the annual and monthly cutoff duration as well as the non-cutoff
percentage.
BER: Under BER, you can set the values for BER 1 and BER 2. Atoll displays the resulting sensitivity for each BER.
If the value for BER that you enter is not defined in the properties of the equipment, Atoll will interpolate to determine the corresponding sensitivity.
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Reliability: Under Reliability, you can set the Mean time to repair (MTTR) in hour. The MTTR is taken into account
when calculating unavailability due to failures if the microwave link is not equipped with a hot standby channel
system.
Useful signal: Under Useful signal, you can select the propagation model that will be used to calculate the useful
signal. From this parameter, Atoll evaluates the margin which is then considered for calculating the quality and
the availability of the microwave link.
Interfering signal: Under Interfering signal, you can select the propagation model that will be used to calculate
signal level received from interfering sites.
Select Open Table > Geoclimatic Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify geoclimatic parameters.
Select Open Table > Links - Standard Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify propagation and
performance parameters.
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To select the microwave links to which you want to copy the parameters by grouping:
1. Select the Network explorer.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Links folder.
3. Right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. From the Group By submenu, select the property by which you want to group the microwave links. Ensure that you
chose a property that all the microwave links you want to modify and the microwave link with the modified parameters have in common.
The microwave links in the folder are grouped in separate folders by that property.
If the range of properties available in the Group By submenu has been configured as
explained in "Customizing the Group By Submenu" on page 78, you can select additional
properties by selecting More Fields from the Group By submenu.
5. Right-click the folder with the grouped microwave links. The context menu appears.
6. From the context menu, select one of the following:
Select Open Table > Geoclimatic Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify geoclimatic parameters.
Select Open Table > Links - Standard Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify propagation and
performance parameters.
Select Open Table > Geoclimatic Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify geoclimatic parameters.
Select Open Table > Links - Standard Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify propagation and
performance parameters.
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Ensure that you only select the cells of the microwave links you want to modify.
Select Open Table > Geoclimatic Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify geoclimatic parameters.
Select Open Table > Links - Standard Parameters from the context menu, if you want to modify propagation and
performance parameters.
The Microwave Links table appears. You can now filter on a value in the table. You can either use a value that all microwave links to which you want to copy parameters have in common with the microwave link you previously modified,
or you can use a value these microwave links do not have.
5. Select the value to filter on. To select more than one value, press CTRL as you click the other values.
6. Right-click the cell and select one of the following from the context menu:
Filter by Selection: All microwave links with the selected value or values are displayed. You can now modify these
microwave links as you would normally do with the entire Microwave Links table (see Figure 4.9 on page 181).
Filter Excluding Selection: All microwave links without the selected value or values are displayed. You can now
modify these records or make calculations on them as you would normally do with the entire Microwave Links
table (see Figure 4.10 on page 181).
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You can use advanced data filtering to combine several criteria in different fields to create
complex filters. For more information on advanced filtering, see "Advanced Data Filtering"
on page 83.
7. Copy the parameters from the modified microwave link to the other microwave links in the group as explained in
"Pasting the Same Data into Several Cells" on page 66.
4.2.2.4.1
The General tab: You can select the geoclimatic parameters you want to recalculate.
The Temperature tab: You can define the temperature value, or select the temperature based on Rec. ITU-R P.1510-0,
ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the temperature set in the geoclimatic file.
The Water Vapour Density tab: You can define the water vapour density value, or select the water vapour density
based on Rec. ITU-R P.836-3 (and select the percentage of the average year where the defined water vapour density
is exceeded), or based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the water vapour density set in the geoclimatic
file.
The Atmospheric Pressure tab: You can define the atmospheric pressure value, or select the atmospheric pressure
based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the value set in the geoclimatic file.
The Rainfall Rate tab: You can define the rainfall rate value, or select the rainfall rate based on Rec. ITU-R P.837-4,
Rec. ITU-R P.837-5 and Rec. ITU-R P.837-6, or the value set in the geoclimatic file.
The Rain Height tab: You can define the rain height value, or select the rain height based on Rec. ITU-R P.839-3, or the
value set in the geoclimatic file
The Refractivity tab: You can define the refractivity gradient value under normal conditions, or select the method to
estimate the refractivity gradient. The refractivity gradient can be calculated from Rec. ITU-R P.453-9, using a userdefined reference altitude, or the refractivity gradient can be based on data given by Rec. ITU-R P.453-9 for less than
65 m. and a percentage of the year that N is not exceeded (50% is set by default), or the refractivity gradient can be
set in the geoclimatic file.
The K Factor tab: You can define the K factor value under normal conditions, or select the K factor based on Rec. ITU-R
P. 530-5 or Rec. ITU-R P. 530-8 (and select a terrain type and enter a value for C0 and for the percentage of time the
refractivity gradient (< 100 m.) is less than -100 N-unitskm for the worst average month) or based on Rec. ITU-R P.
530-10 and above (and select the simplified method where you also define the refractivity gradient (< 65 m.) not
exceeded during 1% of the average year or select the method with terrain roughness taken into account where you
define the refractivity gradient and the terrain roughness).
The Location tab: You can define the zone considered in tropospheric scattering attenuation and interference calculations, or select the zone based on Rec. ITU-R P.617-3. If you define the zone, enter one of the following values:
0 for "Maritim Climate",
1 for "Equatorial Climate",
2 for "Tropical Climate",
3 for "Wet Tropical Climate",
4 for "Desert Climate",
5 for "Continental Climate",
6 for "Oceanic Climate".
The C Factor tab: You can define the C factor value, or select the C factor based on the roughness of the selected terrain type or on a user-defined roughness value.
For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
4.2.2.4.2
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183
However, in a multi-user environment where several users are working on the same radio-planning document, you can
centralise the profile data in a shared directory. In this cas, an administrator is responsible for calculating the microwave link
profiles of the entire project and saving them in an external folder accessible to all users. This folder is read only and shared
by all users. When users change their microwave link data and recalculate profiles, the changes to those profiles are stored
locally and the shared profile data is not modified. In other words, users can read the information from the shared profiles
but any changes they make are stored locally.
Centralised microwave link profiles are recalculated by the administrator on a regular basis (as described in "Calculating
Microwave Link Profiles" on page 183) and take into consideration the changes that were uploaded to the central database
by the users. For more information on working in a multi-user environment, see the Administrator Manual.
To set the storage location of the path loss matrices:
1. Select the Network explorer.
2. Right-click the Microwave Radio Links folder and select Calculations > Properties from the context menu. The Microwave Radio Links Properties window opens.
3. On the Profile Directory tab, you can set the location for your private and shared profile data:
Private Directory: Click "..." to specify the location where you store the microwave link profile data that you generate or, if you are loading profile data from a shared location, where you store your changes to shared path loss
matrices.
Shared Directory: If you are working in a multi-user Atoll environment with shared profiles, click "..." to specify
the location of the shared 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.
4. Click OK.
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Chapter 5
Backhaul
Networks
This chapter provides
information on using Atoll to
design, analyse, and
optimise a microwave link
network.
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5 Backhaul Networks
The backhaul network is the critical link that carries the traffic between the individual cellular base stations and the core
network. A physical backhaul network comprises the following assets:
Sites, which are the extremities of links are usually shared with cellular base stations.
Microwave links, which are defined by their radio and equipment characteristics.
Other transmission links, are typically either fibre-optic links or leased lines.
Backhaul links must satisfy the quality and availability requirements that are set by the operator. Each link is assessed in terms
of robustness, i.e., the data transmission should undergo the least possible errors, the link should suffer the least number of
failures (usually measured per year) and the duration of these failures should also be as short as possible. All these criteria are
described in detail in the ITU standards and recommendations.
To help you satisfy these requirements, the Atoll backhaul module enables you to plan, design, and analyse backhaul
networks and to set in-depth quality and availability targets for the network, either in standalone backhaul projects or as part
of larger 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network projects. Atoll models simple, multi-hop, and point to multipoint links within a backhaul network. It can determine link budgets and carry out end-to-end reliability analyses, interference analyses, and
frequency planning.
In addition to the physical layer, Atoll provides a logical layer, which is a model designed specifically for backhaul capacity
planning. For more information, see Chapter 6: Backhaul Capacity Planning.
You can open an existing Atoll document by selecting File > Open.
You can create a new Atoll document as explained in Chapter 1: Working Environment.
2. Add sites and carry out basic evaluations of the candidate sites and locate more suitable locations for candidate sites
( 2 ).
You can add sites or modify existing ones (see "Creating or Modifying a Site" on page 189).
You can evaluate the location of existing sites (see "Site Survey Tools" on page 189) and search for new candidate
sites (see "Tools in Atoll for Finding New Sites" on page 195).
187
You can create a microwave link (see "Creating Microwave Links" on page 197) based on a microwave link template. If necessary, you can modify the template on which new links are based (see "Creating Other Transmission
Links" on page 206).
If necessary, you can create repeaters along microwave links between sites.
You can create multi-hop microwave links (see "Creating Multi-hops" on page 235).
You can create optical fibre links or leased lines between sites (see "Creating Other Transmission Links" on
page 206).
In parallel to this activity, you can create logical segments and nodes to the backhaul capacity planning module. For
more information, see Chapter 6: Backhaul Capacity Planning.
4. Analysing and optimising the microwave network.
You can use the guidance provided by the problem-solving interface of the Link Design Assistant to design and
optimise microwave links (see "Designing and Optimising Microwave Links" on page 213).
You can analyse the path profile (see "Analysing the Path Profile" on page 217), adding passive repeaters if neces-
You can study reflection along the microwave link profile (see "Studying Reflection" on page 236) ( 6 ).
You can allocate microwave link channels (see "Planning Microwave Link Channels" on page 244) ( 7 ).
You can study interference along the microwave link profile (see "Analysing Interference" on page 253) ( 8 ).
Optimisation and analysis are iterative steps. The last two steps can be repeated in order to achieve the optimum solution for
the network
Name: Atoll enters a default name for each new site. You can modify the default name. If you want to change the
default name that Atoll gives to new sites, see the Administrator Manual.
By default, Atoll places the name of the site on the map in a certain position vis--vis the
site. If you right-click the Sites tab in the Network explorer and select Calculating Label
Positions from the context menu, Atoll will determine a position for the label where it is
not hidden by the microwave link.
188
Position: By default, Atoll places the new site at the centre of the map window. You can modify the location of the site.
Altitude: The altitude, as defined by the DTM for the location specified under Position, is given here. You can specify
the actual altitude under Real, if you want. If an altitude is specified here, Atoll will use this value for calculations.
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Support height: You can define the height of the structure on which you can install antennas. Atoll can use this height
in several analyses (site analysis, antenna height optimisation, and so on).
Support type: You can describe the nature of site. This field is for information only.
"Displaying the Line of Sight Area Around One Site" on page 189
"Analysing the Line of Sight Between Candidate Sites" on page 191
"Displaying the Terrain Profile Between Candidate Sites" on page 193
"Displaying the Terrain Profile Between Candidate Sites" on page 193
189
To display the line of sight area around all sites in your Sites folder (or in the computation
zone, if any) you should right-click the Sites folder and select Visibility > Overlapping Area
instead. See "Tools in Atoll for Finding New Sites" on page 195.
3. Under Transmitter, select one of the following options to specify the height of the antenna on the transmitter side
and specify a Default height applicable to that option:
Site support: Select this option to specify a transmitter height that uses the Support height from the site properties.
Relative to the ground: Select this option to specify a transmitter height above the ground in Default height.
Relative to clutter: Select this option to specify a transmitter height above the clutter height in Default height.
4. Under Receiver, select one of the following options to specify the height of the antenna on the receiver side and
specify a Default height applicable to that option:
Relative to the ground: Select this option to specify a receiver height above the ground in Default height.
Relative to clutter: Select this option to specify a receiver height above the clutter height in Default height.
Per clutter class: Select this option to use the receiver height above the clutter height that is defined per clutter
class on the Clutter tab.
5. Define the Maximum distance around the selected site to be considered in the line-of-sight analysis.
6. Define the Resolution.
7. Under Earth curvature factors, define the First k value and the Second k value.
8. Under Penetration condition, define the following parameters:
a. Take clutter into account in diffraction: Select this option to use clutter information when calculating diffraction
in the line of sight.
b. Define the type of clearance to calculate by selecting one of the following items:
Line of sight clearance: Select this option to study the direct line of sight between the transmitter and receiver
sites.
Ellipsoid clearance: Select this option to study the percentage of clearance of the Fresnel ellipsoid. Enter the
required percentage of clearance of the lower half of the Fresnel ellipsoid in the Target clearance box. In
Frequency band, select the frequency band to use when calculating the line of sight.
9. Click the Clutter tab. On the Clutter tab you can set clutter-related parameters that will be used to calculate the lineof-sight area. The settings on the Clutter tab are independent from any clutter parameters you might have set for the
propagation model. For each clutter class, you can set the following:
Receiver height (m): Specify a receiver height above the the clutter height for each clutter class. This is the value
that will be taken into consideration if you selected Per clutter class under Receiver on the Calculation Parameters tab.
Horizontal clearance around transmitter and receiver (m): Specify a clearance around each site for each clutter
class. The clearance is used when calculating diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered
along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the sites (clearance), where Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
10. Click the Display tab. On the Display tab, you can define how the line-of-sight areas will be displayed on the map. You
can select one of the following display options:
One area per site: Select this option to display a line-of-sight area for each site and then define the colour the lineof-sight areas will be displayed in:
Automatic colour: If you select this option, Atoll will automatically assign a different colour to each line-ofsight area, and you will be able to distinguish the line-of-sight areas for each site.
Unique colour: If you select this option, Atoll will display all line-of-sight areas in the same colour, and the
resulting display will show the cumulative line-of-sight areas.
Set the transparency of the displayed line-of-sight area, by moving the slider.
11. Select the Add to legend check box to add the options defined on the Display tab to the Legend. For information on
the Legend window, see "Displaying the Map Legend" on page 42.
12. Click OK. Atoll displays results on the map.
To delete the line-of-sight area around a site:
1. Right-click the site either on the map, or in the Sites folder of the explorer windows Network tab. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Visibility > Delete Line of Sight Area from the context menu.
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Site support: Select this option to specify a transmitter height that uses the Support height from the site properties.
Relative to the ground: Select this option to specify a transmitter height above the ground in Default height.
Relative to clutter: Select this option to specify a transmitter height above the clutter height in Default height.
5. Under Receiver, select one of the following options to specify the height of the antenna on the receiver side and
specify a Default height applicable to that option:
Site support: Select this option to specify a receiver height that uses the Support height from the site properties.
Relative to the ground: Select this option to specify a receiver height above the ground in Default height.
Relative to clutter: Select this option to specify a receiver height above the clutter height in Default height.
Per clutter class: Select this option to use the receiver height above the clutter height that is defined per clutter
class on the Clutter tab.
6. Define the Maximum distance around the selected site to be considered in the line-of-sight analysis.
7. Define the Resolution.
8. Under Earth curvature factors, define the First k value and the Second k value.
9. Under Penetration condition, define the following parameters:
a. Take clutter into account in diffraction: Select this option to use clutter information when calculating diffraction
in the line of sight.
b. Define the type of clearance to calculate by selecting one of the following items:
Line of sight clearance: Select this option to study the direct line of sight between the transmitter and receiver
sites.
Ellipsoid clearance: Select this option to study the percentage of clearance of the Fresnel ellipsoid. Enter the
required percentage of clearance of the lower half of the Fresnel ellipsoid in the Target clearance box. In
Frequency band, select the frequency band to use when calculating the line of sight.
10. Click the Clutter tab. On the Clutter tab you can set clutter-related parameters that will be used to calculate the line
of sight. The settings on the Clutter tab are independent from any clutter parameters you might have set for the propagation model. For each clutter class, you can set the following:
Receiver height (m): You can define a receiver height for each clutter class. It is not used when calculating the line
of sight between existing sites.
Horizontal clearance around transmitter and receiver (m): If you want, you can define a clearance around each
site for each clutter class. The clearance is used when calculating diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter
height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the sites (clearance), where
Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
11. Click the Table tab. On the Table tab you can define the contents of the report. Atoll displays a default set of fields
and lets you select other information to be included in the report.
a. Click Add. The Field Selection dialog box appears.
b. In the Field selection dialog box, select the fields that you want to display in the report. You can select contiguous
fields by clicking the first field, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last field. You can select non-contiguous fields by
pressing CTRL and clicking each field separately.
191
To select a field to be included in the report, select the field in the Available fields list and click
it to the Selected fields list.
to move
To remove a field from the list of Selected fields, select the field in the Selected fields list and click
remove it.
To change the order of the fields, select a field and click or to move it up or down in the list. The objects
will be displayed in the order of the fields in the Selected Fields list, from top to bottom.
to
5.2.2.2.1
192
Green: By default, a terrain section is displayed on the map in green if it is completely unobstructed (i.e., if the visibility
is over 100 m.).
AT332_UMM_E0
Orange: If the terrain section is partially obstructed (i.e., if the visibility is between 0 m. and 100 m.), it is displayed in
orange on the map.
Red: If the terrain section is completely obstructed, it is displayed in red.
You can modify the colours and value intervals in order to make their display properties more meaningful to you.
To colour terrain sections according to the percentage of clearance or penetration of the Fresnel zone
1. Click the Geo tab of the explorer window.
2. Right-click the Terrain Sections folder and select Properties from the context menu. The Terrain Section Properties
dialog box appears.
3. Select the Display tab and define the following parameters:
4. Click OK.
5.2.2.2.2
5.2.2.2.3
To study the terrain profile between two sites or points on the map:
1. Select how the support height will be defined on both sites of the microwave link by clicking the arrow next to the
Terrain Section button (
Transmitter Heights Defined by Site / Receiver Heights Defined by Site: If you select one of these options, Atoll
will use the corresponding support height defined on each site.
Transmitter Heights Relative to Ground / Receiver Heights Relative to Ground: If you select one of these options,
Atoll will use the corresponding support height with respect to ground.
Transmitter Heights Relative to Clutter / Receiver Heights Relative to Clutter: If you select these options, Atoll
will use the corresponding support height with respect to clutter.
Receiver Height Defined per Clutter Class: If you select this option, Atoll will use the receiver height defined per
clutter class on the Clutter tab of the Line of Sight Parameters dialog box.
193
You can set more options using the Line of Sight Parameters dialog box. You can open the
Line of Sight Parameters dialog box by clicking the arrow next to the Terrain Section toolbar button (
) and selecting Properties. For a description of the options available in
the Line of Sight Parameters dialog box, see "Analysing the Line of Sight Between Candidate Sites" on page 191.
2. Click the Terrain Section button (
) on the toolbar.
3. Move the pointer to the site on the map. When the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected, click to
create the first analysis point.
4. Move the pointer to another site on the map. When the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected, click
to create the second analysis point.
A terrain section is created on the map between the sites. The terrain section is coloured according to its visibility (see
"Displaying the Terrain Sections on the Map" on page 192). The profile between both sites appears on the Terrain Section
window. The terrain height is displayed along the profile as well as clutter classes and clutter heights. A blue ellipsoid indicates
the Fresnel zone between both sites. By default, Atoll considers the antenna heights defined for the selected sites to determine the profile. You can modify them as well as the studied frequency in the Terrain Section Properties dialog box.
Once you have created the terrain sections, you can get detailed results:
1. Select the terrain section on the map.
2. In the Terrain Section window, click the Properties button (
3. In the Terrain Section Properties dialog box, you have the following parameters:
5.2.2.3.1
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AT332_UMM_E0
From site: The source site. Atoll lists all sites available in the Atoll document. By default, this is the site that you
selected in step 3.
Maximum number of hops: The maximum number of hops allowed between starting and target sites.
Path maximum length: Specify a maximum length for the entire route including all the links.
Minimise the number of hops to reach the target: Select this option to calculate the best solution in terms of
number of hops, i.e. the path containing the least of hops.
Minimise the total path length: Select this option to calculate the best solution in terms of distance, i.e. the
shortest path.
Take clutter into account in diffraction: Select this check box if you want to use clutter information when calculating diffraction in the line of sight.
Frequency band: Select from the list the frequency band to be used when calculating the line of sight or select
<Auto> to automatically use the frequency band(s) defined in the design rules. For more information on design
rules, see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276. The Frequency box displays the average frequencies of the
selected frequency bands or is blank if <Auto> is selected.
12. Click the Clutter tab. On the Clutter tab you can set clutter-related parameters that will be used to calculate the line
of sight. The settings on the Clutter tab are independent from any clutter parameters you might have set for the propagation model. For each clutter class, you can set the following:
Receiver height: You can define a receiver height for each clutter class. It is not used when calculating the line of
sight between existing sites.
Horizontal clearance around transmitter and receiver (m): If you want, you can define a clearance around each
site for each clutter class. The clearance is used when calculating diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter
height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the sites (clearance), where
Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
13. Click OK. Atoll displays the results in the Routing to Site table.
The Routing to Site table contains the following information for each route.
Node1: The name of the source site selected on the Routing Options tab.
Node#: The names of the sites that are part of the route and the name of the target site.
Distance (m): The length of the route.
The number of columns named "Node#" displayed in the Routing to Site table depends on the maximum number of
hops defined in the Routing Options tab.
You can click a route in the Routing to Site table to open the Terrain Sections table. For more information on the
Terrain Sections table, see "Analysing the Line of Sight Between Candidate Sites" on page 191
In addition, Atoll displays terrain sections on the map between each site of routes (see "Displaying the Terrain Profile
Between Candidate Sites" on page 193). You can remove the line of sight lines by selecting Visibility > Delete Terrain
Sections from the context menu of the Sites folder on the explorer windows Network tab.
195
Atoll allows you to calculate the line-of-sight areas around all sites in the Sites folder and display their intersection. The intersection of line-of-sight areas will be calculated for sites in the computation zone (for information on the computation zone,
see "Computation Zone" on page 49).
To display the line-of-sight areas around multiple sites and display their intersection:
1. Click the Network tab in the explorer window.
2. Right-click the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Visibility > Overlapping Areas from the context menu. The Line of Sight Parameters dialog box appears.
4. Click the Calculation Parameters tab.
5. Under Height - transmitter side, the Use the support height defined by site option is set by default and cannot be
changed. Atoll uses the support height defined by site for each line of sight.
6. Under Height - receiver side, you can select how receiver height will be defined at the far edge of the LOS area:
Use heights defined per clutter class: If you select this option, Atoll will use the receiver height defined per clutter
class on the Clutter tab of the Line of Sight Parameters dialog box.
Use the default height relative to the ground / Use the default height relative to the clutter: If you select one of
these options, Atoll uses the support height that was specified in the Default height box.
7. Specify the Maximum distance around the selected site to be considered in the line-of-sight analysis.
8. Specify the Resolution.
9. Under Earth curvature factors, specify the First k value and the Second k value.
10. Under Penetration condition, specify the following parameters:
a. Take clutter into account in diffraction: Select the Take clutter into account in diffraction check box if you want
to use clutter information when calculating diffraction in the line of sight.
b. Define the type of clearance that will be calculated by selecting one of the following:
Line of sight clearance: Select Line of sight clearance if you want to study the line of sight between the transmitter and receiver sites.
Ellipsoid clearance: Select Ellipsoid clearance if you want to study the percentage of clearance of the Fresnel
ellipsoid. Enter the percentage of clearance of the lower half of the Fresnel ellipsoid in the Target clearance
box and select the Frequency band to be used when calculating the line of sight from the list. The average
frequency of the selected frequency band is displayed in the Frequency box.
11. Click the Clutter tab. On the Clutter tab you can set clutter-related parameters that will be used to calculate the lineof-sight area. The settings on the Clutter tab are independent from any clutter parameters you might have set for the
propagation model. For each clutter class, you can set the following:
Receiver height (m): If you want, you can define a receiver height for each clutter class. This is the value that will
be taken into consideration if you selected Use heights defined per clutter class under Height - receiver side on
the Calculation Parameters tab.
Horizontal clearance around transmitter and receiver (m): If you want, you can specify a clearance around each
site for each clutter class. The clearance is used when calculating diffraction. Both ground altitude and clutter
height are considered along the whole profile except over a specific distance around the sites (clearance), where
Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM.
12. Click the Display tab. On the Display tab, you can specify how the line-of-sight areas will be displayed on the map. You
can select one of the following display options:
One area per site: Select this option to display a line-of-sight area for each site and then define the colour the lineof-sight areas will be displayed in:
Automatic colour: If you select this option, Atoll will automatically assign a different colour to each line-ofsight area, and you will be able to distinguish the line-of-sight areas for each site.
Unique colour: If you select this option, selecting a colour from the palette, Atoll will display all line-of-sight
areas in the same colour, and the resulting display will show the cumulative line-of-sight areas.
Set the transparency of the displayed line-of-sight area, by moving the slider.
Overlapping: Select this option to display the line-of-sight areas with coverage from the defined number of sites:
Areas covered by at least 2 sites: Select this check box if you want Atoll to display all areas covered by at least
2 sites in the colour selected from the palette.
Areas covered by at least 3 sites: Select this check box if you want Atoll to display all areas covered by at least
3 sites in the colour selected from the palette.
Areas covered by all sites: Select this check box if you want Atoll to display all areas covered by all sites in the
colour selected from the palette.
13. Select the Add to legend check box to add the options defined on the Display tab to the Legend. For information on
the Legend window, see "Displaying the Map Legend" on page 42.
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Relative to site: Select this option if you want to enter the antenna position as offsets with respect to the site
location, and then enter the x-axis and y-axis offsets, Dx and Dy, respectively.
Coordinates: Select this option if you want to enter the coordinates of the antenna, and then enter the x-axis
and y-axis coordinates of the antenna, X and Y, respectively.
Under Site B: you can set the name of the site defining the other extremity of the link. If the extremity of the microwave link is not located exactly on the site, you can modify its position under Antenna Position:
Relative to Site: Select this option if you want to enter the antenna positions as offsets with respect to the site
location, and then enter the x-axis and y-axis offsets, Dx and Dy, respectively.
Coordinates: Select this option if you want to enter the coordinates of the antenna, and then enter the x-axis
and y-axis coordinates of the antenna, X and Y, respectively.
In Atoll, "A" is the site of departure and "B" is the site of arrival.
197
Under Passive repeaters: you can select any repeaters on the microwave link:
Active: The microwave link activity status. Only active microwave links are considered in reliability and interference analysis.
Comments: Any comment about the microwave link.
A>>B and A<<B: The direction of the microwave link (A>>B: transmission from Site A to Site B, A<<B: transmission
from Site B to Site A). Select both options to make the microwave link bidirectional (i.e., to allow communication
in both directions).
Under Antennas, you can define antennas and characteristics for the both sites of the microwave link
Model: The antenna model. By default, Atoll lists antennas that operate in the frequency band defined for the
microwave link. If you want, you can apply an additional filter by clicking the button (
) beside the antenna
model field. When the filter is active, the appearance of the button changes (
). In this case, Atoll proposes
in the list antennas compatible with the selected equipment as defined in the Antenna/Equipment Compatibility table.
Height/ground: The antenna height with respect to the ground (in metres).
Polarisation: The polarisation of the antenna to be used. This parameter helps Atoll determine which antenna
pattern diagrams to use for calculations.
Azimuth: The calculated azimuth of the antenna is displayed.
Misalignment (az.): The azimuth with respect to the direct ray between the both extremities.
Tilt: The calculated tilt of the antenna is displayed.
Misalignment (tilt): The tilt with respect to the direct ray between the both extremities.
Use a radome: Select the Use a radome check box if there is a radome protecting the antenna.
Losses: If the Use a radome check box is selected, Atoll displays the radome losses.
Under Radios, you can define radio related parameters for the both sites of the microwave link:
Model: You can select a reference radio. By default, Atoll lists radios that operate in the frequency band defined for the microwave link. If you want, you can apply an additional filter by clicking the button (
) beside
the antenna model box. When the filter is active, the appearance of the button changes (
). In this case,
Atoll proposes in the list radios compatible with the selected antenna as defined in the Antenna/Radio Compatibility table.
You can also use an assistant to select a suitable reference radio. Clicking the wand button (
) beside the
Model text box opens the Radio Selection Assistant dialog box. By default, the assistant lists all radios that
operate in the frequency band of the microwave link. You can apply additional filters according to the radios
series, the manufacturer, the adaptive modulation support, the operation mode, the technology, the capacity,
the channel bandwidth or the modulation. Atoll lists the radios that match the defined criteria. Select a radio
from the Available radio equipment list and click OK to apply the selected radio equipment to the microwave
link. The Modulations and the Capacity text boxes are automatically defined from the properties of the radio.
Modulations: You can change the modulation from the Modulations list. The list presents all modulations
which are available for the operation mode of the selected reference radio and compatible with its channel
bandwidth (i.e., 128QAM, 16QAM, and C-QPSK in the example). Depending on the operation mode of the
selected reference radio, you can define one or more modulations. If it does not support adaptive modulation,
select a modulation from the list. If it supports adaptive modulation, the microwave link can switch from one
modulation to another one and then, select the supported modulations. Changing the modulation automatically changes the selected reference radio and the capacity.
You can display all modulations compatible with the channel bandwidth of the selected
reference radio without any additional filter according to its operation mode by changing
the Available Modulation option in the General tab of the Links Properties dialog box. For
more information, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
198
Capacity/Technology: Select the capacity from the list. The list only offers capacities that can be provided for
the channel bandwidth of the selected reference radio (i.e., 75*2, 46*2 and 18*2 in this example). Changing
the capacity automatically changes the selected reference radio and the modulation.
Transmission Powers: You can read the Coordinated power and the Nominal power.
Power Settings: Click the Power Settings button to define the radio power type to be considered and configure RTPC and ATPC. These parameters are then used to calculate the Coordinated power and the Nominal
power.
AT332_UMM_E0
For further information on power settings, see "Defining Power Settings" on page 203.
Configuration: Select a branching type. Only the branching types supported by the radio series of the radio
and the defined frequency band are available in the list.
When you change the branching type, the port settings are automatically reset.
Diversity antenna: Select the diversity antenna model when the configuration supports space diversity.
Separation: The distance between the main and the diversity antennas when space diversity is used on the
site.
Radome: Select the Radome check box if there is a radome protecting the diversity antenna. Atoll displays the
radome losses beside the check box.
Sub-Band: The frequency sub-band. By default, Atoll lists all frequency sub-bands, whose the frequency spacing exceeds the channel bandwidth of the selected radio. If you want, you can remove this filter by clicking the
button (
) beside the frequency sub-band field. The appearance of the button changes (
) and Atoll displays all frequency sub-bands available for the microwave link frequency band in the list.
Frequency: The frequency on which the signal is transmitted. This value is used when no sub-band is defined.
By default, it equals the central frequency of the frequency band.
Half-band: Define which half-band (either the upper or the lower half-band) is assigned to the site.
Channels: The channel(s) allocated to the site. The corresponding frequency is indicated in brackets. Channel(s) can be selected only after choosing a frequency sub-band.
Port Settings: Click the Port Settings button to configure channel(s) in detail. The Ports Definition dialog box
appears. You can configure the channels, transmission and reception port numbers, values for transmission
and reception attenuation, the polarisation and the channel port status. The number of ports you can define
depends on the selected configuration and cannot exceed n+m (where "n" is the number of channels in
normal use and "m" is the number of channels available as standby channels).
For further information on port settings, see "Defining Port Parameters" on page 204.
Port settings have to be defined if you use cross-polarisation interference canceller, hot
standby or frequency diversity configurations. For other configurations, port settings is not
mandatory; you can define either the frequency or the sub-band and channels.
Under Feeders, you can select up to two feeders. For each of them, you can define if it is used either for transmission
or reception only, or for both transmission and reception directions and select the feeder model. By default, Atoll lists
feeders that operate in the frequency band defined for the microwave link. If you want, you can apply an additional
filter by clicking the button (
) beside the antenna model field. When the filter is active, the appearance of the
button changes (
). In this case, Atoll proposes feeders that are compatible with the selected antenna and radio as
defined in the Antenna/Feeder Compatibility and Antenna/Feeder Compatibility tables. You can also enter the
length of each feeder. Atoll displays the attenuation.
Under Connection Losses, you can define additional losses to be taken into account on transmission, reception, or on
both transmission and reception. You can also add a Shielding Factor that is taken into consideration when calculating
the interference received by the sites of the microwave link. Signal levels received from interferers are attenuated by
the shielding factor.
You can change the way Atoll considers the shielding factor in calculations by setting an
option in the Atoll.ini file. When this option is active, both transmitted and received signals
are attenuated by the shielding factor. For more information, see the Administrator
Manual.
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Common Parameters: Under Common Parameters, you can define the parameters common to all calculation
methods.
Temperature: Set the average temperature of the zone in which the microwave link operates. Clicking the button
(
) beside the Temperature text box opens a dialog box where you can select the temperature based on Rec.
ITU-R P.1510-0, ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the temperature set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Refractivity gradient: Under Refractivity gradient, you can set the following parameters:
In normal conditions: Set the refractivity gradient observed 50% of time in N-units per km. Clicking the button
(
) beside the In normal conditions text box opens a dialog box where you can select the method to estimate
the refractivity gradient under normal conditions. The refractivity gradient can be calculated from Rec. ITU-R
P.453-9, using a user-defined reference altitude, or the refractivity gradient can be based on data given by Rec.
ITU-R P.453-9 for less than 65 m. and a percentage of the year that N is not exceeded (50% is set by default), or
the refractivity gradient can be set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
The k factor median value, calculated using the set parameters, is displayed.
In sub-refraction conditions: Set the refractivity gradient observed 99% of time in N-units per km. Clicking the
button (
) beside the In sub-refraction conditions text box automatically calculates the refractivity gradient
under sub-refraction conditions.
The k factor effective value, calculated using the set parameters, is displayed.
For converting month/year (Rec. ITU-R P.841): Select the climatic zone used to convert annual statistics into
worst-month statistics. You can choose between "Global", "Europe North West", "Europe Mediterranean",
"Europe Nordic", "Europe Alpine", "Poland", "Russian Federation", "Congo", "Canada (Prairie and North)",
"Canada (Coast and Great Lakes)", "Canada (Central and Montains)", "Indonesia" and "Japan".
For Tropospheric losses and interference (Rec. ITU-R P.617): Select the climatic zone considered in tropospheric
scattering attenuation and interference calculations. You can choose between "Maritim Climate", "Equatorial Climate", "Tropical Climate", "Wet Tropical Climate", "Desert Climate", "Continental Climate" and "Oceanic Cli-
Value exceeded during 0.01% of the average year (Rec. ITU-R P.530): Set the rainfall rate exceeded 0.01% of the
average year (or, in other words, an amount of rainfall almost never observed). This information is used only when
working with Rec. ITU-R P.530 as availability calculation method. Click the button (
) beside the Value exceeded
during 0.01% of the average year (Rec. ITU-R P.530) text box to specify whether the value is based on Rec. ITU-R
P.837-4, Rec. ITU-R P.837-5 and Rec. ITU-R P.837-6, or the value set in the geoclimatic file. For more information
on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Rain zone (Crane method): Select the rain zone in which the microwave link operates. This information is used
only when working with Crane as availability calculation method. You can select the following rain zones: "A", "B",
"B1", "B2", "C", "D1", "D2", "D3", "E", "F", "G" and "H".
Atmospheric Conditions (Rec. ITU-R P.530): Under Atmospheric Conditions (Rec. ITU-R P.530), you can define the
conditions under which the microwave operates. These parameters are used by ITU-R P.530 to calculate the quality
of the microwave link.
Water vapour density: Set the water vapour density in grams per cubic metre. Clicking the button (
) beside
the Water vapour density text box opens a dialog box where you can select the water vapour density based on
Rec. ITU-R P.836-3 (and select the percentage of the average year where the defined water vapour density is
exceeded), or based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and select a season), or the water vapour density set in the geoclimatic
file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113. The dialog box also displays the water vapour pressure in hectopascals (hPa) calculated using your data and based on Rec. ITU-R P.453-9.
Atmospheric pressure: Set the atmospheric pressure in hectopascal (hPa). Click the button (
) beside the
Atmospheric pressure box to specify whether the atmospheric pressure is based on Rec. ITU-R P.835-3 (and select
a season), or the value set in the geoclimatic file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic
Maps" on page 113.
Relative humidity: The Relative humidity displayed is calculated using the defined water vapour density.
Rain height (0C/32F Isotherm): You can enter the Rain height (0C/32F Isotherm) in metres. The rain height is
the height of the top of the rain column above mean sea level from the 0C isotherm. Click the button (
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) beside
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the Rain height box to specify whether the value is based on Rec. ITU-R P.839-3, or the value set in the geoclimatic
file. For more information on the geoclimatic file, see "Geoclimatic Maps" on page 113.
Geoclimatic factor: The parameters under Geoclimatic factor are used to calculate the quality of the microwave link
and are broken down by calculation method. You can set the following parameters:
ITU-R P.530-5, -8: Under ITU-R P.530-5, -8, you can select the Environment. You can choose between "Open
areas" for terrestrial microwave links where the height of the lowest antenna in the microwave link is lower than
700 m; "Mountains" for terrestrial microwave links where the height of the lowest antenna in the microwave link
is higher than 700 m; "Lakes" for microwave links over an expanse of water; or "Overwater" for microwave links
over an extended expanse of water. Finally, you can define the PL factor. PL is the percent of time the relative
refractivity gradient is less than -100 NKm. The PL factor can be found on the ITU-R maps.
Rec. ITU-R P.530: Under ITU-R P.530, you can define the K factor. K models geoclimatic and terrain effects on climate. Clicking the button (
) beside the K box opens a dialog box where you can select the K factor based on
Rec. ITU-R P. 530-5 or Rec. ITU-R P. 530-8 (and select a terrain type and enter a value for C0 and for the percentage
of time the refractivity gradient (< 100 m.) is less than -100 N-unitskm for the worst average month) or based on
Rec. ITU-R P. 530-10 and above (and select the simplified method where you also define the refractivity gradient
(< 65 m.) not exceeded during 1% of the average year or select the method with terrain roughness taken into
account where you define the refractivity gradient and the terrain roughness).
Vigants-Barnett: Parameters available under Vigants-Barnett are used with Vigants-Barnett method only.
Climate zone: Select the climatic zone that best describes the climate in which the microwave link operates.
You can choose between "Warm and Humid", "Temperate", "Dry", "Great Lakes Areas", "Gulf Coasts", "Hawaii-Caribbean", "Alaska Coasts", and "Alaska Inland".
Terrain type: Select <Auto> to consider terrain roughness of the link in the Terrain-climate factor C calculation
or the terrain type that best describes the terrain in which the microwave link operates. You can choose
between "Flat Terrain", "Average Terrain", "Great Lakes", "Gulf Coasts", "Islands", "Alaska Mountain", or
"Tundra Zones".
Changing the terrain type automatically updates the climate zone and vice-versa.
Terrain-climate factor C: The propagation condition factor for the Vigants-Barnett method. You can define the
value or let Atoll calculate the Terrain-climate factor C value based on the defined Climate zone and Terrain
type. When <Auto> mode is selected as Terrain type, Atoll calculates the Terrain-climate factor C based on
the terrain roughness of the link which depends on its profile. Clicking the button (
) beside the Terrainclimate factor C box opens a dialog box to specify whether the value is based on the roughness of the selected
terrain type or on a user-defined roughness value.
By default, only the ground altitude is used to evaluate terrain roughness. You can configure Atoll to consider both the ground altitude and the clutter height in roughness calculation by editing the Atoll.ini configuration file. For more information about editing the
configuration file, see the Administrator Manual.
K.Q. method: Under K.Q. method, you can define K.Q. for the K.Q method. K models geoclimatic and terrain effects
on climate while Q is the factor for variables other than those dependent on distance and frequency.
Link class: Under Link class, you can select the TDM and IP link classes. Each link class can have different performance
objectives. By assigning link classes to microwave links, you are assigning the target parameters and usage limitations
of the link class to the selected microwave links. For information on creating a link class, see "Defining Link Classes"
on page 272.
Click the Browse button (
) to open the Properties dialog box for the selected link class.
The Quality Objectives and Availability Objectives tabs provide tables where you can view the selected performance
objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG, IPER) for the specified link class. For SESR, ESR, and BBER parameters, Atoll
displays the outage rate, the annual and monthly outage duration as well as the non-outage percentage.
Bit error rate: Under Bit error rate, you can set the values for BER 1 and BER 2. Atoll displays the resulting sensitivity
for each BER.
If the value for BER that you enter is not defined in the properties of the equipment, Atoll will interpolate to determine
the corresponding sensitivity.
Reliability: Under Reliability, you can set the Mean time to repair (MTTR) in hour. The MTTR is taken into account
when calculating unavailability due to failures if the microwave link is not equipped with a hot standby channel
system.
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Useful signal: Under Useful signal, you can select the propagation model that will be used to calculate the useful
signal. From this parameter, Atoll evaluates the margin which is then considered for calculating the quality and the
availability of the microwave link.
Interfering signal: Under Model used for the interfering signal, you can select the propagation model that will be used
to calculate signal level received from interfering sites.
Main colour and Secondary colour: These settings allow you to specify colors for the current link.
Style: This specifies the width of the line.
Show direction: Select this option to display an arrow that indicates the direction from site A to site B.
Sites symbol and Repeaters symbol: Select the symbol for the site.
Display name with style: Select this option to specify a font and style for the text that indicates the name of the site.
By allowing Atoll to automatically select the microwave link template based on a set of design rules. For more information about design rules, see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276.
By manually selecting the microwave link template before you create the link.
To create a microwave link directly on the map between new or existing sites using a microwave link template:
1. In the Microwave Link Planning toolbar, select a microwave link template from the list or select <Auto> to automatically apply the template specified by the design rules.
2. Click the arrow next to New Link button (
3. Select MW Using The Mouse On The Map from the menu. The pointer changes (
).
The sites that define the extremities of a microwave link can be already existing sites or Atoll can create new sites
automatically at the location you click on the map. Each site in Atoll can support several transmission links, transmitters, and passive repeaters.
4. In the map window, move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place one end of the new microwave
link and click. The pointer now changes (
).
If you click on an existing site, Atoll will use the site as one extremity; otherwise, Atoll will create a site where you
click. The exact coordinates of the pointers current location are displayed in the Status bar.
5. Move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the other extremity of the microwave link and click
to place it. The exact coordinates of the pointers current location as well as length of the link are visible in the Status
bar. A tooltip also displays the length of the link and the suggested frequency band based on the design rules.
6. If you selected <Auto> in the microwave link template selection list and multiple templates are available for the design
rule criteria of the new link, a popup list allows you to select among the available templates.
To place the microwave link more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before you click
the New Link button. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map
Scale" on page 43.
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3. Select MW Between Sites from the menu. The Link Creation dialog box appears.
4. In the Link Creation dialog box, define the following parameters:
Model: the microwave link template you want to use in order to create the microwave link.
Site A: the name of the site defining one extremity of the microwave link.
Site B: the name of the site defining the other extremity of the microwave link.
5. Click OK.
By default, Atoll names the newly created microwave links in the following manner: SiteX SiteY, where SiteX is the name of
the start site (existing or newly created) and SiteY is the name of the end site (existing or newly created).
Alternatively, you can create the microwave radio link In the Network explorer by rightclicking the Microwave Links folder and selecting New from the context menu and specifying the link properties as described in "Microwave Link Properties" on page 197.
Power type: you can either select the ODU configuration (Low power, Standard power, High power) of the radio,
and Atoll considers the maximum output power defined for the selected reference radio, or you can choose Constant power, and enter the output power value in dBm. This last option allows you to consider the same output
power for all supported modulations when using adaptive modulation.
RTPC (dB): The tuning value in dB if you do not want to transmit at the maximum power. Define the value if you
have previously selected either Low power, or Standard power, or High power.
ATPC (dB): The power reserve used to increase the transmitted signal when it is attenuated. The value cannot
exceed the Max ATPC value of the reference radio. The way Atoll considers ATPC depends on the standard (ETSI
or ANSI) defined for the radio series. With ETSI mode, ATPC value is considered for the reference modulation only.
With ANSI mode, it is used for all selected modulations.
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ANSI mode can be managed as ETSI mode, i.e., ATPC value can be considered for the reference modulation only,
by setting an option in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
For each selected modulation, Atoll displays the following information:
Reference power (dBm): The output power of the radio for the selected power type.
Maximum power (dBm): The maximum output power when adaptive modulation is active. The value depends on
the standard (ETSI or ANSI) defined for the radio series. With ANSI mode, the maximum power corresponds to the
reference power associated with the modulation state. In this case, the maximum power values can be different
from one modulation to another. With ETSI mode, the maximum power corresponds to the reference power of
the reference modulation.
Nominal power (dBm): The output power after tuning. It is equal to the maximum power minus the RTPC value.
Coordinated power (dBm): The output power when RTPC and ATPC are considered. It is equal to the maximum
power minus RTPC and ATPC. The value cannot be lower than the minimum output power supported by the radio.
Power control can be modelled by considering either the nominal power or the coordinated power in quality and
availability calculations. For information on taking power control into consideration, see "Global Parameters" on
page 171.
Average reception threshold (dBm): The average receiver signal level to switch from N-modulation state to N+1modulation state and vice-versa. This threshold is considered to calculate the microwave link quality and availability when adaptive modulation is supported. This parameter is calculated from the ACM step up and ACM step
down values of the radio.
Values highlighted in red correspond to the reference modulation, i.e., the modulation of the reference radio.
7. After defining the configuration for one direction, click the Initialise Symmetrically button to define the opposite
direction.
8. Click OK. The Power dialog box closes.
9. Click OK.
You can configure power settings for all microwave links.
To define power settings for all microwave links:
1. Select the Network tab of the explorer window, expand the Links or Microwave Radio Links folder, right-click the
Microwave Links folder, and select Open table > Links - Standard Parameters from the context menu. The Microwave
Radio Links table opens.
2. Define the following parameters:
Power Type A/B: The ODU configuration of the radio. Set the value to 0 for High power, to 1 for Standard power,
to 2 for Low power, and to 3 if you want to define a Constant power.
Reference Power A/B (dBm): The output power of the radio for the selected power type.
RTPC A/B (dB): The tuning value in dB if you do not want to transmit at maximum power. Define the value if you
have previously selected either Low power, or Standard power, or High power. Otherwise, leave the field empty.
ATPC A/B (dB): The power reserve used to increase the transmitted signal when it is attenuated. The value cannot
exceed the Max ATPC value of the reference radio. Power control can be modelled by considering either the nominal power or the coordinated power in quality and availability calculations. For information on taking power control into consideration, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
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9. Define the following parameters for each channel transmitted in one direction:
One channel can be associated with a diversity channel that is always active. You have to create two channels
with "Diversity" as status.
One or several standby channels can be used to protect "n" diversity channels. In this case, you have to define
n channels with "Diversity" as status and one or several standby channels with "Diversity - Standby" as status.
This is referred to as multi-channel frequency diversity.
Note that the number of ports you can define depends on the branching configuration selected in the microwave link
properties and cannot exceed n+m.
After defining the configuration for one direction, you can define the opposite direction by clicking the Initialise
Symmetrically button.
In interference calculations, any channel, whether its status is main, standby, diversity or diversity-standby, is considered as a potentially interfered channel and a potentially interfering channel.
You can change the way Atoll takes standby and diversity-standby channels into consideration when calculating interference by setting an option in the Atoll.ini file. When this
option is active, standby and diversity-standby channels are considered as potentially
interfered channels but they are not interfering other channels. For more information, see
the Administrator Manual.
10. Click OK. The Ports Definition dialog box closes.
11. Click OK.
To define port parameters for all microwave links:
1. Select the Network tab of the explorer window, expand the Links or Microwave Radio Links folder, right-click the
Microwave Links folder, and select Open table > Ports from the context menu. The table opens.
Define the following parameters:
One channel can be associated with a diversity channel that is always active. You have to create two channels
with "Diversity" as status.
One or several standby channels can be used to protect "n" diversity channels. In this case, you have to define
n channels with "Diversity" as status and one or several standby channels with "Diversity - Standby" as status.
This is referred to as multi-channel frequency diversity.
In interference calculations, any channel, whether its status is main, standby, diversity or diversity-standby, is considered as a potentially interfered channel and a potentially interfering channel.
You can change the way Atoll takes standby and diversity-standby channels into consideration when calculating interference by setting an option in the Atoll.ini file. When this
option is active, standby and diversity-standby channels are considered as potentially
interfered channels but they are not interfering other channels. For more information, see
the Administrator Manual.
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Figure 5.4: Other Transmission Links Properties dialog box - General tab
The Performance tab: On the Performance tab, you can select the TDM link class. Each link class can have different
performance objectives. By assigning link classes to other transmission links, you set the target parameters and usage
limitations of the link class to the selected other transmission link. For information on creating a link class, see
"Defining Link Classes" on page 272.
Click the Browse button (
The Quality Objectives and Availability Objectives tabs provide tables where you can view the selected performance
objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG) for the specified link class. For SESR, ESR, and BBER parameters, Atoll
displays the outage rate, the annual and monthly outage duration as well as the non-outage percentage.
The Display tab: On the Display tab, you can define the appearance of the link.
2. Select Other Link With Mouse On The Map. The pointer changes to (
).
3. The sites that define the extremities of an Other Transmission Link can be already existing sites or Atoll can create
new sites automatically at the location you click on the map. Each site in Atoll can support several transmission links,
transmitters, and passive repeaters.
4. In the map window, move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place one end of the new Other Transmission Link and click. The pointer now changes (
206
).
AT332_UMM_E0
If you click on an existing site, Atoll will use the site as one extremity; otherwise, Atoll will create a site where you
click. The exact coordinates of the pointers current location are visible in the Status bar.
5. Move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the other extremity of the Other Transmission Link
and click to place it. The exact coordinates of the pointers current location as well as the length of the link are visible
in the Status bar.
To place the link more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before you click the New
Link button. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map Scale" on
page 43.
Let the mouse pointer hover over the extremity that you have placed, Atoll displays tip text
with the exact coordinates, which allows you to verify that the location is correct.
By default, Atoll names the newly created links in the following manner: SiteX SiteY, where SiteX is the name of the start site
(existing or newly created) and SiteY is the name of the end site (existing or newly created).
In the Microwave Links folder, active microwave links are displayed in red ( ) and inactive microwave links are displayed in grey ( ).
In the Other Transmission Links folder, active links are displayed in green ( ) and inactive links are displayed in grey
( ).
You can set an individual link as active from its context menu or you can set more than one link as active by activating them
from the context menu of the Microwave Links or the Other Transmission Links folder.
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To set all microwave links as active, right-click the Microwave Links folder and select Activate Links from the context menu.
To set a group of microwave links as active, expand the Microwave Links folder, right-click the sub-folder of microwave links you want to set as active, and select Activate Links from the context menu.
To set all other transmission links as active, right-click the Other Transmission Links folder and select Open Table
from the context menu.
To set a group of other transmission links as active, expand the Other Transmission Links folder, right-click the
sub-folder of other transmission links you want to set as active, and select Open Table from the context menu.
The Other Transmission Links table appears with the parameters of each link in a second row.
3. For each other transmission link that you want to set as active, select the check box in the Activate column.
Label: You can display information about each object, such as each site or link, in the form of a label that is displayed
with the object. You can display information from every field in that object types data table, including from fields that
you add. The label is always displayed, so you should choose information that you would want to always be visible;
too much information will lead to a cluttered display. When you create a label for a link, Atoll allows you to change
the position of the label using the mouse. For information on defining the label, see "Associating a Label to an Object"
on page 34.
Tip text: You can display information about each object, such as each site or link, in the form of tip text that is only
visible when you move the pointer over the object. You can choose to display more information than in the label,
because the information is only displayed when you move the pointer over the object. You can display information
from every field in that object types data table, including from fields that you add. For information on defining the tip
text, see "Associating a Tip Text to an Object" on page 35.
Link style: You can configure the line style, colour, and width of a link to emphasize information about the link. For
example, you can set link colours by frequency band, line widths by bandwidth capacity, or various line styles to distinguish other link types. For information on defining the link style, see "Setting the Display Type" on page 33.
No power is required
No regular road access is required
No equipment housing is needed
They are environmentally friendly
Little or no maintenance is required.
These advantages mean that passive repeaters can be placed in relatively inaccessible areas.
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There are three main types of passive repeaters. The first type is where two antennas are placed back to back connected by
a short feeder cable; these are called back-to-back antenna passive repeaters. The second type is a plane reflector type
passive repeater where a flat metal reflector is used to redirect the signal; these are often called passive reflectors or plane
reflectors. The third type is where the urban environment such as the building frontage is used to redirect the signal; these
are called building passive repeaters.
Atoll can model these types of passive repeaters and provide you with access to all the relevant parameters. The following
sections explain how Atoll models passive repeaters.
In Atoll, a "repeater" is always a "passive repeater."
This section covers the following topics:
Name: The name of the repeater. By default, repeaters are named "RepeaterN" where "N" is a number assigned
as the repeater is created.
You can change the Site the repeater is located on by selecting it from the Site list.
Under Antenna Position, you can define the position of the passive repeater, if it is not located on the site itself:
Type: From the Type list, you can select whether the passive repeater is a "Building" or "Panel Reflector" or "Backto-Back Antennas".
The Panel Reflector tab. The Panel Reflector tab is active if you have selected "Panel Reflector" as Type in the General
tab.
Surface: The surface area of the repeater.
Gain at 45: Click the Gain at 45 button to know the maximum gain of the repeater calculated for the defined
Frequency band, Surface and an azimuth of 45.
Height: The reflector height.
Azimuth: The azimuth towards the site of transmission. You can click the Calculate button (
calculate azimuth and tilt angles.
Tilt: The tilt angle towards the site of transmission. You can click the Calculate button (
culate azimuth and tilt angles.
The Symbol of the repeater.
Relative to Site: Select this option if you want to enter the antenna positions as offsets with respect to the site
location, and then enter the x-axis and y-axis offsets, Dx and Dy, respectively.
Coordinates: Select this option if you want to enter the coordinates of the antenna, and then enter the x-axis
and y-axis coordinates of the antenna, X and Y, respectively.
) to automatically
) to automatically cal-
The Back-to-Back Antennas tab. The Back-to-Back Antennas tab is active if you have selected "Back-to-Back
Antennas" as Type in the General tab.
Under Feeder, you can choose the Feeder and define the Length. By default, Atoll lists feeders that operate in the
frequency band defined for the passive repeater. If you want, you can apply an additional filter by clicking the
button (
) beside the model field. When the filter is active, the appearance of the button changes (
). Atoll
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now lists feeders compatible with the selected antennas as defined in the Antenna-Feeder Compatibility table.
The Attenuation is calculated and displayed.
Under Display, you can change the Symbol of the repeater.
The Building tab. The Building tab is active if you have selected "Building" as Type in the General tab.
Frontage: The material of the facade where the repeater is installed. For information on creating other frontage
types, see "Defining Frontages" on page 276.
Surface: The surface area of the facade. It depends on the building length and on the height which is read in the
clutter height file. If not found, Atoll considers that the building height is equivalent to the length.
Gain at 45: Click the Gain at 45 button to know the maximum gain of the building repeater calculated for the
defined Frequency band, Frontage, Surface and an azimuth of 45.
Height: The repeater height.
Azimuth: The azimuth towards the site of transmission.
Under Display, define the Size and the Colour of the building repeater symbol which is a line.
5.3.6.4 Placing a Passive Microwave Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can create passive repeaters and place them using the mouse. When you create a passive microwave repeater,
you can add it to an existing site, or have Atoll automatically create a new site. Atoll can model three types of passive repeaters: panel reflectors, back-to-back antennas and buildings. Building vectors must be available in the ATL document before you
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create building type repeaters. For information on importing building vectors or creating building vectors, see "Importing
Vector Format Geo Data Files" on page 102 and "Vector Objects" on page 53.
To create a panel reflector or a back-to-back antennas repeater and place it using the mouse:
1. In the Microwave Link Planning toolbar, click the arrow next to New Repeater button (
Planning toolbar.
2. Select Panel Reflector or Back-to-Back Antennas from the menu according to the type of passive repeater you want
to create.
3. Click the map to place the repeater.
To create a building repeater and place it using the mouse:
1. In the map window, select the building that you want to use as repeater.
2. In the Microwave Link Planning toolbar, click the arrow next to New Repeater button (
Planning toolbar and select Building from the menu.
3. Click the facade building where you want to place the repeater. The repeater is placed on the map.
Atoll automatically creates a new repeater in the Passive Repeaters table and a new site in the Sites table that is assigned to
the newly created repeater.
For information on the properties of the new microwave passive repeater, see "Definition of a Passive Repeater" on page 209.
Passive repeaters (maximum 2) along a microwave link are named repeater P and repeater Q.
A part of the microwave link is called a "Section". A section can be:
Frequency consistency: Select this check box if you want the audit to verify:
Frequency band definition: The minimum frequency must be lower than the maximum frequency.
Frequency sub-band definition: The frequency band must be defined, excluded channels must belong to the
list of channels and at least one channel must be available.
Microwave link definition: At least one direction must be selected, the frequency defined must be within the
frequency band limits, the number of channels must not exceed the number of channels allowed by the
selected configuration, the channels must belong to the selected frequency sub-band, the frequency band of
antennas, equipment, feeders and frequency sub-band must be the same as the microwave link frequency
band and, the antenna vertical and horizontal patterns must be correctly aligned at the extremities (antenna
patterns are correctly aligned when the horizontal pattern attenuation at 0 is the same as the vertical pattern
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attenuation at the pattern electrical tilt angle, and when the horizontal pattern attenuation at 180 is the same
as the vertical pattern attenuation at the 180 less the pattern electrical tilt angle. Pattern attenuations are
considered the same if they differ less than 1 dB.)
Undefined records: Select this check box if you want the audit to verify if there are undefined multi-hops (i.e.,
multi-hops with no link), undefined point to multipoint systems (i.e., point to multipoint with no link), or unused
repeaters.
Other (XPIC, antenna separation, etc.): Select this check box if you want the audit to verify that:
The XPIF value of the radio is a non-zero value when XPIC system is used on a microwave link.
Antenna separation is a non-zero value when space diversity is used on a microwave link.
List all the checks: Select this check box if you want to display all checks performed in addition to detected inconsistencies.
3. Click OK to perform the audit. Atoll displays the results of the audit in the Events Viewer.
You can combine a focus zone, a computation zone and a filter, in order to create a very precise selection of the sites and
microwave links to be studied. The figure below shows the hierarchy between the different zones and how they should be
configured.
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Frequency band and link length are not consistent regarding design rules: This issue is raised when the length and
the frequency band of the link does not comply with a design rule. If no design rule for the length of the link is found,
or if the length of the link already matches the rule, this issue is not displayed.
The link is not in visibility: This issue is raised if the diffraction loss exceeds a threshold specified in the link design
parameters. Diffraction loss is calculated bidirectionally and the highest value is retained.
The attenuation due to reflections is greater than the authorised threshold: This issue is raised if the calculated
reflection loss exceeds the Maximum attenuation threshold due to reflections in the link design parameters. Reflection loss is calculated bidirectionally and the highest value is retained.
Reflection losses are null if the propagation model of the link does not take consider reflection losses.
Connection losses are greater than the permitted threshold: This issue is raised when connection losses on site A or
on site B exceed the Maximum connection losses per link threshold specified in the link design parameters.
Received signal level doesn't match objectives in rainy conditions: This issue is raised if an RXLEV availability objective for rainy conditions exists and the calculated "Received signal in rain" value for the link does not reach the
requested RXLEV value.
The availability margin linked to rain does not meet the objectives: This issue is raised when the calculated "Availability margin" value does not reach the requested margin. The availability margin is calculated bidirectionally and the
lowest value is retained.
Availability objectives are not fulfilled: This issue is raised when the calculated SESR value does not reach the
requested SESR. The SESR is calculated bidirectionally and the lowest value is retained.
Received signal level doesn't match objectives in clear-air conditions: This issue is raised if an RXLEV availability
objective for clear air conditions exists and the calculated "Received signal level in clear air" value for the link does not
reach the requested RXLEV value.
Quality thermal fade margin does not meet the objectives: This issue is raised if a MARG quality objective exists and
the calculated thermal fade margin (TFM) value for the link does not reach the requested MARG value.
Quality composite fade margin is too low: This issue is raised if a SESR quality objective exists and the calculated
"Composite thermal fade margin" value for the link does not meet the requested composite thermal fade margin.
Enhancements exceed the allowed threshold: This issue is raised if the calculated margin against enhancements (E)
exceeds the Maximum margin against enhancements threshold specified in the link design parameters.
Quality objectives are not fulfilled: This issue is raised if all quality objectives are not reached.
Objectives linked to failures are not fulfilled: This issue is identified if the calculated outage does not reach the objective.
Margin in rain is too high: This issue is raised when the availability margin is above the requested availability margin
by more than the Maximum difference between margin and required margin in rain in the link design parameters.
Clear Air margin is too high: This issue is raised when the availability margin is above the requested availability margin
by more than the Maximum difference between margin and required margin in clear air in the link design parameters.
For each issue raised, the Link Design Assistant suggests one or several solutions, as listed in "Applying Solutions to Link Design
Issues" on page 216. You are free to choose which problems you want to address, in which order, and which solutions you
want to implement.
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2. In the Link Design Assistant toolbar, click the Link Design Parameters (
window opens.
3. Specify the following thresholds that are used for detecting issues:
Maximum difference between margin and required margin in rain: When the availability margin exceeds the
requested availability margin by more than this value, then a Margin in rain is too high issue is raised. The default
is 10dB.
Maximum difference between margin and required margin in clear air: When the availability margin exceeds the
requested availability margin by more than this value, then a Margin in rain is too high issue is raised. The default
is 10dB.
Maximum margin against enhancements: This value determines the margin against enhancements (E) threshold
that must not be exceeded.
Maximum attenuation threshold due to reflections: This value determines the attenuation due to reflections
threshold that must not be exceeded.
Maximum connection losses per link: This value determines the connection losses threshold on site A or site B
that must not be exceeded.
Upper limit of radio equipment maximum ATPC: This is the maximum ATPC value of the radio equipment that
can be suggested as a solution to a detected power level issue. If you do not want to implement ATPC, set the value
to 0 dB.
Clear the check box in front of any of these parameters to disable detection of the corresponding issue.
4. Click OK.
b. If necessary, enter a comment. Click OK. The Link Design Assistant displays "Design 1". For each Issue, the Link Design Assistant displays a Values column and a Modify button.
c. Click the Modify button for the solution that you want to apply.
d. Correct the issue as described in "Applying Solutions to Link Design Issues" on page 216. When the recommended
solution has been applied, the microwave link is modified.
If the solution corrected the issue, then it is removed from the list. In some cases, the solution might generate one
or several other issues, which are then displayed in the Link Design Assistant and can be corrected in the same
manner.
e. Repeat from step c. until all issues have been solved or until you can no longer optimise the link design.
3. If you want to try another set of solutions to solve the issues, create a new design by repeating the process described
in step 2.
At any time, you can run the Atoll engineering tools on the microwave to evaluate the current design.
When you are satisfied with a link design, or when you can no longer optimise the link design, click the Designs button
to select the best design and click OK. The selected design is applied to the microwave link.
4. At any time, you can also revert to the initial design or to a previous design by clicking the Designs button. This opens
the Design List window.
The Design List window displays the design history for the current link.
To select an active design, click the Selection box for the corresponding link.
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To display the design history for all the links in the current Atoll document, click the Filter button. This displays the
Revert to initial designs and Use the last designs buttons.
To revert all the links that you have modified during the current session to their initial value, click Revert to
initial designs.
To use the latest design for all the links that you have modified during the current session, click Use the last
designs.
To clear the design list and keep only the selected designs, select Delete other designs and click OK.
Use a more appropriate frequency band: Click Modify to open the Frequency Band window. This window displays
the current length of the link and frequency band.
Select a new frequency band and click OK to apply the new value.
This applies a new frequency band template, including radio equipment and antennas. You might need to reconfigure
the link
Optimise antenna heights: Click Modify to open the Antenna Height Optimisation window, which allows you to enter
parameters to run an automatic optimization.
The Antenna Support Heights tab displays the characteristics of the antenna support structure. You can specify a
minimum height and you can exclude a range or a series of height values (for example: "30-32;35;37" prevents the
tool from using antenna heights of 30, 31, 32, 35, and 37 meters).
The Parameters tab allows you to enter the clearance and reflection conditions for the environment of the microwave link. For more information, see "Automatically Optimising Microwave Antenna Heights" on page 226.
Click Calculate to determine the Antenna optimum height for Site A and Site B.
Click OK to apply the values displayed in Antenna optimum height. You can check the new antenna heights in the
microwave link Properties dialog box.
Misalign antennas vertically: Click Modify to open the Vertical Misalignment window. This window displays the current vertical misalignment between site A and site B and suggests a misalignment value that will correct the problem.
If necessary, you can enter a different misalignment.
Click OK to apply the solution.
Modify polarisation: Click Modify to automatically invert the polarisation from Horizontal to Vertical.
Modify branching configuration: Click Modify to open the Branching Configuration window. This window displays the
current branching configuration and suggests a recommended branching solution. If necessary, you can select a different configuration.
Click OK to apply the solution.
Change feeder or guide: Click Modify to open a shortcut to the Connections properties of the microwave link where
you can reconfigure the site A or site B feeders. For more information on configuring feeders, see "The Connections
Tab" on page 199.
Click OK to apply the new values.
Optimise powers: Click Modify to open the Power Optimisation window. This window displays the current power
control values and the required values for the microwave link.
In the RTPC and ATPC areas, the tool suggests new power values for RTPC and ATPC. If necessary, you can enter your
own RTPC and ATPC values.
Click OK to apply the new values.
Increase Powers: Click Modify to open the Nominal Transmitted Power Increase window. This window displays the
current power values and the required values for the microwave link.
In the New Values area, the tool suggests a power type and nominal power value for site A and site B that will solve
the issue. If necessary, you can enter your own power values.
Click OK to apply the new value.
Reduce Powers: Click Modify to open the Power Control Reduction window. This window displays the current power
control values and the required values for the microwave link.
In the New Values area, the tool suggests an ATPC value that will solve the issue. If necessary, you can enter your own
ATPC value.
Click OK to apply the new value.
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Change antenna: Click Modify to open the Change Antenna window. This window displays the current antennas and
gain values for Site A and Site B and the required gain value for the link.
In the New Antenna area, the tool suggests an antenna combination that will solve the issue. If necessary, you can
specify your own antenna combination for site A and site B that reaches the required gain.
Click OK to apply the suggested value.
Change radio equipment: Click Modify to open a shortcut to the Radio Selection Assistant, which provides a set of
filtering options that enable you to work with large lists of radio equipment.
By default, the assistant lists all radios that operate in the frequency band of the microwave link. You can apply additional filters according to the radios series, the manufacturer, the adaptive modulation support, the operation mode,
the technology, the capacity, the channel bandwidth or the modulation. Atoll lists the radios that match the defined
criteria.
After using the filtering options, select a radio from the Available radio equipment list and click OK to apply the
selected radio equipment to the microwave link.
The Link Design Assistant only offers solutions that are appropriate for the design. For example, the "Increase powers" solution is not be displayed if power levels are already at the maximum level, and a new ATPC power value is only suggested if you
specified an Upper limit of radio equipment maximum ATPC in the Link Design Parameters.
In some cases, the Link Design Assistant might detect an issue, but displays "No solution" in the Solutions column. In this case,
click the Modify button to display a Tips window. The information displayed in the Tips window can help you solve the problem manually.
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When a repeater is inserted on the microwave link, it is displayed in the Profile Analysis view by a vertical line in the profile.
At the top of the Profile Analysis view, you can select which part of the profile you want to display:
When a second repeater (Q) is inserted on the microwave link, the profile display options include Site Q as well.
You can click the Properties button (
) on the Profile Analysis view to open the microwave link properties dialog box.
) in the toolbar.
You can view the microwave link profile with two different values for the earth curvature factor (k factor). Atoll
displays the clearance (%) and the penetration (m) of the Fresnel zone for each value of k. By default, the k factor
values are initialised either with global values, or with the values calculated for each microwave link; this depends on
the option selected in the Properties of the Links folder. In addition, it indicates the tilts/direct ray, the azimuths, and
the angles of incidence for both antennas.
To hide or display the Fresnel zones
1. Open the Profile Analysis view as explained in "Viewing a Microwave Link Profile" on page 217.
2. Click the arrow next to Display Options button (
) on the toolbar.
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) on the toolbar.
) on the toolbar.
3. Select Display Options from the menu. The Profile Display Options dialog box appears.
4. Select the Display tab. On the Display tab, you can define the following:
Vertical axis: Set the Min. and Max. value on the vertical axis as well as the Interval between tick marks.
Horizontal axis: Set the Interval between tick marks on the horizontal axis.
Draw along the path: Select the Draw along the path check box if you want Atoll to display gridlines to indicate
the values on the vertical axis.
Earth curvature display: Select one of the following:
Real: Select Real if you want Atoll to display the actual curvature of the earth, with the radio path displayed
curved.
Optical: Select Optical if you want Atoll to display the radio path as straight, with the curvature of the earth
increased by the value defined for k.
Edge diffractions: Select the Display potential edge diffractions for visible links option if you want Atoll to display
horizontal obstructions along the profile. Each edge diffraction is represented by a red vertical dotted line.
5. Select the Ellipsoids and Antenna Beamwidths tab. On the Ellipsoids and Antenna Beamwidths tab, you can define
the following under Diffraction:
Display 1st Fresnel ellipsoid: Select the Display 1st Fresnel ellipsoid check box to display the first Fresnel ellipsoid
and define the following:
k1 factor: The k1 factor, defined in the parameters of the microwave propagation model, is displayed. For information on setting the k1 factor, see "Automatically Optimising Microwave Antenna Heights" on page 226.
% of displayed ellipsoid: Define the percentage of the ellipsoid to be displayed.
219
Display the diversity antenna ellipsoid: Select the Display the diversity antenna ellipsoid check box if you
want the ellipsoid of any diversity antenna to be displayed.
Display the even Fresnel zones: Select the Display the even Fresnel zones check box if you want the even
Fresnel zones to be displayed and define the Max order.
Display 2nd Fresnel ellipsoid: Select the Display 2nd Fresnel ellipsoid check box to display the second Fresnel
ellipsoid and define the following:
k2 factor: The k2 factor, defined in the parameters of the microwave propagation model, is displayed. For information on setting the k2 factor, see "Automatically Optimising Microwave Antenna Heights" on page 226.
% of displayed ellipsoid: Define the percentage of the ellipsoid to be displayed.
6. On the Ellipsoids and Antenna Beamwidths tab, you can define the following:
Display tree or foliage growth: If you have out-of-date clutter maps, you can select the Display tree or foliage
growth check box. Atoll will add the projected growth to the related clutter classes. For information on setting the
projected growth, see "Automatically Optimising Microwave Antenna Heights" on page 226.
Display the line of sight: Select the Display the line of sight check box to display the line of sight between the sites
of the microwave link.
7. Select the Reflections tab. On the Reflections tab, you can define how reflections are displayed:
Under For all reflection zones, you can select the following options:
Under For the selected area, you can select the following options:
Display the specular reflection point: Select the Display the specular reflection point check box if you want
to display reflection areas along the link profile and unobstructed reflected paths. The option is automatically
selected after you have displayed reflections as previously explained.
Display the critical reflection zone when k factor varies: Select the Display the critical reflection zone when
k factor varies check box if you want to display the reflection zone regardless of clutter categories. The reflection zone is determined from antenna heights and ground altitude at the transmitter and receiver sites; it is
not based on the defined clutter categories. When this option is selected, you have to check if this zone is a
reflection area and, if so, if there is a reflection point within the reflection area.
Display the reflections for the k factor range: Select the Display the reflections for the k factor range check
box if you want to display unobstructed and obstructed reflected paths calculated for the defined range of k
factor values. For information on defining the range of k factor values, see "Modifying Reflection Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
Display the obstructed reflections: Select the Display the obstructed reflections check box if you want to
display obstructed reflected signals. Obstructed reflected signals are represented with orange dashed lines.
Display all the paths: Select the Display all the paths check box if you want to display all possible reflected
signals within the reflection area.
Display the reflection plan: Select the Display the reflection plan check box in order to display the reflection
slope. This one is used to determine the reflection point.
Under Above sea water, you can select the Display tide levels check box and set the height variation due to tides
above the sea water clutter category.
Reflection paths and reflective surfaces can only be displayed and analysed over unbroken
microwave link profiles, i.e., the profile should not include repeaters.
8. Click OK.
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Figure 5.8: Profile Analysis window tool tip and current point information tool
When the tip text tool is enabled, the profile analysis information is dynamically displayed for the point over which the mouse
hovers.
To display the details on a point of a microwave link profile:
1. Open the Profile Analysis view of the MW Analysis window as explained in "Viewing a Microwave Link Profile" on
page 217.
2. Click the arrow next to Display Options button (
) on the toolbar and select Display Information in a tip text from
the menu. The tool displays the profile analysis information when you hover the mouse pointer over the profile (see
Figure 5.8).
The tool tip displays the following profile analysis information:
).
3. Click in the profile on one of the four corners of the area you want to zoom in on.
4. Drag to the opposite corner. When you release the mouse button, Atoll zooms in on the selected area.
To scroll along the profile:
1. When the Profile Analysis view is zoomed in, click the Move Map button (
2. Move the pointer over the map and drag the map in the desired direction.
To restore the initial profile:
1. Open the Profile Analysis view as explained in "Viewing a Microwave Link Profile" on page 217.
2. Click the Cancel Zoom button (
) on the toolbar.
) on the toolbar.
221
3. Click OK to print.
5.5.1.8.1
Figure 5.9: Penetration and clearance values on the Profile Values view
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The geographic details provided in the Profile Values view of the MW Analysis window are stored in a table. The resolution
of the information given depends on the resolution of the geographic data: information is given every X metres, where X is
the highest resolution of clutter class and DTM maps.
5.5.1.8.2
The profile values, i.e., the altitude, the clutter class, the clutter height, and the clutter category, can be edited in the table or
using the mouse.
To edit the profile values in the table:
1. Open the Profile Values view as explained in "Modifying Microwave Link Profile Values" on page 222.
2. Edit the contents of the table by entering the value directly in the field. You can edit the following columns:
3. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished updating the table.
4. To commit the changes that you have made to the profile values, click the Save ( ) button in the toolbar.
To edit profile values using the mouse:
1. Open the Profile Values view as explained in "Modifying Microwave Link Profile Values" on page 222.
Altitude: Select Altitude if you want to edit ground altitudes (see Figure 5.11).
223
ii. If you are changing the altitude for a range of points, move the pointer to the second point and click the second
point.
iii. On the map, drag the point to its new altitude.
Clutter Height: Select Clutter Height if you want to edit clutter heights (see Figure 5.12).
ii. If you are changing the clutter height for a range of points, move the pointer to the second point and click the
second point.
iii. Drag the point to its new clutter height.
Clutter: Select Clutter if you want to edit clutter classes (see Figure 5.13). The clutter classes are displayed with
lines separating the clutter classes if clutter heights are defined or with points if clutter heights are not defined.
).
ii. Drag the line or point to change the area with the corresponding clutter class.
Category: Select Category if you want to edit clutter categories (see Figure 5.14). You can see lines separating the
clutter categories.
).
ii. Drag the line to change the area with the corresponding clutter category.
7. To commit the changes that you have made to the profile values, click the Save ( ) button in the toolbar.
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The data (altitudes, clutter heights, clutter classes, clutter categories) that you have
changed are not automatically saved and will be lost if you select another link or if you
close the MW Analysis window without saving.
5.5.1.8.3
5.5.1.8.4
Display Reflection Areas: Select Display Reflection Areas to view reflection areas taken into account in the reflection analysis and reflecting paths. Reflection areas are displayed with a pattern (
).
Display Slopes: Select Display Slopes to view the slope of the selected reflection area. You must already have
selected Display Reflection Areas if you want to Display Slopes.
Display Vegetation Zones with Foliage: Select Display Vegetation Zones with Foliage to view zones with foliage
that Atoll takes into account when calculating vegetation losses. Zones with foliage are displayed with with a pattern (
).
Display Vegetation Zones without Foliage: Select Display Vegetation Zones without Foliage to view vegetation
zones without foliage that Atoll takes into account when calculating vegetation losses. Vegetation zones without
foliage are displayed with a pattern (
).
Hide Peculiarity Zones: Select Hide Peculiarity Zones to hide reflection areas and vegetation zones.
5.5.1.8.5
To copy the contents of the clipboard into the selected cells, press CTRL+V.
To copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells, press CTRL+D.
To copy the contents of the bottom cell of the selection into the other cells, press CTRL+U.
5.5.1.8.6
5.5.1.8.7
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4. Select Save Hx and Tilt, where "x" is either "a" or "b" depending on the site, from the context menu. Atoll saves the
current antenna height and tilt in the microwave link.
You can specify a maximum support height for the receiving and transmitting sites not to
be exceeded. This parameter can be defined on the Other Properties tab of the Properties
dialog box for each site. When defined, these height limits are displayed on the Profile
Analysis view.
) beside the Path list and enter the exact antenna Height.
4. Select Save Hx and Tilt, where "x" is either "a" or "b" depending on the site, from the context menu. Atoll saves the
current antenna height and tilt in the microwave link.
You can specify a maximum support height for the receiving and transmitting sites not to
be exceeded. This parameter can be defined on the Other Properties tab of the Properties
dialog box for each site. When defined, these height limits are displayed on the Profile
Analysis view.
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AT332_UMM_E0
) for the site whose antenna height you want to optimise. The context
3. In the context menu, choose the optimisation that you want to apply:
Select Optimise Side A or Optimise Side B to calculate the optimal antenna height for the antenna that you
selected.
Choose Optimise Sides A and B to calculate the optimum antenna heights for both extremities.
The Height Optimisation dialog box appears.
4. Under Clearance conditions, define the k1 factor. If desired, you can select the Take second constraint into account
and define the k2 factor.
5. Select the optimisation method:
Clearance condition methods: Clearance condition methods are based on the clearance of the Fresnel ellipsoid.
You can enter a Target clearance for the k1 factor and for the k2 factor, if you chose to take it into consideration.
You can specify a Global additional margin. Atoll takes this value into account and adds it to the clutter height for
all clutter classes.
In addition, If you have old clutter class maps, you can estimate the projected tree or foliage growth (Tree covered) for vegetation-based clutter categories (6 to 14) only.
Minimum Diffraction Loss Method: Atoll determines antenna heights to minimise diffraction losses due to the
main obstacle (i.e., it calculates antenna heights to get a clearance of 60% of the first Fresnel zone).
6. Under Reflection conditions, select the Take into account the reflection areas check box and define the range of k
factor values (kmin factor and kmax factor) to be used during the antenna height optimisation if you want to take
reflection into consideration.
7. Click OK.
8. Right-click the antenna height pointer (
9. Select Save Side A, Save Side B, or Save Sides A and B from the context menu to save the current antenna heights and
tilts in the microwave link.
You can specify a maximum support height for the receiving and transmitting sites not to
be exceeded. This parameter can be defined in each site properties dialog box (Other
Properties tab). If defined, these height limits are represented on the Profile Analysis
view.
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The propagation model takes the radio and geographic data into account and computes losses along the microwave link path.
This allows you to predict the received signal level and to calculate the thermal fade margin. You can assign a propagation
model to all microwave links at once, to a group of microwave links, or to a single microwave link. Assigning a propagation
model is explained in "Working with Backhaul Propagation Models" on page 165.
Microwave link classes are used to differentiate microwave link types and give target performance objectives to microwave
links. You can assign a link class to all microwave links at once, to a group of microwave links, or to a single microwave link.
Assigning a link class is explained in "Defining Link Classes" on page 272.
Calculation parameters include global parameters applied to all microwave links and link parameters such as geoclimatic and
reliability parameters defined per microwave link. Defining global parameters is explained in "Global Parameters" on
page 171. Setting microwave link parameters is explained in "Microwave Link Parameters" on page 175.
This section covers the following topics:
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Summary: Shows whether quality, availability (rain) and availability (failures) objectives have been reached for both
directions of the microwave link and the specified BER values, and a global estimation of the outage duration for an
average year taking into account both link quality and availability. A global estimation of the outage duration including
failures is also displayed for an average year. Worst month results are used to determine the quality objective status.
The availability objective status is based on average year results.
Link Budget: Shows a basic link budget including the operating frequency band, the link length, the thermal fade
margin, the worst month quality (in percentage of time), the average annual availability taking into account rain (in
percentage of time), and the average annual availability taking into account both rain and equipment failures (in percentage of time), and the worst month non-quality objective and the average annual unavailability objective (duration). The average annual availability is calculated using the Crane or the ITU-R P.530 recommendations.
Link Specifications: Shows information about the microwave link design, site names, locations, and the altitudes for
both extremities, repeaters (if any), antennas used at both sites with their respective models, heights, azimuths, tilts,
gains, diameters, near fields, beamwidths and XPD values, diversity antennas and repeater back-to-back antenna
details such as the models, heights, azimuths, tilts, gains and diameters, microwave transceiver radios installed at both
sites with details such as the radio series, models, digital hierarchy employed, modulation used, Ethernet + TDM
capacity, minimal channel bandwidths, capacities and configurations, feeders details and point to multipoint parameters if the studied microwave link is a part of a point to multipoint system.
Transmission: Shows transmission-related parameters for both extremities of the microwave link including the transmitted power considered in quality and availability analyses, the power type (High, Low, Standard or Constant), EIRP,
AT332_UMM_E0
ATPC effects, total losses and the details (filter losses, connection losses, common losses, shielding losses, radome
losses, port connection losses, and feeder losses), the branching configuration, channel and frequency parameters
such as the port and the channel for which the calculations have been performed, polarisation and the diversity frequency, and details on the port configuration for both directions (the channel, the corresponding frequency, the
polarisation, if it is a main channel or a standby channel or a channel for frequency diversity or a diversity-standby
channel, the transmission and reception port numbers, the ACU losses, the port circulator and attenuator losses.
Transmitted power and EIRP values considered in quality and availability analyses can be different depending on the
power control on useful signal options selected in global parameters. For information on setting global parameters,
see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
Reception: Shows reception-related parameters for both ends of the microwave link including the bit error ratios and
sensitivities at the receivers, saturation thresholds, thermal noise, the required C/I minus the XPIF and total losses at
reception comprising filter losses, connection losses, shared losses, shielding losses, port connection losses, and
feeder losses.
Geoclimatic Parameters: Information about the type of environment, type of terrain, rain zone and the climatic zone
in which the microwave link is operating, climatic factor, rainfall rate exceeded 0.01% of time, isotherm height (0C/
32F), atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, PL, temperature, water vapour density, the earth curvature factor
used for calculations, the median earth curvature factor (k) and the effective earth curvature factor (ke) of the microwave link, the geoclimatic factor K, refractivity gradient, roughness, and fog intensity.
Calculation Parameters: Parameters used to calculate the analysis report such as the calculation methods (propagation model for useful and interfering signals, quality method, availability method, attenuation model for rain and fog,
interference, if signal enhancements and XPD degradation are ignored, space diversity and frequency diversity),
quality objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG), availability (rain) objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER,RXLEV, MARG) and
availability (failures) objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER,RXLEV, MARG).
Propagation: The received signal levels at the main and diversity antennas, the required signal levels at the main and
diversity antennas to reach quality and availability objectives, propagation results for both directions of the microwave link including total losses, free space losses, losses due to dry air, water vapour losses, diffraction losses, vegetation losses, reflection losses, antenna losses and tropospheric scattering losses, epsilon and the type of path (LOS or
NLOS). If relevant, propagation results are also detailed for the diversity antenna. Received signal level values considered in quality and availability analyses can be different depending on the powers selected in global parameters. For
information on setting global parameters, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
Non-quality due to Multipath in Clear Air: Results depicting the quality of the microwave link in the selected directions, for specified BER values and when interference is not taken into account. These results include the outage rate,
the non-outage rate and the outage duration for the worst month, the outage rate, the non-outage rate and the
outage duration for an average year, performance objectives (SESR (objective), ESR (objective), BBER (objective),
Received signal level (objective), Margin (objective)), details for the worst month (dispersive fading, selective fading,
fading due to XPD degradation, signal enhancement), improvement factors when space and frequency diversities are
used.
Unavailability due to Rain: Results depicting the unavailability of the microwave link due to rain in the selected directions, for specified BER values and when interference is not taken into account. These results include the outage rate,
the non-outage rate and the outage duration for the worst month, the outage rate, the non-outage rate and the
outage duration for an average year, performance objectives (SESR (objective), ESR (objective), BBER (objective),
Received signal level (objective), Margin (objective)), details for an average year (lineic rain losses, wet snow factor,
lineic fog losses, fading due to rain, fading due to XPD degradation).
When calculating unavailability due to rain, an extrapolation method is used to obtain an
outage rate lower than the minimum defined by the calculation method (i.e, 0.01% for
Crane, and 0.001% for ITU recommendations).
Unavailability due to Failures: Results depicting the unavailability of the microwave link due to radio failure. These
results include availability of hot standby, the outage rate due to failures for an average year and the outage duration
for an average year and the performance objective.
Adaptive Modulation: If you have selected Adaptive modulation (ACM) as operation mode in the Properties of the
Links folder and if the microwave link supports several modulations, Atoll details the analysis for each defined modulation. The displayed results include:
Global outage estimates and the percentage of non-outage duration for the link for an average year.
Thermal fade margin, received signal levels considered in quality and availability analyses, Ethernet + TDM
capacity, system gains.
Results depicting the non-quality of the link due to multipath in clear air (outage and non-outage rate for the worst
month and an average year, outage duration for the worst month and an average year, outage details for the
worst month).
Results depicting the link unavailability due to the rain (outage and non-outage rate for the worst month and an
average year, outage duration for the worst month and an average year, outage details for an average year, availability rate for an average year and the average unavailability duration with failures for an average year).
For information on defining the contents of the analysis report, see "Configuring the Contents of the Microwave Reports" on
page 231.
229
The preliminary section of the design summary provides a rapid overview of the objectives. Whether or not the
defined quality, availability (rain) and availability (failures) objectives for each site are met. Worst month results are
used to determine the quality objective status. The availability objective status is based on average year results. Additionally, you will find the global duration of outage for an average year and the percentage of non-outage for an
average year. More detailed information is given in the following sections.
Link Budget: Under Link Budget, you can read the transmitted power considered in quality calculations, the power
type (High, Low, Standard or Constant), EIRP, ATPC effects, the antenna gain, total transmission and reception losses
including details (filter losses, connection losses, common losses, radome losses, port connection losses, and feeder
losses), total propagation losses and details (free space losses, diffraction losses, etc.), the receiver sensitivity, the
received signal level considered in quality calculations, the thermal fade and composite fade margins. Transmitted
power and EIRP values considered in quality and availability analyses can be different depending on the power control
on useful signal options selected in global parameters. For information on setting global parameters, see "Global
Parameters" on page 171.
Link Specifications: Under Link Specifications, you can read the information on the microwave link, such as the coordinates, the altitudes of both ends of the microwave link, the height, azimuth, and tilt of the antennas at both ends of
the microwave link, as well as the radio series, modulation, capacity, calculated channel and polarisation.
Performance for the Worst Month: In this section, you can read the performance measurements for each site for the
worst month in a year. Included are the outage durations due to multipaths and due to rain, the durations corresponding to the quality objective and the required availability objective, the total duration of unavailability, and the
total duration of required availability.
Performance for an Average Year: In this section, you can read the performance measurements for each site averaged
over a year. Included in this section are the outage durations due to multipaths, due to rain and due to equipment
failures, and the durations corresponding to the quality objective, the rain objective and the objective due to failures.
Geoclimatic Parameters: In this section, you can find information about the type of environment, type of terrain, rain
zone and the climatic zone in which the microwave link is operating, climatic factor, rainfall rate exceeded 0.01% of
time, isotherm height (0C/32F), atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, PL, temperature, water vapour density, the
earth curvature factor used for calculations, the median earth curvature factor (k) and the effective earth curvature
factor (ke) of the microwave link, the geoclimatic factor K, refractivity gradient, roughness, and fog intensity.
For information on defining the contents of the design summary, see "Configuring the Contents of the Microwave Reports"
on page 231.
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). The
2. On the Contents tab, expand a result category and select the results to display in the report.
You can change the settings of the Project tab of the Properties dialog box by clicking the Edit button.
c. Click OK to close the Available Keywords dialog box and save your changes.
d. If desired, you can enter text into the Keywords boxes either along with the keywords or alone.
231
If you encounter an alignment issue in the generated report, you can modify the
tab value by adding an option in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the
Administrator Manual.
You can define a default configuration file for each link budget report by specifying
an absolute or UNC path in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
You can save the choices you have made in the Report Configuration dialog box as
a model for future reports by clicking the Save As button at the top of the dialog
box and entering a name for the file in the Save As dialog box that appears. The
next time you configure a report, you can click Open in the Report Configuration
dialog box to open the model with the saved settings.
5. Once you have defined the contents and appearance of the report, click OK to save your changes and close the dialog
box. You can restore the style to its default appearance by clicking the Reset button.
2. In the Save As dialog box, enter the File name and click Save.
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To define the contents of the link budget report for all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder.
The context menu appears.
To define the contents of the link budget report for a group of microwave links, click the Expand button ( ) to
expand the Microwave Links folder and right-click the sub-folder of microwave links for which you want to define
the contents of the link budget report. The context menu appears.
2. Select Link Budgets > Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can select on which channel should be displayed the results of the analysis.
All: If you select All, Atoll performs the link analysis for each channel and displays the results for all channels.
Worst channel: If you select Worst channel, Atoll performs the link analysis for each channel and displays the
results for the worst channel in terms of fade margin (i.e., the channel with the lowest fade margin).
Specific port: If you select Specific port, Atoll performs the link analysis and displays the results for the channel
specified individually for Site A and Site B.
4. Click the Field Selection tab. Atoll displays a default set of fields in the Selected fields list and lets you select other
information to be included in the report.
5. Define the contents of the report:
a. In the Field Selection dialog box, select the fields that you want to display in the report. You can select contiguous
fields by clicking the first field, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last field. You can select non-contiguous fields by
pressing CTRL and clicking each field separately.
To select a field to be included in the report, select the field in the Available fields list and click
it to the Selected fields list.
to move
To remove a field from the list of Selected fields, select the field in the Selected fields list and click
remove it.
To change the order of the fields, select a field and click or to move it up or down in the list. The objects
will be displayed in the order of the fields in the Selected fields list, from top to bottom.
to
You can view more detailed information on each selected field by clicking the Table button.
You can restore the Selected fields list to its default appearance by clicking the
Reset button.
You can save the choices you have made in the Field Selection dialog box as a configuration file by clicking the Save As button at the top of the dialog box and
entering a name for the file in the Save As dialog box that appears. The next time
you configure a report, you can click Open in the Properties dialog box to open
your configuration file with the saved settings.
To calculate link budgets on all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
To calculate link budgets on a group of microwave links, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Microwave
Links folder and right-click the sub-folder of microwave links on which you want to calculate link budgets. The context menu appears.
To calculate link budgets on a point to multipoint system, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Point to Multipoint folder and right-click the hub of the point to multipoint system on which you want to calculate link budgets.
The context menu appears.
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Atoll displays the link budget report. The report content depends on the analysis parameters (see "Defining Link
Budget Analysis Parameters" on page 233).
The report contains the name of the link, its direction, its length, the frequency band, the frequency sub-band, the
channel number, the name of the channel, the transmission and reception ports, the frequency, the characteristics of
the microwave link (sites, antennas, polarisation, and radios installed), the received signal levels considered in quality
and availability calculations, the fade margin, and its quality and availability. It displays the transmission parameters
(EIRP, various losses, etc.), reception parameters (sensitivity, various losses, etc.), calculation options, and geoclimatic
parameters. It also details the propagation calculation (total losses and losses details) and the calculations related to
link engineering (quality (clear air), unavailability due to rain, unavailability due to failures). All the results are provided
in both the directions of the microwave link being studied.
You can view details of each microwave link, by double-clicking the record in the report. The details are displayed in
the Analysis Report view of the MW Analysis window as described in "Analysing a Single Microwave Link" on
page 227.
You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button
(
) in the toolbar.
For the first two reasons, Atoll automatically detects invalidity of the calculation when starting calculations and recalculates.
In the last case (e.g., if you add a new clutter class map), you must force Atoll to recalculate.
To force link budget recalculation:
1. In the Network explorer, expand the Links folder and right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
If you want to recalculate the link budget for a given view of microwave links in the Microwave Links folder, you can click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Microwave Links
folder before right-clicking to access the context menu.
2. Select Calculations > Force Calculations > Link Budgets from the context menu. The Microwave Links Properties
dialog box opens. You can define the analysis parameters as explained in "Defining Link Budget Analysis Parameters"
on page 233.
3. Click OK. Atoll removes existing calculations, including valid ones, and recalculates the link budget. The progress of
the calculations is displayed in the Event Viewer window.
You can also reset existing calculations without recalculating the link budget afterwards by selecting the Calculations > Reset
command. Atoll removes existing calculations, including valid ones.
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5.6.3.1.1
Creating a Multi-hop
To create a new multi-hop in the Multi-hops folder:
1. In the Network explorer, expand the Links folder, right-click the Multi-Hops folder, and select New from the context
menu. The Multi-Hops: New Record Properties dialog box appears.
2. Enter or modify the following fields on the General tab:
Name: The Name field is filled automatically by Atoll, but can be modified.
Comments: Enter any comments for this new multi-hop.
3. Click the Performance tab and select the TDM link class from the list. Each link class can have different performance
objectives. By assigning link classes to multi-hops, you are assigning the target parameters and usage limitations of
the link class to the selected multi-hop. For information on creating a link class, see "Defining Link Classes" on
page 272.
Click the Browse button (
The Quality Objectives and Availability Objectives tabs provide tables where you can view the selected performance
objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG) for the specified link class. For SESR, ESR, and BBER parameters, Atoll
displays the outage rate, the annual and monthly outage duration as well as the non-outage percentage.
4. Click OK. An empty multi-hop is created in the Multi-hops folder.
By default, newly created multi-hops are named as "Multi-hops<X>", where "<X>" increments with each instance of a
multi-hop.
5. To manually assign links to the multi-hop:
a. In the Network explorer, expand the Multi-hops folder, right-click the new multi-hop and select Properties from
the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
b. Select the Links tab.
c. Enter a number in the Id column to set the position of the link in the multi-hop.
d. Either select a microwave link from the Link column, or choose an other transmission link from the Other transmission link column.
e. The link with the Id "0" defines the multi-hop direction, i.e., the start site of this link is considered to be the start
site of the multi-hop. Then, the start site of the next links in the multi-hop correspond to the end sites of each
preceding link. The end site of the multi-hop corresponds to the end site of the last link.
f.
Click OK.
Alternatively, you can assign links to the multi-hop with the mouse as described in "Adding a Link to a Multi-hop Using
the Mouse" on page 235.
The Other Properties tab will appear if you have defined additional fields in the Multi-hops
table.
5.6.3.1.2
2. On the map, click the link you want to add to the multi-hop. You can add multiple links to the multi-hop by pressing
CTRL while you click.
The link is added to the list of links forming the multi-hop and is assigned an order automatically.
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5.6.3.1.3
5.6.3.1.4
).
Multi-Hops Characteristics: the links forming the multi-hop, total length of the multi-hop.
Summary: Atoll indicates if quality and availability objectives have been reached for both directions of the link.
Transmission: the frequency band, sub-band, channels, and polarisation of each transmitting site.
Reception: received signal levels, margins, quality (percentage of time for the worst month), availability (percentage of time for an average year) and failures (percentage of time for an average year).
Multi-hop link budget (both directions): Non-quality due to multipath and unavailability due to rain including
total outage ratio, monthly and annual outage durations, quality indicators (probabilities of SESR, ESR, BBER) compared to the required performance objectives and unavailability due to radio failures comprising annual outages
due to faults and annual outage duration.
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Reflection points can have different locations as the k factor varies during the day. Therefore, the reflection analysis has to be
performed for different k factor values. For information on defining the range of k factor values, see "Modifying Reflection
Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
This section covers the following topics:
) on the toolbar.
Red: The reflection point is within the reflection area and the reflected path is received at the receiver side for the
median value of the k factor (i.e. the reflected signal is not obstructed) (see Figure 5.15). A further analysis is
required. Open the reflection and diversity analysis report to verify whether the reflection creates a destructive
interference. For information on the reflection and diversity analysis report, see "Displaying the Reflection Analysis Report" on page 238.
Orange: The reflection point is within the reflection area. The reflected path is obstructed for the median value of
the k factor, but it is cleared for another value of the factor (kmin, kmax, or k effective). A further analysis is
required. Open the reflection and diversity analysis report to verify whether the reflection creates a destructive
interference. For information on the reflection and diversity analysis report, see "Displaying the Reflection Analysis Report" on page 238.
Green: Either there is no reflection point, or the reflection point is out of the reflection area, or the reflection point
is inside the reflection area and the reflected path is obstructed for all values of the k factor. The reflection does
not create destructive interference.
If present along the path, red and orange reflection areas are displayed by default. In case there are several ones, only
the first one is selected and highlighted. So, each of them has to be verified. A path with no highlighted reflection area
indicates that the reflections do not create destructive interference (i.e., only green reflection areas) and so, you can
continue the analysis with another link.
237
) on the toolbar.
3. Select Display Options from the context menu. The Profile Display Options dialog box appears.
4. In the Profile Display Options dialog box, select the Reflections tab.
5. Under For all reflection zones, you can select the following options:
Display the specular reflection point: Select this option to display reflection areas along the link profile and unobstructed reflected paths. The option is automatically selected after you have displayed reflections as previously
explained.
Display the critical reflection zone when k factor varies: Select this option to display the reflection zone regardless of clutter categories. The reflection zone is determined from antenna heights and ground altitude at the transmitter and receiver sites; it is not based on the defined clutter categories. When this option is selected, you have
to check if this zone is a reflection area and, if so, if there is a reflection point within the reflection area.
6. Under For the selected area, you can select the following options:
Display the reflections for the k factor range: Select this option to display unobstructed and obstructed reflected
paths calculated for the defined range of k factor values. For information on defining the range of k factor values,
see "Modifying Reflection Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
Display the obstructed reflections: Select this option to display obstructed reflected signals. Obstructed reflected
signals are represented with orange dashed lines.
Display all the paths: Select this option to display all possible reflected signals within the reflection area.
Display the reflection plan: Select this option to display the reflection slope. This one is used to determine the
reflection point.
7. Under Above sea water, you can select the Display tide levels check box and set the height variation due to tides.
Atoll displays the height variation due to tides above the sea water clutter category. For information on defining the
height variation, see "Modifying Reflection Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
Reflection paths and reflective surfaces can only be displayed and analysed over unbroken
microwave link profiles, i.e., the profile should not include repeaters.
Summary: This section provides information on the impact of the reflection on the direct signal. The displayed
message depends on how the selected reflection zone is coloured.
You can always read OK for a reflection zone with the green colour. When it is coloured in orange or red, the message may be OK or NOK. It is NOK if, for one value of the k factor, the direct and reflected signals arrive with opposite phases, or if the reflection losses experienced by the direct signal exceeds the defined threshold value (1
dB by default). In this case, Atoll details the results and recommends optimal antenna and frequency separations
to be used with diversity techniques for each value of the k factor (kmin, kmedian, keff and kmax). kmedian (median value of the k factor) and keff (effective value of the k factor) correspond to the k factor values displayed in
the Profile Analysis view. By default, they are initialised either with global values, or with the values calculated for
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the link; this depends on the option selected in the Properties of the Links folder. kmin and kmax (the minimum
and maximum values of the k factor) can be defined in the Parameters for Reflection Analysis of the Link dialog
box. For information on defining the kmin and kmax, see "Modifying Reflection Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
For information on changing the attenuation threshold value, see "Modifying Reflection Analysis Parameters" on
page 241.
Link Specifications: You will find data on the studied microwave link:
Geoclimatic Parameters: You will find geoclimatic parameters defined for the studied microwave link:
Ground Characteristics: The Ground Characteristics part contains the following information:
Ground type: The ground type can be scattering, reflecting, or intermediate. It depends on the roughness, the
length of the microwave link and the transmitter antenna height above the reflection area. For more information on how the ground type is determined, see the Technical Reference Guide.
Humidity type: The humidity type depends on the clutter category. "Water or very wet" is considered for wet
terrains, fresh and sea water clutter categories. "Slightly wet or moderately dry" is used for rural open, treecovered and cryosphere clutter categories. "Very dry" is considered for built-up area and dry ground clutter
categories.
Terrain roughness factor: The terrain roughness factor.
By default, only the ground altitude is used to evaluate terrain roughness. You can configure Atoll to consider both the ground altitude and the clutter height in roughness calculation by editing the Atoll.ini configuration file. For more information about editing the
configuration file, see the Administrator Manual.
Geometry of the analysed zone: The Reflection area geometry part contains the following information:
Losses: The Losses part contains the following results calculated for the two values of the k factor displayed in the
Profile Analysis view:
Reflection losses: The reflection losses experienced by the direct signal at the receiver side.
Reflected signal losses: The total losses experienced by the reflected signal at the receiver side. The signal is
attenuated by the receiver antenna (Due to antenna discrimination) and because it is reflected by the ground
(Due to ground reflection).
Direct signal losses: The attenuation of the direct signal at the receiver side. The signal attenuation is due to
the receiver antenna (due to antenna discrimination) and refractivity (due to refractivity).
Additional results appear if, when configuring the report as explained in "Configuring the Reflection Analysis Report"
on page 241, you select the check boxes corresponding to the following options:
Detailed study: According to the displayed message (OK or NOK), you can determine if the specular reflection
point is within the reflection area, if the reflected signal is obstructed, if the reflected and direct signals arrive
in opposite phases, and if the direct signal is highly attenuated by the reflected signal.
239
Link Specifications: Under Link Specifications, you can select the following information:
Area Geometry: Under Area Geometry, you can select the following information:
240
Calculation Methods: The calculation methods used (propagation model for useful and interfering signals,
quality method, availability method, attenuation model for rain and fog, if signal enhancements and XPD degradation are ignored, calculation on the diversity antenna, space diversity, and frequency diversity).
Quality Objectives: The quality objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG) to be considered for the microwave link.
Availability Objectives: The availability objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG) to be considered for the
microwave link.
Ground Characteristics: The Ground Characteristics part contains the following information:
Calculation Parameters: Under Calculation Parameters, you can select the following information:
Geoclimatic Parameters: Under Geoclimatic Parameters, you can select the following information:
Zone location: The distance from Site A at which the reflection area starts and ends.
Antenna heights above the reflection plan: The antenna heights at Site A and Site B above the reflection plan.
Tau (kmax) - Tau (kmin): The difference between Tau calculated for kmax and Tau calculated for kmin. Tau
corresponds to the difference in path length between direct and reflected signals expressed in wavelength. If
the difference is lower than 1, then there is no minimum (destructive interference at the receiver side due to
the reflected signal) that is experienced with the critical k factor range and diversity can be avoided. If the
difference exceeds or equals 1, then there is at least one minimum that is experienced with the critical k factor
range and diversity may be implemented depending on how well the signal is reflected and whether there is
significant discrimination against surface reflections from one or both of the antennas.
<Field Selection>: Select the <Field Selection> check box in order for Atoll to display the results listed after for
four k factor values (kmin, kmedian, keff and kmax). kmedian (median value of the k factor) and keff (effective
value of the k factor) correspond to the k factor values displayed in the Profile Analysis view. By default, they
are initialised either with global values, or with the values calculated for the microwave link; this depends on
the option selected in the Properties of the Links folder. kmin and kmax can be defined in the Parameters for
Reflection Analysis of the Link dialog box. For information on defining the kmin and kmax, see "Modifying
Reflection Analysis Parameters" on page 241.
Location of the specular reflection point: The distance of the specular reflection point from Site A.
Path difference (direct/reflected) (m): The difference in path length between direct and reflected signals.
Reflected path delay: The delay of the reflected path in ns.
AT332_UMM_E0
If you encounter an alignment issue in the generated report, you can modify the
tab value by adding an option in the Atoll.ini file. For more information, see the
Administrator Manual.
You can save the choices you have made in the Report Configuration dialog box as
a model for future reports by clicking the Save As button at the top of the dialog
box and entering a name for the file in the Save As dialog box that appears. The
next time you configure a report, you can click Open in the Report Configuration
dialog box to open the model with the saved settings.
6. Once you have defined the contents and appearance of the report, click OK to save your changes and close the dialog
box.
2. Select Hop Analysis Parameters. The Parameters for reflection analysis of the link dialog box appears.
3. Under Analysis parameters, you can specify the following settings:
The attenuation threshold. When the reflection losses experienced by the direct signal exceeds the attenuation
threshold, the reflection is considered to create destructive interference and the message displayed in the reflection analysis is NOK.
The reflection area to be considered in the reflection analysis. Two options are available:
Calculation on the selected reflection area: If you select this option, the reflection analysis is performed on
the selected reflection area.
Global calculation on all reflection areas: If you select this option, all the reflection areas along the profile in
the reflection analysis are taked into account.
4. Under Antenna heights above the reflection plan, select the method to be used to calculate antenna heights above
the reflection plan. You can choose between the Simplified method and the Method with linear regression on the
area. For more information on these calculation methods, see the Technical Reference Guide.
241
5. Under Terrain irregularity, select the method to be used to calculate terrain height irregularity. You can choose
between the Root mean square method, the Standard deviation method and the Interdecile range method. For
more information on these calculation methods, see the Technical Reference Guide.
6. Under Effective earth radius, select the range of k factor values:
7. Under Effect due to tide level above sea water, select the Take into account height variations of check box and define
the height variation due to tides. This height will be considered above the sea water clutter category.
8. Under Attenuation calculation, select the method to be used to calculate the reflected signal amplitude. You can
choose between the Simplified method and the Method with equivalent reflection coefficient. For more information
on these calculation methods, see the Technical Reference Guide.
9. Click OK.
To access the microwave link parameters:
1. Display the reflection analysis report as explained in "Displaying the Reflection Analysis Report" on page 238.
2. Click the Properties button (
242
Attenuations vs transmitted frequency view to display the losses and gains due to reflections as a function of the
transmission frequency, for different values of the k factor (kmin, kmax and kavg), and receiver antenna heights.
AT332_UMM_E0
Figure 5.17: Study of Reflection and Diversity Attenuations vs Transmitted Frequency view
Attenuations vs receiver height to display the losses and gains due to reflections as a function of the receiver
antenna height, for different values of the k factor (kmin, kmax and kavg), and transmission frequencies.
Figure 5.18: Study of Reflection and Diversity Attenuations vs Receiver Height view
6. Click the Display Options button (
Ordinate: The displayed read-only setting corresponds to what will be displayed on the horizontal axis according
to the view you selected in step 5.
"k Factor" in Attenuations vs refractivity view
"Transmission Frequency" in Attenuations vs transmitted frequency view
"Receiver Antenna Height" in Attenuations vs receiver height view
Min bound: The lower value on the horizontal axis.
Max bound: The upper value on the horizontal axis.
10. Under Graph selection, select the graphs to be displayed and the corresponding colour settings.
11. Select the Variable Definition tab.
12. Under k Factors Selection, define the k factor values, kmin, kavg and kmax, to be considered for the analysis. Atoll
displays the keff factor at 99% (i.e., the k factor value not exceeded 99% of the average year) and the keff factor at
50% (i.e., the median k factor value). You can redo the analysis using these values.
13. Under Receiver Antenna Height Selection, define the antenna height values, Diversity antenna, Main antenna and
Other height, to be considered for the analysis. The optimal separations for the different k factor values are displayed.
They are automatically calculated by Atoll. The value calculated for the kavg factor is used to initialise the diversity
antenna height (main antenna height - separation) and the other height values (main antenna height + separation).
You can redo the analysis by considering other separations.
14. Under Transmission Frequency Selection, define the transmission frequency values, Diversity Frequency, Main Frequency and Other Frequency, to be considered for the analysis. The optimal separations calculated for the different
k factor values are displayed. The value calculated for the kavg factor is used to initialise the diversity frequency (main
243
frequency + 3 x separation) and the other frequency values (main frequency + 5 x separation). You can redo the analysis by considering other separations.
15. Click OK.
5.8.1.1.1
If you reached this step through the Microwave Links folder, select the frequency band for which you want to
check the parities of microwave link extremities.
If you reached this step through a Microwave Links sub-folder, the corresponding frequency band is already
selected in the Channel Arrangement dialog box.
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5.8.1.1.2
If you reached this step through the Microwave Links folder, select the frequency band for which you want to
colour the microwave links according to site parities.
If you reached this step through a Microwave Links sub-folder, the corresponding frequency band is already
selected in the Channel Arrangement dialog box.
4. Select the Add to legend check box to add the displayed colours to the legend.
5. Click OK to start the calculations.
When you have already defined how channels are to be displayed, clicking the Channel Arrangement button (
) displays
the defined channels; if you want to redefine how channels are displayed, you will have to open the Channel Arrangement
dialog box using the context menu of the Microwave Links folder (or the context menu of a Microwave Links sub-folder if the
microwave links are grouped by Frequency Band) as explained earlier.
5.8.1.1.3
245
You can display them again by clicking the Channel Arrangement button (
) a second time.
5.8.1.1.4
) will display the hidden site parities again as well as any other hidden site pari-
To create a report displaying site parities for all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu appears.
To create a report displaying site parities for a group of microwave links, click the Expand button ( ) to expand
the Microwave Links folder and right-click the sub-folder of microwave links on which you want to create a report
displaying site parities. The context menu appears.
4. Select Channel Arrangement > Generate Report from the context menu. The Channel Distribution dialog box
appears.
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5. Select the operating frequency bands for which you want to check the parities of the microwave link extremities.
6. Click OK.
Atoll checks the site parities of all the microwave links working at the selected frequency bands. Once Atoll has
finished checking site parities, results are displayed in the Channel Arrangement table.
The Channel Arrangement table contains the following information.
Cause: Information provided for multiple parity only. Atoll gives the name of microwave links whose the site has
a multiple parity.
Longitude: The longitude of the site.
Latitude: The latitude of the site.
You can sort and filter data in the Channel Distribution table. For more information, see "Sorting Data in Tables" on page 79
and "Filtering Data Objects in the Data Table" on page 82.
247
Select the frequency sub-band from the list of available frequency sub-bands for the current microwave link.
Select either Vertical or Horizontal polarity for the microwave link
Select the frequency half-band configuration for the microwave link:
248
High-Low: The upper and lower half-bands are respectively assigned to Site A and Site B.
AT332_UMM_E0
Low - High: The lower and upper half-bands are respectively assigned to Site A and Site B.
4. Define the allocation calculation parameters as explained in "Allocating Channels to a Microwave Link" on page 248.
5. Click the Calculate button (
) to launch the calculations. After Atoll has finished calculating the allocation, the
following information is displayed.
The channels are sorted in increasing order with respect to their corresponding costs. This means that the best available channels, in terms of the related costs, are the ones at the top of the list. The channel(s) currently allocated to
the microwave link are highlighted in blue. You can use data table shortcuts, such as sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Data Tables" on page 58.
6. Select the Commit check box for the channel(s) you want to assign to the microwave link and click the Commit button
(
). All the channels whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the microwave link. If more channels
were selected than can be assigned to a microwave link, the Commit button becomes unavailable.
After you have assigned the channel(s) to the microwave link, you can keep the Interactive Channel Allocation window open
and perform an interference analysis to check the quality of new allocated channel(s). For information on interference analysis, see "Analysing the Interference on a Single Microwave Link" on page 257.
If required, you can allocate another channel or return to the previous allocation. Clear the Commit check box for the current
channel, select the Commit check box for the new channel you want to assign to the microwave link and click the Commit
button (
).
box appears.
2. On the Conditions tab, define the following:
Frequency sub-band: Select the frequency sub-band from the list of available frequency sub-bands (i.e., all subbands defined for the frequency band of the microwave link being studied).
Site A half-band: Select the frequency half-band to calculate (lower or upper) for the transmission site (the opposite half-band is assigned to the reception site).
Select Use all the channels of the sub-band if all channels can be allocated.
If only some channels of the frequency sub-band can be allocated, select Restrict the list of potential channels
and define the channels available. Here, you have to enter the channel number and not the channel name.
You can enter or paste a list of channels; the values must be separated with either a comma, or a semi-colon,
or a space. You can also enter a range of channels available, by entering the first and last channel numbers of
the range separated by a hyphen. For example, entering 20-22 corresponds to entering 20 21 and 22.
Polarisation: Define the microwave link polarisation to be considered in the calculation. Atoll calculates a cost for
each channel and each defined polarisation (either horizontal, or vertical, or horizontal and vertical).
Under Channel weighting, use the slider to define the weight given to the interferer and victim channels.
3. Click the Parameters tab. On the Parameters tab, you can define the parameters Atoll uses to calculate interference
on the microwave link.
4. Select Use global settings or Use user-defined settings.
If you select Use global settings, Atoll uses the interference analysis parameters that are defined by the Microwave
Links folder. For more information on how to define the interference analysis parameters, see "Defining Interference
Analysis Parameters" on page 263. If you select Use user-defined settings, you can continue with step 5. and define
249
your own settings. In this context, Atoll considers the coordinated power as output power for useful and interfering
signals.
5. Define the k factor, the earth curvature factor.
6. Enter the Calculation step on interferer profiles. The Calculation step on interferer profiles is the resolution used to
calculate interference. The default value is 50 m. If you enter "0", Atoll will use the minimum resolution of the geographic data.
7. Under Interferer filtering, define the following parameters:
Default maximum distance: The default maximum distance around the studied site to find potential interfering
sites. A maximum distance can be defined per frequency band in the Design Rules table. If defined, the frequency
band-specific maximum distance will be used instead of the value entered here. For information on design rules,
see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276.
Interfered bandwidth: The interfered bandwidth enables Atoll to filter the interferers. You can choose from the
following options:
Co-channel only: Only co-channel sites are considered as interferer sites. Atoll considers co-channel interference when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the interfered
bandwidth.
User-defined percentage: If you select this option, you can enter the percentage of the interfered bandwidth
that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. A site will be considered as an interferer when the
difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the percentage of the interfered bandwidth defined. Therefore, if you set the percentage to 100%, Atoll will only consider co-channel
interferers while a percentage between 100% and 300% will allow you to consider adjacent channel interferers (see Figure 5.20).
Fixed guard band: If you select this option, you can enter the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. A site will be considered as an
interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies is lower than the userdefined value. For example, if the defined value equals the channel bandwidth, Atoll will only consider cochannel interferers (see Figure 5.20).
No filter: There is no filter and all sites within the maximum distance are considered as interferers.
Interference via repeaters: Select how interference caused by repeaters is taken into consideration. You can
select whether "All the repeaters are ignored", "Links with passive repeaters may also interfere via their repeater",
or "Any signal can interfere via a repeater".
Min threshold degradation: The minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used to decide whether a site
is interfered by another one. A microwave link is considered interfered when the threshold degradation caused
by the interferer link exceeds the local minimum threshold degradation (i.e., if the level of interference (I) received
from the interferer link leads to a decrease of the fading margin higher than the local minimum threshold).
Interfered equipment: Select the modulation Atoll should use for interfered equipment during calculations: the
default modulation, the lowest modulation, the highest modulation, or all modulations. Selecting all modulations
can increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
Interfering equipment: Select the modulation Atoll should use for interfered equipment during calculations: the
default modulation, the lowest modulation, or the highest modulation. Selecting all modulations can increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
9. Click Ok.
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AT332_UMM_E0
Figure 5.21: The MW Analysis window - Interference Levels on the Band view
Atoll calculates the interference levels on each channel of the frequency half-band (lower or upper) of the microwave
link and represents them as polygons on the graph, with the width of the polygon indicating the bandwidth. The red
polygon displays the total interference level received on the interfered channel and each blue polygon represents the
signal level transmitted on each interfering channel.
When you move the pointer over one of the polygons, Atoll displays the following information in tip text:
Studied link: The microwave link selected either in the toolbar or on the map.
Way: The direction of the microwave link that is being analysed.
Total interference level: The total interference on the given direction of the studied microwave link.
FKTB Level: The receiver thermal noise for the channel bandwidth is displayed by a horizontal line on the red
polygon representing the studied microwave link. The exact value is displayed in tip text when you place the
pointer over the line.
You can locate the channels on which there is the least or no interference and allocate these "free" channels where
required.
251
Figure 5.22: I Levels on the Band view - composite view showing tool tips
Each polygon representing the interference level received on any channel depicts the peak
signal value. If there is more than one interfering signal, only the peak value is displayed
on the graph.
You can change the following options:
Direction: You can select the direction to be studied, i.e., Site A - Site B, or the direction, i.e., Site A => Site B or
vice versa.
Properties: You can open the Properties dialog box of the selected microwave link by clicking the Properties
button (
) on the toolbar.
Calculation Parameters: You can define the interference calculation parameters by clicking the Calculation
Parameters button (
on page 263.
) on the toolbar. For more information, see "Defining Interference Analysis Parameters"
Print: You can print the content of the Interference Levels on the Band view by clicking the Print button (
the toolbar.
) on
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Direction: You can select the direction to be studied, i.e., Site A - Site B, or the direction, i.e., Site A => Site B or
vice versa.
Port Number: You can select to display either the port number to be analysed or the worst case.
Properties: You can open the Properties dialog box of the selected microwave link by clicking the Properties
button (
) on the toolbar.
Calculation Parameters: You can define the interference calculation parameters by clicking the Calculation
Parameters button (
on page 263.
) on the toolbar. For more information, see "Defining Interference Analysis Parameters"
Report: You can generate a report on intermodulation products by clicking the Report button (
toolbar. The report contains the following information:
The selected hop of the microwave link.
The selected site, i.e., Site A if you selected Site A=>Site B or Site B if you selected Site B=>Site A.
The transmission frequencies used by the site.
The reception frequencies used by the site.
The third-order intermodulation products of the frequency band.
A graphic of the Intermodulation Products tab.
) on the
253
If you are creating a new IRF graph, use the row marked with the New Row icon (
7. Double-click in the left margin of the record to open its Properties dialog box (see Figure 5.25).
254
).
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255
To create an IRF graph between the transmission and reception radios using transmitter and receiver masks:
a. Right-click the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Calculate Using > Transmitter and Receiver Masks from the context menu. The IRF Calculation dialog box
appears.
c. From the Transmitter Mask list, select a theoretical transmission spectrum graph. If there is a transmission spectrum graph defined for the radio, you can select "Same as Radio" to use it.
d. From the Reception Mask list, select a theoretical receiver selectivity graph. If there is a receiver selectivity graph
defined for the radio, you can select "Same as Radio" to use it.
e. Define the Calculation step in MHz.
f. Click Calculate to calculate the IRF graph.
g. Click OK.
To create an IRF graph between the transmission and reception radios using T/I graphs:
a. Right-click the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Calculate Using > T/I graphs from the context menu. The IRF Calculation dialog box appears.
c. From the T/I Graph list, select a theoretical T/I graph.
d. Click Calculate to calculate the IRF graph.
e. Click OK.
9. Click OK to close the IRF Edition dialog box.
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1. It checks that the transmission radio and the reception radio have the same manufacturer, capacity and modulation.
In this case, Atoll uses T/I curves in order to calculate the IRF graph. It uses either the graphs defined for radio if available, or the theoretical T/I graphs if not.
2. If the radio manufacturer, capacity or modulation are not the same, Atoll merges the transmitter mask and the
receiver mask of the radios in order to calculate the IRF graph. Atoll uses either the graphs defined for the radios if
available, or the theoretical graphs if not.
Summary: Shows whether quality, availability (rain) and availability (failures) objectives have been reached for
both directions of the microwave link and the specified BER values, and a global estimation of the outage duration
for an average year taking into account both link quality and availability. A global estimation of the outage duration including failures is also displayed for an average year. Worst month results are used to determine the quality
objective status. The availability objective status is based on average year results.
Link Budget: Shows a basic link budget including the operating frequency band, the link length, the thermal fade
margin, the worst month quality (in percentage of time), the average annual availability taking into account rain
(in percentage of time), and the average annual availability taking into account both rain and equipment failures
(in percentage of time), and the worst month non-quality objective and the average annual unavailability objective (duration). The average annual availability is calculated using the Crane or the ITU-R P.530 recommendations.
Link Specifications: Information about the microwave link design, site names, locations, and altitudes for both
extremities, repeaters (if any), antennas used at both sites with their respective models, heights, azimuths, tilts,
gains, diameters, near fields, beamwidths and XPD values, diversity antennas and repeater back-to-back antenna
details such as the models, heights, azimuths, tilts, gains and diameters, microwave transceiver radios installed at
both sites with details such as the radio series, models, digital hierarchy employed, modulation used, Ethernet +
TDM capacity, minimal channel bandwidths, capacities and configurations, feeders details and point-to-multipoint
parameters if the studied microwave link is a part of a point-to-multipoint system.
Transmission: Transmission-related parameters for both extremities of the microwave link including the transmitted powers considered in quality and availability analyses, the power type (High, Low, Standard or Constant),
EIRP, ATPC effects, total losses and the details (filter losses, port connection losses, common losses, shielding
losses, radome losses, connection losses, and feeder losses), the branching configuration, channel and frequency
parameters such as the port and the channel for which the calculations have been performed, polarisation and
the diversity frequency, and details on the port configuration for both directions (the channel, the corresponding
frequency, the polarisation, if it is a main channel or a standby channel or a channel for frequency diversity or a
diversity-standby channel, the transmission and reception port numbers, the ACU losses, the port circulator and
attenuator losses. Transmitted power and EIRP values considered in quality and availability analyses can be different depending on the power control on useful signal options selected in global parameters. For information on
setting global parameters, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
Reception: Reception-related parameters for both ends of the microwave link including the bit error ratios and
sensitivities at the receivers, saturation thresholds, thermal noise, the required C/I minus the XPIF and total losses
257
at reception comprising filter losses, connection losses, common losses, shielding losses, radome losses, port connection losses, and feeder losses.
Geoclimatic Parameters: Information about the type of environment, type of terrain, rain zone and the climatic
zone in which the microwave link is operating, climatic factor, rainfall rate exceeded 0.01% of time, isotherm
height (0C/32F), atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, PL, temperature, water vapour density, the earth curvature factor used for calculations, the median earth curvature factor (k) and the effective earth curvature factor
(ke) of the microwave link, the geoclimatic factor K, refractivity gradient, roughness, and fog intensity.
Calculation Parameters: Parameters used to make the calculations for the link budget such as the calculation
methods used (propagation model for useful and interfering signals, quality method, availability method, attenuation model for rain and fog, interference, whether signal enhancements and XPD degradation are ignored, space
diversity and frequency diversity), quality objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG), availability (rain) objectives
(SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG), availability (failures) objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV, MARG), and interference analysis parameters (transmitted power of interferers, criteria to find interfering sites, calculation step).
Propagation: The received signal levels at the main and diversity antennas, the required signal levels at the main
and diversity antennas to reach quality and availability objectives, propagation results for both directions of the
microwave link including total losses, free space losses, dry air losses, water vapour losses, diffraction losses, vegetation losses, reflection losses, antenna losses and tropospheric scattering losses, epsilon and the type of path
(LOS or NLOS). If relevant, propagation results are also detailed for the diversity antenna. Received signal level
values considered in quality and availability analyses can be different depending on the powers selected in global
parameters. For information on setting global parameters, see "Global Parameters" on page 171.
Interference: The received interference level, the threshold degradation, and the C/I ratios for quality and availability.
Non-quality due to Multipath in Clear Air: Details about the quality of the microwave link in the selected directions, for the specified BER values and when interference is taken into account. These results include the outage
rate, the non-outage rate and the outage duration for the worst month, the outage rate, the non-outage rate and
the outage duration for an average year, performance objectives ((SESR (objective), ESR (objective), BBER (objective), Received signal level (objective), Margin (objective)), improvement factors when space and frequency diversities are used.
Unavailability due to Rain: Details about the unavailability of the microwave link due to rain in the selected directions, for the specified BER values and whether interference is taken into account. These results include the
outage rate, the non-outage rate and the outage duration for the worst month, the outage rate, the non-outage
rate and the outage duration for an average year, performance objectives (SESR (objective), ESR (objective), BBER
(objective), Received signal level (objective), Margin (objective)), details for an average year (lineic rain losses, wet
snow factor, lineic fog losses, fading due rain, fading due to XPD degradation).
Unavailability due to Failures: Results depicting the unavailability of the microwave link due to radio failure.
These results include availability of hot standby, outage rate due to faults for an average year and the outage duration for an average year and the performance objective.
Adaptive Modulation: If you selected Adaptive modulation (ACM) as the operation mode in the Properties of the
Links folder and if the microwave link supports multiple modulations, Atoll details the analysis for each defined
modulation. The displayed results include:
Global link estimation for an average year, including the outage durations and the percentage of non-outage
duration for the link for an average year.
The thermal fade margins when interference is considered and without interference, received signal levels
considered in quality and availability analyses, threshold degradation, the total interference, the C/I ratios for
quality and availability, Ethernet + TDM capacity, system gains.
Results depicting the non-quality of the link due to multipath (outage and non-outage rate for the worst
month and an average year, outage duration for the worst month and an average year, outage details for the
worst month).
Results depicting the link unavailability due to the rain (outage and non-outage rate for the worst month and
an average year, outage duration for the worst month and an average year, outage details for an average year,
availability rate for an average year and the unavailability duration with failures for an average year).
Interference Details: The microwave links that interfere the extremity of the microwave link being studied and
the microwave links interfered by the extremity of the microwave link being studied.
To define the contents of the interference report, see "Configuring the Contents of the Microwave Reports" on page 231. To
print the interference report, see "Printing a Microwave Report" on page 232. To export the interference report, see "Exporting a Microwave Report" on page 232.
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AT332_UMM_E0
The Interference Details view displays the interference information as a table. For each interfering or interfered link, Atoll
displays the interference direction, the distance between the interfered and interfering sites, the sub-band, the polarisation,
the modulation and the channel of the interfered and interfering sites, the difference between the interfered and the interfering frequencies, the shielding factors at the interfered and interfering sites, the applied interference reduction factor,
decoupling, the C/I ratios for quality and availability, the total interference, the threshold degradation, and the rain losses. In
case of parity issues, links in the table are displayed in red.
To hide or show columns that are displayed in the Interference Details view, click Display Columns (
To specify the colours that are used to identify A and B victims and interferers, click Display Options (
To hide or show victim and interferer relationships on the map, click Victim and Interferer Links ( ).
).
).
For information on defining the contents of the interference report, see "Configuring the Contents of the Microwave Reports"
on page 231. For information on printing the interference report, see "Printing a Microwave Report" on page 232. For information on exporting the interference report, see "Exporting a Microwave Report" on page 232.
). The
Default maximum distance: Enter the default maximum distance in metres that Atoll will search around each site
to find potentially interfering sites. A maximum distance can be defined per frequency band in the Design Rules
table. If defined, the frequency band-specific maximum distance will be used instead of the value entered here.
For information on design rules, see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276.
Interfered bandwidth: Define which sites are to be considered as interferers. You can choose from the following
options:
Co-channel only: Only co-channel sites are considered as interferer sites. Atoll considers co-channel interference when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the interfered
bandwidth. When you select Co-channel only, no IRF graph is taken into account.
User-defined percentage: If you select this option, you can enter the percentage of the interfered bandwidth
that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. A site will be considered as an interferer when the
difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the percentage of the interfered bandwidth defined. Therefore, if you set the percentage to 100%, Atoll will only consider co-channel
interferers while a percentage between 100% and 300% will allow you to consider adjacent channel interferers (see Figure 5.28).
Fixed guard band: If you select this option, you can enter the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. A site will be considered as an
interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies is lower than the userdefined value. For example, if the defined value equals the channel bandwidth, Atoll will only consider cochannel interferers (see Figure 5.28).
No filter: There is no filter and all sites within the maximum distance are considered as interferers.
259
Interference via repeaters: Select how interference caused by repeaters should be taken into consideration. You
can select whether "All the repeaters are ignored", "Links with passive repeaters may also interfere via their
repeater", or "Any signal can interfere via a repeater".
Ignore interference between channels of a same link: Select the Ignore interference between channels of a same
link check box if you want Atoll to ignore interference generated by channels of the same microwave link on each
other. This option is useful if you have microwave links with 2+0 configuration (i.e., microwave links with two channels). It also applies to parallel microwave links. In this context, parallel microwave links are referred to as links
sharing the same link extremities (e.g., two links between the same two sites).
Ignore interference from standby ports: Select the Ignore interference from standby channels option if you want
Atoll to ignore interference generated by the standby and diversity-standby channels.
Ignore co-site interferers: Select the Ignore co-site interferers option if you want Atoll to ignore interference
received from co-site sources (i.e., for two links A-B and B-C that shares the site B, the signal received by B from A
will not be considered as interfered by the signal transmitted from B to C). This option is useful to exclude the
effect of near-field interference from interference calculations.
Calculation step on interferer profiles: Enter the resolution to be used to calculate interference. The default value
is 50 m. If you enter "0", the minimum resolution of the geographic data is used.
Power control: Select the output power of interfering sites when modelling power control. You can choose
between Use nominal power, Use coordinated power, and Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths.
Use nominal power: Atoll considers the nominal power as output power of interfering sites.
Use coordinated power: Atoll considers the coordinated power as output power of interfering sites.
Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths: For interfering paths correlated with the victim link,
Atoll considers a controlled output power, i.e., the output power of the interfering site is controlled so as to
balance the rain losses experienced along the interfering link. The power control is limited by the ATPC value
when the rain losses exceed the ATPC value. If not correlated, Atoll considers the coordinated power as output
power of interfering sites.
An interfering path is considered as correlated when its direction is within a 3dB beamwidth of the antenna of
the victim site.
Interfered equipment: Select the modulation Atoll should use for interfered equipment during calculations: the
default modulation, the lowest modulation, the highest modulation, or all modulations. Selecting all modulations
can increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
Interfering equipment: Select the modulation Atoll should use for interfered equipment during calculations: the
default modulation, the lowest modulation, or the highest modulation. Selecting all modulations can increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
When displaying the Interference Details view of the MW Analysis window, you can select
the modulation (or modulations) for the studied site. The modulations used for the site
interfering with or interfered by the studied site are those defined in this section.
260
Min. threshold degradation per interferer: Enter the local minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used
to decide whether a site is interfered by an other one. A microwave link is considered to be interfered by another
one when the threshold degradation caused by the interferer link exceeds the local minimum threshold degradation (i.e., if the level of interference (I) received from the interferer link leads to a decrease of the fading margin
higher than the local minimum threshold).
Total min. threshold degradation: Enter the total minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used to indicate when a microwave link is interfered. A microwave link is considered to be interfered when the threshold deg-
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radation caused by all interferers exceeds the total minimum threshold (i.e., if the sum of all interference leads to
a decrease of the fading margin higher than the total minimum threshold). When the total minimum threshold
degradation is exceeded, the symbol (!) is displayed beside the value of the threshold degradation in the Interference Report view.
3. Click OK.
5.9.3.4.1
"Displaying All Interference for a Microwave Link on the Map" on page 261
"Displaying Interference on or Caused by the Selected Site of a Microwave Link" on page 262
"Defining How Interferer and Interfered Link Extremities Are Displayed" on page 262.
Link: You can select a different link to be studied, i.e., Site A - Site B.
Port Number: You can select to display either the port number to be analysed or the worst case.
3. Click the Victim and Interferer Links ( ) button in the toolbar of the MW Analysis window. Atoll displays all the interfered and interfering sites for the selected microwave link (see Figure 5.1).
261
In Figure 5.1, you can see that the interference experienced by site BRU036 (site B) is indicated by a red line, with arrows
showing the direction, between BRU036 and the interferer, site BRU046. BRU036 is interfering with site BRU024 (site A, not
visible in Figure 5.1) and this interference is indicated by a green line, with arrows showing the direction of the interference.
Additionally, the interference caused by site BRU036 (site B) on site BRU046 is indicated by a yellow line, and the interference
caused by BRU024 (site A) on site BRU036 (site B) is indicated by a blue line. For information on modifying how interferers and
victims are displayed, see "Defining How Interferer and Interfered Link Extremities Are Displayed" on page 262.
When the interference connections are displayed on the map, you can place the pointer on each interference connection to
display additional information in the tip text.
You can hide the interference by clicking the Victims and Interferers Links button (
5.9.3.4.2
) again.
Link: You can select a different link to be studied, i.e., Site A - Site B.
Port Number: You can select to display either the port number to be analysed or the worst case.
Modulation: You can select the modulation or modulations of the selected extremity.
3. Click the Victim and Interferer Links ( ) button in the toolbar of the MW Analysis window. Atoll displays the relationship between the site (A or B) and the site that it is interfering or that is interfering with it (see Figure 5.2).
5.9.3.4.3
) again.
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To define how interferer and interfered link extremities are displayed for all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu appears.
To define how interferer and interfered link extremities are displayed for a group of microwave links, click the
Expand button ( ) to expand the Microwave Links folder and right-click the sub-folder of microwave links for
which you want to define how interferer and interfered link extremities are displayed. The context menu appears.
4. Select Interference > Display Options from the context menu. The Interference dialog box opens.
On the Direct Interference and Interference via Repeaters tabs, you can define how different types of interference
connections are displayed on the map by selecting different lines and colours.
General: This tab provides parameters for filtering channels and ports.
Interference: This tab provides access to the parameters that are used for interference calculation, filtering and adaptive modulation.
Field Selection: This tab allows you to select the fields that you want to display in the interference report. Y
To define the content of the interference report for all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder.
The context menu appears.
To define the content of the interference report for on a group of microwave links, expand the Microwave Links
folder and right-click the sub-folder for which you want to define the content of the interference report. The context menu appears.
2. Select Calculations > Properties from the context menu. The Links Properties dialog box appears.
3. Select the General tab. The General tab contains channel and port settings for the interference calculation.
All: If you select All, the interference analysis is calculated and displayed for all channels.
263
Worst channel: If you select Worst channel engineering, the link analysis is calculated for each channel and the
results are displayed for the worst channel in terms of fade margin (i.e., the channel with the lowest fade margin).
Specific port: If you select Specific port engineering, analysis is calculated and displayed for the specified Site A
and Site B.
4. Select the Interference tab. On the Interference tab, the parameters you define will be used to calculate interference
Under Interferer Filtering, you can define the following parameters:
Default maximum distance: Enter the default maximum distance in metres that Atoll will search around each site
to find potentially interfering sites. A maximum distance can be defined per frequency band in the Design Rules
table. If defined, the frequency band-specific maximum distance will be used instead of the value entered here.
For information on design rules, see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276.
Interfered bandwidth: Define which sites are to be considered as interferers. You can choose from the following
options:
Co-channel only: Only co-channel sites are considered as interferer sites. Atoll considers co-channel interference when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the interfered
bandwidth. When you select Co-channel only, no IRF graph is taken into account.
User-defined percentage: If you select this option, you can enter the percentage of the interfered bandwidth
that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. Therefore, if you keep the default value of 250%, a
site will be considered as an interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed 2.5 times the interfered bandwidth.
Fixed guard band: If you select this option, you can enter the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies that should be considered when searching for interferers. For example, if you keep the
default value of 250 MHz, a site will be considered as an interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies is lower than 250 MHz.
No filter: All sites within the maximum distance are considered as interferers.
Interference via repeaters: Select how interference caused by repeaters should be taken into consideration. You
can select whether "All the repeaters are ignored", "Links with passive repeaters may also interfere via their
repeater", or "Any signal can interfere via a repeater".
Ignore interference between channels of a same link: Select the Ignore interference between channels of a same
link check box if you want to ignore interference generated by channels of the same microwave link on each other.
This option is useful if you have microwave links with 2+0 configuration (i.e., microwave links with two channels).
It also applies to parallel microwave links. In this context, parallel microwave links are referred to as links sharing
the same link extremities (e.g., two links between the same two sites).
Ignore interference from standby ports: Select the Ignore interference from standby channels option if you want
Atoll to ignore interference generated by the standby and diversity-standby channels.
Ignore co-site interferers: Select the Ignore co-site interferers option if you want to ignore interference received
from co-site sources (i.e., for two links A-B and B-C that shares the site B, the signal received by B from A will not
be considered as interfered by the signal transmitted from B to C). This option is useful to exclude the effect of
near-field interference from interference calculations.
Calculation step on interferer profiles: Enter the resolution to be used to calculate interference. The default value
is 50 m. If you enter "0", the minimum resolution of the geographic data is used.
Power control: Select the output power of interfering sites when modelling power control. You can choose
between Use nominal power, Use coordinated power, and Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths.
Use nominal power: The nominal power is considered as the output power of interfering sites.
Use coordinated power: The coordinated power is considered as the output power of interfering sites.
Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths: For interfering paths correlated with the victim link,
Atoll considers a controlled output power, i.e., the output power of the interfering site is controlled so as to
balance the rain losses experienced along the interfering link. The power control is limited by the ATPC value
when the rain losses exceed the ATPC value. If not correlated, the coordinated power is considered as the
output power of interfering sites.
An interfering path is considered as correlated when its direction is within a 3dB beamwidth of the antenna of
the victim site.
Interfered equipment: Select the modulation to use for interfered equipment during calculations: the default
modulation, the lowest modulation, the highest modulation, or all modulations. Selecting all modulations can
increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
Interfering equipment: Select the modulation to use for interfered equipment during calculations: the default
modulation, the lowest modulation, or the highest modulation. Selecting all modulations can increase considerably the amount of memory necessary for calculations.
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Min. threshold degradation per interferer: Enter the local minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used
to decide whether a site is interfered by an other one. A microwave link is considered to be interfered by another
one when the threshold degradation caused by the interferer link exceeds the local minimum threshold degradation (i.e., if the level of interference (I) received from the interferer link leads to a decrease of the fading margin
higher than the local minimum threshold).
Total min. threshold degradation: Enter the total minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used to
determine if a microwave link is interfered. A microwave link is considered to be interfered when the threshold
degradation caused by all interferers exceeds the total minimum threshold (i.e., if the sum of all interference leads
to a decrease of the fading margin higher than the total minimum threshold). When the total minimum threshold
degradation is exceeded, the symbol (!) is displayed beside the value of the threshold degradation in the Interference Report view.
Hide non-interfered links: Select this option to only display interfered microwave links in the interference results
table. This option considers the Total min. threshold degradation threshold specified above to determine
whether a link is interfered or not.
5. Click the Field Selection tab. On the Field Selection tab you can define the contents of the interference report. Atoll
displays a default set of fields and lets you select other information to be included in the report.
On the Field selection tab, select the fields that you want to display in the interference report. You can select contiguous fields by clicking the first field, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last field. You can select non-contiguous fields by
pressing CTRL and clicking each field separately.
To select a field to be included in the report, select the field in the Available fields list and click
to the Selected fields list.
To remove a field from the list of Selected fields, select the field in the Selected fields list and click
remove it.
To change the order of the fields, select a field and click or to move it up or down in the list. The objects will
be displayed in the order of the fields in the Selected Fields list, from top to bottom.
to move it
to
You can restore all items to the Selected fields list by clicking the Reset button.
You can save the choices you have made in the Field Selection dialog box as a configuration file by clicking the Save As button at the top of the dialog box and
entering a name for the file in the Save As dialog box that appears. The next time
you configure a report, you can click Open in the Properties dialog box to open
your configuration file with the saved settings.
6. Click OK.
To calculate interference on all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
To calculate interference on a group of microwave links, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Microwave
Links folder and right-click the sub-folder of microwave links on which you want to calculate interference. The context menu appears.
To calculate interference on a point to multipoint system, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Point to Multipoint folder and right-click the hub of the point to multipoint system on which you want to calculate interference. The context menu appears.
3. Select Calculations > Interference from the context menu. Atoll calculates the interference and displays the interference report. This report lists the results for all studied microwave links in the selected directions (site A site B/site B
site A) and for the defined BER values.
You can view details of each microwave link, by double-clicking the record in the report. The details are displayed in
the Interference Details view of the MW Analysis window as described in "Analysing the Interference on a Single
Microwave Link" on page 257.
You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button
(
) in the toolbar.
265
For the first two reasons, Atoll automatically detects invalidity of the calculation when starting calculations and recalculates.
In the last case (e.g., if you add a new clutter class map), you must force Atoll to recalculate. When you force a recalculaton,
Atoll opens the interference calculation parameters so that you can modify the calculation parameters.
To force Atoll to recalculate interference:
1. In the Network tab of the explorer window, expand the Links folder, and select the microwave links on which you want
to recalculate interference:
To recalculate interference on all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
To calculate interference on a group of microwave links, expand the Microwave Links folder and right-click the
sub-folder of microwave links on which you want to calculate interference. The context menu appears.
2. Select Calculations > Force Calculations > Interference from the context menu. The Microwave Links Properties
window opens with the interference parameters. For information on interference calculation parameters, see
"Defining Interference Analysis Parameters" on page 263.
3. Click OK. Atoll removes existing calculations, including valid ones, and recalculates interference. The progress of the
calculations is displayed in the Event Viewer window.
You can also reset existing calculations without recalculating interference afterwards by selecting Calculations > Reset. Atoll
removes existing calculations, including valid ones.
Template file: Browse to the folder containing the Template and select the template document.
Save As: Browse to the folder where you want to save the custom report and enter a file name.
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Median k factor: The value of the k factor (the earth curvature factor), observed 50% of time. Select the value to
be used:
Effective k factor: The value of the k factor (the earth curvature factor), observed 99% of time. Select the value to
be used in link analyses:
Calculated for each link: Atoll calculates the median value of the k factor according to the microwave link position. Then it takes into account the calculated value for the link analysis.
Same value for all links: If you select this option, the value you enter will be used as the k factor for all links in
the report.
Calculated for each link: Atoll calculates the effective value of the k factor according to the microwave link
position. Then it takes into account the calculated value for the link analysis.
Same value for all links: If you select this option, the value you enter will be used as the k factor for all links in
link analyses.
Reference port: The port for which you want to generate the report:
Port with the lowest received level: The report displays the results for the worst channel in terms of signal
level. This is equivalent to the "Worst case" setting in the Analysis Report.
Port with the highest degradation threshold: The report displays the results for the worst channel in terms of
degradation. This is equivalent to the "Worst case" setting in the Interference Report.
First port of each link: The report displays the results for the first port of each link.
Reference modulation: The modulation for which you want to generate the report. You can choose between the
default modulation, the lowest modulation, or the highest modulation settings that are supported by the
selected radio.
Power control on useful signal for quality calculations: The output power to be considered in quality analyses
when ATPC is active. You can choose between Use nominal power and Use coordinated power.
Power control on useful signal for availability calculations: The output power to be considered in availability analyses when ATPC is active. You can choose between Use nominal power and Use coordinated power.
Under Bit Error Rate, you can define either of the following options:
User defined value for each link: This option uses the BER 1 and BER 2 values that are specified in the link properties.
Same value for all links: This option allows you specify a BER 1 and BER 2 value for all links in the report.
3. Select the Interference tab. On the Interference tab, the parameters you define will be used to calculate interference
in the custom report.
Under Interferer Filtering, you can define the following parameters:
Default maximum distance: The default maximum distance in metres that Atoll will search around each site to
find potentially interfering sites. A maximum distance can be defined per frequency band in the Design Rules
table. If defined, the frequency band-specific maximum distance will be used instead of the value entered here.
For information on design rules, see "Defining Design Rules" on page 276.
Interfered bandwidth: Define which sites are to be considered as interferers. You can choose from the following
options:
Co-channel only: Only co-channel sites are considered as interferer sites. Atoll considers co-channel interference when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed the interfered
bandwidth. When you select Co-channel only, no IRF graph is taken into account.
User-defined percentage: If you select this option, you can enter the percentage of the interfered bandwidth
that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. Therefore, if you keep the default value of 250%, a
site will be considered as an interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies does not exceed 2.5 times the interfered bandwidth.
Fixed guard band: If you select this option, you can enter the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies that should be considered when searching for interferers. For example, if you keep the
default value of 250 MHz, a site will be considered as an interferer when the difference between the interfering and interfered frequencies is lower than 250 MHz.
No filter: All sites within the maximum distance are considered as interferers.
Interference via repeaters: Select how interference caused by repeaters should be taken into consideration. You
can select whether "All the repeaters are ignored", "Links with passive repeaters may also interfere via their
repeater", or "Any signal can interfere via a repeater".
Ignore interference between channels of a same link: Select the Ignore interference between channels of a same
link check box if you want to ignore interference generated by channels of the same microwave link on each other.
This option is useful if you have microwave links with 2+0 configuration (i.e., microwave links with two channels).
It also applies to parallel microwave links. In this context, parallel microwave links are referred to as links sharing
the same link extremities (e.g., two links between the same two sites).
Ignore interference from standby ports: Select the Ignore interference from standby channels option if you want
Atoll to ignore interference generated by the standby and diversity-standby channels.
267
Ignore co-site interferers: Select the Ignore co-site interferers option if you want to ignore interference received
from co-site sources (i.e., for two links A-B and B-C that shares the site B, the signal received by B from A will not
be considered as interfered by the signal transmitted from B to C). This option is useful to exclude the effect of
near-field interference from interference calculations.
Calculation step on interferer profiles: Enter the resolution to be used to calculate interference. The default value
is 50m. If you enter "0", the minimum resolution of the geographic data is used.
Power control: Select the output power of interfering sites when modelling power control. You can choose
between Use nominal power, Use coordinated power, and Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths.
Use nominal power: The nominal power is considered as the output power of interfering sites.
Use coordinated power: The coordinated power is considered as the output power of interfering sites.
Use power with minimum ATPC on correlated paths: For interfering paths correlated with the victim link,
Atoll considers a controlled output power, i.e., the output power of the interfering site is controlled so as to
balance the rain losses experienced along the interfering link. The power control is limited by the ATPC value
when the rain losses exceed the ATPC value. If not correlated, the coordinated power is considered as the
output power of interfering sites.
An interfering path is considered as correlated when its direction is within a 3dB beamwidth of the antenna of
the victim site.
Min. threshold degradation per interferer: Enter the local minimum threshold degradation. This threshold is used
to decide whether a site is interfered by an other one. A microwave link is considered to be interfered by another
one when the threshold degradation caused by the interferer link exceeds the local minimum threshold degradation (i.e., if the level of interference (I) received from the interferer link leads to a decrease of the fading margin
higher than the local minimum threshold).
To export custom reports on all microwave links, right-click the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
To export custom reports on all microwave links, right-click the sub-folder of microwave links for which you want
to export custom reports. The context menu appears.
2. Select Report Export > Custom Reports from the context menu. The Custom Report dialog box appears.
3. Define the custom report parameters as described in "Configuring the Contents of the Microwave Reports" on
page 231.
4. Click OK to export the report.
You have to check the spelling before using a template with the Microsoft Word format.
268
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269
For the lower half-band: f = Reference frequency + Lower half-band shift + Channel number*Channel bandwidth
For the upper half-band: f = Reference frequency + Upper half-band shift + Channel number*Channel bandwidth
The information required to define a frequency sub-band can be found in the F-series
ITU-R recommendations. The excluded channels are not part of the ITU-R recommendations.
Channel Naming: enter the Prefix and Suffix to be appended to channel names. Prefixes and suffixes can be defined
for the lower and upper half-bands.
Channels - Frequency Mapping: Click this button to display the channel arrangement for the lower and upper halfbands.
Comments: If necessary, add a comment for the current sub-band.
):
3. To modify a frequency band, modify any of the entries in the corresponding row.
).
3. Double-click the name column. The sub-band Properties dialog box appears.
4. Define the parameters of the sub-band as descibed in "Frequency Sub-band Properties" on page 269.
5. Click OK to close the sub-band Properties dialog box.
Example of Creating a Frequency Sub-band
You can find the information necessary to create a frequency sub-band in the appropriate ITU-R recommendation. In this
example, the recommendation R F.747-0 (for 10 GHz) is used.
The ITU-R F.747-0 standard recommends to use the frequency band 10 GHz. On page 2, you see the information in Figure 5.30:
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AT332_UMM_E0
5.11.1.4.1
271
The Atoll microwave module includes some pre-defined microwave links classes that are compliant with ITU G.821, G.826,
and G.828 recommendations, and ITU-T Y.1540 and ITU-T Y.1541 recommendations.
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Performance objectives give the user of national and international digital networks an indication of the expected performance under real operating conditions, thereby facilitating service planning and terminal equipment design.
Performance objectives form the basis upon which performance standards are made for transmission equipment and
systems in a digital connection.
In Atoll, you can use either radio indicators as performance objectives (RXLEV (received signal level), MARG (fade margin)), or
performance parameters: ESR, SESR and BBER as defined in the ITU G.821, G.826, and G.828 recommendations and IPER as
defined in ITU-T Y.1540 and ITU-T Y.1541 recommendations. The error performance parameters are based on measurements
of microwave error events.
Atoll includes by default the quality objectives defined in the ITU G.821, ITU G.826, ITU G.828, and ITU Y.1541 recommendations. You can also define customised quality objectives.
Microwave Error Events
Microwave error parameters are based on the following events:
Errored Block (EB): The EB is a block of data with one or more erroneous bits.
Errored Second (ES): The ES is a one-second period with one or more errored blocks or at least one defect.
Severely Errored Second (SES): The SES is a one-second period with 30% errored blocks or at least one defect. SES is
a subset of ES.
Consecutive Severely Errored Seconds can result in periods of unavailability, especially
when there are no backup or standby procedures. Periods of consecutive Severely Errored
Seconds persisting for T seconds, where T > 10 (sometimes referred to as "failures"), can
have a severe impact on service, leading to the disconnection of switched services. The
frequency of these events can be limited by limiting the SESR.
Background Block Error (BBE): The BBE is an errored block not occurring as part of an SES.
5.11.2.2.1
Errored Second Ratio (ESR): The ESR is the ratio of ES to total seconds in available time during a fixed measurement
interval.
Severely Errored Second Ratio (SESR): The SESR is the ratio of SES to total seconds in available time during a fixed
measurement interval.
Background Block Error Ratio (BBER): The BBER is the ratio of Background Block Errors (BBE) to total blocks in available time during a fixed measurement interval. The count of total blocks excludes all blocks during SESs.
The IP Errored Ratio (IPER) is the ratio of errored IP to total IPs in a population of interest.
Checking ITU G.821, ITU G.826, ITU G.828, and ITU Y.1541 Quality Objectives
ITU G.821, ITU G.826, ITU G.828, and ITU Y.1541 quality objectives are characterised by a performance objective equation that
defines the limitation of the relevant quality objective parameter (BBER, ESR, SESR, IPER). The performance objective equations define the behaviour of the quality parameter as a function of the length (L in km) of the link and a constant as follows:
EPO = Factor A * L + Factor B
To check the pre-defined ITU G.821, ITU G.826, ITU G.828, and ITU Y.1541 quality objectives:
1. In the Parameters explorer, expand Microwave Settings and Performance and right-click Quality Objectives. The
context menu appears.
2. Select Edit from the context menu. The Quality Objectives dialog box appears.
3. Select the appropriate tab (G.821, G.826, G.828, or Y.1541). The quality objectives are available in a table. Each objective is defined by the following parameters:
273
Quality Percentage: The percentage of non-outage that must be exceeded in clear air.
Monthly Duration: The maximum outage duration in clear air for one month.
Annual Duration: The maximum outage duration in clear air for one year.
When you click one record in the table, Atoll displays the performance objective equation at the top of the dialog box.
The quality percentage, the monthly duration as well as the annual duration displayed in the table are derived from
the performance objective equation. They are calculated for the user-defined length and when the factor A in the
equation is not null.
4. Click Close to close the Quality Objectives dialog box.
5.11.2.2.2
If you have selected SESR, ESR, or BBER as parameter, you can choose one of the options under Quality:
Non-quality (Month): Enter the maximum outage duration in clear air over one month.
Non-quality (Year): Enter the maximum outage duration in clear air over one year.
Quality: Enter the percentage of non-outage that must be exceeded in clear air.
Probability: Enter the outage rate not to be exceeded in clear air. The probability is defined as a function of
the length (L) of the link and a constant. When the multiplying factor of the length is not null, you can define
the average link length so that Atoll can estimate the corresponding outage durations over one month and
one year, as well as the percentage of non-outage.
If you have selected RXLEV as parameter, enter the target level in dBm. This is the minimum received signal level
to be reached.
If you have selected MARG, enter the target margin in dB. This is the minimum thermal fade margin to be reached.
If you have selected IPER, you can choose one of the options under Quality:
Quality: Enter the percentage of non-cutoff that must be exceeded in clear-air conditions.
Probability: Enter the cutoff probability not to be exceeded in clear-air conditions. The probability is defined
as a function of the length (L) of the link and a constant. When the multiplying factor of the length is not null,
you can define the average link length so that Atoll can estimate the corresponding the percentage of noncutoff.
5.11.2.2.3
274
"Checking ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 Availability Objectives" on page 275.
"Creating Customised Availability Objectives" on page 275.
AT332_UMM_E0
When you click one record in the table, Atoll displays the performance objective equation at the top of the dialog box.
The availability %, the monthly durations as well as the annual durations displayed in the table are derived from the
performance objective equation. They are calculated for the user-defined length and when the factor A in the equation is not null.
4. Click Close to close the Availability Objectives dialog box.
Creating Customised Availability Objectives
In addition to the ITU G.821, and ITU G.826 availability objectives, you can define customised availability objectives based on
SESR, ESR, BBER, RXLEV (received signal level), or MARG (thermal fade margin).
To create a new availability objective:
1. In the Parameters explorer, expand Microwave Settings and Performance, and right-click Availability Objectives. The
context menu appears.
2. Select Edit from the context menu. The Availability Objectives dialog box appears.
3. Select the Customised tab and enter the Name of the performance objective in the row marked with the New Row
icon (
):
4. Open the performance objective Properties dialog box as defined in "Accessing Record Properties " on page 61. The
performance objective Properties dialog box appears.
5. Click the General tab and define the following parameters Under Link:
For SESR, ESR, or BBER, select from the Distribution menu if the performance objective is total, for rain conditions
only, or for failures, and choose one of the following availability options:
275
Unavailability (Month): Enter the maximum outage duration over one month for the specified Distribution
setting.
Unavailability (Year): Enter the maximum outage duration over one year for the specified Distribution setting.
Availability: Enter the percentage of non-outage that must be exceeded for the specified Distribution setting.
Probability: Enter the outage rate not to be exceeded for the specified Distribution setting. The probability is
defined as a function of the length (L) of the link and a constant. When the multiplying factor of the length is
not null, you can define the average link length so that Atoll can estimate the corresponding outage durations
over one month and one year, as well as the percentage of non-outage.
If you selected RXLEV as parameter, enter the target level in dBm. This is the minimum received signal level to be
reached.
If you selected MARG, enter the target margin in dB. This is the minimum thermal fade margin to be reached.
):
Name: The name of the frequency band for which you want to define the design rule.
Minimum length (m): The minimum length of the microwave link for the frequency band.
Maximum length (m): The maximum length of the microwave link for the frequency band.
Maximum interferer distance (m): The maximum distance around the studied site to find potential interfering
sites.
Comments: Any comments.
4. To modify a design rule, modify any of the entries in the corresponding row.
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3. To create a frontage, enter the following in the row marked with the New Row icon (
):
5.11.5.1.1
5.11.5.1.2
277
5.11.5.2.1
"Modifying a Microwave Link Template in the MW Link Templates Table" on page 278
"Modifying a Microwave Link Template Using its Properties Window" on page 278.
5.11.5.2.2
278
AT332_UMM_E0
Double-click the transmission link type in the left margin of the Transmission Link Types table. The transmission link
types Properties dialog box appears (see Figure 5.35).
279
The sites that define the hub or sites of a point to multipoint system can be already existing sites or new sites, created automatically at the location you click on the map. Each site in Atoll can support several links, transmitters, and passive repeaters.
This section covers the following topics:
5.11.7.1.1
).
3. Click on the map to create the hub of the point to multipoint system.
4. Click the map at each point you want to insert a new microwave link. If you do not
click an existing site, Atoll creates a new site where you click. The exact coordinates
of the pointers current location are visible in the Status bar.
5. Double-click when adding the last microwave link to complete the point to multipoint system.
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5.11.7.1.2
To place the microwave link more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before
you click the New PMP button (
). For information on using the zooming tools,
see "Changing the Map Scale" on page 43.
If you let the pointer rest over the extremity you have placed, Atoll displays its tip
text with its exact coordinates, allowing you to verify that the location is correct.
Name: The Name field is filled automatically by Atoll, but can be modified.
Frequency band: You must select a frequency band when you create a point to multipoint system. Once you have
selected a frequency band, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the Browse button (
).
Nodal Site: You must select the site that will be the hub of the point to multipoint system. Once you have selected
the hub site, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the browse button (
Type: Select the type: TDMA, FDMA or OFDMA.
Antenna: Select the antenna and its parameters.
).
Radio: Specify the radio equipment Model for the hub. You can click the Browse (
) button to edit or display
the properties of the selected radio equipment.
Additional losses: Specify any additional transmission or reception losses for the hub.
Link template: Specify the microwave link template that is used for new links that are connected to the point to
multipoint system.
Active: The hub activity status.
Comments: Enter any comments for this new point to multipoint system.
3. Click OK. Atoll creates an empty point to multipoint system item in the Point to Multipoint folder.
To add microwave links to the created point to multipoint system, see "Adding a Microwave Link to a Point to Multipoint System" on page 284
5.11.7.1.3
5.11.7.2.1
281
General: The General tab lets you organise folders and assign or save a folder configuration (for information on
folder configurations, see "Folder Configurations" on page 88). You can also organise point to multipoint systems
by using Atoll group, sort, and filter tools.
Table: The Table tab helps you to manage contents, including user-defined fields, of the point to multipoint table.
For information on working with data tables, see "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on page 58.
Display: The Display tab allows you to manage the display of point to multipoint systems depending on their
attributes, to manage the legend, labels on the map, and the contents of tip text using the tip text
mation on changing display options, see "Setting the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32.
. For infor-
4. Click OK.
5.11.7.2.2
).
Be sure to select the antenna icon of the point to multipoint system hub. Do not select the
site icon (
).
General: The General tab lets define the following parameters of the point to multipoint system:
Name: The Name field is filled automatically by Atoll, but can be modified.
Frequency band: You must select a frequency band when you create a point to multipoint system. Once you
have selected a frequency band, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the Browse button (
).
Nodal Site: You must select the site that will be the hub of the point to multipoint system. Once you have
selected the hub site, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the browse button (
).
Type: Select TDMA if the hub systems use time division multiple access, FDMA if it uses frequency division
multiple access, or OFDM if it uses orthogonal frequency division multiple access.
Antenna: Select the antenna and its parameters.
Radio: Specify the radio equipment Model for the hub. You can click the Browse ( ) button to edit or display
the properties of the selected radio equipment.
Additional losses: Specify any additional transmission or reception losses for the hub.
Link template: Specify the microwave link template that is used for new links that are connected to the point
to multipoint system.
Active: The hub activity status.
Comments: Enter any comments for this new point to multipoint system.
Links: The Links tab lets you add, edit, and delete the microwave links that make up this point to multipoint
system.
Display: The Display tab lets you to select and customise the icon symbolising the point to multipoint system on
the map.
An Other Properties tab is available if you have added fields to the Point to Multipoint table.
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5.11.7.3.1
).
3. Move the pointer to the hub on the map. When the frame appears around the hub, indicating it is selected, click to
connect the site.
5.11.7.3.2
5.11.7.3.3
).
Atoll considers all hubs located within the computation zone and within a maximum distance of the each studied site.
The maximum distance can be defined by clicking the Calculation Parameters ( )button. For information on the
computation zone, see "Computation Zone" on page 49.
For each studied site, Atoll displays the following results:
When you click one site in the PMP Connection Analysis window, Atoll selects the site on the map and displays a green
line with an arrow pointing to its best hub and a black dotted line with an arrow pointing to its second best hub.
3. For each site, select the hub that you want to use. By default, the best hub is selected.
If you want to keep the best hub, select the check box in the Select best hub column.
If you want to use the second best hub, select the check box in the Select 2nd best hub column.
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).
Atoll creates a link between each site and the selected hubs based on the hub template selected in the Microwave Link Planning toolbar.
).
To change the activity status of all microwave links of a point to multipoint system:
1. In the Network explorer, expand the Links folder and the Point to Multipoint folder. If the point to multipoint systems
are organised into sub-folders, you will have to expand the sub-folder as well.
2. Right-click the PMP hub whose activity status you want to set. The context menu appears.
3. Select one of the following:
Activate Links: Select Activate Links to make all microwave links of the point to multipoint system active.
Deactivate Links: Select Deactivate Links to make all microwave links of the point to multipoint system inactive.
).
3. On the map, click the microwave link you want to add to the point to multipoint system. The microwave link is added
to the list of microwave links forming the point to multipoint system.
If different, antenna parameters of the start site are updated with the hub characteristics (antenna model, azimuth,
height).
).
2. Select Delete from the context menu. The point to multipoint system is deleted.
You can also delete a point to multipoint system by deleting the row associated with it in the Point to Multipoint table. Deleting a point to multipoint system from the table does not delete the corresponding sites even if there are no other microwave
links relating to that site.
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5.11.7.8 Mapping Microwave Links to Point to Multipoint Systems Using the PMPLink Mapping Table
Atoll enables you create or modify all point to multipoint systems using the PMP-Link Mapping table.
To open the PMP-Link Mapping table:
1. In the Network explorer, expand the Links folder, and right-click the Point to Multipoint folder. If the point to multipoint systems are organised into sub-folders, you will have to expand the sub-folder as well.
2. Select PMP-Link Mapping from the context menu. The PMP-Link Mapping table opens, containing all the point to
multipoint systems and the corresponding microwave links. In this table, you can modify, delete, and add the microwave links that make up a point to multipoint system.
In this section, the following are described:
5.11.7.8.1
"Adding a Microwave Link to a Point to Multipoint System Using the PMP-Link Mapping Table" on page 285
"Editing a Point to Multipoint System Using the PMP-Link Mapping Table" on page 285
"Deleting a Microwave Link from a Point to Multipoint System Using the PMP-Link Mapping Table" on page 285
Adding a Microwave Link to a Point to Multipoint System Using the PMP-Link Mapping Table
To add a link to a point to multipoint system using the PMP-Link Mapping table:
1. Open the PMP-Link Mapping table as explained in "Mapping Microwave Links to Point to Multipoint Systems Using
the PMP-Link Mapping Table" on page 284.
2. In the row with the New Row icon (
a microwave link to.
), click in the cell in the PMP Hub column and select the hub you want to add
3. In the same row, click in the cell in the Link column and select the microwave link you want to add to the PMP hub.
The PMP hub and microwave link must exist to be selected in the PMP-Link Mapping table.
For information on creating a PMP hub, see "Creating a Point to Multipoint System" on
page 280. For information on creating a microwave link, see "Creating Microwave Links"
on page 197.
5.11.7.8.2
5.11.7.8.3
Deleting a Microwave Link from a Point to Multipoint System Using the PMP-Link Mapping
Table
To delete a microwave link from a point to multipoint system using the PMP-Link Mapping table:
1. Open the PMP-Link Mapping table as explained in "Mapping Microwave Links to Point to Multipoint Systems Using
the PMP-Link Mapping Table" on page 284.
2. Click in the left margin of the table row with the microwave link you want to delete.
3. Press DEL to delete the microwave link.
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These settings are calculated for the point to multipoint hub antenna when the point to multipoint system is created.
However, after the point to multipoint has been created, other factors such as the addition of new microwave links might
require these settings to be readjusted. Atoll can recalculate the settings for the point to multipoint hub antenna.
To recalculate the settings for the point to multipoint hub antenna:
1. In the Network explorer, expand the Links folder and the Point to Multipoint folder, and right-click the point to multipoint system of which you want to recalculate the hub antenna settings. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialog box appears.
3. Select the General tab of the Properties dialog box.
4. Under Antenna, click the Calculate button (
) to the right of the Tilt box. The Calculation of the Nodal Antenna
Angles dialog box appears with the recalculated height, azimuth, and tilt values for the point to multipoint hub
antenna.
5. When the values for the point to multipoint hub antenna are recalculated, the point to multipoint system antennas
might need to be adjusted accordingly. If you want Atoll calculate the effect of the recalculated values for the hub
antenna on the link antennas, select the Transfer the misalignments to links check box in the Calculation of the Nodal
Antenna Angles dialog box.
6. Click OK to update the values for the point to multipoint antennas.
5.11.7.10 Adjusting the Antenna of the Point to Multipoint Hub Using the Mouse
To use the mouse to adjust the azimuth of the point to multipoint hub antenna:
1. Select the antenna icon of the point to multipoint hub. The point to multipoint icon changes (
rotate it manually.
2. Click the antenna icon (the point changes:
5.11.7.11.1
3. Click the Best servers tab and define the maximum distance. Atoll will consider all hubs located within a maximum
distance of the studied sites.
4. Click the Antenna Locking tab. Atoll displays all the links and sites to be analysed.
5. For each link and site, select Lock to prevent Atoll from changing the site antenna height, azimuth, and tilt.
6. Click OK.
5.11.7.11.2
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).
For each link and site of point to multipoint systems located within the computation zone, Atoll determines the best
and second best hubs based on the signal level received at the site. Atoll considers all hubs located within the computation zone and within a maximum distance of the studied sites. For information on the computation zone, see
"Computation Zone" on page 49. You can either keep the current antenna height, azimuth and tilt of sites or let Atoll
change these parameters when determining the best and second best hubs. In this case, Atoll points the site antenna
towards its best hub and second best hub.
For each studied link and site, Atoll displays the following results:
Current hub: The name of the hub to which the site is connected. It is displayed in orange when it is different from
the best hub.
Best hub: The name of the best hub.
Best hub received level (dBm): The signal level received at the site from the best hub (i.e. the highest signal level).
Best hub distance (m): The distance between the site and the best hub.
Best hub azimuth (): The orientation of the site antenna in the horizontal plane when connected to the best hub.
Azimuth is always considered with respect to the north.
Best hub tilt (): The orientation of the site antenna in the vertical plane when connected to the best hub. The tilt
is negative when it is downwards and positive when upwards.
2nd best hub: The name of the second best hub.
2nd best hub received level (dBm): The signal level received at the site from the second best hub (i.e. the second
highest signal level).
2nd best hub distance (m): The distance between the site and the second best hub.
2nd best hub azimuth (): The orientation of the site antenna in the horizontal plane when connected to the
second best hub. Azimuth is always considered with respect to the north.
2nd best hub tilt (): The orientation of the site antenna in the vertical plane when connected to the second best
hub. The tilt is negative when it is downwards and positive when upwards.
When you click one site in the PMP Connection Analysis window, Atoll selects the site on the map and displays a green
line with an arrow pointing to its best hub and a black dotted line with an arrow pointing to its second best hub.
4. For each site, define if you want to change the connection. By default, the best hub is selected.
If you want to keep the best hub, select the check box in the Select best hub column.
If you want to use the second best hub, select the check box in the Select 2nd best hub column.
). Atoll removes the original connection and creates a link between the site and
The Commit button is active only when the selected hub is different from the current hub.
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Chapter 6
Backhaul Capacity
Planning
This chapter explains how to use the Atoll backhaul
capacity planning module to model backhaul network
topologies and to dimension backhaul links according to
radio access network traffic.
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You can open an existing Atoll document by selecting File > Open.
You can create a new Atoll document with the "Backhaul" template and create a physical backhaul network as
explained in Chapter 5: Backhaul Networks.
The backhaul capacity planning module relies on an existing physical backhaul network
made of MW links and other transmission links such as optical-links or leased lines. The
radio equipment and capacity must be properly configured. For instructions on creating a
physical backhaul network in Atoll, see "Backhaul Networks" on page 187.
3. Check that the logical layer is consistent with the physical network ( 3 ).
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Figure 6.3: Example of a physical backhaul network with sites and links
This section covers the following topics:
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Figure 6.4: Example of a logical backhaul network with source and destination nodes and segments
This section covers the following topics:
The amount of TDM traffic for each node can be estimated from the numbers of trunk lines (E1, T1, etc.) and capacities. The
amounts of TDM and Ethernet traffic can be directly extracted from an underlying radio access network.
Source nodes are the nodes at the lowest level in the hierarchical network topology. These nodes are the closest to
the end base station.
Destination nodes are the nodes at the highest level in the hierarchical network topology. These nodes are the closest
to the core network.
Segments and links can have multiple relationships, as shown in Figure 6.5, where:
A single segment connecting two nodes may be relayed over a single physical link; microwave or other. This is the most
common situation.
A segment connecting two nodes may be relayed over one physical link to begin with, and two or more links as the
traffic between the two nodes increases. For example, two leased lines instead of only one as the traffic increases.
One or more segments connecting two or more nodes may be relayed over one physical link partitioned into two separate traffic streams. For example, a microwave link serving different networks.
Figure 6.5: A segment comprising two physical links (left) and a physical link carrying two segments (right)
In addition, segments can be used to model the logical connection between a destination node and each source node of a
physical link. For example, in Figure 6.6 on page 294, a leased line connects Site0 to Site1, Site 1 to Site2, and so on to Site5.
For each site, a logical segment exists, which models the connection between the destination node on Site0 and each individual node on the path of the leased line.
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Figure 6.6: Logical segments connecting individual nodes on the path of a leased line
Segments can be created directly on the map by using the mouse. The main parameters of a backhaul segment are:
TDM: circuit traffic demand where assigned DL traffic equals assigned UL traffic.
Ethernet UL: packet upload traffic demand.
Ethernet DL: packet download traffic demand.
In the Atoll map view, nodes are displayed as additional layers over sites. Depending on
whether you want to work with the node or the site, make sure that the display check box
( ) of either the Transport Layer > Nodes folder or the Sites folder is enabled on the
Network tab of the explorer.
For more information about object layers, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map"
on page 31.
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The General tab (see Figure 6.7): This tab provides general information about the node.
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Name: By default, the name of the node is based on the site name appended with a node number (for example,
the first node on a site "Site401" is named as "Site401_N1"). You can rename the node if necessary.
Site: The site on which the node is located.
Sub-network: The optional name of the sub-network to which the node belongs.
Active: The node activity status. Only active nodes are considered in calculations.
Traffic: The traffic demand associated with the node.
TDM: The TDM traffic demand (in Mbps).
UL Ethernet: The uplink Ethernet traffic demand (in Mbps).
DL Ethernet: The downlink Ethernet traffic demand (in Mbps).
Comments: Optional descriptions and comments related to the node.
The Display tab: This tab allows you to specify a particular display format for the current node. This setting overrides
the general display properties for nodes.
Symbol style: Specifies the symbol and colour that is used to display the current node.
Display name with style: Specifies the font and style that is used to display the name of the current node.
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Before importing the list, ensure that for each node the text file contains the following columns:
5. Select the file you want to import and click Open. The Import dialog box appears.
a. Specify the number of the first line of data in the 1st Data Line box. For example, if the text file starts with a header
line, set the 1st Data Line to 2.
b. Select a Decimal Symbol and a Field Separator from the list.
c. Select the Update Records check box if you want to replace the data of records already existing in the table.
Atoll compares the values in the left-most column of the data to be imported with the
values in the same column of the data table to see if records already exist. The values of
these records are replaced when the Update Records check box is selected. If the Update
Records check box is not selected, these records are not imported.
d. Under Field Mapping, align the content of the text file with the content of the node table by clicking the column
header in the Destination row and selecting the corresponding column from imported text file. Select <Ignore>
for source file columns that you do not want to import.
e. Click Import. The nodes are created in the table with the characteristics defined in the text file.
For more information on importing tables, see "Importing Tables from Text Files" on page 70.
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The General tab: This tab provides general information about the segment.
Source node: The site where the source node of the segment is located.
Destination node: The site where the destination node of the segment is located.
Segment is part of a ring: Specifies whether the segment is part of a ring structure.
Booking Factors: The percentage of allowed UL Ethernet and DL Ethernet traffic that exceeds the segment bandwidth. Specify values above 100% to simulate overbooking.
Comments: An optional description or comment related to the segment.
The Link Configuration tab: Use this tab to specify one or several physical links that the segment uses:
Active: Specifies whether the link within the segment is active or inactive.
TDM bandwidth (Mbps): The segment bandwidth available for TDM traffic.
Ethernet bandwidth (Mbps): The segment bandwidth available for Ethernet traffic, in both directions (uplink or
downlink).
Microwave Link or Other Transmission Link: These columns specify either to microwave link or the other type of
link that is used in the segment.
Comments: An optional description or comment related to the link.
Technology: Specifies whether the link uses TDM, packet, or hybrid technology.
The Display tab: This tab allows you to specify the colour and style format for the current segment. This setting overrides the general display properties for nodes.
The Backhaul Capacity Planning module uses two database tables to describe segments.
Depending on the table that you want to access, in the Network explorer, expand Transport Layer and right-click Segments:
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299
Status 1: This indicates the line-of-sight status for the new segment, which implies a suggested link type:
LOS (orange): A line-of-sight exists between the source node and the node 1; a MW link is suggested.
LOS (red): A line-of-sight exists between the source node and the node 1, but the distance exceeds the limit
for MW links specified in the Transport Layer properties; a non-MW link is suggested.
NLOS: There is no line-of-sight between the source node and the node 1; a non-MW link is suggested.
A status for each existing segment in the route:
OK: The segment bandwidth is sufficient to support the traffic generated by the new node.
NOK: The segment will be overloaded if the new node is connected through this route.
3. In the New Route column, choose the most appropriate route to connect the source node and click Create. The New
Segment dialog box opens.
4. In the New Segment dialog box, specify the settings for the new segment and link:
a. Link name: Enter a name for the new link. By default, this is the name of the two sites that are connected by the
link.
b. Ethernet bandwidth and TDM bandwidth: Specify the segment bandwidth.
c. Specify the parameters of the new link, depending on the type of link that is suggested.
d. For a Microwave link, specify the type of MW link or click Browse ( ) to edit the link model. For more information on microwave models, see "Microwave Link Properties" on page 197.
e. For an Other transmission type, specify the link type (such as optical-fibre or leased line) and an Objective class.
For more information on other transmission types, see "Other Transmission Link Properties" on page 206.
f. To create a multi-hop link for end-to-end analysis from the source node to the destination node, select Create the
multi-hop corresponding to the selected path. For more information on multi-hop links, see "Performing an Endto-End Reliability Analysis" on page 234.
5. Click OK.
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The best method for creating segments on a large network is to proceed subnetwork by
subnetwork. You can do this by isolating subnetworks with computation zones or filtering
zones.
When a segment is created over an existing physical link, the bandwidth and technology of the new segment are based on the
characteristics of the physical link.
When a link does not exist, Atoll suggests either a new microwave link or an other transmission link, depending on the lineof-sight and distance parameters.
To route segments for a subnetwork:
1. Locate the destination node for the new subnetwork. This is the highest hierarchical point in the topology of the new
subnetwork.
2. Create a computation zone or a filtering zone around the subnetwork area. For more information on creating zones,
see "Using Zones in the Map Window" on page 48.
3. Right-click the destination node and click Build a Subnetwork. The Build Subnetwork dialog box opens.
Max number of segments: The maximum number of segments between the destination and any node that is
to be connected to the new subnetwork.
Max distance between source and destination: The distance limit from the destination node to which a node
can be connected as part of the new subnetwork.
Use existing segments: If this option is enabled, routes through existing segments are suggested in priority.
Ignore inactive nodes: If this option is enabled, nodes that are not marked as Active are avoided.
Ignore already connected nodes: If this option is enabled, segments can only be routed through nodes that
are not connected.
Priority to microwave links (LOS): If this option is enabled, microwave links are suggested whenever there is
a line-of-sight and the distance is within the limit specified in the New segments section.
Max length of a microwave link (LOS): Specify the maximum distance for which a microwave link is suggested.
If there is a line-of-sight between two nodes, but the distance exceeds this value, then another type of transmission link is suggested.
Max length of another type of link (NLOS): Specify the maximum distance to suggest another type of link, such
as an optical fibre link or a leased line. If the distance between two nodes exceeds this value, then a new
segment is not suggested.
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5. In the Templates tab, specify the settings for the new segments and links:
a. Under Microwave link, select a microwave link Template from the list or select <Auto> to automatically apply the
template specified by the design rules. For more information on microwave link templates, see "Microwave Link
Properties" on page 197.
b. Under Other link types, specify the link Type (such as optical-fibre or leased line) and an Objective class. For more
information on other transmission types, see "Other Transmission Link Properties" on page 206.
6. Click OK. The New Subnetwork Segments dialog box displays the list of segments (from source node to destination
node) that is suggested for the new subnetwork as well as the type of links that the suggested segments use.
In the analysis, Atoll considers the selected node(s) and all nodes located within the computation zone; if no computation zone is defined, all nodes are considered. For information on the computation zone, see "Computation Zone"
on page 49.
7. Click Create to create the subnetwork as listed or click Cancel.
To check that the subnetwork was properly created, right-click the destination node and
select Dimensioning > To this node.
If a segment is highlighted in red, then it was created but the bandwidth was not
properly configured. Right-click the segment and select Properties to configure the
segment bandwidth.
If a segment is not displayed, then it was not created automatically. To create the
missing segment manually, see "Connecting a Node" on page 300.
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Specify a Maximum depth and click Filter to limit the display to a number of segments. This is useful for loops or
when the topology is too complex to display.
Click Expand All to expand the entire topology tree.
To export the topology data, click Export, select a location and filename, and click Save. The topology list is saved
as a tab-delimited text file.
).
3. Click a point of the link and drag the link to the location of the new site or over an existing site. If
4. Release the mouse button. The link is replaced with two links that join the new site.
If a logical segment existed over the link, you must delete it and create a new segment to reflect the change in the network.
For most standard configurations (i.e., one segment relayed over one link), you can use either one of the audit tools.
You can use the audit tools on microwave radio links or other transmission links for the entire backhaul network in the document, or you can define a subnetwork by using a filtering zone or a computation zone. For information on creating zones, see
"Using Zones in the Map Window" on page 48. You can also get a detailed audit for a selected segment or a selected link using
the Transport Analysis Tool.
In the analysis, Atoll considers the nodes and segments located within the computation zone; if no computation zone is
defined, Atoll takes all nodes and segments. Segments are considered inside a zone if both of their nodes are inside the zone.
For information on the computation zone, see "Computation Zone" on page 49.
To audit the backhaul network:
1. Run the audit analysis on segments.
a. In the Network explorer, expand the Transport Layer folder, right-click the Dimensioning and Audit folder, and
select Audit > Segments from the context menu. The Segment Audit dialog box appears.
b. On the General tab of the dialog box, enter a Name and Comments for this study.
c. Click Calculate to save the defined audit analysis and calculate it immediately.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
The audit analysis is available in the Dimensioning and Audit folder in the Network explorer. When the audit analysis is done, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 6.16).
303
) in the Transport Layer toolbar. The Transport Analysis Tool window appears (see Figure 6.17).
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The TDM and Ethernet capacities of the radio as well as the technology supported by the radio for the selected
link.
A table with information for all segments associated with the selected link and a summary "TOTAL".
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e. Right-click each segment in the table and click Reset Bandwidth. This changes the bandwidth configuration so that
it matches the radio capacity of the link.
f.
You can switch between the Link Audit or the Other Transmission Link Audit view to the Segment Audit view by rightclicking a line in the table and selecting Audit.
Under Max traffic load, you can define the constraints that Atoll must respect during the dimensioning analysis.
TDM: The maximum load of TDM traffic not to be exceeded.
UL Ethernet: The maximum load of Ethernet traffic in the uplink not to be exceeded.
DL Ethernet: The maximum load of Ethernet traffic in the downlink not to be exceeded.
Comments: Use this field for optional descriptions and comments related to the dimensioning analysis.
3. Once you have defined the dimensioning analysis, you can calculate it immediately or you can save it to calculate it
later:
Click Calculate to save the defined dimensioning analysis and calculate it immediately.
Click OK to save the defined dimensioning analysis without calculating. To calculate it later, right-click the dimensioning analysis in the Dimensioning and Audit folder and select Calculate from the context menu.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
The dimensioning analysis is available in the Dimensioning and Audit folder in the Network explorer. Once Atoll has finished
calculating the dimensioning analysis, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 6.18).
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Green: The carried traffic does not exceed the bandwidth of the segment.
Red: The segment is overloaded, i.e., the bandwidth of the segment is insufficient to carry the traffic.
You can quickly calculate a dimensioning analysis of the sub-network by right-clicking
the destination node on the map, and selecting Dimensioning > To this node. In this
case, the analysis is based on the default parameters defined in the Transport Layer
folder properties.
).
3. In the map window, move the pointer to the destination node and click. Atoll starts the dimensioning analysis. For the
calculation, Atoll considers the default parameters defined in the Transport Layer folder properties.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
The audit analysis is available in the Dimensioning and Audit folder in the Network explorer. When the audit analysis is done,
the results are displayed in the map window.
The segments along the path are coloured to indicate whether they are overloaded:
Green: The carried traffic does not exceed the bandwidth of the segment.
Red: The segment is overloaded, i.e., the bandwidth of the segment is insufficient to carry the traffic.
Alternatively, you can calculate a dimensioning analysis on a path by right-clicking the
Dimensioning and Audit folder, and selecting Dimensioning > Path. This opens the
Route Dimensioning dialog box. You can select the source and destination nodes from
the drop down list or by clicking the and
buttons and clicking the node on the map.
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Under Max traffic load, you can define the constraints that Atoll must respect during the dimensioning analysis.
TDM: The maximum load of TDM traffic not to be exceeded.
UL Ethernet: The maximum load of Ethernet traffic in the uplink not to be exceeded.
DL Ethernet: The maximum load of Ethernet traffic in the downlink not to be exceeded.
Comments: Use this field for optional descriptions and comments related to the dimensioning analysis.
3. Once you have defined the dimensioning analysis, you can calculate it immediately or you can save it to calculate it
later:
Click Calculate to save the defined dimensioning analysis and calculate it immediately.
Click OK to save the defined dimensioning analysis without calculating. To calculate it later, right-click the dimensioning analysis in the Dimensioning and Audit folder and select Calculate from the context menu.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
The dimensioning analysis is available in the Dimensioning and Audit folder in the Network explorer. Once Atoll has finished
calculating the dimensioning analysis, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 6.18 on page 306).
The TDM traffic load: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "TDM Traffic Load (%)" as the Field.
The UL Ethernet traffic load: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "UL Ethernet Traffic Load (%)" as the
Field.
The DL Ethernet traffic load: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "DL Ethernet Traffic Load (%)" as the
Field.
4. Click OK. The segments are now displayed according to the traffic load (see Figure 6.19).
307
The remaining TDM bandwidth: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "Remaining TDM Bandwidth
(Mbps)" as the Field.
The remaining UL Ethernet bandwidth: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "Remaining UL Ethernet
Bandwidth (Mbps)" as the Field.
The remaining DL Ethernet bandwidth: Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "Remaining DL Ethernet
Bandwidth (Mbps)" as the Field.
4. Click OK. The segments are now displayed according to the remaining bandwidth (see Figure 6.20).
In the map window, place the pointer over the segment that you want more information on. After a brief pause, the
tip text appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the Network dimensioning properties (see Figure
6.21).
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You can sort and filter data in the table. For more information, see "Sorting Data in Tables" on page 79 and "Filtering Data
Objects in the Data Table" on page 82.
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When a failure is simulated, all the sites that rely on the failed site or link are displayed with an Out of Order marker (
).
The failure simulation results are stored in the Network explorer, in the Transport Layer > Dimensioning and Auditing folder.
To display or hide the failure simulation markers, select or clear the Failure simulation display check box ( ).
).
3. In the Network explorer, expand Transport Layer > Dimensioning and Auditing, right click the failure simulation and
select Open Table. The list of out of order sites opens.
).
2. In the Network explorer, expand Transport Layer > Dimensioning and Auditing, right click the failure simulation and
select Open Table. The list of out of order sites opens.
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Index
A
analysis report
defining contents of report (MW) 231
antenna
antenna patterns, printing (MW) 137
changing relative position on the map 40
compatibility with equipment (MW) 159, 160
heights, adjusting (MW) 226
heights, optimising (MW) 226
microwave 132
microwave antenna properties 135
microwave, creating 133
point-to-multipoint link, adjusting 285
point-to-multipoint link, adjusting with the mouse 286
single antenna patterns, editing (MW) 135
antenna patterns
printing 76
archiving
all modifications to the database 19
automatic backup
configuring 25
recovering a backup 26
B
backhaul capacity planning
template 16
backup
configuring 25
recovering a backup 26
BER graphs
creating (MW) 152
budget
defining contents of report (MW) 231
C
cables
creating (MW) 158
microwave 158
channel search, semi-automatic (MW) 248
clearance, displaying for microwave links 218
column headers
formatting 61
columns
changing width 61
displaying 62
freezing 63
hiding 62
moving 63
unfreezing 63
computation zone
importing 51
polygon, creating from 51
context menu
renaming objects 30
coordinate system 22
setting 22
coordinates, searching by 46
coverage prediction
geographic export zone, defining 50
report, displaying using focus zone 50
report, displaying using hot spot zone 50
coverage predictions
restricting sites studied (MW) 212
cursors 56
CW Measurement Analysis Tool
printing data 76
D
data tables
adding a field 59
changing column width 61
changing row height 61
copying data 65
deleting a field 60
displaying columns 62
editing 64
exporting data 41, 68
filtering 79
filtering by selection 82
filtering by several criteria 83
find text 67
formatting column headers 61
formatting table columns 61
freezing columns 63
hiding columns 62
importing data 70
moving columns 63
opening 58
opening record properties from table 60
pasting data 65
printing 72
replace text 67
restoring after filtering 85
sorting 79
sorting by one column 79
sorting by several columns 80
unfreezing columns 63
viewing properties 58
XML files, importing from 71, 147
database
313
E
equipment
compatibility with antennas (MW) 159, 160
importing (MW) 145, 146
explorer window 27
layers 31
F
favourite views 44
feeders, microwave 158
field
adding to a table 59
deleting from a table 60
filter
site list, using for 88
transmitter list, using for 88
filtering
data tables by selection 82
data tables by several criteria 83
restoring after filtering 85
using a polygon 48
with views 90
filtering zone
deleting 52
find
in data tables 67
Find on Map 45
searching by coordinates 46
searching by text property 46
focus zone
explanation 50
314
G
Geo explorer 27
geographic export zone
creating 50
grouping 76
with views 90
H
HIDD_IMAGE_PP 99
HIDD_MAPLAYER_GRAPHIC_PP 114
hot spot zone
explanation 50
using to display coverage prediction report 50
I
interference analysis
report on single link (MW) 257, 258
interference reduction factor
table (MW) 149, 254
interference reduction factor (MW) 149, 254
IRF, see "interference reduction factor"
L
label 34
moving link label (MW) 35
Lambert Conformal-Conic projection 22
layers 31
legend
adding object type 35
displaying 42
displaying Legend window 42
printing Legend window 76
line of sight area
studying (MW) 191, 194
link template
creating (MW) 277
modifying (MW) 278
link, point-to-multipoint, see point-to-multipoint links
M
manufacturers (MW) 132
map
centring on a selected object 43, 44
exporting as image 52
AT332_UMM_E0
favourite views 44
measuring distances 47
moving 42
saving as image 50
map scale
displaying 42
Map toolbar 92
matrix, see "path loss matrix"
measurement units, setting 23
measuring distances on the map 47
microwave error performance events 273
microwave error performance parameters 273
Microwave Link Analysis
printing 76
microwave link template
creating (MW) 277
modifying (MW) 278
Microwave Link toolbar 92
microwave links
analysis report, defining contents of 231
antenna heights, adjusting 226
antenna heights, optimising 226
antenna patterns, printing 137
antenna properties 135
antenna/equipment compatibility 159, 160
antennas 132
antennas, creating 133
budget, defining contents of 231
cables 158
cables, creating 158
calculation parameters 171
calculation parameters, modifying 241
classes, creating 272
classes, modifying 272
clearance, displaying 218
creating (MW) 202, 206
creating with template (MW) 202, 206
design summary, defining contents of 231
equipment, importing 145, 146
error performance events 273
error performance parameters 273
feeders 158
frequency bands 270
frequency planning 244
frequency sub-bands 270
global properties, defining 171
interference on a single link, report 257, 258
interference reduction factor 149, 254
label, moving 35
LOS between sites, studying 191, 194
microwave E-Band propagation model 168, 170
microwave ITU-R P.452 model 167
microwave propagation model 165
multi-hop, creating 235
passive repeater 208
performance objectives 273
point-to-multipoint link 279
N
Network explorer 27
O
objects
changing transparency 34
deleting 31
displaying 31
displaying properties 32
grouping 76
hiding 31
label 34
tip text 35
visibility scale 34
P
Page Setup, see "printing"
Panoramic window 44
Parameters explorer 27
passive microwave repeaters
creating 210
passive repeater
defining properties (MW) 209
passive repeater table, opening (MW) 210
path loss matrix
storing 183
performance objectives
microwave links 273
Point Analysis window
printing 76
point-to-multipoint link
adding a link 284
creating 280
315
properties
changing display 32
switching between property dialogues 32
R
radios
exporting to XML files 147
importing from XML files 147
316
S
scale level, choosing 43
Search toolbar 92
searching for map objects 45, 46
site
moving on the map 39
moving to a higher location 39
site list 86
adding 87
adding site 86
editing 87
exporting 88
filter, using as 88
importing 87
site parity, microwave link 244
sorting
sorting tables by one column 79
sorting tables by several columns 80
with views 90
Standard toolbar 91
T
table columns
formatting 61
Table toolbar 93
tables, see "data tables"
templates 16
backhaul capacity planning 16
deleting (MW) 279
field, adding (MW) 278
field, deleting (MW) 278
field, modifying (MW) 278
microwave radio links 16
Test Mobile Data Analysis Tool
printing 76
AT332_UMM_E0
tip text 35
tool tips, see "tip text"
toolbar
icons 91
Map 92
Microwave Link 92
Search 92
Standard 91
Table 93
Vector Editor 92
Windows 93
transmitter list 86
adding 87
adding transmitter 86
editing 87
editing filter 88
exporting 88
importing 87
transparency, changing 34
zones
creating 50
zooming
choosing a scale 43
in and out 43
in on a specific area 43
W
waveguides
creating (MW) 158
waveguides and cables, microwave
creating 158
Windows toolbar 93
X
XML
exporting microwave radios to 147
importing data tables from 71, 147
importing microwave radios from 147
317
318
Radio Planning
New from template (Ctrl+N)
Station template
New transmitter
Save (Ctrl+S)
Import file
Calculate (F7)
Stop calculations
Cut (Ctrl+X)
Copy (Ctrl+C)
Paste (Ctrl+V)
Undo (Ctrl+Z)
New repeater
Redo (Ctrl+Y)
Help (F1)
Map
Channel arrangement
Refresh (F5)
Export report
Pointer (Esc)
Stop calculations
New node
New segment
Vector Editor
New vector layer
Vector layer to edit
New polygon
New rectangle
New line
Windows
Draw points
Network tab
Combine polygons
Geo tab
Parameters tab
Event viewer
Split a polygon
Panoramic window
Legend window
Site configuration
Toolbars
Table
Import data
Export data
Display statistics
Fill up (Ctrl+U)
Display columns
Align left
Align centre
Align right
Bold
Italic
Advanced filter
Find
Remove filter
Replace
Keyboard Shortcuts
You can access some of the more common functions in Atoll by using keyboard shortcuts.
General
You can use the following shortcuts anywhere in Atoll.
Ctrl+N
Ctrl+Z
Ctrl+Shift+N
Ctrl+Y
Open a file
Ctrl+O
Calculate
F7
Ctrl+P
Force calculations
Ctrl+F7
Ctrl+S
Alt+F8
On-line help
F1
Ctrl+E
Ctrl+F
Ctrl+I
Refresh display
F5
Ctrl+Shift+I
Map Shortcuts
You can use the following shortcuts in the map window.
Next view
Alt+Right Arrow
Zoom on area
Ctrl+W
Previous view
Alt+Left Arrow
Zoom in
Ctrl++
Move map
Ctrl+D
Zoom out
Ctrl+-
Find on map
Ctrl+F
Zoom in/out
Ctrl+Q
Copy
Ctrl+C
Fill down
Ctrl+D
Cut
Ctrl+X
Fill up
Ctrl+U
Paste
Ctrl+V
Find
Ctrl+F
Select all
Ctrl+A
Replace
Ctrl+H
Table Shortcuts
You can use the following shortcuts in a table.
322
Head Office
7 rue des Briquetiers
31700 Blagnac, France
Tel: +33 562 747 210
Fax: +33 562 747 211
AT332_UMM_E0
US Office
China Office
www.forsk.com
October 2016