MW Basic Knowledge

Microwave
Microwave is kind of electromagnetic wave. In a broad sense, the
microwave frequency range is from 300MHz to 300GHz. But in
microwave communication, the frequency range is generally from
3GHz to 30GHz.
According to the characteristics of microwave propagation,
microwave can be considered as plane wave.
The plane wave has no electric field and magnetic field longitudinal
components along the propagation direction. The electric field and
magnetic field components are vertical to the propagation direction.
Therefore, it is called transverse electromagnetic wave and TEM wave
for short

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Frequency

2 GHz (1.7-1.9GHz; 1.9-2.3GHz; 2.4GHz; 2.49-2.69Ghz)

4/5 GHz (3.4-3.8GHz; 3.8-4.2GHz; 4.4-5.0GHz;

5.8GHz)

6 GHz (5.925-6.425GHz;6.430-7.110GHz)
7 GHz (7.125-7.425GHz;7.425-7.725GHz)
8 GHz (7.725-8.275GHz;8.275-8.5GHz;8.50-8.75GHz)
11/13 GHz (10.7-11.7GHz; 12.75-13.25GHz)
15/18 GHz (14.50-15.35GHz; 17.7-19.7GHz)
23GHz; 26GHz; 32GHz; 38GHz;

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Links Capacity

PDH
TDM:

75E1);

(4E1/8E1/16E1/32E1/48E1,Super PDH

Ethernet: (20M/40M/75M);
SDH
TDM: N STM-1 (1N14)
Ethernet: N 138M/150M/170M (1N14)
Split MW SDH (1+1 STM-13+1 STM-1)
Truck MW SDH (7+1 STM-1; 2*(7+1) STM-1)

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Radio Link
Hop
NO.1

Hop
NO.2

Hop
No.n

Or
TX/Rx

Terminal
Station
Cable

TX/Rx

TX/Rx

TX/Rx

Relay station
(Active)

Relay station
(Passive)

Radio Link

Terminal
Station
Cable

Distance between the transmitter and the receiver, a few km < D

Availability and quality depends on the distance recommended b

MW Basic Knowledge
Radio Wave Propagation
1

The radio link propagation follows the line of sight: it requires a perfect clearing
transmitting and receiving antennas. The propagation medium is made of the l
of the atmosphere (a few meters to a few hundred of meters above ground)

The non homogeneity of the atmosphere influences the waves propagation

1. Path curvature
2. Reflecting, diverging, focusing intermittent events
Free space loss (Lfs)=92.4+20log(fd) (dB)
f:GHz, d:km

MW Basic Knowledge
Radio Wave Propagation
2
Atmosphere influence
Refraction

Partial reflection Absorption

n2

n2

Gaz and water vapor

Diffusion
Diffusion
volume

Freq. < 15GHz : insignificant

20 GHz : 0.1 dB / km

i.2

Rain
i.1

n1

n1

Freq. > 10GHz

500km

n1sin i.1 = n2sin i.2

Almost horizontal

MW Basic Knowledge
Radio Wave Propagation

3 influence

Ground
Ground
influence
Diffraction
Reflection

Diffraction on a ridge

Spherical diffraction

MW Basic Knowledge
Radio Wave
Propagation 4

Air refraction index at sea level: n = 1.000 315

N

N = 315 N units

Standard atmosphere N = - 39 N km

Ro
Real Earth

K = R/Ro = 4/3

R
Imaginary Earth

N : Gradient of air refraction index

N may reach more extreme values than + 250 or - 350, during short percentage of time

An imaginary earth with the radius of 8500km, allows to simplify analy

Refraction propagation of radio wave.

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic

Loss Characteristic

The Rules of Loss changing:

A: Higher Frequency; Longer Distance; Worse Loss.
B: Day better than Night; Winter better than Summer;
C: Cloudy, Windy more stable than Sunny day
D: Over water is worse than Over land;
E: Over Hill/Mountain is better than Over Plain;

The reason is the reflection index of

electric wave is changing with
different time, location and height

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
When there is loss in the link, not only with worse
SNR (Signal Noise Ratio), but also the deep loss will
break off the link; To get a better performance and
reliability in MW transmission, we need to consider
some methods to avoid the loss, such as Diversity.
Diversity has the following types: Space diversity,
Frequency diversity, Polarization diversity, Angle
diversity and Multiply diversity.

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
Overcome Loss
1. Space Diversity
Signals have different multi-path effect over different paths
and thus have different fading characteristics. Accordingly, two
or more suites of antennas at different altitude levels to receive
the signals at the same frequency which are composed or
selected. This work mode is called space diversity. If there are n
pairs of antennas, it is called n-fold diversity.
Advantages: The frequency resources are saved;
Disadvantages: The equipments is complicated, as two or
more suites of antennas are required;
Antenna distance: As per experience, the distance between
the diversity antennas is 100 to 200 times the wavelength in the
frequency used frequency bands, and normally we choose 5/10
meters, also we can calculation by;

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
Overcome Loss

1. Space Diversity

d= (100~200)= (100~200)/F
Where v=3*108

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
Overcome Loss
2. Frequency Diversity
Signals at different frequencies have different fading
characteristics. Accordingly two and more microwave
frequencies with certain frequency spacing to transmit and
receive the same information which is then selected or
composed, to reduce the influence of fading. This work mode
called frequency diversity

Advantages: The effort is obvious. Only one antenna is

required;

Disadvantages: The utilization ratio of frequency bands is

low;

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
Overcome Loss
3. Polarization Diversity
When using polarization diversity, utilizing the same aerial
on different polarizations and scrambling polynomials have to
be different for both signals send the same signal.

4. Angle Diversity
The efficiency of angle diversity is based on the antennas
uncorrelated radiation pattern (resultant signals are different).
One antenna and two feeders
Two antennas (are located close to each other, space diversity
effect is achieved if antennas are far a way from each other)
and the other antenna has been tilted

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission Characteristic
Advantage:
1. Can be rapidly installed;
2. Can use the existing network infrastructure repeatedly (digital radio uses the
infrastructure of the analogue radio)
3. Can cross complicated terrains (rivers, lakes and mountains)
4. Can use point-to-point radio transmission structure in the remote mountains
5. Can rapidly restore the communication after the natural disasters
6. Can protect hybrid multiple transmission media

Those advantages not only apply to the fixed nodes or temporary nodes
and feeder routes in the urban areas, but also apply to very long longdistance routes.

MW Basic Knowledge
Microwave Transmission
Characteristic
Disadvantage:

1. Line of sight transmission conditions should be ensured;

2. Transmission distance between two stations should be not too long;
3. Frequencies need to be applied for;
4. Communication quality is greatly affected by the environment;
5. Communication capacity is limited.

Microwave Equipment
Application
Application/Solution
Mobile Network
Application
Cellular Network
Application
Ethernet Application

Application/Solution

Point to Point Digital Microwave transmission s

Coaxial cable
Microwave link

MUX

MUX

Satellite

Fiber optic cable

Mobile Network Application

SDH

SDH

.....

PDH
BTS

PDH

MSC

BTS

PDH
PDH

BTS
BTS

BTS
PSTN

MSC

BSC

PDH
BTS

PDH

SDH

BTS
BTS

BSC
BTS

SDH
BTS

BSC
BTS

PDH

PDH

SDH Microwave
PDH Microwave

BTS

BSC
BTS

PDH

BTS

BTS

SDH

PSTN: Public Switched

Telephone Network
MSC: Mobile Switching Center
BSC: Base Station Controller
BTS: Base Transceiver Station

SDH

SDH

BTS

BTS

BTS

BTS

BTS

BTS

BTS

PDH
BTS

Cellular Network
Application 1

UMTS: Universal Mobile

Telecommunication System

Difficult Areas for Microwave Links

In areas with lots of rain, use the lowest
frequency band allowed for the project.
Microwave hops over or in the vicinity of the
large water surfaces and flat land areas can
cause severe multipath fading. Reflections may
be avoided by selecting sites that are shielded
from the reflected rays.
Hot and humid coastal areas

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