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ITU/BDT Arab Regional Workshop on Transition from Analog to Digital Terrestrial

Television: Trends ,Implementation & Opportunities - Tunisia 2012
www.cert.tn
Session 6 : Radio wave propagation and planning
CoE/ARB Workshop
On
Transition from Analog to Digital (Digital Terrestrial Television:
Trends, Implementation & Opportunities)
Tunisia Tunis , 12 15 March 2012
Session 3 : Radio wave propagation and
planning
Speaker M. Hakim EBDELLI
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Modulator
Amplifier
Combiner
Analog
TV
N
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w
o
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k

A
d
a
p
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Regional TX Site
Network
N
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k

A
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Content
Provider A
Main MUX Center
Mpeg
MUX
Encoder
Encoder
Video
Audio
Data
Video
Audio
Data
M
U
X

Service
Information
Content
Provider B
SI Management
Subscriber Management
CA
Injection
Coverage
Zone
Topics for discussion
System parameters
Sites parameters
Receiver and RX
conditions
Environment and
propagation conditions

Why consider
propagation?
Whats Propagation
models,
Fresnel zone, etc.?
What are
propagation
effects?
Link budget?
Allotment/Assignments
?
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Contents
3 Coverage planning
1 Propagation : General Overview
2 Propagation models
5 Example: Coverage planning and analysis
4 Gap fillers
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Radio transmission
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Why consider propagation?
1. Could my system operate correctly (wanted
signal)?
Required signal intensity/ quality of service over required distance/
area, given the geographic/ climatic region and time period
2. Could my system coexist with other systems
(unwanted signals)?
Degradation of service quality and/ or service range/ area due to
potential radio interference?
Will my system suffer unacceptable interference?
Will it produce such interference to other systems?

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Classical physics
Coulomb (1736-1806)
Galvani (1737-1798)
Volta (1745-1827)
Ampere (1775-1836)
Faraday (1791-1867)
Henry (1791-1878)
Maxwell (1831-1879)
Heaviside (1850-1925)
Tesla (1853-1943)
Hertz (1857-1894)
Popov (1859-1906)
Marconi (1874-1937)

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What is EM field?
A pair of vectors E and H
(Magnitude, Direction, Orientation)
Varying in time and space
Six numbers at every point:
Ex(x,y,z,t), Ey(x,y,z,t), Ez(x,y,z,t)
Hx(x,y,z,t), HY(x,y,z,t), HZ(x,y,z,t)
An antenna produces a field that is approximately a plane wave far from
the antenna in its far-field region
E H direction of wave propagation
E/H = 120 (~377) - wave impedance
[E] = V/m, [H] = A/m

wavelength
MHz F Hz F Hz F
s m c
:
] [
300
] [
10 3
] [
] / [
8
=
= =
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Polarization
Its the orientation of the wave's electric field at a
point in space
Circular polarization
Linear polarization
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Radio propagation
Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves when they are
transmitted, or propagated from one point on the Earth to another, or into
various parts of the atmosphere.
Affected by :
The phenomena of Reflection, refraction, diffraction, absorption and scattering.
The daily changes of water vapor in the troposphere and ionization in the upper
atmosphere due to the Sun
Radio waves at different frequencies propagate in different way
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Propagation effects: long-term modes
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Propagation effects: short-term modes
Anomalous (short-term) interference propagation mechanisms
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Propagation effects
Reflection
the abrupt change in direction of a wave
front at an interface between two dissimilar
media so that the wave front returns into the
medium from which it originated.
Reflecting object is large compared to
wavelength.

Scattering
a phenomenon in which the direction (or
polarization) of the wave is changed when
the wave encounters propagation medium
discontinuities smaller than the wavelength
(e.g. foliage, )
Results in a disordered or random change
in the energy distribution

Refraction
Redirection of a wavefront passing
through a medium having a
refractive index that is a
continuous function of position
(e.g., a graded-index optical fibre,
or earth atmosphere) or through a
boundary between two dissimilar
media
Diffraction
The mechanism the waves spread as
they pass barriers in obstructed radio
path (through openings or around
barriers)
P.526 : Propagation by diffraction -
Approved in 2009-10

Absorption
The conversion of the transmitted EM energy into another
form, usually thermal.
The conversion takes place as a result of interaction
between the incident energy and the material medium, at the
molecular or atomic level.
One cause of signal attenuation due to walls, precipitations
(rain, snow, sand) and atmospheric gases

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Ionospheric reflections
The ionosphere is transparent for
microwaves but reflects HF waves
There are various ionospheric
layers (D, E,F1, F2, etc.) at various
heights (50 300 km)
Over-horizon communication
range: several thousand km
Suffers from fading
Ionospheric reflectivity depends
on time, frequency of incident
wave, electron density, solar
activity, etc. Difficult to predict
with precision

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Ducting
When ducting occurs, signals travel along and
within the inversion layer, reflected off its
boundarie
Ducting effects occur primarily because
of temperature inversions at a height of
between 500m and 1500m, and occasionally up
to 3000m. Such inversions are not caused by
local "weather" or terrain, but rather by climatic
conditions
radio signals:
are bent by atmospheric refraction
are guided or ducted
tend to follow the curvature of the Earth,
experience less attenuation in the ducts than they
would if the ducts were not present
It also causes long distance propagation
of radio signals in bands that would normally be
limited to line of sight
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Ducting and Range Limitation
The earths curvature limits the maximum range to be
achieved
The maximum cell range can be calculated with Equation
below
approximately 40 km with an 80 m antenna high assuming that the terminal is at ground
level.
To achieve 100 km cell range, the required antenna height is 580 m!!!
Ducting helps improve the range of radio sites
R = 8650 km
(Effective earth radius for radio propagation
is 4/3 larger than real radius)
R d R h
h R d R
+ =
+ = +
2 2
2 2 2
) (
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Latency & frequency shift
Consequences of limited velocity of radio wave:
Received wave is delayed due to the travel time
Received wave frequency is shifted due to Doppler effect (if
transmitter or receiver move)
Doppler effect: the apparent
change in frequency of a
wave that is perceived by an
observer
moving relative to the
source of the wave
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Quiz
What is latency of signals
From HAPS (dist. 20 km)?
From International Space Station (360 km)?
From a geostationary satellite (36000 km)?
What is Doppler shift of 3 GHz signal received at a
fixed station From :
a car (100 km/h)?
jet aircraft (1000 km/h)?

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Contents
3 Coverage planning
4 Gap fillers
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What is propagation model?
A propagation model :
describes the average signal propagation, and it converts the maximum allowed propagation loss to
the maximum cell range.
Is a relation between the signal radiated and signal received as a function of distance and other
variables
It depends on:
Environment : urban, rural, dense urban, suburban, open, forest, sea
Distance, Frequency, atmospheric conditions, Indoor/outdoor
Different models
different environments (indoor-outdoor; land-sea-space; )
Different applications (point-to-point, point-to-area, )
Different frequency ranges
Recommendation ITU-R P.1144-5 (10/2009)
Guide to the application of the propagation methods of Radiocommunication Study Group 3
It advises users on the most appropriate methods for particular applications as well as the limits,
required input information, and output for each of these methods.
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Free space propagation
ITU-R P.525 : Calculation of free-space attenuation -
Approved in 1994-08
where:
Lbf : free-space basic transmission loss (dB)
d : distance
: wavelength, and
d and are expressed in the same unit.

where:
f : frequency (MHz)
d :distance (km).

OR
] [ )
4
log( 20 dB
d
Lbf
t
=
] [ ) log( 20 ) log( 20 4 . 32 dB d f Lbf + + =
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LoS (Line-of-Sight) Model
Power flow from T to R
concentrates in the 1st
Fresnel zone
Propagation is assumed
to occur in LoS, i.e. with
negligible diffraction
phenomena if there is
no obstacle within the
first Fresnel ellipsoid.

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Fresnel Zone
Fresnel zones are loci of points of constant path
length difference of /2 (1800 phase difference )
The radius of an ellipsoid at a point between the transmitter and the
receiver can be approximated by:

or, in practical units(where f :frequency (MHz) ,d
1
and d
2
:the distances
(km) between TX and RX at the point where the ellipsoid radius (m) is
calculated:

T R
d1 d2
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Quiz
Max. radius of the 1st Fresnel zone:
Frequency = 3 GHz (= 0.1m)
T R distance =4 km
A LOS link shown in the figure was designed with
positive link budget. After deployment, no signal was
received. Why?

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Okumura-Hata model
Suited for mobile transmissions and it is based on extensive empirical
measurements
Frequency: 150 MHz to 1500 MHz / Mobile Station Antenna Height: between 1 m and 10 m
Base station Antenna Height: between 30 m and 200 m / Link distance: between 1 km and 20 km
For Urban Areas

for small or medium sized city:

for large cities:

) log( * )] log( * 55 . 6 9 . 44 [ ) log( * 82 . 13 ) log( * 16 . 26 55 . 69 d h C h f Lu
B H B
+ + =
) log( * 56 . 1 * ) 7 . 0 ) log( * 1 . 1 ( 8 . 0 f h f C
M H
+ =
s
s s
=
1500 200 , 97 . 4 2 )) * 75 . 11 (log( * 2 . 3
200 150 , 1 . 1 2 )) * 54 . 1 (log( * 29 . 8
f if h
f if h
C
M
M
H
Parameters Unit Significance Parameters Unit Significance

Lu dB Path loss in Urban Areas f MHz Frequency of Transmission
h
B
m Height of base station Antenna C
H
dB Antenna height correction factor
h
M
m Height of mobile station Antenna d km Distance between Base station and MS
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Okumura-Hata model
For Suburban Areas
Presence of man-made structures but are not so high and dense as in
the cities

Lu= Path loss in Urban Areas. [dB]
Lsu= Path loss in suburban Areas. [dB]
f = Frequency of Transmission. [MHz]
For open Areas
in open areas where no obstructions block the transmission link

94 . 40 ) log( 33 . 18 )) (log( 78 . 4 ] [ + = f f Lu dB Lo
4 . 5 ))
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(log( 2 ] [ =
f
Lu dB Lsu
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ITU-R P.1546 Propagation model
Method for point-to-area predictions for terrestrial services in the frequency
range 30 MHz to 3 000 MHz : version P.1546-4 (10/09)
Broadcasting, land mobile, maritime mobile, and certain fixed services (e.g. P-MP)
Applicable over land paths, sea paths and/or mixed land-sea paths
Between 1-1 000 km length
Effective transmitting antenna heights less than 3 000 m
The method is based on interpolation/extrapolation from empirically derived field-strength
curves as functions of distance, antenna height, frequency and percentage time.
The calculation procedure also includes corrections to the results obtained from this
interpolation/extrapolation to account for terrain clearance and terminal clutter obstructions.
The propagation curves represent field-strength values for:
1 kW (e.r.p.) at nominal frequencies of 100, 600 and 2 000 MHz, respectively, as a function of various
parameters;
Some curves refer to land paths, others refer to sea paths.
Interpolation or extrapolation of the values obtained for these nominal frequency values should be used
to obtain field-strength values for any given required frequency
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Transmitting/base antenna height
The method takes account of the effective height of the transmitting/base antenna, which is the height of the antenna above
terrain height averaged between distances of 3 to 15 km in the direction of the receiving/mobile antenna. For land paths shorter
than 15 km where the information is available the method also takes account of the height of the transmitting/base antenna
above the height of representative clutter (i.e. ground cover) at the location of the transmitting/base station
The field strength versus distance curves are given for values of h1 of 10, 20, 37.5, 75, 150, 300, 600 and 1 200 m. For any values
of h1 in the range 10 m to 3 000 m an interpolation or extrapolation from the appropriate two curves should be used,
Time variability
The propagation curves represent the field-strength values exceeded for 50%, 10% and 1% of time. A method for interpolating
between these values is given.
Mixed-path method
In cases where the radio path is over both land and sea the estimate of mixed-path field strength should be made using the given
method
Receiving/mobile antenna height
h2=10m
To allow for values of h2 different from the height represented by a curve a correction should be applied according to the
environment of the receiving/mobile antenna. The method for calculating this correction is given.
Terrain clearance angle correction
For land paths, improved accuracy of predicted field strengths can be obtained by taking into account terrain near the
receiving/mobile antenna, if available, by means of a terrain clearance angle.

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Location variability
The propagation curves represent the field-strength values exceeded at 50% of
locations within any area of typically 500 m by 500 m. Location variability and the
method for calculating the correction required for percentages of location other
than 50% is given
Equivalent basic transmission loss
method for converting from field strength for 1 kW e.r.p. to the equivalent basic
transmission loss is given
Variability of atmospheric refractive index
It is known that median field strength and its variability over time varies in different
climatic regions. The field strength curves apply to temperate climates. A method
of adjusting the curves for different regions of the world based on the vertical
atmospheric refractivity gradient data associated with Recommendation ITU-R
P.453 is given
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Maximum field-strength values
Emax = Efs [dB(V/m)] for land paths
Emax = Efs + Ese dB(V/m) for sea paths
where Efs is the free space field strength for 1 kW e.r.p. given by:
E fs =106.920log(d) [dB(V/m)]
and Ese is an enhancement for sea curves given by:
Ese =2.38{1exp(d /8.94)}log(50/t) dB
where: d : distance (km) / t : percentage time.
In principle any correction which increases a field strength must not be allowed
to produce values greater than these limits for the family of curves and
distance concerned.

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ITU-R P.1546 Propagation model - Example
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Propagation model tuning
Tune propagation model parameters using CW
drive test
03 steps: preparation/Propagation/processing
1: Test preparation
Equipment required
Antenna selection
Channel selection
Power setting
Route planning
Test site selection
2: Propagation test
Transmitter setup
Receiver setup
Drive test
Transmitter dismantle
3: Data processing
Measurement averaging
Report generation

1
2
3
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Propagation model tuning - 1: Test preparation
Equipment required
Receiver with fast scanner
The receiver scanner rate should conform
to the Lee Criteria of 36 to 50 sample per
40 wavelength
CW Transmitter
Base Station test antenna
Accessories : Including flexible coaxial
cable/jumper, Power meter, GPS,
compass, altimeter
antenna selection:
an omni-directional antenna is
preferred

Channel selection:
should be free from occupation
From the guard bands
Other free channels according to the up-to-
date frequency plan
will need to be verified by conducting a
pre-test drive
It should always precede the actual CW drive
test to verify the exact free frequency to be
used
It should cover the same route of the actual
propagation test
A field strength plot is generated on the
collected data to confirm the channel suitability
Power setting:
the maximum transmit power is used
On sites with existing antenna system, it is
recommended that the transmit power be
reduced to avoid interference or inter-
modulation to other networks.

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Propagation model tuning - 1: Test preparation
Route planning:
The drive route of the data collection is planned
prior to the drive test using a detail road map
Eliminate duplicate route to reduce the testing
time
Each clutter is tested individually and the drive
route for each test site is planned to map the
clutter under-study for the respective sites
It is important to collect a statistically significant
amount of data, typically a minimum of 300 to
400 data points are required for each clutter
category
The data should be evenly distributed with
respect to distance from the transmitter
In practice, the actual drive route will be
modified according to the latest development
which was not shown on the map. The actual
drive route taken should be marked on a map for
record purposes

Test site selection:
Test sites should be selected
so that:
They are distributed within the
clutter under study
The height of the test site should
be representative or typical for
the specific clutter
Preferably not in hilly areas

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Propagation model tuning - 2: Propagation test
Transmitter Equipment Setup
Test antenna location
Free from any nearby obstacle, to
ensure free propagation in both
horizontal and vertical dimension
For sites with existing antennas,
precaution should be taken to avoid
possible interference and/or inter-
modulation
Transmitter installation
A complete set of 360 photographs
of the test location (at the test
height) and the antenna setup should
be taken for record

Scanning Receiver Setup
The scanning rate of the receiver
should always be set to allow at least
36 sample per 40 wavelength to
average out the Rayleigh Fading
effect.
For example: scanning rate = 100
sample/s
test frequency = 600 MHz
therefore, to achieve 36 sample/40
wavelength, the max. speed is
=(40*300/600)*(100/36)=55.56
m/s=200 km/h
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Propagation model tuning - 2: Propagation test
Drive test
Initiate a file to record the
measurement with an agreed
naming convention
Maintain the drive test
vehicle speed according to
the pre-set scanning rate
Follow the pre-plan drive
route as closely as possible
Insert marker wherever
necessary during the test to
indicate special locations such
as potential interferer etc.
Monitor the GPS signal and
field strength level
throughout the test, any
extraordinary reading should
be inspected before resuming
the test
Dismantling Equipment
It is recommended to re-
confirm the transmit power
(as the pre-set value) before
dismantling the transmitter
setup

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Propagation model tuning - 3:Data Processing
Data Averaging
This can be done during the
drive testing or during the
data processing stage,
depending on the scanner
receiver and the associated
post-processing software
The bin size of the distance
averaging depends on the size
of the human made structure
in the test environment
Report Generation
The measurement data is
exported into the planning
tool
Plots can also be generated
using the processing tool or
using MapInfo
During the export of the
measurement data, it is
important to take care of the
coordinate system used, a
conversion is necessary if
different coordinate systems
are used
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Contents
3 Coverage planning
4 Gap fillers
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Coverage planning : Purpose
For TV, universal coverage is general
A large part of the network costs is related to the number of sites and
investments in transmitters and antennas. It is therefore important to
carefully investigate the station characteristics and optimize coverage.
With network planning, coverage problems can be identified at an early
stage and solutions can be sought before the network is implemented.
Furthermore, network planning can be an efficient tool for consumer
marketing.
A coverage presentation shows :
coverage probability (in the presence of noise and interference) in the wanted service
area,
Coverage contours and predictions
the % of population obtaining the required coverage quality,
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Technology choice
System parameters
identification
Planning criteria
identification
Transmitting
equipment availability
Service area
identification
Radiation characteristics
identifications (link
budget)
Conformity check
Coordination
Business case
Capacity requirements
SDTV/HDTV specifics;
Regional agreements
Equipments availability
Spectrum availability
System performance evaluation

Regional plans
Network quality
Link budget
Regional
plans
Coverage Planning process
Start
Frequency plans
Equipments and antenna characteristics
coverage presentations
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Link Budget
The link budget calculations estimate the maximum allowed
signal attenuation between the Transmitter and Receiver
antennas. The maximum path loss allows the maximum range
to be estimated with a suitable propagation model.
The range gives the number of sites required to cover the
target geographical area.

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Link Budget
TX Cables/connectors Loss [dB]
TX Antenna gain [dBd/dBi]
TX power [dBm]
RX Cables/connectors Loss [dB]
Corrections and margins [dB]
RX Sensitivity [dBm]
dBm
ERP/EIRP [dBm]
dBm ERP : Effective Radiated Power
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Radiation characteristics
Its TX power and antenna selection
Radiation characteristics can be derived from the specifications of
each Plan entry in the GE06 Agreement (Maximum allowed in the
GE06 Agreement)
Radiation characteristics may be limited by practical
circumstances such as mast space and the facilities at
a site.
When more power is needed than allowed or
practically possible, power distribution by means of
an SFN can be considered
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Link Budget TX Power
It depends on:
Requirements: High power site, Repeater (gap filler), small/big city, highways, border site
Bande: UHF, VHF, L-band
Maximum allowed in the GE06 Agreement
National and local regulations (health hazard and EMC considerations)
Different power classes:
LARCAN: 1 Watt to 12kW and beyond
Rhode and Schartz: up to 29 kW
Thomson: up to 36 kW
Axcera: up to 30 kW

In some cases, existing analogue transmitters can be converted to digital by:
replacing the analogue modulation unit by a digital modulation unit and
reducing the power amplification to obtain the required linearity for digital transmissions
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Link Budget Antennas
Different:
Frequency range: UHF, VHF
Antenna gains,
Antenna patterns
Supported power
VSWR
Polarization
The choice of radiation characteristics effects:
Costs of the DTTB transmission;
use can be made of existing installations in order
to restrict investment costs
Coverage quality.
within the limits of the allowed maximum radiated power,
coverage is maximized at all frequencies that are
transmitted from the site
More tiers more gain
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Transmitter power and antenna gain
Important topics to consider with regard to transmitter power
and antenna gain are:
Trade off between transmitter power and antenna gain;

Horizontal antenna pattern: Non-directional/directional

Trade-off element Generally less (-), more (+) or more or less neutral (0) contribution
Low TX power High TX power High antenna gain Low antenna gain
Investment costs - + + -
Operational costs - + 0 0
Space requirements - + + -
Reception problems near site 0 0
- +
directional
Non-directional
Channel 23
Channel 57
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Important topics to consider with regard to transmitter power and antenna
gain are:
Vertical antenna pattern;
The maximum antenna gain depends on the number of tiers of the antenna.
More tiers result in a more directional vertical antenna pattern, a higher maximum gain, but also
more length and weight,
hence increasing requirements for the mechanical strength of the mast.
The gain and length of practical non-directional antennas for main stations range from:
Band III: 2 to 15 dB; length: 1.2 to 25 m;
Band IV/V: 7 to 18 dB; length: 2.2 to 18.5 m.
The vertical radiation pattern shows maxima and minima (nulls), causing considerable field
strength variations within a few kilometers from the site.
In the direction of nulls, reception may be problematic close to the transmitting site. This is more
apparent with portable, mobile or handheld RX where high field strength values are required.
To cure reception problems near the site the following two solutions can be applied:
1. Null-fill, but at the cost of some additional gain;
2. An antenna with a lower number of tiers and consequently less gain.
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Important topics to consider with regard to transmitter
power and antenna gain are:
Combining transmissions into one antenna.
For economical reasons in most cases, all transmissions at a site are
combined into one antenna.
Horizontal radiation patterns are different per frequency
When attenuations at certain frequencies are not
acceptable and there is no space on the mast for an
additional antenna, multi-pattern antenna can be
considered. With a multi-pattern antenna, each
frequency has its own pattern, while using the same
physical antenna.
The sum of mean power and peak voltage of all
transmitters should not exceed the allowed mean
power and peak voltage of the antenna system.
Combiners cause some power loss: from 0.2 to 0.7 dB
Modulator
Amplifier
Combiner
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Reception modes
GE06 Agreement defines three reception modes:
Fixed reception;
Portable reception (indoor and outdoor);
Mobile reception.
The required minimum median field strength
values for portable, in particular portable indoor,
reception is much higher than for fixed reception.
Because of the high field strength requirements,
portable reception over large areas can, in
practice, be achieved only by means of power
distribution and use of SFNs
Fixed
RX
Portable Indoor RX
Portable outdoor RX
Mobile RX
Difference of signal strength requirements for portable and fixed RX
Band Emed difference portable indoor - fixed RX Emed difference portable outdoor - fixed RX
III 31 dB 21 dB
IV/V 37 dB 25 dB
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Reception modes
For selecting the RX mode the following guidance can be
given:
Public broadcasting services often have a universal coverage obligation and
require nearly full coverage. In practice, in most countries, the universal
coverage obligation is related to fixed reception.
In situations where fixed analogue TV reception is common practice, fixed
DTTB reception is facilitated if the existing receiving antennas can be used
In situations where (almost) no rooftop antennas are present, installing
rooftop antennas may form an obstacle for accepting DTTB services. Indoor
portable reception, at least for main population centers should then be the
aim.
In situations where DTTB has to compete with wired services such as cable TV
or IPTV, portable reception gives an important advantage.
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Coverage probability
The percentage of locations in a small area (say 100 by 100 m) where reception is possible with a
certain receiving installation.
When the required signal strength of analogue television is decreased below the required value,
the picture is still visible but becomes gradually noisier. For that reason it is common practice to
plan analogue TV services with a location probability of 50%. However a characteristic of digital
television is the sharp degradation of quality when the signal to noise ratio and signal to
interference ratio drop below the required values. To ensure good DTTB coverage quality, a high
percentage of receiving locations should obtain satisfactory reception.
Coverage quality is related to the reception mode (fixed, portable, mobile) for which the service is
planned
The minimum median field strength values (Emed) for fixed and portable reception given in the
GE06 Agreement are based on a location probability of 95%
With 95% location probability, in general good reception can be obtained. Location percentage less than 90% may well lead
to complaints.
For portable reception, location probabilities as low as 70% are sometimes used as a basis for coverage assessment. A
number of measures can be taken on the receiving site to improve reception. For example, it is possible to move the
receiving antenna to an optimal position.
For mobile (vehicular) reception often a location probability 99% is chosen.
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Polarization
The choice of polarization of the transmitting antenna depends in principle on:
The RX mode, with fixed reception generally H polarization is chosen. If portable, mobile or
handheld reception is a major requirement, V polarization is recommended because:
Portable, mobile and handheld receiving antennas are generally vertically polarized,
At low receiving height the field strength with V polarization is higher than with H polarization.
The polarization of the installed rooftop antennas,
if rooftop antennas are installed on a considerable number of houses, the polarization of these
rooftop antennas (generally horizontal) should be used, otherwise many viewers have to modify their
antenna installations.
The need to apply orthogonal polarization between co-channel transmissions, in order to
reduce interference (polarization discrimination). However, orthogonal polarization between
main transmitting sites is not much used in practice.
However, if existing transmitting antennas are used the polarization is given by that of the
existing antenna (generally horizontally polarized).
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Calculation of minimum median field strengths
) 120 ( 10 log 10 120 )
4
64 . 1
( log 10 ) ( log 10 min
10 10
t
t
+ + +
(
+
(
+ = Lf G
N
C
kTBF E
RX indoor portable for min
RX mobile and outdoor portable for min
reception fixed for min
Lb Lh Cl Pmmm E Emed
Lh Cl Pmmm E Emed
Cl Pmmm E Emed
+ + + + =
+ + + =
+ + =
T2) - DVB (extended, MHz 8 for 10 x 7.77
MHz 8 for Hz 10 7.61 MHz, 7 for Hz 10 6.66 BW noise RX : B
K) 290 (T re temperatu absolute : T
J/K) 10 1.38 (k constant s Boltzmann : k
(dB) figure noise Receiver : (dB), loss feeder : Lf
(m) signal the of h wavelengt :
(dBd) dipole half to related gain antenna : G
(dBm) aperture antenna effective : Aa
(dB) system by the required input RX at the SNR RF :
N
C
6
6 6
0 0
23
=
=
=
=
F
99%) for 2.33 and 95% for 1.64 70%, for (0.52 factor on distributi :
(dB) loss entry building deviation standard : b
dB) 5.5 m ( (dB) scale - macro deviation standard : m
(dB) deviation standard combined :
(dB) loss entry building mean : Lb
(dB)) AGL m 1.5 at antenna (RX factor correction loss height : Lh
(dB) factor correction location : Cl
o
o o
o
=
c
(dB) noise made - man for allowance : Pmmn
(dB(V/m)) strength field median min : Emed
(dB(V/m)) antenna RX the of location at the strength field min : Emin
Ps min
Aa
min |
(dBW/m) place receiving at density - flux power minimum : min
(dBW) power input receiver minimum : min Ps
|
m b c
c Cl
o o o
o
+ =
=
53
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Calculation of minimum median field strengths - Example
Outdoor standard deviation (dB): 5.5
System parameters DVB-T
FFT size 8K
Modulation 64-QAM
Code rate 2/3
Guard interval 1/4
System bandwidth (MHz) 8
Signal bandwidth (MHz) 7.61
Required C/N (dB)
Rice 19.5
Rayleigh 21.8
Receiver parameters
Receiving condition Fixed
Noise factor (dB) 7
Man-made noise margin
(dB)
0
Antenna gain (dBd) 10.1
Feeder loss (dB) 3.1
Antenna height (m) 10
54
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Calculation of minimum median field strengths - Example
49.0
50.0
51.0
52.0
53.0
54.0
55.0
56.0
57.0
58.0
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
d
B
V
/
m

Channels 21 69
Emed 10m, 95% of locations, Fixed RX mode
Emed 10m, 95% of locations, Fixed RX mode
5.1 dB
Note: 0.06 dB between 7.77 MHz and 7.61 MHz
55
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Network planning results
Coverage presentations showing for the chosen reception mode:
Site locations
Coverage probability (in the presence of noise and interference) in the wanted service area;
Population obtaining the required coverage quality.
Lists of characteristics of each station including:
Maximum effective radiated power (ERP);
Horizontal and vertical antenna pattern;
Antenna height;
Site location;
System variant and bit rate of the multiplex.
These data are the bases for :
predicting transmission costs, potential number of customers and
number of services and picture and sound quality of the planned network.
Network Roll-out
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Trade-off between network roll-out speed, network costs and
network quality
Roll-out speed, networks costs and network quality are interrelated and an
optimal balance should be chosen.
Speed
Quality
Cost
4
3
2
1
0
5
Speed
Quality
Cost
4
3
2
1
0
5
Speed
Quality
Cost
4
3
2
1
0
5
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 1
Good coverage of main
population centers with
many MUX ASAP
Phase 2
Network roll-out is slower
and poor coverage in areas
without competition is
acceptable.
Phase 1
Roll out of a few MUX with similar
coverage as for analogue TV, before
ASO and service interruptions due to
equipment failure or maintenance are
acceptable.
Phase 2
After ASO gradually more MUXs will
be rolled out and better service
availability will be obtained
Good indoor and
mobile reception
in and around
main population
centers, with
new sites to
obtain better
coverage in
SFN.
Site
acquisition, takes
a long time and
slow network
rollout is
acceptable
57
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Contents
3 Coverage planning
4 Gap fillers
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Gap filler Overview
Also called Fill-in transmitters, repeaters.
Low power transmitters used for coverage
of small areas with poor reception from a
main transmitter.
Mainly used in complex outdoor
environments or complex terrains such as
mountains, Underground locations,
highways, villages, railways
Often have a directional antenna diagram.
Consequently a fill-in transmitter has
limited interference potential to other TV
coverage areas. For this reason and
because the coverage area of a fill-in
transmitter is in general shielded from
other transmitters, frequency reuse
distances can be relatively small.

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Gap Filler Working principles
Are mainly fed off-air from a main
transmitter
The received signal is down-
converted to IF and reconverted
to the required transmission
frequency.
The transmission frequency can
be different from the received
frequency or the same. In the
latter case the fill-in transmitter
operates as SFN with the main
transmitter.

60
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Gap Filler Working principles
2 cases:
Use MFN: no technical limitation in radiated power.
Use SFN:
To prevent oscillation, the gain of the fill-in transmitting equipment must be lower than the
measured feedback. Measured isolation values range from about 60 to 110 dB
A safety margin of 10 dB is applied to the isolation value in order to allow for time variations.
Modern fill-in transmitter equipment allows amplification of 10 to 15 dB above the isolation value.
The isolation can be improved by:
Larger separation between receiving and transmitting antenna;
Increased receiving and transmitting antenna directivity;
Use of orthogonal polarization between input and output signal.
If the radiated power is not sufficient to cover the area:
either a TX frequency different from the RX frequency should be used (MFN) if available, or
the fill-in should be fed by microwave link, satellite or cable. In this case, the fill in
transmitter should be equipped with a modulator.
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Gap Fillers Implementation
Detailed coverage assessment will identify
the areas where fill-in transmitters are
needed.
A sufficiently strong input signal should be
received. An input level above -55 dBm is
generally needed to ensure a good quality
output signal. In order to obtain such
input values, LoS between the main TX
antenna and the RX antenna of the fill in
station is likely to be required.
For SFN Care must be taken to ensure
sufficient isolation between input and
output signal. The output power depends
on isolation value.
For that reason measurements and
possibly adjustments are needed at each
site and at each frequency before the fill-
in station becomes operational.

Element Fill-in TX
Measured input signal (Pi) -75 dBW
Measured isolation minus 10 dB safety margin (I) 65 dB
Gain margin (Gm) 10 dB
Maximum gain (I + Gm) 75 dB
Output power (Po = Pi + I + Gm) 0 dBW
Transmitting antenna gain minus cable loss (Gt) 10 dB
Allowed radiated power (ERP = Po + Gt) 10 dBW
! Experience has shown that, for DTTB, fewer fill-in
transmitters are needed than for analogue TV.
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Contents
3 Coverage planning
4 Gap fillers
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Example: Coverage planning and analysis
3 Coverage analysis
1 Site Settings
2 Propagation model Settings
4 Remedying Actions
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3 Coverage analysis
1 Site Settings
4 Remedying Actions
65
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3 Coverage analysis
1 Site Settings
4 Remedying Actions
66
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Example: Coverage planning
and analysis
3 Coverage analysis
1 Propagation : Site Settings
4 Remedying Actions
Coverage hole
3D
view
67
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3 Coverage analysis
1 Site Settings
4 Remedying Actions
New gap filler
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Example 2: Propagation models P.1546
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Example 2: Propagation models - CRC
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Example 2: Propagation models P.1546 - CRC
71
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Hakim Ebdelli
Abdeli.Hakim@cert.mincom.tn
thank you

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ITU/BDT Arab Regional Workshop on Transition from Analog to Digital Terrestrial

Parameters Unit Significance Parameters Unit Significance

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