TERRESTRIAL MICROWAVE-generally provide
wireless signal connection between two specific
points of earth
-today,microwave users include many non
traditional institutions that need a quick reliable
means of transferinng voice, data, and video
b/w office, factories, ware houses and stations
*MICROWAVE IS AN EXCELLENT SOLUTION
FOR MANY COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
COMMON APPS:
**MOBILE BACKHAUL-80 % of cellular tower
worldwide use microwave links to connect the
base station back to the transmission network
**METRO ACCESS-Microwave links are use by
incumbent and competitive carriers to provide
high speed access to office buildings
**LONG HAUL BACKBONE-microwave links are
common for backbone links to smaller cities
and towns, and where the terrain is difficult.
**ENTERPRISE- hospitals and universities use
microwave links to connect campuses,
bypassing the telephone company.
**CONTROL AND MONITORING-railways and
pipeline companies use microwave to control
and monitor their infrastratures.
>>traditionally, microwave design were done
manually.
>>However with the use of computers, this
makes microwave design as simple as data
entry.
->>some path calculations can be donwloaded
from the internet some provides their own
->>some fast developing kantris are using the
updated version of the software some are
capable of handling terrain database that
eliminstes the meed for manually reading path
elevations when plotting path profiles.
->>Path profiling consumes a lot of time bcos of
the manual way of feeding the software with
path elevations coming from topigrapik maps\
*frequesncis for point to point comms range
from 6-60GHz
*The major issues with microwave link
enginnering are RAIN FADE, MULTIPATH AND
INTERFERENCE
-1st step: a transmission engineer begins a
design by doing a LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS
-larger antennas proide larger gain
nd
-2 step: analyze impediments that could
potentially affect the radio signal.
-the energy of microwave radio signals
is absorbed by rain, rain can cause and outrage
if enough energy is absorbed so that the
receiver loses the signal.
-3RD step: INTERFERENCE MUST BE PLANNED
FOR.
-interference comes form other radio
systems using the same channel.
Planning terrestrial microwave facilities involves
a number of areas of analysis, analysis of
antenna heights,Fresnel zone clerances, fade
margins, diversity and interference.
MICROWAVE PATH PROCESS
The ff task are some of the fundamental
componesnts of microwave path design:
1. Site selection
2. Determining whether a propose path is
a “line of sight”
3. Evaluation path clearances with regard
to refractive effects
4. Evaluation path clearances with regard
to freznel zone
5. Considering path reflections
6. Power budget calculations
7. Path reliability
8. Increasing Path reliability
STEP 1.SITE SELECTION
-the project starts with the assumption
that preliminary facility planning including
operational reqs (licenses and
oermits),traffic studies, expansion potential
and cost studies has been completed
SITE REQS:
SITE CONSIDERATIONS:
 FULL DESCRP.OF EACH TERMINAL
SITE BY:
-geographical coordiantes to the
nearest seconds of longi and lati
-political subdv.
-access roads
 UNUSUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS
TO EXPECTED IN THE AREA
-rainfall rate
-wind velocity
-range of temperatures
 PHYSICAL CHARACT,OF THE SITE
-amt of leveling reqd.
-removal of rocks,tress or
structures.
 PROXIMITY OF THE SITE TO ANY
COMMERCIAL, MILITARY OR
PRIVATE AIRPORT
-needed to determine compliance
with the government regulations on
potential obstructions to air traffic
 ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL OF
THE SITE AT THE RECOMMENDEN
TOWER LOCATION
 Full description or recommendation
for an acces road from the enarest
improved road to the proposer
bldg. loc.
 Nearest location where commercial
electric power may be obtained and
the name and office location od the
power company
 Nearest locations of telephone
facility together wth the name and
office location of the company and
the type of service available
 Any other facts that can be
determined at the time of survey
which has a bearing on the
proposed contruction.
STEP 2:DETERMINING LOS
-determining wheter the path is
a LOS can be partially accomplished with
the aid of a topographical map.
topographical map-a type of map that
shows various elevations along the length
of the path between proposed endpoints
METHOS 1:
-depeding on the amt of accuracy reqd,the
elevation of a point may be taken at regular
interbals.In this way, there aer
“flat surfaces “ and minimal grades
METHOD2:
By taking point of intersections of the LOS
path and the contour curves on the map. In
this way, is is assumed that there is HARDLY
ANY “FLAT” region along the path other
than those involving bodies of water,
peaks,or 2 curves having the same vaue.
STEP 3: EVALUATING PATH CLEARANCES
WITH REGARDS TO REFRACTIVE EFFECTS
When the dielectric constant of the
atmosphere changes with heught-above-
grd,the refractive index will also change.
This refractive variations in turn causes the
propagating wavefront to effectively
“bend”
Because atmospheric conditions are
dynamic,the bending effect of the
propagating wavefront will vary. To provide
a simple model describing the path
travelled by a wavefriend for a particular
refractive condition, engineers have
deleloped a factor K,
where K is the “effective:earths radius
factor.This equivalent earth radius
describes the bending of the wavefront
relative to the true eart radius
 PHYSICAL EARTH BULGE
-LOS radio system engineering must deal
with the effects of earth curature or
”EARTH BULGE”
-earth bulge can be used in 2 ways so b
crful.
1. “PHYSICAL EARTH BULGE”-refers to the
effect of physical earth curvature
2. “EFFECTIVE EARTH BULGE”-BOTH the
effects of physical earth curvature and the
effets of atmospheric refractions.
Earth bulge-describes the effect of physical
earth curvature along a direct path
between two points on earths surface
EFFECTIVE EARTH BULGE-represents the
effects of atmospheric refration, or K,
combined with physical earth bulge.
Any discussion of EFFECTIVE EARTH BULGE
must begin with ad understanding of the ff
rules:
1. K factor represents the amt and type of
atmospheric signal refraction
2. A K refraction of 1 represents the
absence of any refraction effecs and
results in an “effective earth bulge
profile” that is identical to the “physicsl
earth bulge profile”
3. A K factor value other tha 1 result in an
“effective earth bulge profile”that
differs from the physica; earth bulge
profile”by an amt equal to the
atmospheric refraction effects.
3. When K<1,the refractive signal path arc
is inverted relative to physical earth
curvature,and ”effective earth
bulge”>”physical earth bulge”. This
produces a phenomenon known as
“earth bulging effect”
4. When K=inf, the refractive signal path
are follows erth curvature exactly,
totally canceling any “earth pulge”
effects. Since the pro[agated signal arc
follows earth curvature exactly
regardless of path length, it can be
stated that the relationship between
the two arcs remains constant for
infinity.
-CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC REFRAFTION ARE
THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF SIGNAL FADING
THAT OCCURS ON LOS MICROWAVE PATHS
TYPICALLY DUE TO SECONDARY EFFECTS
STEP 4: EVALUATING PATH CLEARANCES WITH
REGARDS TO FRESNEL ZONE
Fresnel zone-could be defined as series of
concentric ellipsoids surrounding the LOS path.
With ODD FRESNEL ZONE clearances somtheing
less than free space losses may be realized
WITH EvEN FRESNEL ZONE clearances losses
may be quite signigicant

-K=4/3 or “normal earth”

Keep the f frules in mind, since they are true
under all conditions:
1. When K=a number >1, the ferfactive
signal path arc follows earth curvature
to a degree, and “effective earth bulge”
will be less than “physical earth bulge”.
This produces a phenomenon known as
“EARTH FLATTENING EFFECT”
2. When K=1,there is no refractive effect
and the signal path is a straight
line.Under this cond, “effective earth
bulge”=”physical earth bulge”