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Definition
Link budget calculation=determining if a link is feasible or not, given:
• the loss depends on the type of cable used and on its length
• signal loss for short coaxial cables including connectors is quite low, in the
range of 2-3 dB
• it is better to have cables as short as possible!
Path Loss
When calculating the path loss, several effects must be considered: free space
loss, attenuation and scattering.
Free space loss: the signal power is diminished by geometric spreading of the
wavefront. The further away the two radios, the smaller the received signal. This
is independent from the environment, depending only on the distance.
Using decibels to express the loss, and using 2.45 GHz as the signal frequency,
the free space loss is:
Lfsl=40 + 20*log(r)
Path Loss
Attenuation takes place as some of the signal power is absorbed when the wave
passes through solid objects as trees, walls, windows, etc.
Path Loss
In some cases, the two signals add together, and cause no problem. When the
two signals add together out of phase, the received signal is almost worthless:
this is known as nulling.
Path Loss
A technique used to deal with multipath is antenna diversity: it consists of
adding a second antenna to the radio. Multipath is a very location-specific
phenomenon.
Path Loss
A simple way to take into account scattering in the calculation of the path loss, is
to change the exponent of the distance factor of the free space loss formula. The
more the scattering, the higher the exponent. For an outdoor environment with
tress, an exponent of 3 can be used, while one of 4 for an indoor environment.
Taking into account scattering and attenuation, the path loss is then:
Path Loss
In practice, just the free space loss is calculated. The environment can bring
further signal loss, and should be considered for the exact evaluation of the link.
If you are using two different radios, you should perform the calculation twice,
once for each direction!
Allowed Power
When performing a link budget calculation, we must take into account the power
limits which are imposed by the regulatory boards (FCC in the US).
Allowed Power
Any reference to power output of the Intentional Radiator refers to the power
output at the end of the last cable or connector before the antenna.
EIRP is the power actually radiated by the antenna element and is important
because
The FCC has rules defining both the power output at the intentional radiator and
the antenna element.
In the setup of a PtMP link, the FCC limits the EIRP to 4 Watts.
In the case of PtP links, the power of the intentional radiator is still limited to 1
Watt, but the limit of the EIRP increases with the gain of the antenna
The FCC mandates that for every 3 dBi above the initial 6 dBi of antenna gain,
the power at the intentional radiator must be reduced by 1 dB from the initial
+30 dBm
Link Budget Calculation
If the powers used are within the limits imposed by the regulatory boards, then
we can perform the link calculation.
Adding up all the gains and subtracting all the losses gives:
TX Power Radio 1 +
Antenna Gain Radio 1 -
Cable Losses Radio 1 +
Antenna Gain Radio 2 -
Cable Loses Radio 2
-------------------------
Total Gain
Total Gain -
Path Loss
-------------------------
Signal Level at one side of the link
If the resulting signal level is greater than the minimum received signal level,
then the link is feasible!
On a given path, the variation of path loss over time can be large, so a certain
link margin should be considered. A margin of 10-15 dB is fine. To take into
account attenuation and multipath, a margin of 20 dB should be safe enough.
Example of Link Budget Calculation
We want to estimate the feasibility of a 5 km link, with one AP and one client.
Access Point:
Client:
Adding up all the gains and subtracting all the losses gives:
The path loss for a 5 km link, considering only the free space loss, is:
40 dB - 113 dB = -73 dB
Since -73 is greater than -82 (receive sensitvity of the client), the signal level is
enough for the client to be able to hear the AP. There is only 9 dB of margin,
which may not be enough to protect against extreme weather conditions.
Now we calculate the link from the Client back to the AP:
35 dB - 113 dB = -78 dB
Since -78 is greater than -89 (receive sensitvity of the AP), the signal level is
enough for the AP to be able to hear the client. There is 11 dB of margin. Using a
24 dBi dish on the client side rather than the 14 dBi antenna, would add an
additional 10 dB of gain on both directions of the link.