Presentation for Wireless & Telecommunication

R a m a n Tr i v e d i 1 3 th J u l y 2 0 1 2

The Need
The global implementation of digital telecommunications equipment has enabled the merger of the traditional telecommunications network designed for voice communications with data communications (computer information transfer). To ensure international compatibility, telecommunications equipment must be designed to conform to international standards.

RF Power versus System Gain

In long, medium and shortwave communications, propagation is not line of sight and is influenced by factors that can be difficult to predict, and more difficult to overcome, regardless of power levels. In microwave, most propagation effects are well understood and system performance can be accurately predicted under all but the most unusual conditions.
Microwave Radio Communications (a Vislink company) deliver a comprehensive line of COTS video-centric microwave radio products.

The Last Word.... RF output is a significant measurement with respect to a transmitter, however it is more important to study all of the RF parameters that effect microwave system performance, and how they are measured. The best way to evaluate the potential range of microwave equipment is to look at system gain, which takes both ends of the path into consideration.
From the experience gained in over ten years of developing digital radios, MRC engineers know that generating one to two dB of additional transmit power in all specified digital modes typically requires the capability to generate 10 dB more in the analog mode. The additional heat, power requirements, size, weight and cost of such an amplifier is difficult to justify, and the reduced life expectancy creates a greater risk to our customer's operational reliability.

Factors that effect microwave performance

When the variable effects of propagation and antennas are set aside, it is relatively easy to characterize and compare the performance of microwave systems.

The key factors that should be reviewed with regard to link performance include RF power, and how it is measured; Receiver Threshold, and what it's based on; and Modulation Type. Factors like RF and IF bandwidth, are also important, and should be analyzed to be certain they are similar between different manufacturers for a given set of operating conditions.
The tendency to view RF output as being the single most important parameter is understandable when looking at on-the-air broadcast transmitters, but it represents only a part of the answer in ENG and point to point microwave.

RF Power Output
Generally expressed in Watts, but much more useful when converted to dBm for example, 12W = + 40.8 dBm

It is important to realize that the Power Output will change with Modulation Type. for example, A transmitter capable of 12 Watts in FM mode will typically be operated at 5-6 Watts in QPSK mode to maintain sufficient linearity
As the modulation type becomes more complex, the power "back- off" factor will become more pronounced. To be useful, power output must be specified at ALL applicable modulation types, i.e. FM, QPSK, 16QAM, and 64 QAM etc.

A specification that reads: Power output = 10 Watts digital, is meaningless without a reference as to how this measurement was taken, and it may be misleading to a user.

Receiver Threshold (Receiver Sensitivity)

The minimum wideband carrier power at the input to a Receiver that will provide a usable Baseband output. for example, In video systems, the receiver threshold is defined as the minimum RF input level required to provide an acceptable picture on a video monitor In accordance with EIA/TIA standards, Analog FM systems use the 37 dB S/N point as the acceptable minimum, and have done so for decades In a digital ENG system, the threshold references are based on the minimum C/N ratio required to achieve a BER of 10-6, or an average of one bit error per megabit of data While there will be some variations due to IF bandwidth, error correction, and guard interval, the average performance of the MRC CodeRunner 4 and STRATA receivers may be characterized as follows:
Mode Rx Threshold FM -86 QPSK -94 16QAM -89 64QAM -84

System Gain 1/2

System Gain is the difference between the nominal output power of a Transmitter and the minimum input power to a receiver necessary to achieve satisfactory performance; must be greater than or equal to the sum of all gains and losses incurred by a signal as it propagates from a transmitter to a receiver. System gain is the difference in dB between the transmitter RF output power and the practical threshold of the receiver. In the chart below, the system gain of an MRC CodeRunner 2 Transmitter and CodeRunner 4 Receiver is compared in analog FM and QPSK modes to provide the reader with an easy way to visual reference of these parameters.

CodeRunner System Gain -12 MHz Channel 3 MHz FM deviation 8 MHz COFDM Pedestal

System Gain 2/2

Based on MRC factory measured data for transmitter power output and receiver threshold sensitivity, it is now possible to construct an accurate view of system gain under all normal analog and digital operating conditions. Table below summarizes the system gain of a CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver at 2 GHz. CodeRunner 2 + CodeRunner 4 System Gain Values
RF Output Rx Threshold System Gain FM 40 -86 126 QPSK 37 -94 131 16QAM 36 -89 125 64QAM 33 -84 117

The results illustrate how system gain varies with modulation type, and clearly reveal that some digital modes are better than, or close to analog in this regard. The only mode that underperforms legacy FM is 64QAM, which would not be deployed in the majority of ENG applications. One of the quickest and most useful ways to compare microwave system performance is to study system gain values.
It is interesting to note that the system gain in QPSK mode has more than a 4 dB advantage over the FM analog mode

Fade Margin (Link Margin)

Sometimes called as Link Margin, is essentially a fudge Factor included in System Gain equations that considers the non-ideal and less predictable characteristics of radio wave propagation and terrain sensitivity; these characteristics cause temporary, abnormal atmospheric conditions.

Wireless Propagation 1/3

A signal radiated from an Antenna travels along by one of three routes: ground wave, sky wave, and line of sight (LOS) Ground Wave Propagation Ground wave propagation more or less follows the contour of the earth and can propagate considerable distances, well over the visual horizon. This effect is found in frequencies up to about 2 MHz. Several factors account for the tendency of electromagnetic wave in this frequency band to follow the earths curvature. One factor is that the electromagnetic wave induces a current in the earths surface, the result of which is to slow the wavefront near the earth, causing the wavefront to tilt downward and hence follow the earths curvature. Another factor is diffraction, which is a phenomenon having to do with the behavior of electromagnetic waves in the presence of obstacles. Electromagnetic waves in this frequency range are scattered by the atmosphere in such a way that they do not penetrate the upper atmosphere. The best-known example of ground wave communication is AM radio.

Wireless Propagation 2/3

Sky Wave Propagation In Sky wave propagation, a signal from an earth-based antenna is reflected from the ionized layer of the upper atmosphere (ionosphere) back down to earth. Although it appears the wave is reflected from the ionosphere as if the ionosphere were a hard reflecting surface, the effect is in fact caused by refraction. A sky wave signal can travel through a number of hops, bouncing back and forth between the ionosphere and the earths surface. Using this propagation mode, a signal can be picked up thousands of kilometers from the transmitter. Sky wave propagation is used for amateur radio, CB radio, and international broadcasts such as BBC and Voice of America.

Wireless Propagation 3/3

Line-of-Sight Propagation Above 30 MHz, neither ground wave nor sky wave propagation modes operate, and communication must be by line of sight. For satellite communication, a signal above 30 MHz is not reflected by the ionosphere and therefore a signal can be transmitted between an earth station and a satellite overhead that is not beyond the Horizon.

For ground-based communication, the transmitting and receiving antennas must be within an effective line of sight of each other. The term effective is used because microwaves are bent or refracted by the atmosphere. The amount and even the direction of the bend depends on conditions, but generally microwaves are bent with the curvature of the earth and will therefore propagate farther than the optical line of sight..

Diversity 1/2
It suggests that there is more than one transmission path or method of transmission available between a transmitter and a receiver; Generally used to increase the reliability of the system by Increasing its Availability. Frequency Diversity It is simply modulating two different RF carrier frequencies with the same IF intelligence, then transmitting both RF signals to a given destination.

Space Diversity The output of a transmitter is fed to two or more antennas that are physically separated by an appreciable number of wavelengths.
Polarization Diversity A single RF carrier is propagated with two different electromagnetic polarizations. It is generally used in conjunction with space diversity. Receiver Diversity It is using more than one receiver for a single radio-frequency channel. With frequency diversity, it is necessary to also use receiver diversity because each transmitted frequency requires its own receiver.

Diversity 2/2
Quad Diversity Another form of Hybrid diversity and undoubtly provides the most reliable transmission but most expensive. It combines frequency, space, polarization and receiver diversity into one system. Hybrid Diversity A specialized form of diversity that consists of a standard frequency-diversity path where the two Transmitter/Receiver pairs at one end of the path are separated from each other and connected to different antennas that are vertically separated as in space diversity. Protection Switching Arrangement It is an alternate facilities/mechanism temporarily made to avoid a service interruption during periods of deep fades or equipment failures.
It provide protection for a much larger section of the communications system that generally includes several repeaters spanning a distance of 100 miles or more.

Basically two types of protection switching arrangement: Hotstandby Protection each working radio channel has a dedicated backup or spare channel. Diversity Protection a single backup channel is made available to as many as 11 working channels.