Professional Documents
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Calibration Guide
v e r s i o n 2.8.3
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Contact Information
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Introduction
To find an accurate propagation model for determining path losses is a leading issue when planning a mobile radio
network. Two strategies for predicting propagation losses are in use these days. One of these strategies is to derive an
empirical propagation model from measurement data, and the other is to use a deterministic propagation model. Atolls
Standard Propagation Model is a macrocell propagation model based on empirical formulas and a set of parameters.
When Atoll is installed, the SPM and Hata model parameters are set to their default values. However, they can be adjusted
to tune the propagation model according to actual propagation conditions. This calibration process of the Standard
Propagation and Hata Models facilitates improving the reliability of path loss and, hence, coverage predictions.
This guide describes the way to import and manage the necessary measurement data. It also indicates the calibration
method and the steps to calibrating the SPM and Hata models, from planning the CW measurement surveys to obtaining
the final propagation model. The resulting tuned propagation model is directly usable in Atoll as an additional model.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................... 9
2.1
2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.2.1
2.2.2.2
2.2.3
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.2.1
2.3.2.2
2.3.2.3
2.3.2.4
2.3.2.5
2.3.2.6
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.3.7
3
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
4
4.1
4.1.1
4.1.1.1
4.1.1.2
4.1.2
4.1.2.1
4.1.2.2
4.1.2.3
4.1.2.4
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.1.4.1
4.1.4.2
4.1.4.2.1
4.1.4.2.2
4.1.4.2.3
4.1.4.2.4
4.1.4.3
4.1.4.3.1
4.1.4.3.2
4.1.4.3.3
4.1.4.3.4
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Table of Contents
4.1.4.3.5
4.1.4.3.6
4.1.5
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.3.1
4.2.3.2
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.2.1
4.3.2.2
4.3.2.3
4.3.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.6.1
4.6.2
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.5.3
5.5.4
5.5.5
5.5.6
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction
The Model Calibration Guide is intended for project managers or anyone else responsible for calibrating the Standard
Propagation Model (SPM) or Hata Models (Okumura-Hata and Cost-Hata) using continuous wave (CW) measurements.
To that end, the Model Calibration Guide presents you with detailed information on the SPM and guides you through the
calibration process of both types of models.
It is not the intention of this guide to explain in detail how to use Atoll, nor to provide detailed technical information about
Atoll projects. For information on using Atoll, see the User Manual and the Administrator Manual. For detailed technical
information about Atoll projects, see the Technical Reference Guide.
The Model Calibration Guide follows the calibration process from planning the CW survey, to incorporating the CW
measurements into Atoll, to using the CW measurements to calibrate the SPM.
If this is the first time you are calibrating Atolls SPM, you might want to read though the entire Model Calibration Guide.
Or, you can go directly to the chapter that interests you:
The Standard Propagation Model: This chapter describes the Atoll SPM, including the SPM formula and the
Hata formula on which the SPM is based. Other aspects described include, typical SPM parameter values, making
calculations using the SPM, and recommendations for using the SPM.
CW Measurements: This chapter explains the role of CW measurements in calibrating the SPM. It also gives you
information that will help you successfully plan and carry out a CW survey.
The Model Calibration Process: This chapter explains the entire calibration process for any model type:
-
This guide also contains an appendix with additional information on using CW measurements in Atoll.
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Chapter 2
Standard Propagation Model
2.1
SPM Formula
The Standard Propagation Model is based on the following formula:
K 1 + K 2 Log d + K 3 Log H Txeff + K 4 DiffractionLoss + K 5 Log d Log H Txeff +
P R = P Tx
where:
2.2
PR
P Tx
K1
K2
K3
H Tx
K4
DiffractionLoss
K5
K6
K7
H Rx
effective height of the receiver antenna (i.e., mobile antenna height) (m)
K clutter
f clutter
K hill LOS
eff
eff
eff
eff
eff
eff
2.2.1
Hata Formula
The SPM formula is derived from the basic Hata formula, which is:
L = A 1 + A 2 log f + A 3 log h BS + B 1 + B 2 log h BS + B 3 h BS log d a h m C clutter
where,
A1 , A2 , A3 , B1 , B2 , B3
Hata parameters
Frequency in MHz
h BS
Distance in kilometres
a hm
C clutter
Note:
The distance in this equation is given in kilometres as opposed to the SPM, where the
distance is given in metres.
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2.2.2
B1 = 44.90
B2 = 6.55
B3 = 0
2.2.2.1
A1 , A2 , A3 , B1 , B2 ,
Hata parameters
Frequency in MHz
h BS
Distance in kilometres
2.2.2.2
2.2.3
Project type
14
Frequency (MHz)
K1
GSM 900
935
12.5
GSM 1800
1805
22
GSM 1900
1930
23
UMTS
2110
23.8
1xRTT
1900
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WiMAX
2.3
2300
24.7
2500
25.4
2700
26.1
3300
27.8
3500
28.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
If the transmitter-receiver distance is less than the maximum user-defined distance (the break distance), the
receiver is considered to be near the transmitter. Atoll will use the set of values called Near transmitter.
If the transmitter-receiver distance is greater than the maximum distance, the receiver is considered far from
the transmitter. Atoll will use the set of values called Far from transmitter.
If the receiver is in the transmitter line of sight, Atoll will take into account the set of values (K1, K2)LOS. The
LOS is defined by no obstruction along the direct ray between the transmitter and the receiver.
If the receiver is not in the transmitter line of sight, Atoll will use the set of values (K1, K2)NLOS.
2.3.2.1
2.3.2.2
H 0Tx is the ground height (ground elevation) above sea level at transmitter (m).
H 0 is the average ground height above sea level along the profile (m).
Note:
2.3.2.3
If the profile is not located between the transmitter and the receiver, HTxeff equals HTx only.
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2.3.2.4
H 0Rx is the ground height (ground elevation) above sea level at the receiver (m).
K is the ground slope calculated over a user-defined distance (Distance min.). In this case, Distance min. is the
distance from the receiver.
Notes:
Spot Ht
If H 0Tx H 0Rx then, H Txeff = H Tx + H 0Tx H 0Rx
If H 0Tx H 0Rx then, H Txeff = H Tx
2.3.2.5
Absolute Spot Ht
H Txeff = H Tx + H 0Tx H 0Rx
Note:
Distance min. and distance max are set to 3000 and 15000 m following ITU
recommendations (low frequency broadcast f < 500 Mhz) and to 0 and 15000 m following
Okumura recommendations (high frequency mobile telephony).
These values are only used in the last two methods and have different meanings for each method.
2.3.2.6
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H orig is the original height. The original terrain height is determined from extracted ground profile.
R 3000m ,
R 0.01 d ,
R must contain at least three pixels.
Notes:
When several influence areas are possible, Atoll chooses the highest one.
If d < 3000m, R = d.
5. Atoll performs a linear regression on the filtered profile within R in order to determine a regression line.
The regression line equation is:
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d i dm Hfilt i Hm
i
a = ----------------------------------------------------------------------2
d i dm
and b = H m ad m
where,
1
H m = --n
Hfilt i
i
i is the point index. Only points within R are taken into account.
R
d m = d ---2
d(i) is the distance between i and the transmitter (m).
Then, Atoll extends the regression line to the transmitter location. Its equation is:
regr i = a i Res + b
6. Then, Atoll calculates the effective transmitter antenna height, H Txeff (m).
H 0Tx + H Tx b
H Txeff = ------------------------------------2
1+a
If HTxeff is less than 20 m, Atoll recalculates it with a new influence area, which begins at the transmitter.
Notes:
If H Txeff is less than 20 m, an additional correction is taken into account (step 7).
7. If H Txeff is less than 20 m (or negative), Atoll evaluates the path loss using H Txeff = 20m and applies a
correction factor.
Therefore, if H Txeff 20m ,
L model = L model H Txeff = 20m d f + K lowant
where,
20 1 H Txeff 20
d - 0.3 H
K lowant = -------Txeff 20 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------5
d
d
9.63 + -----------10
- 6.93 + -------------
1000
1000
2.3.3
The calculation of effective antenna heights ( H Rxeff and H Txeff ) is based on extracted
DTM profiles. They are not performed properly if you have not imported heights (DTM file)
beforehand.
2.3.4
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2.3.5
Diffraction
Four methods are available to calculate diffraction loss over the transmitter-receiver profile. These methods are explained
in the Technical Reference Guide.
Deygout
Epstein-Peterson
Deygout with correction
Millington
Along the transmitter-receiver profile, you can take one of the following into consideration:
2.3.6
Ground altitude and clutter height (Consider heights in diffraction option). In this case, Atoll uses clutter height
information from the clutter heights file if it is available in the ATL document. Otherwise, Atoll considers average
clutter height specified for each clutter class in the clutter classes file description.
Only ground altitude.
f clutter =
Li wi
i=1
where,
L: loss due to clutter defined in the Clutter tab by the user (in dB).
w: weight determined through the weighting function.
n: number of points taken into account over the profile. Points are evenly spaced depending on the profile resolution.
1
uniform weighting function: w i = --n
di
triangular weighting function: w i = ------------n
dj
d i = D d' i , where di is the distance between the receiver and the ith point and D is the maximum distance
defined.
d
log ----i + 1
D
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e 1
exponential weighting function: w i = -------------------------n
dj
---D
e 1
j=1
The following chart shows the weight variation with the distance for each weighting function.
2.3.7
No clutter height information is available: You do not have a clutter height file and the height per clutter class
is either not defined, or is too roughly defined. In this case, you should define a loss per clutter class and not use
the height per clutter class. For more information, see "Losses per Clutter Class" on page 64.
No clutter height file is available: You do not have a clutter height file. However, the clutter classes file has relatively good data defining the height per clutter class and has a high enough resolution. In this case, you can use
the height per clutter class, but, if you use the height per clutter class, you must not define a loss per clutter class.
For more information, see "Clutter Height per Class" on page 65.
Clutter height file is available: You have a clutter height file available that has accurate data over a resolution
that is fine enough for your network. In this case, you should use the clutter height file. But, if you use the clutter
height file, you must not use a loss per clutter class. For more information, see "Clutter Height File" on page 66.
20
Because the Standard Propagation Model is a statistical propagation model, using this
approach is recommended.
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Figure 2.5: Settings when using clutter heights set per class
Figure 2.6: Diffraction caused by surrounding buildings when the receiver is indoors
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Figure 2.7: Clutter class settings when using a clutter height file
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Chapter 3
Collecting CW Measurement Data
3.1
3.1.1
Geographic Data
You must have up-to-date geographic data when you are planning your CW survey. If you perform a CW survey on an
area for which you do not have up-to-date geographic data of sufficient quality, you will not be able to use the CW
measurements you have collected to calibrate the propagation model. In any case, up-to-date geographic data will be later
required to produce realistic results in coverage predictions.
The types of geographic data you will need are the following:
Raster geographic data: The SPM or Hata Models can use raster geographic data as input. It can obtain the
ground elevation information from the DTM (Digital Terrain Model) files and clutter information from either clutter
classes files or clutter heights files.
Clutter classes files describe the land cover (dense urban areas, buildings, residential areas, forests, open areas,
villages etc.). In these files, the ground is represented by a grid where each pixel corresponds to a code allocated
to a main type of cover, in other words, to a clutter class. Clutter height maps describe the altitude of clutter over
the DTM with one altitude defined for each pixel. Clutter height maps can offer more precise information than
defining an altitude per clutter class because, in a clutter height file, it is possible to have different heights within
a single clutter class.
DTM and clutter class files must be of a sufficiently high resolution to obtain a high-quality and accurate results in
a calibration project. The resolution of geographic data should typically be:
-
3.1.2
Vector data: Vector maps, representing at least major roads, are useful for planning and verifying measurement
survey routes.
Scanned maps: Scanned maps are useful for planning and verifying measurement survey routes in urban areas.
Measurement Data
It is strongly recommended to use CW (continuous wave) measurements to calibrate the SPM or Hata models. Although
it is possible to calibrate the SPM or Hata models using drive test data, it is not the recommended approach:
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Since drive test data are made on a real network, part of the measured signal is actually due to interference.
Using directional antennas implies that the propagation calculation strongly depends on the accuracy of antenna
patterns, and only the measurement points in the direction of the main beam are relevant.
Several frequencies are measured for drive test data, although the SPM or hata models are calibrated only for a
base frequency.
The sampling rate of each measured station is low because a lot of stations are scanned at the same time.
Therefore, the Lee criterion cannot be fulfilled (see "Guidelines for CW Measurement Surveys" on page 54).
Only the signal from the best server is scanned and, therefore, the signal level is measured over only a short
distance from each transmitter. Therefore, the model will only be calibrated for coverage predictions and not for
the evaluation of interference.
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3.2
Determine the number of required propagation models depending on representative area types (urban, suburban,
flat_rural, hilly_rural, etc.), and on the number of frequency bands (GSM 900, GSM 1800, UMTS, etc.). One
propagation model for each "area typefrequency band" pair must be calibrated.
Select a representative area of each area type, where the measurement survey campaigns will be performed.
For each area type, select at least 8 sites (6 for calibration and 2 for verification), which respect the conditions
described in "Guidelines for CW Measurement Surveys" on page 54.
For each selected site, define a survey route, which respects the conditions described in "Guidelines for CW
Measurement Surveys" on page 54.
Ensure that it will be possible to respect all other criteria described in "Guidelines for CW Measurement Surveys"
on page 54 when performing the measurement survey.
3.2.1
A minimum of about eight stations should be measured for each propagation model to be calibrated. The exact
number of stations depends on the terrain.
Note:
To avoid problems if the measurements of one or more stations must be rejected, a
minimum of 10 stations for each propagation model to be calibrated is recommended.
3.2.2
The stations should have good RF clearance, in other words, the stations selected should not be obstructed
in any direction.
An omnidirectional antenna should be used.
The antennas on the measured stations should represent the full variation of antenna heights (typically from
20 m. to 50 m.) in the area covered by the survey. A histogram displaying the antenna heights can be a useful
tool in determining what antenna heights should be represented.
The terrain within a relevant radius around each selected station should be representative of the entire area
covered by the survey. For example, in a relatively flat region, all rural stations selected should be surrounded
by relatively flat terrain within a radius of 10 km; a station surrounded with hilly terrain would not give
measurements representative of the entire area.
If there is a variety of different types of clutter in the survey area (open, urban, suburban, dense urban, etc.),
there should be as equal a distribution as possible of the major clutter categories within a relevant radius of
each station.
There should be sufficient roads available to enable easy access with transmission equipment on all sides of
each station.
Measurement surveys should be performed over a long enough distance to allow the noise floor of the receiver to
be reached. Typical distances are:
-
28
The measurement routes must be laid out so that they have equal numbers of samples near as well as far from
the station in all directions.
The survey routes should not cross forests or rivers; such clutter types should be avoided. Even profiles between
the transmitter and the receiver should not cross such kinds of clutter, if these types of clutter are not especially
representative of the area. These points will have to be filtered out during the calibration process.
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3.2.3
When planning the survey routes, any proposed routes should be presented for approval to the project manager
in the form of vector maps in a format that can be imported in Atoll.
The maps used to plan the survey routes should use the same projection system as the scanned maps in the Atoll
calibration project. This will allow you to validate the survey routes beforehand.
The GPS of the CW measurement equipment should be configured to match that of the mapping data.
If possible, before actually making the survey, you should try to ensure consistency between the coordinates given
by the GPS on the survey route with those used in Atoll by making a test drive without taking measurements.
Radio Criteria
When planning a CW measurement survey, the following radio guidelines should be followed:
The area to be covered by the CW measurement survey must be scanned before performing the drive test to
ensure that there is no interference.
Only one frequency must be measured during a single survey.
The frequency measured must be clean:
-
For GSM, there must be 3 contiguous unused channels (i.e., a clearance of 200 kHz on either side of the
measured signal).
For UMTS and CDMA2000, there must be one unused carrier. This can be verified by checking whether the
reception level is at zero when the transmitter is off.
The Lee criterion must be satisfied in terms of sampling rate to overcome the effects of fast fading.
At least 36 samples must be collected over a distance of 40. But, because the required rate depends on the
highest speed the vehicle would travel during the survey, the vehicle speed must be adapted accordingly. The
following table provides a list of required rates corresponding to different vehicle speeds in order to respect the
Lee criterion for a frequency 900 MHz.
3.2.4
60
45
90
68
120
90
150
113
The measured signals over the distance of 40 should be averaged, with the mean signal level (50th percentile)
being the one stored.
The maximum distance between 2 stored measurement points should be equal to one half the resolution of the
clutter file used. This is necessary to obtain a good representative sample of each clutter class.
At least 5,000 points per station must remain after averaging. A typical number of points per measured station is
between 10,000 and 20,000 points.
Measurement data: The radio data collected should meet the following criteria:
-
distance of 40.
The maximum distance between 2 stored measurement points should be equal to one half the resolution of
the clutter class file used. This is necessary to obtain a good representative sample of each clutter class.
The survey should have at least 5,000 points per station. A typical number of points per measured station is
between 10,000 and 20,000 points.
A rooftop sketch: A rooftop sketch must be provided indicating the locations of:
-
Panoramic photographs: Panoramic photographs should be taken from each rooftop of each station starting
from north and turning clockwise. These photographs should show the surroundings in all directions. The azimuth
and station number should be recorded for each photograph.
Transmission data: The following data should be recorded for all stations:
-
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The measurements to be imported should correspond to the average of the measured signals over the
29
Reception data: The following data should be recorded for all stations:
-
Vector maps: Vector maps of each survey route should be collected to be imported into the Atoll calibration
project prior to the measurement survey.
You can find an example of a survey site form in "Survey Site Form" on page 33.
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Chapter 4
The Model Calibration Process
2. Calibrate the SPM: When the CW measurement data has been selected and filtered, you can begin calibrating
the model. You must first set a few initial parameters in the propagation model and then you can begin the
calibration process, using either the automated or the assisted method. After calibration, Atoll offers several
different ways for you to analyse the calibrated propagation model.
-
3. Finalising the calibrated propagation model: When you have calibrated the propagation model and are
satisfied with the results, you must make a few final adjustments to compensate for values that could not be
calibrated due to missing or incomplete data. The missing values can be extrapolated from existing data or from
standard values.
-
4. Deploying the calibrated propagation model: The final propagation model can now be deployed to the
transmitters for which it was calibrated.
-
4.1
4.1.1
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From a template: You can create a new Atoll document from a template. Atoll is delivered with a template for
each technology you will be planning for. For information on creating a document from a template, see the User
Manual.
From an existing document: If you already have an existing document covering the CW measurement survey
area, you can make a copy of it to use in the calibration process so that you can calibrate the propagation model
without making changes to the original document. For information on making a copy of an existing document, see
the User Manual.
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4.1.1.1
Setting Coordinates
In Atoll, you define the two coordinate systems for each Atoll document: the projection coordinate system and the display
coordinate system. By default, the same coordinate system is used for both.
The maps displayed in the workspace are referenced with the same projection system as the imported geographic data
files; thus, the projection system depends on the imported geographic file.
Note:
All imported raster geographic files must be use the same cartographic system. If not, you
must convert them to a single cartographic system.
For more information on the projection and display coordinate systems in Atoll, see the User Manual.
4.1.1.2
Digital Terrain Model: The DTM describes the elevation of the ground over sea level and is indispensable in a
calibration project.
Clutter Classes: The clutter class geo data file describes land cover or land use. Either clutter classes or clutter
heights must be present in a calibration project.
Clutter Heights: Clutter height maps describe the altitude of clutter over the DTM with one altitude defined per
pixel. Clutter height maps can offer more precise information than defining an altitude per clutter class because,
in a clutter height file, it is possible to have different heights within a single clutter class.
Note:
The only propagation models that can take clutter heights into account in calculations are
the Standard Propagation Model and WLL model.
Vector Maps: Maps with possible survey routes defined as vectors can be imported to verify the planned survey
routes against other maps.
Scanned Images: Scanned images are geographic data files which represent the actual physical surroundings,
for example, road maps or satellite images. They are used to provide a precise background for other objects.
Although they are not used in calculations, they can be used to verify the accuracy of proposed survey routes.
WMS Raster-format Geo Data Files: Raster images from a Web Map Service (WMS) server. The image must
be in TIF format and be referenced in the document; it can not be embedded. You can use a WMS image to add
a precise background for other objects, or to add place names, or a map of roadways. WMS images are not used
in calculations.
For more information on any of the geographic data formats that can be used in Atoll, see the User Manual, and the
Technical Reference Guide. For information on importing geographic data, see the User Manual.
4.1.2
Importing CW Measurements
In Atoll, you can import CW measurement files in the form of ASCII text files (with tabs, semi-colons, or spaces as
separator), with DAT, TXT, and CSV extensions. For Atoll to be able to use the data in imported files, the imported files
must contain the following information:
The position of the CW measurement points. When you import the data, you must indicate which columns give the
abscissa and ordinate (XY coordinates) of each point.
The measured signal level at each point.
The imported files can also contain other information, such as point names and field characteristics, that can be used to
define the display of measurement points, for example, to filter points.
You can import a single CW measurement file or several CW measurement files at the same time. If you regularly import
CW measurement files of the same format, you can create an import configuration. The import configuration contains
information that defines the structure of the data in the CW measurement file. By using the import configuration, you will
not need to define the data structure each time you import a new CW measurement file.
In this section, the following are described:
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4.1.2.1
Important: CW measurements are usually made using WGS84. By default the coordinate system
displayed in the coordinates field is the display system used in the document. If the CW
measurements were made using WGS84, be sure to select WGS84, a geographic system
as indicated by the globe symbol ( ).
7. Click the Setup tab (see Figure 4.1:). If you already have an import configuration defining the data structure of the
imported file or files, you can select it from the Configuration list on the Setup tab of the Import of Measurement
Files dialogue. If you do not have an import configuration, continue with step 8.
a. Under Configuration, select an import configuration from the Configuration list.
b. Continue with step 9.
Figure 4.1: The Setup tab of the Import of Measurement Files dialogue
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You can also identify the columns containing the XY coordinates of each point in the CW
measurement path by selecting them from the Field row of the table on the Setup tab.
d. In the Measurements box, select the field that contains the value of the measured signal for each defined
point.
e. Click OK to close the CW Measurement Setup dialogue.
f.
If there is other data available in the file, in the table under File, define the Type for each additional column of
data.
9. Once you have defined the import parameters, click Import. The CW measurement data are imported into the
current Atoll document.
4.1.2.2
You can select contiguous files by clicking the first file you want to import, pressing SHIFT
and clicking the last file you want to import. You can select non-contiguous files by pressing
CTRL and clicking each file you want to import.
Important: CW measurements are usually made using WGS84. By default the coordinate system
displayed in the coordinates field is the display system used in the document. If the CW
measurements were made using WGS84, be sure to select WGS84, a geographic system
as indicated by the globe symbol ( ).
7. Click the Setup tab (see Figure 4.1:). If you already have an import configuration defining the data structure of the
imported file or files, you can select it from the Configuration list on the Setup tab of the Import of Measurement
Files dialogue. If you do not have an import configuration, continue with step 8.
a. Under Configuration, select an import configuration from the Configuration list.
b. Continue with step 9.
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You can also identify the columns containing the XY coordinates of each point in the CW
measurement path by selecting them from the Field row of the table on the Setup tab.
d. In the Measurements box, select the field that contains the value of the measured signal for each defined
point.
e. Click OK to close the CW Measurement Setup dialogue.
f.
If there is other data available in the file, in the table under File, define the Type for each additional column of
data.
9. If you wish to save the definition of the data structure so that you can use it again, you can save it as an import
configuration:
a. On the Setup tab, under Configuration, click Save. The Configuration dialogue appears.
b. By default, Atoll saves the configuration in a special file called "MeasImport.ini" found in Atolls installation
folder. In case you cannot write into that folder, you can click Browse to choose a different location.
c. Enter a Configuration Name and an Extension of the files that this import configuration will describe (for
example, "*.csv").
d. Click OK.
Atoll will now select this import configuration automatically every time you import a drive test data path file
with the selected extension. If you import a file with the same structure but a different extension, you will be
able to select this import configuration from the Configuration list.
Notes:
You do not have to complete the import procedure to save the import configuration and have it
available for future use.
When importing a CW measurement file, you can expand the MeasImport.ini file by clicking the
button ( ) in front of the file in the Setup part to display all the available import configurations.
When selecting the appropriate configuration, the associations are automatically made in the
table at the bottom of the dialogue.
You can delete an existing import configuration by selecting the import configuration under Setup
and clicking the Delete button.
10. Once you have defined the import parameters, you can import the selected files:
-
When importing several files for the same transmitter: Click Import All. The CW measurement data are
imported into the current Atoll document.
Note:
When you click the Import All button, Atoll does not import files that do match the
currently selected import configuration. It displays an error message and continues with the
next file.
When importing several files for different transmitters:
i.
Click Import. The CW measurement data are imported into the current Atoll document.
ii. Click the General tab to ensure that the information on the General tab, especially the Reference
Transmitter selected, reflect the current file being imported.
iii. If necessary, click the Setup tab and redefine the import configuration for the current file being imported.
iv. Click Import to import the current file.
v. Repeat these steps for each file being imported.
4.1.2.3
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You can also identify the columns containing the XY coordinates of each point in the CW
measurement path by selecting them from the Field row of the table on the Setup tab.
d. In the Measurements box, select the field that contains the value of the measured signal for each defined
point.
e. Click OK to close the CW Measurement Setup dialogue.
f.
If there is other data available in the file, in the table under File, define the Type for each additional column of
data.
8. On the Setup tab, under Configuration, click Save. The Configuration dialogue appears.
a. By default, Atoll saves the configuration in a special file called "MeasImport.ini" found in Atolls installation
folder. In case you cannot write into that folder, you can click Browse to choose a different location.
b. Enter a Configuration Name and an Extension of the files that this import configuration will describe (for
example, "*.csv").
c. Click OK.
Atoll will now select this import configuration automatically every time you import a drive test data path file
with the selected extension. If you import a file with the same structure but a different extension, you will be
able to select this import configuration from the Configuration list.
Notes:
4.1.2.4
You do not have to complete the import procedure to save the import configuration and have it
available for future use.
When importing a CW measurement file, you can expand the MeasImport.ini file by clicking the
button ( ) in front of the file in the Setup part to display all the available import configurations.
When selecting the appropriate configuration, the associations are automatically made in the
table at the bottom of the dialogue.
You can delete an existing import configuration by selecting the import configuration under Setup
and clicking the Delete button.
The defined configurations are stored, by default, in the file "MeasImport.ini", located in the directory where Atoll is installed. For more information on the MeasImport.ini file, see the Administrator Manual.
4. Right-click the CW measurement whose display you want to define. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
6. Select the Display tab. The following options are available:
-
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Discrete values: defines the display of each CW measurement point according to the value of a selected field.
This display type can be used to distinguish CW measurement points by one characteristic. For example, you
could use this display type to distinguish CW measurement points by the clutter type they are on, or by their
reference transmitter.
i.
Select the name of the Field by which you want to display the objects.
ii. You can click the Actions button to access the Actions menu. For information on the commands
available, see "Using the Actions Button" on page 39.
-
Value intervals: defines the display of each object according to set ranges of the value of a selected field.
This display type can be used, for example, to distinguish population density, signal strength, or the altitude
of sites.
i.
Select the name of the Field by which you want to display the objects.
Advanced: allows you to display measurement points by more than one criterion at a time.
only available for transmitters; Atoll automatically assigns a colour to each transmitter, ensuring that each
transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding it.
i.
Click the symbol in the table below. The Symbol Style dialogue appears.
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Predictions and CW measurements are shaded differently. Nevertheless, you can obtain a
similar colouring by excluding the last break of the CW path display. To do this, select the
Filter up to Last Break check box.
When "Discrete Values" is the selected display type, you select Shading to choose a Start Colour and an
End Colour.
For most object types, you can also display object information in the form of a tool tip that is
only visible when you move the pointer over the object. This option has the advantage of not
filling the map window with text. For more information on tool tips, see "Defining the Tip
Text" on page 40.
) beside the Tip Text box. The Field Selection dialogue appears.
b. To remove a field from the list of Group these fields in this order, select the field in the Selected Fields list
and click
Note:
to remove it.
You can also display information about data objects in the form of a label that is displayed
with the object. Given the large number of CW measurement points in a CW survey,
defining labels that are always visible is not recommended.
Once you have defined the tool tips, you must activate the tool tip function before they appear.
To activate the tool tip function:
) on the toolbar. Tool tips will now appear when the pointer is over the object.
The entries in the Legend column will appear in the Legend window.
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4.1.4
The measurement points might appear potentially invalid, they might be in clutter classes that are of no significance in terms of the propagation model to be calibrated, they may show extreme signal levels, they might be too
close to the transmitter, or they might suffer from too much diffraction.
The zones where the measurement points are located might be in an area where the results can not be considered
accurate (for example, any points coming from behind a directional antenna should not be used in a calibration
project).
If you wish, you can permanently delete the points you filter out. You can always re-import the original measurement data
if you want to add those points again. Or you can filter them out for the current calibration, but leave them in the
measurement data.
Filtering CW measurement data is made in several steps. Depending on the CW measurement data available and the
individual calibration project, it is possible that not all steps will be necessary, however, the basic steps are:
1. Filtering by clutter class: The first step in filtering CW measurement data is to filter out points by clutter class.
Typically you will want to remove all points on clutter classes that are represented by less than 5% of the total
measurement points in the CW survey. For information on filtering by clutter class, see "Filtering on Clutter
Classes" on page 42.
2. Filtering by signal strength and distance: The next step is to filter out points that lay outside of a defined range
of signals and that are either too close to or too far from the reference transmitter. For information on filtering by
distance and signal strength, see "Signal and Distance Filtering" on page 44.
3. Removing sections that are not representative: The final step in filtering CW measurement data consists of
examining the CW measurement data to remove points that are affected by obstruction or that are potentially
invalid, i.e., measurement points affected by diffraction or measurement points that are too high or too low. For
information on filtering by distance and signal strength, see "Filtering by Geo Data Conditions" on page 47.
Important: If you set filters on the CW Measurements folder, any filters set on individual CW
measurement paths will be erased.
4.1.4.1
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All CW measurements for a single reference transmitter: Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the CW
Measurements folder and right-click the folder of the reference transmitter.
A single CW measurement path: Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the CW Measurements folder and
click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the reference transmitter. Then, right-click the CW
measurement path.
) to expand the CW
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4.1.4.2
4.1.4.2.1
Typical Values
The values to be used to filter CW measurements depend on a lot of factors. In this section, some typical values are given.
These values are by definition general. Atoll provides a filtering assistant that can be used for each CW measurement
path; it is highly recommended to use the filtering assistant to define a specific signal and distance filters for each CW
measurement file. For information on the filtering assistant, see "Using the Filtering Assistant on CW Measurement Points"
on page 45.
When filtering out CW measurement points by signal strength, generally, signal levels above -40 dBm are filtered out,
because they would be inaccurate because of receiver overload. When you filter on the minimum signal level, the
sensitivity of the receiver and tolerance have to be considered. Therefore, signals below Receiver Sensitivity + Target
Standard Deviation have to be filtered out to avoid the effect of noise saturation in the results. A typical value for the
minimum signal level filter can be then considered to be:
-120 + 8 = -112 dBm
When filtering out by distance from the reference transmitter, measurement data at a distance of less than 200 m from the
station should be discarded because these points are too close to the station to properly represent the propagation over
the whole area. A typical maximum value is 10 km for rural areas.
4.1.4.2.2
) to expand the CW
Distance between CW measurement point and reference transmitter: Enter the Min. Distance and Max.
Distance. Atoll will keep only CW measurement points which are within this range.
Measured signal: Enter the Min. Measurement and Max. Measurement. Atoll will keep only CW
measurement points whose value is within this range.
You can also use this dialogue to filter on the following criteria:
-
Clutter class: For information on filtering by clutter class, see "Filtering on Clutter Classes" on page 42.
Angle with the antenna azimuth: For information on filtering by the angle with the antenna azimuth, see
"Filtering by Angle" on page 51.
Additional fields: For information on filtering with additional fields, see "Creating an Advanced Filter" on
page 45.
4. If you want to keep the measurement points inside the focus zone, select the Use focus zone to filter check box.
5. If you want to permanently remove the measurement points outside the filter, select the Delete Points Outside
Filter check box.
Caution:
If you permanently delete measurement points and later want to use them, you will have to
re-import the original measurement data.
6. Click OK. The selected CW measurement data will be filtered according to the defined parameters.
The filter settings can also be saved to a filter configuration which can be retrieved afterward.
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4.1.4.2.3
) to expand the CW
Formula
=X
<> X
<X
>X
<=X
>=X
*X*
*X
X*
6. Click OK to filter the data according to the criteria you have defined.
Filters are combined first horizontally, then vertically.
The filter settings can also be saved to a filter configuration which can be retrieved afterward.
You can also filter out CW measurement points using an advanced filter on a single CW measurement path by using the
Filtering assistant (see "Using the Filtering Assistant on CW Measurement Points" on page 45).
Note:
4.1.4.2.4
) to expand the folder of the reference transmitter. The reference transmitter folder
3. Right-click the CW measurement path. The context menu appears (see Figure 4.5:).
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4.1.4.3
Areas that suffer from diffraction: Areas that suffer from a large amount of diffraction should be filtered out
because they are not representative of the entire area. For more information, see "About Diffraction" on page 47.
Sections that are not representative of the survey area: Certain measurement points may not be representative of the entire area. For more information, see "About Specific Sections" on page 48.
Areas around the reference transmitter where obstacles prevent proper propagation: Some measurement
points should be removed because their reception is affected by obstructions between the measurement point and
the reference transmitter. As well, measurement points that are behind a non-omni-directional antenna should be
removed. For more information, see "About Specific Sections" on page 48.
Areas with potentially invalid points: Measurement points with a signal level that is significantly higher or lower
than the CW measurement points around them should be removed, as they could be invalid. For more information,
see "About Potentially Invalid Measurement Levels" on page 48.
4.1.4.3.1
You can delete CW measurement points from the data table: "Deleting a Selection of Measurement Points"
on page 50
You can draw a filtering zone: "Using Filtering Zones on CW Measurement Points" on page 51
You can filter out the points by their angle with the reference transmitter: "Filtering by Angle" on page 51.
About Diffraction
CW measurement points that suffer from a large amount of diffraction should be filtered out because they are not
representative of the entire area. For example, if there are three diffraction peaks in the profile between the station and
the measurement points theres a greater chance of errors and thereby a negative influence on calibration.
You can use the CW Measurement Analysis Tool and the Point Analysis Tool to quickly review each measurement
path for measurement points that have too many diffraction points. The profile between the site and the CW measurement
point is displayed in the Point Analysis Tool window (see Figure 4.8:).
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4.1.4.3.2
A section where the profile between the transmitter and the receiver includes a forest area (unless this configuration is representative of the survey area)
A section where the profile between the transmitter and the receiver passes over water (unless this configuration
is representative of the survey area)
A section of measurement points on a bridge
A section of measurement points in a tunnel
A section where the profile between the transmitter and the receiver is obstructed near the transmitter
A section of CW measurement points behind an antenna that is not omni-directional.
4.1.4.3.3
Selecting them in the data table: For information, see "Deleting a Selection of Measurement Points" on page 50
Creating an exclusion zone: For information, see "Using Filtering Zones on CW Measurement Points" on page 51
Filtering them out by their angle to the antenna: For information, see "Filtering by Angle" on page 51.
Once you have verified the signal level, potentially invalid measurements can be selected and deleted or filtered out by:
Selecting them in the data table: For information, see "Deleting a Selection of Measurement Points" on page 50
Creating an exclusion zone: For information, see "Using Filtering Zones on CW Measurement Points" on
page 51
Filtering them out by their angle to the antenna: For information, see "Filtering by Angle" on page 51.
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) to expand the folder with the CW measurement path you want to analyse.
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The CW measurement path appears in the map window as a line connecting the reference transmitter and the CW
measurement point, which is indicated by the pointer (
).
7. You can display a second Y-axis on the right side of the window in order to display the values of a second variable.
You can select the secondary Y-axis from the list on the right-hand side on the top of the CW Measurement
Analysis Tool window.
8. You can change the zoom level of the CW Measurement Analysis Tool window in the following ways:
-
Zoom in or out:
i.
Right-click the CW Measurement Analysis Tool window on one end of the range of data you want to
zoom in on.
4.1.4.3.4
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If you permanently delete measurement points and later want to use them, you will have to
re-import the original measurement data.
4.1.4.3.5
4. Right-click the CW measurement from which you want to exclude some points with a filtering zone. The context
menu appears.
5. Select Filtering Zones > Draw from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
6. Draw the filtering zone to cover:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The filtering zone is delimited by a red line. The points of the path inside the filtering zone are filtered out of the display
and the data table. They are not taken into consideration in any calculations.
You can create several filtering polygons for each path.
Note:
4.1.4.3.6
When you have created several filtering polygons for a path, you can delete all of them at
the same time by selecting the Delete Filtering Polygons check box in the CW
Measurement filter dialogues.
Filtering by Angle
When you have sections of the CW measurement path that are obstructed by obstacles in the profile close to the
transmitter between the CW measurement point and the reference transmitter or when the antenna is not completely omni-
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) to expand the CW
Relative: Select Relative if the antenna is directional. The entered angles will then be offset from the
antennas azimuth.
Absolute: Select Absolute if the antenna is omnidirectional. Because an omnidirectional antenna has no
azimuth, the entered angles will then be offset from the north.
If you permanently delete measurement points and later want to use them, you will have to
re-import the original measurement data.
7. Click OK.
The filter settings can also be saved to a filter configuration which can be retrieved afterward.
You can also filter out CW measurement points using a filter by angle on a single CW measurement path by using the
Filtering assistant (see "Using the Filtering Assistant on CW Measurement Points" on page 45).
4.1.5
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4.2
For calibration: Select paths that cover the entire area so that all the area characteristics can be taken into
account during the calibration process.
For verification: Select several paths (the number depends on the total number of available paths) that are within
the covered area and not at the outer boundaries. Ensure that the areas covered by the verification paths are also
covered by the calibration paths.
4.2.1
Quality Targets
The quality of the final calibrated propagation model depends strongly on the quality of the CW measurements used in the
calibration process. Therefore, you will only be able to meet the following quality targets if the CW measurements used in
the calibration process are of good quality, the provided radio data are correct, and the described calibration procedure is
followed.
Calibration Sites:
< 1 dB
< 8 dB
< 2.5 dB
< 8.5 dB
Verification Sites:
4.2.2
< 2 dB
< 8.5 dB
4.2.2.1
Parameters Tab
To set or verify settings on the Parameters tab of the SPMs Properties dialogue:
1. Click the Modules tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button (
3. Right-click the copy of the SPM that you want to calibrate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab (see Figure 4.13:).
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Maximum Distance (m): Under Near Transmitter, ensure that Maximum Distance (m) is set to "0." If this
parameter is not set to "0," it will be forced to "0" during the automatic calibration process because the
algorithm can not calibrate a dual-slope model.
Method: The Method you choose depends on the relief of the survey area to be used in calibration. The
automatic calibration process adapts antenna height (as set in the transmitter properties) during calculations
according to the characteristics of the profile between the transmitter and the receiver. You can either set the
method yourself now, or it can be set automatically during the automatic calibration process.
Diffraction:
-
Method: You can select the method use to calculate diffraction. The Millington method can only calculate one
diffraction edge. All other diffraction methods can calculate three diffraction edges.
Other Parameters:
-
Hilly Terrain Correction: The correction for hilly terrain correction cannot be modified by the automatic
calibration process and therefore you must set it beforehand. If you decide to manually adjust these
parameters, the following configurations are recommended:
For hilly terrain:
-
Effective Antenna Height: Under Effective Antenna Height, select "5 - Enhanced slope at receiver" as
the Method.
Hilly Terrain Correction: Under Other Parameters select "1 - Yes" to activate the Hilly Terrain
Correction.
54
Effective Antenna Height: Under Effective Antenna Height, select "1 - Height above average profile"
as the Method.
Hilly Terrain Correction: Under Other Parameters select "0 - No" to deactivate the Hilly Terrain
Correction.
Kclutter: Ensure that Kclutter is set to "1." Kclutter is the multiplicative factor of loss if the losses defined per
clutter class are used inn the SPM formula.
Limitation to Free Space Loss: Select "1 - Yes" to activate Limitation to Free Space Loss. Activating
Limitation to Free Space Loss ensures that unrealistic values are not taken into account during the
automatic calibration process.
Profiles: Select "0 - Radial" from Profiles. Activating radial optimisation ensures that profile extraction is
precise enough for the purposes of calibration while ensuring that calculation time is significantly improved.
K6: Ensure that K6 is set to "0." Because the K6 coefficient is a direct multiplicative factor of the receiver height
in the formula used to calculate path loss, it can influence propagation results in an unrealistic way.
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K7: The K7 coefficient has little influence on the performance propagation model and can usually be set to "0."
It is a direct multiplicative factor of the log of the receiver height in the formula used to calculate path loss; an
incorrect setting can influence propagation results in an unrealistic way.
Other Ki values will be calibrated during the automatic calibration process.
4.2.2.2
Clutter Tab
To set or verify settings on the Clutter tab of the SPMs Properties dialogue:
1. Click the Modules tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button (
3. Right-click the copy of the SPM that you want to calibrate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Clutter tab (see Figure 4.14:).
6. Verify the following settings on the Clutter tab (for more information on the settings available on the Clutter tab,
see "Recommendations for Using Clutter with the SPM" on page 20):
Clutter Taken into Account, you can set the following parameters under Heights:
-
Clutter Taken into Account in Diffraction: Given the impact that clutter heights have when calculating loss
by diffraction, this method should only be used when the height information available is very precise.
If clutter height files or high resolution (5m) clutter class files are available, select "1 - Yes" to have clutter taken
into account in diffraction. If you select "1 - Yes", you must set Kclutter to "0" on the Parameters tab of the
Properties dialogue, to ensure that the calibration will not calculate clutter losses.
If there is no clutter heights file available and the clutter class files are low resolution, select "0 - No" to not
have clutter taken into account when calculating diffraction. The effect of clutter on propagation will be taken
into account using clutter losses, which will be calculated during the calibration process. The calculated clutter
losses can be associated with a weighting function, which can be chosen after the calibration process.
Receiver on top of clutter: Select "0 - No", unless you are calibrating a model to be used for fixed WiMAX
and LTE receivers. This option is only used for fixed receivers which are located on top of buildings.
Under Clutter Taken into Account, you can set the following parameters under Range:
-
Max. distance: This parameter indicates the distance from the receiver for which clutter losses will be
considered via a weighting function, with an effect on the influence of clutter on total losses which diminishes
with distance from the receiver. Set this value within the typical range [150 m; 500 m] depending on the model
type you are currently calibrating, where the lower value corresponds to a dense urban model whereas the
upper value is compliant with a more rural model.
The effect of this value is to simulate the real diffraction along the path which a result of the several obstacles
located in front of the receiver. If you set this value to "0", clutter classes will be considered like in Hata models
where only the clutter class on which is located the receiver is considered in the path loss evaluation.
Weighting Function: Select the weighting function which is the mathematical formula used to calculate the
weight of the clutter loss on each pixel from the pixel with the receiver in the direction of the transmitter, up to
the defined maximum distance.
DU = Dense Urban
U = Urban
Tx
Rx
DU
DU
DU
Maximum Distance
Figure 4.14: Calculating the total clutter loss between the transmitter and the receiver
In the example in Figure 4.14:, the defined maximum distance indicates that only the clutter losses on the first
six pixels will be taken into account when calculating the total loss. How the losses on each pixel within the
maximum distance are taken into account when calculating the total loss depends on the weighting function.
There are four possible weighting functions:
-
Uniform
Triangular
Logarithmic
Exponential.
Figure 4.14: displays how the clutter loss of each pixel will be taken into consideration. In Figure 4.14:, the
value of each pixel is displayed as a function of its distance from the receiver. With the uniform weighting
function, the clutter loss of each pixel within the maximum distance is simply added. With the other three
functions, the clutter loss of each pixel diminishes according to a mathematical formula. For more information
on the weighting functions and on the mathematical formulas used, see the Technical Reference Guide.
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Figure 4.15: Comparative behaviour of the clutter weighting functions in the SPM
Note:
If clutter losses are not taken into account by the propagation model, clutter loss weighting
will not have an effect.
Under Parameters per clutter class, you can set the following parameters for each clutter class:
-
4.2.3
Automatic: Using acceptable data ranges that you set for the K1 to K6 variables, the automatic calibration
process attempts to reduce the mean error and standard deviation of measured values versus calculated values.
The automatic calibration process selects the method for calculating diffraction.
Assisted: The assisted calibration process enables you to display the correlation of the K1 to K6 variables to the
mean error. There are some parameters that have more influence on error than others. You will usually proceed
by adjusting the value of the variable that correlates the most with the mean error to reduce the mean error and
standard deviation.
Both methods have their advantages. The automatic calibration process is simpler and more straight-forward. As well, the
results are constrained by limits you set. On the other hand, any solution given by the automatic calibration process is a
purely mathematical solution. So, before using a propagation model calibrated using only the automatic calibration
process, you should ensure of its relevance in a realistic environment.
The assisted calibration process relies on your input to set the values for the K1 to K6 variables. It gives you more control
over the calibration process but, because there is no defined range set, it can lead to a mathematical solution that bears
little relation to the physical environment. For this reason, the assisted calibration process is better suited to advanced
users who can apply their experience to the calibration process.
The recommended approach is to combine both calibration methods, by first using the automatic calibration process and
then fine-tuning the results of the calibrated propagation model using the assisted calibration method.
Both calibration processes are started using the same method.
To start the calibration process:
1. Click the Modules tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button (
3. Right-click the copy of the SPM that you want to calibrate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Calibration from the context menu (see Figure 4.16:). The Calibration Wizard window appears.
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Automatic Calibration: When you select the automatic calibration method, you set the acceptable ranges for
variables and Atoll attempts to find a solution that minimises the error between measurements and predictions
and their standard deviation.
Assisted Calibration: When you select the assisted calibration method, you can adjust each variable of the
propagation model using a correlation matrix which indicates which variables have the greatest impact on the
mean error.
When you select the assisted calibration method, you can select the check boxes of LOS or NLOS to indicate
whether you want to work with the LOS or NLOS sets of variables or with both.
Figure 4.17: Path and Calibration method selection for SPM Calibration
7. Click Next.
-
4.2.3.1
If you selected Automatic Calibration, continue with "The Automatic Calibration Wizard" on page 57.
If you selected Assisted Calibration, continue with "The Assisted Calibration Wizard" on page 59.
Note:
The filters defined in the properties of each CW measurement path will be taken into
account in the calibration process.
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Ki
Minimum
Maximum
K1
100
K2
20
70
K3
-20
20
K4
0.8
K5
-10
Important: Leave the K6 parameter unselected. You can set the K7 parameter to "0" as well as it has
little influence on the performance propagation model.
d. Click OK.
3. Click Next to start the calibration process.
After the calculations have completed, a results window appears with the previous parameters and methods and
current parameter values and methods (see Figure 4.19:).
The previous and the current statistics are also displayed in terms of the root mean square, the standard deviation
and the mean error (error = predicted - measured).
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4.2.3.2
Figure 4.20: Table listing the correlation of the SPM variables to the global error
When the correlation coefficient is close to one, the graph showing the regression is a vertical line; this indicates that the
global error depends strongly on the variable. When the correlation coefficient is close to zero, the points are scattered
around a horizontal line; this indicates that the correlation between the error and the variable is limited. It means that if the
variable if modified, this will not improve the error.
To use the assisted calibration wizard to reduce the mean error:
1. In the table, select the variables that you want to modify to reduce the mean error. To select more than one
variable, press CTRL as you click the other variables.
2. Click the Identify button. The assisted calibration wizard attempts to bring the correlation as close to zero as
possible. Under Statistics, you can compare the Root Mean Square, the Average, and the Standard Deviation
before and after.
If you want to adjust the losses per clutter class to reduce the mean error, the maximum distance, as defined under
Range on the Clutter tab of the propagation models Properties dialogue, must be set to "0". If the maximum
distance is set to any other distance, Atoll will ask you if you want to force the maximum distance to "0" before
letting you modify the losses per clutter class.
Note:
If you are not satisfied with the changes made when you clicked Identify, you can undo them
by clicking Reinitialise.
Calibration is complete when the Root Mean Square, the Average, and the Standard Deviation are as close to
zero as possible.
3. Click Statistics to view a report on the statistics of the propagation model, using the current parameter values.
Under Model Parameters, the settings defined in General and Clutter tabs of the propagation models Properties
dialogue are summarized: formulas, methods, distances, diffraction method, and losses per clutter class.
Under Global Statistics, the number of CW measurement points which match any filter criteria is given, along
with the mean, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum values for variables such as the error, error (LOS),
error (NLOS), log(d), log(HTxeff), Diff, log(d)log(HTxeff), and HRxeff.
Under Statistics per Clutter Classes, number of points, mean, and standard deviation for each clutter class are
given.
Under Correlation Matrix, is a matrix of all parameters.
4. When you are satisfied with the results, click Commit to update the Ki factors of the propagation model with the
changes.
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4.3
4.3.1
Quality Targets
The quality of the final calibrated propagation model depends strongly on the quality of the CW measurements used in the
calibration process. Therefore, you will only be able to meet the following quality targets if the CW measurements used in
the calibration process are of good quality, the provided radio data are correct, and the described calibration procedure is
followed.
Calibration Sites:
< 1 dB
< 8 dB
< 2.5 dB
< 8.5 dB
Verification Sites:
4.3.2
< 2 dB
< 8.5 dB
4.3.2.1
Add diffraction loss: The Okumura-Hata propagation model can take into account losses due to diffraction,
using a 1-knife-edge Deygout method, and using the ground altitude given in the DTM. For detailed
information on the Deygout method, see the Technical Reference Guide. The calculations take the curvature
of the earth into account. Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to add losses due to diffraction.
You can weight this diffraction for each Hata environment formula (See "Creating or Modifying Environment
Formulas" on page 61)
Limitation to free space loss: When using a Hata-based propagation model, it is possible to calculate a
theoretical path loss that ends up being lower than the free space loss. In Atoll, you can define any Hatabased propagation model to never calculate a path loss that is lower than the calculated free space loss per
pixel. Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the
calculated free space loss.
6. Click OK.
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4.3.2.2
4.3.2.3
Additional losses can be evaluated using the Automatic Calibration Wizard. For information
on the Automatic Calibration Wizard, see "Running the Hata Calibration Process" on
page 61.
Add: To create a new formula, click the Add button and modify the parameters of the formula.
Delete: To delete a formula, select the formula and click the Delete button.
Modify: To modify an existing formula, select the formula and modify the parameters.
4.3.3
3. Right-click the copy of the Hata Model that you want to calibrate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Calibration from the context menu (see Figure 4.21:). The Calibration Wizard dialogue appears.
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Figure 4.22: Path and Calibration method selection for SPM Calibration
6. Click Next.
7. For each parameter you want to calibrate, select the check box of the parameter in the Parameter column.
8. Define the range of each parameter to be calibrated:
a. Click the parameter in the Parameter column.
b. Click the Define Range button. The Define Range dialogue appears.
c. Set the Min. Value and Max. Value for the variable.
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Parameter
Minimum
Maximum
A1
100
B1
100
Diffraction Factor
d. Click OK.
9. Click Next to start the calibration process.
After the calculations have completed, a results window appears with the previous parameters and methods and
current parameter values and methods (see Figure 4.24:).
The previous and the current statistics are also displayed in terms of the root mean square, the standard deviation
and the mean error (error = predicted - measured).
4.4
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Figure 4.25: Selecting the calibrated model for all CW measurement paths
3. Calculate signal levels for all CW measurement points:
a. Right-click the CW Measurements folder. The context menu appears.
b. Select Calculations > Calculate Signal Levels from the context menu. Atoll calculates the signal levels for
all CW measurement paths.
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To use the CW Measurement Analysis Tool and the Point Analysis Tool to analyse elements of a CW measurement
path:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. In the CW Measurements folder, clear the display check box beside all CW measurement paths except the one
you want to display.
This will limit the number of points displayed to the ones you want to examine.
3. Right-click the CW measurement path you want to analyse. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open the Analysis Tool from the context menu. The CW Measurement Analysis Tool opens.
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You can select an additional characteristic of the CW measurement path from the list on the right.
The Profile tab of the Point Analysis Tool window displays the profile between a reference transmitter and the
selected CW measurement point. As well, Atoll displays the strength of the received signal from the selected
transmitter as well as any diffraction peaks.
Important: The propagation model used to generate the results on the Profile tab of the Point Analysis
Tool window is the model defined in the properties of the reference transmitter.
Note:
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You can also move through the CW measurement points by dragging the vertical line in the
CW Measurement Analysis Tool window that indicates the current CW measurement
point.
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4.5
68
Propagation models calibrated on other areas: If you calibrated a copy of the same propagation model using
CW measurements made on a different area, some, if not all, of the clutter classes that are uncalibrated in your
current propagation model may have been calibrated in the copy calibrated on the other area.
Typical losses: You can extrapolate missing clutter losses from typical losses. It is important to remember that
the relative difference (between losses per clutter class) is more important than the absolute value of clutter losses
because the absolute value is dependent on the constant K1. As well, you must calculate and use a scaling factor
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Clutter Class
Loss
Dense urban
From 4 to 5
Woodland
From 2 to 3
Urban
Suburban
From -5 to -3
Industrial
From -5 to -3
Open in urban
From -6 to -4
Open
Water
Remember that it is the relative difference between losses per clutter class that is important.
2. Calculate the delta between the normalised clutter class loss in the typical values (i.e., "Urban") and the clutter
class loss that is undefined in the calibrated propagation model (i.e., the standard ).
3. Multiply this delta by the scaling factor between the project losses and the standard losses to calculate the clutter
loss for the project:
project = s tan dard scaling factor
4. Add the delta of the project to the normalised clutter loss to obtain the value of the clutter class loss that is
undefined in the calibrated propagation model.
5. Repeat these steps for each clutter loss that is undefined in the calibrated propagation model.
For example, a project has the following clutter losses:
Dense Urban = 5
Urban = (0)
Suburban = 2
The clutter loss for Urban is undefined. To extrapolate from the known values using typical values, you must first
calculate the scaling factor, using the values existing in both the standard values:
Dense Urban, project Suburban, project Dense Urban, typical Suburban, typical
In this case:
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4.6
4.6.1
2. Click the Window menu and select the Atoll document with the calibrated propagation model.
3. Copy the calibrated propagation model:
a. On the Modules tab of the Explorer window, click the Expand button (
Models folder to expand the folder.
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4.6.2
b. Right-click the Filtering Zone folder and select Draw from the context menu. The pointer changes to the
polygon drawing pointer (
).
c. Click on the map to start drawing the filter polygon. Click each time you change the angle on the border
defining the outside of the polygon.
d. Close the polygon by clicking twice. The transmitters outside of the selected zone are filtered out. On the Data
tab of the Explorer window, the Transmitters folder appears with a special icon (
), to indicate that the
folder contents have been filtered. Only the transmitters within the filtering zone will now appear in the
Transmitters table.
2. Open the Transmitters table:
-
On the Data tab of the Explorer window, right-click the Transmitters folder and select Open Table from the
context menu. The Transmitters table appears.
In the Transmitters table, click the title of the Frequency Band column to sort the entries by frequency band.
4. Select the calibrated propagation model for all records that will use it:
a. In the Main Propagation Model column, select the calibrated propagation model.
b. Starting with the record you have just changed, click and drag to select all records that will have the same
propagation model.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down. The entry under Main Propagation Model changes to the value in the first record
of the selected transmitters.
Note:
If the result was not what you expected, select File > Undo and repeat the steps.
d. If you want to assign the calibrated propagation model to the extended propagation model as well, repeat
these steps with the entries in the Extended Propagation Model column.
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Chapter 5
Additional CW Measurement Functions
5.1
Important: CW measurements are usually made using WGS84. By default the coordinate system
displayed in the coordinates field is the display system used in the document. If the CW
measurements were made using WGS84, be sure to select WGS84, a geographic system
as indicated by the globe symbol ( ).
9. From the document with the CW measurements, select the X and Y coordinates and CW measurements to be
imported and copy them.
10. In the New CW Measurement Path dialogue, click the Paste button.
11. Click OK.
Once you have created the CW measurement path, you can modify the values of the path in the table. You can open the
CW measurement table by right-clicking it in the CW Measurements folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window and
selecting Open Table from the context menu.
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5.2
4. Right-click the CW measurement path to which you want to add points. The context menu appears.
5. Select Add > Points from the context menu. The pointer changes (
).
6. Click the map at each location where you want to add a CW measurement point.
7. When you have finished, press ESC or double-click.
To add a path segment to a CW measurement path:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button (
4. Right-click the CW measurement path to which you want to add points. The context menu appears.
5. Select Add > Path from the context menu. The Path Creation dialogue appears.
6. Enter the Step between each point and click OK. The pointer changes (
).
7. Draw the path of the path segment by clicking on the map to draw the starting point and each time the path
segment changes direction.
8. When you have finished, press ESC or double-click.
5.3
3. Right-click the folder of the reference transmitter for which you want to merge the referring paths. The context
menu appears.
4. Select Merge Measurement paths from the context menu.
5. Choose if you want to merge all the considered paths or only a part of them.
6. Click OK. The selected CW measurement paths will be merged in a unique table.
5.4
) to expand the folder of the reference transmitter. The reference transmitter folder
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5.5
You can restore the initial values in any CW measurement path by selecting Smoothing >
Restore Initial Values.
5.5.1
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the reference transmitter along whose CW measurement path
you will calculate signal levels.
4. Right-click the CW measurement path. The context menu appears.
5. Select Calculations > Add a Transmitter from the context menu. The New Prediction dialogue appears.
6. Select the transmitter to add from the Transmitter list and click OK. The transmitter will be added to the CW
measurement path data table.
5.5.2
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the reference transmitter along whose CW measurement path
you will calculate signal levels.
4. Right-click the CW measurement path. The context menu appears.
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5.5.3
5.5.4
4. Right-click the CW measurement path to which you want to calculate the signal levels. The context menu appears.
5. Select Calculations > Calculate Signal Levels from the context menu.
Atoll calculates signal levels, updating the values in the data table for that CW measurement path and updating
the map according to the settings selected in "Setting the Display to Best Server" on page 10.
5.5.5
4. Right-click the CW measurement path to which you want to display comparative statistics. The context menu
appears.
5. Select Display statistics from the context menu.
Atoll opens a popup in which the global statistics between measurements and predictions are given over all the
filtered (or not) points through the mean error, its standard deviation, the root mean square and the error
correlation factor. The statistics are also given per clutter class
5.5.6
3. Right-click the folder of the reference transmitter to which you want to display comparative statistics. The context
menu appears.
4. Select Display statistics from the context menu.
5. Select if you want to display the statistics for all the considered paths or only a part of them.
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Chapter 6
Survey Site Form
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ZHF993
Address
18 Smith street
Ask for James Brown at reception desk in regards to getting access to the site on the roof.
Co-ordinates:
E: 26,38773
N: 50,59358
Map GPS x
Transmitters:
Omni Antenna
Ant. Height
Nominal power
43
5m 1/4"
location
Type
K800 1111
Gain
installation
On mast / tripod ?
EIRP min.
40
20,4 + 3
23,4
Type of site
dBm
dB
dBi
dBm
Roof top
Notes:
84
Pay attention to the separation between the test antenna and any live antennas. Vertical separation, if the antennas
are aligned, is not really a problem, but horizontal separation could be problematic, so it should be avoided.
Site photos: Take photos of the sites both from the ground and from the site itself. You also need a set of panoramic
photos, starting from 0 (North) and moving clockwise by 45 increments. You can use a laser telemeter to measure
the height of the site.
Site Drawing: Make an accurate (as far as possible) drawing of the site. Indicate where North lies in relation to the site.
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Site Photos
Global view:
Rooftop:
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Panoramic Photos
86
North
East
South
West
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Survey Details
Measurement Files:
Number:
Comments:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Frequency Band
GSM
563
935.200
1815.200
2170
200 khz
200 khz
200 khz
40 dBm
40 dBm
40 dBm
39.8 dBm
39.8 dBm
39.8 dBm
1.3
1.3
1.3
Frequency
Channel Bandwidth
Interference free control?
-Before antenna-
UMTS
56
Channel Used
TX transmitter
DCS
VSWR
Survey Comments:
(Information about issues that will necessitate data filtering, etc.)
Notes:
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Take note of any areas on the survey path which are not suitable data collection areas (avoid them if possible), for
example, tunnels, bridges, raised motorways, etc. Keep in mind that the planning tool assumes that you are at ground
level; any raised or lowered areas produce errors.
Before making the survey drive, measure the RF output at the antenna, after the cable.
Measure the RF output at the antenna again after the survey drive, to ensure that the transmitter is still working.
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Measurements
and Model
Calibration
Guide
version 2.8.3
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4 October 2010
Head Office
7, rue des Briquetiers
31700 Blagnac - France
Tel: +33 562 747 210
Fax: +33 562 747 211
US Office
200 South Wacker Drive - Suite 3100
Chicago, IL 60606 - USA
Tel: +1 312 674 4846
Fax: +1 312 674 4847
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Suite 302, 3/F, West Tower,
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No. 66 Jianzhong Road,
Tianhe Hi-Tech Industrial Zone,
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Fax: +86 20 8553 8285
www.forsk.com