Planet User Guide

Cover Page
Mentum Planet
User Guide
for version 4.5.1
Copyright 2009
Mentum S.A. All rights reserved.
Notice
This document contains confidential and proprietary information of Mentum S.A.

and may not be copied, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced in
any format or media, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of
Mentum S.A. Information contained in this document supersedes that found in
any previous manuals, guides, specifications data sheets, or other information that
may have been provided or made available to the user. This document is provided
for informational purposes only, and Mentum S.A. does not warrant or guarantee
the accuracy, adequacy, quality, validity, completeness or suitability for any
purpose the information contained in this document. Mentum S.A. may update,
improve, and enhance this document and the products to which it relates at any
time without prior notice to the user. MENTUM S.A. MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THIS DOCUMENT OR THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.
Trademark Acknowledgement
Mentum, Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse are registered trademarks owned by Mentum S.A.
MapInfo Professional is a registered trademark of PB MapInfo Corporation. RF-vu is a trademark
owned by iBwave. WaveSight is a trademark of Wavecall. This document may contain other
trademarks, trade names, or service marks of other organizations, each of which is the property of its
respective owner.
Last updated February 18, 2009
Contents
Contents
MENTUM
PRODUCTS
List of products
CONTACTING
MENTUM
Getting technical support

Send us your comments
4
4
INTRODUCTION
Features of Mentum Planet

Using this documentation
Online Help
Documentation library
Notational conventions
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Overview of Mentum Planet activities

Understanding projects
Understanding project data types
Understanding tables
Understanding grids
Understanding grid types
Understanding project geodata
Height folder
Clutter folder
Clutter Heights folder
Polygons folder
Custom Data folder
Understanding project files
Site table files
Workspace
Understanding the Project Explorer
Understanding the data window
Defining user preferences
To define user preferences
Creating projects
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CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
with Mentum
Planet
Contents
Mentum Planet User Guide
To create a project
Project folder structure
Creating and using workspaces
To create a workspace
To open a workspace
To associate a workspace with a project
Attaching files to a Mentum Planet project
To attach a file to a project
To open an attached file
To import an attached file
To remove an attached file from a project
Opening and closing projects
To open a project
Saving projects
To save a project
To back up a project
Restoring projects
To restore a project
Working with map layers
To manipulate map layers with the Project Explorer
To manipulate map layers with the Layer Control
Working with geodata folders
To manage geodata files
To group geodata files
To set geodata folder locations
Defining color profiles
To choose color profiles
To create a color profile
Creating class profiles
To choose a class profile
To create or edit a class profile
Defining system settings
To define system settings
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Contents
CHAPTER 2
Working with
Sites and Sectors
Understanding site properties

Understanding site configuration files
Understanding sector properties
Basic sector properties
Additional sector properties
Workflow for configuring and placing sites
Placing sites
To place sites
To undo a recent site placement
Displaying and formatting site labels
To display site labels
To format site labels
Choosing sites
Choosing sites and sectors from the Project Explorer
To choose sites and sectors from the Project Explorer
Choosing sites and sectors using the Select tools
To choose sites and sectors using the Select tools
Grouping sites
To group sites by properties in the Project Explorer
To copy grouped sites in the Project Explorer
To ungroup sites in the Project Explorer
Finding and selecting sites and sectors in the Map window
To find a site in the Map window
To find a sector in the Map window
To find and display a site with user-selected zoom
To select a site or sector in the Map window
Working with sites
To display information about a site
To edit a site
To move a site
To copy and paste a site in the Map window
To copy a site or sector into a group
To clone a sector at a site
To rename a site
To swap site and sector parameters
To refresh the sites list
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Contents
To delete sites from the Project Explorer

To delete sites from the Map window
To change the antenna for a sector
Using sector placement tools
To use the Find Maximum Point tool
To use the Angle From Line tool
To use the Draw Angle tool
Working with sector groups
To create a sector group
To display a group in a Map window
Editing sector groups
To rename a group
To remove a site or sector from a group
To delete a group
To refresh the groups list
To invert a group selection
To edit groups from the Site Properties dialog box
Working with flags
Example
To create a flag
To add a condition
To apply a flag condition to a sector
To apply flag conditions to one or more sites
To display sectors based on flag conditions
Editing flags and conditions
To rename a flag
To rename a condition
To delete a flag or condition
To invert flag conditions
Performing global edits
To perform a global edit
Using Tabular Edit
To edit site and sector settings using Tabular Edit
Modifying sector symbols for individual sites
To modify color and symbol settings for individual sites
Customizing sector symbols for multiple sites
To create a sector display scheme
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Contents
To define an active sector display scheme

To add a sector display scheme
To apply a sector display scheme
To apply the default sector symbol
To update sector relationships
Adding user-defined data
To add user-defined data using the User Data tab
Working with site tables
To copy the active site table
To add a site table
To view a site table
To change the active site table
To remove a site table
To rename a site table
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Understanding antenna patterns

Required accuracy for antenna patterns
Antenna pattern formats
Workflow for adding antenna patterns to a project
Converting antenna patterns from ANet or Planet format
To convert antenna patterns
Modifying antenna patterns with electrical tilt
Antenna definition files
To create an antenna definition file
To modify antenna patterns with electrical tilt
Opening and viewing antenna patterns
To open an antenna pattern
To open an antenna pattern from the Project Explorer
To view additional information
To open antenna patterns in Notepad
To view antenna dependencies
Editing antenna patterns
To edit antenna information
To edit pattern gain values
To change multiple antenna gain values
Saving antenna patterns
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CHAPTER 3
Working with
Antenna Patterns
Contents
CHAPTER 4
Working with
Propagation
Models
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To save horizontal and vertical patterns separately

To save an antenna pattern in NSMA format
Printing antenna patterns
To print an antenna pattern
Adding antenna patterns to a project
To add antenna pattern files to a project
To view or hide unassigned antenna patterns
To refresh antenna patterns
To rename antenna patterns
To remove an antenna pattern from the Project Explorer
Creating quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns
Quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern guidelines
To create a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern
Grouping antenna patterns
To group antenna patterns
To ungroup antenna patterns
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Understanding the role of propagation models

Understanding propagation model types
Free Space model
Okumura-Hata model
Planet General Model
ITU 370-Recommendation model
COST 231 Walfisch-Ikegami model
Longley-Rice model
Lee model
IEEE 802.16 model
CRC-Predict model
CRC-Predict Air
Universal model
Q9 model
WaveSight model
Understanding clutter classes and clutter properties
Workflow for editing propagation models
Working with the Propagation Model Editor
To define propagation model settings in your project
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Contents
CHAPTER 5
Managing Survey
Data
To define propagation model settings globally

To define a new propagation model
To include the effects of clutter
Working with Clutter Property Assignment files
To define clutter properties for a propagation model
To convert a .cpa file created for CRC-Predict 1.25 or 1.5
Understanding model tuning
Guidelines for model tuning
Workflow for model tuning
Tuning models using the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner
To tune a model using the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner
Tuning the Planet General Model using AMT
To tune the Planet General Model using AMT
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Understanding surveys
How survey data is organized in the Project Explorer
Workflow for surveys
Collecting survey data
Adding surveys to a project
To add surveys to the project
To import surveys
To modify the properties of a survey
Adding survey header information
To update survey header information using sector properties
Saving a copy of a survey
To save a copy of a survey
Displaying survey data
To view a survey in the Map window
To find survey data points in the Map window
To view survey data in tabular format
To create a thematic map of survey data
To modify display options for thematically mapped surveys
Viewing survey statistics
To view a survey histogram
To view a survey clutter distribution histogram
To view a survey regression analysis
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Contents
Assigning surveys
To assign a survey to a sector
To create a survey assignment file
To assign multiple surveys using an assignment file
To view and update survey assignments
To export a survey assignment file
To clear all survey assignments
Creating survey reports
To create survey assignment reports
Modifying survey data
To average survey data
To filter survey data
To filter survey data by selection
To filter survey data by polygon
To remove survey data points from the Map window
Combining and comparing surveys
To combine surveys
To compare two surveys
To compare a survey with a numeric grid
To compare a survey with a modeled prediction
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Understanding test mobile data

Input file requirements for test mobile data
Test mobile data file header
Workflow for test mobile data
Importing test mobile data
To import test mobile data
Viewing information about a test mobile data file
To view information about a test mobile data file
Viewing and locating test mobile data
To view the test mobile data locations in a Map window
To find test mobile data in a Map window
To view test mobile data in tabular format
Displaying test mobile data in a Map window
Understanding point display settings
Understanding how display information is organized
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CHAPTER 6
Managing Test
Mobile Data
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Contents
CHAPTER 7
Managing Scan
Receiver Data
To define map view settings for a test mobile data file

To define individual point display settings
To define point display settings for ranges of values
To display the test mobile data points in a Map window
To create a map view template for test mobile data
Viewing test mobile data in graph format
To view test mobile data in graph format
To print the data in the Test Mobile Graph window
Allocating test mobile data to sectors
Looking up sectors for test mobile data
Allocating test mobile records to sectors
To look up sectors for test mobile data automatically
To assign sectors to test mobile carrier nodes manually
To add a virtual test mobile sector
To view or modify sector information
To allocate test mobile records to sectors
To view the test mobile records
To unassign sectors
To modify the display in the Test Mobile tree view
Exporting test mobile data to surveys
To export test mobile data to surveys
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Understanding scan receiver data

Input file requirements for scan receiver data
To export scan receiver data from Agilent E6474A software
Scan receiver data file header
Workflow for scan receiver data
Importing scan receiver data
To import scan receiver data
Viewing information about a scan receiver data file
To view information about a scan receiver data file
Viewing scan receiver data
To view the scan receiver data locations in a Map window
To find scan receiver data in a Map window
To view scan receiver data in tabular format
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Contents
CHAPTER 8
Generating
Predictions
Displaying scan receiver data in a Map window

To define map view settings for a scan receiver data file
To display the scan receiver data points in a Map window
To create a map view template for scan receiver data
Viewing scan receiver data in graph format
To view scan receiver data in graph format
To print the data in the Scan Receiver Graph window
Allocating scan receiver data to sectors
Looking up sectors for scan receiver data
Allocating scan receiver records to sectors
To look up sectors for scan receiver data automatically
To assign sectors to scan receiver carrier nodes manually
To add a virtual scan receiver sector
To allocate scan receiver records to sectors
To view the scan receiver records
To unassign sectors
To modify the display in the Scan Receiver tree view
Exporting scan receiver data to surveys
To export scan receiver data to surveys
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Understanding path loss and signal strength predictions

Path loss and signal strength files
Path loss files
Signal strength files
Combined signal strength files
Choosing a prediction mode
Modeled predictions
Merged predictions
Defining output settings
Advanced prediction layers
Bin file size and resolution
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Contents
CHAPTER 9
Generating Signal
Strength
Predictions
Between Two
Points
To define analysis output settings

Generating predictions
To generate predictions
Generating multi-threaded predictions
To generate multi-threaded predictions
Viewing predictions from the Project Explorer
To view predictions for a sector
To view predictions for a repeater
To view combined predictions for a site or sector
Viewing predictions from the View menu
To view predictions using the View menu
Displaying, filtering, and deleting predictions
To display, filter, and delete predictions
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Understanding point-to-point analyses

The Fresnel zone
Workflow for point-to-point analyses
Understanding the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box
Generating point-to-point profiles
To generate a point-to-point profile
Understanding how to interpret a point-to-point profile
What you see
What you can do
Customizing the point-to-point profile graph window
To customize the Point-to-Point profile graph window
To inspect individual points on a profile
Viewing the height of clutter above the elevation profile
To define clutter height values
To view clutter heights
Displaying reflection points
To display reflection points
Exporting a point-to-point graph
To export a point-to-point graph as an image
To export a point-to-point graph to a text file
Printing point-to-point graphs
To print a point-to-point graph
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Contents
CHAPTER 10
Working with
Traffic Maps
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Saving and opening point-to-point profiles

To save a point-to-point profile
To open a point-to-point profile
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Understanding traffic maps

Types of input traffic data
Conversion factors for input traffic data
Understanding clutter weighting
Including vectors in clutter
Workflow for creating and editing a traffic map
Creating traffic maps from regions, vectors, and classified grids
To create a traffic map from regions or vectors
To create a traffic map from a classified grid
Creating a traffic map from network data
To import network data for a traffic map
To create a traffic map from network data
Applying clutter weighting
To apply clutter weighting using a clutter file
To apply clutter weighting using a merged clutter/vector file
Modifying clutter relative weightings
To modify clutter relative weightings
Viewing traffic maps
To view a traffic map
Adding traffic maps to the Project Explorer
To add a traffic map to the Project Explorer
Modifying traffic maps
Converting traffic maps
To convert a traffic map
Scaling traffic maps
To scale a traffic map by percentage
To scale a traffic map by offset
To scale a traffic map using clutter scaling factors
Combining traffic maps
To combine traffic maps
Deleting traffic maps
To delete a traffic map
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Contents
CHAPTER 11
Working with
Interference
Matrices
Understanding interference matrices

Interference matrix types
Workflow for creating interference matrices
Creating Modeled interference matrices
Standard interference matrix
Histogram interference matrix
To create a standard interference matrix
To create a histogram interference matrix
To create a histogram interference matrix using existing settings
To update an existing histogram interference matrix
Creating Network Data interference matrices
To import network data for an interference matrix
To create a Network Data interference matrix
Creating Local Knowledge interference matrices
To create a Local Knowledge interference matrix
To define Local Knowledge affected traffic
Viewing interference matrices
To view a standard interference matrix
To view a histogram interference matrix
To view histogram interference matrix settings
Viewing sector-to-sector interference in a Map window
To view interferers for a sector
To remove a sector-to-sector interference display
Converting a matrix to a standard interference matrix
To convert a Network Data or Local Knowledge IM
To convert a histogram interference matrix
Merging interference matrices
To merge interference matrices
Deleting interference matrices
To delete interference matrices
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Contents
CHAPTER 12
Working with
Neighbor Lists
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Understanding neighbor lists

Workflow for creating neighbor lists
Creating neighbor lists
To create a neighbor list from a best server grid
To create a neighbor list from an interference matrix
Importing network data for a neighbor list
To import network data for a neighbor list
To create a neighbor list from network data
Creating multi-technology neighbor lists
To create a multi-technology neighbor list
Comparing neighbor lists
To compare neighbor lists
Editing neighbor lists
To edit a neighbor list
To add neighbor relationships to a neighbor list
To remove neighbor relationships from a neighbor list
To edit a neighbor list graphically
Viewing neighbor lists
To view a neighbor list in a Map window
Exporting neighbor lists
To export an entire neighbor list or a neighbor list for one sector
Copying neighbor lists
To copy a neighbor list
Adding neighbor lists to the Project Explorer
To add a neighbor list to the Project Explorer
Changing the active neighbor list
To change the active neighbor list
Merging neighbor lists
To merge neighbor lists
Deleting neighbor lists
To delete a neighbor list
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Contents
CHAPTER 13
Working with
Network and
Project Data
Importing, replacing, and exporting project data

Importing data
Replacing data
Exporting data
To export project data
To import project data
Using the Network Data tool
Binding network data
Mentum Planet data
Results of data binding
To import network data
To import network data using saved binding rules
To add network data to your project
Using Network Data Display
To set metric display options
To view metrics
To remove metrics display
Importing site data
To import data to the site table
Exporting site table and model files to Planet 2.8
To export site table and model files to Planet 2.8
Using the Demographic Analysis tool
Demographic Analysis tool outputs
To perform a demographic analysis
Using the Network Statistics Mapping tool
To update the site table Cell_ID column
To create a thematic map of network data
Using the Tool Manager
To add a tool to the Tools menu
To enable and disable tools
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Contents
CHAPTER 14
Working with
Grids
CHAPTER 15
Generating
Reports
xvi
Getting information about a grid

To view a grid legend
To use the Grid Manager Info function
To use the Grid Info tool
To use the Region Info tool
To use the Line Info tool
Contouring a grid
Creating contours for a numeric grid
To define contour polylines or regions
Creating contours for a classified grid
To create contours for a classified grid
Creating smooth grid contours
How smooth grid contours are created
To create smooth grid contours
Creating slope and aspect grids
To create a slope and aspect grid
Working with area grids
To create an area grid
To add an area grid
To rename an area grid
To view an area grid
To delete an area grid
Analyzing visibility on a grid
Point-to-Point Visibility function
To determine point-to-point visibility
Viewshed function
To perform a single-point viewshed analysis
To perform a multi-point viewshed analysis
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Producing coverage map reports

To create a print layout
To add a frame
To change the border of a frame
To open a graphic file
Creating and printing legends
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Contents
To create and print a grid legend

To create and print a thematic map legend
Exporting site tables
To export the site table to a text file
Producing FCC reports
Service Area Boundary (SAB) formula
Understanding FCC table formats
To create FCC contours
To define override values for 32 dBu services
To use the FCC Point tool
To save FCC contour tables
To export an FCC report
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APPENDIX A
Site Table Format
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APPENDIX B
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Mentum Planet
File Types
APPENDIX C
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Clutter Properties
APPENDIX D
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Survey to
Numeric Grid
Calculations
APPENDIX E
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Import and Export

Tables
INDEX
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Contents
xviii
Mentum Products
This chapter contains the

following section:
List of products
The Mentum Product portfolio provides a range of

products for planning and maintaining wireless
networks.
This section describes the products that are available
as part of the portfolio. For additional details about
any of these products, see the Mentum web site at
http://www.mentum.com.
Mentum Products
List of products
The following table describes wireless network planning and optimization
products. The table does not provide details about specific features and tools.
For more information, see the introductory chapters in the User Guide for the
specific product or visit the Mentum web site at http://www.mentum.com.
Product
Description
Mentum Planet
A Windows-based wireless network planning and analysis tool. You can

add technologies and tools to support the planning functions that you
require. Depending on the options that you choose, Mentum Planet
provides support for the following technologies:
TDMA/FDMAGSM (including GPRS and EGPRS), IS-136, AMPS,
NAMPS, and iDEN
CDMAW-CDMA (UMTS, including HSPA), cdma2000 (including
IS-95, 1xRTT, EV-DO)
Specialized modules
Measurement
Data Package
Test mobile and scan receiver functionality that can be added to Mentum
Planet so that you can import and analyze measurement data and
increase the accuracy of predictions.
Universal
Model
Propagation model that automatically adapts to all engineering

technologies (micro, mini, small and macro cells), to all environments
(dense urban, urban, suburban, mountainous, maritime, open), and to all
systems (GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, WIFI, WIMAX) in a frequency
range that spans from 400MHz to 5GHz.
Indoor/Outdoor
Indoor/outdoor module that links Mentum Planet with iBwave RF-vu

allowing you to view and plan indoor/outdoor networks and manage RFvu projects using the Mentum Planet Data Manager.
Optimization applications
Mentum
Ellipse
An integrated software solution for the optimal planning and design of

point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radio transmission links.
Renaissance
Frequency planning tool that uses evolutionary algorithms to find the

very best frequency plan that will minimize interference across the
network.
Capesso
Optimisation tool that enables engineers to improve upon manual

optimisation techniques by allowing them to consider and adjust multiple
input parameters simultaneously. The result is a quicker and more costeffective convergence towards a 'best network' configuration.
Contacting
Mentum
following sections:
Mentum is committed to providing fast, responsive

technical support. This section provides an extensive
list of contacts to help you through any issues you
may have.
We also welcome any comments about our
documentation. Customer feedback is an essential
element of product development and supports our
efforts to provide the best products, services, and
support we can.
Contacting Mentum

You can get technical support by phone or email, or by going to
http://www.mentum.com/index.php?page=customer-care&hl=en_US. Email
is the best way of getting technical support.
North America
Phone: +1 866 921-9219 (toll free), +1 819 483-7094
Fax: +1 819 483-7050
Email: support.americas@mentum.com
Hours: 8am 8pm EST/EDT (Monday-Friday, excluding local holidays)
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Phone: +33 1 39264642
Fax: +33 1 39264601
Email: support.emea@mentum.com
Hours: 9am 6pm CET/CEST (Monday-Friday, excluding local holidays)
Asia Pacific
Phone: +852 2824 8874
Fax: +852 2824 8358
Email: support.apac@mentum.com
Hours: 9am 6pm HKT (Monday-Friday, excluding local holidays)
When you call for technical support, ensure that you have your product ID
number and know which version of the software you are running. You can
obtain this information using the About command from the Help menu.
When you request technical support outside of regular business hours, a
Product Support Specialist will respond the next working day by telephone or
email, depending upon the nature of the request.

Feedback is important to us. Please take the time to send comments and
suggestions on the product you received and on the user documentation
shipped with it. Send your comments to:
Planet.feedback@mentum.com
Introduction
This introduction contains the

following sections:
This User Guide provides an overview of the full life

cycle of a wireless network, and includes information
on the tools and procedures that are common to all
network technologies. Many procedures, for example
network analyses, are dependent on the technology
being used, and are not included in this User Guide.
For more information on technology-specific
procedures, see the appropriate User Guide.
This chapter explains the features of Mentum Planet
and covers the documentation provided.
Introduction

Mentum Planet provides you with all the tools you need to accurately design,
analyze, and optimize wireless networks. You can add extensions and enable
additional technologies to support the planning functions that you require. For
more information, see List of products on page 2.
Below is a list of some of the main features of Mentum Planet. This list is not
comprehensive. For a detailed feature list, go to the Mentum web site at http:/
/www.mentum.com.
Project Explorer
The Project Explorer organizes all components of a project into a hierarchical
structure, enabling you to easily manage all project-related data including
sites, project information, network analyses, network data, and surveys. You
can sort components such as sites and antenna patterns by their characteristics
and manage support documents such as census tract data, capacity planning
information, or RF design review documents. Shortcut menus give you quick
access to a wide variety of commands.
Traffic Map Generator

Using the Traffic Map Generator, you can create traffic maps based on various
sources of data, including market information, demographics, vehicular
traffic, and switch statistics. You can combine this information with clutter
information for your coverage area for an even more accurate assessment of
traffic loading for your wireless network. You can also scale traffic maps to
better meet your requirements.
Interference Matrix Generator

The Interference Matrix Generator analyzes the potential for co-channel and
adjacent-channel interference in your wireless network. If required, you can
include traffic map information in the interference matrix calculations.
Interference matrices are required input for the Neighbor List Generator and,
if you are working with a Mobile Technology project, the Automatic
Frequency Planning tool.
Introduction
Neighbor List Generator

You can use the Neighbor List Generator to create, view, edit, and compare
neighbor lists for single-technology networks and for multi-technology
networks. Neighbor lists can be based on cell adjacency or interference.
Multiple user-defined criteria determine neighbor selection. You can also
import and export neighbor lists.
Network Data tool

You can import switch statistics for use in traffic maps, interference matrices,
neighbor lists, and other Mentum Planet analysis tools. Performance-related
data you can import includes dropped call rates, blocked call rates, and traffic
levels. The Network Data tool can also produce a thematically mapped
display of the imported data by sector.
Survey Data tool

Using the Survey Data node in the Project Explorer, you can import, manage,
and visualize survey data.
Field Measurement Data tools

Using the test mobile and scan receiver tools within Mentum Planet, you can
import, analyze, manage, and view data collected across the network. These
features provide important information that will help you better optimize your
network.
Data Manager
The Data Manager enables you to store data centrally and manage projects
more efficiently, thus facilitating project collaboration and data sharing.
MapInfo Professional
Mentum Planet includes a full version of MapInfo Professional, an industry
standard mapping tool that gives you access to a full suite of raster and vector
analysis tools, cartographic-quality tools, and advanced thematic mapping
capabilities. For a list of new features in MapInfo 9.0, see the MapInfo
Professional User Guide.
Introduction

Before using this documentation, you should be familiar with the Windows
environment. It is assumed that you are using the standard Windows XP
desktop, and that you know how to access ToolTips and shortcut menus, move
and copy objects, select multiple objects using the Shift or Ctrl key, resize
dialog boxes, expand and collapse folder trees. It is also assumed that you are
familiar with the basic functions of MapInfo Professional. MapInfo
Professional functions are not documented in this User Guide. For
information about MapInfo Professional, see the MapInfo online Help and
MapInfo Professional User Guide. You can access additional MapInfo user
documentation from the MapInfo website at www.mapinfo.com.
All product information is available through the online Help. You access
online Help using the Help menu or context-sensitive Help from within a
dialog box by pressing the F1 key. If you want to view the online Help for a
specific panel or tab, click in a field or list box to activate the panel or tab
before you press the F1 key. The following sections describe the structure of
the online Help.
Online Help
From the Help menu, you can access online Help for Mentum Planet software
and for MapInfo Professional. This section describes the structure of the
Mentum Planet online Help.
The online Help provides extensive help on all aspects of software use. It
provides
help on all dialog boxes
procedures for using the software
an extensive Mentum Planet documentation library in PDF

format
User Guides
The following sections provide details about the resources available through
the online Help.
Resource Roadmap
When you first use the online Help, start with the Resource Roadmap. It
describes the types of resources available in the online Help and explains how
best to use them. It includes a step-by-step guide that walks you through the
available resources.
Introduction
Printing
You have two basic options for printing documents:
If you want a good quality print of a single procedure or section,

you can print from the Help window. Click Print in the Help
window.
If you want a higher quality print of a complete User Guide, use

Adobe Reader to print the supplied print-ready PDF file
contained in the Mentum Planet documentation library. Open the
PDF file and choose File Print.
Library Search
You can perform a full-text search on all PDF files contained in the Mentum
Planet documentation library if you are using a version of Adobe Reader that
supports full-text searches. The PDF files are located in the
Mentum\Planet\Help\User Guides folder.
You can also perform a search on all online Help topics by clicking the
Search tab in the Help window. Type a keyword, and click List Topics to
display all Help topics that contain the keyword. The online Help duplicates
the information found in the User Guide PDF files in order to provide more
complete results. It does not duplicate the information in the Release Notes,
or Glossary.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Frequently Asked Questions section provides answers to common

questions about Mentum Planet. For easy navigation, the section is divided
into categories related to product functionality.
Whats This? Help
Whats This? Help provides detailed explanations of all dialog boxes.

User Guides
All User Guides for Mentum Planet software is easily accessible as part of the
online Help.
Introduction
Documentation library
Mentum Planet comes with an extensive library of User Guides in PDF
format. The following table provides details about the documentation
supplied with Mentum Planet.
Additional documents, including Application Notes and Technical
Notes, are available on the Mentum Web site: http://www.mentum.com.
10
Document
Enables you to
Plan and analyze simulated wireless

communication networks.
Grid Analysis User Guide
Perform operations on spatial data that is stored

in grids, and display, analyze, and export digital
elevation models (DEM) and other grid-based
data.
Indoor/Outdoor Integration User

Guide
Integrate indoor networks into Mentum Planet

and learn how to view, edit, and manage indoor
projects.
TDMA/FDMA User Guide
Plan and analyze TDMA/FDMA networks.
CDMA User Guide
Plan and analyze W-CDMA (UMTS) and

cdma2000 networks.
Data Manager User Guide
Learn how to use the Data Manager.

The Data Manager enables users to work with
centralized Mentum Planet data stored in an
Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server database.
Data Manager Server

Administrator Guide
Learn how to install and configure the Data

Manager Server on database and file servers in a
network environment, and how to manage
access to project data.
Installation Guide
Install Wireless Network Planning software.
Glossary
Search for commonly used technical terms.
Release Note
Learn about new features and known issues with

the current release of software.
Introduction
Document
Enables you to
Data Manager Server Release

Note
Learn about new features and known issues with

the current release of Data Manager Server
software.
MapInfo Professional User

Guide
Learn about the many features of MapInfo

Professional, as well as basic and advanced
mapping concepts.
Notational conventions
This section describes the textual conventions and icons used throughout this
documentation.
Textual conventions
Special text formats are used to highlight different types of information. The
following table describes the special text conventions used in this document.
bold text
Bold text is used in procedure steps to identify a user interface

element such as a dialog box, menu item, or button.
For example:
In the Select Interpolation Method dialog box, choose the
Inverse Distance Weighting option, and click Next.
courier text
Courier text is used in procedures to identify text that you must

type.
For example:
In the File Name box, type Elevation.grd.
bright blue text
Bright blue text is used to identify a link to another section of

the document. Click the link to view the section.
Menu arrows are used in procedures to identify a sequence of

menu items that you must follow.
For example, if a step reads Choose File Open, you
would click File and then click Open.
<>
Angle brackets are used to identify variables.

For example, if a menu item changes depending on the
chosen unit of measurement, the menu structure would
appear as Display <unit of measurement>.
Icons
Throughout this documentation, icons are used to identify text that requires
special attention.
11
Introduction
This icon identifies a workflow summary, which explains a series of

actions that you will need to carry out in the specified order to
complete a complex task.
This icon identifies a cautionary statement, which contains

information required to avoid potential loss of data, time, or
resources.
This icon identifies a tip, which contains shortcut information,
alternative ways of performing a task, or methods that save time or
resources.
This icon identifies a note, which highlights important information or
provides information that is useful but not essential.
12
1.
following sections:
Overview of Mentum Planet

activities
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Mentum Planet
Getting Started with

Mentum Planet
This chapter introduces key concepts of Mentum
Planet and describes tasks you might need to perform
to import data and make it usable in Mentum Planet.
Understanding project data

types
Understanding project
geodata
Project Wizard leads you through the necessary steps
to identify your project files and folders. It then
Understanding the Project

Explorer
creates the project folders and the project file.
Creating projects
Creating and using

workspaces
Attaching files to a Mentum

Planet project
Saving projects
Restoring projects
Once you have collected the required data, you need

to prepare it and create a Mentum Planet project. The
13
Chapter 1
Overview of Mentum Planet activities

Mentum Planet offers many tools to help you plan and optimize your wireless
network. The following are activities that you need to consider. For more
detailed workflows related to a specific technology, see the appropriate User
Guide.
You can integrate indoor projects into your Mentum Planet project and
manage them using the Data Manager. For more information, see the
Indoor Analysis User Guide.
Gather information
You will need a digital elevation model (DEM)

and, optionally, a clutter file for your networks
coverage area, site information, and
manufacturers antenna patterns for existing and
proposed sites.
Check that your data is in a format that Mentum

Planet can use. See the Grid Analysis User
Guide for information on importing grids.
If you want to perform propagation model tuning

or use the Survey Prediction tool, you need to
import survey data. See Adding surveys to a
project on page 177.
Prepare your data
Customize your environment
Specify default settings and actions for Mentum

Planet projects. See Defining user preferences
on page 32.
A Mentum Planet project helps you to organize

your information, as well as analyze it. You can
create a project with as little as a DEM and later
add a site file, clutter, propagation models, and
so on. The Project Wizard makes project
creation simple. See Creating projects on
page 38.
Create a project
14
Getting Started with Mentum Planet

Define propagation models
Propagation models are the basis of predictions.

Mentum Planet includes default propagation
models, but you might want to adjust the
parameters of a model to suit your requirements.
See Chapter 4: Working with Propagation
Models on page 141.
Configure and place sites
You can define site configurations that include

details about sectors, antennas, frequencies,
base station link budgets, and so on.
You can place a site simply by clicking a location

on a map, or you can specify precise
coordinates. See Chapter 2: Working with Sites
and Sectors on page 65.
When you use candidate sites in network

planning, you can copy a site in order to analyze
the performance of the site copy and validate site
and sector parameters. Once you have finetuned the site and sector parameters and
decided on the final site placement and
configuration, you can swap out the candidate
site parameters and the final site parameters.
See Working with Sites and Sectors on
page 67.
Organize and manage sites
You can define groups to which sites and sectors

can belong. You can then perform network
analyses on these groups. See Working with
sector groups on page 93.
A more advanced way of organizing sites is to

use flags. A flag is a custom property that can be
set to one of a number of condition values that
you define. You can select sites for network
analysis based on their flags. See Working with
flags on page 96.
15
Chapter 1
Compare and analyze survey data
Surveys enable you to compare and analyze

modeled and measured data to finely tune
elements such as height and clear distance. See
Chapter 5: Managing Survey Data on
page 173.
Tune propagation models
Model tuning adjusts the propagation model to

the conditions in your coverage area, based on
survey data that measures signal strength. The
Model Tuning tool provides a simple, automated
method of model tuning. See Guidelines for
model tuning on page 165.
Generate signal strength predictions
You can generate signal strength predictions

separately or as part of generating analysis
layers. Because signal strength predictions are
required as input for analysis layers, if you
choose to generate analysis layers, Mentum
Planet automatically generates signal strength
predictions. See Generating predictions on
page 277.
A traffic map shows user densities throughout

your network coverage area. You can combine
several traffic maps to include subscriber
numbers based on census regions, vehicle
densities on roads, network data and clutter
types. Traffic maps can provide traffic information
for the creation of an interference matrix. For
Mobile Technology projects, traffic maps are an
input to analysis layers and to the Performance
Simulator. For more information about traffic
maps, see Chapter 10: Working with Traffic
Maps on page 307.
Create traffic maps
16

Define network analysis settings
You can define network analysis settings that are

specific to a technology. Additionally, you can
determine the layers to use in an analysis. See
the appropriate User Guide.
Generate analysis layers
You can generate analysis layers from multiple

sites to determine the coverage the network
provides at any location. Analysis layers use
signal strength predictions as input. The
procedure for generating analysis layers varies,
depending on the technology. See the
appropriate User Guide.
Generate interference matrices
An interference matrix analyzes your network for

potential interference between sectors. It can
include information from traffic maps, network
data, and local knowledge, and interference
matrices can be used as input for neighbor list
generation and other technology-specific tools.
See Chapter 11: Working with Interference
Matrices on page 329.
Generate neighbor lists
Using a variety of criteria, the Neighbor List

Generator creates a list of neighboring sites and
sectors based on their best server coverage
areas or on an interference matrix. See Chapter
12: Working with Neighbor Lists on page 355.
Generate and print reports
You can produce coverage maps and FCC

Service Area Boundary reports. See Chapter
15: Generating Reports on page 433.
17
Chapter 1
A project contains and organizes all of the information pertaining to a
particular wireless network. This includes
digital elevation models
clutter information
propagation models
site locations
sector equipment, including antennas
sector groups
flags
traffic maps
survey data
network data
any documents you want to attach to the project
A project also contains the results of predictions and network analyses made
on the basis of this information.
18

Understanding project data types

Mentum Planet works with tables and grids. An understanding of these types
of data will help you to use Mentum Planet effectively.
Understanding tables
Tables are like spreadsheets. Each row in a table contains one record, and each
column in the record contains information about a particular field.
In Mentum Planet, tables store
site data, such as Site ID, antenna ID, tower height, power
points, such as tower locations or survey results
lines and polylines, such as roads
polygons, such as bodies of water or county boundaries
You can open a table to view the contents of each record by choosing
Window New Browser Window.
Understanding grids
Grid data is the best way to represent phenomena that vary continuously
through space. Elevation, signal strength, path loss, and signal interference
are excellent examples of properties that are distributed in constantly varying
degrees through space and are best represented in grid format. Grids are part
of the raster data format. Regions, points, and lines are part of the vector data
format.
A grid can be used to effectively visualize the trends of geographic
information across an area. Grids enable you to quickly compare and query
layers of information, create new derived grids, or analyze grid layers for such
unique properties as visual exposure, proximity, density, or slope. There are
two types of Mentum Planet grids: numeric grids and classified grids. For
more information, see Numeric grids on page 20 and Classified grids on
page 21.
What is a grid?
A grid is made up of regularly spaced square cells, called bins, where each bin
has a value and a color representing the value. If there are several bins
between two known locations, the change in color between these bins
indicates how the values change. All data that varies through space is captured
at discrete sample locations where the value is known. For example, an RF
engineer performs a survey to record the signal strength from a sector.
19
Chapter 1
Readings are collected every second. In a vector-based GIS system, there are
limited ways to portray this kind of data. Some of the more traditional ways
are to label each individual sample location with the known value, to create
graduated symbols at each sample site where the symbol size reflects the
samples value, or to generate contour lines or contour regions depicting
locations of equal value (see Figure 1.1). Another common method of
displaying survey data in a vector-based GIS system is to thematically shade
points based on signal strength.
Figure 1.1 Three examples of how a traditional vector-based GIS system

displays data that varies continuously.
The problem with these methods is that it is difficult to portray how the data
changes between known locations. Grids, on the other hand, easily display
how the data changes between locations.
Understanding grid types

Mentum Planet supports two types of grids:
numeric gridsuse numeric attribute information
classified gridsuse character attribute information
Numeric grids
One example of a numeric grid is a DEM, where each bin is referenced to a

value measured in units of height above sea level (see Figure 1.2). Numeric
grids are best used to define continuously varying surfaces of information,
such as elevation, in which bin values are either mathematically estimated
from a table of point observations or assigned real numeric values. For
example, in Figure 1.2 each bin was calculated (interpolated) from a table of
recorded elevation points. In Mentum Planet, numeric grid files are given the
extension .grd. Numeric grids have a corresponding .tab file containing
important metadata that describes the grid file.
20

Figure 1.2 Numeric grid showing the continuous variation of elevation across an area
Classified grids
Classified grids are best used to represent information that is more commonly
restricted to a defined boundary. They are used in the same way that a region
is used to describe a boundary area, such as a land classification unit or a
census district. In this case, the grid file does not represent information that
varies continuously over space. In Figure 1.3 a land classification grid
displays each bin with a character attribute attached to it that describes the
land type underlying it. A common type of classified grid is a Best Serving
Sector analysis layer. In Mentum Planet, classified grid files use a .grc file
extension. Classified grids have a corresponding .tab file containing important
metadata that describes the grid file.
21
Chapter 1
Figure 1.3 Classified grid representing land use (called a clutter file) where each bin
is referenced to a descriptive attribute
Grids can easily be converted to vector format by contouring and

vector-based data can be converted to grids. For more information, see
Chapter 4, Creating Grids Using Other Methods, in the Grid Analysis User
Guide.
Understanding project geodata

Geodata folders group geographic data (geodata) into organized categories,
which improves the integration of third-party propagation models and will
enable new features to be developed in Mentum Planet. The geodata
contained in a Mentum Planet project is divided into the following folders:
22
Heightsa mandatory folder that contains DEM files used to

define the height of the terrain above sea level.
Clutteran optional folder that contains files used to describe

land classification or land use.
Clutter Heightsan optional folder that contains files used to

define the height of clutter Above Ground Level (AGL).
Polygonsan optional folder that contains files used to define

2D or 3D regions.
Custom Dataan optional folder that contains geographic files

that do not fit into the other geodata folders.

Each folder can contain multiple files, each of a different resolution and/or
coverage.
Files in the Height, Clutter, Clutter Heights, and Polygons folder should
use the same map projection. Files in the Custom Data folder do not
have to use the same map projection as other geodata files.
Height folder
The Height folder is the only mandatory folder required by a Mentum Planet
project. This folder contains one or more Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
files. Each grid (.grd) file contains, for each bin, the height in meters or feet of
the terrain above sea level. Using Mentum Planet, you can build DEM files
from point data or use many industry standard data formats. Each DEM file
has a corresponding .tab file that contains important metadata about the grid
file.
When the Height folder contains multiple grid files, each grid file must use
the same coordinate system, but may have a different resolution. The project
DEM file, defined on the Data tab in the Project Settings dialog box, should
geographically contain all of the other grid files in the Height folder. All of the
grid files in the Height folder except the project DEM file are stored in the
same folder, which is defined in the Geodata Folders dialog box. Typically,
the project DEM file is stored in a different folder.
Clutter folder
The Clutter folder is an optional folder that contains one or more clutter files
in classified grid (.grc) format. Each classified grid file contains, for each bin,
the clutter class that covers the majority of the bin. Clutter files are derived
from aerial/satellite imagery or generated from digitized maps. Each clutter
file has a corresponding .tab file that contains important metadata about the
classified grid file.
You are not required to choose a clutter file when you create a project.
However, using clutter files can significantly increase the accuracy of
predictions when using propagation models that support clutter attenuation
parameters (e.g., CRC-Predict, Planet General Model, Lee, Longley Rice,
Okumura-Hata and Recommendation 370).
When the Clutter folder contains multiple classified grid files, each classified
grid file must use the same coordinate system, but may have a different
resolution. The project clutter file, defined on the Data tab in the Project
23
Chapter 1
Settings dialog box, should geographically contain all of the other classified
grid files in the Clutter folder. All of files in the Clutter folder except the
project clutter file are stored in the same folder, which is defined in the
Geodata Folders dialog box. Typically, the project clutter file is stored in a
different folder.
Clutter Heights folder

The Clutter Heights folder is an optional folder that contains one or more
clutter height files in numeric grid format. Each grid (.grd) file specifies, for
each bin, the mean height above ground level of the clutter specified in the
clutter file over the bin. Height values must always be greater than or equal to
-400 m.
Clutter height files are particularly useful in urban environments, for high
resolution clutter files, to describe the height of buildings at the bin level. It is
also useful for lower resolution clutter files to describe clutter heights with
more granularity wherever the height of a clutter is not uniform over the
covered area. In this case, you would use a lower resolution grid file to
specify average clutter height, and a higher resolution grid file to provide
more precise clutter height information.
When the AGL Clutter Height folder contains multiple grid files, each grid
file must use the same coordinate system. All of the files in the AGL Clutter
Height Clutter folder are stored in the same folder, which is defined in the
Geodata Folders dialog box.
Polygons folder
The Polygons folder is an optional folder that contains one or more polygon
files in MapInfo table (.tab) format. Each row in a table file specifies a
polygon or region object. Typically, individual polygon files are used to
define polygons of different types (e.g., one polygon table defines building
contours, and another defines vegetation contours).
Polygon table files must contain at least the columns specified in Table 1.1,
while 3D polygon tables files must also contain either of the columns
specified in Table 1.2. Tables may contain other columns such as street
24

address, building population, attenuation factor, or other user-defined or

model-specific columns.
Table 1.1 Required polygon table columns
Field name
Type
Comment
Polygon_ID
Character (64)
Unique ID to represent each polygon object
Polygon_Type
Character (256)
Descriptive information about a polygon;

such as, Building, Vegetation, or Water.
Height values for 3D polygons are specified in either this AMSL or AGL
column. Polygons are considered 2D when a polygon table file does not
contain either the AMSL or AGL columns.
Table 1.2 Required 3D polygon table columns
Field name
Type
Comment
AMSL
Float
A floating point number representing the

height above average mean sea level.
AGL
Float
A floating point number representing the

height above ground level.
The measurement unit used by values in the AMSL and AGL columns
are specified in the metadata associated with the .tab file. Use the
following integer values to specify measurement units:
2Inches
3Feet
5Millimeters
6Centimeters
7Meters
When the Polygon folder contains multiple table files, each table file must use
the same coordinate system as the project DEM file. All of the files in the
Polygon folder are stored in the folder defined in the Geodata Folders dialog
box.
25
Chapter 1
Custom Data folder

The Custom Data folder is an optional folder that contains one or more
geographic files that do not fit in the other geodata folders. The following are
some examples of geographic files that you would add to the Custom Data
folder:
boundaries
road networks
railway networks
water ways
aerial or satellite photos
Mentum Planet can display custom data if it is a MapInfo grid or table file.
For other types of custom data, Mentum Planet will use an appropriate
application with which to display the chosen custom data. All of the files in
the Custom Data folder are stored in the folder defined in the Geodata Folders
dialog box.

A project elevation grid file and a site table file are required for predictions.
Optionally, you can also use a clutter file. You can specify where these files
are located on the Data tab in the Project Settings dialog box.
Site table files

The site table files contain data that describes every site and its associated
sectors. When you create a site table, several files are created:
a .tab file
a .map file
a .id file
a .xml file
a .xml.dat file
All of these files must be present for the site table to function properly. See
Mentum Planet File Types on page 451.
When you create a project, you can create a new site table or use an existing
one. You can also make a copy of the active site table and change site tables
within a project. For more information, see Working with site tables on
26

page 113. For information on creating projects, see Creating projects on

page 38.
It is important that the structure of the site table is correct in order for Mentum
Planet to extract information required to perform path loss predictions using
propagation models. Mentum Planet requires that certain columns exist and
have exact names, field types (e.g., character, float, etc.), and meaningful
values. When a new site table is created, it is populated with the appropriate
column names. For more information about Mentum Planet site table column
settings, see Appendix A: Site Table Format on page 449. For more
information about technology-specific site table column settings, see the
You can update an existing site table from network data, using the Import Site
Data feature. For more information, see Importing site data on page 402.
Do not update the site table manually using MapBasic or MapInfo
functionality. To update the active site table, use the Import/Export tool,
the Tabular Edit, or through the Site Properties dialog box. See Importing,
replacing, and exporting project data on page 384 and To edit site and
sector settings using Tabular Edit on page 103.
Workspace
A workspace (.wor) file records which files are open, the position of each
Map window and the properties of each layer it contains. You can save your
working configuration to a workspace file whenever you want. This feature is
particularly useful for features such as print layouts. If you associate a
workspace with a project, that workspace is opened whenever you open the
project.
Use of a workspace is optional. If you do not use a workspace, Mentum Planet
will automatically save the initial workspace configuration when you close
your project. The initial workspace configuration will be restored when you
reopen the project unless you choose to use a workspace and have enabled the
Workspace Autosave feature.
For more information on workspaces, see Creating and using workspaces
on page 43.
27
Chapter 1
Understanding the Project Explorer

The Project Explorer simplifies viewing and manipulation of Mentum Planet
project data. It provides
tree representation of hierarchical relationships such as groups

and sites, sites and sectors, analyses and analysis layers
an indicator showing the number of sites and sectors contained

in the Sites node and individual Group nodes; for example, if a
group name is followed by [6/18] (see Figure 1.4 on page 29),
then there are 6 sites and 18 sectors contained in the group
Data Manager status bar, indicating the project status in Data

Manager (if applicable)
easy access to all information about a site, sector, or group
right-click access to relevant commands
mouse operations for tasks such as adding a site to a group
copy and paste operations
easy access to Restore functionality where minimized dialog

boxes (e.g., the Generator dialog box and the Point-to-Point
dialog box) can be maximized.
The Project Explorer is present whenever a project is open, and is initially

docked at the left side of the application window. You can also dock the
Project Explorer on the right side of the application window by dragging it to
the right side of the screen. Drag the Project Explorer to the left side of the
screen to once again dock it on the left side of the application window. When
docked, only the width of the Project Explorer is resizable.
You can also undock the Project Explorer by dragging it to any location on
the screen. When undocked, both the height and width of the Project Explorer
are resizable. Drag the Project Explorer to the left or right side of the screen to
once again dock it with the application window.
If you want to hide the Project Explorer from view, choose View Hide
Project Explorer. Choose View Show Project Explorer to once again view
the Project Explorer.
28

Data Window control buttons

Category list
Data Window
Data Window
Restore buttons
Data Manager button

Figure 1.4 Project Explorer
The Project Explorer can contain one, two, or three data windows. The Data
Window control buttons, located just below the title bar, control how many
data windows the Project Explorer displays.
29
Chapter 1
Button
Function
Adds another data window at the bottom of the Project Explorer. The
button is unavailable when there are three data windows.
Removes the bottom data window in the Project Explorer. The button is
unavailable when there is only one data window.
Updates the content of the Project Explorer. To reorder items in the Sites
category, right-click the Groups, Repeaters, or Sites node and choose
Refresh.
Understanding the data window

Project information is divided into several broad categories:
Network Analyses
Operational Data
Project Data
RF Tools
Sites
Subscriber Manager
Windows
A data window displays a single category of information as a tree view. You

select the category from the Category list.
The items in the tree view are generically called nodes. Specific nodes are
always referred to by name. A node can be
a collection of nodes of one type, such as the Groups node,

which is a collection of Group nodes
an item that contains subordinate items, such as a site that

contains sectors
The tree view represents hierarchical relationships graphically. You can

expand or collapse nodes to reveal or hide subordinate nodes as needed.
You can define some relationships by dragging nodes. For example:
30
To add a site to a group, drag the site into the group from the
Sites node.
To change the order of layers in a Map window, drag the layer to

where you want it in the list of map layers.

Using multiple data windows
If you configure the Project Explorer with multiple data windows, you can
view multiple categories of information at once
view different parts of a lengthy tree view so that you can easily
perform mouse drag operations between them
By default, a category can only be viewed in one data window at a time.

For information on how to view the same category in more than one
data window, see Defining user preferences on page 32.
Access to commands
When you right-click on any node, you access a shortcut menu of commands
that apply to that type of node. For example, the following menu appears
when you right-click on a site node.
31
Chapter 1
Figure 1.5 Right-click commands
Each shortcut menu has a default command that appears in bold. For example,
the default command for a site node is Edit. You can access these default
commands quickly by double-clicking a node.
You can make multiple selections by holding the Shift or Ctrl key while
clicking nodes, and then right-click to perform a command on all of them. In
this case, the shortcut menu contains only commands that are valid for
multiple nodes. For example, if you right-click on multiple sites, the New
Sector command is not available. You can add a sector to only one site at a
time.

In the User Preferences dialog box, you can specify default settings and
actions for Mentum Planet. These defaults are maintained between
Mentum Planet sessions and upgrades.
32
GeneralMentum Planet startup actions and project data

validation settings
Project Explorerperformance, site selection, and layer

display settings
Data Managerlogon settings and profile management
Project Wizardnew project folder, elevation file, and clutter

file settings
Miscellaneousprediction view and Interactive Frequency

Planning Tool settings

To define user preferences

1
Choose Edit Preferences.

The User Preferences dialog box opens.
In the tree view, choose General.
To set the default action when you start Mentum Planet, choose one of the
following options in the Startup Options section:
Open Most Recent Projectopens the project you last worked

with
List Recently Opened Projectdisplays a list of the most

recently opened projects
Create A New Projectopens the Project Wizard to create a

new project
Noneopens Mentum Planet with no default action
To validate project data when you open a project, enable the Perform
Data Validation On Project Open check box.
Data validation involves verification of duplicate names and duplicate or
invalid site or sector identifiers (UIDs). In most situations, it is strongly
recommended that you enable this check box. In a situation where you
have a very large project and are certain the project contains no errors,
you can clear this check box to save time loading the project.
To record warnings in the Mentum Planet error log generated by invalid

antenna patterns or antenna patterns that are not normalized, enable the
33
Chapter 1
Display Antenna Warnings For check box and chose one of the
following options:
Allall antennas in a project
Assignedonly antennas assigned to sectors in a project
In the tree view, choose Project Explorer.
In the Performance section, enable any of the following check boxes:
Enable Duplicate Categoriesallows you to display the same

category in two Project Explorer data windows. When you clear
this check box, categories are restricted to a single data window.
Show Horizontal Scrollbar in Sites Categoryadds a

horizontal scrollbar to the data window displaying the Sites
category when the window content surpasses the window width.
Sort Project Explorer Nodes Automaticallysorts the nodes

in the Project Explorer when new items are added. When you
clear this check box, new items are added to the bottom of nodes
and you must right-click the Groups, Repeaters, or Sites node
and choose Refresh to sort the chosen node.
Enabling any of the above check boxes will impact the performance of
8
34
To zoom to the extents of chosen sites when you use the View command
from the Project Explorer Sites, Group, or Flags node, enable the Zoom
Automatically On Viewed Site Selection check box.

To set the default level of translucency for files viewed from the Project
Explorer, enable the Apply Translucency To Raster Layers check box
and do the following:
Enable the check boxes next to each layer to which you want
translucency applied.
Move the slider until the desired percentage is displayed.
When you set a translucency level of 0 percent, the layer is completely

opaque (i.e., you cannot see through it). When you specify 100%
translucency, the layer is completely transparent.
10 In the tree view, choose Data Manager.
11 Enable any of the following check boxes:
Show Warning When Deleting Items in Data Managerto

be informed when items are going to be deleted on the server
when you submit data. If order to view the warnings, you must
also enable the Update Item Status on Connection check box.
Show Warning if Differences Exist When Closing Data

Managerto be informed when differences exist between the
local project and the Data Manager project when you exit Data
Manager.
Expand Sites Node When Data Manager Opensto

automatically expand the Sites node in order to improve the user
workflow.
35
Chapter 1
12 To display Data Manager profiles, in the tree view, expand the Data
Manager node.
The default profile is identified by the suffix (default).
13 To create a new profile with which to connect to Data Manager, click the
Add User Profile button.
New profiles are added to the Data Manager node. If you work with more
than one Data Manager, you can define multiple profiles to simplify
logging on to different servers.
14 To define the connection settings for a profile, choose the profile in the
tree view and define the applicable values on the Profile panel.
For information on the settings on the Profile panel, press F1 or see To
define log on settings in the Data Manger User Guide.
15 To modify profiles, right-click a profile and do any of the following:
To set a default profile, choose Set As Default.
To rename a profile, choose Rename. In the Rename Profile

Name dialog box, type the new name, and click OK.
To delete a profile, choose Delete.
16 In the tree view, choose Project Wizard Defaults.
17 To define the default project folder in which to store a new project,
click the Browse button beside the Project Folder box and locate
the folder to use.
36

18 To define the default elevation file with which to create new
projects, enable the Use Default Elevation File check box, click
the Browse button beside the Elevation File box and locate the file
to use.
19 To define the default clutter file with which to create new projects,
enable the Use Default Clutter File check box, click the Browse
button beside the Clutter File box and locate the file to use.
20 In the tree view, choose Miscellaneous.
21 To define the maximum pathloss value to store in prediction view files, in

the Predictions section, type a value in the Set Prediction View Pathloss
Lower Limit box.
All masked pathloss values stored in prediction view files will be lower or
equal to the defined value. A pathloss value higher than the default value
of 190 dB will create more accurate but larger prediction view files.
Lower pathloss values will create smaller but less accurate prediction
view files.
22 If you want the Interactive Frequency Planning Tool (IFP) to support
mobile allocation lists (MALs), in the Frequency Planning section,
enable the IFP To Support And Display MALs check box.
37
Chapter 1
23 Click OK to save your user preferences and close the User

Preferences dialog box.
You must restart Mentum Planet to apply value changes for any user
preference marked by and asterisk (*).
Creating projects
The Project Wizard leads you through the process of creating a project and, by
default, is automatically displayed upon startup of Mentum Planet.
If you want Mentum Planet to automatically open the last project, instead of
the Project Wizard, in the Startup Options section of the User Preferences
dialog box, choose the Open Most Recent Project option. See Defining user
preferences on page 32.
You can use remote project folders to store and access Mentum Planet project
data. For example, you can use shared project folders for the following types
of project files to conserve disk space on your workstation:
bin files
signal (field) strength files
prediction view files (CDMA technologies only)
By default, these files are saved in the local project folder. If you use shared
project folders, the project files are stored in the shared folders, instead of the
local project folder. The shared folders must have read/write access
permissions for all Mentum Planet users accessing the shared folders.
If you are using shared folders and do not enable the corresponding
check box in the Sharing section of the Advanced Options tab in the
Project Settings dialog box, the shared path is not stored in Data Manager
when you check in the project. For any Data Manager users who perform a
Get on the project, all data will be stored within their local project folder.
You can choose to use a workspace to save your map window settings,
although this is not required. For more information on workspaces, see
Creating and using workspaces on page 43.
38

To create a project
You should create each Mentum Planet project in a new, empty folder.
1
Start Mentum Planet.

By default, the Project Wizard opens when you start Mentum Planet. To
use the wizard at any other time, choose File New Project.
Click Next on the first page of the Project Wizard.
In the Mobile Technology dialog box, choose a default settings file, and
click OK.
When you choose a default settings file, the technology is enabled on the
Network Technologies panel, and default network settings are
automatically applied to the settings in the Network Settings dialog box.
Follow the pages of the Project Wizard and supply the appropriate
information to create your project.
Click Finish.
The Project Settings dialog box opens.
On the Data tab, type a project description in the Description box.
In the Project File box, type a name for the project file or accept the
default.
By default, the folder name specified in the Wizard is used as the .dBp file
name.
If you want to use a workspace, enable the Use a Workspace check box
and accept the default or click Browse and choose an existing workspace
(.wor) file.
If you only enable the Use a Workspace check box, the .wor file will not
be saved when you close a project. When you re-open the project, the
project will be displayed exactly as it appeared when you last saved the
workspace manually. For more information, see Creating and using
workspaces on page 43. For more general information about
workspaces, see Using Workspaces in Chapter 3 of the MapInfo
If you want to update the workspace file automatically each time you
close a project, enable the Workspace Autosave check box.
With both the Use a Workspace and Workspace Autosave check boxes
enabled, the specified workspace will be automatically saved when you
39
Chapter 1
close a project. As a result, when you re-open the project, the project will
be displayed exactly as it appeared when you last closed the project.
10 In the Project Settings dialog box, click the Folders tab.
11 If you want to change the default paths for bin, signal strength, prediction
view, or settings files, for any of the following boxes, click Browse,
navigate to the shared folder, and click OK.
Bin<project>\bin folder, used for prediction files
Signal Strength<project>\SignalStrength folder, used for

field strength files
Prediction View<project>\PredictionView folder, used when

you generate a cdma2000 or a W-CDMA Monte Carlo
simulation
Global<Mentum Planet installation folder>\Global folder,

used for default settings files
12 If you intend to use the Data Manager with shared project files, in the
Project Settings dialog box, click the Advanced Options tab, and in the
Sharing section, enable the check boxes for each of the file types that
reference shared project data.
13 To generate additional prediction layers, enable any of the check boxes in
the Additional Layers section.
See Advanced prediction layers on page 273.
14 Click OK to save your Mentum Planet project.
The Project Explorer opens, docked at the left edge of the application
window.
When you create a project, a set of default propagation model files is
copied to the Model folder located within the project folder. Each
propagation model references a default Clutter Property Assignment (.cpa) file
containing settings appropriate for the model. Ensure that the clutter
properties defined for the propagation model are set for the clutter grid file you
specify in the Project Settings dialog box.
The default settings (e.g., spectrum) are based on defined standards
for the technology. These standards are available from various
organizations. For CDMA technologies, this list includes 3GPP2 (http://
www.3gpp2.org), TIA/EIA (http://www.tiaonline.org) and ANSI (http://
www.ansi.org).
40

To open the Project Settings dialog box once a project is open, choose
Edit Project Settings, or click the Project Settings button on the
Analysis toolbar.
Never save projects in the Mentum Planet installation folder.

Each project folder contains many sub-folders. These are described in
Table 1.3. For information on folders specific to a certain technology, see the
For a description of the file types, see Appendix B: Mentum Planet File
Types on page 451.
Table 1.3 Project folders
Folder
Contents
Antennas
Files for assigned antennas
Antennas (saved)
Files for unassigned antennas
Archive
Backup site table and network settings files copied to the

folder when a project is restored from a backup.
Areas
Area classified grid files
Attachments
Files you want to associate with a project. Only shared

files are saved in the Attachments folder. These files will
automatically be put into Data Manager when you
submit the project.
Azimuth
Additional prediction layer displaying the bearings

between sites and receivers, corrected for the map
projection.
Backups
Folders containing the backup site table and network

settings files for the last opened project, the last saved
project, and the named backup folders you created.
Bin
Prediction files
CDMA2000_Analyses
cdma2000 analysis files
ColorCodePlanning
Color code plan files
Config
Site configuration files
41
Chapter 1
Table 1.3 Project folders (continued)
42
Folder
Contents
Curves
Curve files
FCC Contours
FCC region and point files
FieldStrength
Combined (site) prediction files created after you view

predictions for a site
FrequencyPlan
TDMA/FDMA frequency planning files
Geodata
Mapping data including elevation, clutter, clutter height,

2D/3D polygon, and other types of mapping data files
such as streets and photographic imagery.
Inclination
Additional layer displaying the optimal angles at which

transmitters must be angled in order to see the receiver.
InterferenceMatrix
Interference matrix files
Model
Propagation model and clutter property assignment files
NeighborList
Files generated using the Neighbor List Generator
Network_Data
Imported network data files
Path Loss
Additional layer displaying path loss between the

transmitters and receivers.
PerformanceAnalyses
TDMA/FDMA performance analysis files
PNOffsetPlanning
cdma2000 PN offset planning files
Point Display Settings
Local and shared point display settings files
PredictionView
Combined (site) prediction files (CDMA)
Profiles
Grid color profile files, point-to-point profile settings files,

and contour color profile files
Reports
Report files
Scanner Data
Scanner data files and templates
SCP
Scrambling code plans
Sector Display Scheme
Sector display schemes
Settings
Files created by the Traffic Map Generator
SignalStrength
Prediction files for individual sectors
SPT
This folder is no longer used.

Table 1.3 Project folders (continued)
Folder
Contents
Subscriber Data
Contains subscriber data templates that you can import

into a project. See Importing and exporting subscriber
information in the CDMA User Guide.
Surveys
Survey files
TDMA_FDMA_Analyses
TDMA/FDMA analyses
Test Mobile Data
Test mobile data files and templates
TrafficMaps
Numeric grid and clutter relative weighting files for traffic

maps
Vector
Vector files
WCDMA_Analyses
W-CDMA analysis files
Creating and using workspaces

A workspace (.wor) file saves the current settings for each Map window and
its layers. At any time, you can save the current settings to a workspace file.
When you open a workspace, the Map windows and layers specified in the
workspace are re-created, opening any files that are required.
For more information about workspaces, see Using Workspaces in
Chapter 3 of the MapInfo Professional User Guide.
You can define a workspace in your project settings that Mentum Planet will
open when you open the project. By default, Mentum Planet does not
associate a workspace with your project; it stores the working configuration in
a default workspace. To automatically update a workspace file when you
make changes, you must use a defined workspace (.wor) file and enable the
Workspace Autosave check box on the Data tab in the Project Settings dialog
box. See To create a project on page 39.
To create a workspace
1
Choose File Save Workspace.
In the Save Workspace dialog box, navigate to your project folder.

Ensure that Workspace (*.wor) is selected in the Save As Type list.
In the File Name box, type a workspace name or accept the default, and
click Save.
43
Chapter 1
To open a workspace
1
Choose File Open Workspace.
In the Open Workspace dialog box, navigate to your workspace file, and
click Open.
Ensure that Workspace (*.wor) is selected in the Files of Type list.
You can also view the contents of a workspace file using a text editor
such as Notepad.
To associate a workspace with a project

You can specify a previously-saved workspace that Mentum Planet opens
each time you open this project. By doing this, you can have the project open
with the same configuration of windows and map layers every time.
1
With a project open, choose Edit Project Settings.

The Project Settings dialog box opens.
Click the Data tab.
Enable the Use a Workspace check box.
Click Browse beside the Workspace box, navigate to the workspace you
want to use, and then click Open.
Click OK to close the Project Settings dialog box.
Attaching files to a Mentum Planet project

You can attach files of any type to a Mentum Planet project and organize them
into folders for easy access. This is useful when you want to include support
documents in a Mentum Planet project such as census tract data, capacity
planning information, or RF design review documents. And, you can update
attached information that is saved as a .xls or .csv file using the Import
command.
Files can be saved locally on your workstation or shared with other users
using the Data Manager.
You cannot rename sub-folders from the Project Explorer.
44

To attach a file to a project

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, expand the

Attachments node and do any of the following:
To attach a file that you want stored locally, right-click Local

and choose Add.
To attach a file that you want stored in Data Manager, right-click

Shared and choose Add.
In the Open dialog box, locate the file you want to add, and click Open.
The attached file is added to the Local or Shared attachments node in the
Project Explorer. Shared files are saved in the Attachments folder within
the project folder.
You can also double-click the Local or Shared node to attach a file.
To open an attached file
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click the

attached file and choose Open.
To import an attached file

1

attached file and choose Import.
The Import Wizard opens.
On the File Location page, do one of the following:
If you want to import project data from an .xls file, choose the
Microsoft Excel option.
If you want to import project data from a folder of .csv files,

choose the Comma Separated Values Text Files option.
45
Chapter 1
Click Browse, and do one of the following:
If you chose the Microsoft Excel option in the previous step,

navigate to the .xls file containing the data you want to import,
and click Open.
If you chose the Comma Separated Values Text Files option in

the previous step, navigate to the folder containing the .csv files
you want to import, and click OK.
Click Next.
The Data Selection page lists the tables available to import and options
for replacing project data on import.
On the Data Selection page, enable the check boxes for each of the tables
that you want to import.
You can click Select All or Clear All to speed up the selection process.
46
If you want to overwrite existing data or remove data from a project,

enable any of the following check boxes.
All Datareplaces data in all categories listed in the Replace

section.
Groupsreplaces data listed in the Groups category.
Flagsreplaces data listed in the Flags category.
Site Datareplaces site data including data in the following

categories: Sites, Sectors, WCDMA_Sector_Settings,

CDMA2000_Sector_Settings, EVDO_Sector_Settings,
TDMA_Sector_Settings, Link_Budget, TDMA_Repeaters,
CDMA_Repeaters, and Carrier_Requirements. Exceptions,
frequency plans, and neighbor lists are also overwritten.
Exceptionsreplaces carrier exceptions and HSN
exceptions.
Frequency Planreplaces MALs, carrier assignments,
and color codes. Enabling this option does not replace
frequency plan (.fpl) files.
Base Station Link Budgetreplaces data listed on the
link budget worksheet.
Repeatersreplaces data listed in the TDMA_Repeaters
or CDMA_Repeaters categories.
Neighbor Listsreplaces neighbor lists.
Subscriber Datareplaces subscriber data including services,
session types, qualities, bearers, clutter types, subscriber
equipment types, subscribers, and usages.
When you replace data, the selected data is first deleted from the project
and the new data is then imported into the project. Once data has been
replaced, the original data cannot be recovered.
7
Click Finish.
The project data you chose will be updated. The Log dialog box displays
the status of the import operation.
Status messages are displayed cumulatively in the Log dialog box.

Click the Export button to save the log messages to a text file. Click the
Clear button to remove all messages from the Log dialog box.
To remove an attached file from a project

attached file and choose Remove.
The file is deleted from the Attachments folder.
47
Chapter 1

You must close an open project before opening a new one. Only projects you
have recently worked with appear in the Open Mentum Planet Project dialog
box.
If you want Mentum Planet to automatically open the last project,
enable the Open Most Recent Project check box on the General panel
in the User Preferences dialog box. If you do not want the last project to open,
clear the Open Most Recent Project check box.
When you open a project, existing 4.x predictions are automatically

migrated. After predictions have been converted for use in the latest
version of Mentum Planet, you cannot use them or view them in previous
versions of Mentum Planet. You should create a backup copy of legacy
predictions before opening the project.
To open a project
1
Choose File Open Project.
If you want to see the paths in the Most Recently Used Projects list,
enable the Show Path check box.
In the Open Mentum Planet Project dialog box, do one of the following:
Choose a project in the Most Recently Used Projects list, and

click Open.
Click Browse, locate the project you want to open, and click
Open.
The project opens in a Map window.

If you are opening a project created using a previous version of Mentum
Planet 4.x, predictions will be automatically converted for use in the latest
version of Mentum Planet.
If you are working in a multi-user environment with shared predictions,
automatic prediction migration will only occur for the first user opening
the shared project. Automated prediction migration only occurs once per
project. For subsequent users who have unique predictions in their projects,
predictions will have to be regenerated.
48

To view two projects side-by-side, you can open multiple instances of

Mentum Planet on your workstation.
Saving projects
You can save project data at any time without closing a project. You can also
save a named backup of your project. If you need to restore a project because
it was terminated abnormally, you can choose which project data you want to
restore. See Restoring projects on page 49.
To save a project
Choose File Save Project.

The project is saved in the Backups/Last Saved folder within the project
folder.
To back up a project
1
Choose File Back Up Project.
In the Backup Project dialog box, in the Name box, type a name for the
folder where the project data will be saved and click OK.
Project data is saved in the named folder within the Backups folder.
Restoring projects
Mentum Planet automatically saves a copy of the project currently open in the
Backups/Last Opened folder within your project folder when you close a
project or exit from Mentum Planet.
If you save the project, a copy is stored in the Last Saved folder. You can also
save a named project backup. When a project has been terminated abnormally,
you can choose which version of the project you want to restore. The project
data open when Mentum Planet was terminated is moved to the Archive
folder.
Do not open a .dBp file saved in the Backup folder. Backup .dBp files
should only be opened from the Select Project Data dialog box.
49
Chapter 1
To restore a project
1
Open a Mentum Planet project.

If Mentum Planet detects that the project was corrupted, the Select Project
Data dialog box opens.
Do any of the following:
To sort the project data by name, click the Project Data title bar.
To sort the project data by date and time, click the Date
Modified title bar.
Choose the version of the project you want to open and click OK.

You should be familiar with the concept of map layers when you work with
Mentum Planet. Each unique layer of information exists as a separate file that
can be added as a layer in a Map window.
Just as each layer can be visualized above or below another layer, layers can
be compared using spatial analysis functions.
When you open a grid, the Map window consists of a cosmetic layer and
individual map layers. You can manipulate these layers using the Project
Explorer or using the Layer Control.
50

.
Figure 1.6 Various map layers covering the same geographic area can hold different
types of information.
In the Windows category of the Project Explorer, you can
view the names of the individual layers
add or remove layers
change the position of individual map layers
make layers visible or invisible, editable or not editable
open the layer in a new Map window
make layers selectable and/or editable
enable automatic labeling of objects, such as sites
You can also manipulate map layers with the Layer Control. Right-click on
the Map window and choose Layer Control. For more information about the
Layer Control, click the Help button in the Layer Control dialog box.
When you close a Map window by choosing File Close Table, the
grid is not deleted or removed from the project, it is simply no longer
visible.
51
Chapter 1
To manipulate map layers with the Project Explorer
52
In the Project Explorer, in the Windows category, expand the Map

Windows node to see the individual map layers.
To add new map layers, right-click the Map window name,

choose Add Layer, then choose the layers you want to add, and
click OK.
To remove a map layer, right-click the map layer and choose

Remove.
To remove a map layer and close the associated file, right-click

the map layer and choose Close.
To move a map layer, drag it to the where you want it to appear

in the list of layers.
To hide a layer, right-click the layer and choose Visible if the

check box is not already cleared.
To make a layer visible, right-click the layer and choose Visible

if the check box is not already enabled.
To make a layer editable, right-click the layer and choose

Editable if the check box is not already enabled. The Editable
command is available only for layers that can be made editable,
such as vector and point layers.
To make a layer non-editable, right-click the layer and choose

Editable if the check box is not already cleared. The Editable
command is available only for layers that can be made editable,
such as vector and point layers.
To make a layer selectable, right-click the layer and choose

Selectable if the check box is not already enabled. The
Selectable command is available only for layers that can be
made selectable, such as vector and point layers.
To make a layer non-selectable, right-click the layer and choose

Selectable if the check box is not already cleared. The
Selectable command is available only for layers that can be
made selectable, such as vector and point layers.
To automatically label objects on a layer, right-click the layer

and choose Auto Label if the check box is not already enabled.

The availability of automatic labeling depends on the layer.

Usually you use it on the site table.
To view a layer in a Browser window, right-click the layer and

choose Browse.
To scale the Map window to show the full extent of a layer,

right-click the layer and choose View Entire Layer.
To open a layer in a new Map window, right-click the layer and

choose New Map Window.
To manipulate map layers with the Layer Control

1
Do one of the following:
In the Project Explorer, in the Windows category, right-click a

Map window node and choose Layer Control.
Right-click in the Map window and choose Layer Control.
In the Layer Control dialog box, do any of the following:
To add a new map layer, click Add in the Layers section, choose
layers, and then click Add.
To remove a map layer, choose a map layer in the Layer list, and
click Remove.
To move a layer up, choose a map layer in the Layer list, and
click Up.
To move a layer down, choose a map layer in the Layer list, and
click Down.
To make a layer visible, enable the Visible check box next to the
map layer.
To make a layer editable, enable the Editable check box next to

the map layer. Some layers cannot be made editable.
To make a layer selectable, enable the Selectable check box next

to the map layer.
To add labels to the layer, enable the Auto Label check box next
to the map layer.
Click OK to close the Layer Control dialog box.

Move the cursor over the symbols above each column in the Layer list
to display the check box labels.
53
Chapter 1

The Geodata node in the Project Data category of the Project Explorer gathers
all of the data contained in a project to enable you to manage different types of
geographic data in a consistent manner. In the Geodata node, you can
view geodata files by type or resolution
add or remove files from geodata folders
make files in a geodata folder visible or invisible
To manage geodata files

1

Geodata node to see the geodata folders.
To add a file to a geodata folder, right-click the geodata folder

name, choose Add, choose the file you want to add, click Open,
then click OK. If the chosen file was not in the appropriate
Geodata folder, it will be copied to this folder.
To remove a file from a geodata folder, expand the geodata

folder, right-click the file and choose Remove. The chosen file is
only removed the geodata folder, it is not deleted from your
computer.
To hide a geodata file, expand the geodata folder, right-click the

file and choose View if the check box is not already cleared.
To make a geodata file visible, expand the geodata folder, rightclick the file and choose View if the check box is not already
enabled.
To view a geodata file in a Browser window, expand the geodata

folder, right-click the file and choose Browse. You can only
browse MapInfo tables, not grids or other custom data files.
To group geodata files
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click

Geodata, choose Group By, and then choose the type of grouping
that you want.
The geodata files are listed based on the type of grouping you chose.
54

To set geodata folder locations

All of the geodata files that are contained in a geodata folder are stored in the
same folder on your computer, except the project DEM and clutter files which
are stored in their own folders.
1

Geodata node and choose Show Folders.
The Geodata Folders dialog box opens.
Click Browse beside the folder name box of the geodata folder you want
to change.
The Browse For Folder dialog box opens.
Navigate to the folder you want to use to store the files that form the
chosen geodata folder, and then click OK.
55
Chapter 1
Return to Step 2 to set the location of another geodata folder.
Click OK.

In the Project Settings dialog box, you can choose and modify the default
color schemes that Mentum Planet uses for numeric and classified grids.
The list at the top of the tab (see Figure 1.7 on page 56) enables you to choose
a color scheme (a .vcp file) for numeric grids. Color profiles are text files
saved with a .vcp extension. These files should be saved in the <Mentum
Planet installation folder>\Global\Profiles folder.
The list at the bottom of the tab enables you to define a color scheme (a .pfr
file) for classified grids. For more information on creating a color scheme for
classified grids, see To choose a class profile on page 60.
Figure 1.7 Colors tab
56

To choose color profiles

1
Choose Edit Project Settings.
In the Project Settings dialog box, click the Colors tab.
In the Color Profiles table, locate the row that corresponds to the analysis
layer type for which you want to choose a profile, and click in the Color
Profile Name column.
The color profile values and colors are shown in the Colors table.
Click Select Color Profile.
In the Select Color Profile dialog box, choose a color profile (.vcp) file,
and click Open.
You can also open the Project Settings dialog using the Project Settings
button on the Analysis toolbar.
To create a color profile

1
If the Grid Manager is not visible, choose View Show Grid Manager.
In the Grid Manager, choose a numeric grid (.grd).
Click the Color button.

The Grid Color Tool opens.
57
Chapter 1
.
58
To add a color inflection point, click Add, define a value for the
inflection point, and click OK.
To delete a color inflection point, click a color inflection point to

highlight it and click Remove.
To define a new color for the inflection point, double-click on a

color inflection point, choose a new color in the Color dialog
box and click OK.
To move an inflection point, click a color inflection point and

drag it to the new location. This will update the value for this
inflection point in the Color Scheme list. The calculated values
in the Color Scheme List are automatically updated.
To change color values and percentiles, click an entry in the

Color Scheme List list to make the value editable and type a
new value. This will move the inflection point to the appropriate
location on the color ramp.

In the Legends section, do any of the following:
To create a Quick Map Legend for the grid, click Quick.
To create a customized legend for the grid, click Custom.
For more information, see Creating and printing legends on page 436.
6
In the Color Profile section, do any of the following:
Enable the Solid Band check box if you want hard breaks
between colors instead of interpolated fading.
Click Flip if you want the colors associated with inflection

points in reverse order.
Click Revert if you want to return to the color pattern that was in
place before you clicked Flip.
If you want to redefine the grid colors based on how they would be
illuminated by a single light source, in the Relief Shading section, enable
the Enabled check box, and click Properties.
In the Relief Shading Properties dialog box, define the azimuth, the
inclination, the contrast, and the brightness, and click OK.
To save the color profile, in the Color Profile section, click Save to save
color settings as a text file with a .vcp extension.
If you want this profile to be available for use with all Mentum Planet
projects, save the .vcp file in the <Mentum Planet installation
folder>\Global\Profiles folder. Otherwise, the default location is the
Profiles folder within the project folder.
10 In the Grid Color Tool dialog box, click OK.

In deciding whether to save color inflection points by value or by
percentile, use the following guidelines:
If it is more important to assign specific colors to specific values in a
series of related grid files, then save by value.
If it is more important to assign a particular color range to a series of
related grid files where the value range may vary considerably, then
save by percentile.
You can add a color inflection point in the Grid Color Tool by doubleclicking on the color slider bar. Conversely, you can delete an inflection
point by clicking on an inflection point to highlight it and pressing Delete.
59
Chapter 1

You can create a class profile (a .pfr file) for some types of classified grids. In
a class profile, you can assign the range, a color, and a descriptive label to
each class so that areas can be easily identified when you look at a map or
click a location on the map using the Grid Info button on the Analysis toolbar.
You do not have to open a project or grid to use the Class Editor.
To choose a class profile

1
From the Class Profiles list, choose the set of classes for which you want
to choose a profile.
The Class Profiles list shows the set of classes and the class profile file
currently associated with it, separated by a colon. For example:
Classes for Best Server Signal Strength Classes : BSClass.pfr
Click Open, choose the color profile (.pfr file) you want to use, and then
click Open.
The Classes table shows the ranges, descriptions and colors defined in the
class profile file that you chose.
To create or edit a class profile
60
From the Class Profiles list, choose the set of classes for which you want
to create or edit a profile.
If you want to edit an existing class profile, click Open, locate the color
profile (.pfr file) you want to edit, and then click Open.
Click Edit.

In the Class Editor, do any of the following:
To modify the color associated with a class, click in the Color

column, choose a color in the Color dialog box, and then click
OK.
To add a class, click the row below where you want the new
class in any column except Color, and then click Insert.
To add a class to the bottom of the class list, click Add.
To remove a class, click the row in any column except Color,

and then click Remove.
To modify start and end values or descriptive text, double-click

the field and edit the value.
When you have finished editing the class profile, do one of the following:
To save the modified class profile, click Save.
To create a new class profile, click Save As, type a name in the
File Name box, and then click Save.
Click Close to close the Class Editor.
61
Chapter 1

The System Settings tab in the Project Settings dialog box enables you to
specify global settings for your project.
Figure 1.8 System Settings tab
To define system settings

1
In the Project Settings dialog box, click the System Settings tab.
In the Override Options section, enable any of the following check

boxes:
62
Disable Integrity Check On Elevation And Clutter Files

disables the integrity check that Mentum Planet performs when
you create a project. When Mentum Planet performs this
integrity check, it stores information related to elevation and
clutter files in the Check Sum file. As the elevation and clutter
files are unlikely to change after their initial splicing, trimming,
and re-sampling, this Check Sum file usually remains valid so
you can enable the Disable Integrity Check on Elevation and
Clutter Files check box. If, however, the original elevation and
clutter files are likely to change during your project, you should

clear this check box. When you clear this check box, the time
taken to open a project will increase when large elevation files
are used.
Print Test Fileprints a test file (Predict 2.0Debug.txt) so you

can debug specific problems that may be associated with the
propagation models.
Open the Last Projectopens the last Mentum Planet project

that you worked with. You must also enable the Do Not Show
This Dialog Box On Startup check box on the first page of the
Project Wizard.
In the Units section, specify the following system units:
Signal Strength/Received Power
Transmitted Power
Height
Distance
Coordinates
For information on specific unit settings, press the F1 key.

5
The Transmitted Power, Height, Distance, and Coordinates settings are

global parameters that affect the interpretation of all the values stored
in the site table. Use the same units of measure consistently throughout your
project to avoid inadvertently changing global parameters.
63
Chapter 1
64
2.
following sections:

Understanding sector
properties
Workflow for configuring and
placing sites
Placing sites
Displaying and formatting site
labels
Choosing sites
Grouping sites
Finding and selecting sites
and sectors in the Map
window
Working with sites
Working with flags
Using Tabular Edit
Modifying sector symbols for
individual sites
Customizing sector symbols
for multiple sites
Chapter 2: Working with Sites and Sectors
Working with Sites

and Sectors
After you define site and sector properties, you can
place your sites. If you are using the same site
configuration for many sites, you can save a
configuration file, which simplifies the process of
site placement.
65
Chapter 2

A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more than
one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction and
assigned a different technology.
Sites can be identified using several labels:
Site ID a unique site identifier. If you are using indexing, the

Site ID will be automatically incremented each time you place a
new site (e.g., NYTGA1448_1, NYTGA1448_2, etc.). The
Site ID is included in file names associated with the site (e.g.,
path loss, delay time, or signal strength files).
Site UIDa secondary unique site identifier (e.g., this could be

the Asset ID).
Site Nameadditional site information (e.g., this could be the

site address).
Site Name2additional site information (e.g., this could be an

alternate site name).
You can view, update, or define multiple site labels using the Tabular Edit.
Site information is shown on the Sites worksheet. See Using Tabular Edit
on page 102.
In addition to identification information, the Site Properties dialog box
contains information about site and sector properties that influence path loss
calculations. These include
66
Modelthe propagation model.
Distance Incrementprediction calculations are performed

along radials at distance intervals equal to the distance
increment. The default value for this setting is Auto, which
automatically sets the distance increment to the bin file size
(resolution) of the DEM. You can reduce the value of this setting
Working with Sites and Sectors

to achieve greater prediction accuracy, or increase the value to

achieve quick computation times.
Heightthe height of the sectors above ground level.
Distancethe maximum distance from the sectors for which

signal strength is calculated.
Radialsprediction calculations are performed along radial

lines originating at the site. More radials produce a more
accurate but slower calculation.
Use DEM elevationthe sector height is set to the elevation at

the sector location.
Elevationby default, this is set to the DEM elevation at the

sector location; however, you can set the elevation height to any
value when you clear the Use DEM Elevation check box.
Prediction Modedefines how signal strength predictions are

calculated. Modeled predictions use only the assigned
propagation model while merged predictions use both the
assigned propagation model and the assigned survey data. For
more information, see Choosing a prediction mode on
page 272.
Interpolation Distancethe distance within which interpolated

values are calculated by merging survey data and model
prediction values. Bins that are outside the Interpolation
Distance use model prediction values.
67
Chapter 2
Understanding site configuration files

Site configuration files store the settings defined in the Site Properties dialog
box including:
the number of sectors for the site and the sector ID, power,
antenna file (.dpa), azimuth, tilt, twist, and symbol, for each
sector
site properties, including the number of radials, the propagation

distance, the height of the sectors used at the site, the site
elevation, and the distance increment
propagation model settings
site name and index identifiers
any additional sector parameters required by a specific

technology
It is useful to save the site configuration if you might want to add sites with
the same configuration later at a later time. You can create as many
configurations as required for the purposes of your project. For information
on saving site configurations, see Placing sites on page 73. For information
on site configurations specific to a certain technology, see the appropriate
User Guide.
You can modify any of the displayed values within a selected
configuration and continue to place new sites. However, if you have
used and modified a previously saved configuration file, the values will revert
to those of the saved configuration setting the next time you select and use
that configuration. Save the changes with a new configuration name if you
plan to use them again.
Understanding sector properties

Sectors are identified using three labels:
68
Sector ID a unique sector identifier. By default, this is a

numeral beginning at 1. It is automatically incremented each
time you add a sector. The Sector ID is included in the file names
associated with the signal strength of the sector.
Sector UIDa secondary sector identifier. For example, this

could be the Switch ID.
Cell IDadditional sector information.

You can view, update, or define multiple sector labels using the Tabular Edit.
Sector information is shown on the various sector worksheets. See Using
Tabular Edit on page 102.
Basic sector properties

The following sector properties are available on the Sectors tab in the Site
Properties dialog box in addition to the sector identifiers.
Technology
The technology, for example GSM or W-CDMA, assigned to the sector. By

default, the technology assigned to the sector is based on the technology you
chose when you created the project.
PA Power
The power output of the sectors power amplifier (PA). The EIRP/ERP box is
updated to reflect the PA Power value. PA Power applies only to TDMA/
FDMA technologies.
EIRP/ERP
The power must be either Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) or

Effective Radiated Power (ERP).
The EIRP is the maximum radiated power in the direction of the maximum
gain (typically in the direction the antenna is pointing).
The EIRP value is calculated differently, depending on the technology and the
types of carriers.
For TDMA/FDMA technologies, the total EIRP value is calculated as
Total EIRP = PA power + antenna boresight gain + downlink losses and
gains
For cdma2000, EIRP refers to the pilot EIRP and is based on the PA power of
the first carrier (the first non-EV-DO carrier with the lowest frequency), and
is calculated differently depending on the use of EV-DO carriers.
If all carriers are not EV-DO (i.e., mixed carriers):
Pilot EIRP = first carrier pilot power + antenna boresight gain + forward
link losses and gains
If all carriers are EV-DO:
Pilot EIRP = first carrier PA power + antenna boresight gain + forward link
losses and gains
69
Chapter 2
For W-CDMA, EIRP is based on the CPICH power of the first carrier.
CPICH EIRP = first carrier CPICH power + antenna boresight gain +
downlink losses and gains
The ERP is the maximum radiated power relative to a dipole antenna (as
compared to an isotropic antenna for the EIRP). Because the gain of a dipole
antenna is 1.64 (2.15 dB) greater than the gain of an isotropic antenna, the
ERP value will be 2.15 dB less than that of the equivalent power EIRP value.
Changing the received power unit on the System Settings tab in the
Project Settings dialog box does not change the sector PA power value.
Antenna
The antenna distributes the sector power in different directions as specified in

the antenna pattern provided by the manufacturer. Mentum Planet includes
some default antenna patterns, but you can add antenna patterns as required.
For more information, see To add antenna pattern files to a project on
page 134 and To change the antenna for a sector on page 90.
Electrical Tilt
Antenna patterns may include additional pattern files with specific electrical
tilt values. A positive (+) tilt value points downwards, while a negative (-) tilt
value points upwards. For more information, see Modifying antenna patterns
with electrical tilt on page 122.
Horizontal Beamwidth
The angle of signal coverage provided by the antenna. More specifically, this
is the angle over which the antenna provides a gain within 3 db of the value in
the direction of maximum gain. This value is derived from the antenna pattern
and is read-only.
Azimuth
An azimuth value of 0 degrees is looking towards true north, 90 degrees is

east, 180 degrees is south, and 270 degrees is west. As you rotate clockwise,
the azimuth increases.
By default, Mentum Planet automatically adds 120 degrees to the azimuth
each time you add a sector. However, if you modify the azimuth for the first
and second sectors, Mentum Planet uses the same offset for subsequent
sectors.
70

Tilt
The tilt can be a positive (+) value for an upward tilt or a negative (-) value for
a downward tilt.
Twist
The twist is a positive value for a counter-clockwise twist and a negative

value for a clockwise twist. It is extremely rare to use a twist when mounting
an antenna. An example where twist could be used is in the case of a road on a
mountain pass where the road approaches the sector at an oblique angle
relative to the slope of the mountain. Twist can be used to align the main lobe
of an antenna to the road.
Group
In the Group Options dialog box, you can choose the groups in which you
want this sector included. For more information on sector groups, see
Working with sector groups on page 93.
Flags
In the Flag Options dialog box, you can define the conditions to associate with
each flag. For more information on flags, see Working with flags on
page 96.
Color/Symbol
You can access the Symbol Style dialog box and change the color and style of
the symbol used to represent the sector. If you have specified an active sector
display scheme, the Color/Symbol settings are not used.
Assigned Repeater(s)
This setting is available only if the sector has assigned repeaters. You can
modify the settings defined for the repeaters assigned to this sector. For more
information, see the TDMA/FDMA User Guide or the CDMA User Guide.
Additional sector properties

If you choose to define prediction parameters by sector, the Predictions
settings on the Site tab are no longer available, and the following additional
sector properties become available on the Sectors tab:
Propagation Model
Number of Radials
Distance
Height
71
Chapter 2
Use DEM Elevation
Elevation
Prediction Mode
Interpolation Distance
Distance Inc (i.e., the distance increment)
X/Longthe x-coordinate of a site
Y/Latthe y-coordinate of a site
X/Long Offsethorizontal offset of a sector from the site
Y/Lat Offsetvertical offset of a sector from the site
You can set either the X/Long and Y/Lat coordinates or the X/Long
Offset and Y/Lat Offset. The corresponding values for the sector
location or the offset are calculated automatically.
With the exception of the X/Long, Y/Lat, X/Long Offset, and Y/Lat Offset
settings, which enable you to define a unique location for each sector (referred
to as non co-located sectors), these properties are the same as their
counterparts on the Site tab. For more information, see Understanding site
properties on page 66.
Workflow for configuring and placing sites
72
Step 1
If you want to use custom sector symbols, define an active sector

display scheme. See Customizing sector symbols for multiple
sites on page 104.
Step 2
Define site configurations and place sites. See Placing sites on

page 73. For information on defining site configurations for other
technologies, see the appropriate User Guide.
Step 3
Display site labels if required. See Displaying and formatting site

labels on page 78.
Step 4
Define groups. See Working with sector groups on page 93.
Step 5
Define flags. See Working with flags on page 96.

Placing sites
In a wireless network, many sites have the same equipment configuration.
These sites have the same number of sectors, same type and orientation of
antennas, and so on. By defining and saving frequently-used configurations,
you can simplify site placement.
Once you have defined your site configuration, if the Site Properties dialog
box is open, you can place sites by clicking in a Map window or by entering
the geographical coordinates of the site.
The placed sites have the properties defined in the chosen configuration. You
can make changes to the chosen configuration to place sites that differ. These
changes affect subsequent site placements until you close the Site Properties
dialog box. They do not become part of the chosen configuration unless you
resave the configuration.
If you have defined an active sector display scheme, when you place a new
site it will use the specified scheme properties. See Customizing sector
symbols for multiple sites on page 104.
All sites must have a unique Site ID. Mentum Planet facilitates this by
providing optional automatic naming of sites as you place them. The site
name consists of a name prefix (Site, by default), an underscore (_), and an
index number. The first site placed is named, for example, Site_1.
If there is an existing site with the same site name and index, Mentum Planet
automatically uses the next available index when the site is placed. For
example, if Site_10 is already present, then Site_11 will be used next in the
sequence. After this site has been placed and the parameters saved to the
project, the index displayed will be the next value (e.g., Site_12).
You can also name sites manually. If you try to use a Site ID that already
exists, a warning message is displayed and you are prompted to enter a
different one.
If you plan to use the Network Statistics Mapping tool, you must add the
Cell_ID column to the User Data tab in the Site Properties dialog box,
and type a unique identifier for each sector. See To add user-defined data
using the User Data tab on page 113 and Using the Network Statistics
Mapping tool on page 407.
If you enable the Set Prediction Parameters check box but all the sector
parameters are the same, Mentum Planet will automatically clear the
check box.
73
Chapter 2
To place sites
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click Sites and

choose New.
The Site Configuration dialog box opens.
Choose the Create a New Configuration option, and click

Continue.
Choose the Use An Existing Configuration option, choose a

configuration from the Configuration List, and click Continue.
The Site Properties dialog box opens.
Whether you chose to create a new configuration or use an existing one,

you can modify values or accept defaults as required.
3
74
Click the Site tab.

In the Site ID box, type the prefix that you want to use for site names, or
accept the default.
For example, if you are placing sites in the San Francisco area, you might
use the prefix SF.
If you want to add additional site information, type an identifier or

description in any of the following boxes:
Site UIDa secondary unique site identifier (e.g., this could be

the Asset ID)
Site Nameadditional site information (e.g., this could be the

site address)
Site Name2additional site information (e.g., this could be an

alternate site name)
If you want to use indexing, enable the Use Indexing check box, and type
a number in the Start Index From box.
Indexing enables you to specify a starting number that applies to the first
site that you place. This number is then automatically incremented each
time you add a new site. The Site ID is combined with an underscore and
the index number to create site names. For example, sites might be named
SF_1, SF_2, and so on.
If you do not enable the Use Indexing check box, you must enter a unique
site identifier in the Site ID box prior to placing each site.
If you want to use the same properties for all sectors at a site,
clear the Set Prediction Parameters By Sector check box and
define the properties in the Predictions section. Go to Step 8.
If you want to define properties for individual sectors at a site,

enable the Set Prediction Parameters By Sector check box. Go
to Step 14.
in the Predictions section, choose a propagation model from the Model

list.
Propagation models are organized in the Project Data category of the
Project Explorer. The icons of propagation models that have been
assigned to a site are displayed in color. The icons of propagation models
that have not been assigned to a site, but are located in the Model folder of
the project, are dimmed.
75
Chapter 2
If you want to modify the model, click Edit to open the Propagation
Model Editor.
For more information on the Propagation Model Editor, see Chapter 4:
Working with Propagation Models on page 141.
10 To modify the propagation model parameters, in the Predictions section,

type a value in any of the following boxes:
Distance Increment
Height
Distance
Radials
The Distance Increment value can be set to Auto by pressing the A key.
See Understanding site properties on page 66 for more information on
this parameter.
11 Do one of the following:
If you want to set the elevation of the sector to the value of the
DEM at that location, enable the Use DEM Elevation check
box. The elevation height at the sector location is displayed in
the Elevation box.
If you want to specify the sector height, clear the Use DEM
Elevation check box and type a value in the Elevation box.
12 From the Prediction Mode list, choose one of the following:
Modeledto generate a prediction with this site based on the

propagation model only.
Mergedto generate a merged prediction with this site. See

Choosing a prediction mode on page 272.
13 If you chose the merged prediction mode, in the Interpolation Distance

box, type the distance within which interpolated values will be used.
Interpolated values are calculated by merging survey data and model
prediction values.
14 Click the Sectors tab.
15 Define the sector settings by clicking in the appropriate property box and
typing or choosing a new value.
For information on specific sector settings, press the F1 key. If you have
specified an active sector display scheme, the Color/Symbol setting is not
76

used. For more information, see Understanding sector properties on

page 68.
16 If more than one sector is required at the current site, click Add Sector.
Mentum Planet copies sector properties from Sector 1 to subsequent
sectors, except that it adds 120 degrees to the azimuth each time you add a
sector. However, if you modify the azimuth for the first and second
sectors, Mentum Planet uses the same offset for subsequent sectors. Once
added, the azimuth for any sector can be adjusted manually.
17 On the Sectors tab, make any final adjustments to the sector parameters
(e.g., Azimuth, Tilt, and Twist).
18 If you want to use the configuration again, choose
File Save Configuration As, type a file name, and click Save.
The site configuration (.dsc) file is saved in the Config\GSM subfolder of
the project folder. When you save the file, any sector settings are also
saved in the same location in individual sector settings files (.gss). One
.gss file is saved for each sector in the site.
For the .dsc file to work correctly, you need to ensure that you do not
move the .dsc file or .gss files.
Click in the Map window to add a site at that location using the
current configuration.
Click the Site tab, enable the Manual Entry check box, type the
coordinates in the X/Long and Y/Lat boxes, and click Place
Site.
20 If you need to remove a site placed in error, choose it from the Previous
Placement List and click Undo.
21 When you have finished placing sites, click Close.
77
Chapter 2
From the Sectors tab, you can access various functions by choosing
certain properties. For example, you can do any of the following:
Click in the ERP/EIRP field to access the Base Station Link Budget.
Click in the Antenna field to access the Antenna Editor. For more
information, see Chapter 3: Working with Antenna Patterns on
page 117.
Click in the Group and Flag fields to access additional choices.
Double-click in the Color/Symbol field to access the Symbol Style
dialog box.
You can also use the Place Site button on the Site Toolbar to set up
your sites. Press the S key to use the Snap tool to snap the cursor to
the nearest vector or point.
To specify the sector height, on the Sectors tab, set the Use DEM
Elevation property to No and type a value in the Elevation property. To
reset the elevation for each sector to the value of the DEM at the sector
location, set the Use DEM Elevation property to Yes. The DEM elevation
value is displayed in the Elevation box.
To undo a recent site placement
In the Site Properties dialog box, choose the site you want to remove
from the Previous Placement List, and click Undo.
Recently-placed sites are only available if you do not close the Site
Properties dialog box after placing sites. If you closed the dialog box,
you must delete the site from the Project Explorer.
Displaying and formatting site labels

You can display and format site labels in order to improve the readability of a
map.
To display site labels
78
In the Project Explorer, in the Windows category, expand the

Map Windows node, right-click the active site file and choose

Auto Label if there is not already a check mark indicating the

feature is turned on.
Choose View Site Labels, choose the type of information to

use as a site label, and click OK.
To remove site labels, in the Windows category of the Project Explorer,

expand the Map Windows node, right-click the site file and choose Auto
Label to remove the check mark.
To format site labels

1
Right-click in the Map window and choose Layer Control.

The Layer Control dialog box opens.
From the Layer list, choose your site file, and click Label.
The Label Options dialog box opens.
From the Label With list, choose the information you want to appear in
the label.
In the Visibility section, choose one of the following options to display

labels:
Offlabels are not displayed.
Onlabels are always displayed.
Display Within Rangelabels are displayed only when the

Map window zoom width is between the values you specify in
the Min Zoom and Max Zoom boxes.
Enable any of the following options as needed:
Allow Duplicate Textthe same label can appear on a map

more than once. This is useful if you want to display sector
labels such as technology where more than one site would have
the same label.
Allow Overlapping Textlabels near each other can overlap.
Maximum Labelsthe total number of labels in the Map

window is limited to the number in the box, unless you leave the
box blank.
The Label Partial Objects check box does not apply to labels for sites or
other point objects.
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Chapter 2
If you want to change the text style of the labels, click Aa in the Styles
section to open the Text Style dialog box, modify the following settings,
and click OK:
Fontlabel typeface and size can be chosen from the lists.
Text Colorlabel color can be chosen from the list.
Backgroundlabel can have a rectangular background or a

halo effect in a selectable color to increase readability.
Effectslabel can have text styles such as bold or italic.
For more information on these settings, press the F1 key.

7
If you want to adjust the position of the labels, in the Position section, do
any of the following:
To change the relative position of the label to the site, click the
Anchor Point button that corresponds to the label placement
you prefer.
To change the distance between the label and the site, type a
value in points in the Label Offset box.
The Rotate Label With Line check box has no effect on labels for sites or
other point objects.
8
In the Label Options dialog box, click OK.
In the Layer Control dialog box, click OK.
You can create complex labels that combine several pieces of

information by choosing Expression from the Label With list. For
information on how to create the expression you need, press the F1 key.
80

Choosing sites
There are several methods available in Mentum Planet for choosing sites. You
can:
choose sites and sectors from the Project Explorer. See

Choosing sites and sectors from the Project Explorer on
page 81.
use the shortcut commands from the Project Explorer. See To

find and display a site with user-selected zoom on page 84 and
To select a site or sector in the Map window on page 85.
use the Select, Marquee, Radius, or Polygon Select tools on the

Main toolbar. See Choosing sites and sectors using the Select
tools on page 82.
use the Select All From Site Table button on the Site toolbar to
select all sites or the Unselect All button from the Main toolbar
to unselect all sites. See Choosing sites and sectors using the
Select tools on page 82.
When you choose a site using the Select tool, only one sector is
selected. If you want to choose all of the sectors in a site, you must
choose the sectors using the Marquee, Radius, or Polygon Select tools or use
the Select in Map window command from the Project Explorer.
Choosing sites and sectors from the Project Explorer

The recommended method for choosing sites and sectors is using the Project
Explorer.
To choose sites and sectors from the Project Explorer

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the Sites node.
To choose a site, click on the site node.
To choose multiple sites, press the Ctrl key and click on multiple
sites.
To choose a sector, expand the site node and click a sector.
To choose multiple sectors, expand the sites node, press the Ctrl
key and click on multiple sectors.
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Chapter 2
Choosing sites and sectors using the Select tools

You can also use the Select tools on the Main toolbar to choose sites and
sectors. You can also use the Select All in Site Table button and the Find Site
button on the Site toolbar.
When more than one layer is displayed in a Map window, you can only make
selections using the Select tools on objects that are on the uppermost layer.
Mentum Planet automatically sets the project defaults so that the site table and
editable map layers added to the Map window are selectable. Therefore, if
you have opened several map layers, use the Layer Control to make these
layers unselectable in order to facilitate the selection process or ensure the site
table is the uppermost selectable layer.
You can also view currently selected objects in a Browser window to
ensure that the correct objects (sites and sectors) are chosen. Choose
Window New Browser Window and choose Selection in the Browser Table
dialog box.
To choose sites and sectors using the Select tools
Click any of the following buttons on the Main toolbar and then click
in the Map window or drag the mouse pointer to select multiple sites:
Select tool
Polygon Select tool
Marquee Select tool
Grouping sites
By grouping sites, you can organize how sites are displayed in the Project
Explorer. This makes it easier to work with sites. You can group sites by the
following properties:
antenna pattern
propagation model
technology
To group sites by properties in the Project Explorer

You can quickly view which sites have specific properties using the Group By
option in the Project Explorer. For example, if you want to view sites
organized according to antenna pattern, you can choose the Antenna Pattern
82

option. This creates nodes under the Sites node for each antenna pattern in the
project, and groups the sites according to which pattern they use.
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click Sites,

choose Group By, and then choose the property by which you want
the sites grouped.
To copy grouped sites in the Project Explorer

You can quickly copy all sectors from a grouped sites node to a new group in
the Project Explorer. Only those sectors with the grouped by property will be
copied. In Figure 2.1, sites are grouped by Antenna type. To add all sectors
assigned the 60_degree antenna, you can drag the 60_degree node onto the
Sixty_degrees node under the Local group node. Sectors assigned an antenna
other than 60_degree will not be copied to the group.
Figure 2.1 Example of sites grouped by Antenna
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click Sites, choose

Group By, and then choose the property by which you want the sites
grouped.
Right-click the grouped by node that you want to copy and choose Copy.
Right-click the group to which you want to add the copied sectors and
choose Paste.
You can also drag the grouped sites to the new group.
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Chapter 2
To ungroup sites in the Project Explorer

choose Group By None.
Finding and selecting sites and sectors in the Map window

Mentum Planet provides many methods for finding and selecting sites and
sectors in the Map window. The Locate command is useful if you have many
sites in your project and you want to select one particular site and center it in
the Map window or if you have co-located sectors in your project and you
want to select a co-located sector. The Select in Map Window command
enables you to choose several sites or sectors in the Project Explorer and
highlight them in the Map window.
To find a site in the Map window
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the site and
choose Locate.
The site is selected and centered in the Map window.
To find a sector in the Map window
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand a site node,

right-click a sector, and choose Locate.
The sector is selected and centered in the Map window.
To find and display a site with user-selected zoom

1

choose Find Site.
In the Find Site dialog box, do one of the following:
Enable the Select From List check box and, in the Find list,
choose the site you want to find.
Type the site ID in Find box.
In the Zoom Width box, define the width of the map view.
Click Find to display your chosen site.

You can also choose Edit Find Site from the main menu to open the
Find Site dialog box.
84

To select a site or sector in the Map window
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, do one of the

following:
Right-click the Sites node, select a site, and choose Select

in Map Window.
Expand a site node, select a sector, and choose Select in
Map Window.
At the site level, all the sectors will be selected in the Map window. At the
sector level, the chosen sector will be selected in the Map window.
Due to a MapInfo limitation, sites that consist of an even number of
sectors do not appear to be selected in the Map window. The
workaround is to select a sector instead of a site.
You can select multiple sites or sectors in the Project Explorer by
pressing the Ctrl key and selecting multiple sites or sectors. When you
choose Select in Map Window, the chosen sites or sectors will be highlighted.
Working with sites

The Project Explorer provides easy access to functions that help you manage
your sites. You can
display information about a site. See To display information

about a site
edit a site. See To edit a site on page 86.
move a site. See To move a site on page 86.
delete a site. See To delete sites from the Project Explorer on

page 89 and To delete sites from the Map window on page 89.
copy a site. See To copy and paste a site in the Map window
on page 87 and To copy a site or sector into a group on
page 88
swap site parameters. See To swap site and sector parameters

on page 89
85
Chapter 2
To display information about a site
choose Edit.
You can also double-click on a site to open the Site Properties dialog
box.
To edit a site
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click on the

site that you want to edit and choose Edit.
Click the Edit Site button on the Site toolbar, and then click in
the Map window on the site that you want to edit.

2
If there is more than one site at the chosen location, choose the site you
want to edit from the Editing Site list.
Make modifications to any of the site properties and sector parameters

and save them as a new configuration if required. For information, see
Placing sites on page 73.
Click Apply to update your project and then click Close.
To move a site
When editing site properties, you can move a site to a new location. There are
two methods for moving sites: entering coordinates manually or entering
them automatically. The ability to move sites manually is useful if you have
acquired GPS readings for all your sites and you want to update the position
of a sector.
1
86
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click on the

site and choose Edit.
Click the Edit Site button on the Site toolbar, and then click in
the Map window on the site you want to move.
In the Site Properties dialog box, click the Site tab.

If there is more than one site at the chosen location, choose the site you
want to move from the Editing Site list.
To update the site location manually, type the new GPS

coordinates in the X/Long and Y/Lat boxes in the Location
section.
To update the site location automatically, click the Place Site

button on the Site toolbar and click in the Map window at the
new site location.
The new location coordinates appear in the Location section.

5
Click Apply to move the site to the new location.

There will be instances where more than one site exists at the same
location, e.g., where site sharing is required for zoning purposes or where
the operators are building umbrella networks. Mentum Planet enables you
to place sites on either an existing or new site. Press the S key to use the
Snap tool when placing a new site on an existing site. When you edit a
site, you can choose sites located at the same location from the Editing
Site list in the Site Properties dialog box. This enables you to move
between sites for the purposes of changing their individual settings. Click
the Apply button to save your edits to your project.
To copy and paste a site in the Map window

When you are using candidate sites in network planning, you can copy a site
so that you can work with the site copy and fine tune site placement and
parameters. Once you have finalized the site details, you can swap the site
parameters for the official site with the fine tuned site parameters of the copy.
See To swap site and sector parameters on page 89.
All site and sector settings, carrier assignments, and base station link budget
parameters are copied to the new site.
1
In the Project Explorer, expand the Sites node, right-click on the site you
want to copy, and choose Place Copy.
Click in the Map window where you want to paste the site.
You can place multiple copies of a site.
In the Site Properties dialog box, click Close.
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Chapter 2
To copy a site or sector into a group

You can quickly add sites or sectors to a group in the Project Explorer using
the Copy and Paste commands.
1
In the Project Explorer, expand the Sites node, right-click the sites or
sectors you want to copy into a group, and choose Copy.
Expand the Groups node.
Right-click the group to which you want to add the sites or sectors, and
choose Paste.
The selected sites are added to the group or the selected sectors are added
to the group under the original site name.
To add sites or sectors to a group, you can also drag sites or sectors
onto a group under the Groups node.
To clone a sector at a site

You can quickly clone a sector to create a copy of an existing sector at a site.
All sector settings, carrier assignments, and base station link budget
parameters are copied to the new sector.
1
In the Project Explorer, expand the Sites node.
Right-click the sector upon which you want the new sector based and
choose Clone.
In the Clone Sector dialog box, in the New Sector Name box, type a
name for the sector.
Click OK.
The new sector is added to the same site as the original sector.
To rename a site
88
choose Rename.
Type a new name for the site and press ENTER.
In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes to acknowledge that existing

predictions will be deleted.

To swap site and sector parameters
In the Project Explorer, right-click the two sites for which you want
site and sector parameters swapped and choose Swap Sites.
All site and sector parameters will be swapped (i.e., the site and sector
parameters for Site A will be copied to Site B and vice-versa).
Groups, flags, and assigned repeaters are not swapped.
To refresh the sites list

choose Refresh.
The sites list is ordered alphabetically or numerically, depending on the
site ID.
To delete sites from the Project Explorer
To delete one site, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites category,

right-click a site, choose Delete, and click Yes to confirm the
deletion.
To delete multiple sites, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites

category, choose a site and holding-down the Ctrl key, choose
the other sites you want to delete. Right-click and choose Delete,
and click Yes to confirm the deletion.
To delete sites from the Map window
To delete one site, in the Map window, choose the site,

right-click and choose Delete, and then click Delete to confirm
the deletion.
To delete multiple sites, in the Map window, use the selection

tools to choose the sites you want to delete, and then right-click
and choose Delete. In the Delete dialog box, click Delete for
each site you want to delete.
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Chapter 2
To change the antenna for a sector

Each sector assigned to a site must have a valid antenna pattern associated
with it in order to generate predictions. Mentum Planet includes some default
antenna patterns, but you can add antenna patterns to your project as required.
For more information, see To add antenna pattern files to a project on
page 134.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a site

and choose Edit.
Click the Edit Site button on the Site toolbar and choose a site in
the Map window.
In the Site Properties dialog box, click the Sectors tab.
Click the Antenna field for the sector you want to modify.
Click the Browse (...) button at the right of the field to open the Select
Antenna Pattern dialog box.
In the Select Antenna Pattern dialog box, choose the Single option.
For information on the Combined option, see To create a quasiomnidirectional antenna pattern on page 137.
To change the antenna for the sector, choose an antenna pattern

from the Antenna List.
To add an antenna pattern to the list of available patterns, click

Add, navigate to the folder where the pattern is stored, choose
the pattern, and click Open. The antenna file is copied to the
project Antennas folder.
To remove an antenna pattern from the list of available antennas,

choose an antenna pattern from the Antenna List and click
Delete. The antenna file is deleted from the project Antennas
folder.
To open the Antenna Editor, click Editor.
For information on using the Antenna Editor, see Chapter 3: Working

with Antenna Patterns on page 117.
90
Click OK to close the Select Antenna Pattern dialog box.
In the Site Properties dialog box, click Apply to apply the changes.

Click Close to close the Site Properties dialog box.

Antenna patterns are organized in the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer. The icons of antenna patterns that have been assigned to a
sector are displayed in color. The icons of antenna patterns that have not
been assigned to sectors, but are located in the Antennas folder of the
project, are displayed in gray.
You can also use the Antenna Pattern command from the Edit menu in
the Site Properties dialog box to access the Antenna Editor and change
the antenna pattern for the selected sector. The Edit menu is displayed only
when you click the Sectors tab in the Site Properties dialog box.

The Grid Analysis toolbar includes tools that will help you with the placement
of sectors and the positioning of directional antennas.
Find Maximum Point toolfinds the highest point in a region.

This is an aid to finding good locations for sites.
Angle From Line toolmeasures the direction of a line relative

to true north. This can help in the placement of a directional
antenna to serve a section of highway.
Draw Angle tooldraws a line at a specified direction with

respect to true north.
To use the Find Maximum Point tool

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Windows category, right-click the

Cosmetic layer for the Map window and choose Editable if the check box
is not already enabled.
If the Grid Analysis and Drawing toolbars are not visible, choose
View Toolbars, enable the Grid Analysis and Drawing check boxes
in the Show column, and click OK.
If the Map window does not contain a suitable polygon object, such as a
county or census district, click the Polygon button on the Drawing
toolbar, and draw a polygon enclosing the area in which you want to find
the highest point.
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Chapter 2
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Find Maximum Point button
and choose the polygon in the Map window.
A point object is generated on the cosmetic layer, showing the point of
highest elevation within the polygon. To obtain the location coordinates,
double-click on the point object.
If you drew the polygon, select it in the Map window, press the DELETE
key to remove it, and make the location of the highest point more
visible.
To delete the point object, choose the object in the Map window, and
press the DELETE key to remove it.
To use the Angle From Line tool

1

If the Grid Analysis and Drawing toolbars are not visible, choose
View Toolbars, enable the Grid Analysis and Drawing check boxes
in the Show column, and click OK.
If the Map window does not contain a suitable line object, such as a road,
click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar, and draw the line for which
you want to measure the direction.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Angle From Line button, and
choose the line in the Map window.
A label is added to the Map window showing the angle of the line with
respect to true north.
To delete the label, in the Windows category of the Project Explorer,

expand the Windows node, and choose the cosmetic layer. Right-click
and choose Clear Objects.
92

To use the Draw Angle tool

1

If the Grid Analysis toolbar is not visible, choose View Toolbars,

enable the Grid Analysis check box in the Show column, and click OK.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Draw Angle button, and then
click anywhere in the Map window.
The Draw Angle dialog box opens.
In the Angle box, type the direction of the line in degrees with respect to
true north.
In the Distance box, type the length of the line in kilometers.
Click in the Map window where you want the line to begin.
The line is drawn in the Map window.
If you want to draw another line, modify the Angle and Distance values
as needed, and click in the Map window at the start point of the line.
When you have finished drawing lines, close the Draw Angle dialog box.

You can create groups and assign sites or individual sectors to one or more
groups. You can then use these groups to make selections when performing
certain operations. For example, you could divide the sites in your project into
four groups: North, South, East, and West. You could then choose to generate
predictions only for the sectors that are part of the North and East groups. Any
sectors that are not part of these two groups will be ignored.
Groups are organized in the Project Explorer according to whether or not they
are used with Data Manager:
Groups listed under the Shared node are stored in Data Manager
and will be available to other users.
Groups listed under the Local node are not stored in Data
Manager. Even if the project is stored in Data Manager, the
groups under the Local node will not be available to other users.
When you add or remove a site or sector from a group, or delete an entire
group, the sectors are not removed from the Sites list in the Project Explorer.
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Chapter 2
To create a sector group

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the Groups

node and do one of the following:
Choose New Local to create a local group. The Add New

Local Group dialog box opens.
Choose New Shared to create a shared group. The Add New
Shared Group dialog box opens.
Type a name for the new group and click OK.

The group is added to either the Local or Shared node, under the Groups
node in the Project Explorer.
Choose one or more sites or sectors from the Sites list or from another
group and drag them to the group.
You can also right-click either Local or Shared and choose New to
create a new group under the chosen node.
You can also choose one or more sites or sectors in the Project
Explorer, right-click and choose Copy, then right-click the group and
choose Paste.
To display a group in a Map window
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a group and

choose View.
A new layer is created in the Map window that shows only the sites in the
group. For information on working with map layers, see Working with
map layers on page 50.
Editing sector groups

You can rename or delete groups. You can also remove sites and sectors from
groups. When you delete a group or remove sites or sectors from a group, the
sites or sectors are removed from the group or the Groups node, but remain
under the Sites node in the Project Explorer.
You can also use the Common Global Edit dialog box to quickly edit sector
group assignments. For more information, see Performing global edits on
page 100.
94

You can use the Invert Selection option to select all of the sites and sectors
that are not part of a group. When the Invert Selection command is enabled
for a group, a check mark appears beside the menu command. When the
Invert Selection option is enabled, all sectors that are not part of the group will
be selected.
To rename a group
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the group and
choose Rename.
Type a new name for the group and press ENTER.
To remove a site or sector from a group

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the group you want
to edit.
In the group, right-click the site or sector you want to remove and choose
Remove From Group.
To delete a group
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand Groups, rightclick the group and choose Delete.
In the Mentum Planet dialog box, click Yes.

The group is deleted from the Groups node in the Project Explorer, but the
sites and sectors in the group are not deleted.
To refresh the groups list
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click Groups

and choose Refresh.
The groups list is ordered alphabetically.
To invert a group selection

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand Groups, rightclick the group and choose Invert Selection.
The Invert Selection option is enabled, and all sectors that are not part of
the group will be selected.
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Chapter 2
To turn off the Invert Selection option, right-click the group and choose
Invert Selection again.
To edit groups from the Site Properties dialog box

You can assign sectors to groups or edit the groups to which a sector is
assigned on the Sectors tab in the Site Properties dialog box.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand Groups or Sites,

right-click the site you want to edit and choose Edit.
Click in the sector Group field, and then click the Browse (...) button.
In the Group Options dialog box, do either of the following and click
OK:
To add a sector to a group, enable the check box beside the

group.
To remove a sector from a group, clear the check box beside the
group
In the Site Properties dialog box, click Apply, and then click Close.
Working with flags

Flags are properties that you can use to identify sectors as having certain
characteristics (conditions). You can create multiple flags, and each flag can
have multiple conditions, but you can assign only one condition per flag to a
sector. The conditions of a flag should be a set of related but mutually
exclusive values.
Once you have assigned flag conditions to your sectors, you can enable
specific flags using the check boxes under the Flags node in the Project
Explorer. When you enable a flag condition in the Project Explorer, the flag
icon changes from gray to color, indicating that the flag has active conditions.
When you right-click the Flags node in the Project Explorer and choose a
command, only the sectors that have been assigned conditions for the enabled
flags will be used.
96

Example
If you wanted to generate predictions for a new network based on sector status
and location, you could create the flags and conditions shown in Figure 2.2.
Figure 2.2 Flags node in the Project Explorer. In this example, there are 3 sites
(6 sectors) that satisfy the flag conditions.
You would then assign one Status flag condition and one Location flag
condition to each sector in your network. Figure 2.3 shows how you would
assign a Status of Active and a Location of South to a sector.
Figure 2.3 Assigning flag conditions to a sector
You could then generate predictions based on both the status and location of a
sector. For example, if you only wanted to generate predictions for active
sectors located in the central or south, you would enable the Active condition
for the Status flag and the Central and South conditions for the Location flag,
as shown in Figure 2.2. In this example, the flag filter would identify sites
where the Location flag is Central OR South AND the Status flag is Active.
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Chapter 2
To create a flag
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click Flags and

choose New.
In the Add New Flag dialog box, type a name for the flag, and click OK.
The name must contain only alphanumeric characters with no spaces.
The new flag is added to the Project Explorer tree view in the Sites
category. The new empty flag appears in the tree view under Flags.
To add a condition
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a flag and

choose New Condition.
In the Add New Condition dialog box, type a name for the new
condition, and click OK.
The new condition is added to the Project Explorer tree view under the
flag node.
To apply a flag condition to a sector

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the sector and
choose Set Flags.
The Flags dialog box opens.
In the Flag List, choose the flag conditions you want to apply from the
list in the Condition column.
When you have finished setting flag conditions, click OK.
To apply flag conditions to one or more sites

1
In the Project Explorer, choose one or more sites, right-click

and choose Global Edit Common.
In the Map window, use the Marquee Select tool to choose one
or more sites, and then choose Edit Global Edit Common.
The Common Global Edit dialog box opens.
98
From the Selection list, choose Selection, if it is not already chosen.
In the List of Columns to Update, expand the Flags data field.

Locate the row for the flag you want to assign, and from the list in the
Value column, choose the condition you want to apply.
Enable the check box for the flag, if it is not already enabled.
When you have finished setting flag conditions, click OK.
In the Confirm dialog box, click Yes.
To display sectors based on flag conditions

You can quickly locate sectors identified with certain flags and conditions.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the Flags node,
then expand the individual flag nodes you want to view.
Enable the check boxes for the flag conditions you want to display.
Right-click the Flags node and choose View.

A new layer is added to the Map window, showing the sites with the
chosen flag conditions. For information on working with map layers, see
Working with map layers on page 50.
Editing flags and conditions

You can edit flags and conditions when you need to refine them. You can also
use the Common Global Edit dialog box to quickly edit flags and conditions
for a group of sectors. For more information, see Performing global edits on
page 100.
You can use the Invert Conditions option to select all of the sites and sectors
that have not been assigned the enabled flag conditions. When the Invert
Conditions option is enabled, a check mark appears beside the menu
command. The option remains enabled until you right-click the Flags node
and choose Invert Conditions again.
To rename a flag
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a flag and

choose Rename.
Type a new name for the flag and press ENTER.
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Chapter 2
To rename a condition
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the condition

and choose Rename.
Type a new name for the condition and press ENTER.
To delete a flag or condition

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a flag or

condition and choose Delete.
In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
To invert flag conditions

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the Flags node
and choose Invert Conditions.
The Invert Conditions option is enabled, and all of the sites and sectors
that have not been assigned the enabled flag conditions will be selected.
To turn off the Invert Conditions option, right-click the Flags node and
choose Invert Conditions again.

You can easily change site and sector properties for all sites in your project or
for a particular group of sites. You can also add or remove sites from groups
and set flag conditions.
For information on performing global edits for a specific technology, see:
100
Globally editing base station link budget settings for TDMA/

FDMA sectors and Globally editing TDMA/FDMA sector
properties in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Globally editing base station link budget settings for W-CDMA

sectors and To globally edit W-CDMA sectors, Globally
editing base station link budget settings for cdma2000 sectors
and To globally edit cdma2000 sectorsin the CDMA User
Guide.

To perform a global edit

1
In the Project Explorer, do one of the following:
To edit all sites, in the Sites category, right-click Sites and

choose Global Edit Common.
To edit the sites in a group, in the Sites category, right-click the

group and choose Global Edit Common.
To edit sites selected by flag condition, in the Sites category,

enable the flag conditions you want, right-click Flags and
choose Global Edit Common.
The Common Global Edit dialog box opens.

2
In the Sector Selection section, do any of the following:
From the Selection list, choose the table you want to edit.
From the Group list, choose the sector group that contains the
sites you want to edit.
In the List of Columns to Update table, do any of the following:
Enable the check box beside each Data Field that you want to
update, click in the Value column and type a new value for each
setting. Clear the check box if you do not want to apply the
change.
If you have groups defined in your project, expand the Group

data field to view them. Enable the check box to the left of the
groups for which you want the site table updated.
If you have flags and conditions defined in your project, expand

the Flags data field to view them. Enable the check box to the
left of the flags for which you want the site table updated.
If you want to add the selected sectors to a group, expand the

Group data field, enable the check box for the group, and then
enable the Include in Group check box for any groups to which
you want to add the sectors.
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Chapter 2
If you want to remove the selected sectors from a group, expand

the Group data field, enable the check box for the group, and
clear the Include in Group check box for any groups from
which you want to remove the sectors.
Click Apply to update the table.
Click OK to close the Common Global Edit dialog box.
Using Tabular Edit

You can use the Tabular Edit dialog box to edit site and sector settings from
one location. You can edit all sites and sectors or you can edit specific sites
and sectors based on groups, flags, or a selection.
Site and sector information in the Tabular Edit dialog box is divided into
separate worksheets (see Figure 2.4). Use the arrow buttons in the lower left
corner of the dialog box to scroll to the different worksheets.
Figure 2.4 Tabular Edit dialog box showing the Sectors worksheet
You can limit the worksheets and the columns that are displayed within the
Tabular Edit dialog box. For example, you could choose to display only the
Sites and Sectors worksheets, and within these worksheets, you could display
only the columns that relate to the site and sector location.
If custom data columns have been created in Data Manager Server, these
columns will be available on the Sites and/or Sectors worksheets in the
Tabular Edit dialog box after you have connected to Data Manager Server.
102

You can add values or edit existing custom column data using the Tabular Edit
dialog box.
There are some columns that you cannot edit in the Tabular Edit dialog
box. These columns are grayed out.
You can also use the Import Wizard to add or edit the values in custom
data columns. For more information, see Importing, replacing, and
exporting project data on page 384.
To edit site and sector settings using Tabular Edit

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, do any of the following:
If you want to edit all sites and sectors, right-click the Sites
node, choose Tabular Edit, then in the Select Sectors dialog
box, choose All Sectors and click Continue.
If you want to edit sites and sectors based on groups, choose one
or more groups, right-click and choose Tabular Edit.
If you want to edit sites and sectors based on flag conditions,

right-click the Flags node and choose Tabular Edit.
If you want to edit specific sites or sectors, choose one or more

sites or sectors, right-click and choose Tabular Edit.
The Tabular Edit dialog box opens.

2
To change which worksheets are available in the Tabular Edit dialog box
or view DEM elevation values, click Options and enable the appropriate
check boxes.
Click OK.
Click in any of the fields on any of the worksheets and modify settings as
required.
For detailed lists of each field and the valid ranges and data types, see
Appendix E: Import and Export Tables on page 467.
When you have finished making your changes, click Apply.

Your project is updated with the new settings.
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Chapter 2
Modifying sector symbols for individual sites

Sites and sectors are displayed using the color and symbol you specify in the
site properties.
To modify sector symbols for multiple sites, you can define a sector display
scheme or edit the color and symbol settings using the Common Global Edit
dialog box. For more information, see Customizing sector symbols for
multiple sites and Performing global edits on page 100.
To modify color and symbol settings for individual sites

1
Double-click in the Color/Symbol box for the sector you want to modify.
It is recommended that you choose the deciBel Planner Telecom font.
In the Symbol Style dialog box, choose the font, symbol, font size, color,
background, and effects and click OK.
In the Site Properties dialog box, click Apply.
Click Close.
The rotation angle of sector symbols is defined by the azimuth of the
sector.
You can also access the Symbol Style dialog box by choosing the
Color/Symbol command from the Edit menu in the Site Properties
dialog box. The Edit menu is available only from the Sectors tab.
Customizing sector symbols for multiple sites

You can customize sector symbols by creating and applying sector display
schemes based on sector properties such as:
the sector height
the forward link load for CDMA technologies
the carried traffic for TDMA/FDMA technologies
You can also use sector display schemes to show the relationship between
sectors and repeaters or between sectors and non co-located sectors. Sector
display schemes are saved as .xml files. Figure 2.5 shows a sector display
scheme.
104

Figure 2.5 Sector display scheme showing various symbol types and sizes. The lines
from site GSM11 illustrates how a sector/repeater relationship can be shown on the
map.
Within one sector display scheme you can define settings for cdma2000,
W-CDMA, and TDMA/FDMA technologies. Sector display schemes are
saved in the Sector Display Scheme folder within your project. You can create
local and shared display schemes. Local schemes cannot be shared using Data
Manager.
You can apply sector display schemes to sector groups, to sectors assigned
specific flags, or to all sectors. Sector display schemes are not dynamic. If you
apply a sector display scheme but then change the value of the sector property
upon which the scheme is based, the sector symbol is not automatically
updated. You must reapply the sector display scheme in order to see your
changes reflected in the Map window.
You can also define an active sector display scheme that will be used when
you place new sites.
Sector display schemes use the Planet Symbols font. The default
symbol used when placing sites is the deciBel Planner Telecom font.
105
Chapter 2
To create a sector display scheme

1

Sector Display Schemes node and do one of the following:
Choose New Local to create a local scheme. The New Local

Scheme dialog box opens. Local schemes are not saved in Data
Manager.
Choose New Shared to create a shared scheme. The New
Shared Scheme dialog box opens.
Type a name for the new sector display scheme and click OK.
The Sector Display Scheme dialog box opens.
From the Technology list, choose the technology of the sectors for which
you are creating the sector display scheme.
You can define sector display scheme settings for different technologies
within the same one sector display scheme.
106
If you chose a CDMA technology, from the Carrier list, choose the
carrier to which to apply the sector display scheme or choose All.

In the Display Options section, enable the check boxes for the settings
you want to specify for the sector display scheme.
If you clear a check box, settings for that display option are not used.
If you enabled the Symbol check box, click the Symbol tab.
From the Omni-directional Antenna list, choose the symbol you want to
use to represent omni-directional antennas (i.e., antennas that have a 360
degree horizontal beamwidth).
From the Combined (Quasi-Omni) Antenna list, choose the symbol you
want to use to represent combined antennas.
From the Sectorized Antenna list, choose the symbol you want to use to
represent antennas that have a horizontal beamwidth less than 360
degrees.
The Arrow symbol displays sectors based on the direction of the antenna
without any reference to the beamwidth. All other symbols display both
the direction of the antenna and the beamwidth. The width of the symbol
represents the horizontal beamwidth. The accuracy of the symbols is
within 10 degrees.
10 In the Background section, choose one of the following options:
Noneno background is displayed.
Halothe symbol is outlined with a white border.
Borderthe symbol is outlined with a black border.
11 In the Effects section, enable any of the following check boxes:
Drop Shadowa drop shadow is displayed beneath the symbol.
Boldthe symbol is displayed in bold.
12 If you enabled the Size check box, click the Size tab.
13 From the Property to Use list, choose the property you want to use to
determine the size of the sector symbol.
For more information on the properties available, press the F1 key.
For W-CDMA, the Uplink Load and the Downlink Load are calculated
using the Uplink Noise Rise value and the Downlink Total Traffic Power
value defined on the Implementation panel in the W-CDMA Sector
Settings dialog box.
For cdma2000, the Reverse Link Load and the Forward Link Load are
calculated using the Reverse Noise Rise value and the Forward Total
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Chapter 2
Traffic Power value defined on the Implementation panel in the

cdma2000 Sector Settings dialog box.
14 In the Property Value section, specify the range of the property value in
the From and To boxes.
15 In the Point Size section, specify the range of the symbol point size in the
From and To boxes.
The symbol size will be determined by the values you specified in Step
14. Values that fall outside the specified range will be increased up to the
minimum value or reduced to the maximum level. For example, if you
chose Height as the property value and defined the From value as 20
meters and the To value as 100 meters, then all sectors that have a
height of 20 or less will use the point size you defined in the From box
and all sectors that have a height of 100 or more will use the point size
you defined in the To box. The symbol size of sectors with a height that
falls between the From and To values will be interpolated linearly using
the From and To values defined in the Point Size section.
16 If you enabled the Color check box, click the Color tab.
To base color on a property, choose the Based on Property

option, and then choose the sector property for which you want
to specify a color.
To base color on an identifier, choose the Based on Identifier

option, and then choose the setting for which you want to specify
a color.
Default values are displayed for some properties and identifiers.

18 Do any of the following:
108
To change the color associated with a value, click the color in the
Color column, choose a new color, and click OK.
To add a value, click Add, choose a value from the list of

available values or type a value in the box, and click OK.
To add multiple identifiers (e.g., based on propagation models,

antenna files, or technology), click the Lookup & Add All
button.
To delete a value, choose a row in the table and click Delete. If

the value you are deleting is a flag condition, all conditions in
the table are deleted.

19 Repeat Step 18 to add, delete, or change a value.

20 If you enabled the Relationship check box, click the Relationship tab.
21 If you want to define a display scheme to represent the relationship
between a site and a repeater, do the following in the Repeaters section:
Choose a line style from the Styles list.
Click the color square and choose a line color.
Choose the line width from the Width list.
22 If you want to define a display scheme to represent the relationship

between a site and a non co-located sector, do the following in the Non
Co-located Sectors section:
Choose a line style from the Styles list.
Click the color square and choose a line color.
Choose the line width from the Width list.
23 Repeat Step 3 to Step 22 to define sector display scheme settings for

additional technologies.
24 Click OK to save sector display scheme settings.
The sector display scheme is added to either the Local or Shared node,
under the Sector Display Schemes node in the Project Explorer. Sector
display schemes are saved as .xml files.
You can also create sector display schemes by expanding the Sector
Display Schemes node, right-clicking Local or Shared, and choosing
New. In addition, you can move sector display schemes between the Local
and Shared node by choosing one or more sector display schemes in the
Project Explorer and dragging them to the Local or Shared node.
To define an active sector display scheme

The active sector display scheme is used when you place a new site. If there is
no active sector display scheme, the default symbol, size, and color are used.
1
In the Project Data category, expand the Sector Display Schemes node.
Expand the Local or Shared node.
Right-click a sector display scheme and choose Active.

The icons associated with sector display schemes indicate which sector
display scheme is currently active, as shown in Figure 2.6.
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Chapter 2
Inactive sector display scheme

Active sector display scheme
Figure 2.6 Sector Display Schemes node in the Project Explorer
To add a sector display scheme

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click Sector

Display Schemes and choose one of the following:
Add Localadds a local scheme
Add Sharedadds a shared scheme
In the dialog box that opens, navigate to where the sector display scheme
file (.xml) is stored and click Open.
To apply a sector display scheme
110
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, expand the Sector
Display Schemes node.
Right-click the display scheme you want to apply and choose Apply.

In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the group to which you want to
apply the scheme and click Continue.
Sectors that meet the criteria defined in the sector display scheme are
modified accordingly.
You can also apply a sector display scheme from the Sites category of
the Project Explorer. Right-click the Flags node, a group within the
Groups node, or the Sites node, and choose Sector Display Scheme. In the
Select Scheme dialog box, choose the sector display scheme you want to
apply or choose Default Symbol, and click Apply.
When you get a project from Data Manager, the default sector symbol
is used. You must reapply the sector display scheme to see changes.
Similarly, if you make any changes to sector properties after you have applied
a sector display scheme, you will need to reapply the sector display scheme
to see changes.
To apply the default sector symbol

You can apply the default sector symbol, size, and color to remove sector
display schemes that are visible in the Map window.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the Sites node
and choose Sector Display Scheme Apply.
In the Select Scheme dialog box, choose Default Symbol, and click
Apply.
To update sector relationships

The SiteFile_Relation layer, which displays the relationship between sectors
and repeaters or sectors and non co-located sectors, does not automatically
update when you move the location of a site, repeater, or non co-located site.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the Sites node
and choose Sector Display Scheme Refresh Relationship.
Obsolete lines illustrating sector relationships are removed from the Map
window.
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, expand the Sector
Display Schemes node.
Right-click the display scheme you want to apply and choose Apply.
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Chapter 2
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the group to which you want to
apply the scheme and click Continue.
Sectors that meet the criteria defined in the sector display scheme are
modified accordingly, and lines illustrating sector relationships are redrawn.
To remove sector relationships from the Map window, in the Windows

category of the Project Explorer, expand the Windows node, expand
the Map Windows node, expand the Site File node, and choose
SiteFile_Relation. Right-click and choose Remove.

If you are using Data Manager and the Data Manager Server Administrator
has defined custom columns on the server, you can add user-defined data
(e.g., additional site and sector information) to your project using:
the Tabular Edit. See To edit site and sector settings using
Tabular Edit on page 103.
the Import/Export Wizard. See To export project data on

page 386.
When you connect to Data Manager, the custom columns are automatically
added to your project. To view the columns, you use Tabular Edit or the
Export Wizard.
If you are migrating projects created in previous versions of Mentum Planet,
you can add user-defined data on the User Data tab if user-defined properties
are contained in the site table. You cannot add new information to the site
table. Each property (site table column) is displayed as a row on the User Data
tab. User-defined data added to the User Data tab is not stored in Data
Manager.
User-defined data added on the User Data tab in the Site Properties
dialog box is not stored in Data Manager.
112

To add user-defined data using the User Data tab

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a site and

choose Edit.
Click the User Data tab.
Click Add.
In the Add Columns dialog box, choose the site table column that you
want to display, and click OK.
Each property (site table column) is displayed as a row on the User Data
tab.
To modify a field value, click in a field in the Properties table and type a
new value.
When you have finished added or modify user-defined data, click Close
to close the Site Properties dialog box.

When you create a project, the site table you create or choose initially is set as
the active site table for the project. The data in the active site table is used to
graphically display sites and sectors in the Map window, and also for
predictions and analyses. By default, there is only one site table when you
create a project.
Using the Project Explorer, you can make a copy of the active site table. You
can then change the active site table. The new site table is displayed in the
Map window and is used for predictions and analyses. The icons in the Site
Tables list in the Project Explorer indicate which site table is currently active,
as shown in Figure 2.7.
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Chapter 2
Active site table

Inactive site table
Figure 2.7 Site Tables node in the Project Explorer
For more information on site tables, see Site table files on page 26 and
Appendix A: Site Table Format on page 449.
Additional site tables are not stored in Data Manager. Only the currently
active site table is stored.
To copy the active site table

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, expand

Site Tables.
Right-click the active site table you want to copy and choose Copy.
The new site table is added to the Site Tables list. A new site table (.tab
file) is created in the project folder along with the associated .dat, .id,
.map, .xml and .xml.dat files. For more information on Mentum Planet
file types, see Mentum Planet File Types on page 451.
To add a site table

You can only add site tables to the project that are copies of the original
project site table (i.e., the site table was created using the Copy command).
114


Site Tables.
Right-click Site Tables and choose Add, locate the site table (.tab) file
you want to add and click Open.
The site table is added to the Site Tables list.
To view a site table

1

Site Tables.
If you want to view a graphical display of a site table, right-click a site

table and choose View.
The site table is displayed in a new Map window.
If you want to view site table data, right-click a site table and choose
Browse.
The site table data is displayed in table format in a Browser window.
To change the active site table

1

Site Tables.
Right-click the site table that you want to set as the active site table and
choose Active.
The active site table changes, and the new site table is displayed in the
Map window.
To remove a site table

1

Site Tables.
Right-click the site table and choose Remove.

The site table is removed from the list, but the site table file is not deleted
from the project folder.
If you right-click a site table and choose Delete, the site table files are
deleted from the project folder.
115
Chapter 2
To rename a site table
116

Site Tables.
Right-click the site table, choose Rename, type a new name, and press
Enter.
3.
following sections:
Understanding antenna
patterns
Chapter 3: Working with Antenna Patterns
Working with
Antenna Patterns
Mentum Planet includes a small set of default
antenna files, but you can add additional antenna
patterns to your projects. You can use the Antenna
Workflow for adding antenna

patterns to a project
Editor to convert antenna files from other formats,
Converting antenna patterns

from ANet or Planet format
view, and edit antenna patterns.
Modifying antenna patterns

with electrical tilt
Opening and viewing antenna

patterns
Adding antenna patterns to a

project
Creating quasiomnidirectional antenna

patterns
117
Chapter 3
Understanding antenna patterns

Antenna manufacturers generally provide antenna patterns for both the
horizontal and vertical planes as ASCII or binary files. Many manufacturers
also provide additional patterns with specific electrical tilt values. Although
antenna patterns represent an approximation of reality under ideal conditions,
they are considered sufficient for planning purposes.
Figure 3.1 Horizontal plane of an antenna pattern
Figure 3.1 illustrates how an antenna distributes its energy over the horizontal
plane. Figure 3.2 illustrates how an antenna distributes energy over the
vertical plane. In both examples, the boresight is at zero degrees. The
horizontal pattern is specified in terms of a clockwise angle, while the vertical
pattern is displayed in terms of an angle measured downward from the
horizontal.
Figure 3.2 Vertical plane of an antenna pattern.
118
Working with Antenna Patterns

Antenna patterns are used when generating signal strength predictions. The
orientation between any ground point and the sector location is determined
and the antenna gain is calculated based on this orientation. In most cases
some interpolation is required, because antenna patterns do not provide a
pattern gain in every possible orientation. The orientation between the tower
and the ground point is resolved into an azimuth and inclination relative to the
direction in which the antenna is pointing. The actual antenna gain for the
particular orientation is the sum of the horizontal gain (based on the azimuth),
the vertical gain (based on the inclination), and the boresight gain. Figure 3.3
shows how small variations in the vertical pattern can have a major effect on
the horizontal distance covered.
60
Antenna
height
(meters)
25
0
60
20 15
98
10
137
283
Distance from antenna (meters)
571
Figure 3.3 Antenna height versus coverage distance
Depending on the resolution of the signal strength grid file (which will
be the same as that of the elevation grid file), it may not be possible to
observe the influence of the antenna vertical gain distribution at larger angles,
beyond the bin in which the antenna is located. For example, if the grid size is
50 meters, and the antenna height is 30 meters, the inclination angle to the
center of the next grid will be about -31 degrees. Therefore, the influence of all
vertical gains between -31 degrees and -90 degrees is contained in the single
bin where the sector is located.
Required accuracy for antenna patterns

Antenna patterns represent an approximation of reality under ideal conditions.
When field or laboratory measurements are taken, the transmission path is
cleared of reflections so that what is measured is the energy distribution in
space and not the transmission channel. Also, antennas are generally installed
so that no near field effect occurs, potentially causing a significant change to
the radiation pattern.
In order to model real-world networks, you must account for sub-optimal
transmission tower installations, and reflections from the ground and
119
Chapter 3
surrounding structures. This is why it is important to remove very deep nulls

(a null is defined as a direction where very little energy is dispersed).
In Figure 3.2, there is a null at +/-15 degrees in the vertical gain of the
antenna. Also, side-lobes (transmission lobes other than the main lobe) are
often disturbed by elements located in the near field when the installation is
not properly done or where constraints make it impossible to perform an
optimal installation. In order to alleviate this problem, side-lobes may be
averaged.
It is also important to use high-resolution antenna patterns to provide highresolution signal strength predictions. In practice though, using a resolution of
more than one degree is unnecessary due to imprecise installations. Vertical
antenna patterns are generally more sensitive as they tend to be narrower than
horizontal patterns. For this reason, the typical resolution for antenna patterns
ranges from 10 degrees to 1 degree for the horizontal and from 5 to 0.5 for the
vertical pattern.
Vertical patterns are needed only for a few tens of degrees (e.g., -30 to 30)
around the horizon point (defined as 0 degrees). This is a simple geometric
consideration, since for a 100 meter high transmit site, 30 degrees of elevation
angle is reached after only 172 meters. At such a short distance from the
transmit site, the amount of received energy is often due more to reflections
than to the main path. Mentum Planet propagation models use the full
horizontal pattern but a vertical pattern with values between + 52 and -73 (if
available).
Antenna pattern formats

Manufacturers typically supply antenna patterns in a limited number of
standard formats. It is therefore often necessary to convert antenna patterns
into the Mentum Planet (.dpa) format. For more information on converting
antenna patterns from other formats, see Converting antenna patterns from
ANet or Planet format on page 121.
Antenna pattern sets in .dpa format that include electrical tilt patterns must
also be converted to ensure they display hierarchically in the Project Explorer
and work with third-party tools. For more information on converting electrical
tilt antenna patterns, see Modifying antenna patterns with electrical tilt on
page 122.
120

Workflow for adding antenna patterns to a project

Antenna files saved in the <Mentum Planet installation
folder>\global\Antennas folder are available for any new project you create.
Antenna files saved in the Antennas folder within an individual project, are
project-specific.
Step 1
If required, convert antenna files to the Mentum Planet (.dpa)

format. See Converting antenna patterns from ANet or Planet
format.
Step 2
If required, modify antenna files with electrical tilt. See Modifying

antenna patterns with electrical tilt on page 122.
Step 3
If required, edit antenna patterns. See Editing antenna patterns

on page 128.
Step 4
Add antenna patterns to your project. See Adding antenna

patterns to a project on page 133.
Step 5
If required, create quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns. See

Creating quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns on page 136.
In order to ensure accurate prediction results, you must normalize

antenna patterns. See Editing antenna patterns on page 128.
Converting antenna patterns from ANet or Planet format

You can convert antenna patterns from ANet or Planet formats to the Mentum
Planet (.dpa) antenna pattern format. If an antenna file contains more than one
pattern, the patterns are saved as separate files and the last antenna pattern
converted is displayed in the Antenna Editor. Converted antenna patterns are
saved in the source folder with a .dpa file extension using the same name as
the source file. There is no need to save the converted patterns.
When you convert full antenna patterns, the full pattern will display in
the Antenna Editor. In Mentum Planet, however, propagation models
use the full horizontal pattern while using a vertical pattern with values
between + 52 and -73 (if available). Some third-party tools, for example
propagation models, use the full vertical pattern.
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Chapter 3
To convert antenna patterns

1
Choose Edit Antennas.

The Antenna Editor opens.
Do either of the following:
To convert from ANet format, choose Convert From ANet.
To convert from Planet format, choose Convert From Planet.
In the Open dialog box, navigate to the folder containing the antenna
patterns, choose the files that you want to convert and click Convert.
In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.

You can now add the antenna patterns to your Mentum Planet project. For
more information, see To add antenna pattern files to a project on
page 134.
If the antenna patterns include electrical tilt patterns, you must perform an
additional conversion on these files before you add them to your project.
For more information, see Modifying antenna patterns with electrical
tilt.
Modifying antenna patterns with electrical tilt

Antenna manufacturers often provide sets of antenna patterns that include
additional patterns with electrical tilt. For example, a set of antenna patterns
might include a parent antenna pattern (0 with no electrical tilt) and three
additional patterns with 2, 4, and 6 electrical tilt.
In order for a set of antenna patterns with electrical tilt to display
hierarchically in Mentum Planet and work properly with some third-party
tools, you must first create an antenna definition file, and then use the
Antenna File Converter to modify the antenna patterns before you add them to
your project.
Antenna patterns must be in Mentum Planet (.dpa) format before you
can modify them. For more information, see Converting antenna
patterns from ANet or Planet format on page 121.
122


Antenna definition files are delimited text files that define the relationship
between parent antenna patterns and their associated electrical tilt patterns.
You can create antenna definition files in a text editor, or you can use a
spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel, and save the information as
a tab delimited text (.txt) file.
Antenna definition files must include the following information for each set
of antenna patterns that you want to modify for use with Mentum Planet:
the parent antenna pattern file
the corresponding electrical tilt antenna pattern files
the electrical tilt values
Figure 3.4 shows a sample tab delimited antenna definition file that lists two
separate sets of antenna patterns. Each line of text lists a single electrical tilt
antenna pattern file, the parent antenna pattern file, and the electrical tilt
value.
TA-1404-120-T2.dpa
TA-1404-120-T4.dpa
TA-1404-120-T6.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_2.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_4.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_6.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_8.dpa
Electrical tilt
antenna patterns
TA-1404-120-T0.dpa
TA-1404-120-T0.dpa
TA-1404-120-T0.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_0.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_0.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_0.dpa
umwd-09016-xd_0.dpa
Parent antenna patterns
2
4
6
2
4
6
8
Electrical tilt values
Figure 3.4 Sample antenna definition file
Figure 3.5 shows how you would create an antenna definition file in a
spreadsheet application. Each row includes three cells indicating a single
electrical tilt antenna pattern file, the parent pattern file, and the electrical tilt
value.
123
Chapter 3
Figure 3.5 Antenna definitions created in a spreadsheet application
For information on how to modify antenna patterns using an antenna

definition file, see To modify antenna patterns with electrical tilt on
page 124.
To create an antenna definition file

1
Open a text editor or spreadsheet application.
If you are using a text editor, create a separate line of text for
each antenna pattern using the format shown in Figure 3.4. You
can use tabs, commas, or semi-colons as delimiters between each
item on a line.
If you are using a spreadsheet application, create a row for each

antenna pattern, with separate columns for each item, as shown
in Figure 3.5.
To save the antenna definition file, do one of the following:
If you are using a text editor, save the file as a Text Document
(*.txt) file.
If you are using a spreadsheet application, save the file as a Text

(Tab delimited) (*.txt) file.
To modify antenna patterns with electrical tilt

To convert the antenna pattern files with electrical tilt for use with Mentum
Planet, you must have an antenna definition file. For more information, see
To create an antenna definition file on page 124.
1

Antennas node and choose Antenna File Converter.
The Antenna File Converter dialog box opens.
124

In the Settings section, click Browse beside the Folder Containing the
Antenna Files box, choose the folder that contains all of the antenna
patterns that are listed in the antenna definitions file, and click OK.
Click Browse beside the Definitions File box, choose the definitions file
that lists the antenna pattern files that you want to convert, and click
Open.
In the Delimiter section, choose the type of delimiter used in the

definitions file.
In the Log section, enable the Create File check box if you want to save a
log file of actions and errors, then next to the Location of the Log File
box click Browse, choose the folder in which you want to save the log
file, and click Save.
Click Convert.
In the conversion notification dialog box, click OK.
Click Close to close the Antenna File Converter dialog box.

You can now add the antenna patterns to your Mentum Planet project. For
more information, see To add antenna pattern files to a project on
page 134.
Opening and viewing antenna patterns

The file format of antenna patterns varies depending upon the manufacturer.
Mentum Planet can directly open antenna patterns in several formats;
however, you should verify that the data you want to open is valid and
correctly formatted. For some antenna patterns, you will need to confirm
whether the positive values contained in the antenna pattern file are gain
values or not.
You can view high quality plots of both the horizontal and vertical antenna
patterns in the Antenna Editor. By default, the horizontal antenna pattern is
shown in the large graph window, while the vertical antenna pattern is shown
in the smaller graph window in the upper-right corner of the window.
You can change the antenna pattern display by right-clicking in either graph
window and choosing a command from the shortcut menu. You can enlarge,
print, maximize, change font size, change grid lines, and choose color or
monochrome display.
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Chapter 3
If you click a color box on the Legend tab, you can choose a new color for the
graph plot it represents.
When you open a National Spectrum Managers Association (NSMA)
antenna file, the vertical pattern is inverted. If there is any tilt, you must
invert the pattern again in the Antenna Editor in order to be correct. See To
edit antenna information on page 130.
When you open antenna patterns from text files, the Antenna Editor
may not be able to identify the units. Ensure that the dBd or dBi
designation and boresight gain are correct. For a given antenna, its gain
expressed in dBd is 2.15 dB less than its gain expressed in dBi.
To open an antenna pattern

1
In the Antenna Editor dialog box, choose File Open.
If you want to open a file in a format other than .dpa, in the Open
Antenna File dialog box, choose All Files from the Files of Type list.
Choose the antenna pattern that you want to open and click Open.
If the Confirm dialog box appears, choose one of the following options:
Click Yes if positive values in the antenna pattern are gain values
and you want to normalize values with a maximum of 0 dB.
Click No if positive values in the antenna pattern are not gain

values and you want to multiply all antenna pattern values by -1.
Click Ignore to use existing antenna pattern values with no

changes.
The antenna pattern is displayed in the Antenna Editor.

6
If you want to switch the patterns that are displayed in the small and large
graph windows, click the Swap button.
To open an antenna pattern from the Project Explorer

Antennas, right-click an antenna pattern and choose Edit.
Antenna patterns are listed in the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer. The icons of antenna patterns that have been assigned to a
126

sector are displayed in color. The icons of antenna patterns that have not
been assigned to sectors, but are located in the Antennas folder of the
project, appear dimmed (see Figure 3.7 on page 134).
You can also open an antenna pattern by double-clicking it in the
Project Explorer.
To view additional information

Many antenna patterns include additional descriptive information, including
the manufacturer, frequency, horizontal and vertical beamwidth, and gain.
1
In the Antenna Editor, choose View Information.

A panel opens at the bottom of the Antenna Editor displaying the
additional information.
If you want to add information, right-click in the information

panel, choose Add, and type the information in the row at the
bottom of the Antenna Editor.
If you want to edit information, right-click a row in the

information panel, choose Edit, and then modify the information
as required.
If you want to delete information, right-click a row in the

information panel, and choose Delete.
Do either of the following to save the modified antenna pattern file:
If you want to overwrite the existing antenna pattern, choose

File Save.
If you want to save the antenna pattern as a new file, choose

File Save As, type a name in the File Name box, and click
Save.
To close the information window, choose View Information again.
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Chapter 3
To open antenna patterns in Notepad

You can open ANet, Planet, or NSMA antenna files in a text editor, such as
Notepad, when you want to verify the values contained in the antenna file
currently open in the Antenna Editor.
In the Antenna Editor, choose View Open in Notepad.

The Open in Notepad command is not available when working with
.dpa files.
To view antenna dependencies

If the project contains antenna patterns with electrical tilt, you can create a
text file that lists the antenna parent-child relationships (e.g., the name of the
child antenna, the name of the parent antenna, and the electrical tilt value of
the child antenna.
1

Antennas, and choose Export Antenna Dependencies.
Do the following:
From the Save In list, choose a folder.
In the File Name box, type a name for the text file.
Click Save.
To improve the readability of the antenna dependency information,
open the text file with Excel.

You may need to edit antenna patterns so that they conform to Mentum Planet
guidelines and accuracy principles or to correct the way the antenna patterns
account for antenna gain.
An antenna pattern must follow these basic guidelines to be usable with
Mentum Planet:
128
The directivity of the antenna pattern must be the amount of gain

in any given direction compared with the maximum gain of the

antenna. The directivity, therefore, can only be equal to or less

than zero decibels.
In most cases, the horizontal plane must be aligned so that the

boresight angle is at zero degrees. Exceptions to this rule occur,
for example, when the antenna has multiple main lobes or
electronic tilts. In these cases, the boresight angle can be at an
azimuth different than zero degrees.
The vertical plane must be aligned so that zero degrees is

horizontal.
The horizontal pattern must always be provided. The vertical

pattern is optional, and the vertical pattern gain will be assumed
to be zero decibels at all inclinations when the vertical pattern is
not provided. Nonetheless, it is not a sound engineering practice
to use a horizontal-only pattern for signal strength predictions, as
it can create significant prediction errors near the sector.
In Mentum Planet, the antenna pattern must be described as the amount of

gain in any given direction compared with the boresight gain of the antenna.
As a result, you may need to correct how the antenna pattern deals with gain
by doing any of the following on the Adjust tab in the Antenna Editor:
Enter a positive or negative value in the Add box and click

Apply.
Enable the Set Minimum check box, type a value in the Min box
and adjust all remaining antenna values accordingly by clicking
Apply. All antenna pattern values lower than the minimum value
defined in the Min box will be readjusted to equal the minimum
value.
Click Normalize to set the maximum antenna pattern value to 0

and update all other values relative to the maximum value (e.g.,
if the maximum value is -5, clicking Normalize sets it to 0 by
adding 5, and then adds 5 to all other values in the pattern).
Click Change Sign to reverse the sign convention (i.e.,

multiplying all values by 1).
You cannot save antenna patterns to a .dpa format unless they have
been normalized.
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Chapter 3
To edit antenna information

Information about antenna patterns is displayed on the tabs in the lower-right
corner of the dialog box. The horizontal and vertical boresight angles and
beamwidth angles are displayed on the Info tab.
s
Figure 3.6 shows the beamwidth and the boresight angle.
Figure 3.6 Illustration of the beamwidth and the boresight angle
To revert to your original settings at any time prior to saving an antenna

pattern, choose File Revert.
Changes to the antenna pattern made on the tabs in the lower-right
corner of the dialog box apply only to the antenna pattern shown in the
large graph window.
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, expand Antennas,

right-click an antenna pattern and choose Edit.
In the Antenna Editor, you can click any of the following tabs to view
and change information about the antenna:
130
Infodisplays information on the horizontal and vertical

boresight angles and beamwidths as well as the front-to-back
ratio. The beamwidth is the sum of the angles on each side of the
boresight (i.e., the physical axis of a directional antenna) to the
angle in the pattern where the pattern gain is equal to the pattern

gain at the boresight minus 3 dB.

If you want to change the scale of the antenna pattern plot, type
values in the Max Scale and Min Scale boxes, and click Apply.
Rotateenables you to change the azimuth (orientation in the

horizontal plane) and vertical tilt of the antenna.
Flipenables you to flip an antenna pattern along both axes.

When editing the vertical antenna pattern for .dpa files, only the
Flip Up/Down is available.
Adjustenables you to adjust the pattern gains.
Legenddisplays a legend of the antenna pattern line colors

that distinguish horizontal, vertical, and modeled gain plots. You
can click any legend color and choose a different one.
For more information on any of these tabs, press the F1 key.

3

File Save.

Save.
To edit pattern gain values

You can edit the pattern gain values that define the shape of the antenna
pattern. You can also create an antenna file by entering the pattern gain values
manually.
1
In the Antenna Editor, choose View Data Values.

A window opens at the left of the Antenna Editor showing the antenna
data values.
To edit a value in the Gain column, double-click the value and type a new
value.
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Chapter 3

File Save.

Save.
To close the Data Values window, choose View Data Values again.
To change multiple antenna gain values

You can use Excel to quickly change many antenna gain values as once.
1
In Excel, type in the antenna gain values (e.g., A1=-30, A2=-31, A3=-32).
Select the column in Excel, and choose Edit Copy.
In Mentum Planet, open a .dpa file in the Antenna Editor.
Choose View Data Values.
Put the cursor in the first field beneath Gain.
Press Ctrl+V.

You can save the horizontal and the vertical antenna patterns separately. The
horizontal pattern is saved with an .hrz extension, and the vertical pattern is
saved with a .vrt extension.
The NSMA defines a standard format for the electronic transfer of antenna
pattern data. The conversion creates a text file that can be modified in a text
editor.
The vertical pattern in the resulting NSMA file is inverted. If there is any
tilt, you must invert the pattern in the Antenna Editor to produce a
correct NSMA antenna file. See To edit antenna information on page 130.
132

To save horizontal and vertical patterns separately

1
In the Antenna Editor, view the antenna pattern that you want to save in
the large graph window.
You can click the Swap button to determine which antenna pattern
appears in the large graph window.
Choose File Save One Pattern.

The Save Horizontal Pattern or Save Vertical Pattern dialog box opens.
In the File Name box, type a name for the pattern and click Save.
To save an antenna pattern in NSMA format

1
In the Antenna Editor, choose File Open, locate the antenna file to
open, and click Open.
Choose File Save As.
In the File Name box, type a name for the antenna pattern, or accept the
default.
From the Save As Type list, choose NSMA Antenna Files (*.nsm).
Click Save.
The NSMA file is saved with a .nsm extension in the same folder as the
source file.

You can print antenna patterns from the Antenna Editor for your reference.
To print an antenna pattern

1
In the Antenna Editor, choose File Print.
In the Print dialog box, specify the printer, page size, source, and
orientation, and click OK.
Adding antenna patterns to a project

Mentum Planet includes a small set of default antenna files; however, you can
add additional antenna pattern files as required. Antenna files must be in the
Mentum Planet antenna (.dpa) file format. For information on converting
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Chapter 3
antenna patterns, see Converting antenna patterns from ANet or Planet

format on page 121.
Before you can add antenna patterns with electrical tilt to your project, you
must modify them so that they display hierarchically within the Project
Explorer and work with third-party tools (see Modifying antenna patterns
with electrical tilt on page 122).
Antenna patterns are added to the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer. By default, only assigned antennas are displayed beneath the
Antennas node when you open a project. Antenna patterns with electrical tilt
are displayed under the parent antenna node, as shown in Figure 3.7.
Parent antenna pattern

Electrical tilt antenna patterns
and tilt values
Figure 3.7 Electrical tilt antenna patterns
To add antenna pattern files to a project

Antenna files must be saved in the Antennas folder either within a specific
project or in the <Mentum Planet installation folder>\global\Antennas folder.
Antenna pattern files saved in the global\Antennas folder are available for all
new projects you create.
If you are adding antenna patterns with electrical tilt, you must add the
parent antenna file to the project or the electrical tilt patterns will not be
recognized by Mentum Planet.
134


Antennas and choose Add.
In the Open dialog box, choose the Mentum Planet antenna (.dpa) files
that you want to add to your project and click Open.
To view or hide unassigned antenna patterns

1

Antennas and choose one of the following commands:
Show Unassigned Antennas
Hide Unassigned Antennas
To refresh antenna patterns

Antennas and choose Refresh.
To rename antenna patterns

1

Antennas and choose Rename.
Type a new name for the antenna pattern.

The name of the antenna pattern displayed in the Project Explorer
changes as does the underlying antenna pattern file. When you rename
antenna patterns with electrical tilt, you are prompted to confirm how the
underlying antenna files will be renamed.
You can only rename unassigned antenna patterns.
To remove an antenna pattern from the Project Explorer

Antennas node, right-click an antenna and choose Delete.
While the antenna pattern is removed from the Project Explorer, the antenna
file is not deleted.
You can only remove unassigned antenna patterns from a project.
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Chapter 3
Creating quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns

You can combine antenna patterns of multiple directional antennas and model
them in a quasi-omnidirectional pattern.
Quasi-omnidirectional cells split the radio signal from the power amplifier of
the same set of radios into two or three directional antennas for transmitting.
At the receiving end, a multi-coupler is used to combine the radio signal from
multiple directional antennas by using the strongest signal as a reference
point, and feeding all of the signals into the radio transceiver processor.
Quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern guidelines

The directional antennas patterns you choose to combine into a
quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern should meet the following guidelines:
Horizontal and/or vertical patterns should be similar. If both the

horizontal and vertical patterns are significantly different, the
quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern will not work correctly.
When both horizontal and vertical patterns are similar you can
change antenna azimuth or tilt, but not both azimuth and tilt.
When only the vertical patterns are similar you can change
antenna azimuth, but not tilt.
When only the horizontal patterns are similar you can change
antenna tilt, but not azimuth.
Quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns work well in areas of less fluctuation

and with similar antenna patterns among the directional antennas. Mentum
Planet assumes that the shape of the elevation pattern does not change
significantly and that the elevation patterns at different azimuth angle is the
same as that at zero degree azimuth. Some deviation of the quasiomnidirectional pattern from the real directional antenna situation may occur
when the quasi-omnidirectional cell is in an area of significant terrain
fluctuations, which means varying tilts for each sector, and when different
antenna pattern is used for each sector.
136

To create a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern

You can only combine antenna patterns that have been added to your
project. For more information, see Adding antenna patterns to a
project on page 133.
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a site and

choose Edit.
Click the Antenna field for the sector that you want to modify, and then
click the Browse (...) button at the right of the field.
In the Select Antenna Pattern dialog box, choose the Combined

(Quasi-omni cell) option.
For more information on the Single option, see To change the antenna
for a sector on page 90.
In the Combined Antenna Pattern section, from the Name list, choose
the first antenna pattern that you want to combine.
If you chose an antenna pattern with electrical tilt, from the Electrical
Tilt list, choose the angle of electrical tilt for the antenna pattern. A
positive (+) tilt value points downwards, while a negative (-) tilt value
points upwards.
Electrical tilt angles will only be listed if you chose the parent antenna
pattern in Step 5.
Do any of the following to edit the antenna pattern properties:
To define the angle of the antenna pattern for the sector, click in
the Azimuth field and type a new value.
To define the tilt of the antenna pattern for the sector, click in the
Tilt (-Down, + Up) field and type a new value.
To define the power of the antenna pattern for the sector, enable
the Specify EIRP/ERP Per Antenna check box, click in the
EIRP field and type a new value.
To choose the antenna to combine with the antenna that you chose in Step
5, click Add, choose the antenna from the Name list, and repeat Step 6
and Step 7 as required.
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Chapter 3
Click Combine.
When the antenna patterns are combined, the Information panel updates
to display the Boresight Gain, the Front-to-Back, H Beamwidth, and V
Beamwidth values of the new antenna pattern. The horizontal and vertical
antenna patterns are also displayed on the right of the dialog box.
10 In the information dialog box, click OK.

11 Click OK to close the Select Antenna Pattern dialog box.
12 In the Site Properties dialog box, click Apply and then click Close.
The quasi-omnidirectional cell data is saved as an antenna (.dpa) file in
the Antennas folder of the project, with the naming convention of
Combined_<SiteId>_<SectorId>.dpa.

In the Project Explorer, you can group antenna patterns based on the
following criteria to make them easier to find:
horizontal beamwidth
vertical beamwidth
gain
front-to-back ratio
frequency
manufacturer
Within the Antennas node, a new node is created for each group of antennas,
as shown in Figure 3.8.
138

Figure 3.8 Antenna patterns grouped by gain.
To group antenna patterns

Antennas, choose Group By, and then choose the type of grouping
that you want.
The antenna patterns are listed based on the type of grouping you chose.
To ungroup antenna patterns

Antennas and choose Group By None.
The antenna patterns are now listed in order of name.
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Chapter 3
140
4.
following sections:
Understanding the role of

propagation models
Chapter 4: Working with Propagation Models
Working with
Propagation Models
Using the Propagation Model Editor, you can adjust
the parameters of propagation models to account for
the characteristics of the environment.
Understanding propagation
model types
A set of global propagation models is installed with
Understanding clutter classes

and clutter properties
Mentum Planet and is copied to the project folder
Workflow for editing

propagation models
Working with the Propagation

Model Editor
Working with Clutter Property

Assignment files
level.
It also describes how to use the Model Tuning tool to
adjust the parameters of a propagation model in order
Tuning models using the

Clutter Absorption Loss tuner
when you create a new project. This chapter

describes how to choose and edit a number of
propagation models at either the project or global
to produce signal strength predictions that are as

accurate and realistic as possible.
Tuning the Planet General

Model using AMT
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Chapter 4
Understanding the role of propagation models

Propagation models simulate how radio waves travel through the environment
from one point to another. In order to accurately model the behavior of radio
waves, features in the environment such as the surface of the terrain (e.g.,
hilly or flat) and the presence of lakes must be taken into account. Ground
cover such as buildings and trees must also be accounted for and is referred to
as clutter.
To model the real-world behavior of a network, you need both an elevation
and a clutter file. Although it is possible to create predictions without one, a
clutter file is necessary to produce accurate predictions. The clutter file (in the
form of a classified grid) details surface features that are classified into
meaningful categories. It is important to be flexible in defining the physical
properties associated with each clutter type. For example, land on the west
coast of North America categorized as forest may have physical properties
significantly different from similarly categorized land on the east coast.
A propagation model models how the radio waves react to elevation changes
and clutter (e.g., reflection, diffraction, and scattering). You can choose from
one of several propagation models.
Understanding propagation model types

This section describes the propagation model types that Mentum Planet
supports. Slope-based models, such as the Okumura-Hata model, take clutter
into account automatically when generating predictions. Deterministic
models, such as the CRC-Predict model, depend on the model of the
environment and the specification of clutter property assignments. Table 4.1
rates how each of the three main propagation models perform when used
under certain conditions.
Table 4.1 Ratings for popular propagation models
142
Used ...
CRC-Predict
Planet General
Model
Universal Model
For macro-cell
planning
Good
Good
Excellent
For mini-cell
planning (urban)
Poor
Fair
Excellent
For micro-cell
planning (urban)
Very poor
Poor
Excellent
Working with Propagation Models

Table 4.1 Ratings for popular propagation models
Used ...
CRC-Predict
Planet General
Model
Universal Model
Over large
propagation
distances
Excellent
Fair
Good
With no model
tuning
Fair
Poor
Good
With cluster tuning
Fair
Fair
Excellent
On a per sector
basis
Good
Excellent
Excellent
With merged
predictions
Good
Fair
Good
Free Space model

You can use the Free Space propagation model where line of sight situations
exist with no Fresnel zone obstructions. For example, this model is useful for
high frequency, short distance, and Local Multipoint Distribution Service
(LMDS) applications.
The Free Space model is used for path loss estimation where there is an
unobstructed line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver and there
are no obstructions within the first Fresnel zone. This is often the case for
satellite and microwave communications. The Free Space model is based on
the Friis Free Space equation, which states that the received power drops off
and is calculated as the square of the distance between transmitter and
receiver (i.e., 20 dB/decade).
Okumura-Hata model
You can use the Okumura-Hata model for urban or suburban areas if little is
known about the terrain and clutter.
The Okumura-Hata algorithm is entirely empirical. It is based on a multitude
of measurements from selected urban centers in Japan. Okumura developed a
set of curves giving the median attenuation relative to free space for an urban
area of quasi-smooth terrain. Base station effective height varied from 30
meters to over 800 meters, and mobile antenna height was 3 meters and 1.3
meters, both using omni-directional antennas. Sets of signal attenuation
curves were plotted as a function of frequency and distance by which relevant
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Chapter 4
gain factors were determined. Okumura calculated that the base station
antenna height gain factor varies at a rate of 20 decibels per decade, and the
mobile antenna height gain factor varies at a rate of 10 decibels per decade for
heights less than three meters. Terrain corrections such as undulation height,
isolated ridge height, and average slope can be applied to the Okumura model.
The correction factors are published as plotted curves.
The Hata equation model is appropriate if you do not have detailed terrain
information and are working in urban or suburban environments. The
Mentum Planet Hata equation model includes the COST 231 extensions from
1 500 MHz to 2 000 MHz.
The Okumura model performs well for cellular systems in cluttered
environments with common standard deviations between predicted and
measured path loss values of approximately 10 to 14 decibels. Hata has
reduced the main results of Okumura et al. to a few equations, and an
application of these equations is commonly known as the Okumura-Hata
method.
Model versions
Two versions of the Okumura-Hata propagation model are shipped with

Mentum Planet: 2.0 and 2.5. If you are building a new project, you can use
version 2.5 of the Okumura-Hata model.
The Hata method requires an average terrain elevation from the transmitter to
the receiver. Averaging starts at 3 kilometers and goes to the receiver, or to
15 kilometers, whichever is less. If the receiver is less than 3 kilometers away
from the transmitter, there is no average; the terrain height at the receiver is
used. Version 2.0 of the Okumura-Hata propagation model calculates the
average to 15 kilometers in all cases. If you have sites in a valley and have
been getting excessively small predicted signal strengths, you can reconfigure
these sites using version 2.5 of the Okumura-Hata model.

The Planet General Model is a flexible hybrid model that can be used to
model many different kinds of propagation environments. It enables you to
migrate data from Planet 2.8 to Mentum Planet and obtain the same coverage
results as Planet 2.8.
You can use the Planet General Model to model many different kinds of
propagation environments. The path loss equation incorporates losses due to a
number of models (such as Okumura-Hata), contributors, and coefficients that
can be pieced together to create a user-defined propagation model. Some of
these are defined by algorithms derived from statistical data. These algorithms
144

are quite accurate under specific conditions, but become less appropriate as
the terrain and clutter varies from these conditions. Various correction factors
exist to compensate for these varying conditions, and it is very important for
these values to be assigned accurately in order to make models simulate the
real situation.
The Planet General Model predicts the path loss for each element within the
prediction area. This is achieved by constructing a terrain and clutter profile
from the base station (transmitter) to each element and then computing the
path loss for that profile. In order to ensure that path loss at each element
within the prediction region is computed, a profile can be constructed to each
element on the perimeter of the prediction region. Thus the number of radials,
N , is given by
N =
2 ( Propagation Distance )
----------------------------------------------------- + 1
( DEM Resolution )
However, for most practical applications, a fraction of the above number of

radials is sufficient. A corresponding signal strength at each element is also
computed using the antenna pattern.
One of the most visible differences between the Planet General Model used
with Planet 2.8/Planet DMS and the one used with Mentum Planet is the shape
of the prediction area; Planet 2.8/Planet DMS uses a square prediction area,
whereas Mentum Planet defines a circular prediction area. Although the shape
and the total area of the prediction areas are markedly different, this has no
effect on the computed path loss or signal strength values. Using simple
geometry, you can convert Planet 2.8 Prediction Size to Mentum Planet
Propagation Distance using
( Propagation Distance ) = ( Prediction Size ) ( 2 )
.
The above equation overlaps the Mentum Planet circular prediction area with
Planet 2.8 square prediction region, thus assuring total coverage of the
prediction zone.
For more information on the Planet General Model, see the Planet General
Model Technical Note.
ITU 370-Recommendation model

You can use the ITU 370-Recommendation 2.5 propagation model for
modeling VHF and UHF broadcast services.
Mentum Planet includes both the ITU 370-Recommendation 2.0 model and
the 2.5 model. Version 2.0, which lacks the model tuning capability of version
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Chapter 4
2.5, has been added for backward compatibility with existing projects. The
ITU 370-Recommendation model is the implementation of ITU
Recommendation ITU-R P.370-7 and is designed specifically for broadcast
services in the VHF and UHF bands. The model is based on propagation
curves and correction factors that determine the dependency of signal strength
on transmitting-antenna height and on the distance from a transmitter. Each
propagation curve shows the effect of the frequency band, landscape type, and
the percentage of time on the signal strength. In Mentum Planet, you can
specify percentages of time and of locations, frequency mode, bandwidth,
environmental settings, and terrain factors. The ITU 370-Recommendation
model provides coefficients of correction for Rural, Suburban, and Urban
clutter types, which are user selectable. You cannot make any numeric
adjustments (e.g., dB) to the clutter attenuation.
The ITU 370-Recommendation model is best suited to frequencies between
30 and 1000 MHz and distances up to 1000 kilometers.
Interpreting Recommendation 370 results
When you are interpreting Recommendation 370 results, keep in mind the
following points:
The signal strengths in the ITU 370-Recommendation models

refer to one kilowatt Effective Radiated Power (ERP) from a
half-wave dipole. However, Mentum Planet adjusts the results to
the sectors parameters in the site table.
The basic calculation accommodates for any effective

transmitter antenna height, while the receiving antenna height is
fixed at 10 meters. However, a height gain function in the ITU
370-Recommendation models allows you to consider other
receiving antenna heights.
The land path curves refer to the value of terrain irregularity at

50 meters, which generally applies to rolling terrain commonly
found in Europe and North America. The ITU 370Recommendation models also include a terrain-clearance-angle
correction that depends on the terrain close to the receiver.
COST 231 Walfisch-Ikegami model

You can use the Walfisch-Ikegami model for urban or suburban areas with
uniform building heights and separation on flat ground.
COST 231 has proposed a combination of the Walfisch and Ikegami models
that has been accepted by the ITU-R and included in Report 567-4. This
146

model is statistical and not deterministic, because terrain and clutter are not
considered.
The parameters used by the model are shown in Figure 4.1. When you use the
model, you need to input the height of the buildings (hRoof), the widths of
roads (w), the building separation (b), and the road orientation. The
parameters that you define in Mentum Planet include the transmitter height,
the receiver height, and the frequency.
Figure 4.1 COST 231 Walfisch and Ikegami model parameters
The model distinguishes between line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight

(NLOS) situations. The LOS case describes a street canyon situation, such as
when the transmitter is located at a street corner and LOS is achieved in the
direction of the streets. The NLOS case uses the building and street properties
to estimate the path loss at a given location.
COST 231 has defined the following restrictions on the model:
Frequency: 800-2000 MHz
hBase: 4-50 m
hMobile: 1-3 m
Distance: 0.02-5 km
Mentum Planet does not restrict the range of these parameters; therefore,
predictions must be considered with care outside of these ranges.
The estimation of path loss agrees rather well with measurements for base
station antenna heights above roof-top levels. The error becomes larger when
hBase is approximately equal to hRoof. The performance of the model is quite
poor when hBase is much less than hRoof.
The parameters b, w, and are not considered in a meaningful way for
microcells. Therefore, the prediction error in microcells might be quite large.
The model does not consider multipath propagation, and the reliability of the
prediction decreases if the terrain is not flat or the clutter is not homogeneous.
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Chapter 4
Longley-Rice model
You can use the Longley-Rice area calculation for rural (non-urban) areas if
little is known about the terrain and clutter.
The Longley-Rice model is applicable to point-to-point communication
systems in the 20 MHz to 10 GHz range over different types of terrain
(Rappaport, 1996). The Longley-Rice model operates in two modes. The
point-to-point mode uses terrain information if it is available, while the pointto-area mode uses techniques that estimate the path-specific parameters when
little terrain information is available.
In point-to-point mode, median path loss is predicted by using tropospheric
refractivity and terrain geometry. However, only some features of the terrain
are used. The terrain profile is used to find effective antenna heights, horizon
distances and elevation angles as seen from the antennas, the angular distance
for a trans-horizon path, and the terrain irregularity of the path. The prediction
is performed in terms of these parameters. A ray optic technique using
primarily a two-ray ground reflection model is used within the radio horizon.
The two or three isolated obstacles causing the greatest obstruction are
modeled as knife edges using the Fresnel Kirchoff theory. Forward scatter
theory is used to make troposcatter predictions for long paths and far field
diffraction losses are predicted using a modified Van der Pol-Bremmer
method (Rappaport, 1996). The Longley-Rice point-to-point model is also
referred to as the Irregular Terrain Model (ITM) (Hufford, et al. 1982).
Although the point-to-area mode is an old method, it is still perhaps the best
method of estimating path loss in open country if the only parameters known
about the ground are its irregularity and (less importantly at UHF) its
electrical constants.
The Longley-Rice model is best suited to the following parameters:
148
Frequency: 20 MHz to 10 GHz
Distance: 1 km to 2000 km
Antenna Heights: 0.5 m to 3000 m
Polarization: Vertical or Horizontal

References
For more information about the Longley-Rice model, see the following
references:
Rappaport, T.S. Wireless Communications: Principles and

Practice. Prentice Hall, 1996.
Hufford, Longley, and Kissick. A Guide to the Use of the ITS

Irregular Terrain Model in the Area Prediction Mode, U.S.
Department of Commerce. April 1982.
Lee model
You can use the Lee propagation model when you have survey results that
show the nature of signal decay for local propagation conditions. The Lee
model combines both an analytical and experimental approach to the
estimation of both signal strength and path loss.
The standard equation for the Lee propagation model is described below.
HT
HM
ERP T
R
- + 10 log --------- + 10 log ----------------P r = P ref log --------- + 15 log -------- + KED + APE
T
M
R ref
H
H
ERP T
ref
ref
ref
Where:
is the mean received signal level at distance R from the transmit antenna.
Pr
is the expected signal strength in dBm for the reference conditions

T
defined by R ref , HTref , H M
ref , and ERP ref .
P ref
is the slope or rate of signal strength decay as a function of distance from

the transmitter in dB/decade.
R
is the distance from the transmitter in kilometers.

is the reference distance from the transmitter in kilometers.
R ref
H
is the effective antenna height of the transmitter in meters.
is the antenna height of the reference transmitter in meters.
H ref
H
is the effective antenna height of the receiver in meters.
H ref
ERP
is the antenna height of the reference receiver in meters.

T
T
is the effective radiated power of the transmitter in watts.
ERP ref
is the effective radiated power of the reference transmitter in watts.
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Chapter 4
is the knife-edge diffraction losses or additional loss due to terrain

obstruction.
KED
APE is the antenna pattern gain or additional loss or gain as a result of the
actual antenna pattern used in the prediction.
The Lee model relies on a set of path loss curves that apply to a reference
transmitter. These curves are straight lines on a logarithmic scale of distance,
and are defined by a slope () and an intercept at 1.0 or 1.6 kilometers. These
parameters are usually obtained from survey measurements that show the
speed of signal decay as a function of distance under local propagation
conditions. The Lee model formula calculates the signal strength at any given
point by modifying the reference signal strength to take into account the
distance, the antenna heights, and so on actually encountered.
If the terrain is flat, nothing more is done. With hilly terrain, the terrain data is
used to calculate an effective antenna height for the transmitting antenna, and
also to estimate the additional path loss due to terrain obstructions modeled as
knife edges. The changes in signal strength due to a modified effective
antenna height and due to the knife-edge obstructions are added to the signal
strength calculated for flat terrain.
IEEE 802.16 model

You can use the IEEE 802.16 model when designing Multipoint Distribution
System (MDS) and LMDS networks with frequencies in the 10 to 66 GHz
range. This frequency range is characterized by very high data rates and short
range due to rain and foliage attenuation.
The IEEE 802.16 model is recommended for use with broadband
wireless access technologies.
Terrain types
The following types of terrain are recommended for use with the IEEE 802.16
model:
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Type Acharacterized by hilly, moderate-to-heavy tree density

(for light to moderate urban areas)
Type Bcharacterized by hilly, light tree density or flat,

moderate-to-heavy density
Type Ccharacterized by flat, light tree density

Path loss equation
The standard path loss equation for the IEEE 802.16 model is described
below.
The path loss calculation only accounts for the following parameters:
transmitter height
receiver height
frequency
the ground type as defined in the IEEE.802.16 dialog box
The clutter grid, the elevation file, the rain attenuation, and clutter absorption
losses have no effect on the path loss calculation.
PL = A + 10 ( log 10 ) ( d d 0 ) + s
Where:
A
is equal to 20log10 ( 4d0 ) .
is the wavelength in meters.
is the path loss exponent equal to a b ( hb + c h b ) .
hb
is the height of the base station in meters.
d0
is equal to 100 m.
a, b,
s
and c are constants dependent on the terrain type.
is a statistical term for random shadow fading (zero mean).
References
For more information about the IEEE 802.16 model, see the following
references:
Erceg, Vinko, et al. An Empirically Based Path Loss Model for

Wireless Channels in Suburban Environments. IEEE Journal
on Selected Areas in Communications. Vol. 17, No 7, July 1999.
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless

Access Standards web site at http://ieee802.org/16.
Chang, D.K. IEEE 802.16 Technical Backgrounder. IEEE

802.16 Broadband Wireless Access Working Group. May 2002.
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Chapter 4
CRC-Predict model
You can obtain information about CRC-Predict model properties by
pressing the F1 key from the Predict Parameters or the Predict
Properties dialog box. For more detailed information about the model, see the
CRC-Predict Propagation Model Technical Note.
CRC-Predict is a general-purpose model intended for macrocell planning. It is

not a ray-tracing model and, as such, should not be used with high-resolution
data. Instead, it is best used with geodata with a resolution between 20 to 30
meters. You can use it in most circumstances, regardless of the kind of terrain,
if detailed terrain or clutter information or both are available. The following
cases are exceptions:
for very short paths, for example micro-cellular paths, in which

the locations of individual buildings are important
when a very rapid calculation is wanted, because the

CRC-Predict model is more computationally intensive than most
models
The path loss calculation in the CRC-Predict model is designed for the VHF
to UHF (30 MHz to 3 GHz) frequency range. The physical principles used by
the CRC-Predict model are also applicable up to 30 GHz. However, accurate
predictions for that range depend on very detailed and accurate terrain data,
and currently there are no supporting test measurements. Also, above 10 GHz,
rain attenuation becomes significant. The principal algorithm is a diffraction
calculation, based on the Fresnel-Kirchoff theory that takes terrain into
account in a detailed way. An estimate of the additional loss for obstructions
such as trees, buildings, or other objects is included when data on clutter
classes are available. Tropospheric scatter is included for long paths.
Estimates of time and location variability can be made.
The diffraction algorithm samples the propagation path from the transmitter
to the receiver and determines the signal strength at many points in space.
First, the wave field is determined as a function of height (a vertical column of
many values) above a terrain point close to the transmitter by an elementary
calculation. Then, using the Huygens principle of physical optics, each of
these field points is regarded as a source of radiation, and from them, the
signal strength is calculated a little farther away. In this way, a marching
algorithm simulates the progress of the radio wave from the transmitter to the
end of the path. Even though the signal strength is calculated at many points,
an efficient integration algorithm and a choice of only the most important
152

signal strength points permit the integration calculation to be fast enough for
practical use.
The CRC-Predict model also uses surface-type or clutter data in its
calculations. See Appendix C: Clutter Properties on page 455. Because
CRC-Predict is a deterministic model, the more precise and physically
realistic terrain and clutter information you use, the more accurate the output
tuned model will be.
Clutter interacts with the algorithm in two ways:
As the wave propagates over the ground toward a distant

receiver, the effective height of the ground is assumed to be the
real height of the ground plus the assumed clutter height.
Clutter close to the receiver is assumed to terminate close to the

receiver, e.g., 50 meters. That is, the receiving antenna is not
assumed to be on the doorstep of a building, or in the middle of a
forest, but rather on a street or in a road allowance in the forest.
Part of the calculation is an estimate of the attenuation from the
clutter down to street level.
In addition to the height and distance of solid (opaque) clutter, there is an

additional attenuation, entirely empirical, which takes into account trees and
other absorbing material adjacent to the receiving antenna. This attenuation
factor (expressed in decibels) is the parameter most easily used to make
median predictions agree with measurements in a particular area (model
tuning).
CRC-Predict Air
Only masked path loss is calculated and saved in the prediction files.
As a result, if you change any site setting (other than transmitted
power), all of the prediction files are regenerated.
CRC-Predict Air is a unique model designed for high-altitude communication

(e.g., aircraft to ground) where the signal is being broadcast upwards
(between 0 and +90/-90 degrees). It is based on the CRC-Predict 4.0
propagation model. You can use the CRC-Predict Air model in two modes:
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Chapter 4
AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) modein this mode, you can
define the antenna height. For the purpose of propagation
calculation, the receive height remains at a constant height above
sea level.
AGL (Above Ground Level) modein this mode, the receiver

antenna height will be relative to the ground level as defined by
the input Digital Elevation Model (DEM).
Unlike the CRC-Predict model, this new model will not generate path loss
predictions (grid files) which can be re-masked. It is also important to note
that you cannot tune CRC-Predict Air models.
The Point-to-Point tool does not support the CRC-Predict Air
propagation model; however, the CRC-Predict 4 model provides results
similar to the CRC-Predict Air model when used in AGL mode.
Universal model
The Universal model is only available if you have purchased a license.
You can obtain detailed information about the Universal model by
pressing the F1 key from the Universal Model Parameters dialog box. The
online Help for this model contains context-sensitive help, as well as the
Universal Model User Guide.
The Universal model is a high-performance deterministic propagation model

that has been integrated into Mentum Planet. Unlike other propagation
models, the Universal model automatically adapts to all engineering
technologies (i.e., micro, mini, small, and macro cells), to all environments
(i.e., dense urban, urban, suburban, mountainous, maritime, and open), and to
all systems (i.e., GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, WIFI, and WIMAX) in a
frequency range that spans from 400MHz to 5GHz.
In addition, the Universal Model:
154
uses a new AGL layer and a new polygon layer where

modifications to the layers can be done directly in the Map
window.
outperforms other models in terms of the speed and accuracy of

predictions.

Q9 model
The Q9 propagation model is based on the Okumura-Hata model. Using the
variables shown in Figure 4.2, it calculates the expected pathloss between the
transmitter and the receiver using the terrain profile. In other words, it
considers a cross-section of the earth along a straight line between the
transmitter and the receiver. This propagation model is most useful for
frequency bands in the 150-2000 MHz range and works best within a radius
of 0.2-100 km. The Q9 model is intended for use with high-resolution
elevation and clutter data.
Pathloss depends on frequency as well as the antenna heights of the
transmitter and the receiver. The Q9 model allows for both uptilt and downtilt
of antennas and takes into account the vertical antenna pattern.
There are three input values that the Q9 model considers:
Okumura-Hatas wave propagation equations with modifying

parameters A0 to A3. See Equation 4.2 on page 156. For more
information on the A0 to A3 parameters, press the F1 key in the
Q9 Parameters dialog box.
Extra losses that occur when wave propagation is disturbed by

obstacles such as mountain peaks. When the distance between
the transmitter and receiver becomes sufficiently large, a
correction due to earths curvature is necessary.
Land use code loss.
Figure 4.2 illustrates the variables that are taken into account to calculate
pathloss.
H b, H m, f
A0 A3
Terrain profile
Knife-edge diffraction
Spherical earth correction
Building data
Q9 Model
Path loss
analysis values
Constants
Land usage code tables
Figure 4.2 The process of calculating pathloss
155
Chapter 4
Equation 4.1 details the formula used to calculate pathloss.

2
2
= HOA + mk [ mobile ] + ( a KDFR ) + ( JDFR )
b
Equation 4.1 Pathloss calculation
L
Where:
Lb is the pathloss
HOA (Hata Open Area) is a variant of Okumura-Hatas equation in dB as
shown in equation Equation 4.2
mk[mobile] is the land use code at the mobile in dB
is a parameter related to the knife-edge diffraction
KDFR is the contribution from knife-edge diffraction in dB

JDFR is the diffraction loss due to the spherical earth in dB
2
HOA = A0 + A11 + A2 log HEBK + A3 log d log HEBK ( 3.2 [ log ( 11.75hm ) ] + g ( F ) )
Equation 4.2 Hata Open Area equation
Where:
A11 is equal to A1 x log d

g(F) is equal to 44.49 x logF - 4.78 x (logF)2
HEBK is the effective antenna height in meters as defined in the Q9
propagation model.
d is the distance from the base antenna to the mobile in kilometers
A0, A1, A2, A3 are Q9 model tuning parameters
WaveSight model
The WaveSight model is only available if you have purchased a
license. You can obtain detailed information about the WaveSight
model by pressing the F1 key from the WaveSight Model Properties dialog
box. The online Help for these models contains context-sensitive help, as well
as the WaveSight User Guide.
The WaveSight model is based on the uniform theory of diffraction. To

predict the signal power, the WaveSight model takes individual buildings and
vegetation, as well as terrain and clutter, into account.
156

The WaveSight model is not restricted to specific environments. It can be

applied in urban, suburban, rural, and open areas. However, most of the tests
on the model were conducted in urban and suburban areas. No tests were
conducted for a radius greater than 20 km.
Because of the physical nature of the model, which uses the uniform theory of
diffraction, frequency is a parameter of the model. Extensive tests were
performed in the 800, 900, 1800, and 2000 MHz bands.
The WaveSight model enables computations with no limitation on transmitter
or receiver heights; however, no drive test data was available for receiver
heights greater than 2 m above ground.
The WaveSight model uses raster data, e.g., terrain and clutter, in a format
similar to that used with Planet DMS. In certain cases, the raster data is
available in several resolutionstypically a resolution of 20 m or more for a
large area such as an entire state or nation, and 5 m for small built-up areas. In
such cases, the WaveSight model uses the highest available resolution
associated with the area under consideration.
The required accuracy is 2 m on the wall position. All buildings with a
footprint larger than 16 m2 must be represented in the building database. The
WaveSight User Guide lists the consistency rules required from the vector
database, i.e., no open polygons or building overlap.
One of the input parameters used by the WaveSight model is the attenuation
loss incurred going from outdoor to indoor. The WaveSight model uses this
value to compute the signal strengths inside the building.
Wavecall is constantly improving WaveSight performance on an increasing
pool of measurements. Whenever a divergence between model and data is
observed, the model is updated and retested on all available routes to ensure
that the modified model is consistent with experimental data. Therefore the
overall performance of the model is constantly increased. Thus, in general,
there is no need for the model to be tuned.
Because of the subjective nature of the clutter, tuning is advisable in open and
rural areas where clutter significantly influences propagation. Tuning must be
applied with care and only when there are sufficient measurement samples
available that are representative of the environment.
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Chapter 4
Understanding clutter classes and clutter properties

Propagation models perform path loss calculations based on the types of
clutter through which the signal passes. The terrain is classified into clutter
classes based on land use or ground cover, e.g., Industrial, Residential, Forest.
For each clutter class, a set of clutter properties is specified, depending on the
propagation model. All models specify clutter absorption loss. Some models
specify additional properties, such as average obstacle height. Table 4.2 on
page 158 lists the properties defined for each propagation model. The
propagation model uses the values of these properties in its calculations.
For your project, the clutter file specifies the clutter class for each bin of the
coverage area. Before you can generate signal strength predictions or do
model tuning, you must create the Clutter Property Assignment (.cpa) file, in
which the values of the clutter properties for each clutter class are stored.
When you create or edit a Clutter Property Assignment file, your choice of
ground type for each clutter class sets default values for numeric properties,
such as Clutter Absorption Loss. You can edit these values. Usually this is
done as part of model tuning.
Table 4.2 Clutter properties of propagation models
Propagation model
Clutter properties
CRC-Predict 4.0
CRC-Predict 2.0
158
Clutter Height
Clutter Separation
Receiver Height
Clutter Absorption
Advanced Clutter Assignment. For more information,
see Appendix C.
Average Obstacle Height
Clutter Absorption Loss
Ground Type (Residential, Industrial, Dense Urban,
Core Urban, Forest, User Defined).
Advanced Clutter Assignment. For more information,
see Appendix C.
Advanced Predict Properties (Predict 2.0 and earlier).
For more information, see Appendix C.
Free Space
ITU 370Recommendation

Clutter Type (Rural, Suburban, Urban)

Table 4.2 Clutter properties of propagation models (continued)
Propagation model
Clutter properties
Free Space Line-of-Sight
Average Obstacle Height

Lee
Longley-Rice
Okumura-Hata
Clutter Factor (Clutter Absorption Loss)

Clutter Height (Average Obstacle Height)
Clutter Separation (Clear Distance)
Receiver Height
Building Density
Standard Deviation
Okumura Class (Clutter Class)Open, Water,
Suburban, Unknown
Cost-231
Walfisch-Ikegami
Workflow for editing propagation models

Step 1
Define propagation model settings. See Working with the

Propagation Model Editor.
Step 2
Define the effects of clutter. See Working with Clutter Property

Assignment files on page 163.
Working with the Propagation Model Editor

You can refine how a propagation model behaves by modifying the
propagation model settings using the Propagation Model Editor. Once you
have refined the model, you can apply the propagation model to an individual
site or sector.
You can modify the propagation model for the current project, or modify the
global version of the model that is used each time you create a new project.
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Chapter 4
To define propagation model settings in your project

1

Propagation Models, right-click a propagation model and choose Edit.
Propagation models are organized in the Project Data category of the
Project Explorer. The icons of propagation models that have been
assigned to a site are displayed in color. The icons of propagation models
that have not been assigned to a site, but are located in the Model folder of
the project, appear dimmed.
In the Propagation Model Editor, modify any of the settings on the

following tabs.
Settingssets frequency, receiver height, earth curvature and

antenna polarization. Click Edit to set parameters specific to the
model type you have chosen.
Clutter Propertiesdetermines whether or not the model uses

a clutter grid. If you choose to use a clutter file, you can click
Edit CPA to edit the Clutter Property Assignment (.cpa) file, or
browse for a new one. If you choose not to use a clutter file, you
can click Select to choose a single clutter property to use for the
project.
Rain Attenuationdetermines whether or not rain attenuation

is calculated. If you choose to include rain attenuation, you can
define an attenuation rate or a rate of rainfall.
Advancedenables you to use a different resolution elevation

grid or clutter file with the propagation model than that which is
specified in the project settings. This is useful if you want to
generate a prediction where you are using a high-resolution grid
in urban areas and a lower-resolution grid in the rest of the
project area.
For additional information about the settings on each tab, press the F1
key.
160
Click Save.
Click Close.

In the Mentum Planet confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
You can also access the Propagation Model Editor from the Site
Properties dialog box. To edit the model for a site, in the Site Properties
dialog box, click the Site tab and click Edit next to the Model box.
To use different models for individual sectors, enable the Set Prediction
Parameters by Sector check box on the Site tab of the Site Properties dialog
box, and click the Sectors tab. You can then choose different models for each
sector by choosing a model from the list in the Propagation Model field.
To define propagation model settings globally

1

Propagation Models and choose New.
In the Propagation Model Type dialog box, click Open.

Ensure that you do not choose a propagation model from the list or click
OK. Doing this will create a new model based on a global model, but in
this case you are editing the global model.
In the Open Model File dialog box, navigate to the Mentum Planet
Global\Model folder, choose a propagation model file, and click Open.
In the Propagation Model Editor, modify any of the settings on the

following tabs:
Settingssets frequency, receiver height, earth curvature and

antenna polarization. Click Edit to set parameters specific to the
model type you have chosen.
Clutter Propertiesdetermines whether or not the model uses

a clutter grid. If you choose to use clutter file, you can click
Edit CPA to edit the Clutter Property Assignment file, or
browse for a new one. If you choose not to use a clutter file, you
can click Select to choose a single clutter property to use for the
project.
Rain Attenuationdetermines whether or not rain attenuation

is calculated. If you choose to include rain attenuation, you can
define an attenuation rate or a rate of rainfall.
Advancedenables you to use a different resolution elevation

grid or clutter file with the propagation model than that which is
specified in the project settings. This is useful if you want to
generate a prediction where you are using a high-resolution grid
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Chapter 4
in urban areas and a lower-resolution grid in the rest of the

project area.
For additional information about the settings on each tab, press the F1
key.
5
Click Close.

The modified Propagation model contained in the Global\Model folder is
copied to the Model folder of each new project you create.
To define a new propagation model

1

Propagation Models and choose New.
From the Propagation Models list, choose the model on which you want
to base your new model, and then click OK.
In the Propagation Model Editor, modify the parameters of the

propagation model to correspond to your network design.
Click Save, type a name for the new model, and click Save.
Click Close.
If you save your new model when you have a project open, the Save As
dialog box opens at the Model folder of your project. If you save the
new model with no project open, the Save As dialog box opens at the
<Mentum Planet installation folder>\Global\Model folder.
To include the effects of clutter

You can specify how the propagation model accounts for elements in the
environment such as buildings and trees.
1

Propagation Models, right-click the propagation model and choose Edit.
In the Propagation Model Editor, click the Clutter Properties tab, and
choose one of the following options:
162
Dependent on Project Settingsenables you to assign the

properties of the clutter grid to the propagation model. You must
have specified a clutter file on the Data tab in the Project
Settings dialog box and enabled the Use a Clutter Grid File

check box. Click Edit CPA to edit the clutter property

assignment file. For more information, see Working with
Clutter Property Assignment files on page 163.
Use Single Clutter Propertyenables you to assign a single

clutter property to the model. Click Select, choose the clutter
property you want to use, and click OK. When you choose this
option, a clutter grid is not used with the propagation model.
Click Close.
Working with Clutter Property Assignment files

A Clutter Property Assignment file (.cpa) is a binary file containing a table of
physical properties for each clutter class. The values assigned to the electrical
and physical properties for each clutter class are determined from
observations of the physical area and from data gathered during surveys.
Mentum Planet provides a default .cpa file for each propagation model. These
files are located in the <Mentum Planet installation folder>\Global\Model
folder and are automatically copied to your Project\Model folder when you
create a Mentum Planet project.
To define clutter properties for a propagation model

1

Propagation Models, right-click a propagation model and choose Edit.
In the Propagation Model Editor dialog box, click the

Clutter Properties tab, and then click Edit CPA.
In the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, edit the properties for
each clutter type.
Clutter types and the properties you can define for them vary by model
type.
Double-click a field to modify parameters for a clutter class as required.
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Chapter 4
Click Save.
When you exit the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, the new .cpa
file name is displayed in the Propagation Model Editor.
When you choose the ground type for the CRC-Predict model, the
Clutter Absorption Loss is set to 0. When you optimize survey results
using the Model Tuning tool, the tool calculates the Clutter Absorption Loss.
To convert a .cpa file created for CRC-Predict 1.25 or 1.5

You can convert a .cpa file that uses version 1.25 or 1.5 of CRC-Predict so
that it uses version 2.0 of CRC-Predict. This eliminates the need to re-create
the clutter classes in a .cpa file to match a given clutter map.
1

Propagation Models, right-click the propagation model and choose Edit.
In the Propagation Model Editor dialog box, click the

Clutter Properties tab, and then click Edit CPA.
In the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, choose File

Open CPA File.
Locate the .cpa file that was created using a version of CRC-Predict other
than 2.0 and click Open.
Choose File Convert Predict CPA.
In the Convert Predict CPA dialog box, type a name for the new file in
the New File Name box and click OK.
Read the message in the Information dialog box and click OK.
If you used the original .cpa file for model tuning, you must repeat the
tuning process with the converted file.

The term model tuning applies generally to the process of adjusting the
parameters of a propagation model in order to generate predictions that are as
accurate and realistic as possible.
Model tuning is usually performed using measured signal strength data
collected during surveying. This survey data is used to change clutter
absorption loss values and other parameters in the propagation model. For
164

more information on collecting and working with survey data, see Chapter 5:
Managing Survey Data on page 173.
To tune a model in Mentum Planet, you can use:
the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner which enables you to tune all
propagation model types
the Planet Automatic Model Tuner (AMT) which enables you to

tune the Planet General Model

Here are some general guidelines for model tuning:
Follow the recommended guidelines for collecting survey data.

See Collecting survey data on page 176.
Aggregate survey data in order to account for Rayleigh fading.

See Modifying survey data on page 193.
Ensure that the frequency of the input model used in model

tuning is accurate and the receiver height corresponds to
measured data.
Ensure that the clutter maps you use are accurate and up-to-date.
Verify that the model uses clutter heights that are recommended
or appropriate for the model. For CRC-Predict, see Appendix
C: Clutter Properties on page 455.
Ensure that ground types, if used, are appropriate. For example,

moist ground should be assigned to farmland.
Create one model to cover all surveys with similar

characteristics. For example, for a given metropolitan area, start
with one input propagation model. Tune one model for the suburban area. Using the same input model, tune a second model for
very dense urban and downtown area. The tuned models will
provide reasonably accurate predictions for topologies of similar
clutter characteristics (such as neighboring regions). This
approach can be fine tuned by subdividing the metropolitan area
to more than two areas and generating corresponding models for
each area.
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Step 1
Collect survey data and modify as required. See Workflow for

surveys on page 175.
Step 2
Configure the model (e.g., matching the frequency used when

collecting the survey data with the frequency in the tuned
propagation model). See Workflow for editing propagation
models on page 159.
Step 3
Tune the propagation model. See:
Step 4
Step 5
If you are tuning the Planet General Model, see

Tuning the Planet General Model using AMT on
page 170.
If you are tuning any other propagation model,

see Tuning models using the Clutter Absorption
Loss tuner on page 167.
Validate the model.
Generate predictions for the survey sites using

the tuned model. See Generating predictions
on page 277.
View a thematic map of survey points and

compare them to the prediction layer. See
Displaying survey data on page 181.
Investigate discrepancies between the survey data and the

prediction layer by comparing the survey data to the prediction
output and reviewing survey reports. Once you have examined
the differences, you may decide to remove additional points,
modify the .cpa file, or change the propagation model settings.
See Viewing survey statistics on page 185, Creating survey
reports on page 193, and Combining and comparing surveys
on page 200.
The data in the model tuning report does not provide a comparison
between the survey data and the final prediction. In most cases, the
differences will be negligible; however, if required, you can generate an
additional prediction and use the Compare to Grid feature to view final
comparison statistics. See Combining and comparing surveys on page 200.
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Tuning models using the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner

Using the Clutter Absorption Loss (CAL) tuner, you can determine the
appropriate clutter property assignment values for clutter absorption loss for a
single site. The CAL tuner can be used to optimize all propagation model
types, except for third-party models, i.e., Volcano and WaveSight.
The Clutter Absorption Loss tuner enables you to calculate the mean error
between the predicted signal strength and the survey data for each clutter
class. The mean error is then used as the value for the clutter absorption loss
of each clutter class in the clutter property assignment file.
Tuning is different for slope-based models and deterministic models such as
CRC-Predict. Slope-based models take clutter into account automatically
when generating predictions. For example, when using the Okumura-Hata
model, you can choose from four clutter classes: Urban, Suburban,
Quasi-Open, and Open. Each clutter class implies a generalized clutter
environment that affects the slope of the models algorithm. When using the
Planet General Model, you can set many parameters.
The CRC-Predict model, however, depends on the model of the environment
and the specification of clutter property assignments. The CRC-Predict
algorithm interacts with a model of the clutter environment in a deterministic
fashion to predict path loss. Path loss is calculated by simulating the
propagation of a radio wave as it passes over various terrain features.
Model tuning with survey data for all models involves updating the clutter
absorption loss values. Model tuning for the CRC-Predict model involves the
additional step of adjusting the clutter property assignments for average
obstacle height and ground type.
To tune a model using the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, right-click a

survey and choose Model Tuning.
The Model Tuning dialog box opens.
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Type a name for the tuned model in the New Model Name box.
From the Model To Tune list, choose the model that you want to tune.
From the Model Tuner list, choose Clutter Absorption Loss.
If you want to edit the properties of the model before you tune it, click
Edit Model, and in the Propagation Model Editor, edit the properties.
If you want to define iterations and number of radials, click Edit Tuner.
The Clutter Absorption Loss Properties dialog box opens.
From the Number of Iterations list, choose the number of times that you
want to update the clutter absorption loss values with the survey analysis
prediction values for each clutter class.
The default value is 1. Usually, choosing 2 iterations provides acceptable
results. For each iteration, a survey analysis prediction is created. If more
than one iteration is applied to the .cpa file, the updated values are applied
cumulatively. Similarly, if an analysis is carried out starting from clutter
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absorption loss values obtained from a previous analysis, the effect is the
same as doing more iterations.
8
To define the distance from the survey antenna that survey points used to
tune the model must fall within, enable the Enable Survey Filtering by
Distance check box and type a value in the Distance box.
The Clutter Absorption Loss tuner will ignore any survey points further
than this distance from the survey antenna.
In the Number of Radials section, choose one of the following options:
Computed Number of Radialsuse the computed number of

radials to calculate predictions. Mentum Planet divides the
propagation distance by the bin distance to compute the number of
radials to use, which is displayed in the box to the right. For
example:
Propagation distance: 15 km (15000 m)
Bin distance: 30 m
Calculation: 15000 m/30 m
Result: 500 radials
User Defined Number of Radialsdefine the number of
radials to use to calculate predictions. In the box to the right,
type or choose the number of radials to use.
10 In the Clutter Absorption Loss Properties dialog box, click OK.

11 In the Model Tuning dialog box, click OK to begin the tuning process.
The Model Tuning dialog box opens and displays the progress of the
model tuning process.
12 When the process is complete, click Close in the Model Tuning dialog
box.
13 To view a model tuning report in text format, click Yes in the Mentum
Planet dialog box.
When the model tuning process is complete, the tuned model is added to
the Propagation Models node in the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer.
If the calculated Clutter Absorption Loss (CAL) values are
overwhelmingly negative, lower the clutter heights and retune the
model. CAL values should normally fall between -3 dB and +12 dB.
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You can edit the general, clutter, rain attenuation, and advanced
properties of the tuned model using the Propagation Model Editor. To
access the Propagation Model Editor, expand Propagation Models in the
Project Data category of the Project Explorer, right-click the tuned model and
choose Edit.
Tuning the Planet General Model using AMT

You can use the Planet Automatic Model Tuner (AMT) to automatically
optimize components of the Planet General Model using survey data from
single or multiple sites. You can tune the Planet General Model using one of
the following methods:
Smartsimplifies the tuning process and is recommended if you

have little or no knowledge of model tuning
Standardenables you to manually tune the model using a

complex, multi-step procedure. For detailed information on
using the Standard option, see Tuning the Planet General Model
using AMT in the Planet General Model Technical Note.
When you use the Smart option, all of the model parameters are set to
Optimize. When set to Optimize, the Planet AMT runs various correlation and
cross-correlation tests to determine which model parameters can be
optimized. If any parameters cannot be optimized, default values are used.
To tune the Planet General Model using AMT

1

survey and choose Model Tuning.
In the Model Tuning dialog box, type a name for the tuned model in the
New Model Name box.
From the Model To Tune list, choose a Planet General Model template.
If you want to edit the properties of the model before you tune it, click
Edit Model, and in the Propagation Model Editor, edit the general,
clutter, rain attenuation, and advanced properties of the model, and then
click OK.
If you chose to tune the default_PlanetGeneralModel, you must update
the default .cpa file in the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box to
ensure that all clutter types use classes from the clutter grid prior to
tuning. To access the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box from the
Propagation Model Editor, click Edit CPA on the Clutter Properties tab.
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From the Model Tuner list, choose Planet AMT Version 1.5.
Click Edit Tuner.

The Planet Automatic Model Tuner dialog box opens.
In the Tuner Type section, choose the Smart option.

For information on using the Standard AMT option, see Tuning the
Planet General Model using AMT in the Planet General Model
Technical Note.
If you want to define custom optimization values, in the Model

Parameters section, choose the type of model that you want to optimize
from the K1 to K5 or Clutter Offsets lists, and type a new value in the
box.
Any custom model parameter values will not be optimized. If a factor
cannot be optimized, a suitable default value is used.
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To define custom correlation or cross-correlation values, in the

Correlation/Cross-Correlation Threshold Values section, type values
in any of the following boxes:
Correlation P3T
Correlation P4T
Cross-Correlation P35T
Cross-Correlation P45T
Defining a custom correlation or cross-correlation value is useful if you

want to optimize a particular factor that does not meet the threshold
requirements. For example, if p4T = 0.4, and p4 = 0.15, K4 cannot be
optimized. You can enable K4 to be optimized by setting p4T to 0.1.
If you chose to define custom thresholds, the resulting factors might
produce an invalid model. Before applying the model, you must ensure
that the ranges you have specified are valid. For more information, see the
Planet General Model Technical Note.
10 To save the settings in a Planet AMT settings (.set) file, click the Save As
button, and in the Save As dialog box, type a new name for the file, and
then click Save.
11 Click OK to close the Planet Automatic Model Tuner dialog box.
12 In the Model Tuning dialog box, click OK to begin the model tuning
process.
The Model Tuning dialog box opens and displays a progress report of the
model tuning process.
13 When the process is complete, click Close in the Model Tuning dialog
box.
14 To view a model tuning report in text format, click Yes in the Mentum
Planet dialog box.
When the model tuning process is complete, the tuned model is added to
the Propagation Models node in the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer.
You can edit the general, clutter, rain attenuation, and advanced
properties of the tuned model using the Propagation Model Editor. To
access the Propagation Model Editor, expand Propagation Models in the
Project Data category of the Project Explorer, right-click the tuned model and
choose Edit.
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5.
following sections:
Adding survey header

information
Assigning surveys
Combining and comparing

surveys
Chapter 5: Managing Survey Data
Managing Survey
Data
You can use survey data to accurately analyze the
network based on information from the field.
This chapter describes how to import and add survey
data, work with survey statistics, and create a new
survey.
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Surveying involves collecting signal strength values at small intervals,
including many samples from all clutter classes wherever possible. For best
results, the raw data collected must be modified to filter unrepresentative
points and average duplicate points.
Using Mentum Planet, you can work with and analyze survey data. Survey
data can greatly increase the accuracy of predictions. For information on
merged predictions that combine survey data with prediction outputs, see
After you import or add a survey to a project, you can modify the properties of
the survey and choose different methods of viewing the survey data in a Map
window. You can also view statistical data about the survey. Based on these
statistics, you can choose to create a new survey by averaging, filtering,
combining, or comparing existing survey data.
How survey data is organized in the Project Explorer

When you add or import survey data, it is added to the Survey Data node in
the Project Explorer under one of the following categories:
Surveys RSSIcontains surveys with valid antenna information
Surveys Deltacontains surveys that measure differences, such

as those you create when comparing surveys
Surveys Othercontains surveys with data other than RSSI

values
Once a survey is added to the project, the status of the survey is identified
using the following icon colors:
Blue iconsidentify valid surveys that have not been assigned

to a sector.
Yellow iconsidentify valid surveys that have been assigned to

a sector.
Red iconsidentify surveys that have invalid parameters or no

antenna information. By adding antenna information to surveys
based on the sector properties, you can change an invalid survey
to a valid one. For more information, see Adding survey header
information on page 180.
Figure 5.1 on page 175 shows the Survey Data node in the Project Explorer.
In this example, survey 1008-2 has been assigned, survey 1009-3 is valid but
has not been assigned, and survey 1175_1 is invalid.
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Managing Survey Data

Figure 5.1 Survey Data node in the Project Explorer.

Step 1
Determine the sites from which you want to collect data and plan
the survey routes.
Step 2
Collect the survey data. See Collecting survey data on

page 176.
Step 3
Import the survey data into Mentum Planet or add survey data to
the project. See To import surveys on page 178 and Adding
surveys to a project on page 177.
Step 4
If required, modify the properties of the surveys that you have

imported or added. See Adding surveys to a project on
page 177 and Adding survey header information on page 180.
Step 5
Assign surveys to sectors. See Assigning surveys on page 190.
Step 6
Edit survey data to remove anomalous points (e.g., points that

are very close to the site, points where the survey route passes
under a bridge or where it goes over water). Survey data should
also be averaged in order to account for Rayleigh fading. See
Modifying survey data on page 193.
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Step 7
Combine and compare surveys in order to better understand

survey data. See Combining and comparing surveys on
page 200.

When collecting survey data, you should collect data for one sector at a time
to avoid introducing errors that arise from signals from other sectors. You
should also collect a statistically meaningful number of samples from all
clutter classes and cover both flat and hilly areas. For the CRC-Predict model,
for example, 100 aggregated data points is the minimum number of points for
the analysis to be statistically significant. The more sample points you collect,
the more accurate the data.
The following are some general guidelines for collecting survey data:
Select sites where you are certain that the antenna/sector

characteristics and location coordinates are well documented,
and avoid sites with very high gain antennas where possible.
Select sites that are free from near-field obstructions when

outside a dense urban environment.
Drive regular grid patterns, avoiding elevated highways or roads.
Ensure that the distribution of data extends a reasonable distance

from the site. You should collect data outside the expected
effective range of the site, because it is important to collect data
at values where coverage is questionable and to verify the border
or edge of the coverage, and to accurately predict interference to
other cells.
Take samples in all clutter classes and include representative

samples in each drive as much as possible.
For best results, it is recommended that survey data be collected using
a CW (continuous wave) transmitter with an omni test antenna.
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You can add a survey directly to the project if it is in a MapInfo table (.tab)
format and it is mappable (i.e., you must be able to view the survey points in a
Map window). If the survey data is not in MapInfo table format, you can
import the survey and convert it from the following formats into MapInfo
table format:
Microsoft ExcelA Microsoft Excel format (.xls) survey file

consists of a minimum of three columns with latitude, longitude,
and signal strength values specified. It does not contain a header
row. You can select multiple Microsoft Excel format survey files
to import, but all of the files must use the same column settings.
ASCII textAn ASCII text format (.txt) survey file has flexible
delimiters, and consists of a minimum of three columns with
latitude, longitude, and signal strength values specified. It also
contains a header row. You can choose multiple ASCII text
format survey files to import, but all of the files must use the
same column settings.
Planet DMS filesA Planet DMS or 2.8 format survey file

consists of a header file and a results file. The results file must be
in the same folder as the header file or in a results folder at the
same level as the folder that contains the header files. If you
want to use Planet DMS or 2.8 format survey files in merged
predictions, you need to import them so that they are available as
MapInfo tables.
To ensure that the survey data you add is valid, the survey must contain a
minimum of three columns with latitude, longitude, and signal strength values
specified. The columns must be in this order. The data in additional columns
is added or imported if the columns come after these first three.
The names of the columns are not taken into account when adding or
importing. For example, the first three columns could be named x, y, and
RSSI or 1, 2, and 3.
If required, you can also modify survey properties such as survey date,
operator, and antenna information.
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.
Before you import a survey, ensure that you:

Check the projection that is specified in the survey file. By default, the
Latitude/Longitude projection value is WGS84. Specify a valid
projection or the data will not be positioned correctly in the survey when
you import the data.
Check the survey data for integrity. Problems in the data may not be
easily visible. For example, check that the sector, its power, and its
antenna are correct.
To add surveys to the project

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, right-click

Survey Data and choose Add.
In the Add Survey (Mentum Planet Format) dialog box, choose one or
more surveys that you want to include in your project, and click Open.
The surveys are added to the Survey Data node in the Project Explorer.
For more information on creating survey points in a Map window, see
the MapInfo Professional User Guide.
To import surveys
178

Survey Data, choose Import, and then choose the format of the survey
In the Open dialog box, navigate to the file that you want to import, and
click Open.

If you are importing a survey in ASCII format, define delimiter

and projection settings in the ASCII Import Parameters dialog
box, and click OK.
If you are importing a survey in Excel format, define named

range and projection settings in the Excel Import Parameters
dialog box, and click OK.
If you are importing a Planet DMS survey, define the projection

parameters, and click OK.
The survey is added to the Survey Data node in the Project Explorer.
To modify the properties of a survey

1

survey and choose Properties.
The Properties dialog box opens.
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To modify the general properties of the survey, including

assignments, modify the values in the General section.
To modify the antenna information about the sector from which

the survey was created, modify the values in the Antenna
Information section.
For more information on the fields and options in the Properties dialog
box, press the F1 key.
3
Click OK.
In CDMA-based systems, the EIRP power shown in the Survey
Properties dialog box corresponds to the pilot power (i.e., CPICH).
If you want to use the survey in merged predictions, ensure that you
have provided the following information in the Antenna Information
section:
A name for the antenna in the Name box. The name must match an
antenna available in Mentum Planet.
A value for antenna power in the Power box
If you want to use a merged prediction with the Model Tuning tool, all antenna
parameters must be valid. For more information on merged predictions, see
To delete a survey, in the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data
category, right-click a survey, and choose Delete.
Adding survey header information

You can update survey header information using the antenna properties of a
sector in your project. You can update existing survey header information or
add information to surveys that have invalid or missing header information.
To update survey header information using sector

properties
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, choose the sector that you
want to use to update the surveys.
The sector is highlighted in the Project Explorer.
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In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, choose one

or more surveys that you want to update, right-click one of the surveys,
and then choose Generate Header From Sector.
The Generate Survey Headers dialog box opens, showing the sector that
will be used and the surveys that will be updated.
If you want to view or edit the sector data that will be added to the
surveys, click View/Edit Data, modify the information in the Properties
dialog box as required, and then click OK.
For more information on the fields and options in the Properties dialog
box, press the F1 key.
In the Generate Survey Headers dialog box, click OK.

The sector information is added to the surveys. The color of the survey
icon will change from red to blue if the survey originally contained
invalid header or antenna information.

You can save a copy of a survey with a new name.
To save a copy of a survey

1

survey and choose Save Copy As.
In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want to save
the file, type a name for the file in the File Name box, and click Save.

After you import or add a survey, you can choose different methods of
displaying survey data. You can view the survey data points in the Map
window, locate and zoom in on survey data points, browse longitude, latitude,
and signal strength values for each point in the survey, or create and view a
thematic map of the survey data.
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To view a survey in the Map window
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, expand

the Survey Data node, right-click a survey and choose View.
Each survey data point is displayed in the Map window using the default
symbol and color as shown in Figure 5.2 on page 182.
Figure 5.2 Survey data displayed in the Map window using the default symbol and
color.
To clear the survey display in the Map window, choose File Close
Table, then choose the survey from the Close Tables list, and click
Close.
To find survey data points in the Map window

After you view the survey data in a Map window, you can use the Locate
function to zoom in on it.

the Survey Data node, right-click a survey and choose Locate.
The survey data is centered in the Map window and the Map window
zooms in on it.
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To view survey data in tabular format

the Survey Data node, right-click a survey and choose Browse.
The Browser window opens containing the data used in the survey.
To create a thematic map of survey data
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category,

right-click the surveys you want to view and choose Thematic Map.
The thematic map is displayed in the Map window as shown in
Figure 5.3.
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Chapter 5
Figure 5.3 Survey data points shown as a thematic map.
For more information on thematic maps, see the MapInfo Professional User
Guide.
When you create and view a thematic map of the survey data, the
standard color profile selected for signal strength grids is automatically
applied. See Defining color profiles on page 56 for more information.
To modify display options for thematically mapped surveys

You can modify the display options when thematically mapping surveys. You
can change both the color profile used and the symbol point size.
By default, surveys are thematically mapped using the color profile defined
for signal strength files. You can use a different color profile for surveys
beneath the Surveys Delta node and the Surveys Other node but you cannot
change the color profile for surveys beneath the Surveys RSSI node.
1

Survey Data and choose Options.
The Survey Data Options dialog box opens.
184

To change the size of the survey point display symbol in the Map window,
type the new size in the Symbol Size box.
To define a different color profile to use when thematically mapping

surveys beneath the Surveys Delta node, click Browse next to the
Surveys Delta Color Profile box, navigate to the folder that contains the
color profile that you want to use, and then click Open.
To define a different color profile to use when thematically mapping

surveys beneath the Surveys Other node, click Browse next to the
Surveys Other Color Profile box, navigate to the folder that contains the
color profile that you want to use, and then click Open.
Click OK.

You can view statistics about the collected sample points in one or multiple
surveys.
Statistics are generated using the following types of graphs:
Survey Histogramdisplays the points of the signal strength

survey data in a histogram and a cumulative histogram. You can
also view the mean, standard deviation, and the root mean square
(RMS) of the points.
Survey Clutter Distributiondisplays the number of points of

the survey data by clutter class in a stacked format.
Survey Regression Analysisdisplays the points of signal

strength mapped versus the distance to the antenna with either a
user-defined or Lee model regression line. You can also edit
some of the regression parameters and view a Free Space curve.
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These graphs enable you to view statistics of multiple surveys simultaneously.

This is useful when you want to compare statistics on survey data before you
average, filter, compare, or combine it.
To view a survey histogram

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, choose the

surveys that you want to view in a histogram.
Right-click and choose Analyze Histogram.

The Survey Histogram dialog box opens, displaying a histogram for the
chosen surveys.
186
Choose any of the following options to view statistics:
To view a symbol at each data point in the histogram, enable the

Show Points check box.
To view a cumulative histogram for multiple surveys, enable the

Cumulative Data check box.
To view horizontal grid lines, enable the Show Horizontal Grid

check box.
To view vertical grid lines, enable the Show Vertical Grid

check box.
To save the statistics in a text (.txt) file, click Save, navigate to the folder
where you want to save the file, type the file name, and then click Save.

Click Close.
To view a survey clutter distribution histogram

1

surveys that you want to view in a clutter distribution histogram.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Clutter

Distribution.
The Survey Clutter Distribution dialog box opens, displaying a clutter
distribution histogram for two surveys.
To view the number of survey sample points collected for each

clutter class by percentage, enable the Show % of Points check
box.
To view the number of survey sample points collected for each

clutter class, enable the Label Columns check box.
To save the statistics in a text (.txt) file, click Save, navigate to the folder
Click Close.
To view a survey regression analysis

You can view a regression curve of surveys that have valid antenna files.
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surveys that you want to view in a regression histogram.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Regression.

The Survey Regression Analysis dialog box opens, displaying a
regression curve for two surveys.
Click Curves.
The Curve Parameters dialog box opens.
188

To manually define the curve, do any of the following in the boxes in the
User Defined section:
In the Intercept box, type the value of the signal strength at the
intercept distance.
In the Intercept Distance box, type the value of the signal

strength at which the regression curve starts.
In the Slope box, type the value of the logarithmic regression

curve slope, expressed as dB/Dist for a linear regression or dB/
Decade for a logarithmic regression.
In the Selected Curve section, do any of the following to generate the

values saved with the survey points when you click Save in the Survey
Regression Analysis dialog box:
To save the curve using the values in the Best Fit section, choose
the Best Fit option.
To save the curve using the values in the User Defined section,
choose the User Defined option.
In the Draw Curve section, do any of the following:
To draw a curve using the values in the Best Fit section, enable
the Best Fit check box.
To draw a curve using the values in the User Defined section,

enable the User Defined check box.
If you want to draw a free space curve on the regression graph, enable the
Draw Free Space Curve check box in the Free Space Loss Curve
section, and do any of the following:
To define the power with which to draw the free space line, type
a value in EiRP dBm in the Power box.
To define the frequency with which to define the free space line,
type a value in MHz in the Frequency box.
Click OK to close the Curve Parameters dialog box.
To view the regression graph using a linear instead of a logarithmic scale,

clear the Use Log Scale check box.
10 To save the statistics in a text (.txt) file, click Save, navigate to the folder
11 Click Close.
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Assigning surveys
After you add a survey and modify its properties, you can assign the survey to
a sector. You must assign the appropriate survey to the corresponding sector.
When you create merged predictions, these assignments determine the survey
that will be used when updating a prediction for a site.
To assign a survey to a sector
In the Project Explorer, drag a survey from the Operational

Data category to a sector in the Sites category.
Use a survey assignment file to associate multiple surveys with

multiple sectors. See To create a survey assignment file on
page 190 and To assign multiple surveys using an assignment
file on page 191.
When a survey is assigned to a sector, the survey icon turns yellow.
To create a survey assignment file

A survey assignment file is a text file that defines the surveys that are
associated with each sector.
1
Create the survey assignment file in a text editor using the following
conventions:
The first line is a header and must contain the following text:
HEADER Planet EV 3.1 SPT Assignments file Version 1.0
Subsequent lines use the following format:

CELLID <Site_ID>:<SectorID> <Survey file name>
For example:
CELLID Site_44:3 survey_1164
If you are assigning multiple surveys to a sector, separate the survey

file names with a comma.
2
190
When you have completed assigning all of the surveys, save the file as a
text file.

To assign multiple surveys using an assignment file

1

Survey Data and choose Assignment Assign from File.
The Assign From File dialog box opens.
In the Survey Assignment section, choose one of the following options:
Assign Surveys in Fileadds survey assignments from the

chosen survey assignment file to the sectors in a project. All
existing survey assignments are retained.
Reassign All Surveysdeletes any existing survey assignments

and assigns the surveys from the chosen survey assignment file.
In the Assignment File section, click Browse, choose the assignment file
that you want to use, and click Open.
Click OK.
The Assignment Report dialog box opens.
Review the report and click Close without saving the report to a
file.
Click Save As to save the report.
If you want to save the report, in the Save Report As dialog box, do the
following:
From the Save In list, choose the folder to which you want the
file saved.
In the File Name box, type a name for the report.
Click Save.
In the Assignment Report dialog box, click Close.
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To view and update survey assignments

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click a site or a sector

and choose Assigned Surveys.
The Assigned Surveys dialog box opens.
To unassign a survey from the sector, clear the check box next to the
survey.
Click OK.
To export a survey assignment file

You can export a survey assignment file that contains the current assignments.
This is useful if you have assigned surveys by dragging and dropping them
onto sectors, and you want to save the assignments.
1

Survey Data and choose Assignment Save to File.
In the Save Assignment File As dialog box, navigate to the folder where
you want to save the file, type a name for the file, and click Save.
You can save the file with any extension.
To clear all survey assignments
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Survey Data and choose Assignment Clear All Assignments.


You can create a number of reports that enable you to view survey
assignments. You have the following options for reports:
By Site/Sectorlists any sectors that have surveys assigned to

them and identifies the survey
By Surveylists the available surveys and identifies which

sector each survey is assigned to
By Predictionlists surveys in one of three categories according

to whether the survey metadata is correct:
Valid Assigned Surveys

Assigned Surveys Missing Metadata
Unassigned Surveys
To create survey assignment reports

1

Survey Data, choose Reports, and then choose one of the following:
By Site/Sector
By Survey
By Prediction
In the Survey Report dialog box, do one of the following:
If you want to save the report, click Save As, and in the Save
Report As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want to
save the file, type a name for the file, click Save, and then click
Close.
If you do not want to save the report, click Close.

After adding or importing a survey, you can modify survey data to remove
anomalous survey points and account for Rayleigh fading. This creates a new
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survey that more closely resembles the topography and clutter along the
survey route. To this end, you can:
average survey data. See To average survey data on page 194.
filter survey data using one of three methods:

By creating survey filters using the Survey Filtering
dialog box where you can view a graph display of survey
points and create, edit, and save survey filters. See To
filter survey data on page 196.
By filtering survey points based on the points selected in
the Map window. See To filter survey data by selection
on page 199.
By filtering survey points based on a polygon selected in
the Map window. See To filter survey data by polygon
on page 199.
remove data from the Map window. See To remove survey data
points from the Map window on page 200.
To average survey data

1

surveys that you want to average.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Average.

The Survey Averaging dialog box opens.
In the Rayleigh Fading Distance box, type a value or accept the default.
To remove Rayleigh fading, the recommended aggregation distance is 40
wavelengths. For example, 13 m at 900 MHz, and 5 m at 2400 MHz. The
resulting survey will have data points spaced no closer than the specified
distance, and the signal strength values will be the median of signal
194

strengths in the original survey within this distance. The points to

aggregate are selected using the Distance method in Step 4.
4
In the Averaging section, choose one of the following options to average

data points:
Area MethodData points are averaged using the median by

dividing the area covered by the point file into adjacent squares
in a rectangular array. The sides of the squares have the length
defined in the Averaging Distance box. The points that fall inside
any of these squares are averaged to create one point at the
geocenter of the averaged points (not at the center of the square).
The averaging areas do not depend on the distribution of points
in the original survey.
Distance MethodData points are averaged using the median

by dividing the area covered by the point file into circles that
may overlap, but which include all of the points in the original
survey. (Points in the overlapping areas are assigned to only one
circle.) The diameters of the circles are defined in the Averaging
Distance box. The points that fall inside any of these circles are
averaged to create one point at the geocenter of the averaged
points (not at the center of the circle). The averaging areas do
depend on the distribution of points in the original survey.
Either method can be used for any survey, but there may be a slight
advantage in using the Area method for a survey done on a rectangular
grid of roads, and the Distance method for more randomly distributed
survey points.
5
To define the minimum separation allowed between data points, type a

value in the Averaging Distance box, or accept the default, which is the
elevation grid resolution.
This second level of aggregation is used to remove signal strength
variations due to shadowing by buildings and other objects smaller than
the grid resolution. Averaging by Distance is not necessary for
deterministic, urban models because the prediction resolution is close to
the value in the Rayleigh Fading box. If you do not require this second
aggregation, set the Averaging Distance to be equal or less than the
Rayleigh Fading Distance.
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If you averaged one survey, type a name for the new survey in
the Survey Name box.
If you averaged multiple surveys, type a suffix for the new

survey in the Survey Suffix box. Each survey that you average
will be created as a new survey, with the original name and the
suffix that you define.
Click OK.
The new survey is added to the Survey Data node in the Project Explorer.
To filter survey data

1

surveys that you want to filter.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Filter.

The Survey Filtering dialog box opens.
From the Filter Type list, choose the type of filter that you want to use.
For information on the types of filters available, press the F1 key.
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Click in the Minimum and Maximum fields and type new values to
specify the range of points to be saved.
Survey sample points below the defined minimum value and above the
defined maximum value are removed from the resulting survey.
For the Clutter Class and Line of Sight filters, you can only choose the
type of points that you want to remove.
In the Filters section, click Apply.

The Removed and Remaining fields update to display the number of data
points that have been filtered out of the survey and the number of data
points remaining in the survey.
Click Curves.
The Curve Parameters dialog box opens.
To manually define the curve, do any of the following in the User

Defined section:
In the Intercept box, type the value of the signal strength at the
intercept distance.
In the Intercept Distance box, type the value of the signal

strength at which the regression curve starts.
In the Slope box, type the value of the logarithmic regression

curve slope, expressed as dB/Dist for a linear regression or dB/
Decade for a logarithmic regression.
In the Selected Curve section, do any of the following to generate the

values saved with the survey points when you apply the Distance from
Reg. Line filter type in the Survey Filtering dialog box:
To draw a curve using the values in the Best Fit section, choose
the Best Fit option.

choose the User Defined option.
In the Draw Curve section, do any of the following:
To draw a curve using the values in the Best Fit section, enable
the Best Fit check box.

enable the User Defined check box.
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10 If you want to draw a free space curve on the regression graph, enable the
Draw Free Space Curve check box in the Free Space Loss Curve
section, and do any of the following:
To define the power with which to draw the free space line, type
a value in EiRP dBm in the Power box.
To define the frequency with which to define the free space line,
type a value in MHz in the Frequency box.
11 Click OK to close the Curve Parameters dialog box.

12 To view the results in a graphical format, choose one of the following
formats from the Graph Display list:
Histogramdisplays a histogram of the sample points

contained in the chosen survey. The X-axis displays the range of
signal strengths found in the chosen survey and the Y-axis
displays the number of sample points collected for each signal
strength.
Cumulative Histogramdisplays a cumulative histogram of

the sample points contained in the chosen surveys. The X-axis
displays the range of signal strengths found in the chosen survey
and the Y-axis displays the cumulative sum of the number of
sample points collected for each signal strength.
Distance Plotdisplays a graph of Signal Strength and

Distance for the sample points in a chosen survey
Clutter Distributiondisplays a graph of survey sample points

and the clutter classes from which they were collected
13 To view the regression graph using a linear instead of a logarithmic scale,

clear the Use Log Scale check box.
This option is only available if you have chosen the Distance Plot format
from the Graph Display list.
14 Click Save, and do one of the following:
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If you filtered one survey, in the Filtered Survey Name dialog

box, type a name for the new survey in the Survey Name box.
If you filtered multiple surveys, in the Filtered Survey Name

Suffix dialog box, type a suffix for the new survey in the Survey
Suffix box. Each survey that you filter will be created as a new
survey, with the original name and the suffix that you define.

15 Click Close.
To filter survey data by selection

1
In the Map window, using any of the Select tools on the Main toolbar,
select survey data points from the survey that you want to filter.

survey that you want to filter.
Right-click the survey and choose Analyze Filter From Selection.

The Filtered Survey Name dialog box opens.
Type a name for the new survey in the Survey Name box.
Click OK.
To filter survey data by polygon

1
In the Map window, using the Polygon tool on the Drawing toolbar, draw
a polygon object around the survey data points in the survey you want to
filter.
In the Map window, using the Select tool on the Main toolbar, select the
polygon object.

surveys that you want to filter.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Filter From

Polygon.
If you filtered one survey, in the Filtered Survey Name dialog

box, type a name for the new survey in the Survey Name box.
If you filtered multiple surveys, in the Filtered Survey Name

Suffix dialog box, type a suffix for the new survey in the Survey
Suffix box. Each survey that you filter will be created as a new
survey, with the original name and the suffix that you define.
Click OK.
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To remove survey data points from the Map window

Using RF knowledge, you may want to remove additional survey data points.
1
Click the Zoom-in button on the Main toolbar and zoom in to the area
where you want to remove survey points.
In the Windows category of the Project Explorer, expand the Windows

node, and then expand the Map Windows node.
Right-click the survey and choose Editable if the layer is not already
editable.
A check mark next to Editable indicates that the survey can be modified.
Click the Select button on the Main toolbar.
Click in the Map window to select the survey points you want to remove.
Press the Delete key.
When you have finished deleting survey points, choose File Save
Table to save the updated survey.
You can use any of the MapInfo select tools to select points in the Map
window. See the MapInfo Professional User Guide or online Help.
Combining and comparing surveys

You can combine two surveys together if you have two surveys that overlap
and you need only one survey for the entire area. You can compare:
two surveys and generate a new survey that represents the

difference of the two. See To compare two surveys on
page 201.
a survey with a numeric grid to create a new survey. See To

compare a survey with a numeric grid on page 203.
a survey with a model prediction to create a new survey. See To

compare a survey with a modeled prediction on page 204.
These comparisons are useful when you want to determine if the predicted
signal strength data is relevant based on the actual signal strength data from
the field.
200

To combine surveys
1

surveys that you want to combine.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Combine.

The Combine Surveys dialog box opens.
From the Use Header From list, choose the survey that contains the
header information that you want to use to create the new survey.
Type a name for the new survey in the Output Survey Name box.
Click OK.
To compare two surveys

The results of the comparison will be more useful if you compare surveys that
are located beneath the same survey node in the Survey Data node.
1

surveys that you want to compare.
Right-click one of the surveys and choose Analyze Compare Two

Surveys.
The Compare Two Surveys dialog box opens.
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From the Reference Survey list, choose the survey that contains the
reference data.
The Comparison Survey field updates to display the second survey. The
data from the Comparison Survey is subtracted from the data in the
Reference Survey.
In the Survey Interpolation Distance box, type a value to define the

distance of the radius around each reference point of the Reference
Survey.
The distance units that are displayed are defined on the System Settings
tab of the Project Settings dialog box.
In the Max Number of Interpolation Points box, type a value to define

the maximum number of points from the radius around each reference
point that will be included in the comparison.
If you define the maximum number of points as 1, the closest point from
the radius is included in the comparison. If you define the maximum
number of interpolation points as 10, but there are 100 points within the
radius, the 10 points that are closest to the reference point are retained and
averaged. The remaining 90 points are discarded.
In the Delta Survey Name box, type a name for the new survey.
Click OK.
The new survey is added to the Survey Delta node in the Survey Data
node.
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To compare a survey with a numeric grid

You can compare a survey with the following types of numeric grids:
Signal strength layerscompare an RSSI survey with the

predicted signal strength of a propagation model. Signal strength
layers are located in the SignalStrength folder of the project.
Analysis layerscompare an RSSI survey with a Best Server

RSSI analysis layer, or an RxQual survey with a predicted
RxQual analysis layer. Analysis layer files are located in the
<technology>_Analyses folder of the project. For more
information on analysis layers, see the appropriate User Guide.
For information on the calculations used in the comparison, see Appendix D:

Survey to Numeric Grid Calculations on page 463.
1

survey and choose Analyze Compare to Grid.
In the Compare Survey to Grid dialog box, navigate to the folder that
contains the numeric grid that you want to compare, and click Open.
The Survey to Grid Comparison dialog box opens.
To save the new survey, click Save, type a name for the survey, and then
click OK.
The new survey is added to the Surveys Delta node in the Survey Data
node. To view the survey, see To view a survey in the Map window on
page 182.
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To compare a survey with a modeled prediction

You can create a delta survey showing a comparison between survey values
and modeled prediction values. Values in the delta survey are calculated by
subtracting the model prediction values from the survey values (i.e., survey
values - modeled prediction values). A positive value indicates that the
predicted grid value is less than the survey value. For information on the
calculations used in the comparison, see Appendix D: Survey to Numeric
Grid Calculations on page 463.
The predicted values for W-CDMA and cdma2000 sectors are
calculated using the pilot power.

survey and choose Analyze Compare to Modeled Prediction.
If the survey is assigned to more than one sector, in the Choose Sector
dialog box, choose the sector that you want to use for the comparison, and
click OK.
The Survey to Modeled Prediction Comparison dialog box opens.
To save the new survey, click Save, type a name for the survey, and then
click OK.
The new survey is added to the Surveys Delta node in the Survey Data
node. To view the survey, see To view a survey in the Map window on
page 182.
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6.
following sections:
Understanding test mobile

data
Viewing information about a

test mobile data file
Viewing and locating test

mobile data
Chapter 6: Managing Test Mobile Data
Managing Test
Mobile Data
Test mobile data consists of data relating to calls
made by the mobile and general network
measurements collected by it along a defined route
over a period of time. A test mobile is a functioning
phone and collects data about an actual phone call/
data session.
This chapter describes how to import and work with
Displaying test mobile data in

a Map window
test mobile data. It also explains how to export test
Viewing test mobile data in

graph format
mobile data to survey data.
Allocating test mobile data to

sectors
Exporting test mobile data to

surveys
For details on scan receiver data, see Chapter 7:

Managing Scan Receiver Data on page 237.
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Chapter 6
Understanding test mobile data

Test mobile equipment enables network operators to collect reporting and
measurement data. Typically, test mobile equipment takes measurements
along a defined route over a period of time. The use of test mobile equipment
in operational cellular networks is a common network optimization practice.
Test mobile data consists of records organized into columns. Mentum Planet
enables you to work with and analyze test mobile data to increase the
accuracy of predictions. For example, you can compare a test mobile value
against network analysis layers that contain the same value, or you can export
test mobile data to a survey and use the survey to increase the accuracy of
Mentum Planet predictions.
For information on merged predictions that combine survey data with
prediction outputs, see Choosing a prediction mode on page 272.
Input file requirements for test mobile data

The Test Mobile tool supports most delimited text files. Data readers that
support additional formats are being developed. Data readers can be
downloaded and installed separately from Mentum Planet. For the most up-todate list of data readers, go to http://www.mentum.com/products/support/
planet/planet.asp, type your Product ID number, and click Submit.
The Agilent E6474A format is supported for scan receiver data only.
For details, see Chapter 7: Managing Scan Receiver Data on
page 237.
In addition, test mobile data that you want to import into Mentum Planet
must:
206
use a technology that is supported by Mentum Planet and is

enabled in your project
overlap the DEM file for the project
be in text (.txt or .csv) format
contain data from only one test mobile (if you have combined
data from multiple test mobiles, the test mobile tool will not
Managing Test Mobile Data

distinguish between the measurements taken by each one, and

will treat the data as though it came from a single test mobile)
contain the following information in each record:
latitude or northing
longitude or easting
signal strength (RSSI or equivalent in GSM (RxLev) or
CDMA (Ec)), if you want to export the data to a survey
Test mobile data file header

Because networks are not static, a test mobile recording is only valid for the
network configuration when it was recorded. If any attributes of the network,
for example, antennas or powers, are changed, the data may be less accurate
or invalid.
To ensure that the test mobile data is valid, a snapshot is taken of the network
configuration at the time the data was collected, and this information (referred
to as header information) is recorded along with the test mobile data file. See
To view information about a test mobile data file on page 213.

Step 1
Import test mobile data. See Importing test mobile data on

page 208.
Step 2
View the data in a Map window, table, or graph. See
Step 3
Viewing and locating test mobile data on

page 213
Viewing test mobile data in graph format on

page 224
If you want to export the signal strength values (RSSI or

equivalent in GSM (RxLev) or CDMA (Ec)), do the following:
Allocate the data to Mentum Planet sectors. See

Allocating test mobile data to sectors on
page 227.
Export the data to a survey. See Exporting test

mobile data to surveys on page 234.
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The Test Mobile Data Import Wizard guides you through the process of
importing your test mobile data.
As you proceed through the wizard, you must provide the following
information:
the network technology used in the test mobile data file
the file type (delimited text file or comma-separated value file)
the file or files to import
the delimiter between columns in the test mobile data file, if

applicable
the date the test mobile data file was created
the coordinate system of the test mobile data file
You must also bind the columns in the imported data to fields in Mentum
Planet. At a minimum, you must bind latitude and longitude, but you can bind
additional columns depending on the technology. Once you have bound the
columns, you can save the binding information as a template to use again.
This is useful for files from the same equipment that have been exported in
the same manner.
To import test mobile data

This procedure may vary slightly depending on the type of data that you
are importing.
When binding data using the Test Mobile Wizard, you must choose a
value from the list or click the down arrow a second time to close the
list.
In the Project Explorer, in the Operational Data category, expand the

Field Measurement Data node.
Right-click Test Mobile, and choose Import.

The Test Mobile Data Import Wizard opens.
208
On the Welcome page, click Next.
On the Choose a Technology page, choose the technology of the test

mobile data file and click Next.

On the Choose the Type of the Source Data File page, choose the file
type of the test mobile data file and click Next.
On the Choose the Data File(s) You Want to Use page, click Browse,
navigate to the test mobile data file or files, click Open, and then click
Next.
On the Choose the Format of the Source Data File page, do the
following:
In the Delimiters section, enable one or more of the check boxes

(Tab, Semicolon, Comma, Space, Other) to identify the
delimiters used to separate values in the test mobile data file.
If you enabled the Other check box, type a delimiter in the

adjacent box.
If the test mobile data file contains a header row, enable the Use
Header Row check box and, from the Header Row list, choose
the row number of the header row.
From the Start Import at Row list, choose the row number at
which to start the import. This option is useful if your test mobile
data file has comments at the beginning or multiple header rows
that do not need to be imported.
In the Rows With Invalid Latitude/Longitude section, choose

one of the following options to define how to manage invalid
coordinates:
Discard Rows With Invalid Coordinatesdo not

import records with invalid latitude and longitude values.
Use Value From Last Valid Recordcopy valid latitude
and longitude values from the previous record. The
cooridnate values 0,0 are used if it is the first record.
The lower part of the page updates to show the results of your choices.
8
Click Next.
The Choose How You Want the Data Bound Page opens.
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For each column that you want to bind, do the following:
Click in the Mentum Planet Field box and, from the list, choose
the Mentum Planet field to which you want to bind the test
mobile data column.
Click in the Data Format row and choose the format for the
data. Typically, you will only need to choose a format for
latitude, longitude, and BSIC. All other columns offer only one
option that is automatically chosen.
At a minimum, you must bind columns to the latitude and longitude fields
in Mentum Planet. A green indicator is displayed if the binding is
successful and a red indicator if the binding is unsuccessful. Any columns
that you do not bind are shown as <Unbound>. You can move the cursor
over the indicator for more information.
The Binding Status section displays the available Mentum Planet
columns. When the binding is successful, a check mark is displayed.
When the binding is unsuccessful, an X is displayed.
210

10 If you want to use a template to bind the test mobile data to Mentum
Planet fields, click Load Template, navigate to the template file that you
want to use, and click Open.
By default, templates are stored in the Test Mobile Data/Template Files
folder.
Once you load the template, you can modify any of the rows for a single
use, save them as a new template, or overwrite the current template.
11 If you want to bind multiple columns to a single Mentum Planet field (for
example, if you have multiple PN offset columns), do the following:
Choose the columns by holding down the Shift or Ctrl key and
clicking the column headers.
Click Multiple Bindings.
In the Bind Multiple Columns dialog box, from the Mentum

Planet Field list, choose the Mentum Planet field to which to
bind the columns, from the Data Format list, choose the format
for the data, and click OK.
12 If you want to save the binding information to use with other test mobile
data files, click Save as Template, navigate to the folder where you want
to save the template, type a name for the binding template file in the
Name box, and click Save.
13 In the Test Mobile Data Import Wizard, click Next.
14 If you want to modify the file header information, on the Enter Header
Information page, do any of the following:
In the Data Name box, type a new name. The default data name
is the file name minus the extension. This is the name that will
be displayed in the Project Explorer.
In the Operator Name box, type the name of the network

operator.
Click the down arrow in the Data Date box and choose a
different date to apply to the test mobile data file.
Beside the Coordinate System box, click Change, and in the

Choose Projection dialog box, choose the new projection
category and member, and then click OK.
In the Comments box, type any additional comments or modify

the existing comments.
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15 Click Next.
The Data Import dialog box displays the progress of the import process.
16 On the Choose a Map View Template page, do one of the following:
If you do not want to apply a map view template, choose

<None> from the Map View Template list.
To use an existing map view template to display data points in

the Map window, choose a template from the Map View
Template list.
To create a new template, click New Template and follow Step

3 to Step 7 in the procedure, To create a map view template for
test mobile data on page 223.
For details on map view templates, see Displaying test mobile data in a
Map window on page 215.
17 Click Next and then click Finish.
The test mobile data file is added as a node to the Test Mobile node under
the Field Measurement Data node in the Operational Data category of the
Project Explorer.
Viewing information about a test mobile data file

At any time, you can view information about a test mobile data file, including
the following:
212
data name
data date
network technology
operator name
coordinate system
any comments that you have entered about the test mobile data
file

To view information about a test mobile data file

1

Field Measurement Data node, then expand the Test Mobile node.
Right-click a test mobile data node and choose Properties.

The Test Mobile - Data Properties dialog box opens.
If you want to modify the information, do any of the following and click
OK:
different date to apply to the test mobile data file.

operator.

Viewing and locating test mobile data

After you import a test mobile data file, you can quickly view
the data points (i.e., the location where each record was
captured) in the Map window
the test mobile data records in tabular format
You can also display the values in individual columns in the Map
window, but you must first define the settings to use for these values.
See Displaying test mobile data in a Map window on page 215.
To view the test mobile data locations in a Map window

1

Right-click a test mobile data node and choose View.

Each data location is displayed in the Map using a default symbol and
color.
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Chapter 6
To remove the test mobile data from the Map window, right-click the
test mobile data node and choose View again.
To find test mobile data in a Map window

You can use the Locate function to view and zoom in on the test mobile data
in the Map window.
1

Right-click a test mobile data node and choose Locate.

The test mobile data is centered in the Map window and the Map window
zooms in on it.
To view test mobile data in tabular format

1

Right-click a test mobile data node and choose Browse.

The Test Mobile Browser window opens containing the test mobile data
in tabular format. Any columns that you have bound are identified by a
Mentum Planet icon. You can move your cursor over the Mentum Planet
icon to view the name of the Mentum Planet field to which the column
has been bound.
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To sort the data, in ascending or descending order, click the header of the
column that you want to use for sorting. To reverse the order, click the
column header again.
To filter the data, click the down arrow in the column header that you
want to use for filtering and choose the value to display.
The name of the filter (the column name plus the value that you chose to
display) is shown at the bottom of the dialog box, for example ([Message
Type] = Cell Report).
If you filtered the data, in the filter section at the bottom if the dialog box,
do any of the following:
To remove the filter temporarily, clear the check box associated

with it.
To remove the filter completely, click the close button located to

the left of the filter name.
Displaying test mobile data in a Map window

You can graphically display the data associated with the points in the drive
test by defining map view settings for the test mobile data file. Map view
settings identify which columns to display and which point display settings to
apply to each column.
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Point display settings define how to present the data in a column. They enable
you to define the symbol, size, and color for each value or range of values in a
column. There are three types of point display settings:
individualenables you to assign a single symbol and color for

a specific value. Use this option for columns that contain textual
data or that have a limited number of fixed values. For example,
if your test mobile data file has a column called Direction with
values of Uplink and Downlink, you can assign a different
symbol and color for Uplink and Downlink.
rangesenable you to assign a symbol size to a range of values.

Use this option for columns with a high number of individual
values. For example, if your test mobile data file has a column
for RxLev (the received power level), you can assign symbols to
ranges of RxLev values (e.g., 0-5.6, 5.6-11.2, 11.2-16.6, etc.).
Automatic selection
When you define map view settings for a test mobile data file, if you choose
to create new point display settings, the Test Mobile tool automatically
chooses an appropriate point display setting type, and, by default, assigns the
column name and display values based on the content of the column. You can
modify these values.

Test mobile display information is located in three sections under the Field
Measurement Data node in the Operational Data category of the Project
Explorer:
216
Point display settings are stored under the Point Display Settings
node. They are classified as either Local (i.e., not stored in Data
Manager), or Shared (i.e., stored in Data Manager).
Map view templates, which are groups of point display settings

and associated column names, are stored under the Map View
Templates node under the Test Mobile node.
If you have defined map view settings for a test mobile data file,
the names of any columns that have a point display setting
assigned to them are displayed under the test mobile data node
along with the name of the point display setting, in the format
<column name> - <point display setting>. For example, in

Figure 6.1, the All-ARFCN TCH column in the TMData test

mobile data file is assigned the Channels point display setting.
Figure 6.1 shows the organization of point display and map view settings in
Point display settings

Map view templates
Names of columns in the test mobile

data file that have point display
settings assigned to them, along with
the name of the point display setting
Figure 6.1 Point display and map view settings in the Project Explorer
To define map view settings for a test mobile data file

1

Right-click a test mobile data node and choose Map View Settings.
The Map View Settings dialog box opens. The Map View Settings dialog
box enables you to define point display settings for the columns in your
test mobile data file. If you applied a template when you imported the test
mobile data file or if you have already defined map view settings for the
test mobile data file, the Map View Settings dialog box contains the
defined values. Otherwise, it contains no values.
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If you want to apply a map view template to the test mobile data, click
Load, and in the Load Template dialog box, choose a template from the
list and click OK.
For information on creating a map view template, see To create a map
view template for test mobile data on page 223.
To add a data column from the test mobile data file, click Add.
The Column Assignment dialog box opens.
From the Data Columns list, choose one or more columns in the test
mobile data file that you want to display.
From the Point Display Setting list, choose an existing point

display setting to apply to the test mobile column, click OK, and
go to Step 10.
From the Point Display Setting list, choose Create New

Setting, click OK, and go to Step 7. The Test Mobile tool
automatically chooses the correct display setting type or types
(individual or ranges) based on the contents of the data column
that you chose, and provides a default name for the setting.
In the New Point Display Settings dialog box, choose a display setting
type, type a name or accept the default, and click OK.
If the data in the column is textual, only the Individual display setting
type will be available. If the data is numeric, all three types will be
available.
218
Click OK.

If you chose to define individual point display settings, see To

define individual point display settings on page 219.
If you chose to define ranges, see To define point display

settings for ranges of values on page 220.
10 If you want to view the data in the Map window, in the Map View
Settings dialog box, choose the point display setting that you want to
view and click View.
A new layer is added to the Map window.
11 If you want to save the map view settings as a template, click Save As,
and in the Save Template dialog box, type a name for the template, and
click OK.
12 When you have finished defining map view settings, in the Map View
Settings dialog box, click OK.
The names of the columns with point display settings assigned are
displayed in the Project Explorer under the test mobile data file (see
Figure 6.1 on page 217). To view them, see To display the test mobile
data points in a Map window on page 222.
The point display settings are also added to the Shared node under the
Point Display Settings node. These settings can be used again for other
test mobile or scan receiver data files.
You can also apply a map view template by dragging it onto a test
mobile data file in the Project Explorer.
You can move point display settings between the Local and Shared
node by choosing one or more point display settings in the Project
Explorer and dragging them to the Local or Shared node.
To edit point display settings, under the Local or Shared node, rightclick the point display setting and choose Edit.

When you are defining map view settings for a test mobile data file, the
Editing Point Display Settings dialog box is automatically populated with
values from the column that you chose.
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To add a row, in the Editing Point Display Settings dialog box, click
Add.
To remove a row, choose the row and click Remove.

You cannot remove the Default value. This value is used to define display
settings for any value that you do not specifically enter.
To modify a row, do any of the following:
Click in the Name box and type a new column name.
If you do not want the value to be visible in the Map window,

clear the Visible check box. Clearing the Visible check box is
useful if you do not want to view points that match this value
now, but may want to view them later.
To change the symbol, click in the Symbol box, and from the
list, choose the font, and then choose the individual symbol, and
click OK.
Click in the Size box and type or choose the symbol size that you
want.
To modify the color, click in the Color box and choose the color
that you want.
When you have finished defining individual point display settings, in the
Editing Point Display Settings dialog box, click OK.
You can also define individual point display settings by right-clicking

Local or Shared under the Point Display Settings node and choosing
New. Then, in the New Point Display Settings dialog box, choose Individual
and click OK. In this case, because you are not defining individual point
display settings based on an existing column, the Editing Point Display
Settings dialog box is not automatically populated. You must define the values
manually.
If you define the values manually, you should define them to match the types
and ranges of values that are likely to occur in your test mobile data.

When you are defining map view settings for a test mobile data file, the
220

Add.
In the >=Min box, type or choose the minimum value for the
range.
In the <Max box, type or choose the maximum value for the
range.
click OK.
Click in the Size box and type or choose the symbol size.
To modify the color, click in the Color box and choose a color.
To define ranges automatically, click Auto, and in the Auto Range

Settings dialog box, do the following:
In the Minimum and Maximum boxes, type the minimum and

maximum values for the range.
In the Interval Method section, choose one of the following:

Intervalto define an interval between range values
Numberto define a number of range values
In the Value box, type a value to indicate the interval or the
number of range values. For example, if you choose a minimum
value of 2 and a maximum value of 8, if you choose Interval and
type 2 in the Value box, the ranges created will be 2-4, 4-6, and
6-8. If you choose Number and type 2 in the Value box, the
ranges created will be 2-5 and 5-8.
Click OK.
A maximum of 16 ranges will be created. The ranges will overwrite any

existing ranges. You can remove or modify any of these ranges as
described in Step 2 and Step 3.
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When you have finished defining ranges, in the Editing Point Display
If any ranges overlap (for example, 610-620 and 615-625), when a value
falls into both ranges, only the symbol associated with the first set of
values will be displayed.
You can also define ranges by right-clicking Local or Shared under the
Point Display Settings node and choosing New. Then, in the New Point
Display Settings dialog box, choose Ranges and click OK. In this case,
because you are not defining ranges based on an existing column, the Editing
Point Display Settings dialog box is not automatically populated. You must
define the values manually.
To display the test mobile data points in a Map window

After you define map view settings for a test mobile data file, you can display
the data points in a Map window. Any columns to which you have assigned
point display settings are displayed as nodes in the Project Explorer under the
test mobile data node.
1

Expand the test mobile data node for which you want to view data points.
Right-click the column node that you want to view, and choose View.
To remove the test mobile data points from the Map window, in the
Project Explorer, right-click the test mobile data node (one level up from
the column node) and choose View. This clears the check box and removes
the data from the Map window.
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To create a map view template for test mobile data

You can create a map view template that you can apply to multiple test mobile
data files. This is useful if you have similar data collected at another location.
You can apply templates
when you are importing a test mobile data file (see To import
test mobile data on page 208)
when you are defining map view settings (see To define map
view settings for a test mobile data file on page 217)
at any time by dragging the template onto a test mobile data file
in the Project Explorer

Choose a test mobile data node and drag it onto the Map View Templates
node.
The Edit Template dialog box opens with the columns in the test mobile
data file listed under the Data Columns heading.
For each column that you want to display, from the Point Display Setting
list, choose a setting to apply to the column.
If you want to add a row, click Add and type a name for the test mobile
data column in the Data Columns column.
If you want to remove a row, choose the row and click Remove.
Click OK.
In the Save Template dialog box, type a name in the New Template
Name box and click OK.
The template is added to the Map View Templates node under the Test
Mobile node.
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Viewing test mobile data in graph format

You can view information about the records in your test mobile data file in
graph format. This format enables you to view and compare the following
types of information:
parametersthe values for a specific parameter or parameters,

such as quality, over a period of time or sequence of events
eventsthe values for events such as handovers or dropped

calls, over a period of time or sequence of events
This information provides useful options for analyzing test mobile data.
Viewing multiple parameters over time enables you to visualize the
interaction between parameters. For example, in Figure 6.2 on page 224,
the RxLev is compared to the occurrences of the No Service Mode event
(vertical lines).
Figure 6.2 Comparison of data in the Test Mobile Graph dialog box
In the Test Mobile Graph dialog box, the x-axis is either Time or Index. Index
identifies the sequence of records in the test mobile file. You can display up to
four values for the y-axis.
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The Test Mobile Graph dialog box provides two toolbars:
The first toolbar enables you to format the graph.
The second toolbar enables you to zoom, print, and navigate

through the graph. For more information about how to use the
second toolbar, press the F1 key.
When the Test Mobile Graph dialog box is open, if you also have a Test
Mobile Browser window or Map window open, they are all synchronized. If
you choose a record in one, the same record is also chosen in the others.
To view test mobile data in graph format

1

Right-click the test mobile data node that you want to view and choose
Graph.
The Test Mobile Graph dialog box opens.
To modify the format of the x-axis, from the Settings list, choose X Axis
and do any of the following:
From the Data list, choose Time or Index.
From the Color list, choose the color to use for the lines in the
graph and the axis label.
From the Font Size list, choose the font size for the axis label.
If you want to view grid lines in the graph, enable the Grid
Lines check box.
The display updates dynamically as you choose your options.

4
To define y-axis values, from the Settings list, choose one of the
following options:
First Y Seriesdefines the first column (numeric data only) to

be displayed on the y-axis and the display settings to be used.
The label for this series is located on the y-axis to the left of the
graph.
Second Y Seriesdefines the second column (numeric data

only) to be displayed on the y-axis and the display settings to be
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Chapter 6
used. The label for this series is located on the y-axis to the right
of the graph.
Third Y Seriesdefines the third column (numeric data only)

to be displayed on the y-axis and the display settings to be used.
label for the First Y Series.
Message Seriesdefines the fourth column (textual data only)

From the Data list, choose the type of data to display.

If you choose Message Series in Step 4, the list available in the Data box
is limited to the textual columns in the imported test mobile data file.
Otherwise, the list is limited to numerical values.
If you chose First Y Series, Second Y Series, or Third Y Series in Step

4, to format the data, do any of the following:
From the Color list, choose the color to use for the point or lines
in the graph and the axis label.
Choose Points or Lines to use for the data in the graph. If you
chose Points, choose a point size from the Point Size list.
Lines check box.
The display updates dynamically as you choose your options. For

numerical values, the Numerical legend box updates to display the legend
for the data and color that you chose.
7
If you chose Message Series in Step 4, in the Message Legend box,

enable the check boxes for the types of message that you want to view.
If you want to compare multiple types of data, repeat Step 4 to Step 7 for
the data that you want to view.
You can compare up to three types of numeric data (using the First Y
Series, Second Y Series, and Third Y Series options) and one type of
string data.
To close the Test Mobile Graph dialog box, right-click the test mobile
data node and choose Graph again.
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When you minimize the Test Mobile Graph dialog box, a Test Mobile
Graph icon appears at the bottom of the Project Explorer. Click the icon
to restore the dialog box.
To print the data in the Test Mobile Graph window
In the Test Mobile Graph dialog box, click the Print button.
You can also preview the printed version by clicking the Print Preview
button.
Allocating test mobile data to sectors

If you want to convert your test mobile data to surveys or identify sectors by
carrier or color code information, you must allocate the data to sectors. You
can allocate data either automatically or manually.
There are two steps in the automatic allocation process:
looking up sectors
allocating records to sectors
For details on the manual allocation process, see To assign sectors to test
mobile carrier nodes manually on page 230.
Looking up sectors for test mobile data

During this part of the process, the Test Mobile tool attempts to match the
information in the test mobile data file to sector information in Mentum
Planet. This process differs slightly depending on the technology:
For TDMA/FDMA technologies, the color code and, optionally,

the control carrier are used. (For IS-136, DVCC is used for color
code and the digital control channel is used in instances where
more than one control channel is assigned.) During the automatic
allocation process, the Test Mobile tool attempts to match carrier
and color code combinations in the test mobile data file to the
carrier and color code combinations in Mentum Planet. For
example, if there are 300 records in the test mobile data file that
have a carrier and color code combination of 280-67, the tool
matches any sectors in Mentum Planet with the same carrier and
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color code combination to these records. For more information

on carriers and color codes, see the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
For cdma2000, the PN offset code and, optionally, the carrier are
used. During the automatic allocation process, the Test Mobile
tool attempts to match the carrier and PN offset code
combinations in the records in the test mobile data file to the
carrier and PN offset code combinations in Mentum Planet. For
more information on carriers and PN offset codes, see the CDMA
User Guide.
For W-CDMA, the scrambling code and, optionally, the carrier

are used. During the automatic allocation process, the Test
Mobile tool attempts to match the carrier and scrambling code
combinations in the records in the test mobile data file to the
carrier and scrambling code combinations in Mentum Planet. For
more information on carriers and scrambling codes, see the
CDMA User Guide.
The values that are looked up are saved with the test mobile data file. This
retains the attributes of the sectors that were used when the measurements
were taken.
Allocating test mobile records to sectors

During this part of the process, the Test Mobile tool assigns the records in the
test mobile data file to the sectors that match those records using one of the
following methods:
by distanceattempts to assign sectors to test mobile data

records using the sector closest to the location where the record
was captured
by path lossattempts to assign sectors to test mobile data

records using the sector with the least path loss to the location
where the record was captured. The path loss is calculated using
a free space loss calculation that takes into consideration the
effects of ERP, the antenna pattern, and the azimuth.
Records with a null RSSI value will not be assigned to a sector.
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To look up sectors for test mobile data automatically

1

Right-click the test mobile data node for which you want to look up
sectors and choose Allocate Records.
The Test Mobile - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box opens.
By default, the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view displays a list of
carrier nodes that show the combinations of carrier and color code, PN
offset, or scrambling code that appear in the test mobile data file. Only
nodes for which there are records with valid RSSI values are displayed.
For these nodes, the number of records with valid RSSI values is shown
in parentheses. If a record is missing a carrier or color code, PN offset, or
scrambling code, it is identified as missing.
For example, if the test mobile data uses GSM technology and the carrier
node is labeled 69-67 (317), this means that there are 317 records in the
test mobile data file with a BCCH of 69 and a BSIC of 67. If the node is
labeled Missing-Missing (108), this means that there are 108 records that
do not contain a BCCH or BSIC.
In the Sectors section, click Look Up, and then in the Select Sectors
dialog box, choose the group of sectors to use and click Continue.
The Serving Site/Sector Information tree view is updated to show which
carrier nodes match values from the Mentum Planet sectors. Carrier nodes
that do match Mentum Planet sectors are shown in red. You can manually
assign sectors to unmatched carrier nodes. See To assign sectors to test
mobile carrier nodes manually on page 230.
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Chapter 6
Unassigned
carrier node
Assigned
carrier nodes
If you want to look up additional sectors from a different group, repeat

Step 3, and then in the confirmation dialog box, do one of the following:
Click Yes to remove existing sector assignments. Any sectors

that have already been allocated to the test mobile records will
be removed.
Click No to keep existing sector assignments.
If required, manually adjust any sector assignments. See To assign

sectors to test mobile carrier nodes manually on page 230.
You can also look up sectors by doing one of the following:
To look up sectors for all carrier nodes, right-click the top-level node
and choose Look Up Sectors.
To look up sectors for a single carrier node, right-click the carrier node
To assign sectors to test mobile carrier nodes manually

If you want to assign a sector to a carrier node, and the sector has either not
been assigned automatically or has been assigned incorrectly, you can assign a
sector manually. You can assign multiple sectors to each carrier node.
230

In the Test Mobile - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, in the

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose a carrier node and
click Assign Sector.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the group that contains the sector
that you want to assign, and click Continue.
In the Site Lookup dialog box, choose the sector to assign to the carrier
node and click OK.
You can also assign a sector by right-clicking a carrier node in the
Serving Site/Sector Information tree view and choosing Assign Sector.
To add a virtual test mobile sector

A virtual sector is one that does not exist in your Mentum Planet project, but
that was part of the drive test. This sector could be part of another region, a
competitors sector, or no longer on the air.
You can add a virtual sector to the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view
and allocate the appropriate records to it. Virtual sectors appear only as part of
the Test Mobile tool. They are not added to your Mentum Planet project.
1

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the carrier node to
which you want to assign the virtual sector, and click Add Virtual
Sector.
In the Add Virtual Sector dialog box, in the Site Name box, type a name
for the site to which the virtual sector belongs, and in the Sector Name
box, type a name for the virtual sector.
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In the Antenna Information section, do the following:
From the Name list, choose the name of the antenna.
In the X/Long box, type the x-coordinate of the sector. This

value must be within the co-ordinates of the DEM file for the
project.
In the Y/Lat box, type the y-coordinate of the sector. This value
must be within the co-ordinates of the DEM file for the project.
In the Height box, type the height of the sector above ground
level.
In the Power box, type the power of the sector.
In the Azimuth box, type the azimuth of the sector.
In the Tilt box, type the tilt of the sector.
For more information on any of these values, press the F1 key.

4
Click OK.

You can view information about any of the serving sectors in the Serving Site/
Sector tree view. The information that is displayed originally is the
information associated with that sector in Mentum Planet.
When you modify information in the Sector Information section of the Test
Mobile - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, you are modifying only the
data associated with the test mobile data file. You are not changing the values
assigned to the sectors in Mentum Planet. Typically, you would modify this
data when you know that a sector that actually exists (and was used to collect
the test mobile data) has different values than those assigned in Mentum
Planet.
1

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose the sector.
The Sector Information displays the information for the chosen sector.
232
If you want to modify the sector information, type new values in any of
the editable boxes, and click Apply.

To allocate test mobile records to sectors

1
In the Records section, choose the By Distance or By Path Loss option

for assigning records where there is more than one possible match.
See Allocating test mobile data to sectors on page 227 for more
information on these options.
To allocate records to all sectors, in the Serving Site/Sector

Information tree view, choose the top-level node and in the
Records section, click Allocate. The Serving Site/Sector
Information tree view is updated to show the number of records
that have been assigned to all sectors in parentheses following
the sector names.
To allocate records to a single sector only, in the Serving Site/

Sector Information tree view, choose a sector and in the
that have been assigned to the chosen sector in parentheses
following the sector name.
If you click Allocate, but you have not yet looked up sectors, the Test
Mobile tool automatically looks up sectors before allocating records.
You can also allocate records by right-clicking a carrier node in the Site/
Sector Information tree view and choosing Allocate Records by
Minimum Distance or Allocate Records by Minimum Path Loss. This option is
only available if you have looked up sectors automatically or assigned sectors
manually first.
If you want to hide sectors that have not been allocated, in the Serving
Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the top-level node, and
choose Hide All Unmatched Sectors. You can view all sectors by right-clicking
the top-level node again and choosing Show All Sectors.
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To view the test mobile records

You can view the test mobile data records associated with a sector or a carrier
node.

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the item and
choose Browse Records.
A Test Mobile Browser window opens, showing the records associated
with the item that you chose.
To unassign sectors
In the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose the sector,

and in the Sectors section, click Unassign Sector.
You can also unassign a sector by right-clicking the sector and
choosing Unassign Sector.
To modify the display in the Test Mobile tree view

By default, when you assign sectors to carrier nodes, the sectors are added to
the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view under each carrier node. You
can reverse the order to display the carrier nodes under the sectors.

Serving Site/Sector Information section, right-click the top-level
node, and choose Toggle View.
You can restore the original view by right-clicking the top-level node and
choosing Toggle View again.
Exporting test mobile data to surveys

After you have allocated test mobile data to sectors, you can export the test
mobile data to one or more surveys. For information on allocating test mobile
data to sectors, see Allocating test mobile data to sectors on page 227.
When you export the test mobile data to a survey, the latitude, longitude,
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signal strength, and sector header information are exported. You can choose
one of the following options for export:
With Assignmentcreates an assignment file with the survey

assigned to the matched sector (see To export a survey
assignment file on page 192 for details on assignment files).
Without Assignmentdoes not create an assignment file
For more information on what you can do with the exported surveys, see
Chapter 5: Managing Survey Data on page 173.
The Export to Survey function for test mobile data files is subject to the
sampling rates of the original test mobile data files. The equipment
used to create the original test mobile data files is not always configured to
sample data with enough samples for quality model tuning purposes (for
example, to satisfy the Lee Criteria).
To export test mobile data to surveys

1

Right-click the test mobile data node you want to view and choose one of
the following:
Export to Survey With Assignment
Export to Survey Without Assignment
The test mobile data is converted to one or more surveys. The exported
surveys are grouped under the Surveys RSSI node. The name of the group
is the same as the test mobile data name. Surveys with invalid header
information are identified by a red icon in the Project Explorer. A warning
message identifies the surveys with invalid headers.
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236
7.
following sections:
Understanding scan receiver

data
Chapter 7: Managing Scan Receiver Data
Managing Scan
Receiver Data
Scan receiver data consists of data relating to the
location and signal strength of multiple carriers. A
scan receiver collects only information related to
Workflow for scan receiver

data
signal strength and is never involved in an actual call.
This chapter describes how to import and work with
Viewing information about a

scan receiver data file
scan receiver data. It also explains how to export
scan receiver data to survey data.
Displaying scan receiver data

in a Map window
For details on test mobile data, see Chapter 6:
Viewing scan receiver data in

graph format
Managing Test Mobile Data on page 205.
Allocating scan receiver data

to sectors
Exporting scan receiver data

to surveys
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Chapter 7
Understanding scan receiver data

Scan receiver equipment enables network operators to collect reporting and
measurement data. Typically, scan receiver equipment takes measurements
along a defined route over a period of time. The use of scan receiver
equipment in operational cellular networks is a common network
optimization practice.
Scan receiver data consists of records organized into columns. Mentum Planet
enables you to work with and analyze scan receiver data to increase the
accuracy of predictions. For example, you can compare a scan receiver value
against network analysis layers that contain the same value, or you can export
scan receiver data to a survey and use the survey to increase the accuracy of
Mentum Planet predictions.
For information on merged predictions that combine survey data with
prediction outputs, see Choosing a prediction mode on page 272.
Input file requirements for scan receiver data

The Scan Receiver tool supports the following formats:
Agilent E6474A (cdma2000 technology) with specific export

requirements. See To export scan receiver data from Agilent
E6474A software on page 239.
most delimited text files
Data readers that support additional formats will continue to be developed.

The data readers can be downloaded and installed separately from Mentum
Planet. For the most up-to-date list of data readers, go to http://
www.mentum.com/products/support/planet/planet.asp, type your Product ID
number, and click Submit.
In addition, scan receiver data that you want to import into Mentum Planet
must:
238
use a technology that is supported by Mentum Planet and is

enabled in your project
overlap the DEM file for the project
be in text (.txt or .csv) format
contain data from only one scan receiver (if you have combined
data from multiple scan receivers, the scan receiver tool will not
Managing Scan Receiver Data

distinguish between the measurements taken by each one, and

will treat the data as though it came from a single scan receiver)
contain the following information in each record:
latitude or northing
longitude or easting
signal strength (RSSI or equivalent in GSM (RxLev) or
CDMA (Ec)), if you want to export the data to a survey
To export scan receiver data from Agilent E6474A software

If you are exporting drive test data from Agilent E6474A (Nitro) software for
use in Mentum Planet, you must export it as follows:
1
Choose Tools Export Wizard.
In the Export Wizard, do the following:
Choose the scan receiver data (.sd5) file to export.
Choose the Fixed Scheme option and the .csv or tab-delimited

sub-option.
The export process creates a number of files. The following two files
(which will have either a .csv or .txt suffix depending on which suboption you chose) are required to import data into Mentum Planet:
<filename>CDMA Pilot Top N Multipath
<filename>GPS position
Scan receiver data file header

Because networks are not static, a scan receiver recording is only valid for the
network configuration when it was recorded. If any attributes of the network,
for example, antennas or powers, are changed, the data may be less accurate
or invalid.
To ensure that the scan receiver data is valid, a snapshot is taken of the
network configuration at the time the data was collected, and this information
(referred to as header information) is recorded along with the scan receiver
data file. See To view information about a scan receiver data file on
page 246.
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Chapter 7
Workflow for scan receiver data

Step 1
Import scan receiver data. See Importing scan receiver data on

page 240.
Step 2
View the data in a Map window, table, or graph. See
Step 3
Viewing scan receiver data on page 246
Viewing scan receiver data in graph format on

page 257
If you want to export the signal strength values (RSSI or

equivalent in GSM (RxLev) or CDMA (Ec)), do the following:
Allocate the data to Mentum Planet sectors. See

Allocating scan receiver data to sectors on
page 260.
Export the data to a survey. See Exporting scan

receiver data to surveys on page 267.

The Scan Receiver Data Import Wizard guides you through the process of
importing your scan receiver data.
As you proceed through the wizard, you must provide the following
information:
the network technology used in the scan receiver data file
the file type (delimited text file or comma-separated value file)
the file or files to import
the delimiter between columns in the scan receiver data file, if

applicable
the date the scan receiver data file was created
the coordinate system of the scan receiver data file

If you are importing an Agilent file, you must choose two files for import:
the CDMA Pilot Top N Multipath file and the GPS location file.
You must also bind the columns in the imported data to fields in Mentum
Planet. At a minimum, you must bind latitude and longitude, but you can bind
additional columns depending on the technology. Once you have bound the
240

columns, you can save the binding information as a template to use again.
This is useful for files from the same equipment that have been exported in
the same manner.
To import scan receiver data

This procedure may vary slightly depending on the type of data that you
are importing.
When binding data using the Scan Receiver Wizard, you must choose
a value from the list or click the down arrow a second time to close the
list.

Field Measurement Data node.
Right-click Scan Receiver and choose Import.

The Scan Receiver Data Import Wizard opens.
On the Welcome page, click Next.
On the Choose a Technology page, choose the technology of the scan

receiver data file and click Next.
On the Choose the Type of the Source Data File page, choose the file
type of the scan receiver data file and click Next.
On the Choose the Data File(s) You Want to Use page, click Browse,
navigate to the scan receiver data file or files, click Open, and then click
Next.
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On the Choose the Format of the Source Data File page, do the
following:
In the Delimiters section, enable one or more of the check boxes

(Tab, Semicolon, Comma, Space, Other) to identify the
delimiters used to separate values in the scan receiver data file.
If you enabled the Other check box, type a delimiter in the

adjacent box.
If the scan receiver data file contains a header row, enable the
Use Header Row check box and, from the Header Row list,
choose the row number of the header row.
From the Start Import at Row list, choose the row number at
which to start the import. This option is useful if your test mobile
data file has comments at the beginning or multiple header rows
that do not need to be imported.
In the Rows With Invalid Latitude/Longitude section, choose

one of the following options to define how to manage invalid
coordinates:
Discard Rows With Invalid Coordinatesdo not

import records with invalid latitude and longitude values.
Use Value From Last Valid Recordcopy valid latitude
and longitude values from the previous record. The
cooridnate values 0,0 are used if it is the first record.
The lower part of the page updates to show the results of your choices.
8
Click Next.
The Choose How You Want the Data Bound Page opens.
242

For each column that you want to bind, do the following:
Click in the Mentum Planet Field box and, from the list, choose
the Mentum Planet field to which you want to bind the scan
receiver data column.
Click in the Data Format row and choose the format for the
data. Typically, you will only need to choose a format for
latitude, longitude, and BSIC. All other columns offer only one
option that is automatically chosen.
in Mentum Planet. Any columns that you do not bind are shown as
<Unbound>.
in Mentum Planet. A green indicator is displayed if the binding is
successful and a red indicator if the binding is unsuccessful. Any columns
that you do not bind are shown as <Unbound>. You can move the cursor
over the indicator for more information.
The Binding Status section displays the available Mentum Planet
columns. When the binding is successful, a check mark is displayed.
When the binding is unsuccessful, an X is displayed.
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10 If you want to use a template to bind the scan receiver data to Mentum
Planet fields, click Load Template, navigate to the template file that you
want to use, and click Open.
By default, templates are stored in the Scan Receiver Data/Template Files
folder.
Once you load the template, you can modify any of the rows for a single
use, save them as a new template, or overwrite the current template.
11 If you want to bind multiple columns to a single Mentum Planet field (for
example, if you have multiple PN offset columns), do the following:
Choose the columns by holding down the Shift or Ctrl key and
clicking the column headers.
Click Multiple Bindings.
In the Bind Multiple Columns dialog box, from the Mentum

Planet Field list, choose the Mentum Planet field to which to
bind the columns, from the Data Format list, choose the format
for the data, and click OK.
12 If you want to save the binding information to use with other scan
receiver data files, click Save as Template, navigate to the folder where
you want to save the template, type a name for the binding template file in
the Name box, and click Save.
13 In the Scan Receiver Data Import Wizard, click Next.
14 If you want to modify the file header information, on the Enter Header
Information page, do any of the following:
244
In the Data Name box, type a new name. The default data name
is the file name minus the extension. This is the name that will
be displayed in the Project Explorer.

operator.
different date to apply to the scan receiver data file.
Beside the Coordinate System box, click Change, and in the

Choose Projection dialog box, choose the new projection
category and member, and then click OK.


15 Click Next.
The Data Import dialog box displays the progress of the import process.
16 On the Choose a Map View Template page, do one of the following:
If you do not want to apply a map view template, choose

<None> from the Map View Template list.
To use an existing map view template to display data points in

the Map window, choose a template from the Map View
Template list.
To create a new template, click New Template and follow Step

3 to Step 7 in the procedure, To create a map view template for
scan receiver data on page 256.
For details on map view templates, see Displaying scan receiver data in a
Map window on page 248.
17 Click Next and then click Finish.
The scan receiver data file is added as a node to the Scan Receiver node
under the Field Measurement Data node in the Operational Data category
of the Project Explorer.
Viewing information about a scan receiver data file

At any time, you can view information about a scan receiver data file,
including the following:
data name
data date
network technology
operator name
coordinate system
any comments that you have entered about the scan receiver data
file
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To view information about a scan receiver data file

1

Field Measurement Data node, then expand the Scan Receiver node.
Right-click a scan receiver data node and choose Properties.

The Scan Receiver - Data Properties dialog box opens.
If you want to modify the information, do any of the following and click
OK:
different date to apply to the scan receiver data file.

operator.


After you import a scan receiver data file, you can quickly view
the data points (i.e., the location where each record was
captured) in the Map window
the scan receiver data records in tabular format
You can also display the values in individual columns in the Map
window, but you must first define the settings to use for these values.
See Displaying scan receiver data in a Map window on page 248.
To view the scan receiver data locations in a Map window

1

Right-click a scan receiver data node and choose View.

A new layer is added to the Map window displaying each location using a
default symbol and color.
246

To remove the scan receiver data from the Map window, right-click the
scan receiver data node and choose View again.
To find scan receiver data in a Map window

You can use the Locate function to view and zoom in on the scan receiver data
in the Map window.
1

Right-click a scan receiver data node and choose Locate.

The scan receiver data is centered in the Map window and the Map
window zooms in on it.
To view scan receiver data in tabular format

1

Right-click a scan receiver data node and choose Browse.

The Scan Receiver Browser window opens containing the scan receiver
data in tabular format. Any columns that you have bound are identified by
a Mentum Planet icon. You can move your cursor over the Mentum Planet
icon to view the name of the Mentum Planet field to which the column
has been bound.
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To sort the data, in ascending or descending order, click the header of the
column that you want to use for sorting. To reverse the order, click the
column header again.
To filter the data, click the down arrow in the column header that you
want to use for filtering and choose the value to display.
The name of the filter (the column name plus the value that you chose to
display) is shown at the bottom of the dialog box, for example ([Message
Type] = Cell Report).
If you filtered the data, in the filter section at the bottom if the dialog box,
To remove the filter temporarily, clear the check box associated

with it.
To remove the filter completely, click the close button located to

the left of the filter name.
Displaying scan receiver data in a Map window

You can graphically display the data associated with the points in the drive
test by defining map view settings for the scan receiver data file. Map view
settings identify which columns to display and which point display settings to
apply to each column.
248


Point display settings define how to present the data in a column. They enable
you to define the symbol, size, and color for each value or range of values in a
column. There are three types of point display settings:
individualenables you to assign a single symbol and color for

a specific value. Use this option for columns that contain textual
data or that have a limited number of fixed values. For example,
if your scan receiver data file has a column called Direction with
values of Uplink and Downlink, you can assign a different
symbol and color for Uplink and Downlink.
rangesenable you to assign a symbol size to a range of values.

Use this option for columns with a high number of individual
values. For example, if your scan receiver data file has a column
for RxLev (the received power level), you can assign symbols to
ranges of RxLev values (e.g., 0-5.6, 5.6-11.2, 11.2-16.6, etc.).
Automatic selection
When you define map view settings for a scan receiver data file, if you choose
to create new point display settings, the Scan Receiver tool automatically
chooses an appropriate point display setting type, and, by default, assigns the
column name and display values based on the content of the column. You can
modify these values.

Scan receiver display information is located in three sections under the Field
Measurement Data node in the Operational Data category of the Project
Explorer:
Point display settings are stored under the Point Display Settings
node. They are classified as either Local (i.e., not stored in Data
Manager), or Shared (i.e., stored in Data Manager).
Map view templates, which are groups of point display settings

and associated column names, are stored under the Map View
Templates node under the Scan Receiver node.
If you have defined map view settings for a scan receiver data
file, the names of any columns that have a point display setting
assigned to them are displayed under the scan receiver data node
along with the name of the point display setting, in the format
<column name> - <point display setting>. For example, in
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Figure 7.1, the All-ARFCN TCH column in the TMData scan

receiver data file is assigned the Channels point display setting.
Figure 7.1 shows the organization of point display and map view settings in
Map view templates

Names of columns in the scan receiver
data file that have point display
settings assigned to them, along with
the name of the point display setting
Figure 7.1 Point display and map view settings in the Project Explorer
To define map view settings for a scan receiver data file

1

Right-click a scan receiver data node and choose Map View Settings.
The Map View Settings dialog box opens. The Map View Settings dialog
box enables you to define point display settings for the columns in your
scan receiver data file. If you applied a template when you imported the
scan receiver data file or if you have already defined map view settings
for the scan receiver data file, the Map View Settings dialog box contains
the defined values. Otherwise, it contains no values.
250

If you want to apply a map view template to the scan receiver data, click
Load, and in the Load Template dialog box, choose a template from the
list and click OK.
For information on creating a map view template, see To create a map
view template for scan receiver data on page 256.
To add a data column from the scan receiver data file, click Add.
The Column Assignment dialog box opens.
From the Data Columns list, choose one or more columns in the scan
receiver data file that you want to display.
From the Point Display Setting list, choose an existing point

display setting to apply to the scan receiver column, click OK,
and go to Step 10.
From the Point Display Setting list, choose Create New

Setting, click OK, and go to Step 7. The Scan Receiver tool
automatically chooses the correct display setting type or types
(individual or ranges) based on the contents of the data column
that you chose, and provides a default name for the setting.
In the New Point Display Settings dialog box, choose a display setting
type, type a name or accept the default, and click OK.
If the data in the column is textual, only the Individual display setting
type will be available. If the data is numeric, all three types will be
available.
Click OK.
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If you chose to define individual point display settings, see To

define individual point display settings on page 252.
If you chose to define ranges, see To define point display

settings for ranges of values on page 253.
10 If you want to view the data in the Map window, in the Map View
Settings dialog box, choose the point display setting that you want to
view and click View.
11 If you want to save the map view settings as a template, click Save As,
and in the Save Template dialog box, type a name for the template, and
click OK.
12 When you have finished defining map view settings, in the Map View
The names of the columns with point display settings assigned are
displayed in the Project Explorer under the scan receiver data file (see
Figure 7.1 on page 250). To view them, see To display the scan receiver
data points in a Map window on page 255.
The point display settings are also added to the Shared node under the
Point Display Settings node. These settings can be used again for other
scan receiver or scan receiver data files.
You can also apply a map view template by dragging it onto a scan
receiver data file in the Project Explorer.
You can move point display settings between the Local and Shared
node by choosing one or more point display settings in the Project
Explorer and dragging them to the Local or Shared node.
To edit point display settings, under the Local or Shared node, rightclick the point display setting and choose Edit.

When you are defining map view settings for a scan receiver data file, the
252

Add.

You cannot remove the Default value. This value is used to define display
settings for any value that you do not specifically enter.
Click in the Name box and type a new column name.
If you do not want the value to be visible in the Map window,

clear the Visible check box. Clearing the Visible check box is
useful if you do not want to view points that match this value
now, but may want to view them later.
click OK.
Click in the Size box and type or choose the symbol size that you
want.
To modify the color, click in the Color box and choose the color
that you want.
When you have finished defining individual point display settings, in the
Editing Point Display Settings dialog box, click OK.
You can also define individual point display settings by right-clicking

Local or Shared under the Point Display Settings node and choosing
New. Then, in the New Point Display Settings dialog box, choose Individual
and click OK. In this case, because you are not defining individual point
display settings based on an existing column, the Editing Point Display
Settings dialog box is not automatically populated. You must define the values
manually.

When you are defining map view settings for a scan receiver data file, the
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In the Editing Point Display Settings dialog box, if you want to add a
row, click Add.
In the >=Min box, type or choose the minimum value for the
range.
In the <Max box, type or choose the maximum value for the
range.
click OK.
Click in the Size box and type or choose the symbol size.
To modify the color, click in the Color box and choose a color.
To define ranges automatically, click Auto, and in the Auto Range

Settings dialog box, do the following:
In the Minimum and Maximum boxes, type the minimum and

maximum values for the range.
In the Interval Method section, choose one of the following:

Intervalto define an interval between range values
Numberto define a number of range values
In the Value box, type a value to indicate the interval or the
number of range values. For example, if you choose a minimum
value of 2 and a maximum value of 8, if you choose Interval and
type 2 in the Value box, the ranges created will be 2-4, 4-6, and
6-8. If you choose Number and type 2 in the Value box, the
ranges created will be 2-5 and 5-8.
Click OK.
A maximum of 16 ranges will be created. The ranges will overwrite any

existing ranges. You can remove or modify any of these ranges as
described in Step 2 and Step 3.
254

When you have finished defining ranges, in the Editing Point Display
If any ranges overlap (for example, 610-620 and 615-625), when a value
falls into both ranges, only the symbol associated with the first set of
values will be displayed.
You can also define ranges by right-clicking Local or Shared under the
Point Display Settings node and choosing New. Then, in the New Point
Display Settings dialog box, choose Ranges and click OK. In this case,
because you are not defining ranges based on an existing column, the Editing
Point Display Settings dialog box is not automatically populated. You must
define the values manually.
To display the scan receiver data points in a Map window

After you define map view settings for a scan receiver data file, you can
display the data points in a Map window. Any columns to which you have
assigned point display settings are displayed as nodes in the Project Explorer
under the scan receiver data node.
1

Expand the scan receiver data node for which you want to view data
points.
Right-click the column node that you want to view, and choose View.
To remove the scan receiver data points from the Map window, in the
Project Explorer, right-click the scan receiver data node (one level up
from the column node) and choose View. This clears the check box and
removes the data from the Map window.
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To create a map view template for scan receiver data

You can create a map view template that you can apply to multiple scan
receiver data files. This is useful if you have similar data collected at another
location. You can apply templates
when you are importing a scan receiver data file (see To import
scan receiver data on page 241)
when you are defining map view settings (see To define map
view settings for a scan receiver data file on page 250)
at any time by dragging the template onto a scan receiver data

file in the Project Explorer

Choose a scan receiver data node and drag it onto the Map View
Templates node.
The Edit Template dialog box opens with the columns in the scan receiver
data file listed under the Data Columns heading.
For each column that you want to display, from the Point Display Setting
list, choose a setting to apply to the column.
If you want to add a row, click Add and type a name for the scan receiver
data column in the Data Columns column.
If you want to remove a row, choose the row and click Remove.
Click OK.
In the Save Template dialog box, type a name in the New Template
Name box and click OK.
The template is added to the Map View Templates node under the Scan
Receiver node.
256

Viewing scan receiver data in graph format

You can view information about the records in your scan receiver data file in
graph format. This format enables you to view and compare the following
types of information:
parametersthe values for a specific parameter or parameters,

such as quality, over a period of time or sequence of events
eventsthe values for events such as handovers or dropped

calls, over a period of time or sequence of events
This information provides useful options for analyzing scan receiver data.
Viewing multiple parameters over time enables you to visualize the
interaction between parameters. For example, in Figure 7.2 on page 257,
the RxLev is compared to the occurrences of the No Service Mode event
(vertical lines).
Figure 7.2 Comparison of data in the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box
In the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box, the x-axis is either Time or Index.
Index identifies the sequence of records in the scan receiver file. You can
display up to four values for the y-axis.
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The Scan Receiver Graph dialog box provides two toolbars:
The first toolbar enables you to format the graph.
The second toolbar enables you to zoom, print, and navigate

through the graph. For more information about how to use the
second toolbar, press the F1 key.
When the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box is open, if you also have a Scan
Receiver Browser window or Map window open, they are all synchronized. If
you choose a record in one, the same record is also chosen in the others.
To view scan receiver data in graph format

1

Right-click the scan receiver data node that you want to view, and choose
Graph.
The Scan Receiver Graph dialog box opens.
To modify the format of the x-axis, from the Settings list, choose X Axis
and do any of the following:
From the Data list, choose one of the following:
Timedisplays the time on the x-axis

Indexdisplays sequence numbers on the x-axis
Lines check box.
The display updates dynamically as you choose your options.

4
258
To define y-axis values, from the Settings list, choose one of the
following options:
First Y Seriesdefines the first column (numeric data only) to

be displayed on the y-axis and the display settings to be used.
graph.
Second Y Seriesdefines the second column (numeric data

only) to be displayed on the y-axis and the display settings to be

used. The label for this series is located on the y-axis to the right
of the graph.
Third Y Seriesdefines the third column (numeric data only)

label for the First Y Series.
Message Seriesdefines the fourth column (textual data only)

From the Data list, choose the type of data to display.

If you choose Message Series in Step 4, the list available in the Data box
is limited to the textual columns in the imported scan receiver data file.
Otherwise, the list is limited to numerical values.
If you chose First Y Series, Second Y Series, or Third Y Series in Step

4, to format the data, do any of the following:
From the Color list, choose the color to use for the point or lines
in the graph and the axis label.
Choose Points or Lines to use for the data in the graph. If you
chose Points, choose a point size from the Point Size list.
Lines check box.
The display updates dynamically as you choose your options. For

numerical values, the Numerical legend box updates to display the legend
for the data and color that you chose.
7
If you chose Message Series in Step 4, in the Message Legend box,

enable the check boxes for the types of message that you want to view.
If you want to compare multiple types of data, repeat Step 4 to Step 7 for
the data that you want to view.
You can compare up to three types of numeric data (using the First Y
Series, Second Y Series, and Third Y Series options) and one type of
string data.
To close the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box, right-click the scan
receiver data node and choose Graph again.
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When you minimize the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box, a Scan
Receiver Graph icon appears at the bottom of the Project Explorer.
Click the icon to restore the dialog box.
To print the data in the Scan Receiver Graph window
In the Scan Receiver Graph dialog box, click the Print button.
You can also preview the printed version by clicking the Print Preview
button.
Allocating scan receiver data to sectors

If you want to convert your scan receiver data to surveys or identify sectors by
carrier or color code information, you must allocate the data to sectors. You
can allocate data either automatically or manually.
There are two steps in the automatic allocation process:
looking up sectors
allocating records to sectors
For details on the manual allocation process, see To assign sectors to scan
receiver carrier nodes manually on page 263.
Looking up sectors for scan receiver data

During this part of the process, the Scan Receiver tool attempts to match the
information in the scan receiver data file to sector information in Mentum
Planet. This process differs slightly depending on the technology:
260
For TDMA/FDMA technologies, the color code and, optionally,

the control carrier are used. (For IS-136, DVCC is used for color
code and the digital control channel is used in instances where
more than one control channel is assigned.) During the automatic
allocation process, the Scan Receiver tool attempts to match
carrier and color code combinations in the scan receiver data file
to the carrier and color code combinations in Mentum Planet.
For example, if there are 300 records in the scan receiver data
file that have a carrier and color code combination of 280-67, the
tool matches any sectors in Mentum Planet with the same carrier
and color code combination to these records. For more

information on carriers and color codes, see the TDMA/FDMA

User Guide.
For cdma2000, the PN offset code and, optionally, the carrier are
used. During the automatic allocation process, the Scan Receiver
tool attempts to match the carrier and PN offset code
combinations in the records in the scan receiver data file to the
carrier and PN offset code combinations in Mentum Planet. For
more information on carriers and PN offset codes, see the CDMA
User Guide.
For W-CDMA, the scrambling code and, optionally, the carrier

are used. During the automatic allocation process, the Scan
Receiver tool attempts to match the carrier and scrambling code
combinations in the records in the scan receiver data file to the
carrier and scrambling code combinations in Mentum Planet. For
more information on carriers and scrambling codes, see the
CDMA User Guide.
Allocating scan receiver records to sectors

During this part of the process, the Scan Receiver tool assigns the records in
the scan receiver data file to the sectors that match those records using one of
by distanceattempts to assign sectors to scan receiver data

records using the sector closest to the location where the record
was captured
by path lossattempts to assign sectors to scan receiver data

records using the sector with the least path loss to the location
where the record was captured. The path loss is calculated using
a free space loss calculation that takes into consideration the
effects of ERP, the antenna pattern, and the azimuth.
Records with a null RSSI value will not be assigned to a sector.
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To look up sectors for scan receiver data automatically

1

Right-click the scan receiver data node for which you want to look up
sectors and choose Allocate Records.
The Scan Receiver - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box opens.
By default, the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view displays a list of
carrier nodes that show the combinations of carrier and color code, PN
offset, or scrambling code that appear in the scan receiver data file. Only
nodes for which there are records with valid RSSI values are displayed.
For these nodes, the number of records with valid RSSI values is shown
in parentheses. If a record is missing a carrier or color code, PN offset, or
scrambling code, it is identified as missing.
For example, if the scan receiver data uses GSM technology and the
carrier node is labeled 69-67 (317), this means that there are 317 records
in the scan receiver data file with a BCCH of 69 and a BSIC of 67. If the
node is labeled Missing-Missing (108), this means that there are 108
records that do not contain a BCCH or BSIC.
In the Sectors section, click Look Up, and then in the Select Sectors
dialog box, choose the group of sectors to use and click Continue.
The Serving Site/Sector Information tree view is updated to show which
carrier nodes match values from the Mentum Planet sectors. Carrier nodes
that do match Mentum Planet sectors are shown in red. You can manually
assign sectors to unmatched carrier nodes. See To assign sectors to scan
receiver carrier nodes manually on page 263.
262

Unassigned
carrier node
Assigned
carrier nodes
If you want to look up additional sectors from a different group, repeat

Step 3, and then in the confirmation dialog box, do one of the following:
Click Yes to remove existing sector assignments. Any sectors

that have already been allocated to the scan receiver records will
be removed.
Click No to keep existing sector assignments.
If required, manually adjust any sector assignments. See To assign

sectors to scan receiver carrier nodes manually on page 263.
You can also look up sectors by doing one of the following:
To look up sectors for all carrier nodes, right-click the top-level node
(the file name) and choose Look Up Sectors.
To look up sectors for a single carrier node, right-click the carrier node
To assign sectors to scan receiver carrier nodes manually

If you want to assign a sector to a carrier node, and the sector has either not
been assigned automatically or has been assigned incorrectly, you can assign a
sector manually. You can assign multiple sectors to each carrier node.
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Chapter 7
In the Scan Receiver - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, in the

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose a carrier node and
click Assign Sector.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the group that contains the sector
that you want to assign, and click Continue.
In the Site Lookup dialog box, choose the sector to assign to the carrier
node and click OK.
You can also assign a sector by right-clicking a carrier node in the
Serving Site/Sector Information tree view and choosing Assign Sector.
To add a virtual scan receiver sector

A virtual sector is one that does not exist in your Mentum Planet project, but
that was part of the drive test. This sector could be part of another region, a
competitors sector, or no longer on the air.
You can add a virtual sector to the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view
and allocate the appropriate records to it. Virtual sectors appear only as part of
the Scan Receiver tool. They are not added to your Mentum Planet project.
264

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the carrier node to
which you want to assign the virtual sector, and click Add Virtual
Sector.
In the Add Virtual Sector dialog box, in the Site Name box, type a name
for the site to which the virtual sector belongs, and in the Sector Name
box, type a name for the virtual sector.

In the Antenna Information section, do the following:
From the Name list, choose the name of the antenna.
In the X/Long box, type the x-coordinate of the sector. This

value must be within the co-ordinates of the DEM file for the
project.
In the Y/Lat box, type the y-coordinate of the sector. This value
must be within the co-ordinates of the DEM file for the project.
In the Height box, type the height of the sector above ground
level.
In the Power box, type the power of the sector.
In the Azimuth box, type the azimuth of the sector.
In the Tilt box, type the tilt of the sector.
For more information on any of these values, press the F1 key.

4
Click OK.

You can view information about any of the serving sectors in the Serving Site/
Sector tree view. The information that is displayed originally is the
information associated with that sector in Mentum Planet.
When you modify information in the Sector Information section of the Scan
Receiver - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, you are modifying only the
data associated with the scan receiver data file. You are not changing the
values assigned to the sectors in Mentum Planet. Typically, you would modify
this data when you know that a sector that actually exists (and was used to
collect the scan receiver data) has different values than those assigned in
Mentum Planet.
1

Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose the sector.
The Sector Information displays the information for the chosen sector.
If you want to modify the sector information, type new values in any of
the editable boxes, and click Apply.
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Chapter 7
To allocate scan receiver records to sectors

1
In the Records section, choose the By Distance or By Path Loss option

for assigning records where there is more than one possible match.
See Allocating scan receiver data to sectors on page 260 for more
information on these options.
To allocate records to all sectors, in the Serving Site/Sector

Information tree view, choose the top-level node and in the
that have been assigned to all sectors in parentheses following
the sector names.
To allocate records to a single sector only, in the Serving Site/

Sector Information tree view, choose a sector and in the
that have been assigned to the chosen sector in parentheses
following the sector name.
If you click Allocate, but you have not yet looked up sectors, the Scan
Receiver tool automatically looks up sectors before allocating records.
You can also allocate records by right-clicking a carrier node in the Site/
Sector Information tree view and choosing Allocate Records by
Minimum Distance or Allocate Records by Minimum Path Loss. This option is
only available if you have looked up sectors automatically or assigned sectors
manually first.
If you want to hide sectors that have not been allocated, in the Serving
Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the top-level node, and
choose Hide All Unmatched Sectors. You can view all sectors by right-clicking
the top-level node again and choosing Show All Sectors.
266

To view the scan receiver records

You can view the scan receiver data records associated with a sector or a
carrier node.
In the Scan Receiver - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, in

the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, right-click the item
and choose Browse Records.
A Scan Receiver Browser window opens, showing the records associated
with the item that you chose.
To unassign sectors
In the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view, choose the sector,

and in the Sectors section, click Unassign Sector.
You can also unassign a sector by right-clicking the sector and
choosing Unassign Sector.
To modify the display in the Scan Receiver tree view

By default, when you assign sectors to carrier nodes, the sectors are added to
the Serving Site/Sector Information tree view under each carrier node. You
can reverse the order to display the carrier nodes under the sectors.
In the Scan Receiver - Allocate Records to Sectors dialog box, in

the Serving Site/Sector Information section, right-click the toplevel node, and choose Toggle View.
You can restore the original view by right-clicking the top-level node and
choosing Toggle View again.
Exporting scan receiver data to surveys

After you have allocated scan receiver data to sectors, you can export the scan
receiver data to one or more surveys. For information on allocating scan
receiver data to sectors, see Allocating scan receiver data to sectors on
page 260. When you export the scan receiver data to a survey, the latitude,
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Chapter 7
longitude, signal strength, and sector header information are exported. You
can choose one of the following options for export:
With Assignmentcreates an assignment file with the survey

assigned to the matched sector (see To export a survey
assignment file on page 192 for details on assignment files).
Without Assignmentdoes not create an assignment file
For more information on what you can do with the exported surveys, see
Chapter 5: Managing Survey Data on page 173.
The Export to Survey function for scan receiver data files is subject to
the sampling rates of the original scan receiver data files. The
equipment used to create the original scan receiver data files is not always
configured to sample data with enough samples for quality model tuning
purposes (for example, to satisfy the Lee Criteria).
To export scan receiver data to surveys

1

Right-click the scan receiver data node you want to view and choose one
of the following:
Export to Survey With Assignment
Export to Survey Without Assignment
The scan receiver data is converted to one or more surveys. The exported
surveys are grouped under the Surveys RSSI node. The name of the group
is the same as the scan receiver data name. Surveys with invalid header
information are identified by a red icon in the Project Explorer. A warning
message identifies the surveys with invalid headers.
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8.
following sections:
Understanding path loss and

signal strength predictions
Chapter 8: Generating Predictions
Generating
Predictions
Predictions use a propagation model, terrain and
clutter information, and general sector settings
including the power, antenna, and azimuth to predict
Path loss and signal strength

files
the signal strength and path loss of a sector at any
location where the signal exceeds the defined
minimum level.
Generating multi-threaded
predictions
Viewing predictions from the

Project Explorer
metrics. The procedure for generating analysis layers
Viewing predictions from the

View menu
varies, depending on the technology. For information
Displaying, filtering, and

deleting predictions
Path loss and signal strength predictions are used in

network analyses to determine coverage and other
on generating analysis layers, see the appropriate

User Guide.
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Chapter 8
Understanding path loss and signal strength predictions

When you generate a network analysis, Mentum Planet analyzes the path loss
predictions and, depending on the technology, the signal strength predictions
for each sector to generate analysis layers. You can generate and view
predictions prior to and separate from an analysis, or you can generate them as
required, as part of an analysis. For more information, see Generating
predictions on page 277.
By default, Mentum Planet checks to make sure that valid prediction files are
available when you generate an analysis. If you have not generated
predictions or the files have been deleted or are out of date, they are generated
as part of the analysis. The process for generating network analyses and the
analysis layers that are available varies depending on the technology. For
information on generating network analyses, see the appropriate User Guide.
Predictions and analysis layers are available to view or to use as inputs for
other Mentum Planet tools, including the Neighbor List Generator and the
Interference Matrix Generator. For more information, see Viewing
predictions from the Project Explorer on page 282.
You can use the Prediction Manager to remove prediction files that are no
longer valid or are no longer required. For more information, see Displaying,
filtering, and deleting predictions on page 286.
Path loss and signal strength files

The following sections describe path loss files, signal strength files, and
combined signal strength files.
Path loss files

When you generate predictions, a set of path loss files (a .bin file and a
corresponding .txt log file) is created based on the site and sector settings. The
log files list the parameters used for the predictions. If the sector settings for
the site are the same, only one set of path loss files is generated for the site. If
the Set Prediction Parameters By Sector option is enabled, and the sectors
have unique settings, a set of path loss files is created for each sector. Path
loss files use the following naming convention:
<Site_ID>_<Sector_number>_<Grid_resolution>_<Distance>
For example, Site_1_3_225_20000.bin is a path loss file for Site_1, sector 3,
using a grid resolution of 25 m, as well as a Distance of 20 km. The grid
resolution number is calculated using various inputs and isnt the grid
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Generating Predictions
resolution itself. If the sector settings are the same, the sector designation in
the file name indicates the first sector, but all sectors are included in the
prediction. A .txt file that lists the parameters used in the prediction is also
created.
Each set of path loss files is stored in a separate folder within the Bin folder.
The folder names include the Site ID, Sector ID, and a unique ID to
differentiate between predictions. When you regenerate predictions, new path
loss files are created, and any existing files and folders are left intact.
High resolution grids can result in very large bin files. For information
on setting the bin file size, see Defining output settings on page 273.
Signal strength files

Signal strength predictions are based on the path loss values and the
associated sector properties. A set of signal strength files (a .grd file and a .tab
file) is created for each sector, using the following naming convention:
<Site_ID>_<Sector_number>_<Grid_resolution>_<Distance>
For example, Site_1_3_225_20000.grd is a signal strength grid file for the
Site_1, sector 3, using a grid resolution of 25 m, and a Distance of 20 km. An
index.xml file that lists the parameters used in the prediction is also created.
Each set of signal strength files is stored in a separate folder within the
SignalStrength folder. The folder names includes the Site ID, Sector ID, and a
unique ID to differentiate between predictions. When you regenerate
predictions, new signal strength files are created, and any existing files and
folders are left intact.
Combined signal strength files

When you view the predictions for a site, a combined set of signal strength
files for all of the sectors at the site is created. The combined files are located
in the FieldStrength\Combined folder. Table 8.1 on page 272 provides a
description of the combined layer types and the file name conventions.
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Chapter 8
Table 8.1 Combined signal strength layers

Layer
Description and file name
Combined Signal StrengthTotal Power

Composite coverage of the signal strength for the selected site at
total power.
CFS_<Project_ID>_<Site_ID>_<Sector_list>
Combined Signal StrengthSpecified Power
Composite coverage of the signal strength for the selected site at a
specified power, available for certain technologies only. For more
information, see the appropriate User Guide.
CFS_<Project_ID>_<Site_ID>_<PowerSelectionName>_<Sector_list>

Propagation models cannot always account for the complexities of signal
propagation in urban environments. Hence, to predict more accurately how a
signal will behave, you can merge survey and prediction data. This is valuable
because survey data represents the actual coverage provided by the network,
improving the accuracy of your predictions.
When you configure sites and sectors, you have the choice of two prediction
modes:
Modeledusing this mode, predictions are generated using the

assigned propagation model. See Generating predictions on
page 277.
Mergedusing this mode, modeled predictions are merged with

survey data. See Generating predictions on page 277.
The prediction mode you choose is used to create prediction files. When you
choose the Merged prediction mode, two .bin files and two signal strength
files are generated for each site or sector.
Modeled predictions
Modeled predictions are calculated using the propagation model assigned to
the site or sector. See Working with Propagation Models on page 141.
272
Merged predictions
Merged predictions are calculated using unmasked survey data and path loss
values converted from signal strength readings. Bins that are outside the
Interpolation Distance (defined in the Site Properties dialog box) contain
model prediction values. Bins that are within the Interpolation Distance
contain interpolated values calculated by merging survey data and model
prediction values.

You can choose to define additional output options, such as advanced
prediction layers, bin file resolution, and output options, when generating
predictions.
Analysis output settings can be defined on a per-project basis using the
Advanced Options tab on the Project Settings dialog box (see Advanced
prediction layers), or they can be set for individual analyses using the
Generations Options dialog box, accessible from Prediction Generator dialog
box (see Generating predictions on page 277).
Advanced prediction layers

When you generate predictions, you can choose to include a number of
advanced prediction layers that provide additional information about the sites
specified in the analysis.
When you generate advanced prediction layers, a folder with the same name
as the layer typefor example, Azimuthis created in the root of your
project folder. A .grd file and a .tab file are stored for each of the advanced
layer types listed in Table 8.2.
Table 8.2 Advanced prediction layers
Layer
Azimuth
The bearing between the site and the receiver, corrected for map
projection.
AZ_<Site_ID>_<Site_ID>_<Sector>_<Grid_resolution>_<Distance>
Inclination
The angle below the horizontal from the transmitting antenna to the
receiving antenna.
IN_<Site_ID>_<Site_ID>_<Sector>_<Grid_resolution>_<Distance>
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Table 8.2 Advanced prediction layers
Layer
Path Loss
Loss or attenuation of the electromagnetic wave between the

transmitter and the receiver. This may be due to various factors
including free space path loss, refraction, reflection, or diffraction of
the transmitted signal.
PL_<Site_ID>_<Site_ID>_<Sector>_<Grid_resolution>_<Distance>
The additional layers you choose in the Generate Options dialog box
override the additional layer settings on the Advanced Options tab in
the Project Settings dialog box.
Bin file size and resolution

When you generate merged or modeled predictions, bin files are created. Bin
files contain path loss and other values, and are constructed as a twodimensional matrix with prediction values stored at the intersection of each
row and column.
The resolution of a signal strength grid is equal to the resolution of the
elevation grid file. When high resolution elevation grid files (such as a
5-meter DEM) are combined with large prediction areas, bin files can be
created that are large enough to exceed the available disk space.
Bin files are background project files. Do not open or edit them.
Bin file size limit
To avoid exceeding disk space, you can limit the size of bin files. For
information on how to do so, contact Technical Support. See Getting
technical support on page 4.
Limiting the bin file size impacts the precision of prediction values in
both modeled and merged predictions.
When a generated bin file exceeds the limit, Mentum Planet compresses the
file by degrading the resolution of the grids stored in the file by factors of two.
Mentum Planet performs this degradation to fit the resulting file size within
the limit. The signal strength grid is displayed at the same resolution as the
274
elevation grid, but the real resolution of the signal strength grid is equal to that
of the other grids in the bin file.
A value of 10.5 MB will accommodate most situations; however, you can set
the value to suit the available disk space, up to a maximum of 1.8 GB.
Relationship between bin width, prediction radius, and file size
The following equation displays the relationship between the bin width, the
radius of the prediction area, and the size of the resulting bin file.
2R
FileSize ( MB ) = 6 -------
d
Equation 8.1 Bin file size equation
Where
d
R
is the grid resolution (bin width) in meters
is the radius of the prediction area in kilometers
6 is the maximum byte size required to store the values of all grids for one
bin, where the area of the square prediction grid equals 4R 2
Example
The following table displays the resulting bin file sizes for combinations of
d and R .
Table 8.3 Relationship between grid resolution, prediction radius, and file size
Grid resolution (bin width) ( d )
Prediction radius ( R )
File size
100 m
10 km
0.24 MB
100 m
20 km
1 MB
30 m
10 km
2.7 MB
30 m
20 km
10.7 MB
10 m
10 km
24 MB
10 m
20 km
96 MB
The calculations in Table 8.3 are derived using a default size of six bytes per
bin. In most situations, only four bytes are required, creating files that are
correspondingly smaller.
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Using values from Table 8.3, the following three examples describe the bin
file size process:
If the maximum file size is 10.5 MB, and the grid resolution and
prediction radius are 30 m and 10 km respectively, the resulting
file size of 2.7 MB is less than the maximum file size of
10.5 MB. Mentum Planet does not degrade the signal strength
resolution in the bin file.
file size of 24 MB is greater than the maximum file size of 10.5
MB. Mentum Planet degrades the signal strength resolution in
the bin file by a factor of two to 20 m. The resulting file size is 6
MB, which fits within the limit of 10.5 MB. At this level of
degradation, little significant detail of the predicted signal
strength is lost.
file size of 96 MB is greater than the maximum file size of 10.5
MB. In this case, the resolution degradation by a factor of two is
insufficient, and Mentum Planet degrades the resolution by a
factor of four to 40 m. The resulting file size is 6 MB, which fits
within the limit of 10.5 MB. However, at this level of
degradation, it is possible that a significant level of detail in the
predicted signal strength will be lost.
To define analysis output settings
276
In the Project Settings dialog box, click the Advanced Options tab.
In the Output Options section, enable any of the following check boxes:
Compute Distance to Receiverpre-calculates the time the

transmitted signal takes to reach the receiver and stores the value
in the path loss files
Maintain Maximum Inclinationcalculates the over-obstacle

corrected distance and the angle to the top of the single most
significant obstructing obstacle. You must know the angle
between the sector and the receiver to determine the actual
antenna gain directed at a location. However, if the signal gets
diffracted over an interfering obstacle, Mentum Planet uses the
angle to the top of the obstacle for the appropriate antenna gain.
This effect can be important, especially when the location is
relatively close to the sector, where inclinations are relatively
significant (i.e., more than -5 degrees), and the antenna pattern is
very directional. If you clear this check box, the direct angle to
the receiver is calculated.
Interpolate Elevation Between Null Pointsapproximates

elevation values in regions with no associated data. Elevation
values are calculated using a straight line between the last valid
values on either side of the null region. If you clear this check
box, the analysis is terminated when an analysis crosses one of
these null areas.
Interpolate Clutter Between Null Pointssplits land use

between categories on either side of the null region for regions
with no associated data. If you clear this check box, an unknown
land use type is assumed. In both cases, the analysis continues.
In the Additional Layers section, enable the check boxes for the
advanced prediction layers that you want to generate and click OK.
For more information on the prediction layers that you can generate, see
Advanced prediction layers on page 273.
For information on the Sharing section of the Advanced Options tab, see
Creating projects on page 38. For information on the CDMA Analysis
Optimization section, see the CDMA User Guide.
Path loss and signal strength predictions are a prerequisite to network
analyses. You can generate predictions prior to, or as part of a network
analysis. When you generate predictions, the status of any existing prediction
files is verified using either the Fast or In-Depth option. By default, prediction
files are only generated as required; however, you can choose to generate all
prediction files, regardless of their status.
You can greatly increase the accuracy of predictions by generating merged
predictions. To do so, you must import at least one survey, associate it with
your project, and assign it to a sector. For more information, see Chapter 5:
Managing Survey Data on page 173.
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Chapter 8
When you are generating merged predictions, the following files are created
in the Site folder (e.g., Site_1_1_6DCCCABFE512183CA1B8C6A) within
the Signal Strength folder of your project:
a .grd file and a .tab file for the modeled output
a .grd file and a .tab file for the merged output.
two .bin files
By default, predictions are generated at the same resolution as the

elevation file specified in the Project Settings. If you want to generate
network analyses at the same resolution as predictions created using either
the Volcano or Wavesight propagation models, you need to choose an
elevation file and, optionally, a clutter file, that uses the same resolution as the
predictions on the Advanced tab in the Propagation Model Editor. See To
define propagation model settings in your project on page 160.
If you want to keep working in Mentum Planet while the predictions are
being generated, you can minimize the Generator dialog box. When
you minimize the dialog box, a Generator icon appears at the bottom of the
Project Explorer. Click the icon to restore the dialog box.
To generate predictions
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, choose one or

more groups, sites, or sectors, right-click and choose
Generate Predictions.
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the

Flags node and then choose Generate Predictions.
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the

Repeaters node and then choose Generate Predictions.
Choose Analysis Generate Predictions, choose a group in

the Select Sectors dialog box, and click Continue.
The Prediction Generator dialog box opens.

2
Click Options, and in the Generation Options dialog box, do any of the
following:
278
If you want to generate additional layers, in the Generate

Additional Layers section, enable the check boxes for the
advanced prediction layers that you want to generate. The

settings will apply only to the current set of predictions being
generated. For more information, see Advanced prediction
layers on page 273.
If you want to specify the type of file checking that is performed,

in the File Checking section, choose one of the following
options:
In-depthperforms a full integrity check of any existing

prediction files
Fastverifies only that prediction files are present and
are current
If you only want to check the status of the current set of prediction files,
click Check.
The status of the current set of prediction files is verified using the file
checking option you chose in Step 2.
4
To generate predictions, do one of the following:
If you want to generate only predictions that are missing or out

of date, click Generate.
If you want to generate predictions for all sectors regardless of

their status, click Regenerate.
Predictions will be generated or regenerated only for the sectors and

repeaters listed in the Prediction Generator dialog box. The Progress
section of the Prediction Generator dialog box provides an indication of
the overall progress, as well as the time elapsed and an estimate of the
time remaining.
5
When the generation of predictions is complete, click Close.
You can also choose one or more sectors or repeaters in the Prediction
Generator dialog box, right-click, and then choose one of the following
commands:
Generate Predictions for the Selected Sectors/Repeaters
Regenerate Predictions for the Selected Sectors/Repeaters
Check Selected Sectors/Repeaters
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Chapter 8
Generating multi-threaded predictions

In order to take advantage of multi-core workstations, you can generate multithreaded predictions.
The interpolation method used in multi-threaded predictions differs from the
method used in predictions generated using the traditional Prediction
Generator. As a result, you may see slight differences between traditional and
multi-threaded predictions. When you use fewer radials or a large propagation
distance, these differences will be greater.
The following site restrictions apply when you generate multi-threaded
predictions:
Only the distance increment of Auto is supported.
Only the Modeled prediction mode is supported. (i.e., merged
predictions are not supported)
The following model restrictions apply:
Only the clutter and elevation files defined in the project settings are
supported.
Rain attenuation is not supported.
The Use Single Clutter Property option is not supported.
Only the Planet General Model is supported in this version of Mentum
Planet. Propagation model options that are not supported will be listed
in the summary section at the bottom of the Messages box.
To generate multi-threaded predictions
280
Choose Tools Prediction Generator (Multi-Threaded).
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the sector group for which you
want to generate predictions and click Continue.
The Prediction Generator (Multi-Threaded) dialog box opens.
If you only want to check the status of the current set of prediction files,
click Check.
To generate predictions, do one of the following:
If you want to generate only predictions that are missing or out

of date, click Generate.
If you want to generate predictions for all sectors regardless of

their status, click Regenerate.
Predictions will be generated or regenerated only for the sectors and

repeaters listed in the Prediction Generator (Multi-threaded) dialog box.
The Progress section of the Prediction Generator dialog box provides an
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Chapter 8
indication of the overall progress, as well as the time elapsed and an

estimate of the time remaining.
If errors occur during prediction generation, the Messages box opens
displaying error messages.
5
To close the Messages box if required, click Hide Messages.
When the generation of predictions is complete, click Close.
Viewing predictions from the Project Explorer

You can view prediction layers for individual sites, sectors, or repeaters from
the Project Explorer. This is a fast and easy way to view predictions in the
same Map window.
You can display prediction layers for various powers depending on the
technology of the sector.
For TDMA/FDMA sectors, the only available power is the total

power.
For cdma2000 sectors, available powers include the total power,

the pilot power, the paging power, and the synchronization
power. Note that if:
a sector has only one EV-DO carrier, only the Total power
option is available.
a sector has multiple EV-DO carriers with different PA
power settings, the prediction is based on the power of the
first EV-DO carrier.
a sector has EV-DO and 1xRTT/IS-95 mixed carriers, the
Total, Pilot, Paging and Synchronization options are
available.
The prediction is based on the power settings of the first non-EVDO carrier (even
if EV-DO carrier is the first carrier).
For W-CDMA sectors, available powers include the total power,

the CPICH power, and the SCH/P-CCPH powers.
You cannot view predictions from the Project Explorer when you use
the Shift key to select multiple sectors or sites.
282
To view predictions for a sector

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the Sites node.
Right-click a sector, choose View Predictions, and choose one of the

following:
Model <Power>to view a prediction layer for the chosen

power. The options available depend on the technology of the
sector.
Merged <Power>to view a merged prediction layer based
on survey data and model prediction values for the chosen
sector.
The prediction layers for the sector are displayed in the Map window.
To view predictions for a repeater

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the Repeaters

node.
Right-click a repeater and choose View Predictions <Power>.
The prediction layer for the repeater is displayed in the Map window.
To view combined predictions for a site or sector

You can view a combined prediction layer for all sectors at a site or for a
sector and all associated repeaters.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, expand the Sites node and
choose a site or a sector with associated repeaters.
If you chose a site, right-click, choose View Predictions, and choose one
of the following:
Model <Power>to view a combined prediction layer for the

chosen power. The options available depend on the technology
of the sector.
Merged <Power>to view a combined prediction layer
based on survey data and model prediction values for the chosen
sector.
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Chapter 8
If you chose a sector with repeaters, right-click and choose View

Combined Predictions<Power>.
The combined prediction layer is displayed in the Map window.
Viewing predictions from the View menu

You can display prediction layers for various powers depending on the
technology of the sector.
For TDMA/FDMA sites, the only available power is the total

power.
For cdma2000 sectors, available powers include the total power,

the pilot power, the paging power, and the synchronization
power. Note that if:
a sector has only one EV-DO carrier, only the Total power
option is available.
a sector has multiple EV-DO carriers with different PA
power settings, the prediction is based on the power of the
first EV-DO carrier.
a sector has EV-DO and 1xRTT/IS-95 mixed carriers, the
Total, Pilot, Paging and Synchronization options are
available.
For W-CDMA, available powers include the total power, the
CPICH power, and the SCH/P-CCPH powers.
You can also display predictions in a new Map window.

You can set the translucency of the prediction layer you display by
defining user preferences for viewing. See Defining user preferences
on page 32.
284
To view predictions using the View menu

1
Choose View Predictions.

The View Predictions dialog box opens.
To view predictions for sites, select the sites in the Map window and click
the Sites tab.
In the List box, choose the sites for which you want to see predictions.
You can choose multiple sites by dragging the pointer.
In the Type section, choose the type of prediction you want to display.
If the generated prediction is a modeled prediction, the Merged option is
not available.
From the Power list, choose which power you want to view.
To display the prediction layer in a new Map window, enable the New
Window check box.
For each site chosen in the List box, a combined prediction opens in a
new Map window.
Click View to view the predictions for the chosen sites.
To view predictions for sectors, click the Sectors tab, and in the List box,
choose the sectors for which you want to view predictions.
Repeat Step 4 to Step 7.

When you select multiple sectors that assigned different technologies, the
only power available is total power.
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Chapter 8
10 To view predictions for repeaters, choose the repeaters in the Map

window.
11 In the View Predictions dialog box, click the Repeaters tab and, in the
List box, choose the repeaters for which you want to view predictions.
12 Repeat Step 4 to Step 7.
For repeaters, the only available prediction type is modeled and the only
available power is total.
13 To view predictions for a site, sector, or repeater not currently displayed
in the View Predictions dialog box, choose a site, sector, or repeater in
the Map window and click the appropriate tab in the View Predictions
dialog box.
14 Repeat Step 4 to Step 7.
15 Click Save Settings to save the settings currently chosen in the View
Predictions dialog box.
16 To view details about a prediction that is currently displayed in a Map
window or to close displayed predictions, click the Displayed tab and do
any of the following:
In in the List box, choose the predictions you want to close and
click Close.
Click Close All to close all predictions currently being displayed

in a Map window.
You can choose multiple predictions by dragging the pointer.

17 When you have finished viewing predictions, click OK.
To view predictions for a site, you can also click the View Predictions
button on the Site toolbar and then click an individual site in the Map
window. You can also right-click a site in the Map window and use the
commands from the shortcut menu to generate and view predictions or open
the Prediction Manager.
Displaying, filtering, and deleting predictions

You can use the Prediction Manager to view a list of the predictions that have
been generated for a project, and remove any files that you no longer require.
You can view a list of all of the predictions that have been generated for a
project or you can use the Filter dialog box to display only specific
predictions based on the file type and status, and the sector settings.
286
The Prediction Manager dialog box displays a number of different properties

for each prediction, including the Type (Bin or Signal Strength), Site Name,
Sector Name, and Model Name, to help you identify the predictions. You can
also view a detailed list of the properties associated with each prediction.
You cannot view detailed properties for predictions that were generated
prior to Mentum Planet version 4.1.
When you select one or more rows in the Prediction Manager, the status bar at
the bottom of the window indicates the number of files selected and the total
amount of disk space used by the files.
If your project contains a large number of predictions, you can filter the list of
predictions based on a number of different criteria. For example, you could
filter the list of predictions by file date and remove any predictions that were
more than two weeks old.
To display, filter, and delete predictions

1
Choose Tools Prediction Manager.

The Prediction Manager dialog box opens with no predictions displayed.
If you want to display predictions based on a defined criteria, choose

View Filter and, in the Filter dialog box, and do the following:
From the File Type list, choose to filter either the bin files or the
signal strength files.
From the File Status list, choose the status of the file on which
you want to filter.
Enable the check box next to the properties upon which you
want to filter and define or choose the filter criteria.
For information on the Filter dialog box, press the F1 key.

3
In the Filter dialog box, click OK.

A list of predictions is displayed based on the options you chose.
If you want to display all predictions that have been generated for the
project, in the Prediction Manager, choose View Show All.
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If you want to limit the columns or change the order in which they are
displayed in the Prediction Manager, choose View Columns, do any
of the following, and then click OK:
To define which columns are displayed, enable the check boxes

beside the items in the Visible Columns list.
To define the order in which the columns are displayed, choose

the columns in the Visible Columns list and click Add. Use the
Up and Down buttons to arrange the items, and then in the
Sorting Order section, choose either Ascending or
Descending.
If you want to view detailed information for a prediction, choose a row in

the table, and then choose View Properties.
The Prediction Properties dialog box opens.
Do any of the following and then click OK.
Click the Categorized button to display the properties in

grouped categories.
Click the Alphabetic button to display the properties in

alphabetical order.
Click any row in the table to view a description of the property at

the bottom of the dialog box.
To view the prediction in a Map window, in the Prediction Manager,

choose a row in the table and click the View Prediction button.
To delete predictions, choose one or more rows, and then choose

Prediction Delete or press the Delete key.
The predictions that you chose are deleted from the project folder.
There are other ways to open the Prediction Manager. You can rightclick one or more sites, sectors, or groups in the Project Explorer, or
right-click the Sites or Flags node and choose Prediction Manager. A list of
predictions is displayed based on the nodes you selected. No predictions are
displayed if you use the Sites node. You can also right-click sites in the Map
window and choose Prediction Manager.
You can also use the toolbar buttons to access Prediction Manager
commands.
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9.
following sections:
Understanding point-to-point
analyses
Chapter 9: Generating Signal Strength Predictions

Between Two Points
Generating Signal
Strength Predictions
Between Two Points
Using Mentum Planet, you can focus an analysis on
two points. These two points can represent, for
example, a base station and a mobile subscriber or a
Workflow for point-to-point

analyses
base station and a possible candidate site. This type
Understanding the Point-toPoint Profile Tool dialog box
of analysis can provide valuable information about
Generating point-to-point
profiles
Understanding how to
interpret a point-to-point
profile
Customizing the point-to-point

profile graph window
Viewing the height of clutter

above the elevation profile
Exporting a point-to-point
graph
Saving and opening point-topoint profiles
the effect that changing sector heights, antenna

properties, transmit power, or rain fade has on the
signal path and quality.
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Understanding point-to-point analyses

How a signal travels over the terrain and is attenuated by obstructions within
the Fresnel zone can have important ramifications on the overall performance
of your network. To better understand the effects of changing the height of a
sector or modifying antenna properties, you can visualize the signal path by
generating a profile between two points, such as a base station and a mobile
subscriber.
Because signal strength profiles are generated on-the-fly, you do not have to
generate predictions for the entire area of a sector but can focus instead on the
signal path alone. As a result, you can quickly and easily create a profile of
the terrain (elevation or clutter), the signal strength, the path loss, or the
Fresnel zone. In addition, you can model changes to transmitter and receiver
heights, locations, or antenna parameters within the Point-to-Point Profile
Tool. Once you have achieved the desired result, you can print a profile or
export it for use in reports.
The Fresnel zone

The Fresnel zone is the area around the visual line-of-sight where radio waves
spread as they move out from the antenna. In the Point-to-Point dialog box,
the Fresnel zone is shown as the perpendicular distance from the line of sight.
Generally, each Fresnel zone is reserved for a specific type of propagation.
The first zone typically shows the obstruction and clearance levels of the
signal. The higher zones include interference that cause the original signal to
attenuate.
The perpendicular distance is calculated as:
N D1 D2
F n = K --------------------------------------D1 + D2
Where
K is a constant that determines the percentage of the Fresnel zone to be shown

N is the number of the Fresnel zone
is the wavelength calculated as c/f
D1 is the horizontal distance from the start point

D2 is the horizontal distance from the end point
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Generating Signal Strength Predictions Between Two Points

Workflow for point-to-point analyses

Step 1
In the Map window, choose a start point. The Point-to-Point

Profile Tool dialog box opens.
Step 2
In the Map window, move the cursor over the map. The profile
displayed in the Point-to-Point graph window will update
dynamically until you click on an end point. The default profiles
(i.e., elevation and clutter (if the project includes clutter)) are
automatically updated. By default, the line-of-sight is also
displayed.
Step 3
Add additional profiles (e.g., propagation model, Fresnel zone

and line-of-sight) as required.
Step 4
Customize the point-to-point profiles as required. This includes

choosing color and line style. See Customizing the point-to-point
profile graph window on page 300.
Step 5
If required, export or print point-to-point profiles. See Exporting a

point-to-point graph on page 303 and Printing point-to-point
graphs on page 304.
Step 6
Save point-to-point profiles. See Saving and opening point-topoint profiles on page 304.
If you want to generate a sector-to-sector profile, open the Point-toPoint Profile Tool by choosing Tools Point-to-Point Profile.
When you minimize the Point-to-Point dialog box, a Point-to-Point icon
appears at the bottom of the Project Explorer. Click the icon to restore
the dialog box.
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Understanding the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box

The Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box contains the following elements:
Graph windowdisplays the selected profiles. You can

customize the look and feel of the graph window and display a
legend if required.
Profile panedisplays a list of profiles with the associated line

color. You can view profiles by enabling the check box next to
the profile or remove the profile from the graph window by
clearing the check box.
the Transmitter tabdisplays transmitter location and frequency

as well as details about the transmitting antenna. You can adjust
transmitter settings and view changes in the profiles by clicking
the Refresh button.
the Receiver tabdisplays the location and height of the

receiver as well as details about the receiving antenna. You can
adjust antenna settings and view changes in the profiles by
clicking the Refresh button.
Options tabdisplays an additional geodata setting (i.e., the

maintain maximum inclination setting). It also displays
additional network settings such as the earth curvature and the
rain factor.
Tracking tabdisplays the values for the profiles at a specific

point. This tab is only displayed when you have clicked the
Cursor Tracking button.
Clutter legenddisplays the color scheme and classes contained

in the clutter file.
Information bardisplays the angle, the inclination, the height

of the terrain at the transmitter and the height of the terrain at the
receiver as well as information about the clutter class.
For detailed information on any of these sections, press the F1 key.
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You can quickly access the main features of the Point-to-Point Tool using the
following toolbar buttons.
Refreshredraws the profiles in the graph window based on

current settings
Toggle Real-time updatesupdates the signal strength and path

loss profiles on-the-fly as you move the cursor over the map. In
addition, changes to the power setting, frequency setting, or
antenna settings are automatically reflected in the graph window
as soon as you make a change.
Toggle Profile Capturefreezes the profiles displayed in the

graph window. This is useful when you want to display a
different profile in a second Point-to-Point Tool dialog box.
View Path lossadds the path loss profile to the graph window
if you have a prediction profile listed in the Profiles list. You can
view either the signal strength profile or the path loss profile at
any one time.
View Signal Strengthadds the signal strength profile to the

graph window if you have a prediction profile listed in the
Profiles list. You can view either the signal strength profile or the
path loss profile at any one time.
Panenables you to move the profile graph around the graph

window.
Cursor Trackingdisplays additional information on the

Tracking tab about a specific point along a profile.
Zoom Inzooms in on the graph by a predefined factor.
Zoom Outzooms out of the graph by a predefined factor.
Toggle Legenddisplays a legend in the upper right corner of

the graph window. You turn the display off or on but you cannot
change the location of the legend.
Toggle Split Axesstacks the vertical axes above each other.
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Point-to-Point
Tool toolbar
Graph legend
Graph window
Profile panel
Profile toolbar
Clutter legend
Clutter Height
Edit buttons
Information
Transmitter, Receiver, Options and Tracking tabs
Figure 9.1 Elements of the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box
Generating point-to-point profiles

Using point-to-point profiles, you can analyze the path of the signal between
two points. These two points can be a sector and a mobile user or they can be
two sectors.The Point-to-Point Profile tool uses project information to
determine which elevation and clutter grids to use for calculations. Signal
strength values are calculated on-the-fly along the path you specify.
When you enable the Use Maximum Gain check box on the Antenna
tab for either the transmitter or receiver, Mentum Planet assumes that
the direction of the corresponding antenna is always such that it receives with
the maximum gain. If you do not enable the Use Maximum Gain check box,
the gain is calculated according to the angle of departure or the angle of
arrival.
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To generate a point-to-point profile

1
With a Mentum Planet project open, on the Tools toolbar, click the
Point-to-Point Profile Tool button and click in the Map window at the
start point.
The Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box opens.
If you want to create a point-to-point profile, in the Map

window, click to define the end point of the signal path.
If you want to create a sector-to-sector profile, in the Point-toPoint Profile Tool dialog box, click the Transmitter tab, click
Select Sector, and in the Sector Selection dialog box, choose a
sector to mark the start point, and click OK. Repeat on the
Receiver tab to define the end point.
The signal path is drawn in the Map window.

3
If you want to add prediction profiles to the graph, in the Profiles pane,
click the Add Prediction Profile button and do the following:
In the Profile Name box, type a name for the profile
From the Propagation Model list, choose the propagation

model to use for the profile and click OK.
The profile is added to the profile list and displayed in the graph window.
4
If you want to add a Fresnel profile to the graph, click the Add Fresnel
Zone Profile button and, in the Add Fresnel Zone Profile dialog box,
define the following parameters and click OK.
Fresnel Zonezone number. The zone number you specify

depends on the type of clearance or interference you want to see.
The first zone typically shows the obstruction and clearance
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levels of the signal. The higher zones include interference that

cause the original signal to attenuate.
Fresnel Constantfixed value indicating the percentage of the

Fresnel zone that will be displayed. For wireless applications,
60% is generally required.
Frequencyfrequency of the signal. Defining a higher

frequency will reduce the amount of spread within the Fresnel
zone.
Both the Fresnel zone and the line-of-sight will be added to the graph
window.
5
If you want to view the path loss profile, click the View Path Loss button.
The path loss profile is added to the graph window. To change the color of
the profile line, right-click on the profile in the Profiles pane and choose
Format.
If you want to view the signal strength profile, click the View Signal
Strength button.
The signal strength profile is added to the graph window. To change the
color of the profile line, right-click on the profile in the Profiles pane and
choose Format.
If you want to remove the profile from the graph window, but not delete
the profile, in the Profiles pane, clear the check box next to the profile
name.
Do any of the following and click Refresh:
To change the height or frequency of the transmitter, override the

propagation model frequency, or update antenna settings, click
the Transmitter tab and modify transmitter and antenna settings
accordingly.
To change the height or frequency of the receiver, override the

propagation model frequency, or update antenna settings, click
the Receiver tab and modify transmitter and antenna settings
accordingly.
For information on these tabs, press the F1 key.
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If you want to enable the maintain maximum inclination setting, modify

the earth curvature, or change the rain factor, click the Options tab, and
To calculate the over obstacle corrected distance and the angle

to the top of the single most significant obstructing obstacle,
double-click in the box next to Maintain Max Inclination if the
current setting is False. You need to know the angle between the
sector and the receiver in order to determine the actual antenna
gain directed at a location. However, if the signal gets diffracted
over an interfering obstacle, the appropriate antenna gain is
considered to be the angle to the top of the obstacle over which
the signal was diffracted. This effect can be important, especially
when the location is relatively close to the sector, where
inclinations are relatively significant (i.e., more than -5 degrees),
and the antenna pattern is very directional. If you clear this check
box, the direct angle to the receiver is calculated.
Expand the Network Options node and type a value in the

Earth Curvature (K Factor) box and, if required, click the
arrow next to Rain Factor and specify the rain attenuation and
rate.
10 If you want to view profiles for a different signal path, click in the Map
window to define a new start point and a new end point.
11 Click Refresh.
The profiles in the graph window are updated.
12 Choose File Exit to close the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box.
You can customize the contents of the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog
box using the commands from the View menu. You can also resize the
graph area by dragging its edges.
To change the color of the Fresnel profile or edit the values used in the profile,
right-click on the Fresnel Profile in the Profiles pane and choose Format or
Edit Profile. Similarly, you can change the color of the line-of-sight profile or
the elevation profile by right-clicking the profile and choosing Format.
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You can open multiple instances of the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog
box when you want to view multiple profiles. Use the View New
Window in the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box to open a new Point-toPoint Profile Tool dialog box or click the Point-to-Point Profile button on the
Tools toolbar. If you have two dialog boxes open and draw the signal path in
the Map window, by default, both graph windows will be updated with the
same profile. Use the Toggle Profile Capture button to freeze the profiles in
one Point-to-Point Tool dialog box.
Understanding how to interpret a point-to-point profile

There is a lot of information contained in a point-to-point profile that you can
use to help better model a network. Understanding how to interpret a point-topoint profile will enable you to make the best use of the tools provided.
Figure 9.1 Example of a typical point-to-point profile
298

What you see

In Figure 9.1, the graph window has been divided into two using the Toggle
Split Axes button. The lower graph window displays the physical elevation
and clutter profiles along a defined line. It also displays the line-of-sight
profile and the Fresnel zone. The bottom half of the Fresnel zone is red
indicating that the Fresnel zone crossed the elevation profile. The upper graph
window displays the signal strength profile along the same line. Using the
View Pathloss toolbar button, you can quickly change the profile in the upper
window to show path loss instead of signal strength. You can also remove the
legend from the display using the Toggle Legend button.
What you can do

In order to analyze different scenarios, you can:
change the height, power, frequency, and antenna parameters for

the transmitter or receiver.
change the earth curvature, rain factor, and the Maintain Max.
Inclination setting.
change the look and feel of the profile displayed in the graph
window. See To customize the Point-to-Point profile graph
window on page 300.
zoom in or out of the graph using the Zoom In and Zoom Out
buttons or the Enable Zoom command from the shortcut menu.
pan across the graph using the Pan button or the Enable Pan
command from the shortcut menu.
enable cursor tracking. See Exporting a point-to-point graph

on page 303.
For detailed information on the options in the Point-to-Point Tool dialog box,
press the F1 key.
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Customizing the point-to-point profile graph window

You can change the colors and line styles displayed in the graph window and
specify which elements of the graph you want to view.
To customize the Point-to-Point profile graph window

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool, generate the profiles you want to

display.
If you want to display two graph windows, click the Toggle Split Axes
button to stack the vertical axes above each other.
To view the signal strength, click the View Signal Strength

button.
To view the path loss, click the View Pathloss button.
To format the color and style of profile lines, in the Profiles pane, rightclick the profile and choose Format.
In the Line Properties Editor dialog box, define the line color, width,
and style and click OK.
To format the axes displayed for the graph, right-click in the graph
window and choose Axes Options.
In the Axes Options dialog box, specify the appearance of the axes and
line ticks and click OK.
For information on axes options, press the F1 key.
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To display a legend in the graph window, click the Legend button.
To close the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Exit.

To inspect individual points on a profile

When you enable cursor tracking, a Tracking tab appears at the bottom of the
Point-to-Point Tool dialog box. As you move the cursor over a profile, values
relative to the cursor position are displayed on the tab.
1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, do one of the following:
Click the Cursor Tracking button.
Right-click in the graph window and choose Enable Cursor

Tracking.
A Tracking tab appears next to the Transmitter and Receiver tabs at the
bottom of the dialog box.
2
Move the cursor over the signal strength or path loss profile.
Distance, elevation, and path loss or signal strength values are displayed
on the Tracking tab. The values change as you move the cursor along the
profile.
To exit the cursor tracking mode, click the Cursor Tracking button a
second time.
Viewing the height of clutter above the elevation profile

In order to more accurately assess the line-of-sight and the Fresnel zone
clearance along the signal path, you can view the clutter height above the
elevation.
To define clutter height values

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool, generate the profiles you want to

display.
Click the Edit button beneath the clutter legend.
In the Clutter Height Editor, for each clutter class where you want to
view the clutter height above the elevation, click in the Clutter Height
column, and enter the appropriate value.
When you have finished entering values, click OK.

Clutter heights are saved in the DefaultClutterHeight.cpa file in the
project Model folder.
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To view clutter heights
To view clutter heights above the elevation profile, click the

Toggle Clutter Heights button beneath the clutter legend.
To view the clutter heights up to the elevation profile, click the

Toggle Clutter Heights button a second time.
Displaying reflection points

You can display reflection points in a point-to-point profile to determine
whether there are multipath signals between the transmitter and the receiver
that would interfere with the signal and impact your network performance.
You can then change the height of the receiver or transmitter in order to
eliminate multipath signals.
To display reflection points

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool, on the Profile toolbar, click the

Display Reflection Points button.
To define your start point (or the transmitting sector), do one of the
following:
Click at a point in the Map window.
Click the Transmitter tab, click the Select Sector button,

choose a sector, and click OK.
To define your end point (or the receiving sector), do one of the
following:
Click at a point in the Map window.
Click the Receiver tab, click the Select Sector button, choose a
sector, and click OK.
If there is a multipath signal where the reflected angles between the

transmitter and the receiver are the same at a point on the elevation
profile, it is displayed in the point-to-point graph as shown in Figure 9.2.
If the reflected lines intersect with the terrain, the reflection point is not
displayed.
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Figure 9.2 Point where the reflected angles between the transmitter and the receiver
equal 1.06 degrees.
Exporting a point-to-point graph

You can export a graph generated in the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box
as a graphic file or as a text file. Graphic file formats include .bmp, .gif, .jpeg,
tiff, and .wmf files. The data export format is comma-separated value.
Depending on the format, you can send outputs to the clipboard, a printer, or a
file.
To export a point-to-point graph as an image

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Export

Export Image.
In the Save As dialog box, do the following:
From the Save In list, choose the destination folder.
In the File Name box, type a name for the file.
From the Save As Type list, choose the format of the image.
Click Save.
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To export a point-to-point graph to a text file

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Export

Export Data.
In the Save As dialog box, do the following:
From the Save In list, choose the destination folder.
In the File Name box, type a name for the file.
From the Save As Type list, choose csv files (*.csv).
Click Save.

You can customize the print layout of point-to-point graphs you want to send
to a printer.
To print a point-to-point graph

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Page Setup
to define the layout of the graph print out.
In the Page Setup dialog box, define the paper size, source, orientation
and margins.
If you want to preview the print layout, in the Page Setup dialog
box, click OK and go to Step 4.
If you want to send the point-to-point graph to the printer, click

the Printer button, review the printer settings, and click OK.
Choose File Print Preview.
Saving and opening point-to-point profiles

You can save a profile for later use when you want to make comparisons
between profiles. Profiles are saved as .xml files.
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To save a point-to-point profile

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Save

Profile.
Navigate to the folder where you want to save the profile, in the File
Name box, type a name for the profile, and click Save.
To open a point-to-point profile

1
In the Point-to-Point Profile Tool dialog box, choose File Open.
Locate the .xml file you want to open and click Open.
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10.
following sections:
Understanding clutter
weighting
Workflow for creating and

editing a traffic map
Creating traffic maps from

regions, vectors, and
classified grids
Creating a traffic map from

network data
Modifying clutter relative

weightings
Adding traffic maps to the

Project Explorer
Chapter 10: Working with Traffic Maps
Working with Traffic

Maps
Traffic maps enable you to optimize your network in
the areas with the most subscribers.
You can use traffic maps to create interference
matrices and neighbor lists. Traffic maps are
important input data for various technology-specific
network analyses as well.
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Traffic maps provide data about the geographical distribution of subscriber
traffic in a network. You can generate a traffic map from demographic data,
such as population census data, or from network data.
When planning a network, you can use demographic data to estimate
subscriber numbers. The variation in subscriber density across the network
coverage area is likely to be similar to the variation in population density.
When optimizing an existing network, you can base your traffic map on
network data that reflects the actual usage patterns in the network.
Traffic maps that you create or add to the project are displayed in the Project
Explorer, in the Project Data category. The icon beside the traffic map name
(see Table 10.1) indicates whether or not you can view properties and edit the
traffic map.
Table 10.1 Traffic map icons
Icon
Description
The traffic map was created within the current project using one of the
methods described in this chapter. You can view and edit certain
properties.
The traffic map was modified or added to the project. You cannot view the
properties or edit the traffic map.
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Working with Traffic Maps

Types of input traffic data

You can base your traffic map on one of the following types of data:
Regionstraffic data for a set of polygon regions, such as postal

codes
Vectorstraffic data for geographical vector objects, such as

roads
Classified gridgeographical regions and a text file containing

the traffic data for each region. This can be information
converted from region and vector data.
Network dataimported traffic data
Longitude/latitude projection is not supported for input data. Re-project

the original region or vector table into UTM.
If a region is inside another region in the input data, it is discarded.
If clutter weighting is needed, the clutter file and the input table must be in the
same projection.
For information on creating composite traffic maps using subscriber
types, see Chapter 12, Generating Performance Analyses, in the
TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Conversion factors for input traffic data

The input traffic data can be measured in subscribers, Erlangs, or Kilobits per
second (Kbps). The Traffic Map Generator output is a numeric grid of traffic
density values expressed as subscribers, Erlangs, or Kbps per km2. The
conversion factors between traffic units have default values, but you can also
specify them within a range, as described in Table 10.2.
Table 10.2 Conversion factors for input traffic data
Conversion
Default Factor
Range
Subscribers to Erlangs
0.025
0.000001 to 1.0
Erlangs to Subscribers
40
1 to 1 000 000
Subscribers to Kbps
0.000001 to 1 000 000
Kbps to Subscribers
0.000001 to 1 000 000
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Table 10.2 Conversion factors for input traffic data (continued)
Conversion
Default Factor
Range
Erlangs to Kbps
0.000001 to 1 000 000
Kbps to Erlangs
0.000001 to 1 000 000
When you work with population data, your conversion factor must include the
conversion from population to subscribers, also known as the penetration rate.
For example, if your network has a penetration rate of 10% and you want to
use a subscribers-to-Erlangs conversion of 0.025, the conversion factor when
using population data is 0.0025.
You can use the Traffic Map Generator to create all traffic maps, but the
procedure differs depending on the form of the input.
Understanding clutter weighting

Wireless network traffic is not uniform across a region. There are more users
in urban and suburban areas than in forests and open land. Clutter weighting
provides a more realistic view of traffic density. When you apply relative
weighting factors, the Traffic Map Generator redistributes the amount of
traffic within each census region according to the underlying clutter types.
Figure 10.1 shows a traffic map created from population data without
applying clutter weighting. Each census region is marked with a color
reflecting its total population. Red areas are the most populated, blue areas the
least. Figure 10.2 shows the same traffic map after clutter weighting is
applied.
Figure 10.1 Traffic map made from population data by region without clutter weighting
310

Figure 10.2 Traffic map made from population data by region with clutter weighting
Clutter weighting reduces the traffic data value where the underlying clutter
type implies few subscribers, for example, water, open areas, and forest.
Values are increased where the underlying clutter is urban or industrial. Only
the distribution of traffic is affected. The total amount of traffic is unchanged.
You control clutter weighting by defining a relative weighting value for each
clutter type.
The clutter file you use for predictions and analyses is probably not the best
one to use for clutter weighting. Instead of ground cover types, clutter
weighting requires land use information about areas such as shopping centers,
stadiums, and highways so that subscriber densities can be determined.
Including vectors in clutter

Wireless network traffic is often concentrated along roads. It is useful to
include roads on the clutter grid so that they can be assigned clutter classes for
clutter weighting. You do this by merging your base clutter file with the vector
file containing the roads.
During merging, vector objects are converted to bins in the clutter grid file
and assigned a clutter class. You can set the width of vector objects on the grid
by setting their buffer radius. If the vector file contains this information, you
can use a separate buffer radius setting for each type of vector object.
A vector object, such as a road, added to the clutter grid, can be assigned a
clutter class that replaces the underlying clutter type. Or, you can create a new
combined clutter type that reflects both the vector type and the underlying
clutter type. For example, you could create new clutter types such as
Highway/Urban and Highway/Open.
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Workflow for creating and editing a traffic map

Step 1
Create a base traffic map based on:
Regions, vectors, or a classified grid. See

Creating traffic maps from regions, vectors, and
classified grids on page 312.
Network data. See Creating a traffic map from

network data on page 315.
Step 2
If required, apply clutter weighting. See Applying clutter

weighting on page 319.
Step 3
If required, modify the traffic map properties. You can
Convert traffic maps. See Converting traffic

maps on page 324.
Scale traffic maps. See Scaling traffic maps on

page 325.
Combine traffic maps. See Combining traffic

maps on page 327.
Creating traffic maps from regions, vectors, and classified grids

The procedure for creating traffic maps using data from regions or vectors
differs from that used to create traffic maps from a classified grid.
To create a traffic map from regions or vectors

1

Traffic Maps and choose New From Map Data.
The Traffic Map Generator: General dialog box opens.
Type a name in the Name box.

The name must contain only alphanumeric characters and no spaces.
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In the Traffic Data Input Format section, choose one of the following
options:
Regionsif your traffic data is a .tab file that defines regions

where a total traffic count is assigned to each region.
Vectorsif your traffic data is a .tab file that contains vectors

with the total traffic count assigned to each vector.

From the Input Data Unit list, choose the units used in the input data.
From the Output Data Unit list, choose the units that you want to use in
your traffic map.
If the units for the input and output data do not match, in the Conversion
Factor box, type a conversion factor for input data unit to output data
unit, or accept the default.
When converting from subscribers, the conversion factor should account
for both the conversion of units and the conversion of population to
subscribers (penetration rate). For more information, see Conversion
factors for input traffic data on page 309.
In the Description box, type a brief description of up to 64 characters.
Click Next.
The Traffic Map Generator: Traffic Data dialog box opens.
From the Region/Vector Layer list, choose the map layer that
contains the traffic data.
Click Open Table, navigate to the table that contains the traffic
data, and click Open.
10 From the Name Column list, choose the column that contains the
identifying names of the regions or vector objects. This option enables
density values to be calculated based on the combined data values for all
region objects with the same value in the chosen Name Column, divided
by the combined area for these objects.
When your data does not contain polygon names, choose the <Blank>
option to treat each region as a separate area for generating a traffic map.
11 From the Data Column list, choose the column that contains the traffic or
subscriber counts.
12 Click Next.
The Traffic Map Generator: Clutter Weighting dialog box opens.
Enable the Apply Clutter Weighting check box to use clutter

weighting. See To apply clutter weighting using a clutter file
on page 320 or To apply clutter weighting using a merged
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clutter/vector file on page 321. For an explanation of clutter

weighting, see Understanding clutter weighting on page 310.
Clear the Apply Clutter Weighting check box, and in the

Traffic Map Resolution box, type a value or accept the default.
You will not be able to change the resolution after you apply
clutter weighting, since the traffic map is produced at the same
resolution as the clutter file.
14 Click Finish.
You can apply or alter clutter weighting in the Traffic Map Properties
dialog box. To access this dialog box, right-click the traffic map in the
Project Explorer and choose Properties.
To create a traffic map from a classified grid

1

The Traffic Map Generator dialog box opens.

In the Traffic Data Input Format section, choose the Classified Grid
option.
your traffic map.
When converting from subscribers, the conversion factor should account
for both the conversion of units and the conversion of population to
subscribers (penetration rate). For more information, see Conversion
factors for input traffic data on page 309.
Click Next.
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Click Browse beside the Region Definition File box, navigate to the
classified grid that defines the regions, and click Open.
10 Click Browse beside the Traffic Assignment File box, navigate to the
text file that contains the traffic values for the regions, and then click
Open.
11 If you want to edit the data, click Edit and do any of the following:
To change a data value, click the row in the Total Traffic

column, and type a new value.
To load an assignment file, click Load, navigate to the file, and

then click Open.
To save an assignment file, click Save As, navigate to the folder

where you want to save the file, type a file name, and click Save.
To save your modified data and return to the Traffic Map

Generator, click OK.
To return to the Traffic Map Generator without changing data

values, click Cancel.
12 Click Next.
The Traffic Map Generator: Clutter Weighting dialog box opens.
Enable the Apply Clutter Weighting check box to use clutter

weighting. See To apply clutter weighting using a clutter file
on page 320 or To apply clutter weighting using a merged
clutter/vector file on page 321. For an explanation of clutter
weighting, see Understanding clutter weighting on page 310.
Clear the Apply Clutter Weighting check box, and in the

Traffic Map Resolution box, type a value or accept the default.
14 Click Finish.
Creating a traffic map from network data

You can create a traffic map from network data. Network data is data
collected from wireless network switching equipment. It contains information
about network configuration and performance. You use the Network Data tool
to map network data to Mentum Planet data. This is referred to as binding.
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Before you can create a traffic map from network data, you must generate
signal strength predictions for the sectors specified in the network data. For
more information, see Generating predictions on page 277.
This section explains how to bind network data to create a traffic map. The
procedures in this section focus on how to use the Network Data tool to create
traffic maps only. You can use the Network Data tool for other purposes as
well. For more information on using the Network Data tool, see Using the
Network Data tool on page 390.
Your network data must be in an Excel spreadsheet or tab-delimited text file.
To create a traffic map, your network data must contain the following fields,
which you will need to map to Mentum Planet data:
the Site ID of the serving sector
the Sector ID of the serving sector
information about traffic for each sector
To import network data for a traffic map

1

Network Data and choose New.
The Network Data dialog box opens.
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In the External Data Source section, click Browse, navigate to your

Microsoft Excel (.xls) or text network data file, and click Open.
Do the following to associate the required network data fields to the

corresponding site data:
On the Data Binding tab, in the External Data column, find the
row that contains the site ID, and choose Site_Id from the
Planet Data list in that row.
In the External Data column, find the row that contains the
sector ID, and choose Antenna_Id from the Planet Data list in
that row.
traffic information, and choose Carried Erlangs or
Offered Erlangs from the Planet Data list in that row.

If you want to save the binding rules that you created in Step 3 for use
with other external data sources, click Save As, type a name in the File
Name box, and click Save.
Saving the rules means that you can use them with other network data
files that use the same column names. Instead of recreating the binding
rules each time, you can load the appropriate binding rules file.
Click the Results tab.
Click Fetch.
You can examine the fetched data in the table. There should be traffic data
for all sectors for which you are creating the traffic map. Sectors with
network data are shown with a colored background. Sectors without
network data are shown with a white background and gray text. If the data
import is not as you want it, you can return to the Data Binding tab and
make changes.
Clear the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box.
To save the results, click Save.
Click Close to close the Network Data dialog box.
If you later want to generate display info for use with the Network Data
tool, right-click the network data file in Operational Data category of the
Project Explorer and choose View. The Network Data dialog box opens and
you can enable the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box.
Click Save, enable the check box for each performance indicator that you
want to view, and click OK. Click Close. For more information, see Using
Network Data Display on page 399.
To create a traffic map from network data

Before you create a traffic map from network data, you must
Generate signal strength predictions for the sectors specified in

the network data. See Generating predictions on page 277.
Import the network data. See To import network data for a

traffic map on page 316.

The Traffic Map Generator dialog box opens.
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In the Traffic Data Input Format section, choose the Network Data
option.
your traffic map.
For more information, see Conversion factors for input traffic data on
page 309.
Click Next.
From the Select Prebound Network Data list, choose the network data
to use.
10 From the Select Traffic Data Column list, choose the network data
column to use.
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If you want to use an existing best serving sector grid or best

serving signal strength grid, click Browse, navigate to the best
serving sector grid or the best serving signal strength grid, and
click Open. Depending on your project, these grids will be
located in the TDMA_FDMA Analyses folder, the
cdma2000_Analyses folder, or the WCDMA_Analyses folder.
If you want to have the Traffic Map Generator generate a best

serving sector grid, enable the Create the BSC On-the-Fly
check box and type a threshold value in the Min. Signal
Strength box to limit the traffic spreading to within the best
serving area of a sector. Areas where the best serving signal
strength is below the threshold will be discarded when creating
the best serving sector grid.

12 If you chose to create the best serving sector grid on the fly, and you want
to define the resolution for the classified grid, do one of the following in
the Analysis Resolution section:
To generate the interference matrix by automatically optimizing

the multiple resolutions of the generated best server coverage
grid, enable the Optimal option.
To specify the resolution to be used when generating the best

server coverage grid, enable the User Defined option, and either
choose a value from the list or type a value in the box.
13 Click Next.
The Traffic Map Generator: Clutter Weighting dialog box opens. You can
apply clutter weighting now or add it later using the Traffic Map
Properties dialog box. For information about applying clutter weighting,
see Applying clutter weighting on page 319.
The Traffic Map Resolution box is unavailable. The traffic map has the
same resolution as the best server coverage grid.
14 Click Finish.

Clutter weighting redistributes traffic values according to the type of clutter in
each region. The result is a more realistic prediction of where your traffic
loading will occur.
You can base your clutter weightings on
a clutter grid
a clutter grid merged with a vector file
When you merge a vector file with a clutter grid, you can include significant
sources of traffic represented by vectors, such as major roads, in your clutter
weighting. The merging technique enables you to set a buffer zone around
vector objects that is written with the vector objects traffic value. You can use
a single buffer size for all vector objects, or use a different value for each
vector object type, as specified in your vector table.
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To apply clutter weighting using a clutter file

1
On the Clutter Weighting panel in the Traffic Map Generator

dialog box, enable the Apply Clutter Weighting check box.
Right-click an existing traffic map in the Project Explorer,

choose Properties, and, in the Traffic Map Properties dialog
box, choose Clutter Weighting, then enable the Apply Clutter
Weighting check box.
If you want to use a different clutter file than the default one displayed in
the Underlying Clutter File box, click Browse, navigate to the clutter
file that you want to use, and click Open.
The default underlying clutter file is the clutter file for the project, if one
has been specified.
To reuse an existing clutter weighting file (.crd), click Load,

navigate to the .crd file you want to use, and click Open.
To create a new clutter weighting file (.crd), click Edit, in the

Clutter Property Assignment: Clutter Relative Weighting
dialog box, modify the relative weighting values and the unit
conversion factors as required, click Save, and click Close.
Values must be positive. The values in the Relative Weighting
column reflect the relative traffic in each clutter type. The values
in the Unit Conversion Factor column reflect the relationship
between subscribers and traffic in each clutter type. The general
conversion factor between input and output units is set in the
traffic map general properties.
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To save a clutter weighting file (.crd) with a new name, click

Save As, type a name for the file and click Save.
To finish, do one of the following:
If you are in the Traffic Map Generator dialog box, click

Finish.
If you are in the Traffic Map Properties dialog box, click

Update.

To apply clutter weighting using a merged clutter/vector file

1
On the Clutter Weighting panel in the Traffic Map Generator,

enable the Apply Clutter Weighting check box.
Right-click an existing traffic map in the Project Explorer,

choose Properties, and then, in the Traffic Map Properties
dialog box, choose Clutter Weighting, then enable the Apply
Clutter Weighting check box.
Click New from Vectors.

The Vector and Clutter Merging dialog box opens.
On the General tab, beside the New Clutter File Name box, click Save.
Navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, type a name in the
File Name box, and click Save.
From the Vector Layer list, choose a vector layer. Only

currently open vector layers are listed.
Click Open, navigate to the vector .tab file that you want to use,
and click OK.
From the Name Column list, choose the column that contains the vector
object names.
Beside the Base Clutter File box, click Browse, navigate to the clutter
file that you want to use, and click Open.
If you want to create new clutter types that combine vector types
with the underlying clutter types, enable the Create Combined
Clutter Types check box. For example, where a single Highway
vector object overlaps Urban and Residential Clutter types,
create the new clutter types Highway/Urban and Highway/
Residential. This option increases computation time.
If you want to replace the underlying clutter type with the vector
object where there is an overlap, clear the Create Combined
Clutter Types check box.
Click the Buffer Settings tab.
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10 In the Radius section, do one of the following:
To use the same buffer radius for all objects, choose the Value
option, and type a radius value in the adjacent box.
To use different radius values for each vector object, choose the
From Column option, and then from the list, choose the vector
table column containing the buffering radius values.
11 If you chose the Value option and you want to include region objects
from the vector file in your merged clutter/vector file, enable the
Include Regions check box.
Otherwise, only point and line objects are merged.
12 From the Units list, choose the units for the radius value or values.
13 Click Generate.
The Vector and Clutter Merging dialog box closes and the Clutter
Property Assignment: Clutter Relative Weighting dialog box reopens.
For detailed instructions on editing clutter weighting factors, see To
modify clutter relative weightings on page 322.
If you are in the Traffic Map Generator dialog box, click

Finish.
If you are in the Traffic Map Properties dialog box, click

Update.
Modifying clutter relative weightings

The relative weightings of different clutter types determine how traffic
densities are distributed in the traffic map.
To modify clutter relative weightings

1
Right-click an existing traffic map in the Project Explorer, choose

Properties, and then, in the Traffic Map Properties dialog box, choose
Clutter Weighting.
Click Edit.
The Clutter Property Assignment: Clutter Relative Weighting dialog box
opens.
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To change any numeric value in the Properties table, click in the cell and
type a new value.
Values must be positive. The values in the Relative Weighting column
reflect the relative number of subscribers in each clutter type. The values
in the Unit Conversion Factor column reflect the relationship between
subscribers and traffic in each clutter type. The general conversion factor
between input and output units is set in the traffic map general properties.
When you have finished modifying values, click Save, and then click
Close.
Click Update.

You can view traffic maps in the current Map window. In the Windows
category of the Project Explorer, the traffic map layer name is prefixed with
TM_.
To view a traffic map

traffic map and choose View.
Adding traffic maps to the Project Explorer

Traffic maps are automatically added to the Project Explorer when you create
them. You can also add traffic maps that you did not create in the current
project.
To add a traffic map to the Project Explorer

1

Traffic Maps and choose Add.
In the Add Traffic Map dialog box, navigate to the traffic map that you
want to add, and click Open.
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There are various ways that you can modify and reuse the traffic maps that are
generated in Mentum Planet. All of the following operations create a new
map:
Convert a map to a different traffic unit, changing subscribers/

km2 to Erlangs/km2, for example. See To convert a traffic map
on page 324.
Scale the traffic values by a percentage value. You could do this

to adjust for traffic growth, for example. See To scale a traffic
map by percentage on page 325.
Scale the traffic values by a positive or negative offset. See To

scale a traffic map by offset on page 325.
Scale traffic values by a multiplier depending on the underlying

clutter type. You could do this to adjust for traffic growth in
certain clutter types, for example. See To scale a traffic map
using clutter scaling factors on page 326.
Combine maps, converting traffic units as needed. The maps

must use the same coordinate system, but can be based on
different types of input data. See To combine traffic maps on
page 327.

You can convert a traffic map to a different traffic unit and save it as a new
file.
To convert a traffic map

1
In the Project Explorer, right-click on a traffic map and choose Convert.

The Convert Traffic Map dialog box opens.
324
In the Converted Traffic Map Name box, type a name for the new traffic
map, or accept the default.
From the Converted Traffic Map Unit list, choose the traffic unit to
which you want to convert.
In the Conversion Factor box, type the conversion factor, or accept the
default.

Click Convert.
The converted map is added to the Traffic Maps node in the Project Data
category of the Project Explorer. Its properties are not editable.

You can change the values in an existing traffic map by scaling them in one of
three ways:
multiply each value by a factor expressed as a percentage
add or subtract an offset amount to each value
multiply each value by a factor dependent on clutter type
To scale a traffic map by percentage

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click on a

traffic map and choose Scale.
The Scale Traffic Map dialog box opens.
In the Scaled Traffic Map Name box, type a name for the new map, or
accept the default.
From the Scaling Method list, choose Percentage.
In the Scaling Factor box, type the scaling factor.

For percentage scaling, the factor must be between 0 and 100 000,
inclusive. A value of 100% leaves the map unchanged.
Click Scale.
The scaled map is added to the Traffic Maps node in the Project Data
To scale a traffic map by offset

1

accept the default.
From the Scaling Method list, choose Offset.
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In the Scaling Offset box, type the scaling offset.

For Offset scaling, the factor must be between -100 000 and 100 000.
Click Scale.
To scale a traffic map using clutter scaling factors

1

accept the default.
From the Scaling Method list, choose Clutter.

By default, the Scaling Clutter File box shows the name of the clutter file
that was used to create the original traffic map. The project clutter file is
set as the default clutter file when the original traffic map was created
without using a clutter weighting file.
If you want to create a different clutter file, click Browse, navigate to the
clutter file that you want to use, and click Open.
Click Editto modify clutter scaling factors. The Clutter

Property Assignment: Clutter Scaling Factor dialog box opens.
Click Loadto open an existing Clutter Scaling Factors (.csf)

file.
Click Save Asto save the clutter scaling factors to a .csf file.
If you chose Edit, in the Clutter Properties Assignment: Clutter

Scaling Factor dialog box, click in the cell and type a new value to
change Scaling Factor values in the Properties table.
Values must be positive and between 0.001 and 10 000, inclusive.
326
When you have finished modifying values, click Save, and then click
Close.

Click Scale.

You can combine traffic maps to produce a map of a larger area. The process
of combining grids is similar to that of grid splicing, except that traffic counts
for overlapping areas can be combined using any of the following methods:
Averagethe average traffic value at each bin of all of the traffic

maps that have coverage at that bin
Average of Min & Maxthe average traffic value between the

minimum traffic value and the maximum traffic value at each bin
of all of the traffic maps that have coverage at that bin
Maximumthe maximum traffic value at each bin of all of the

traffic maps that have coverage at that bin
Minimumthe minimum traffic value at each bin of all of the

traffic maps that have coverage at that bin
Sumthe sum traffic value at each bin of all of the traffic maps
that have coverage at that bin
The maps that you are combining must have the same coordinate system.
Differences in traffic units between the input maps and the new combined
map are resolved through conversion. You can specify conversion factors or
use the defaults.
To combine traffic maps

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click one of

the traffic maps that you want to combine and choose Combine.
The Combine Traffic Maps dialog box opens.
In the Combined Traffic Map Name box, type a name for the new map,
or accept the default.
From the Combining Method list, choose the method that you want to
use to combine the traffic maps.
In the Other Compatible Traffic Maps box, enable the check boxes
beside the traffic maps that you want to combine.
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From the Combined Traffic Map Unit list, choose the traffic unit that
you want to use for the new map.
Click Combine.
If you are prompted to convert traffic map units, in the Mentum Planet
dialog box, click OK.
The Assign Conversion Factors dialog box opens.
For each map that requires conversion, in the Conversion Factor box,
type the conversion factor or accept the default and click Next.
When you have finished assigning the conversion factors, click Finish.
The new combined traffic map is added to the Traffic Maps node in the
Project Data category of the Project Explorer. Its properties are not
editable.
If you want to combine traffic maps that all use the same traffic unit, you
can use the quick combine method. In the Project Explorer, in the
Project Data category, choose the traffic maps that you want to combine.
Right-click any of the traffic maps you selected and choose Combine. In the
Combine Traffic Maps dialog box, type a name in the Combined Traffic Map
Name box, and click OK.

You can remove a traffic map from the Project Explorer and delete the
associated traffic map files using the Project Explorer.
To delete a traffic map
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traffic map that you want to delete and choose Delete.
11.
following sections:
Understanding interference
matrices
Chapter 11: Working with Interference Matrices
Working with
Interference Matrices
An interference matrix is an important input to
neighbor lists and to some tools that are part of
specific technologies.
Workflow for creating

interference matrices
This chapter describes how to generate and edit the
Creating Modeled
different types of interference matrices.
Creating Network Data

Creating Local Knowledge

Viewing sector-to-sector
interference in a Map window
Converting a matrix to a
standard interference matrix
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Chapter 11
Understanding interference matrices

An interference matrix compares sector signal strengths throughout the
network and identifies the sectors that potentially interfere with each other.
Sectors with similar signal strengths produce interference when they are on
the same or adjacent channels. An interference matrix can be based on any or
all of the following:
a network analysis
a traffic map
network data
local RF engineering knowledge
For all projects, an interference matrix is used for creating neighbor lists. It is
also used as an input to other tools such as the Automatic Frequency Planning
tool, the Interactive Frequency Planning tool, and the Color Code Planning
tool.
The completed interference matrix shows the sources of interference for each
sector in a table format.
Figure 11.1 Interference matrix listing the sectors that interfere with Site 1001,
Sector 1
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Working with Interference Matrices

Interference matrix types

There are three types of interference matrices:
Modeled (of which there are two variantsStandard and

Histogram)
Network Data
Local Knowledge
This chapter provides detailed information about creating each type. You can
merge the information from the different interference matrix types into a
single interference matrix to compensate for the disadvantages of each type
and produce a more accurate list of interferers.
Table 11.1 Types of interference matrices
Type
Description
Modeled
Interference
Matrix
(Standard)
(see Creating
Modeled
interference
matrices on
page 334)
Modeled
Interference
Matrix
(Histogram)
(see Creating
Modeled
interference
matrices on
page 334)
Disadvantages
Based on signal strength

predictions (from propagation
model and/or drive test data)
and a best server grid for the
selected sites
Looks at the C/I value
between sectors using the
best server area that is
independent of the current
serving area
Provides statistical C/I
information for sectors that are
far away.
Provides statistical
interference information
between any combination of
two sectors
Based on signal strength

predictions (from propagation
model and/or drive test data)
Looks at C/I values on a
bin-by-bin basis using the best
server area that is
independent of the current
serving area
Assigns a weighting value to
non best serving areas
accounts for C/I only at

the ground level; does not
account for mobile use in
buildings
only approximates
subscriber traffic
locations, unless the
matrix is based on a
traffic map
provides only the
percentage of
interference; additional
parameters affect the
quality of reuse
accounts for C/I only at

the ground level; does not
account for mobile use in
buildings
only approximates
subscriber traffic
locations, unless the
matrix is based on a
traffic map
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Chapter 11
Table 11.1 Types of interference matrices (continued)
Type
Description
Network Data
(see Creating
Network Data
interference
matrices on
page 340)
Local
Knowledge
(see Creating
Local
Knowledge
interference
matrices on
page 344)
332
Disadvantages
Based on actual network

performance from switch data
Provides C/I statistics from all
the subscriber calls of the
network
Indirectly accounts for
subscribers in buildings that
the Modeled interference
matrix cannot account for
Accounts for the true traffic
distribution whereas the
Modeled interference matrix
uses a best guess based on
clutter weights
Can be converted to a
Modeled interference matrix.
based on an RF engineers
categorical assessment of the
level of interference from each
potential server; RF engineers
can use local knowledge and
overwrite the previous
allows the Automatic
Frequency Planning tool to
determine the validity of reuse
so it does not rely on
interference statistics
allows storage of the local
knowledge
provides a fine-tuning of the
interference matrix
can be converted to a
does not account for all

offending interferers
provides only the
percentage of
interference; additional
parameters affect the
quality of reuse
does not account for
problem areas where
calls are dropped
does not account for
interference of cochannel sectors
does not provide

sufficient information
when used by itself; it
must be merged with
other types of

Workflow for creating interference matrices

Step 1
Create a sector group to use when creating interference

matrices. For valid results, each step in the workflow must be
based on the same sectors. For more information about sector
groups, see Working with sector groups on page 93.
Step 2
Create signal strength predictions for the sector group. See

Generating predictions on page 277. If you want to use a best
server grid for your specific technology instead of the best server
grid that is generated by the Interference Matrix tool, generate a
best server analysis. For information on generating analyses, see
the appropriate User Guide.
Step 3
If you want to include traffic information in your interference

matrix, create the traffic map. For more information, see Chapter
10: Working with Traffic Maps on page 307.
Step 4
Create interference matrices of the types you need:
Creating Modeled interference matrices on page 334
Creating Network Data interference matrices on page 340
Creating Local Knowledge interference matrices on page 344
Step 5
View the interference matrix. See Viewing interference matrices

on page 346.
Step 6
If you want to use switch data or an RF engineers categorical

assessments for modeling a network, convert a Network Data or
Local Knowledge interference matrix to a Modeled interference
matrix. See Converting a matrix to a standard interference
matrix on page 350
Step 7
If you want to combine multiple interference matrices into a single

matrix, merge the interference matrices. See Merging
interference matrices on page 351.
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Chapter 11
Creating Modeled interference matrices

A modeled interference matrix is generated using signal strength predictions
and a best server grid for the selected sites. Technology-specific projects can
use a best server grid generated in the project.
There are two types of modeled interference matrix. Each matrix is identified
in the Project Explorer with a unique icon.
Standard Interference Matricesdetails how much traffic or

how much of the serving sector area is affected by an interfering
sector on both the co- and adjacent channels
Histogram Interference Matricesdetails the C/I distribution of

the servers for a given interferer
Standard interference matrix

In a standard interference matrix, the analysis can include areas where a
server is not the best server but can still provide service. These are areas
where handover occurs. You define this area by specifying the maximum
permissible difference between the signal strength of the server and the best
server. Affected area and affected traffic values for the non-best servers are
reduced by the non-best server weighting factor that you define.
For each sector, the matrix lists the area affected by co-channel interference
and the area affected by adjacent channel interference. These values are in
square kilometers. If you provide a traffic map, the interference matrix also
calculates the amount of traffic, in milliErlangs, affected by co-channel and
adjacent channel interference.
The standard interference matrix relies on C/I weights tables to determine the
probability of interference from a competing signal, based on the difference in
strength between the serving and interfering sectors. There are two C/I
weights tables, one for co-channel interference and one for adjacent-channel
interference. These tables define the points of a C/I curve. See To create a
standard interference matrix on page 335.
334

Histogram interference matrix

If you are working with third-party AFP tools, you can generate histogram
interference matrices to use with these tools.
A histogram interference matrix is generated on-the-fly by calculating C/I
values at each bin across the network. In each histogram interference matrix,
C/I values are calculated for strong interferers and the mean and standard
deviation values are calculated for weak interferers. Which interferers are
considered strong and which are considered weak is determined by
the C/I thresholds that you define.
When you generate a histogram matrix, a folder is created that contains
multiple files (.srv files). By saving a series of smaller files, you can improve
the time required to open an interference matrix.
You can generate a histogram interference matrix only for
TDMA/FDMA sites.
To create a standard interference matrix

1
In the RF Tools category, expand the Interference Matrices node.
Right-click the Modeled node and choose New Standard Matrix.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the appropriate group and click
Continue.
When the generation of predictions is complete, the Generate a Standard
Interference Matrix dialog box opens.
If you want to base your interference matrix on a traffic map, in the

Traffic section, enable the Use a Traffic Map check box, and choose a
traffic map from the Traffic Map list.
In the C/I Weights Tables section, do one of the following:
To use existing tables, from the Co-channel and Adjacent

Channel lists, choose a C/I weights table.
To create new default C/I weights tables, click New below the
Co-channel and Adjacent Channel lists and modify the curves
as required. For information on the Curve Editor, press the F1
key.
If you want to use a best server grid for your specific technology instead
of the best server grid that is generated by the Interference Matrix tool,
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enable the Use a Technology-Dependent Best Server check box, and

choose a best server grid from the Best Server Analysis list.
A technology-dependent best server grid includes the effect of
hierarchical cell layers for technologies that support them.
7
In the Non Best Server Calculation section, do any of the following:
If you want to define the value used to calculate the non-best

server region, type a value in the Include Servers Within box,
or accept the default. The non-best server region is the region
where the server is not the best server, but can provide coverage.
The value that you type in the Include Servers Within box
defines the number of dB that the server can be less than the best
server signal and still provide service.
If you want to define the relative importance of non-best server

area interference, type a value in the Non-Best Server
Weighting box, or accept the default. The Non-Best Server
Weighting value is the percentage of interference that comes
from areas where a server is a non-best server.
In the Data Sampling Resolution section, do one of the following:
To generate the interference matrix by automatically optimizing

the multiple resolutions of the signal strength grid, choose the
Optimal option.
To specify the resolution to be used when generating the

interference matrix, choose the User Defined option, and either
choose a value from the list or type a value in the box.
Do any of the following to specify the minimum signal strength of best

servers, non-best servers, and interferers used when generating the
interference matrix:
Type a value in the Victim RSSI Threshold box to define the

minimum received signal strength indicator in dBm, or accept
the default. RSSI values range from -200 to 0 dBm. Servers with
signal strengths below this value will not be used when
generating the interference matrix.
Type a value in the Offender RSSI Threshold box to define the

received signal strength filter threshold. Interferers with signal
strengths below this value will not be used when generating the
interference matrix.
10 Click OK.
336

11 In the Save As dialog box, type a name for the file, and click Save.
The interference matrix must be saved to the InterferenceMatrix folder in
your project folder with a .imx extension (it is saved there by default).
After you click Save, an information dialog box opens, displaying the
status of the operation.
12 When the operation is complete, in the Interference Matrix dialog box,
click Close.
The interference matrix is displayed under the Modeled node in the
Project Explorer.
13 Click Close to close the Prediction Generator.
You can also access the Interference Matrix Generator dialog box by
choosing Tools Interference Matrix Generator.
To create a histogram interference matrix

1
Right-click the Modeled node and choose New Histogram Matrix.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the sectors for which you want to
generate a histogram interference matrix and click Continue.
In the Generate A Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box, in the

left pane, expand the Settings node and choose Calculation.
In the Name box, type a name for the interference matrix.
If you want the interference matrix to account for traffic, in the Traffic
section, enable the Use a Traffic Map check box and choose a traffic map
from the list.
In the RSSI Thresholds section, choose one of the following options for
the victim:
Use Network Settings Rx Sensitivityto use the calculated

value of -103.99 dBm.
User-Definedto define the minimum received signal strength

indicator in dBm, or accept the default. RSSI values range from 200 to 0 dBm. Servers with signal strengths below this value will
not be used when generating the interference matrix.
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In the Offender RSSI Threshold box, type a value to define the received
signal strength filter threshold. Interferers with signal strengths below this
value will not be used when generating the interference matrix.
In the Non-Best Server Calculation section, type values in the following

boxes:
Include Servers Withinthis value is the maximum acceptable

difference between the signal strength and the best server signal
strength that identifies a non-best server. This value must be
greater than 0 to affect the generated interference matrix.
Non-Best Server Weightingthis value is the percentage of

interference that comes from areas where a server is a non-best
server. The range for non-best server weighting is 0% to 100%.
10 If you want to include Hierarchial Cell Layers (HCL) in the generation of

the histogram interference matrix, enable the Use HCL (Hierarchial Cell
Layers) check box.
The best server layers are generated on-the-fly.
11 If you want to use the timing advance limit you defined in the Sector
Settings dialog box, enable the Use Timing Advance Limit check box.
The timing advance limit is the maximum distance (in km) from a sector
that a mobile user can be served.
12 In the left pane, choose Histogram.
13 On the Histogram panel, in the Histogram Intervals section, define the
following values:
338
Minimum C/Ithe minimum C/I value stored in the histogram

in dB. Any C/I value below the minimum will be considered
equal this value.
Maximum C/Ithe maximum C/I value stored in the histogram

in dB. Any C/I value above the maximum will be considered
equal to this value.
Number of Stepsthe number of values saved in the histogram.

14 In the Histogram Based Interferers Filtering section, enable any of the

following check boxes:
Use Nth StrongestC/I histograms are saved for the Nth

strongest interferers while only the average and standard
deviation values are saved for other interferers.
Use Relative Thresholdfull histograms are saved for the

interferer that has an average C/I value that is lower than the
worst interferer C/I value plus the relative threshold.
Use Absolute Thresholdfull histograms are saved for

interferers that have an average C/I value that is lower than the
absolute threshold.
The settings on the Conversion panel are not used in the generation of a
new histogram interference matrix.
15 Click Generate.
To create a histogram interference matrix using existing

settings
1
Expand the Modeled node and choose a histogram interference matrix.
Right-click and choose New Histogram Matrix From Same Settings.
generate a histogram interference matrix and click Continue.
In the Generate A Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box, expand

the Settings node and choose any of the following panels in the left pane:
Calculationto define traffic settings, RSSI thresholds, non

best server calculation settings, and specify whether to consider
hierarchical cell layers and use the timing advance limit.
Histogramto define histogram intervals, specify how the

histogram interference matrix is saved, and what interferer
filtering you want to use.
The settings on the Conversion panel are not used in the generation of a
new histogram interference matrix.
For information on these panels, press the F1 key.
6
Click Generate.
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To update an existing histogram interference matrix

1
Right-click and choose Update.
update the histogram interference matrix and click Continue.
In the Generate A Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box, in the

left pane, expand the Settings node and choose Calculation if its not
already chosen.
In the Name box, type a name for the updated interference matrix or
accept the current name, and click Generate.
Click Close.
The chosen histogram interference matrix is updated or a new histogram

interference matrix is added beneath the Modeled node.
Creating Network Data interference matrices

You can generate an interference matrix based on actual network performance
by using the Network Data tool to import data on the percentage of traffic
experiencing interference. A Network Data interference matrix uses imported
switch information that lists the sources of interference for each sector and the
percentage of affected traffic.
Network data is data collected from wireless network switching equipment. It
contains information about network configuration and performance. You use
the Network Data tool to map network data to Mentum Planet data. This is
referred to as binding.
This section explains how to bind network data to create an interference
matrix, and how to add that information to the Project Explorer. The
procedures in this section focus on how to use the Network Data tool to create
interference matrices only. You can use the Network Data tool for other
purposes as well. For more information on using the Network Data tool, see
Using the Network Data tool on page 390.
To create an interference matrix, your network data must contain the
340

following fields, which you will need to map to Mentum Planet data, as
described in To create a Network Data interference matrix on page 343:
Site ID of the serving sector
Sector ID of the serving sector
Site ID of the interfering sector
Sector ID of the interfering sector
Affected Traffic
If the network data has a Cell_ID column, the Network Data tool can convert
the Cell_ID data to site and sector identifiers. The Cell_ID data must be in the
form sitenameX, where sitename is the site identifier and X is an alphabetic
character representing the sector number: A for 1, B for 2, and so on.
To import network data for an interference matrix

1
Choose Data Import Network Data.

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Microsoft Excel (.xls) or text network data file, and then click Open.
If the external data contains a Cell_ID column, the Mentum Planet
dialog box opens.
Click No to import the Cell_ID column with no change. To do

this, you must have a Cell_ID column in the site table that
contains data in the following format sitenameA, sitenameB.
Click Yes to convert the Cell_ID column data to Site_ID and

Sector_ID.
The columns SiteId(Converted) and SectorId(Converted) are listed in the

External Data column of the Rules table.
4
342
Map the fields required to generate an interference matrix by doing the

following:
serving site ID, and choose Site_Id from the Planet Data list in
that row.
serving sector ID, and choose Antenna_Id from the
interfering site ID, and choose Interfering Site from the
interfering sector ID, and choose Interfering Sector from the
affected traffic value as a percentage, and choose Affected
Traffic from the Planet Data list in that row.

If you want to save the binding rules that you created in Step 4 for use
with other external data sources, click Save As, type a name in the File
Name box, and then click Save.
Click Fetch.
You can examine the fetched data in the table. The table rows are shaded
for sites in the site table that have network data, unshaded for sites that
have no data. You can also use the Filter Options list to list only sites with
data or only sites without data. If the data import is not as you want it, you
can return to the Data Binding tab, and make changes.
Clear the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box.
You cannot display network data about interference.
To save the data, click Save.
10 Click Close to close the Network Data dialog box.
To create a Network Data interference matrix

After you have imported network data for an interference matrix, as described
in To import network data for an interference matrix on page 341, you need
to create the interference matrix from the network data.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click

Interference Matrices and choose New From Network Data.
The Import Interference Matrix From Network Data dialog box opens.
In the Import Interference Matrix From Network Data dialog box,

from the Network Data list, choose the same network data file that you
chose in Step 2 of To import network data for an interference matrix on
page 341.
Click Select Sectors, choose the sectors for which you want to create an
interference matrix, and then click Continue.
To view statistics about the data bindings for your network data file, click
Refresh, and then click Close when the refresh is completed.
Click OK.
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In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the File Name box and click
Save.
The Interference Matrix dialog box opens, displaying the new
interference matrix.
Click Close.
Creating Local Knowledge interference matrices

A Local Knowledge interference matrix consists of an RF engineers
categorical assessment of the level of interference from each potential
interfererhigh, moderate, low, or none. You can also define the traffic
affected by interference.
This type of interference matrix is usually merged with a standard interference
matrix and serves to override the conclusions of the automated calculations.
To create a Local Knowledge interference matrix

1

Interference Matrices and choose New From Local Knowledge.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the appropriate group and click
Continue.
The Local Knowledge Interference Matrix dialog box opens.
In the Servers tree view, choose the serving sector.

When interferers are defined, the affected sites and sectors are shown in
red.
Click Add.
In the Interferers panel, do all of the following:
From the Site list, choose the interfering site.
From the Sector list, choose the interfering sector.
From the Interference list, choose the interference level.
After you choose the interference level, the row background is

color-coded.
6
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To add more interferers, repeat Step 3 through Step 5.

To remove an interferer from the interference matrix, choose the serving

sector in the Servers tree view, then choose the interferer that you want to
remove in the Interferers panel, and click Remove.
To sort the interference matrix by any column, click on the header of that
column.
If you want to define values for interference weightings, see To define

Local Knowledge affected traffic.
10 In the Local Knowledge Interference Matrix dialog box, choose

File Save, type a name for the interference matrix, and click Save.
11 Click OK.
To define Local Knowledge affected traffic

The percentage of affected traffic is calculated using the following equation.
Traffic Threshold*Interference Weighting
1
In the Project Explorer, right-click a Local Knowledge interference

matrix and choose Edit.
In the Local Knowledge Interference Matrix dialog box, click

Interference Thresholds.
The Interference Thresholds dialog box opens.
In the Traffic Threshold box, type a baseline percentage defining the

minimum affected traffic percentage to consider in the calculations.
For each row in the table, click in a field and type a value, or accept the
default.
Click Calculate to calculate the affected traffic percentage for

each interference level.
Click Default to reset the affected traffic percentages to default

values.
Click OK.
In the Local Knowledge Interference Matrix dialog box, choose

File Save, type a name for the interference matrix, and click Save.
Click OK.
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You can view the interferers and their effects for each sector in a table format.
The interference metrics that are displayed depend on the type of interference
matrix you view.
Table 11.2 Metrics of interference matrices
Matrix type
Metrics
Modeled
(Standard)
Co-channel affected area (km2)

Co-channel affected area (%)
Co-channel affected traffic (mE)
Co-channel affected traffic (%)
Adjacent channel affected area (km2)
Adjacent channel affected area (%)
Adjacent channel affected traffic (mE)
Adjacent channel affected traffic (%)
Modeled
(Histogram)
Co-channel affected area (km2)

Co-channel affected area (%)
Adjacent channel affected area (km2)
Adjacent channel affected area (%)
Network Data
Local Knowledge
To view a standard interference matrix

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click the

interference matrix that you want to view and choose View.
In the Interference Matrix dialog box, do any of the following:
346
In the Servers tree view, choose a sector and view its interferers
in the Interferers table.
To view adjacent channel interferers in a standard interference

matrix, choose the Adjacent Channel option from the
Interference Display section.
To open another interference matrix file, click Open, navigate to

the .imx file that you want to view, and then click Open.
Click Close.

To view a histogram interference matrix

1
Expand the Modeled node, right-click the histogram interference matrix

that you want to view, and choose View.
The Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box opens.
In the Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box, do any of the

following:
In the Servers tree view, choose a sector and view its interferers
in the Interferers table.
To view adjacent channel interferers in a histogram interference

matrix, choose the Adjacent Channel option from the
Interference Display section.
To view the Interferer Histogram curve of an interfering sector,

click Browse in the Display Curve column. The Curve Editor
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Chapter 11
dialog is displayed. For more information about the Curve

Editor, press the F1 key.
Click Close.
To view histogram interference matrix settings

1
Right-click and choose View Settings.

The Histogram Interference Matrix dialog box opens where you can view
the setting used in the generation of the interference matrix as well as
details about the creation of the matrix.
348
When you have finished reviewing the details, click Close.

Viewing sector-to-sector interference in a Map window

You can view a representation of the sources and intensity of interferers to a
sector in a Map window. In Figure 11.2, the red lines show interference
between the sites in the project. The thicker the line, the higher the level of
interference. In the figure, the interference between Site_5 and Site_4 is
greater than between Site_5 and Site_1.
Figure 11.2 Lines of interference between sites
To view interferers for a sector

1

interference matrix that you want to use and choose Active if the check
box is not already enabled.
If the interference matrix is not active, no check mark will be visible.
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click on the sector

that you want to view and choose Display Interference
Use Interference Matrix.
The Display Interference dialog box opens.
From the Number of Interferers to Display list, choose the maximum

number of interfering sectors to display.
In the Interference Metric section, choose the interference metric that

you want to view.
Depending on the interference matrix you chose, some interference
metrics might be unavailable. For example, a network data interference
matrix does not contain information about adjacent channel interference.
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Chapter 11
Click OK.
The sector-to-sector interference is shown in a Map window. Thicker
lines indicate higher levels of interference.
You can use the Info tool on the Main toolbar to read the level of
interference by clicking a sector-to-sector interference line on the map.
If you view interference for another sector, the current sector-to-sector
interference layer is replaced.
To remove a sector-to-sector interference display
In the Project Explorer, in the Windows category, expand the Map

Windows node and do one of the following:
To remove the sector-to-sector interference display layer without

closing the table, right-click the SectortoSectorInterference
layer and choose Remove.
To remove the sector-to-sector interference display layer and

close the table, right-click the SectortoSectorInterference layer
and choose Close.
Converting a matrix to a standard interference matrix

You can convert a Network Data or Local Knowledge interference matrix
(IM) to a standard modeled interference matrix. This option is useful when
you want to use switch data or an RF engineers categorical assessments for
modeling a network. You can also convert a histogram interference matrix to a
standard interference matrix.
To convert a Network Data or Local Knowledge IM

1

Network Data or Local Knowledge interference matrix that you want to
convert and choose Convert to Modeled.
In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the InterferenceMatrix folder in

your project folder, type a name for the converted interference matrix in
the File Name box, and click Save.
The converted interference matrix is displayed under the Modeled node in
350

To convert a histogram interference matrix

When you convert a histogram interference matrix to a standard interference
matrix, the co-channel and adjacent-channel thresholds you define on the
Conversion Settings panel in the Generate a Histogram Interference Matrix
dialog box are used.
By default, this functionality is not enabled in Mentum Planet. For
information on how to enable the Histogram Interference matrix
feature, contact Technical Support. See Getting technical support on
page 4.
Right-click and choose Create Standard Matrix.
In the Create Standard Matrix dialog box, choose the standard

interference matrix you want to convert.
Click OK.

You can merge any combination of Modeled, Network Data, and Local
Knowledge interference matrices.
It is possible to create a merged interference matrix with no original Modeled
interference matrix, but it would contain no information about affected areas,
affected traffic, total area, or total traffic. These values would all be zero.
If a sector exists in the Local Knowledge or Network Data interference
matrix, but does not exist in the Modeled matrix, its total traffic and total area
values are assigned the average values of total traffic and total area for the
whole interference matrix.
When you merge interference matrices, you set the priority of the information
from the different interference matrix types. For example, you might specify
the following priority, in descending order:
Local Knowledge
Network Data
Modeled
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Chapter 11
This would mean that co-channel interference information derived from

network data overrides the predictive information contained in the Modeled
interference matrix. Local knowledge, which is based on the judgement of an
RF engineer, can override both the predicted and measured interference
information.
The actual use of priorities depends on the merging method you choose:
Maximum Valuefor each sector-interferer pair, the maximum

value from the matrices is used in the merged matrix
Minimum Valuefor each sector-interferer pair, the minimum

value from the matrices is used in the merged matrix
Highest Priorityfor each sector-interferer pair, the value from

the highest priority matrix is used in the merged matrix
Weighted Sumfor each sector-interferer pair, the values from

each matrix are summed and weighted according to the priority
of the matrix and the specified Weighting Factor.
Add valuesfor each sector-interferer pair, the values from each

matrix are summed.
Priorities affect merging only if you choose the Highest Priority or Weighted
Sum methods. If you choose Weighted Sum, you must also define the
Weighting Factor. This factor, a percentage, reduces each lower priority
matrix value by the defined proportion. At the same time, the total weight of
all of the matrices is maintained at 100 percent.
For example, a weighting factor of 40% for three interference matrices results
in the following calculation:
0.510204082* Matrix1 + 0.306122449 * Matrix2 + 0.183673469 *Matrix3
The multiplier for each matrix is 50% of the preceding one and the total of the
multipliers is 1.
If you enter 0% as the weighting factor, all matrices will be averaged. If
you enter 100%, only the first matrix will be taken into account.
352

To merge interference matrices

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, choose the

interference matrices that you want to merge.
Right-click one of the interference matrices and choose Merge.

The Merge Interference Matrices dialog box opens. The table in the
Priorities section contains the interference matrices you chose in the
Project Explorer.
In the Priorities section, do any of the following:
To change the priority of an interference matrix, click its row,

and then click Up or Down as needed.
To add an interference matrix, click Add, and choose the

interference matrix from the list in the Interference Matrix
column of the new row.
To remove an interference matrix, click its row, and then click

Remove.
If you do not include a Modeled interference matrix, your merged matrix

will contain no information about affected areas, affected traffic, total
area, or total traffic.
4
In the Options section, choose the method that you want to use to merge
the matrices.
If you chose the Weighted Sum option, type a value in the Weighting
Factor box.
Click OK.
In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the File Name box, and click
Save.
The merged interference matrix is added to the Project Explorer in the
RF Tools category as a Modeled interference matrix.
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Chapter 11

You can delete interference matrices using the Project Explorer.
To delete interference matrices
354
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, choose the

interference matrices that you want to delete.
Right-click one of the interference matrices and choose Delete.
12.
following sections:
Chapter 12: Working with Neighbor Lists
Working with
Neighbor Lists
In order to design a wireless network where users can
move between sectors smoothly with no interruption
Workflow for creating

neighbor lists
Creating multi-technology
neighbor lists
based on best server coverage or an interference
matrix, or you can import a neighbor list from
Adding neighbor lists to the

Project Explorer
Changing the active neighbor

list
of service, you need to understand how sites

influence each other and how they can better interact
with each other.
You can create a list of neighboring sites and sectors
network data.
You can use this information about neighboring sites
to make decisions about network design.
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Chapter 12

Each sector in a wireless network coordinates with its neighbors to maintain
good quality coverage to mobile users. As a mobile user reaches the margins
of coverage within a sector, stronger signals become available from other
sectors. Through a process called handover, the network re-routes the users
call to one of the neighbor sectors to maintain the connection.
Neighbor relationships affect frequency planning, because neighbor sectors
cannot use the same frequencies. If sectors have more neighbors than are
required for reliable service, the result can be an inefficient use of the
available spectrum. For more information on using neighbor lists with
frequency plans, see the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
You can create a list of neighboring sectors within a single-technology
network or within a multi-technology (W-CDMA and GSM) network. Singletechnology neighbor lists can be based on a best server layer, an interference
matrix, or from actual network data, while multi-technology neighbor lists
can only be based on a best server layer.
Best Server method
The Best Server method uses a best serving sector classified grid to examine
the best server coverage area (i.e., the area where the signal is strongest) of
each sector.
Neighbors are sectors with adjacent best server coverage areas. However, this
definition could result in a large number of neighbors. Therefore, you can set
minimum length requirements for the common border between coverage areas
to reduce the number of sectors that qualify as neighbors. With the Best
Server method, the priority of neighbors is determined based on the area
between a server and a neighbor.
Interference Matrix method
Creating a neighbor list from an interference matrix is a more sophisticated

technique than the Best Server method. An interference matrix calculates the
effect of sectors upon each other, both as interferers and as potential
neighbors. An interference matrix can be based on any or all of the following:
356
a best server sector classified grid
a traffic map
network data
local RF engineering knowledge
Working with Neighbor Lists

The more information you can include in the creation of your neighbor list,
the better suited it will be to your network environment. With the Interference
Matrix method, the priority of neighbors is determined based on the
thresholds you define.
Network data
If you have network data available, you can import neighbor list information.
Network data is collected from wireless network switching equipment and
contains information about network configuration and performance.
Workflow for creating neighbor lists

Step 1
Create a sector group or choose an existing sector group. For

valid results, each step in the workflow must be based on the
same sectors. For information about creating a sector group, see
To create a sector group on page 94.
Step 2
If you want to create a neighbor list based on the best serving

sector, create a best serving sector layer. For more information
on generating analyses, see the appropriate User Guide.
Step 3
If you want to create a neighbor list based on interference, create

an interference matrix. For more information, see Chapter 11:
Working with Interference Matrices on page 329.
Step 4
Create the neighbor list using:
a Best Serving Sector grid. See Creating

neighbor lists on page 358 or see Creating
multi-technology neighbor lists on page 365.
an Interference Matrix. See To create a

neighbor list from an interference matrix on
page 359
network data. See To import network data for a

neighbor list on page 363
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Chapter 12
Step 5
If required, do any of the following:
Compare a neighbor list with another one. See

Creating multi-technology neighbor lists on
page 365.
Modify a neighbor list. See Editing neighbor

lists on page 369.
View a neighbor list in a Map window. See

Viewing neighbor lists on page 377.
Export a neighbor list for use in network

equipment. See Exporting neighbor lists on
page 378.
Merge two neighbor lists. See Merging neighbor

lists on page 381.

You can create a neighbor list for single-technology networks based on any
one of three methods:
best server
interference matrix
network data
To create a neighbor list from a best server grid

When you create a neighbor list from a best server grid, the neighbor priorities
are calculated based on the area between a server and a neighbor.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click Neighbor

Lists and choose New Single Technology From Best Server.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the group for which you want to
create a neighbor list and click Continue.
The Neighbor List Generator - Best Server Method dialog box opens.
From the Best Serving Sector Layer list, choose a best serving sector
classified grid.
The best serving grid must include all of the sectors chosen in Step 2.
358
If you want to specify length requirements for the border between the best
server coverage areas to determine which sites qualify as neighbors,

enable any of the following check boxes and type a value in the adjacent
box:
Use Absolute Border Length Thresholddefines the

minimum border length required between the coverage area of
two sectors in order to qualify them as neighbors.
Use Relative Border Length Thresholddefines the

minimum common border length relative to the total border
length of the reference sector to qualify the sectors as neighbors.
Click OK.
In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the Filename box and click
Save.
The Neighbor List Generation dialog box shows the progress of neighbor
list generation, including error messages.
When neighbor list generation is complete, click Close to close the

Neighbor List Generation dialog box.
The new neighbor list is added to the Neighbor Lists node of the RF Tools
category in the Project Explorer.
To create a neighbor list from an interference matrix

When you create a neighbor list from an interference matrix, the neighbor
priorities are calculated based on the thresholds you defined.
1

Lists and choose New Single Technology From
Interference Matrix.
The Neighbor List Generator - Interference Matrix Method dialog box
opens.
In the Interference Matrix section, do one of the following:
If you want to use a standard interference matrix to create a

neighbor list, choose the Standard option, and from the list to
the right, choose an interference matrix.
If you want to use a histogram interference matrix to create a

neighbor list, choose the Histogram option, and from the
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Chapter 12
Traffic Based and/or Area Based list, choose an interference

matrix.
4
360
In the Neighbor Constraints section, enable any of the following check

boxes and type a value in the adjacent box if required:
Enforce Mutual Neighborsspecifies that relationships are

mutual. For example, if sector B is a neighbor of sector A, then
sector A is a neighbor of sector B.
Use Maximum Distance Between Neighborslimits

neighbors to the sectors within a defined distance from the
serving sector.
If you want to limit the number of neighbors for each sector, enable the
Use Maximum Neighbors check box, type a value in the Neighbors box,
and from the Based On list, choose one of the following selection
methods:
Absolute Areaneighbors are ranked by overlapping coverage

area and included, in descending order, until the maximum
number of neighbors is reached.
Relative Areaneighbors are ranked by the size of the

overlapping coverage area relative to this sectors coverage area
and included, in descending order, until the maximum number of
neighbors is reached.
Absolute Trafficneighbors are ranked by traffic in the

overlapping coverage area and included, in descending order,
until the maximum number of neighbors is reached.
Relative Trafficneighbors are ranked by the traffic in the

overlapping coverage area relative to this sectors traffic and
included, in descending order, until the maximum number of
neighbors is reached.

To define the criteria for determining neighbors, in the Thresholds

section, enable any of following check boxes and define a value in the
associated box:
Use Absolute Areaif enabled, the overlapping coverage area

must at least equal the value you specify.
Use Relative Areaif enabled, the overlapping coverage area

must at least equal the proportion of this sectors coverage area
that you specify.
Use Absolute Trafficif enabled, the traffic in the overlapping

coverage area must at least equal the value you specify.
Use Relative Trafficif enabled, the traffic in the overlapping

coverage area must at least equal the proportion of this sectors
traffic that you specify.
The prospective neighbor must meet all of the threshold requirements you
define.
7
From the Determine Priority Using list, choose one of the following
options:
Areapriorities will be determined using the area thresholds

you define.
Trafficpriorities will be determined using the traffic

thresholds you define.
Click OK.
In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the Filename box, and click
OK.
The Neighbor List Generation dialog box shows the progress of neighbor
list generation, including error messages.
10 Click Close to close the Neighbor List Generation dialog box.

Importing network data for a neighbor list

Before you can create a neighbor list using network data, you must use the
Network Data tool to map network data to Mentum Planet data. This is
referred to as binding.
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This section explains how to bind network data to create a neighbor list, and
how to add this information to the Project Explorer. The procedures in this
section focus on how to use the Network Data tool to create neighbor lists
only. You can use the Network Data tool for other purposes as well. For more
information, see Using the Network Data tool on page 390.
To create a neighbor list, your network data must contain the following fields,
which you will need to map to Mentum Planet data, as described in To
import network data for a neighbor list on page 363:
Site ID of the serving sector
Sector ID of the serving sector
Site ID of the neighbor sector
Sector ID of the neighbor sector
If the network data has a Cell_ID column, the Network Data tool can convert
the Cell_ID data to site and sector identifiers. The Cell_ID data must be in the
form sitenameX, where sitename is the site identifier and X is an alphabetic
character representing the sector number: A for 1, B for 2, and so on.
The network data can also contain the following optional fields:
362
neighbors allowed statusindicates whether the sector is

allowed as a neighbor
priority of the neighborenables you to implement the

hierarchical cell layers of technologies such as TDMA/FDMA.
The priority value can range is 0 to 32767.
traffic levelprovides the amount of traffic on the sector in

milliErlangs (mE)
number of handovers (also known as handoffs)provides the

number of calls on the sector that are handed over to another
sector
percentage of handoversprovides the percentage of handovers

as a percentage of total calls handled by the sector
common coverage areaprovides the overlapping area between

the neighbors in square kilometers

To import network data for a neighbor list

1


Microsoft Excel (.xls) or text network data file, and then click Open.
If the external data contains a Cell_ID column, the Mentum Planet dialog
box opens.
In the Mentum Planet dialog box, do one of the following:
Click No to import the Cell_ID column data with no changes.

There must be a Cell_ID column in the site table with data in the
form sitenameX, where sitename is the site identifier and X is
an alphabetic character representing the sector number: A for 1,
B for 2, and so on.

Sector_ID. The columns SiteId(Converted) and
SectorId(Converted) are listed in the External Data column of
the Rules table.
Do all of the following to map the fields required to generate a neighbor

list:
On the Data Binding tab, in the External Data column, find the
row that contains the serving site ID, and choose Site_Id from
the Planet Data list in that row.
serving sector ID, and choose Antenna_Id from the
neighbor site ID, and choose Neighbor Site from the
neighbor sector ID, and choose Neighbor Sector from the
If a row in the External Data column contains data about the number of
handovers to the neighbor, choose Number of Handoffs from the
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If a row in the External Data column contains data about the percentage
of handovers to the neighbor, choose Percentage of Handoffs from the
If any of the following optional External Data columns are present,

enable the check box for that row to bind the column using its name:
Allowed
Priority
Area(Km2)
Traffic(mE)
The column name must be exactly as shown.

8
If you want to save the binding rules that you created in Step 4 and Step 7
for use with other external data sources, click Save As, type a name in the
File Name box, and then click Save.
10 Click Fetch.
You can examine the fetched data in the table. Use the Filter Options list
to determine whether there are sites without data. If the data import is not
as you want it, you can return to the Data Binding tab, and make changes.
11 To save the data, click Save.
12 Click Close to close the Network Data dialog box.
To create a neighbor list from network data

1

Lists and choose New Single Technology From Network Data.
The Import Neighbor List From Network Data dialog box opens.
364
From the Network Data list, choose the network data file.
Click Open Network Data to import network data for the

neighbor list. See Importing network data for a neighbor list
on page 361.

Click Select Sectors, choose the sector group for which you are
importing neighbor list information, and click Continue.
To view statistics about the data bindings for your network data file, click
Refresh, then click Close when the refresh is completed.
Click OK.
In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the Filename box and click
OK.
Creating multi-technology neighbor lists

Multi-technology neighbor lists provide useful information that will help you
understand how sites influence each other and how to better ensure that
mobile phone users moving through your GSM network have coverage across
overlaid a W-CDMA network. Multi-technology neighbor lists are based on
the best server method and, as a result, the neighbor priorities are calculated
based on the area between a server and a neighbor.
To create a multi-technology neighbor list

1

Lists and choose New Multi-Technology GSM/W-CDMA.
The Multi-Technology Neighbor List Generator dialog box opens.
In the Best Serving Sector Layer section, do the following:
From the GSM list, choose the best server layer for the coverage
area you want to evaluate.
From the W-CDMA list, choose the best server layer for the
coverage area you want to evaluate.
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366
If you want GSM to GSM relationships included in the neighbor list, in

the Neighbor Relationship section, enable the GSM <-> GSM check
box and do any of the following:
To specify a minimum common border length for neighbors,

enable the Use Absolute Border Length Threshold check box
and type a value in the adjacent box.
To specify a minimum relative common border length for

neighbors in relative terms, enable the Use Relative Border
Length Threshold check box and type a value in the adjacent
box.
If you want W-CDMA to W-CDMA relationships included in the

neighbor list, in the Neighbor Relationship section, enable the
W-CDMA <-> W-CDMA check box and do any of the following:
To specify a minimum common border length for neighbors,

enable the Use Absolute Border Length Threshold check box,
and type a value in the adjacent box.
To specify a minimum relative common border length for

neighbors in relative terms, enable the Use Relative Border
box.
If you want GSM to W-CDMA relationships included in the neighbor list,

in the Neighbor Relationship section, enable the GSM <-> W-CDMA
check box and do any of the following:
If you want to specify a minimum common overlap area for

neighbors, enable the Use Absolute Overlap Threshold check
box and type a value in the adjacent box.

neighbors in relative terms, enable the Use Relative Overlap
box.
From the Neighbor List Construction list, choose All

Neighbors to include all qualified neighbors in the generated list
or choose Boundary Cells Only to include only those qualified
neighbors that fall on the coverage boundary between W-CDMA
coverage and GSM coverage.

If you want W-CDMA to GSM relationships included in the neighbor list,

in the Neighbor Relationship section, enable the W-CDMA <-> GSM
check box and do any of the following:

neighbors, enable the Use Absolute Overlap Threshold check
box and type a value in the adjacent box.

neighbors in relative terms, enable the Use Relative Overlap
box.
From the Neighbor List Construction list, choose one of the

following options:
All Neighbors to include all qualified neighbors in the

generated list
Boundary Cells Only to include only those qualified
neighbors that fall on the coverage boundary between WCDMA coverage and GSM coverage.
Click OK.
8
9
In the File Name box, type a name for the generated neighbor list and
click Save.
10 When the neighbor list generation is complete, click Close.

The Neighbor List Generator can produce several neighbor lists for the same
sectors using different settings. You can compare any two of these lists.
Figure 12.1 shows a comparison of two neighbor lists. For each sector, there
is a side-by-side comparison of the neighbors. For example, the first neighbor
list shows five neighbors for Site GSM11_gsm1, while the second neighbor
list shows seven.
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Chapter 12
Figure 12.1 Comparison between a multi-technology neighbor list generated for all
neighbors and one generated for boundary neighbors only.
If there are many sites, the comparison can be lengthy. Figure 12.2 shows the
same neighbor list comparison, but displays only the differences between the
two lists. Sectors common to both neighbor lists are not shown. For example,
for Site GSM11_gsm1, the GSMmultigroupcompare neighbor list counts as
neighbors two sectors that were not included in the gsm3sites neighbor list.
Figure 12.2 Comparison between a multi-technology neighbor list generated for all
neighbors and one generated for boundary neighbors only. Only the differences
between the two lists are displayed.
368

To compare neighbor lists

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, choose the neighbor

lists that you want to compare.
Right-click and choose Compare.

The Neighbor Lists Comparison dialog box opens.
To view only the differences between the neighbor lists, enable the
Show Differences Only check box.
To save the comparison to a text file, click Export, type a name for the
exported file, and click Save.
In addition to the information displayed in the dialog box, the exported
neighbor list comparison contains the priority, allowed status, distance,
overlapping area, traffic, and handover information for each neighbor.
Click Close.

You might decide to manually modify the neighbor list by adding or removing
a sector or by disallowing a sector that is included in the list. You can edit an
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entire neighbor list or just the portion of it that pertains to a particular site or
sector.
You can edit a neighbor list using the Neighbor List Editing dialog box or you
can interactively edit a neighbor list using the Neighbor List Graphical
Editing dialog box. See To edit a neighbor list graphically on page 375.
The Neighbor List Editing dialog box displays:
a tree view listing sectors contained in the neighbor list
the technology of the sector (for multi-technology neighbor lists

only)
whether the sector is a boundary neighbor
whether the neighbor is allowed
the priority of the neighbor
the distance between each pair of neighbor sectors
the coverage area common to each pair of neighbor sectors
the traffic level of the neighbor in the overlapping coverage area
the number of calls the neighbor sector hands over to other

sectors
the percentage of calls the neighbor sector hands over to other

sectors
whether the sector is a mutual neighbor
Figure 12.3 shows the Neighbor List Editing dialog box.
370

Figure 12.3 Neighbor List Editing dialog box
The Neighbor List Editing dialog box and the Neighbor List Graphical
Editing dialog box are the same. The only difference being that using the
Neighbor List Graphical Editing dialog box, you can add or delete neighbors
by clicking in the Map window using the Interactive Neighbor List tool
pointer.
When you edit a neighbor list, you can:
edit only the Allowed and Priority columns.
add or remove neighbor sectors from the list using the Add and
Remove buttons.
clear the Allowed check box next to a neighbor sector so that it

does not function as a neighbor.
set the handover priority of neighbor sectors in the Priority

column. This enables you to implement the hierarchical cell
layers of technologies such as TDMA/FDMA. The priority value
range is 0 (highest) through 32767 (lowest). Mentum Planet
calculates the priority based on the settings you define. You can
change the calculated priority and create less preferred neighbors
by increasing the priority value.
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Information displayed in the Neighbor List Editing dialog box is calculated as

follows:
Information in the Distance and Area columns is calculated

during neighbor list generation.
Information in the Traffic column, which is the amount of traffic

in the overlapping coverage area carried by the sector, comes
from the interference matrix. If you want to use this column, you
must use the Interference Matrix method to create the neighbor
list, and your interference matrix must be created using a traffic
map. Otherwise, the Traffic column values are zero. For
information about creating an interference matrix, see To create
a standard interference matrix on page 335.
Information in the Number Handover and Percentage Handover

columns comes from network data. If you want to use these
columns, you must use the Interference Matrix method to create
the neighbor list, and your interference matrix must include
network data. Otherwise, the handover-related column values are
zero. For more information, see To create a Network Data
interference matrix on page 343.
Whether a neighbor relationship is mutual is determined during

neighbor list editing. This information is not saved.
You can edit or export the neighbors for a single sector. To do so, in the
RF Tools category, right-click a neighbor list and choose Active if the
check box is not already enabled. Then, in the Sites category, right-click a
sector and choose one of the following commands:
Neighbors Edit
Neighbors Graphical Edit
Neighbors Export
To edit a neighbor list

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click a neighbor

list and choose Edit.
The Neighbor List Editing dialog box opens.
372

To edit a row in the table, do any of the following:
To include a neighbor sector in the neighbor list, enable the

check box in the Allowed column.
To change the handover priority between the server and the

neighbor server that was calculated by Mentum Planet, click in
the Priority field and type a new value.
To exclude a sector from the neighbor list, clear the check box in
the Allowed column.
To convert neighbor relationships into mutual relationships,

choose a sector in the Site tree, choose a neighbor sector in the
Neighbor Sector list, and click Add Selected Mutual
Neighbors. For example, if you choose Site 4_1 in the Site tree
and Site 3_1 in the Neighbor Sector list, when you click Add
Selected Mutual Neighbors, Site 4_1 becomes a neighbor sector
for Site 3_1.
If you want to add all mutual neighbors to the neighbor list, click Add All
Mutual Neighbors.
A mutual neighbor relationship exists when, for example, sector A is a
neighbor of sector B and sector B is a neighbor of sector A.
In the Add All Mutual Neighbors dialog box, clear the check box next to
any serving sector/neighbor sector relationship you do not want to add.
In the Priorities Generation section, choose one of the following options

and click OK:
Keep Neighbor Prioritiespriorities generated with the

original neighbor list will be kept.
Regenerate Priorities Using Areapriorities will be

determined using the area thresholds you define.
Regenerate Priorities Using Trafficpriorities will be

determined using the traffic thresholds you define.
When you have finished editing the neighbor list, in the Neighbor List
Editing dialog box, click OK.
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To add neighbor relationships to a neighbor list

1

list and choose Edit.
Click Add.
The Add New Neighbor dialog box opens.
From the Sector list, choose the sector to which you are adding a
neighbor.
Choose the new neighbor from the Neighbor Sector list.
If you want to add the neighbor but exclude it from being used, clear the
Allowed check box.
In the Priority box, type the priority for the new neighbor.
A priority of zero is the highest priority.
To add additional information, type values in any of the following boxes:
Areathe coverage area common to the sector chosen from the

Sector list and the new neighbor sector.
Trafficthe traffic between the sector chosen from the Sector

list and the new neighbor sector.
Number Handoverthe number of handovers between the

sector chosen from the Sector list and the new neighbor sector
Percentage Handoverthe percentage of handovers between

the sector chosen from the Sector list and the new neighbor
sector.
Click OK.
When you have finished adding neighbors, click OK to save the modified
neighbor list.
To remove neighbor relationships from a neighbor list

1

neighbor list you want to modify and choose Edit.
374

Click the row of the sector you want to remove.
Hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple rows to remove.
Click Remove.
When you have finished removing neighbor relationships, click OK to

save the modified neighbor list.
To edit a neighbor list graphically

In order to edit a neighbor list graphically, you must first have generated best
serving sector analysis layers.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, right-click a

neighbor list and choose Graphical Edit.
Click the Graphical Neighbor List Edit Tool button on the

Mobile Technology toolbar. The tool uses the active neighbor
list.
The Neighbor List Graphical Editing dialog box opens.
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Chapter 12
From the Identify Closest Sector Using list, choose the best serving
sector layer you want to use to identify the closest sector.
If the layer is not currently open, you will be prompted to open it in the
Map window.
If you want to add all mutual neighbors to the neighbor list, click Add All
Mutual Neighbors.
A mutual neighbor relationship exists when, for example, sector A is a
neighbor of sector B and sector B is a neighbor of sector A.
In the Add All Mutual Neighbors dialog box, clear the check box next to
any serving sector/neighbor sector relationship you do not want to add,
and click OK.
To convert a neighbor relationships into a mutual relationship, choose a

sector in the Site tree, choose a neighbor sector, and click Add Selected
Mutual Neighbors.
For example, if you choose Site 4_1 in the Site tree and Site 3_1 1 in the
Neighbor Sector list, when you click Add Selected Mutual Neighbors,
Site 4_1 becomes a neighbor sector for Site 3_1.
If you want to view neighbors for the sector selected in the Site tree, click
View Neighbors in Map.
See Viewing neighbor lists on page 377.
376
If you want to interactively modify the neighbor list, from the Operation
Mode list, choose one of the following options:
Addadds the best serving sector for the location where you
click in the Map window as a neighbor to the sector selected in
the Site tree
Deletedeletes the neighbor relationship between the best

serving sector for the location where you click in the Map
window and the sector selected in the Site tree
Add/Deleteadds or deletes a neighbor relationship between

the best serving sector at the location where you click in the Map
window and the sector selected in the Site tree. For example, in
this toggle mode, the first time you click a location a sector
could be added to the neighbor list. If you click the same
location a second time, the sector would be deleted. The reverse
is also true. If the last time you clicked in the Map window, you

deleted a relationship, the next time you click in the Map

window, a relationship will be added.
8
Click in the Map window.
Click OK.
When you minimize the Neighbor List Graphical Editing dialog box, a
Neighbor List Graphical Editing icon appears at the bottom of the
Project Explorer. Click the icon to restore the dialog box.
You cannot interactively modify a neighbor list using the MapInfo Select
tool. Instead, click the Graphical Neighbor List Edit Tool button on the
Mobile Technology toolbar and then click in the Map window.

You can view neighbor relationships for any sector graphically in a Map
window.
Your project can contain several neighbor lists, but only one of them can be
active. The neighbor list display function displays neighbor relationships for a
single sector based on the active neighbor list.
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Chapter 12
Figure 12.4 Neighbor List display showing the neighbors of site GSM11, sector 2.
A solid line indicates a normal neighbor. A dotted line, such as that between GSM11
sector 2 and GSM13, sector 3, indicates a neighbor that is not allowed. The dash-dot
line indicates a multi-technology neighbor.
To view a neighbor list in a Map window

1

neighbor list you want to use and choose Active if the check box is not
already enabled.
A green arrow identifies the active neighbor list.
Active neighbor list
In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the sector for
which you want to view neighbors and choose Neighbors View.
The neighbor list information is displayed in the active Map window.
For information on how to remove the neighbor list display from the
Map window, see To manipulate map layers with the Project Explorer
on page 52 or To manipulate map layers with the Layer Control on page 53.

You can export your neighbor list to an Excel (.xls) file where you can make
changes to the neighbor list as required. You can then import the updated
neighbor list into your Mentum Planet project. See To import project data
on page 388.
378

To export an entire neighbor list or a neighbor list for one

sector
1
In the Project Explorer, do one of the following:
In the RF Tools category, right-click the neighbor list that you

want to export and choose Export.
In the Sites category, right-click the sector for which you want to
export a neighbor list and choose Export.
The Export Wizard opens.

2
On the Data Selection page, in the Tables list, enable the check box next
to Neighbor List if it is not already enabled and then enable the check
boxes for each of the columns that you want to export.
Click Next.
If you want to export neighbor list data to an Excel file, choose

the Microsoft Excel option. If you want to automatically open
the exported Excel file, enable the Open the File in Microsoft
Excel After Export check box.
If you want to export neighbor list data to a folder of comma

separated text files, choose the Comma Separated Values Text
Files option.
If you chose the Microsoft Excel option in Step 4, navigate to the

folder in which you want to save the Excel file, type a name in

Step 4, navigate to the folder in which you want to save the
comma separated text files, and click OK.
Click Finish.
The data types that you chose in Step 2 are exported to the type of file you
chose in Step 4. If you chose the Microsoft Excel option and enabled the
Open the File in Microsoft Excel After Export in Step 4, Microsoft Excel
opens automatically.
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Chapter 12

In order to easily compare neighbor lists based on the same sector group, you
can create a copy of an existing neighbor list, edit one of the neighbor lists as
required, and then compare the two lists. See To compare neighbor lists on
page 369.
To copy a neighbor list

1

list and choose Save Copy As.
The Save As dialog box opens.
In the File Name box, type a name for the copied neighbor list, and click
Save.
You must save the neighbor list in the projects NeighborList folder with
a .nl extension.
Adding neighbor lists to the Project Explorer

Neighbor lists are automatically added to the Project Explorer when you
create them. However, you can also add an existing neighbor list to your
project.
To add a neighbor list to the Project Explorer

1

Neighbor Lists and choose Add.
Navigate to the neighbor list you want to add, and click Open.
The neighbor list is added to the Neighbor Lists node in the
Project Explorer and the .nl file is copied to the NeighborList folder.
Changing the active neighbor list

Any of the actions you perform from an individual sector such as
Neighbors View, Neighbors Edit, or Neighbors Export use the
active neighbor list. The active neighbor list is also used by default when you
create frequency plans.
380

To change the active neighbor list

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, expand Neighbor

Lists.
Right-click the neighbor list that you want to set as the active neighbor list
and choose Active.
A green arrow identifies the active neighbor list.
Active neighbor list

When you merge two neighbor lists, data from one neighbor list is added to
the other neighbor list. When duplicates are found in the neighbor lists, data
from the master list is used in the merged output.
To merge neighbor lists

1
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, choose the neighbor

lists that you want to merge.
Right-click and choose Merge.
In the Merge Neighbor Lists - Addition dialog box, choose a master

neighbor list.
Data from the master neighbor list will over-write data in the second list
in the case of duplicates.
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Chapter 12
In the Priorities Generation section, choose one of the following options

for determining neighbor priorities:
Keep Neighbor Prioritiespriorities from the master neighbor

list are kept.
Regenerate Priorities Using Areapriorities are regenerated

based on the area thresholds you set initially when generating the
neighbor lists.
Regenerate Priorities Using Trafficpriorities are regenerated

based on the traffic thresholds you set initially when generating
the neighbor lists.
Click OK.
In the File Name box, type a name for the merged neighbor list file, and
click Save.

You can delete neighbor lists using the Project Explorer.
To delete a neighbor list
382
In the Project Explorer, in the RF Tools category, choose one or more

neighbor lists, right-click and choose Delete.
In the Mentum Planet dialog box, click Yes.
13.
following sections:
Importing, replacing, and

exporting project data
Importing site data
Exporting site table and

model files to Planet 2.8
Using the Demographic

Analysis tool
Using the Network Statistics

Mapping tool
Chapter 13: Working with Network and Project Data
Working with
Network and Project
Data
Mentum Planet includes a number of different tools
to help you to import and export data, and to better
understand network performance. This chapter does
not describe all of the tools available in Mentum
Planet. For information about other tools, see the
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Chapter 13
Importing, replacing, and exporting project data

You can import and export project data using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
(.xls) or comma separated value (.csv) files. When you export data from your
project to a spreadsheet, individual worksheets are created in the .xls file for
each category of project data. When you export project data to .csv files, a
folder is created containing individual .csv files for each project data category.
You can choose the types of project data that you want to import or export.
For example, you could import or export only site and sector location data,
but not the detailed sector settings. You can also import or export project data
only for specific sectors.
You can use the Import/Export command-line utility (iecon.exe) to
export Mentum Planet data to an .xls file, .csv file, or database. You can
then make changes to the data and use iecon.exe again to import the data
back into Mentum Planet or Data Manager. The iecon.exe utility is useful if
you want to automate the import and export of data using scripts (e.g., if you
want to make Mentum Planet data accessible to other systems via a database
or import updates to projects from another source). See Appendix A: Import/
Export Command-Line Utility in the Data Manager Server Administrator
Guide. When you use the iecon utility to import sites and sectors, you must
always include the Summary.csv file in the data import.
If your project is stored in Data Manager, and you export it and reimport it using the Import/Export tool, Data Manager will treat it as a
new project if you use the Replace All Data option. In this case, if you want to
continue using the existing project, you must merge the new project into the
existing project. See Chapter 2, Using Data Manager in the Data Manager
User Guide.
Importing data
You can use .xls or .cvs files to add or remove sites, edit project settings, and
then import the new or updated data. Each worksheet in an .xls file or each
.csv file you use to import project data must contain the required and
mandatory columns, and must be formatted correctly for the type of data in a
column (i.e., text or numeric). Unless you specifically request that data be
replaced on import, data is never removed from a project when you use the
Import Wizard. For example, if the worksheet or .csv file from which you are
importing does not contain all of the sectors currently in your project, only the
sectors listed in the worksheet or .csv file are updated in the project. The other
sectors in your project are not affected by the Import Wizard. If you are
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Working with Network and Project Data

working with a large project and only want to update specific project data,
you can import individual worksheets or .csv files, and include only the sites
or sectors that require updating or are being added. For descriptions of
worksheets or .csv files and the columns they contain, valid values and
ranges, and an indication of required and mandatory columns, see Appendix
E: Import and Export Tables on page 467.
For information on how to import data, see To import project data on
page 388.
To ensure the proper worksheet or .csv file format when importing, use
previously exported .xls or .csv files to edit or update project data.
Replacing data
When you import data, you can choose to replace specific data. This can be
useful, for example, if:
you want to delete sites from your project. When you delete a
site, however, you must delete the site from all dependent
worksheets.
you want to change the prefix used in the site IDs (e.g., from
Site to Ott). When you change site IDs, however, you must
change the site ID on all dependent worksheets.
you want to share and merge project data without using Data
Manager.
For information on how to replace data, see To import project data on

page 388.
Exporting data
When you export data to a spread sheet, individual worksheets are created in
the .xls file for each category of project data. When you export data to a .csv
file, a folder is created containing individual .csv files for each category of
project data. In addition, a Summary worksheet or .csv file is also created for
the exported project. For descriptions of the data types that can be exported,
and the corresponding location (dialog box) of the field in the Mentum Planet
graphical user interface, see Appendix E: Import and Export Tables on
page 467.
By default, when you export data, the site coordinates are saved in the
Longitude/Latitude (WGS 84) projection and the sector coordinates are saved
in the projection specified when you originally created the project. If you
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import an exported .xls file or .csv files, only the site and sector coordinate
systems are imported from the Summary worksheet or .csv file.
To export project data

1
If you want to export project data for all sites and sectors, choose
Data Export Project Data.
If you want to export project data for individual sites, sectors, or

groups, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, choose
one or more groups, sites, or sectors, right-click and choose
Export.
If you want to export repeater data, in the Project Explorer, in

the Sites category, right-click the Repeaters node, and choose
Export.
If you want to export project data based on enabled flag

conditions, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites category,
right-click the Flags node, and choose Export.
If you want to export subscriber data, right-click any Subscriber

Manager node in the Project Explorer and choose Export.
The Export Wizard opens.
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On the Data Selection page, in the Tables list, enable the check boxes for
each of the tables that you want to export.
Each selected table is exported to an individual worksheet in an Excel file
or a single comma separated value file. For example, if you enable only
Sites and Sectors, then only the basic site and sector information will be
exported. When you enable the Sectors, TDMA Repeaters, or the CDMA
Repeaters check box in the Tables box, by default, the Bin File Name, the
Bin Hash Code, the Signal Strength File Name, and the Signal Strength
Hash Code columns are not enabled (i.e., they are cleared).
In the Columns list, for each of the tables that you chose in Step 2, enable
the check boxes for each of the columns that you want to export.
To export the DEM elevation values at the site, enable the DEM
Elevation Values check box.
To export the name of the frequency plan used on a sector, enable the
Include Frequency Plan Files check box.
Click Next.
If you want to export project data to an Excel file, choose the

Microsoft Excel option. If you want to automatically open the
exported Excel file, enable the Open the File in Microsoft
Excel After Export check box.
If you want to export project data to a folder of comma separated

text files, choose the Comma Separated Values Text Files
option.

folder in which you want to save the Excel file, type a name in

Step 7, navigate to the folder in which you want to save the
comma separated text files, and click OK.
Click Finish.
The data types that you chose in Step 2 and Step 3 are exported to the type
of file you chose in Step 7. If you chose the Microsoft Excel option and
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enabled the Open the File in Microsoft Excel After Export in Step 7,
Microsoft Excel opens automatically.
To import project data

When you import data, the coordinate systems (along with the distance and
height units) are imported from the Summary worksheet or .csv file and, if
required, sites and sectors are reprojected automatically. A list of supported
projections is contained in the mapinfo.prj file located in the <Mentum Planet
installation folder>\mapinfo folder. Additional information about projections
can be found in Appendix B, Elements of a Coordinate System in the
MapInfo Professional User Guide.
All values in the Excel file from which you are importing must use the
default units indicated in the worksheet column names, and the file
must contain required and mandatory columns. For more information, see
Appendix E: Import and Export Tables on page 467.
If you want to import general site, sector and project data,

choose Data Import Project Data.
If you want to import subscriber data, right-click any top-level

node in the Subscriber Manager category of the Project
Explorer and choose Import.
The Import Wizard opens.

2
388
If you want to import project data from an .xls file, choose the
Microsoft Excel option.
If you want to import project data from a folder of .csv files,

choose the Comma Separated Values Text Files option.

.xls file containing the data you want to import, and click Open.

Step 2, navigate to the folder containing the .csv files you want
to import, and click OK.

Click Next.
The Data Selection page lists the tables available to import and options
for replacing project data on import.
On the Data Selection page, enable the check boxes for each of the tables
If you want to overwrite existing data or remove data from a project,

enable any of the following check boxes.
All Datareplaces data in all categories listed in the Replace

section.
Groupsreplaces data listed in the Groups category.
Flagsreplaces data listed in the Flags category.
Site Datareplaces site data including data in the following

categories: Sites, Sectors, WCDMA_Sector_Settings,
CDMA2000_Sector_Settings, EVDO_Sector_Settings,
TDMA_Sector_Settings, Link_Budget, TDMA_Repeaters,
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CDMA_Repeaters, and Carrier_Requirements. Exceptions,

frequency plans, and neighbor lists are also overwritten.
Exceptionsreplaces carrier exceptions and HSN
exceptions.
Frequency Planreplaces MALs, carrier assignments,
and color codes. Enabling this option does not replace
frequency plan (.fpl) files.
Base Station Link Budgetreplaces data listed on the
link budget worksheet.
Repeatersreplaces data listed in the TDMA_Repeaters
or CDMA_Repeaters categories.
Neighbor Listsreplaces neighbor lists.
Subscriber Datareplaces subscriber data including services,
session types, qualities, bearers, clutter types, subscriber
equipment types, subscribers, and usages.
When you replace data, the selected data is first deleted from the project
and the new data is then imported into the project. Once data has been
replaced, the original data cannot be recovered.
7
Click Finish.
The project data you chose will be updated or added to your project. The
Log dialog box displays the status of the import operation.
Status messages are displayed cumulatively in the Log dialog box.

Click the Export button to save the log messages to a text file. Click the
Clear button to remove all messages from the Log dialog box.

Network data is data collected from wireless network switching equipment. It
contains information about network configuration and performance. You use
the Network Data tool to bind network data to Mentum Planet data. The
bound network data can then be used in Mentum Planet in traffic maps,
interference matrices, neighbor lists, technology-specific features such as
Automatic Frequency Planning, and for display purposes.
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Binding network data

Binding network data means mapping columns in the network data to
Mentum Planet data columns, and then fetching the data from the network
data file.
The mapping is done in the Rules section of the Data Binding tab of the
Network Data tool. The Rules section lists all of the columns from the
network data file in the External Data column. You can map a network data
column to a Planet Data column by enabling the check box for the network
data column, and then choosing the Planet Data column to map the network
data column to. You do not need to map all of the items in the External Data
column to Planet columns.
In the example shown in Figure 13.1, to map the SITEID column, you would
enable the check box beside SITEID, and then choose Site_ID from the Planet
Data list.
You must map network data columns identifying the site and sector to the
Site_ID and Antenna_ID columns in Mentum Planet. If the network data has a
Cell_ID column, the Network Data tool can convert the Cell_ID data to site
and sector identifiers. The Cell_ID data must be in the form sitenameX,
where sitename is the site identifier and X is an alphabetic character
representing the sector number: A for 1, B for 2, and so on.
Figure 13.1 External data columns mapped to Planet data columns
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Mentum Planet data

You can choose from three types of information when selecting Mentum
Planet data:
site table columnsthese are columns that are available in the

Mentum Planet site table, for example, Site_ID and Antenna_ID
predefined metricsthese are values that are typically required

by one or more of the tools that use information made available
by the Network Data tool. You can view descriptions of each one
in the Metrics section at the bottom of the Data Binding tab. For
example, if you are creating an interference matrix using
network data, you must map a column from the network data file
to Affected_Traffic in the Mentum Planet Data column. See To
create a Network Data interference matrix on page 343 for
more information on Network Data interference matrices.
user-defined metricsthese are values that are defined by the

user. You can create and map these as required.
You can save your binding rules and reuse them later with updated network
data or with external data files that require the same bindings.
Results of data binding

Once you have completed binding the data, you can preview it on the Results
tab in the Network Data dialog box. The Results tab shows the data that has
been bound and that will be available for use by Mentum Planet tools. You
can use the Results tab to verify that the data is being imported correctly. You
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can also use the Results tab to determine whether there are any sites or sectors
for which the external data file contains no data.
Figure 13.2 Example Network Data Results tab
To import network data

This procedure for importing network data is a general one. For each feature
that uses network data, this user guide provides a specific procedure that
explains how to make the correct bindings for that feature.
1

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box opens.
Click No to import the Cell_ID column with no change. To do

this, you must have a Cell_ID column in the site table that
contains data in the following format sitenameA, sitenameB.

Sector_ID.

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In the External Data column, find the row that contains the site ID, and
choose Site_Id from the Planet Data list in that row.
In the External Data column, find the row that contains the sector ID,
and choose Antenna_Id from the Planet Data list in that row.
If you want to create a user-defined metric, click the User Defined tab in
the Metrics section, click in the Name column and type a name, then
click in the Description box and type a description.
In the row of the External Data column that contains the network data
that you want to use, do any of the following:
In the Planet Data column, choose the user-defined or

predefined metric that corresponds to the data in the External
Data Column. For descriptions of predefined metrics, see the
Metrics section at the bottom of the dialog box.
If you want to use an external data column without binding it to a

Mentum Planet column, enable the check box at the left of the
row. The External Data Column name is automatically entered
in the Planet Data column. This is a quick method for preparing
data for display, and can be used when external data column
names are descriptive.

If you want to save the binding rules for use with other external data
sources, click Save As, type a name in the File Name box, and then click
Save.
10 Click Fetch.
have no data. Use the Show list to determine whether there are sites
without data. If the data import is not as you want it, you can return to the
Data Binding tab to modify the settings.
11 Enable the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box, and
click Save.
12 In the Generate Display Info dialog box, enable the check box for each
performance indicator you want to view, and click OK.
This option generates the information needed to create a thematic display
of the data. You could use this, for example, to produce a map showing
the number of dropped calls for each sector. For more information, see
Using Network Data Display on page 399. Only numeric data can be
displayed.
13 Click Close.
Each metric is added to the Project Explorer as a node under the network
data file in the Operational Data category.
If the network data file you just imported does not appear in the
Operational Data category of the Project Explorer, click the Refresh
button at the top of the Project Explorer to display the imported network data
file.
If the network data file you just imported does not appear in the Operational
Data category of the Project Explorer, click the Refresh button at the top of
the Project Explorer to reveal the imported network data file.
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To import network data using saved binding rules

1


If the external data contains a Cell_ID column, in the Mentum Planet

dialog box, do one of the following:
click Yes to convert the Cell_ID column data to Site_ID and

Sector_ID.

4
On the Data Binding tab, click Open, choose the data binding rules file,
and click Open.
Click Fetch.
Data Binding tab, and make changes.
Enable the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box, and
click Save.
In the Generate Display Info dialog box, enable the check box for each
displayed.
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Click Close.
The Network Data tool stores the source data file in the projects
Network_Data folder. Excel files are stored in the XLS subfolder, text
files in the TXT subfolder. If the source data file is not in this location when
you bind the data, the Network Data tool copies it there. You can update the
bound data by replacing the projects copy of the source data file, but display
information must be regenerated using the Network Data tool.
file.
To add network data to your project

Using the Add command, you can add network data stored in Excel files or
tab-delimited text files to your project. The network data file must contain a
site ID column and an antenna ID column (i.e., one column identifying the
site and one column identifying the sector). For information on binding the
data, see Binding network data on page 391.
1

Network Data.
Right-click Excel Format or Text Format and choose Add.
In the Open dialog box, click Browse, navigate to your Microsoft Excel
(.xls) or text network data file, and click Open.
The file is added to the Operational Data category of the Project Explorer
under the Excel Format or Text Format node.
To bind the data, right-click the network data file and choose View.
box opens.
In the Mentum Planet dialog box, click Yes to convert the Cell_ID
column data to Site_ID and Sector_ID.
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In the External Data column, find the row that contains the site ID, and
choose Site_Id from the Planet Data list in that row.
In the External Data column, find the row that contains the sector ID,
and choose Antenna_Id from the Planet Data list in that row.
If you want to create a user-defined metric, click the User Defined tab in
the Metrics section, click in the Name column and type a name, then
click in the Description box and type a description.
In the row of the External Data column that contains the network data
that you want to use, do any of the following:
In the Planet Data column, choose the user-defined or

predefined metric that corresponds to the data in the External
Data Column. For descriptions of predefined metrics, see the
Metrics section at the bottom of the dialog box.
If you want to use an external data column without binding it to a

Mentum Planet column, enable the check box at the left of the
row. The External Data Column name is automatically entered
in the Planet Data column. This is a quick method for preparing
data for display, and can be used when external data column
names are descriptive.
10 If you want to save the binding rules for use with other external data
sources, click Save As, type a name in the File Name box, and then click
Save.
11 Click the Results tab.
12 Click Fetch.
Data Binding tab to modify the settings.
13 Enable the Generate Display Info When Saving Results check box, and
click Save.
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14 In the Generate Display Info dialog box, enable the check box for each
displayed.
15 Click Close.
file.

Network Data Display enables you to view network data graphically on a map
of your networks coverage area. Any numeric metric, for example, dropped
calls or carried Erlangs, that you bound and generated display information for
can be displayed.
The data value for each sector is displayed as a colored region resembling a
sector coverage area. The color scheme and the size of the display region are
adjustable options.
Figure 13.3 A three-sector site with Network Data Display. For each sector, a colored
region displays a measured value, such as dropped calls, according to a user-defined
histogram. The size of the colored region is adjustable to suit the scale of the map.
There can be only one value for each metric for each sector. You can display
multiple metrics on the same map.
In the Project Explorer, display information for an imported metric appears as
a node below the network data file. If the network data file is listed with no
metrics below it, display information was not generated.
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In Figure 13.4, Carried Erlangs and Dropped Call Rate metrics have been
imported from an Excel file. The columns in the Excel file have been mapped
to the Dropped Call Rate and Carried Erlangs Mentum Planet columns using
the Network Data tool.
Figure 13.4 Operational Data category of the Project Explorer showing Carried
Erlangs and Dropped Call Rate nodes.
To set metric display options

1
If required, import the data you want to view. See To import network
data on page 393.

the metric and choose Options.
The Metric Display Options dialog box opens.
From the Site Selection list, choose the selection for which you want to
view the metric.
In the Radius box, choose the size of the region that you want to use to
view the metric thematically.
The radius should be large enough to be visible clearly at the current scale
of the Map window.
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Click Colors to set the color scheme.
In the Color Tool dialog box, do any of the following:
To add a new inflection point, double-click on the color slider

bar.
To set the color for an inflection point, double-click the

inflection point or the corresponding box in the Color Scheme

List, choose a color, and click OK. The chosen color applies to
values between this inflection point and the next highest one.
To modify the position of an inflection point, drag the slider to a

new position. The calculated values in the Color Scheme List
are automatically updated. Do not move the sliders at either end
of the color slider bar.
To delete an inflection point, click a color inflection point to

select it, and press the DELETE key.
To reverse the order of the colors, click Flip Colors.
To load an existing color profile (.vcp file), click Load, locate

the color profile you want to use, and click Open.
To save a color profile for the metric, click Save, choose Value
or Percentile and click Close.
To edit the value or percentile of an inflection point, click on the

entry in the Color Scheme List and type a new value,
intermediate between the values above and below it.
Click OK to close the Color Tool dialog box.
Click OK to close the Metric Display Options dialog box.
To view metrics

right-click the metric and choose View.
The metric is displayed in the Map window.
To remove metrics display

right-click the metric and choose Hide.
The metrics display is removed from the Map window.
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Importing site data

You can use network data to update your site table with information about site
configurations and, depending on the network technology, performance data.
This procedure makes permanent changes to the site table. It is
recommended that you save a copy of the site table first.
To import data to the site table

1
Bind external data columns to Mentum Planet data columns as

appropriate. For more information, see To import network data on
page 393.
At minimum, you need to bind external data columns to the Site_ID and
Antenna_ID columns of Mentum Planet, and then bind one of the
columns of data you want to update in the site table.

the network data file and choose Import Site Data.
In the Select Sectors dialog box, choose the sectors for which you are
importing data by choosing a sector group, Flags Filter, Current Selection
or All Sectors, and click Continue.
The Import Site Data dialog box opens.
In each row where the Network Data Column contains data you want to
add to the site table, choose the corresponding site table column in the
Site Table Column list.
If you do not want to import a column, choose None in the
Site Table Column list.
In each row, click the Preview (...) button at the end of the row.
The Import Site Data Preview dialog box opens, showing the site and
sector ID, the network data, and the site table data that will be
overwritten. Previewing the data is not compulsory, but it is strongly
recommended so that you can avoid damaging your site table.
402
When you have finished previewing the data, click Close.

If you want to update the site table with the imported data, click
OK.
If you do not want to update the site table, click Cancel.
Exporting site table and model files to Planet 2.8

Mentum Planet site tables and propagation models based on the Planet
General model can be exported to Planet 2.8.
Only sites that use the Planet General model will be exported.
To export site table and model files to Planet 2.8

1
Choose Data Export Planet 2.8 Site Table.

The Export Site Table and Planet General Model Files to Planet dialog
box opens.
Click Browse beside the Output Folder box, choose the folder for the
converted files, and click OK.
In the Select Files To Export box, enable the check boxes for the files
that you want to export.
The Select Files To Export box lists the site table file with the propagation
model files it uses indented below it. The check boxes beside these files
are enabled by default. Below these files are listed any additional unused
Planet General model propagation model files in the project. By default,
their check boxes are not enabled.
If you want a report on sites that have different flag values for their
sectors, enable the Generate Log File for Anomalous Sites check box.
In Mentum Planet each sector can have different flag conditions, but in
Planet 2.8, flag conditions apply at the site level.
Click Export.
If the projection on which your site table is based is not compatible with
Planet 2.8, the Choose Planet Projection dialog box opens.
The Message Window shows progress messages.
Click Close.
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Using the Demographic Analysis tool

The Demographic Analysis tool enables you to combine network coverage
information and demographic information so that you can visualize the
relationship between service and the population being served across the
network. Using a classified grid (such as Best Serving Sector or Best Serving
Class) and demographic information for the area covered by your project, you
can determine information such as the number of subscribers that are best
served by a given sector.
For demographic analysis, you will typically use the following classified
grids, which are produced when you run a network analysis:
Best Server Signal Strength Class
Best Server Sector
Second Best Server Signal Strength Class
Second Best Server Sector
Number of Serving Sectors
You also need a table of demographic data, such as a region table with
population data for each census district.
This tool cannot produce accurate results if the data files use
longitude/latitude projection. Before using the tool, reproject files that
use longitude/latitude projection.
Demographic Analysis tool outputs

The Demographic Analysis tool gives you the choice of six different output
files. You can create a table, contour regions, or a numeric grid of either the
distribution or the distribution density. The following table summarizes the
possible outputs if you used a best server sector classified grid and the
population column of your demographic table.
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Table 13.1 Explanation of output options for the Demographic Analysis tool
Type
Distribution
Distribution Density
Table
Produces a table (opened in a

Browser window) of the sum of
the number of people from each
of the individual regions for which
a given sector provides the best
service.
Produces a table (opened in a

Browser window) of the total
number of people served by each
sector divided by the total area, in
square kilometers, that the sector
serves best.
Contour
regions
Produces a region table of the

sector best serving each
demographic region and displays
it in a new Map window. You can
use the Info tool to view the sector
and the number of people served
in each region.
This table will be substantially
larger than the one produced
using the Table option because a
sector can be the best server for
many regions. The sum of the
number of people served in each
region by a single sector will add
up to the value displayed by the
Table option.
Produces a region table of the

sector best serving each region
and opens a Browser window that
displays the number of people
served in each region divided by
the area, in square kilometers, of
the region.
This table will be substantially
larger than the one produced
using the Table option because a
sector can be the best server for
many regions.
Numeric
Grid
Produces a numeric grid of the

number of people in each best
serving area.
Produces a numeric grid of the

number of people in each best
serving area divided by the area
of the region in square kilometers.
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To perform a demographic analysis

1
Choose Analysis Demographic Analysis.
In the Demographic Analysis Tool dialog box, click Browse next to the
Classified Grid box, navigate to your projects <technology>_Analyses
folder, choose the best server classified grid (.grc) you want to open, and
click Open.
Click Browse next to the MapInfo Table box, choose the Region table
(.tab) containing demographic data, and click Open.
Click Next.
From the Demographic Data Column list, choose the column that
contains the demographic data, and click Next.
In the Output Format section, choose any of the following options:
Tableoutput will be a table
Contouroutput will be a region contour
Gridoutput will be a numeric grid
In the Output Data Type section, choose one of the following options:
Distributionuses the value in the demographic data table for

each sector or region
Distribution Densitycalculates a density value by taking the

value in the demographic data table for each sector or region and
dividing it by the area of the region in square kilometers,
resulting in a value per square kilometer
Click Next.
Choose an output folder or accept the default, and click Generate.
The default bin size used in the analysis is that of the .grc file used. If
there are regions in the demographic data that do not encompass a
single grid node (usually regions that are smaller than the bin size), the
regions data is attributed to the closest node.
When distribution density is chosen as the output type, the density value is
calculated using the area of the bins found in each demographic region, not
the area of the region itself.
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Open the Best Server Sector grid in the same window as the grid
output from the Demographic Analysis tool and use the Grid Info tool to
see the sector serving the region at the same time as the demographic
information.
Using the Network Statistics Mapping tool

If you have network performance data in a .tab file, you can view a thematic
map of your data using the Network Statistics Mapping tool. This is useful,
for example, if you want to visually display the number of dropped calls for
each sector in your network.
Figure 13.5 Thematic map showing the number of dropped calls per defined sector
region
In order to map network performance outputs, you need the following files:
classified grid (.grc) filedefines the boundaries of the serving

region for every sector. For example, the Best Server Sector
(BestServTx) grid defines the regions where each sector is the
one best capable of providing service. This grid is the result of a
network analysis created using Mentum Planet. The grid you use
depends on your purpose and the type of network you are
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analyzing. For more information about technology-specific

network analysis layers, see the appropriate User Guide.
table (.tab) filemust have at least two columns: one containing

sector identifiers and one containing the network data to be
mapped to the regions defined in the classified grid. The network
data could be performance data, such as the number of dropped
calls for each sector.
If you have a network data table that is not in table (.tab) format, use File
Open Table to open it before using the Network Statistics Mapping tool.
Mentum Planet automatically creates a .tab file with the same name. Mentum
Planet can read tables in several formats, including delimited ASCII text.
The sector identification column in the network data table and the site table
Cell_ID column must use the same naming scheme. The Network Statistics
Mapping Tool dialog box uses these values to match the network data values
to the sectors. If the site table Cell_ID column is empty, as is the default, you
must update it with the correct cell identifier values.
To update the site table Cell_ID column

1
Choose GIS Table Update Column and create an

expression to construct Cell_ID values from the values of other
columns such as Site_ID and Antenna_ID. For more
information, see Adding to a Table in Chapter 5 of the
MapInfo Professional User Guide.
Use the Network Data tool to import a lookup table that contains
Cell_ID as well as Site_ID and Antenna_ID values. Then update
the site table using Import Site Data. For more information, see
Importing site data on page 402.
To create a thematic map of network data
408
Choose Tools Network Statistics Mapping.
In the Network Statistics Mapping Tool dialog box, read the

introduction and click Next.
Click Browse, select the classified grid (.grc) file that defines your sector
regions, and click Open.
Click Next.

If the network data file that you want to use is listed in the Data
Table list, choose the network data file from the list.
If the network data file that you want to use is not listed in the
Data Table list, click Browse, find the file, and then click Open.
Then, select the network data file from the Data Table list.
From the Identification Field list, choose the sector identification

column and click Next.
Click Browse, navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, type
a file name in the File Name box, and click Save.
If you want to map the results, enable the Thematically Map Results
check box.
From the Data field list, choose the network data column and click
Finish.
The thematic map is displayed in the current Map window. The ranges
and colors displayed are defaults and can be modified by choosing the
Modify Thematic Map command from the Map menu.

You can use the Tool Manager to add custom tools or utilities to the Tools
menu.
Tool files, including .exe, .dll, and .mbx files, must be placed in the
<Mentum Planet>\mapinfo\Tools folder.
To add a tool to the Tools menu

1
Choose Tools Tool Manager.
In the Tool Manager dialog box, click Add.

The Add RF Tool dialog box opens.
Click Browse, locate the file for the tool you want to add, and click Open.
In the Title box, type the name you want to see displayed in the Tools
menu.
In the Description box, type the description you want to appear in the
Tool Manager dialog box.
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Click OK.
Click OK to close the Tool Manager.

You can click Edit in the Tool Manager dialog box to edit existing tools.
To enable and disable tools

1
Choose Tools Tool Manager.
In the Tool Manager dialog box, do one of the following:
To enable a tool that you want to use, enable its check box.
To disable a tool, clear its check box.
Click OK.
The Tools menu is updated.
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Click OK to close the Tool Manager.
14.
following sections:
Getting information about a

grid
Contouring a grid
Creating slope and aspect

grids
Chapter 14: Working with Grids
Working with Grids
Gridding is the basic mapping technique used in

Mentum Planet. The Grid Manager is the central
dialog box from which you can open, sort, view, and
manipulate grids. Mentum Planet also has tools that
enable you to retrieve information from grids and
perform basic topological analysis.
This chapter explains only some of the functionality
associated with grids. For more information about
grid analysis, see the Grid Analysis User Guide.
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Getting information about a grid

You can use the following tools to retrieve grid information:
Grid Legenddisplays the color scheme and value ranges used

for the map display.
Grid Manager Info functionprovides information about the

grid, including metadata.
Grid Info toolreturns information about the selected

geographical location from all grids currently open in the Grid
Manager. The grid files being inspected do not have to be layers
in the current Map window.
Region Info tooldisplays a statistical summary of the data

within a selected region for all active grids in the Grid Manager.
Line Info tooldisplays a statistical summary of the data along

a selected line for the grid highlighted in the Grid Manager.
Find Maximum Point toolfinds the highest point in a region.

This is an aid to finding good locations for sites. For more
information, see Using sector placement tools on page 91.
Grid Query toolbuilds new grids from existing grids where the
new grid values are derived according to whether specific
queries imposed on the existing grid files have been met. For
more information, see the Grid Analysis User Guide.
Grid Calculator toolcreates mathematical expressions using an

unlimited number of grids. For more information, see the Grid
Analysis User Guide.
To get additional information on analysis files, you can use the Layer
Statistics tool and the Pixel Info tool. For more information, see the
appropriate technology-specific User Guide.
To view a grid legend

A legend displays map information such as the color scheme used for the map
display. You can quickly view legends in order to improve the readability of a
map.
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Working with Grids

Choose View Show Grid Legend.
In the Grid Legend dialog box, choose the grid file for which you want to
see the legend.
Only grid files that are currently open appear in the list.
Click the button to the right of the list box to view the Dictionary Editor
(for .grc files) or the Grid Color Tool (for .grd files) and modify the
appearance of the legend.
For more information on modifying legends, see Creating and printing
legends on page 436.
To use the Grid Manager Info function

1
In the Grid Manager, choose a grid from the list, and click the Info
button.
The Grid Manager lists only grids that are currently open in the project.
You can open other grids as needed from the Grid Manager.
For more information about the types of information available using the Grid
Manager Info function, see Chapter 5, Working with the Grid Manager, in
the Grid Analysis User Guide.
To use the Grid Info tool

1
On the Analysis toolbar, click the Grid Info button.
Click in the Map window.

The Grid Info dialog box opens, listing the value of each open grid at the
cursor location. You can click the Map to view information for other
locations. The Cursor Tracking option provides a continuous display of
data as you change the cursor position. The Capture Data option captures
data to a table. For more information, see Using the Grid Info tool in
Chapter 5 of the Grid Analysis User Guide.
You can specify Grid Info options in the Preferences dialog box
accessible by choosing GIS Grid Analysis Preferences.
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If you need to inspect a large number of predefined points, you can use the
Point Inspection function. For more information, see the Grid Analysis User
Guide.
To use the Region Info tool

1
Choose View Toolbars.
In the Toolbar Options dialog box, enable the Grid Analysis check box,
and click OK.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Region Info button.
Select a region in the Map window.
The Volume calculation is the sum of all the values found in the region
multiplied by the bin dimensions. This value is only meaningful when
the z-unit is a linear measurement. The % null value indicates how much of
the enclosed area contains null values.
To view statistical information for a large number of regions contained in the

same table, use the Region Inspection function. For more information about
region inspection, see the Grid Analysis User Guide.
To use the Line Info tool

1
In the Toolbar Options dialog box, enable the Grid Analysis check box,
and click OK.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Line Info button.
Click on a line in the Map window.
The number of samples taken along the line is determined by the Cross
Section: No. of Samples parameter in the Preferences settings. The
default is 100. To change this value, choose GIS Grid Analysis
Preferences and enter a new number in the No. of Samples box. For more
information about preferences, see the Grid Analysis User Guide.
You can choose whether or not values are interpolated within bins by enabling
or clearing the Use Closest Node Values check box on the z-units tab in the
Grid Manager Info function.
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Working with Grids

To view information for a large number of lines contained in the same table,
use the Line Inspection function. For more information about line inspection,
see the Grid Analysis User Guide.
Contouring a grid
Mentum Planet provides tools to convert grids to attribute-coded vector files
using processes that thread isolines, or contours, through the grid network
(Figure 14.1). Contour lines are paths of constant values. Mentum Planet
computes contour lines as separate polylines or closed complex regions where
holes or islands have been knocked-out. This is important in the GIS
environment because the contour regions can immediately be used for
analysis.
Figure 14.1 Lines are threaded through bins at defined values.
Creating contours for a numeric grid

A standard contour line map can be generated from within Mentum Planet
using a process that threads polylines through an existing grid file. You can
define a number of settings including the range of grid values to be contoured,
the contour interval, and the color and style of individual contour lines. These
settings can be saved in a configuration file and applied to other grid files.
You can also generate contours as topologically built regions using a process
similar to the polyline threader. Contour region intervals are user-defined with
the additional option of applying a custom gradient color ramp to assign
incremental colors to the contour regions.
For contour regions, you can define the Greater than or Equal to Lower Value
(>=Value) and the Less than Upper Value (<Value). These values define each
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contour region based on Contour settings. Each contour represents the lower
value of the interval. For example, the 200 contour region encloses all values
200 and <250.
To define contour polylines or regions

1
In the Grid Manager, click the Contour button.
In the Contour dialog box, choose the appropriate grid file from the Grid
list, and click Polylines if you want to create polyline contours or
Regions if you want to create region contours.
Click Intervals.
In the Intervals dialog box, do any of the following:
In the Minimum box, set the minimum value, defined as the

lowest grid value that will be examined during the threading
process.
In the Maximum box, set the maximum value, defined as the

highest value that will be examined during the threading process.
In the Method section, choose one of the following options:
Intervaldefines the range of values that each class will

encompass. The default setting is calculated by dividing
the range between the minimum and maximum values
into 10 classes. Use the Value box to define the interval.
Numberenables you to specify the number of classes
that will be created based upon the Minimum, Maximum,
and Interval settings. The default is 10 classes. Use the
Value box to define the number.
Click OK to close the Intervals dialog box.
To save contour profile settings, click Save As.
Profiles are saved as text files with a .pfc extension.

8
416
To save the contour map, click Browse, navigate to where you want to
save the contour map, type a name or accept the default, and then click
Save.
Working with Grids

Click OK to create contours.

To modify the interval values manually, double-click in any Value field in
the Interval List and type a value.
The default setting in the Minimum box is the lowest value encountered
in the grid file and may need to be changed for the contouring process.
If you want to maintain consistency in contour intervals throughout a

series of grid files, you can save the settings for the contour plot in a
profile.
Creating contours for a classified grid

Just as region contours are created from numeric grids, they can also be
created from classified grids. In this case, a simplified threading process is
used to trace line work along the bin boundaries between different classes and
convert each unique classified group of bins into a single region. The value of
each classified group is attached as an entry to the region table in a column
labeled Class.
To create contours for a classified grid

1
In the Grid Manager, highlight a classified grid file in the list of open
grids and click the Contour button.
In the Save Contours As dialog box, type a name in the File Name box
and click Save.
The contouring function automatically completes and draws the region
table into a new Map window.
The new regions are an exact reproduction of the classified grid (.grc)
regions but are in vector format with an attached column entry
representing the contour class name.
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Chapter 14
Figure 14.2 A contour map created from a classified grid.

Mentum Planet includes many different conversion tools that enable you to
generate the output format you require. One of these tools is the Smooth
Contour Tool which creates generalized polygon data from large Mentum
Planet numeric grid output files.This can be useful when you need to convert
numeric grid data to a vector format. For example, if you are using a webbased mapping tool and require a network-wide best server signal strength
polygon file, you can use the Smooth Contour Tool to convert the numeric
grid output to a vector format.
When you create grid contours using standard contouring tools, contour lines
are threaded through bins at defined intervals. If you are contouring a
complex grid with many isolated bins, holes, or islands, the resulting grid may
be too visually crowded to be meaningful. The contouring process will also be
very time consuming. Using the Smooth Contour tool, you can reduce the size
and complexity of the grid before generating contours. As a result, the time
required to contour a complex grid decreases and the resulting grid is simpler
and more meaningful.
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Working with Grids

How smooth grid contours are created

Creating smooth grid contours encompasses several phases as illustrated in
Figure 14.3 on page 419.
Figure 14.3 Phase 1 of the Smooth Contouring process where the grid is resized and
the new bin values are calculated.
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Phase 1
In the first phase, the grid is resized and bin values recalculated based on one
of five methods.
Averagebin values within the smoothing window are averaged

and applied to the output
Minimumthe minimum bin value within the smoothing

window is applied to the output
Maximumthe maximum bin value within the smoothing

window is applied to the output
Medianthe median bin value within the smoothing window is

is applied to the output
Gaussiana Gaussian curve is applied to bin values within the

smoothing window and a weighted value applied to each point.
The weighted points are then averaged as shown in Figure 14.4.
3
Interim window
Smoothing window
Figure 14.4 Using the Gaussian filter method, a Gaussian curve is applied to all the
points in the Smoothing window and a weighted value is assigned to each point. The
weighted values are then averaged to produce a value for the bin (i.e. the point at the
top of the curve).
While the calculations used to determine the bin value are different, the
method used to calculate the value is the same. Using the averaging method,
for example, given an original bin size of 180m, an output bin size of 540m,
and smoothing window of 3780 m, the Smooth Contour tool takes the bin
values within the 3780m smoothing window, averages them and then applies
this new value to the output bins.
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Working with Grids

Original bin size
180
Output bin size
540
3780
Smoothing window
Figure 14.5 The Smooth Contour Tool uses all the values in the smoothing window to
calculate the new bin value.
Phase 2
In the second phase, contours are applied to the newly processed grid.
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Chapter 14
Figure 14.6 Original map and the resulting smooth contours.
To create smooth grid contours

Before you use the Smooth Contour tool, you must create and save an interval
(.pfc) file that specifies the contouring intervals and colors. See To define
contour polylines or regions on page 416. Alternately, you can use one of the
.pfc files located in the <Mentum Planet>\global\Profiles folder.
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Working with Grids

Choose Tools Smooth Contour Tool.

The Smooth Contour Tool dialog box opens.
From the Grid list, choose the grid you want to contour.
In the Resize Options section, from the Filter Method list, choose one of
Averagebin values within the smoothing window are

averaged and applied to the output
Minimumthe minimum bin value within the smoothing

window is used in the output
Maximumthe maximum bin value within the smoothing

window is used in the output
Medianthe median bin value within the smoothing window is

used in the output
Gaussiana Gaussian curve is applied to bin values within the

smoothing window and a weighted value given to each point.
The weighted values are then averaged to determine the bin
value.
From the Interim Bin Size list, choose the bin size you want to use
during phase 1 of the contouring process.
From the Smoothing Window list, choose the area you want included in
contouring calculations.
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To save the interim grid, enable the Preserve Interim Grid check box,
click the Browse button, navigate to the folder where you want the file
saved.
In the File Name box, type a name for the grid, and click Save.
In the Contour Options section, click Browse, navigate to the interval

(.plc) file, and click Open.
To save the new contour file, click the Browse button, navigate to the
folder where you want the file saved.
10 In the File Name box, type a name for the grid, and click Save.
11 Click OK.
Creating slope and aspect grids

As it applies to grid geometry, slope is a measurement of the steepness of a
bin in three-dimensional space and is therefore most applicable to elevation
surfaces. In Mentum Planet, slope is calculated by averaging the slopes of the
eight triangle faces that are formed from the surrounding nodes.
Aspect measures the direction that each bin faces in three-dimensional space
and is recorded in azimuth degrees relative to either true north or the top of
the map. In Mentum Planet, aspect is calculated by averaging the aspects of
the eight triangle faces that are formed from the surrounding nodes.
Figure 14.7 The eight triangles are created to determine the slope at node A.
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Working with Grids

To create a slope and aspect grid

1
In the Grid Manager, click the Analysis button and choose

Create Slope & Aspect.
In the Slope and Aspect dialog box, choose a grid from the Grid list.
The z-unit of the grid must be a linear unit of distance, such as meters or
feet. If this is not the case, you must reproject the grid.
To create a slope grid, enable the Create Slope Grid check box.
Enable the Calculate as % Grade check box to calculate the slope as a

percent grade.
When you clear this check box, the slope is calculated in degrees.
To create an aspect grid, enable the Create Aspect Grid check box.
In the Aspect Parameters section, choose one of the following options:
Calculate Aspect Relative to True North optionsets north to

zero degrees azimuth and allows values to progress in a
clockwise direction.
Calculate Aspect Relative to Y-axis optionsets Y at the top

of the map.
In the Description boxes, enter a description.

The description will be carried as a header in the new grid file.
In the File Name boxes, enter a file name for each grid to be created.
10 Click OK.
The new grids open, each in its own Map window.
To view slope and aspect values, choose Tools Grid Legends in the
Grid Manager, and then choose the grid from the list in the Grid Legend
dialog box.

Area grids are classified grids that represent MapInfo region objects. Area
grids enable you to define a working area, so that only pixels inside the area
will be considered when performing calculations. Area grids are also used
with some third-party products, such as the Optimizer.
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Using the Area node in the Project Data category of the Project Explorer, you
can create area grids using MapInfo tables that contain region objects, or you
can use the drawing tools to create vector objects, and then generate an area
grid based on the vector objects. You can also add existing area grids to your
project.
The resolution of area grids is, by default, the same as the project elevation
file, but you can define the resolution based on a number of preset values if
required. For example, if you are defining a very small area, you may want to
use a higher resolution.
To create an area grid

If you are creating an area grid using vector objects, you must select
the vector objects in the Map window before you create the grid.

Areas node and choose Create.
The Area Generator dialog box opens.
On the Data Source tab, do one of the following:
If you want to create an area grid using vector objects, choose

Selection. This option is only available if you selected the vector
objects in the Map window.
If you want to create an area grid using a MapInfo file, choose

File, click Browse, choose a .tab file that is associated with a
MapInfo file that contains region objects, and then click Open.
Click the Resolution tab and do one of the following:
If you want to use the same resolution as the project elevation

file, choose Optimal.
If you want to define the grid resolution, choose User Defined,

and then choose a value from the Resolution list.
Click Generate.
When the generation is complete, click Close.

The area grid is saved in the Areas folder within your project folder and is
listed in the Project Explorer under the Areas node in the Project Data
category.
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Working with Grids

To add an area grid

Areas node and choose Add, then choose an area grid file, and click
Open.
The area grid is copied to the Areas folder within your project folder and
is listed in the Project Explorer under the Areas node in the Project Data
category.
To rename an area grid
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click an

area grid under the Areas node, choose Rename and then type a new
name for the grid.
To view an area grid
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click an

area grid under the Areas node and choose View.
The area grid is displayed as a layer in the Map window.
To delete an area grid

1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click an area

grid under the Areas node and choose Delete.

The area grid is removed from the Project Explorer and the files are
deleted from the project folder.

You can perform two types of visibility analysis:
Point-to-Point Visibilitydetermine whether there is a line-ofsight path between two points on the grid
Viewshed Analysisidentify all locations on a grid that are

visible from one or more viewpoints
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Chapter 14
Point-to-Point Visibility function

Using the Point-to-Point Visibility function, you can either select a path from
an existing line object in a Map window or draw the path in the Map window.
The result is a graph like that shown in Figure 14.8.
Figure 14.8 Point-to-Point Visibility graph. The red line depicts the surface, the green
line depicts what you can see.
You can use the point-to-point visibility function only on a numeric grid that
has a z-unit type of feet or meters.
To determine point-to-point visibility

1
In the Grid Manager, choose the grid on which you want to analyze
point-to-point visibility.
In Mentum Planet, choose View Toolbars.
Enable the Grid Analysis check box and click OK.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Point-to-Point Visibility button.
With the left mouse button held down, draw the path in the Map window
of the open elevation grid file, where the line direction corresponds to the
direction of sight, i.e., the looking from position is the start of the line.
If you want to draw the path starting at a site location and snap the cursor
to the nearest point, press the S key to activate the Snap tool.
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Working with Grids

In the Point-to-Point Visibility dialog box, choose the grid file on which
you want to use the Point-to-Point Visibility function from the Grid list.
In the Viewing Parameters section, choose all of the parameters that will
be calculated for each region.
Enable the Plot on Map check box if you want view a line plot in the
Map window after clicking Solve.
The line plot traces the extent of the line of sight and indicates, using
color, the intervals between the endpoints that are visible (green) and
obstructed (red) relative to the direction of sight. Line plots are saved as
individual .tab files using default file names (subdirVMLineX.tab). As
subsequent lines are chosen and solved, new files are saved with
incremental numbers in the file name.
10 Enable the Create Results Table check box if you want to create a table
of results.
11 Click 3D Viewer if you want to render a 3D image of the point-to-point
visibility results.
For more information about creating 3D views, see Chapter 10, Creating
3D Views Using GridView, in the Grid Analysis User Guide.
12 Click Solve.
The results appear in the Point-to-Point Solution dialog box.
You can customize the appearance of the point-to-point solution graph
using the shortcut menu. To access it, right-click in the graph window
and choose one of the available commands. You can also zoom in and zoom
out of the graph by clicking in the graph window and dragging the cursor over
the area you want to view.
Viewshed function
Viewshed is defined as a delineation process identifying all locations on a grid
that are visually connected (visible in a direct line-of-sight) to a single
observation point.
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The Viewshed function computes visibility between one or more observation

points (the viewpoints) and each of the bins in an elevation grid file (the
destination bins) in one of two ways:
simple visible/invisible answer for each of the destination bins
computed value representing the height that each destination bin

should be raised or lowered to make it just visible from the
viewpoint.
In other words, if a destination bin is not visible from the viewpoint, then a
negative value is returned specifying the height below the line of sight. To
become just visible, this height has to be added to the destination bin. For
example, if the number returned is -98 meters, then the destination bin must
be raised 98 meters in order to be visible.
If the destination bin is visible, then a positive value is returned specifying the
height above the line of sight. In this case, the viewpoint can be lowered by
this height and remain just visible. For example, if the number returned is
55 meters, then the viewpoint can be lowered 55 meters and still be visible.
You use the Viewpoint Pick tool found on the Grid Analysis toolbar to
identify the view point from which intervisibility for an entire elevation grid
file is calculated or you can use it to select an existing point in the Map
window.
The Viewshed function is appropriate only for use on a grid file that has a unit
of elevation (feet or meters) as its z-value.
To perform a single-point viewshed analysis
430
In the Grid Manager, choose the grid on which you want to perform the
viewshed analysis.
Enable the Grid Analysis check box and click OK.
On the Grid Analysis toolbar, click the Viewpoint Pick button.
Using the left mouse button, choose a point in the Map window of the
open elevation grid file that represents the point of origin for the viewshed
calculation.
Working with Grids

In the Viewshed dialog box, choose one of the following options in the
Viewshed Methods section:
Simple Calculationenables you to create a classified grid file

and assigns the category Visible or Invisible to each bin,
depending on whether it is visible or invisible from the
viewpoint.
Complex Calculationreturns a value measured in grid

z-units. The value represents either the height the bin should be
raised to make it just visible from the viewpoint (a negative
value because it lies below the site line), or the height that the
bin could be lowered in order to become just visible (a positive
value because it lies above the site line).
In the Viewing Parameters section, define the following settings:
Viewpoint Heighttype the height in meters above the ground

for the viewpoint. This could be the height of a tower, for
example.
Viewshed Offsettype the height in meters above the ground

for the destination bins. This compensates for the height of the
object being viewed.
Viewing Radiustype the maximum radius in meters around

the viewpoint to calculate Viewshed.
Earth Curvaturechoose the earth curvature model to use:

None, Normal, or 4/3 Earth Correction.
In the Description box, type a description for the viewshed grid.
10 Click OK.
The Viewshed map opens in a new Map window.
To view visibility values, choose Tools Grid Legends in the Grid
Manager, and then choose the grid from the list in the Grid Legend
dialog box.
You can also access the Viewshed tool from the Grid Manager. Click the
Analysis button, and choose the Viewshed Analysis command.
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Chapter 14
To perform a multi-point viewshed analysis

1
In the Grid Manager, choose the DEM grid.
In the Map window, using any of the Select tools on the Main toolbar,
select point objects representing the locations you want to perform the
analysis on.
In the Grid Manager, click the Analysis button, and choose

Viewshed Analysis.
In the Viewshed dialog box, choose the grid you want to analyze from the
Grid list.
In the Viewshed Method section, choose one of the following:
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Simple Calculationcreates a classified grid that shows each

destination bin as either visible or invisible from the viewpoint.
Complex Calculationcreates a numeric grid that indicates

how much each destination bin would have to be raised
(negative value) or lowered (positive value) to be just visible
from the viewpoint.
In the Viewing Parameters section, define the following settings:
Viewpoint Heighttype the height in meters above the ground

for the viewpoint. This could be the height of a tower, for
example.
Viewshed Offsettype the height in meters above the ground

for the destination bins. This compensates for the height of the
object being viewed.
Viewing Radiustype the maximum radius in meters around

the viewpoint to calculate Viewshed.
Earth Curvaturechoose the earth curvature model to use:

None, Normal, or 4/3 Earth Correction.
In the Description box, type a description for the viewshed grid.
Click OK.
15.
following sections:
Producing coverage map

reports
Chapter 15: Generating Reports
Generating Reports
You can create a variety of reports in Mentum Planet.

Coverage map reports present analyses, and can
include legends and graphics. A site table report
exports the information from your site table to a
tab-delimited or comma-delimited text file. An FCC
report provides coverage and interference plots
required by FCC regulations.
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Chapter 15
Producing coverage map reports

Mentum Planet enables you to produce many different types of maps,
including coverage maps. For example, you can generate the following output
grids:
forward-link analysis
reverse-link analysis
combined analysis
throughput analysis
gain analysis
Once you have generated output grids, you can organize the grids in a report,
which you can print. You do this using the Layout functionality, which
enables you to customize a layout to your specific requirements. You can
create a template that you can use to create all your reports. For more
information on creating layouts, see Working with Layouts in Chapter 12 of
the MapInfo Professional User Guide.
To include elements such as company logos or other graphics and legends in
your reports, you must first display them in Map windows. For more
information on opening graphic files, see To open a graphic file on
page 436.
To create a print layout

1
Open each file that you want to include in the layout in the Map window.
Choose Window New Layout Window.
In the New Window Layout dialog box, choose one of the frame options,
and click OK.
In the Layout window, you can do any of the following:
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Move and resize frames by selecting a frame using the Select

tool on the Main toolbar, and then resizing or repositioning the
Generating Reports
frame on the layout page. Using the Shift key when resizing will
maintain the aspect ratio of the window.
Delete frames by selecting a frame using the Select tool, and

then pressing the DELETE key.
Align objects by selecting a group of objects using the Select

tool, choose Layout Align Objects, choose the horizontal and
vertical alignment options, and then click OK.
Add text by clicking the Text button on the Drawing toolbar and
adding text to the layout window.
Create a drop shadow by clicking a frame, then right-clicking

and choosing Create Drop Shadows.
If you want to save the workspace immediately, choose File Save

Workspace and save the layout as a .wor file.
This step is optional. Mentum Planet automatically saves the workspace
when you close the project.
Choose Layout View Actual Size to view the layout window as it will
appear when printed.
To add a frame
1
On the Drawing toolbar, click the Frame button.
Draw a frame in the layout window.
In the Frame Object dialog box, choose the window you want to include
in the layout, and adjust the placement and the size as required.
Click OK.
If you want to change the window displayed in the frame, click the
Select button from the Main toolbar, double-click on the frame, select a
new window from the Window list, and click OK.
To change the border of a frame

1
On the Main toolbar, click the Select button.
Choose an object.
Choose GIS Options Region Style.
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Chapter 15
In the Border section, choose the options you want for the border.
Click OK.
To open a graphic file

To add a company logo or other graphic file to your layout you must first open
it in its own Map window.
1
Choose File Open Table.
From the Files of Type list, choose Raster Image.
Choose the graphic file you want to include.
From the Preferred View list, choose New Mapper.
In the Open Table dialog box, click Open.
In the message dialog box, click Display.

A legend explains the meaning of visual elements in the map. This section
describes how to create and print a legend of a grid or a thematic map that you
can include in reports.
To create and print a grid legend

1
In the Grid Manager, choose the grid for which you want to create a
legend.
Click the Color button.

If you chose a numeric grid, the Grid Color Tool opens. If you chose a
classified grid, the Dictionary Editor opens.
Click Legend.
In the Legend Generator, define the range, text, and format settings.
If you want to save the legend configuration as a .vml file, click Save.
After you have saved a .vml file, you can use the same color configuration
for other legends.
436
Click OK to view the legend in a new Map window.
If you want to print the legend, choose File Print.
Generating Reports
If some of the text in your legend overlaps, choose File Close Table
and close the legend file. Reopen the Legend Generator, and use the
Range, Text, and Format tabs to adjust the number and position of range
values. A common cause of overlap is the alignment of value and percentile
labels when both Show Value and Show Pct are enabled on the Range tab.
You can also view a legend of a grid by choosing View Show Legend
Window. You cannot print the legend using this method. For more
information, see To view a grid legend on page 412.
To create and print a thematic map legend

1
Create a thematic map.

For general information about creating a thematic map, see the MapInfo
Professional User Guide. For detailed instructions on creating a thematic
map using survey or network data, see To create a thematic map of
survey data on page 183 and To create a thematic map of network data
on page 408.
Choose Map Create Legend.
In the Create Legend dialog box, ensure that the thematic map layer is
the only layer listed in the Legend Frames section, and click Next.
Define the legend properties as required, and click Finish.
Click Finish to view the legend in a new Map window.

For more information on the Create Legend dialog box, see the MapInfo
To print the legend, choose File Print.
You can modify the properties of the thematic map before creating the
legend by choosing Map Modify Thematic Map. For more
information, see the MapInfo Professional User Guide.
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Chapter 15
You can also view a legend of a thematic map by choosing

View Show Legend Window. You cannot print the legend using this
method. For more information, see To view a grid legend on page 412.

In the course of network planning and design, you might need to print reports
containing site table information. To facilitate this, you can export the site
table to a tab-delimited or comma-delimited text file so that you can import it
into Microsoft Excel or a similar spreadsheet program.
To export the site table to a text file

After exporting the site table to a text file, you can open it in Microsoft Excel
or a similar spreadsheet program.
1
Choose GIS Table Export.
In the Export Table dialog box, choose the site file and click Export.
In the Export Table to File dialog box, choose Delimited ASCII (.txt)
from the Save as Type list, and click Save.
In the Delimited ASCII Information dialog box, do the following:
In the Delimiter section, choose the delimiter appropriate for

your spreadsheet program.
Enable the Use First Line for Column Titles check box.
Click OK.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires operators in the
United States to submit coverage and interference plots as well as associated
contour calculations when erecting new towers or amending existing ones.
Service providers are licensed to serve a specific geographic area, and a
variety of rules and restrictions apply for different systems and services. The
rules are based upon a series of formulas defined by the FCC that rely on
determining certain signal strengths at a given distance from the sector with
regard to the power in ERP (Watts). An FCC contour is often referred to as a
Service Area Boundary (SAB).
For VHF and UHF services, Mentum Planet creates the area where an
operator can provide a service without causing interference with any
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Generating Reports
neighboring carrier. In addition, it generates the interference contour for both

VHF and UHF services, thereby helping you establish the interfering contour
overlap and determining how it may affect a protected co-channel sector
controlled by a carrier other than the applicant.
You can choose from six FCC contour options:
32 dBuCellular systems 32 dBu contour. The Cellular

Geographic Service Area (CGSA) of a cellular system is the
geographic area considered by the FCC to be served by the
cellular provider under license. The CGSA is important because
it defines the area in which the cellular operator has regulatory
protection from the adverse effects of interference.
VHF ServiceVHF paging systems with frequencies 36-36,

36-43, and 43-44 MHz
VHF InterferenceVHF paging systems with frequencies 3536, 36-43, and 43-44 MHz
UHF ServiceUHF paging systems with frequency 931-932

MHz. The FCC contour is a circle centered on the transmitting
antenna.
UHF InterferenceUHF paging systems with frequency

931-932 MHz. The FCC contour is a circle centered on the
transmitting antenna.
Narrowband PCSThe FCC requires narrowband PCS

providers not to exceed the 47 dBuV/m contour outside their
service areas.
Service Area Boundary (SAB) formula

The FCC contour formula for calculating the distance to the Service Area
Boundary is as follows:
a
D = aH E
Where:
a, , are coefficients that are dependent on the type of service

D is the distance to the SAB
H is the antenna height (m) above the average terrain (AHAAT)
E is the radial Effective Radiated Power (W)
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Chapter 15
Understanding FCC table formats

When the FCC contours are generated, Mentum Planet creates a table set
comprising the FCC_Points, FCC_Regions, and FCC_Combine tables. The
format of each table is described below.
The FCC_Points table represents the radial points generated for each of the
eight radials per sector that make up the FCC contour. Click on an FCC radial
point using the Info tool to view this information. The table includes
440
Site_Id
Distance_Km
ERP_Watts
AHAAT (Antenna Height Above Average Terrain)
Radial
HAAT
Generating Reports
The FCC_Regions table provides information for each individual contour

region that has been generated for each sector. Click on an FCC region using
the Info tool to view this information. The table includes
Site_Id
Max_Power
Elevation (m)
Radials
Height (m)
AHAAT
Site_LocX
Site_LocY
Antenna File
Antenna Properties (Azimuth, Tilt, Twist, and Gain)
Gulf Area
Contour type
Frequency
Rx_Height
DEM
DEM bin size
HAAT
The FCC_Combine table contains the same column headings as the

FCC_Regions table. When you generate a combined region for all the FCC
contours, this table is not updated with any database information. The reason
for this is that in order to support a spatial region, Mentum Planet must create
a corresponding database table in order to view it in the map window.
To create FCC contours

1
If you want to generate a contour for a single site or sector, select it in the
Map window.
Choose Tools FCC Contour Generator or click the

FCC Contour Generator button on the Tools toolbar.
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Chapter 15
generate the FCC contours, and click Continue.
If you are generating a contour for a single site or sector, choose
Current Selection.
Click the Settings tab and choose the contour type you want to generate
from the Contour Type list.
In the Num. of Radials box, type the number of radials you require.
The default number of radials is eight as required by FCC regulations.
Mentum Planet gives you the option to build a contour using a userdefined number of radials should greater accuracy be required.
If you chose VHF, UHF, or narrowband PCS contour types, from the
Frequency list, choose the frequency range.
The frequency range is applicable to both service and interference
contours.
442
Enable any of the following check boxes:
Apply Smoothingcreates a spline or linear interpolation of

radials when deriving the FCC contours. A spline interpolation
will be smoother than a linear interpolation. To specify the
smoothing type, click the Advanced tab.
Draw Radialsdisplays all the radials for the FCC contour

calculation.
Combine Regionsgenerates the composite contour belonging

to your group of sectors.
Use Info. from Site Tablecalculates FCC contours using

values in the site table. If you clear this check box, you can
choose any location or point on the DEM to generate the
appropriate FCC contour. If this option is not enabled, you
cannot combine regions. To override values for 32 dBu services,
you must enable this check box. For more information, see To
define override values for 32 dBu services on page 443.
Keep Previous Curvesenables you to preserve the contours

that you previously generated. If you clear this check box, only
one generated contour is displayed, and the previous contours
are overwritten.
Generating Reports
If you want to define distance, ERP/EiRP, or HAAT overrides for

32 dBu services, click the Override button.
You can only override the service when it is defined along eight radials
(as required by the FCC). See To define override values for 32 dBu
services.
If you decide that the overrides are not needed, clear the Use Overrides
check box.
10 Click Generate.
Your Map window refreshes to view the FCC contours. Dashed red lines
highlight the composite region contour, and solid black lines indicate the
individual sector contour regions.
To define override values for 32 dBu services

You can only override values for 32 dBu services defined along 8 radials.
Override values are saved in the FCC_Overrides.ini file located in the project
folder.
Overriding values for 32 dBu services is not a practise that is endorsed
by the FCC.
If you want to override distance, ERP/EiRP, or HAAT values for all

sectors listed on the tabs in the 32 dBu Overrides dialog box, enable any
of the following check boxes in the Override Options section:
Distanceenables you to define the distance from the sector to

the contour for each radial. If you enable this check box, only the
distance value is used in the generation of contours. However, all
values (distance, the ERP/EiRP, and HAAT values) are output to
the FCC report.
ERPenables you to define a ERP value for each radial.
HAATenables you to define a HAAT for each radial.
If you want to use the same value for all sectors, enable the Override by
Sector check box.
If you enabled the Distance (km) check box, click the Override
Distance Values tab and do the following:
Enable the check box next to a sector to use the distance values.
Click in the field for each radial and enter a value.
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Chapter 15
If you enabled the Elevation (m) check box, click the Override
Elevation Values tab and do the following:
Enable the Use Elevation check box next to a sector to override

the DEM value or the surveyed value (depending on the setting
specified in the Ground Elevation section on the Advanced tab
of the FCC Contour Generator dialog box).
Click in the associated Value field for each sector and enter a
value.
If you enabled the ERP/EiRP (dBm) check box, click the Override ERP
Values tab and do the following:
Enable the check box next to a sector to use the ERP values.
If you enabled the HAAT (m) check box, click the Override HAAT
Values tab and do the following:
Enable the check box next to a sector to use the HAAT values.
Click OK.
You can filter what is displayed on the tabs in the 32 dBu Overrides
dialog box by clicking the down arrow next to the column title and
making a selection. If you choose Custom, the Custom AutoFilter dialog box
opens where you can create a custom display filter.
To use the FCC Point tool

You can generate an FCC contour for a potential sector location anywhere
within the spatial extents of your project using the FCC Point tool. The FCC
Point tool enables you to choose any point on the digital elevation model to
generate an FCC contour.
1
In the FCC Contour Generator dialog box, clear the Use Info. From
Site Table check box on the Settings tab.
The Point Options tab displays.
444
Click in the Map window at any location within the elevation grid to
automatically generate an FCC service contour.
If you want to change the antenna pattern, on the Point Options tab,
choose an antenna from the Antenna Pattern list.
Generating Reports
Adjust other parameters including Azimuth, Power (ERP), Height, Tilt,

and Twist as required.
Click the Advanced tab and define any of the following settings:
Receiver Heightdefines the height of the typical receiver

above ground. This is usually set to 1.5 meters, the height of the
average mobile phone user.
Smoothing Typecreates a spline or linear interpolation of

radials when deriving FCC contours when the Apply Smoothing
check box on the Settings tab is enabled.
A spline interpolation will be smoother than a linear
interpolation. By increasing the curve resolution, you can
improve the smoothness of the contours.
A linear interpolation is based on degrees. The value you
specify in the Smoothing Interval box controls the level of
smoothing applied. For example, if the radius at 0 degree
is 20km, and radius at 45 degree is 30 km, then the radius
at 5 degree will be 20 + (30-20) * 5/(45-0) = 21.1 km.
Curve Resolutionsets the number of points required when
generating the spline contour when using the Apply Smoothing
option on the Settings tab. By increasing the curve resolution
value you can improve the smoothness of the contour.
Figure 15.1 The impact of curve smoothingin the output on the right, curve
smoothing has been applied
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Chapter 15
Zone Of Inactivityapplies only in the context of the 32dBu

contours used by cellular operators. FCC regulations require
operators to consider whether a sector is located in a served or
unserved area. The unserved contour will be larger because it is
assumed that no other providers are in the area.
Service Areaapplies only in the context of the 32dBu

contours used by cellular operators. It makes adjustments to the
service contour based on whether the sector is located in the
United States or the Gulf of Mexico area. This is required by
FCC regulations.
Ground Elevationthis section determines the source of

elevation information. By default, the T_Elevation column
provides elevation data. To use an alternative column, clear the
Use Project Setting check box and choose a column from the
Surveyed Column list.
Use Project DEMby default, FCC contours are generated

using the elevation grid file specified in the Project Settings
dialog box. To use a different elevation grid, clear the Use
Project DEM check box and specify another file in the DEM
box. The alternative elevation grid must cover the same
geographical area as the project DEM. In most cases, a
500-meter resolution is required.
Click Generate.
To save FCC contour tables

Mentum Planet automatically creates three temporary tables for the purpose
of generating an FCC contour: the FCC Points table, the FCC Region table,
and the FCC Combine table.
1
In the FCC Contour Generator dialog box, click Save To Table.
In the Select FCC Output Table dialog box, choose <New Table>, and
click OK.
In the New MapInfo Table dialog box, type a file name and click Save.
The new tables are saved to the chosen folder with the given file name added
as an extension. For example, if you save the file name as FCC_sample, the
new tables become FCCRegion_FCC_Sample.tab,
FCCPoints_FCC_sample.tab, and FCCCombine_FCC_sample.tab. You can
add more FCC contour information to these tables.
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Generating Reports
You can generate an FCC combine table only if you have enabled the
Combine Regions check box and have generated a contour for a group of
sectors. You can combine regions only for Mentum Planet site tables.
To export an FCC report

You can create a text document that summarizes the FCC contours you
created.
1
In the FCC Contour Generator dialog box, click Export.
In the Select FCC Output Table dialog box, choose a valid FCC table
and click OK.
In general, you should choose either the FCC_Contours or the
FCC_Points table.
In the Text Output File dialog box, type the name of the text file that will
contain the FCC contour information and click Save.
Enable the View Export check box to automatically open the FCC
contour information in Notepad.
You can also use Crystal Reports, included with Mentum Planet, to
create specialized reports from FCC tables.
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Chapter 15
448
A.
Appendix A: Site Table Format
Site Table Format
This appendix describes the standard Mentum Planet site table format. For additional
fields relating to TDMA/FDMA, see the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Field Name
Field Type
Description
Site_Id
character (30)
Site name
Antenna_Id
character (20)
Unique ID of sector on site
Site_Index
integer
Optional sequential identifier
Technology
character (10)
Technology type, i.e., General, GSM, W-CDMA
Number_Of_Radials
integer
Number of radials solved in propagation model
Propagation_Dist
float
Radius around tower for solving propagation
Propagation_Dist_Inc
float
Distance increment along radial
Longitude
float
Longitude of sector
Latitude
float
Latitude of sector
T_Height
float
Height of the sectors on the site
T_Elevation
float
Terrain elevation at the base of the site
T_Power
float
This column is no longer used.
Antenna_File
character (60)
Antenna pattern file name (must be unique in

the project)
Antenna_Azimuth
float
Boresight azimuth of the antenna with respect

to true north (positive values go clockwise)
449
Appendix A
Field Name
Field Type
Description
Antenna_Tilt
float
Tilt of the antenna pattern with respect to the

horizontal plane (negative values indicate
downward tilt)
Antenna_Twist
float
Twist of the antenna with respect to a vertical

tower (positive values indicate clockwise tilt as
you look away from the tower)
Model
character (60)
Propagation model file name (e.g., Predict.dpm)
Use_SPT
character (2)
T if Enable SPT is enabled in Site Properties,

otherwise F.
Cell_ID
character (30)
Unique identifier for a sector. Used in network

data.
Prop_By_Sector
logical
True if Set Prediction Parameters by Sector is

enabled in Site Properties. This field only
appears if the site table was created using a
version of Mentum Planet prior to version 4.0.
SiteLongitude
float
Longitude of Site
SiteLatitude
float
Latitude of Site
BaseStationUID
character (40)
Internal system mapping; do not modify
CellEquipmentUID
character (40)
PhysicalAntennaUID
character (40)
AntennaSystemUID
character (40)
RowGuid
character (40)
450
B.
Appendix B: Mentum Planet File Types
Mentum Planet
File Types
When you design a wireless network using Mentum Planet, you will encounter the file
types described in the tables below.
Project files
File
Description
.cpa
A clutter property assignment file, containing values that describe the physical
and electrical properties of each clutter class.
.crd
A file that contains clutter relative weighting values used in traffic maps.
.csf
A file that contains the clutter scaling factors for a traffic map.
.csv
A file containing comma-separated data values.
.curve
A file that describes the relationship between two variables, C/I and
interference, for example.
.data
Imported test mobile or scan receiver data.
.dpa
A binary file containing antenna gain patterns used by Mentum Planet.
.dbl
A text file specifying the path for all of project files listed in the project (dbp) file.
.dbp
A text file containing the project settings.
.dpm
A Propagation Model file. Mentum Planet includes a set of default propagation

models in its Global\Model folder. When you create a new project, these model
files are copied to the projects Model folder. Using the Propagation Model
Editor, you can modify or create new .dpm files.
.dsc
A text file containing the Mentum Planet site configuration settings.
451
Appendix B
File
Description
.exp
A text file containing a list of expressions created using the Grid Calculator.
.set
A group of project files containing default system settings.
.status
The site table status file. If a site table file has been corrupted due to a crash or
an abnormal close, it will be indicated in this file, and the site table file in the
backup folder can be used.
.vcp
A grid color profile file containing specific inflection points based on data within
the grid. It is used to thematically shade a grid map highlighting specific
ranges.
.vml
A grid legend file.
.wor
A workspace file.
.xml
These files contain information about the project structure and identification.
Sector display schemes are also stored as .xml files.
.xml.dat
.xml.dat files store network configuration information, including sites, sectors,

and repeaters. They are also used to store prediction information for TDMA/
FDMA projects, as well as project log information.
Output files
File
Description
.grd /.tab
A numeric grid file that is always accompanied by an associated .tab file. The .grd
file contains the raw grid and color information. The .tab file is required by
MapInfo Professional to open and register the grid image. The .tab file also
contains metadata of the grid data.
.grc /.tab
A grid file that contains integer (not numeric) data. It is also referred to as a
classified grid. The .tab file is required by MapInfo to open and register the grid
image. The .tab file also contains metadata on the settings of the grid data.
.imx
An interference matrix file.
.nl
A neighbor list file.
.pfc
A contour color profile with specific break points (ranges) that are applied when
you convert a grid to a vector contour map.
.pfr
A text file containing point-to-point profile settings (including data files), antenna
pattern and azimuth, sector, and receiver values.
452
Mentum Planet File Types

MapInfo files
File
Description
.map
Map file for objects associated with .tab files (see Output files on page 452).
.id
ID of objects associated with .tab file.
.dat
Data file associated with .tab or .xml file.
.tda
Intermediate file generated by MapInfo when edits have not been saved. Serves
as an intermediate save. Handled only by MapInfo.
.tin
.tma
453
Appendix B
454
C.
Appendix C: Clutter Properties
Clutter Properties
The default property values supplied with the CRC-Predict propagation model should be
sufficient for most analyses. These defaults are applied when Ground Type is selected.
CRC-Predict properties vary depending on the version of CRC-Predict you are using.
CRC-Predict 4.0 properties

If you are using CRC-Predict, version 4.0, all relevant properties are listed in the Clutter
Property Assignment dialog box and include:
Clutter Heightthe typical height of clutter above ground for each class.
This value represents the typical built-up height for each clutter class. Use
local knowledge of the area to determine an appropriate value. Avoid
defining extreme values (i.e., be careful not to exaggerate or underestimate
the clutter height). If you are unsure, use the following default values. Clutter
height is always displayed in meters.
Residential 6.5 m
Industrial 6 m
Dense Urban 7 m
Core Urban 15 m
Forest 8 m
For large open areas, use a clutter height of 0. Avoid using a clutter height of 1 m as
it is not practical.
Clutter Separationthe horizontal distance between clutter within each

class. This property addresses the reality that clutter is not continuous. For
example, clutter separation could represent the distance between buildings
455
Appendix C
(including the road width and property front, etc.). A large clutter separation
will lower pathloss while a smaller clutter separation will increase pathloss.
If you are unsure, use the following default values. Clutter separation is
always displayed in meters.
Residential 30 m
Industrial 35 m
Dense Urban 25 m
Core Urban 20 m
Forest 35 m
Receiver Heightthe height of the receiving antenna above ground. This
value is only used if the Receiver Height Definition defined in the Predict
Properties dialog box is set to Per Clutter. Receiver height is always
displayed in meters.
Clutter Absorptionthe loss resulting from absorption by foliage. This value

is added to the path loss, or subtracted from the signal strength.
You can use the clutter absorption property to tune the propagation model and
account for differences between predicted signal strength (with the clutter
absorption loss set to zero) and surveyed signal strength. For example, if there is no
survey available, a suitable value might be 0 dB in a dry area with little foliage, and 10 dB
in an area with abundant foliage. After tuning with a survey, values would typically range
from -3 dB to +12 dB. A resulting range that is generally negative may indicate that you
have set the clutter heights too high. Conversely, a resulting range that is mainly positive
may indicate that you have set the clutter heights too low.
If clutter is sparse in a particular class, use the default clutter height but specify a
larger clutter separation distance.
456
Clutter Properties
CRC-Predict 2.0 properties

If you are using CRC-Predict, version 2.0, properties are listed in the Clutter Property
Assignment dialog box when you choose Advanced Predict Properties from the Options
menu. Properties include:
Permittivity and conductivityelectrical constants of the ground. At UHF,

these have little effect on the result.
Rms Roughnesslocal roughness of the ground. This property usually has a

substantial effect only if it is unrealistically large.
Clear Distancethe distance from last effective diffracting clutter

obstruction to receiving antenna. The CRC-Predict signal strength increases
as this value increases.
Absorption Height Limitthe height of absorbers (usually individual trees in

a residential or open area). This value serves only to reduce local absorption
to zero as the receiving antenna rises from 0.5 to 1.5 times the absorption
height limit. For a receiving antenna below the 0.5 times the height limit (the
most common situation), this property has no effect.
When you tune the CRC-Predict model, the only advanced property that it is reasonable to
modify for land mobile use is Clear Distance. However, it is usually best to accept the
default values for all the advanced properties.
You can also access advanced clutter assignment options. However, when you create a
.cpa file from a specified clutter file, reassigning clutter classes is usually not required. For
more information, see To reassign clutter classes.
To set advanced properties for the CRC-Predict 2.0 model

1

Propagation Models node, right-click the Predict propagation model and choose
Edit.
The Propagation Model Editor opens.
Click the Clutter Properties tab, and then click Edit CPA.
In the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, choose

Options Advanced Predict Properties.
The Clutter Property Assignment dialog box opens. Advanced properties are added as
columns in the Properties table.
To modify a value, click the field and type a new value.
When you have finished modifying properties, click Save, and then click Close.
457
Appendix C
To reassign clutter classes

When you create a .cpa file from a clutter file, the default classes created for the .cpa file
match the classes defined in the clutter file. As a result, you do not need to assign clutter
classes except in specific instances (for example, if you want to consolidate classes in a
.cpa file that was based on a clutter file with a large number of classes).
1

Edit.

Options Advanced Clutter Assignment.
Choose a clutter class in the Clutter List and drag it to the land-use category to which
you want it assigned in the Reference List.
For example, if you have a land-use category called Mixed Forest, you could assign
both Forest Coniferous and Forest Deciduous to this category.
When you have finished reassigning clutter classes, click Save, and click Close.
To edit clutter classes

You can change the name of clutter classes in the Reference List and add or delete classes
in order to more closely resemble the area for which you are generating network analyses.
When you add a new clutter class, the physical and electrical properties are set to zero.
1
In the Project Explorer, in the Project Data category, right-click the propagation
model and choose Edit.
The Clutter Property Assignment dialog box opens.
458

Clutter Properties
To change the name of the clutter class, choose it in the Reference List, click
Edit, type a new name, and then click OK.
To add a new clutter class, click Add, type a name, and then click OK.
To remove a clutter class, choose it in the Reference List, click Remove, and
then click Yes in the Confirm dialog box.
When you have finished editing clutter classes, click Save, and then click Close.
To assign clutter classes

1

Edit.

In the Clutter List, choose a clutter class (e.g., dBP_Dense_Urban).
Drag the chosen clutter class to the appropriate class in the Reference List.
Choose the class in the Reference List to which you want to assign the
clutter and click Assign.
Right-click the class in the Reference List to which you want to assign the
clutter and choose Assign.
The icon in the Clutter List changes to indicate that the class has been assigned.
6
When you have finished assigning clutter classes, click Save, and then click Close.
To unassign clutter classes

1

Edit.
459
Appendix C

In the Reference List, expand the reference class, choose the clutter class you want to
unassign, and click Unassign.
The icon in the Clutter List changes to indicate that the class has not been assigned.
When you have finished unassigning clutter classes, click Save, and then click Close.
To find an unassigned clutter class

1

Edit.
In the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, choose Options

Advanced Clutter Assignment.
Click Unassigned?.
The first unassigned class is highlighted.
Choose a clutter class in the Reference List, and click Assign.
Repeat the process if there are other unassigned classes.
To search for clutter assignments and classes

1

Edit.
460
In the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box, choose Options

Advanced Clutter Assignment.
Clutter Properties
In the Clutter List, choose a clutter class.
In the Reference List, expand a land-use category and choose a clutter class.
Click Search to find the clutter class in the other list.
To copy clutter class properties

Two shortcut menus are available within the Clutter Property Assignment dialog box: one
accessible from the Reference List, the other from the Clutter List. These shortcut menus
allow you to access additional functions.
1
In the Reference List, choose a clutter class.
Right-click the clutter class and choose Copy Properties.
Highlight a clutter class and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.
The physical and electrical properties are copied to the second clutter class.
To change the color of a clutter class

Changing the color of a clutter class only affects how clutter is displayed in the
Point-to-Point Profile tool and in associated legends. It does not affect the color of the
clutter file (.grc).
1
In the Reference List, choose the clutter assignment you want to change.
Right-click the clutter assignment and choose Update Color.
In the Color dialog box, choose a basic color definition or define your own custom
color, and click OK.
461
Appendix C
462
D.
Appendix D: Survey to Numeric Grid Calculations
Survey to Numeric
Grid Calculations
When you compare a survey to a numeric grid, the following comparisons are made for
each clutter class.
Mean
The mean indicates the mean difference between the survey and grid signal strengths, and
is calculated using the following formula.
n
1
x = --n
xi
i=1
Equation D.1 Survey to Grid mean

Where
x is the difference between the survey and grid signal strengths

n is the number of points
STD (standard deviation)
The standard deviation indicates the spread around the mean of the difference between the
survey and grid signal strengths and is calculated using the following formula.
n
s =
1 ----------n1
( xi x )
i=1
Equation D.2 Survey to Grid standard deviation
463
Appendix D
Where

RMS (root-mean-square)
The RMS indicates the spread around zero in the difference between the survey and grid
signal strengths, and is calculated using the following formula.
n
RMS =
1--n
xi
n---------- 1- 2
2
s +x
n
i=1
Equation D.3 Survey to Grid root-mean-square

Where

The RMS includes the effects of both the mean difference and the spread. It is sometimes
used to characterize the accuracy of a propagation model. Alternatively, the mean and
standard deviation can be used. If model tuning has been performed, the mean should be
close to zero and the standard deviation can be used alone
Confidence Level
The confidence level equals the probability, in percent, that the true mean error is within
1 dB of the calculated mean error, and is calculated using the following formula. The
confidence level indicates the statistical significance of the survey to grid signal strengths
and should generally be close to 100%. If, for example, the confidence level is 95% and
drive test samples are collected from the same transmitter configuration and compared to
the signal strengths, there is 95% chance that the mean error will be within 1 dB of the
results obtained using the original drive test data.
a
x
a
P ( x a x + a ) = P ( a x a ) = P ------------- ------------- ------------- =
s n s n s n
a 2
a
1 2 Q ------------- = 1 erfc --------------
s n
s n
Equation D.4 Survey to Grid confidence level
464
a -----------s n
a
------------s n
g ( y )dy =
Survey to Numeric Grid Calculations

Where
a = 1 dB
g(y) is the standard normal distribution:
1
g ( y ) = ---------- e
2
1 2
--- y
2
Q(z) is the integral of the standard normal distribution from z to infinity:
Q(z) =
g ( y )dy
z
erfc is the complementary error function:

erfc ( z ) = 2Q ( 2z )
For example, assigning a the value 1 dB, produces the following result
n2
1 2
P ( x 1 x + 1 ) = 1 erfc -------------- = 1 erfc --------------
s
s n
The confidence level in percent is given by the following equation:

n2
P % ( x 1 x + 1 ) = 100 1 erfc --------------
Correlation factor
The correlation factor indicates the correlation between the survey and grid signal
strengths, and is calculated using the following formula.
1--x y x y
n i i
i=1
( x, y ) = ---------------------------------sx sy
Equation D.5 Survey to Grid correlation factor

Where
465
Appendix D
x and y are the survey and grid signal strengths, respectively. The smaller the standard
deviation of x y, the higher the correlation factor; however, it cannot exceed 1.0.
466
E.
Appendix E: Import and Export Tables
Import and Export

Tables
The Import and Export Wizards use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xls) or comma
separated value (.csv) files to import and export project data. The tables in this chapter
provide descriptions of the data types that can be imported or exported, the possible values
and ranges, and the corresponding location in the Mentum Planet graphical user interface.
For information on importing and exporting project data, see Importing, replacing, and
exporting project data on page 384. These tables also apply to the Tabular Edit tool (see
Using Tabular Edit on page 102).
To address the 65 536 row per worksheet limit that exists in Excel, continuation
sheets are created when you export large projects (e.g., Sheet_Name,
Sheet_Name2, Sheet_Name3, etc.).
Column types
Special text formats are used to highlight different types of columns in the import and
export tables. The following table describes the special text formats used in this chapter.
bold text
Columns in bold text are required columns. These columns

must be present and must contain valid values for each of the
worksheets or .csv files from which you are importing project
data.
Mandatory columns are identified with an asterisk. Mandatory

columns must be present (along with required columns) and
must contain valid values in order for a data import to add new
items to a project (e.g., a new site).
Italic text
Columns in italic text are ignored on import. The Import

Wizard will not import data from these columns.
467
Appendix E
Change History
Table E.1 details the changes that have been made to the Import and Export tables
between Mentum Planet 4.4 and Mentum Planet 4.5.
Table E.1 List of changes to the Import and Export tables
Worksheet
Changes
Summary
Antenna Patterns Path row was added.

Interference Matrices Path row was added.
Traffic Maps Path row was added.
Attachments Path row was added.
Site Coordinate System Clause row was added.
Sector Coordinate System Clause row was added.
Class Assignment column was added.
Clutter_Types
between Mentum Planet 4.3.1 and Mentum Planet 4.4.
Worksheet
Changes
Summary
WCDMA_Sector_Settings
Elevation Path row was added.

Clutter Path row was added.
Downlink Total Traffic Power column was renamed DPCH
Total Traffic Power (dBm).
Uplink Noise Rise column was renamed Uplink DPCH Noise
Rise (dB).
Total Uplink Noise Rise (dB) column was added.
Maximum Noise Rise column was renamed Maximum DPCH
Noise Rise (dB).
Uplink Noise Rise was renamed Uplink DPCH Noise Rise
(dB).
HSUPA Control Channel Power column was added.
between Mentum Planet 4.1.3 and Mentum Planet 4.3.
Except where noted, for all worksheets and for all columns, the unit was removed
from the column title.
468
Import and Export Tables

Worksheet
Changes
Summary
Sectors
CDMA2000_Sector_Settings
Project Path row was added.

Bin Path row was added.
Signal Strength Path row was added.
Transmitted Power Units row was added.
EIRP column was replaced by the Transmitted Power
column.
Bin File Name column was added.
Bin Hash Code column was added.
Signal Strength File Name column was added.
Signal Strength Hash Code column was added.
Primary (Per Carrier) Channel Elements column was
replaced by the Forward Primary (Per Carrier) Channel
Elements and Reverse Primary (Per Carrier) Channel
Elements columns.
Forward Handover Percent Of Total Primary Channel
Elements (%) column was replaced by the Forward
Handover Percent Of Total Primary Channel Elements (%)
and Reverse Handover Percent Of Total Primary Channel
Elements (%) columns.
Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements column was replaced
by the Forward Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements and
Reverse Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements.
469
Appendix E
Worksheet
Changes
WCDMA_Sector_Settings
EVDO_Sector_Settings
Carrier Assignments
Color_Codes
TDMA_Repeaters
470
Primary (Per Sector) Channel Elements column was

replaced by the Downlink Primary (Per Sector) Channel
Elements and Uplink Primary (Per Sector) Channel Elements
columns.
Handover Percent Of Total Primary Channel Elements
(%) column was replaced by the Downlink Handover Percent
Of Total Primary Channel Elements (%) and Uplink Handover
Percent Of Total Primary Channel Elements (%) columns.
Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements column was replaced
by the Downlink Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements and
Uplink Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements columns.
Activated Technology column was added.
16-QAM Supported column was added.
HS-DSCH Codes column was added.
Maximum HSDPA Users (per sector) column was added.
HS-SCCH Target Ec/Nt (dB) column was added.
HS-SCCH Power (dB) column was added.
HSDPA Scheduler Gain Curve column was added.
Primary (Per Carrier) Channel column was renamed
Reverse Primary (Per Sector) Channel.
Handover Percent Of Total Primary Channel Elements
(%) column was renamed Reverse Handover Percent of
Total Primary Channel Elements (%).
Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements column was renamed
Reverse Pooled (Per Site) Channel Elements.
Scheduler Gain column was renamed Scheduler Gain
Curve.
Is Plan Active column was added.
Plan Name column was added.
Is Plan Active column was added.
Plan Name column was added.

Worksheet
Changes
CDMA_Repeaters

Clutter_Types
Class Assignment column was added.
Bearers
Bearer Type column was added.

Downlink Number of Channel Elements column was
renamed Number of Channel Elements.
Services
Subscriber_Equipment_Types
Input Load Type column was added.

Input Load (sessions/hour) column was added.
HSDPA Active column was added.
HSDPA Terminal Category column was added.
471
Appendix E
Exported spreadsheets are divided into the following worksheets:
472
Summary worksheet on page 473
MALs worksheet on page 476
Groups worksheet on page 477
Flags worksheet on page 478
Sites worksheet on page 479
Sectors worksheet on page 481
TDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet on page 485
CDMA2000_Sector_Settings worksheet on page 489
WCDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet on page 493
EVDO_Sector_Settings worksheet on page 498
Carrier_Requirement worksheet on page 501
Carrier_Exceptions worksheet on page 502
HSN_Exceptions worksheet on page 503
Carrier_Assignments worksheet on page 504
Color_Codes worksheet on page 506
Link_Budget worksheet on page 508
Neighbor List Worksheet on page 509
TDMA_Repeaters worksheet on page 511
CDMA_Repeaters worksheet on page 515
Session_Types worksheet on page 519
Services worksheet on page 521
Qualities worksheet on page 524
Bearers worksheet on page 526
Clutter_Types worksheet on page 529
Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet on page 531
Subscribers worksheet on page 534
Usages worksheet on page 536

Summary worksheet
Table E.4 provides information on the rows in the Summary worksheet. When you define
the site and sector coordinate systems and import the worksheet into a Mentum Planet
project, coordinate systems are re-projected automatically if required. The acceptable
format for the site coordinate system and the sector coordinate system can be found in the
mapinfo.prj file located in the <Mentum Planet installation folder>\mapinfo folder.
Additional information about projections can be found in Appendix B, Elements of a
Coordinate System in the MapInfo Professional User Guide.
The only rows that are validated and updated on import are the site coordinate
system, the sector coordinate system, the height unit, and the distance unit. If you
are updating the height or distance unit, you must change the height or distance unit on all
worksheets. The site coordinate system clause and sector coordinate system clause are
ignored when importing data.
A value of Files not shared indicates that the Sharing check box on the Advanced
Options tab in the Project Settings dialog box is cleared.
Table E.4 Summary worksheet
Row
Description
Value
Location
Date Time
Date and time the export

was performed
Integer
NA
Application Name
Name of the application

used to preform the
export
String (255)
NA
Application Version
Version of the application

used to preform the
export
Integer
NA
User Name
Name of the user who

preformed the export
String (255)
NA
Project Name
Name of the project from

which the export was
created
String (255)
Project Settings
(Data)
Project Path
Full path name of the

folder in which project
files are stored
String (255)
Project Settings
(Folders)
473
Appendix E
Row
Description
Value
Location
Bin Path

folder in which bin files
are stored
String (255)
Project Settings
(Folders)
Signal Strength
Path

folder in which signal
strength files are stored
String (255)
Project Settings
(Folders)
Antenna Patterns
Path

folder in which the
antenna pattern files are
stored.
String (255)
NA
Interference
Matrices Path

folder in which the
files are stored.
String (255)
NA
Traffic Maps Path

folder in which the traffic
map files are stored.
String (255)
NA
Attachments Path

folder in which the
attachment files are
stored.
String (255)
NA
Elevation Path

folder in which the
elevation file is stored
String (255)
Project Settings
(Folders)
Clutter Path

folder in which the clutter
file is stored
String (255)
Project Settings
(Folders)
Site Coordinate
System
Site coordinate system

as extracted from the
project at the time of the
export
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
Project Settings
(System)
Site Coordinate
System Clause
Site coordinate system

export as a MapInfo
representation
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
NA
474

Row
Description
Value
Location
Sector Coordinate
System
Sector coordinate system

export
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
Project Settings
(System)
Sector Coordinate
System Clause
Earth coordinate system

export as a MapInfo
representation
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
NA
Height Units
Height units as extracted

from the project settings
at the time of the export
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
Project Settings
(System)
Distance Units
Distance units as
extracted from the project
settings at the time of the
export
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
Project Settings
(System)
Transmitted Power
Units
Transmitted Power units

project settings at the
time of the export
Region Code
Regional options for the

operating system
Project Settings
(System)
MapBasic coordinate
system strings (30)
NA
475
Appendix E
MALs worksheet
Table E.5 provides information on the columns in the MALs worksheet.
Table E.5 MALs worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
MAL name
All
String (30)
Network Settings
(Mobile
Allocation Lists)
Carrier ID
Carrier
All
String (30)
Network Settings
(Mobile
Allocation Lists)
476

Groups worksheet
Table E.6 provides information on the column in the Groups worksheet. For information
on creating groups and assigning sites and sectors, see Working with flags on page 96.
Table E.6 Groups worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Group name
All
String (20)
Project Explorer
- Sites (Groups)
Type
Indicates whether
the group is local or
shared
All
String (6)
Local or Shared
Project Explorer
- Sites (Groups)
477
Appendix E
Flags worksheet
Table E.7 provides information on the columns in the Flags worksheet. For information on
creating and assigning flags, see Working with flags on page 96.
Table E.7 Flags worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Flag name
All
String (20)
Project Explorer
- Sites (Flags)
Condition
Name
Flag condition
name
All
String (20)
Project Explorer
- Sites (Flags)
Active
Indicates whether
or not the flag
condition is enabled
In the Project
Explorer
All
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Sites (Flags)
478

Sites worksheet
Table E.8 provides information for each of the columns in the Sites worksheet. For
information on configuring sites and sectors, see Chapter 2: Working with Sites and
Sectors on page 65.
Table E.8 Sites worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID*
Site name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Site UID
Additional site
identifier
All
String (255)
Site Properties
Longitude*
Site location
longitude
All
Float (180.000000 to
180.000000)
degrees
Site Properties
Latitude*
Site location
latitude
All
Float (90.000000 to
90.000000)
degrees
Site Properties
ILA
Interconnect
Location Area
iDEN
String (5)
Sector Settings
DLA
Dispatch Location
Area
iDEN
String (5)
Sector Settings
RAC
Routing Area
Code (Packet
Switching)
GSM, IS-136
String (5)
Sector Settings
LAC
Location Area
Code
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS
String (5)
Sector Settings
MSC
Mobile Switching
Centre
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN
String (20)
Sector Settings
BSC
Base Station
Controller
GSM, iDEN
String (20)
Sector Settings
Site Name
Additional site
identifier
All
String (23)
Site Properties
479
Appendix E
Table E.8 Sites worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site Name2
Additional site
identifier
All
String (23)
Site Properties
Custom:
<column_
name>
Custom column
created in Data
Manager Server;
see the Data
Manager Server
Administration
Guide
All
Int32 (0 to
9 999 999),
Double (0.00 to
9 999 999.99),
String (256),
Boolean (TRUE
or FALSE),
DateTime
(dd/mm/yy)
Tabular Edit
480

Sectors worksheet
Table E.9 provides information for each of the columns in the Sectors worksheet. For
information on configuring sites and sectors, see Chapter 2: Working with Sites and
Sectors on page 65.
Table E.9 Sectors worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Cell ID
Cell identification
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Sector UID
Additional sector
identifier
All
String (255)
Site Properties
PA Power
(dBm)
Power amplifier
power
All
Float (-10 to
130) or n/a for
WCDMA and
cdma2000
Site Properties
Transmitted
Power
EIRP used to
generate signal
strength grids. For
example, it is PA
power based for
GSM and pilot
power based for
cdma2000-1xRTT
carriers.
All
Float
Site Properties
(EIRP/ERP Base Station
Link Budget)
MNC
Mobile Network
Code
GSM
Integer (0-999)
Sector Settings
MCC
Mobile Country
Code
GSM
Integer (0-999)
Sector Settings
Longitude*
Sector location
longitude
All
Float
Site Properties
Latitude*
Sector location
latitude
All
Float
Site Properties
Antenna*
Antenna file name
All
String (60)
Site Properties
Electrical Tilt
(degrees)
Electrical tilt of the

antenna
(+ down, - up)
All
Integer (-90 to
90) degrees
Site Properties
481
Appendix E
Table E.9 Sectors worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Height
Site height above

ground
All
Float (0.00 to
30000.00)
Site Properties
Use DEM
Elevation
Sector height is
set to the
elevation at the
sector location
when TRUE
All
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Site Properties
Elevation
Site elevation
All
Float (-500.00 to
10 000.00) or
may be Auto if
Use DEM
Elevation is
TRUE and Use
Sector DEM
Elevation Values
check box was
not enabled in
the Export
Wizard
Site Properties
Ignored on
import when Use
DEM Elevation
is TRUE
Azimuth
(degrees)
Antenna azimuth
All
Integer (0 to
360) degrees
Site Properties
Tilt (degrees)
Antenna
mechanical tilt
(- down, + up)
All
Integer (-90 to
90) degrees
Site Properties
Twist (degrees)
Antenna twist
All
Integer (-90 to
90) degrees
Site Properties
Propagation
Model*
Propagation
model name
All
String (60)
Site Properties
Distance
Prediction
distance
All
Float (0.01 to
999.99)
Site Properties
Distance Inc
Distance
increment to
perform
calculations along
radials
All
Float (0.01 to
999.99)
Site Properties
482

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Number Of
Radials
Number of radials
from a site along
which to calculate
predictions
All
Integer (16 to
10 000)
Site Properties
Prediction
Mode
Type of
predictions to be
generated
All
String (8)
Modeled or
Merged
Site Properties
Interpolation
Distance
Distance within
which survey and
model prediction
values are merged
All
Integer (0 to
10 000)
Site Properties
Technology
Technology type
All
String (10)
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN, W-CDMA,
cdma2000,
<user_defined>
Site Properties
Bin File Name
Full path name of

the active bin file
for a sector
All
Char (255)
NA
Bin Hash Code
Calculated hash
code for a sector
bin file (folder
name)
All
Char (255)
NA
Signal Strength
File Name
Full path name of

the active signal
strength file for a
sector
All
Char (255)
NA
Signal Strength
Hash Code
Calculated hash
code for a sector
signal strength
(folder name)
All
Char (255)
NA
Group:
<group_name>
Indicates whether
or not the sector is
part of the group
All
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Site Properties
483
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Flag:
<condition_
name>
Indicates the flag

condition assigned
to the sector
All
String (20)
Site Properties
Custom:
<column_
name>
Custom column
created in Data
Manager Server;
see the Data
Manager Server
Administrator
Guide
All
Int32 (0 to
9,999,999),
Double (0.00 to
9 999 999.99),
String (256),
Boolean (TRUE
or FALSE),
DateTime
(dd/mm/yy)
Tabular Edit
484

TDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet
Table E.10 provides information for each of the columns in the TDMA_Sector_Settings
worksheet. For information on configuring TDMA/FDMA sectors, see Chapter 5:
Configuring and Placing TDMA/FDMA Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.10 TDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Timing Advance
Limit (km)
Maximum distance
from a sector that a
mobile user may be
served
GSM, IS-136,
iDEN
Integer (0 to
280)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector
Settings)
HCL Override
If true, the HCL

settings defined at the
sector level will
override the HCL
settings set globally on
the HCL panel for
each network
technology
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Hierarchical
Cell Layers)
HCL Priority
Priority value used

when calculating
servers
GSM
Integer (1 to
10)
Sector Settings
(Hierarchical
Cell Layers)
HCL Minimum
Signal Level (dBm)
Minimum received
signal level to be a
best server
GSM
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Hierarchical
Cell Layers)
HCL Signal Offset

(dB)
Offset advantage for

when performing HCL
server determination
GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Hierarchical
Cell Layers)
HCL Max Range

(km)
Maximum range of
service when applying
HCL server rules
GSM
Float (0.00 to
150.00)
Sector Settings
(Hierarchical
Cell Layers)
Frequency
Hopping
Type of hopping to use
GSM
String (20)
No Hopping,
Baseband
Hopping,
Synthesized
Hopping
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
485
Appendix E
Table E.10 TDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Packet Enable
(Baseband)
Enables packet data

services with
baseband hopping
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
Minimum Packet
Timeslots
(Baseband)
Minimum number of
timeslots set aside for
packet services with
baseband hopping
GSM
Integer (0 to 8)
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
Maximum Packet
Timeslots
(Baseband)
Maximum number of
timeslots set aside for
packet services with
baseband hopping
GSM
Integer (0 to 8)
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
Hopping Sequence
Number
Order for which

hopping occurs (0
indicates cyclic)
GSM
Integer (0 to
63)
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
Hopping Allowed
On Control
Channel
Enables or disables
control channel
(BCCH) hopping
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
Allocate Traffic to
Control Channel
First
Enables or disables
allocation of traffic
onto free timeslots on
the control channel
transceiver before
loading up
transceivers carrying
only traffic channels
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Traffic)
Traffic Channel
MAL Preference
Traffic weighting
across more than one
hopset
GSM
String (20)
Large MAL
first, Small
MAL first,
No preference
Sector Settings
(Traffic)
Offered Traffic
(Erlangs)
Amount of carried
traffic plus any blocked
traffic
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS,
NAMPS, iDEN
Float (0.000 to
1000.000)
Sector Settings
(Traffic)
Carried Traffic
(Erlangs)
Amount of carried
traffic
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS,
NAMPS, iDEN
Float (0.000 to
1000.000)
Sector Settings
(Traffic)
486

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Hopping Timeslots
In Use (%)
Percentage of hopping
timeslots in use
GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Traffic)
DTX Enabled
Enables or disables
discontinuous
transmission on
transceivers
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
DTX Activity
Factor (Transmit)
Proportion of time a
DTX-enabled
transceiver transmits
GSM
Integer (0 to
100) percent
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
DLPC Enabled
Enables or disables
downlink power
control
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
DLPC Gain (dB)
A reduction in noise at
the sector due to
DLPC
GSM
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping)
Exception Cost
Factor
Cost of allocating a
carrier marked as
illegal
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS,
NAMPS, iDEN
Float (0.00 to
1000000.00)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Planning Exceptions)
Target Receive
Level (dBm)
Level used for

Required Mobile
Power Analysis layer
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS,
NAMPS, iDEN
Integer (-200
to 0)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector
Settings)
Packet Throughput
(kbps)
Effective data rate for

packet data handled
by time slots in the
sector
GSM
Float (0.0 to
1000.0)
Sector Settings
(Packet Data
Settings)
Multi-Slot
Enables or disables
the ability to set the
maximum number of
time slots
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Packet Data
Settings)
Multi-Slot
Maximum Number
Of Time Slots
Maximum number of
time slots to multiplex
GSM
Integer (2 to 8)
Sector Settings
(Packet Data
Settings)
487
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Maximum
Supported GPRS
Coding Scheme
Maximum number of
GPRS coding
schemes
GSM
String (10)
None, CS-1 to
CS-4
Sector Settings
(Packet Data
Settings)
Maximum
Supported
E-GPRS Coding
Scheme
Maximum number of
E-GPRS coding
schemes
GSM
String (10)
None, MCS-1
to MCS-9
Sector Settings
(Packet Data
Settings)
Digital Control
Channel Enabled
Sector support of a
digital control channel
IS-136
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
Analog Control
Channel Enabled
Sector support of an
analog control channel
IS-136
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier
Settings)
488

CDMA2000_Sector_Settings worksheet
Table E.11 provides information for each of the columns in the
CDMA2000_Sector_Settings worksheet. For information on configuring cdma2000
sectors, see Chapter 16: Configuring and Placing cdma2000 Sites in the CDMA User
Guide.
Table E.11 CDMA2000_Sector_Settings worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Carrier ID
Carrier identification
cdma2000
String (30)
Sector Settings
Channel Name
User-defined carrier
numbering
cdma2000
String (32)
Sector Settings
Fixed Pilot Power

(dBm)
Fixed pilot power

output
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Optimize Pilot
Enables or disables
automatic optimization
of the pilot power
using the minimum
and maximum values
cdma2000
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Maximum Pilot
Power (dBm)
Maximum pilot power

used for optimization
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Minimum Pilot
Power (dBm)
Minimum pilot power

used for optimization
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Maximum Traffic
Channel Power
(dB)
Maximum power for a

single traffic channel,
relative to the pilot
channel power
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 10.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Minimum Traffic
Channel Power
(dB)
Minimum power for a

single traffic channel,
channel power
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Relative Paging
Power (dB)
Paging power, relative

to the pilot channel
power
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
489
Appendix E
Table E.11 CDMA2000_Sector_Settings worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Relative Sync
Power (dB)
Sync channel power,

channel power
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Total PA Power
(dBm)
Power amplifier power
cdma2000
Integer (-10 to
130)
Sector Setting
(Power)
Pilot Detection
Threshold (dB)
Minimum pilot signal to

noise ratio for a pilot to
become the primary
server of the active set
cdma2000
Float
(-200.00 to
0.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
T Drop (dB)
Ec/Io value below

which a pilot is
removed from the
active set
cdma2000
Float (-100.00
to 100.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
PN Offset
PN offset value
cdma2000
Integer (-1 to
511) value of 1 indicates no
PN offset
assignment
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Forward Primary
(Per Carrier)
Channel Elements
Number of channel
elements assigned to
the sector for forward
primary traffic
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Reverse Primary
(Per Carrier)
Channel Elements
Number of channel
the sector for reverse
primary traffic
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Forward Handover
Percent Of Total
Primary Channel
Elements (%)
Percent of channel
elements allocated for
forward handoff on a
per-site basis
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Reverse Handover
Percent Of Total
Primary Channel
Elements (%)
Percent of channel
elements allocated for
reverse handoff on a
per-site basis
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Maximum Users
(Per Sector)
Maximum number of
instantaneous
subscribers permitted
at a sector
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
490

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Maximum Number
Of Walsh Codes
Maximum number of
codes allocated to
traffic channels
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
472)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Forward Pooled
(Per Site) Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements pooled for
this carrier on the site
for forward primary
traffic
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Reverse Pooled
(Per Site) Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements pooled for
this carrier on the site
for reverse primary
traffic
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Noise
Rise (dB)
Maximum noise rise

permitted for a sector
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Intra-site
Servers
Maximum intra-site
sectors allowed to be
in soft handover
cdma2000
Integer (1 to 7)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Average RACH
Interference Power
(dBm)
Average random
access channel
interference power
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Maximum Cell
Radius
Maximum cell radius

of the sector
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Speed
Maximum vehicular
subscriber speed
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
300.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Pooled
Forward
Throughput (mbps)
Maximum pooled
throughput at the
forward link (per-site)
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Packet
Throughput (%)
Maximum throughput
for packet sessions
(per-site)
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Circuit
Throughput (%)
Maximum throughput
for circuit sessions
(per-site)
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
491
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
SRCH_WIN_A
Size of the search

window associated
with the set of active
and candidate pilots
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
15)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
SRCH_WIN_N
Size of the search

window associated
with the set of
neighbor pilots
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
15)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Reverse Noise
Rise (dB)
Noise rise value for

the sector on the
reverse link
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Forward Total
Traffic Power
(dBm)
Total traffic power on

the forward link for the
sector
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
492

WCDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet
Table E.12 provides information for each of the columns in the WCDMA_Sector_Settings
worksheet. For information on configuring W-CDMA sectors, see Chapter 5:
Configuring and Placing W-CDMA Sites in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.12 WCDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Carrier ID
Carrier name
W-CDMA
String (30)
Sector Settings
Channel Name
numbering
W-CDMA
String (32)
Sector Settings
Total PA Power
(dBm)
W-CDMA
Integer (-10 to
130)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Fixed CPICH
Power (dBm)
Fixed power of the

CPICH server
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Optimize CPICH
Enables or disables the

calculation of the
optimum CPICH power
level
W-CDMA
String (5)
TRUE or
FALSE
Sector Settings
(Power)
Maximum CPICH
Power (dBm)
Maximum power of the

CPICH server
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Minimum CPICH
Power (dBm)
Minimum power of the

CPICH server
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Maximum DPCH
Power (dB)
Maximum channel
power for a single traffic
channel relative to the
maximum power of the
pilot channel
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 10.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Minimum DPCH
Power (dB)
Minimum channel
power for a single traffic
channel relative to the
maximum power of the
pilot channel
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
493
Appendix E
Table E.12 WCDMA_Sector_Settings worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
HSUPA Control
Channel Power
Combined power
required for the EAGCH (E-DCH
Absolute Grant
Channel), E-RGCH (EDCH Relative Grant
Channel), and the EHICH (E-DCH Hybrid
ARQ Indicator
Channel).
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Other Common
Channel Powers
(dB)
Channel power relative

to the current pilot
power
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Relative SCH/PCCPCH Powers

(dB)
Channel power relative

to the current pilot
power
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
CPICH Target
Ec/Io (dB)
Target pilot channel

Ec/Io
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Handover Margin
(dB)
Handover margin
between serving and
neighboring sector
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Scrambling Code
Scrambling code
assigned to the sector
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
8176) must
be a multiple
of 16; a value
of -1 means
no code is
assigned
Scrambling
Code Planning
Tool
(Plan)
Downlink Primary
(Per Sector)
Channel Elements
Number of downlink
channel elements per
sector
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Uplink Primary
(Per Sector)
Channel Elements
Number of uplink
channel elements per
sector
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
494

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Downlink
Handover Percent
Of Total Primary
Channel Elements
(%)
Percentage of channel
elements reserved for
downlink handoff use
only
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Uplink Handover
Percent Of Total
Primary Channel
Elements (%)
uplink handoff use only
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Maximum Users
(Per Sector)
Maximum number of
users served
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Number
Of Traffic Channel
Codes
Maximum number of
codes available in the
spreading factor tree
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
472)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Downlink Pooled
(Per Site) Channel
Elements
Number of downlink
channel elements
available for the site
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Uplink Pooled
(Per Site) Channel
Elements
Number of uplink
channel elements
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Maximum DPCH
Noise Rise (dB)
Maximum permitted
noise rise
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum
Intra-site Servers
Maximum number of
sectors permitted in
softer handover
W-CDMA
Integer (1 to
7)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Average P-RACH
Interference
Power (dBm)
Uplink interference
received at sector from
non-traffic channels
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
Maximum Cell
Radius
Maximum cell radius for

HCL support
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Speed
Maximum speed of
subscriber to be served
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
300.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Pooled
Downlink
Throughput
(mbps)
Maximum throughput
allowed on the site
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
495
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Maximum Packet
Throughput (%)
Maximum packet
throughput allowed for
the site
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Circuit
Throughput (%)
Maximum circuit
throughput allowed for
the site
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Uplink DPCH
Noise Rise (dB)
The rise in the effective

noise level due to the
presence of the traffic
channel power
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Total Uplink Noise

Rise (dB)
The total uplink noise

rise for HSUPA and
Rel99 traffic. The
minimum total uplink
noise rise value is equal
to the defined uplink
DPCH noise rise. This
box is only visible for
HSPA and
Rel99&HSPA carriers.
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
DPCH Total Traffic

Power (dBm)
The total of the

individual traffic powers
required by the
distributed mobiles with
which the site is in
communication
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 100.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
HS-DSCH Power
(dBm)
The transmit power for

the channel
W-CDMA
Float (-200.00
to 100.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
HS-DSCH Activity
Factor (%)
The channel activity

factor
W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Activated
Technology
The carrier technology
W-CDMA
String (Rel99,
Rel99AndHsd
pa, Hsdpa]
Sector Settings
(Carriers)
16-QAM
Supported
Indicates whether 16QAM modulation is

supported on an
HSDPA or Rel 99 &
HSDPA carrier
W-CDMA
Boolean
(TRUE or
FALSE)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
496

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
HS-DSCH Codes
The number of HSDSCH codes to use
W-CDMA
Integer (0, 5,
10, 15)
Sector Settings
(Resources)
Maximum HSDPA
Users (per sector)
The maximum number

of instantaneous users
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to
99)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
HS-SCCH Target
Ec/Nt (dB)
The HS-SCCH Ec/Nt

that the system can
attain
W-CDMA
Float (-30.00
to 20.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
HS-SCCH Power
(dB)
The power of the High

Speed Shared Control
Channel
W-CDMA
Float (-20.00
to 20.00)
Sector Settings
(Power)
HSDPA Scheduler
Gain Curve
The name of the curve

that defines BTS
scheduler gain for a
HSDPA carrier
W-CDMA
String (255)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
497
Appendix E
EVDO_Sector_Settings worksheet
Table E.13 provides information for each of the columns in the EVDO_Sector_Settings
worksheet. For information on EV-DO sector settings, see Chapter 16: Configuring and
Placing cdma2000 Sites in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.13 EVDO_Sector_Settings worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Carrier ID
Carrier identification
cdma2000
String (30)
Sector Settings
Channel Name
numbering
cdma2000
String (32)
Sector Settings
Total PA Power
(dBm)
cdma2000
Integer (-200
to 130)
Sector Settings
Pilot Detection
Threshold (dB)
Minimum Ec/Io
required for a pilot to
be part of the active
set
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
T Drop (dB)
Ec/Io value below

which a pilot is
removed from the
active set
cdma2000
Float (-100.00
to 0.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
PN Offset
PN offset value
cdma2000
Integer (-1 to
511) value of 1 indicates no
PN offset
assignment
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Reverse Primary
(Per Sector)
Channel
Number of channel
the sector for reverse
primary traffic
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Reverse Handover
Percent of Total
Primary Channel
Elements (%)
reverse handoff use
only
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Users
(Per Sector)
Maximum number of
users served
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
200)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
498

Table E.13 EVDO_Sector_Settings worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Reverse Pooled
(Per Site) Channel
Elements
Number of reverse
channel elements
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
999)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
Maximum Noise
Rise (dB)
Maximum noise rise

cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Intra-site
Servers
Maximum number of
co-site sectors allowed
to be in soft handover
cdma2000
Integer (0 to
100)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Average Reverse
ACK Interference
(dBm)
Average power of the

acknowledgement
(ACK) channel
interference
cdma2000
Float (-200.00
to 40.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Idle Transmission
Attenuation (dB)
Reduction in a sector's
Total PA Power when
an EV-DO carrier is
not transmitting data in
a traffic timeslot (i.e.,
when the sector has
no served subscribers)
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.00)
Sector Settings
(Powers)
Maximum Cell
Radius
Maximum cell radius

of the sector
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Speed
(kmph)
Maximum vehicular
subscriber speed
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
300.00)
Sector Settings
(Quality)
Maximum Pooled
Forward
Throughput (mbps)
Maximum pooled
throughput at the
forward link (per-site)
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Sector Settings
(Hardware)
SRCH_WIN_A
Size of the search

window associated
with the set of active
and candidate pilots
cdma2000
Integer
(0 to 15)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
SRCH_WIN_N
Size of the search

window associated
with the set of
neighbor pilots
cdma2000
Integer
(0 to 15)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Reverse Noise
Rise (dB)
Noise rise value for

the sector on the
reverse link
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
20.00)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
499
Appendix E
Table E.13 EVDO_Sector_Settings worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Forward Activity
Factor (%)
The average
ratio of non-idle traffic
slots to the total
number of traffic slots
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
percent
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
Scheduler Gain
Curve
The name of the curve

that defines BTS
scheduler gain
cdma2000
String (60)
Sector Settings
(Implementation)
500

Carrier_Requirement worksheet
Table E.14 provides information for each of the columns in the Carrier_Requirement
worksheet. For information on configuring carriers, see Chapter 3: Defining a W-CDMA
Network Configuration in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.14 Carrier_Requirement worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Carrier Type
Name
Name of the carrier

type
GSM
String (255)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Planning Requirements)
Non-Hopping
Number of
non-hopping
transceivers
required
GSM
Integer (0 to 75)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Hopping
Number of hopping
transceivers
required
GSM
Integer (0 to 16)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
MAL Length
Required length for

the MAL used by
the carrier type
GSM
Integer (0 to 64)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
501
Appendix E
Carrier_Exceptions worksheet
Table E.15 provides information for each of the columns in the Carrier_Exceptions
worksheet. For information on carrier exceptions, see Chapter 5: Configuring and
Placing TDMA/FDMA Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.15 Carrier_Exceptions worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Carrier
Number
Carrier identifier
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN
Integer (3)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Planning Exceptions)
502

HSN_Exceptions worksheet
Table E.16 provides information for each of the columns in the HSN_Exceptions
worksheet. For information on HSN exceptions, see Chapter 5: Configuring and Placing
TDMA/FDMA Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.16 HSN_Exceptions worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Illegal HSN
Illegal hopping
sequence numbers
GSM
Integer (0 to 63)
Sector Settings
(Frequency
Planning - HSN
Exceptions)
503
Appendix E
Carrier_Assignments worksheet
Table E.17 provides information for each of the columns in the Carrier_Assignments
worksheet. For information on carrier settings, see Chapter 5: Configuring and Placing
TDMA/FDMA Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.17 Carrier_Assignments worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
char (30)
Site Properties
Carrier
Number
Carrier assigned to
the transceiver
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN
Integer (60 to
6189)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
MAL
Mobile allocation
list to be used for
each synthesized
hopping transceiver
GSM
String (30)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
MAIO
Mobile allocation
index offset
assigned to the
transceiver
GSM
Integer (0 to 7)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Carrier Type
Name
Carrier type used to

restrict the list of
carriers
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN
char (255)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Carrier Group
Name
Carrier group used

to restrict the list of
carriers
GSM, IS-136,
AMPS, NAMPS,
iDEN
char (255)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Is Hopping
Indicates whether
the transceiver is a
hopping or nonhopping transceiver
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Hopping
Sequence
Number
Hopping sequence
number for the
sectors baseband
hopping transceiver
group
GSM
Integer (0 to 63)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Packet Enable
(NonBaseband)
Enables or disables
packet support
GSM
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
504

Table E.17 Carrier_Assignments worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Minimum
Packet Time
Slots (NonBaseband)
Minimum number of
packet time slots
GSM
Integer (1 to 8)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Maximum
Packet Time
Slots (NonBaseband)
Maximum number
of packet time slots
GSM
Integer (1 to 8)
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Is Tx Analog
Sector support for

analog control
channel
IS-136
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Sector Settings
(Carrier Settings)
Is Plan Active
Is the sector part of

the active
frequency plan in a
Mentum Planet
project
GSM, IS-136,
NAMPS, iDEN
Boolean (TRUE
or FALSE)
Project Explorer
- RF Tools
(Frequency and
Color Code
Plans)
Plan Name
Name of the
frequency plan that
contains sector
frequency planning
data
GSM, IS-136,
NAMPS, iDEN
char (255)
Project Explorer
- RF Tools
(Frequency and
Color Code
Plans)
505
Appendix E
Color_Codes worksheet
Table E.18 provides information for each of the columns in the Color Codes worksheet.
For information on color codes, see Chapter 5: Configuring and Placing TDMA/FDMA
Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.18 Color_Codes worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Carrier ID
The carrier number

of the transceiver
IS-136
String (30)
Network
Settings and
Sector Settings
BSIC
Base Station
Identity Code
GSM
Integer (2 digits)
Valid range for each
digit is 1-7. For
example, 77 is a valid
number but 18 is not.
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
CC
Color Code
iDen
Integer (0-15)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
DSAT
Digital Supervisory
Audio Tone
NAMPS
Integer (0-6)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
DCC
Digital Color Code
NAMPS
Integer (0-3)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
DVCC
Digital Verification
Color Code
IS-136
Integer (1-255)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
SAT
Supervisory Audio
Tone
IS-136
Integer (Valid values

5970, 6000, or 6030)
Sector Settings
(Technology
Sector Settings)
506

Table E.18 Color_Codes worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Is Plan Active
Sector part of the

active color code
plan
GSM,
IS-136,
NAMPS,
iDEN
Boolean (TRUE or
FALSE)
Project Explorer
- RF Tools
(Frequency and
Color Code
Plans)
Plan Name
Name of the color

code plan that
contains sector
frequency planning
data
GSM,
IS-136,
NAMPS,
iDEN
char (255)
Project Explorer
- RF Tools
(Frequency and
Color Code
Plans)
507
Appendix E
Link_Budget worksheet
Table E.19 provides information for each of the columns in the Link_Budget worksheet.
For information on base station link budgets, see Chapter 5: Configuring and Placing
TDMA/FDMA Sites in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide, and Chapter 5: Configuring and
Placing W-CDMA Sites and Chapter 16: Configuring and Placing cdma2000 Sites in
the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.19 Link_Budget worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Sector ID
Sector name
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Carrier ID
Carrier name
All
String (30)
Sector Settings
Channel Name
numbering
W-CDMA and
cdma2000
String (32)
Sector Settings
Index
Indicates the list

order of the losses
and gains
All
Integer (1, 2, 3,
etc.)
Site Properties
(EIRP/ERP Base Station
Link Budget)
Direction
Link direction
All
String (8)
Downlink or
Uplink
Site Properties
(EIRP/ERP Base station
Budget)
Type*
Indicates whether
the power is a loss
or a gain
All
String (4)
Loss or Gain
Site Properties
Budget)
Name
Name for the loss

or gain
All
String (255)
Site Properties
Budget)
Value (dB)
Value for the loss or

gain
All
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Site Properties
Budget)
Noise Figure
(dB)
Noise figure for the

loss or gain (only
applies to gains on
reverse/uplink)
All
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Site Properties
Budget)
508

Neighbor List Worksheet

Table E.20 provides information for each of the columns in the Neighbor List worksheet.
For information on neighbor lists, see Chapter 12: Working with Neighbor Lists on
page 355.
Table E.20 Neighbor List worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Neighbor List ID
Name of the
neighbor list
W-CDMA,
cdma2000,
GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- RF Tools
(Neighbor Lists)
Serving Site ID
Site ID for the

serving site
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Serving Sector ID
Sector ID for the

serving sector
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Neighbor Site ID
Site ID for the

neighboring site
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Neighbor Sector
ID
Sector ID for the

neighboring sector
All
String (30)
Site Properties
Allowed
Indicates whether a
neighbor sector is
included in the
neighbor list or not
All
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Neighbor List
Editing
Priority
Indicates the
handover priority
All
Integer
Neighbor List
Editing
Area (km2)
The coverage area

common to a sector
and its neighbor
All
Float (0 to 200)
Neighbor List
Editing
Traffic (mE)
The traffic density

between a sector
and its neighbor
All
Float (0 to
200 000)
Neighbor List
Editing
Number of
Handover
The number of
handoffs between a
sector and its
neighbor
All
Integer
(0 to 1 000 000)
Neighbor List
Editing
Percentage of
Handover
The percentage of
handoffs between a
sector and its
neighbor
All
Float (0.00 to
100.00) percent
Neighbor List
Editing
509
Appendix E
Table E.20 Neighbor List worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Is Boundary
Neighbor
Identifies neighbors
that fall on the
boundary between
W-CDMA and GSM
coverage
GSM and
W-CDMA
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Neighbor List
Editing
Distance (km)
Prediction distance
All
Float (0.01 to
999.99)
Neighbor List
Editing
510

TDMA_Repeaters worksheet
Table E.21 provides information for each of the columns in the TDMA_Repeaters
worksheet. For information on repeaters, see Chapter 6: Adding Repeaters to TDMA/
FDMA Sectors in the TDMA/FDMA User Guide.
Table E.21 TDMA_Repeaters worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
TDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
TDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Repeater-site
ID
Repeater name
TDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Active
Indicates whether
or not the repeater
is turned on
TDMA
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Repeater
Settings
Repeater
Connection
Type
Indicates the type

of equipment from
which the donor
antenna receives
its signal
TDMA
String (5)
RF or FIBER
Repeater
Settings
Loss from
Donor (dB)
Masked path loss

from Donor
TDMA
Float
(0.01 to 200.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Predictions)
Service
Antenna
Type of service
antenna assigned
TDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service
Longitude
Service antenna
location
TDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Service
Latitude
Service antenna
location
TDMA
Float (-90.000000 to
90.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Service
Height (m)
Height of the
service antenna
TDMA
Float (0.00 to
30 000.00) or Auto if
Override Terrain
Height is set to False
Repeater
Settings
511
Appendix E
Table E.21 TDMA_Repeaters worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Service
Elevation (m)
Elevation of the
service antenna
TDMA
Float (-500.00 to
10 000.00) or Auto if
Override Terrain
Repeater
Settings
Service
Azimuth
(degrees)
Azimuth of the
assigned antenna
TDMA
Integer (0 to 360
degrees)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service Tilt
(degrees)
Tilt of the assigned

antenna
TDMA
Integer (-90 to 90)

degrees
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service Twist
(degrees)
Twist of the
assigned antenna
TDMA
Integer (-90 to 90)

degrees
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service
System
Losses
Feeder loss or
antenna related
system losses
TDMA
Float (0.00 and

100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Propagation
Model
Propagation model
to be used
assigned to the
repeater
TDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Predictions)
Distance (km)
Prediction distance
TDMA
Float (0.01 to 999.99)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Number of
Radials
Number of radials
from a repeater
along which to
calculate
predictions
TDMA
Integer (16 to 10 000)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Donor
Antenna
Antenna assigned
to the donor
TDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor Antenna)
Donor
Longitude
Donor antenna
location
TDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
512

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Donor
Latitude
Donor antenna
location
TDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Donor Height
(m)
Height of the donor

antenna
TDMA
Float (0.00 to
30 000.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor Antenna)
Donor
Elevation (m)
Elevation of the
donor antenna
TDMA
Float (-500.00 to
10 000.00) or Auto
Repeater
Settings
(Donor Antenna)
Donor System
Losses
Donor antenna
system feeder
losses or other
antenna systemrelated losses
TDMA
Float (-100.00 to
100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor Antenna)
PA Power
(dBm)
Power amplifier
power
TDMA
Float (-199 to 130)
Site Properties
Gain (dB)
Gain value derived

from the assigned
antenna
TDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Loss (dB)
Feeder and
miscellaneous
losses
TDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor Antenna)
Noise Figure
(dB)
Reference
measurement
between the
minimum noise
level due to thermal
noise and the noise
level due to internal
and external
amplifier noise
TDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
Forward Max
Power Per
Channel
(dBm)
Maximum power
output per channel
TDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
513
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Reverse Eb/
No
Adjustment
(dB)
Eb/No adjustment
value for all reverse
path connections
through the
repeater
TDMA
Float (-50.00 to 50.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
Bin File Name
Full path name of

the active bin file
for a repeater
sector
TDMA
Char (255)
NA
Bin Hash
Code
Calculated hash
code for a repeater
sector bin file
(folder name)
TDMA
Char (255)
NA
Signal
Strength File
Name
Full path name of

the active signal
strength file for a
repeater sector
TDMA
Char (255)
NA
Signal
Strength Hash
Code
Calculated hash
code for a repeater
sector signal
strength (folder
name)
TDMA
Char (255)
NA
514

CDMA_Repeaters worksheet
Table E.22 provides information for each of the columns in the CDMA_Repeaters
worksheet. For information on repeaters, see Chapter 17: Adding Repeaters to cdma2000
Sectors in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.22 CDMA_Repeaters worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Site ID
Site name
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Sector ID
Sector name
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Carrier ID
Carrier
All
String (30)
Network
Settings
(cdma2000
Carrier)
Repeater-site
ID
Repeater name
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (30)
Repeater
Settings
Active
Indicates whether
or not the repeater
is turned on
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Repeater
Settings
Repeater
Connection
Type
Indicates the type

of equipment from
which the donor
antenna receives
its signal
cdma2000
String (5)
RF or FIBER
Repeater
Settings
Loss from
Donor (dB)
Masked path loss

from Donor
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.01 to 200.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Predictions)
Service
Antenna
Type of service
antenna assigned
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service
Longitude
Service antenna
location
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Service
Latitude
Service antenna
location
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-90.000000 to
90.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
515
Appendix E
Table E.22 CDMA_Repeaters worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Service
Height (m)
Height of the
service antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
30 000.00) or Auto if
Override Terrain
Repeater
Settings
Service
Elevation (m)
Elevation of the
service antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-500.00 to
10 000.00) or Auto if
Override Terrain
Repeater
Settings
Service
Azimuth
(degrees)
Azimuth of the
assigned antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Integer (0 to 360
degrees)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service Tilt
(degrees)
Tilt of the assigned

antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Integer (-90 to 90)

degrees
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service Twist
(degrees)
Twist of the
assigned antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Integer (-90 to 90)

degrees
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Service
System
Losses
Feeder loss or
antenna related
system losses
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 and

100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Propagation
Model
Propagation model
to be used
assigned to the
repeater
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Predictions)
Distance (km)
Prediction distance
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.01 to 999.99)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
Number of
Radials
Number of radials
from a repeater
along which to
calculate
predictions
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Integer (16 to 10,000)
Repeater
Settings
(Service
Antenna)
516

Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Donor
Antenna
Antenna assigned
to the donor
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
String (60)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor
Antenna)
Donor
Longitude
Donor antenna
location
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Donor
Latitude
Donor antenna
location
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-180.000000 to
180.000000) degrees
Repeater
Settings
Donor Height
(m)
Height of the donor

antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to
30 000.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor
Antenna)
Donor
Elevation (m)
Elevation of the
donor antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-500.00 to
10 000.00) or Auto
Repeater
Settings
(Donor
Antenna)
Donor System
Losses
Donor antenna
system feeder
losses or other
antenna systemrelated losses
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-100.00 to
100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor
Antenna)
PA Power
(dBm)
Power amplifier
power
cdma2000
Float (-199 to 130)
Site Properties
Gain (dB)
Gain value derived

from the assigned
antenna
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
Loss (dB)
Feeder and
miscellaneous
losses
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-100.00 to
100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Donor
Antenna)
517
Appendix E
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Noise Figure
(dB)
Reference
measurement
between the
minimum noise
level due to thermal
noise and the noise
level due to internal
and external
amplifier noise
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
Forward Max
Power Per
Channel
(dBm)
Maximum power
output per channel
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (0.00 to 100.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
Reverse Eb/
No
Adjustment
(dB)
Eb/No adjustment
value for all reverse
path connections
through the
repeater
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Float (-50.00 to 50.00)
Repeater
Settings
(Equipment)
Bin File Name
Full path name of

the active bin file
for a repeater
sector
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Char (255)
NA
Bin Hash
Code
Calculated hash
code for a repeater
sector bin file
(folder name)
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Char (255)
NA
Signal
Strength File
Name
Full path name of

the active signal
strength file for a
repeater sector
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Char (255)
NA
Signal
Strength Hash
Code
Calculated hash
code for a repeater
sector signal
strength (folder
name)
cdma2000
and W-CDMA
Char (255)
NA
518

Session_Types worksheet
Table E.23 provides information for each of the columns in the Session_Types worksheet.
For information on defining session types, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA
Subscribers and Chapter 15: Defining cdma2000 Subscribers in the CDMA User
Guide.
Table E.23 Session_Types worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Session Type name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (30)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Mean Number
of Packet Calls
(Npc)
Mean number of
packet calls in the
session type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Mean Reading
Time (Dpc) (s)
Mean reading time

between packet
calls
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Mean Number
of Packets
Within a
Packet Call
(Nd)
Mean number of
packets within a
packet call
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Mean InterArrival Time

Between
Packets (Dd)
(ms)
Mean interval time

between packets
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Packet
Timeout
Packet timeout
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1,000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Packet Size
Distribution
Packet size
distribution type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (7)
Pareto or
Poisson
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
519
Appendix E
Table E.23 Session_Types worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Packet Size
Alpha
Packet distribution
size for Pareto
distributions
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (1.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Minimum
Packet Size
(bytes)
Minimum packet
size
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Maximum
Packet Size
(bytes)
Maximum packet
size
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Must be greater
than Minimum
Packet Size
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
Mean Packet
Size (bytes)
Mean packet size
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000.00) Packet
Size Distribution
must be Poisson
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Session Types)
520

Services worksheet
Table E.24 provides information for each of the columns in the Services worksheet. For
information on services, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA Subscribers and Chapter
15: Defining cdma2000 Subscribers in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.24 Services worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Service name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (30)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Type*
Type of service
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (30)
CircuitSwitched
or
PacketSwitched
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Uplink Activity
Factor (%)
Time that a signal is

transmitted on the
uplink
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
Services)
Downlink
Activity Factor
(%)
Time that a signal is

transmitted on the
downlink
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Uplink
Retransmit
And Control
Overhead (%)
Overhead factor for

retransmit and
control
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Downlink
Retransmit
And Control
Overhead (%)
Overhead factor for

retransmit and
control
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Priority
Service priority
number for the
subscriber type
associated with this
service when
capacity is limited
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
521
Appendix E
Table E.24 Services worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Cell Edge
Coverage
Probability (%)
Probability of
coverage for a
subscriber or bin to
be regarded as
served
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to 100)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Required
Uplink FER (%)
Maximum FER at
which this service is
able to function
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Required
Downlink FER
(%)
Maximum FER at
which this service is
able to function
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Number Of
Downlink
Connections
Number of circuits
from one server
that are available to
the subscriber type
associated with this
service type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Number Of
Erlangs Per
Subscriber
Number of erlangs
generated by each
subscriber type
associated with a
service
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.000 to
1.000)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Input Load
Type
Measurement unit
used to define the
mean input load for
this packetswitched service
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String
(ErlangsPerSubs
criber,
KilobitsPerHour,
SessionsPerHou
r)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Input Load
(kbit/s)
Mean input load

load for a packetswitched service in
kilobits per second
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Input Load
(sessions/hour)
Mean input load

load for a packetswitched service in
sessions per hour
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
522

Table E.24 Services worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Link
Asymmetry
Factor
Multiplier for the

primary direction of
traffic flow to define
the asymmetry
factor
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
1.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Primary
Direction
Primary direction of
traffic
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (8)
Uplink or
Downlink
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
Session Type
Type of session
used by the service
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (12)
E-mail, WAP
Browsing, WWW
Browsing
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Services)
523
Appendix E
Qualities worksheet
Table E.25 provides information for each of the columns in the Qualities worksheet. For
information on defining quality types, see Chapter 5: Configuring and Placing W-CDMA
Sites and Chapter 16: Configuring and Placing cdma2000 Sites in the CDMA User
Guide.
Table E.25 Qualities worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Quality name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Guaranteed
Uplink Data
Rate (kbps)
Guaranteed uplink
data rate for the
quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1,000,000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Maximum
Uplink Data
Rate (kbps)
Maximum uplink
data rate for the
quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Must be greater
than the
guaranteed
uplink data rate
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Guaranteed
Downlink Data
Rate (kbps)
Guaranteed
downlink data rate
for the quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Maximum
Downlink Data
Rate (kbps)
Maximum downlink
data rate for the
quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Must be greater
than the
guaranteed
downlink data
rate for the
quality
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Uplink Transfer
Delay (ms)
Uplink transfer
delay time for the
quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
524

Table E.25 Qualities worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Downlink
Transfer Delay
(ms)
Downlink transfer
delay time for the
quality
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 000 000.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
Traffic Class
Traffic class that

applies to the
quality and its
associated data
rates
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String
(Conversational,
Streaming,
Interactive,
Background)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Qualities)
525
Appendix E
Bearers worksheet
Table E.26 provides information for each of the columns in the Bearers worksheet. For
information on defining bearers, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA Subscribers and
Chapter 15: Defining cdma2000 Subscribers in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.26 Bearers worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Bearer name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (30)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Bearer Type
Bearer technology
type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (30)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Service Data
Rate (kbps)
Service data rate

for the bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
1 024.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Channel Data
Rate (kbps)
Channel data rate

for the bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
1 024.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Direction*
Direction of the
bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (8)
Uplink,
Downlink,
Reverse,
Forward
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Technology*
Technology used by
the bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (8)
WCDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
S/N To Error
Rate Mapping
Name of the curve

file containing the
Eb/No vs. FER
curve that defines
the S/N to error rate
mapping for this
bearer
W-CDMA
String (60)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
526

Table E.26 Bearers worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Number Of
Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements required
for the bearer
W-CDMA
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Radio
Configuration
Traffic channel
transmission
configuration that
applies to the
bearer
cdma2000
String (3)
RC1 to RC5
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Fundamental
Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements used by
the fundamental
channels for the
bearer
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Supplemental
Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements used by
the supplemental
channels for the
bearer
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Number Of
Supplemental
Channels
Number of
supplemental
channels used by
the bearer
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Fundamental
Eb/No to FER
Mapping
Signal to noise to
error rate mapping
curve file
cdma2000
String (60)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Supplemental
Eb/No to FER
Mapping
Signal to noise to
error rate mapping
curve file for the
supplemental
channel
cdma2000
String (60)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Minimum
Traffic Channel
Power Offset
The minimum
power correction
value to be applied
for the bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
527
Appendix E
Table E.26 Bearers worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Maximum
Traffic Channel
Power Offset
The maximum
power correction
value to be applied
for the bearer
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
100.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
EV-DO
Revision
Version number (0
or A)
cdma2000
String (A or 0)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Data Channel
Gain (dB)
The gain applied to

the data channel
cdma2000
Integer (0.00 to
125.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Pilot Ec/No To
PER
Curve relating to
the data channel
and the pilot
channel. Used to
determine the
Required Pilot
Channel Ec/Nt at
the base station
receiver for each
users reverse link
signal.
cdma2000
String (60)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
Site Channel
Elements
Number of channel
elements required
by the site for the
chosen Service
Data Rate
cdma2000
Integer (1-99)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Bearers)
528

Clutter_Types worksheet
Table E.27 provides information for each of the columns in the Clutter_Types worksheet.
For information on defining clutter types, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA
Subscribers and Chapter 15: Defining cdma2000 Subscribers in the CDMA User
Guide.
Table E.27 Clutter_Types worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Clutter type name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (30)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Clutter Types)
Downlink
Orthogonality
(%)
Orthogonality factor
for the downlink
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 100)
Percent
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Slow Fading
Standard
Deviation (dB)
Expected standard
deviation of slow
fading
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Enable
Outdoor
Enables or disables
outdoor penetration
loss
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Outdoor Fast
Fading Margin
(dB)
Fast fading margin

to be applied within
the outdoor
environment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Outdoor
Penetration
Loss (dB)
Penetration loss for

the outdoor
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Enable
Vehicular
Enables or disables
vehicular
penetration loss
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Vehicular Fast
Fading Margin
(dB)
Fast fading margin

the vehicular
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Vehicular
Penetration
Loss (dB)

the vehicular
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
529
Appendix E
Table E.27 Clutter_Types worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Vehicular
Speed
Vehicular speed
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
999.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Enable Indoor
Enables or disables
indoor penetration
loss
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Indoor Fast
Fading Margin
(dB)
Fast fading margin

the indoor
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Indoor
Penetration
Loss (dB)

the indoor
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Enable Deep
Indoor
Enables or disables
deep indoor
penetration loss
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Deep Indoor
Fast Fading
Margin (dB)
Fast fading margin

the deep indoor
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Deep Indoor
Penetration
Loss (dB)

the deep indoor
environment
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
99.99)
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
Class
Assignment
(Read-only)
Comma separated
list of all clutter
category
assignments (e.g.,
Grass-Agriculture)
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String
Project Explorer
- Subscribers
(Clutter Types)
530

Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet
Table E.28 provides information for each of the columns in the
Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet. For information on subscriber equipment, see
Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA Subscribers and Chapter 15: Defining cdma2000
Subscribers in the CDMA User Guide.
Table E.28 Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Name of the
subscriber
equipment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Technology
Band
Technology band
name
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (50)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Maximum
Transmit
Power (dBm)
Maximum transmit
power at the power
amplifier
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
50.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Minimum
Transmit
Power (dBm)
Minimum transmit
power at the power
amplifier
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (-56.00 to
50.00) must be
less than
Maximum
Transmit Power
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Maximum
Active Servers
Maximum number
of handover servers
supported by the
equipment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Integer (1 to 6)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
531
Appendix E
Table E.28 Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Antenna Gain
(dB)
Antenna gain for

the equipment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (-50.00 to
30.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Noise Figure
(dB)
Noise figure at the

receiver
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Float (0.00 to
30.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Body Loss
Voice (dB)
Loss (for voice

traffic) when the
mobile is close to a
user s body
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 20)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Body Loss
Data (dB)
Loss (data traffic)

when the mobile is
close to a user s
body
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Integer (0 to 20)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manage
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
HSDPA Active
Indicates whether
the technology
band supports
HSDPA Bearers
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Boolean (TRUE
or FALSE)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manage
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
532

Table E.28 Subscriber_Equipment_Types worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
HSDPA
Terminal
Category
The terminal
category of
assigned HSDPA
bearers
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
Integer (1 to 12)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manage
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
Assigned
Bearer:
<number>
Bearers assigned to
this equipment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Equipment
Types)
533
Appendix E
Subscribers worksheet
Table E.29 provides information for each of the columns in the Subscribers worksheet.
For information on subscribers, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA Subscribers and
Table E.29 Subscribers worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Name
Name of the
subscriber type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
User Variance
Custom poisson
distribution with
modified variability
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
9.00)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Use Priority
Override
Enables or disables
usage priority
override
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (5)
TRUE or FALSE
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Priority
Override
Service priority
number used when
capacity is limited
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to 999)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Traffic Map
Name
Name of the traffic

map used with this
subscriber
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (54)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Traffic Map
Type
Traffic map units
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (10)
Erlang,
Subscriber, Kbps
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
534

Table E.29 Subscribers worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Traffic Map
Scaling Ratio
Factor to scale
traffic from the
traffic map
assigned to this
subscriber type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Float (0.00 to
99.90)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Equipment
Type Name
Name of the
subscriber
equipment type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
535
Appendix E
Usages worksheet
Table E.30 provides information for each of the columns in the Usages worksheet. For
information on usages, see Chapter 4: Defining W-CDMA Subscribers and
Table E.30 Usages worksheet columns
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Subscriber
Type Name
Name of the
subscriber type
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Short Name
Short name for the

usage
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (8)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Indoor
Weighting
Weighting for
indoor usage as a
ratio with other
usages
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to
10 000)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Deep Indoor
Weighting
Weighting for deep

indoor usage as a
ratio with other
usages
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to
10 000)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Outdoor
Weighting
Weighting for
outdoor usage as a
ratio with other
usages
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to
10 000)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Vehicular
Weighting
Weighting for
vehicular usage as
a ratio with other
usages
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
Integer (0 to
10 000)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
536

Table E.30 Usages worksheet columns (continued)
Column
Description
Technology
Value
Location
Service Name
Service type for the

usage
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
Quality Name
Quality type for the

usage
W-CDMA,
cdma2000, GSM
String (32)
Project Explorer
- Subscriber
Manager
(Subscriber
Types)
537
Appendix E
538
Index
Index
A
Absorption Height Limit 457

Active
Neighbor lists 380
Sector display schemes 105, 109
Site table 113
Adding
area grids 427
attachments to projects 44
flag conditions 98
frames 435
neighbor lists 380
network data 397
sectors to a neighbor list 374
surveys 177
tools to the Tools menu 409
traffic maps 323
Additional layers 273
Advanced layers 273
Advanced properties
CRC-Predict model, setting 457
AMT. See Automatic Model Tuner (AMT)
Analyses
demographic 404
network 269
output settings 273
viewshed 430
Analysis layers
advanced prediction 273
Analyzing
visibility on a grid 427
Angle From Line tool 92
creating 124
Antenna patterns
accuracy 119
changing 90
combining 136
creating quasi-omnidirectional 136
deleting 90
displaying 126
editing 128
electrical downtilt 122
horizontal gain 119
modifying display settings 125
opening 125
overview 118
printing 133
remote electrical tilt 122
remove 135
rename 135
reverting displays 130
saving 132
units 126
vertical gain 119
viewing information on 127
Antennas
editing gain values 131
editing multiple gain values 132
gain 129
Normalize 121, 129
parent/child dependencies 128
refreshing the list of 135
view or hide unused 135
Applying
clutter weighting 320
539
Index
Area grids
adding 427
creating 425
deleting 427
renaming 427
viewing 427
Aspect grids
creating 424
Assigning
surveys to sectors 190
Attachments 44
adding 45
importing 45
opening 45
removing 47
updating 45
Automatic Model Tuner (AMT)
overview 170
Smart option 170
using 170
Averaging
survey data 194
B
Backing up
projects 49
Bin files
size and resolution 274
Binding
network data 391
rules 396
Boresight gain 129
Browsing
scan receiver data 247
survey data 183
test mobile data 214
540
C/I weights 335

Cell ID 68
Cell_ID column
in network data 391
Cellular Geographic Service Area 439
Classes
changing the color of 461
clutter 158
Classified grids 21
contouring 417
Clear distance value 457
Cloning sectors 88
Closing
projects 48
Clutter
including in propagation model 162
overview 142
weighting in traffic maps 319, 322
Clutter Absorption Loss tuner
overview 167
using 167
Clutter classes
changing the color of 461
copying properties 461
overview 158
Clutter distribution histogram 187
Clutter layer
description 23
Clutter properties
Absorption Height Limit 457
opening or creating CPA file 163
overview 158
Clutter weighting
modifying in traffic maps 322
overview 310
Collecting
survey data 176
Index
Color
changing for clutter classes 461
creating profiles 57
Color and symbol settings
modifying for sectors 104
Columns
displaying 112
Combining
antenna patterns 136
surveys 201
traffic maps 327
Comparing
neighbor lists 367
surveys 201, 203
surveys and modeled predictions 204
Conditions
adding 98
removing 100
renaming 100
Conductivity value 457
Configuration files
saving 77
Configuring sites 74
Contour
formula 439
lines 415
regions 415
tables 446
Contouring
hole-island relationship 415
with grids 415, 417
Contours
generating smooth contours 418
Contours, FCC
creating 441
exporting reports 447
saving tables 446
Converting
electrical downtilt patterns 124
interference matrices 350
traffic maps 324
Copying
clutter class properties 461
groups of sites 83
neighbor lists 380
sectors 88
sites 87, 89
Cost 231 Walfisch-Ikegami model 146
CRC-Predict Air model 153
CRC-Predict model 152
setting Advanced properties 457
version 2.0 properties 457
version 4.0 properties 455
Creating
antenna definition files 124
area grids 425
clutter property assignment file 163
groups 93
interference matrices 334, 340, 344
neighbor lists 356
new surveys 193
print layout 434
projects 38
quasi-omnidirectional patterns 136
sector groups 94
survey assignment file 190
survey assignment reports 193
traffic maps 312
workspaces 27, 43
Curves
C/I weights tables 335
regression 187
Custom columns
adding and editing 102
Custom Data layer
description 26
541
Index
Customizing
point-to-point profiles 300
D
Data
exporting 385
importing 384
network 390
replacing 385
scan receiver 7
survey 176
test mobile 7
Data Manager 7
User Preferences 35
Defining
new propagation models 162
propagation model settings 159
Deleting
area grids 427
neighbor lists 382
predictions 286
sector groups 95
sites 87
sites from the Map window 89
sites from the Project Explorer 89
surveys 180
traffic maps 328
DEM Elevation
using 78
Demographic analysis
overview 404
performing 406
Demographic Analysis tool 404
output data type options 406
output format options 406
outputs 404
Disabling
tools 410
542
Display Schemes
adding 110
creating 106
Display templates
for scan receiver data 256
for test mobile data 223
Displaying
predictions 286
site labels 78
Draw Angle tool 93
E
Editing
custom columns 102
neighbor lists 369
neighbor lists interactively 375
project data 102
propagation models 159
sector groups 96
Electrical downtilt antenna patterns 122
Enabling
tools 410
Environment
modeling 162
Export Wizard 386
Exporting
FCC report 447
log messages 47, 390
neighbor lists 378
project data 384
site tables 438
survey assignment files 192
to Planet 2.8 403
Exporting data 385
changes in worksheets 539
Index
FCC Contour Generator

setting advanced options 445
using 438
FCC contours
creating a report 441
exporting 447
filtering override values 444
overrides 443
saving 446
table formats 440
FCC Point Tool 444
Features 6
Field Measurement Data 7
File header
File types
.cpa 158, 163, 164, 451
.crd 451
.csv 451
.curve 335, 451
.dbp 451
.dsc 451
.vcp 452
.vml 436, 452
.wor 435, 452
MapInfo files 453
model files 451
output files 452
project files 451
Files
attaching to projects 44
Clutter layer 23
Custom Data layer 26
Height layer 23
Polygon layer 24
project 26
site configuration 68
site tables 26
workspace 27
Filtering
predictions 286
survey data 196, 199
Filters
creating using groups 93
Find Maximum Point tool 91
Finding
sectors 84
sites 84
Flags
adding conditions to 98
creating 98
overview 96
removing 100
renaming 99
Formats
NSMA 133
site table 449
Formatting
Frames
adding 435
borders 435
Free Space model 143
Functions
Point-to-Point Visibility 428
viewshed 429
543
Index
Generating
predictions 277
Geodata layers 54
folders 55
group by 54
Global edits 100
Graphic files, opening 436
Graphs
point-to-point 298
Grid files, description 19
Grid Info tool 413
setting options for 413
Grid Manager Info 413
Grids
analyzing visibility 427
area grids 425
classified 21, 417
contouring 415
creating aspect grids 424
creating legends for 436
creating slope grids 424
creating traffic maps from 314
definition 19
getting information on 412
numeric 20
types of 20
viewing legends 412
Groups
creating 93
overview 96
refreshing the groups list 95
renaming 95
Groups list
refreshing 95
H
Headers
updating surveys 180
544
Height layer
description 23
Help
accessing 8
getting technical support 4
Hiding
metrics display 401
Histogram Interference Matrix
viewing 347
Histograms
clutter distribution 187
survey 186
Horizontal Beamwidth 70
I
IEEE 802.16 model 150

Import and Export Tables 467
Import Wizard 388
Importing
data 384
network data 316, 341, 361, 393, 396
project data 384
site data 402
surveys 177
Importing data
changes in worksheets 539
replace option 385
Indoor projects 14
Information
on analyses 412
on antennas 127
on grids 412, 413
on lines 414
on regions 414
Input file requirements
Index
Interference matrices
converting 350
creating Local Knowledge type 344
creating Modeled type 334
creating Network Data type 340
deleting 354
merging 351
overview 6, 330
types of 331
update 340
viewing 346
viewing histogram IM 347
viewing settings used for 348
viewing standard IM 346
Interference Matrix Generator 6
ITU 370-Recommendation model 145
L
Layer Control 53
Layers
Geodata 54
Map 50
Layout, print
creating 434
Lee model 149
Legends
creating for grids 436
creating for thematic maps 437
overview 436
printing 436
viewing 412
Lines
Local Knowledge interference matrix
creating 344
overview 332
Locating
sectors 84
sites 84
survey data 182
Log
exporting messages 47, 390
Longley-Rice model 148
M
Managing
tools 409
Map layers 50
Map view settings
Map windows 50, 54
MapInfo files
description 453
MapInfo Professional 7
Mentum products 1
Merged predictions 272
Merging
Metrics
display options 400
hiding 401
user-defined 394, 398
viewing 401
Model files
exporting to Planet 2.8 403
Model tuning
guidelines 165
overview 164
performing 166
Smart option 170
creating 334
545
Index
Modeled predictions 272

Modifying
antenna display settings 125
clutter relative weightings 322
neighbor lists 369
point-to-point analysis graphs 300
sector color and symbol settings 104
survey properties 179
traffic maps 324
Moving
sites 86
Multiple instances of Planet 49
Multi-resolution grids 160, 278
Multi-technology neighbor lists 365
Multi-threaded predictions 280
N
Neighbor lists
active 380
adding 380
comparing 367
copying 380
creating
from best server grids 358
from interference matrices 359
deleting 382
editing 369
editing interactively 375
exporting 378
multi-technology 365
overview 356
viewing 377
Network analysis
multi-resolution 160, 278
546
Network data
adding 397
binding 391
importing 361
Planet 392
using for interference matrices 341
using for traffic maps 316
Network Data Display tool
overview 399
Network Data interference matrix
creating 340
overview 332
Network Data tool
importing network data 393, 396
overview 7, 390
Network performance
viewing 407
Network Statistics Mapping tool 407
Non co-located sectors 71
Normalizing antennas 121, 129
NSMA format 133
Number of radials 442
Numeric grids 20
converting to vectors 418
O
Offset scaling 325

Okumura-Hata model 143
Online Help 8
Opening
clutter property assignment file 163
graphic files 436
Project Settings dialog box 41
projects 48
Output files
description 452
Overrides
defining for FCC Contours 443
filtering 444
Index
Overview
of scan receiver data 238
of test mobile data 206
P
Parameters
swapping 89
Path loss predictions 270
Performance data
viewing 407
Permittivity value 457
Placing sites 74
Planet
features 6
opening more than one copy of 49
Planet 2.8
exporting to 403
Planet General model
automatically tuning 170
overview 144
Smart tuning option 170
Point-to-point analyses
modifying graphs 300
results 298
Point-to-Point Profile Tool
displaying clutter heights 301
displaying reflection points 302
Point-to-Point Profile tool
overview 290
Point-to-point profiles
printing 304
saving and opening 304
Point-to-Point Visibility function 428
Polygon layer
description 24
Polyline contours
creating 415
Power 69
Predictions
additional layers 273
between two points 289
comparing to surveys 204
generating 277
merged & modeled 272
multi-threaded 280
path loss 270
Prediction Manager 286
removing 286
signal strength 271
SPT 272
view 288
viewing 282
Preferences 32
Data Manager 35
general 33
miscellaneous 37
Project Explorer 34
Project Wizard 36
setting for grids 413
Preferred neighbor
editing neighbor list 371
Previous placement of sites 86
Printing
legends 436
test files 63
Products
Mentum 1
Profiles
formatting or editing 297
point-to-point 290
547
Index
Project Explorer
data window 30
default commands 32
overview 6, 28
showing, hiding, and docking 28
User Preferences 34
Project files 26
description 451
Project settings
accessing 41
units 62
Project Wizard
creating projects with 38
User Preferences 36
Projects
attaching files 44
backing up 49
closing 48
creating with the Project Wizard 38
data types 19
file structure 41
geodata layers 22
opening and closing 48
overview 18
restoring 49
saving 49
understanding files for 26
Propagation Model Editor
accessing 159
Propagation models
Cost 231 Walfisch-Ikegami 146
CRC-Predict 142
CRC-Predict 2.0 152
CRC-Predict Air 153
defining new 162
Free Space 143
IEEE 802.16 150
including clutter 162
ITU 370-Recommendation 145
Lee model 149
Longley-Rice 148
Okumura-Hata 143
overview 142
Planet General 142, 144
setting advanced properties for 457
summary 142
tuning 164, 165
types 142
Universal model 142, 154
WaveSight 156
Properties
clutter 158
grouping sites by 82
of sectors 78
Q
Quasi-omnidirectional antennas 136

R
Reflection Points
displaying 302
Refreshing
groups list 95
sites list 89
Region contours
creating 415
Region Info tool 414
Regions
548
Index
Regression curve 187

Relationships
displaying for sectors 104
Remote Electrical Tilt 122
Removing
flags or conditions 100
Renaming
area grids 427
conditions 100
flags 99
groups 95
sites 88
Replacing
data 384
Replacing data 385
Reports
coverage map 434
FCC contour 438, 441, 447
overview 433
Restoring projects 49
Revert command
Antenna Editor 130
Rms Roughness value 457
S
Saving
binding rules 317, 343, 364, 395, 398
FCC contour tables 446
projects 49
site configuration files 77
surveys 181
workspace 27
Scaling
by offset 325
by percentage 325
traffic maps 325
Scan receiver data

allocating to sectors 260
browsing 247
display templates 256
exporting to survey 267
file header 239
importing 240
input file requirements 238
map view settings 248
overview 238
point display settings 248
viewing 246, 248
graph format 257
information on 245
Sector display schemes
active 105, 109
default symbol 111
refresh relationships 111
Sector groups
creating 94
deleting 95
editing 96
Sector ID 68
Sector placement tools 91
Sector properties
Antenna 70
Assigned Repeater(s) 71
Azimuth 70
Color 71
Flags 71
Group 71
Horizontal Beamwidth 70
Power 69
Symbol 71
Technology 69
Tilt 71
Twist 71
Sector relationships
displaying 104
549
Index
Sector symbols
customizing 104
Sector UID 68
Sectors
adding display schemes 110
adding to neighbor list 374
assigning to groups 93
Cell ID 68
cloning 88
copying 88
finding 84
modifying colors 104
non co-located 71
overview 66
properties 68
Sector ID 68
Sector UID 68
specifying the height of 78
Swapping 89
viewing predictions 282
Sector-to-sector interference 349
Selecting
sites in Map window 85
Service area boundary 438
Settings
analysis output 273
for histogram matrix 348
System 62
Signal strength
predictions 271
Site configuration files
overview 68
saving 77
Site data, importing 402
Site Export tool (Planet 2.8 format) 403
Site flags
adding conditions to 98
creating 98
renaming 99
550
Site ID 66
Site information
displaying 86
Site labels
displaying 78
removing 79
Site Name 66
Site Name2 66
Site properties
displaying 86
editing sector groups 96
user-defined data 112
Site tables
changing 113
description 26
displaying columns 112
exporting to Planet 2.8 403
exporting to text file 438
importing data to 402
updating 408
Index
Site UID 66
Sites
applying default symbols 111
configuring 74
copying groups of 83
copying, pasting, or deleting 87, 89
editing 86
finding 84
grouping by property 82
moving 86
overview 66
performing global edits on 100
placing 73, 74
refreshing the sites list 89
renaming 88
select in Map window 85
Site ID 66
Site Name 66
Site Name2 66
Site UID 66
swapping 89
undoing placement of 86
Sites list
refreshing 89
Slope grid
creating 424
Smart automatic model tuning 170
Snap tool
when moving sites 87
SPT 272
Survey assignments
clearing 192
creating an assignment file 190
creating reports 193
exporting 192
updating 192
viewing 192
Survey data
collecting 176
filtering 196
filtering by selection 199
locating 182
organizing 174
overview 7
Surveys
adding 177
assigning to sectors 190
averaging 194
browsing 183
clutter distribution histogram 187
combining 201
comparing 201, 203
comparing to modeled predictions 204
creating a new survey 193
creating a thematic map of 183
deleting 180
displaying 182
displaying statistics for 185
exporting scan receiver data to 267
exporting test mobile data to 234
histogram 186
importing 177
locating 182
modifying properties of 179
overview 174
regression curve 187
saving 181
updating headers 180
Swapping
sites 89
Symbol settings
modifying for sectors 104
Symbols
applying defaults 111
for sectors 104
551
Index
System Settings 62
T
Tables
C/I weights 335
overview 19
Tabular Edit tool 102
Technical support 4
Test files
printing 63
Test mobile data
allocating to sectors 227
browsing 214
display templates 223
exporting to survey 234
file header 207
importing 208
input file requirements 206
map view settings 215
overview 206
point display settings 215
viewing 213, 215
graph format 224
information on 212
Thematic maps
creating from network data 408
creating from survey data 183
creating legends for 437
552
Tool Manager 409

Tools
adding to the Tools menu 409
Angle From Line 92
Demographic Analysis 404
Draw Angle 93
enabling and disabling 410
FCC Point 444
Find Maximum Point 91
Grid Calculator 412
Grid Info 412
Grid Info tool 413
Grid Query 412
Interference Matrix Generator 6, 329
Line Info 412, 414
Maximum Point 412
Neighbor List Generator 355
Network Data 7, 390
Network Statistics Mapping 407
Prediction Manager 286
Region Info 412, 414
sector placement tools 91
Traffic Map Generator 6, 307
Index
Tools Manager 409

Traffic Map Generator 6, 307
Traffic maps
adding 323
applying clutter weighting 319
clutter weighting overview 310
combining 327
converting units 324
creating from grid file 314
creating from switch data 317
deleting 328
editing clutter relative densities 322
importing network data for 316
including vectors in clutter 311
modifying 324
overview 308
scaling 325
unit conversion factors 309
viewing 323
Tree view
Project Explorer 30
Tuning models 166
guidelines 165
overview 164
Types
of grids 20
of propagation models 142
U
Undoing
site placement 86
Units, changing 62
Universal model 154
Updating
histogram interference matrices 340
User Preferences 32
Data Manager 35
general 33
miscellaneous 37
Project Explorer 34
Project Wizard 36
User-defined columns
displaying 112
User-defined data
adding 112
User-defined metric
creating 394, 398
Utilities
iecon.exe 384
V
Vector files
generating from numeric grid data 418
Vectors
including in clutter 311
View Export check box 447
Viewing
area grids 427
interference matrices 346, 347
legends 412
metrics 401
neighbor lists 377
network performance data 407
predictions 282
in a Map window 246
in graph format 257
sector-to-sector interference 349
standard matrices 346
survey assignments 192
in a Map window 213
in graph format 224
traffic maps 323
553
Index
Viewshed analysis
multi-point 432
single-point 430
Viewshed function 429
Visibility
analyzing on a grid 427
W
WaveSight model 156

Wizards
Export 386
Import 388
Project 38
Worksheets
Change History 467
import/export 467
Workspaces
associating with a project 44
creating and using 43
overview 27
Z
Zooming
in on survey data points 182
554

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Cover Page

This document contains confidential and proprietary information of Mentum S.A.

Getting technical support

Features of Mentum Planet

Overview of Mentum Planet activities

Understanding site properties

To delete sites from the Project Explorer

To define an active sector display scheme

Understanding antenna patterns

To save horizontal and vertical patterns separately

Understanding the role of propagation models

To define propagation model settings globally

Understanding test mobile data

To define map view settings for a test mobile data file

Understanding scan receiver data

Displaying scan receiver data in a Map window

Understanding path loss and signal strength predictions

To define analysis output settings

Understanding point-to-point analyses

Saving and opening point-to-point profiles

Understanding traffic maps

Understanding interference matrices

Understanding neighbor lists

Importing, replacing, and exporting project data

Getting information about a grid

Producing coverage map reports

To create and print a grid legend

Import and Export

This chapter contains the

The Mentum Product portfolio provides a range of

A Windows-based wireless network planning and analysis tool. You can

Propagation model that automatically adapts to all engineering

Indoor/outdoor module that links Mentum Planet with iBwave RF-vu

An integrated software solution for the optimal planning and design of

Frequency planning tool that uses evolutionary algorithms to find the

Optimisation tool that enables engineers to improve upon manual

Getting technical support

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Getting technical support

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This introduction contains the

Features of Mentum Planet

Using this documentation

This User Guide provides an overview of the full life

Features of Mentum Planet

Traffic Map Generator

Interference Matrix Generator

Neighbor List Generator

Network Data tool

Survey Data tool

Field Measurement Data tools

Using this documentation

help on all dialog boxes

procedures for using the software

an extensive Mentum Planet documentation library in PDF

You have two basic options for printing documents:

If you want a good quality print of a single procedure or section,

If you want a higher quality print of a complete User Guide, use

The Frequently Asked Questions section provides answers to common

Whats This? Help provides detailed explanations of all dialog boxes.

Mentum Planet User Guide

Plan and analyze simulated wireless

Grid Analysis User Guide