Training on Pasolink +

Technical Center Group

NEC India

Agenda
RF Microwave Fundamentals
Digital Microwave Radio Theory
a) Introduction Features, Configurations and
Upgradability
b) Parameters and Specifications
c) DMR Subsystem
Digital Microwave Radio Practical
a) System Installation
b) Antenna Installation
c) Commissioning
Local Craft Terminal

Fundamentals

RF Microwave

System

Basic Microwave Radio

Ways of communication in Telecom industry:

1) Cable
2) Microwave radio
3) Optical fiber
4) Satellite
Advantages of Microwave :
1) Easy and quick installation
2) Medium is free
Disadvantages of Microwave:
Medium is exposed to many uncertainty

Wave Propagation in the

atmosphere
For No atmosphere

With atmosphere

Snells law:
Ray bends towards the denser medium of the two media

Atmosphere Multipath
Propagation

Multipath propagation occurs when there are more than one ray reaching
the receiver. Multipath transmission is the main cause of fading.
Multipath can happen when dN/dh varies with height.
dN= Atmosphere dh= Height.

Ground based duct:

The atmosphere has a very dense layer at the ground with a thin
layer on top of it. There will be nearly total reflection from this layer
boundary.
Elevated duct:
The atmosphere has a thick layer in some height above ground. If both the
Transmitter and the receiver are within the duct, multiple rays will reach the
receiver. If one is inside and other is out side the duct, nearly no will reach the
receiver

Formation of a duct :
During day time the sun heats the ground giving convection and a well
mixed atmosphere. A calm night will give radiation from the warm
ground, giving temperature inversion. This in turn gives a region near
ground where dM/dh<0, resulting in a ground based duct.
Just after sunrise in morning, the ground is heated by sun again, and the
convection starts near ground. The ground based duct rises, resulting in
an elevated duct.

dM/dh>0

This region is
Cooled by ground

Daytime
Convection mixes
The atmosphere

dM/dh<0

Calm night
No Convection
temperature inversion

Morning
Ground based duct
rises to become an elevated duct

Terrain Profiles
1) Line of sight
2) Fresnel Zone
Line of sight between transmitter and receiver is a straight line and ray
bending due to K-value variation is added to the terrain heights.
The modification of terrain heights is given by
(d1.d2)/(12.74.k)
K=1.33 for (5 to 15 Kms) and 0.66 for longer path lengths (15-30 Kms)
There must be a clearance for the first Freznel zone to avoid diffraction loss in
addition to free space loss.

Fresnel Zone
First fresnel zone is defined as the locus of
Points having maximum energy lobe from
Trans.antenna to Receiver Antenna
d3-(d1+d2)=/2
Where d3=D1 + D2 refer to figure.
=wavelength
For practical application the radius F1
May be approximated by the formula:
F1= 17.3 (d1.d2/f.D)
Where f is the freq in GHz
D=d1+d2 the total path length in Km

D2

D1

F1
d1

d2

Survey:
Field work:
Confirmation of LOS (checking critical obstacles)
Verification of position and altitudes of the sites
Checking of site, road access
Availability of power (Exiting shelters and towers)
Propagation condition
Make interference measurements
Finally prepare a report with required optimum tower heights.

Difficult areas for Microwave link

Over water paths
High reflection coefficient.
High ducting probability.

Rice and wheat fields

Strong ground reflection

Desert area

Multipath fading

Microwave Antenna
The parabolic Antenna is the most commonly used antenna in Microwave
Radio-relay systems.
Antenna parameters:
1)`Antenna gain :
Gain is approximated by the formulae
Gain = 17.8 + 20 log (D.f) dBi
Where
D = Antenna diameter [m] & F = Frequency in GHz

2) VSWR
Standard type Antenna : 1.06 to 1.15 typically
High performance Antenna :
1.04 to 1.06 typically
VSWR= Reflected power/ incident power

3) Cross polarization:
A good cross-polarization enables full utilization of the frequency band by using
Vertical and Horizontal polarization.

4) Beam width:
The half power beam width of an antenna is defined as the angular width of the
main beam at 3 dB point.

Free Space Loss and Power

Budget
Power received at any point from a radiated antenna is inversely proportional
to square of distance between them and radiating freq.
It can be defined by formula:
Lfs= 92.45 +20 log(f.d)
Where Lfs= Free space loss
Power budget:

Tx
Tx power o/p
= +21 dBm
Losses (feeder + branching)
= 3.0 dB
Tx Antenna Gain
= 36.5 dB
Free space loss
= 130 dB
Rx Antenna Gain
= 36.5 dB
Feeder loss Rx
= 1.2 dB
Nominal input level
= -40.2 dB
Receiver Threshold
= -80 dBm
Fading margin
= 39.8 dB

Rx

Precipitation
Transmission of microwave signal above 10 GHz is vulnerable to precipitation.
The energy is attenuated due to radiation (scattering) and absorption(heating).

Scattering
Radio waves are a time varying electromagnetic field, the incident field will
induce a dipole moment in the raindrop. The rain drop will also have the same time
Variation as the radio waves and will act as an antenna and reradiate the energy.
As rain drop-antenna have low directivity it will radiate energy arbitrary direction
and add to loss.

Absorption
When the wavelength becomes small (High freq. < 18GHz) relative to the
raindrop size more energy is absorbed by heating of the raindrop.

Why vertical polarization favorable at high freq.:

As the rain-drop increases in size they depart spherical shape and get extended in the
horizontal direction. For freq. higher than 18 GHz the wavelength is generally in mm.
So these rain-drops attenuate horizontally polarized waves than the vertical polarized.
Raindrop shapes
1mm

1.5mm

2mm

2.5mm

Why Fading Margin:

Nominal I/P level

Rx
I/P
level

-40dBm

Atmospheric
disturbance

-80dBm

outage

Receiver
Threshold

Fading events are mainly caused by multipath fading and fading due to
precipitation.
So larger the fading margin better the system performance.
This can be achieved by higher tx o/p, larger (Gain) antennas,lower threshold level
And reduced path length etc.

Multipath Fading:
Fading due to layering of the atmosphere is the dominating factor of degradation
of radio-relays.
Transmitted waves that receives at the receiver refracted from the troposphere or
reflected from the ground other than wanted signals are added to it.The phase and
amplitude relationship determines the resulting I/p signal at the receiver.
1) Flat fading= complete link length fading 2) Selective fading= selective lengths of link

Overcoming the effects of

Diversity:
multipath
The common forms of diversity in LOS links freq. And space or combination of
both. Lately angle diversity is also introduced.
Space Diversity:
Placing two antennas vertically separated at the receiver tower so only one antenna
Is located in a power minimum range.

Freq. Diversity:
This protection technique takes advantage of the freq. Selectivity of the multipath
Fading. But the as the freq. Bandwidth is costlier in India this technique is rarely
being used.
Switching sections:
By switching or combining the different channels (in freq. Diversity)/ Rx. signals
(from main antenna and space diversity antenna) carrying the same signal, it
is possible to attain an improvement.
Hot Standby configuration:
Reduces the system outage due to equipment failures.
Hybrid
Diversity:
1+1 hot standby system having space diversity at one of the radio sites.
Combined Diversity:
When using space diversity and frequency diversity at the same time.
Angle diversity:
Two antenna feedhorns are slightly off the boresight, giving a duelbeam
parabolic dish antenna.

Digital Microwave Radio Theory

Pasolink +

Introduction to Pasolink Family

Pasolink Family Tree

MODULATION
256 QAM
Pasolink +
128 QAM

STM-1
2X STM-1
64 QAM

STM-1

3000 S

32 QAM

STM-1
16 QAM

5E1 10E1

20E1

40E1
Pasolink Mx

8 PSK
2E1
4 PSK

4E1

8E1

16E1

3.5

7.0

14.0

28.0

Pasolink V4

40.0

56.0
Adjacent CH Spacing

[ MHz ]

IDU Convergence
Current Type IDU

1+0 system with OPT Interface card

1+1 system with OPT Interface card

1+0(1U)
1+1(3U)

Pasolink+ Capacity
The PASOLINK+ system provides interface types for SDH Optical , Electrical and LAN.
The
transmission signals are 1 to 2 x STM-1, 10/100 Base-T(X) signals.

Antenna and ODU

(Direct Mount 1+0) (11 52 GHz)

ODU IDU Compatibility

C--- Fully connectable

NC-- Not Connected
Note1-- Connected with reduced Power (MK-I ODU power)