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User

Manual
2.6.0
AT260_UM_E1
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 3
Contact Information
Atoll 2.6.0 User Manual Release AT260_UM_E1
Copyright 1997 - 2007 by Forsk
The software described in this document is provided under a license agreement and may only be used or copied under
the terms and conditions of the license agreement. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form
without prior authorisation from Forsk.
The product or brand names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective reg-
istering parties.
About the Atoll User Manual
The Atoll User Manual is a guide and reference for users working with Atoll. While many of the features in Atoll are easy
to use, self-explanatory and aided by easy navigation, this User Manual helps in making effective and efficient use of all
the features that Atoll offers. This document is aimed at familiarizing the user with the working environment of Atoll and
enabling them to operate and use all of Atolls features and functionalities.
The Atoll User Manual consists of the following sections:
Installation: The installation procedure is explained and the different Atoll installation configurations are de-
scribed.
Working environment: The working environment of Atoll, including the icons and buttons available in various
toolbars, is described.
Data: Managing geographic data and radio network data within Atoll is explained.
Calculation: Computation features, propagation models and calculation tools are described.
Technology modules: Each technology module is explained separately, i.e., GSM GPRS EGPRS and AFP,
UMTS HSPA, cdmaOne IS-95 and CDMA2000, WiMAX, TD-SCDMA, and Microwave links.
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Atoll User Manual
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 5
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 The Working Environment.................................................................................................... 23
1.1 The Atoll Windows ....................................................................................................................... 23
1.1.1 Working with Document Windows.................................................................................................... 24
1.1.2 Working with Docking Windows ....................................................................................................... 24
1.2 The Explorer Window................................................................................................................. 25
1.2.1 Working with the Explorer Window Tabs.......................................................................................... 25
1.2.2 Navigating in the Explorer Window.................................................................................................. 26
1.2.3 Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer........................................................... 26
1.2.4 Working with Layers Using the Explorer .......................................................................................... 26
1.3 Working With Objects................................................................................................................. 27
1.3.1 Using the Object Context Menu ....................................................................................................... 27
1.3.1.1 Renaming an Object................................................................................................................... 27
1.3.1.2 Deleting an Object...................................................................................................................... 27
1.3.1.3 Displaying the Properties of an Object ....................................................................................... 27
1.3.2 Display Properties of Objects........................................................................................................... 28
1.3.2.1 Defining the Display Properties of Objects ................................................................................. 28
1.3.2.2 Examples of Using the Display Properties of Objects ................................................................ 32
1.4 Printing in Atoll............................................................................................................................... 33
1.4.1 Printing Data Tables and Reports .................................................................................................... 33
1.4.2 Printing a Map.................................................................................................................................. 33
1.4.2.1 Printing Recommendations......................................................................................................... 34
1.4.2.2 Defining the Printing Zone.......................................................................................................... 34
1.4.2.3 Defining the Print Layout ............................................................................................................ 35
1.4.3 Previewing Your Printing.................................................................................................................. 36
1.4.4 Printing a Docking Window.............................................................................................................. 36
1.4.5 Printing Antenna Patterns ................................................................................................................ 36
1.5 Working with Maps....................................................................................................................... 37
1.5.1 Changing the Map Scale.................................................................................................................. 37
1.5.1.1 Zooming In and Out.................................................................................................................... 37
1.5.1.2 Zooming In on a Specific Area.................................................................................................... 37
1.5.1.3 Choosing a Scale........................................................................................................................ 38
1.5.1.4 Changing Between Previous Zoom Levels................................................................................. 38
1.5.2 Moving the Map in the Document Window....................................................................................... 38
1.5.3 Using the Panoramic Window.......................................................................................................... 38
1.5.4 Centring the Map Window on an Object........................................................................................... 38
1.5.5 Measuring Distances on the Map..................................................................................................... 39
1.5.6 Displaying Rulers Around the Map................................................................................................... 39
1.5.7 Displaying the Map Legend.............................................................................................................. 39
1.5.8 Exporting a Map............................................................................................................................... 40
1.5.9 Copying a Map to Another Application............................................................................................. 40
1.5.10 Map Window Pointers ...................................................................................................................... 40
1.6 Working with Data Tables ........................................................................................................ 41
1.6.1 Opening a Data Table...................................................................................................................... 42
1.6.2 Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields.............................................................................. 42
1.6.2.1 Accessing the Table Tab of an Object Types Properties dialogue............................................ 42
1.6.2.2 Adding a Field to an Object Types Data Table.......................................................................... 42
1.6.2.3 Deleting a Field from an Object Types Data Table.................................................................... 43
1.6.3 Editing the Content of a Table.......................................................................................................... 43
1.6.4 Opening an Objects Record Properties Dialogue from a Table ...................................................... 44
1.6.5 Defining the Table Format................................................................................................................ 45
1.6.6 Copying and Pasting in Tables......................................................................................................... 47
1.6.7 Exporting Tables to External Files.................................................................................................... 48
1.6.8 Importing Tables from External Files................................................................................................ 49
1.7 Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data................................................................................. 50
1.7.1 Grouping Data Objects..................................................................................................................... 51
1.7.1.1 Grouping Data Objects by a Selected Property.......................................................................... 51
1.7.1.2 Advanced Grouping.................................................................................................................... 51
1.7.1.3 Examples of Grouping................................................................................................................ 52
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1.7.2 Sorting Data......................................................................................................................................53
1.7.2.1 Sorting Data in Tables.................................................................................................................53
1.7.2.2 Advanced Sorting........................................................................................................................54
1.7.3 Filtering Data.....................................................................................................................................54
1.7.3.1 Filtering in Data Tables by Selection...........................................................................................54
1.7.3.2 Advanced Data Filtering..............................................................................................................55
1.7.3.3 Restoring All Records..................................................................................................................56
1.7.3.4 Advanced Filtering: Examples.....................................................................................................57
1.7.4 User Configurations ..........................................................................................................................58
1.7.4.1 Exporting a User Configuration...................................................................................................59
1.7.4.2 Importing a User Configuration...................................................................................................59
1.7.5 Folder Configurations........................................................................................................................60
1.7.5.1 Creating a Folder Configuration..................................................................................................60
1.7.5.2 Applying a Saved Folder Configuration.......................................................................................61
1.7.5.3 Reapplying the Current Folder Configuration..............................................................................61
1.7.5.4 Exporting a Folder Configuration.................................................................................................61
1.7.5.5 Importing a Folder Configuration.................................................................................................61
1.7.5.6 Deleting a Folder Configuration...................................................................................................61
1.7.6 Creating and Comparing Subfolders.................................................................................................62
1.7.7 Filtering Data Using a Polygon..........................................................................................................62
1.7.7.1 Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter......................................................................................63
1.7.7.2 Selecting a Computation or Focus Zone as a Polygon Filter ......................................................63
1.7.7.3 Drawing a Polygon Filter .............................................................................................................63
1.7.7.4 Removing the Polygon Filter .......................................................................................................63
1.8 Tips and Tricks...............................................................................................................................63
1.8.1 Undoing and Redoing.......................................................................................................................63
1.8.2 Refreshing Maps and Folders...........................................................................................................64
1.8.3 Searching for Objects on the Map.....................................................................................................64
1.8.3.1 Searching for a Map Object by Its Name ....................................................................................64
1.8.3.2 Searching for a Map Object using Any Text Property.................................................................64
1.8.3.3 Searching for a Point on the Map................................................................................................65
1.8.4 Using the Status Bar to Get Information...........................................................................................65
1.8.5 Using Icons from the Toolbar............................................................................................................65
1.8.6 Using Shortcuts in Atoll.....................................................................................................................67
2 Starting an Atoll Project...........................................................................................................71
2.1 Before Starting a Radio-Planning Project.........................................................................71
2.2 Creating an Atoll Document.....................................................................................................71
2.2.1 Creating a New Atoll Document From a Template............................................................................71
2.2.1.1 Templates Available....................................................................................................................71
2.2.1.2 Creating a New Atoll Document From a Template......................................................................72
2.2.1.3 Defining a New Atoll Document...................................................................................................73
2.2.2 Working in a Multi-User Environment................................................................................................75
2.2.2.1 The Atoll Multi-User Environment................................................................................................75
2.2.2.2 Creating a New Atoll Document From a Database .....................................................................76
2.2.2.3 Working With a Document on a Database..................................................................................77
2.2.2.4 Refreshing an Atoll Document From the Database.....................................................................78
2.2.2.5 Archiving the Modifications of an Atoll Document in the Database.............................................79
3 Managing Geographic Data.................................................................................................85
3.1 Geographic Data Types.............................................................................................................85
3.2 Supported Geographic Data Formats.................................................................................86
3.3 Importing Geo Data Files ..........................................................................................................87
3.3.1 Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File..........................................................................................87
3.3.2 Importing a Vector-format Geo Data File..........................................................................................88
3.3.3 Importing MSI PlanetGeo Data .....................................................................................................89
3.3.3.1 Importing One MSI PlanetGeo Data Type...............................................................................89
3.3.3.2 Importing a MSI PlanetGeo Database.....................................................................................90
3.3.4 Grouping Geo Data Files in Folders..................................................................................................90
3.3.5 Embedding Geographic Data............................................................................................................91
3.3.6 Repairing a Broken Link to a Geo Data File......................................................................................91
3.4 Digital Terrain Models.................................................................................................................92
3.5 Clutter Classes...............................................................................................................................92
3.5.1 Assigning Names to Clutter Classes.................................................................................................92
3.5.2 Defining Clutter Class Properties......................................................................................................93
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Table of Contents
3.5.3 Adding a Clutter Class...................................................................................................................... 94
3.5.4 Refreshing the List of Clutter Classes.............................................................................................. 94
3.5.5 Displaying Total Surface Area per Clutter Class.............................................................................. 94
3.6 Clutter Heights............................................................................................................................... 95
3.7 Contours, Lines, and Points.................................................................................................... 95
3.7.1 Managing the Display of a Vector Layer .......................................................................................... 95
3.7.2 Managing the Properties of the Vector Layer................................................................................... 95
3.7.3 Moving a Vector Layer to the Data Tab............................................................................................ 96
3.8 Scanned Images........................................................................................................................... 96
3.8.1 Importing Several Scanned Images ................................................................................................. 96
3.8.2 Defining the Display Properties of Scanned Images........................................................................ 97
3.9 Population Maps ........................................................................................................................... 97
3.9.1 Managing the Display of Population Data........................................................................................ 98
3.9.2 Displaying Population Statistics ....................................................................................................... 98
3.10 Rain Maps........................................................................................................................................ 98
3.10.1 Managing Rain Map Properties........................................................................................................ 98
3.10.2 Displaying Rain Statistics................................................................................................................. 99
3.11 Custom Geo Data Maps............................................................................................................ 99
3.11.1 Creating a Custom Geo Data Map................................................................................................... 99
3.11.2 Adding a File to a Custom Geo Data Map...................................................................................... 100
3.11.3 Managing the Properties of a Custom Geo Data Map ................................................................... 101
3.11.4 Displaying Statistics on Custom Geo Data..................................................................................... 101
3.11.5 Integrable Versus Non Integrable Data.......................................................................................... 101
3.12 Setting the Priority of Geo Data........................................................................................... 102
3.12.1 Setting the Display Priority of Geo Data......................................................................................... 102
3.12.2 Setting the Priority of Geo Data in Calculations ............................................................................. 103
3.13 Displaying Information About Geo Data.......................................................................... 103
3.14 Geographic Data Sets.............................................................................................................. 103
3.14.1 Exporting a Geo Data Set .............................................................................................................. 104
3.14.2 Importing a Geo Data Set............................................................................................................... 104
3.15 Editing Geographic Data......................................................................................................... 105
3.15.1 Editing Clutter Class Maps............................................................................................................. 105
3.15.1.1 Creating a Clutter Polygon........................................................................................................ 105
3.15.1.2 Editing Clutter Polygons ........................................................................................................... 106
3.15.1.3 Displaying the Coordinates of Clutter Polygons ....................................................................... 106
3.15.1.4 Deleting Clutter Polygons ......................................................................................................... 106
3.15.2 Editing Contours, Lines, and Points ............................................................................................... 106
3.15.2.1 Creating a Vector Layer for Contours, Lines, and Points ......................................................... 106
3.15.2.2 Creating Contours, Lines, and Points....................................................................................... 107
3.15.2.3 Editing Contours, Lines, and Points.......................................................................................... 107
3.15.3 Editing Population, Rain, or Custom Data Maps............................................................................ 109
3.15.3.1 Creating a Vector Layer and Vector Objects ............................................................................ 109
3.15.3.2 Editing Contours on the Vector Layer....................................................................................... 110
3.16 Saving Geographic Data......................................................................................................... 112
3.16.1 Saving Modifications to an External File ........................................................................................ 112
3.16.1.1 Exporting an Edited Clutter Class Map in a Raster-Format File............................................... 112
3.16.1.2 Exporting an Edited Vector Layer in Vector-Format File .......................................................... 113
3.16.2 Updating the Source File................................................................................................................ 114
3.16.3 Combining Several Files into One File........................................................................................... 114
3.16.4 Exporting an Embedded File.......................................................................................................... 114
3.16.5 Creating a New File From a Larger File......................................................................................... 115
4 Antennas and Equipment.................................................................................................... 119
4.1 Working With Antennas........................................................................................................... 119
4.1.1 Creating an Antenna ...................................................................................................................... 119
4.1.2 Importing Planet-Format Antennas ................................................................................................ 120
4.1.3 Importing 3-D Antenna Patterns..................................................................................................... 121
4.1.4 Smoothing a Vertical Antenna Pattern........................................................................................... 122
4.2 Printing an Antenna Pattern.................................................................................................. 122
4.3 Working With Equipment........................................................................................................ 123
4.3.1 Defining a TMA............................................................................................................................... 123
4.3.2 Defining Feeder Cables.................................................................................................................. 123
4.3.3 Defining a BTS ............................................................................................................................... 123
4.3.4 Updating the Values for Total Losses and the BTS Noise Figure for Transmitters........................ 124
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5 Managing Computations in Atoll ....................................................................................127
5.1 Computations in Atoll: Overview..........................................................................................127
5.2 Computing in Polygonal Areas.............................................................................................127
5.2.1 Computation, Focus and Hot Spot Zones: Overview......................................................................127
5.2.2 Computation, Focus and Hot Spot Zones: Effects..........................................................................128
5.2.3 Drawing a Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone..........................................................................129
5.2.4 Creating a Computation or Focus Zone From Polygons.................................................................130
5.2.5 Importing the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zones From a File.................................................130
5.2.6 Exporting the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone to a File........................................................131
5.2.7 Deleting the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone.......................................................................131
5.2.8 Resizing the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone.......................................................................131
5.2.9 Moving a Point of the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone.........................................................131
5.2.10 Adding a Point in the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone.........................................................132
5.2.11 Removing a Point from the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone................................................132
5.2.12 Displaying the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot size......................................................................132
5.2.13 Displaying the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Coordinates.........................................................132
5.3 Propagation Models...................................................................................................................132
5.3.1 Propagation Models: General Information......................................................................................133
5.3.1.1 Selecting Propagation Models...................................................................................................133
5.3.1.2 Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters...................................................................133
5.3.1.3 Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter..................................................................134
5.3.1.4 Assigning a Default Propagation Model for Coverage Predictions............................................134
5.3.2 Propagation Model Priority..............................................................................................................135
5.3.2.1 Displaying General Information about the Propagation Model..................................................135
5.3.2.2 Choosing the Appropriate Propagation Model ..........................................................................135
5.3.2.3 Managing Propagation Model Folders ......................................................................................136
5.3.3 Propagation Models Available in Atoll.............................................................................................136
5.3.3.1 The Standard Propagation Model .............................................................................................136
5.3.3.2 The Okumura-Hata Propagation Model ....................................................................................144
5.3.3.3 The Cost-Hata Propagation Model............................................................................................145
5.3.3.4 The ITU 529-3 Propagation Model ............................................................................................146
5.3.3.5 The ITU 370-7 Propagation Model (Vienna 93) ........................................................................147
5.3.3.6 The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) Propagation Model ......................................................................148
5.3.3.7 The WLL (Wireless Local Loop) Propagation Model.................................................................149
5.3.3.8 The Microwave Propagation Model...........................................................................................150
5.3.3.9 The Longley-Rice Propagation Model .......................................................................................153
5.4 Tuning Reception Parameters..............................................................................................153
5.4.1 Setting the Receiver Properties ......................................................................................................153
5.4.2 Computing Shadowing Margins......................................................................................................154
5.4.3 Using Cell Edge Coverage Probability in Predictions .....................................................................155
5.5 Coverage Studies........................................................................................................................156
5.5.1 Coverage Prediction: General Settings...........................................................................................156
5.5.1.1 Setting Calculation Areas..........................................................................................................156
5.5.1.2 Setting Calculation Resolutions.................................................................................................157
5.5.1.3 Creating Coverage Calculations................................................................................................158
5.5.1.4 Creating Coverage Studies per Transmitter Group...................................................................159
5.5.1.5 Accessing Coverage Prediction Properties...............................................................................159
5.5.1.6 Setting Coverage Resolutions...................................................................................................160
5.5.1.7 Organising Result Outputs of a Coverage Study......................................................................160
5.5.1.8 Defining the Coverage Conditions.............................................................................................160
5.5.1.9 Managing Prediction Display.....................................................................................................161
5.5.1.10 Running Coverage Calculations................................................................................................163
5.5.1.11 Locking Coverage Studies ........................................................................................................163
5.5.2 Prediction Study Templates............................................................................................................164
5.5.2.1 Calculating a Coverage by Transmitter.....................................................................................164
5.5.2.2 Calculating a Coverage by Signal Level....................................................................................164
5.5.2.3 Calculating Overlapping Areas..................................................................................................164
5.5.2.4 Creating a Coverage Study Template.......................................................................................165
5.5.2.5 Deleting a Coverage Study Template .......................................................................................165
5.5.3 Path Loss Management..................................................................................................................165
5.5.3.1 Storage of Path Loss Matrices ..................................................................................................165
5.5.3.2 Locking Path Loss Results........................................................................................................166
5.5.3.3 Checking the Validity of Path Loss Results...............................................................................167
5.5.3.4 Exporting Main Path Loss Matrices...........................................................................................168
5.5.4 Prediction Coverage Outputs..........................................................................................................168
5.5.4.1 Displaying Prediction Reports ...................................................................................................168
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5.5.4.2 Exporting Prediction Reports.................................................................................................... 169
5.5.4.3 Printing Prediction Reports....................................................................................................... 169
5.5.4.4 Viewing Prediction Study Statistics........................................................................................... 170
5.5.4.5 Exporting Prediction Coverages ............................................................................................... 170
5.5.4.6 The Types of Coverage Prediction Export Available................................................................ 171
5.5.5 Prediction Studies Comparisons .................................................................................................... 171
5.5.5.1 Comparing Two Similar Prediction Studies .............................................................................. 172
5.5.5.2 Comparing a Global Study with a Study by Transmitter........................................................... 172
5.6 Point Analysis Predictions...................................................................................................... 173
5.6.1 Displaying Point Analysis Results .................................................................................................. 173
5.6.1.1 Using the Receiver ................................................................................................................... 173
5.6.1.2 Studying the Profile from a Transmitter.................................................................................... 173
5.6.1.3 Displaying Predicted Signal Levels at a Point .......................................................................... 174
5.6.1.4 Listing All Signal and C/I Levels at a Point............................................................................... 175
5.6.2 Managing Point Analysis................................................................................................................ 175
5.6.2.1 Selecting a Transmitter in Point Analysis ................................................................................. 175
5.6.2.2 Selecting the Power Definition Item in Point Analysis .............................................................. 176
5.6.2.3 Taking into Account Shadowing in a Point Analysis................................................................. 176
5.6.2.4 Displaying Signal Levels or Losses in Point Analysis............................................................... 176
5.6.2.5 Displaying Link Budget at a Receiver....................................................................................... 177
5.6.2.6 Using a Site as a Target for Point Analysis .............................................................................. 177
5.6.2.7 Displaying SPM Parameters over a Profile Analysis ................................................................ 177
5.6.2.8 Exporting a Point Analysis Study.............................................................................................. 177
5.6.2.9 Printing a Point Analysis Study................................................................................................. 178
5.7 Calculation Tools in Atoll......................................................................................................... 178
5.7.1 Atoll Features for Computing.......................................................................................................... 178
5.7.2 Distributing Calculations on Several PCs....................................................................................... 179
5.7.3 Improving Calculation Performances ............................................................................................. 179
5.7.4 Displaying Calculation Events in a Log Window............................................................................ 180
5.7.5 Exporting Calculation Events in a Log File..................................................................................... 180
6 GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA Project Management............................................. 183
6.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Projects: Overview........................................................................... 183
6.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Projects Protocol............................................................................... 183
6.3 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources......................................................................... 184
6.3.1 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources: Overview....................................................................... 184
6.3.2 Frequencies.................................................................................................................................... 184
6.3.2.1 Managing Frequency Bands..................................................................................................... 185
6.3.2.2 Managing Frequency Domains and Groups............................................................................. 185
6.3.3 HSNs.............................................................................................................................................. 186
6.3.3.1 Managing HSN Domains and Groups ...................................................................................... 186
6.3.4 BSICs ............................................................................................................................................. 187
6.3.4.1 Defining the BSIC Format......................................................................................................... 187
6.3.4.2 Managing BSIC Domains and Groups...................................................................................... 187
6.4 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Radio Data..................................................................... 188
6.4.1 HCS layers ..................................................................................................................................... 188
6.4.1.1 Hierarchical Cells: Overview..................................................................................................... 188
6.4.1.2 Managing HCS Layers.............................................................................................................. 188
6.4.1.3 Assigning HCS Layers to Transmitters..................................................................................... 189
6.4.2 Timeslot Configurations.................................................................................................................. 190
6.4.2.1 Managing Timeslot Configurations ........................................................................................... 190
6.4.3 Cell Types ...................................................................................................................................... 190
6.4.3.1 TRX Types: Definition............................................................................................................... 190
6.4.3.2 Managing Cell Types................................................................................................................ 190
6.4.3.3 Cell Type Parameters............................................................................................................... 191
6.4.3.4 Examples of cell types.............................................................................................................. 192
6.4.3.5 Assigning Cell Types to Transmitters ....................................................................................... 194
6.4.3.6 Defining Extended Cells ........................................................................................................... 194
6.4.4 Subcells.......................................................................................................................................... 195
6.4.4.1 Managing Subcells in Transmitters........................................................................................... 195
6.4.4.2 Displaying the Subcell List........................................................................................................ 195
6.4.4.3 Subcell Property Details ........................................................................................................... 195
6.4.5 Advanced Modelling of Multi-Band transmitters............................................................................. 198
6.4.6 TRX Equipment.............................................................................................................................. 199
6.4.6.1 Creating TRX Equipment.......................................................................................................... 199
6.4.6.2 Managing TRX Equipment Properties ...................................................................................... 200
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6.4.6.3 Assigning TRX Equipment ........................................................................................................200
6.4.7 Codec Equipment............................................................................................................................201
6.4.7.1 Creating Codec Equipment.......................................................................................................201
6.4.7.2 Managing Codec Equipment Properties....................................................................................201
6.4.7.3 Setting Codec Mode Adaptation Thresholds.............................................................................202
6.4.7.4 Setting Codec Mode Quality Thresholds...................................................................................202
6.4.7.5 Assigning Codec Equipment to Transmitters ............................................................................202
6.4.7.6 Assigning Codec Equipment to Terminal Types .......................................................................203
6.4.8 GPRS/EDGE Equipment.................................................................................................................203
6.4.8.1 Creating GPRS/EDGE Equipment............................................................................................203
6.4.8.2 Managing GPRS/EDGE Equipment Properties.........................................................................204
6.4.8.3 Computing Automatically Coding Scheme Thresholds .............................................................204
6.4.8.4 Setting Coding Schemes Parameters .......................................................................................204
6.4.8.5 Displaying Rate Graphs ............................................................................................................205
6.4.8.6 Setting GPRS/EDGE Transmitters............................................................................................206
6.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Management.........................................................................206
6.5.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Multi-service Traffic Data.................................................................................206
6.5.1.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Services.....................................................................................................206
6.5.1.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Mobility Types............................................................................................208
6.5.1.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminals...................................................................................................209
6.5.1.4 GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profiles ..............................................................................................211
6.5.1.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environments.............................................................................................213
6.5.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Multi-service Traffic Cartography.....................................................................214
6.5.2.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Maps..........................................................................215
6.5.2.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Maps ...........................................................................217
6.5.2.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Maps per Sector......................................................................219
6.5.2.4 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Maps..................................................................................222
6.5.2.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Cumulated Traffic ......................................................................................224
6.5.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Analysis ................................................................................................224
6.5.3.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Capture .........................................................................224
6.5.3.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Capture Outputs .............................................................................225
6.5.3.3 Using a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Analysis .............................................................................226
6.6 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Network Dimensioning....................................................................226
6.6.1 Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dimensioning Models..........................................................................226
6.6.2 Key Performance Indicators: Definitions.........................................................................................227
6.6.3 Dimensioning GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitters..............................................................................227
6.6.4 Dimensioning Outputs in GSM/GPRS/EDGE .................................................................................228
6.6.5 Steps of the Dimensioning Process in GSM/GPRS/EDGE.............................................................230
6.7 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources Allocation.......................................................................230
6.7.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours......................................................................................................231
6.7.1.1 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitter Neighbours Manually.............................................231
6.7.1.2 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours .................................................232
6.7.1.3 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours on the Map...........................233
6.7.1.4 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitter Neighbours Automatically......................................233
6.7.1.5 Displaying the Current GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbour List.......................................................236
6.7.1.6 Modifying the Allocated GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours ..........................................................237
6.7.1.7 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours and their Characteristics on the Map....................238
6.7.1.8 Adding or Removing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours and Exceptional Pairs on the Map........239
6.7.1.9 Performing an Audit of the Current GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbourhood Plan..........................240
6.7.2 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Resources Manually in Atoll .........................................................241
6.7.2.1 Assigning BSIC Domains to Transmitters .................................................................................241
6.7.2.2 Assigning Manually BSICs to Transmitters ...............................................................................241
6.7.2.3 Allocating a BCCH to Transmitters Manually............................................................................242
6.7.2.4 Creating TRXs in Transmitters..................................................................................................242
6.7.2.5 Managing TRXs in Transmitters................................................................................................243
6.7.2.6 Displaying the TRX List.............................................................................................................243
6.7.2.7 TRX Property Details.................................................................................................................243
6.7.3 Interference Matrices ......................................................................................................................244
6.7.3.1 Calculating Interference Matrices..............................................................................................244
6.7.3.2 Importing and Exporting Interference Matrices .........................................................................245
6.7.3.3 Managing Interference Matrices................................................................................................246
6.7.3.4 Generating a Report on Interference Matrices..........................................................................247
6.7.4 Managing Exceptional Separations For Frequency Allocation........................................................247
6.7.4.1 Defining Exceptional Separations for Frequency Allocation......................................................247
6.7.4.2 Displaying AFP Exceptional Separations on the Map...............................................................248
6.7.4.3 Adding or Removing AFP Exceptional Separations on the Map...............................................248
6.7.5 Using AFP to Allocate Resources in Atoll .......................................................................................249
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6.7.5.1 Adjusting AFP Parameters from the Data Model...................................................................... 249
6.7.5.2 Using the Generic AFP Interface.............................................................................................. 249
6.7.5.3 Starting AFP ............................................................................................................................. 250
6.7.5.4 AFP Step 1: Generic Inputs...................................................................................................... 251
6.7.5.5 AFP Step 2: Loading and Verifying the Network...................................................................... 252
6.7.5.6 AFP Step 3: Generic AFP Settings........................................................................................... 252
6.7.5.7 AFP Step 4: Generic Outputs ................................................................................................... 253
6.7.6 Frequency Plan Analysis................................................................................................................ 256
6.7.6.1 Auditing a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Frequency Plan...................................................................... 256
6.7.6.2 Checking Consistency Between Transmitters and Subcells..................................................... 257
6.7.6.3 Using the Channel Search Tool in GSM/GPRS/EDGE ............................................................ 258
6.7.6.4 Displaying the Channel Distribution.......................................................................................... 258
6.7.6.5 Computing KPIs in GSM/GPRS/EDGE .................................................................................... 259
6.8 Specific GSM/GPRS/EDGE Prediction Studies.......................................................... 260
6.8.1 Setting Specific Coverage Conditions in GSM/GPRS/EDGE Studies............................................ 260
6.8.2 Studying Interfered Zone Predictions............................................................................................. 262
6.8.3 Computing a Coverage Study by C/I Level .................................................................................... 263
6.8.4 Studying Interferences with the Point Analysis .............................................................................. 264
6.8.5 Studying Interferences within a Transmitter Pair............................................................................ 266
6.8.6 Creating a Coverage by GPRS/EGPRS Coding Schemes ............................................................ 266
6.8.7 Computing a Coverage by GPRS/EDGE Throughput per Timeslot............................................... 267
6.8.8 Calculating GSM Circuit Quality Indicators .................................................................................... 268
7 Atoll AFP Module........................................................................................................................ 273
7.1 Atoll AFP Module: Overview................................................................................................. 273
7.2 Managing the Atoll AFP Module.......................................................................................... 273
7.2.1 Atoll AFP Cost Function: Overview................................................................................................ 273
7.2.2 Accessing Atoll AFP Module Properties......................................................................................... 273
7.2.3 Defining AFP Parameters............................................................................................................... 274
7.2.3.1 Defining Interference Cost........................................................................................................ 274
7.2.3.2 Defining Separation Constraint Violation Cost.......................................................................... 274
7.2.3.3 Other Costs Involved in the AFP Cost Function....................................................................... 275
7.2.3.4 Weighting the Cost Components.............................................................................................. 276
7.2.3.5 Setting Interferer Diversity Gain................................................................................................ 276
7.2.3.6 Setting Frequency Diversity Gain............................................................................................. 276
7.2.3.7 Setting Gain Due to Low Timeslot Use Ratio........................................................................... 277
7.2.4 Defining AFP Allocation Strategies ................................................................................................ 277
7.2.4.1 Defining AFP Allocation Strategies: Overview.......................................................................... 277
7.2.4.2 Setting Channel Spectrum Usage ............................................................................................ 278
7.2.4.3 Setting HSN Strategy in FH...................................................................................................... 278
7.2.4.4 Defining MAL Targets in SFH................................................................................................... 278
7.2.4.5 Managing MAIO Preferences in SFH....................................................................................... 279
7.2.4.6 Setting BSIC Usage Diversity................................................................................................... 279
7.3 Atoll AFP Module GUI .............................................................................................................. 280
7.3.1 Atoll AFP Cost Tab......................................................................................................................... 280
7.3.2 Atoll AFP Separation Weights Tab................................................................................................. 281
7.3.3 Atoll AFP Spectrum Tab................................................................................................................. 282
7.3.4 Atoll AFP HSN Tab......................................................................................................................... 282
7.3.5 Atoll AFP MAL Tab......................................................................................................................... 283
7.3.6 Atoll AFP MAIO Tab....................................................................................................................... 283
7.3.7 Atoll AFP BSIC Tab........................................................................................................................ 284
7.3.8 Atoll AFP Advanced Tab................................................................................................................ 284
8 UMTS HSPA Networks......................................................................................................... 289
8.1 Planning and Optimising UMTS Base Stations........................................................... 289
8.1.1 Creating a UMTS Base Station...................................................................................................... 289
8.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station...................................................................................................... 289
8.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element......................................................................... 294
8.1.1.3 Placing a New Station Using a Station Template..................................................................... 295
8.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates.................................................................................................... 296
8.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations................................................................................................. 300
8.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map................................................................... 301
8.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map..................................................... 301
8.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse................................................................................................ 301
8.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location........................................................................................... 302
8.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse.......................................................... 302
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8.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site...................................................302
8.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations.......................................................................................................303
8.1.5 Creating a Dual-Band UMTS Network............................................................................................303
8.1.6 Creating a Repeater........................................................................................................................303
8.1.6.1 Creating and Modifying Repeater Equipment ...........................................................................304
8.1.6.2 Placing a Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse.....................................................................304
8.1.6.3 Creating Several Repeaters......................................................................................................304
8.1.6.4 Defining the Properties of a Repeater.......................................................................................305
8.1.6.5 Hints for Updating Repeater Parameters ..................................................................................306
8.1.7 Creating a Remote Antenna............................................................................................................306
8.1.7.1 Placing a Remote Antenna on the Map Using the Mouse.........................................................306
8.1.7.2 Creating Several Remote Antennas..........................................................................................307
8.1.7.3 Defining the Properties of a Remote Antenna...........................................................................307
8.1.7.4 Hints for Updating Remote Antenna Parameters......................................................................308
8.1.8 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document..............................................................................308
8.1.9 Studying a Single Base Station.......................................................................................................308
8.1.9.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile.............................................................................308
8.1.9.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage...............................................................................................311
8.1.10 Studying Base Stations...................................................................................................................313
8.1.10.1 Path Loss Matrices....................................................................................................................313
8.1.10.2 The Calculation Process ...........................................................................................................315
8.1.10.3 Creating a Computation Zone...................................................................................................315
8.1.10.4 Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active .....................................................................................315
8.1.10.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions ...........................................................................................316
8.1.10.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction..............................................................................................320
8.1.10.7 UMTS-Specific Studies .............................................................................................................327
8.1.10.8 HSDPA Coverage Prediction ....................................................................................................339
8.1.10.9 HSUPA Coverage Prediction ....................................................................................................340
8.1.10.10 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results ................................................................341
8.1.11 Planning Neighbours.......................................................................................................................343
8.1.11.1 Defining Exceptional Pairs ........................................................................................................343
8.1.11.2 Allocating Neighbours Automatically.........................................................................................344
8.1.11.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results.....................................................................................347
8.1.11.4 Importing Neighbours................................................................................................................348
8.1.11.5 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell.............................................................................348
8.1.11.6 Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan ....................................................350
8.1.11.7 Exporting Neighbours................................................................................................................351
8.1.12 Planning Scrambling Codes............................................................................................................351
8.1.12.1 Defining the Scrambling Code Format......................................................................................352
8.1.12.2 Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups .....................................................................352
8.1.12.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation......................................................353
8.1.12.4 Allocating Scrambling Codes ....................................................................................................353
8.1.12.5 Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan..........................................................355
8.1.12.6 Displaying the Allocation of Scrambling Codes.........................................................................355
8.2 Studying Network Capacity....................................................................................................357
8.2.1 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data..................................................................................................357
8.2.2 Creating a Traffic Map.....................................................................................................................358
8.2.2.1 Live Traffic Data From the OMC ...............................................................................................358
8.2.2.2 Marketing-based Traffic Data....................................................................................................359
8.2.2.3 Population-based Traffic Data...................................................................................................363
8.2.2.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic..................................................................................................364
8.2.2.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic......................................................................................................364
8.2.3 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations...............................................................................364
8.2.3.1 The Power Control Simulation Algorithm..................................................................................364
8.2.3.2 Creating Simulations .................................................................................................................367
8.2.3.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map...........................................................................369
8.2.3.4 Displaying the User Active Set on the Map...............................................................................371
8.2.3.5 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation...........................................................................371
8.2.3.6 Displaying the Average Results of a Group of Simulations.......................................................376
8.2.3.7 Updating Cell Values With Simulation Results..........................................................................378
8.2.3.8 Adding New Simulations to an Atoll Document.........................................................................379
8.2.3.9 Estimating a Traffic Increase.....................................................................................................380
8.2.4 Analysing the Results of a Simulation.............................................................................................380
8.2.4.1 Making an AS Analysis of Simulation Results...........................................................................381
8.2.4.2 Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results ..........................................................381
8.3 Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity...................................................................382
8.3.1 Importing a Test Mobile Data Path..................................................................................................382
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8.3.2 Network Verification ....................................................................................................................... 385
8.3.2.1 Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths.................................................... 385
8.3.2.2 Comparing Measurements with Predictions ............................................................................. 386
8.3.2.3 Extracting a Field From a Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter.................................................. 387
8.3.2.4 Analysing Data Variations Along the Path................................................................................ 388
8.3.3 Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window.................................................................... 389
8.4 Advanced Configuration.......................................................................................................... 390
8.4.1 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference.................................................................................................. 390
8.4.2 Defining Frequency Bands............................................................................................................. 390
8.4.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters............................................................................................... 390
8.4.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab............................................................................. 391
8.4.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters ................................................................................ 391
8.4.4 Radio Bearers ................................................................................................................................ 392
8.4.4.1 Defining R99 Radio Bearers..................................................................................................... 392
8.4.4.2 Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers ............................................................................................... 393
8.4.4.3 Defining HSUPA Radio Bearers ............................................................................................... 393
8.4.5 Site Equipment............................................................................................................................... 393
8.4.5.1 Creating Site Equipment........................................................................................................... 393
8.4.5.2 Defining Channel Element Consumption per UMTS Site Equipment and R99 Radio Bearer .. 394
8.4.6 Receiver Equipment....................................................................................................................... 394
8.4.6.1 Setting Receiver Height............................................................................................................ 394
8.4.6.2 Creating or Modifying Reception Equipment............................................................................ 395
8.4.6.3 HSDPA UE Categories............................................................................................................. 396
8.4.6.4 HSUPA UE Categories............................................................................................................. 396
8.4.7 Conditions for Entering the Active Set............................................................................................ 396
8.4.8 Modelling Shadowing..................................................................................................................... 397
8.4.8.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins and Macro-diversity Gain per Clutter Class...................... 397
9 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Project Management....................................................... 401
9.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects: Overview..................................................................... 401
9.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects: Concepts..................................................................... 401
9.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects Protocol......................................................................... 402
9.4 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Radio Data.............................................................. 402
9.4.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site equipment........................................................................................... 403
9.4.1.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment........................................................................ 403
9.4.1.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site Equipment .................................................................... 403
9.4.1.3 Managing Channel Element Consumption per cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site Equipment ........... 404
9.4.1.4 Assigning cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site Equipment to Sites........................................................ 404
9.4.1.5 Setting the Number of Available Channel Elements on the Site (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)........ 405
9.4.2 Transmitter cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Specific Parameters................................................................ 405
9.4.2.1 Defining the Transmitter cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Global Parameters ........................................ 405
9.4.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells ........................................................................................................... 406
9.4.3.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells: Definition..................................................................................... 406
9.4.3.2 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell...................................................................................... 406
9.4.3.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Activity.......................................................................... 407
9.4.3.4 Naming cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Automatically.................................................................. 407
9.4.3.5 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Properties ..................................................................... 407
9.4.3.6 Power Parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000............................................................................ 408
9.4.3.7 Active Set Parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000...................................................................... 408
9.4.3.8 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Properties on the Map................................................. 408
9.4.4 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference.................................................................................................. 409
9.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Management.................................................................. 409
9.5.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Multi-service Traffic Data ........................................................................... 410
9.5.1.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services................................................................................................ 410
9.5.1.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Mobility Types....................................................................................... 412
9.5.1.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Terminal Equipment ............................................................................. 414
9.5.1.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profiles......................................................................................... 416
9.5.1.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environments........................................................................................ 418
9.5.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Multi-service Traffic Cartography............................................................... 420
9.5.2.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Maps..................................................................... 420
9.5.2.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Maps...................................................................... 423
9.5.2.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Maps per Sector................................................................. 425
9.5.2.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Density Maps............................................................................. 427
9.5.2.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cumulated Traffic................................................................................. 430
9.6 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations.................................................................................... 430
9.6.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Process .................................................................................... 430
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9.6.1.1 cdmaOne Power Control Algorithm...........................................................................................431
9.6.1.2 CDMA2000 1xRTT Power Control Algorithm............................................................................431
9.6.1.3 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Power and Rate Control Simulation Algorithm......................................433
9.6.1.4 Resource Management in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT Simulations......................................434
9.6.1.5 Resource Management in CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Simulations..................................................434
9.6.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations.................................................................................435
9.6.2.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations.............................................................................435
9.6.2.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Inputs...................................................................................435
9.6.2.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Properties ...........................................................436
9.6.2.4 Replaying a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation .........................................................................437
9.6.2.5 Generator Initialisation - Replay Differences (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) ......................................437
9.6.2.6 Averaging cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations ..........................................................................438
9.6.2.7 Adding a Simulation to an Existing Group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations.....................438
9.6.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results Summary......................................................................438
9.6.3.1 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Statistics ............................................................438
9.6.3.2 Displaying Input Parameters of an Existing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation.........................439
9.6.3.3 Summarising Results per site (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)...............................................440
9.6.3.4 Summarising Results per cell (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects) ...............................................440
9.6.3.5 Committing Simulated Loads to Cells (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)...................................441
9.6.3.6 Summarising Results per Mobile (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)..........................................442
9.6.3.7 Displaying Shadowing Values of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation......................................443
9.6.3.8 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results on the Map............................................443
9.6.3.9 Exporting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results ................................................................444
9.6.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs......................................................................................444
9.6.4.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Sites..................................................................444
9.6.4.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cells..................................................................445
9.6.4.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Average Simulation Outputs on Cells ...................................................445
9.6.4.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cell Components ..............................................445
9.6.4.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobiles .............................................................446
9.6.4.6 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobile Components..........................................447
9.7 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Prediction Studies.......................................................................448
9.7.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Point Analysis .............................................................................................449
9.7.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies .......................................................................................450
9.7.2.1 List of Available cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies .......................................................450
9.7.2.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies.................................................................452
9.8 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Resources Allocation................................................................456
9.8.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours..................................................................................................456
9.8.1.1 Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Neighbours Manually.....................................................456
9.8.1.2 Defining cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours.............................................457
9.8.1.3 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours on the Map ......................457
9.8.1.4 Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Neighbours Automatically..............................................458
9.8.1.5 Displaying Current cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbour List ........................................................461
9.8.1.6 Modifying the Allocated cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours......................................................461
9.8.1.7 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours and their Characteristics on the Map ...............462
9.8.1.8 Adding or Removing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours and Exceptional Pairs on the Map ...464
9.8.1.9 Performing an Audit of the Current cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbourhood Plan......................465
9.8.2 PN Offsets.......................................................................................................................................466
9.8.2.1 Creating PN Offsets Domains and Groups ...............................................................................466
9.8.2.2 Assigning a PN Offset Domain to a Cell....................................................................................467
9.8.2.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for PN Offset Allocation..................................................................467
9.8.2.4 Allocating PN Offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Automatically.........................................467
9.8.2.5 Allocating PN Offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Manually................................................468
9.8.2.6 Checking the Consistency of the PN Offset Plan......................................................................468
9.8.2.7 Displaying the Reuse of PN Offsets on the Map.......................................................................469
9.8.2.8 Displaying the PN Offset Distribution........................................................................................469
9.8.2.9 Displaying the PN Offset Interference Zones............................................................................469
10 TD-SCDMA Networks.............................................................................................................473
10.1 Planning and Optimising TD-SCDMA Base Stations................................................473
10.1.1 Creating a TD-SCDMA Base Station..............................................................................................473
10.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station.......................................................................................................473
10.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element..........................................................................479
10.1.1.3 Placing a New Base Station Using a Station Template.............................................................480
10.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates.....................................................................................................481
10.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations .................................................................................................484
10.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map....................................................................485
10.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map......................................................485
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10.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse................................................................................................ 485
10.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location........................................................................................... 485
10.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse.......................................................... 485
10.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site.................................................. 486
10.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations...................................................................................................... 486
10.1.5 Creating a Dual-Band TD-SCDMA Network................................................................................... 487
10.1.6 Creating a Repeater....................................................................................................................... 487
10.1.6.1 Creating and Modifying Repeater Equipment........................................................................... 487
10.1.6.2 Placing a Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse.................................................................... 488
10.1.6.3 Creating Several Repeaters ..................................................................................................... 488
10.1.6.4 Defining the Properties of a Repeater ...................................................................................... 488
10.1.6.5 Hints for Updating Repeater Parameters.................................................................................. 490
10.1.7 Creating a Remote Antenna........................................................................................................... 490
10.1.7.1 Placing a Remote Antenna on the Map Using the Mouse........................................................ 490
10.1.7.2 Creating Several Remote Antennas ......................................................................................... 490
10.1.7.3 Defining the Properties of a Remote Antenna.......................................................................... 491
10.1.7.4 Hints for Updating Remote Antenna Parameters ..................................................................... 491
10.1.8 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document............................................................................. 492
10.1.9 Studying a Single Base Station...................................................................................................... 492
10.1.9.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile............................................................................ 492
10.1.9.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage............................................................................................... 495
10.1.10 Studying Base Stations .................................................................................................................. 497
10.1.10.1 Path Loss Matrices ................................................................................................................... 497
10.1.10.2 The Calculation Process........................................................................................................... 499
10.1.10.3 Creating a Computation Zone................................................................................................... 499
10.1.10.4 Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active..................................................................................... 499
10.1.10.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions........................................................................................... 500
10.1.10.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction.............................................................................................. 507
10.1.10.7 Signal Quality Coverage Predictions ........................................................................................ 514
10.1.10.8 HSDPA Coverage Prediction.................................................................................................... 530
10.1.10.9 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results................................................................ 531
10.1.11 Planning Frequencies..................................................................................................................... 533
10.1.11.1 Setting Up N-Frequency Mode................................................................................................. 534
10.1.11.2 Allocating Frequencies Automatically....................................................................................... 534
10.1.11.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results .................................................................................... 534
10.1.11.4 Allocating Carrier Types per Transmitter.................................................................................. 535
10.1.11.5 Checking the Consistency of the Frequency Allocation Plan................................................... 535
10.1.12 Planning Neighbours...................................................................................................................... 535
10.1.12.1 Defining Exceptional Pairs........................................................................................................ 536
10.1.12.2 Allocating Neighbours Automatically........................................................................................ 536
10.1.12.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results .................................................................................... 539
10.1.12.4 Importing Neighbours ............................................................................................................... 540
10.1.12.5 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell ............................................................................ 541
10.1.12.6 Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan.................................................... 542
10.1.12.7 Exporting Neighbours ............................................................................................................... 543
10.1.13 Planning Scrambling Codes........................................................................................................... 543
10.1.13.1 Defining the Scrambling Code Format...................................................................................... 544
10.1.13.2 Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups..................................................................... 544
10.1.13.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation..................................................... 545
10.1.13.4 Allocating Scrambling Codes.................................................................................................... 545
10.1.13.5 Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan......................................................... 547
10.1.13.6 Displaying the Allocation of Scrambling Codes ........................................................................ 547
10.2 Studying Network Capacity................................................................................................... 550
10.2.1 TD-SCDMA Network Capacity....................................................................................................... 551
10.2.1.1 Calculating Available Network Capacity................................................................................... 551
10.2.1.2 Calculating Required Network Capacity................................................................................... 552
10.2.2 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data ................................................................................................. 554
10.2.3 Creating a Traffic Map.................................................................................................................... 555
10.2.3.1 Live Traffic Data From the OMC............................................................................................... 555
10.2.3.2 Marketing-Based Traffic Data................................................................................................... 556
10.2.3.3 Population-Based Traffic Data.................................................................................................. 560
10.2.3.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic ................................................................................................. 561
10.2.3.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic..................................................................................................... 561
10.2.4 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations .............................................................................. 561
10.2.4.1 The Monte Carlo Simulation Algorithm..................................................................................... 562
10.2.4.2 Creating Simulations................................................................................................................. 563
10.2.4.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map.......................................................................... 564
10.2.4.4 Displaying the User Best Server on the Map............................................................................ 566
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Atoll User Manual
10.2.4.5 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation...........................................................................566
10.2.4.6 Displaying the Average Results of a Group of Simulations.......................................................568
10.2.4.7 Updating Cell and Timeslot Values With Simulation Results ....................................................569
10.2.4.8 Adding New Simulations to an Atoll Document.........................................................................569
10.2.4.9 Estimating a Traffic Increase.....................................................................................................571
10.2.5 Analysing the Results of a Simulation.............................................................................................571
10.2.5.1 Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results ..........................................................571
10.3 Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity...................................................................572
10.3.1 Importing a Test Mobile Data Path..................................................................................................572
10.3.2 Network Verification........................................................................................................................574
10.3.2.1 Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths.....................................................574
10.3.2.2 Comparing Measurements with Predictions..............................................................................575
10.3.2.3 Extracting a Field From a Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter...................................................577
10.3.2.4 Analysing Data Variations Along the Path.................................................................................577
10.3.3 Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window.....................................................................578
10.4 Advanced Configuration...........................................................................................................579
10.4.1 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference..................................................................................................579
10.4.2 Defining Frequency Bands..............................................................................................................579
10.4.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters................................................................................................580
10.4.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab..............................................................................580
10.4.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters.................................................................................581
10.4.4 Smart Antenna Modelling................................................................................................................581
10.4.4.1 Types of Smart Antenna Modelling...........................................................................................581
10.4.4.2 Smart Antenna Equipment........................................................................................................584
10.4.5 Radio Bearers.................................................................................................................................585
10.4.5.1 Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers................................................................................................585
10.4.6 Site Equipment................................................................................................................................586
10.4.6.1 Creating Site Equipment ...........................................................................................................586
10.4.7 Reception Equipment......................................................................................................................586
10.4.7.1 Setting Receiver Height.............................................................................................................586
10.4.7.2 Creating or Modifying Reception Equipment.............................................................................586
10.4.7.3 HSDPA User Equipment Categories.........................................................................................587
10.4.8 Modelling Shadowing......................................................................................................................587
10.4.8.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins ...........................................................................................588
10.4.9 Maximum System Range................................................................................................................588
11 WiMAX BWA Networks..........................................................................................................593
11.1 Planning and Optimising WiMAX Base Stations .........................................................593
11.1.1 Creating a WiMAX Base Station.....................................................................................................594
11.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station.......................................................................................................594
11.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element..........................................................................597
11.1.1.3 Placing a New Base Station Using a Station Template.............................................................598
11.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates.....................................................................................................599
11.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations .................................................................................................602
11.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map....................................................................602
11.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map......................................................603
11.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse.................................................................................................603
11.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location...........................................................................................603
11.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse...........................................................603
11.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site...................................................604
11.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations.......................................................................................................604
11.1.5 Creating a Multi-Band WiMAX Network..........................................................................................605
11.1.6 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document..............................................................................605
11.1.7 Studying a Single Base Station.......................................................................................................605
11.1.7.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile.............................................................................606
11.1.7.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage...............................................................................................608
11.1.8 Studying Base Stations...................................................................................................................611
11.1.8.1 Path Loss Matrices....................................................................................................................611
11.1.8.2 The Calculation Process ...........................................................................................................613
11.1.8.3 Creating a Computation Zone...................................................................................................613
11.1.8.4 Setting Transmitters as Active...................................................................................................613
11.1.8.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions ...........................................................................................614
11.1.8.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction..............................................................................................618
11.1.8.7 WiMAX-Specific Coverage Predictions .....................................................................................626
11.1.8.8 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results ................................................................635
11.1.9 Planning Neighbours.......................................................................................................................637
11.1.9.1 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell.............................................................................637
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Table of Contents
11.1.9.2 Importing Neighbours ............................................................................................................... 639
11.1.9.3 Checking Neighbour Allocation................................................................................................. 639
11.1.9.4 Exporting Neighbours ............................................................................................................... 640
11.2 Studying Network Capacity................................................................................................... 641
11.2.1 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data ................................................................................................. 641
11.2.2 Creating a Traffic Map.................................................................................................................... 641
11.2.2.1 Live Traffic Data From the OMC............................................................................................... 642
11.2.2.2 Marketing-Based Traffic Data................................................................................................... 643
11.2.2.3 Population-Based Traffic Data.................................................................................................. 647
11.2.2.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic ................................................................................................. 648
11.2.2.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic..................................................................................................... 648
11.2.3 Exporting a Traffic Map.................................................................................................................. 648
11.2.4 Subscriber Database...................................................................................................................... 648
11.2.4.1 Creating a Subscriber List ........................................................................................................ 649
11.2.4.2 Performing Calculations on Subscriber lists ............................................................................. 652
11.2.5 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations .............................................................................. 653
11.2.5.1 WiMAX Traffic Simulation Algorithm......................................................................................... 653
11.2.5.2 Creating Simulations................................................................................................................. 655
11.2.5.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map.......................................................................... 656
11.2.5.4 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation.......................................................................... 658
11.2.5.5 Updating Cell Load Values With Simulation Results ................................................................ 659
11.2.5.6 Estimating a Traffic Increase.................................................................................................... 660
11.3 Advanced Configuration.......................................................................................................... 660
11.3.1 Glossary of WiMAX Terms............................................................................................................. 660
11.3.2 Defining Frequency Bands............................................................................................................. 661
11.3.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters............................................................................................... 661
11.3.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab............................................................................. 661
11.3.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters ................................................................................ 662
11.3.4 Defining Frame Configurations....................................................................................................... 663
11.3.5 Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers ..................................................................................................... 664
11.3.6 Defining WiMAX Quality Indicators ................................................................................................ 664
11.3.7 Defining WiMAX Reception Equipment.......................................................................................... 665
11.3.8 Defining Adaptive Antenna Equipment........................................................................................... 667
11.3.9 Modelling Shadowing..................................................................................................................... 668
11.3.9.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins per Clutter Class............................................................... 668
11.4 Tips and Tricks............................................................................................................................. 669
12 Microwave Link Project Management....................................................................... 673
12.1 Microwave Link Project Management: Overview........................................................ 673
12.2 Microwave Links Projects Protocol.................................................................................... 673
12.3 Global Microwave Link Parameters................................................................................... 674
12.3.1 Managing Microwave Links Frequency Bands............................................................................... 674
12.3.2 Managing Microwave Links Frequency Sub-Bands ....................................................................... 675
12.4 Microwave Links Classes and Performance Objectives......................................... 675
12.4.1 Managing Microwave Links Classes .............................................................................................. 675
12.4.2 Microwave Links Performance Objectives ..................................................................................... 675
12.4.2.1 Microwave Links Quality Objectives ......................................................................................... 676
12.4.2.2 Microwave Links Availability Objectives ................................................................................... 677
12.5 Managing Microwave Link Equipment............................................................................. 677
12.5.1 Microwave Manufacturers Table.................................................................................................... 677
12.5.2 Microwave Antennas...................................................................................................................... 677
12.5.2.1 Creating Microwave Antennas.................................................................................................. 678
12.5.2.2 Importing Microwave Antennas ................................................................................................ 679
12.5.2.3 Managing Microwave Antenna Properties................................................................................ 679
12.5.2.4 Copying Microwave Antenna Patterns to the Clipboard........................................................... 681
12.5.2.5 Printing Microwave Antenna Patterns....................................................................................... 681
12.5.2.6 Smoothing Microwave Antenna Vertical Patterns..................................................................... 681
12.5.3 Microwave Equipment.................................................................................................................... 682
12.5.3.1 Managing Microwave Transceiver Equipment.......................................................................... 682
12.5.3.2 Managing Microwave Waveguides and Cables........................................................................ 687
12.5.3.3 Assigning Radio Equipment to Microwave Links...................................................................... 688
12.5.4 Microwave Antenna/Equipment Compatibility................................................................................ 689
12.5.4.1 Microwave Antenna/Equipment Compatibilities Table.............................................................. 689
12.5.4.2 Assistant for Compatibility Definition........................................................................................ 689
12.6 Managing Microwave Links................................................................................................... 690
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12.6.1 Microwave Links..............................................................................................................................690
12.6.1.1 Analysing Microwave Sites........................................................................................................690
12.6.1.2 Microwave Link Properties ........................................................................................................693
12.6.1.3 Microwave Links Templates......................................................................................................696
12.6.2 Microwave Passive Repeaters........................................................................................................698
12.6.2.1 Creating a Microwave Passive Repeater ..................................................................................699
12.6.2.2 Managing Microwave Passive Repeater Properties..................................................................699
12.6.2.3 Inserting Microwave Passive Repeaters in Microwave Links....................................................700
12.6.3 Multi-hop Links................................................................................................................................700
12.6.3.1 Creating a Multi-hop Link ..........................................................................................................701
12.6.3.2 Managing Multi-hop Link Properties..........................................................................................701
12.6.3.3 Managing Multi-hop Links and Microwave Links Mapping Globally..........................................702
12.6.3.4 Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a Multi-hop Link.........................................................703
12.6.3.5 Deleting a Multi-hop Link...........................................................................................................703
12.6.4 Point-to-Multipoint Links..................................................................................................................703
12.6.4.1 Creating a Point-to-Multipoint Link............................................................................................703
12.6.4.2 Point-to-Multipoint Link Properties ............................................................................................704
12.6.4.3 Mapping of Microwave Links to Point-to-Multipoint Links Globally............................................705
12.6.4.4 Adding a Microwave Link to a Point-to-Multipoint Link..............................................................705
12.6.4.5 Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a Point-to-Multipoint Link...........................................706
12.6.4.6 Deleting a Microwave Link from a Point-to-Multipoint Link........................................................706
12.6.4.7 Deleting a Point-to-Multipoint Link.............................................................................................706
12.6.4.8 Adjusting the Antenna of the Point-to-Multipoint Hub................................................................707
12.6.4.9 Graphically Adjusting the Antenna of the Point-to-Multipoint Hub.............................................707
12.7 Managing Microwave Links Specific Geo Data............................................................707
12.7.1 Working with Rain Maps .................................................................................................................707
12.7.2 Importing a Rain Map......................................................................................................................707
12.7.3 Managing Rain Map Properties.......................................................................................................708
12.7.4 Displaying Rain Statistics................................................................................................................708
12.7.5 ITU Maps.........................................................................................................................................709
12.7.5.1 ITU Vapour Density on Earth ....................................................................................................709
12.7.5.2 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: February......................................................................................709
12.7.5.3 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: May .............................................................................................710
12.7.5.4 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: August.........................................................................................710
12.7.5.5 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: November....................................................................................711
12.7.5.6 ITU Rain Zones: America..........................................................................................................712
12.7.5.7 ITU Rain Zones: Europe and Africa ..........................................................................................713
12.7.5.8 ITU Rain Zones: Asia................................................................................................................714
12.8 Microwave Link Analysis .........................................................................................................714
12.8.1 Propagation Model and Global Calculation Parameters .................................................................714
12.8.1.1 Propagation Model ....................................................................................................................714
12.8.1.2 Global Calculation Parameters..................................................................................................714
12.8.2 Restricting the Number of Sites and Microwave Links Studied.......................................................715
12.8.2.1 Setting a Computation Zone......................................................................................................716
12.8.2.2 Setting a Focus Zone................................................................................................................716
12.8.3 Microwave Link Profile Analysis......................................................................................................716
12.8.3.1 Viewing a Microwave Link Profile..............................................................................................717
12.8.3.2 Viewing Microwave Link Clearance...........................................................................................717
12.8.3.3 Managing Microwave Link Profile Display Options ...................................................................718
12.8.3.4 Zooming In on the Profile..........................................................................................................719
12.8.3.5 Printing a Microwave Link Profile..............................................................................................719
12.8.3.6 Modifying Microwave Link Profile Values..................................................................................719
12.8.3.7 Optimising Microwave Link Antenna Heights............................................................................720
12.8.3.8 Studying Reflections Along Microwave Link Profile ..................................................................721
12.8.3.9 Studying Space Diversity Effects on Microwave Links..............................................................722
12.8.4 Microwave Link Reliability Analysis.................................................................................................722
12.8.4.1 Analysing Microwave Link Performance Objectives..................................................................723
12.8.4.2 End-to-End Reliability Level ......................................................................................................726
12.8.5 Interference Analysis and Frequency Planning...............................................................................726
12.8.5.1 Interference Analysis.................................................................................................................726
12.8.5.2 Frequency Planning..................................................................................................................730
13 Co-planning Features..............................................................................................................735
13.1 Starting a Co-planning Project..............................................................................................735
13.2 GSM-UMTS Co-planning Process......................................................................................735
13.2.1 Displaying Both Networks in the Same Atoll Document..................................................................736
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Table of Contents
13.2.2 Creating a UMTS Sector From a GSM Sector ............................................................................... 736
13.2.2.1 Synchronising Shared Common Physical Parameters............................................................. 737
13.2.3 Comparing GSM-UMTS Coverage Predictions.............................................................................. 738
13.2.4 Performing Inter-Technology Neighbour Allocation........................................................................ 739
13.2.4.1 Setting Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs.............................................................................. 740
13.2.4.2 Displaying Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs on the Map..................................................... 740
13.2.4.3 Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Manually................................................................... 742
13.2.4.4 Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Automatically............................................................ 742
13.2.4.5 Displaying Inter-Technology Neighbours on the Map............................................................... 743
13.3 Tips and Tricks............................................................................................................................. 745
13.3.1 Minimising Memory Consumption.................................................................................................. 745
Index .................................................................................................................................................................. 747
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Atoll User Manual
CHAPTER 1
THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
1 The Working Environment
The Atoll working environment provides a comprehensive and integrated set of tools and features that allow you to create
and define your radio-planning project in a single application. You can save the entire project as a single file, or you can
link your project to external files.
Atoll uses standard Windows interface elements, with the ability to have several document windows open at the same
time, support for drag-and-drop functionality, context menus, and support for standard Windows shortcuts, for example,
for cutting and pasting. Atoll also gives you the ability to undo recent changes to your document. Atoll offers the standard
Windows Print functionality, with added functionality allowing you to print either the entire map window, parts of it, or only
certain objects. Atoll also provides other tools, such as a search tool to locate either a site, a point on the map, or a vector.
The Explorer window plays a central role in Atoll. The Explorer window contains most of the objects in a document
arranged in folders.
Using the Explorer window, you can manage all objects in the Atoll document: sites, transmitters, calculations, etc., as
well as geographic data such as the Digital Terrain Model (DTM), clutter classes, and traffic maps. You can, for example,
define various studies or configure the parameters or display of data objects.
The content of the folders in the Explorer window can be displayed in tables, allowing you to manage large amounts of
data. You can sort and filter the data in a table, or change how the data is displayed. You can also use the table feature
to enter large amounts of information by cutting and pasting the information from any Windows spreadsheet into the table.
The map is the working area for your document and Atoll provides many features for working with the map. You can
change the view by moving or zooming in or out and you can choose which objects are displayed and how they are
displayed. You can also export the current display definition, or configuration, to use it in other documents.
This chapter explains the following topics:
"The Atoll Windows" on page 23
"The Explorer Window" on page 25
"Working With Objects" on page 27
"Printing in Atoll" on page 33
"Working with Maps" on page 37
"Working with Data Tables" on page 41
"Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data" on page 50
"Tips and Tricks" on page 63.
1.1 The Atoll Windows
This section provides you with a quick introduction to the Atolls two types of windows:
Document windows: Document windows contain the map as well document-specific data tables and reports.
They are located in the workspace area of the Atoll working environment.
Docking windows: Docking windows, such as the Explorer window, display the content of the active document.
The Atoll user interface, with examples of document windows and docking windows, is shown in Figure 1.1 on page 24.
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Atoll User Manual
Figure 1.1: Atoll user interface
1.1.1 Working with Document Windows
When you have one Atoll document open, you can have several document windows open at the same time. You can
resize, maximise, and minimise document windows as you can in any Windows-based application.
As well, you can tile document windows, in order to display all of them at the same time, or cascade them, in order to
display the title bar of each document window.
To tile document windows:
Select Window > Tile.
To cascade document windows:
Select Window > Cascade.
1.1.2 Working with Docking Windows
The docking windows, such as the Explorer window, display the content of the active document. They are not part of the
individual Atoll document, but part of the working environment and, when you switch to a different document, the docking
windows will display the content of the active document.
You can change how and whether a docking window will be displayed. You can also choose to remove a docking window
from its position and float it over the Atoll working environment.
To display a docking window:
On the View menu, select the name of the window.
To close a docking window:
Click the Hide button ( ) in the corner of the window. Depending on the position of the docking window, this
button can be in the upper-left or upper-right corner.
You can change how much room a docking window takes if it shares a docking area with other docking windows by maxim-
ising or minimising the docking window.
To maximise a window in its docking area:
Click the Maximise button ( ) near the corner of the window. Depending on the position of the docking window,
this button can be in the upper-left or upper-right corner.
To minimise a window in its docking area:
Click the Minimise button ( ) near the corner of the window. Depending on the position of the docking window,
this button can be in the upper-left or upper-right corner.
You can leave a docking window in its docking area, or you can have it float over the working environment, allowing you
to maximise the amount of area for document windows or other docking windows.
Docked docking window
(Explorer window)
Floating docking window
(Panoramic window)
Docked docking window (Point Analysis
window)
Toolbar
Document window (map)
Workspace
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
To float a docking window:
Double-click the docking window title bar. The docking window leaves the docking area and floats over the working
environment.
To dock a docking window:
To return the window to its previous docked location, double-click the docking window title bar.
Or
Click the title bar of the docking window and drag the window to a different docking area.
1.2 The Explorer Window
The Explorer window is a docking window that plays a central role in Atoll. The Explorer window contains the data and
objects of a document, arranged in folders. Each object and folder has a context-specific menu that you can access by
right-clicking. Items can be modified at the folder level, with changes affecting all items in the folder, or items can be
accessed and edited individually. As well, most folder contents can also be accessed in a table, allowing you to easily
manage large amounts of information. For information on working with tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
In this section, the following are described:
"Working with the Explorer Window Tabs" on page 25
"Navigating in the Explorer Window" on page 26
"Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26
"Working with Layers Using the Explorer" on page 26.
1.2.1 Working with the Explorer Window Tabs
The Explorer window has three tabs:
The Data tab: The Data tab allows you to manage radio data and calculations. Depending on the modules
installed with Atoll, the Data tab has the following folders:
- Sites
- Antennas
- Transmitters
- Predictions
- UMTS Parameters, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters, or GSM/GPRS Parameters
- UMTS Simulations or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
- Traffic analysis (GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects only)
- Hexagonal design
- Microwave links
- CW Measurements and Test mobile data
The Geo tab: The Geo tab allows you to manage geographic data. The number of folders depends on the
number and types of geographical data types (vector data, scanned images, etc.) you import or create:
- Clutter classes
- Clutter heights
- Digital Terrain Model
- Population data
- Any generic geo data map
- Traffic (GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA, UMTS HSPA, cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
The Modules tab: The Modules tab allows you to manage the propagation models and additional modules. It
contains:
- A Propagation Models folder with the following propagation models:
- Longley-Rice
- Okumura-Hata
- Costa-Hata
- Standard Propagation Model
- ITU 526-5
- ITU 370-7 (Vienna 93)
- WLL
- Microwave Propagation Model
- The AFP models available in your Atoll installation.
Note: You can move the docking window by clicking the title bar and dragging it. To prevent the
window from docking as you move it, press CTRL as you drag the docking window.
Note: The window positions for docking windows are not associated with the current document;
they remain the same no matter which document you open.
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- Any additional module created using the API.
1.2.2 Navigating in the Explorer Window
The Explorer window has three tabs; each tab has objects and folders containing objects.
To move from one tab to another:
Click the tab at the top of the Explorer window.
A folder on a tab can be opened to allow you to view its contents. Each folder containing at least one object has an Expand
( ) or Contract button ( ) to the left of its name.
To expand a folder to display its contents:
Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of its name.
1.2.3 Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer
You can use the Explorer to display or hide objects on the map. This allows you to hide one type of object so that another
type of object is more plainly visible. For example, you could hide all predictions but one, so that the results of one predic-
tion are more clearly displayed.
To hide an object on the map:
1. Select the tab of the Explorer window that contains that object.
2. Clear the check box ( ) immediately to the left of the object name. The check box appears cleared ( ) and the
object is no longer visible on the map.
1.2.4 Working with Layers Using the Explorer
In Atoll, the map is made of objects arranged in layers. The layers on the top (as arranged on the Data and Geo tabs) are
the most visible on the screen and in print. The visibility of the lower layers depends on which layers are above and visible
(see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26) and on the transparency of these layers
(see "Defining the Transparency of Objects and Object Types" on page 30).
To move a layer up or down:
1. Select the tab of the Explorer window that contains that object.
2. Click and drag the object to its new position. As you drag the object, a horizontal black line indicates where the
object will remain when you release the mouse button (see Figure 1.2).
Figure 1.2: Moving a layer
Note: Hiding an object affects only its visibility in the map window; it will still be taken into consid-
eration during calculations.
Note: You can hide the contents of an entire folder by clearing the check box to the left of the
folder name. When the check box of a folder appears greyed ( ), it indicates that the
folder contains both visible and hidden objects.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
1.3 Working With Objects
In Atoll, the items found in the Explorer window and displayed on the map are referred to as objects. Most objects in Atoll
belong to an object type. For example, one particular transmitter is an object of the type transmitter.
This section explains the following ways of working with objects:
"Using the Object Context Menu" on page 27
"Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
1.3.1 Using the Object Context Menu
In Atoll, an objects context menu gives you access to commands specific to that object as well as to commands that are
common to most objects. In this section, the following context menu commands common to all objects types are explained:
Rename: "Renaming an Object" on page 27.
Delete: "Deleting an Object" on page 27.
Properties: "Displaying the Properties of an Object" on page 27.
1.3.1.1 Renaming an Object
You can change the name of an object in Atoll.
To rename an object:
1. Right-click the object either in the Explorer window or on the map. The context menu appears.
2. Select Rename from the context menu.
3. Enter the new name and press ENTER to change the name.
1.3.1.2 Deleting an Object
You can delete objects from either the Explorer window or from the map.
To delete an object:
1. Right-click the object either in the Explorer window or on the map. The context menu appears.
2. Select Delete from the context menu. The selected object is deleted.
1.3.1.3 Displaying the Properties of an Object
You can see the properties of an object in the Properties dialogue.
To open the Properties dialogue of an object:
1. Right-click the object either in the Explorer window or on the map. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
Switching Between Property Dialogues
You can switch between the Properties dialogues of items (transmitters, antennas, sites, services, user profiles, etc.) in
the same folder or subfolder in the Explorer window by using the browse buttons ( ) in the lower-left
corner of each Properties dialogue:
: jump to the first item in the list
: jump to the previous item in the list
: jump to the next item in the list
: jump to the last item in the list
If you have made any changes to the properties of an item, Atoll prompts you to confirm these changes before switching
to the next Properties dialogue.
You can use this feature, for example, to access the properties of co-site transmitters without closing and reopening the
Properties dialogue. Switching is performed within the lowest subfolder in the hierarchy. For example:
Note: Before you print a map, you should pay attention to the arrangement of the layers. For more
information, see "Printing Recommendations" on page 34.
Note: In Atoll, objects such as sites or transmitters are named with default prefixes. Individual
objects are distinguished from each other by the number added automatically to the default
prefix. You can change the default prefix for sites, transmitters, and cells by editing the
atoll.ini file. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
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If transmitters are grouped by site, you can switch only within one site (co-site transmitters).
If transmitters are grouped by a flag, you can switch only within this group.
If transmitters are grouped by activity and by a flag, you can switch only within transmitters having the same activity
and the same flag.
The browse buttons are not available:
When creating a new item.
When opening the an items Properties dialogue by double-clicking its record in a table.
For repeater properties.
For propagation model properties.
The Display tab of the Properties dialogue is explained in the following section.
1.3.2 Display Properties of Objects
In Atoll, most objects, such as sites or transmitters, belong to an object type. How an individual object appears on the map
depends on the settings on the Display tab of the object types Properties dialogue. The Display tab is similar for all object
types whose appearance can be configured. Options that are inapplicable for a particular object type are unavailable on
the Display tab of its Properties dialogue (see Figure 1.3).
In this section, the display options are explained, followed by a few examples of how you can use them while working on
your Atoll document (see "Examples of Using the Display Properties of Objects" on page 32).
1.3.2.1 Defining the Display Properties of Objects
Figure 1.3: The Display tab for Sites
When you access the Properties dialogue of an individual object, the Display tab will only show the options applicable to
an individual object (see Figure 1.4).
Figure 1.4: The Display tab for an individual site
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To define the display properties of an object type:
1. Right-click the object type folder in the Explorer window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the Display tab. Depending on the object type, the following options are available:
- "Defining the Display Type" on page 29
- "Defining the Transparency of Objects and Object Types" on page 30
- "Defining the Visibility Scale" on page 30
- "Defining the Object Type Label" on page 30
- "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31
- "Adding an Object Type to the Legend" on page 31
4. Set the display parameters.
5. Click OK.
Defining the Display Type
Depending on the object selected, you can choose from the following display types: unique, discrete values, value inter-
vals, or automatic.
To change the display type:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Select the display type from the Display Type list:
- Unique: defines the same symbol for all objects of this type. By defining a unique symbol for an object type,
objects of different types, for example, sites or transmitters, are immediately identifiable.
i. To modify the appearance of the symbol, click the symbol in the table below. The Symbol Style dialogue
appears.
ii. Modify the symbol as desired.
iii. Click OK to close the Symbol Style dialogue.
- Discrete values: defines the display of each object according to the value of a selected field. This display type
can be used to distinguish objects of the same type by one characteristic. For example, you could use this
display type to distinguish transmitter by antenna type, or to distinguish inactive from active sites.
i. Select the name of the Field by which you want to display the objects.
ii. You can click to access the Actions menu. For information on the commands available, see
"Using the Actions Button" on page 30.
iii. To modify the appearance of a symbol, click the symbol in the table below. The Symbol Style dialogue
appears.
iv. Modify the symbol as desired.
v. Click OK to close the Symbol Style dialogue.
- Value intervals: defines the display of each object according to set ranges of the value of a selected field.
This display type can be used, for example, to distinguish population density, signal strength, or the altitude
of sites.
i. Select the name of the Field by which you want to display the objects.
ii. Define the ranges directly in the table below. For an example, see Figure 1.6 on page 31.
iii. You can click to access the Actions menu. For information on the commands available, see
"Using the Actions Button" on page 30.
iv. To modify the appearance of a symbol, click the symbol in the table. The Symbol Style dialogue appears.
v. Modify the symbol as desired.
vi. Click OK to close the Symbol Style dialogue.
- Automatic: only available for transmitters; Atoll automatically assigns a colour to each transmitter, ensuring
that each transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding it.
i. Click the symbol in the table below. The Symbol Style dialogue appears.
ii. Modify the symbol as desired.
iii. Click OK to close the Symbol Style dialogue.
Note: When you create a new map object, for example, a new site or a new transmitter, you must
click the Refresh button ( ) for Atoll to assign a colour to newly created object according
to the set display type.
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Using the Actions Button
The button on the Display tab of the Properties dialogue allows you to modify the display type as defined in
"Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
To access the Actions menu:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Click the button. The Actions menu gives you access to the following commands:
- Select all: Atoll selects all the values in the table.
- Delete: Atoll removes selected value from the table.
- Insert before: When the selected display type is value intervals, Atoll inserts a new threshold in the table
before the threshold selected in the table.
- Insert after: When the selected display type is value intervals, Atoll inserts a new threshold in the table after
the threshold selected in the table.
- Properties: Atoll opens the Display dialogue where you may change the colour and style.
- Shading: Atoll opens the Shading dialogue. When "Value Intervals" is the selected display type, you select
Shading to define the number of value intervals and configure their colour. Enter the upper and lower limits
of the value in the First Break and Last Break boxes respectively, and enter a value in the Interval box.
Define the colour shading by choosing a Start Colour and an End Colour. The value intervals will be deter-
mined by the set values and coloured by a shade going from the set start colour to the set end colour.
When "Discrete Values" is the selected display type, you select Shading to choose a Start Colour and an
End Colour.
Defining the Transparency of Objects and Object Types
You can change the transparency of some objects, such as predictions, and some object types, such as clutter classes,
to allow objects on lower layers to be visible on the map.
To change the transparency:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Move the Transparency slider to the right to make the object or object type more transparent or to the left to make
it less transparent.
Defining the Visibility Scale
You can define a visibility range for object types. An object is visible only if the scale, as displayed on the zoom toolbar, is
within this range. This can be used to, for example, prevent the map from being cluttered with symbols when you are at a
certain scale.
Visibility ranges are taken into account for screen display, and for printing and previewing printing. They do not affect which
objects are considered during calculations.
To define an object visibility range:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Enter a Visibility Scale minimum in the between 1: text box.
3. Enter a Visibility Scale maximum in the and 1: text box.
Defining the Object Type Label
For most object types, such as sites and transmitters, you can display information about each object in the form of a label
that is displayed with the object. You can display information from every field in that object types data table, including from
fields that you add.
To define a label for an object type:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Click the Label box. A list appears.
3. Select the check box next to name of each field whose value you want to appear in the label (see Figure 1.5).
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Figure 1.5: Defining a label
Defining the Object Type Tip Text
For most object types, such as sites and transmitters, you can display information about each object in the form of a tool
tip that is only visible when you move the pointer over the object. You can display information from every field in that object
types data table, including from fields that you add.
To define tip text for an object type:
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Click the Tip Text box. A list appears.
3. Select the check box next to name of each field whose value you want to appear in the label.
Once you have defined the tool tips, you must activate the tool tip function before they appear.
To activate the tool tip function:
Click the Display Tips button ( ) on the toolbar. Tool tips will now appear when the pointer is over the object.
Adding an Object Type to the Legend
You can display the information defined by the display type (see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29) in your Atoll
documents legend. Only visible objects appear in the Legend window. For information on displaying or hiding objects,
see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
In Figure 1.6, on the Display tab of a signal level prediction, the intervals defined are:
Signal level >=-65red
-65 >Signal level >=-105shading from red to blue (9 intervals)
Signal level <-105not shown in the coverage.
The entries in the Legend column will appear in the Legend window.
Figure 1.6: Defined thresholds as they will appear in the Legend
Note: For most object types, you can also display object information in the form of a tool tip that is
only visible when you move the pointer over the object. This option has the advantage of
not filling the map window with text. For more information on tool tips, see "Defining the
Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
Note: For most object types, you can also display object information in the form of a label that is
displayed with the object. This option has the advantage of keep object-related information
permanently visible. For more information on tool tips, see "Defining the Object Type Label"
on page 30.
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With value intervals, you can enter information in the Legend column to be displayed on the legend. If there is no infor-
mation entered in this column, the maximum and minimum values are displayed instead.
1. Access the Display tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
2. Check the Add to legend box. The defined display will appear on the legend.
To display the Legend window:
Select View > Legend. The Legend window appears.
1.3.2.2 Examples of Using the Display Properties of Objects
Automatic Display Type - Server Coverage Studies
When doing a best server study, Atoll calculates, for each bin on the map, which server is best received. If the selected
display type for transmitters is "Automatic," Atoll colours each bin on the map according to the colour of the transmitter
that is best received on that bin. In this way, you can identify immediately which transmitter is best received by each bin.
The following two figures show the results of the same best server area and handover margin study.
In Figure 1.7, the transmitter display type is "Discrete Values," with the site name as the chosen value. The difference in
colour is insufficient to make clear which transmitter is best received on each bin. In Figure 1.8, the transmitter display type
is "Automatic." Because Atoll ensures that each transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding it, the
study results are also immediately visible.
To display the results of a server coverage study with the transmitters set to the Automatic display type:
1. Right-click the Transmitters folder in the Explorer window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the Display tab.
4. Select "Automatic" as the Display Type.
5. Click OK.
6. Click the Refresh button ( ) to update the display of the study results.
Shading - Signal Level Study
Atoll displays the results of a signal level study as value intervals. On the map, these value intervals appear as differences
of shading. You can use the Shading command to define the appearance of these value intervals to make the results
easier to read or more relevant to your needs. For example, you can change the range of data displayed, the interval
between each break, or you can change the colours to make the intervals more visible.
In this example, Figure 1.9 shows the results of the best signal level plot from -60 dBm to -105 dBm. However, if you are
more interested in reception from -80 dBm to -105 dBm, you can change the shading to display only those values. The
result is visible in Figure 1.10.
Figure 1.7: Value interval display type Figure 1.8: Automatic display type
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To change how the results of a signal level study are displayed:
1. Expand the Predictions folder in the Explorer window and right-click the signal level study. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the Display tab.
4. Click Actions to display the menu and select Shading. The Shading dialogue appears.
5. Change the value of the First Break to "-80". Leave the value of the Last Break at "-105."
6. Click OK to close the Shading dialogue.
7. Click OK to close the Properties dialogue and apply your changes.
1.4 Printing in Atoll
In Atoll, you can print any part of your document, including maps, data tables, document reports, and antenna patterns.
This section explains the following:
"Printing Data Tables and Reports" on page 33
"Printing a Map" on page 33
"Printing a Docking Window" on page 36
"Printing Antenna Patterns" on page 36.
1.4.1 Printing Data Tables and Reports
Data tables and reports are both presented in tabular format in Atoll and can, therefore, both be printed in the same way.
If you wish to see how the table will appear once printed, see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36.
To print a table:
1. Open the table.
2. If you want to print an area of the table, select it by clicking in one corner of the area and dragging diagonally to
the opposite corner.
3. Select File > Print.
4. If you want to print only a selected area, choose Selected in the Print dialogue.
5. Click OK to print.
1.4.2 Printing a Map
You can print a map in Atoll and create a paper copy of studies, predictions, etc. Atoll offers several options allowing you
to customise and optimise the printed map. Atoll supports printing to a variety of paper sizes, including A4 and A0.
Before you print a map, you have the following options:
You can print the entire map, or you can define an area of the map to be printed in one of the following ways:
- Selecting the print area (see "Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34).
- Creating a focus zone (see "Drawing a Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone" on page 129).
You can accept the default layout or you can modify the print layout (see "Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
Figure 1.9: Shading from -60 dBm to -105 dBm Figure 1.10: Shading from -80 dBm to -105 dBm
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To print a map:
1. Select the document window containing the map.
2. You now have the following options before printing the map:
- You can select a print area ("Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34) or create a focus zone ("Drawing a Com-
putation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone" on page 129).
- You can modify the print layout ("Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
- You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
3. Select File > Print.
4. Click OK.
1.4.2.1 Printing Recommendations
The appearance of the map is determined by the arrangement and properties of the objects the map contains. Objects in
Atoll are arranged in layers. The layers on the top (as arranged on the Data and Geo tabs) are the most visible on the
screen and in print. The visibility of the lower layers depends on which layers are above it and on the transparency of these
layers (for information on transparency, see "Defining the Transparency of Objects and Object Types" on page 30).
Before printing a map, it is recommended to organise the layers from top to bottom as follows, when a document contains
surface layers (raster maps or polygonal vector maps), lines (vectors such as roads, or airport), and points (measure-
ments, etc.):
Points (vectors)
Roads and Lines (vectors)
Surface polygons (vectors)
Multi-format maps - population, rain, generic, and traffic maps (vector or raster)
Clutter class maps (transparent raster maps)
Images, DTM, or clutter height maps (Non transparent maps)
Sites and Transmitters must be above all the other layers. For this reason, visible objects on the Data tab, for example,
sites, transmitters, and predictions, are displayed above objects on the Geo tab. For performance reasons, however, it is
strongly recommended to put vector layers, such as roads, over predictions. This will ensure that these vector layers are
visible when you print the map.
To put vector layers from the Geo tab over predictions:
1. In the Explorer window, click the Geo tab.
2. Right-click the vector layer you wish to move to the Data tab. The context menu appears.
3. Select Transfer to Data from the context menu.
4. Click the Data tab.
5. Drag the vector layer to a position above Predictions but below Sites, Antennas, and Transmitters.
1.4.2.2 Defining the Printing Zone
You can define an area to be printed.
To create a printing zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Printing Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the printing zone:
a. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the printing zone.
b. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the printing zone. When you release the mouse,
the printing zone will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
The printing zone is displayed as a rectangle with a light green border (see Figure 1.11).
Important: Printing graphics is a memory-intensive operation and can make heavy demands on your
printer. Before printing for the first time, you should review the "Printing Recommendations"
on page 34 to avoid any memory-related problems.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
Figure 1.11: Printing zone
You can also create a printing zone with one of the following methods available from the context menu of the Zones folder:
Fit to Map Window: You can create a printing zone the current size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: You can import a polygon to be used as the printing zone by selecting Import from the
context menu.
1.4.2.3 Defining the Print Layout
You can use the Page Setup dialogue to define how your map will appear when you print it. On the Page Setup dialogue,
you can:
Set the scale of the map.
Choose to print the rulers with the map.
Choose to print the area outside the focus zone.
Choose to print the legend.
Add a title, comment, or a logo.
Select paper size and source, as well as the page orientation and the margins.
To define the appearance of your map:
1. Select File > Page Setup. The Page Setup dialogue appears.
2. Set the scale of the map:
- Select Scale and entering a value in the text box. The selected area of the map will be printed in the selected
scale.
or
- Select Fit to Page. The selected area of the map will be scaled to fit the page.
When you select Fit to Page it is not possible to know the exact scale that the map will be printed in.
3. Select the Print Rulers check box if you wish to print the map with the rulers.
4. If you are printing a focus zone and do not wish to print the part of the map outside of the focus zone, select the
Delete Area Outside Focus Zone check box.
5. If you wish to print the map legend, select the position of the legend from the Legend list. If you do not want to
print the map legend, select None from the Legend list.
6. To add a logo:
a. Select the Add a Logo check box.
b. Click Logo. The Logo dialogue appears.
c. Click File. The Open dialogue appears.
d. Select the your graphic in BMP format and click Open.
Note: Visibility scales defined for objects are taken into account when printing. Objects will appear
only if the printing scale is within their respective visibility range. For more information on
visibility scales, see "Defining the Visibility Scale" on page 30.
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e. Select the correct Width and Height (in pixels).
f. Click OK.
7. To add a comment:
a. Click Comment. The Comment dialogue appears.
b. Enter the comment and click Font if you wish to change the appearance of the comment.
c. Click OK. The comment will appear centred underneath the map.
8. To add a title:
a. Click Title. The Title dialogue appears.
b. Enter the title and click Font if you wish to change the appearance of the title.
c. Click OK. The title will appear centred above the map.
9. Under Paper, select:
- The paper Size
- The Source of the paper.
10. Under Orientation, select either Portrait or Landscape.
11. Under Margins, set the left, right, top, and bottom margins.
12. Click OK.
1.4.3 Previewing Your Printing
If you are printing maps or data tables or reports, you can preview your printing.
To preview your printing:
1. Select the map or table you want to print.
2. Select File > Print Preview. The Print Preview dialogue appears.
3. In the Print Preview dialogue, you can:
- Choose Print to open the Print dialogue.
- Choose Zoom In or Zoom Out.
- Choose Next Page to display the following page or Prove Page to display the previous page.
- Choose Two Page to display two pages side by side, or One Page.
1.4.4 Printing a Docking Window
You can print the content of many docking windows using the context menu; the Print command on the File menu can be
used only to print the contents of a document window, as explained in "Printing a Map" on page 33. The docking windows
whose contents you can print are:
Legend Window (for more information on this tool, see "Adding an Object Type to the Legend" on page 31)
Point Analysis Tool
CW Measurement Analysis Tool (for more information on this tool, see "Using the CW Measurement Window"
on page 515)
Test Mobile Data Analysis Tool (for more information on this tool, see "Using the Test Mobile Data Window" on
page 525)
Microwave Link Analysis (for more information on this tool, see "Microwave Link Analysis" on page 714)
To print the content of a docking window:
1. Open the docking window you want to print.
- If you want to print a Point Analysis window, click the tab of the study you wish to print.
2. Right-click the window you wish to print.
3. Select Print from the context menu. The Print dialogue appears.
4. Click OK to print.
1.4.5 Printing Antenna Patterns

You can print the horizontal or vertical pattern of an antenna.
To print an antenna pattern:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Open the Antennas table:
Note: Only BMP graphics can be used as logos. If your logo is in a different format, you must first
convert it using a graphics programme to the BMP format.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
- To open the RF Antennas table:
i. Right-click the Antennas folder.
ii. Select Open Table from the context menu.
- To open the microwave Antennas table:
i. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of the Microwave Radio Links folder.
ii. Right-click the Links folder and select Antennas > Open Table from the context menu.
3. Right-click the antenna whose pattern you want to print.
4. Select Record Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Horizontal Pattern tab or the Vertical Pattern tab.
6. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Linear or Logarithmic from the context menu.
7. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Print from the context menu.
1.5 Working with Maps
Atoll has the following functions to help you work with maps:
"Changing the Map Scale" on page 37
"Moving the Map in the Document Window" on page 38
"Using the Panoramic Window" on page 38
"Displaying Rulers Around the Map" on page 39
"Displaying the Map Legend" on page 39
"Centring the Map Window on an Object" on page 38
"Measuring Distances on the Map" on page 39
"Exporting a Map" on page 40
"Copying a Map to Another Application" on page 40.
"Map Window Pointers" on page 40.
1.5.1 Changing the Map Scale
You can change the scale of the map by zooming in or out, by zooming in on a specific area of the map, or by choosing a
scale.
Atoll also allows you to define a zoom range outside of which certain objects are not displayed (see "Defining the Visibility
Scale" on page 30).
1.5.1.1 Zooming In and Out
Atoll offers several tools for zooming in and out on the map. When you zoom in or out on the map, you do so based on
the position of the cursor on the map.
To zoom in on the map:
1. Click the Zoom icon ( ) on the Zoom toolbar (or press CTRL+Q).
2. Click the map where you want to zoom in.
To zoom out on the map:
1. Click the Zoom icon ( ) on the Zoom toolbar (or press CTRL+Q).
2. Right-click the map where you want to zoom out.
1.5.1.2 Zooming In on a Specific Area
To zoom in on a specific area of the map:
1. Click the Zoom Area icon ( ) on the Zoom toolbar (or press CTRL+W).
2. Click in the map on one of the four corners of the area you want to select.
3. Drag to the opposite corner. When you release the mouse button, Atoll zooms in on the selected area.
Note: You can also zoom in by pressing CTRL+A, by selecting Zoom In from the View menu, or
by holding down the CTRL key and rotating the mouse wheel button forward.
Note: You can also zoom out by pressing CTRL+R, by selecting Zoom Out from the View menu,
or holding down the CTRL key and rotating the mouse wheel button backward.
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1.5.1.3 Choosing a Scale
To choose a scale:
1. Click the arrow next to the scale box ( ) on the Zoom toolbar.
2. Select the scale from the list.
If the scale value you want is not in the list:
1. Click in the scale box ( ) on the Zoom toolbar.
2. Enter the desired scale.
3. Press ENTER. Atoll zooms the map to the entered scale.
1.5.1.4 Changing Between Previous ZoomLevels
Atoll saves the last five zoom levels, allowing you to move quickly between previous zoom levels and zoomed areas.
To move between zoom levels:
Click the Previous Zoom button ( ) to return to a zoom level you have already used.
Once you have returned to a previous zoom level, click the Next Zoom button ( ) to return to the latest zoom
level.
1.5.2 Moving the Map in the Document Window
You can move the map in the document window using the mouse.
To move the map in the document window:
1. Click the Move Map Window button ( ) on the Zoom toolbar.
2. Move the pointer over the map and drag the map in the desired direction.
1.5.3 Using the Panoramic Window
The Panoramic window displays the entire map with all of the imported geographic data. A dark rectangle indicates what
part of the geographic data is presently displayed in a document window, helping you situate the displayed area in relation
to the entire map.
You can use the Panoramic window to:
Zoom in on a specific area of the map
Resize the displayed map area
Move around the map.
To zoom in on a specific area of the map:
1. Click in the Panoramic window on one of the four corners of the area you want to zoom in on.
2. Drag to the opposite corner. When you release the mouse button, Atoll zooms in on the selected area.
To resize the displayed map area:
1. Click in the Panoramic window on a corner or border of the zoom area (i.e., the dark rectangle).
2. Drag the border to its new position.
To move around the map:
1. Click in the Panoramic window in the zoom area (i.e., the dark rectangle).
2. Drag the rectangle to its new position.
1.5.4 Centring the Map Window on an Object
You can centre the map on any selected object, for example, a transmitter, a site, or a focus/computation/hot spot zone.
When centring the map window on an object the current scale is kept.
You can select the object in the map window or in the Explorer window.
To the map window on a selected object:
1. Right-click the object in the map window or in the Explorer window.
2. Select Centre in the Map Window from the context menu.
Tip: If you want to quickly find an object, such as a site, on the map, you can select it in the
Explorer window and then select the Centre in the Map Window command.
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1.5.5 Measuring Distances on the Map
You can measure distances on the map by using the Distance Measurement tool. The Distance Measurement tool also
gives you the azimuth of a straight line between two points. You can also use the Distance Measurement tool to measure
distance along a line with several points. Atoll will then give you the distance between each point (as you measure), the
azimuth of each segment between two points, and the total distance.
To measure a distance on the map between two points:
1. Click the Distance Measurement button ( ) on the toolbar.
2. Click the first point on the map once.
As you move the pointer away from the first point, Atoll marks the initial position and connects it to the pointer with
a line.
3. Place the pointer over the second point on the map. The status bar displays the following (see Figure 1.12):
- The distance between the two points
- The azimuth between the two points.
To measure the total distance on the map on a line over a series of points:
1. Click the Distance Measurement button ( ) on the toolbar.
2. Click the first point on the map once.
As you move the pointer away from the first point, Atoll marks the initial position and connects it to the pointer with
a line.
3. Click once on the map at each point on the line between the first point and the final point, where you will have to
change direction on the line.
4. When you reach the last point on the line, the status bar displays the following (see Figure 1.12):
- The total distance between the first point and the last point
- The distance between the second-last point and the last point
- The azimuth between the last two points.
Figure 1.12: Measurement data in the status bar
1.5.6 Displaying Rulers Around the Map
You can display rulers around the map in the document window.
To display rulers:
1. Select Tools > Options.
2. In the Options dialogue, click the Coordinates tab.
3. Under Display rulers, select where you want the rulers to be displayed in the map window.
4. Click OK.
1.5.7 Displaying the Map Legend
You can display a map legend. The legend will contain the information on the object types that you have added to it. For
information on adding object types to the legend, see "Adding an Object Type to the Legend" on page 31.
To display the legend:
Select View > Legend.
Total distance between
first and last point
Azimuth between second-
last and last point
Distance between second-
last and last point
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1.5.8 Exporting a Map
You can export a map as a graphic image.
To export a map as a graphic image:
1. Click the Select an area button ( ) in the zoom toolbar.
2. Define the area to be exported:
a. Click in the map on one of the four corners of the area you want to select.
b. Drag to the opposite corner.
3. Select File > Export Image. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. In the Save as dialogue, select a destination folder, enter a File name, and select a file type from the Save as
type list.
The following file formats are supported: TIF, BIL, BMP, and ArcView Grid (TXT). If you wish to use the exported
file as a digital terrain model, you should select the TIF, BIL, or TXT format.
5. Click Save. The Exported Image Size dialogue appears.
6. You can define the size of the exported image in one of two ways:
- Scale: If you wish to define the size by scale, select Scale, enter a scale in the text box and a Resolution. If
you wish to export the image with rulers, select Include Rulers.
- Pixel Size: If you wish to define the size by pixel size, select Pixel Size, and enter a pixel size in the text box.
7. Click OK.
1.5.9 Copying a Map to Another Application
You can copy a selected area of the map into a document created using another application.
To copy a selected area of the map into a document created using another application:
1. Click the Select an area button ( ) in the zoom toolbar.
2. Click in the map on one of the four corners of the area you want to select.
3. Drag to the opposite corner.
4. Select Edit > Copy Image. The Copy Image dialogue appears.
5. Define the resolution of the image in one of the following ways:
- Select Use Screen Resolution
- Select Use Custom Resolution and enter a resolution in metres.
6. Click OK.
7. Open the application into which you want to paste the image.
8. In the new application, select Edit > Paste Special.
9. In the Paste special dialogue, select Bitmap from the list box.
10. Click OK. The area of the map is pasted as an image into the new document.
1.5.10 Map Window Pointers
In Atoll, the pointer appears in different forms according to its function. Each pointer is described below:
Important: If you wish to use the exported file as a digital terrain model, you must define the size of the
exported image by pixel size. Atoll then creates a geo-reference file for the exported image.
Appearance Description Meaning
Selection arrow
The zone selection pointer indicates that, on the map, you can define a zone to
print or copy and, in the Panoramic window, you can define the zone to be
displayed on the map. To define a zone, click and drag diagonally.
Polygon
drawing pointer
The polygon drawing pointer indicates you can draw a zone to filter either sites
or transmitters, to draw computation/focus/hot spot/filtering zones, or to draw
vector or raster polygons on the map. To draw a polygon, click once to start,
and each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the
polygon. Close the polygon by clicking twice.
Hand The hand pointer indicates you can move the visible part of the displayed map.
Zoom tool
The zoom pointer indicates you can click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out
at the location of the mouse pointer
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
1.6 Working with Data Tables
Atoll stores object data (sites, transmitters, repeaters, antennas, UMTS, or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells, UMTS or
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 parameters, microwave links, etc.) in the form of tables, containing all their parameters and char-
acteristics. The data contained in prediction reports are also stored in the form of tables.
You can add columns to the data table and you can delete certain columns. When you create a new column, you can
create a default value for a field you create. You can also create a list of options (for text fields) from which the user can
choose when filling in the field.
You can filter, sort, and group the data contained in these tables, export the data or import data into the Atoll data tables.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Opening a Data Table" on page 42
"Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on page 42
"Editing the Content of a Table" on page 43
"Opening an Objects Record Properties Dialogue from a Table" on page 44
Zoom area
The zoom area pointer indicates you can zoom in on an area of the by clicking
and dragging to define the area.
New transmitter
The transmitter pointer indicates you can place a transmitter on the map where
you click. You can place more than one station by pressing CTRL as you click
on the map.
Point analysis
The point analysis pointer indicates that you have selected the Point Analysis
tool and have not yet chosen the first point.
Point placed
(Receiver)
The point placed pointer indicates the position of the receiver on the map that
is used for the point-to-point analysis. The results are displayed in the
Measurements or Point Analysis window.
Pencil
The pencil pointer indicates you can create a polygonal clutter zone, by clicking
once to start the polygon, once to create each corner, and by double-clicking to
close the polygon.
Deletion
The deletion pointer indicates that you can delete a newly created polygonal
clutter zone by clicking its border.
Position
indicator
The position indicator pointer indicates you can select the border of a polygon.
Right-clicking the polygon border opens a context menu allowing you to add a
point, delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Select/create
points
The select/create points pointer indicates you can modify the polygon in the
map window. You can add a new point and modify the polygon contour by
clicking on one of the edges and dragging. You can move an existing point by
clicking and dragging an existing point. You can right-click to open a context
menu to delete a point, delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Placing a CW
measurement
point
The first CW measurement point pointer indicates you can click a point on the
map to create the first point of a CW measurement path.
Placing points
in a CW
measurement
path
The next CW measurement point pointer indicates the first CW measurement
point has been set and you can now click other points on the map. Double-click
to end the CW measurement path.
Microwave link
start
End
The microwave link pointer indicates you can click a point on the map to create
the first point of a microwave link. Once you have created the first point, the
microwave link pointer changes and the next click ends the link.
Multi-hop or
point-to-
multipoint
microwave link
The multihop and multipoint pointer indicates you can click once to create the
first point of a multi-hop link or the hub of a point-to-multipoint link. In the case
of a multihop link, each subsequent click creates another point in the link. In
the case of a point-to-multipoint, each subsequent link creates anew point,
connected to the hub by a link.
Rotate hub
antenna of
point-to-
multipoint link
The rotate hub antenna pointer indicates you can click the hub antenna and
drag it to a new position to change the azimuth of the hub antenna.
Measurements
on the map
The measurement pointer indicates you can click on the map to set the start
point of your measurement. As you move the pointer, the distance between the
first point and the pointer is displayed in the status bar.
Terrain section
The terrain section pointer indicates that you can create a terrain section by
clicking once on the map to create the first point and once more to create the
second point. The terrain profile between the two points is displayed in the
Point Analysis window and stored under Terrain Sections in the Geo tab.
Appearance Description Meaning
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"Defining the Table Format" on page 45
"Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47
"Exporting Tables to External Files" on page 48
"Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
1.6.1 Opening a Data Table
To open a data table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the data folder of which you want to display the data table.
3. Select Open Table from the context menu.
1.6.2 Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields
The data for each object type is stored in the form of a data table. Every data table in Atoll is created with a default set of
columns, each corresponding to a field. In this section, the following functions are explained:
"Accessing the Table Tab of an Object Types Properties dialogue" on page 42
"Adding a Field to an Object Types Data Table" on page 42
"Deleting a Field from an Object Types Data Table" on page 43
1.6.2.1 Accessing the Table Tab of an Object Types Properties dialogue
An object types data table is defined on the Table tab of its Properties dialogue.
To access the table tab of an object types Properties dialogue:
1. In the Explorer window, select the tab containing the object type.
2. Right-click the object type folder. A context menu appears
3. Select Properties. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Table tab. The Table tab displays for each type of data (see Figure 1.13):
- The Name of the field in the database (Name).
- The Name of the field in the ATL file (Legend).
- The Type of the field.
- The maximum Size of the field.
- The Default value of the field.
- The Group to which the field belongs. When opening an Atoll document from a database, you can select a
group of custom fields to be loaded from the database, instead of loading all custom fields.
Figure 1.13: The Table tab
1.6.2.2 Adding a Field to an Object Types Data Table
You can add a custom field to any object types data table.
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To add a custom field to an object types data table:
1. Access the Table tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Accessing the Table Tab of an Object Types
Properties dialogue" on page 42.
2. Click Add. The Field Definition dialogue appears (see Figure 1.14).
3. The Field Definition dialogue has the following text boxes:
- Name: Enter the Name for the field that will appear in the database
- Group: If desired, you can define a Group that this custom field will belong to. When you open an Atoll doc-
ument from a database, you can then select a specific group of custom fields to be loaded from the database,
instead of loading all custom fields.
- Legend: Enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll document.
- Type: Select a type for the field (text, short integer, long integer, single, double, true/false, date/time, or cur-
rency)
- Size: The Size field is only available if you have selected "text" as the Type. Enter a size in characters.
- Default Value: If you want, enter a default value that will appear each time you create a new record of this
object type.
- Choice List: The Choice List field is only available if you have selected "text" as the Type. You can create
a choice list by entering the list items in the Choice List text box, separating each list item with a hard return.
4. Click OK to return to the Properties dialogue.
Figure 1.14: The Field Definition dialogue
1.6.2.3 Deleting a Field froman Object Types Data Table
You can delete custom fields from an object types data table. Custom fields are the fields that the user adds to an object
types data table, as explained in "Adding a Field to an Object Types Data Table" on page 42.
To delete a custom field from an object types data table:
1. Access the Table tab of the Properties dialogue as explained in "Accessing the Table Tab of an Object Types
Properties dialogue" on page 42.
2. Select the custom field that you want to delete.
3. Click Delete. The field is deleted from the object types data table.
1.6.3 Editing the Content of a Table
To edit the contents of a table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the data folder of which you want to display the data table.
3. Select Open Table from the context menu.
Caution: All data stored in the field will be lost when you delete the field itself. Make sure that you
are not deleting important information.
Tip: Some fields can not be deleted. If you select a field on the Table tab and the Delete button
remains unavailable, the selected field is not a custom field and can not be deleted.
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4. Edit the content of the table by entering the value directly in the field (see Figure 1.15). Your changes are auto-
matically saved.
Figure 1.15: Editing data in the transmitters data tables
Figure 1.16: Choosing data in the transmitters data tables
1.6.4 Opening an Objects Record Properties Dialogue froma
Table
You can open the Record Properties dialogue of an object, for example, a site, antenna, transmitter, or cell, from its data
table:
To open the Record Properties dialogue of an object:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Right-click the record whose properties you want to see.
3. Select Record Properties from the context menu.
Tip: If a list of options has been defined for a field, you can select a value from the list (see
Figure 1.16) or enter a new value.
Note: You can also open the Record Properties dialogue by double-clicking the record. To avoid
editing the record when you double-click, double-click the left margin of the record instead
of the record itself.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
1.6.5 Defining the Table Format
Atoll lets you format the data tables so that the data presented is more legible or better presented. You can change the
format of the data table by:
"Formatting the Column Headers" on page 45
"Formatting Table Columns" on page 45
"Changing Column Width or Row Height" on page 45
"Displaying or Hiding a Column" on page 46
"Freezing or Unfreezing a Column" on page 46
"Moving Columns" on page 47
Formatting the Column Headers
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select Format > Header Format. The Format dialogue appears.
3. The Format dialogue has the following tabs:
- Font: You can select the Font, Outline (the font style), font Size, Effects, and Text Colour.
- Colour: You can select the background colour (Interior) of the column headers, by selecting a Foreground
colour, a Background colour, and a pattern from the list box. You can also select a 3D Effect for the header.
- Borders: You can select the Border, the Type, and the Colour for each column header.
- Alignment: You can select both the Horizontal and Vertical alignment of the column header text.
4. Click OK.
Formatting Table Columns
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select Format > Column Format. The Format dialogue appears.
3. The Format dialogue has the following tabs:
- Font: You can select the Font, Outline (the font style), font Size, Effects, and Text Colour.
- Colour: You can select the background colour (Interior) of the column headers, by selecting a Foreground
colour, a Background colour, and a pattern from the list box. You can also select a 3D Effect for the header.
- Borders: You can select the Border, the Type, and the Colour for each column header.
- Alignment: You can select both the Horizontal and Vertical alignment of the column header text.
4. Click OK.
Changing Column Width or Row Height
You can change the column width and row height in a data table. When you change the column width, you change the
width only for the selected column. When you change the row height, however, you change the row height for every row
in the table.
To change the column width:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Click the border separating two column headers and drag to change the column width (see Figure 1.17).
To change the row height:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Click the border separating two rows and drag to change the row height (see Figure 1.18).
Figure 1.17: Changing column width
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Figure 1.18: Changing row height
Displaying or Hiding a Column
You can choose which columns in data tables to display or hide.
To display or hide a column:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select Format > Display Columns. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears (see Figure 1.19).
3. To display a column, select its check box.
4. To hide a column, clear its check box.
5. Click Close.
Figure 1.19: The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue
Freezing or Unfreezing a Column
In Atoll, you can freeze one or more columns of a data table so that they always remain visible as you scroll horizontally
through the table. For example, while scrolling through the Sites table, you might want to have the Name column always
visible. You can keep this column, or any other column visible, by freezing it.
To freeze a column:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select the header of the column you want to freeze. Click and drag over several headers to select more than one
column to freeze.
3. Right-click the selected header or headers and select Freeze columns from the context men.
Tip: You can also hide a column by right-clicking on its header and selecting Hide Columns
from the context menu. You can hide more than one column by pressing CTRL while
selecting the columns and then selecting Hide Columns from the context menu.
Note: You can also right-click the data table and select the Display Columns or Hide Columns
command from the context menu.
Note: You can only freeze adjacent columns.
Note: You can not freeze a column in a report table.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
To unfreeze columns:
Select Format > Unfreeze columns.
Moving Columns
In Atoll, you can change the column order so that you can group similar columns or present data in a determined order.
To move a column:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select the header of the column you want to move. Click and drag over several headers to select more than one
column to move.
3. Click again on the selected column and drag to the desired area. As you drag the column, the position the column
will occupy is indicated by a red line (see Figure 1.20)
Figure 1.20: Moving columns
1.6.6 Copying and Pasting in Tables
In Atoll, you can copy and paste data in tables using the Copy (CTRL+C), Cut (CTRL+X), and Paste (CTRL+V)
commands on the Edit menu. You can also paste the same data into several cells, using Fill Up or Fill Down.
To paste the same data into several cells:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Click on the cell with the data you wish to copy and drag to select the cells into which you wish to copy the data
(see Figure 1.21).
Figure 1.21: Selecting the cells
3. Copy into the selected cells:
- To copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells, select Edit > Fill > Down (see
Figure 1.22).
Note: You can only move several columns at the same time when they are adjacent.
Note: It may be necessary to click Refresh for your changes to appear.
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Figure 1.22: Copying the contents of the top cell
- To copy the contents of the bottom cell of the selection into the other cells, select Edit > Fill > Up (see
Figure 1.23).
Figure 1.23: Copying the contents of the bottom cell
1.6.7 Exporting Tables to External Files
You can export entire Atoll data tables, or selected columns to ASCII text files (in text, TXT, and Comma Separated Value,
CSV, formats).
To export a table:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Right-click the table. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export from the context menu. The Export dialogue appears. You can see how the exported table will
appear in the Preview window (see Figure 1.24).
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
Figure 1.24: Exporting a data table
4. Select the Header check box if you want to export the names of the columns with the data.
5. Select a Decimal Symbol from the list.
6. Select a Field Separator from the list.
7. Define which fields (displayed as columns in the table) you want to export:
a. To select a field to be exported, select the field in the Available Fields box and click to move it
to the Exported Fields box. All fields in the Exported Fields box will be exported.
b. To remove a field from the list of Exported Fields, select the field in the Exported Fields box and click
to remove it.
c. To change the order of the fields, select a field and click or to move it up or down in the list. The fields
at the top of the Exported Fields appear at the left of the exported table.
8. Click Export. The Save As dialogue appears.
For information on importing data into a data table, see "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
1.6.8 Importing Tables fromExternal Files
You can import data in the form of ASCII text files (in TXT and CSV formats) into Atoll data tables.
To import a table:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Right-click the table. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. Select the ASCII text file you want to open and click Open. The Import dialogue appears (see Figure 1.25).
5. Enter the number of the first line of data in the 1st Data Line box.
6. Select a Decimal Symbol from the list.
7. Select a Field Separator from the list.
8. Select the Update Records check box if you want to replace the data of records already existing in the table.
Note: You can save the choices you have made in the Export dialogue as a configuration file by
clicking the Save button at the top of the dialogue and entering a name for the file in the
Save As dialogue that appears. The next time you export a data table, you can click Load
in the Export dialogue to open your configuration file with the same settings you used this
time.
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9. Under Field Mapping, there are two header rows:
- Source: The column headers from the text file you are importing.
- Destination: The column headers from the Atoll data table.
Align the content of the source file with the content of the destination file by clicking the column header in the Desti-
nation row and selecting the corresponding column from the Atoll data file (see Figure 1.25). Select <Ignore> for
source file columns that you do not want to import.
10. Click Import. The contents are imported in the current Atoll data table.
Figure 1.25: Importing information into a data table
For information on exporting the information in a data table into a text file, see "Exporting Tables to External Files" on
page 48.
1.7 Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data
In Atoll you can organise data in several different ways, allowing you to select only certain data and then, for example,
modify only selected data, or run calculations on the selected data. Atoll allows you to group, sort, or filter data quickly by
one criterion, or by several.
After you have defined how you will group, sort, or filter data, you can save this information as a folder configuration.
In this section the following will be explained:
"Grouping Data Objects" on page 51
"Sorting Data" on page 53
Note: Atoll compares the values in the left-most column of the data to be imported with the values
in the same column of the data table to see if records already exist. The values of these
records are replaced when the Update Records check box is selected. If the Update
Records check box is not selected, these records are not imported.
Tip: You can change the width of the columns to make the contents easier to work with. See
"Changing Column Width or Row Height" on page 45.
Note: You can save the choices you have made in the Import dialogue as a configuration file by
clicking the Save button at the top of the dialogue and entering a name for the file in the
Save As dialogue that appears. The next time you export a data table, you can click Load
in the Import dialogue to open your configuration file with the same settings you used this
time.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
"Filtering Data" on page 54
"Folder Configurations" on page 60
"Creating and Comparing Subfolders" on page 62
1.7.1 Grouping Data Objects
You can group objects according to a selected property on the Data tab of the Explorer window. The objects to be grouped
can be in a data folder or in a subfolder (see "Creating and Comparing Subfolders" on page 62). Grouping objects in the
Explorer window is similar to sorting data in the data table because it puts all records with the selected property together.
Once you have grouped data objects, you can access their Properties dialogue from the context menu to edit properties
on all grouped objects. You can save the grouping parameters as a folder configuration. For information, see "Folder
Configurations" on page 60.
This section explains:
"Grouping Data Objects by a Selected Property" on page 51.
"Advanced Grouping" on page 51.
For examples of grouping data objects, see "Examples of Grouping" on page 52.
1.7.1.1 Grouping Data Objects by a Selected Property
You can group data objects by a selected property, using the Group by command on the context menu.
To group data objects by a selected property:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the folder or subfolder whose objects you want to group.
3. Select from the Group by submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the objects. The
objects in the folder are grouped by that property.
To undo the grouping:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the folder or subfolder whose objects you have grouped.
3. From the context menu, select from the Group by > None.
See "Examples of Grouping" on page 52.
1.7.1.2 Advanced Grouping
You can group data objects by one or more properties, using the Group by button on the Properties dialogue.
To group data objects by one or more properties:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the folder or subfolder whose objects you have grouped.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the General tab of the Properties dialogue.
5. Click . The Group dialogue appears (see Figure 1.26).
Figure 1.26: The Group dialogue
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6. Select the fields by which you want to group the objects:
a. To select a field to be used to group the objects, select the field in the Available Fields box and click
to move it to the Group these fields in this order box.
b. To remove a field from the list of Group these fields in this order, select the field in the Group these fields
in this order box and click to remove it.
c. To change the order of the fields, select a field and click or to move it up or down in the list. The objects
will be grouped in the order of the fields in the Group these fields in this order box, from top to bottom.
7. Click OK to close the Group dialogue and click OK to close the Properties dialogue and group the objects.
To undo the grouping:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the folder or subfolder whose objects you have grouped.
3. From the context menu, select from the Group by > None.
1.7.1.3 Examples of Grouping
In this example, there is an Atoll document with a large number of sites and, therefore, transmitters. While it is easy to
see on the map which transmitters are part of which site, in the Explorer window, you can only see a very long list of trans-
mitters under the Transmitter folder.
By right-clicking the Transmitter folder and selecting Group by > Site (Figure 1.27), you can group the transmitters by the
site they are located on.
Figure 1.27: Grouping transmitters by site
The result of grouping can be seen in Figure 1.28.
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
Figure 1.28: Transmitters grouped by site
1.7.2 Sorting Data
In Atoll, you can sort the document data either in the data tables or using the Sort function of Properties dialogue. You
can sort the data in ascending (A to Z, 1 to 10) or descending (Z to A, 10 to 1) order.
You can sort the data by either one or by several columns. When you sort data by several columns, Atoll sorts the records
by the first column and then, within each group of identical values in the first column, Atoll then sorts the records by the
second column, and so on.
Once you have sorted data objects, you can save the settings as a folder configuration. For information, see "Folder
Configurations" on page 60.
This section explains the following:
"Sorting Data in Tables" on page 53
"Advanced Sorting" on page 54
1.7.2.1 Sorting Data in Tables
When sorting data in tables, you can sort by one column or by several columns.
Sorting by One Column
To sort data in a table by one column:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
1. Select the header of the table column that will be your sort reference. The entire column is selected.
2. Right-click the column header. The context menu appears.
3. From the context menu, select how you wish to sort:
- Sort Ascending: sort the data table records from the lowest value in the reference column to the highest
value.
- Sort Descending: sort the data table records from the highest value in the reference column to the lowest
value.
Sorting by Several Columns
You can only sort in a table by adjacent columns. If you want to sort by columns that are not adjacent, you can move the
columns first as explained in "Moving Columns" on page 47.
To sort data in a table by several columns:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Click the header of the first column and drag over the adjacent columns that will be your sort references. The entire
column is selected.
3. Right-click the column headers. The context menu appears.
Tip: If you want to sort data by several columns without moving the columns, you can use the
Sort function on the Properties dialogue. For information, see "Advanced Sorting" on
page 54.
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4. From the context menu, select how you wish to sort:
- Sort Ascending: sort the data table records from the lowest value in the first reference column to the highest
value.
- Sort Descending: sort the data table records from the highest value in the first reference column to the lowest
value.
1.7.2.2 Advanced Sorting
You can sort data by several criteria using the Sort function of the Properties dialogue.
To sort data using the Sort function of the Properties dialogue:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder whose data you want to sort. The context menu appears
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the General tab in the Properties dialogue.
5. Click . The Sort dialogue appears (see Figure 1.29).
6. For the first column you want to sort on:
a. Select the column name from the Sort by list.
b. Choose whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order.
7. For each other column you want to sort on:
a. Select the column name from the And by list.
b. Choose whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order.
8. Click OK.
Figure 1.29: The Sort dialogue
1.7.3 Filtering Data
In Atoll, you can filter data according to one or several criteria. You can filter data to be able to work with a subset of data,
or to facilitate working with large documents by reducing the amount of records displayed.
The filtered data objects are the data objects that remain after you have applied your filter criteria.
You can save the filtering parameters as a folder configuration. For information, see "Folder Configurations" on page 60.
This section explains the following:
"Filtering in Data Tables by Selection" on page 54
"Advanced Data Filtering" on page 55
"Restoring All Records" on page 56
"Advanced Filtering: Examples" on page 57.
1.7.3.1 Filtering in Data Tables by Selection
You can filter a data table by selecting one or more values. Once you have selected one or more values, you can choose
to view only records that have the same value or only records that do not have that value.
To filter a data table on one or more fields:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select the value to filter on. To select more than one value, press CTRL as you click the other values.
3. Select one of the following from the Records menu:
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- Filter by Selection: All records with the selected value or values are displayed. You can now modify these
records or make calculations on them as you would normally do with the entire data table (see Figure 1.30 on
page 55).
- Filter Excluding Selection: All records without the selected value or values are displayed. You can now
modify these records or make calculations on them as you would normally do with the entire data table (see
Figure 1.31 on page 55).
Figure 1.30: Filtering by selection (Antenna AO9209)
Figure 1.31: Filtering excluding selection (Antenna AO9209)
1.7.3.2 Advanced Data Filtering
You can use advanced data filtering to combine several criteria in different fields to create complex filters.
To create an advanced filter:
1. Open the data table as explained in "Opening a Data Table" on page 42.
2. Select Records > Advanced Filter. The Filter dialogue appears.
3. Click the Filter tab:
a. Select a Field from the list.
b. Under Values to Include, you will find all the values represented in the selected field. Select the check boxes
next to the values you want to include in the filter. Click Clear All to clear all check boxes.
4. Click the Advanced tab:
a. In the Column row, select the name of the column to be filtered on from the list. Select as many columns as
you want (see Figure 1.32).
Tip: You can also access the Filter dialogue by clicking the Filter button of the Properties dia-
logue.
Note: Making selections on the Filter tab of the Filter dialogue is the equivalent of filtering by
selection as explained in "Filtering in Data Tables by Selection" on page 54.
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Figure 1.32: The Filter dialogue - Advanced tab
b. Underneath each column name, enter the criteria on which the column will be filtered as explained in the fol-
lowing table:
5. Click OK to filter the data according to the criteria you have defined.
Combinations of filters are first made horizontally, then vertically.
See "Advanced Filtering: Examples" on page 57.
1.7.3.3 Restoring All Records
After you have applied filter criteria to records, you may want to cancel the filter criteria and display all the records again.
To restore all records:
Select Records > Show All Records.
Formula Data are kept in the table only if
=X value equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<>X value not equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<X numerical value is less than X
>X numerical value is greater than X
<=X numerical value is less than or equal to X
>=X numerical value is greater than or equal to X
*X* text objects which contain X
*X text objects end with X
X* text objects which start with X
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1.7.3.4 Advanced Filtering: Examples
In this section, you will find a few examples of advanced filtering.
1.7.3.4.1 Advanced Filtering: Example1
In this example, there is an Atoll document with antennas from two manufacturers and with different characteristics.
Figure 1.33: Initial table
The objective of this example is to use filter criteria to find antennas manufactured by Kathrein with a beamwidth between
50 and 100. To do this, the following filter syntax is entered in the Advanced tab of the Filter dialogue (for information on
the Advanced tab, see "Advanced Data Filtering" on page 55):
The first criterion, as shown in Figure 1.34, is all antennas made by a manufacturer with a name beginning with a
"K" ("=K*"). While you could write in the entire name ("=Kathrein"), it is not necessary because there is only one
manufacturer with a "K."
The second criterion is all antennas with a beamwidth under 100.
The third criterion is all antennas with a beamwidth over 50.
The combination of these criteria is all antennas from manufacturers with a name beginning with "K" and with a beamwidth
under 100 but over 50.
The result of this advanced filter can be seen in the second pane of Figure 1.34.
Figure 1.34: Advanced filtering
1.7.3.4.2 Advanced Filtering: Example2
In this example, the document is the same as in "Advanced Filtering: Example 1" on page 57. The objective of this example
is the same as well: to use filter criteria to find antennas manufactured by Kathrein with a beamwidth between 50 and 100.
The filter syntax is entered in the Advanced tab of the Filter dialogue (for information on the Advanced tab, see "Advanced
Data Filtering" on page 55), in this case, however, the entered filter syntax contains errors:
As shown in Figure 1.35, the first criterion is all antennas made by a manufacturer with a name beginning with a
"K" ("=K*").
The second criterion is all antennas with a beamwidth under 100 and over 50.
The result of this advanced filter can be seen in the second pane of Figure 1.34.
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Figure 1.35: Errors in filtering
As previously stated, the objective of this example was to use filter criteria to find antennas manufactured by Kathrein with
a beamwidth between 50 and 100. However, because the second criterion (beamwidth under 100 and over 50) is
malformed, with ">50" placed under "<100", it functioned as an OR condition and not as an AND condition. The resulting
filter searched for all antennas manufactured by Kathrein with a beamwidth under 100, or all antennas over 50; all anten-
nas are displayed.
1.7.3.4.3 Advanced Filtering: Example3
In this example, the document is the same as in "Advanced Filtering: Example 1" on page 57. The objective of this example
is the same as well: to use filter criteria to find antennas manufactured by Kathrein with a beamwidth between 50 and 100.
The filter syntax is entered in the Advanced tab of the Filter dialogue (for information on the Advanced tab, see "Advanced
Data Filtering" on page 55), in this case, however, the entered filter syntax contains errors:
As shown in Figure 1.36, the first criterion is all antennas made by a manufacturer with a name beginning with a
"K" ("=K*").
The second criterion is all antennas with a beamwidth under 100 and over 50.
The result of this advanced filter can be seen in the second pane of Figure 1.34.
Figure 1.36: Errors in filtering
As previously stated, the objective of this example was to use filter criteria to find antennas manufactured by Kathrein with
a beamwidth between 50 and 100. However, because the second criterion is malformed, the filter only generates an error
message and no antennas are filtered out.
1.7.4 User Configurations
In Atoll, you can export many types of settings you have made in a user configuration and then import the settings in
another document. If you are working in a multiple-user environment with a central database, the information stored in a
user configuration, such as, geographic data or automatic neighbour allocation parameters, is not stored in the database.
You can create a user configuration file, however, to ensure that all users in a large radio-planning project use the same
settings.
The file extension of the user configuration file is CFG. If only the geographic data set or computation and focus zones are
being exported in the user configuration file, Atoll gives the file the extension "GEO." Because the file is in XML (eXtensible
Markup Language), you can open and edit it with any XML-capable text editor.
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When you create a user configuration file, you can export the following information:
Geographic data set: The complete path of imported geographic maps, map display settings (such as, the visi-
bility scale, transparency, tips text, etc.), clutter description (code, name, height, standard deviations, indoor loss,
orthogonality factor, the percentage of pilot finger of each clutter class, default standard deviations, and indoor
loss) and raster or user profile traffic map description. Vector maps must have the same coordinate system as the
raster maps.
Computation and Focus Zones: The computation and focus zone in the current document.
Folder configurations: Sorting, grouping and filtering settings (those saved by the user and the current settings,
even if not saved), the filtering zone, and the display settings of radio data folders (including measurement display
settings).
Automatic Neighbour Allocation Parameters: The input parameters of the automatic neighbour allocation.
Automatic Scrambling Code Allocation Parameters: The parameters of the automatic scrambling code alloca-
tion (this option applies to UMTS documents only).
Prediction List: The general information (name, comments, group, and sorting and filtering settings), prediction
coverage conditions, and display settings of coverage predictions that have been created.
AFP Configuration: Calculation options selected when starting an AFP session as well as calculation parameters
used for interference histograms (this option applies to GSM documents only).
Automatic PN Offset Allocation Parameters: The parameters of the automatic PN offset allocation. (this option
applies to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 documents only).
Microwave Link Parameters: The settings of microwave links.
Macros: The complete path of any macros. Because a macro is linked to an Atoll session, and not to a specific
Atoll document, you can export the macros in a user configuration even if you do not have an Atoll document
open.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59
"Importing a User Configuration" on page 59.
1.7.4.1 Exporting a User Configuration
You create a user configuration by exporting the selected settings to an external file.
To export a user configuration:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Export. The User Configuration dialogue appears (see Figure 1.37).
Figure 1.37: Exporting a user configuration
2. Select the check boxes of the information you want to export as part of the user configuration.
3. Click OK. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. Enter a File name for the user configuration file and click Save. The folder configuration has been saved.
1.7.4.2 Importing a User Configuration
You can import a user configuration that you or another user has created, as explained in "Exporting a User Configuration"
on page 59, it into your current Atoll document.
To import a user configuration:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the user configuration file with the data you want to import.
3. Click Open. The User Configuration dialogue appears (see Figure 1.38).
Important: If you export the geographic data set in a user configuration file, the coordinate system of
any vector geographic data must be the same as that of the raster geographic data.
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Figure 1.38: Importing a user configuration
4. Select the check boxes of the information you want to import.
5. Click OK. The user configuration is imported.
1.7.5 Folder Configurations
In Atoll, the parameters defining how data contained in a folder are grouped, sorted, or filtered are referred to as a folder
configuration. You can define folder configurations and save them, allowing you to consistently apply the same grouping,
filtering, or sorting criteria.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Folder Configuration" on page 60
"Applying a Saved Folder Configuration" on page 61
"Reapplying the Current Folder Configuration" on page 61
"Exporting a Folder Configuration" on page 61
"Importing a Folder Configuration" on page 61
"Deleting a Folder Configuration" on page 61.
1.7.5.1 Creating a Folder Configuration
In Atoll, you can save the parameters defining how data contained in a folder are grouped, filtered, or sorted as a folder
configuration.
To create a configuration:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder whose settings you want to save.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the General tab in the Properties dialogue.
5. If you have not yet done so, set the following parameters as desired:
- Group by (see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51)
- Sort (see "Sorting Data" on page 53)
- Filter (see "Filtering Data" on page 54).
6. Under Configuration, click Save.
7. Enter the name of the configuration in the Save Configuration dialogue.
8. Click OK to save the configuration and click OK to close the Properties dialogue.
The saved folder configuration is only available for the current folder and can be reapplied to the folder by selecting it from
the Configurations submenu on the folders context menu.
Note: For transmitters, there is a default folder configuration called Same as Sites Folder. You
can apply this configuration to arrange the transmitters in the Transmitters folder with the
same parameters as those defined for sites.
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1.7.5.2 Applying a Saved Folder Configuration
You can apply a configuration that has been created and saved for the present folder.
To apply a saved folder configuration:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder to which you want to apply a configuration. The context menu appears.
3. On the Configurations submenu, select the name of the configuration you want to apply. The folder configuration
is applied to the current folder.
1.7.5.3 Reapplying the Current Folder Configuration
If you have grouped, filtered, or sorted a data folder, you have created and applied a folder configuration. If you then add
or modify data, the properties of these may not match the folder configuration you previously made on the data folder. In
this case, you can reapply the same filter or sort settings to the new or modified data.
To reapply the folder configuration:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder whose folder configuration you want to reapply.
3. Select Apply Current Configuration from the context menu. The previously configured folder configuration is
reapplied to the data.
1.7.5.4 Exporting a Folder Configuration
When you create a folder configuration, you save it to the current ATL document. However, you can export it as part of a
user configuration to an external file, so that it can be used in other documents.
To export a folder configuration:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Export. The User Configuration dialogue appears (see Figure 1.37 on
page 59).
2. Select the Folder Configuration check box.
If you want to export other configurations at the same time, select those check boxes as well.
3. Click OK. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. Enter a File name for the CFG file and click Save. The folder configuration has been saved.
1.7.5.5 Importing a Folder Configuration
Once you have exported a folder configuration as explained in "Exporting a Folder Configuration" on page 61, you can
import it into your current document.
To import a folder configuration:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the CFG file with the folder configuration you want to import.
3. Click Open. The User Configuration dialogue appears (see Figure 1.38 on page 60).
4. Select the Folder Configuration check box.
If you want to import other configurations at the same time, select those check boxes as well.
5. Click OK. The folder configuration is imported.
1.7.5.6 Deleting a Folder Configuration
You can delete a folder configuration from the Atoll document when you no longer need it.
To delete a folder configuration:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder with the folder configuration you want to delete.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the General tab in the Properties dialogue.
5. Under Configuration, select the name of the configuration from the list.
6. Click Delete. The folder configuration is deleted.
Caution: When you delete a folder configuration, Atoll will not ask for confirmation; it is deleted
immediately.
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1.7.6 Creating and Comparing Subfolders
You can compare the effects of different grouping, sorting, or filtering settings by creating subfolders of object folders in
the Data tab and applying different settings to each subfolder. Each subfolder contains a copy of the data in the object
folder in which it was created.
To create a subfolder of a folder:
1. In the Data tab of the Explorer window, right-click the folder you want to create a subfolder of.
2. Select Create a Subfolder from the context menu. A subfolder is created containing a copy of the original folder
content.
You can now perform the following actions on the subfolder:
Grouping (see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51)
Sorting (see "Sorting Data" on page 53)
Filtering (see "Filtering Data" on page 54).
Once you have performed the actions on each subfolder, you can compare the differences, by displaying in turn each
subfolder, with its grouping, sorting, or filtering settings, on the map. For more information on display properties, see
"Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
To compare subfolders:
1. In the Data tab of the Explorer window, clear the check boxes to the left of each subfolder. The data objects are
not displayed on the map.
2. Select the check box of one of the subfolders, leaving the check boxes of the other subfolders cleared. The data
objects of the selected subfolder, with its associated grouping, sorting, or filtering settings, are displayed on the
map.
3. Clear this check box and select the check box of a different subfolder. How the objects are displayed on the map
will change, depending on the different grouping, sorting, or filtering settings of the selected subfolder.
You can remove subfolders by deleting them. When you delete a subfolder, the data contained are not deleted. When you
delete the last subfolder, the data reappear under the initial folder.
To delete a subfolder:
Right-click the subfolder to be deleted and select Delete from the context menu.
1.7.7 Filtering Data Using a Polygon
In Atoll, you can simplify your calculations by using a polygon on the map to limit the amount of data considered in calcu-
lations. By limiting the number of sites, you can reduce the time and cost of calculations and make visualisation of data
objects on the map clearer. You can select a pre-existing computation or focus zone as a polygon filter or you can draw a
new polygon.
The data objects filtered by the polygon are reflected on the map and in the data tables. When you have applied a polygon
filter, you can perform the following actions on the filtered data:
Grouping (see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51)
Sorting (see "Sorting Data" on page 53)
Filtering (see "Filtering Data" on page 54).
In this section, the following are explained:
"Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter" on page 63
"Selecting a Computation or Focus Zone as a Polygon Filter" on page 63
"Drawing a Polygon Filter" on page 63
"Removing the Polygon Filter" on page 63.
Tip: If you have created several subfolders, you can rename each one to give it a more descrip-
tive name. For information on renaming an object, see "Renaming an Object" on page 27.
Tip: If, after deleting the last subfolder, the data do not reappear under the initial folder, you can
refresh the display by right-clicking the folder and selecting Group by > None from the
context menu.
Note: This section offers an introduction to using polygons to filter data. For more information on
using polygons in Atoll, for example, for information on editing polygons, see "Computing in
Polygonal Areas" on page 127.
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1.7.7.1 Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter
You can use an existing vector polygon as a polygon filter:
To select an existing vector polygon as a polygon filter:
1. On the map, right-click the polygon on which you want to filter. The context menu appears.
2. Select Use as Filtering Polygon from the context menu. The data objects outside of the selected zone are filtered
out.
1.7.7.2 Selecting a Computation or Focus Zone as a Polygon Filter
If you already have a computation or focus zone (for information on computation or focus zones, see "Computation, Focus
and Hot Spot Zones: Overview" on page 127), you can select it as a polygon filter.
To select a computation or focus zone as a filtering zone:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Sites folder.
3. From the context menu, select one of the following:
- Filter inside a polygon > Computation Zone
- Filter inside a polygon > Focus Zone
The data objects outside of the selected zone are filtered out.
1.7.7.3 Drawing a Polygon Filter
If there is no computation or focus zone, or if the existing zones do not match the area you want to filter on, you can draw
a polygon filter.
To draw a filtering zone:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of Zones folder to expand the folder.
3. Right-click the Filtering Zone folder.
4. From the context menu, select Draw. The pointer changes to the polygon drawing pointer ( ).
5. Click on the map to start drawing the filter polygon. Click each time you change the angle on the border defining
the outside of the polygon.
6. Close the polygon by clicking twice. The data objects outside of the selected zone are filtered out.
1.7.7.4 Removing the Polygon Filter
When you no longer need the polygon filter, you can remove the filter and redisplay all data objects.
To remove the polygon filter:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of Zones folder to expand the folder.
3. Right-click the Filtering Zone folder.
4. From the context menu, select Delete Zone. The polygon filter is removed and all document data are now dis-
played.
1.8 Tips and Tricks
In this section, you will learn a few shortcuts and tricks to help you work more efficiently with Atoll.
1.8.1 Undoing and Redoing
You can undo or redo most actions in Atoll, up to a maximum of 10 actions. If you perform an action that can not be
undone, for example, a simulation, the Undo and Redo histories are erased.
For example, you can undo or redo:
Most modifications in the workspace: such as creating, deleting, and moving a site, a station or a group of sta-
tions, modifying the antenna azimuth, moving a transmitter, or deleting a transmitter,
Tip: If you drew the polygon filter as explained in "Drawing a Polygon Filter" on page 63, you
can also delete it by right-clicking on its border and selecting Delete from the context
menu.
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Tasks performed in the Explorer: such as creating and deleting objects (sites, transmitters, repeaters or remote
antennas, antennas, links, groups of hexagons, measurement paths, prediction studies, maps, propagation
models, etc.).
Tasks performed in tables: such as adding or deleting records, pasting in tables.
To undo an action:
Select Edit > Undo.
To redo an action that you have undone:
Select Edit > Redo.
1.8.2 Refreshing Maps and Folders
Under certain circumstances, for example, when you add data that is inconsistent with an applied filter, the data displayed
on the map or in the Explorer window, may not be actual. You can refresh the display to get Atoll to reload the data and
reapply the current configurations to folders.
To refresh the display of the Explorer window and the map:
Click the Refresh button ( ) on the toolbar or press F5.
1.8.3 Searching for Objects on the Map
Atoll provides several tools for finding data objects on the map. You can search for some objects (sites, transmitters,
repeaters, or links) by their name, using the Find toolbar. By using the Location Finder, you can search for a site, a trans-
mitter, a repeater, a microwave link, or a vector by any text field. You can also use the Location Finder to search for a
point on the map by its x and y coordinates.
This section explains:
"Searching for a Map Object by Its Name" on page 64
"Searching for a Map Object using Any Text Property" on page 64
"Searching for a Point on the Map" on page 65.
1.8.3.1 Searching for a Map Object by Its Name
You can use the Find toolbar to search for the following map objects by name:
sites
transmitters
repeaters
links.
To search for a map object by name using the Find toolbar:
1. Select View > Find Toolbar to display the Find toolbar.
2. From the Find list, choose the map object you are searching for:
- Site
- Transmitter
- Repeater
- Link
3. Enter the name of the object in the Named box. You can use an asterisk as a wild card in the following ways:
- *X* names which contain X
- X* names which start with X
- *X names which end with X
4. Press ENTER. Atoll selects the object and centres it in the map window.
1.8.3.2 Searching for a Map Object using Any Text Property
You can use the Location Finder to search for the following map object using any text (i.e., non-numeric) property:
sites
transmitters
repeaters
links
vectors.
Note: You can change the Find toolbar to a floating window by double-clicking it.
Note: You can also search for a map object by its name by using the Location Finder. For infor-
mation, see "Searching for a Map Object using Any Text Property" on page 64.
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To search for a map object by a text property using the Location Finder:
1. Click the Location Finder button ( ) on the toolbar. The Location Finder dialogue appears.
2. From the Find list, choose the map object you are searching for:
- Site
- Transmitter
- Repeater
- Link
- Vector
3. If you wish to search all the sites in the search, including sites that are presently filtered out, select the Include all
the sites in the search (filtered or not) check box.
4. Under Criteria, select a Field to be searched and enter the value of the field. You can use an asterisk as a wild
card in the following ways:
- *X* text objects which contain X
- X* text objects which start with X
5. Click OK. Atoll selects the site and centres it in the map window.
1.8.3.3 Searching for a Point on the Map
You can search for a point by entering its x and y coordinates in the Location Finder.
To search on the map for a point using the Location Finder:
1. Click the Location Finder button ( ) on the toolbar. The Location Finder dialogue appears.
2. From the Find list, choose Point.
3. Enter the x and y coordinates of the point, using the same units as defined under Display on the Coordinates tab
of the Options dialogue (see "Defining the Display Coordinate System" on page 27).
4. Click OK. Atoll marks the point ( ) and centres it in the map window.
1.8.4 Using the Status Bar to Get Information
Atoll displays the following information, if available, about the current position of the mouse pointer in right side of the
status bar (see Figure 1.39):
the current X-Y coordinates (according to the defined display coordinate system)
the altitude (as defined in the DTM)
the clutter class (as defined in the clutter classes properties)
the clutter height (as defined in the clutter height file, or in the clutter classes).
Figure 1.39: Information displayed in the status bar
1.8.5 Using Icons fromthe Toolbar
You can access many commands in Atoll by clicking its icon on the toolbar. Some of them are also linked to shortcut keys
(see "Using Shortcuts in Atoll" on page 67).
The different icons located in the toolbar are listed below:
In the Standard toolbar
Open the Project Templates dialogue (CTRL+N)
Open the Open dialogue (CTRL+O)
Save the current document (CTRL+S)
Cut the selected data (CTRL+X)
Note: To remove the point icon ( ), select it and then select Delete from the context menu.
X-Y coordinates Clutter class Altitude
(from DTM)
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Copy the selected data (CTRL+C)
Paste the content of the clipboard (CTRL+V)
Print the current window (table or map) (CTRL+P)
Open the About Atoll dialogue
In the Radio toolbar
Create a new station based on the currently selected model
Create a new group of hexagons based on the currently selected station template ( indicates that no hexa-
gon radius is defined)
Station model currently selected
Create a new repeater or remote antenna for the currently selected transmitter
Graphically manage neighbours for the selected transmitter
Open the Point Analysis window
Calculate only invalid matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations (F7)
Force the calculation of all matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations (CTRL+F7)
Stop the calculation of all matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations
In the Map toolbar
Select area
Refresh display of map and folders (F5)
Disable zooming and panning tools.
Move the map window (CTRL+D)
Map scale currently used
Previous/Next view (zoom and location)
Zoom in on the map and centre on the cursor location (CTRL+A) and zoom out on the map and centre on the
cursor location (CTRL+R)
Define a zoom area on the map (CTRL+W)
Turn on tool tips
Measure distances on the map
Location finder
Display a point-to-point profile
In the Microwave link toolbar
Create a new microwave link.
Create a new multi-hop microwave link.
Create a new point-to-multipoint microwave link.
Currently selected microwave link model
Activate the microwave link profile analysis window
Show or hide victim and interferer links
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Chapter 1: The Working Environment
Show or hide site parities
Stop the calculations in progress
In the Search toolbar
Centre site in the map window.
In the Vector Edition toolbar
Create a new vector layer (in either the Geo or the Data tab)
Select the vector layer to edit
Draw a new polygon
Draw a new line
Draw points
Merge several vector polygons
Cut out areas in polygons
Create new polygon from overlapping areas
Split one polygon along the drawn lines.
1.8.6 Using Shortcuts in Atoll
Atoll provides many shortcuts that enable you to access commonly used tools and commands more quickly.
The shortcuts available are listed below (some of the same commands can be accessed using a toolbar icon; see "Using
Icons from the Toolbar" on page 65):
Using the CTRL key:
- CTRL+A:
- In tables: Select all records
- In the map window: Zoom in on the map (toolbar: select and click)
- CTRL+C: Copy the selected data (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+D:
- In tables: Copy the first cell of a selection down into all selected cells
- In the map window: Move the map window (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+F: Open the Find dialogue in a table
- CTRL+N: Open the Project Templates dialogue (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+O: Open the Open dialogue (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+P: Print the current window (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+Q: Select Zoom In/Out tool (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+R: Zoom out on the map (toolbar: select and right-click on the map)
- CTRL+S: Save the current active document (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+U: Copy the last cell of a selection up into all selected cells
- CTRL+V: Paste the content of the clipboard (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+W: Define a zoom area on the map (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+X: Cut the selected data (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+Y: Redo the previous undone modification
Note: When you place the cursor over an icon, a tool tip appears, giving a short description.
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- CTRL+Z: Undo the last modification
Using the Function Keys
- F3: Select the Find Site tool.
- F5: Refresh display of map and folders (toolbar: select )
- F7: Calculate only invalid matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations (toolbar: select )
- CTRL+F7: Force the calculation of all matrices, unlocked coverages, and pending simulations (toolbar: select
)
Tip: Menus and commands can be also accessed by pressing the ALT key and typing the under-
lined letter in the menu or command name.
CHAPTER 2
STARTING AN ATOLL PROJ ECT
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
2 Starting an Atoll Project
When you want to start a new project, you base it on a template that has the data and folder structure necessary for the
technology you are using. Once you have started your new Atoll project, you can modify the network parameters to meet
your particular needs. Several templates are supplied with Atoll: GPS GPRS EGPRS, CDMA200 1xRTT 1xEV-DO, IS-95
cdmaOne, microwave radio links, UMTS HSPA, and WiMAX. The actual templates supplied depend on the modules
included with your Atoll installation. You can also create your own templates by opening an existing template and saving
it as a new template, once you have made the changes necessary to meet your own needs.
When you open an existing project, you can select it from the File menu, if it is one of the last projects you have worked
on, or you can open it from the Open dialogue. Because Atoll can work with linked geographic data files, it may happen
that one of the linked files was moved or renamed since the last time you worked on that project. Atoll enables you to find
the file and repair the link.
In this chapter, the following are explained:
"Before Starting a Radio-Planning Project" on page 71
"Creating an Atoll Document" on page 71.
2.1 Before Starting a Radio-Planning Project
For every radio-planning project you must assemble the information necessary:
Radio equipment: sites, transmitters, antennas, repeaters, and other equipment. For more information on radio
equipment, see the technology-specific chapters.
Radio data: frequency bands, technology-specific parameters, coordinate systems, etc. For more information on
radio data, see the technology-specific chapters.
Geographic data: clutter classes, clutter heights, DTM, population maps, etc. For more information on geographic
data, see Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project.
Once the necessary data have been assembled, you can create the Atoll document.
2.2 Creating an Atoll Document
Whatever the radio technology you will be modelling, you create an Atoll documents in one of two days:
From a template: You can create a new Atoll document from a template. Atoll is delivered with a template for
each technology you will be planning for. For information on creating a document from a template, see "Creating
a New Atoll Document From a Template" on page 71.
You can also create your own template by basing it on an existing document that you have already customised
with, for example, certain geo data or antennas.
From a database: When you create a new Atoll document from a database, the database you connect to has
been created with the technology and data you need. Working with a database allows several users to share the
same data while at the same time managing data consistency. The exact procedure for creating a new Atoll doc-
ument from a database differs, depending on the database containing the data. Atoll can work with several
common databases. For information on starting a document from a database, see "Creating a New Atoll Document
From a Database" on page 76.
2.2.1 Creating a New Atoll Document Froma Template
You can create a new Atoll document from a template. Atoll has a template for each technology you will be planning for.
Each template provides data and a data structure suitable for the technology. For example, the tabs in the transmitter
Properties dialogue as well as the radio parameters available differ according to the project. As well, the objects that are
available are appropriate for the technology. For example, UMTS cells are only available in UMTS documents and TRX
are only available GSM-TDMA documents.
Once you have selected the appropriate template for your radio planning project, you configure the basic parameters of
the Atoll document (see "Defining a New Atoll Document" on page 73).
In this section, the following are explained:
"Templates Available" on page 71
"Creating a New Atoll Document From a Template" on page 72
"Defining a New Atoll Document" on page 73
2.2.1.1 Templates Available
Depending on your configuration of Atoll, the following templates are available:
GSM/GPRS/EGPRS: This template can be used to model second generation (2G) mobile telecommunications
using TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) technology. This template can be used to model the following tech-
nologies:
- GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication): GSM is a 2G technology based on TDMA.
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- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): GPRS is a packet-switched technology that enables data applica-
tions on GSM networks. It is considered a 2.5G technology.
- EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution): EDGE is an advancement for GSM/GPRS networks that tri-
ples data rates. Because it is based on existing GSM technology, it allows for a smooth upgrade for GSM oper-
ators, giving them capabilities approaching those of a 3G network, while remaining with the existing 2G
system.
- EGPRS (GPRS operating over EDGE): EGPRS is GPRS, but operating over EDGE for enhanced data rates.
CDMA2000 1xRTT 1xEV-DO: This template can be used to model third generation (3G) mobile telecommunica-
tions based on CDMA2000 technology. CDMA2000 is an evolution of CDMA, or code division multiple access.
This template can be used to model the following technologies:
- 1xRTT (1 Radio Transmission Technology): 1xRTT is sometimes considered not as 3G but as 2.5G in
terms of mobile telecommunications. It offers increased voice capacity as compared to 2G technologies, but
not as much as pure 3G solutions.
- 1xEV-DO (1x Evolution - Data Only): 1xEV-DO is an evolution of CDMA2000 that provides data transfer
rates of over 10 times those of 1xRTT. It is considered a 3G solution and addresses, as its name suggests,
data only.
IS-95 cdmaOne: This template can be used to model second generation (2G) mobile telecommunications based
on code division multiple access technology. IS-95 is an industry standard while cdmaOne is a proprietary imple-
mentation of this standard.
Microwave Radio Links: Atoll allows you to model microwave radio links, as part of a complete mobile telecom-
munications network, from any technology template. However, this template is provided to enable you to create a
project of only microwave radio links.
UMTS HSPA: UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet
Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), collectively referred to as HSPA, are third generation
(3G) mobile telecommunication systems based on WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) tech-
nology. Although WCDMA is similar in implementation to CDMA, the two technologies are incompatible. UMTS
and HSPA are usually implemented in place and over GSM networks.
WiMAX: Atoll WiMAX is a state-of-the-art WiMAX and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) network planning tool
developed in cooperation with WiMAX equipment suppliers. Atoll WiMAX currently supports the IEEE 802.16d
standard, and has been designed to support the evolving IEEE 802.16e standard in a future release
2.2.1.2 Creating a NewAtoll Document Froma Template
To create a new document from a template:
1. Select File > New. The Project Templates dialogue appears.
2. Select the template on which you want to base your document and click OK. Atoll creates a new document based
on the template selected.
Figure 2.1 shows a new Atoll document based on the UMTS HSPA template. The Data tab of the Explorer window now
has a folder structure suitable for a UMTS radio-planning project, with, among other UMTS-specific elements, folders for
UMTS parameters and UMTS simulations. The Antennas folder is expanded to show the UMTS-compatible antennas
suggested by Atoll. These can be modified or replaced. Figure 2.2 and Figure 2.3 show the contents of the Geo and
Modules tabs of the new document, respectively.
Figure 2.1: New Atoll document based on a template
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
When you create an Atoll document from a template, the document is not connected to a database.
To verify whether the document is connected to a database:
Select File > Database > Connection Properties. The dialogue in displayed in Figure 2.4 appears.
Figure 2.4: An Atoll document based on a template is not connected to a database
2.2.1.3 Defining a NewAtoll Document
Once you have created a new Atoll document as explained in "Creating a New Atoll Document From a Template" on
page 72, you configure the basic parameters of the Atoll document. You can accept the default values for some param-
eters, such as basic measurement units, but you must set projection and display coordinate systems.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Projection and Display Coordinate Systems" on page 73
"Setting a Coordinate System" on page 74
"Setting Measurement Units" on page 75
2.2.1.3.1 Projection and Display Coordinate Systems
In Atoll, you define the two coordinate systems for each Atoll document: the projection coordinate system and the display
coordinate system. By default, the same coordinate system is used for both.
A projection is a method for producing all or part of a round body on a flat sheet. This projection cannot be done without
distortion, thus the cartographer must choose the characteristic (distance, direction, scale, area or shape) which is to be
shown appropriately at the expense of the other characteristics, or he must compromise on several characteristics
1
. The
projected zones are referenced using cartographic coordinates (meter, yard, etc.).
Two projection systems are widely used:
The Lambert Conformal-Conic projection: a portion of the earth is mathematically projected on a cone concep-
tually secant at one or two standard parallels. This projection type is useful for representing countries or regions
that lay primarily east to west.
The Universal Transverse Mercator projection (UTM): a portion of the earth is mathematically projected on a
cylinder tangent to a meridian (which is transverse or crosswise to the equator). This projection type is useful for
mapping large areas that are oriented north-south.
A geographic system is not a projection, but a representation of a location on the earth's surface from geographic coordi-
nates (degree-minute-second or grade) giving the latitude and longitude in relation to the origin meridian (Paris for NTF
system and Greenwich for ED50 system). The locations in the geographic system can be converted into other projections.
Atoll has databases including more than 980 international coordinate system references, a database based on the Euro-
pean Petroleum Survey Group and another one regrouping only France's coordinate systems. Atoll distinguishes the
cartographic coordinate systems for projection and either cartographic or geographic coordinate systems for display.
Figure 2.2: New Atoll document Geo tab Figure 2.3: New Atoll document Modules tab
1. Snyder, J ohn. P., Map Projections Used by the US Geological Survey, 2nd Edition, United States Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C., 313 pages, 1982.
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The maps displayed in the workspace are referenced with the same projection system as the imported geographic data
files; thus, the projection system depends on the imported geographic file. By choosing a specific display system, you can
see (using the rulers or status bars) the location of sites on the map in a coordinate system different from the projection
coordinate system. You can also position on the map sites referenced in the display system: the coordinates are automat-
ically converted from the projection system to the display system and the site is displayed on the map.
In Figure 2.5, the French Riviera geographic data file has been imported. The map shows the French Riviera projected
using the cartographic NTF (Paris)/France II tendue system (coordinates in metres). On the other hand, site coordinates
are stated in the geographic WGS 72 system (coordinates in degrees-minutes-seconds).
Figure 2.5: NTF (Paris)/France II tendue system used with WGS 72 system
2.2.1.3.2 Setting a Coordinate System
Because you are working with maps, you must set a coordinate system for your Atoll document. By default, projection and
display coordinate systems are the same, but you can choose a different display coordinate system if you wish.
To define the coordinate system:
1. Select Tools > Options. The Options dialogue appears.
2. On the Coordinates tab, click the Browse button ( ) to the right of the Projection field. The Coordinate Sys-
tems dialogue appears.
3. In the Coordinate Systems dialogue, select a catalogue from the Find in list. For the projection system, only car-
tographic systems (identified by the symbol) are available.
4. Select a coordinate system from the list.
5. Click OK. The selected coordinate system appears in the Projection field and, by default, in the Display field as
well.
6. If you wish to set a different coordinate system for the display, click the Browse button ( ) to the right of the
Display field and repeat step 3. to step 5. For the display system, both cartographic systems (identified by the
symbol) and geographic systems (identified by the symbol) are available.
2.2.1.3.3 Selecting the Degree Display Format
Atoll can display longitude and latitude in four different formats. For example:
265629.9N
26d56m29.9sN
26.93914N
+26.93914
To change the degree display format:
1. Select Tools > Options. The Options dialogue appears.
2. On the Coordinates tab, select the format from the Degree Format list.
3. Click OK.
Notes: All imported raster geographic files must be use the same cartographic system. If not, you
must convert them to a single cartographic system.
Tip: If you frequently use a particular coordinate system you can add it to a catalogue of favour-
ites by clicking Add to Favourites.
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
2.2.1.3.4 Setting Measurement Units
When you create a new Atoll document, Atoll sets certain measurement units for reception, transmission, distance,
height, and offset to internal defaults. You can accept these default measurement units, or you can change them using the
Options dialogue.
To set the measurement units:
1. Select Tools > Options. The Options dialogue appears.
2. On the Units tab, select the desired unit for the following measurements:
- Reception
- Transmission
- Distance
- Height and offset
3. Click OK.
2.2.2 Working in a Multi-User Environment
A multi-user environment is one where a number of users, or groups of users, work simultaneously on given parts of a
single, large (may be nation-wide) network. Different user groups may be working on regional or smaller sections of the
network. This section describes the different components of multi-user environments and outlines their purpose.
When you create a new Atoll document from a database, Atoll loads the data to which you have rights from database into
your new document and then disconnects it from the database. The connection to the reference database is reactivated
only when necessary, thus ensuring access to the database by other users.
When you work on a document created from a database, you are working on data that you are sharing with other users.
Consequently, there are issues related to sharing data that do not arise when you are working on a stand-alone document.
For example, when you archive your changes to the database, the changes you have made may occasionally interfere
with changes other users have made and you will need to resolve this conflict.
In this section, the following are explained:
"The Atoll Multi-User Environment" on page 75
"Creating a New Atoll Document From a Database" on page 76
"Working With a Document on a Database" on page 77
"Refreshing an Atoll Document From the Database" on page 78
"Archiving the Modifications of an Atoll Document in the Database" on page 79.
2.2.2.1 The Atoll Multi-User Environment
An Atoll multi-user environment consists of the following elements, connected over a network:
A central Atoll project: The central Atoll project can only be accessed, modified, and updated by the Atoll
administrator. Through this central Atoll project, the Atoll administrator can manage all the data shared by all the
individual Atoll users or groups of users.
Shared data: Shared data are initially set up by the administrator using the central Atoll project and are then
accessed, modified, worked on, and updated by the Atoll users and the administrator. The shared data are mainly
of the following three types:
- The central database: The central database stores all the radio data of all the Atoll user documents. It is
initiated through the central Atoll project by the administrator, and is then subdivided into sections on which
users or groups of users can work simultaneously. Once the database is in place, users can modify their
projects, refresh their projects from the data stored in the database, and archive their modifications in the data-
base. The use of a database means that potential data conflicts due to modifications from other users, modi-
fied or deleted records, for example, can be detected and resolved.
- Shared geographic data: Shared geographic data files are usually stored on a common file server with a fast
access connection. Since geographic data files are usually large, they are usually linked to an Atoll file, i.e.,
they are stored externally, so as to minimise the size of the Atoll file. Users who modify geographic data
locally, for example, editing edit clutter or traffic in their respective projects, usually store these modifications
locally, since these modifications rarely have an impact on other users.
- Path loss matrices: The path loss matrices are computed through the central Atoll project by the adminis-
trator and can be updated only by the administrator. Each user can read these path loss data but cannot
modify them. If users modify their Atoll documents in such a way that the path loss data becomes invalid for
their document, any path loss matrices computed by these users are stored locally, either embedded in the
ATL file or link to an external file. The shared path loss data are not modified.
Shared path loss matrices are updated when the calculation administrator performs an update, taking into ac-
count the modifications made by other users which have been stored and updated in the central database.
Shared path loss matrices enable a number of users to work with a centralised path loss matrices folder, con-
taining path loss matrices corresponding to the central Atoll project.
User Documents: Individual user documents are initialised by the administrator but are later worked upon and
managed by each user. User documents are Atoll files which are connected to the central database, load only the
Note: The degree format options apply only to the geographic coordinate systems.
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required part of the geographic data (as defined by the CFG file, for example), and have access to the shared path
loss matrices folder.
Figure 2.6: Components of Multi-user Environments
2.2.2.2 Creating a NewAtoll Document Froma Database
When you create a new document from a database, you must connect to the database. Once connected, Atoll loads the
database into a new Atoll document. Then the connected is interrupted. A new connection with the database will be
created only when necessary, in order to allow other users access to the database.
The exact procedure of connecting with the database differs from one database to another. Atoll can work with the follow-
ing databases:
Microsoft Access
Microsoft SQL Server
Oracle
Sybase
Microsoft Data Link files
The following sections give examples of connecting to two different databases:
"Connecting to an MS Access Database" on page 76
"Connecting to an Oracle Database" on page 77.
An example of a new Atoll document created from a database is shown in:
"Working With a Document on a Database" on page 77
2.2.2.2.1 Connecting to an MS Access Database
To create a new document from an MS Access database:
1. Select File > Open from a Database. The Open from a Database dialogue appears.
2. In the Files of type list, select "Microsoft Access" as the type of database:
3. Select the name of the database and click OK. The data in the MS Access database is loaded into Atoll as a new
document.
Note: For information on creating and maintaining the database, see the Administrator Manual.
Note: If you already have a document open in Atoll, you must select File > Database > Open
from a Database.
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
2.2.2.2.2 Connecting to an Oracle Database
To create a new document from an Oracle database:
1. Select File > Open from a Database. The Open from a Database dialogue appears.
2. In the Files of type list, select "Oracle" as the type of database:
3. In the dialogue that appears, enter your User Name, Password, and Server (as defined in the tnsnames.ora file).
Figure 2.7: Connecting to an Oracle database
4. Click OK. The data in the Oracle database is loaded into Atoll as a new document.
2.2.2.3 Working With a Document on a Database
Figure 2.1 shows a new Atoll document based created from a database. The Data tab of the Explorer window now has
a folder structure suitable for a UMTS radio-planning project. The Sites folder is expanded to show that a document
created from a database can have additional data, such as sites, unlike a document created from a template. These can
be modified or replaced. Figure 2.2 and Figure 2.3 show the contents of the Geo and Modules tabs of the new document,
respectively.
Figure 2.8: New Atoll document opened from a database
Note: If you already have a document open in Atoll, you must select File > Database > Open
from a Database.
Note: Additional dialogues may open asking you to choose which project in the database to load
or which site list to load.
Note: The new document may open with no site displayed in the map window. This is because
the north-west point of the project is by default the axis origin. You can recentre the docu-
ment on the data displayed in the Data tab by expanding the Sites folder, right-clicking on
any site, and selecting Centre in the map window from the context menu.
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When you create an Atoll document from a database, you can view the characteristics of the database connection.
To view the characteristics of the database connection:
1. Select File > Database > Connection Properties. The Database Connection dialogue appears (see
Figure 2.4).
2. You can now:
- Disconnect your document from the database.
- Modify your connection to the database.
Figure 2.11: The Connection
2.2.2.4 Refreshing an Atoll Document Fromthe Database
As you are working on your document, other users who have access to the database may have modified some of the data.
You can ensure that you have the most recent data in your document by refreshing the information from the database.
How frequently you refresh the document depends on how frequently the database is updated. If the database is updated
frequently, you should refresh your document frequently as well, in order to continue working with the most up-to-date data.
To refresh an Atoll document from the database:
1. Select File > Database > Refresh.
2. In the dialogue that appears, you can choose one of the following:
- Archive your changes in the database: This option allows you to archive your changes to the server instead
of refreshing your document from the server.
- Refresh only data which have not been modified: This option allows you to refresh from the database only
those items that have not modified; all others will remain as they are.
- Cancel your changes and reload database: This option allows you to cancel any changes you have made
and start over from the point of the last archive to the database.
3. Click OK.
Figure 2.9: New Atoll document Geo tab Figure 2.10: New Atoll document Modules tab
Caution: If you disconnect your document from the database, it will be become a stand-alone docu-
ment and you will not be able to reconnect it to the database.
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
2.2.2.5 Archiving the Modifications of an Atoll Document in the Database
When you are working on an Atoll document that is attached to a database, you should from time to time archive the modi-
fications you have made to the data on the database. How frequently you should archive your document depends on
several factors: the amount and size of changes you make, the number of other users using the database who may benefit
from your modifications, etc. What you can archive depends on the user rights the database administrator has given to
you. For example, you may have read access to the antennas table, allowing you to create a new Atoll document with the
given antennas. However, because only the administrator can modify the properties of the antennas, you will not be able
to archive any changes you make to the antennas without write access to the table.
The Atoll archiving process is flexible. You can choose to archive all your modifications or only the site-related modifica-
tions. As well, when you are archiving, Atoll shows you all modifications that will be archived and, if you wish, you can
choose to archive only some of them or even to undo modifications you have made locally. Occasionally, other users many
have modified some of the same data and, when you archive your changes, Atoll will inform you of the possible conflicts
and help you resolve them.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Archiving All Modifications in the Database" on page 79
"Archiving Only Site-Related Data in the Database" on page 79
"Resolving Data Conflicts" on page 80.
2.2.2.5.1 Archiving All Modifications in the Database
To archive all your modifications in the database:
1. Select File > Database > Archive. The Archive dialogue appears (see Figure 2.12).
2. In the Archive dialogue, you can do the following:
- Click Run All to archive all your changes to the database.
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Run to archive the selected modification to the database
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Differences to view the differences between the local item
and the item on the database.
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Undo to refresh the modification with the original data from
the database.
Figure 2.12: The Archive dialogue
3. If some of the data has been modified on the database since you last refreshed, Atoll stops the archiving process
and asks you to resolve the conflict. For information on managing conflicts, see "Resolving Data Conflicts" on
page 80.
4. When you are finished archiving, click Close.
2.2.2.5.2 Archiving Only Site-Related Data in the Database
Atoll allows you to archive only site-related data if you wish. Which data is archived depends on the radio technology you
are working with. For example, in a UMTS HSPA radio planning project, the site-related data are: sites, transmitters, cells,
and neighbours.
Notes:
If you chose Refresh only data which have not been modified or Cancel your changes and
reload database, Atoll proceeds without asking for confirmation.
If you chose Archive your changes in the database, the Archive dialogue appears. For infor-
mation on using the Archive dialogue, see "Archiving the Modifications of an Atoll Document in
the Database" on page 79.
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To archive only the site-related data in the database:
1. Select File > Database > Archive. The Archive dialogue appears.
2. In the Archive dialogue, you can do the following:
- Click Run All to archive all your changes to the database.
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Run to archive the selected modification to the database
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Differences to view the differences between the local item
and the item on the database.
- Select one item under Pending Changes and click Undo to refresh the modification with the original data from
the database.
3. If some of the data has been modified on the database since you last refreshed, Atoll stops the archiving process
and asks you to resolve the conflict. For information on managing conflicts, see "Resolving Data Conflicts" on
page 80.
4. When you are finished archiving, click Close.
2.2.2.5.3 Resolving Data Conflicts
Atoll enables several users to use the same database by allowing user to load the data and then freeing the database for
other users. However, this also creates the possibility of two users modifying the same data. When the second user
attempts to archive his changes, Atoll warns him that the data has been changed since he last refreshed the data and that
there is a conflict.
Atoll allows you to resolve data conflicts. When Atoll finds a conflict, it displays the warning shown in Figure 2.13.
Figure 2.13: Conflict warning
You have three options:
Abort: If you click Abort, the archiving process stops and you can attempt to resolve the conflict before restarting
the archiving process.
Ignore: If you click Ignore, the item causing the conflict will not be archived; all other modifications will be archived
and you can resolve the conflict after the archiving process has ended. However, if other conflicts are found, Atoll
will warn you with the Database Transfer Error dialogue again.
Ignore All: If you click Ignore All, the item causing the conflict will not be archived and Atoll will not inform you if
there are other conflicts; all other modifications will be archived and you can resolve any conflicts after the
archiving process has ended.
Whether you abort the archive process to resolve the conflict immediately. or wait until the end of the archive process, the
procedure to resolve the conflict is the same.
To resolve a conflict:
1. In the Pending Changes pane of the Archive dialogue, select the conflict you want to resolve and click Resolve.
There are two different types of data conflicts:
- On a modified record: You are in the process of archiving your modifications on the database and another
user has modified the same data since you last archived or refreshed your data. A conflict is caused only by
differences in the same field of the same record between the database and the current Atoll document.
The Conflict in Changes dialogue appears, with the fields in conflict highlighted (see Figure 2.14). In the
Conflict in Changes dialogue, you can see the value of the field in the database in the Database values col-
umn, as well as the value of the same field in your document in the Current values column.
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Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project
Figure 2.14: The Conflict in Changes dialogue
- If you want to overwrite the database value with the value of the same field in your document, select the
check box next to the highlighted change and click Archive. Your modification will be written to the data-
base, overwriting the value there.
- If you want to accept the value of the field in the database, clear the check box next to the highlighted
change and click Archive. Your modification will be lost and the value in the database will remain un-
changed.
- On a deleted record: You are in the process of archiving your modifications on the database and another
user has deleted a record since you last archived or refreshed your data. For information, see "Resolving Data
Conflicts" on page 80.
Atoll displays a message explaining that the record you are trying to update has been deleted from the data-
base (see Figure 2.15). Select one of the following:
Figure 2.15: Conflict on a deleted record
- Yes: Select Yes to store your modifications on the database, thereby recreated the deleted record.
- No: Select No to abandon your modifications to this record and delete this record from your document.
- Cancel: Select Cancel to cancel.
2. Click Close to close the Archive dialogue.
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CHAPTER 3
MANAGING GEOGRAPHIC DATA
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Chapter 3: Managing Geographic Data
3 Managing Geographic Data
Several different geographic data types are used in an Atoll document. For example: the Digital Terrain Model (DTM),
clutter classes, clutter heights, scanned images, population maps, and traffic data maps are types of the geographic data
that you can import or create. Some data types, such as clutter classes, can be used to give more realistic calculations.
Other types such as scanned images, are used to create a more realistic display of the region under study.
You can import a wide variety of both vector and raster-format geo data files. When you import a geo data file into Atoll,
you can decide in which folder it goes. The Geo tab of the Atoll Explorer window has folders for the commonly used data
types. Therefore, choosing a folder is choosing what the file will be used for. You can also create your own data type by
importing a file and defining what data is to be used.
Once you have imported a file into the Atoll document, you can edit the data, define how the data will be displayed, and
how geo data is displayed. Atoll also allows you to manage multiple files for a single data type, deciding the priority of data
files with different information or different resolutions. You can also display geo data over items on the Data tab, either by
transferring them to the Data tab, or by importing them directly to the Data tab.
You can also create and edit geographic data. You can add a vector layer to certain data types to which you can add
contours, lines, or points, create new geographic data, or modify existing data. You can also create raster-based
geographic data such as traffic maps or clutter classes.
You can export most geo data objects (for example, DTM, clutter classes, clutter heights, raster polygons, or vector layers)
for use in other Atoll documents or in other applications. Atoll also allows you to save changes you make to geo data
objects back to the original files. This way you can update the original files and, through the process of saving them, recom-
pact the file.
This chapter explains the following topics:
"Geographic Data Types" on page 85
"Supported Geographic Data Formats" on page 86
"Importing Geo Data Files" on page 87
"Clutter Classes" on page 92
"Clutter Heights" on page 95
"Digital Terrain Models" on page 92
"Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 95
"Scanned Images" on page 96
"Population Maps" on page 97
"Rain Maps" on page 98
"Custom Geo Data Maps" on page 99
"Setting the Priority of Geo Data" on page 102
"Editing Geographic Data" on page 105
"Saving Geographic Data" on page 112.
3.1 Geographic Data Types
An Atoll document can contain several different geographic data types. Atoll supports a wide range of file formats for
geographic data files. The different geographic data types play different roles in the Atoll document:
Geographic data used in propagation calculation:
- Digital terrain model
- Clutter classes
- Clutter heights
Geographic data used in dimensioning:
- Traffic maps
Geographic data used in statistics:
- Population maps
- Custom maps
Geographic data used for display purposes:
- Scanned maps
- Contours, lines, and points representing, for example, roads, railways, or regions.
In this section, the following data types are described:
"Digital Terrain Model" on page 86
"Clutter Classes" on page 86
"Clutter Heights" on page 86
"Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 86
"Scanned Images" on page 86
"Population Maps" on page 86
"Rain Maps" on page 86
"Traffic Data Maps" on page 86
"Custom Data Maps" on page 86.
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Digital Terrain Model
The DTM describes the elevation of the ground over sea level. You can display the DTM in different ways: by single value,
discrete values, or by value intervals (see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28).
The DTM is automatically taken into account by the propagation model during computations.
Clutter Classes
The clutter class geo data file describes land cover or land use. Clutter classes are taken into account by the propagation
model during computations.
Each pixel in a clutter class file contains a code (from a maximum of 256 possible classes) which corresponds to a clutter
class, or in other words to a certain type of ground use or cover. The height per class can be defined as part of the clutter
class, however, the height will be defined as an average height for each clutter class. For information on defining the height
per clutter class, see "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93. Clutter heights can also be defined by a separate
clutter heights file (see "Clutter Heights" on page 86). A clutter height map can represent height much more accurately
because it allows a different height to be assigned for each pixel of the map.
Clutter Heights
Clutter height maps describe the altitude of clutter over the DTM with one altitude defined per pixel. Clutter height maps
can offer more precise information than defining an altitude per clutter class because, in a clutter height file, it is possible
to have different heights within a single clutter class.
When clutter altitude is defined both in clutter classes and in a clutter height map, clutter altitude is taken from the clutter
height map.
You can display the clutter height map in different ways: by single value, discrete values, or by value intervals (see "Display
Properties of Objects" on page 28).
Contours, Lines, and Points
Atoll supports contours, lines, and points to represent polygons such as regions, or lines such as roads or coastlines, or
points. They are used for display only and have no effect on computations. Contours can also be used to create filtering
polygons or computation or focus zones.
Scanned Images
Scanned images are geographic data files which represent the actual physical surroundings, for example, road maps or
satellite images. They are used to provide a precise background for other objects or for less precise maps and are used
only for display; they have no effect on calculations.
Population Maps
Population maps contain information on population density or on the total number of inhabitants. Population maps can be
used in prediction reports in order to display, for example, the absolute and relative numbers of the population covered.
Population maps have no effect on prediction and simulation results.
Rain Maps
Rain maps are vector files containing information on rain intensity (i.e., the total amount per defined period). Rain maps
are used in microwave link documents to calculate radio wave attenuation.
Traffic Data Maps
Traffic data maps contain information on capacity and service use per geographic area. Traffic data maps are used for
network capacity analyses.
Custom Data Maps
You can import many different types of files for, for example, revenue, rainfall, or socio-demographic data. You could use
the imported data in prediction reports. For example, you could display the predicted revenue for defined coverage.
These imported data have no effect on prediction and simulation results.
3.2 Supported Geographic Data Formats
Atoll supports the following geographic data formats:
DTM files in the following formats: TIF (8 or 16-bit), BIL (8 or 16-bit), IST (8 or 16-bit), Planet, BMP (8-bit), GRD/
GRC Vertical Mapper (8 or 16-bit), and Erdas Imagine (8 or 16-bit)
Note: The only propagation models that can take clutter heights into account in calculations are
the Standard Propagation Model and WLL model.
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Chapter 3: Managing Geographic Data
Clutter height files in the following formats: TIF (8 or 16-bit), BIL (8 or 16-bit), IST (8 or 16-bit), Planet, BMP (8-bit),,
GRC Vertical Mapper (8 or 16-bit), and Erdas Imagine (8 or 16-bit)
Clutter class and traffic files in the following formats: TIF (8-bit), BIL (8-bit), IST (8-bit), BMP (8-bit), Planet, GRC
Vertical Mapper (8-bit), and Erdas Imagine (8-bit)
Vector data files in the following formats: AGD, DFX, Planet, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Vector traffic files in the following formats: AGD, DFX, Planet, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Scanned image files in the following formats: TIF (1 to 24-bit), BIL (1 to 24-bit), IST (1 to 24-bit), BMP (1 to 24-bit),
Planet, Erdas Imagine (1 to 24-bit), GRC Vertical Mapper (1 to 24-bit), and ECW (8 or 24-bit)
Population files in the following formats: TIF (16-bit), BIL (16-bit), IST (16-bit), Planet, BMP (16-bit), Erdas Imagine
(16-bit), GRD/GRC Vertical Mapper (16-bit), AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Rain files in the following formats: AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
Other data in the following formats: TIF (16-bit), BIL (16-bit), IST (16-bit), Planet, BMP (16-bit), Erdas Imagine
(16-bit), GRD/GRC Vertical Mapper (16-bit), AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, and TAB.
3.3 Importing Geo Data Files
You can import the geographic data you need into the current Atoll document. As explained in "Supported Geographic
Data Formats" on page 86, Atoll supports a variety of both raster and vector file formats. When you import a new geo data
file, Atoll recognises the file format and suggests the appropriate folder on the Geo tab of the Explorer window. You can
embed geo data files in the Atoll document while you are importing them or afterwards (see "Embedding Geographic
Data" on page 91).
You can share the paths of imported maps and display settings with other users by using Atolls user configuration files.
For information on exporting the paths of your documents files or to import the path from another document using user
configuration files, see "Geographic Data Sets" on page 103.
This section explains the following:
"Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87
"Importing a Vector-format Geo Data File" on page 88
"Importing MSI PlanetGeo Data" on page 89
"Grouping Geo Data Files in Folders" on page 90
"Embedding Geographic Data" on page 91.
3.3.1 Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File
All raster geo data files must be represented in the same projection coordinate system as the Atoll document itself.
To import a geographic data file in a raster format:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the geo data file and click Open. The File Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.1).
Depending on the type of geo data file you are importing, choose one of the following options:
- DTM: Select Altitudes (DTM) from the Data Type list.
- Clutter Classes: Select Clutter Classes from the Data Type list.
- Clutter Heights: Select Clutter Heights from the Data Type list.
- Scanned Images: Select Image or Scan from the Data Type list.
- Population:
i. Select Population from the Data Type list. The Use as list becomes available.
ii. Select from the Use as list whether the imported data are to be interpreted as a Density or a Value.
- Custom Geo Data: See "Custom Geo Data Maps" on page 99.
- Traffic Data Maps: Select Traffic Density from the Data Type list.
3. By default, the imported file is linked to the Atoll document. To embed the data file in the Atoll document, select
the Embed in Document check box. For information on embedding files, see "Embedding Geographic Data" on
page 91.
Caution: All raster maps imported must have the same projection coordinate system.
Note: The instructions in this section do not apply to custom geo data maps. For information on
importing or creating an custom geo data map, see "Custom Geo Data Maps" on page 99.
Tip: You can use the drag-and-drop feature to import geo data files into a document. The format
is automatically recognized and Atoll presents you with the appropriate dialogue.
Note: If the Vector Import dialogue appears, go to "Importing a Vector-format Geo Data File" on
page 88.
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4. Click Import. The geo data file is imported and listed in the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
Figure 3.1: Importing a clutter class file
3.3.2 Importing a Vector-format Geo Data File
When you import geo data files in vector format, their geographic system can be converted to the system used by the Atoll
document.
To import a vector-format geographic data file:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the geo data file and click Open. The Vector Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4).
Depending on the type of geo data file you are importing, choose one of the following options:
- Vector Data:
- Select Geo from the Import to list.
- Population:
i. Select Population from the Import to list.
ii. Under Fields to be imported, select from the first list which field is to be imported and from the second
list whether the imported field is a Density or a Value (see Figure 3.2 and Figure 3.3).
Figure 3.2: Population density (number of inhabitants/km)
Figure 3.3: Population values (number of inhabitants per item polygon/road, etc.)
- Rain:
i. Select Rain from the Import to list.
ii. Under Fields to be imported, select from the first list which field is to be imported and select Value from
the second list.
- Custom Geo Data:
- See "Custom Geo Data Maps" on page 99.
Note: If the File Import dialogue appears, go to "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on
page 87.
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- Traffic Data Maps: Select Traffic from the Import to list.
3. By default, the imported file is linked to the Atoll document. To embed the data file in the Atoll document, select
the Embed in Document check box. For information on embedding files, see "Embedding Geographic Data" on
page 91.
4. Click Import. The geo data file is imported and listed in the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
Figure 3.4: Vector Import dialogue
3.3.3 Importing MSI PlanetGeo Data
MSI Planetgeo data are contained in a series of files described in index files. The index file is in ASCII text format and
contains the information necessary to identify and properly interpret each geo data file. When you import MSI Planetgeo
data, you can import each type of geo data separately, by importing the corresponding index file, or you can import several
MSI Planetgeo data files at the same time, by importing several index files.
This section explains the following:
"Importing One MSI PlanetGeo Data Type" on page 89
"Importing a MSI PlanetGeo Database" on page 90.
3.3.3.1 Importing One MSI PlanetGeo Data Type
When you want to import a certain type of MSI Planetgeo data, such as a DTM or clutter heights, you import the index
file containing the information necessary to import the set of files containing the geo data.
To import one type of MSI Planetgeo data:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the index file you want to import and click Open. The Data Type dialogue appears (see Figure 3.5).
Figure 3.5: Importing an MSI Planetindex file
3. Select the type of geo data you are importing and select the Embed check box if you want to embed the data in
the current Atoll document.
Note: You can import ellipses and arcs from MapInfo files (MIF and TAB). Rectangles are inter-
preted as polygons.
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4. Click OK to import the geo data into the current Atoll document.
3.3.3.2 Importing a MSI PlanetGeo Database
You can import all available MSI Planetgeo data at the same time by importing all index files.
To import the MSI Planetgeo database:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select "Planetdatabase" from the Files of Type list. The Planet Data to Be Imported dialogue appears (see
Figure 3.5).
Figure 3.6: Importing an MSI Planetdatabase
3. For each type of data that you want to import:
a. Select the corresponding check box
b. If you want to embed the data, select the Embed check box.
c. To locate the MSI Planetindex file, click . The Open dialogue appears.
d. Select the MSI Planetindex file and click Open. The path and name of the file appears in the corresponding
field of the Planet Data to Be Imported dialogue.
4. When you have selected all the types of data you want to import, click OK. The data is imported into the current
Atoll document.
3.3.4 Grouping Geo Data Files in Folders
By default, when you import scanned images and contours, lines, and points, they appear directly on the Geo tab. Other
data files, such as clutter classes, are listed together in a single Clutter Classes folder. You can, however, group scanned
images and contours, lines, and points into folders as well.
Once grouped, these geo data files can be displayed or hidden and moved more easily. They retain, however, their own
individual display settings; the display settings cannot be managed at the folder level.
You create the folder when you import the first geo data file that will be imported into it. When you import the next geo data
file, either raster or vector, you can import it directly into the new folder.
To create a new geo data folder when importing:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the geo data file and click Open. If the file to be imported is a raster file, the File Import dialogue appears
(see Figure 3.1). If the file to be imported is a vector file, the Vector Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4).
3. From the Data Type list (on the File Import dialogue) or the Import To list (on the Vector Import dialogue), select
New folder in Geo. The New Folder dialogue appears.
Note: If you want to import your file to the Data tab, you can select New folder in Data.
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Chapter 3: Managing Geographic Data
4. Enter a name for the folder in Folder Name box and click OK.
5. Click Import. Your file is imported into the newly created folder.
You can now import other geo data files into this folder by selecting it from the Data Type list (on the File Import dialogue)
or the Import To list (on the Vector Import dialogue) when you import.
3.3.5 Embedding Geographic Data
By default, when you import a geo data file, Atoll creates a link to the file. You can, however, choose to embed the geo
data file in your Atoll document, either when you import it or later. When Atoll is linked to a geo data file, the geo data file
remains separate and modifying or saving the Atoll document has no effect on the geo data file. When the geo data file
is embedded in the Atoll document, it is saved as part of the document.
Both linking and embedding present advantages and disadvantages. For more information, see the Administation Manual.
To embed a geo data file in the current Atoll document while you are importing:
Select the Embed in Document check box on the File Import or Vector Import dialogue box.
To embed a geo data file that is already linked to the current Atoll document:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the file you want to embed in the current document.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the General tab of the Properties dialogue.
5. Click Embed.
6. Click OK. The geo data file is now embedded in the current Atoll document.
3.3.6 Repairing a Broken Link to a Geo Data File
By default, when you import a geo data file, Atoll creates a link to the file; the geo data file remains separate and modifying
or saving the Atoll document has no effect on the geo data file. If, however, the geo data file is moved, the link will be
broken. The next time you open an Atoll document with the linked geo data file, Atoll cannot find the file and displays the
error message shown in Figure 3.7.
Figure 3.7: Missing shortcut
To find the file yourself:
When the Missing Shortcut dialogue (see Figure 3.7) appears, click the Browse button to locate the geo data file.
Atoll automatically searches for the missing file as well. It searches for the nearest match , based on size, date, and type.
When it finds a possible match, it informs you with a message (see Figure 3.8).
If the file corresponds to the source file:
Click Yes. The link will be corrected to point to the indicated file.
Note: You can transfer geo data that has been imported from the Geo tab to the Data tab, or vice
versa. Right-click the data in the Explorer window and select Transfer to Data or Transfer
to Geo.
Important: If you are using distributed calculations, you must link your geo data files. Distributed calcu-
lations can not work with embedded geo data files. For information, see the Administrator
Guide.
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Figure 3.8: Problem with shortcut
You can also repair the link to the geo data file from within the Atoll document.
To repair a broken link from within the Atoll document:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
- If the geo data file is in a folder, such as the Clutter Classes, Traffic, or DTM folder, click to expand the
folder.
2. Right-click on the geo data file you want to relink. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. On the General tab of the Properties dialogue, click the Find button.
5. Browse to the geo data file, select it and click OK.
3.4 Digital Terrain Models
The Digital Terrain Model (DTM) is a geographic data file representing the elevation of the ground over sea level.
To manage the properties of the DTM:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Digital Terrain Model folder.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Display tab to define the display properties for the DTM.
- For information on Display tab settings, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
5. Move the Relief slider towards Flat, if you want to display very few little relief or towards x6 if you want to empha-
sise the differences in altitude.
6. Click OK to close the Properties dialogue.
3.5 Clutter Classes
The clutter class geo data file describes land cover or land use.
Each pixel of a clutter class file contains a code (from a maximum of 256 possible classes) which corresponds to a clutter
class, or in other words to a certain type of ground use or cover. The height per class can be defined as part of the clutter
class, however this height is only an average per class. A clutter height map can represent height much more accurately
because it allows a different height to be assigned for each bin of the map. For information on clutter height maps, see
"Clutter Heights" on page 95.
This section explains the following:
"Assigning Names to Clutter Classes" on page 92
"Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93
"Adding a Clutter Class" on page 94
"Refreshing the List of Clutter Classes" on page 94
"Displaying Total Surface Area per Clutter Class" on page 94.
3.5.1 Assigning Names to Clutter Classes
The clutter class file identifies each clutter class with a code. To make it easier to work with clutter classes, you can assign
a descriptive name to each clutter class name. When a clutter class has a descriptive name, it is the name that appears
in tool tips and reports.
When you import a clutter class file in BIL, TIF, or IMP format, Atoll can automatically assign names to clutter classes if
the clutter class file has a corresponding MNU file. The MNU file contains a list with the clutter class codes and their corre-
sponding names. For more information on the MNU file format and on creating an MNU file, see the Technical Reference
Guide.
To assign names to clutter classes:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
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3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the Description tab of the Properties dialogue.
5. In the Name column, enter descriptive text for each class identified in the Code column.
3.5.2 Defining Clutter Class Properties
The parameters are applied in relation to the location of the receiver being studied and the clutter class of the receiver
location. These parameters can be set on the Properties dialogue:
To define clutter class properties:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the Description tab of the Properties dialogue.
5. Enter a Name and average Height (m) for each code.
6. If desired, you can enter a value for each of the following fields applicable to the current document:
- For all Atoll documents:
- Model Standard Deviation (dB): to compute shadowing losses on the path loss, as related to a user-
defined cell edge coverage probability.
- Indoor Loss (dB): to be applied to the path loss and used in coverage predictions, point analysis or in
UMTS HSPA or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations.
- For GSM/GPRS/EGPRS documents:
- C/I Standard Deviation (dB): to compute shadowing losses on the C/I values, as related to a user-defined
cell edge coverage probability.
- For UMTS HSPA or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 documents:
- Ec/Io Standard Deviation (dB): to compute shadowing losses on the Ec/Io values, as related to a user-
defined cell edge coverage probability.
- Eb/Nt Standard Deviation DL (dB): to compute shadowing losses on the Eb/Nt values, as related to a
user-defined cell edge coverage probability.
- Eb/Nt Standard Deviation UL (dB): to compute shadowing losses on the Eb/Nt values, as related to a
user-defined cell edge coverage probability.
- % Pilot Finger: to be used in the Ec/Io calculations. This factor represents the percentage of energy
received by the mobile pilot finger. Mobile user equipment has one searcher finger for pilot. The searcher
finger selects one path and only energy from this path is considered as signal; energy from other multip-
aths is considered as interference. For example, if 70% of the total energy is in one path and 30% of the
energy is in other multipaths, then the signal energy is reduced to 70% of total energy).
- Orthogonality Factor: to be used to evaluate DL Eb/Nt. This parameter indicates the remaining orthog-
onality at the receiver; it can be modelled by a value between 0, indicating no remaining orthogonality
because of multi-path, and 1 indicating perfect orthogonality.
7. Click the Default Values tab. Enter default values for each field. For information about each field, see the descrip-
tions in the previous step.
The values entered on the Default Values tab are used if no clutter map is available. Even if there is a clutter
classes map, you can select the Use default values only check box on the Default Values tab to make Atoll use
the values specified in this tab instead of the values defined per clutter class.
8. Click the Display tab to define the display properties for clutter classes. In addition to the Display tab options
described in "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28, each clutter class display type has a visibility check box.
By selecting or clearing the visibility check box, you can display or hide clutter class display types individually.
9. Click OK.
Important: If the Height field is left blank, propagation models which use the height information of clut-
ter classes will assume a clutter height of "0" if there is no clutter height map.
Important: If the Orthogonality Factor field is left blank, the default orthogonality factor from the Glo-
bal Transmitters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue is used.
Note: Selecting white as the colour for a clutter class value or value interval will cause that clutter
class value or value interval to be displayed as transparent.
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3.5.3 Adding a Clutter Class
You can add a new clutter class to your document.
To add a new clutter class to the your document:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the Description tab from the Properties dialogue.
5. In the blank row marked with at the bottom of the table, enter an unused number from 1 to 255 in the Code
column.
6. Fill in the remainder of the fields as described in step 5. and step 6. of "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on
page 93.
7. Click OK.
You can now use the new clutter class when modifying the clutter class map. For information on modifying the clutter class
map, see "Creating a Clutter Polygon" on page 105.
3.5.4 Refreshing the List of Clutter Classes
Under certain circumstances, it can happen that the list of clutter classes on the Description tab of the clutter classes Prop-
erties dialogue contains unused clutter classes. For example, if you have imported two clutter class files and then deleted
one of them, the list of clutter classes will still contain the clutter classes of the deleted file, even if they are not used in the
remaining file. Whenever you want to ensure that the list of clutter classes is accurate and current, you can refresh the list.
To refresh the list of the clutter classes:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Select the Description tab from the Properties dialogue.
5. Click Refresh. Atoll removes the unused clutter classes from the list.
6. Click OK.
3.5.5 Displaying Total Surface Area per Clutter Class
You can display the total surface area covered by each clutter class in the document. Atoll displays the surface area
covered by each clutter class in the focus zone if there is one, in the computation zone if there is no focus zone and, if
there is no focus or computation zone, Atoll displays the total surface area covered by each clutter class in the entire docu-
ment. This information is also available in prediction reports (see ).
To display the surface area covered by each clutter class:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
3. Select Statistics from the context menu.
The Statistics dialogue appears, displaying the surface area (Si in km) of each clutter class (i) and its percentage
(% of i) in the computation zone or focus zone, if one exists.
Tip: You can copy the description table into a new Atoll document after importing the clutter
classes file. To copy the description table, select the entire table by clicking the cell in the
upper-left corner of the table and press CTRL+C. On the Description tab of the clutter
classes Properties dialogue in the new Atoll document, press CTRL+V to paste the val-
ues in the table.
% of I
S
i
S
k
k

-------------- 100 =
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3.6 Clutter Heights
Clutter height maps describe the altitude of clutter over the DTM. Clutter height files allow for a higher degree of accuracy
because they allow more than one height per clutter class. In a clutter height file, a height is given for each point on the
map. If you define clutter height as a property of clutter classes, the height is given as an average per clutter class.
When a clutter height file is available, Atoll uses its clutter height information for calculations using certain propagation
models (the Standard Propagation Model and WLL model), for display (in tool tips and in the status line), and for CW meas-
urements and test mobile data paths. If no clutter height file exists, Atoll uses the average clutter height per clutter class
as defined in the clutter classes properties (see "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93).
To manage the properties of clutter heights:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Heights folder.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Display tab to define the display properties for clutter heights.
- For information on Display tab settings, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
5. Click OK to close the Properties dialogue.
The clutter height of the current pointer position as given in the clutter height file or in the clutter classes is displayed in the
status bar.
3.7 Contours, Lines, and Points
In Atoll, you can import or create vector objects such as contours, lines, and points. The imported or created vectors are
used primarily for display purposes, but polygons can be used as filters, or computation or focus zones. Vector files can
also be used for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 or UMTS HSPA traffic maps, or for population maps. They can also be used as
part of an custom geo data map (see "Custom Geo Data Maps" on page 99).
In an Atoll document, vector objects such as contours, lines, and points are arranged in vector layers. When you import
a vector file, with, for example, roads, Atoll adds the file as a new vector layer containing all the vector objects in the file.
The vector object data can be managed in the vector layer table. For information on working with data tables, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Managing the Display of a Vector Layer" on page 95
"Managing the Properties of the Vector Layer" on page 95
"Moving a Vector Layer to the Data Tab" on page 96.
3.7.1 Managing the Display of a Vector Layer
Imported geographic vector files can have different attributes depending on their file formats. Atoll can use additional infor-
mation related to vectors as display parameters. In addition, Atoll can read three-dimensional vector data.
To manage the display of a vector layer:
1. Click the Data or Geo tab in the Explorer window on which the vector layer is located.
2. Right-click the vector layer. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Select the Display tab of the Properties dialogue. For information on using the display tab, see "Display Properties
of Objects" on page 28.
3.7.2 Managing the Properties of the Vector Layer
The properties of the objects on the vector layer can be managed in two ways: either from a table containing all vectors
and their attributes or from the Properties dialogue.
Vector Layer Table
All the vector objects of a vector layer and their attributes are listed in the vector table.
Note: You can manage the display of an individual vector object by right-clicking the vector object
in the vector layer folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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To open the vector layer table:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Open Table from the context menu. The vector table appears.
You can edit the contents of this table using the commands from the context menu or from the Edit, Format, and Records
menus. For more information on editing tables in Atoll, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
Vector Layer Properties Dialogue
The vector layer Properties dialogue has three tabs: a General tab, a Table tab, and a Display tab.
To open the Properties dialogue of a vector layer:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu.
3. Click the General tab. The following options are available:
- Name: The name of the vector layer. You can rename the vector layer using this field.
- Source File: The complete path of the vector layer file if the file is linked to the Atoll document; otherwise the
file is described as embedded.
- Find: Click the Find button to redefine the path when the files location has changed.
- Embed: Click the Embed button to embed a linked vector layer file in the Atoll document.
- Coordinate System: When a vector layer is linked, the coordinate system used is the files, as specified when
the file was imported. When the a vector layer is embedded, the coordinate system used is documents, as
specified when the file was embedded.
- Change: Click the Change button to change the coordinate system of the vector layer.
- Sort: Click the Sort button to sort the data contained in the vector layer. For information on sorting, see
"Advanced Sorting" on page 54.
- Filter: Click the Filter button to filter the data contained in the vector layer. For information on filtering, see
"Advanced Data Filtering" on page 55.
4. Click the Table tab. You can use the Table tab to manage the vector layer table content. For information on the
Table tab, see "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on page 42.
5. Click the Display tab. You can use the Display tab to manage the vector layer display. For information on the Table
tab, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
3.7.3 Moving a Vector Layer to the Data Tab
In Atoll, all objects on the Data tab, such as transmitters, antennas, and predictions, are displayed over all objects on the
Geo tab. You may wish, however, to ensure that certain geo data, for example, major geographical features, roads, etc.,
remain visible in the map window. You can do this by transferring the geo data from the Geo tab to the Data tab and placing
it above data such as predictions.
To transfer a vector layer to the Data tab of the Explorer window:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the vector layer you want to transfer. The context menu appears.
3. Select Transfer to Data tab from the context menu. The vector layer is transferred to the Data tab.
You can transfer the vector layer back to the Geo tab by right-clicking it in the Data tab and selecting Transfer to the Geo
tab from the context menu. For more information about display priority in Atoll, see "Setting the Priority of Geo Data" on
page 102.
3.8 Scanned Images
Scanned images are geographic data files which represent the actual physical surroundings, for example, road maps or
satellite images. They are used to provide a precise background for other objects or for less precise maps.They have no
effect on calculations.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Importing Several Scanned Images" on page 96
"Defining the Display Properties of Scanned Images" on page 97.
3.8.1 Importing Several Scanned Images
You can import scanned images into the current Atoll document one at a time, as explained in "Importing Geo Data Files"
on page 87, or you can import a group of images by importing an index file listing the individual image files. The index file
is a text file with the information for each image file on a separate line.
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Each line contains the following information, with the information separated by a space:
File name: The name of the file, with its path relative to the current location of the index file.
XMIN: The beginning X coordinate of the file.
XMAX: The end X coordinate, calculated as XMIN +(number of horizontal bins x bin width).
YMIN: The beginning Y coordinate of the file.
YMAX: The end Y coordinate, calculated as YMIN +(number of horizontal bins x bin width).
0: The zero character ends the sequence.
To import an index
1. Select File > Import.
2. Select the index file and click Open. The File Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.1).
3. Select Image or Scan from the Data Type list.
4. Click Import. The image files imported and listed in the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
3.8.2 Defining the Display Properties of Scanned Images
Because imported images cannot be modified, they have fewer display parameters than other object types.
To define the display properties of a scanned image:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window
2. Right-click the scanned image. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears (see Figure 3.9).
4. Select the Display tab and set the following options:
- Colour: Select either Automatic, Shades of gray, or Watermark from the list.
- Transparent Colour: Select White from the list if you wish parts of the scanned image that are coloured white
to be transparent, allowing objects in lower layers to be visible.
- Lightness: Move the slider to lighten or darken the scanned image.
- Contrast: Move the slider to adjust the contrast.
- Visibility Scale: Enter a visibility scale minimum in the between 1: text box and maximum in the and 1: text
box. When the displayed or printed scale is outside this range, the scanned image is not displayed.
5. Click OK.
Figure 3.9: Scanned image Properties dialogue
3.9 Population Maps
Population maps contain information on population density or on the total number of inhabitants.
Population maps can be used in prediction reports in order to display, for example, the absolute and relative numbers of
the population covered.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Managing the Display of Population Data" on page 98
"Displaying Population Statistics" on page 98.
ni ce1. t i f 984660 995380 1860900 1872280 0
ni ce2. t i f 996240 1004900 1860980 1870700 0
XMIN XMAX YMAX YMIN 0 File name
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3.9.1 Managing the Display of Population Data
You can manage the display of population data.
To manage the display of population data:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Population folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Select the Display tab of the Properties dialogue. For information on using the display tab, see "Display Properties
of Objects" on page 28.
3.9.2 Displaying Population Statistics
You can display the relative and absolute distribution of population, according to the defined value intervals in the display
properties (for information on defining value intervals, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29), as well as the total
population. Atoll displays the statistics for the focus zone if there is one, for the computation zone if there is no focus zone
and, if there is no focus or computation zone, Atoll displays the statistics for the entire document.
To display the population distribution statistics:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Population folder.
3. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears with the distributions of each value
interval defined in the display properties.
3.10 Rain Maps
Rain maps contain information on rain intensity, i.e., the total amount of rain per defined period. Rain maps are used in
microwave link documents to calculate radio wave attenuation.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Managing Rain Map Properties" on page 98
"Displaying Rain Statistics" on page 99.
3.10.1 Managing Rain Map Properties
To manage the properties of a rain map:
1. Right-click the Rain folder on the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select Properties from the context menu.
3. The following tabs are available:
- Data Mapping: The Data Mapping tab enables you to select which value from each imported vector file is part
of the rain map. The imported vector files are listed in the Name column, with the relevant data selected in the
Field column. You can change this value by selecting another value from the Field list.
- Display: The Display tab enables you to define how the rain map appears in the map window. Value interval
is the only available display type.
For information on using the display tab, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
4. Click to expand the Rain folder.
5. Right-click any rain data in the Rain folder.
6. Select Properties from the context menu.
7. The Table tab is available. The Table tab enables you to manage the contents of the class table presented on the
Description tab. For information on working with the Table tab, see "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table
Fields" on page 42.
Note: Statistics are displayed only for visible data. See "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map
Using the Explorer" on page 26.
Important: Rain maps indicate rain intensity (the amount of rain falling per hour), i.e., a value, and not
a density. Therefore, the Density check box on the Data Mapping tab must remain cleared.
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3.10.2 Displaying Rain Statistics
You can display the relative and absolute distribution of each value interval according to the defined value intervals in the
display properties (for information on defining value intervals, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29) of a rain map.
Atoll displays the statistics for the focus zone if there is one, for the computation zone if there is no focus zone and, if there
is no focus or computation zone, Atoll displays the statistics for the entire document.
To display the statistics of an custom geo data map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Rain folder.
3. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears with the distributions of each value
interval.
3.11 CustomGeo Data Maps
You can import maps other than the default maps that Atoll uses. For example, you can import files for the revenue, rain-
fall, or socio-demographic data. Depending on the type of information displayed, you could use it in prediction reports. For
example, you could display the predicted revenue for defined coverage.
These maps can be raster files of 8, 16, or 32 bits per pixel or vector-format files that you have either imported or created
using the vector edition tool "Editing Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 106.
You create an custom data map by:
1. Importing an custom geo data file and creating the custom data map folder.
2. Importing other custom geo data files into the newly created custom data map folder, if more than one file will be
used for this custom geo data map.
These imported data can be used in reports.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Custom Geo Data Map" on page 99
"Adding a File to a Custom Geo Data Map" on page 100
"Managing the Properties of a Custom Geo Data Map" on page 101
"Displaying Statistics on Custom Geo Data" on page 101
"Integrable Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 101.
3.11.1 Creating a CustomGeo Data Map
The first step in creating a custom geo data map is importing the first file and creating the custom data map folder.
To create an custom geo data map:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the first geo data file that will be a part of the custom data map and click Open.
- If the selected file is a raster file, the File Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.1).
- If the selected file is a vector file, the Vector Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4).
3. Click the Advanced button. The New Type dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4).
4. Enter a Name for the custom geo data map. Atoll creates a folder with this name on the Geo tab and all other files
of the new custom geo data map will go in here.
5. Under Supported Input Formats, select the check boxes corresponding to the formats of both the present file
and all other files that will constitute the new custom geo data map:
- 8-bit Raster
- 16-bit Raster
- 32-bit Raster
- Vector.
6. Under Supported Input Formats, select the check box corresponding to the type of value of the present file and
all other files that will constitute the new custom geo data map:
- Classes (8 bits): to create a map of value classes (such as clutter classes) with classes from 0 to 255.
- Short Integer (16 bits): to create a map with whole values.
- Long Integer (32 bits): to create a map with whole values.
- Float (32 bits): to create a map with decimal values.
Note: Statistics are displayed only for visible data. See "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map
Using the Explorer" on page 26.
Important: If you do not select all the formats you need now, you will not be able to add a format later.
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- Double (64 bits): to create a map with decimal values.
7. Select the Integrable check box if you want to be able to use imported data as a surface density value and show
cumulative custom geo data in prediction reports.
8. Click OK.
9. If the imported file is a raster file, the File Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.1 on page 88); if the imported
file is a vector file, the Vector Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4 on page 89):
- File Import dialogue: From the Use as list, select whether the new data is to be used a Density or as a Value.
- Vector Import dialogue: Under Fields to be imported, select from the first list which field is to be imported
and from the second list whether the imported field is a Density or a Value (see Figure 3.2 on page 88 and
Figure 3.3 on page 88).
10. .Click Import. A new folder is created on the Geo tab of the Explorer window containing the geo data file you
imported.
Figure 3.10: The New Type dialogue
3.11.2 Adding a File to a CustomGeo Data Map
Once you have created the custom geo data map by importing the first file, you can add more files that will be part of the
custom map.
To add a file to an custom geo data map:
1. Select File > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Select the geo data file that you want to add to the custom data map and click Open.
- If the selected file is a raster file, the File Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.1).
i. From the File Type list, select the name of the custom geo data map.
ii. From the Use as list, select whether the new data is to be used a Density or as a Value.
- If the selected file is a vector file, the Vector Import dialogue appears (see Figure 3.4).
i. From the Import To list, select the name of the custom geo data map.
ii. Under Fields to be imported, select from the first list which field is to be imported and from the second
list whether the imported field is a Density or a Value (see Figure 3.2 on page 88 and Figure 3.3 on
page 88).
Important:
To use imported data as a surface density value, you must select the Integrable check box.
You can not change the integrable setting once you have created your custom geo data map.
Important: If the file you first import when you create your custom geo data map is an 8-bit raster map,
the Use as and Fields to be imported boxes will not be available for any file that is
imported into your new custom geo data map. The values in 8-bit maps are codes and not
values such as densities.
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3. Click Import. The file is added to the custom geo data file on the Geo tab of the Explorer window containing the
geo data file you imported.
3.11.3 Managing the Properties of a CustomGeo Data Map
To manage the properties of an custom geo data map:
1. Right-click the custom geo data map on the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select Properties from the context menu:
3. Depending on the imported file types, the following tabs are available:
- Description: The Description table lists the classes of all 8-bit raster files contained in the custom geo data
map. You must enter a different value for each class.
- Table: The Table tab enables you to manage the contents of the class table presented on the Description tab.
For information on working with the Table tab, see "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on
page 42.
- Data Mapping: The Data Mapping tab enables you to select which value from each imported vector file is part
of the custom geo data map. The imported vector files are listed in the Name column, with the relevant data
selected in the Field column. You can change this value by selecting another value from the Field list. If the
custom geo data map is marked as integrable (see "Integrable Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 101),
there is also a Density check box. If the value in the Field column is to be considered as a density, select the
Density check box.
- Display: The Display tab enables you to define how the custom geo data map appears in the map window.
Discrete value and value interval are the available display types.
In the Field list, display by value is not permitted if the custom geo data map has:
- different raster maps with different resolutions
- both line and polygon vectors
- both raster and vector maps.
In the Field list, display by density is not permitted if the custom geo data map consists of vector points or lines.
For information on using the display tab, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
3.11.4 Displaying Statistics on CustomGeo Data
You can display the relative and absolute distribution of each value interval (for information on defining value intervals, see
"Defining the Display Type" on page 29) of an custom geo data map. Atoll displays the statistics for the focus zone if there
is one, for the computation zone if there is no focus zone and, if there is no focus or computation zone, Atoll displays the
statistics for the entire document.
To display the statistics of an custom geo data map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the custom geo data map.
3. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears with the distributions of each value
interval.
3.11.5 Integrable Versus Non Integrable Data
Integrable data can be summed over the coverage area defined by the item in a prediction report (for example, by trans-
mitter or threshold). The data can be value data (revenue, number of customers, etc.) or density data (revenue/km,
number of customer/km, etc.). For example, if the integrable data comes from a revenue map, a prediction report would
indicate:
The percentage of coverage for each revenue class for the entire focus zone, and for each single coverage area
(transmitter, threshold, etc.),
The revenue of the focus zone and of each single coverage area,
The percentage of the revenue map covered for the entire focus zone and for each single coverage area.
Data is considered as non-integrable if the data given is per pixel or polygon and cannot be summed over areas, for exam-
ple, socio-demographic classes, rain zones, etc.
Important:
If the file you first imported when you created your custom geo data map was an 8-bit raster map,
the Use as and Fields to be imported boxes will not be available for any file that is imported
into your new custom geo data map.
To use imported data as a surface density value, you must select the Integrable check box.
Note: Statistics are displayed only for visible data. See "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map
Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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In the example of a rain zone map, a prediction report would indicate:
The coverage of each rain zone class for the entire focus zone and for each single coverage area (transmitter,
threshold, etc.)
3.12 Setting the Priority of Geo Data
Atoll lists the imported DTM, clutter class or traffic objects in their respective folders and creates a separate folder for each
imported vector data file and scanned image. Each object is placed on a separate layer. Thus, there are as many layers
as imported objects. The layers are arranged from top to bottom in the map window as they appear on the Geo tab of the
Explorer window.
It is important to remember that all objects on the Data tab, such as transmitters, antennas, and predictions, are displayed
over all objects on the Geo tab.
3.12.1 Setting the Display Priority of Geo Data
There are several factors that influence the visibility of geo data:
The display check box: The check box immediately to the left of the object name in the Geo tab controls whether
or not the object is displayed on the map. If the check box is selected ( ), the object is displayed; if the check
box is cleared ( ), the object is not displayed. If the check box, is selected but shaded ( ), not all objects in the
folder are displayed. For more information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on
page 26.
The order of the layers: The layer at the top of the Geo tab is on top of all other layers in the map window. Data
on layers below is only visible where there is no data on the top layer or if you adjust the transparency of the objects
on the top layer. You can use drag and drop to change the order of layers by dragging a layer on the Geo tab of
the Explorer window towards the top or the bottom of the tab.
The transparency of objects: You can change the transparency of some objects, such as predictions, and some
object types, such as clutter classes, to allow objects on lower layers to be visible on the map. For more informa-
tion, see "Defining the Transparency of Objects and Object Types" on page 30.
The visibility range of objects: You can define a visibility range for object types. An object is visible only in the
map window if the scale, as displayed on the zoom toolbar, is within this range. For more information, see "Defining
the Visibility Scale" on page 30.
In Figure 3.11, vector data (including the linear vectors HIGHWAYS, COASTLINE, RIVERLAKE, MAJ ORROADS,
MAJ ORSTREETS, RAILWAYS and AIRPORT), clutter classes, DTM and scanned image have been imported and a
UMTS environment traffic map has been edited inside the computation zone. In the map window, the linear objects
(ROADS, RIVERLAKE, etc.) are visible both inside and outside the computation zone. The clutter class layer is visible in
the area where there is no traffic data (outside the computation zone). On the other hand, the DTM layer which is beneath
the clutter class layer and the scanned map which is beneath the DTM layer, are not visible.
Note: All objects on the Data tab, such as transmitters, antennas, and predictions, are displayed
over all objects on the Geo tab. Vector geo data, however, can be transferred to the Data
tab, where they can be placed over data such as predictions. In this way, you can ensure
that certain vector geo data, for example, major geographical features, roads, etc., remain
visible in the map window For more information, see "Moving a Vector Layer to the Data
Tab" on page 96.
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Figure 3.11: Displaying Geo data layers
3.12.2 Setting the Priority of Geo Data in Calculations
The priority of geo data in calculations is determined in much the same way as it is for display.
When you do calculations in Atoll, the data taken into account in each folder (Clutter Classes, DTM, etc.) is the data from
the top down. In other words, Atoll takes the object on top and objects below only where there is no data in higher levels;
what is used is what is seen.
Object folders, for example, the DTM, clutter classes, clutter heights, and traffic density folders, can contain more than one
data object. These objects can represent different areas of the map or the same parts of the map with the same or different
resolutions. Therefore for each folder, you should place the objects with the best data at the top. These are normally the
objects which cover the least area but have the highest resolution. For example, when calculating coverage in an urban
area, you might have two clutter class files: one with a higher resolution for the downtown core, where the density of users
is higher, and one with a lower resolution but covering the entire area. In this case, by placing the clutter class file for the
downtown core over the file with the lower resolution, Atoll can base its calculations for the downtown core on the clutter
class file with the higher resolution, using the second file for all other calculations.
Population maps and custom geo data maps, both of which can be used in prediction reports follow the same rules of
calculation priority.
3.13 Displaying Information About Geo Data
You can display information about a geo data map by using tooltips. For information on how to display information in tool-
tips, see "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
To display information about the geo data in a tool tip:
Hold the pointer over the geo data until the tool tip appears. The surface area is only given for closed polygons.
3.14 Geographic Data Sets
In Atoll, once you have imported geographic data and defined their parameters, you can save much of this information in
a user configuration file. Then, another user, working on a similar Atoll document, can import the configuration file contain-
ing the paths to the imported geographic data and many of the defined parameters.
Note: The visibility in the context of calculations must not be confused with the display check box
( ). Even if the display check box of an object is cleared ( ), so that the object is not dis-
played on the map, it will still be taken into consideration for calculations. The only cases
where clearing the display check box means that the data will not be used are for popula-
tion data in reports, and for custom geo data maps.
Note: Tool tips only appear when the Display Tips button ( ) on the toolbar has been selected.
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When you export the geographic data set, you export:
the paths of imported geographic maps
map display settings (visibility scale, transparency, tips text, etc.)
clutter description (code, name, height, standard deviations, indoor loss, orthogonality factor, percentage pilot
finger of each clutter class, default standard deviations, and indoor loss)
raster or user profile traffic map description.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Exporting a Geo Data Set" on page 104
"Importing a Geo Data Set" on page 104.
3.14.1 Exporting a Geo Data Set
When you export a geo data set in a user configuration file, the information listed in "Geographic Data Sets" on page 103
is saved into an external file.
To export a geo data set in a user configuration file:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Export. The User Configuration dialogue appears (see Figure 3.12).
2. In the User Configuration dialogue, select the Geographic Data Set check box.
Figure 3.12: The User Configuration dialogue
3. Click OK, The Save As dialogue appears.
4. In the Save As dialogue, browse to the folder where you want to save the file and enter a File name.
5. Click OK.
3.14.2 Importing a Geo Data Set
When you import a user configuration file containing a geo data set, the information listed in "Geographic Data Sets" on
page 103 is imported into your current Atoll document.
To import a user configuration file containing a geo data set:
1. Select Tools > User Configuration > Import. The Open dialogue appears.
2. Browse to the user configuration file, select it and click Open.
3. The User Configuration dialogue appears.
When you import a user configuration file including a geographic data set, Atoll checks if there are already
geographic data in the current Atoll document. If so, the option Reset existing geo data appears with other
options in the User Configuration dialogue.
4. In the User Configuration dialogue, select the check boxes of the items you want to import.
5. If you already have geographic data in your current Atoll document and would like to replace it with any imported
data, select the Reset existing geo data check box.
If you do not want to replace existing geo data with imported data, clear the Reset existing geo data check box.
6. Click OK.
Note: You can export and import other types of information with user configuration files as well.
For information, see the Administrator Manual.
Important: Vectors must be in the same coordinate system as the raster maps.
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3.15 Editing Geographic Data
In Atoll, you can edit geo data that you have imported or you can create geo data by, for example, adding a vector layer
to the Population folder and then adding polygons.
The following types of geographic data can be edited:
Clutter classes
Contours, lines, and points
Population maps (if they are in vector format, i.e., Erdas Imagine (16-bit), AGD, DXF, SHP, MIF, or TAB format)
Rain maps
Traffic data maps
Custom data maps.
3.15.1 Editing Clutter Class Maps
Clutter class maps and certain traffic maps are raster maps. You can edit these maps by creating or modifying polygons.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Clutter Polygon" on page 105
"Editing Clutter Polygons" on page 106
"Displaying the Coordinates of Clutter Polygons" on page 106.
"Deleting Clutter Polygons" on page 106
3.15.1.1 Creating a Clutter Polygon
In Atoll, you can modify imported clutter class maps or create your own maps by adding data in the form of polygons. You
can later edit and export the polygons you have created. All modifications you make to clutter class maps are taken into
account by propagation model calculations.
To create a polygon:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Edit from the context menu. The Editor toolbar appears with a clutter or traffic list, a polygon drawing tool
, a polygon deletion tool , and a Close button (see Figure 3.13).
Figure 3.13: Editor toolbar
4. From the list, select the clutter class for the polygon you want to create.
5. Click the polygon drawing button ( ). The pointer changes to a pencil ( ).
6. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the polygon.
7. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon.
8. Double-click to close the polygon.
Note: You can automatically start Atoll with a user configuration file by naming the file "atoll.cfg"
and placing it in the same folder as the Atoll executable. You can also edit the Windows
shortcut to Atoll and add "-cfg <.cfg_file>" where is the complete path to the user configura-
tion file.
Note: Clutter classes are defined on the Descriptions tab of the clutter classes Properties dia-
logue.
Note: You can copy the exact coordinates of a closed polygon by right-clicking it on the map and
selecting Properties from the context menu.
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3.15.1.2 Editing Clutter Polygons
You can edit clutter polygons by moving existing points of the polygon or by adding or deleting points.
To edit clutter polygons:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Edit from the context menu. The Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 3.13).
4. Select the polygon. You can now edit the clutter polygon by:
- Moving a point:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to move. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Drag the point to its new position.
- Adding a point:
i. Position the pointer over the polygon border where you want to add a point. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Insert Point from the context menu. A point is added to the border at the position
of the pointer.
- Deleting a point:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
3.15.1.3 Displaying the Coordinates of Clutter Polygons
To display the coordinates of the points defining the polygon area:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Edit from the context menu. The Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 3.13).
4. Right-click the polygon and select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears with the
coordinates of the points defining the polygon and the total area.
3.15.1.4 Deleting Clutter Polygons
You can delete clutter polygons.
To delete a clutter polygon:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Edit from the context menu. The Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 3.13).
4. Click the polygon deletion tool ( ). The pointer changes ( ).
5. Click the polygon you want to delete. The polygon is deleted.
3.15.2 Editing Contours, Lines, and Points
Contours, lines, and points are made up of individual vector objects. You can modify and create these geo data maps by
adding a vector layer and then adding vector objects to this layer.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Vector Layer for Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 106
"Creating Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 107
"Editing Contours, Lines, and Points" on page 107
"Managing the Properties of the Vector Layer" on page 95.
3.15.2.1 Creating a Vector Layer for Contours, Lines, and Points
You can add a new vector layer to the Geo tab. A vector layer can contain contours, lines, and points.
To create a vector layer on the Geo tab:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. If the Vector Edition toolbar is not visible, select View > Vector Edition Toolbar.
Note: You can select and copy the coordinates displayed in the Properties dialogue of the
polygon.
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3. Click the New Vector Layer button ( ) on the Vector Edition toolbar. Atoll creates a folder called Vectors on
the Geo tab of the Explorer window. The new Vectors folder can be seen in the list of vector layers:
.
3.15.2.2 Creating Contours, Lines, and Points
By adding contours, lines, and points to a vector layer, created as described in "Creating a Vector Layer for Contours,
Lines, and Points" on page 106, you can add information to a geographic data type.
To create a vector object:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Edit from the context menu. The vector tools on the Vector Edition toolbar are activated.
If the Vector Edition toolbar is not visible, select View > Vector Edition Toolbar.
3. Click one of the following buttons on the Vector Edition toolbar:
- New Polygon:
i. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour.
ii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iii. Double-click to close the contour.
- New Line:
i. Click once on the map where you want to begin the line.
ii. Click each time you change angles on the line.
iii. Double-click to end the line.
- New Point: Click once on the map where you want to place the point.
4. Press ESC to deselect the currently selected button on the Vector Edition toolbar.
3.15.2.3 Editing Contours, Lines, and Points
You can edit contours, lines, and points in several ways. Before you can edit a contour, line, or point, you must first put
the vector layer in editing mode.
To put the vector layer in editing mode:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Edit from the context menu. The vector tools on the Vector Edition toolbar are activated.
You can now edit a object in the vector layer as explained in the following sections:
"Editing the Points of Contours and Lines" on page 107
"Editing Contours Using the Toolbar" on page 108
"Editing Contours, Lines, and Points Using the Context Menu" on page 109.
Editing the Points of Contours and Lines
To edit a point of a contour, line, or point:
1. Put the vector layer containing the contour, line, or point in editing mode as explained in "Editing Contours, Lines,
and Points" on page 107.
2. Select the contour, line, or point. You can now edit by:
- Moving a point:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to move. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Drag the point to its new position.
Tip: You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the Vector
Edition toolbar list. Because Atoll names all new vector layers "Vectors" by default, it
might be difficult to know which Vectors folder you are selecting. By renaming each vectors
folder, you can ensure that you select the correct folder. For information on renaming
objects, see "Renaming an Object" on page 27.
Tip: You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the Vector
Edition toolbar list.
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- Adding a point to a contour or a line:
i. Position the pointer over the contour border or line where you want to add a point. The pointer changes
( ).
ii. Right-click and select Insert Point from the context menu. A point is added to the contour border or line
at the position of the pointer.
- Deleting a point from a contour or a line:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
Editing a Point
To edit a point:
1. Put the vector layer containing the point in editing mode as explained in "Editing Contours, Lines, and Points" on
page 107.
2. Select the point. You can now edit by:
- Moving:
i. Click the point you want to move. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Drag the point to its new position.
- Deleting a point:
i. Click the point you want to delete. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Delete from the context menu. The point is deleted.
Editing Contours Using the Toolbar
In Atoll, you can create complex contours by using the tools on the Vector Edition toolbar.
To edit a vector object using the icons on the Vector Edition toolbar:
1. Put the vector layer containing the contour in editing mode as explained in "Editing Contours, Lines, and Points"
on page 107.
2. Click the contour to edit. The Vector Edition toolbar has the following buttons:
- : To combine several contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Combine button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the new contour.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iv. Double-click to close the contour.
v. Draw more contours if desired. Atoll creates a group of polygons of the selected and new contours. If con-
tours overlap, Atoll merges them.
- : To delete part of the selected contour:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Delete button ( ).
ii. Draw the area you want to delete from the selected contour by clicking once on the map where you want
to begin drawing the area to delete.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the area.
iv. Double-click to close the area. Atoll deletes the area from the selected contour.
- : To create a contour out of the overlapping area of two contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Intersection button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour that will overlap the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iv. Double-click to close the contour. Atoll creates a new contour of the overlapping area of the two contours
and deletes the parts of the contours that do not overlap.
- : To split the selected contour into several contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Split button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour that will split the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
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iv. Double-click to close the contour. Atoll separates the area covered by the contour from the selected con-
tour and creates a new contour.
Editing Contours, Lines, and Points Using the Context Menu
When you are editing contours, lines, and points, you can access certain commands using the context menu.
To edit a vector object using the context menu:
1. Click the vector object you want to edit.
2. Right-click the vector object to display the context menu and select one of the following:
- Delete: Select Delete to remove the selected contour, line, or point from the map.
- Convert to Line: Select Convert to Line to convert the selected contour to a line.
- Convert to Polygon: Select Convert to Polygon to convert the selected line to a contour.
- Open Line: Select Open Line to remove the segment between the last and the first point.
- Close Line: Select Close Line to add a segment between the last and the first point of the line.
- Insert Point: Select Insert Point to add a point to the border of the contour at the position of the pointer.
- Move:
i. Select Move from the context menu to move the contour, line, or point on the map.
ii. Move the contour, line, or point.
iii. Click to place the contour, line, or point.
- Quit edition: Select Quit Edition to exit editing mode.
- Properties: Select Properties to open the Properties dialogue of the selected contour, line, or point. The
Properties dialogue has two tabs:
- General: The General tab gives the name of the vector Layer, the Surface of the object, and any Prop-
erties of the contour, line, or point.
- Geometry: This tab gives the coordinates of each point that defines the position and shape of the contour,
line, or point.
3.15.3 Editing Population, Rain, or CustomData Maps
Some geographic data maps, for example, population maps, custom data, and rain maps. are made up of individual vector
objects. You can modify and create these geo data maps by adding a vector layer and then adding vector objects
(contours, lines, and points) to this layer.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Vector Layer and Vector Objects" on page 109
"Editing Contours on the Vector Layer" on page 110.
3.15.3.1 Creating a Vector Layer and Vector Objects
To create a vector layer and vector objects:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the geo data object, the Population, the Rain, or the Custom Data folder, to which you want to add a
vector layer.
3. Select Add Vector Layer from the context menu. A new data object called "Vectors" is created in the selected
geo data object folder.
4. Right-click the new vector layer. The context menu appears.
5. Select Edit from the context menu. The vector tools on the Vector Edition toolbar are activated.
6. Click the New Polygon button ( ) on the Vector Edition toolbar:
a. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour.
b. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
c. Double-click to close the contour.
d. Right-click on the new polygon and select Properties from the context menu.
e. Enter a value:
Note: Only the commands relevant to the selected contour, line, or point are displayed in the con-
text menu.
Tip: You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the Vector
Edition toolbar list. Because Atoll names all new vector layers "Vectors" by default, it
might be difficult to know which Vectors folder you are selecting. By renaming each vectors
folder, you can ensure that you select the correct folder. For information on renaming
objects, see "Renaming an Object" on page 27.
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- Population: Enter a value in the Population field to indicate the number of inhabitants or the population
density.
- Rain: Enter a value in the Rain field to indicate the intensity of rainfall for the polygon.
- Custom Data Map: The value you enter will depend on the type of custom data map you created.
7. Press ESC to deselect the New Polygon button ( ) on the Vector Edition toolbar.
8. For Atoll to consider the new vector layer as part of the data map, you must map the vector layer. Right-click the
Population, the Rain, or the Custom Data folder. The context menu appears.
9. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
10. Click the Data Mapping tab. For each of the following types of geo data:
- Population Map:
i. In the Field column, "Population" is selected by default.
ii. If the vector layer contains a population density, select the check box in the Density column. If the vector
layer indicates the number of inhabitants, and not the population density, clear the check box in the
Density column.
- Rain Map:
i. In the Field column, "Rain" is selected by default.
ii. Clear the check box in the Density column. The value in rain maps indicates the intensity of rain; the value
is not a density.
- Custom Data Map: The data you map will depend on the type of custom data map you created.
3.15.3.2 Editing Contours on the Vector Layer
You can edit contours in several ways. Before you can edit a contour, you must put the vector layer in editing mode.
To put the vector layer into editing mode:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Edit from the context menu. The vector tools on the Vector Edition toolbar are activated.
You can now edit a object in the vector layer as explained in the following sections:
"Editing the Points of Contours" on page 110
"Editing Contours Using the Toolbar" on page 108
"Editing Contours Using the Context Menu" on page 111.
Editing the Points of Contours
To edit a point of a contour:
1. Put the vector layer containing the contour in editing mode as explained in "Editing Contours on the Vector Layer"
on page 110.
2. Select the contour. You can now edit by:
- Moving a point:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to move. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Drag the point to its new position.
- Adding a point to a contour:
i. Position the pointer over the contour border where you want to add a point. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Insert Point from the context menu. A point is added to the contour border at the
position of the pointer.
- Deleting a point from a contour:
i. Position the pointer over the point you want to delete. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Delete Point from the context menu. The point is deleted.
Tip: You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the Vector
Edition toolbar list.
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Editing Contours Using the Toolbar
In Atoll, you can create complex contours by using the tools on the Vector Edition toolbar.
To edit a vector object using the icons on the Vector Edition toolbar:
1. Put the vector layer containing the contour in editing mode as explained in "Editing Contours on the Vector Layer"
on page 110.
2. Click the contour to edit. The Vector Edition toolbar has the following buttons:
- : To combine several contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Combine button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the new contour.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iv. Double-click to close the contour.
v. Draw more contours if desired. Atoll creates a group of polygons of the selected and new contours. If con-
tours overlap, Atoll merges them.
- : To delete part of the selected contour:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Delete button ( ).
ii. Draw the area you want to delete from the selected contour by clicking once on the map where you want
to begin drawing the area to delete.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the area.
iv. Double-click to close the area. Atoll deletes the area from the selected contour.
- : To create a contour out of the overlapping area of two contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Intersection button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour that will overlap the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iv. Double-click to close the contour. Atoll creates a new contour of the overlapping area of the two contours
and deletes the parts of the contours that do not overlap.
- : To split the selected contour into several contours:
i. In the Vector Edition toolbar, click the Split button ( ).
ii. Click once on the map where you want to begin drawing the contour that will split the selected one.
iii. Click each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the contour.
iv. Double-click to close the contour. Atoll separates the area covered by the contour from the selected con-
tour and creates a new contour.
Editing Contours Using the Context Menu
When you are editing contours, you can access certain commands using the context menu.
To edit a vector object using the context menu:
1. Click the vector object you want to edit.
2. Right-click the vector object to display the context menu and select one of the following:
- Delete: Select Delete to remove the selected contour from the map.
- Insert Point: Select Insert Point to add a point to the border of the contour at the position of the pointer.
- Move:
i. Select Move from the context menu to move the contour, line, or point on the map.
ii. Move the contour, line, or point.
iii. Click to place the contour, line, or point.
- Quit edition: Select Quit Edition to exit editing mode.
- Properties: Select Properties to open the Properties dialogue of the selected contour. The Properties dia-
logue has two tabs:
- General: The General tab gives the name of the vector Layer, the Surface of the object, and any Prop-
erties of the contour.
- Geometry: This tab gives the coordinates of each point that defines the position and shape of the contour.
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3.16 Saving Geographic Data
Atoll allows you to save your geographic data files separately from saving the Atoll document. Atoll supports a variety of
both raster and vector file formats (for more information, see "Supported Geographic Data Formats" on page 86). Saving
a geographic file separately from saving the Atoll document enables you to:
Save modifications you have made to an external file: If you have made modifications to geo data, you can
export them to a new external file.
Update the source file with modifications you have made: If you have made modifications to a geo data type
in Atoll, you can save these changes to the source file.
Combine several files into one file: If you have several smaller files in one folder of the Geo tab, you can save
them as one file.
Export an embedded file to be used in another Atoll document or in another application: You can save a
file to an external file, in the same format or in another one.
Create a new file from part of a larger one: You can select part of certain geo data types and then save the
selected part as a new file.
This section explains the following:
"Saving Modifications to an External File" on page 112
"Updating the Source File" on page 114
"Combining Several Files into One File" on page 114
"Exporting an Embedded File" on page 114
"Creating a New File From a Larger File" on page 115
3.16.1 Saving Modifications to an External File
In Atoll, you can save your modifications to an external file.
This section explains the following:
"Exporting an Edited Clutter Class Map in a Raster-Format File" on page 112
"Exporting an Edited Vector Layer in Vector-Format File" on page 113.
3.16.1.1 Exporting an Edited Clutter Class Map in a Raster-Format File
You can export clutter class modifications in a raster-format file, either in the same format as used in the current Atoll
document, or in a different raster format. You can also choose to export the entire clutter class geo data, the part containing
the computation zone, or just your modifications to the geo data.
When you have made modifications to a raster-format geo data file, exporting either the entire geo data or just your modi-
fications allows you to save those modifications to an external file.
To export clutter class modifications in a raster-format file:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Clutter Classes folder.
3. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. In the Save As dialogue, browse to the folder where you want to save the file, enter a name for the file, and select
the file format from the Save as type list. You can select from one of the following file formats:
- BMP: When you select bitmap format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding BPW file containing the
georeference information.
- TXT: The ArcView text format is intended only for export; no corresponding geo-reference file is created.
- TIF: When you select tagged image file format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding TFW file con-
taining the georeference information.
- BIL: When you select the BIL format, Atoll automatically creates the corresponding HDR file containing the
georeference information.
- GRC or GRD: Files with the extension GRC or GRD are Vertical Mapper files.
5. Click Save. The Export dialogue appears (see Figure 3.14).
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Figure 3.14: Export dialogue
6. Under Region, select one of the following:
- The Entire Project Area: This option allows you to export the entire clutter class geo data file, including any
modifications you have made to the geo data. The exported geo data file will replace the geo data file in the
current Atoll document.
- Only Pending Changes: This option allows you to export a rectangle containing any modifications you have
made to the clutter classes. The exported geo data file will be added as a new object to the Clutter Classes
geo data folder.
- The Computation Zone: This option allows you to export the clutter class geo data contained by a rectangle
encompassing the computation zone. The exported geo data file will be added as a new object to the selected
geo data folder.
7. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1. The
suggested resolution value is defined by the following criteria:
- If one object has been modified, the suggested resolution is the resolution of the modified object.
- If several objects have been modified, the suggested resolution is the highest resolution of the modified
objects.
- If there is no initial clutter class object, the resolution will equal the highest resolution of the DTM maps.
- If the Atoll document in which you created the clutter class file has no DTM, no other clutter class geo data
file, or traffic objects, the suggested resolution is 100 m.
8. Click OK. The selected data is saved in an external file.
3.16.1.2 Exporting an Edited Vector Layer in Vector-Format File
You can export an edited vector layer as a vector format file. A vector layer can contain contours, lines, and points. Along
with vector layers you have added to the Geo tab, the following maps can be exported as vector format files:
Vector-format population maps
Vector-format rain maps
Vector-format custom maps.
Once you save a vector layer, the exported file replaces the vector layer as a linked file. You can embed the file afterwards
(see "Embedding Geographic Data" on page 91).
To export a vector layer:
1. On the Explorer window tab containing the vector layer, right-click the vector layer folder. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
3. In the Save As dialogue, browse to the folder where you want to save the file, enter a name for the file, and select
the file format from the Save as type list. You can select from one of the following file formats:
- AGD: The Atoll Geographic Data format is an Atoll-specific format. As a format created for Atoll, Atoll can
read AGD files faster than the other supported vector formats.
- SHP: The ArcView vector format should be used for vector layers containing only polygons; it cannot save
vectors made of lines or points. If you have a vector layer with vector lines or points, use either the AGD, the
MIF or the TAB format.
- MIF and TAB: MapInfo formats.
4. Click Save in the Save As dialogue. The Vector Export dialogue appears, displaying the current coordinate
system and allowing you to change the coordinate system by clicking Change.
5. Click Export. The vector layer is saved in the format and with the name you specified and the exported file
replaces the vector layer in the current document as a linked file.
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3.16.2 Updating the Source File
While working on an Atoll document, you may make changes to geo data. If the geo data file is embedded in the Atoll
document, Atoll saves the changes automatically when you save the document. If the geo data file is linked, Atoll prompts
you to save the changes when you close the document.
To update the source file of a linked geo data file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder containing geo data file whose source file you want to update. The context menu appears.
3. Select Save from the context menu. The linked file is updated.
3.16.3 Combining Several Files into One File
In certain circumstances, for example, after importing an MSI Planetindex file, you may have several geo data files of
the same type. You can combine these separate files to create one single file. The files will be combined according to their
order from the top down in the folder on the Geo tab of the Explorer window. If the files overlap on the map, the combined
file will show the file on the top.
You can create a one file from a section of the following geo data types:
Digital terrain model
Clutter classes
Clutter heights
Scanned maps
To combine individual files into a new file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder of the geo data files you want to combine into one file. The context menu appears.
3. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. Enter a File name and select a file type from the Save as type list.
5. Click OK. The Export dialogue appears (see Figure 3.15).
6. Under Region, select The Entire Project Area. This option allows you to save the entire area covered by the geo
data files, including any modifications you have made to the geo data.
7. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1. The
suggested resolution value is the highest resolution of all objects.
8. Click OK. The selected data is saved as a new file.
3.16.4 Exporting an Embedded File
You can export an embedded geo data file to be used in a different Atoll document, or in a different application. When you
export an embedded file, Atoll replaces the embedded file in the current Atoll document with the newly exported file.
To export an embedded geo data file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder of the embedded geo data file you want to export. The context menu appears.
3. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. Enter a File name and select a file type from the Save as type list.
5. Click OK.
If the geo data file is a vector file, the Vector Export dialogue appears (see Figure 3.15).
Caution: You will not be warned that you are replacing the current file. Therefore, ensure that you
want to replace the current file before proceding to the following step. If you do not want to
replace the current file, you can save your changes to an external file ("Exporting an Edited
Vector Layer in Vector-Format File" on page 113).
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Chapter 3: Managing Geographic Data
Figure 3.15: The Vector Export dialogue
a. The Vector Export dialogue displays the coordinate system of the file. To change the coordinate system used
for the exported file, click Change. The Coordinate Systems dialogue appears. For information on the Co-
ordinate Systems dialogue, see "Setting a Coordinate System" on page 74.
b. Click Export. The geo data file is exported with the selected coordinate system.
If the geo data file is a raster file, the Export dialogue appears (see Figure 3.15).
Figure 3.16: Export dialogue
a. Under Region, select one of the following:
- The Entire Project Area: This option allows you to export the entire raster-format geo data file, including
any modifications you have made to the geo data. The exported file will replace the embedded file in the
Geo data tab.
- Only Pending Changes: This option allows you to export a rectangle containing any modifications you
have made to the geo data. The exported file will be added as an object in the geo data folder.
- The Computation Zone: This option allows you to export the geo data contained by a rectangle encom-
passing the computation zone. The exported file will be added as an object in the geo data folder.
b. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1.
c. Click OK. The selected data is saved in an external file.
3.16.5 Creating a New File Froma Larger File
You can create a new file from a section of a larger file. You can use this new file in the same Atoll document, or in a new
Atoll document. To create a new file, you must first define the area by creating a computation zone.
You can create a new file from a section of the following geo data types:
Digital terrain model
Clutter classes
Clutter heights
Scanned maps
Population
Rain
To create a new file from a section of a larger file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the folder of the embedded geo data file you want to export. The context menu appears.
3. Select Save As from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. Enter a File name and select a file type from the Save as type list.
5. Click OK. The Export dialogue appears (see Figure 3.15).
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6. Under Region, select The Computation Zone. This option allows you to export the geo data contained by a rec-
tangle encompassing the computation zone. The exported geo data file will be added as a new object to the
selected geo data folder.
7. Define a Resolution in Metres. The resolution must be an integer and the minimum resolution allowed is 1.
8. Click OK. The selected data is saved as a new file.
CHAPTER 4
ANTENNAS AND EQUIPMENT
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Chapter 4: Antennas and Equipment
4 Antennas and Equipment
In Atoll, the equipment used to create a network is modelled, along with the characteristics which have a bearing on
network performance.
This chapter explains working with antennas as well as equipment such as tower-mounted amplifiers, feeder cables, base
transceiver station equipment:
"Working With Antennas" on page 119
"Working With Equipment" on page 123.
4.1 Working With Antennas
Atoll offers you many ways to work with antennas. To create a new antenna, you can import the data necessary from
external sources, such as from a spreadsheet or from a Planet-format file. Once you have created an antenna, you can
improve signal level prediction by smoothing the high-attenuation points of the vertical pattern.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating an Antenna" on page 119
"Importing Planet-Format Antennas" on page 120
"Importing 3-D Antenna Patterns" on page 121
"Smoothing a Vertical Antenna Pattern" on page 122.
4.1.1 Creating an Antenna
Each Atoll project template has antennas specific to the technology supported by the template. As well, Atoll allows you
to create antennas and set the parameters such as manufacturer, gain, horizontal pattern, and vertical pattern.
To create an antenna:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Antennas folder. The context menu opens.
3. Select New from the context menu. A properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the General tab. You can enter information in the following fields:
- Name: Atoll automatically enters a default name for each new antenna. You can modify the name Atoll enters
if you wish.
- Manufacturer: The name of the antenna manufacturer.
- Gain: The antennas isotropic gain.
- Pattern Electrical Tilt: The antennas electrical tilt. This field is for information only; for an antennas electrical
tilt to be taken into consideration in calculations, it must be integrated into the horizontal and vertical patterns.
Atoll automatically calculates the pattern electrical tilt if the Pattern Electrical Tilt field is left blank or has a
value of "0."
- Comments: Any additional information on the antenna.
5. Click the Horizontal Pattern tab. The Horizontal Pattern tab has a table describing the horizontal antenna pattern
in terms of the attenuation in dB (Att.) per degree (Angle) and a graphical representation of the pattern. If you
have the horizontal pattern in a spreadsheet or text document, you can copy the data directly into the table:
a. Switch to the document containing the horizontal pattern.
b. Select the columns containing the angles and attenuation values of the horizontal pattern.
c. Copy the selected data.
Tip: When you create a new antenna, you can copy the horizontal and vertical antenna patterns
from a spreadsheet or word processor.
Note: If you use the same antenna several times but with a different electrical tilt, you must create
a new antenna with corresponding patterns for each electrical tilt.
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Figure 4.1: Copying horizontal pattern values
d. Switch to Atoll.
e. Click the upper-left cell of the horizontal pattern.
f. Press CTRL+V to paste the data in the table.
- If there are some blank rows in your data sheet, Atoll will interpolate the values in order to obtain a com-
plete and realistic pattern.
- When performing a calculation along an angle for which no data is available, Atoll calculates a linear inter-
polation from the existing pattern values.
g. Click Apply to display the pattern.
6. Click the Vertical Pattern tab. The Vertical Pattern tab has a table describing the vertical antenna pattern in terms
of the attenuation in dB (Att.) per degree (Angle) and a graphical representation of the pattern. If you have the
vertical pattern in a spreadsheet or text document, you can copy the data directly into the table as described in
step 5.
7. Click the Other Properties tab. You can enter information in the following fields:
- Beamwidth: In a plane containing the direction of the maximum lobe of the antenna pattern, the angle
between the two directions in which the radiated power is one-half the maximum value of the lobe. Translated
in terms of dB, half power corresponds to -3 dB. In this window, you may enter this angle in degrees.
- FMin: The minimum frequency that the antenna is capable of emitting.
- FMax: The maximum frequency that the antenna is capable of emitting.
8. Click OK.
4.1.2 Importing Planet-Format Antennas
In Atoll, you can import Planet-format antennas by importing an index file listing the individual antenna files to be imported.
Standard Atoll fields are directly imported. Other fields are imported for information only and are accessible on the Other
Properties tab of the Antenna Properties dialogue.
If you are working with a database, you will have to create the fields in the table below in the database before you import
the Planet-format antennas:
For more information on working with databases, see The Administrator Manual.
To import Planet-format antennas:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Antennas folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. Select "Planet 2D Antenna Files(index)" from the Files of type list.
5. Select the index file you want to import and click Open. The antennas are imported.
Field Definition
FREQUENCY The design frequency of the antenna
H_WIDTH The azimuth beamwidth
V_WIDTH The elevation beamwidth
FRONT_TO_BACK
The ratio of forward antenna gain at 0 and 180 degree
elevation
TILT
Indicates whether the antenna is to be electrically or
mechanically tilted
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Chapter 4: Antennas and Equipment
4.1.3 Importing 3-D Antenna Patterns
You can import three-dimensional antenna patterns in the form of text files. The three-dimensional antenna patterns you
import are saved in the Antennas table.
During calculations, Atoll interpolates the data of antennas for which only horizontal and vertical cross-sections are avail-
able to create a three-dimensional pattern. When you import a three-dimensional antenna pattern, even though only hori-
zontal and vertical sections of the antenna pattern are displayed, Atoll conserves all the information and can use it directly;
Atoll does not therefore need to interpolate to recreate the three-dimensional antenna pattern.
The text file must have the following format:
Header: The text file may contain a header with additional information. When you import the antenna pattern you
can indicate where the header ends and where the antenna pattern itself begins.
Antenna description: Three separate values are necessary to describe the three-dimensional antenna pattern.
The columns containing the values can be in any order:
- Azimuth: The range of values allowable is from 0 to 360, with the smallest allowable increment being 1.
- Tilt angle: The range of values allowable is from -90 to 90, or from 0 to 180, with the smallest allowable
increment being 1.
- Attenuation: The attenuation (in dB).
To import three-dimensional antenna pattern files:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Antennas folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. Select the file to import.
5. Click Open. The Setup dialogue appears (see Figure 4.2).
Figure 4.2: Importing a 3-D antenna pattern
6. If you already have an import configuration defining the data structure of the imported file, you can select it from
the Configuration list. If you do not have an import configuration, continue with step 7.
a. Under Configuration, select an import configuration from the Configuration list.
b. Continue with step 10.
7. Under Name, you can define a name for the imported antenna pattern. This name will appear in the Antennas
folder on the Data tab. If no name is defined, Atoll will use the file name as the name of the antenna:
- If the name of the antenna is in the file, check the Value read in the file check box and enter a Keyword
identifying the name value in the file.
- If you want to enter a name for the antenna, clear the Value read in the file check box and enter a name.
8. Under Gain, you can define the antenna gain. If no gain is defined, Atoll will assume that the gain is "0."
- If the gain of the antenna is in the file, check the Value read in the file check box and enter a Keyword iden-
tifying the gain value in the file.
- If you want to enter a gain for the antenna, clear the Value read in the file check box and enter a gain value.
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9. Under Diagram, you define the structure of the antenna pattern file. As you modify the parameters, the results are
displayed in the table.
- 1st Pattern: Select the first row of the file containing data on the antenna pattern.
- File Tilt Range: Select the tilt range in the file. The tilt range can be measured from top to bottom or from
bottom to top and from 0 to 180 or from -90 to 90.
- Field Separator: Select the character that is used in the file to separate fields (" ", "<tab>", ";")
- Decimal Symbol: Select the decimal symbol.
10. In the table under Diagram, click the title in each column in the table and select the data type: Azimuth, Tilt,
Attenuation, or <Ignore>. As you modify the parameters, the results are displayed in the table.
11. Click Import. The antenna patterns are imported into the current Atoll document.
4.1.4 Smoothing a Vertical Antenna Pattern
Empirical propagation models, such as the Standard Propagation Model (SPM), require antenna pattern smoothing in the
vertical plane to better simulate the effects of reflection and diffraction, which, therefore, improves signal level prediction.
To smooth the vertical pattern of an antenna pattern:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Antennas folder.
3. Right-click the antenna whose vertical pattern you want to smooth. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu.
5. Select the Vertical Pattern tab.
6. Right-click the graphical representation of the pattern. The context menu appears.
7. Select Smooth from the context menu. The Smoothing Parameters dialogue appears.
8. Enter the following parameters and click OK to smooth the vertical pattern:
- Max Angle: Enter the maximum angle. Smoothing will be applied to the section of the vertical pattern between
0 and the maximum angle (clock-wise).
- Peak-to-Peak Deviation: Enter the attenuation values to which smoothing will be applied. Atoll will smooth
all attenuation values greater than or equal to the peak-to-peak deviation with the defined correction factor.
- Correction: Enter the correction factor by which the attenuation values will be smoothed.
9. Click OK.
4.2 Printing an Antenna Pattern
You can print the horizontal or vertical pattern of an antenna.
To print an antenna pattern:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Open the Antennas table:
- To open the RF Antennas table:
i. Right-click the Antennas folder.
ii. Select Open Table from the context menu.
- To open the microwave Antennas table:
i. Click the Expand button ( ) to the left of the Microwave Radio Links folder.
ii. Right-click the Links folder and select Antennas > Open Table from the context menu.
3. Right-click the antenna whose pattern you want to print.
4. Select Record Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Horizontal Pattern tab or the Vertical Pattern tab.
6. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Linear or Logarithmic from the context menu.
Note: You can save the choices you have made in the Setup dialogue as a configuration file by
clicking the Save button at the top of the dialogue and entering a name for the configura-
tion. The next time you import a three-dimensional antenna pattern file, you can select the
same settings from the Configuration File list.
Important: You should make a copy of the antenna before smoothing its vertical pattern. You can make
a copy of the antenna by opening the Antennas table and copying and pasting the antenna
data into a new row. For information on data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on
page 41.
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Chapter 4: Antennas and Equipment
7. Right-click the antenna pattern and select Print from the context menu.
4.3 Working With Equipment
Atoll can model the components of base station. You can define these components and modify their properties in their
respective tables. Atoll uses these properties to calculate the downlink and uplink losses and BTS noise figure of the trans-
mitter in UMTS, cdmaOne/CDMA2000, or WiMAX. In GSM, Atoll calculates the downlink losses only. These parameters
can be automatically calculated by Atoll from the properties of the components or they can defined by the user.
Base station subsystems consist of the following components:
Tower-mounted amplifier: Tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs, also referred to as masthead amplifiers) are used
to reduce the composite noise figure of the base station. TMAs are connected between the antenna and the feeder
cable. To define a TMA, see "Defining a TMA" on page 123.
Feeder cables: Feeder cables connect the TMA to the antenna. To define feeder cables, see "Defining Feeder
Cables" on page 123.
Base transceiver station (BTS): To define a BTS, see "Defining a BTS" on page 123.
4.3.1 Defining a TMA
The tower-mounted amplifier (TMA) is used to reduce the composite noise figure of the base station. Once you have
defined a TMA, you can assign it to individual transmitters.
To create a tower-mounted amplifier:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > TMA Equipment from the context menu. The TMA Equipment table appears.
4. In the table, create one TMA per row. For information on using data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on
page 41. For each TMA, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the TMA. This name will appear in other dialogues when you select a TMA.
- Noise Figure (dB): Enter a noise figure for the TMA.
- Reception Gain (dB): Enter a reception (uplink) gain for the TMA. This must be a positive value.
- Transmission Losses (dB): Enter transmission (downlink) losses for the TMA. This must be a positive value.
4.3.2 Defining Feeder Cables
Feeder cables connect the TMA to the antenna. Once you have defined feeder cables, you can assign them to individual
transmitters.
To create feeder cables:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Feeder Equipment from the context menu. The Feeder Equipment table appears.
4. In the table, create one feeder equipment per row. For information on data tables, see "Working with Data Tables"
on page 41. For each feeder equipment, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the feeder cable. This name will appear in other dialogues when you select a feeder
cable.
- Loss per Length: Enter the loss per meter of cable. This must be a positive value.
- Connector Reception Loss: Enter the connector reception loss. This must be a positive value.
- Connector Transmission Loss: Enter the connector transmission loss. This must be a positive value.
4.3.3 Defining a BTS
The BTS is modelled for UMTS, cdmaOne/CDMA2000, and WiMAX. It is not used in GSM.
Once you have defined a BTS, it can be assigned to individual transmitters.
To create a base transceiver station:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > BTS Equipment from the context menu. The BTS Equipment table appears.
4. In the table, create one BTS per row. For information on data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
For each BTS, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the BTS. This name will appear in other dialogues when you select a BTS.
- Noise Figure (dB): Enter the noise figure for the BTS.
- Rho Factor (%): Enter the Rho factor, as a percentage. The Rho factor enables Atoll to take into account
self-interference produced by the BTS. Because equipment is not perfect, an input signal will experience some
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distortion, consequently the output signal will be not be identical. This factor defines how much distortion the
system generates. Entering 100% means the system is perfect (there is no distortion) and the output signal
will be 100% identical to the input signal. On the other hand, if you specify a value different from 100%, Atoll
will consider that the transmitted signal is not 100% signal and that it contains a small percentage of interfer-
ence generated by the equipment ("self-interference"). Atoll uses this parameter to evaluate the signal-to-
noise ratio in the downlink.
4.3.4 Updating the Values for Total Losses and the BTS Noise
Figure for Transmitters
Once equipment is defined and assigned to a transmitter, Atoll can evaluate downlink and uplink total losses and the total
noise figure.
Atoll uses the entry of the BTS as the reference point when evaluating total losses and the total noise figure. The BTS
noise figure used by Atoll is the one specified in the BTS properties. Transmitter reception losses include feeder reception
losses, connector reception losses, miscellaneous reception losses, antenna diversity gain, TMA benefit gain (as calcu-
lated using the Friis equation), and an additional loss modelling the noise rise generated from repeaters (if any). Trans-
mitter transmission losses include feeder transmission losses, connector transmission losses, miscellaneous transmission
losses, and TMA transmission losses. For more information on the total noise figure and on transmitter reception and
transmission losses, see the Technical Reference Guide.
You can assign equipment to a transmitter:
Using the Equipment Specifications dialogue, available by clicking the Equipment button on the Transmitter tab
of the transmitters Properties dialogue, or
Using the Transmitters table, available by right-clicking the Transmitters folder on the Data tab of the Explorer
window and selecting Open Table from the context menu.
When you assign equipment to a transmitter using the Equipment Specifications dialogue, Atoll updates the real values
when you click OK and close the dialogue. When you assign equipment to a transmitter using the Transmitters table,
Atoll does not update the real values automatically.
To update the real values (total losses and the BTS noise figure) with the computed values of all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Recalculate Losses and Noise Figure from the context menu.
To update the real values (total losses and the BTS noise figure) with the computed values of a group of transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select from the Group by submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the transmitters.
The objects in the folder are grouped by that property.
4. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
5. Right-click the group of transmitters whose real values you want to update. The context menu appears.
6. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears with the transmitters from the
selected group.
7. In the Transmitters table, select the values you want to update in the following columns and press DEL:
- Transmission Loss (dB)
- Reception Loss (dB)
- BTS Noise Figure (dB)
Atoll automatically recalculates and updates these values.
CHAPTER 5
MANAGING COMPUTATIONS IN ATOLL
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5 Managing Computations in Atoll
5.1 Computations in Atoll: Overview
Once the network has been built, Atoll allows you to create general studies. To make this easier, Atoll provides calculation
features such as multithreading and distributed computing. Moreover, the several processes can be displayed either in an
event viewer window or in a log file.
Atoll provides also the possibility to limit the calculation loading and time by introducing polygonal zones. These help you
to restrict the computation to a certain set of transmitters, and to clip related computations, coverages and other outputs.
This is made by using two type of polygonal zones: the computation zone, the focus zone and a set of hot spot areas. The
first one is the one on which are made the computations, the second and third ones on which the statistical outputs are
made.
Depending on the project type on which you are working on, you may choose between the different propagation models
available in Atoll. Selecting the most appropriate one, you may even decide to attribute different ones to the different trans-
mitters composing the network.
Predictions may be featured in two ways:
by using the point analysis tool in order to predict, at any point of the current map, the reception profile between a
reference transmitter (in real time) and the value of the several signal levels of the surrounding transmitters at a
given point (using existing path loss matrices).
by computing different types of standard coverage predictions: coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level
and overlapping zones. Many customisation features on coverage studies are available in order to make their anal-
ysis easier.
All of these are easily manageable. Furthermore, Atoll allows you to export coverage and path loss results with a view to
use them elsewhere in another application.
5.2 Computing in Polygonal Areas
5.2.1 Computation, Focus and Hot Spot Zones: Overview
The computation, focus and hot spot zones are user-definable polygons based on the map cutting. Drawing these poly-
gons zones allows the user to define shorter calculation areas and zones of interest to improve calculation times and to
permit a more precise analysis of computation results.
The computation zone has several functions:
Geographically determining the transmitters involved in computations. The transmitters with at least one calcula-
tion radius (main and/or secondary, at the transmitter or repeater/remote antenna level) intersecting the rectangle
containing the computation zone will be taken into account in computations.
Determining the validity of path loss matrices (i.e., Increasing the computation zone size makes the path loss
results invalid),
Clipping traffic maps (e.g., during Monte-Carlo simulations, mobiles are dropped within the computation zone).,
Clipping all the coverage areas.
In other words, path loss matrices are computed within the rectangle around the computation zone and coverage plots are
displayed within the computation zone itself.
The focus zone:
Clips all reports and statistics,
Clips the graphic display with lighter colours around the polygon (and optionally when printing),
Can be done of several contours. In this case, statistics are globally given for the multi-contour area.
The hot spot zones:
Clip prediction reports,
Are defined by several contours. Each contour is a hot spot zone, and prediction statistics are given both for the
focus zone (if existing) and each hot spot zone.
In other words, computation zone is the area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage studies, Monte-Carlo
and power control simulations etc. while the focus and the hot spot zones are the areas considered to generate reports
and results. These features provide a practical way of analysing smaller areas once a global zone has been fully calcu-
lated. Furthermore, they enable you to analyse simulation results and coverage without border effect.
Notes
For CDMA technology projects (UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000), Atoll provides also an active
set analysis based on a particular scenario (given terminal, mobility and terminal) for an existing
simulation at a given point.
Other specific studies like interference studies (GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects) or handover,
service availability, etc. (UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000) are also possible.
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Like other polygonal objects (e.g., clutter or traffic), computation, focus and hot spot zones are easy to manage in Atoll.
Hence, these zones can be created either by drawing, or importing from an external files. Several drawing tools are avail-
able, e.g., resizing, adding points to the zones, removing points, etc. Moreover, these can be saved in external files. Infor-
mation on these zones are also very easy to reach (size and coordinates).
5.2.2 Computation, Focus and Hot Spot Zones: Effects
Computation, focus and hot spot zones help you to reduce calculation area and calculation times. They are applied on
several items listed below.
Clutter Classes or Traffic Statistics
Clutter classes, traffic, UMTS, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment statistics refer to the focus zone if there is one. Only
areas inside the focus zone are taken into account. Hot spot zones have no impact on these items.
Clutter Classes
Atoll calculates the surface of each clutter class contained in the focus zone and its percentage.
Traffic
Statistics are available only in case of traffic raster maps (traffic maps based on environments). Atoll works out surface of
each traffic class (environment) contained in the focus zone. For each of them, it provides surface of each clutter class
covered by the traffic class and its percentage.
UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environments Statistics
For each user profile described in the environment, Atoll calculates density of users and the number of users on a clutter
class. The density of users remains the same. On the other hand, the number of users is related to the focus zone.
Path Loss Matrices
Atoll works out a path loss matrix for each active and filtered transmitter (or related repeater/remote antenna) which at
least a calculation radius intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone. The matrix corresponds to the intersec-
tion area between the calculation radius and the rectangle containing the computation zone.
Coverage Studies
Calculation and Display
Coverage calculations are created by taking into account the computation zone. Atoll checks coverage conditions on the
areas inside the computation zone. Therefore only bins contained in the computation zone will be covered.
Tip information on coverage is related to the computation zone. The focus zone has no effect on tip contents.
Statistics on UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Studies
To be taken into account, the focus zone must be defined before accessing study statistics. It is not necessary to define it
before computing coverage. When accessing the Statistics tab (in the study Properties window), Atoll considers only
covered areas inside the focus zone. For each threshold value defined in the Display tab, it works out the covered surface
and its percentage. These data are evaluated for each environment class, when using maps based environments as traffic
cartography.
Notes
You may perform propagation calculations without geographic data (free space propagation).
Nevertheless, it is necessary to define a computation zone
If there is no computation zone defined, Atoll computes for the entire extent of the geographical
data available.
The computation, focus and hotspot zone polygons can contain holes. The holes within polyg-
onal areas are differentiated from overlaying polygons by the order of the coordinates of their
vertices. The coordinates of the vertices of polygonal areas are in clockwise order, whereas the
coordinates of the vertices of holes within polygonal areas are in counter-clockwise order.
Note: If not defined, the focus zone is the computation zone.
Note: If not defined, the focus zone is the computation zone.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
Study Reports
To be taken into account, the focus zone must be defined before accessing reports. Reports are dynamically updated to
take into account the focus zone without requiring a coverage re-calculation. Atoll considers only covered surfaces inside
the focus zone. Therefore, in case of coverage by transmitter, only transmitters which coverage intersects the focus zone
can be considered in the report.
To be taken into account, hot spot zones must be defined before accessing reports. Reports are dynamically updated to
take into account hot spot zones without requiring a coverage re-calculation. Atoll considers only covered surfaces inside
each single hot spot. Therefore, in case of coverage by transmitter, only transmitters which coverage intersects one or
several hot spot can be considered in the report. The report is given for each single hot spot zone.
UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
Calculation
Atoll drops mobiles on the traffic area contained in the computation zone. During power control, Atoll considers all the
active and filtered transmitters which the calculation radius intersects rectangle containing the computation zone.
Simulation Reports
To be taken into account, the focus zone must be defined before checking simulation results (UMTS, cdmaOne/
CDMA2000). It is not necessary to define it before calculating simulation. When accessing the results of the simulation,
only sites, transmitters and mobiles located inside the focus zone are considered. The global output statistics are based
on these mobiles.
Display
All the mobiles even those outside the focus zone are represented on the map. Atoll provides information for any of them,
in tips and by clicking on them.
Printing
You may print either the whole selected area or only the area inside the focus zone when selecting the Print only the focus
zone area option [File: Page setup command].
5.2.3 Drawing a Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone
To draw a computation or a focus zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window
2. Expand the Zones folder by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right-click on the zone you want to draw in order to get the context menu,
b. Select the Draw command from the open scrolling list,
Or
a. Click the zone you want to draw,
b. In the Vector edition toolbar, click on the New polygon icon to create polygons,
3. Select the Draw command from the Tools: computation (or focus) zone menu in the menu toolbar,
4. Position the pointer (polygonal selection arrow) on the map,
5. Press the mouse left button (a first point is created),
6. Slide the pointer on the map and press the mouse left button to create another point,
7. Carry out the two last steps until you draw the polygonal area you want,
Note: If not defined, the focus zone is the computation zone.
Notes
If not defined, the focus zone is the computation zone. The computation zone is not used as filter.
Therefore, all the transmitters with a calculation area, even those located outside the computa-
tion zone, and all the created mobiles are analysed in the simulation results.
If the focus and computation zones are the same, only sites and transmitters located inside the
focus zone are dealt with in the simulation results.
Note: If the focus zone is not defined, Atoll will consider the computation zone instead of focus
zone.
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8. Double click to close off the polygonal area.
The selected computation zone is delimited by a red line. The focus zone is delimited by a green line and the background
is lighter. Hot spot zones are delimited by a black line.
5.2.4 Creating a Computation or Focus Zone FromPolygons
You can create a computation (or focus) zone from any polygon contained in a vector object (created or imported).
To do so:
1. Right-click on the polygon you want to become the computation (or focus) zone to open the associated context
menu,
2. Select the Use as computation (or focus) zone command from the available scrolling menu.
5.2.5 Importing the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zones Froma
File
As many other geo data objects, Atoll allows you to import the computation, focus and hot spot zones from a file with either
an Autocad (.dxf), Arcview (.shp), MapInfo (.Mif), Agd or PlaNETformat. For computation and focus zones, the imported
item takes the place of an already existing one. in case of an imported hot spot zone, this one is added to the existing
one(s).
To import a computation, focus, or hot spot zone file:
Either,
a. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window
b. Expand the Zones folder by clicking on the button,
c. Right-click on the zone you want to import in order to get the context menu,
d. Select the Import command from the open scrolling list,
Or,
- Select the Import... command from the File menu in the menu toolbar,
1. Specify the directory where the file to be imported is located, the file name and the file type in the open dialogue,
2. Press the OPEN button to validate,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Select the computation, focus or hot spots zone option from the Import to scrolling menu,
5. If necessary, precise the coordinate system associated with the file being currently imported,
6. Click the Import button to finish the procedure.
Notes
If not defined, the focus zone is the computation zone.
The computation or focus zone may consist of several polygons. Draw a first polygon or select
the existing zone on the map, then select the Combine icon ( ) of the Vector Edition toolbar
and draw another polygon.
On the same way, the computation or focus zone may be holed. Draw a polygon or select the
existing zone on the map, then select the Delete icon ( ) of the Vector Edition toolbar and
draw the part you want to remove from the polygon.
Contrary to computation and focus zones, a hot spot zone is a polygon with a unique contour.
So, it is possible to create several hot spot zones by drawing several polygons.
Hot Spot zones are automatically named automatically with incremental numbers. They can be
renamed manually by the user.
It is possible to resize the computation, focus and hot spot zones to fit the current visible area in
the workspace. This provides a simple way of drawing a computation or focus zone; you can just
adjust the zoom level as you like and select Automatically fit to Display command from the
Computation zone/Focus zone context menu.
Note: The computation or focus zone may consist of several polygons. Therefore, if you have
multi-polygons (set of linked polygons) in your vector layer, you may use them as described
above to create multi-focus or computation zones.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.2.6 Exporting the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone to a File
In Atoll, it is possible to export the computation, focus or hot spot zones in order to make them available in other applica-
tions/projects. This can be made in the Arcview (.shp), MapInfo (.Mif) or Agd formats.
To export the current computation, focus or hot spot zones to a file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window
2. Expand the Zones folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the zone you want to export in order to get the context menu,
4. Select the Save as command from the open scrolling list,
5. Specify the path, the name and the format of the file to be exported,
6. Press the button to validate,
7. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
8. If necessary, precise the coordinate system associated with the file being currently exported,
9. Click the Export button to finish the procedure.
5.2.7 Deleting the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone
To delete the computation, focus or a hot spot zone:
Either,
a. Click on the red (or green or black) line which limits the computation (or focus or hot spot) zone. The pointer
becomes position indicator ( ),
b. Right-click on this limit to open the associated context menu,
c. Select the Delete zone command from the open scrolling menu,
Or,
a. In the Geo tab, Right-click on the zone you want to delete in order to get the context menu,
b. Select the Delete zone command from the open scrolling list.
5.2.8 Resizing the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone
To resize the contour of the computation, the focus or a hot spot zone:
1. Click on the red (or green or black) line which limits the computation (or focus or hot spot) zone. The pointer
becomes position indicator ( ),
2. Press and hold the mouse left button,
3. Drag the pointer until its target location,
4. Release the mouse button.
5.2.9 Moving a Point of the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone
To move an existing point of the contour of the computation, the focus or a hot spot zone:
1. Click on the point of the contour you want to move. The pointer becomes position indicator ( ),
2. Press and hold the mouse left button,
3. Drag the pointer until the target location,
4. Release the mouse button.
Notes
The drag and drop feature is available from any file explorer application to Atoll to import the
computation, focus and hot spot zones.
Contrary to computation and focus zones, a hot spot zone is a polygon with a unique contour.
So, it is possible to create several hot spot zones by importing either several files or a file con-
taining several polygons.
Hot Spot zones are automatically named automatically with incremental numbers. They can be
renamed manually by the user.
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5.2.10 Adding a Point in the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Zone
To add a point to the contour of the computation, the focus or a hot spot zone:
1. Click on the location of the contour you want to add a point. The pointer becomes position indicator ( ),
2. Right-click on this limit to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the Insert point command from the open scrolling menu.
5.2.11 Removing a Point fromthe Computation, Focus or Hot Spot
Zone
To remove a point from the contour of the computation, the focus or a hot spot zone:
1. Click on the point from the contour you want to delete. The pointer becomes position indicator ( ),
2. Right-click on this limit to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the Delete point command from the open scrolling menu.
5.2.12 Displaying the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot size
Atoll allows the user to read various information about any object through the tips. Thus, it is possible to display infor-
mation (here: area size) on the current computation, focus and hot spot zones. This can be made by the use the tips
button , or the properties window of the computation, focus and hot spot zones.
To do so:
Either
- Rest the pointer on the red (or green or black) line which limits the computation (or focus or hot spot) zone,
except on the main points making up the zone contour until the information appears.
Or,
a. Right-click on the computation, focus and hot spot zone border in order to select it,
b. Click on the properties... menu.
The properties window displays the size of the computation, focus or hot spot zone.
5.2.13 Displaying the Computation, Focus or Hot Spot Coordinates
To display the coordinates of points composing the computation, the focus or a hot spot zone:
Either,
a. Click on the red (or green or black) line which limits the computation (or focus or hot spot) zone. The pointer
becomes position indicator ( ),
b. Right-click on this limit to open the associated context menu,
c. Select the Properties command from the open scrolling menu,
d. The coordinates (in the defined display system) of the point composing the computation, focus or hot spot
zone are then displayed in a table window,
Or,
- In the Geo tab, Right-click on the computation or focus zone and select the Properties command from
the open scrolling list,
Advice: To draw an appropriate computation, focus or hot spot zone, you can copy a list of point coordinates from a
spreadsheet and paste it in the computation zone properties window. The format of the data contained in the table is the
following: X_coordinate TAB Y_coordinate on each line. Inside this interface, TAB and Return commands are available by
using simultaneously the Ctrl key and the appropriate key. Coordinates are displayed as defined previously.
5.3 Propagation Models
By computing losses along transmitter-receiver paths, propagation models permit to predict the received signal level at
a given point and take into account:
the Radio data,
the Geo data like DTM and/or clutter classes, according to the model.
Note: Information about surface will appear only if the tips button is on.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
The mechanisms involved in electromagnetic propagation are:
Free space propagation,
Reflections,
Diffraction,
Scattering.
All these mechanisms can be more or less taken into account by propagation models depending on their complexity. Atoll
provides, by default, some model based on empirical approaches. For any type of project, you must find the best suited
one. Nevertheless, Atoll allows you to manage any project with several propagation models. These can be assigned either
globally or at the transmitter level. Each transmitter may have a main propagation model (high resolution and short calcu-
lation radius) and a secondary one, with a lower resolution, and an extended calculation radius.
Some propagation models (Okumura-Hata, Cost-Hata, ITU529-3) are based on a "model type" principle. On the base of
the formulae they offer, you can use these models to develop customized models by duplicating the existing base model
(Okumura-Hata, Cost-Hata, ITU 529-3).
The Okumura-Hata, Cost-Hata, Longley-Rice, Standard propagation model, ITU 529-3 and WLL models available in Atoll
are based on formulae whose parameters can be set. Okumura-Hata, Cost-Hata and ITU 529-3 in particular are based on
one formula for each clutter class. The Standard Propagation Model can be seen as an advanced Hata-based model. The
ITU 526-5 and ITU 370-7 (Vienna 93) models are deterministic and therefore their parameters cannot be set.
Like other Atoll objects, propagation models can be easily managed.
5.3.1 Propagation Models: General Information
5.3.1.1 Selecting Propagation Models
Because you can assign a propagation model in several places, it is possible for the propagation model you select in one
place to take priority over the propagation model you have already assigned. "Propagation Model Priority" on page 135
explains which assigned propagation model has priority under which circumstances.
Atoll uses the propagation model to compute losses along the transmitter-receiver path. The computed path loss matrices
are used for coverage predictions and point analysis predictions. Atoll enables you to assign both a main propagation
model, with a shorter radius
1
and a higher resolution, and an extended propagation model, with a longer radius and a lower
resolution. By using a calculation radius, Atoll limits the scope of calculations to a defined area. By using two matrices,
Atoll allows you to calculate high resolution path loss matrices closer to the transmitter, while reducing calculation time by
using an extended matrix with a lower resolution.
If you do not define a calculation radius for the main propagation model and if you do not assign an extended propagation
model, Atoll considers the prediction minimum threshold to define the calculation radius for each transmitter. However,
this can lead to lengthy calculation times.
Additionally, when you define an extended matrix, Atoll will calculate the extended matrix only if you define all three
parameters: propagation model, calculation radius, and resolution.
5.3.1.2 Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters
In Atoll, you can choose a propagation model per transmitter or globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
Note: When performing consecutive calculations with different thresholds:
If no calculation radius has been defined, Atoll recalculates the complete coverage for each pre-
diction.
If a relatively large calculation radius has been defined, Atoll "stores in memory" the calculations
for the defined area and only calculates the difference between the two predictions.
Important: For any Hata-based motel, it is optionally possible to limit the path loss by the computed
free space loss for each single pixel.
1. The "radius" is the half of the width of the matrix around the transmitter.
Note: In addition, it is possible to differentiate resolution of path loss matrices from plot resolution.
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6. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for all transmitters.
5.3.1.3 Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter
If you have added a single transmitter, you can assign it a propagation model. You can also assign a propagation model
to a single transmitter after you have assigned a main and extended propagation model globally or to a group of transmit-
ters.
When you assign a main and extended propagation model to a single transmitter, it overrides any changes made globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Propagation tab.
6. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
8. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for the selected transmitter.
5.3.1.4 Assigning a Default Propagation Model for Coverage Predictions
You can assign a default propagation model for coverage predictions. This propagation model is used as for all transmit-
ters whose main propagation model is "(Default model)."
To assign a default propagation model for coverage predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Select a Default Propagation Model from the list.
6. Enter a Default Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation model will be used for coverage predictions for all transmitters whose main
propagation model is "(Default model)."
Note: Setting a different main or extended matrix on an individual transmitter as explained in
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 134 will override this entry.
Notes
The calculation radius limits the scope of the calculations to the radius that has been defined.
The calculation radius prevents the system from calculating over too long distances (e.g., in an
urban area). In the case of very large environments, the calculation radius allows you to improve
the calculation time. If no main calculation radius has been defined (and no secondary propaga-
tion model), Atoll takes into account automatically the prediction minimum threshold to define
the calculation radius for each transmitter. Nevertheless, this could drive to long calculation times
Since it is a matrix (or 2 in case of extended calculation radius) which is computed for each trans-
mitter, the calculation radius represents the half side length of the potential matrix located around
the considered transmitter.
Atoll computes an extended matrix only if the three parameters, propagation model, calculation
radius and resolution, are specified. Therefore, an extended matrix will not be worked out if its
resolution is null.
Atoll computes at the same time the main and extended matrices of a transmitter with a global
management. Therefore, it will recalculate both matrices even if only one is invalid.
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5.3.2 Propagation Model Priority
As explained in "Selecting Propagation Models" on page 133, you can assign a propagation model globally to all transmit-
ters, to a group of transmitters, or to a single transmitter. Additionally, you can assign a default propagation model for
coverage predictions. Because you can assign a propagation model in several different ways, it is important to understand
which propagation model Atoll will use:
1. If you have assigned a propagation model to a single transmitter, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation Model
to One Transmitter" on page 134, or to a group of transmitters, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation Model to
a Group of Transmitters" on page 126, this is the propagation model that will be used.
The propagation model assigned to an individual transmitter or to a group of transmitters will always have prece-
dence over any other assigned propagation model.
2. If you have assigned a propagation model globally to all transmitters, as explained in "Assigning a Propagation
Model to All Transmitters" on page 133, this is the propagation model that will be used for all transmitters, except
for those to which you have assigned a propagation model either individually or as part of a group.
If, after assigning a propagation model to an individual transmitter or to a group of transmitters, you assign a prop-
agation model globally, you will override the propagation models that you had assigned to individual transmitters
or to a group of transmitters.
3. If you have assigned a default propagation model for coverage predictions, as described in "Assigning a Default
Propagation Model for Coverage Predictions" on page 134, this is the propagation model that will be used for all
transmitters whose main propagation model is "(Default model)." If a transmitter has any other propagation model
chosen as the main propagation model, that is the propagation model that will be used.
5.3.2.1 Displaying General Information about the Propagation Model
Under Atoll, the user interface is homogeneous for the different available propagation models. In the General tab, you
may enter the model name, add some descriptions and check the model signature. The model signature is used for validity
purposes. A unique model signature is assigned to each propagation model and its settings. When modifying model
parameters, the associated model signature is changed. This enables Atoll to detect potential path loss matrix invalidity.
Because of this, two identical propagation models in different projects do not have the same model signature.
5.3.2.2 Choosing the Appropriate Propagation Model
The different propagation models are more or less suited depending on the type of project, radio and geographic data in
use in the ATL current project. A summarized description is given in the following table.
Important: When you assign a propagation model globally, you override any selection you might have
made to an individual transmitter or to a group of transmitters.
Note: Model signature corresponds to the MODEL_ID field you can find in PAR files when exter-
nalising path loss matrices. Nevertheless, the real name of the used propagation model is
also explicitly written in PAR files (TX_MODEL_NAME field).
Model
Frequency
Band
Take into Account Required Settings Recommended Use
Longley-Rice
(theoretical)
~40 MHz
- Terrain profile
- Reflection
- Calibration
- Flat areas
- Very low frequencies
ITU 370-7
Vienna 93
100 - 400
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Percentage time while real
field >calculated field
- Long distances
(d>10km)
- Low frequencies
ITU 526-5
(theoretical)
30 - 10000
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Diffraction (3 knife-
edge Deygout
method)
Fixed receivers
WLL
30 - 10000
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Deterministic clutter
- Diffraction (3 knife-
edge Deygout
method)
- Free space loss
- Receiver height and clearance
per clutter
Fixed receivers
>Microwave links
>WiMAX
Okumura-Hata
150 - 1000
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Statistical clutter (at
the receiver)
- 1 formula per clutter
- Reflection
- With diffraction or not
- Optionally limited by the free
space loss
- Urban loss +correction a(Hr)
1 <d <20 km
>GSM 900
>cdmaOne/CDMA2000
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5.3.2.3 Managing Propagation Model Folders
In the Modules tab, propagation models are organized in folders. That way, these items are easy to manage like other
objects. Hence it is easily possible to delete, duplicate, copy and rename each of them.
To access the different managing properties of any propagation model, Right-click on the model you want to manage to
open the related context menu. Then choose among the several available commands: delete, duplicate, copy, rename.
All newly created propagation models will then be available in the propagation model selection boxes (Prediction or Trans-
mitter properties).
The copy function can be useful to copy and paste a specifically tuned model in an atl project to another one (considering
the name does not already exist).
5.3.3 Propagation Models Available in Atoll
5.3.3.1 The Standard Propagation Model
The Standard Propagation Model is a propagation model based on the Hata formulas and is suited for coverage predic-
tions in the 150 to 3500 MHz band over long distances (from one to 20 km). It is best suited to GSM 900/1800, UMTS, and
cdmaOne and CDMA2000 radio technologies. The Standard Propagation Model takes the terrain profile and diffraction
into account and uses both clutter classes and effective antenna height to calculate propagation.
The Standard Propagation Model can be used for any technology. It is based on the following formula:
where:
Cost-Hata
1500 - 2000
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Statistical clutter (at
the receiver)
- 1 formula per clutter
- Reflection
- With diffraction or not
- Optionally limited by the free
space loss
- Urban loss +correction a(Hr)
1 <d <20 km
>GSM 1800
>UMTS
ITU 529-3
300 - 1500
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Statistical clutter (at
the receiver)
- 1 formula per clutter
- Effective antenna
height
- Reflection
- With diffraction or not
- Optionally limited by the free
space loss
- Urban loss +correction a(Hr)
- Corrective formula on the
distance (d>20 km)
1 <d <100 km
>GSM 900
>cdmaOne/CDMA2000
Standard
Propagation
Model
150 3500
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Statistical clutter
- Effective antenna
height (several
methods of
determination for the
transmitter effective
antenna height)
- K1, ..., K6 (single formula)
- LOS or NLOS differentiation- -
With diffraction weight
- Optionally limited by the free
space loss
- Loss per clutter with clutter
weighting
- Receiver clearance
1 <d <20 km
>GSM 900
>GSM 1800
>UMTS
>cdmaOne/CDMA2000
>WiMAX
(Automatic calibration
available)
Erceg-
Greenstein
(SUI) Model
1900 6000
MHz
- Terrain profile
- Statistical clutter (at
the receiver)
- A formula per clutter
- Reflection
- With diffraction or not
- Optionally limited by the free
space loss
- Base station height and
receiver height correction
factors a(Hb) and a(Hr)
100 m <d <8 km
>WiMAX
Model
Frequency
Band
Take into Account Required Settings Recommended Use
PR received power (dBm)
PTx transmitted power (EIRP) (dBm)
K1 constant offset (dB)
K2 multiplying factor for log(d)
d distance between the receiver and the transmitter (m)
K3 multiplying factor for log(HTxeff)

effective height of the transmitter antenna (m)


K4 multiplying factor for diffraction calculation. K4 has to be a positive number
Diffraction losses due to diffraction over an obstructed path (dB)
K5 multiplying factor for log(HTxeff)log(d)
K6 multiplying factor for HRxeff

mobile antenna height (m)


Kclutter multiplying factor for f(clutter)
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )

+ + +
+ + + +
=
LOS hill clutter Rx Tx
Tx
Tx R
K clutter f K H K H d K
n Diffractio K H K d K K
P P
eff eff
eff
, 6 5
4 3 2 1
log log
log log
eff
Tx
H
eff
Rx
H
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
These parameters can be defined on the tabs (General, Parameters, and Clutter) of the Standard Propagation Model
Properties dialogue. You can also calibrate the Standard Propagation Model using a wizard.
For any Hata-based propagation model, you can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Recommendations for Working with the Standard Propagation Model" on page 137
"Calculating Diffraction With the SPM" on page 137
"Sample Values for SPM Formulas" on page 137
"Correction Factor for Hilly Regions" on page 138
"Calculating f(clutter) with the Standard Propagation Model" on page 138
"Sample Values for Losses Per Clutter Class (SPM)" on page 139
"Defining the Parameters of the Standard Propagation Model" on page 139
"Using the SPM Automatic Calibration Wizard" on page 142.
5.3.3.1.1 Recommendations for Working with the Standard Propagation Model
It is important to remember that clutter information can be taken into consideration in both diffraction loss and f(clutter). To
avoid taking clutter information into account twice, you should chose one of the following:
If you specify losses per clutter class, do not consider clutter heights in diffraction loss over the transmitter-receiver
profile. This approach is recommended if the clutter height information is statistical.
If you consider clutter heights, do not define any loss per clutter class. In this case, f(clutter) will be equal to "0;"
losses due to clutter will only be taken into consideration if you consider clutter heights in diffraction loss. This
approach is recommended if the clutter height information is semi-deterministic or deterministic.
If the clutter height information is an average height defined for each clutter class, you must specify a receiver clearance
per clutter class. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered along the whole transmitter-receiver profile except
over a specific distance around the receiver (clearance), in which Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM. The clear-
ance information is used to model streets because it is assumed that the receiver is in the street.
Clearance definition is not necessary when height information is from a clutter height file. In this case, the clutter height
information is accurate enough to be used without additional information such as clearance; Atoll calculates the path loss
if the receiver is in the street (if the receiver height is higher than the clutter height). If the receiver height is lower than the
clutter height, the receiver is assumed to be inside a building. In this case, the path loss is undefined.
The following are suggestions for defining the height of fixed receivers:
You can model the receiver as always being above the clutter, by selecting "1 - Yes" for the Receiver on Top of
Clutter option on the Clutter tab of the Standard Propagation Model Properties dialogue. The receiver height
will then be sum of the clutter height and the receiver height. This option can be used to model receivers on top
of buildings, for example.
You can define a specific receiver height for each clutter class in the Rx Height column on the Clutter tab of the
Standard Propagation Model Properties dialogue. Or, you can select "(default)" for the receiver height. When
creating a coverage prediction, Atoll will then read the receiver height on the Receiver tab of the Properties dia-
logue for the Predictions folder.
5.3.3.1.2 Calculating Diffraction With the SPM
You can set the parameters used to calculate diffraction losses on the Parameters and Clutter tabs of the Standard Prop-
agation Model Properties dialogue.
On the Parameters tab, you can define the calculation method used for diffraction and the K4 factor. The methods available
are:
Deygout
Epstein-Peterson
Deygout with correction
Millington
For detailed information on each method, see the Technical Reference Guide. The methods for calculating diffraction are
based on the general method for one or more obstacles described in the ITU 526-5 recommendations. The calculations
take the curvature of the earth into account. Along the transmitter-receiver profile, you can choose to take both the ground
altitude and the clutter height into account, or the ground altitude only. If you choose to take clutter height into account,
Atoll uses the clutter height information in the clutter heights file if. Otherwise, it uses average clutter height specified for
each clutter class in the clutter classes.
5.3.3.1.3 Sample Values for SPMFormulas
The following table gives some possible values for the constants used in the Standard Propagation Model formulas.
f(clutter) average of weighted losses due to clutter
K(hill, LOS) corrective factor for hilly regions (=0 in case of NLOS)
Min. Typical Max.
K1 Variable Variable Variable
K2 20 44.9 70
K3 -20 5.83 20
K4 0 0.5 0.8
K5 -10 -6.55 0
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The value of K1 depends on the radio frequency, in other words, on the radio technology. The following table gives some
possible values for K1.
Since K1 is a constant, its value is strongly dependant on the values given to losses per clutter class.
5.3.3.1.4 Correction Factor for Hilly Regions
An optional correction factor for hilly regions, K
hill, LOS
is available on the Parameters tab of the Standard Propagation
Model Properties dialogue. It corrects path loss for hilly regions when transmitter and receiver are in LOS. K
hill, LOS
is
determined in three steps. The influence area, R, and the regression line are assumed to be available.
1. For every profile point within the influence area, Atoll calculates the height deviation between the original terrain
profile (with correction for the curvature of the earth) and the regression line. Then, it sorts points according to the
deviation and draws two lines (parallel to the regression line), one which is exceeded by 10% of the profile points
and the other one by 90%.
2. Atoll evaluates the terrain roughness, h; which is the distance between the two lines.
3. Atoll calculates K
hill, LOS
as follows:

If ,
Else
If ,
Else
i
Rx
is the point index at the receiver.
5.3.3.1.5 Calculating f(clutter) with the Standard Propagation Model
The average of weighted losses due to clutter, f(clutter), is defined as follows:
where
L: loss due to clutter.
w: weight.
n: number of points taken into account over the profile.
The losses due to clutter are calculated for the maximum distance from the receiver, defined as Max Distance on the
Parameters tab of the Standard Propagation Model Properties dialogue. On the Clutter tab, each clutter class is
assigned losses. The weighting function enables Atoll to give a weight to each point. The different weighting methods are
explained in the following table.
The losses due to clutter are evaluated over a maximum distance from receiver, Max distance. Each clutter class is
assigned specific loss, Loss per clutter class. Enter the appropriate values in cells just left to the clutter classes ones.
The weighting function enables to give a weight to each point.
K6 -1 0 0
Project Type Frequency (MHz) K1
GSM 900 935 12.5
GSM 1800 1805 22
GSM 1900 1930 23
UMTS 2110 23.8
1xRTT 1900 23
Min. Typical Max.
K K K
hf h LOS hill
+ =
,
m h 20 0 <
0 =
K
h
( ) ( ) 746 . 6 log 29 . 15 log 73 . 7
2
+ = h h
K
h
m h 10 0 <
( ) ( )
i
regr
H H K
Rx Rx Rx hf
+ =
0
1924 . 0 2
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
h
i
regr
H H
h h
K
Rx Rx Rx
hf

+
+ =
0 2
21 . 11 log 75 . 14 log 616 . 1 2
( )

=
=
n
i
i i
w L clutter f
1
Weighting Function Formula
Uniform weighting function:
n
w
i
1
=
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.3.3.1.6 Sample Values for Losses Per Clutter Class (SPM)
The following table gives typical values for losses (in dB) per clutter class are:
These values must be entered only when using statistical clutter class maps.
5.3.3.1.7 Defining the Parameters of the Standard Propagation Model
You can define the parameters of the Standard Propagation Model using the Standard Propagation Model Properties
dialogue.
To define the calculations parameters of the Standard Propagation Model Properties dialogue:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Standard Propagation Model. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab (see Figure 5.1).
Logarithmic weighting function:
Exponential weighting function:
Triangular weighting function:

where di is the distance between the receiver and the point i.
Weighting Function Formula

+
=
n
j
j
i
i
D
d
D
d
w
1
1 log
1 log

=
n
j
D
d
D
d
i
j
i
e
e
w
1
1
1

=
=
n
j
j
i
i
d
d
w
1
'
i i
d D d =
Note: The losses per clutter class can be calculated using the Automatic Calibration Wizard.
For information on the Automatic Calibration Wizard, see "Using the SPM Automatic Cal-
ibration Wizard" on page 142.
Clutter Class Losses (dB)
Dense urban from 4 to 5
Woodland from 2 to 3
Urban 0
Suburban from -5 to -3
Industrial from -5 to -3
Open in urban from -6 to -4
Open from -12 to -10
Water from -14 to -12
Note: The Standard Propagation Model is based on Hata formulas, which are valid for an urban
environment. The values above are consistent with an urban environment because losses
of 0 dB are indicated for an urban clutter class, with positive values for more dense clutter
classes and negative values for less dense clutter classes.
Note: Default values have been assigned to the multiplying factors. The default values corre-
spond to the rural (quasi-open) Okumura-Hata formula valid for a frequency of 935 MHz.
The values for K values can be calculated using the Automatic Calibration Wizard. For
information on the Automatic Calibration Wizard, see "Using the SPM Automatic Calibra-
tion Wizard" on page 142.
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Figure 5.1: Standard Propagation Model - Parameters tab
Under Near Transmitter, you can set the following parameters:
- Maximum Distance: Set the maximum distance for a receiver to be considered near the transmitter. If the
distance between the receiver and the transmitter is greater than the set distance, the receiver is considered
far from the transmitter.
- K1 - los and K2 - los: Enter the K1 and K2 values that will be used for calculations when the receiver is in the
transmitter line of sight.
- K1 - nlos and K2 - nlos: Enter the K1 and K2 values that will be used for calculations when the receiver is not
in the transmitter line of sight.
Under Far from Transmitter, the values you set will be used for all receivers whose distance from the transmitter
is greater than the distance specified in Maximum Distance under Near Transmitter. You can set the following
parameters:
- K1 - los and K2 - los: Enter the K1 and K2 values that will be used for calculations when the receiver is in the
transmitter line of sight.
- K1 - nlos and K2 - nlos: Enter the K1 and K2 values that will be used for calculations when the receiver is not
in the transmitter line of sight.
Under Effective Antenna Height, you can set the following parameters:
- Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate H
Txeff
, the effective antenna height.
- Distance min. and Distance max.: The Distance min. and Distance max. are set to 3,000 m and 15,000 m
(according to ITU recommendations) for frequencies under 500 MHz and to 0 m and 15,000 m (according to
ITU recommendations) for high frequency mobile communications. These values are only used for the "Abs
Spot Ht" and the "Enhanced Slope at Receiver" methods. For more information on how these values are used,
see the Technical Reference Guide.
- K3: Enter the K3 value that will be used to calculate the effective antenna height.
Under Diffraction, you can set the following parameters:
- Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate diffraction.
- K4: Enter the K4 value that will be used to calculate diffraction.
Under Other Parameters, you can set the following parameters:
- K5: Enter the K5 value.
- K6: Enter the K6 value.
- Kclutter: Enter the Kclutter value.
Notes: You can use the Automatic Calibration Wizard to select the best method for calculating
the effective Tx antenna height. For information on the Automatic Calibration Wizard, see
"Using the SPM Automatic Calibration Wizard" on page 142.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
- Hilly Terrain Correction Factor: Select "1 - Yes" to take the Hilly Terrain Correction Factor into account.
Otherwise, select "0 - No".
- Limitation to Free Space Loss: As with all Hata-based propagation models, by default, the calculated path
loss is limited to the calculated free space loss. Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the
path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
- Profiles: Select the method to be used to extract the profile. If you select "1 - Radial," Atoll establishes a pro-
file between each transmitter and each point located on its calculation perimeter (as defined by the calculation
radius) and then uses the nearest profile to make a prediction on a point inside the calculation perimeter. This
process is referred to radial optimisation. If you select "2 - Systematic," Atoll systematically determines a pro-
file between each transmitter and each point in its calculation area. This method requires a significantly longer
calculation time, therefore, you should choose "1 - Radial" if you want a shorter calculation time.
- Grid Calculation: Select "0 - Centred" if you want Atoll to perform the calculations at the centre or select
"1 - Bottom left" if you want Atoll to perform the calculations at the lower left of each grid.
6. Click the Clutter tab (see Figure 5.2).
Figure 5.2: Standard Propagation Model - Clutter tab
Under Clutter Taken into Account, you can set the following parameters under Heights:
- Use Clutter Heights in Diffraction: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the clutter heights to be taken into account
when calculating diffraction.
- Receiver on Top of Clutter: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the receiver to be considered to be located on top
of clutter. This option can be used where fixed receivers are located on top of buildings.
Under Clutter Taken into Account, you can set the following parameters under Range:
- Maximum Distance: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the clutter heights to be taken into account when calculating
diffraction.
- Weighting Function: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the receiver to be considered to be located on top of clutter.
This option can be used where fixed receivers are located on top of buildings.
Under Parameters Per Clutter Class, you can set the following parameters for each clutter class:
- Losses: Set the maximum distance for a receiver to be considered near the transmitter. If the distance
between the receiver and the transmitter is greater than the set distance, the receiver is considered far from
the transmitter. For sample values for losses, see "Sample Values for Losses Per Clutter Class (SPM)" on
page 139.
- Clearance: Enter, if desired, a clearance around each receiver for each clutter class. The clearance informa-
tion is used to model streets because it is assumed that the receiver is in the street.
- Rx Height: Enter, if desired, a specific receiver height for each clutter class. Or, you can select "(default)" for
the receiver height. When creating a coverage prediction, Atoll will then read the receiver height on the
Receiver tab of the Properties dialogue for the Predictions folder.
7. Click OK.
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5.3.3.1.8 Using the SPMAutomatic Calibration Wizard
If you have any continuous wave measurements for your current Atoll document, you can use the data to calibrate the
Standard Propagation Model with the Automatic Calibration Wizard. You can use the Automatic Calibration Wizard
to determine:
The method for calculating the effective transmitter antenna height.
The method for calculating diffraction
The values for K
The losses per clutter class.
Before using the Automatic Calibration Wizard, you can review the statistics comparing the CW measurements with pre-
dictions, giving the percentage of samples per clutter class, the average, and the standard deviation. You can also filter
out inconsistent points from the CW measurements before using the data to automatically calibrate the Standard Propa-
gation Model.
The accuracy of the calibration of the Standard Propagation Model and its results (standard deviation and root mean
square) depend strongly on the CW measurement samples you use. Once the Standard Propagation Model has been cal-
ibrated it should be able to match the values of CW measurements over a large area and not just the values of the CW
measurements that were used to calibrate the Standard Propagation Model.
To calibrate the Standard Propagation model using the Automatic Calibration Wizard:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Standard Propagation Model. The context menu appears.
4. Select Automatic Calibration from the context menu. The Automatic Calibration Wizard appears (Figure 5.3).
Figure 5.3: SPM Calibration Wizard - first step
5. Select the check boxes corresponding to the CW measurement path or paths that you want to use for calibration.
Any filters that you have applied to the measurement paths will be taken into account.
6. Click Next.
Figure 5.4: SPM Calibration Wizard - second step
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
7. Select the check boxes corresponding to the parameters you want to calibrate.
8. To define an allowed range for the parameter, select the parameter and click Define Range. When calibrating the
parameter, Atoll will select a value with the defined range.
9. Click Next. Atoll calibrates the selected parameters
Figure 5.5: SPM Calibration Wizard - third step
Each parameter is displayed with the value before and after calibration (see Figure 5.6).
Figure 5.6: SPM Calibration Wizard - third step
10. Click Commit to update the Standard Propagation Model calibration with the values to the After column.
Note on the Clutter Loss Calibration
If you want to calibrate the losses per clutter class (Kclutter <>0), when pressing the Identify (Clutter row
selected), a warning message opens asking you to force the Max distance (Clutter tab) to 0 (if Max
distance<>0).
Currently, Atoll uses the following process on these constants:
1st step: Atoll groups measurement points according to the clutter class on which they are
located,
2nd step: Atoll then calculates the mean error for each point in each group with the maximum
distance set to "0" (in other words, the clutter loss is applied only on the reception pixel),
3rd step: For each group, the mean error is then automatically shifted to 0 by adjusting the cor-
responding loss. For example, if the mean error is 5 dB on a specific clutter class, and if the initial
loss for this clutter class is 2dB, then the calibrated loss is 7 dB.
Therefore, the global mean error on all the measurement points is "0."
Important: Remember that the Automatic Calibration Wizard uses mathematical approach to calibra-
tion. Before committing the results, ensure that they are relevant in a real radio-planning
environment. See "Sample Values for SPM Formulas" on page 137.
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5.3.3.2 The Okumura-Hata Propagation Model
The Okumura-Hata model is suited for coverage predictions in the 150 to 1000 MHz band over long distances (from one
to 20 km). It is best suited to GSM 900, IS95 and 1xRTT radio technologies. The Okumura-Hata propagation model takes
the terrain profile, diffraction, and reflection into account to calculate propagation.
Hata models in general are well adapted to the urban environment. You can define several corrective formulas and asso-
ciate a formula with each clutter class to adapt the Hata model to a wide variety of environments. You can also define a
default formula to be used when no land use data is available.
For any Hata-based propagation model, you can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining General Settings (Okumura-Hata)" on page 144
"Defining a Default Environment Formula (Okumura-Hata)" on page 144
"Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Okumura-Hata)" on page 144
"Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Okumura-Hata)" on page 145
5.3.3.2.1 Defining General Settings (Okumura-Hata)
The Okumura-Hata propagation model can take into account losses due to diffraction, using a 1-knife-edge Deygout
method and can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
To set general parameters on the Okumura-Hata propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Okumura-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab. You can modify the following settings:
- Add diffraction loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to add losses due to diffraction.
- Limitation to free space loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the path loss cal-
culated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
6. Click OK.
5.3.3.2.2 Defining a Default Environment Formula (Okumura-Hata)
You can use the Okumura-Hata propagation model even if you do not have clutter classes in your Atoll document by defin-
ing a default formula.
To select the default environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Okumura-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a Default formula.
For information on modifying the selected formula, see "Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Okumura-
Hata)" on page 144.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.2.3 Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Okumura-Hata)
You can create or modify the environment formulas used by the Okumura-Hata propagation model.
To create or modify an environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Okumura-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the Formulas button. The Formulas dialogue appears. You can do the following:
- Add: To create a new formula, click the Add button and modify the parameters of the formula.
- Delete: To delete a formula, select the formula and click the Delete button.
- Modify: To modify an existing formula, select the formula and modify the parameters.
7. Click OK to save your changes close the Formulas dialogue.
8. Click OK.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.3.3.2.4 Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Okumura-Hata)
By assigning an environment formula to each clutter class, the Okumura-Hata propagation model can use the assigned
formula for each pixel of the clutter class when calculating.
To assign an environment formula to clutter classes:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Okumura-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. For each clutter class under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a formula from the list.
Atoll uses the default environment formula for calculations on any clutter class to which you have not assigned
an environment formula.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.3 The Cost-Hata Propagation Model
The Cost-Hata model is suited for coverage predictions in the 1500 to 2000 MHz band over long distances (from one to
20 km). It is best suited to DCS 1800 and UMTS radio technologies. The Cost-Hata propagation model takes the terrain
profile, diffraction, and reflection into account to calculate propagation.
Hata models in general are well adapted to the urban environment. You can define several corrective formulas and asso-
ciate a formula with each clutter class to adapt the Hata model to a wide variety of environments. You can also define a
default formula to be used when no land use data is available.
For any Hata-based propagation model, you can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining General Settings (Cost-Hata)" on page 145
"Defining an Environment Default Formula (Cost-Hata)" on page 145
"Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Cost-Hata)" on page 146
"Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Cost-Hata)" on page 146
5.3.3.3.1 Defining General Settings (Cost-Hata)
The Cost-Hata propagation model can take into account losses due to diffraction, using a 1-knife-edge Deygout method
and can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
To set general parameters on the Cost-Hata propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Cost-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab. You can modify the following settings:
- Add diffraction loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to add losses due to diffraction.
- Limitation to free space loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the path loss cal-
culated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
6. Click OK.
5.3.3.3.2 Defining an Environment Default Formula (Cost-Hata)
You can use the Cost-Hata propagation model even if you do not have clutter classes in your Atoll document by defining
a default formula.
To select the default environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Cost-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a Default formula.
For information on modifying the selected formula, see "Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Cost-Hata)"
on page 146.
7. Click OK.
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5.3.3.3.3 Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Cost-Hata)
You can create or modify the environment formulas used by the Cost-Hata propagation model.
To create or modify an environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Cost-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the Formulas button. The Formulas dialogue appears. You can do the following:
- Add: To create a new formula, click the Add button and modify the parameters of the formula.
- Delete: To delete a formula, select the formula and click the Delete button.
- Modify: To modify an existing formula, select the formula and modify the parameters.
7. Click OK to save your changes close the Formulas dialogue.
8. Click OK.
5.3.3.3.4 Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Cost-Hata)
By assigning an environment formula to each clutter class, the Cost-Hata propagation model can use the assigned formula
for each pixel of the clutter class when calculating.
To assign an environment formula to clutter classes:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Cost-Hata. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. For each clutter class under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a formula from the list.
Atoll uses the default environment formula for calculations on any clutter class to which you have not assigned
an environment formula.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.4 The ITU 529-3 Propagation Model
The ITU 529-3 model is suited for coverage predictions in the 300 to 1500 MHz band over long distances (from one to
100 km). It is best suited to GSM 900 and IS95/cdmaOne radio technologies. The ITU 529-3 propagation model takes the
terrain profile, diffraction, and reflection into account to calculate propagation.
Hata models in general are well adapted to the urban environment. You can define several corrective formulas and asso-
ciate a formula with each clutter class to adapt the Hata model to a wide variety of environments. You can also define a
default formula to be used when no land use data is available. In addition, for long distances 20km<d<100 km), the model
uses automatically a corrective formula as defined in the recommendation.
For any Hata-based propagation model, you can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining General Settings (ITU 529-3)" on page 146
"Defining an Environment Default Formula (ITU 529-3)" on page 147
"Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (ITU 529-3)" on page 147
"Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (ITU 529-3)" on page 147.
5.3.3.4.1 Defining General Settings (ITU 529-3)
The ITU 529-3 propagation model can take into account losses due to diffraction, using a 1-knife-edge Deygout method
and can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
To set general parameters on the Cost-Hata propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU529. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab. You can modify the following settings:
- Add diffraction loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to add losses due to diffraction.
- Limitation to free space loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the path loss cal-
culated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
6. Click OK.
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5.3.3.4.2 Defining an Environment Default Formula (ITU 529-3)
You can use the ITU 529-3 propagation model even if you do not have clutter classes in your Atoll document by defining
a default formula.
To select the default environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU529. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a Default formula.
For information on modifying the selected formula, see "Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (ITU 529-3)"
on page 147.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.4.3 Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (ITU 529-3)
You can create or modify the environment formulas used by the ITU 529-3 propagation model.
To create or modify an environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU529. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the Formulas button. The Formulas dialogue appears. You can do the following:
- Add: To create a new formula, click the Add button and modify the parameters of the formula.
- Delete: To delete a formula, select the formula and click the Delete button.
- Modify: To modify an existing formula, select the formula and modify the parameters.
7. Click OK to save your changes close the Formulas dialogue.
8. Click OK.
5.3.3.4.4 Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (ITU 529-3)
By assigning an environment formula to each clutter class, the ITU 529-3 propagation model can use the assigned formula
for each pixel of the clutter class when calculating.
To assign an environment formula to clutter classes:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU529. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. For each clutter class under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a formula from the list.
Atoll uses the default environment formula for calculations on any clutter class to which you have not assigned
an environment formula.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.5 The ITU 370-7 Propagation Model (Vienna 93)
The ITU 370-7 model is based on the recommendations of the Vienna 1993 international conference on telecommunica-
tions network coordination. This model is suited for coverage predictions in the 100 to 400 MHz band over long distances
(over 10 km), such as in broadcast studies. It uses the terrain profile to calculate propagation.
The only parameter you can define with the ITU 370-7 (Vienna 93) model parameter setting is the percentage of time
during which the real field is higher than the signal level calculated by the model (1%, 10%, or 50% of the time). The value
50% is usually used for coverage predictions, whereas 1% is usually used for interference studies.
To set the percentage of time during which the real field is higher than the signal level:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU370. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
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5. Click the Parameters tab.
6. Under Calculate exceeded signal during, select one of the following:
- 50% of the time
- 10% of the time
- 1% of the time
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.6 The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) Propagation Model
The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model is suited for coverage predictions in the 1900 and 6000 MHz range over
distances between 100 m and 8 km. The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model is suited for WiMAX (IEEE 802.16d
and 802.16e). It takes the terrain profile, diffraction, and reflection into account to calculate propagation.
The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model is well adapted for suburban environment. You can define several correc-
tive formulas and associate a formula with each clutter class to adapt the model to a wide range of environments. You can
also define a default formula to be used when no land use data is available. You can also set a default formula which is
used when no clutter data is available.
You can also limit the path loss to the computed free space loss for each single pixel.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining General Settings (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))" on page 148
"Defining a Default Environment Formula (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))" on page 148
"Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))" on page 148
"Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))" on page 149
5.3.3.6.1 Defining General Settings (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))
The Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model can take into account losses due to diffraction, using a 1-knife-edge
Deygout method and can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
To set general parameters on the Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Erceg-Greenstein (SUI). The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the Parameters tab. You can modify the following settings:
- Add diffraction loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to add losses due to diffraction.
- Limitation to free space loss: Select "1 - Yes" if you want the propagation model to limit the path loss cal-
culated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.6.2 Defining a Default Environment Formula (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))
You can use the Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model even if you do not have clutter classes in your Atoll document
by defining a default formula.
To select the default environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Erceg-Greenstein (SUI). The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a Default formula.
For information on modifying the selected formula, see "Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Erceg-
Greenstein (SUI))" on page 148.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.6.3 Creating or Modifying Environment Formulas (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))
You can create or modify the environment formulas used by the Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model.
Note: When using the ITU 370-7 model, do not define the cell edge coverage probability in the
coverage prediction properties with a value other than 50%, or cell edge coverage probabil-
ity will be considered twice.
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To create or modify an environment formula:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Erceg-Greenstein (SUI). The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the Formulas button. The Formulas dialogue appears. You can do the following:
- Add: To create a new formula, click the Add button and modify the parameters of the formula.
- Delete: To delete a formula, select the formula and click the Delete button.
- Modify: To modify an existing formula, select the formula and modify the parameters.
7. Click OK to save your changes close the Formulas dialogue.
8. Click OK.
5.3.3.6.4 Assigning Environment Formulas to Clutter Types (Erceg-Greenstein (SUI))
By assigning an environment formula to each clutter class, the Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model can use the
assigned formula for each pixel of the clutter class when calculating.
To assign an environment formula to clutter classes:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Erceg-Greenstein (SUI). The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. For each clutter class under Formulas related to clutter classes, select a formula from the list.
Atoll uses the default environment formula for calculations on any clutter class to which you have not assigned
an environment formula.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.7 The WLL (Wireless Local Loop) Propagation Model
The WLL propagation model is designed for radio local loop applications in the 30-10,000 MHz band. The model is derived
from the ITU 526-5 model.
Along the Tx-Rx profile, both ground altitude and clutter height are considered to calculate diffraction losses. Atoll takes
clutter height information in clutter heights file if available in the ATL document. Otherwise, it considers average clutter
height specified for each clutter class in the clutter classes file description. If the ATL document does not contain any clutter
height file and no average height per clutter class is specified, Atoll will consider ground altitude only.
The WLL propagation model allows you to set the following parameters:
Free space loss: You can modify the parameters of the formula used to calculate path loss in free space.
Line of sight only: If the Line of sight only option is selected, Atoll checks for each pixel if the receiver is in the
transmitter line of sight. The receiver is considered to be in the transmitter line of sight if 100% of the Fresnel half-
ellipsoid is clear, in other words, if no obstacle is on the transmitter-receiver profile. If the Line of sight only option
is not selected, Atoll computes the path loss for each pixel, using the formula defined in the dialogue.
Transmitter clearance: You can set a clearance around each transmitter. This clearance can be used, for
example, to model streets in areas where the clutter class file does not show enough detail. It will be taken into
consideration when calculating diffraction.
Receiver clearance: You can set a clearance around each receiver. You can set a default clearance, that will be
used for each clutter class, or you can set a clearance per clutter class. This clearance will be taken into consid-
eration when calculating diffraction.
Receiver height: You can set a receiver height per clutter class. Because the WLL propagation model is designed
for networks with immobile receivers, the receivers are often on top of buildings. This option allows you to specify
a height which will be added to the clutter class.
To set the parameters on the WLL propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click WLL. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Free space loss: You can modify the parameters of the formula used to calculate path loss in free space.
- Transmitter clearance: You can set the clearance around the transmitter. The default value is 20 m.
- Receiver default clearance: You can set the default clearance around the receiver. This default clearance
will be used for each clutter class where the receiver clearance is not specified. The default value is 20 m.
- Receiver height per clutter class: You can set a height for the receiver for each clutter class.
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6. Click OK.
5.3.3.7.1 The ITU 526-5 Propagation Model
The ITU 526-5 model is suitable for coverage predictions in the 30 to 10,000 MHz band with fixed receivers. It uses the
terrain profile and a diffraction mechanism (3 knife-edge Deygout method) to calculate path loss.
According to the ITU 526-5 recommendations:
If there are no obstacles, propagation takes place in free space;
If there is an obstacle, attenuation will be taken into account.
If there is an obstacle, an attenuation will be caused on contact with the relief with diffraction on the main peak (represented
by a red line in the Profile tab of the point analysis window). The main peak taken into account is the one that intersects
the most with the Fresnel ellipsoid. Any attenuation that occurs is then calculated between the station and the main peak
and between the main peak and the receiver. The result may then show up to two new attenuation peaks in addition to the
main peak. The various peaks are identified by red lines. The attenuation generated by all the peaks is displayed above
the main peak.
To set the parameters on the ITU 526-5 propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click ITU526. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab.
6. If desired, select the Apply to empirical correction check box and enter a formula that will be to the Deygout
method.
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.8 The Microwave Propagation Model
The Microwave Propagation Model is a propagation model based on the Hata formulas. It takes the terrain profile and
diffraction into account and uses both clutter classes and effective antenna height to calculate path loss.
The Microwave Propagation Model is based on the following formula:
where:
These parameters can be defined on the tabs (General, Parameters, and Clutter) of the Microwave Propagation Model
Properties dialogue.
For any Hata-based propagation model, you can limit the path loss calculated per pixel to the calculated free space loss.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Recommendations for Working with the Standard Propagation Model" on page 137
"Calculating Diffraction With the SPM" on page 137
"Sample Values for SPM Formulas" on page 137
"Correction Factor for Hilly Regions" on page 138
"Calculating f(clutter) with the Standard Propagation Model" on page 138
"Sample Values for Losses Per Clutter Class (SPM)" on page 139
"Defining the Parameters of the Standard Propagation Model" on page 139
"Using the SPM Automatic Calibration Wizard" on page 142.
Caution: The database type must fit to the selected prediction type on the Prediction tab.
P
R
Received power (dBm)
P
Tx
Transmitted power (EIRP) (dBm)
K
1
Constant offset (dB)
K
2
Multiplying factor for log(d)
d Distance between the receiver and the transmitter (m)
K
3
Multiplying factor for log(HTxeff)

Effective height of the transmitter antenna (m)


K
4
Multiplying factor for diffraction calculation. K4 has to be a positive number
Diffraction Losses due to diffraction over an obstructed path (dB)
K
clutter
Multiplying factor for f(clutter)
f(clutter) average of weighted losses due to clutter
)) ( ) log( ) log( (
4 3 2 1
clutter f K n Diffractio K H K d K K P P
clutter Tx Tx R
eff
+ + + + =
eff
Tx
H
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5.3.3.8.1 Recommendations for Working with the Microwave Propagation Model
It is important to remember that clutter information can be taken into consideration in both diffraction loss and f(clutter). To
avoid taking clutter information into account twice, you should chose one of the following:
If you specify losses per clutter class, do not consider clutter heights in diffraction loss over the transmitter-receiver
profile. This approach is recommended if the clutter height information is statistical.
If you consider clutter heights, do not define any loss per clutter class. In this case, f(clutter) will be equal to "0;"
losses due to clutter will only be taken into consideration if you consider clutter heights in diffraction loss. This
approach is recommended if the clutter height information is semi-deterministic or deterministic.
If the clutter height information is an average height defined for each clutter class, you must specify a receiver clearance
per clutter class. Both ground altitude and clutter height are considered along the whole transmitter-receiver profile except
over a specific distance around the receiver (clearance), in which Atoll bases its calculations only on the DTM. The clear-
ance information is used to model streets because it is assumed that the receiver is in the street.
Clearance definition is not necessary when height information is from a clutter height file. In this case, the clutter height
information is accurate enough to be used without additional information such as clearance; Atoll calculates the path loss
if the receiver is in the street (if the receiver height is higher than the clutter height). If the receiver height is lower than the
clutter height, the receiver is assumed to be inside a building. In this case, the path loss is undefined.
5.3.3.8.2 Calculating Diffraction With the Microwave Propagation Model
You can set the parameters used to calculate diffraction losses on the Parameters and Clutter tabs of the Microwave
Propagation Model Properties dialogue.
On the Parameters tab, you can define the K4 factor and the calculation method used for diffraction. The methods available
are:
Deygout
Epstein-Peterson
Deygout with correction
Millington
ITU 452-11
For detailed information on each method, see the Technical Reference Guide. The methods for calculating diffraction are
based on the general method for one or more obstacles described in the ITU 526-5 recommendations. The calculations
take the curvature of the earth into account. Along the transmitter-receiver profile, you can choose to take both the ground
altitude and the clutter height into account, or the ground altitude only. If you choose to take clutter height into account,
Atoll uses the clutter height information in the clutter heights file if. Otherwise, it uses average clutter height specified for
each clutter class in the clutter classes.
In order to define the diffraction profile precisely, you must define a clearance for each clutter class on the Clutter tab of
the Microwave Propagation Model Properties dialogue.
5.3.3.8.3 Sample Values for Microwave Propagation Model Formulas
The following table gives the default values for the constants used in the Microwave Propagation Model formulas.
Since K1 is a constant, its value is strongly dependant on the values given to losses per clutter class.
5.3.3.8.4 Defining the Parameters of the Microwave Propagation Model
You can define the parameters of the Microwave Propagation Model using the Microwave Propagation Model Proper-
ties dialogue.
To define the calculation parameters of the Microwave Propagation Model Properties dialogue:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Microwave Propagation Model. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab (see Figure 5.7).
Default Values
K1 32.4
K2 20
K3 20
K4 1
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Figure 5.7: Microwave Propagation Model Properties - Parameters tab
Under Heights, you can set the following parameter:
- Consider Heights in Diffraction: Select "1 - Yes" to have Atoll take clutter height information into account
when calculating diffraction. Otherwise, select "0 - No".
Under LOS Attenuation, you can set the following parameters:
- K1, K2, and K3: Enter the K1, K2, and K3 values that will be used to calculate LOS attenuation.
Under Diffraction, you can set the following parameters:
- Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate diffraction.
- K4: Enter the K4 value that will be used to calculate diffraction.
Under Tropospheric Scatter, you can set the following parameters:
- Method: Select the method that will be used to calculate tropospheric scattering:
- No attenuation: No attenuation will be calculated.
- ITU-R P617-1: Attenuation will be calculated according to the ITU-R P617-1 recommendations for 50%,
90%, or 99.99% of the time.
- ITU-R P452: Attenuation will be calculated according to the ITU-R P452 recommendations.
- Simplified Method: Attenuation will be estimated using an Atoll-specific equation.
- N0: Enter the value for N0, which is the surface refractivity of the centre of the path.
- Ktropo: Enter the value for the weight factor. Atoll multiplies the loss given by the selected method to calcu-
late the tropospheric scatter loss.
Under Other Parameters, you can set the following parameter:
- Kclutter: Enter the Kclutter value.
6. Click the Clutter tab (see Figure 5.8).
Figure 5.8: Microwave Propagation Model Properties - Clutter tab
Under Clutter Consideration, you can set the following parameters:
- Clearance per Clutter Class: Enter a clearance around each receiver for each clutter class.
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- Clutter Categories: Select a clutter category for each clutter class. Clutter categories are ITU-standardised
clutter classes. The following are the available clutter categories.
- Rural open
- Pastures, grassland
- Low crop fields
- High crop fields
- Park land
- Tree covered
- Irregularly spaced sparse trees
- Orchards
- Deciduous trees (irregularly spaced)
- Deciduous trees (regularly spaced)
- Coniferous trees (irregularly spaced)
- Coniferous trees (regularly spaced)
- Mixed tree forest
- Tropical rain forest
7. Click OK.
5.3.3.9 The Longley-Rice Propagation Model
Longley-Rice is a theoretical model suited for coverage predictions in the 40-MHz band in flat areas. The Longley-Rice
propagation model uses the terrain profile to calculate propagation. However, the Longley-Rice model parameters can be
set in the form of a calibration involving the distance and an additional loss value.
To set the parameters on the Longley-Rice propagation model:
1. Click the Modules tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Propagation Models folder.
3. Right-click Longley-Rice. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Parameters tab.
6. Under Add to propagation loss, enter the formula that will be used to calculate additional losses (in constant
terrain , a value of "0" means a signal decreasing in a linear fashion as a function of distance). dkm is the distance
in kilometres from the transmitter,
7. Click OK.
5.4 Tuning Reception Parameters
5.4.1 Setting the Receiver Properties
In Atoll, the calculation of signal levels at any point, for point analysis or coverage purpose, is linked with the definition of
a receiver. Depending on the considered project type, different properties might be set.
To set receiver properties:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the context menu,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu.
Or
- Double click on the Predictions folder
2. Click on the Receiver tab from the open window,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about receiver fields,
4. Enter its height and, for GSM/GPRS/EDGE studies, associated antenna, losses, and the adjacent channel pro-
tection level.
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For UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 studies, the point analysis tool is used for a particular scenario. Depending on the type
of mobility, service or terminal (or Radio configuration in cdmaOne/CDMA2000) chosen, radio parameters are not the
same for the receiver. Consequently, to manage receiver parameters used in the point analysis, you must set the charac-
teristics of each used UMTS parameters (type of service, mobility, terminal) or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 (type of service,
Radio Configurations) in the corresponding properties dialogue.
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, Atoll has also an option which limits the representation for coverages around stations, in
order to consider synchronisation problems. This feature is a graphic representation for coverages and is not taken into
account in calculations.
To define the global maximum range value limiting the coverage display (GSM/GPRS/EDGE studies only) around
stations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the context menu,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu.
Or
- Double click on the Predictions folder
2. Click on the System tab (if available) from the open window,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the current window,
4. Set maximum range value,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
5.4.2 Computing Shadowing Margins
Propagation models are mathematical tools used for the prediction of losses along a path with the better accuracy possi-
ble. In reality, if we were to stay on a same location or a same clutter class measuring a signal level, we would observe
some variations of results due to slow fading/shadowing, i.e., surrounding environment. We would observe that real results
are spread on a gaussian curve, around an average value, and with a specific standard deviation. If we consider the model
correctly calibrated, its result should check to this average value. So, in that case, we assume that the model gives a result
which is at least correct in an average case, that is to say, in 50% of the measured cases. 50% means that 50% of the
measurements will be better that the predicted value, the other values, being worst.
This can be taken into account by considering a model standard deviation at the receiver (where you compute a signal
level). Either the model standard deviation is clutter class dependent (one value specified for each clutter class) if a clutter
class map is available, or Atoll considers a default value (no clutter class map available, or default value forced). The
model standard deviation, linked to a required cell edge coverage probability on results (point analysis or coverages) lead
to additional losses or gain called shadowing margin. This is a margin from a result given by propagation model (in dB) for
which the probability of error is 50%. It indicates that, on the real field, results will have at least the value computed by
Atoll with the defined cell edge coverage probability (this means maybe better but not worst).
For example, let's consider the model (correctly calibrated) gives a loss that should lead to a signal level of -70 dBm. The
user wants a probability level of 85%. Let's imagine Atoll provides a shadowing margin of 7 dB for the considered location.
All of this lead to the fact that the real signal will be equal or better than -77 dBm in 85% of cases.
Of course, if you have defined a model standard deviation per clutter class, the same probability level provides the same
shadowing margin to all the receivers located on the same clutter type. On the other hand, different probability levels will
impose different values of shadowing margins even if considering the same clutter type.
Notes
In some cases (fixed receivers), it may be useful to define a specific height per clutter class. This
can be made directly from the properties of some propagation models (e.g., WLL or SPM).
In the Standard Propagation Model, you can choose to systematically locate the receiver above
the clutters.
By default, the antenna is set to an omni one with a 0 dB gain,
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, its is possible to set the adjacent channel protection level. This
parameter is used in interference computations in order to simulate the signal level offset due to
an adjacent channel contribution on the considered channel. For example, if the value is set to
18 dB (default value), this means that the signal level coming from an adjacent channel will be
decreased by 18 dB on the total noise computation on the considered channel.
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, it is also possible to consider the thermal noise (defined at -121
dBm) and to define a receiver noise figure that will be optionally used to calculate interferences
at the receiver in interference or specific GPRS/EGPRS studies (coding schemes or throughput
coverage).
Note: It is also possible to fix min. and max ranges for any single transmitter. This can be set from
the considered transmitter properties. If the max range is defined at this level, the global
value is not considered.
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In addition to the model standard deviation defined per clutter class and which is applied to the path loss, it is possible to
define, for each clutter class:
For GSM/GPRS/EGPRS projects
- A C/I standard deviation (in dB) in order to compute shadowing losses (related to a user-defined cell edge coverage prob-
ability) on the C/I values
For WCDMA/UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects
- A Ec/Io standard deviation (in dB) in order to compute shadowing losses (related to a user-defined cell edge coverage
probability) on the Ec/Io values,
- UL and DL Eb/Nt standard deviations (in dB) in order to compute shadowing losses (related to a user-defined cell edge
coverage probability) on the Eb/Nt values,
To display the computed shadowing margins as a function of probability level:
To display the computed shadowing margins per clutter class as a function of cell edge coverage probability:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Choose the Shadowing margins... option from the scrolling menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about other fields available in the current window,
5. Set the cell edge coverage probability,
6. Click the button to start computation,
7. Click OK to close the dialogue.
5.4.3 Using Cell Edge Coverage Probability in Predictions
Atoll models the probability of error on the predicted path loss; errors on calculations depend on the transmitter-receiver
path and the receiver position. They are due to some obstacles, which are not taken into account by the propagation model
(in case geographic data are not up-to-date or appropriate enough, or when there are point obstacles). Some paths will
suffer increased loss, while other will be less obstructed and have an increased signal strength. This phenomenon is called
shadowing or slow fading; variation occurs over distances comparable to the width of obstacles (buildings, hills, etc.) along
the path. It is crucial to account for this in order to predict the reliability of coverage provided by any mobile cellular system.
From a user-defined model (or Ec/Io, Eb/Nt, C/I) standard deviation (either depending on the clutter class where the
receiver is located, or a default value) and a probability level, Atoll evaluates a shadowing margin and adds it to the path
loss (or Ec/Io, Eb/Nt, C/I) predicted by the model. All coverage studies integrate the possibility to enter a probability level
(in their property dialogue).
Notes
Atoll provides a shadowing margin for each clutter class when a clutter class map is available in
the ATL document. Otherwise, it displays one default shadowing margin computed from the
default model standard deviation (Clutter classes folder property dialogue)
When the cell edge coverage probability is different from 50%, shadowing margins values are
different from zero.
In UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects, uplink and downlink macro-diversity gains (2 links
and 3 links) can be also given in this window by selecting the appropriate standard deviation.
- The model (or Eb/Nt DL) standard deviation deals for the path loss (or Eb/Nt),
- Ec/Io (or Eb/Nt UL) standard deviations can be selected to display the Ec/Io (or Eb/Nt UL)
shadowing loss, Ec/Io DL (or Eb/Nt UL) macro-diversity gain. DL macro-diversity gains are
calculated by considering the fixed cell edge coverage probability, the Ec/Io standard devia-
tion at the receiver, the Ec/Io difference between the best server and the second one and the
Ec/Io difference between the second best server and the third one (these two values may be
specified in the dialogue). UL macro-diversity gains are calculated by considering the fixed
cell edge coverage probability, the Eb/Nt UL standard deviation at the receiver, the uplink
Eb/Nt difference between the best server and the second one and the uplink Eb/Nt difference
between the second best server and the third one (these two values may be specified in the
dialogue).
When the cell edge coverage probability is 50%, macro-diversity gains (2 and 3 links) taken into
account for coverage studies and point analysis are either the one calculated in this window if
the option Shadowing taken into account option is selected, or else the default global value
(defined in the Transmitter global parameters).
In UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations, these losses are evaluated by computing
random shadowing errors and are added to the model path loss.
Formulas used to compute shadowing margin, macro-diversity gains (2 and 3 links) are detailed
in the Technical reference guide.
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When calculating coverage with a x% probability level, Atoll displays the areas where the measured field exceeds the
predicted signal during x% of time. When increasing the probability level, the predicted signal deviates from average and
hence, the shadowing margin raises.
5.5 Coverage Studies
A coverage is a set of covered pixels. The coverage is a result of path loss matrix computations depending on the choice
of propagation models, calculation areas and computation and coverage resolutions. Coverage areas defined by coverage
conditions in order to select the transmitters that must be taken into account for the study. Then, according to this selection,
any pixel will be covered as depending on the display type chosen, either by transmitter, by signal level, by overlapping
zones in the standard case (for all projects). So, a coverage is a graphic representation of points for which a coverage
condition is satisfied.
Depending on the type of project considered, some specific studies (treated in their specific parts) are also available:
Interference studies in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects
Specific GPRS/EDGE studies dealing with coding schemes or rates colouring,
Specific UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 studies based either on simulations or user-defined traffic loads.
Like for many other Atoll objects, the management of coverage studies is both easy and powerful. The generic Atoll
display dialogue (including legend, label et tip management) is used and allows you to display your study on several
attributes related to transmitters. Furthermore, some organization features (filter, sort and groups) are also available on
the displayed result.
Many features help in the management of coverage in Atoll. Indeed, it is possible to lock/unlock either complete studies
or individual matrices, to display, print or export exhaustive coverage reports, to export matrices or coverage zones, to
check the validity of current results regarding to the current radio configurations, and other tools always with a view to make
handy coverage studies in Atoll.
It is also possible to calculate path loss matrices independently from any coverage study.
5.5.1 Coverage Prediction: General Settings
5.5.1.1 Setting Calculation Areas
In Atoll, calculation areas are defined at the transmitter level. Atoll is able to calculate two path loss matrices per trans-
mitter, a first matrix over a near radius computed with a high resolution and a propagation model, and a second matrix
over a far radius computed with a low resolution and another propagation model.
In addition, the calculation areas of each transmitter occur only within the computation zone.
To define calculation area(s) simultaneously to all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
4. Click on the Propagation tab from the open window,
5. In the main matrix part, enter a calculation radius (with a propagation model and a resolution used to compute
the main path loss matrix),
6. Optionally, in the extended matrix part, enter a calculation radius (with a propagation model and a resolution
used to compute the extended path loss matrix),
7. Click OK to validate.
Notes
In case of a correctly calibrated propagation model, typical model standard deviations should be
around 6 dB to 9 dB.
We remind you that model calibration and its result (standard deviation) strongly depend on the
CW measurement samples you use. A calibrated model must restore the behaviour of CW meas-
urements depending on their configuration on a large scale, not totally check to a few number of
CW measurements. The calibrated model has to give correct results for every new CW meas-
urement point performed in the same geographical zone, without having been calibrated on
these CW measurements.
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE interference computation, Shadowing margins (depending on the entered
probability level and the C/I standard deviation at the receiver) are applied only to signal level
values.
In UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 interference computation, Shadowing margins (depending on
the entered probability level and the Ec/Io - or Eb/Nt - standard deviation at the receiver) are
applied only to Ec (or Eb) values.
Note: When using the ITU 370 model, take care not to define probability level, the probability level
being already included as a parameter.
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To define calculation area(s) to one transmitter at a time:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
Either:
a. Right-click on the transmitter to which you want to define a specific calculation area,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
Or
- Double click on the transmitter to which you want to assign a specific calculation area,
3. Click on the Propagation tab from the open window,
4. In the main matrix part, enter a calculation radius (with a propagation model and a resolution used to compute
the main path loss matrix),
5. Optionally, in the extended matrix part, enter a calculation radius (with a propagation model and a resolution
used to compute the extended path loss matrix),
6. Click OK to validate.
You can also define these parameters in the Transmitters table.
5.5.1.2 Setting Calculation Resolutions
In Atoll, it is possible to calculate two path loss matrices per transmitter, a first matrix over a near radius computed with a
high resolution and a propagation model, and a second matrix over a far radius computed with a low resolution and another
propagation model. The resolution of matrices is not a global parameter since it can be managed for each transmitter
depending on its location.
In addition, it is possible to differentiate resolution of path loss matrices from plot resolution. Prediction plot resolution can
be actually defined on a per study basis. Thus, you can calculate several coverage studies with different resolutions with-
out invalidating and recalculating path loss matrices.
To define calculation resolution(s) simultaneously to all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
4. Click on the Propagation tab from the open window,
5. In the main matrix part, enter a calculation resolution (with a propagation model and a calculation radius used
to compute the main path loss matrix),
6. Optionally, in the extended matrix part, enter a calculation resolution (with a propagation model and a resolu-
tion used to compute the extended path loss matrix),
7. Click OK to validate.
Notes
The calculation radius limits the scope of the calculations to the radius that has been defined.
The calculation radius prevents the system from calculating over too long distances (e.g., in an
urban area). In the case of very large environments, the calculation radius allows you to improve
the calculation time. If no main calculation radius has been defined (and no secondary propaga-
tion model), Atoll takes into account automatically the prediction minimum threshold to define
the calculation radius for each transmitter. Nevertheless, this could drive to long calculation times
Since it is a matrix (or 2 in case of extended calculation radius) which is computed for each trans-
mitter, the calculation radius represents the half side length of the potential matrix located around
the considered transmitter.
Atoll computes an extended matrix only if the three parameters, propagation model, calculation
radius and resolution, are specified. Therefore, an extended matrix will not be worked out if its
resolution is null.
Atoll computes at the same time the main and extended matrices of a transmitter with a global
management. Therefore, it will recalculate both matrices even if only one is invalid.
The main calculation radius (and the related propagation model) can be also set at the station
template level.
When modifying a computation zone (e.g., reduction of the area) in which some predictions
studies have already been made, it is strongly recommended to run again predictions in order to
ensure validity of results with current computation zone.
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To define calculation resolution(s) to one transmitter at a time:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
Either:
a. Right-click on the transmitter to which you want to define a specific calculation resolution,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
Or
- Double click on the transmitter to which you want to assign a specific calculation resolution,
3. Click on the Propagation tab from the open window,
4. In the main matrix part, enter a calculation resolution (with a propagation model and a calculation radius used
to compute the main path loss matrix),
5. Optionally, in the extended matrix part, enter a calculation resolution (with a propagation model and a calcu-
lation radius used to compute the extended path loss matrix),
6. Click OK to validate.
You can also define these parameters in the Transmitters table.
In addition to the default propagation model, a default grid resolution can be specified in the property dialogue of the
Predictions folder.
Atoll takes into account the default grid resolution when no value or zero is defined for the main resolution in the transmitter
properties. In this case, the main path loss matrix of the transmitter will be worked out with the default grid resolution.
To define a default calculation resolution:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
4. Click on the Propagation tab from the open window,
5. Enter the default calculation resolution,
6. Use the What's this help to get further description about the fields available in the current dialogue,
7. Click OK to validate.
5.5.1.3 Creating Coverage Calculations
Whatever the project type is, all existing predictions are listed in the Predictions folder (Data tab). When starting a new
project, no prediction is available.
To create any prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on New...,
4. Choose from the list a prediction template in the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the associated prediction window,
6. Set prediction parameters,
7. Click OK to validate your choice.
At this step, no calculation is made. The prediction with the parameters is just ready to be run.
Notes
The calculation radius limits the scope of the calculations to the radius that has been defined.
The calculation radius prevents the system from calculating over too long distances (e.g., in an
urban area). In the case of very large environments, the calculation radius allows you to improve
the calculation time. If no main calculation radius has been defined (and no secondary propaga-
tion model), Atoll takes into account automatically the prediction minimum threshold to define
the calculation radius for each transmitter. Nevertheless, this could drive to long calculation times
Atoll computes an extended matrix only if the three parameters, propagation model, calculation
radius and resolution, are specified. Therefore, an extended matrix will not be worked out if its
resolution is null.
Atoll computes at the same time the main and extended matrices of a transmitter with a global
management. Therefore, it will recalculate both matrices even if only one is invalid.
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5.5.1.4 Creating Coverage Studies per Transmitter Group
In Atoll, it is possible to automatically create prediction studies restricted to a given transmitter or transmitter group.
To create a coverage study by transmitter or by transmitter group:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it
c. Right-click on the transmitter/transmitter subfolder you want to manage,
Or,
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Predictions... option from the context menu,
2. Choose a prediction study in the open window and press OK,
3. Click on the Calculate button to run calculations. The created study is listed in the Predictions folder.
5.5.1.5 Accessing Coverage Prediction Properties
Coverage predictions are manageable identically as point analysis prediction. Firstly, because propagation models may
be specified either in the Predictions folder or in the Transmitters folder, you must be very careful to its priority order. The
main propagation model defined with transmitters is taken first before the one defined with Predictions (See Selecting and
managing propagation models). Then take care about the fact that reception is modelled as if it was made using a specific
receiver and its associated parameters.
Predictions are organised as the other Atoll objects, i.e., in a folder form. The Predictions folder is the parent item for all
the performed coverage predictions. So, it is possible to access the properties either of the Predictions folder or of any
prediction.
To access predictions global properties:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
either
a. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
or
- Double click on the Predictions folder
2. Click either the Predictions, Receiver or the System tab (if available),
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in each dialogue,
4. Set predictions global parameters,
5. Click OK to validate your choice.
Notes
User interface of each prediction study Properties is standardised. For any common study, the
Properties window consists in three tabs:
- The General tab where you may rename the study, define the coverage resolution, add some
comments, define group, sort and filter criteria, on the coverage display only (not on the
results),
- The Condition tab where you can specify the study parameters,
- The Display tab to define coverage display settings.
Like propagation models, any existing coverage study can be duplicated using the Duplicate
command of its related context menu (Right-click). The new prediction study keeps the same
coverage and display settings than the original ones.
Coverage prediction studies can also be cloned, using the Clone command in the context menu.
A clone of any coverage prediction study not only keeps the same coverage and display settings
as the original, but also copies the calculated coverage prediction plot, which can be directly dis-
played on the map.
Notes
The general tab of the prediction dialogue can be also used to restrict the results display identi-
cally,
Coverages per transmitter or group of transmitters work like when filtering transmitters in cov-
erage studies, i.e., the filter is made on display only, and not on computations.
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To access the properties of any single existing prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right-click on the prediction study of which you want to access properties,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the prediction study of which you want to access properties,
3. Click on the available tabs to display the different windows,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in each window,
5. Check or adjust prediction parameters,
6. Click OK to validate your choice.
5.5.1.6 Setting Coverage Resolutions
In the property dialogue of each prediction study (General tab), it is possible to specify the plot resolution. Prediction plots
are generated from multi-resolution path loss matrices. Nevertheless, the plot resolution is independent from matrix reso-
lutions and can be defined on a per study basis.
Therefore, in Atoll, you can:
Change the plot resolution without making multi-resolution path loss matrices invalid. This enables you to save
calculation and recalculation times.
Display prediction plots with a resolution different from path loss matrix resolutions.
5.5.1.7 Organising Result Outputs of a Coverage Study
In Atoll, it is possible to filter the results of a coverage study by excluding some zones involved in the initial result. These
filters only deals with display. Of course, during calculation, Atoll takes into account all the active and filtered transmit-
ters (at the transmitter folder level) to calculate the prediction and displays only coverage related to this transmitter.
Practical example: the network consists in 4 stations (Tx0, Tx1, Tx2 and Tx3).
Coverage by transmitter study: with best server, no margin and filter on Tx0.
Atoll displays the areas where the signal level from Tx0 is higher than the specified threshold and Tx0 is the best server.
Interfered areas study: any calculation option and filter on Tx0.
Tx1, Tx2 and Tx3 are possible interferers; they are taken into account in calculations. The covered areas are the areas
where Tx0 is interfered by one of these items.
To make a filter on any study, open its associated properties, and use the standard filter tools by clicking the
button.
5.5.1.8 Defining the Coverage Conditions
In Atoll, all the common coverage studies use the same dialogue made of 3 tabs (General, Condition, Display). The condi-
tion tab of any coverage study property dialogue allows you to filter the active transmitters (with calculation area) that will
be part of the computation.
So, in this tab, you must specify (using the What's this help to get information about available fields in the condition tab
window):
The study criterion you want Atoll to calculate: you can choose to evaluate the signal level at the receiver (Signal
level), the path loss (Path loss) or the total losses (Total losses), as in point analysis,
Minimum and maximum thresholds: a bin of the map will be covered only if the calculated criterion for each con-
sidered transmitter on the bin is between minimum and maximum thresholds.
Servers you want to study from the evaluation of their service area. You may choose to keep, on each pixel All
the servers, the one with the Highest signal level or the one with the Second highest signal level, as far as they
check the other conditions (e.g., minimum reception threshold)
A margin in case of a best signal study.
Notes
Filters defined in the Transmitters folder and filters inside a polygon have priority over the pre-
diction filters. Transmitters, which do not check these filter criteria, are considered as inactive in
predictions.
In the General tab, Group and Sort features enable you to organise study result in the Explorer.
You can group or sort a study according to any transmitter attribute. These commands are
always available except when selecting display of best signal level, best server path loss, best
server total losses or number of servers.
It is also possible to set the plot resolution in the General tab of any coverage study.
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- In case of all the servers are considered (All), the coverage area of Txi is the zone where:
- In case of best signal level (Best signal level) and a margin, the service area of Txi corresponds to the bins where:
and
where
M is the specified margin (dB).
Best function: considers the highest value.
- In case of second best signal level and a margin, the service area of Txi corresponds to the bins where:
and
where
M is the specified margin (dB).
2nd Best function: considers the second highest value.
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, some specific server conditions related with the potential use of HCS layers are available
for the service area determination.
It is possible to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/unchecking the related box. Indoor losses are defined per
clutter class. Considering a reception pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is added to the total path loss regarding to
the defined value (in dB).
The last parameters to define in the Condition tab, whatever the project type is, are:
If you want to take into account shadowing and in this case the study cell edge coverage probability. Entering 60%
as cell edge coverage probability means that the measured criterion exceeds the predicted one, 60% of the time.
The selection of an item defining power in transmitters (TRX types in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, carrier in UMTS
or cdmaOne/CDMA2000).
5.5.1.9 Managing Prediction Display
Like for the other Atoll objects classified under folders, prediction results can be either displayed (by checking the box
just left to each prediction) or not (by unchecking the box just left to each prediction) on the map. You may even display
all the calculated predictions by checking the box just left to the Predictions folder (See Managing object visibility). Cover-
ages are organised as layers. The layer order can be modified in order to make some of them displayed on the top.
Notes
If the margin equals 0 dB (best signal level and no margin), Atoll will consider bins where the
signal level received from Txi is the highest one.
If the margin is set to 2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
either the highest one or 2dB lower than the highest one.
If the margin is set to -2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
2dB higher than the signal levels from transmitters, which are 2nd best servers.
Notes
If the margin equals 0 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is the
second highest one.
If the margin is set to 2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
either the second highest one or 2dB lower than the second highest one.
If the margin is set to -2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
2dB higher than the signal levels from transmitters, which are 3rd best servers.
Note: This tab deals with the determination of covering transmitter only. The way they cover the
bin is managed in the Display tab.
( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum

<
Losses Total L P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
ic
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) ( ) M ic P Best ic P
Txj
rec
i j
Txi
rec


( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
ic
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) ( ) M ic P Best ic P
Txj
rec
i j
nd Txi
rec


2
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Concerning the coverage itself, Atoll uses the generic display dialogue in order to make easy and complete its manage-
ment. So, when creating a prediction study, once the filter on the transmitters to take into account in computations and
coverage (and interference) condition are set (condition tab), the display tab allows you to colour the defined zones
depending on selected attributes (using the What's this help to get information about available fields in the display tab
window). Attributes can be chosen in order to realize either common studies (coverage by transmitter, by signal level, over-
lapping zones), or specific studies (e.g., interference studies in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, handover status, pilot pollu-
tion, etc., in UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects), or studies depending on any other attribute (attributes of sites,
antennas, transmitters and cells in UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects).
These attributes can be, for example:
Signal level (in dBm, dBV, dBV/m): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates signal
level received from the transmitter. A bin of a coverage area is coloured if signal level exceeds (=) entered min-
imum thresholds (bin colour depends on signal level). Coverage consists in several independent layers for which
you may manage visibility in the workspace. There are as many layers as transmitter coverage areas. Each layer
shows the different signal levels available in the transmitter coverage area.
Best signal level (in dBm, dBV, dBV/m): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates
signal levels received from transmitters, which coverage areas overlap the studied one, and chooses the highest
value. A bin of a coverage area is coloured if the signal level exceeds (=) entered thresholds (the bin colour
depends on the signal level). Coverage consists in several independent layers for which you may manage visibility
in the workspace. There are as many layers as defined thresholds. Each layer corresponds to an area where the
signal level from the best server exceeds a defined minimum threshold.
Path loss (dB): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates path loss from the transmitter. A
bin of a coverage area is coloured if path loss exceeds (=) entered minimum thresholds (bin colour depends on
path loss). Coverage consists in several independent layers for which you may manage visibility in the workspace.
There are as many layers as coverage areas. Each layer shows the different path loss levels in the transmitter
coverage area.
Total losses (dB): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates total losses from the trans-
mitter. A bin of a coverage area is coloured if total losses exceed (=) entered minimum thresholds (bin colour
depends on total losses). Coverage consists in several independent layers for which you may manage visibility in
the workspace. There are as many layers as coverage areas. Each layer shows the different total losses levels in
the coverage area.
Best server path loss (dB): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates signal levels
received from transmitters, which coverage areas overlap the studied one, determines the best transmitter and
evaluates path loss from the best transmitter. A bin of a coverage area is coloured if the path loss exceeds (=)
entered thresholds (bin colour depends on path loss). Coverage consists in several independent layers for which
you may manage visibility in the workspace. There are as many layers as defined thresholds. Each layer corre-
sponds to an area where the path loss from the best server exceeds a defined minimum threshold.
Best server total losses (dB): On each bin of each transmitter coverage area, Atoll calculates signal levels
received from transmitters, which coverage areas overlap the studied one, determines the best transmitter and
evaluates total losses from the best transmitter. A bin of a coverage area is coloured if the total losses exceed (=)
entered thresholds (bin colour depends on total losses). Coverage consists in several independent layers for
which you may manage visibility in the workspace. There are as many layers as defined thresholds. Each layer
corresponds to an area where the total losses from the best server exceed a defined minimum threshold.
Number of servers: Atoll evaluates how many coverage areas cover a bin in order to determine the number of
servers. The bin colour depends on the number of servers. Coverage consists in several independent layers for
which you may manage visibility in the workspace. There are as many layers as defined thresholds. Each layer
corresponds to an area where the number of servers exceeds (=) a defined minimum threshold.
Cell edge coverage probability (%): On each bin of each transmitter service area, the coverage corresponds to
the pixels where the signal level from this transmitter fulfils signal conditions (defined in Conditions tab) with dif-
ferent cell edge coverage probabilities. In the explorer, there is one coverage area per transmitter.
Best cell edge coverage probability (%): On each bin of each transmitter service area, the coverage corre-
sponds to the pixels where the best signal level received fulfils signal conditions (defined in Conditions tab). In the
explorer, there is one coverage area per cell edge coverage probability.
Caution: In case of a signal level, path loss or total losses display, the lowest defined threshold must
be equal to the minimum threshold entered in the Condition tab.
Notes
Atoll provides default calculation and display parameters when creating common prediction
studies (coverage by signal level, coverage by transmitter and overlapping), but it is possible to
cover by signal level even if choosing a coverage by transmitter study.
The definition of a study (coverage condition and display parameters) can be chosen for a study
template.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
In UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects, transmitter coverage areas may be displayed
according to any cell attribute. If you study a given carrier, Atoll only displays the coverage areas
of transmitters using the selected carrier. If the study is based on all the carriers, all the trans-
mitter coverage areas will be displayed. For each transmitter, Atoll concatenates the value of
each carrier for the selected attribute and proposes a colour for each string of values.
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5.5.1.10 Running Coverage Calculations
In Atoll, coverage studies can be firstly created and tuned, and then calculated. So, it is possible to prepare a complete
set of coverage studies, and let them work all together only when necessary.
To run calculations on created predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Calculations will be made only on unlocked predictions ( ),
Either,
- From the menu toolbar, click either the Calculate button
1
or the Force calculation button
2
,
Or,
a. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Choose either the Calculate or Force calculation command from the open scrolling menu,
3. The event viewer opens showing the calculations progress in the Tasks tab (you may stop calculations even by
clicking the Stop button or pressing the Esc key),
4. When finished, results are then displayed on the current map (if the visibility flag is checked).
5.5.1.11 Locking Coverage Studies
Atoll allows you to lock some coverage predictions (and to freeze their result display) whereas you desire to commit calcu-
lations on other studies. So, this feature enables the user to easily compare prediction results made with different param-
eters individually. This can be made either globally or for each single prediction.
To lock/unlock any single prediction study:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the prediction study you want to lock/unlock the calculations,
4. Select/Unselect the Study Locked option from the open scrolling menu,
To lock/unlock all the existing prediction studies:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select either the Lock studies or Unlock studies from the open scrolling menu.
Locked predictions are displayed with the icon, whereas unlocked predictions are given by the icon.
1. In this case, locked path loss result matrices (in the Result storage window from the Predictions context menu) are not
calculated again. Only invalid path loss matrices (compared to the current radio parameters) will be computed again.
If locked, even invalid matrices are not recalculated
2. In this case, even locked matrices are all deleted and recalculated. If there are some valid matrices, Atoll warns you
about the potential destruction of existing data
Notes
The calculate and Force calculation features can be also accessed either:
- by using respectively the F7 and Ctrl+F7 keys,
- from the Tools menu in the menu toolbar,
- from the Predictions folder context menu.
It also possible to run a single unlocked study by selecting the Calculate command from its con-
text menu. Even if the other studies are unlocked, only this prediction will be computed.
After having been calculated, coverage predictions are automatically locked.
Notes
After having been calculated, coverage predictions are automatically locked.
Be careful not to mix up locking predictions with locking path loss results from the Result storage.
Even if some predictions are locked and other unlocked, path loss matrices may stay unchanged
if either they are locked in the Result storage window or if the user does not use the Force cal-
culation button ( ).
Caution: When calculations have to be completed, be sure to have already defined the coordinate
system used in the current project.
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5.5.2 Prediction Study Templates
5.5.2.1 Calculating a Coverage by Transmitter
In Atoll, all studies are classified in a study types box, referencing standard and customized studies. Standard studies are
divided into two parts, common studies and studies which are specific to the current project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS,
cdmaOne/CDMA2000). Common studies for any projects are: coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level and over-
lapping zones.
The coverage by transmitter study enables the user to predict coverage zones by transmitter depending either on their
signal level, their path loss or total losses defined within a user-defined range.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the coverage by transmitter option from the study
types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows (See also Defining the coverage condition and
Manage prediction display).
The coverage by transmitter study is a template for which the field 'Transmitter' is selected by default in the display tab. In
that case, coverage zones will be displayed with the same colours than the ones defined for each transmitter.
5.5.2.2 Calculating a Coverage by Signal Level
In Atoll, all studies are classified in a study types box, referencing standard and customized studies. Standard studies are
divided into two parts, common studies and studies which are specific to the current project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS,
cdmaOne/CDMA2000). Common studies for any projects are: coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level and over-
lapping zones.
The coverage by signal level study enables the user to predict coverage zones by field strength from transmitter depending
either on their signal level, their path loss or total losses defined within a user-defined range.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the coverage by signal level option from the study
types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows (See also Defining the coverage condition and
Manage prediction display).
The coverage by signal level study is a template for which the field 'Best signal level' is selected by default in the display
tab. In that case, each layer corresponds to an area where the signal level from the best server exceeds a defined minimum
threshold. Numerous option related to signal level coverage are available in the Display tab.
5.5.2.3 Calculating Overlapping Areas
In Atoll, all studies are classified in a study types box, referencing standard and customized studies. Standard studies are
divided into two parts, common studies and studies which are specific to the current project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS,
cdmaOne/CDMA2000). Common studies for any projects are: coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level and over-
lapping zones.
Overlapping is a coverage whose points correspond, for a defined condition, to the common points of areas covered by
the signal of, at least, two transmitters. Therefore, Atoll displays the areas where the signal level from at least two trans-
mitters (signal level option), the path loss of the signal received from at least two transmitters (path loss option), or total
losses along two paths between the considered point and transmitters (total losses option), is between minimum and maxi-
mum user-defined thresholds.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Overlapping option from the study types
window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's this
help to get description about the fields available in the windows (See also Defining the coverage condition and Manage
prediction display).
Notes
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating common prediction studies
but it is possible to cover by signal level even if choosing a coverage by transmitter study just by
setting this in the display tab.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
Notes
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating common prediction studies
but it is possible to cover by transmitter even if choosing a coverage by signal level study just by
setting this in the display tab.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
Choosing a display per best signal level creates a study item made of threshold items whereas
choosing a display per signal level let the folder be made of transmitter items. On each of these
items, it is possible to check/uncheck the visibility flag.
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The coverage by overlapping area study is a template for which the field 'Number of servers' is selected by default in the
display tab. In that case, each layer corresponds to an area where the number of servers exceeds a defined minimum
threshold.
5.5.2.4 Creating a Coverage Study Template
Atoll provides a feature allowing you to save the definition of a coverage study (General, condition and display tab prop-
erties) in a study template.
To save the settings of any study in a template:
1. Right-click the coverage study you want to save as a template,
2. Choose the "Save as a template" command from the open context menu,
3. Atoll saves the study parameters in a "Studies.xml" file stored in the Atoll installation directory.
All the study templates saved in this file are available when creating new prediction studies. In the Study types window,
Atoll lists all the classical studies available for a type of project in the standard studies part and the study templates you
have created in the customised studies part.
It is possible to remove a study template from the file. In the Study types window, select a customised study and click on
the Delete button.
5.5.2.5 Deleting a Coverage Study Template
In Atoll, coverage study templates are saved in a "Studies.xml" file stored in the Atoll installation directory. These
templates contain settings of reference studies set in their General, condition and display tab properties.
To delete an existing study template proceed as follows:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on New.
4. Select from the list the study template (customized studies) you want to delete,
5. Click the button,
6. Click OK to close the dialogue.
5.5.3 Path Loss Management
5.5.3.1 Storage of Path Loss Matrices
The first step of coverage predictions consist in the determination of the path loss matrices associated with each active
and filtered transmitter in the network. This is automatically made for the first coverage prediction. Results (path loss matri-
ces) may be stored either directly in the current atl project or can be externalised either in the same directory than the ATL
project or in any directory you can specify.
To set the location of the path loss matrices of an ATL Atoll project:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Choose the Properties option from the scrolling menu,
4. In the Predictions tab, click the button and choose a location to store multi-resolution path loss matrices:
- Embedded: matrices are included in the ATL document.
- \<ATL_name>.losses: Multi-resolution matrices are stored in an external folder located in the same directory
as the ATL document. Atoll memorises a relative path to access path loss matrices. By default, this folder is
called <ATL_name>.losses (<ATL_name>is the name of the ATL document). Nevertheless, it is possible to
Notes
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating common prediction studies
but it is possible to cover by transmitter even if choosing an overlapping study just by adjusting
display.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
Note: The name given to the reference study is kept as template name.
Note: You can also delete all the customized studies by deleting the Studies.xml file in the Atoll
directory.
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change the folder name afterwards; all the names are supported. When using the Save as command, Atoll
creates a new folder associated to the new ATL document in the same directory; this folder contains path loss
matrices and has the same name as the ATL document. No recalculation occurs if you move the ATL docu-
ment and its related path loss matrix folder in another directory.
- Browse: In this case, specify the directory where you want to save path loss matrices and click on OK. Atoll
memorises the whole path to access path loss matrices. The path can be manually typed or modified. In that
case, Atoll works differently than in the previous option when using the Save as command. It only creates the
new ATL document.
5. Use the What's this help to get description about other fields available in the current window,
6. Click OK to validate.
When externalising path loss results, Atoll creates an external folder containing:
One LOS file per transmitter; it corresponds to its main path loss matrix.
A DBF file giving validity information for all the main matrices.
A folder called LowRes dedicated to extended path loss matrices.
This folder contains one LOS file per transmitter, which has an extended path loss matrix, and a DBF file giving validity
information for all the extended matrices.
Using this option, calculations are no longer stored in the ATL file. This feature enables the user to store bigger calculations
in external files without storage size limitation (2 Gbytes for a file).
5.5.3.2 Locking Path Loss Results
This feature enables you to let freeze any path loss matrix, even if invalid when using the Calculate button ( ). Never-
theless, all existing (even locked) matrices are recalculated if you use the Force calculation button ( ) during calcula-
tions.
There are two ways to lock path loss matrices, either from the Predictions global properties in a table form, or from any
transmitter properties.
To lock/unlock propagation results (one transmitter at a time):
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right-click on the transmitter you want to lock the associated path loss matrix,
b. Choose the Properties option from the open scrolling menu,
Or
- Double click on the transmitter you want to lock the associated path loss matrix
3. Click on the Propagation tab,
4. Check/Uncheck the Locked box,
5. Use the What's this get description about other fields available in the current window,
6. Click OK to validate.
To lock/unlock propagation results (possibly on several transmitters):
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Choose the Result storage... option from the open scrolling menu,
Either
- Check/Uncheck the Locked box associated with the transmitters you want to lock/unlock the associated
path loss matrix,
Or
a. Select the transmitters you want to lock path loss matrix,
b. Choose the Lock/Unlock option from the Action button,
Caution: The external files are updated without saving the Atoll environment as soon as calculations
are performed. To keep consistency with the stored calculations, the corresponding Atoll
environment must be saved before closing.
Notes
Since the dbf file has a standard format, its contents can be checked by opening it in Access.
This feature allows you to create matrices that can be shared amongst several users.
In the case of a project in which some matrices were initially embedded, Atoll provides a feature
that compresses ATL files when getting out
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4. Use the What's this get description about other fields available in the current window,
5. Click OK to validate.
5.5.3.3 Checking the Validity of Path Loss Results
This feature enables you to check if current path loss results are consistent with the current radio parameters. There are
two ways to check path loss matrices validity, either from the Predictions global properties in a table form, or from any
transmitter properties. If validity is not ok, you may calculate path loss matrices again in order to keep consistency.
Reasons of invalidity are displayed for each transmitter.
To check propagation results validity (one transmitter at a time):
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right-click on the transmitter you want to check the associated path loss matrix validity,
b. Choose the Properties option from the open scrolling menu,
Or
- Double click on the transmitter you want to check the associated path loss matrices validity,
3. Click on the Propagation tab,
4. Check the label displayed in the Validity line. If the label is "No", the invalidity reason is given just below,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about other fields available in the current window,
6. Click OK to validate.
To check propagation results validity (possibly on several transmitters):
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Choose the Properties option from the open scrolling menu,
4. Click on the Propagation tab,
5. Check the label displayed in the Validity column. If the label is "No", the invalidity reason is given on the same
row,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about other fields available in the current window,
7. Click OK to validate.
From this dialogue, it is possible to know how many transmitter path loss data must be recalculated in order to be
consistent with the current radio configuration before starting calculations. Only matrices dealing with active transmit-
ters are taken into account in that case. To do so, click on the button. The number is automatically given in
the dialogue. The number of transmitters available in the current network is also indicated.
Notes
Be careful not to mix up locking matrices with locking calculations.
It is possible to lock/unlock matrices from the context menu of the Propagation tab of the Trans-
mitter global properties.
Notes
It is possible to check the validity of existing path loss matrices from either the [Predictions:
Result storage...] command or the Propagation tab of the Transmitters folder.
Repeaters are also listed along with their donor transmitters in the path loss validity dialogue.
Atoll manages path loss matrix validity, transmitter by transmitter, even in case transmitters
have main and extended path loss matrices. Therefore, even if only one path loss matrix of the
transmitter is invalid, Atoll will recalculate both of them.
In the Results storage dialogue and in the Propagation tab of the Transmitters property dialogue,
Atoll lists calculated transmitters (transmitters with main and extended matrices) without distin-
guishing main path loss matrices from extended ones.
Important: Whatever the propagation model is, during the path loss computation, the resulted is lim-
ited by the value given by the free space loss formula. This means than if a propagation
model gives, on a pixel, a path loss value lower than the one given by the free space loss
formula, this is this last value which is kept.
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5.5.3.4 Exporting Main Path Loss Matrices
Existing main path loss matrices may be exported in external files in order to be used in external applications. For the
export, the user must select the type of value to export (Path loss or Signal levels). If "Signal level" is selected, units have
to be chosen.
Furthermore, Atoll enables the user to select the storage file format (binary, text or table).
To export one or several path loss matrices:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Choose the Result storage... option from the open scrolling menu,
4. Select the transmitter(s) from which you want to export the existing main matrix,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about other fields available in the current window,
6. Choose the Export... option from the Action button,
7. Choose the directory, the format, and the field to export,
8. Click OK to validate.
Two files are created by exported matrix. One is the exported field, the other, the geo-reference file related to the involved
transmitter and its related calculation area.
Possible exports are:
Attenuations in dB;
Signal levels in dBm, dBV or dBV/m.
Possible file formats to export values are:
Binary format: BIL;
Text: TXT with tab as separating character;
Table: CSV with semicolon as separating character.
5.5.4 Prediction Coverage Outputs
Atoll contains several features in order to manage prediction results. Prediction results concern both coverages or
matrices.
From available results, it is possible to display associated statistical reports on the coverage zones associated with each
prediction study, and to easily export or print them.
When a coverage display is satisfactory, it is possible to lock it in order to create further comparative coverage with
different parameters. A comparison tool between two different predictions is even available
Depending on their type, coverage results may be exported in vector or raster formats. Exported data are covered areas
and related threshold definition.
Another Atoll feature allows you a complete management of path loss matrices related to transmitters. Firstly, it is possible
to lock only some path loss matrices (even if invalid), while calculating path loss matrices from other transmitters of
the network. Then, it is possible to check the validity of current matrices regarding the current radio parameters. Then,
these path loss matrices my also be exported in order to be used in external applications.
Results (path loss matrix for each transmitter) may be either directly embedded in any current project, or saved in an
external folder, in order to make them available for other users. Indeed, Atoll permits to share propagation results stored
in an external folder between several users. Therefore, this special results storage permits to use in the same project,
both external results for some transmitters and private results for others. This part is treated in the specific multi-users
chapter.
Note: even if several cells can be defined per transmitter in UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000, only one path loss matrix is
computed per transmitter, powers not being parameters of interest for matrix computation.
5.5.4.1 Displaying Prediction Reports
Atoll provides a report editing feature on all available prediction for any project type. These can be done either for each
single prediction or for all displayed prediction ( box checked for predictions in the Predictions folder from which you
want a report). Reports are displayed in a table form and their content
1
can be managed like in any other table.
When a report table is active, columns can be managed by using the columns to display option from the Format menu. On
first opening, the report will only display the name and coverage areas columns.
Caution: Take care not to mix-up with externalising path loss matrices (where each matrix is "made"
of a PAR and LOS file).
Note: Secondary matrices, linked with extended calculation radius, cannot be exported.
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To edit a report about any displayed coverage:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Prediction from which you want a report to open the associated context menu,
4. Choose the Generate Report option from the scrolling menu,
5. The associated report is then displayed as a new window,
6. Choose the Display columns... option from the Format menu,
7. Check the boxes associated with the related information to display as columns is the current report.
5.5.4.2 Exporting Prediction Reports
The report on any coverage prediction can be exported to any other Office-like application. To do so, like for any
other table in Atoll, perform a copy and paste action for the entire report, then reformat the text if required (change into
a table, modify, etc.).
You may also export the displayed map (including currently displayed results) and the results from the point analysis
window to any other application program supporting image data format.
5.5.4.3 Printing Prediction Reports
You can use Atoll to print both characteristics tables and reports as well as maps with their coverage.
1. Depending on the coverage study type, Atoll may provide, by checking the appropriate boxes, in the reports the
following information:
The absolute covered surface (in km),
The proportion of covered focus zone (if existing),
The proportion of covered computation zone (if existing),
The percentage of coverage of each clutter class according to the defined clutter class map (with respect to the
layer order),
The percentage of coverage of each population class. Population classes are defined according to the way pop-
ulation is displayed (in term of thresholds of densities or values),
The covered population (number of inhabitants) by the prediction according to the defined population map (with
respect to the layer order) [Population (Population)],
The proportion of covered population (percentage of covered inhabitants) by the prediction according to the
defined population map (with respect to the layer order) [Population (%Population)],
The total population within the studied zone (see below) [Population (Population [total])],
The percentage of coverage of each generic data class. Generic data class are defined according to the way
generic data is displayed (in term of thresholds of densities or values),
The total amount of covered generic data (e.g., revenue ->total amount of covered revenue) by the prediction
according to the related defined generic data map (with respect to the layer order) [e.g., Revenue (Revenue)]
(available only if this data has been chosen 'Integrable')
The relative amount of covered generic data (e.g., revenue ->percentage of the covered revenue) by the predic-
tion according to the related defined generic data map (with respect to the layer order) [Revenue (%Revenue)]
(available only if this data has been chosen 'Integrable')
The value of any field related to each layer, e.g., in case of a coverage by transmitter, it is possible to indicate any
transmitter attribute in the report (antenna type, mechanical downtilt, max number of neighbours, etc.).
In case of GSM/GPRS/EGPRS projects, 5 additional outputs are available:
Circuit traffic (Erlangs): summed compatible circuit traffic over the zone defined by the coverage with respect to
the selected traffic map(s) in the default traffic capture
% total circuit traffic: relative proportion of covered compatible circuit traffic within the studied area by the coverage
with respect to the selected traffic map(s) in the default traffic capture
Packet traffic (kbps): summed packet compatible traffic over the zone defined by the coverage with respect to the
selected traffic map(s) in the default traffic capture
% total packet traffic: relative proportion of covered packet compatible traffic within the studied area by the cov-
erage with respect to the selected traffic map(s) in the default traffic capture
Notes
Outputs are given within the focus zone, if existing. If not, the computation zone is used.
Most results are given both for the overall coverage and for each single layer (transmitters, thresholds, attributes, etc.).
In case of overlapping, the overall coverage does not correspond to the addition of each single layer.
Notes
You may display simultaneously report on all displayed coverages by using the Generate Report
option from the Predictions folder context menu. The obtained report concerns all displayed pre-
dictions, and is organised in the same order than the one defined in the Explorer window Data
tab.
Columns to display are either related to the global coverage or to each transmitter taking part
into the coverage.
In GSM/GPRS projects, reports dealing with traffic data are base on the default traffic analysis
If a GSM, UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment map exists in the project, it is possible to
display the report according to the ratio of covered environment classes.
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To print a prediction report:
1. Make active a report window,
2. Choose the Print... option from the File menu in the menu toolbar,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Adjust the printing parameters (We assume that your printer is correctly configured for your Windows applica-
tions. If this is not the case, first use the Print configuration... option),
5. Click OK to validate and activate the printing.
Print reports can be centred on the sheet and possibly spread over a number of sheets for large-scale tables. Cell sizes
are then displayed on the screen.
5.5.4.4 Viewing Prediction Study Statistics
Atoll provides a feature for displaying detailed statistics for coverage prediction studies displayed by value intervals (see
V.5.2.i). It includes graphically represented statistical charts based on the already calculated the covered area of any
coverage prediction and the mean and standard deviation values computed during the coverage study computation.
To display the statistics of any prediction coverage study:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Prediction whose statistics want to be displayed to open the associated context menu,
4. Choose the Histogram option from the scrolling menu,
5. The associated statistics are displayed in a new window,
By default, the window displays a histogram based on the area covered in the prediction study. The histogram is
displayed using the coverage study colours, interval steps and shading. You can also choose to display a cumulative
distribution function (CDF) or an inverse CDF (1 CDF). In these cases the resulting values are integrated and shown
along a continuous curve. It is also possible to display the histogram or the CDFs in percentages of the covered area.
The Detailed Results section gives the covered area values, or the percentage of the covered area, along the y-axis
against the coverage criterion along the x-axis.
The Copy button enables you to copy the graph to the clipboard in order to import it later to any other application. It is also
possible to print the graph by simply clicking the Print button.
The Statistics based on Study Conditions section provides the mean and standard deviation of the coverage criterion
calculated during the coverage calculations.
5.5.4.5 Exporting Prediction Coverages
With Atoll, you can export the coverage areas resulting from any coverage prediction in Bmp, Tiff, or ArcViewgrid or
Vertical Mapper (GRD and GRC) raster formats or in ArcView, MapInfoor Agd vector formats. Exporting coverage
predictions allows the user to generate a data file that can be imported as a vector or raster object in Atoll or in another
application. For each exported prediction (total or for a transmitter), the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encom-
passing the coverage. All coverage types can be exported.
To export a prediction coverage:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the button to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the Prediction of which you want to export the coverage zones.
4. Select Export the Coverage from the context menu.
5. Enter the file name and select the type and the path of the file to be exported.
6. Click Save to export the prediction coverage.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in raster format, a dialogue appears where you can select
The Coverage Area of the Prediction Study to export a rectangle containing only the area covered by the
study, or The Computation Zone to export a rectangle containing the entire computation zone.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in a vector format other than in Agd format:
i. If necessary, change the export resolution. The default resolution is the resolution of the prediction plot
(as set in the prediction study property dialogue).
Comment: When printing a report, a footnote is created automatically in order to indicate the date (in
month/day/year format) and the time of printing as well as the page numbering.
Note: It is normal to observe differences between the mean and standard deviation values dis-
played by Atoll and perceived by the user from the histogram/CDF. This is because the his-
togram and CDFs are computed based on the surface area covered by the coverage study
while the mean and standard deviation values are computed according to the coverage
study conditions during its calculations.
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ii. If necessary change the reference coordinate system for the file being exported.
iii. Click Export to finish exporting the prediction coverage zone.
See "The Types of Coverage Prediction Export Available" on page 171.
5.5.4.6 The Types of Coverage Prediction Export Available
Depending on the type of prediction, the following types of export are possible:
For each exported prediction (global or for a single transmitter), the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encom-
passing the coverage.
5.5.5 Prediction Studies Comparisons
Atoll is capable of comparing the coverage plots resulting from two different prediction studies and generating a compar-
ative plot from the two. This type of comparative coverage plot is called a Delta plot in Atoll. This can be made either within
a unique project or between two different projects.
As there are two types of coverage prediction studies in Atoll:
Coverage prediction studies displayed by transmitter, and
Global coverage prediction studies (e.g., coverage by signal level, i.e., by thresholds),
it is possible to compare two global coverage studies, two coverage studies by transmitter, and a global coverage study
with a coverage study by transmitter. The resulting delta plot can be of two types depending on the types of coverage stud-
ies being compared.
Delta plots are always locked studies and cannot be unlocked. Comparative studies have the following properties:
Naming conventions have been adopted for delta plots. Depending upon the types of prediction studies being
compared, delta plots are named either:
Comparison (Prediction Study 1 Prediction Study 2), or
Splitting in Cells (Prediction Study 1 Prediction Study 2).
The comments field contains the comments from the two prediction studies compared.
The names and bin resolutions for the two studies compared are also stored.
The bin resolution used for the delta plot calculation is the finer one of the two.
Like all other prediction studies, it is also possible to export delta plots in agd, mif, tif, shp and bmp formats.
It is also possible to configure delta plots by the grouping, sorting and filtering features available in the General tab of their
properties dialogue. Delta plots are automatically calculated and are locked. If you modify the display properties, the delta
plot will be automatically recalculated when the properties window is closed by clicking OK.
Notes
Be very careful about the accuracy of the coordinate system format to export. When selecting a
different coordinate system than the one initially defined within Atoll, the file is converted using
this other coordinate system.
Raster format export is not possible when the coverage is made per transmitter (coverage
studies with display type per transmitter, per any transmitter attribute, per signal level, per path
loss, per total losses). In this case, only coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in
raster format.
Prediction Possible Export
Overlapping
Coverage by signal level
Coverage by C/I level
Pilot pollution
Downlink total noise The total coverage
handover status
GPRS/EDGE max throughput per timeslot
GPRS/EDGE coding scheme
Coverage by transmitter
Interfered zones
Service area (Eb/Nt) uplink The total coverage
Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink Coverage of each transmitter
Effective service area
Pilot reception analysis Ec/Io
Note: Exporting coverage zones by transmitter is possible only when the coverage study item is
made of transmitter sub-items.
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5.5.5.1 Comparing Two Similar Prediction Studies
Atoll enables the user to generate delta plots for two similar coverage prediction studies, i.e., two global coverage predic-
tion studies or two coverage prediction studies by transmitter. Delta plots resulting from comparing two global prediction
studies are global comparison studies, while those resulting from comparing two coverage prediction studies by transmitter
are comparison studies by transmitter.
The coverage prediction studies must be locked in order to be compared.
To compare two similar coverage prediction studies:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking the button in front of it,
3. Right-click on the coverage prediction study you want to compare to open its context menu,
4. Choose the coverage prediction study with which you want to compare this study from the Compare with menu,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
6. Set the configuration and display parameters,
7. Click OK or Apply to validate.
A new delta plot (comparison coverage study) is created in the Predictions folder following the naming conventions for
comparison coverage studies.
Three display formats are possible for delta plots:
Intersection: Shows the area where both prediction study plots overlap (i.e., pixels covered by both studies with
red colour).
Union: Shows all the pixels covered by both or by only one of the prediction studies with different colours (i.e.,
pixels covered by both studies with red colour and pixels covered by one study only with blue colour).
Difference: Shows all the pixels covered by both or by only one of the prediction studies with different colours (i.e.,
pixels covered by both studies with red colour, pixels covered by study 1 only with green colour, and pixels covered
by study 2 only with blue colour).
Cell contours are drawn in black colour in case of a comparison study by transmitter.
Delta plots are locked and it is not possible to unlock them. However, it is possible to rename, delete, generate reports on
and access the properties of these delta plots.
5.5.5.2 Comparing a Global Study with a Study by Transmitter
Two different types of coverage prediction studies, i.e., a global coverage study and a coverage study by transmitter, can
be compared and a delta plot generated. A simple comparison of the two coverage prediction studies is not possible since
this is not a symmetrical operation. In order to compare a global coverage study with a coverage study by transmitter, the
global coverage study must be split into cells according to the coverage study by transmitter. This results into a coverage
study by transmitter called a "split into cells study".
A "split into cells" coverage study is computed by filtering (masking) the global coverage study by applying the cell contours
of the coverage study by transmitter being compared to this global coverage study. Three categories of coverage pixels
are treated:
Pixels covered by both studies displayed with global study colours
Pixels covered by the study by transmitter only in transparent
Pixels covered by the global study only in transparent
Cell contours are drawn in black colour.
The coverage prediction studies must be locked in order to be compared.
To compare a global coverage prediction study with a coverage prediction study by transmitter:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Predictions folder by clicking the button in front of it,
3. Right-click on the global coverage prediction study you want to compare to open its context menu,
4. Choose the coverage prediction study by transmitter with which you want to compare this study from the Split
in Cells menu,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
6. Set the configuration and display parameters,
7. Click OK or Apply to validate.
A new delta plot (comparison coverage study) is created in the Predictions folder following the naming conventions for
comparison coverage studies.
Note: It is also possible to compare studies from two different projects in co-planning. Coverage
prediction studies must be available (using the 'Make accessible in' command) in the com-
plementary project for them to be accessible for comparisons.
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Delta plots are locked and it is not possible to unlock them. However, it is possible to rename, delete, generate reports on
and access the properties of these delta plots.
5.6 Point Analysis Predictions
Atoll contains several propagation models for specific needs. Once the choice has been made, the associated parameters
have been set and the receiver has been tuned, you are able to make radio wave propagation predictions. Moreover, Atoll
provides a point analysis tool allowing you, in the standard case (for all types of projects),
to study reception along a profile between a reference transmitter and a UMTS user in real time (no matrix
needed),
to evaluate the signal levels coming from the surrounding transmitters at a given point (using existing path loss
matrices).
Furthermore, this tool is very helpful in the analysis of cases related to specific technologies. With this, you can:
evaluate interferences on a selected transmitter at a given point, and determine the interferers and associated
noise levels in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects,
make a complete active set analysis at a given point for a probe UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user moving in
the network with a particular behaviour. This tool will help you to study also, at a point, the pilot reception and the
connection status.
These specific studies are available in their specific parts.
Of course due to the fact that several powers can be defined on an identical transmitter (at the subcell level in GSM/GPRS/
EDGE or at the cell level in UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000), point analysis window provides the possibility to select either
the TRX type or the carrier of the study.
Using the Standard Propagation Model, it is possible to obtain further data along a terrain profile with the point analysis.
Other tools like export ease, link budget, the possibility to adjust in real time cell edge coverage probability, etc., are also
available.
5.6.1 Displaying Point Analysis Results
5.6.1.1 Using the Receiver
To make the point analysis active, click on the icon (or check the Point analysis in the View menu). When this is
made, you can move on the active map, and have displayed in Point analysis window the profile analysis between a
given transmitter and the current location, the predictions from all the surrounding transmitters, and specific GSM/GPRS/
EDGE or CDMA/UMTS studies.
If you click on the map, the receiver is fixed on a particular point. To move it again, just click the icon, and drag it
over the map.
5.6.1.2 Studying the Profile froma Transmitter
With the point analysis tool, Atoll is able to display a view of the terrain profile between a given station and the point defined
by the receiver on the map using the propagation model as defined before (with priority order respect). Results are given
in real time (no need for path loss matrices).
To make active the reception profile window:
1. From the menu toolbar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Click on the Profile tab,
4. Select the transmitter on which you want to base the prediction from the associated scrolling list,
Either
- Click the button in the Point analysis window,
Or
- Click the button from the toolbar,
5. The data appearing on the profiles (ellipses, clutter, etc.) will be function of the considered model (See below).
Note: As with coverage predictions, and because propagation models may be defined either in
the Predictions folder or in the Transmitters folder, you must be very careful to its priority
order. The propagation model defined with transmitters is taken first compared to the
one defined with Predictions (See "Selecting Propagation Models" on page 133).
Note: Receiver options are reachable from its context menu (right-click on the receiver).
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In this profile tab window, Atoll indicates the propagation model associated with the selected transmitter; this model is
used for analysis. You may choose to display either the signal or several losses at any point. You can also choose the item
level at which the power(s) of each transmitter are defined (TRX type or carrier).
The altitude (expressed in metres) is reported on the vertical scale. A green line shows the line of sight (LOS) from the
studied transmitter and Atoll displays the angle of the LOS read in the antenna vertical pattern. Along the profile, if the
signal meets an obstacle, this causes an attenuation with diffraction symbolized by a red vertical line (if the model used
takes into account diffraction mechanisms). The main peak taken into account is the one that intersects the most the Fres-
nel ellipsoid. Any attenuation that occurs is then calculated in one hand, between the station and the main peak, in the
other hand, between the main peak and the receiver. With some propagation models using a 3 knife-edge Deygout diffrac-
tion method, the result may then show up two new attenuations peaks in addition to the main peak. The various peaks are
identified by red lines. The attenuation generated by all the peaks is displayed above the main peak.
Profile with ITU 526-5, Okumura-Hata or Cost-Hata Model
When you use the ITU 526-5, Okumura-Hata or Cost-Hata models, Fresnel ellipsoids (blue) will appear on the profile and
possible diffraction peaks will be represented by a red line. The attenuation generated by these peaks will be displayed
above the main peak.
Profile with WLL Model
When you use the WLL model, clutters will also appear on the profile in addition to DTM.
As for the previous models, the Fresnel ellipsoids (in blue) and possible diffraction peaks due to the DTM and/or clutters
symbolized by red lines with attenuation calculated for all these peaks are displayed above the main peak.
Profile with the Longley-Rice and Vienna 93 Models
Only the first Fresnel ellipsoid and the terrain profile appear for these two models.
Profile with the Standard Propagation Model
Peaks of diffraction are displayed regarding to the selected method (Deygout, Epstein-Peterson, Deygout with correction
and Millington). Both the terrain profile and the clutter (and its height, if defined) appear using this model. A report contain-
ing information on transmitter-receiver profile can be displayed.
5.6.1.3 Displaying Predicted Signal Levels at a Point
With the point analysis tool, Atoll is able to display the signal from active transmitters in a network at the point defined by
the receiver on the map by using the propagation model as defined before (with priority order respect).
To make active the reception window:
1. From the menu toolbar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Click on the Reception tab,
4. Click the button from the toolbar,
5. Move over the current map to the places where you want to make your analysis.
The value of the different signal levels coming from different transmitters is reported in the Reception window in toolbar
form, from top to bottom from the highest predicted signal level to the lowest one. Displayed toolbars have the same
colours as defined for each transmitter.
Notes
By Right-clicking in the window, it is possible to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/
unchecking the related box. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class. Considering a reception
pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is added to the total path loss regarding to the defined
value (in dB),
Shadowing can be taken into account and a cell edge coverage probability can be set for any
point analysis. The shadowing margin applied to the path loss (if shadowing is considered) is
evaluated from the model standard deviation and the cell edge coverage probability.
From the window context menu, it is also possible to either Print it or to copy it in order to paste
it in an external application.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.6.1.4 Listing All Signal and C/I Levels at a Point
In addition to the studies with the point analysis of the profile from a transmitter, predicted signals from surrounding trans-
mitters, and, potentially interferences in case of GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, Atoll provides an additional tab in the point
analysis window allowing you to display, in the same window, general information at the receiver.
So, Atoll provides in the Results tab of the Point analysis window:
General information on the receiver: its coordinates (stated in the Display coordinate system) and the clutter class
which it is located on,
The signal level received from each transmitter containing the receiver in its calculation area, (Transmitters are
sorted in a descending signal level order),
C/I levels due to surrounding transmitters, first both in co-channel and adjacent cases, then in adjacent channel
case only (studying always the most interfered TRX) in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects.
5.6.2 Managing Point Analysis
5.6.2.1 Selecting a Transmitter in Point Analysis
When studying reception profile and interferences using the point analysis tool, it is possible to display results at an iden-
tical point for several transmitters.
To do so, when using the point analysis icon over the map as a moving receiver, click on the map at the location
you want to study different transmitters. Then, the receiver is fixed on the map. In the Point analysis window (Profile
or Interference tab), select the transmitter to study then. Results are automatically displayed in the Point analysis
window.
Notes
Displaying the predicted signal level at a point is possible only if path loss matrices have been
already determined. To do this, you must have previously executed any coverage prediction or
simulations (cdmaOne/CDMA2000, UMTS) before using the point analysis tool.
You can choose the item level at which the power(s) of each transmitter are defined (TRX type
or Carrier),
IN GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, it is possible to select the HCS layer on which you want to study
signal levels.
For UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 studies, that is the pilot power which is displayed in this
window whereas it is the Ec/Io which is given in the AS analysis window.
By Right-clicking in the window and choosing Properties, you open the property dialogue of this
window. In this dialogue, it is possible to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/
unchecking the related box. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class. Considering a reception
pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is added to the total path loss regarding to the defined
value (in dB),
Shadowing can be taken into account and a cell edge coverage probability can be set for any
point analysis. The shadowing margin applied to the path loss (if shadowing is considered) is
evaluated from the model standard deviation and the cell edge coverage probability.
From the window context menu, it is also possible to either print it or to copy it in order to paste
it in an external application.
Notes
Displaying interference levels at a point is possible only if path loss matrices have been already
determined. To do this, you must have previously executed any coverage prediction or simula-
tions (cdmaOne/CDMA2000, UMTS) before using the point analysis tool.
Interferences are possible only if some channels have been allocated to TRXs.
You can choose the item level at which the power(s) of each transmitter are defined (TRX type
or Carrier),
IN GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, it is possible to select the HCS layer on which you want to study
signal levels.
For UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000 studies, that is the pilot power which is displayed in this
window whereas it is the Ec/Io which is given in the AS analysis window.
By Right-clicking in the window and choosing Properties, you open the property dialogue of this
window. In this dialogue, it is possible to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/
unchecking the related box. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class. Considering a reception
pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is added to the total path loss regarding to the defined
value (in dB),
Shadowing can be taken into account and a cell edge coverage probability can be set for any
point analysis. The shadowing margin applied to the path loss (if shadowing is considered) is
evaluated from the model standard deviation and the cell edge coverage probability,
From the window context menu, it is also possible to either print it or to copy it in order to paste
it in an external application.
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5.6.2.2 Selecting the Power Definition Itemin Point Analysis
Depending on the considered technology, power can be defined with different values within the same transmitters. The
point analysis window allows you to select the level at which several powers can be defined for the same transmitter.
Hence, you can select:
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE, the TRX type (BCCH, TCH or TCH_INNER) over which to study the profile. Choosing the
(All) option takes the TRX type with the highest signal level
In UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000, the carrier, assuming that several cells can be assigned to a transmitter, each
cell characterising a carrier on a transmitter. Choosing the (All) option takes the carrier where the related cell has
the highest signal level.
This feature is available both when working in the Profile, Reception, Interference, Results and AS Analysis tabs in UMTS/
CDMA. Nevertheless, concerning the last one, the (all) option (for cells) works regarding the carrier selection mode as
defined in the site equipment (UMTS, cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
5.6.2.3 Taking into Account Shadowing in a Point Analysis
Atoll allows the user to display the properties of a probe receiver used in a point analysis window. Depending on the tab
in use (reception profile, predicted signal, interference analysis, Results, and AS Analysis tabs in UMTS/CDMA, it is possi-
ble to display different pieces of information.
Shadowing can be taken into account and the cell edge coverage probability can be set at the receiver level. If considered,
Atoll will calculate shadowing margins (using model standard deviation defined per clutter class or the default one) to be
applied to computed path loss (made by the model).
In any tab window of the point analysis window, to take into account shadowing:
1. Right-click in the current Point analysis window,
2. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Select the Shadowing taken into account option,
5. Set the value of the cell edge coverage probability,
6. The related shadowing margin value is automatically displayed,
7. Click OK to close the dialogue.
5.6.2.4 Displaying Signal Levels or Losses in Point Analysis
Atoll allows the user to display the properties of a probe receiver used in a point analysis window. Depending on the tab
in use (reception profile, predicted signal, interference analysis, Results, and AS Analysis tabs in UMTS/CDMA, it is possi-
ble to display different pieces of information.
Hence, you can choose to display results at a given point in term of path loss, total losses or signal level in the Profile tab
of the point analysis window. This can also be made as a coverage condition.
In the Profile tab window, to access the result type box:
1. Right-click in the current Point analysis window,
2. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Choose to display either the signal level, path loss or total losses in the Result type scrolling box,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue and validate your choice.
The available study criteria are detailed in the table below.
Notes
When the cell edge coverage probability is different from 50% and standard deviations are not
null, shadowing margin values are different from zero.
In the Profile and Reception tabs, the shadowing margin applied to the path loss (if shadowing
is considered) is evaluated from the model standard deviation and the cell edge coverage prob-
ability.
In GSM/GPRS/EGPRS projects, when calculating C/I, Atoll applies shadowing margins (if con-
sidered) to the C values only. The shadowing margin depends on the entered cell edge coverage
probability and the C/I standard deviation on the pixel.
In UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects, the cell edge coverage probability helps in the
determination of the Eb/Nt UL and Ec/Io DL macro-diversity gains (taking into account the Eb/Nt
and Ec/Io standard deviations defined per clutter class). The shadowing margin applied to Ec/Io
(or Eb/Nt) (if shadowing is considered) is evaluated from the Ec/Io (or Eb/Nt) standard deviation
and the cell edge coverage probability. Finally, if shadowing is considered, Atoll takes into
account the computed macro-diversity gains. Else, it considers in case of uplink the default value
user-defined in the Transmitters global parameters.
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.6.2.5 Displaying Link Budget at a Receiver
Atoll allows the user to display the link budget at a receiver along a path profile. The link budget is made of powers, gains
and losses composing the resulting signal level.
To display the link budget box at any point:
1. From the menu toolbar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. Click on the Profile tab,
3. Right-click in the current Point analysis window,
4. Choose the Link budget... option from the context menu.
5.6.2.6 Using a Site as a Target for Point Analysis
Atoll provides a feature in order to drop the receiver used for point analysis on the exact location of an existing site, using
any tab (reception profile, predicted signal, interference analysis, Results, or AS Analysis tabs in UMTS/CDMA of the point
analysis window.
To put the point analysis tool on an existing site:
1. Make active the point analysis,
2. Right-click on the receiver to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the Target site command from the open scrolling menu,
4. In the Target site dialogue, choose one existing site from the scrolling list,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
5.6.2.7 Displaying SPMParameters over a Profile Analysis
When using Standard Propagation model, you may display a report containing information on transmitter-receiver profile.
To get it:
1. Right-click on the profile part of the current window in order to open the associated context menu,
2. Choose the Model details command from the displayed menu.
The default text editor. In this report, Atoll gives the number of points taken into account along the transmitter-receiver
path and details for every point:
The distance between the point and the transmitter (Dist) in m,
The ground height (Alt) in m,
The ground height with earth curvature consideration (Gr H) in m,
The total height (Tot H) in m,
The clutter class code,
The filtered total height (Flt H) in m. Atoll determines this parameter only when the Enhanced slope at receiver
method is selected.
Then, it recapitulates the effective transmitter antenna height (Tx effective height), K1 and K2 parameters used in calcu-
lations (Far or Near, LOS or NLOS), the diffraction loss, the antenna loss, the clutter loss and the correction for low Tx
effective height. In addition, Atoll informs you that the free space loss is considered when the loss calculated by the model
is lower.
5.6.2.8 Exporting a Point Analysis Study
Whatever the point analysis on which you are working (reception profile, predicted signal level, interference analysis, and
AS Analysis - UMTS/CDMA - tabs) is, Atoll allows the user to export a result as displayed in the Point analysis window as
in image in any application.
Study Criteria Formulas
Signal level ( )
Path loss ( )
Total losses (Total-Losses)
rec
P ( )
Rx ant Shadowing path rec
L
G
M L EIRP P
Rx
+ =
path
L
L
L L
ant path
Tx
+ =
model
( ) ( )
G G
L L M L Losses Total
ant ant Rx Tx Shadowing path
Rx Tx
+ + + + =
Note: In case of coverage studies, it is possible to calculate the signal level at the receiver in dBm,
dBV or dBV/m.
Note: At the transmitter (first point in the list) or at the receiver (last point in the list), we respec-
tively have: Tot H =Gr H +H
Tx
and Tot H =Gr H +H
Rx,
where, H
Tx
and H
Rx
are respec-
tively transmitter and receiver antenna heights above the ground (m).
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Atoll User Manual
To do so:
1. From the menu toolbar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Choose the tab associated with your current study,
4. Make your results displayed,
5. Right-click in the Point analysis window,
6. Choose the Copy option from the context menu,
7. Switch to another application supporting any format image,
8. Paste the current content of your clipboard by:
Either
- by using the Ctrl+V shortcut,
Or
- by choosing the Paste command from the Edit menu.
5.6.2.9 Printing a Point Analysis Study
Whatever the point analysis on which you are working (reception profile, predicted signal level, interference analysis, and
AS Analysis - UMTS/CDMA - tabs) is, Atoll allows the user to print a result as displayed in the Point analysis window:
To do so:
1. From the menu toolbar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Choose the tab associated with your current study,
4. Make your results displayed,
5. Right-click on the Point analysis window,
6. Choose the Print... option from the context menu,
7. The Print dialogue opens,
8. Choose the appropriate printing parameters,
9. Click OK to start printing.
5.7 Calculation Tools in Atoll
5.7.1 Atoll Features for Computing
Atoll provides a multithreading feature allowing you to spread some computations over several processors. Hence, Atoll
can use four processors of the local machine for propagation computations, neighbour allocations (internal and Inter-tech-
nology neighbours), UMTS and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations and coverage studies (standard or specific GSM/
GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or cdmaOne/CDMA2000), automatic scrambling code allocation and automatic PN Offset allocation.
This feature is automatic. That means that, on a quad-processor PC, each processor works out one path loss matrix, one
prediction study or one simulation. Therefore, calculation times are divided by four.
It is also possible to distribute path loss calculation using several PCs at the same time.
Caution
Windows 2000 (all versions) does not work properly when installed on computers using Pentium4 proc-
essors with Hyper-Threading. The performance may be drastically reduced.
It is highly recommended to install Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server where the problem has been
fixed, or to disable Hyper-Threading on hardware running Windows 2000.
For more information, refer to the following Web site: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/cs-
017343.htm
Note: In the case of very large networks, multiplying the number of processors can drive to memory limi-
tations since the needed memory is multiplied by the number of threads. To limit the number of threads
to be used, put the following lines in the Atoll.ini file located in the Atoll installation directory.
[ Remot eCal cul at i on]
Number Of Thr eads=1, 2, 3 or 4 (according to the number of processors to be used)
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Chapter 5: Managing Computations in Atoll
5.7.2 Distributing Calculations on Several PCs
Atoll provides you the possibility to share computations using four processors of a multi-processor PC. Moreover, another
feature enables you to distribute path loss calculations on several workstations. The Atoll package provides a computing
server application; it can be installed on either workstations or servers and used by Atoll sessions installed on other
stations. Once the computing server application is installed on a workstation, this one is considered as a potential calcu-
lation server for other workstations with computing server application. Therefore, a user can distribute calculations of path
loss matrices on another workstation if the computing server application is installed on his workstation and the other one.
The computing server application (working only on path loss matrix computations) supports quad-processor configura-
tions. Once the computing server application is installed on computation servers, distributed computation is possible for
other computers of the network.
To activate the distributed calculation on a local workstation:
1. From the menu toolbar, select the Distributed calculation... command in the Tools menu,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
3. Check the Activate the distributed calculation option,
Either,
- Type the name of calculation servers, which you want to distribute computations on (use semicolons as sep-
arators). Atoll automatically saves the list of calculation servers to be used in an Atoll.ini file located in the
Atoll installation directory. The file has the following syntax:
[ Remot eCal cul at i on]
Ser ver s=Wor kst at i on_1; Wor kst at i on_2
If the list is empty, Atoll considers that the distributed calculation option is inactive. Then, computations are
run on the local workstation.
Or,
- When clicking on the Detect button, Atoll searches and displays all the potential calculation servers you can
use.
Or,
- When clicking on the All button, Atoll displays the symbol * in the Use servers dialogue. In this case, it will
scan all the potential calculation servers when starting calculations. Atoll will use all the found calculation
servers.
4. Click OK to validate your choice.
When starting propagation computations, Atoll searches the calculation servers of the list and distributes calculations on
the found servers. It displays in the Events tab the found calculation servers.
5.7.3 Improving Calculation Performances
It is possible to specify a cut-off value on the received signal level; this one is used by Atoll to limit contribution of some
interferers. Using this feature, some calculation performances may be improved:
All the calculations based on the C/I criterion study in GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA documents: the coverage predic-
tions (coverage by C/I level, interfered zones or GPRS/EDGE studies), the interference tab of the point analysis
window, the traffic analysis and interference histograms,
All the calculations based on the total noise in UMTS/WCDMA and cdmaOne/CDMA2000 documents: the UMTS
(CDMA) specific coverage predictions, and neighbour automatic allocation.
Notes
If calculation servers entered in the list are not available (for example, if the workstation is off),
computations are run on the local workstation.
The distributed calculations do not work in case of embedded geographic data and ISTAR format
maps (*.ist).
Several users can distribute their computations on the same calculation server. Path loss
matrices are not simultaneously calculated but one at a time (e.g., 1
st
matrix from user1, 1
st
matrix from user2 and so on)
An Atoll.ini file can be prepared by an administrator in order to specify the computing servers,
and marked as read only.
This calculation server(s) uses 1 Atoll licence for every four processors. Of course, each client
uses one licence for every four processors.
Floating licence are not mandatory using the Atoll calculation server feature.
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To set the cut-off value:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Predictions folder to open the context menu,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu.
Or
- Double click on the Predictions folder,
2. Click on the Predictions tab from the open window,
3. In the Calculation limitation part of the dialogue, enter the cut-off value.
This value is used as a filter criterion on interferers. Therefore, Atoll will discard all the interferers, which the signal level
is lower than this value.
5.7.4 Displaying Calculation Events in a Log Window
An event viewer window is available in Atoll. To make it open, use the View menu. This window consists in two tabs, the
Events and Tasks tabs.
Events Tab
Atoll lists some events and provides for each of them, the type, the hour the event occurred and a description. Events
detailed in the Events tab concern PlaNET imports and calculations (path loss matrices and coverage studies). You may
encounter three types of events, displayed with a specific symbol:
Errors occurred during PlaNET import or calculations: Atoll does not stop the import or calculation process; it
automatically opens the Events tab to warn you,
Warnings about minor problems happened during calculations. Be careful, Atoll does not open the Events tab
to inform you,
Information on time a calculation or PlaNET import process is started and ended.
Some features in order to manage events are available. To access them, Right-click on the window in order to open the
related context menu. Then you will be able to:
Delete the selected event(s) (Clear command),
Delete all the events (Clear all command),
Copy the event description in the clipboard (Copy command),
Display the entire event description (Properties command).
Tasks Tab
The Tasks tab enables you to visualise progress of path loss matrix, prediction study, UMTS, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simu-
lation calculations and neighbour allocation.
As calculation progress is managed in the Tasks tab, it is possible to work with Atoll while calculations start.
The Tasks tab is automatically open as soon as calculations are started.
To interrupt calculations, click on the button, available in the Tasks tab.
5.7.5 Exporting Calculation Events in a Log File
The Event viewer window contains two tabs: Events and Tasks. The events tab displays details about processes and
potential errors, information and warnings.
Messages listed in this tab can be saved in a LOG file. To do that, add an option when starting Atoll from a command line,
with the syntax above:
"C:\Program Files\Forsk\Atoll\Atoll.exe" -log "C:\....\events.log"
Notes
Messages listed in the events tab can be saved in a log file.
The log window is automatically magnetised within the other set of Atoll windows. To break this
magnetism, and freely move this window, use the CTRL key when dragging it.
CHAPTER 6
GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA PROJ ECT
MANAGEMENT
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Chapter 6: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA Project Management
6 GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA Project Management
6.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Projects: Overview
GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) and DCS ((Digital Communications System) are radio technologies
using TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) principles, each on a different frequency band.
In TDMA technologies, users are spread over frequency bands made of physical channels. Each of these physical chan-
nels is divided into a certain number of logical channels called timeslots. The norm in standard TDMA is 8 timeslots per
channel. This means that a channel can carry simultaneously 8 speaking users.
Even if users on a same physical channel do not interferer each other (spread on time), every data carried on a physical
channel can be potentially interfered by other communications occurring on co-channel or on adjacent channel. The goal
of planning such a GSM/GPRS/EDGE network will be to provide a sufficient coverage to cover a maximum area, to assign
to transmitters enough channels in order to absorb the traffic demand by limiting interferences in the network.
GPRS (Global Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data-rates for GSM - or Global - Evolution) are 2.5th numeric
telephony norms working around the 900-1800 MHz band, using the also TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) technol-
ogy as classical GSM norm. Contrary to GSM working in circuit switched mode, EDGE and GPRS use timeslot working
on packet switched mode, but can be mixed with GSM timeslots on transmitters.
GSM and GPRS/EDGE projects share the same template. A station will be able to allow both GSM and GPRS services
depending on its properties. This will be set at the subcell level with timeslot either dedicated to circuit, packet or composite
services.
Each transmitter dealing with GPRS/EDGE must have a piece of GPRS/EDGE equipment. Atoll allows the user to either
create or modify easily these equipment. These are linked with so-called coding schemes functions of C or C/I thresholds.
GPRS technology provides 4 coding schemes whereas EDGE can offer 9. With Atoll, you can set these coding schemes
and display their effects in graphs.
Since GPRS/EDGE technology is based on GSM norm, it is possible to define or not, in the same network, transmitters
as GPRS/EDGE stations.
Compared to GSM norm, GPRS/EDGE provides the support of larger amounts of data services. Moreover, this technology
permits to carry more data per timeslot. Depending on the radio data and the number of timeslots dedicated to packet serv-
ice transmissions for the transmitters part of the current network, Atoll can determine the average capacity per timeslot
per transmitter.
Geo data are easily manageable as in the other projects. You may either create or import any of these data. Sites, anten-
nas, station templates, transmitters, measurements, and propagation models work in the same way for GSM/GPRS/EDGE
projects than for the other technology types. Nevertheless, the complexity of such a modelling has led to the introduction
of several services, mobility types, terminals, user profiles, environments), multi-service cartography (maps per environ-
ment, per user profile, live traffic, user density). Mixing the network and all these multi-service data, traffic is spread using
the traffic capture feature.
Using it, and by the use of a dimensioning model, it is possible to determine the requested number of TRXs to absorb the
traffic with regard to quality requirements. The resource allocation can be made either manually or by using an Automatic
Frequency Planning.
Even if all common studies are available (coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level, overlapping) with some
specific conditions due to GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Atoll provides also some other specific coverage studies dealing with inter-
ferences: interfered zones and coverage by C/I level and specific GPRS/EDGE coverages: coding schemes and through-
put per timeslot.
The resulting network can be analysed using different tools dealing with frequency plan check, channel location search
and KPI calculation.
The What's this context tool allows the user to understand the specific GSM/GPRS/EDGE fields and features available
in the several dialogues.
6.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Projects Protocol
A classical GSM/GPRS/EDGE project protocol, within Atoll, is described below:
Project initialisation
- Choice of a project template
- Definition projection and display coordinate systems
- Definition of length, reception and transmission units
Definition of geographic data through the import or the creation of maps
- Clutter classes
- Clutter heights
- DTM
- Vector data
- Population data
- Generic data
- etc.
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Common coverage studies (by transmitter, by signal level, HCS layers, etc.)
Network design: Setting radio data
- Determination of domains and groups (frequencies, BSICs, HSNs)
- Setup of cell types
- Definition and tuning of transmitters and subcells
- Coding scheme definitions
- Setup of GPRS/EDGE equipment
Definition of multi-service traffic parameters
- Services
- Mobility types
- Terminals
- User profiles
- Environments
Definition of the traffic through the import or the creation of maps
- Traffic maps per environment
- Traffic maps per user profile
- Live traffic maps
- User density traffic maps
Capture of the traffic to analyse the demand
Dimensioning of the network
- Dimensioning model settings
- Required number of TRXs per transmitter to absorb the input traffic
- Determination of the traffic load per transmitter
Definition of the neighbours manually or automatically
Resource manual allocation
- Manual allocation of frequencies
- Manual allocation of BCCH
- Manual allocation of BSICs
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE Automatic Frequency Planning
Checking of the network allocations
- Frequency plan checking
- Channel search tool
- KPI calculation
GSM/GPRS/EDGE oriented prediction studies
- Interference areas
- Coverage by C/I level
- Coverage by coding schemes
- Coverage by rates per timeslot
6.3 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources
6.3.1 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources: Overview
In Atoll, radio network modelling needs the management of specific radio resources data in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects:
Frequencies
HSNs (Hopping Sequence Number)
BSICs (NCC-BCC pairs)
As many other objects in Atoll, these parameters have been integrated to the tool with a will to make their management
and their use easy. These parameters are used as inputs for cell types, subcells and TRXs in stations.
The resources are organised in domains, and each domain may be made of several groups. During the resource alloca-
tion, only items belonging to the defined domains will be allowed to be chosen.
6.3.2 Frequencies
In Atoll, for a complete exploitation of frequencies, it is possible to define frequency domains and groups based on stand-
ard frequency bands.
A domain is a set of groups; it consists in one or several groups. A frequency domain belongs to a frequency band;
it is a subset of the frequency band.
A group is a set of channels. A frequency group belongs to one or several frequency domains; it is a subset of
frequency domains.
Note: For frequencies, the top layer is the frequency band. A frequency domain (made of several
groups) will be a part of a frequency band.
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Manual and automatic frequency planning is based on frequency domains assigned to the TRX types in cell types.
The creation and the management of frequency domains and groups, like for many other objects in Atoll is always easy
and clear.
6.3.2.1 Managing Frequency Bands
Frequency bands represent the reference frequency set that frequency groups and domains (which include specific rules,
steps and exclusions) refer to. Frequency bands can be seen as a fixed item, whereas groups and domains are the
frequency subsets that can be managed in order to check to available frequency lists.
Frequency band properties can be accessed from a frequency band table.
To open the frequency band table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder in order to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: Frequencies: Bands...] command from the open menu,
4. Define the parameters of each frequency band.
6.3.2.2 Managing Frequency Domains and Groups
For an easier resource management, frequency domain and group tables are available. Frequency domains are linked to
types of TRXs. When defining a cell type, you must assign a frequency domain to each TRX type.
To define domains and groups of frequencies:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: Frequencies: Domains] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Domains dialogue, enter a domain per row and specify the related frequency band. To validate a
domain creation, select another line.
Either
- Select a domain in the table and click on the Properties... button.
Or
- Select the row relating to a domain and double click on it.
6. In the domain properties dialogue, specify the name of group(s) that you want to associate to this domain and
define for each of them:
- The lowest available frequency (Min channel number),
- The highest available frequency (Max channel number),
- The value interval between the frequencies (Step between channels),
- Frequency (frequencies) you do not want to use (Excluded channel numbers). You can paste a list of chan-
nels; separator must be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to exclude a set of
frequencies by using this syntax number1-number2; Atoll will exclude all the frequencies from number1 to
number2 (e.g., 520-525 corresponds to 520 521 522 523 524 525).
- Additional frequency (frequencies) you want to consider during allocation (Extra channel numbers). You can
paste a list of channels; separator must be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to
add a set of frequencies by using this syntax number1-number2; Atoll will add all the frequencies from
number1 to number2 (e.g., 520-525 corresponds to 520 521 522 523 524 525).
You can also define the domain-group pairs in the Group of frequencies window.
To do so:
1. After defining all the domains, close the Domains dialogue,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: Frequencies: Groups] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Group of frequencies window, select a domain and associate one or several groups of frequencies to
each of them. Define the groups as explained above.
Notes
The dialogue of each frequency band (see above) is reachable by either double clicking the
related record in the table, or by using the button once a record is selected,
The button helps you to manage the content of the frequency band table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the Fre-
quency band table.
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The defined domains can be now assigned to TRX types of each cell type in order then to be used as constraints in the
automatic allocation of frequencies.
6.3.3 HSNs
In Atoll, modelling of base frequency hopping and synthesised frequency hopping are supported. So, some parameters
such as MAL (Mobile Allocation List), HSN (Hopping Sequence Number), MAIO (Mobile Allocation Index Offset) are
managed.
HSN (Hopping Sequence Number) parameter is used to describe frequency hopping sequence; this is one of 4 input
parameters for GSM hopping sequence generator algorithm. HSN may take 64 different values; they are numbered from
0 to 63. Frequency sequences are pseudo-random, except for the special case of HSN =0, where frequencies are used
one after the other (cyclic hopping).
In Atoll, for a complete exploitation of HSNs, it is possible to define HSN domains and groups.
A domain is a set of groups; it consists in one or several groups.
A group is a set of HSNs. A HSN group belongs to one or several HSN domains; it is a subset of HSN domains.
Manual and automatic HSN planning are based on the HSN domains assigned to TRX types in cell types.
Creation and management of HSN domains and groups, like for many other objects in Atoll always stays easy and clear.
6.3.3.1 Managing HSN Domains and Groups
For an easier resource management, HSN domain and group tables are available. HSN domains are linked to types of
TRXs. When defining a cell type, you must assign a HSN domain to each TRX type.
1. To define domains and groups of HSNs:
2. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
3. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
4. Choose the [Network settings: HSNs: Domains] command from the open menu,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. In the Domains dialogue, you can enter a domain per line. To validate a domain creation, select another line.
Either
- Select a domain in the table and click on the Properties... button.
Or
- Select the row relating to a domain and double click on it.
7. In the domain properties dialogue, specify the name of group(s) included in this domain and define for each of
them:
- The lowest available HSN (Min),
- The highest available HSN (Max),
- The value interval between the HSNs (Step),
- HSN(s) you do not want to use (Excluded). You can paste a list of HSNs; separator must be either a comma,
or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to exclude a set of HSNs by using this syntax number1-
number2; Atoll will exclude all the HSNs from number1 to number2 (e.g., 5-10 corresponds to 5 6 7 8 9 10).
- Additional HSN(s) you want to consider during allocation (Extra). You can paste a list of HSNs; separator must
be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to add a set of HSNs by using this syntax
number1-number2; Atoll will add all the HSNs from number1 to number2 (e.g., 5-10 corresponds to 5 6 7 8 9
10).
You can also define the domain-group pairs in the Group of HSNs window.
To do so:
1. After defining all the domains, close the Domains dialogue,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: HSNs: Groups] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Group of HSNs window, select a domain and associate one or several groups of HSNs to each of them.
Define the groups as explained above.
The defined domains can be now assigned to TRX types of each cell type in order then to be used as constraints in the
automatic allocation of HSNs.
Note: A default domain called "ALL HSNs" exists; it contains the 64 HSNs.
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6.3.4 BSICs
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE, the BSIC (Base Station Identity Code) colour code is associated with a BCCH in order for a mobile
to distinguish the base station to which both are assigned from the other surrounding ones. The BSIC is composed of a
NCC (Network Colour Code) and BCC (BTS Colour Code). NCC and BCC are integers between 0 and 7.
Hence, the BSIC is a result of a (NCC-BCC) couple and can be noted using two types of notation: octal or decimal. Atoll
supports both syntaxes and will make its allocation depending on the chosen format.
As available BSICs depend on the country and on the area; it is sometimes necessary to distinguish borders from other
zones. To model this, domain and group tables have been created.
A domain is a set of groups; it consists in one or several groups.
A group is a set of BSICs. A BSIC group belongs to one or several BSIC domains.
Therefore, a BSIC domain can contain more or less than 8 BSICs.
Manual or automatic BSIC planning is based on the BSIC domain assigned to transmitter.
Creation and management of BSIC domains and groups, like for many other objects in Atoll always stays easy and clear.
6.3.4.1 Defining the BSIC Format
The BSIC colour code is the result of two digits: NCC (Network Colour Code) and BCC (BTS Colour Code). NCC and BCC
are integers between 0 and 7. 64 BSICs are available. They are distributed in 8 groups (one group per possible NCC) of
8 BSICs. For each pair, it is possible to define a BSIC number, following either the octal or the decimal notation.
Decimal Format
By considering NCC (Network Colour Code [0..7]) and BCC (Base station Colour Code [0..7]), it is possible to build a BSIC
number with the rule: NCCx8 +BCC. For example, the (3-2) pair leads to a BSIC value of 26. In Decimal format, the BSIC
value is written on base 10, which means that all the numbers from 0 to 9 can be used to define it (0...8, 9...15, 16...23,
etc.).
Octal Format
The octal rule is identical to the decimal rule, except the fact that 8 is replaced by 10 (NCCx10 +BCC). For the case above,
the (3-2) pair drives to a value of 32 in octal format. In Octal format, the BSIC value is written on base 8, which means that
all the numbers from 0 to 7 can be used to define it (0...7, 10...17, 20...27, etc.)
To choose the BSIC format globally for a project:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: BSICs: Format] command from the open menu,
4. Tick either the Decimal or Octal option.
6.3.4.2 Managing BSIC Domains and Groups
For an easier resource management, BSIC domain and group tables are available. You must assign a BSIC domain to
each transmitter.
To define domains and groups of BSICs:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: BSICs: Domains] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Domains dialogue, you can enter a domain per line. To validate a domain creation, select another line.
Either
- Select a domain in the table and click on the Properties... button.
Or
Notes
When defined, the selected BSIC format will be taken into account by the BSIC manual allocation
(i.e., only values consistent when the selected choice are available in the BSIC scrolling box
TRX tab of transmitter property dialogue), the AFP and Audit tool.
Take care about the definition of the BSIC domain, in order to be consistent with the chosen
BSIC notation.
It is still possible to enter the BSIC in NCC-BCC format in the TRX tab of the transmitter dialogue.
Depending on the BSIC format, Atoll will translate the NCC-BCC pair in BSIC number.
The BSIC format has to be defined correctly prior to the Test mobile data imports.
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- Select the row relating to a domain and double click on it.
6. In the domain properties dialogue, specify the name of group(s) that you want to associate to this domain and
define for each of them:
- The lowest available BSIC (Min),
- The highest available BSIC (Max),
- The value interval between the BSICs (Step),
- The BSIC(s) you do not want to use (Excluded). You can paste a list of BSICs; separator must be either a
comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to exclude a set of BSICs by using this syntax number1-
number2; Atoll will exclude all the BSICs from number1 to number2 (e.g., 0-5 corresponds to 0 1 2 3 4 5).
- Additional BSIC (s) you want to consider during allocation (Extra). You can paste a list of BSICs; separator
must be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to add a set of BSICs by using this
syntax number1-number2; Atoll will add all the BSICs from number1 to number2 (e.g., 0-5 corresponds to 0
1 2 3 4 5).
You can also define the domain-group pairs in the Group of BSICs window.
To do so:
1. After defining all the domains, close the Domains dialogue,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: BSICs: Groups] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Group of BSICs window, select a domain and associate one or several groups of BSICs to each of them.
Define the groups as explained above.
The defined domains can be now assigned to each transmitter in order then to be used as constraints in the automatic
allocation of BSICs.
6.4 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Radio Data
In Atoll, radio network modelling and radio resource management has lead to the introduction of specific radio data for
GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects:
HCS layers
Timeslot configurations
TRX types and Cell types
Subcells
TRX Equipment
Codec Equipment
GPRS/EDGE Equipment
As many other objects in Atoll, these parameters have been integrated to the tool with a will to make their management
and their use easy. By their use, it is possible to define subcells and TRXs of stations.
Using this advanced description level, concentric cells are supported. In addition, modelling of several hopping modes are
supported: no hopping, Base Band Hopping and Synthesised Frequency Hopping. Some parameters such as MAL (Mobile
Allocation List), HSN (Hopping Sequence Number), MAIO (Mobile Allocation Index Offset) are managed.
6.4.1 HCS layers
6.4.1.1 Hierarchical Cells: Overview
In Atoll, It is possible to model hierarchical networks. You may define several types of layers with given priorities, minimum
reception and maximum speed thresholds, and then assign them to transmitters.
Hierarchical cells are taken into account (including priority and minimum reception threshold) in prediction studies (e.g.,
coverage by transmitter, interfered zones and coverage by C/I levels) based on search for best server for coverage condi-
tions. The threshold speed is used for the traffic distribution as a filter criterion on the mobility. Only mobiles with a mobility
lower than the maximum speed will be considered eligible to reside on the layer.
6.4.1.2 Managing HCS Layers
In Atoll, HCS layers are listed in a table form. Hence, their management (creation, deletion or modification) is identical to
standard management of data in tables.
Notes
A default domain called "ALL BSICs" exists; it contains the 64 BSICs in 8 groups (NCC =0, ..., 7).
Domains must be defined according to the selected BSIC format.
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To manage HCS layers that will be available to assign to transmitters:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder in order to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: HCS Layers...] command from the open menu,
4. Define and modify each HCS layer with its name, and its related priority, by editing cells.
The priority and minimum reception threshold of each HCS layer are taken into account in coverage predictions when
considering, on each pixel, the server which has the highest signal level on the highest priority layer. It is also possible to
define a minimum reception threshold for each HCS layer. Both parameters (priority and HCS reception threshold) are
used to determine, at reception, the server ranking. At reception, several cases can be seen:
1
st
case: The RxLev (Signal Level) from each transmitter is higher than the layer minimum threshold.
The transmitter ranking is based on the Layer Priority.
If there are more transmitters within the same Layer Priority, then these transmitters are ranked according to each individ-
ual difference (RxLev-Layerthr) within the given Layer Priority. Highest priority is given to the greatest difference.
2
nd
case: Transmitters with [RxLev-Layerthr]>=0 and [RxLev-Layerthr]<0
Transmitters with [RxLev-Layerthr]>=0 are ranked first according to 1
st
case.
Transmitters with [RxLev-Layerthr]<0 are then ranked according to signal level only.
3
rd
case : The RxLev (Signal Level) from each transmitter is lower than the layer minimum threshold
Transmitter ranking is based on the received signal level only.
You can also assign a threshold speed to each HCS layer. This speed threshold is used to distribute traffic over different
network layers using the mobility criterion. Mobiles with a mobility of less than the threshold speed for a layer can reside
on that layer.
6.4.1.3 Assigning HCS Layers to Transmitters
To assign a HCS layer among existing ones to a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it
c. Right-click on the transmitter which you want to assign a HCS layer to,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter which you want to assign a HCS layer to by clicking on the appropriate
Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Click on the General tab,
4. Choose the HCS layer to assign to the current transmitter in the associated scrolling menu,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
Note: Priority is organised in ascending order, i.e., 1 has higher priority than 0 (lowest priority).
Notes
Layer priority and minimum reception threshold are automatically assigned to transmitter. These
parameters may be taken into account in GSM/GPRS/EDGE coverage conditions in prediction
studies,
The threshold speed is used for the traffic distribution as a filter criterion on the mobility. Only
mobiles with a mobility lower than the maximum speed will be considered eligible to reside on
the layer.
Once selected, the HCS property dialogue can be open by clicking on the button,
Assigning HCS layers to transmitters is optional.
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6.4.2 Timeslot Configurations
It is possible to define timeslot configurations that can be used in allocating different timeslot types to TRXs. A timeslot
configuration defines the distribution method for circuit, packet and shared timeslots on a TRX. Timeslot configurations
influence the network dimensioning results (evaluation of the number of TRXs required to fulfil the traffic demand) and
calculation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
6.4.2.1 Managing Timeslot Configurations
To create and describe a timeslot configuration:
1. Right-click on the Transmitters folder,
2. In the context menu, choose Network settings and Timeslot configurations command,
3. In the List of timeslot configurations dialogue, type the name of a new configuration in the table,
4. In the table, select the row including the configuration and then, either click on Properties or double click,
5. In the configuration property dialogue, indicate the distribution of circuit, packet and shared timeslots for
each TRX.
6. A TRX per row is described in the table: enter the TRX number and specify the corresponding number of circuit,
packet and shared timeslots. When there is not enough number of TRXs, Atoll uses the timeslot distribution
assigned to the last TRX.
7. Click OK to validate the timeslot configuration description,
8. Click on Close.
6.4.3 Cell Types
In Atoll, a cell type describes the types of TRXs that a cell can use and their parameters, which can be different.
Examples: Default cell types are available in the tool:
The cell type GSM900_N_NORMAL (a non concentric GSM900 normal cell) contains BCCH and TCH TRXs.
The cell type DUALBAND_CC_MINI (a concentric dual band cell) contains BCCH, TCH and TCH_INNER TRXs.
Cell types are linked to station templates or transmitters. Indeed, when defining a station template or transmitter properties,
you must specify the cell type which the station or transmitter refers to.
Creation and management of cell types, like for many other objects in Atoll always stays easy and clear.
6.4.3.1 TRX Types: Definition
By default, three types of TRXs are modelled in Atoll:
The BCCH TRX type: this TRX type is the BCCH carrier,
The TCH TRX type which is the default traffic carrier,
The TCH_INNER TRX type: this TRX type is the inner traffic carrier.
The cell type definition must include a TRX type, which is the BCCH carrier (BCCH TRX type), and a TRX type, which is
the default traffic carrier (TCH TRX type). Only one TRX type carrying the broadcast and only one TRX type carrying the
default TCH are supported.
TRX types are the standard elements which compose cell types.
6.4.3.2 Managing Cell Types
Cell types are linked to station templates or transmitters. Indeed, when defining a station template or transmitter properties,
you must specify the cell type which the station or transmitter refers to.
Cell type properties can be accessed in two ways, either from a Cell type table, either from a Cell type dialogue.
Note: Shared timeslots are used for both, circuit-switched and packet-switched calls, circuit-
switched timeslots for circuit-switched / GSM calls and packet-switched timeslots in case of
packet-switched / EGPRS calls.
Notes
Three default timeslot configurations (one per TRX type: BCCH, TCH and TCH_INNER) are
available.
The fields defined at the subcell level "Number of packet (circuit or shared) timeslots" are used
when no timeslot configuration is defined.
Note: You can define additional TRX types directly from the GSM_EGPRS.mdb document tem-
plate.
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To open the cell type table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder in order to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: Cell types...] command from the open menu,
Either
a. Select the cell type you want to manage,
b. Click the button to open the associated dialogue,
Or,
- Double click the cell type you want to manage.
4. Define the parameters of each cell type.
6.4.3.3 Cell Type Parameters
In the cell type properties window, you can rename it, enter the types of TRXs (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) used by this
cell type and specify for each of them:
The Assigned Frequency Domain
Only channels belonging to this frequency domain will be allocated to TRXs during automatic or manual frequency plan-
ning.
DL Power Offset
This is a reduction of power relative to the transmitter power. It enables you to model power control of TCH TRXs and
concentric cells (TCH_INNER TRXs that transmit a power lower than BCCH TRX and TCH TRXs).
Reception Threshold
This is the reception condition for this TRX type. You can enter a specific reception condition for each TRX type.
C/I Threshold
This is a quality condition; you can enter specific quality requirements for each TRX type. It can be used as reference value
in interference studies and in AFP.
DTX Support
Here, you can specify if DTX (Discontinuous Transmission) technology is supported for this TRX type. Subcells supporting
DTX may reduce their impact on interferences with a defined voice activity factor.
Timeslot Configuration Name
Name of the timeslot configuration describing the distribution of circuit, packet and shared timeslots on TRXs of a subcell.
Half-rate Traffic Ratio
It is the percentage of Half-Rate voice traffic in the subcell. This parameter is taken into account to calculate the required
number of timeslots to satisfy the voice traffic demand.
Target Rate of Traffic Overflow
This parameter is used during the traffic analysis to distribute the traffic between subcells and layers. For a given subcell,
this parameter is the percentage of candidate traffic considered to overflow to another subcell with a lower priority. It
impacts the traffic capture between Inner and Outer subcells, as well as between micro and macro layers. In other words,
it is a kind of anticipation of the percentage of traffic rejected from higher priority subcells/layers to lower ones.
Notes
The dialogue of each cell type (see above) is reachable by either double clicking the related
record in the table, or by using the button once a record is selected,
The button helps you to manage the content of the cell type table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the Cell
type table.
Note: If the traffic overflow target is set to a value lower than the Grade of Service, it implies that
the traffic rejected (according to the dimensioning model, Erlang B or Erlang C) will be con-
sidered lost and will not overflow to other subcells.
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Hopping Mode
Here, you can specify if frequency hopping technology is supported for this TRX type. If frequency hopping is supported,
choose either the Base Band Hopping mode (BBH), or the Synthesized Hopping mode (SFH). Else, select Non Hopping.
Allocation Strategy
It refers to the allocation strategy used during manual or automatic frequency planning. Two allocation strategies are
offered:
Free allocation: all the channels of the frequency domain can be assigned to TRXs.
Grouped allocation: Only channels belonging to a same group of the frequency domain can be chosen.
Maximum MAL (Mobile Allocation List) Length
This is the maximum size of the MAL. In other words, it corresponds to the maximum number of channels allocated to
TRXs of a subcell during automatic frequency planning in case SFH (Synthesized Frequency Hopping) or BBH (Base Band
Hopping) is supported and allocation mode is free.
HSN Domain
Only HSNs belonging to this HSN domain will be allocated to subcells during automatic or manual frequency planning.
Allocation of HSN is performed in case of BBH or SFH.
Freeze HSN
Selecting this option enables you to keep the current HSN allocation of subcells related to this TRX type when starting a
new AFP session.
AFP Weight
This is a cost factor used to increase or decrease the importance of a TRX type during automatic frequency planning. The
cost factor must be a positive real. The higher the AFP weight is, the higher the constraint on the TRX type is.
% Max Interference
This is the maximum percentage of interfered area or interfered traffic that Atoll must not exceed during automatic
frequency planning.
Default TRX Equipment
By selecting a TRX Equipment, the maximum number of coding schemes in GPRS (CS) and in EDGE (MCS) is imposed
at the TRX type level. It is even possible to impose this at the TRX level
8PSK Power Backoff
This is the average power reduction for E/GPRS transmitters due to 8PSK modulation in EDGE. This has an impact on
the EDGE service zone (traffic analysis and EDGE predictions).
When a cell type is assigned to a transmitter, its parameters are used to initialise the properties of the transmitter subcells.
If you modify cell type parameters afterwards, Atoll updates the subcell lists of existing transmitters based on this cell type
by creating missing subcells and removing the subcells that are no longer defined in the cell type. For existing subcells
and subcells whose parameters may have been individually set, Atoll proposes either to keep the current existing param-
eters or to reset them from the cell type.
6.4.3.4 Examples of cell types
Two examples of cell types provided by default in Atoll are explained below:
Normal cell type
A normal cell type consists in two TRX types:
BCCH TRX type
TCH TRX type
The table below describes parameters to be specified for any selected hopping mode.
Characteristics Used in Atoll Hopping mode
Non
hopping
BBH SFH
Frequency domain
Automatic or manual frequency
planning
x x x
Maximum MAL (Mobile Allocation
List) length
Automatic frequency planning Not used x x
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Concentric cell type
A concentric cell type consists in three TRX types:
BCCH TRX type
TCH TRX type
TCH_INNER
The table below described parameters to be specified for any selected hopping mode.
Allocation mode
Automatic or manual frequency
planning
x x x
Min C/I
Interference studies,
Automatic frequency planning
x x x
% max interference Automatic frequency planning x x x
Default DL power offset Signal level studies
=0 for BCCH
=0 for TCH
=0 for BCCH
=0 for TCH
=0 for BCCH
=0 for TCH
Default hopping mode Interference studies Non Hopping
Base Band
Hopping
Synthesized
Hopping
Default reception threshold Signal level studies x x x
AFP weight Automatic frequency planning x x x
HSN domain Automatic frequency planning Not used x x
Freeze HSN Automatic frequency planning x x x
DTX support (default)
Automatic frequency planning,
Interference studies
x x x
Half-rate traffic ratio Traffic analysis x x x
Target rate of traffic overflow Traffic analysis x x x
Timeslot configuration Dimensioning x x x
Characteristics Used in Atoll Hopping mode
Non
hopping
BBH SFH
Characteristics Used in Atoll Hopping mode
Non
hopping
BBH SFH
Frequency domain
Automatic or manual frequency
planning
x x x
Maximum MAL (Mobile Allocation
List) length
Automatic frequency planning Not used x x
Allocation mode
Automatic or manual frequency
planning
x x x
Min C/I
Interference studies,
Automatic frequency planning
x x x
% max interference Automatic frequency planning x x x
Default DL power offset
Signal level studies
=0 for BCCH
=>0 for TCH
<>0 for
TCH_INNER
=0 for BCCH
=>0 for TCH
<>0 for
TCH_INNER
=0 for BCCH
=>0 for TCH
<>0 for
TCH_INNER
Default hopping mode Interference studies Non Hopping
Base Band
Hopping
Synthesized
Hopping
Default reception threshold Signal level studies x x x
AFP weight Automatic frequency planning x x x
HSN domain Automatic frequency planning Not used x x
Freeze HSN Automatic frequency planning x x x
DTX support (default)
Automatic frequency planning,
Interference studies
x x x
Half-rate traffic ratio Traffic analysis x x x
Target rate of traffic overflow Traffic analysis x x x
Timeslot configuration Dimensioning x x x
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6.4.3.5 Assigning Cell Types to Transmitters
A cell type consists in TRX types (BCCH, TCH or TCH inner). Assigning a cell type to a transmitter enables you to define
its subcells (TRX type properties become subcell properties). A subcell corresponds to the transmitter-TRX type pair.
To assign a cell type to a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Click on the scrolling menu and choose a cell type in the list,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
6.4.3.6 Defining Extended Cells
An extended cell is one whose coverage is not restricted to the 35km theoretical limit of normal GSM cells. This 35km limit
originates from the fact that any signal received beyond this limit has a shift of almost an entire timeslot T. Extended GSM
cells enable the operator to counter this limit by defining cells that cover beyond 35km by communicating over timeslot T
1. This implies that information sent on timeslot T 1 will reach beyond 35km at the start of timeslot T. Extended cells
may cover from 70 to 140km.
To define an extended cell for a transmitter:
Either
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the relevant transmitter symbol (arrow) on the
map,
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Define minimum and maximum coverage range in the Extended cell section,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
Notes
If you modify the settings of a Cell type already assigned to a transmitter,
- Atoll will update the subcell lists of the concerned transmitters according to the cell type
assigned by creating missing subcells and removing the subcells that are no longer defined
in the cell type.
- For existing subcells and subcells whose parameters may have been individually set, Atoll
proposes either to keep the existing parameters or to reset them from the Cell Type.
It is also possible to update the subcell lists for all or a group of transmitters through the Update
from Cell Types command in the Subcells menu.
Once selected, cell type property dialogue can be open by clicking on the button,
Atoll indicates the main frequency band of the transmitter. This is the frequency band, which the
frequency domain assigned to BCCH TRX type belongs to. Atoll takes into account this fre-
quency band in path loss matrix evaluation.
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6.4.4 Subcells
6.4.4.1 Managing Subcells in Transmitters
The subcells of transmitter and their settings are defined in this part. A subcell is a group of TRXs sharing the same radio
characteristics, the same quality (C/I) requirements, and common settings. A subcell is defined by the transmitter-TRX
type pair.
Subcells of transmitter and their settings depend on the cell type selected for the transmitter. The cell type defines the TRX
type of each subcell since the properties of each TRX type initialise the ones of each subcell. The default values reported
for subcells can be modified without changing reference for the cell type. On the other hand, Atoll updates subcell char-
acteristics when selecting another cell type.
Except their TRX type (coming from the selected cell type), all subcell properties are editable and can be modified in the
subcell part of any transmitter property.
To access the subcell table from the transmitter properties:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Define the Subcell settings in the subcell part,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
Clicking the Properties button ( ) on a selected subcell opens the related subcell property dialogue.
6.4.4.2 Displaying the Subcell List
Even if subcells are linked to transmitters, it is possible to display all existing subcells of a network in an editable form.
To open the subcell general table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Subcells: Open Table] command from the open menu,
4. Define the Subcell settings.
The button helps you to manage the content of the subcell table. Like in any other table, double clicking on
a row opens the related record property dialogue.
6.4.4.3 Subcell Property Details
Whatever is the way to reach subcell properties (from transmitter properties or from the subcell table), for any of them,
Atoll details:
Assigned Frequency Domain
Only channels belonging to this frequency domain will be allocated to TRXs during automatic or manual frequency plan-
ning. In the case of dual cells, it is also possible to assign a specific propagation model to each frequency band to which
frequency domains belong to.
Excluded Channels
When defining frequency domains, you have to choose the range of channels, the step, exceptional and excluded chan-
nels. Excluded channels are channels that are in the defined range that you do not want to make allocatable. Excluded
channels can be set first in the frequency domain definition. In addition, you can also define less constraining domains
(with less excluded channels) and define excluded channels at the subcell level. All subcells related to this domain must
not have access to these excluded channels for the allocation.
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Required TRXs
This is the number of TRXs requested for a subcell. In case of BCCH TRX type, the number of requested TRXs is 1 by
default. In case of TCH or TCH_INNER TRX type, this is a network dimensioning result, which depends on the traffic
density in the subcell and on the blocked call percentage.
Traffic Load
It indicates the usage rate of TRXs; its value is between 0 and 1. This parameter may be, either user-defined, or automat-
ically reported after calculating the number of requested TRXs. In this case, traffic load ( ) is a dimensioning result;
this is a global traffic load for all the subcells of each transmitter. We have:
is the served traffic (Erlangs) on the transmitter coverage area,
is the total number timeslots required by a transmitter.
It is taken into account in interference calculation and automatic frequency planning.
DL Power Offset
This is a reduction of power relative to the transmitter power. Entering 3 dB means that the subcell power will be 3 dB lower
than the transmitter power defined in the Transmitter tab.
Reception Threshold
This is the reception condition for the subcell. This value can be used as reference value in signal level coverage predic-
tions (lowest received signal level in order for receiver to be covered by the subcell).
C/I Threshold
This is a quality condition; you can enter specific quality requirements for each subcell. It can be used as reference value
in interference studies.
DTX Support
Here, you can specify if DTX (Discontinuous Transmission) technology is supported for this subcell. Subcells supporting
DTX may reduce their impact on interferences with a defined voice activity factor.
The Name of the Timeslot Configuration to be Used
The timeslot configuration indicates the distribution of circuit, packet and shared timeslots on TRXs of the subcell. It is
considered for the network dimensioning (evaluation of the number of TRXs requested to fulfil the traffic demand) and
calculation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Required Number of Shared Timeslots
This is the number of shared timeslots required for all the TRXs of a subcell.
Notes
1. Channels must be separated by either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is possible to exclude
a set of channels by using this syntax number1-number2. Atoll will exclude all the channels from
number1 to number2 (e.g., 520-525 corresponds to 520 521 522 523 524 525).
2. When defined, the excluded channels (per subcell) will be taken into account by the frequency manual
allocation (i.e., only consistent values are available in the TRX channel scrolling box TRX tab of trans-
mitter property dialogue), the AFP and Audit tool.
3a. In Non Hopping mode or Base Band Hopping, in Free or Group Constrained strategy, excluded chan-
nels are not visible in their related domains. So, subcells are allocated with consistency within their
defined domain.
3b. In Synthesized Frequency Hopping, in Free strategy, excluded channels are not visible any more in
their related domains.
3c. In Synthesized Frequency Hopping, in Group Constrained strategy, since the allocation is made per
exact group, as soon as a group has a defined excluded channel, the complete group is excluded from
the domain. The allocation (and what is visible in frequencies scrolling boxes) is then possible only over
groups with initially no excluded channel.
These 3 rules are checked by the Audit tool.
traffic
L
L
Traffi c
T
Served
N
TS
------------------- =
T
Served
N
TS
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Required Number of Circuit Timeslots
This is the number of circuit switched timeslots required for all the TRXs of a subcell.
Required number of packet timeslots
This is the number of packet switched timeslots required for all the TRXs of a subcell.
Half-rate Traffic Ratio
It is the percentage of Half-Rate voice traffic in the subcell. This parameter is taken into account in the traffic analysis and
to calculate the required number of timeslots to match the voice traffic demand.
Target Rate of Traffic Overflow
This parameter is used during the traffic analysis to distribute the traffic between subcells and layers. For a given subcell,
this parameter is the percentage of its candidate traffic that is considered to overflow to another subcell with a lower prior-
ity. It impacts the traffic capture between Inner and Outer subcells, as well as between micro and macro layers.
In other words, it is a kind of anticipation of the percentage of traffic which is rejected from higher priority subcells/layers
to lower ones.
Figure 6.1: Overflow between concentric cells
Figure 6.2: Overflow between HCS layers
Hopping Mode
If frequency hopping is supported, choose either the Base Band Hopping mode (BBH), or the Synthesized Hopping mode
(SFH). Else, select Non Hopping.
Allocation Strategy
It refers to the allocation strategy used during manual or automatic frequency planning. Two allocation strategies are
offered:
Free allocation: all the channels of the frequency domain can be assigned to TRXs.
Grouped allocation: Only channels belonging to a same group of the frequency domain can be chosen.
Maximum MAL (Mobile Allocation List) length,
This is the maximum size of the MAL. In other words, it corresponds to the maximum number of channels allocated to
TRXs of a subcell during automatic frequency planning in case SFH (Synthesized Frequency Hopping) or BBH (Base Band
Hopping) is supported and allocation mode is free.
HSN Domain
Only HSNs belonging to this HSN domain can be allocated to subcells during manual frequency planning. Allocation of
HSN must be performed in case of SFH or BBH.
HSN
This is the hopping sequence number of subcell. All the TRXs of the subcell have the same HSN. HSN can be manually
entered or automatically allocated. Only HSN belonging to the HSN domain assigned to this TRX type (in the selected cell
Important: The target rate of traffic overflow and the Half-Rate traffic ratio must be the same for BCCH
and TCH subcells. If you enter different values for BCCH and TCH subcells, Atoll will take
the BCCH subcell values.
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type property dialogue) can be allocated. This parameter is taken into account in interference calculation in case of SFH
or BBH.
Freeze HSN
Selecting this option enables you to keep the current HSN allocation of subcells related to this TRX type when running a
new AFP.
Synchronisation
Type the same string of character in order for the TRXs of several subcells are synchronized during frequency hopping.
By default, synchronization is performed at the site level; TRXs of subcells on a same site are synchronized. You may also
define synchronization at the subcell level (different values for each subcell) or group of transmitters level (unique value
for subcells of this group).
This parameter is taken into account in interference calculation in case of frequency hopping (BBH or SFH).
AFP Weight
This is a cost factor used to increase or decrease the importance of a subcell during automatic frequency planning. The
cost factor must be a positive real. The higher the AFP weight the greater the constraint on the subcell.
Maximum Percentage of Interference
This is the maximum percentage of interfered area or traffic (defined during the interference histogram determination) that
Atoll must not exceed during automatic frequency planning.
Effective Rate of Traffic Overflow
This is the percentage of traffic overflowing from a subcell. It contain results from the dimensioning process.
Default TRX Equipment
By selecting a TRX Equipment, the maximum number of coding schemes in GPRS (CS) and in EDGE (MCS) is imposed
at the subcell level. It is even possible to impose this at the TRX level
8PSK Power Backoff
This is the average power reduction for E/GPRS transmitters due to 8PSK modulation in EDGE. This has an impact on
the EDGE service zone (traffic analysis and EDGE predictions).
With this data model, all data contained in cell types become default ones, i.e., they are used to initialise subcell properties
when creating a transmitter; they can be modified in the transmitter property dialogue without modifying the default values
defined for the cell type, which the transmitter refers to. If you modify one of these data in cell types, transmitters already
dealing with these cell types will not have their default parameters modified.
6.4.5 Advanced Modelling of Multi-Band transmitters
The aim is the possibility to define different bands to subcells and see how this really impacts the propagation in coverage
results. In other words, you can, in Atoll, manage the following elements at the subcell level differently than at the trans-
mitter level (default settings)
Antenna type, height, mechanical and additional electrical downtilt,
Equipment losses
Propagation models and matrices
This settings are taken into accounts in:
Any prediction study (coverage, interference, packet, circuit quality indicators)
Traffic capture
Dimensioning
Interference matrices.
A frequency domain is assigned to each subcell. If the frequency domain of at least one subcell is not within the same
frequency band than the BCCH frequency domain, you can assign to that additional frequency band specific settings deal-
ing with its propagation.
Notes
Any string of character can be entered.
This field is case sensitive.
Note: This functionality is not activated by default and is accessible by defining specific settings in
Atoll.ini as described in the Administrator manual.
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To define the propagation settings of a particular frequency band within a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Select the subcell row where propagation settings have to be set and click the Frequency Band Propagation
button,
4. Define antenna and propagation settings for the frequency band corresponding to the selected subcell domain
in the same way than you defined them at the transmitter level,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
6.4.6 TRX Equipment
6.4.6.1 Creating TRX Equipment
A menu called TRX equipment is available in the Transmitter folder context menu that enables you to manage the capa-
bilities of hardware in term of coding schemes. For each TRX (which can be assigned from the cell type up to the TRX
level), it is possible to impose a maximum of coding scheme in case of GPRS only (CS), or a in case of EDGE (MCS). The
maximum CS and MCS are also defined at the terminal level (only the ones which are not exclusively GSM).
To create a new TRX equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: TRX Equipment...] command from the open menu,
Either
- Fill the empty table row in order to create the new piece of equipment,
Or
- Either
- Double click the table row
- Or
i. Right-click the table row,
ii. Choose Record Properties from the context menu to open the related complete dialogue,
iii. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Set the TRX equipment settings,
5. Click OK or Apply to finalise the creation,
Notes
By default, all the subcells are defined with the same parameters than the BCCH in term of prop-
agation settings.
For each transmitter, Atoll calculates a main and an optionnal extended matrix per defined fre-
quency band.
You can verify the assigned propagation model when using the Profile analysis and selecting the
appropriate subcell type.
Notes
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you manage the content of the TRX
Equipment table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the TRX
Equipment table.
Codec Equipment can be assigned as default to cell types or subcells, or more specifically to
TRXs.
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6.4.6.2 Managing TRX Equipment Properties
It is possible to modify properties (name, Max CS and MCS) of any existing equipment. TRX Equipment can be optionally
selected at the cell type, subcell or even TRX level. These ranges of coding schemes limits the number of algorithm and
has to be considered from the station side but also from the terminal side.
To manage a Codec equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: TRX Equipment...] command from the open menu,
4. The associated Data table opens,
5. Define the parameters of each TRX Equipment.
6.4.6.3 Assigning TRX Equipment
A TRX equipment impose to the hardware that selects it its maximum number of coding schemes in GPRS (CS) or in
EDGE (MCS) related to the selected GPRS/EDGE Equipment defined in each transmitter which can provide packet trans-
mission. This type of equipment can be assigned at the cell type level. In that case, the value is used to initialise the
subcells of the transmitters selecting the related cell type. It is even possible to select the type of TRX equipment for each
single subcell. Finally, the deepest assignment - and the one with the highest priority - can be made at the TRX level.
To assign TRX Equipment to a cell type:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder in order to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Network settings: Cell types...] command from the open menu,
Either
a. Select the cell type on which you want to manage TRX Equipment,
b. Click the button to open the associated dialogue,
Or,
- Double click the cell type on which you want to manage TRX Equipment,
4. Define the TRX Equipment of each TRX type.
To assign TRX Equipment to a subcell:
Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Access the property dialogue of the transmitter that you want to modify a subcell,
b. Click on the TRXs tab
c. In the Subcell part, select the appropriate TRX Equipment,
Or
a. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
b. Choose the [Subcells: Open Table] command from the open menu,
c. Assign the appropriate TRX Equipment to each single subcell
To assign TRX Equipment to a TRX:
Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Access the property dialogue of the transmitter that you want to modify a TRX,
b. Click on the TRXs tab
Notes
The dialogue of each TRX Equipment is reachable either by double clicking the related record in
the table, or by Right-clicking the related record and choosing Record Properties from the con-
text menu.
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you manage to content of the TRX Equip-
ment table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the TRX
Equipment table.
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c. In the TRXs part, select the appropriate TRX Equipment,
Or
a. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
b. Choose the [Subcells: TRXs] command from the open menu,
c. Assign the appropriate TRX Equipment to each TRX
6.4.7 Codec Equipment
6.4.7.1 Creating Codec Equipment
A menu called Codec Equipment is available in the Transmitters folder context menu that enables you to manage specific
voice codec equipment for GSM/TDMA networks. Parameters associated with Ideal Mode Selection and different quality
indicators, namely BER, FER and MOS, are defined in these equipment. Transmitters have to be assigned relevant codec
equipment in order to perform prediction studies concerning voice or packet quality indicators.
You can create different codec equipment for different Active Codec mode Sets (ACS). For example, in stead of being
compatible with all possible codec modes, a codec equipment can have 12.2kbps, 7.4kbps, 5.9kbps and 4.75kbps Full-
Rate and 7.4kbps, 5.9kbps and 4.75 kbps Half-Rate codec modes defined. In this way this equipment will be only compat-
ible with the defined family of codec modes, also known as Active Codec mode Sets (ACS) in the 3GPP specifications.
To create a new codec equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: Codec Equipment...] command from the open menu,
4. Fill the empty table row in order to create the new piece of equipment,
Either
- Fill the empty table row in order to create the new piece of equipment,
Or
- Either
- Double click the table row
- Or
i. Right-click on it,
ii. Choose Record Properties from the context menu to open the related complete dialogue,
- Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the codec equipment settings,
6. Click OK or Apply to finalise the creation.
6.4.7.2 Managing Codec Equipment Properties
In Atoll, it is possible to modify properties (name, ideal mode selection, quality indicator and its associated graphs) of any
existing equipment. These equipment have to be defined for each transmitter taking part in specific quality indicator cover-
age predictions (regarding BER, FER and MOS).
To manage a codec equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: Codec Equipment...] command from the open menu,
4. The associated Data table opens,
5. Define the parameters of each codec equipment.
Notes
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you manage the content of the Codec
Equipment table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the
Codec Equipment table.
Codec equipment can be assigned to transmitters or terminals.
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6.4.7.3 Setting Codec Mode Adaptation Thresholds
In GSM, different codec modes are available in the network for managing voice calls so as to optimise the usage of
resources (spectrum, etc.). These codec modes include Full Rate (FR), Half Rate (HR), Enhanced Full Rate (EFR), and
many Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) modes. A GSM network, with different codec equipment installed at the transceivers, is
intelligent enough to dynamically allocate and manage resources on the basis of interference levels.
You can define quality thresholds for each codec mode compatible with the codec equipment in the Adaptation Thresholds
tab in the equipment properties dialogue. These thresholds are used in computations when the equipment does not imple-
ment automatic mode selection.
To define the adaptation thresholds to be used for no automatic mode selection with a codec equipment:
1. Access the properties dialogue of the equipment for which you want to define adaptation thresholds,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Click on the Adaptation Thresholds tab to define or modify, for each compatible codec mode:
- mobility type,
- frequency hopping type,
- frequency band,
- the quality threshold to be used in case of no automatic mode selection implemented.
4. Click OK or Apply to validate.
6.4.7.4 Setting Codec Mode Quality Thresholds
The Quality Thresholds tab in the codec equipment properties contain graphs for different quality indicators, such as Bit
Error Rate (BER), Frame Error Rate (FER) and Mean Opinion Score (MOS), against C/N and C/I values. Each codec
equipment can contain descriptions of these quality thresholds for numerous combinations of each quality indicator and
codec mode pair with compatible mobility type, frequency hopping type and frequency band.
You can define quality thresholds for each quality indicator Quality Thresholds tab in the equipment properties dialogue.
These thresholds are used in computations when the equipment implements automatic mode selection according to the
quality indicator defined in the General tab.
To define the quality thresholds to be used in automatic mode selection with a codec equipment:
1. Access the properties dialogue of the equipment for which you want to define quality thresholds,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Click on the Quality Thresholds tab to define or modify, for each quality indicator and codec mode pair:
- mobility type,
- frequency hopping type,
- frequency band,
- graphs of the quality indicator with respect to C/N and C/I to be used in automatic mode selection.
4. Click OK or Apply to validate.
The and buttons display graphs associated with the currently selected quality indicator
and codec mode pair.
6.4.7.5 Assigning Codec Equipment to Transmitters
In Atoll, codec equipment may or may not be assigned to transmitters. If no codec equipment is defined for some trans-
mitters, only the codec equipment assigned for the terminal types (defined in the prediction study properties) will be used
in computations. If no codec equipment is defined either at the terminal types level or at the transmitters level, these trans-
mitters will not be considered in the specific quality indicators prediction studies.
Notes
The dialogue of each codec equipment is accessible either by double clicking the related record
in the table, or by Right-clicking the related record and choosing Record Properties from the con-
text menu.
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you manage to content of the Codec
Equipment table.
An Other Properties tab is available when some user defined fields have been added to the
Codec Equipment table.
Codec equipment can be assigned to transmitters or terminals.
Note: Graph values can be edited directly in the quality thresholds tab as well as in the graph
window.
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To assign codec equipment to any transmitter:
Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Double click the Transmitters folder to open the associated table,
b. Assign the associated codec equipment to transmitters through the related column,
Or
a. Access the properties dialogue of the transmitter for which you want to assign a codec equipment,
b. Click on the Equipment tab,
c. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the current window,
d. Select the Codec equipment from the list.
e. Click OK or Apply to validate.
6.4.7.6 Assigning Codec Equipment to Terminal Types
Codec equipment may or may not be assigned to terminal types. If no codec equipment is defined for some terminal types,
only the codec equipment defined for the corresponding transmitters will be used in the computations. If no codec equip-
ment is defined either at the terminal types level or at the transmitters level, these transmitters will not be considered in
the specific quality indicators prediction studies.
To assign codec equipment to any terminal type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Parameters folder by clicking the button,
Either,
a. Expand the Terminals folder by clicking the button,
b. Double click the terminal type to open its properties dialogue,
c. Assign the associated codec equipment to the terminal type choosing from the list.
d. Click OK or Apply to validate.
Or
a. Double click the Terminals folder to open the corresponding table,
b. Assign the associated codec equipment to the terminal type through the related column,
c. Close the table to validate.
6.4.8 GPRS/EDGE Equipment
6.4.8.1 Creating GPRS/EDGE Equipment
A menu called GPRS/EDGE equipment is available in the Transmitter folder context menu that enables you to manage
specific equipment for GPRS and EDGE networks. Thresholds associated with coding schemes are defined in these
equipment. Any transmitter dealing with GPRS or EDGE technology have to be assigned an existing piece of equipment.
To create new GPRS/EDGE equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: GPRS/EDGE Equipment...] command from the open menu,
Either
- Fill the empty table row in order to create the new piece of equipment,
Or
- Either
- Double click the table row
- Or
Notes
When choosing the equipment, all pieces of equipment previously defined in the codec equip-
ment table are available in the codec equipment scrolling menu.
All these inputs are also available in the station template description.
Note: When choosing equipment, all pieces of equipment previously defined in the codec equip-
ment table are available in the Codec equipment scrolling menu.
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i. Right-click on it,
ii. Choose Record Properties from the context menu to open the related complete dialogue,
iii. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the GPRS/EDGE equipment settings,
6. Click OK or Apply to create the new equipment,
6.4.8.2 Managing GPRS/EDGE Equipment Properties
In Atoll, it is possible to modify properties (name, number of coding schemes, thresholds and associated graphs) of any
existing equipment. These equipment have to be defined for each transmitter taking part in specific GPRS/EDGE coverage
predictions (Coding schemes and Max throughput per timeslot). The user can define the technology supported by this
equipment (whether GPRS or EGPRS).
To manage a GPRS/EDGE equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Equipment: GPRS/EDGE Equipment...] command from the open menu,
4. The associated Data table opens,
5. Define the parameters of each GPRS/EDGE Equipment.
6.4.8.3 Computing Automatically Coding Scheme Thresholds
It is possible to automatically compute the reception and C/I thresholds for any GPRS/EDGE equipment in Atoll. You can
enter the permissible level of Block Error Rate (BLER) in the equipment properties window and Atoll will calculate the
thresholds required to satisfy this criterion.
To calculate the reception and C/I thresholds for a given equipment:
1. Access properties dialogue of the concerned equipment,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Enter the permissible BLER in the Calculate the thresholds section,
4. Click Calculate to generate new reception and C/I threshold values,
5. Click OK or Apply to save the new threshold values.
6.4.8.4 Setting Coding Schemes Parameters
In GPRS or EDGE technology, the coding scheme is a coding algorithm used to introduce more or less redundancy (rate
multiplier) and improve packet transmission. Four and nine coding schemes are respectively available for GPRS and
EDGE networks. The more important the coding scheme is, the less redundancy there is. Therefore, in GPRS networks,
using a coding scheme 4 means that there will be no redundancy.
Notes
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you manage content of the GPRS/EDGE
Equipment table.
An Other Properties tab is available if some user defined fields have been added to the GPRS/
EDGE Equipment table.
Notes
The dialogue of each GPRS/EDGE Equipment is reachable either by double clicking the related
record in the table, or by Right-clicking the related record and choosing Record Properties from
the context menu.
The Table Fields command from the context menu lets you to manage content of the GPRS/
EDGE Equipment table.
An Other Properties tab is available if some user defined fields have been added to the GPRS/
EDGE Equipment table.
Each GPRS/EDGE equipment has an associated reference thermal noise defined. This noise is
used to convert C graphs to C/N graphs.
The throughput per timeslot graphs are defined for given frequency hopping mode, mobility type
and frequency band. These graphs will be taken into account in a prediction study if these param-
eters correspond to the ones defined in that study. Otherwise, Atoll will use the graphs for which
none of these parameters has been defined. If no such graph exists, Atoll will consider that the
corresponding coding scheme is not defined during the calculations.
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To adjust the parameters associated with coding schemes from any equipment, proceed as follow:
1. Access the property dialogue of the equipment you want to adjust the associated coding schemes,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Click on the General tab to check or modify, for the current equipment:
- The name and/or the maximum number of coding schemes available for the current equipment,
- If the equipment supports only GPRS or both GPRS and EDGE.
4. Click on the Thresholds tab to define, for each coding scheme:
- Power threshold and Signal noise ratio threshold: They are respectively the minimum power (C) and the
minimum signal noise ratio (C/I) required at the receiver in order for the coding scheme to be used,
- Max throughput (kbps): It is the maximum throughput (kbps) obtained when there is no data transmission
error,
- Throughput depending on C (kbps) and throughput depending on C/I (kbps): These columns contain values
used to represent Throughput=f(C) and Throughput=f(C/I) graphs.
- 8PSK modulation used or not (EDGE only).
- Type of Frequency hopping (1 =No hopping; 2 =Ideal FH; empty =all hopping modes)
- Mobility type and Frequency band compatible with the coding scheme: These two parameters are used to
filter out the traffic to which certain coding schemes can be allocated, i.e., users having compatible mobility
and frequency bands.
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
The and buttons allows to display graphs associated with the currently selected coding
scheme.
6.4.8.5 Displaying Rate Graphs
In GPRS/EDGE technology, coding schemes are linked with data transmission redundancy level. The least redundancy
deals with riskier data transmissions with potentially higher transmission rates. The most redundancy deals with safer data
transmissions but with lower rates. Coding schemes are hence defined in order to obtain the best compromise between
enough transmission speed and safety of data packet transmission. That is why each coding scheme has an optimum
working range depending on either C or C/I values. This can be pointed out through graphs attached with the definition of
each coding scheme linked to GPRS/EDGE equipment.
To display the rate graph as function of C or C/I values for a given coding scheme:
1. Access properties dialogue of the equipment you want to adjust the associated coding schemes,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Click on the Thresholds tab,
Either,
- Click on the C or C/I cell you want to display the associated rate graph,
Or,
a. Select the row of the coding scheme you want to display a rate graph,
b. Click either the or button to open the graph (as function respectively of C or C/
I) dialogue,
4. The Rate graph window opens. It consists in a table where you can define C (or C/I) and rate values (copying
and pasting a set of values, adding and deleting values is possible) and a part where the graph is displayed,
5. Click OK or close the window.
Note: In the case of GPRS/EDGE, two sets of charts (C and C/I) can be given: one is related to
the GPRS mode and another one related to the EDGE mode. If the option Edge is not
checked, Atoll considers that the charts (C and C/I) are related to the GPRS mode, else it
uses them as charts related to the EDGE mode.
Note: These graphs show the rate evolution depending on radio conditions (C and C/I) by consid-
ering block error rates. Therefore, from these graphs, you can choose a coding scheme
suitable to radio conditions.
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6.4.8.6 Setting GPRS/EDGE Transmitters
In Atoll, transmitters part of network dealing either with GPRS or EDGE can be or not considered as GPRS/EDGE sectors
by default. If not, they are taken as classical GSM stations.
To assign GPRS/EDGE properties to any transmitter:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
Either,
a. Double click the Transmitters folder to open the associated table,
b. Check the boxes associated with such transmitters in the GPRS/EDGE column,
c. Assign the associated GPRS/EDGE to cells,
Or
a. Access the properties dialogue of the transmitter you want to define as a GPRS/EDGE station,
b. Click on the Equipment tab,
c. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the current window,
d. Check the GPRS/EDGE Station box and complete the GPRS/EDGE equipment field,
e. Click OK or Apply to validate.
6.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Management
The Atoll GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic model is flexible, versatile and comprehensive. This traffic model introduces the notion
of service in the GSM/GPRS/EDGE documents allowing the user to completely model the multi-service 2G/2.5G network
traffic. The salient parameters in this regard are the settings of a GSM/GPRS/EDGE parameters folder containing:
Services,
Terminal types,
Mobility types,
User profiles,
Environment classes
All of these items are classified into subfolders. In addition to these, the folder also contains a GPRS dimensioning model
subfolder.
Finally, Atoll provides the possibility to create various types of traffic maps: per environment, per user profile (vector), per
user density, or by using live traffic data.
Furthermore, the traffic analysis feature allows the user to manipulate the created traffic maps in order to use them in
prediction studies and in the dimensioning procedure.
A user profile can be considered to be the principal data for the traffic maps. It describes the behaviour of a certain type
of users in terms of terminal type, service and mobility. This data can then be used to generate traffic environments that
contain a certain type of users with a certain density. Traffic maps can then be based on environments, user profiles,
throughput per sector (Live traffic) and densities.
6.5.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Multi-service Traffic Data
6.5.1.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Services
6.5.1.1.1 Creating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Services
The traffic model allows the user to define not only voice but also data services in GSM/GPRS/EDGE documents. Services
are divided into two categories: circuit switched and packet switched. Currently, the circuit switched service includes only
GSM voice services that use a single timeslot.
To create a service:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
Notes
When choosing the equipment, all pieces of equipment previously described in the GPRS/EDGE
equipment folder are available in the GPRS/EDGE equipment scrolling menu. If none is chosen,
Atoll does not consider the associated transmitter in the GPRS/EDGE specific studies,
All these inputs are also available in the station template description.
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6. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the created service,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
6.5.1.1.2 Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE Service Parameters
Similar to the other Atoll object folders, GSM/GPRS/EDGE services are easily manageable. Creation steps and display
management are standard.
To manage the GSM/EGPRS services parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Services folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the service of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the service of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Click the available tabs to adjust the parameters of the current service,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
The maximum blocking rate defines the call blocking or call queuing rate for the GSM voice services and the prob-
ability of delayed packet arrivals for EGPRS data services.
The field minimum throughput per user defines the lower threshold on the user throughput and is one of the inputs
for the dimensioning process for EGPRS networks. The dimensioning takes into account the availability per-
centage of this minimum throughput as well. These two criteria tell Atoll dimensioning engine that the defined min-
imum user throughput should be available for at least that percentage of cell coverage.
Maximum allowable delay for a certain type of service is another input to the dimensioning process. This is the
user level delay perceived accessing a given service, i.e., web, ftp, e-mail, etc.
The maximum number of timeslots can be specified to limit the allocation at the dimensioning within a practical/
feasible range for the network operator.
The throughput scaling factor and offset are used in determining the user or application level throughput in RLC/
MAC throughput/timeslot prediction studies. These two parameters model the header information and other sup-
plementary data that does not appear at the application level.
6.5.1.1.3 Managing Globally GSM/GPRS/EDGE Services
Atoll allows the user to simultaneously display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, envi-
ronment types) in a table window.
To open the services table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Notes
For a circuit switched service the user can specify the maximum blocking rate (stated in term of
Erlang B or C).
For each packet switched service the user can enter, apart from a maximum permissible blocking
rate, a maximum permissible delay, a minimum required throughput with a percentage of cov-
erage that should at least be provided with this throughput, and minimum/maximum number of
timeslots allowed to be multiplexed per user for that particular service.
Note: When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the
properties dialogues of different services within the subfolder without closing. To do this,
use the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous service properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last service properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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Either,
a. Right-click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Services folder,
3. The services table opens.
4. Click on to close the table.
The services table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste
functions are available.
6.5.1.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Mobility Types
6.5.1.2.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Mobility Type
With the knowledge of user mobility, i.e., speed, Atoll can analyse multi-layer traffic. In a multi-layer GSM/GPRS/EDGE
network, a user speed is one of the main criteria that is taken into account at the moment of connection establishment
when there are more than 1 possible servers available. A fast moving mobile is usually allocated a channel from the macro/
umbrella layer rather than from the micro layer to minimize signalling and hence computational load on the system.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobility type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Mobility type folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Set the parameters of the currently created mobility,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
6.5.1.2.2 Setting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Mobility Type
Like for the other Atoll object folders, GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobility types are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the mobility types parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Mobility type folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the mobility of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the mobility of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current mobility,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
Notes
The advanced grouping/filtering/sorting feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the Services folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also manage
the contents of the services table. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields
available in the different windows.
When the Services table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any service by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
Note: A maximum speed for each HCS (Hierarchical Cell Structure) layer is defined in the Net-
work settings that allows each HCS layer to capture a certain type of traffic within defined
mobility limitations.
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6.5.1.2.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Mobility Types Globally
Atoll allows the user to simultaneously display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, envi-
ronment types) in a table window.
To open the mobility types table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Mobility types folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Mobility types folder,
3. The mobility types table opens.
4. Click on to close the table.
The mobility types table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/
paste functions are available.
6.5.1.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminals
6.5.1.3.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminal
A terminal defines the capabilities of a mobile terminal in terms of the number of timeslots it can multiplex in downlink (if it
is defined as GPRS/EDGE compatible), the frequency bands, and the technology it is compatible with.
During traffic analysis (capture), packet switched service can only work with GPRS or GPRS/EDGE technology compatible
mobile terminals. On the other hand, circuit switched service can be associated to GSM technology compatible mobile
terminals as well as GPRS and GPRS/EDGE technology compatible mobile terminals. Therefore, Atoll will distribute:
Circuit switched service users in the service areas of GSM and GPRS/EDGE stations,
Packet switched service users with GPRS technology compatible mobile terminals in the service areas of GPRS/
EDGE stations with GPRS/EDGE equipment supporting either only GPRS, or both GPRS and EDGE technolo-
gies,
Packet switched service users with GPRS/EDGE technology compatible mobile terminals in the service areas of
GPRS/EDGE stations with GPRS/EDGE equipment supporting both GPRS and EDGE technologies.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminal:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Terminals folder to open the associated context menu,
Notes
When the Mobility type table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any mobility by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different types of mobility within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use
the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous mobility properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last mobility properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Notes
The advanced grouping/filtering/sorting feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the mobility types folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also
manage the contents of the mobility types table. Use the What's this help to get description
about the fields available in the different windows.
When the Mobility type table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any mobility by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
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4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Set the parameters of the currently created terminal,
- Specify the compliant technology type(s) with the current terminal
- Since a GPRS or GPRS/EDGE technology compatible mobile terminal can consume/communicate over mul-
tiple timeslots simultaneously, in that case indicate the number of downlink timeslots.
- Specify the frequency band(s) the mobile terminal is compatible with. The definition of compatible fre-
quency bands again allows the software to allocate the mobile to a certain network layer in the multilayer sce-
nario with multiple bands (GSM900 and DCS1800 layers, for example).
- You may define a compatible GPRS/EGPRS equipment for the terminal type.
- You may also assign a compatible codec equipment by selecting from the list.
- It is also possible to restrict the number of coding schemes by defining the highest CS and MCS coding
schemes compatible with the terminal type.
- A noise figure for each terminal type can be defined. This value is added to the reference thermal noise during
the relevant calculations for determining the C/N and C/(I+N) graphs from C and C/I graphs respectively.
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
6.5.1.3.2 Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminal Parameters
Like for the other Atoll object folders, GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminals are easily manageable. Creation steps and the display
management are standard.
To manage the terminal parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Terminals folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the terminal of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the terminal of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current terminal,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
Note: Highest CS and MCS are linked with the same limits available at the TRX level (coming
from the selected TRX equipment).
Notes
When the Terminal table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any terminal by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different terminals within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous terminal properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last terminal properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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6.5.1.3.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminals Globally
Atoll allows the user to simultaneously display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, envi-
ronment types) in a table window.
To open the terminals table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Terminals folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Terminals folder,
3. The terminals table opens.
4. Click on to close the table.
The terminals table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste
functions are available.
6.5.1.4 GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profiles
6.5.1.4.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile
User profiles model the behaviour of the different subscriber categories. Each user profile is constituted by a list of services
and their associated usage parameters such as used terminal, call or session frequency (calls/hour) and duration or data
volume to be transferred.
Parameters for circuit switched services are:
Average number of calls per hour,
Average duration of a call in seconds,
Used terminal (equipment used for the service (from the Terminals table)).
Parameters for packet switched services are:
Average number of sessions per hour,
Volume in Kilobytes which is transferred on the downlink during a session,
Used terminal (equipment used for the service (from the Terminals table)).
These parameters are used in traffic distribution to assign a certain traffic type to a certain layer and station that can
manage the said traffic.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the User profiles folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Set the parameters of the currently created user profile,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the Terminals folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also manage
the contents of the terminals table. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields
available in the different windows.
When the Terminal table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any terminal by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
Notes
For circuit-switched services, entering a one-hour call during 1000s corresponds to define 2 calls
per hour during 500s; the activity probability is the same in both cases.
You can model temporal variations of user behaviour by creating different profiles for different
hours (busy hour, etc.).
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6.5.1.4.2 Adjusting GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Properties
Like for the other Atoll object folders, GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profiles are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the user profile parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the User profiles folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the user profile of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated context
menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the user profile of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current user profile,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
6.5.1.4.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profiles Globally
Atoll allows the user to display simultaneously all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, envi-
ronment types) in a table window.
To open the user profiles table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the User profiles folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the User profiles folder,
3. The user profiles table opens.
4. Click on to close the table.
The user profiles table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste
functions are available.
Notes
When the User profiles table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any user type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different user profiles within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous user profile properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last user profile properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the User profiles folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also
manage the contents of the user profiles table. Use the What's this help to get description
about the fields available in the different windows.
When the User profiles table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any user type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
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6.5.1.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environments
6.5.1.5.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment
Environment classes may be used to describe subscriber spatial distribution on a map; they are the available classes for
traffic cartography design. An environment class represents an economic and social concept, which defines the charac-
teristics of user profiles. Each environment class contains a set of three data (user profile, mobility, density) where density
is a number of subscribers with the same profile per km. There is no restriction on the number of data sets constituting
an environment.
To get an appropriate user distribution, you may assign weights per clutter classes, for each environment class.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Environments folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the currently created environment,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
Particular case: When no multi-service geo-marketing data are available, you may supply Atoll with usual traffic data like
user densities per service (for example, values coming from adapted GSM Erlang maps).Traffic distribution will only
depend on densities per service.
6.5.1.5.2 Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Parameters
Like for the other Atoll object folders, GSM/GPRS/EDGE environments are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the environments parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Environments folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the environment type of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated con-
text menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the environment type of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Click the available tabs to adjust the parameters of the current environment,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
Notes
To get an appropriate user distribution, you may assign weights per clutter classes, for each envi-
ronment class in the Clutter weighting tab.
When the Environments table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any environment type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the
associated arrow at left.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different environments within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous environment properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last environment properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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6.5.1.5.3 Managing Globally GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Types
Atoll allows the user to simultaneously display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, envi-
ronment types) in a table window.
To open the environment types table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the Environments folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Environments folder,
3. The Environment type table opens.
The environment types table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/
paste functions are available.
6.5.1.5.4 Subscriber Clutter Weighting in GSM/GPRS/EDGE Area
Enter a weight for each clutter class in order to get an appropriate user distribution.
The following formula is used for calculations:
where:
Examples: We consider a square of 10 km. The subscriber density is 100/km. So, in this square, 1000 subscribers have
to be considered. The square is made of two clutter classes: Open and Building. The clutter weighting is 1 for Open, and
4 for Building.
1. The square is equally made of Open and Building pixels. In that case, for this square 1000 subscribers will be
considered, 200 over the Open clutter class and 400 over the Building class.
2. The area covered by the Open pixels represents 80% of the square. The remaining area is covered with Building
pixels. In that case, for this square 1000 subscribers will be considered, 500 over the Open clutter class and 500
over the Building class.
6.5.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Multi-service Traffic Cartography
Atoll provides 4 types of traffic maps for GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects:
Traffic raster maps based on environments: each pixel of the map is assigned an environment class.
Traffic vector maps based on user profiles: each polygon or line contains a density of subscribers with given user
profile and mobility type.
Traffic maps per transmitter and per service: live traffic is spread over a best server coverage plot.
Traffic raster maps based on traffic densities: actual traffic density (Erlangs/km for circuit services, kbps for packet
services) per pixel can be used to create a map of this type.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the Environments folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also
manage the contents of the environment types table. Use the What's this help to get descrip-
tion about the fields available in the different windows.
When the Environments table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any environment type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the
associated arrow at left.
Number of users in the k clutter
Number of users in a zone area
k clutter weight at fixed surface
k clutter surface (stated in km)

=
i
i i
k k
Area k
S W
S W
N N
k
N
Area
N
k
w
k
S
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Whatever the type of map is, this one can be either created or modified manually, imported from an external file and
exported to an external file.
6.5.2.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Maps
6.5.2.1.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Map
There are two solutions to define an environment traffic map, either by creating environment polygons or by directly import-
ing a raster map in your project as an environment traffic map.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on environments (raster) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Use the cartography editor (selecting one of the available environment classes as defined in the environment
folder) to draw environment polygons,
7. Click the button to close the editor.
6.5.2.1.2 Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Map
There are two solutions to define an environment traffic map, either by creating environment polygons or by directly import-
ing a raster map (with the appropriate format) in your project as an environment traffic map.
To import a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map from an external file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on environments (raster) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate,
9. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
10. In the name column, click cells in order to replace class (codes or clutter) names by existing environment
classes,
11. Press OK or Apply to validate.
Notes
Like other raster maps, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
You can only choose among existing environment classes in the cartography editor. To make
available additional classes, do it in the GSM/GPRS/EDGE parameters.
Notes
Importing a file as a traffic map can be also made through the generic import (selection of the
environment traffic type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
Clutter files can be imported as traffic files,
In order to manage traffic on the entire map, this operation must be carried out for all classes.
The description table can be fully copied and pasted (using Ctrl+V and Ctrl+C) in a new Atoll
project after importing the raster file. To select globally the environment class table, click on the
top left angle of the environment table.
Like other raster maps, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
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6.5.2.1.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Maps
On an existing environment traffic map, you can access properties and it is possible to modify the class association and
its display settings.
To access the properties of an existing environment traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right-click on the related environment map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related environment map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click the description tab to re-associate environment classes,
5. Click the display tab to set the transparency level, the visibility scale and to add the map information to the
legend,
6. Press OK or Apply to validate.
It is also possible to access the properties of a single file composing the resulting map (properties command in the related
context menu) to embed it into the atl project or to check the map geocoding.
6.5.2.1.4 Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Map
Like the other GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic map types (user profile, live traffic or user density), it is possible to export a envi-
ronment traffic map in either a 8 bits/pixel raster tiff, bil or bmp format. It is possible to export a part or the complete envi-
ronment traffic map.
To export a part or the complete environment traffic map in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Right-click on the Environment map folder in order to get the related context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported,
6. Click the Save button when this is made,
7. In the Export dialogue, select one of the options and define the resolution (in metres) of file:
- The Entire Project Area option allows you to save the whole traffic map in another file. As soon as the file is
saved, the properties (name, etc.) of the traffic maps listed in the Environment Traffic subfolder are updated.
- The Only Pending Changes option allows just to save in the file the created traffic polygonal area. As soon as
the modifications are saved, an additional traffic item is created and listed in the Environment Traffic subfolder.
- The Computation Zone option allows you to save only traffic map region inside the computation zone in
another file. As soon as the file is saved, an additional traffic object is created and listed in the Environment
Traffic subfolder. To enable this option, you must have drawn a computation zone beforehand.
- A resolution value is suggested; it is defined for raster traffic from the following criteria:
- If one traffic object is clipped, the displayed resolution will be the object resolution.
- If several objects are modified, the suggested resolution will be the smallest resolution of the altered items.
- If there is no initial traffic item, the resolution will equal the resolution of DTM object which the modifications
are made on or the smallest resolution of the merged DTM objects if the modifications are performed on
several DTM objects.
- If you draw your own traffic data without initial DTM, clutter or traffic object, a 100 m default resolution will
be suggested.
- The resolution value must be an integer.
- The minimum resolution is set to 1 metre.
8. Click OK to validate.
Notes
Absolute and relative statistics can be provided for this type of map.
Atoll provides the possibility to export the cumulated traffic when working on several traffic
map(s), whatever there types are.
Comment: When you save files using BIL, TIF, and BMP formats, .hdr, .tfw and .bpw files are automat-
ically created in the same folder. The .hdr, .tfw and .bpw files are respectively associated
with .bil, .tif and .bmp files; they contain geocoding information and resolution.
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6.5.2.1.5 Displaying Statistics on GSM/GPRS/EDGE Environment Traffic Maps
It is possible to display statistics on an existing GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map. Statistics are given globally
and relatively as functions of environment traffic classes. Traffic density statistics indicates the proportion of each traffic
class. Traffic statistics refer to the focus zone is existing.
To display traffic statistics of the map in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Right-click on the Environment Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Choose the Statistics option from the scrolling menu
5. The surface (Si in km) of imported or edited traffic class (i) included in the focus (if existing) zone and its per-
centage (% of i) are specified:
6.5.2.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Maps
6.5.2.2.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Map
In Atoll, user profile traffic maps can be defined in any type of project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or cdmaOne/
CDMA2000). The vector data (points, lines, polygonal shapes) are expected to directly link a dedicated user profile, mobil-
ity and traffic density. The way to get user profile traffic maps consists in either importing vector files (MapInfo(MIF, MID),
Arcview (SHP), Autocad(DXF)) and using them as traffic maps or creating vectors with the vector editor and assign them
some traffic information.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on user profiles (vector) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
7. Potentially define traffic information (user profile, mobility type, density) in the Table tab, assign them to Atoll
internal traffic fields in the Traffic tab, and use the vector editor to draw environment polygons, lines or points,
8. Click the button to close the editor.
See "Examples of GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Data" on page 219.
6.5.2.2.2 Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Map
In Atoll, user profile traffic maps can be defined in any type of project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or cdmaOne/
CDMA2000). The vector data (points, lines, polygonal shapes) are expected to directly link a dedicated user profile, mobil-
ity and traffic density. The way to get user profile traffic maps consists in either importing vector files (MapInfo(MIF, MID),
Arcview (SHP), Autocad(DXF)) and using them as traffic maps or creating vectors with the vector editor and assign them
some traffic information.
To import a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on user profiles (vector) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
Notes
If no focus zone is defined, statistics are given over the computation zone.
Current statistics are printable by clicking the button.
100 of % =

k
k
i
S
S
i
Notes
Like other vector layers, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
Points can be seen as traffic hotspots.
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5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate. A dialogue is displayed in order to configure traffic vector data.
9. Click the Traffic tab,
10. In the Traffic fields part, specify the user profiles to be considered on the traffic vector map, their mobility types
(km/h) and their densities (number of users/km for polygons and number of user/km for lines). You can decide
the type of information that you want to use to define the traffic characteristics, either a field described in the file
(by field option in the Defined column) or a value directly user-definable in Atoll (by value option in the Defined
column).
- The first method can be used only if the file you are importing contains attributes providing information about
the user profile, mobility or density. In this case, select in the Choice column a suitable field for each data (user
profile, mobility and density); Atoll lists all the attributes described in the file. The attributes of the source file
cannot be modified. Using this method, each traffic polygon or linear is assigned specific characteristics (user
profile, mobility or density).
- The second way is useful when traffic files contain no attribute. Therefore, you may assign manually user pro-
files, mobility types and densities created in Atoll. Select in the Choice column user profile and mobility listed
in GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters folder and specify manually a global density for all the polygons. Before-
hand, just make sure to define in GSM/GPRS/EDGE Parameters the internal data like user profile and
mobility you want to allocate. Here, all the polygons are described by global characteristics (user profile,
mobility or density).
11. In the Clutter weighting part, assign a weight to each clutter class. Thus, Atoll allows you to spread traffic inside
the polygons according to the clutter weighting defined for the whole subfolder. The spreading operation (using a
raster step) will be carried out during the simulation process.
12. Press OK to validate the properties setting.
See "Examples of GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Data" on page 219.
6.5.2.2.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Maps
To access the properties of an existing user profile traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right-click on the related user profile traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related user profile traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the General tab to either embed the file into the atl project, to relocate the map by the definition of the
appropriate coordinate system, by imposing sorts on the vector organisation or filters on the vector display,
5. Click on the Table tab to manage the content of the vector,
6. Click on the Traffic tab to re-associate vector fields and Atoll internal traffic fields, and to impose subscriber clutter
weighting using this map for the traffic analysis,
7. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
8. Press OK or Apply to validate.
Note: Take care to define in Atoll user profiles and mobility types described in traffic file with
exact spelling.
Notes
Importing a file as a traffic map can be also made through the generic import (selection of the
Traffic type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
During the import procedure, if the imported user profiles or mobility types are not currently part
of the existing user profiles or mobility types, Atoll warns you about the fact that these may not
be correctly taken into account as traffic data.
Path and description are stored in the external user configuration file.
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6.5.2.2.4 Examples of GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Data
Structure of two vector traffic files is described hereafter. Niceregion.mif consists in eleven polygons representing the Nice
region. Each polygon is characterised by a user profile, the services offered to subscribers, their mobility types and densi-
ties. Densities are stated in number of subscribers per km. Highway.mif represents a highway (linear) where density corre-
sponds to a number of subscribers per km.
Niceregion.mif
Using the user profile traffic import procedure, it is possible to associate (Traffic tab of the properties dialogue):
To user profile: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Userprofile field of the vector (by field),
with a different definition for each polygon,
To mobility: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Mobility field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon,
To density: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Density field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon.
Highway.mif
Using the user profile traffic import procedure, it is possible to associate (Traffic tab of the properties dialogue):
To user profile: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the User_profile field of the vector (by field),
with a different definition for each polygon,
To mobility: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Mobility field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon,
To density: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Density field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon.
6.5.2.2.5 Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE User Profile Traffic Map
Like the other GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic map types (environment, live traffic or user density), it is possible to export user
profile traffic maps.
To export a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the user profile traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Possible formats are Arcview
(.shp), MapInfo (.mif) and the Atoll internal format (.agd),
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
6.5.2.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Maps per Sector
6.5.2.3.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Map per Sector
This kind of traffic map requires a coverage by transmitter prediction study. Then, Atoll expects on each transmitter service
area, a number of Erlangs in case of speech service and rate values (kbps) for packet-switched services.
Note: Atoll provides the possibility to export the cumulated traffic when working on several traffic
map(s), whatever there types are.
Name
User
Profile
Services Used Mobility
Densit
y
Hinterland rural user Speech 90 km/h 8
Village rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Corniche rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Rural rural user Speech 90 km/h 8
Villages rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Nice urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 700
Nice airport urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 700
Nice surroundings rural user Speech 50 km/h 100
Rural rural user Speech 90 km/h 5
Villages rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Nice centre urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 4000
ID User_profile Service Used Density Mobility
highway driver Speech 400 120 km/h
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The definition of GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic maps per sector can be made either from a direct creation on the basis of
a coverage by transmitter study previously calculated or by importing a file.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on transmitters and services option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Select the prediction study to be considered for traffic distribution. Only coverage per transmitter studies can
be used. A table where you can indicate the live traffic spread over the transmitter service areas is available. It
consists in a column dedicated to transmitters and several columns for the different services previously defined in
the GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Parameters folder. Three ways enable you to fill in this table:
- In the TX_ID column, select each row, click on the arrow and choose a transmitter in the list. Then, enter
Erlangs for speech service and rate values (kbits/s) for packet-switched services for each transmitter.
- You may also use the copy and paste commands (respectively Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) from an Excel file already
containing the expected columns.
- Finally, it is possible to import an ASCII text file (only .txt format is supported) containing the expected col-
umns. To do this, click on the Actions button and choose Import.
7. Press OK to continue the map creation.
8. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
9. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. Click the Traffic tab of the opened property dialogue and define
terminal and mobility ratios by entering percentage values for each terminal and each mobility type (they will be
used in the traffic scenario). You may also specify a weight per clutter class to spread traffic over each coverage
area. The spreading operation will be performed during the traffic distribution.
10. Click OK to validate. Atoll creates an object called "Traffic map per transmitter" in the Traffic folder of the Geo tab.
6.5.2.3.2 Updating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Map per Sector
Live traffic maps per transmitter can be updated afterwards when a transmitter is added or removed. In this case, you first
have to recalculate the coverage by transmitter prediction study. Then, you may update the traffic map.
To update the traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click the traffic map that you want to refresh,
3. Select Update from the context menu,
4. In the open dialogue, select the updated coverage by transmitter prediction study and define traffic values for the
new transmitter(s) listed at the bottom of the table. Note that deleted or deactivated transmitters are automatically
removed from the table.
5. Click OK. The traffic map property dialogue appears with the same settings as the ones initially defined.
6. Click OK. The traffic map is updated on the basis of the selected coverage by transmitter prediction study.
Moreover, it is possible to update traffic values (Erlangs or rates) in the Table related to the map.
To update traffic values in the table:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click the traffic map of which you want to display the data table,
3. Select Open Table from the context menu,
4. Edit the content of the table by entering the value directly in the field.
6.5.2.3.3 Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Map per Sector
The definition of GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic maps per sector can be made either from a direct creation on the basis of
a coverage by transmitter study previously calculated or by importing a file.
You may import files with AGD format. This is the Atoll geographic data internal format. This kind of file must be created
from Atoll (export of a coverage by transmitter study in the AGD format).
Note: It is possible to define either one map per service or one map with all services.
Note: The map only contains the service areas of transmitters listed in the table. It can be updated
afterwards when a transmitter is added or removed. Moreover, it is possible to modify traffic
values (throughputs or number of users) afterwards in the Table related to the map.
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To import a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on transmitters and services option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Select the option "embed in the document" to include the file in the .atl document. When this option is not selected,
Atoll just memorizes the file directory path.
9. In the coordinate systems part, Atoll summarises the projection coordinate system you have defined in the .atl
project. In the box just below, specify the coordinate system of the file you are importing (click on Change... to
choose another coordinate system).
10. Press the button to validate,
11. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. Click the Traffic tab of the opened property dialogue and define
terminal and mobility ratios by entering percentage values for each terminal and each mobility type (they will be
used in the traffic scenario). You may also specify a weight per clutter class to spread traffic over each coverage
area. The spreading operation will be performed during the traffic distribution.
12. Click OK to validate,
13. Open the table related to the map in order to define the traffic existing inside each polygon. Therefore, for each
row of the table, enter Erlangs for speech service and rate values (kbits/s) for packet-switched services,
14. Close the table.
6.5.2.3.4 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Maps per Sector
Management features of vector maps are available for traffic maps per transmitter: standard graphical features are avail-
able in the Display tab of the map property dialogue and each map has a corresponding table. This table contains the
transmitters used to build the map and traffic information for each of them.
To access the properties of an existing live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right-click on the related live traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related live traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the General tab to either embed the file into the atl project, to relocate the map by the definition of the
appropriate coordinate system, by imposing sorts on the vector organisation or filters on the vector display,
5. Click on the Table tab to manage the content of the vector,
6. Click on the Traffic tab to re-define terminal and mobility ratios and to impose subscriber clutter weighting using
this map for the traffic analysis,
7. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
8. Press OK or Apply to validate.
To open the table related to an existing live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Right-click on the related live traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on Open
The management of the table is generic and can be accessed from the Table tab of the properties dialogue or from the
Table context menu (Fields command). Sorts and Filters features on the display are also available.
Note: It is also possible to import a traffic map per transmitter using the standard import procedure
(Import command in the File menu). In this case, you must specify in the import dialogue
that you want to import the file in the Traffic folder.
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6.5.2.3.5 Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Live Traffic Map per Sector
Like the other GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic map types (environment, user profile or user density), it is possible to export live
traffic maps per sector.
To export a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the live traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Possible format is the Atoll
internal format (.agd),
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
6.5.2.4 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Maps
6.5.2.4.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Map
This type of traffic maps allows the user to express the traffic density directly in the form of a map using graphical vector
layers. The user can add vector layers and draw the regions with different traffic densities. The user can also specify the
distribution of Terminal types, Mobility types, and Services for the map based on traffic density.
The definition of GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic maps can be made either from a direct creation by drawing or by
importing a raster (16 or 32-bit format) file.
To create a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on densities option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate. Atoll adds a subfolder in the Traffic folder.
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
7. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. In the Traffic tab, you can describe the distribution of different
types of traffic. Specify the percentages of the distribution of different Terminal types, Mobility types and Services
in the map (they will be used in the traffic scenario). You can also manage the Display properties of the map from
the Display tab.
Note: Atoll provides the possibility to export the cumulated traffic when working on several traffic
map(s), whatever there types are.
Note: It is possible to create multiple maps based on traffic density with different distribution of
Terminal types, Mobility types and Services.
Notes
The map contains traffic density per pixel directly entered by the user. So, if the user has entered
a traffic density of 100 users per km, Atoll will allocate x users per pixel (depending on the pixel
size) and these x users will be distributed according to the percentages given in the Traffic tab
of the maps properties window.
It is possible to modify traffic distribution (Terminal types, Mobility types and Services) afterwards
in the properties of the map.
- Atoll creates an object called "Traffic density map" in the Traffic folder of the Geo tab. A
vector layer is automatically created in this subfolder,
- Edit this vector layer to define geographical areas with a certain traffic density. To
change the traffic density, you have to open the vector layer table and enter values in the
Traffic density(Density) column.
- Close the table to validate.
Notes
You can turn the vector editor ON and OFF either through the Edit... menu in the Traffic density
Maps context menu or through the Edit menu in the vector layers context menu.
In this type of traffic maps, you are not asked to specify a clutter weighting as it is already the
traffic density per pixel that is stored in the map.
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6.5.2.4.2 Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Map
The definition of GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic maps can be made either from a direct creation by drawing or by
importing a raster (16 or 32-bit format) file. The supported formats are BIL (16 or 32 bit), BMP, PlaNET, TIFF, ISTAR, Erdas
Imagine formats
To import a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on densities option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic density option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate,
9. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
10. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. In the Traffic tab, you can describe the distribution of different
types of traffic. Specify the percentages of the distribution of different Terminal types, Mobility types and
Services in the map (they will be used in the traffic scenario). You can also manage the Display properties of the
map from the Display tab.
11. Click OK to close the dialogue.
6.5.2.4.3 Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Maps
Management features of vector maps are available for traffic density maps: limited set of graphical features are available
in the Display tab of the map property dialogue and each map has a corresponding table. This table contains the traffic
density values used.
To access the properties of an existing user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right-click on the related user density traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related live traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the Traffic tab to re-define Terminal, Mobility and Services ratios using this map for the traffic analysis,
5. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
6. Press OK or Apply to validate.
To open the table related to an existing user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Expand the User density Traffic subfolder by clicking on the button in front of it,
4. Right-click on the vector layer to open the associated context menu,
5. Click in the scrolling menu on Open
The management of the table is generic and can be accessed from the Table tab of the vector properties dialogue or from
the Table context menu (Fields command). Sorts and Filters features on the display are also available.
Notes
Importing a file as a traffic map can be also made through the generic import (selection of the
Traffic density type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
The map contains traffic density per pixel directly entered by the user. So, if the user has entered
a traffic density of 100 users per km, Atoll will allocate x users per pixel (depending on the pixel
size) and these x users will be distributed according to the percentages given in the Traffic tab
of the maps properties window,
It is possible to modify traffic distribution (Terminal types, Mobility types and Services) afterwards
in the properties of the map.
In this type of traffic maps, you are not asked to specify a clutter weighting as it is already the
traffic density per pixel that is stored in the map.
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6.5.2.4.4 Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Density Map
Like the other GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic map types (environment, user profile or live traffic), it is possible to export user
density traffic maps.
To export a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the user density traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Possible format are BIL (only
32 bit) and BMP formats,
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
6.5.2.5 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Cumulated Traffic
6.5.2.5.1 Exporting the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Cumulated Traffic
Atoll allows the user to export the cumulated traffic generated with all the traffic maps in the environment. The cumulated
traffic can be exported in BIL (only 32 bit) and ArcView Grid formats. These exported files can later be imported and used
as traffic density maps in Atoll and used for the traffic analysis.
To export a raster file containing the cumulated traffic density:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on the Export cumulated traffic command,
4. Specify the directory where you want to save the exported file, the file name and the file type in the opened
dialogue,
5. Select the area to consider, the terminal, mobility and service(s) to be filtered on the selected traffic map(s),
and the raster resolution,
6. Press OK to validate
The exported traffic map will be made of pixels of:
Erlangs/km for circuit services
kbps/km for packet services
6.5.3 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Analysis
Traffic analysis allows the user to analyse the traffic from maps at the transmitter level. This feature, in general, distributes
the traffic from the maps to all the transmitters in each layer according to the compatibility criteria defined in the transmitter,
services, mobility, terminal items. More specifically, this feature allows Atoll to allocate the traffic to each transmitter of
each layer (micro/macro, multiband, etc.) taking into account the criteria defined in the user profiles and the transmitters.
For example, an EGPRS enabled transmitter will be allocated the data user traffic while a transmitter not having the
EGPRS functionality will only carry the GSM voice traffic.
Similarly, a user using a GSM900 band mobile phone will not be allocated to a transmitter that only functions on the
DCS1800 band, and so on and so forth.
This feature allows the user to create multiple traffic distributions with different criteria and to later analyse the network
according to any of them.
6.5.3.1 Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Capture
To perform a traffic analysis:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Traffic analysis folder and choose New in the associated context menu,
3. The property dialogue opens. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the currently created traffic dis-
tribution,
- The General tab: Here, you may type the name of the traffic analysis, add some comments and filter the trans-
mitters which you want to spread the traffic over.
Note: Atoll provides the possibility to export the cumulated traffic when working on several traffic
map(s), whatever there types are.
Important: The traffic analysis is a mandatory step before dimensioning. The outputs of a traffic analy-
sis can be used for dimensioning and KPI calculation, and the determination of coverage
study reports and neighbour allocation is based on a default capture.
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- The Source traffic tab: Atoll lists in this tab all the traffic maps available in the .atl document. Select this (or
these) to be considered in the traffic analysis. It is possible to globally scale the traffic maps with a certain mul-
tiplying factor; this factor enables you to increase the traffic request of the map without changing the traffic
map description.
- The Condition tab: Parameters available in the Condition part are used to determine each transmitter service
area which Atoll will distribute traffic and then, the traffic demand. Service areas of subcells are determined
using the option "Best signal level per HCS layer," a 5dB margin and the subcell reception threshold as lower
threshold.
- In case of data traffic, it is possible to base the traffic demand in packet timeslots (using the GPRS/EGPRS
Equipment graph) by considering the current level of interferences I and the receiver noise (using the thermal
noise defined at -121 dBm and the receiver noise figure).
Two options are possible:
- Worst case between C and C/I:; For each C and C/I process, the coding scheme related to the computed
threshold is extracted (from the related GPRS/EGPRS equipment). The minimal value is kept.
- Interpolation between C/N and C/(I+N): For each C and C/I process, the coding scheme related to the com-
puted threshold is extracted (from the related GPRS/EGPRS equipment). The C thresholds are internally con-
verted to C/N thresholds (where N is the receiver noise defined in the Predictions folder property dialogue), in
order to be indexed with the C/(I+N) value. C/I thresholds are also indexed with the C/(I+N) value. The maximal
value is kept.
The demand in packet timeslots is then extracted from the computed coding scheme.
Either confirm by clicking on Calculate in the Condition tab, or
Click on OK to close the dialogue and choose OK in the Atoll dialogue in order to calculate the traffic capture.
After completing calculations, Atoll adds two new tabs named "Results per transmitter" and "Results per subcell" in
the property dialogue producing the outputs of the traffic analysis.
6.5.3.2 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Capture Outputs
After completing calculations, Atoll adds two new tabs named "Results per transmitter" and "Results per subcell" in
the property dialogue of the current traffic capture.
In the Results per transmitter tab, Atoll indicates the traffic allocated to each transmitter. The following columns are
present in the traffic capture Results per transmitter tab:
Circuit Traffic Demand (in Erlangs)
It is the total circuit switched traffic demand for that transmitter in Erlangs. This is computed through integrating the circuit
switched traffic Erlangs per bin within the transmitter coverage area.
Average Demand in Circuit Timeslots
This average considers the effect of Half-rate circuit switched traffic carried by the transmitter. The average demand in
circuit timeslots takes into account the fact that 2 half-rate users are equivalent to 1 full-rate user in terms of Erlangs of
traffic.
Packet Traffic Demand (kbps)
It is the total integrated traffic demand in kilobits per second that is generated by the packet switched users within the
coverage area of that transmitter.
Average Demand in Packet Timeslots
The number of timeslots to be used to match the packet traffic demand depends on the maximum throughput that a packet
timeslot can support.
Average Packet Timeslot Capacity (kbps)
This parameter is calculated according to the RF conditions at each bin/pixel of the transmitter coverage area. The user
can define whether to base this calculation on carrier power or on interferences (C or C/I). The timeslot capacity is
computed for each bin and then averaged over the transmitter coverage area to provide an average timeslot capacity in
kbps.
In the Results per subcell tab, Atoll details the distributed traffic per subcell, service, terminal and mobility. For each
subcell of each transmitter (except BCCH subcell, which is supposed to capture the same traffic as TCH subcells), Atoll
indicates the type(s) of traffic assigned (service, mobility, and terminal). Then, for each set (subcell, service, mobility, termi-
nal), it displays:
The packet switched traffic demand in kilobits per second assigned to that subcell.
The circuit switched traffic demand in Erlangs assigned to that subcell.
The average demand in number of timeslots that match the circuit switched and packet switched traffic demand.
Note: C/I standard deviation values, defined per clutter class, are used when performing a traffic
capture based on C/I or C/(I+N).
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In case of circuit switched services, it depends whether the subcell supports half-rate traffic. If the percentage of half-rate
traffic ratio of the subcell is set to 0, the average demand in circuit timeslots will be the same as the traffic demand in
Erlangs and the number of used timeslots will equal the traffic demand. If there is a certain percentage of half-rate traffic,
the number of used timeslots will depend on the percentage of traffic using half-rate connections.
In case of packet switched services, the demand in packet timeslots depends on the maximum throughput that a timeslot
can support. Hence, it depends on the average timeslot capacity within the transmitter coverage area, which in turn
depends on the RF propagation conditions.
Formulas and calculation details of results are available in the Technical Reference Guide.
6.5.3.3 Using a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Traffic Analysis
Different tools are available on an existing GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic analysis. From its context menu (Right-click), you
may:
Use standard management features (Delete, Rename),
Open the property dialogue of the traffic analysis to check analysis parameters and results (Properties),
Recalculate the traffic analysis (Recalculate),
Select the traffic analysis as the default traffic distribution to be taken into account in coverage study reports and
neighbour allocation (Default). This particular captured traffic is assigned an icon ( ) icon describing it as the
default distribution for studies (distributions other than the default are assigned this icon: ).
Perform dimensioning of network based on a traffic analysis (Dimensioning),
Calculate KPIs of a real network based on the traffic analysis (KPI calculation, etc.),
6.6 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Network Dimensioning
6.6.1 Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dimensioning Models
Dimensioning models are provided at the GSM/GPRS/EDGE parameters level. This item is the basis of GSM/GPRS/
EDGE dimensioning and quality analysis process. A user can define a dimensioning model by providing the simple param-
eters in the properties window.
To set parameters of a dimensioning model:
1. Expand the GSM/GPRS/EDGE parameters folder by clicking on the button,
2. Expand the Dimensioning models subfolder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on a dimensioning model and select Properties in the context menu.
These parameters define the system level conditions to be taken into account when dimensioning the system or
when analysing the quality of service (QoS) of the system.
4. Open the General tab and indicate dimensioning directives:
- The default upper limit on the number of TRXs that can be placed in a transmitter,
- The queuing model for GSM voice calls (Erlang B or Erlang C),
- The lower limit on the number of dedicated packet switched timeslots that must be allocated to the transmitter,
- The upper limit on the number of TRXs that can be added in order for the subcell to fulfil the packet switched
traffic demand
- The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be taken into account when performing the dimensioning process.
5. Open the Quality charts tab including the curves of throughput reduction factor, delay, and blocking probability
used for the dimensioning process of packet switched traffic. All these three curves are against the system load,
which is defined as the ratio of used packet timeslots to the number of timeslots available for communication. Atoll
provides a basic set of curves by default for these parameters. The user can always modify or replace the quality
curves with curves generated through some other software tool using simulation or analytical approaches.
6. Click OK to close the property dialogue.
Note: It is possible to impose a specific maximum number of TRXs for each single transmitter in
its properties.
Notes
The quality model curves should not be modified haphazardly, as it may cause the dimensioning
and quality analysis feature to malfunction.
The curve for delay against network load is left to be entered by the user for the moment.
The curve of blocking probability against network load is for a user multiplexing factor of 8
(default value). The user multiplexing factor corresponds to the number of GPRS/EDGE users
that can be multiplexed on a timeslot. This field has been added in the database structure of the
document template "GSM GPRS EDGE" (EGPRSDimensioningModel table) but it is not used for
the moment. This feature will be completely implemented in a later release.
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6.6.2 Key Performance Indicators: Definitions
The KPIs for GPRS/EDGE packet switched traffic dimensioning are the minimum required throughput, blocking probability
and delay. They are described below.
Minimum Required Throughput
Throughput from a GPRS/EDGE users perspective is the average maximum throughput perceived at the mobile terminal
during a data call. If there are more than one user multiplexed on the same timeslot, which occurs when the system accom-
modates many users, each multiplexed user will perceive a reduction in his throughput per timeslot due to this multiplexing.
This reduction in throughput is depicted by the Reduction Factor. A Reduction Factor of 1, or almost 1, means that each
user is communicating using the maximum throughput that a timeslot can offer in a given environment (the maximum
throughput per timeslot depends, in its turn, on the carrier power or C/I ratio at a given location). As the system starts being
loaded with users, the reduction factor starts decreasing depicting the decrease in throughput per user.
Blocking Probability and Delay
Each user communicating over a packet switching protocol experiences a delay that is due to the buffering of packets, the
resource allocation, and transmission delay. This delay can be restricted to a maximum allowable limit within the properties
of a service. This delay and the blocking probability in the EGPRS system are closely related, meaning that a user starts
to experience more delay in service when the system is near saturation and the incoming packets are placed in a waiting
queue as there are no resources available for immediate transfer. This buffering of packets is related to the load of the
system. Hence the blocking probability is the probability that an incoming packet be placed in a waiting queue. And the
delay is the average delay this packet will undergo due to the blocking as it waits its turn for being transmitted as soon as
some resources are liberated.
6.6.3 Dimensioning GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitters
Atoll allows the user to dimension a GSM/EGPRS network fully and thoroughly. The user can work with multiple traffic
maps, whose traffic has been distributed over the transmitters and network layers, to dimension the transmitters according
to GSM voice and EGPRS data traffic carried. Only one traffic capture can be used for dimensioning computations at a
time.
To run a dimensioning calculation:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic analysis folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on a Traffic capture item, according to which you want to dimension the network, to open the context
menu,
4. Select the Dimensioning command in the opened scrolling menu,
5. In the Dimensioning dialogue, choose the dimensioning model to be used for computations,
You can select the columns you want to display in the table. To do this, click on the Displayed columns button and
select information you wish to display.
6. Click on Calculate button to perform the dimensioning.
Atoll sums up dimensioning inputs and outputs in the table. Atoll displays rows of the table in red when the number of
required TRXs for a transmitter exceeds the maximum number of TRXs per transmitter.
Note: When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the
properties dialogues of different dimensioning models within the subfolder without closing.
To do this, use the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous dimensioning model
properties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing
the properties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last dimensioning model prop-
erties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the
properties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Note: The term system load refers to the ratio of the number of used packet timeslots to the
number of packet switching (shared +dedicated) timeslots available in the system. It has
roughly the same concept as traffic load in the GSM.
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6.6.4 Dimensioning Outputs in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
After a dimensioning procedure, for each subcell of each transmitter, Atoll provides a list of results. All the columns of the
result window are detailed below with their descriptions and meaning:
Transmitter and TRX Type
These two columns define the subcell for which the results are stated in the other columns. For each transmitter, the results
are divided over the TRX types it carries (e.g., BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER).
Required Number of TRXs
This is the principal result of the dimensioning process. This column states the total number of TRXs required to accom-
modate the totality of the circuit switched and packet switched traffic assigned to that subcell considering the Quality of
Service criteria defined for both.
Required Number of Shared/Circuit/Packet Timeslots
This is the distribution of timeslots within each subcell according to the timeslot configurations defined for different TRX
types. Shared timeslots are supposed to be available for both traffic types, while the other two types are dedicated and
can not be inter-assigned.
Load (%)
This is the system load calculated as a percentage ratio of the used packet switched timeslots to the total packet switched
timeslots (shared +dedicated) available in the system. It is a very important parameter as it defines the overall ability of
the system to accommodate more packet switched traffic and its response to rise in packet switched traffic demand. All
the quality curves of the dimensioning model are plotted against this parameter and it is used to compute the resulting
KPIs through these quality charts.
Multiplexing Factor
This is the user multiplexing factor or the TBF multiplexing factor (Temporary Block Flow). This is one of the inputs to the
dimensioning process and describes the number of packet switched service users that can be multiplexed over one times-
lot.
Maximum Number of TRXs per Transmitter
This is also one of the inputs and a limiting parameter for the dimensioning process. This is the maximum number of TRXs
that a transmitter can support. This is a limit provided by the equipment manufacturer. This value is indicated in the dimen-
sioning model properties. You can also define a maximum number of TRXs for each individual transmitter in its respective
properties
Target Rate of Traffic Overflow (%)
Another input to the process. This parameter defines the percentage of traffic that is allowed to overflow from one subcell
in case the traffic assigned to this subcell is more than maximum traffic that it can accommodate with the maximum number
of TRXs it is allowed to carry. It is specified in the subcell properties.
Half-rate Traffic Ratio (%)
Again another input to the dimensioning process. This is the percentage of traffic within a subcell that uses half-rate
access. It is defined in the subcell properties.
Packet Traffic Demand (kbps)
It is the total integrated traffic demand in kilobits per second that is generated by the packet switched users within the
coverage area of that transmitter.
Notes
Dimensioning is based on a traffic capture. Modifications of traffic map(s), traffic parameters and
transmitter properties (e.g., calculation area, GPRS/EDGE equipment, etc.) have an influence
on the traffic capture. Therefore, if you modify some of these data, you must recalculate the traffic
capture before performing dimensioning.
The maximum number of TRXs per transmitter can be defined globally at the dimensioning
model level, as well as individually for each transmitter.
The number of required TRXs can be manually entered in the subcells (table or from each trans-
mitter property) and taken into account by the AFP tool.
Note: When the Target rate of traffic overflow and the Half-Rate traffic ratio values are different for
BCCH and TCH subcells, Atoll takes the BCCH subcell values.
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Average Demand in Packet Timeslots
The number of timeslots to be used to match the packet traffic demand depends on the maximum throughput that a packet
timeslot can support.
Average Number of Timeslots per Connection (Packet)
This is another input describing the average number of timeslots being used by the packet switched traffic users while
accessing different services. Packet switched services allow up to a maximum of 8 timeslots per connection. The average
number of timeslots per connection corresponds to the average number of downlink timeslots, which mobile terminals can
simultaneously communicate over.
Circuit Traffic Demand (Erlangs)
It is the total circuit switched traffic demand for that transmitter in Erlangs. This is computed through integrating the circuit
switched traffic Erlangs per bin within the transmitter coverage area.
Average Demand in Circuit Timeslots
This average considers the effect of Half-rate circuit switched traffic carried by the transmitter. The average demand in
circuit timeslots takes into account the fact that 2 half-rate users are equivalent to 1 full-rate user in terms of Erlangs of
traffic.
Average Number of Timeslots per Connection (Circuit)
This is another input data for the dimensioning process according to the circuit switched services. For the moment the tool
only models GSM or voice calls using 1 timeslot per connection. In the future, when the tool will be able to model the
HSCSD data calls, this parameter will be used more effectively. The number of timeslots per connection is 1 in case of full
rate traffic, otherwise it depends on the half rate traffic ratio.
Served Circuit Traffic (Erlangs)
This is an output of the process that gives the circuit switched traffic in Erlangs that the subcell will serve after the current
dimensioning results are applied. The served circuit traffic is the difference of the circuit traffic demand and the effective
overflowed circuit traffic.
Served Packet Traffic (kbps)
This is an output of the process that gives the packet switched traffic in kbps that the subcell will serve after the current
dimensioning results are applied. The served packet traffic is the difference of the packet traffic demand and the effective
overflowed packet traffic.
Effective Rate of Traffic Overflow (%)
This is the resulting traffic overflow rate for each subcell. For a GSM network this would be the same as the resulting block-
ing probability. For a more varied network, this parameter includes overflow traffic of all the services. The effective rate of
traffic overflow corresponds to the rejected packet traffic due to missing packet timeslots.
In case of Erlang B, the effective rate of traffic overflow corresponds to the effective blocking rate. This value is deduced
from the required number of circuit timeslots (shared +dedicated) and the circuit traffic demand in Erlang B tables.
In case of Erlang C, the effective rate of traffic overflow is zero except if the maximum number of TRXs is exceeded. The
effective blocking rate is inferred from the required number of circuit timeslots (shared +dedicated) and the circuit traffic
demand in Erlang C tables.
Circuit Blocking Rate (/Delay) (%)
This is the GoS output of the network considering only the circuit switched traffic. This can be either the rate with which
calls are blocked or delayed according to the Erlang model (B or C) selected for the dimensioning.
Minimum Throughput Reduction Factor (%)
This is one of the criteria for packet switched traffic dimensioning. It is computed through the data defined in the services
properties, i.e., minimum service throughput, the maximum number of timeslots per connection, the required availability,
and the timeslot capacity per pixel of the subcell coverage area. This parameter is in fact computed at the Traffic Analysis
step but displayed in the dimensioning results, as it is more relevant here.
The minimum throughput reduction factor is the least throughput reduction factor that is allowable for a given service in a
subcell. The minimum throughput reduction factor is stated in percentage. It corresponds to the highest reduction (lowest
Note: In case of concentric cells, the traffic demand on TCH subcells is different from the one
evaluated during the traffic capture. It is calculated from the traffic demand of the capture
and the effective rate of traffic overflow (instead of the maximum rate used in traffic analy-
sis).
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percentage) in throughput that can still guarantee the service availability with the minimum permissible rate (defined for
the service).
Throughput Reduction Factor (%)
This is the resulting throughput reduction factor calculated from the quality charts according to the load and available
connections for each subcell. This reduction factor must be greater than the minimum reduction factor for the packet
switched services to be satisfactorily available in the subcell.
Maximum Delay (s)
This is the input parameter defined for each service that implies that the service will only be satisfactory if the actual delay
remains less the maximum delay.
Delay (s)
This is the KPI computed through the quality charts according to the load and the number of connections available. It must
not exceed the maximum delay defined for the service to be satisfactorily available in the subcell.
Maximum Packet Blocking Rate (/Delay) (%)
This parameter, defined in the service properties, is the maximum blocking probability acceptable for the service.
Packet Blocking Rate (/Delay) (%)
Result of the dimensioning process that should remain less than the input parameter above in order for the service to be
satisfactory. It is also derived from the quality charts according the load and the number of available connections.
6.6.5 Steps of the Dimensioning Process in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Let us assume we have a subcell with circuit switched and packet switched traffic.
Atoll evaluates a number of TRXs so as to have enough circuit timeslots (shared and dedicated) to match the circuit traffic
demand with the effective blocking rate.
Then, it calculates how many TRXs it must add to match the packet traffic demand. This value is determined for a given
packet traffic load from quality charts defined in the dimensioning model.
If the dimensioning model takes into account the three KPIs (minimum throughput reduction factor, maximum delay and
maximum blocking rate), the number of TRXs to add for packet service is calculated such that it complies with the following
conditions:
The throughput reduction factor must be more than the minimum throughput reduction factor.
The delay and the blocking rate must be respectively lower than the maximum delay and maximum blocking rate.
After a computation, click on Commit to assign the results to transmitters (required number of TRXs) and subcells
(the required number of TRXs, load, required number of shared, circuit and packet timeslots and effective rate of traffic
overflow).
Atoll displays rows of the table in red when the number of required TRXs for a transmitter exceeds the maximum number
of TRXs per transmitter.
6.7 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources Allocation
At this step, a GSM/GPRS/EDGE parameters, traffic maps have been defined. A traffic analysis has been performed with
a view to dimension the network. The number of needed resources (TRXs) is known.
The next step is to define transmitters neighbours. This can be made manually, but Atoll proposes an algorithm which
allows you to perform it automatically. Allocating transmitter neighbours manually can also be made for external transmit-
ters from a linked network in co-planning. In addition, Atoll makes easy the visualisation of neighbourhoods on the active
map. An Audit tool of the current neighbourhood plan is also available.
Neighbour definition helps in the Automatic Frequency Planning (AFP) in order to impose frequency separation constraints
on neighbours.
Notes
Dimensioning is based on a traffic capture. Modifications of traffic map(s), traffic parameters and
transmitter properties (e.g., calculation area, GPRS/EGPRS equipment, etc.) have an influence
on the traffic capture. Therefore, if you modify some of these data, you must recalculate the traffic
capture before performing dimensioning.
Formulas and calculation details of parameters listed in the table are available in the technical
reference guide.
The maximum number of TRXs per transmitter can be defined globally at the dimensioning
model level, as well as individually for each transmitter.
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Once the neighbours are known, the resource allocation can be made either manually or by using an automatic allocation
tool. The constraints on it come from the data model itself, from the user which can impose separation constraints on:
Neighbours
Within transmitters
On transmitters located on unique sites
Defined exceptional pairs of subcells.
and from the different dialogues composing the procedure of the AFP.
Concerning the AFP features, Atoll provides a generic AFP interface which is compliant for the use of a specific AFP
model. General constraints are imposed in the generic parts and the strategy directives can be set in the specific model
itself.
This automatic tool will try to reach a best solution respecting also the number of requested resources. Furthermore, this
tool can help you for the determination of HSNs, MAIOs, BSICs, SFHs.
After the resource allocation, the network can be analysed using the use of the following tools:
A tool to check the frequency plan consistency,
A tool to check the consistency between transmitters and subcells,
A channel search tool working on channels, BCCHs and BSICs,
The possibility to compute Key Performance Indicators (KPI) on the basis of a traffic capture and a resource allo-
cation.
The network is the ready for the study of interfered zones, C/I predictions, and specific E/GPRS studies (coding schemes
and throughputs).
6.7.1 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours
6.7.1.1 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitter Neighbours Manually
When defined, cell neighbours are a way to optimise the search of possible cells aiming to perform handover from the
current coverage area. Allocating neighbours in a network is optional. Defining neighbours helps in imposing constraints
for frequency automatic allocation.
Manual allocation of GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours must be performed for each transmitter, one at a time.
To manually allocate GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours:
Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either,
- Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
- Either,
i. Right-click on the transmitter from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Choose the properties option from the context menu,
- Or
i. Double click on the transmitter from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
iii. Use the What's this help to get information about fields available in the current window,
iv. In the displayed window, use the top table. Select the row with the icon, then in the Neighbours col-
umn, click on the cell to choose from the scrolling box the desired neighbour. The list contains the first
32 neighbours of the reference transmitter,
v. Click either another cell of the table, or the button to validate and add a new row to the table,
vi. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
Or
a. Choose the [Neighbours: Intra-technology Neighbours] command from the Transmitters folder context
menu,
b. In the displayed table, use the row with the icon. Click the cell of the Transmitters column to select a ref-
erence transmitter and then, click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour,
c. Click another cell of the table to validate and add a new row to the table,
d. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
In the table, Atoll provides additional information; see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
Note: Neighbours are not a filter for transmitters being part of interferers. All transmitters in a net-
work take part in interferences on each transmitter. Neighbours of any linked project in co-
planning can also be listed and chosen manually.
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An automatic allocation tool is also available; see "Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitter Neighbours Automatically"
on page 233.
6.7.1.2 Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours
Atoll enables you to define neighbourhood constraints that may be then considered by algorithm during the automatic allo-
cation of neighbours.
To define GSM/GPRS/EDGE exceptional pairs of neighbours:
Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either,
- Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
- Either,
i. Right-click on the transmitter for which you want to define the neighbourhood constraints
ii. Choose the properties option from the context menu,
- Or
i. Double click on the transmitter for which you want to define the neighbourhood constraints
ii. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab,
iii. Use the What's this help to get information about fields available in the current window,
iv. In the displayed window, use the bottom table. Select the row with the icon. In the Neighbours col-
umn, click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose from the scrolling box a neighbour (the list con-
tains the first 32 neighbours of the reference transmitter) and then, click the cell of the Status column and
choose from the scrolling menu if you want to forbid or force this neighbourhood relationship.
v. Click either another cell of the table, or the button to validate and add a new row to the
table,
vi. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
Or
a. Choose the [Neighbours:Intra-technology exceptional pairs] command from the Transmitters folder con-
text menu,
b. In the displayed table, use the row with the icon. Click the cell of the Transmitters column to select a
reference transmitter and then, click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour. Finally,
click the cell of the Status column and specify if you want to forbid or force this neighbourhood relation-
ship,
c. Click another cell of the table to validate and add a new row to the table,
d. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
Notes
It is also possible to define an importance (between 0 and 1) related to the neighbour. This field
presents a general importance of the neighbour. Importance takes into account several neigh-
bourhood criteria. It is used in Atoll Frequency Planning. The importance value varies between
0 and 100%.
Neighbours allocated manually have their Importance field forced to the default value of 100%.
It is possible to add/remove symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the com-
mands [Symmetrise] and [Delete link and symmetric] available in a context menu. This one can
be open by Right-clicking on the neighbour you have added or you want to delete.
It is possible to apply the exceptional pairs (forbidden or forced) directly from this table by Right-
clicking in it and choosing the related command.
Due to the organisation of neighbourhoods in tables, the copy-paste feature can be used in order
to generate the neighbour table of a global network (or per transmitter).
Standard features for managing table contents (Copy/Paste, Delete, Display columns, Filter,
Sort, Table Fields) are available in a context menu (when Right-clicking on column(s)) or
record(s) and in the Format, Edit and Records menus.
This feature deals with GSM/GPRS/EDGE, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 and UMTS technologies.
Notes
Exceptional pairs are not taken into account during manual neighbour allocation.
It is possible to display on the map forced and forbidden neighbourhood relationships defined in
the Intra-technology Exceptional Pairs table.
You may directly define exceptional pairs on the map using CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts.
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6.7.1.3 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours on the Map
It is possible to display on the map forced and forbidden neighbourhood relationships defined in the Intra-technology
Exceptional Pairs table.
To display the forced/forbidden neighbourhood links of any transmitter:
1. Click on the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select either
Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the desired transmitter to select it on the map,
4. Atoll displays on the map:
- The symmetric forced/forbidden neighbourhood links with the selected transmitter (reference trans-
mitter). A single black line represents these links.
- The outwards forced/forbidden neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric); they are coloured as the
reference transmitter.
- The inwards forced/forbidden neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric). Each link has the colour of
the transmitter involved in the exceptional pair with the selected transmitter.
It is possible to configure the exceptional pairs (symmetric, inwards, outwards) you wish to display on the map
5. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list.
6.7.1.4 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE Transmitter Neighbours Automatically
Allocation algorithm permits to automatically allocate neighbours in the current network.
To automatically allocate GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours in a network:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Neighbours:Automatic allocation...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters for the current Auto Neighbours allocation study,
The automatic allocation of neighbours as follows. We assume a reference transmitter A and a candidate neighbour, trans-
mitter B.
When automatic allocation starts, Atoll checks following conditions:
1. The distance between both transmitters must be less than the user-definable maximum inter-site distance. If the
distance between the reference transmitter and the candidate neighbour is greater than this value, then the candidate
neighbour is discarded.
2. The calculation options,
Force co-site transmitters as neighbours: This option enables you to force transmitters located on the reference
transmitter site in the candidate neighbour list. This constraint can be weighted among the others (see after).
Force adjacent transmitters as neighbours: This option enables you to force transmitters geographically adjacent
to the reference transmitter in the candidate neighbour list. This constraint can be weighted among the others (see
after).
Notes
The displayed links are based on the exceptional pairs defined in the Intra-technology Excep-
tional Pairs table. Therefore, you may display them even if you have no current allocation in your
.atl document.
Finally, when you select a transmitter on the map, Atoll is able to show the coverage areas of
transmitters involved in exceptional pairs with it. You must just display on the map a "Coverage
by transmitter" study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated.
You may directly define exceptional pairs on the map using CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts.
It is also possible to display inter-technology exceptional pairs on the map.
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Force neighbour symmetry: This option enables user to force the reciprocity of a neighbourhood link. Therefore,
if the reference transmitter is a candidate neighbour of another transmitter, the later will be considered as candi-
date neighbour of the reference transmitter.
Force exceptional pairs: This option enables you to force/forbid some neighbourhood relationships. Therefore, you
may force/forbid a transmitter to be candidate neighbour of the reference transmitter.
Reset neighbours: When selecting the Reset option, Atoll deletes all the current neighbours and carries out a new
neighbour allocation. If not selected, the existing neighbours are kept.
3. There must be an overlapping zone ( ) with a given cell edge coverage probability where:
SA is the area where the received signal level from the transmitter A is greater than a minimum signal level. SA is
the coverage area of reference transmitter A restricted between two boundaries; the first boundary represents the
start of the handover area (best server area of A plus the handover margin named "handover start") and the
second boundary shows the end of the handover area (best server area of A plus the margin called "handover
end")
SB is the coverage area where the candidate transmitter B is the best server.
Atoll calculates either the percentage of covered area ( ) if the option "Take into account Covered Area" is
selected, or the percentage of traffic covered on the overlapping area for the option "Take into account Covered
Traffic". Then, it compares this value to the percentage minimum covered area (minimum percentage of covered area for
the option "Take into account Covered Area" or minimum percentage of covered traffic for the option "Take into account
Covered Traffic"). If this percentage is not exceeded, the candidate neighbour B is discarded.
Figure 6.3
The coverage condition can be weighted among the others (see number 4 below).
4. The importance weighting button opens a dialogue where you can define minimum and maximum importance limits for
three allocation reasons (co-site, adjacent and coverage reasons). These values are used by the allocation algorithm to
rank the neighbours according to the allocation reason and to quantify the neighbour importance.
Atoll lists all neighbours and sorts them by importance value so as to eliminate some of them from the neighbour list if the
maximum number of neighbours to be allocated to each transmitter is exceeded. If we consider the case for which there
are 15 candidate neighbours and the maximum number of neighbours to be allocated to the reference transmitter is 8.
Among these 15 candidate neighbours, only 8 (having the highest importance values) will be allocated to the reference
transmitter.
As indicated in the table below, the neighbour importance depends on the neighbourhood cause; this value goes from 0
to 100%.
Notes
Adjacency criterion: Geographically adjacent transmitters are determined on the basis of their
Best Server coverages in 2G (GSM GPRS EGPRS) projects. More precisely, a transmitter TXi
is considered adjacent to another transmitter TXj if there exists at least one pixel of TXi Best
Server coverage area where TXj is the 2nd Best Server. The ranking of the adjacent neighbour
transmitter increases with the number of these pixels.
When this option is checked, adjacent cells are sorted and listed from the most adjacent to the
least, depending on the above criterion. Adjacency is relative to the number of pixels satisfying
the criterion.
This criteria is only applicable to transmitters belonging to the same HCS layer. The geographic
adjacency criteria is not the same in 3G (UMTS WCDMA, CDMA2000) projects.
Notes
The margin "handover end" must exceed the margin "handover start".
The higher the margin "handover end" is, the bigger the list of candidate neighbours is.
B A
S S
A
B A
S
S S
B A
S S
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Except forced neighbour case (importance =100%), priority assigned to each neighbourhood cause is now linked to the
Importance Function (IF) evaluation. The importance is evaluated through a function (IF), taking into account the following
three factors:
Co-site factor (C) which is a Boolean factor,
Adjacency factor (A) which deals with the percentage of adjacency,
Overlapping factor (O) meaning the percentage of overlapping
The (IF) function is user-definable using the Min importance and Max importance fields. Details on the (IF) function are
available in the Technical Reference Guide.
In the Results part, Atoll provides the list of neighbours, the number of neighbours and the maximum number of neigh-
bours allowed for each transmitter. In addition, it indicates the importance (in percentage) of each neighbour and the allo-
cation reason. Therefore, a neighbour may be marked as exceptional pair, co-site, adjacent, coverage or symmetric. For
neighbours accepted for co-site, adjacency and coverage reasons, Atoll displays the percentage of area checking the
coverage conditions (or the percentage of covered traffic on this area) and the corresponding surface area (km2) (or the
traffic covered on the area in Erlangs), the percentage of area checking the adjacency conditions and the corresponding
surface area (km2). Finally, if transmitters have previous allocations in the list, neighbours are marked as existing.
1. Once calculations are finished, select the neighbours you want to assign to transmitters. You may do this by check-
ing/unchecking the related boxes in the Commit column; shortcuts (Ctrl+D and Ctrl+U) can be used for a faster
management. In addition, sort and filtering options are available in the result table context menu.
2. Click the button to assign neighbours to transmitters as displayed in the current table. Neighbours
are then listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each transmitter properties window.
3. Click the Close button to finish the procedure.
Neighbourhood cause When
Importance
value
Existing neighbour
Only if the Reset option is not selected and in case of a
new allocation
Existing importance
Exceptional pair Only if the Force exceptional pairs option is selected 100%
Co-site transmitter
Only if the Force co-site transmitters as neighbours
option is selected
(IF) function
Adjacent transmitter
Only if the Force adjacent transmitters as neighbours
option is selected
(IF) function
Neighbourhood relationship that fulfils
coverage conditions
Only if the percentage minimum covered area is
exceeded
(IF) function
Symmetric neighbourhood relationship Only if the Force neighbour symmetry option is selected (IF) function
Notes
If there is no overlapping between the range of each factor, the neighbours will be ranked by
neighbourhood cause. Using the defaults values for minimum and maximum importance fields,
neighbours will be ranked in this order: first co-site neighbours, then adjacent neighbours, and
finally neighbours found on overlapping criterion.
If ranges of factors overlap each other, the neighbours may not be ranked by neighbourhood
cause.
The ranking between neighbours from the same category will depend on (A) and (O) factors.
The default value of Min(O)=1%, ensures that neighbours selected for symmetry will have an
importance greater than 1%. With a value of Min(O)=0%, neighbours selected for symmetry, will
have an importance field greater than 0% only if there is some overlapping.
Click the button to start calculations.
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6.7.1.5 Displaying the Current GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbour List
Atoll provides the possibility to open an editable table referencing all the GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours of the current
network.
To access the GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbour table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Neighbours:Intra-technology Neighbours] command from the open menu,
4. In the displayed table, Atoll lists reference transmitters and their related neighbours. In addition, it indicates
the number of neighbours assigned to each reference transmitter, and for each neighbour:
- The distance between the neighbour and the reference transmitter,
- If the neighbourhood relationship is symmetric or not,
- The type of allocation. Three values are available, manual (copy/paste of a neighbour list, manual edition of
neighbours), automatic (automatic allocation), or imported (Planet import, generic import, import using an add-
in). This output will be able to be considered by AFP; it is currently unused.
- The neighbour rank in the list of neighbours of the reference transmitter. This information is given only in case
of an automatic allocation.
- The allocation reason. This information is given only in case of an automatic allocation.
- The importance of each neighbour. This field is set to 100% for manually allocated neighbours by default.
This table can be used to allocate neighbours manually. Standard features for managing table contents (Copy/Paste,
Delete, Display columns, Filter, Sort, Table Fields) are available in a context menu (when Right-clicking on column(s)) or
record(s) and in the Format, Edit and Records menus.
Notes
This feature deals with GSM/GPRS/EDGE, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 and UMTS technologies.
The allocation algorithm needs path loss matrices. Therefore, when starting an automatic neigh-
bour allocation, Atoll automatically calculates the path loss matrices if not found.
The allocation algorithm needs a traffic map when the option "Covered traffic" is selected. It con-
siders traffic map(s) selected in the default traffic analysis in order to determine the percentage
of traffic covered in the overlapping area.
The percentage of area (or the percentage of covered traffic) is calculated with the resolution
specified in the property dialogue of the predictions folder (Default resolution parameter).
When the option "Force adjacent transmitters as neighbours" is used, the margin "handover
start" is not taken into account. Atoll considers a fixed value of 0 dB.
A forbidden neighbour must not be listed as neighbour except if the neighbourhood relationship
already exists and the Reset neighbours option is unchecked when you start the new allocation.
In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event viewer indicating that the constraint on the for-
bidden neighbour will be ignored by algorithm because the neighbour already exists.
The notion of importance is used in Atoll Frequency Planning.
The force neighbour symmetry option enables the users to consider the reciprocity of a neigh-
bourhood link. This reciprocity is allowed only if the neighbour list is not already full. Thus, if
transmitter B is a neighbour of the transmitter A while transmitter A is not a neighbour of the
transmitter B, two cases are possible:
- 1st case: There is space in the transmitter B neighbour list: the transmitter A will be added
to the list. It will be the last one.
- 2nd case: The transmitter B neighbour list is full: Atoll will not include transmitter A in the list
and will cancel the link by deleting transmitter B from the transmitter A neighbour list.
When the options "Force exceptional pairs" and "Force symmetry" are selected, Atoll considers
the constraints between exceptional pairs in both directions so as to respect symmetry condition.
On the other hand, if neighbourhood relationship is forced in one direction and forbidden in the
other one, symmetry cannot be respected. In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event
viewer.
In case of HCS layers, neighbours between macros and micros in HCS are not currently allo-
cated even if the macro and micro are physically adjacent.
You can carry out neighbour allocation globally on all the transmitters or only on a group of trans-
mitters. In this case, Atoll will consider all the transmitters contained in the group of transmitters,
the symmetric neighbours of these transmitters and all the other ones, which have an intersec-
tion area with the transmitters of the group.
Neighbours are not a filter for transmitters being part of interferers. All transmitters in a network
take part in interferences on each transmitter.
If the Reset button is unchecked and no new neighbour is found after a new allocation, the
Results part stays empty. Atoll only displays the transmitters for which it finds new neighbours.
Therefore, if a transmitter has already reached its maximum number of neighbours before
starting the new allocation, it will not appear in the Results table.
The input parameters for the neighbour automatic allocation can be exported to an to an external
user configuration file (Automatic Neighbour Allocation Parameters).
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6.7.1.6 Modifying the Allocated GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours
You may add new neighbours or remove allocated neighbours.
To delete allocated neighbours:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either
a. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
b. Right-click on the transmitter from which you want to exclude some neighbours,
c. Choose the properties option from the context menu,
d. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
Or
a. Right-click on the transmitters folder,
b. Choose the [Neighbours:Intra-technology Neighbours] option from the context menu,
c. In the displayed table, select the target neighbour row,
d. Press the keyboard Del (or Suppr.) key
2. Click on OK to validate and close the dialogue.
To add new neighbours:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
Either
a. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
b. Right-click on the transmitter from which you want to exclude some neighbours,
c. Choose the properties option from the context menu,
d. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
e. In the displayed table, use the last row with the icon. Click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose
a neighbour or edit the neighbour name,
f. Edit the neighbour name,
Or
a. Right-click on the transmitters folder,
b. Choose the [Neighbours: Intra-technology Neighbours] option from the context menu,
c. In the displayed table, use the last row with the icon. Click the cell of the Transmitters column to select
a reference transmitter and then, click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour or edit the
neighbour name,
2. Click on OK to validate and close the dialogue.
Note: It is possible to access several allocation tools directly from this table. By Right-clicking in it, you
may:
Apply the exceptional pairs (forbidden or forced),
Delete the link and its symmetric of the selected row,
symmetrise a selected link.
Note: It is possible to remove symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the com-
mand [Delete link and symmetric] available in a context menu. This one can be open by
Right-clicking on the neighbour you want to delete.
Notes
Adding/Removing neighbours can be also made using the Neighbour graphic management
icon
It is possible to add symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the command [Sym-
metrise] available in a context menu. This one can be open by Right-clicking on the neighbour
you have added.
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6.7.1.7 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours and their Characteristics on the
Map
Once the GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours have been allocated, you can display neighbour relations of any transmitter on
the map. In addition, it is possible to display any neighbour characteristic available in the Intra-technology Neighbours
table.
6.7.1.7.1 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours
To display the neighbours of any transmitter:
1. Click the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click the desired transmitter to select it on the map,
4. Atoll displays on the map:
- The symmetric neighbourhood links with the selected transmitter (reference transmitter). A single black line
represents these links
- The outwards neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric); they are coloured as the reference trans-
mitter. They show the neighbours of the selected transmitter (however, the selected transmitter is not one of
their neighbours).
- The inwards neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric). They show the transmitters, which have the
selected transmitter as neighbour (however, these transmitters are not in the neighbour list of the selected
transmitter). Each link has the transmitter colour.
Figure 6.4: Transmitter Site22_0 located on Site22
It is possible to configure the neighbourhood links you wish to display on the map.
5. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list.
6.7.1.7.2 Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbour Characteristics
When you select a transmitter on the map, Atoll can show the coverage areas of its neighbours and colour them depend-
ing on any neighbour characteristic available in the Intra-technology Neighbours table.
1. Display on the map a "Coverage by transmitter" study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated.
2. Display neighbour relations of the desired transmitter as explained in the previous paragraph.
3. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list. The Neighbourhood Display dialogue appears.
a. Click the Browse button ( ).
b. The Intra-technology Neighbour Display dialogue appears.
Three display types are available.
- Unique: Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours with a unique colour.
Note: It is also possible to display inter-technology neighbours on the map.
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- Discrete Values: In this case, the user must select a field among the integer and text type ones available
in the Intra-technology Neighbours table. Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours depending on the
neighbour parameter value (e.g. rank).
- Value Intervals: In this case, the user must select a field among the numeric ones available in the Intra-
technology Neighbours table. Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours depending on the neighbour
parameter value (e.g. Dropped call number, we assume that this field is a custom field previously imported
in the table).
Finally, you may choose neighbour characteristics to be displayed in the tool tip. This one is available on each
coverage area.
4. In order to restore colours and cancel the neighbour display, click the left side of the Neighbour graphic man-
agement icon ( ).
6.7.1.8 Adding or Removing GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbours and Exceptional
Pairs on the Map
You may directly add and remove neighbourhood links as well as exceptional pairs of neighbours on the map using CTRL
and SHIFT shortcuts.
To add a symmetric neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define a new symmetric link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (transmitter A is
neighbour of the reference transmitter and vice versa), hold down SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the trans-
mitter A. Atoll displays a single black line between both transmitters.
To remove a symmetric neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing symmetric link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
To add an outwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define a new outwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (transmitter A is neigh-
bour of the reference transmitter but reference transmitter is not neighbour of transmitter A), hold down CTRL on
your keyboard and click on the transmitter A. Atoll displays an arrow directed to transmitter A; it is coloured as
the reference transmitter.
To remove an outwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing outwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
CTRL on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
To add an inwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define an inwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (the reference transmitter
is neighbour of transmitter A but transmitter A is not neighbour of reference transmitter):
- If there is an existing symmetric link between both transmitters: hold down CTRL on your keyboard and click
on the transmitter A.
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- If no neighbourhood link exist between both transmitters: first, create a symmetric neighbourhood link as
explained above and then, hold down CTRL on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
5. Atoll displays an arrow directed to the reference transmitter; it is coloured as transmitter A.
To remove an inwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing inwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
6.7.1.9 Performing an Audit of the Current GSM/GPRS/EDGE Neighbourhood
Plan
It is possible to perform an audit of the current neighbourhood plan in Atoll. The audit function can be used to check for
the following information:
The average number of neighbours per transmitter
Transmitters with no neighbours (having empty neighbours list)
Transmitters having the maximum number of neighbours allowed
Transmitters having more than the maximum number of neighbours allowed
Transmitters with missing co-site neighbours
Transmitters with non-symmetric neighbourhood
Transmitters with missing forced neighbours
Transmitters with existing forbidden neighbours
The audit feature can be used for checking the above criteria in the same project (intra-technology) as well as in linked co-
planning projects (inter-technology). The audit outputs are listed in a .txt file (IntraNeighbourCheck.txt for intra-technology
and InterNeighbourCheck.txt for inter-technology neighbours).
To perform a neighbourhood plan audit:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Neighbours:Audit...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Select the checks you want Atoll to perform for the neighbours,
6. Click OK to perform the audit,
7. Once you have finished performing audits, click Close to close the audit dialogue.
The Audit provides the following outputs
Average number of neighbours: X; where, X is the average number of neighbours (integer) per transmitter for the
plan audited.
Empty lists: x/X; x number of transmitters out of a total of X having no neighbours (or empty neighbours list)
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER|
Full Lists (default max number =Y): x/X; x number of transmitters out of a total of X having Y number of neighbours
listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
Notes
In order to graphically define exceptional pairs of neighbours, proceed as explained above. You
just have to select either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours instead of Neighbours in
the scrolling list when you click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ).
Neighbourhood relationships and exceptional pairs of neighbours are automatically updated in
the respective tables.
Adding/removing neighbourhood links on the map is easier when a "coverage by transmitter
study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated is displayed on the map. In
order to add/remove a transmitter as neighbour, use the CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts as
explained above and click its coverage area on the map. The same feature may be used when
you graphically define exceptional pairs of neighbours.
Note: A related Inter-technology Neighbours tab will be available for inter-technology neigh-
bourhood plan audit in case of linked co-planning projects.
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Lists >max number (default max number =Y): x/X; x number of transmitters out of a total of X having more than
Y number of neighbours listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
Missing Co-Sites: X; total number of missing co-site neighbours in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NEIGHBOUR|
Non symmetric links: X; total number of non-symmetric neighbourhood links in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
Missing Forced: X; total number of forced neighbours missing in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NEIGHBOUR|
Existing Forbidden: X; total number of forbidden neighbours existing in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |TRANSMITTER| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
6.7.2 Allocating GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Resources Manually in Atoll
6.7.2.1 Assigning BSIC Domains to Transmitters
Once defined, a BSIC domain have to be assigned to a transmitter. Only BSICs included in the assigned BSIC domain
can be manually or automatically allocated to a transmitter.
To assign a BSIC domain to a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. In the Identification part, click on the scrolling menu and choose a BSIC domain in the list,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue
6.7.2.2 Assigning Manually BSICs to Transmitters
The colour code BSIC (Base Station Identity Code) for a transmitter is made up of the NCC (Network Colour Code) and
the BCC (BTS Colour Code). The NCC code is, for example, 0 or 4 for France. The BCC code (respectively NCC) is a digit
between 0 and 7.
The BCCH-BSIC pair permits, on a given territory, to identify precisely a cell. At a higher level, it may exist identical BCCH-
BSIC pairs characterising very distant zones. In Atoll, you can either allocate it manually to each transmitter or automat-
ically to all transmitters in the network.
Once a BSIC domain has been allocated to a transmitter, it is possible either to manually or automatically choose a BSIC
among available ones for any transmitter.
To manually allocate a BSIC to a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Note: If the field Maximum number of neighbours in the Transmitters table is empty, the above
two checks take into account the Default Max Number value defined in the audit dialogue.
Notes
The BSIC domain must be consistent with the defined BSIC format. When choosing a format,
Atoll adapts automatically the related domain in order not to consider inconsistent values.
BSIC domain associated to the transmitter can be changed afterwards,
Once selected, BSIC domain dialogue can be open by clicking on the button,
The BSIC domain is an input required for manual or automatic BSIC allocation,
When running the AFP, you can also select the BSIC allocation.
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c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Click on the scrolling menu and choose a BSIC in the list,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue
6.7.2.3 Allocating a BCCH to Transmitters Manually
BCCH (Broadcast Control CHannel) permits the diffusion of the cell characteristic data, including the steady diffusion of
several types data systems. This channel must be part both of the main frequency band (coming from the selected cell
type) and allocated channels in TRXs. The BCCH is defined on the timeslot 0 of a selected frequency.
To allocate manually a BCCH to a transmitter:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow).
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
Either,
- In Non Hopping or Base Band Hopping, Create a new TRX of type BCCH and enter the related channel,
Or,
- In Synthesised Frequency Hopping, Create a new TRX of type BCCH, fill the related MAL in the TRX part,
and enter the channel on which will be located the timeslot 0 dedicated to the steady diffusion of BCCH infor-
mation,
4. Click OK to close the dialogue
6.7.2.4 Creating TRXs in Transmitters
In Atoll, for GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, channels are defined at the TRX level. The manual allocation of frequencies is
made by the management of TRXs in transmitters.
The allocation can be also made by filling the Channels column from the transmitter table. When entering channel values
in the table, TRXs of type TCH are automatically created in the related transmitters.
BCCH can be assigned identically.
Automatic frequency allocation can also be made using the optional AFP module.
By using the advanced filter feature on transmitters, it is possible, for example, to display only transmitters linked to a
frequency and their adjacent ones. Using the filter feature in the study display tab, it is also possible to display all cells with
a specific frequency (f), and also all cells with frequencies (f+1) and (f-1) in different colours.
Notes
The BSIC value must be consistent with the defined BSIC format. Only consistent values are
available in the BSIC scrolling menu.
BSIC associated to the transmitter can be changed afterwards.
The selected BSIC must be part of the chosen BSIC domain.
Once chosen in single digit format, the related NCC-BCC format is automatically displayed
above the scrolling box.
It is possible to edit the BSIC scrolling box. Furthermore, you can enter the BSIC value with a
NCC-BCC format in the scrolling box, and click the Apply button. Atoll will convert it in the single
digit format consistent with the related BSIC domain.
Note: You can also automatically a TRX of type BCCH by entering the related frequency in the
BCCH columns from the transmitter global table.
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6.7.2.5 Managing TRXs in Transmitters
From transmitter properties, it is possible to list TRXs of transmitter and channels allocated to TRXs. This TRX table can
be automatically filled after an automatic frequency planning. You may also fill it manually. It contains a TRX per line.
TRX is the transmitter level at which channels are defined.
To access the TRX table from the transmitter properties:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the TRXs tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Define the TRX settings in the TRXs part,
5. Click OK to close the dialogue.
6.7.2.6 Displaying the TRX List
Even if TRXs are linked to transmitters, it is possible to display all existing TRXs of a network in an editable form.
To open the TRX general table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Subcells: TRXs] command from the open menu,
4. Define the TRX settings.
6.7.2.7 TRX Property Details
Whatever is the way to reach TRX properties (from transmitter properties or from the TRX table), for any of them, Atoll
details:
Index
This is identification number of TRX. This number (integer) may be user-defined or automatically given by Atoll (after clos-
ing the dialogue).
TRX Type
Channels
Specify channel(s) allocated to TRX: 1 channel per TRX if the hopping mode for the TRX type is "Non Hopping" or "Base
Band Hopping", several channels per TRX if the hopping mode for the TRX type is "Synthesized Hopping".
Channel(s) can be either copied, or manually selected one by one in the scrolling menu (select the box and click on the
arrow to open the scrolling menu). The scrolling menu offers you channels of the frequency domain assigned to this TRX
type (Cell type property dialogue).
MAIO (Mobile Allocation Index Offset)
The MAIO is selectable for each TRX separately. It is used in case of frequency hopping (BBH or SFH) to avoid intra-site
collisions due to co or adjacent channel consumption. This is an integer; its range of value is between 0 and N-1 (N is the
number of channels used in the hopping sequence). MAIO can be manually entered or automatically allocated.
Note: When a transmitter is a donor for a repeater, modifying its TRXs has an impact on its
repeater.
Notes
The button helps you to manage the content of the TRX table.
When a transmitter is a donor for a repeater, modifying its TRXs has an impact on its repeater.
Note: When pasting a list of channels, separator must be a space.
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Freeze Channels
Select this option to keep the current channel allocation at the TRX level when starting a new AFP.
The TRX Equipment defines the maximum number of CS (GPRS) and MCS (EDGE) at the TRX level. To be fully
used, this ranges must be compliant with the ranges defined at the terminal level.
The average 8PSK Power Backoff is the average power reduction for E/GPRS transmitters due to 8PSK modula-
tion in EDGE. This has an impact on the EDGE service zone (traffic analysis and EDGE predictions)
6.7.3 Interference Matrices
Atoll provides the possibility to work with more than one set of interference matrices in a single document. You can acti-
vate, deactivate, rename, delete, import, export, and calculate as many sets of interference matrices as you want in the
same document. You can manage interference matrices outside the AFP as well as during an AFP session. You also have
the option of working with interference matrices for all or a group of transmitters. You can import already calculated inter-
ference matrices to Atoll in various formats or export them into files with various formats.
You can have more than one set of interference matrices stored under the Interference Matrices folder. You can also
choose which interference matrices are to be used by the AFP.
Interference matrices - or histograms - may be used as inputs for an automatic frequency planning tool. They can also be
generated from test mobile data measurements.
Interference matrices, in Atoll, work as follows. For each pair (interfered subcell, interferer subcell), Atoll calculates a C/
I value on each bin of the interfered subcell service area (determined by the min reception threshold defined at the subcell
level for a fixed cell edge coverage probability); all the subcells are supposed to share the same channel. Then, Atoll inte-
grates C/I values calculated over the service area of the interfered subcell and determines an interference histogram.
Histogram shows the different interference probabilities. Interference probability is the probability that users of the inter-
fered subcell receive a C/I higher than a C/I value; interference probability is stated either in percentage of interfered area
or in percentage of interfered traffic.
Example: Let (Tx1, BCCH) and (Tx2, BCCH) be the victim and interferer subcells. The service areas have been defined
using best server with 0 dB margin. The interference probability is stated in percentage of interfered area.
Figure 6.5: The probability of having at least C/I levels for a couple of subcells
In that case, we observe that the probability for C/I (BCCH of Tx2 on the BCCH of Tx1) to be greater than 0 is 100% (which
is normal because Tx1 is best server). The probability to have a C/I value at least equal to 31 is 31.1%. If we introduce the
fact that the required C/I level on the BCCH of Tx1 is 12, we consider in that case that, since the probability that C/I is at
least equal to 12 is 93.5%, the percentage of interfered areas in the service area of the BCCH of Tx1 caused by the BCCH
of TX2 is 6.5%.
6.7.3.1 Calculating Interference Matrices
The AFP calculates interference matrices if they are not already available (previously calculated or imported) during the
AFP launch process. But you can also compute them outside the AFP process.
In order to calculate interference matrices for all the transmitters or transmitters belonging to filtered sites:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Interference Matrices folder to open its context menu,
3. Choose the Calculate... command from the menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
5. Set the necessary parameters to required values,
6. Click OK to start calculations.
Note: The Freeze channels option can be also imposed at the transmitter level only.
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A new Interference Matrices item is added to the Interference Matrices folder. By default, this interference matrices item
is active and is at the top of all other items.
Subcell traffic load is read from the outputs of the default traffic capture. Calculating interference matrices requires that a
traffic capture be available beforehand. If a traffic analysis for the concerned transmitters has not already been performed,
Atoll fixes their respective traffic loads at 1.
Interference matrices can be computed either based on the maps used in the default traffic capture or based on a uniform
distribution of traffic. In the first case the interference probabilities are expressed in terms of the interfered traffic. Whereas
in the second case, these probabilities are expressed in terms of the interfered area.
In the Interference calculation dialogue, specify the servers to study (All, best signal level per HCS layer), a margin in
case of a best signal level study, whether you want to consider shadowing, and, in which case, a cell edge coverage prob-
ability. Finally, select the calculation option on how to define the interference probability:
Traffic spreading based on maps used in the default traffic capture: the probability is expressed in percentage of
interfered traffic and takes into account both traffic maps and the traffic load output from the dimensioning process
(or user-defined).
Uniform traffic spreading: the probability is expressed in percentage of interfered area. This method cannot con-
sider traffic hot spots accurately but is much faster than the previous one.
You can also calculate interference matrices for all the transmitters or for a group of transmitters as follows:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Either,
a. Right-click on the Transmitters folder to open its context menu,
3. Or,
a. Expand the Transmitters folder by clicking on the button,
b. Right-click on the subfolder for which you want to calculate interference matrices to open its context menu,
4. Choose the Calculate command from the Interference Matrices menu,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
6. Set the necessary parameters to required values,
7. Click OK to start calculations.
6.7.3.2 Importing and Exporting Interference Matrices
Atoll is capable of importing and exporting interference matrices in different formats, including:
.im0 (with one histogram per line)
.im1 (with one value per line, transmitter name repeated)
.im2 (with only co-channel and adjacent interference values)
.clc +.dct (with one value per line and a dictionary file)
Please refer to the Technical Reference Guide for detailed descriptions of these file formats.
In order to import interference matrices:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Interference Matrices folder to open its context menu,
3. Choose the Import... command from the menu,
4. Select the import format and choose a filename,
5. Click Open to import the interference matrices.
Caution: Changing some transmitter or subcell properties, such as power offset, reception threshold
and transmitter power or EIRP makes the interference histograms invalid. In this case, you
must recalculate them.
Notes
Atoll only takes into account the subcells of loaded transmitters to calculate interference histo-
grams.
DTX defined in step 1 has an effect only if the AFP cost is based on interferences (calculation of
interference histograms).
The resolution used to calculate interference histograms is the default resolution defined in the
Predictions folder properties dialogue.
When calculating C/I, Atoll applies shadowing margins (depending on the entered cell edge cov-
erage probability and the C/I standard deviation on the pixel) to the C values only.
Note: C/I standard deviation values, defined per clutter class, are used when calculating interfer-
ence matrices.
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In order to export interference matrices:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Interference Matrices folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Interference Matrices item you want to export to open its context menu,
4. Choose the Export... command from the menu,
5. Select the export format and choose a filename,
6. Click Save to export the interference matrices.
6.7.3.3 Managing Interference Matrices
You can manage the properties, such as name, activity, and storage, of interference matrices.
To manage the properties of interference matrices:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Interference Matrices folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Interference Matrices item whose properties you want to manage to open its context menu,
4. Choose the Properties command from the menu.
You can modify the name of the interference matrices item, select whether these interference matrices are active or inac-
tive, and choose whether to store the interference matrices in the .atl file or store them in external files. Difference external
file formats are available for interference matrices:
.im0 (with one histogram per line)
.im1 (with one value per line, transmitter name repeated)
.im2 (with only co-channel and adjacent interference values)
.clc +.dct (with one value per line and a dictionary file)
Please refer to the Technical Reference Guide for detailed descriptions of these file formats.
You can also rename, activate or deactivate interference matrices directly from the context menu.
The top-most Interference Matrices item under the Interference Matrices folder is used by the AFP. So you can place the
interference matrices item you want to use in the AFP on the top by dragging and dropping it on top.
It is possible to delete existing interference matrices.
To delete all the existing interference matrices:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Interference Matrices folder to open its context menu,
3. Choose the Delete Matrices command menu.
To delete a single interference matrices item under the Interference Matrices folder:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Interference Matrices folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the Interference Matrices item you want to delete to open its context menu,
4. Choose the Delete command from the menu.
Notes
If the file being imported is a .clc file, Atoll looks for the associated .dct file in the same directory
and uses it to decode transmitter identifiers. When this file is unavailable, Atoll assumes that the
transmitter identifiers are the transmitter names.
When you successively import several interference matrix files containing the same relation-
ships, Atoll considers the first imported relation only (relation found in the first imported file). The
ones found in the other files are ignored.
Multiple file selection is supported. Therefore, it is possible to import several interference matrix
files at once.
Atoll supports a simplified import format as well (syntax: Interfered subcell, Interfering subcell,
Co-channel interference probability, Adjacent channel probability). For further information,
please refer to the Technical Reference Guide.
No validity check is carried out when importing an interference histogram file. Be sure that
imported histograms are consistent with the current configuration.
Atoll only imports interference histograms related to loaded transmitters.
The histogram interference computation needs path loss results. If matrices are invalid, they will
be updated during the computation process.
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6.7.3.4 Generating a Report on Interference Matrices
Atollcan generate reports on all or one of the interference matrices available in the Interference Matrix folder. The inter-
ference matrices report gives:
The number of entries in the interference matrices,
The number of transmitters in the AFP scope,
The average number of interferers per victim transmitter in the AFP scope.
In order to generate a report on all the interference matrices available in the Interference Matrices folder:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Interference Matrices folder to open its context menu,
3. Choose the Generate Report command from the menu.
4. Click OK to close the report dialogue.
In order to generate a report on one interference matrices item available in the Interference Matrices folder:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Interference Matrices folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on the interference matrices item for which you want to display a report to open its context menu,
4. Choose the Generate Report command from the menu,
5. Click OK to close the report dialogue.
The summary of this report is then available in the Event Viewer and can be viewed by double clicking the corresponding
line.
6.7.4 Managing Exceptional Separations For Frequency Allocation
6.7.4.1 Defining Exceptional Separations for Frequency Allocation
In GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, the Exceptional pairs table allows you to impose/relax some channel separations between
items which are neither co-cell, nor co-site, nor part of neighbour transmitters during an automatic allocation of frequen-
cies. Standard separations are defined in the generic AFP dialogue.
For example, if we take Tx1 and Tx2, which are neither neighbours nor co-site, we can impose in the separation table a
value of 3. This will mean that if we assign f1 to Tx1 and f2 to Tx2, the AFP has to respect: . This constraint is
also checked by the Audit tool.
The separations are defined per couple of (Transmitter, TRX type) pairs, and they deal with imposing or relaxing
constraints. Relaxing constraints means that the defined separation in the Separation table has priority on the imposed
separation between co-site, co-cell or neighbour items. It is even possible to define intra-cell separations, e.g., between
BCCH and TCH subcells of a same transmitter.
Examples:
Tx1 and Tx2 are neither neighbours or co-site. We impose in the separation table the following rules:
- Separation of 3 channels between (Tx1, BCCH) and (Tx2, BCCH)
- Separation of 2 channels between (Tx1, TCH) and (Tx2, TCH)
If we assign respectively f11 and f12 to the BCCH and the TCH of Tx1, and respectively f21 and f22 to the BCCH and the
TCH of Tx2, we must have: , . Nevertheless, we could have and .
We impose a co-cell minimum separation of 3. We defined also in the transmitter table a separation of 2 for the
(Tx1, BCCH) and (Tx1, TCH) pairs. So, if we assign f11 to the BCCH and f12 to the TCH, it may be possible to
have , even if there is a co-cell configuration.
For any transmitter, to define channel separations with any other transmitter:
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right-click on the transmitter you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter you want to manage by clicking on the appropriate Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click on the AFP tab of the current dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. In the displayed table window, for each (or All) TRX type of the considered transmitter, enter the (Transmitter,
TRX type) couple and their related imposed separation,
3
2 1
f f
3
21 11
f f 2
22 11
f f
11 21
f f =
12 21
f f =
2
12 11
= f f
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5. Click either another table cell, or the button to validate and add a new row to the table.
6. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
To access the exceptional pair table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Frequency plan: Exceptional pairs...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
5. In the displayed table, enter the (Transmitter, TRX type) couples and their related imposed separation,
6. Click another table cell to validate and add a new row to the table,
7. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
- The button helps you to manage the content of the Exceptional separation table.
- Other constraints are imposed in transmitter properties.
- The separation table can also be completed from the AFP generic dialogue.
- The Audit tool takes into account the defined separation table with priority compared to co-cell, co-site or
neighbour separation constraints.
- It is possible to Copy and Paste (Ctrl-C Ctrl-V) the separation list in the tables.
- In the TRX type column, it is possible to select the All value in order to force the separation for all the subcells
of the considered transmitter
- It is possible to display on the map separation constraints of transmitters.
- You may graphically define separation constraints between transmitters using CTRL shortcut.
Separation rules depend on equipment, and refer to the non-hopping configuration. Separation rules are "administration
rules" that are set once according to the equipment and are not meant to be modified during routine operations. Separation
rules do not depend on whether SFH is available in the network or not. Atoll and the AFP consider SFH independent of
the separation rules. If you relax the separation constraints, and have SFH TRXs, this means that you are asking the AFP
and Atoll to take into account the effect of SFH twice.
6.7.4.2 Displaying AFP Exceptional Separations on the Map
It is possible to display on the map separation constraints between transmitters defined in the Exceptional pairs table.
To display the separation constraints of any transmitter:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Frequency Plan:Display Options...] command from the open menu,
4. Choose between which type of TRX you want to display separation constraints:
5. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Exceptional Pairs (AFP) in the scrolling list.
6. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
7. Click on the desired transmitter to select it on the map,
8. Atoll displays on the map links between the selected transmitter and the ones with which it has separation
constraints. Each link has the colour of the transmitter involved in the separation constraint with the selected
transmitter, the separation value is displayed next to the link.
6.7.4.3 Adding or Removing AFP Exceptional Separations on the Map
You may graphically add and remove separation constraints between transmitters using the CTRL shortcut.
To add/remove an AFP separation constraint:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Frequency Plan:Display Options...] command from the open menu,
4. Specify between which type of TRX you want to define separation constraints,
5. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select
Exceptional Pairs (AFP) in the scrolling list.
6. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ),
7. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays the existing separation constraints with this
transmitter,
Note: You may directly define exceptional pairs on the map using CTRL shortcut.
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8. In order to define a new separation constraint between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
CTRL on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A. Atoll opens a dialogue where you have to define the
separation value between both transmitters. The link is coloured as the transmitter A, the separation value is
indicated next to the link.
6.7.5 Using AFP to Allocate Resources in Atoll
6.7.5.1 Adjusting AFP Parameters fromthe Data Model
In Atoll, it is possible to adjust AFP parameters as global constraints as well as per transmitter.
In the TRXs tab of the transmitter properties dialogue, it is possible to force the following parameters:
Subcell part:
Main frequency band used by the model when assigning cell types to transmitters
Frequency domains (including excluded channels), from which the AFP tool can choose frequencies as defined
Allocation mode (Free or Group constrained) for allocating frequencies to TRXs
Allowed C/I and maximum percentage of interference
Minimum reception threshold
Maximum MAL length allowed
Hopping mode for each subcell of each transmitter
Site synchronisation
DTX support
Timeslot configurations
Furthermore, Atoll is capable of automatically computing the required number of TRXs (at the subcell level) for all trans-
mitters of the network. The computed values are automatically entered in the subcell part of the transmitter properties
dialogues.
TRX part:
You can manually choose the frequencies related to each TRX in the transmitter properties dialogues (TRXs tab). The
MAIO can also be manually specified. Specifically concerning the AFP, it is possible to freeze channels of each TRX at
this level. Thus denying any new automatic allocation to overwrite existing channels.
In the AFP tab of a given transmitter properties dialogue, it is possible to:
Impose a weight on the cost function used for convergence on this specific transmitter. For example, defining a
value of 2 for a specific transmitter, while the same for other transmitters is 1, means that convergence will be
achieved when the cost on this transmitter becomes half of the costs of other transmitters.
Freeze some entities, such as frequencies and MAIOs, HSNs and BSICs at the transmitter level, in order to dis-
allow the AFP tool to recalculate them. Frequencies can also be frozen at the subcell level (see above).
Define exceptional channel separations with other (transmitter, subcell) pairs that are neither co-site nor neigh-
bours of the currently considered (transmitter, subcell) pair.
6.7.5.2 Using the Generic AFP Interface
The role of an Automatic Frequency Planning (AFP) tool is to assign frequencies to cells within a GSM network in order
to match the traffic demand (number of required TRXs) with a certain quality (e.g., interference limitations).
A certain number of inputs are available in the data model (transmitter properties and exceptional pairs of subcells), while
others can be defined in the generic AFP tool GUI. In addition, AFP module-specific parameters can also be set.
The Atoll Automatic Frequency Planning (AFP) module is an optional module that enables automatic frequency plan
generation and allocation for GSM and TDMA networks. The following resources may be allocated:
Frequencies
Mobile Allocation Lists (MAL)
HSN, MAIO
BSIC
TRX Ranks
Notes
The graphically defined exceptional pairs are automatically listed in the Exceptional pairs table.
Finally, when you select a transmitter on the map, Atoll is able to show the coverage areas of
transmitters involved in exceptional pairs with it. You must just display on the map a "Coverage
by transmitter" study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated.
Note: The number of required TRXs can be entered manually by the user. This information will be
used by the AFP tool.
Note: Existing channels can be frozen globally with respect to their types (control or non-control).
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You can also have more detailed results displayed by the AFP in the AFP results window. These detailed results include
the total and/or separation costs per TRX, subcell, transmitter and site. In order to have access to these results, you have
to add new custom fields (AFP_COST and AFP_SEP_COST of type SINGLE for total and separation costs respectively)
in the corresponding tables, i.e. TRX table, Subcells table, Transmitters table and sites table. Once you have added these
custom fields, these detailed results will be available for you to choose in the AFP launch wizards first dialogue, under the
AFP Indicators section.
AFP aims at generating optimal allocations, i.e., allocations that minimise interference over the network and comply with
a set of user-defined constraints. The two main types of constraints are separation constraints and spectrum limitations.
AFP uses a cost function based algorithm to evaluate frequency plans, whose aim is to find frequency plans with minimal
costs.
In Atoll, the GSM GPRS EGPRS data model has been adapted to be consistent with any AFP module. Atoll provides
generic options and parameters, which can be taken into account during the automatic frequency planning.
Atoll provides a set of successive generic dialogues (Wizard mode) for any AFP module, be it an external 3rd party module
or implemented into Atoll via the API. Different AFP modules are activated in the same manner.
For any AFP module, the convergence criterion is based on a cost function taking into account all the requirements given
by the network inputs. The goal of the module is to try to minimise the cost involved in the process. The cost function mainly
consists of two components. The first is related to interferences, while the second considers separation constraint viola-
tions. Both components are normally added in order to get the global cost. Nevertheless, it is possible to consider the sepa-
ration cost component only.
Before starting an AFP session, you have to ensure that the number of required TRXs per transmitter has already been
defined. The related traffic loads have an effect on the cost function used in the AFP.
As separation constraints may be depend on neighbours, a neighbour allocation should also be performed before starting
an AFP session.
6.7.5.3 Starting AFP
You may perform automatic frequency planning on all transmitters or only on a group of transmitters.
To start an AFP session:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder or a group of transmitters. The context menu appears.
3. Select Frequency plan > Automatic allocation from the context menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
The AFP process consists of the following steps:
Step 1 is made of a set of dialogues organised in wizard mode presenting general AFP inputs.
The first dialogue comprises in:
- Selecting an AFP module and modifying its parameters (if required)
- Defining the resources to allocate
- Choosing the subcells to be considered
The second dialogue permits to define separation requirements.
Finally, the third dialogue defines:
- A global freezing strategy on TRXs or subcells according to their TRX types
- The source of traffic load information
- Consideration of DTX
Step 2: Atoll loads and verifies the network.
Step 3: Consists in computing the theoretical level of interference that the AFP module will have to minimise. If
you choose not to calculate it, the mathematical model will work with respect to separation constraints only. Here
you can also define a duration corresponding to the minimum time allocated to the AFP tool to find the best con-
vergence method.
Step 4: Atoll provides detailed AFP results in the form of a table.
Note: TRX Rank depicts how good or bad are the conditions of frequencies corresponding to dif-
ferent TRXs. If the TRX Rank is high, this means that the corresponding frequency is not
good.
Note: It is possible to launch AFP on a transmitter or on a group of transmitters from the respec-
tive context menus. All the involved transmitters (potential interferers or transmitters
involved in separation constraints) are taken into account but the allocation is performed
only for the non-frozen items (subcells or TRXs) of the concerned transmitter(s).
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6.7.5.4 AFP Step 1: Generic Inputs
Once an AFP session is launched, the 1st step is made of successive dialogues in wizard mode (using the
and buttons) and consists in defining the generic AFP inputs.
In this step:
1. In the first window, choose an AFP module and adjust its parameters, if required, by clicking the button.
2. Check the boxes related to the resources you wish to allocate during this AFP session. Depending on what the
selected AFP module supports, it is possible to allocate several resource types: channels (for NH or BBH sub-
cells), MAL and MAIO (for SFH subcells), HSN (for BBH and SFH subcells) and BSIC.
3. Check the AFP indicators to allocate. You can choose from AFP Ranks, Total costs and Separation costs at
TRX/Subcell/Transmitter/Site levels.
4. Indicate if you want all the potential interferers to be taken into account by the AFP module by checking/
unchecking the Load all the potential interferers option. If this option is unchecked, the cost function will only con-
sist of the separation violation cost.
5. In the second window, modify/add separations within exceptional pairs of transmitters and subcells using the
button. These separation constraints have priority on the other systematic separations
(co-cell and co-site separations as well as separations between neighbours) you may specify.
6. In the same dialogue, define the channel separations within subcells of a same cell, within subcells of co-
site transmitters and between subcells of neighbours. You may specify separations between BCCH subcells,
traffic subcells and between BCCH and traffic subcells.
7. In the third window, you may choose:
- To freeze all the subcells of a category (Control or Other - traffic -)
- To freeze all the existing TRXs (channels already allocated) of a category (Control or Other - traffic -)
- Whether the needed traffic loads (in the cost function) should be extracted from the default traffic capture of
from the Subcells table (which may contain user-defined values)
- Whether to consider discontinuous transmission (on the interference estimation) on subcells that support
DTX. Enter a circuit activity factor.
8. Click the button to start the loading the selected network and its verification.
Notes
You can later perform an audit of the computed frequency plan.
A channel search tool working on channels, BCCHs and BSICs allows you, for example, to dis-
play the transmitters (cells) with a specific frequency (f), the ones with frequencies either (f+1),
or (f-1) or (f+1) and (f-1) with different colours.
Note: All the AFP modules listed in the Modules tab will be available in the list.
Note: Atoll avoids creating TRXs without channels. Therefore, if you do not ask for MAL-MAIO
assignment, all the SFH subcells are considered "frozen", and no TRXs will be created for
them. The same happens in case only a MAL-MAIO assignment is selected. In this case, all
NH and BBH subcells will be considered frozen and no TRXs will be created.
Notes
AFP Rank (or TRX Rank) gives an idea about the usage of the frequency corresponding to a
TRX. The higher the AFP Rank, the worse the frequency.
Options to display Total costs and Separation costs at TRX/Subcell/Transmitter/Site levels in the
AFP results window will be available if you have already added new custom fields (AFP_COST
and AFP_SEP_COST of type SINGLE for the total and separation costs respectively) in the cor-
responding tables, i.e. TRX table, Subcells table, Transmitters table and sites table.
Notes
The input parameters for the automatic neighbour allocation can be exported to an external user
configuration file (AFP configuration).
Freezing implies that no frequency assignment will be made on selected entities. Nevertheless,
frozen items will be taken into consideration in the cost function of any AFP module.
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6.7.5.5 AFP Step 2: Loading and Verifying the Network
Once the AFP generic inputs are set, Atoll loads and verifies the involved items in the 2nd step.
Atoll loads:
The transmitters to be allocated (TBA transmitters): Among all the active and filtered transmitters, these are the
ones belonging to the transmitters folder for which AFP was launched, located within the focus zone.
The potential interferers of TBA transmitters if the option "Load all the potential interferers" is selected. They are
the transmitters whose calculation radii intersect the calculation radius of any TBA transmitter.
The transmitters involved in the specified separation conditions with the TBA transmitters: neighbours, co-site
transmitters, transmitters or subcells of exceptional pairs and neighbours of neighbours in case of BSIC allocation.
The calculated cost takes into account all the loaded transmitters. On the other hand, resources are not assigned to all the
transmitters. Therefore, it is important to know the transmitters to be allocated (TBA transmitters). TBA Transmitters are
the active and filtered transmitters located inside the computation zone, which belong to the folder for which AFP was
started. The resources selected in the previous dialogue will only be assigned to TBA transmitters. Other loaded transmit-
ters are considered to be "frozen" for all the types of assignments: BSIC, HSN, MAL, MAIO and channels.
Once loaded, Atoll verifies the network consistency. It reports mainly non-blocking warnings in the event viewer. These
warnings deal with, for example, values out of their range or inconsistencies of the existing allocation.
For example, Atoll can report that a list of frequencies is assigned to a TRX supporting a non-hopping or base band
hopping mode. In this case, AFP will fix it if frequencies are not frozen.
Inconsistent values (e.g., a value of 100 for the traffic load) will be replaced by Atoll in order to avoid blocking the AFP
process. Nevertheless, in some cases, like an empty HSN (or BSIC) domain when the HSN allocation is requested, the
AFP process will stop with an error message reported to the user in order to fill the domains.
After having checked the messages in the event viewer, click the Close button to open a new dialogue dealing
with other AFP settings.
6.7.5.6 AFP Step 3: Generic AFP Settings
After having loaded and verified the involved network, Atoll opens a dialogue consisting of three parts.
The first part reports the validated network conditions:
Resources to be allocated
Separation constraints
Type of loading
- Full: both potential interferers (interferences taken into account) and transmitters/subcells considered in sep-
aration requirements have been loaded and checked.
- Partial: only transmitters/subcells involved in separation requirements have been loaded and checked.
State of the loaded network: number of loaded subcells, number of subcells selected for the AFP process, warn-
ings during the consistency checking, etc.
At this step, the status box in Step 3 indicates that the allocation will be based on separation constraints only.
The second part of the dialogue displays information about the interference histograms, if interferences are taken into
account in AFP (not only separation requirements).
The status box in Step 3 indicates that the allocation will be based on separation constraints and interferences.
Finally, the third part of the dialogue displays the Event viewer window so that any important messages from loading the
network are accessible from this dialogue. Apart from this, it also enables you to:
Indicate a target time (in minutes) on which the AFP tool will base its method in order to lower its cost function
and converge to a solution.
Define a generator initialisation number (0 by default).
Notes
In case of BSIC allocation, neighbours of neighbours are systematically loaded.
If no focus zone exists in the .atl document, Atoll takes into account the computation zone.
Caution: Information provided in the event viewer has to be read carefully before proceeding further.
Caution: If interferences were supposed to be taken into account, but no histogram has been deter-
mined, the AFP process will be based on separation constraints only.
Note: This target time is used only by the AFP tool to select the best suited method. This means
that you will not be able to consider the result reliable as long as the target time is not
elapsed. The AFP tool might stop by itself before the target time is over. On the other hand,
if the AFP tool considers that the results are not satisfactory even after the target time is
elapsed, it will continue to improve the frequency plan.
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The generator initialisation number lets you choose between random and deterministic sequences for the AFP process.
When this number is equal to 0, the computations will be random. Otherwise, for any other generator initialisation, the
computations will be deterministic. Each number, other than 0, corresponds to a deterministic sequence. Therefore, when-
ever the AFP is launched for the same network with the same generator initialisation, the same results will be obtained.
However, it should be kept in mind that all the AFP computations are deterministic at the start, even if the generator initial-
isation number is set to 0. The effect of the random seed will be observable after a certain time (5 to 15% of the target
time). If you want to observe the effect of randomness, let the AFP calculate until the target time is elapsed, or set shorter
target time.
Once these parameters are set, click Run to start the automatic frequency planning.
6.7.5.7 AFP Step 4: Generic Outputs
After starting AFP, Atoll displays a new dialogue providing information about the AFP progress. The information available
in this dialogue includes:
The time elapsed since the session started.
The target time allotted to the AFP process.
The Number of AFP solutions evaluated.
Status of the solution currently being evaluated (depending on the selected AFP module). This information
includes:
- Initial cost
- Cost decomposition in Erlangs
- Separation cost component
- Additional costs including interference, TRX modification and creation costs, and tax for each Erlang of
missing TRXs
The Event viewer window allowing the user to view generated warning and error messages at any time during the
AFP process.
Modifiable and total costs of the initial plan with separation costs
Network weighted Erlangs
Cost details for the initial frequency plan and all the plans (AFP solutions) computed that improve the cost from
the initial plan. These solutions are sorted in order of increasing total cost. This information is available in the form
of a table that includes the following data:
- Modifiable cost
- Total cost
- Modifiable part of the separation component
- Separation component
- Modifiable part of the interference, modification/creation component
- Interference, modification/creation component
- Frozen costs
- Additional taxes
A Display Options button allows you to select the information to be displayed in the cost details table. You can display:
- Modifiable costs
- Total costs
- Frozen costs
- Summed components
- Main components (separation, interference and modification components)
- Additional components (corrupted, missing or out of domain unfrozen and frozen TRXs)
For more details of the cost components and modifiable and non-modifiable parts, please refer to the AFP Reference
Guide.
It is also possible to view histograms of the initial frequency plan and the current best solution by clicking their respective
Cost Distribution on Frequencies and Usage Distribution on Frequencies buttons. These histograms respectively depict
the costs corresponding to different frequencies and the usage of different frequencies in the network, for either the initial
frequency plan or the current best solution.
As mentioned in step 3, the target computation time provides an indication to the AFP tool about the method to follow in
order to find a suitable solution. Nevertheless, computations can be stopped any time by clicking the Pause/Stop button.
Results corresponding to the current best solution (lowest cost value) will be displayed.
If you have paused the AFP process to visualise the current best frequency plan, you can resume the computation by click-
ing the Resume button in the AFP results window.
When calculations are completed or stopped, Atoll displays the frequency plan proposed by the AFP tool. All the results
are listed in a dialogue, which shows a table listing the allocated resources. Resources can have different colours assigned
to represent different reasons, such as:
Artic blue: frozen resource
Red: resource modified since the previous allocation but with separation constraint violation
Green: resource modified since the previous allocation with separation constraints respected
Black: resource not modified
Blue: resource assigned with separation constraints respected
Purple: resource assigned but with separation violation
Brown: unmodified resource with separation violation
Grey: transmitters and subcells involved in computations
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Figure 6.6: Frequency tab showing the assigned resources
Pointing at a resource with the cursor displays a tip balloon giving the meaning of the colour.
The Separation violations column lists the separation requirements violated per category along with the frequency with
which this violation occurs. Details related to separation constraint violations can be displayed by checking the Show
Constraint Violation Details menu available in the Display Options button. The TRX corresponding to this frequency is
listed under the With the TRX column in the form of a button, as shown in the figure above. Clicking this button takes you
to the corresponding TRX in the same table. Right-clicking any row corresponding to a separation violation opens a context
menu proposing a Separation Constraint Violation command. Clicking this menu opens a message box detailing the
reason of separation violations (see Figure 6.7).
Figure 6.7: Separation violations
The Co-channel and Adjacent channel columns list the co-channel and adjacent channel collision probabilities between
the frequencies having separation violations.
AFP Rank (or TRX Rank) gives an idea about the usage of the frequency corresponding to a TRX. The higher the AFP
Rank, the worse the frequency.
If you have added the required custom fields for and chosen to display the total and separation costs for TRXs/subcells/
transmitters/sites, these information are also available in separate columns in the AFP results window.
The Channel Assignment column enables you to modify the current frequency plan by keeping the generated values, re-
assigning the initial values from the initial frequency plan or deleting the TRX. This column lets you choose, for each TRX:
New Value: The value calculated by the AFP process. By default, only the new values are displayed in the results
window.
Initial Value: The value assigned before running the AFP. Atoll will update the colours and violations of all the
other TRXs affected by changing the value of any one to initial value.
Delete the TRX: The TRX will be deleted. (It will be displayed with strikethrough).
Channel assignment can only be modified for the TRXs modified by the AFP process. Values for frozen TRXs and TRXs
loaded for calculations only cannot be modified. TRXs that have been created by the AFP and TRXs that have remained
unchanged can have new values or can be deleted only.
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You can also choose the results you want to display. By checking the related display options, it is possible to list the results
related only to:
Cells (BSICs),
Subcells (HSNs), and
TRXs (Channels/MAL, MAIO and related separation violations)
All of them can be displayed at the same time.
It is possible to display the following in the results window:
The current AFP plan,
The generated AFP plan, or
The initial plan
The current AFP plan is displayed by default. As you continue to work on it in the results window, Atoll memorises each
modification in the current plan. You may, at any moment, revert to the plan that was generated by the AFP by choosing
the AFP plan. Or even display the initial AFP plan, if there was any, from where the AFP took off. This feature is extremely
helpful when applying the final touches to your AFP plan as it enables you to revert to the initial and reverted AFP plans
at any time and to fine-tune the resource allocations.
The Separation violations column displays the separation violations relevant to the displayed AFP plan, current, generated
or initial.
The modifications in the current AFP plan can be cancelled by clicking the Actions button and choosing Reset channel
allocations command.
You may also choose to display the resources assigned during the current AFP session to the TBA transmitters (option
"Studied transmitters only"). And, in addition, the existing frequency plan of potential interferers and transmitters involved
in separation requirements (option "Transmitters involved in computations").
This results window is non-blocking. You can continue to work with Atoll while it is displayed. Thus it is possible to double-
check and verify your network data before actually committing the AFP results.
It is also possible to resolve constraint violations automatically through the Constraint Violation Resolution dialogue.
This dialogue is accessible through the Actions button by choosing the Constraint Violation Resolution command.
In this dialogue, you can choose which TRXs to take into account while resolving the constraint violations of different types
and then apply the resolved results to selected TRX types. If you select co-transmitters in the violation types, all the TRXs
with at least one co-transmitter type constraint violation will be set to Delete the TRX after the computations.
You can also define which collision probabilities to take into account while resolving constraint violations. You can choose
whether to apply the results to TRXs of type BCCH, to TRXs of type TCH and TCH_INNER, or all. When you click OK, the
constraint violations will be recalculated for the current frequency plan leaving the TRXs set to Delete the TRX untouched.
(The channel assignment only concerns the TRXs, the BSICs and HSNs remain allocated.)
Notes
Channel Assignment column is only modifiable in the current plan.
The Commit button is only enabled when the current plan is displayed.
If TRXs have been created during the AFP process, they will be displayed with "Delete the TRX"
as option in the Channel Assignment column when displaying the initial plan.
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Figure 6.8: Constraint Violation Resolution
You can also export the table contents to tabulated ASCII text files.
Before closing this dialogue, use the Commit button to assign the allocated resources.
6.7.6 Frequency Plan Analysis
6.7.6.1 Auditing a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Frequency Plan
Once frequencies have been assigned to TRXs (manually, automatically), Atoll provides a tool in order to check the
consistency of the current frequency plan.
This tool enables you to check the consistency and the validity of several parameters involved in a GSM/GPRS/EDGE
network. Atoll performs the consistency checking on:
The transmitters to be allocated (we will call them "TBA transmitters"): Among all the active and filtered trans-
mitters, they are the ones that belong to the transmitters folder for which the AFP was launched and to the focus
zone as well.
The potential interferers with TBA transmitters if the option "Load all the potential interferers" is selected. They
are all the transmitters whose calculation radii intersect the calculation radius of any TBA transmitter.
The transmitters involved in the specified separation conditions with the TBA transmitters: the neighbours,
co-site transmitters, transmitters or subcells of exceptional pairs and neighbours of neighbours in case of BSIC
allocation.
Some audits are automatic; other ones are user-defined.
First, this tool automatically checks the following points:
Definition of a unique BCCH TRX per transmitter,
Consistency between TRXs and related cell types,
No empty domain,
Frequency domains included in reference frequency bands (if Frequencies box is ticked).
Notes
It is possible to export the AFP results (previous and current) to an external tabulated file with
the generic table export tool accessible from the Actions button.
The export command will export the displayed frequency plan (current, generated, or initial).
Note: The bottom part of the Frequency plan tab displays the messages related to the last solu-
tion (which may not be the best one) and potential related allocation problems.
Notes
It is possible to resume the AFP from the last proposed solution in order to try to improve it.
An audit on the computed frequency plan is available.
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In case of Non Hopping or Base Band Hopping: definition of one unique frequency per TRX,
In case of Synthesized Frequency Hopping: definition of a frequency list per TRX,
In case of Synthesized Frequency Hopping: respect of max MAL lengths,
In case of Synthesized Frequency Hopping: MAIO less than the number of MAL frequencies
Optionally, it was also checking the consistency of the current frequency plan, HSN and BSIC allocation (compli-
ance with assigned domains, the allocation strategy and separation constraints).
The number of timeslots per subcell must be lower than or equal to the multiplexing factor (-1 for the BCCH sub-
cell),
The number of timeslots per subcell cannot be null,
Furthermore, you can parameter some additional checking on Frequencies, HSN and/or BSIC elements:
Check of the compliance of the current frequency plan with the allocation strategy (Free or Group constrained) at
the TRX type level (subcells in transmitters),
Check of the respect of domains for allocated resources of type frequency, HSN or BSIC. These domains are
tested in order to check that they are not empty. Concerning frequencies, the tool is able to check compliance of
frequency domains within related frequency bands,
- Consistency between the defined BSIC format and the assigned BSICs (BSIC domain option checked),
- Consistency between the excluded channels (at the subcell level) and the assigned ones (Frequency domain
option checked),
- In case of Synthesized Frequency Hopping and Group constrained strategy, respect of exactly a group of a
domain for the allocated TRXs (Frequencies and Allocation strategy options checked),
Respect of the exceptional separation constraints (between subcells) prior to co-cell, co-site or neighbour separa-
tions (relaxation).
A transmitter and its neighbours must not have the same (BSIC-BCCH) pair ((BSIC, BCCH) pair option checked).
Two neighbours must not have the same (BSIC-BCCH) pair ((BSIC, BCCH) pair option checked).
To run the frequency plan audit:
1. Right-click on the transmitters folder or on a group of transmitters,
2. Choose the [Frequency plan: Audit...] command from the context menu,
3. In the General tab of the dialogue, select the parameters you want to check,
4. In the Separations tab, click on the Exceptional pairs... button in order to check/add separations within
exceptional pairs of transmitters and subcells.
5. Define the channel separations within subcells of a same cell, within subcells of co-site transmitters and
between subcells of neighbours. You may specify separations between BCCH subcells, traffic subcells and
between BCCH and traffic subcells,
6. In the Detailed results tab, specify the detail level you wish to display in the Event viewer. When no option is
selected, Atoll displays global warnings or/and error messages according to the problems. It will display an error
message per transmitter/subcell/TRX/pair of transmitters if you choose "Error messages". When selecting
"Warning related to separations", it displays a warning for each separation constraint violation. If "Additional warn-
ings" is checked, it will give a detailed list of all the warnings.
7. Click on OK to start the audit.
Audit results are then displayed in a specific dialogue made of two parts:
The top part summarizes all the allocated resources in a structured grid. It is possible to choose at which level
(Cells, Subcells, TRXs) to display these results by using the button.
- In some detailed results have been requested (see above), these are given in the 'Description' column.
- In case violation separations have been requested, the 'With the TRX' column indicates the TRX with which
the considered TRX is in conflict. If you click on the related cell, you can switch from violated TRXs to violated
TRXs within the grid.
The bottom part displays the global summary (number analysed items, errors, warning, etc.) of the audit. This
information can be also stored in an external log file.
6.7.6.2 Checking Consistency Between Transmitters and Subcells
An additional tool is available to check consistency of some subcell and TRX characteristics which can be duplicated at
the transmitter level which can occurs after incorrect use of the archive function in database connection.
Atoll checks for each transmitter that:
The number of TRXs indicated in the Transmitters table corresponds to the number of TRXs listed for this trans-
mitter in the TRXs table,
The list of channels used by the transmitter consists in all the channels assigned to TRXs of the transmitter,
The BCCH of the transmitter is the same than the channel assigned to BCCH TRX of the transmitter,
Note: In order to provide a faster display of the results, It is possible to postpone the global sum-
mary over all the subcells and to run it in the audit output dialogue.
Note: You can run the postponed global summary using the button.
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The number of required TRXs indicated in the Transmitters table is equal to the sum of required TRXs of the trans-
mitter subcells,
The hopping mode of the transmitter corresponds to the one of its TCH subcell.
To start the Audit tool:
1. Right-click on the Transmitters folder and select the Subcells: Audit... command,
2. In the Subcell consistency dialogue, two options are available: you may display a report in the events viewer
(Atoll provides a list of problems grouped by transmitters) and solve the detected problems (Atoll updates char-
acteristics of transmitters inconsistent with their subcells and TRXS).
3. Click on OK to start the checking tool.
6.7.6.3 Using the Channel Search Tool in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Atoll provides a tool which allows you to search for BCCH and/or non BCCH channels and BSIC. This is an additional tool
to analyse a frequency plan; you may use it in order to quickly visualise channel and BSIC reuse on the map.
To display the Search window, select the "Search Tool" in the View general menu. Atoll opens a floating window that
you can keep at any location on your screen, or dock at the bottom of the map, like the Point analysis window.
The user defines a channel or a BSIC, Atoll finds and highlights (by allocating significant colours) the transmitters which
are assigned that channel or BSIC.
Three tabs are available to help the user find transmitters which are assigned a given channel, BSIC or BCCH-BSIC. Atoll
changes the colours of the transmitter arrows on the map. To obtain a 2D graphic display, it is necessary to have prelim-
inary defined and calculated a study "Coverage by transmitter" (with a colour display by transmitter). The colours of the
coverage cells will then follow the colours of the transmitters.
Search for Channels
The user defines a channel, which can be searched within the control channels ("BCCH"), within the other channels ("non
BCCH"), or indifferently within all the channels ("All") of the network, without differentiating subcells. Atoll runs through the
channel list of each transmitter and gives the colour red to co-channel transmitters, yellow to multi-adjacent channel trans-
mitters (+1 and -1), blue (+1) and green (-1) to adjacent channel transmitters and grey to the others. If it happens that a
transmitter meets several criteria, the co-channel criterion has priority meaning that red colour always overrides the others.
The user may select the "only co-channel" check box in order to view on the map co-channel transmitters only. In this case,
co-channel transmitters are displayed in red and all the other ones (even adjacent channel transmitters) in grey.
Search for BSIC
The user defines a BSIC value. Atoll runs through all the BSIC within the network and gives the colour RED to transmitters
with that BSIC and GREY to the others.
Search for BCCH-BSIC
The user defines a pair of BCCH-BSIC values. Atoll runs through all the BCCH-BSIC pairs within the network and gives
the colour RED to transmitters with that BCCH-BSIC and GREY to the others.
6.7.6.4 Displaying the Channel Distribution
After an allocation (manual or automatic), it is possible to display the channel reuse in a single window. This dialogue
shows both the channel load (number of utilisation of each channel weighted by the fractional load) and the number of
times each channel is globally used. Results are given in a table form that can be either copied and pasted to any external
analysis tool or exported to an external file.
To display the channel usage statistics window:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the transmitters folder or on a group of transmitters,
3. Choose Frequency plan: Channel Distribution from the context menu.
The button creates a tabulated file in txt or csv format using the generic tool to export table.
It is also possible to analyse the allocated channels in a network through the use of histograms. An histogram will represent
the (load =f(channel)) function. To open the channel histogram, click the button in the channel usage statis-
tics window seen above.
Notes
To restore the initial transmitter colours, click the button in the
bottom of the map.
A useful feature is to display as label on the map the BCCH, BSIC and channel list of each trans-
mitter, using the Display tab of the Transmitters folder properties.
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Each bar represent a channel, its height depending on its load value. By moving the mouse along the histogram area, the
(channel, load value) pair is displayed at the place of the cursor. In the right part of the window, a table summarised the
load of each single frequency.
Clicking the button keeps the histogram representation in memory, allowing you to paste it into another appli-
cation. You can also print it by clicking the button.
6.7.6.5 Computing KPIs in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Atoll allows the user to calculate and analyse the Key Performance Indicators, such as the reduction factor, the blocking
probability, and delay that are currently set in the network. This can be thought of as an analysis tool that enables the user
to observe how much the network satisfies basic criteria of performance.
To run a KPI calculation:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic analysis folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right-click on a Traffic capture item, according to which you want to dimension the network, to open the context
menu,
4. Select KPI calculation...,
5. In the KPI calculation dialogue, choose the dimensioning model to be used for computations,
You can select the columns you want to display in the table. To do this, click on the Displayed columns button and
select information you wish to display.
6. Click on Calculate.
For each subcell of each transmitter, Atoll gives:
Network settings such as the number of TRXs, the number of packet, shared and circuit timeslots and the traffic
load, the maximum number of TRXs that can be placed in the transmitter (limit indicated at transmitter level as well
as in the dimensioning model properties), the maximum number of TRXs that can be placed in the transmitter (this
value is indicated in the dimensioning model properties), the maximum rate of traffic overflow (%) (specified in the
subcell properties) and the half rate traffic ratio (%) (defined in the subcell properties).
Traffic capture results such as the packet traffic demand (kbps), the average demand in packet timeslots, the
average number of timeslots per connection (packet) and the circuit traffic demand (Erlangs), the average demand
in circuit timeslots and the average number of timeslots per connection (circuit),
For packet services, the average number of timeslots per connection corresponds to the average number of downlink
timeslots, which mobile terminals can simultaneously communicate over. For circuit switched services, the number of
timeslots per connection is 1 in case of full rate; else it depends on the half rate ratio.
For a circuit switched service, you will find the served circuit traffic (Erlangs), the effective rate of traffic overflow
and the effective blocking rate.
The served circuit traffic corresponds to the circuit traffic demand less the effective overflowed circuit traffic.
In case of Erlang B, the effective rate of traffic overflow corresponds to the effective blocking rate; this value is deduced
from the required number of circuit timeslots (shared +dedicated) and the circuit traffic demand in Erlang B tables.
In case of Erlang C, the effective rate of traffic overflow is zero except if the maximum number of TRXs is exceeded; the
effective blocking rate is inferred from the number of circuit timeslots (shared +dedicated) and the circuit traffic demand
in Erlang C tables.
For a packet switched service, results are the served packet traffic (kbps), the effective rate of traffic overflow, the
minimum throughput reduction factor and KPIs such as the throughput reduction factor, the delay and the blocking
rate.
The served packet traffic corresponds to the packet traffic demand less the effective overflowed packet traffic.
The effective rate of traffic overflow corresponds to the rejected packet traffic due to missing packet timeslots.
The minimum throughput reduction factor is stated in percentage; it corresponds to the highest reduction (lowest percent-
age) that can be applied to the maximum rate in order to supply service with the minimum permissible rate (defined for the
service).
KPIs are deduced from the packet load and the number of available connections by using quality charts defined in the
dimensioning model properties.
Note: When the maximum rate of traffic overflow and the Half-Rate traffic ratio values are different
for BCCH and TCH subcells, Atoll takes the BCCH subcell values.
Note: In case of concentric cells, the traffic demand on TCH subcells is different from the one
evaluated during the traffic capture. It is calculated from the traffic demand of the capture
and the effective rate of traffic overflow (instead of the maximum rate used in traffic analy-
sis).
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7. After a computation, click on Commit to assign the results to subcells (the load and the effective rate of traffic
overflow).
6.8 Specific GSM/GPRS/EDGE Prediction Studies
6.8.1 Setting Specific Coverage Conditions in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Studies
Whatever the project type is, the way to create, manage and run coverage studies is identical. Only study parameters are
different.
Hence, in GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects, even if coverage study dialogues are composed of the three classical tabs:
The General tab where you may rename the study, define the coverage resolution, add some comments, define
group, sort and filter criteria, on the coverage display only (not on the results),
The Condition tab where you can specify the study parameters,
The Display tab to define coverage display settings,
coverage conditions are managed with some specifics related to GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology.
GSM/GPRS/EDGE specific settings in predictions are described below:
1. Coverage conditions include the possibility to choose between two options for the definition of reception thresh-
olds. You can either manually enter a lower threshold for the transmitters to be part of a coverage, or you can
choose the lower threshold defined in subcells (taking into account the power offset) for this. To do this, select the
button next to the threshold boxes. In each pixel, Atoll will then take into account all subcells respecting its
minimum signal level at that point for the coverage. The best server notion (+margin) and the cell edge coverage
probability options are then considered.
2. Concerning the best (or second best) server option, Atoll provides the possibility to consider or not HCS layers
and associated priorities.
Let us assume that:
Each transmitter, Txi, belongs to a Hierarchical Cell Structure (HCS) layer, k, with a defined priority.
The maximum range option (available in the System tab of the Predictions property dialogue) is inactive.
In case all the servers are considered (All), for each HCS layer, k, the service area of Txi corresponds to the bins where:
In case the best signal level per HCS layer and a margin, for each HCS layer, k, the service area of Txi corresponds to
the bins where:
and
where
M is the specified margin (dB).
Best function: considers the highest value.
In case of the best signal level on the highest priority layer and a margin, the service area of Txi corresponds to the
bins where:
Note: KPI calculation is based on a traffic capture. Modifications of traffic map(s), traffic parame-
ters and transmitter properties (e.g., calculation area, E/GPRS equipment, etc.) have an
influence on the traffic capture. Therefore, if you modify some of these data, you must recal-
culate the traffic capture before calculating KPIs.
Notes
If the margin equals 0 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is the
highest one.
If the margin is set to 2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
either the highest one or 2dB lower than the highest one.
If the margin is set to -2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
2dB higher than the signal levels from transmitters, which are 2nd best servers.
( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
tt
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
tt
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) ( ) M BCCH P Best BCCH P
Txj
rec
i j
Txi
rec


( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
tt
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
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and
and
Txi belongs to the HCS layer with the highest priority
where
M is the specified margin (dB).
Best function: considers the highest value.
In case of the second best signal level per HCS layer and a margin, for each HCS layer, k, the service area of Txi corre-
sponds to the bins where:
and
where
M is the specified margin (dB).
2nd Best function: considers the second highest value.
3. It is possible to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/unchecking the related box. Indoor losses are defined
per clutter class. Considering a reception pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is added to the total path loss
regarding to the defined value (in dB).
4. Furthermore, it is possible to restrict the reception on certain TRX types using the appropriate scrolling box. It is
possible to select the All option in interference studies.
5. In interference studies, it is possible also to use the button in order to consider the min C/I threshold defined
per subcell as lower or upper ratio signal to noise for interference definition.
6. It is possible to choose the signal to noise ratio to be taken into actually. Actually, the thermal noise is taken into
account when choosing the (C/I+N) option (default) or not (C/I option). N is the sum of the thermal noise (default
-121 dBm) and the noise figure of the involved terminal (or the user-defined one)
7. As for the TRX type filter at reception on a pixel (See point 4 - above), you can also restrict the study to potentially
interfered TRX type using the appropriate scrolling box. Selecting the (All) option makes Atoll study C/I over each
TRX type.
8. Other specific options are relative to interference, C/I or GPRS/EDGE studies and are described in the corre-
sponding context sensitive help.
Notes
If the margin equals 0 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is the
highest one.
If the margin is set to 2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
either the highest one or 2dB lower than the highest one.
If the margin is set to -2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
2dB higher than the signal levels from transmitters, which are 2nd best servers.
Notes
If the margin equals 0 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is the
second highest one.
If the margin is set to 2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
either the second highest one or 2dB lower than the second highest one.
If the margin is set to -2 dB, Atoll will consider bins where the signal level received from Txi is
2dB higher than the signal levels from transmitters, which are 3rd best servers.
Note: Choosing the Best signal level per HCS layer makes Atoll consider the best server of each
HCS layer on the considered pixel. Overlapping best server zones are enable.
Note: Since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties have to be set (e.g., adja-
cent channel protection level).
( ) ( ) ( ) M BCCH P Best BCCH P
Txj
rec
i j
Txi
rec


( ) ( ) threshold Maximum or or threshold Minimum <

Losses Total L
tt
P
Txi Txi
tot
Txi
rec
( ) ( ) ( ) M BCCH P Best BCCH P
Txj
rec
i j
nd Txi
rec


2
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6.8.2 Studying Interfered Zone Predictions
The determination of interference zones is possible as soon as channels have been allocated to the transmitters compos-
ing the current network, exactly like for interferences study using the point analysis tool. This study is closely based on the
principle of common prediction studies from which it takes the definition mode and to which it adds an interference condi-
tion. Nevertheless, specific coverage GSM/GPRS/EDGE conditions are available. Prediction parameters are also stand-
ard.
The interfered zones study enables the user to predict areas where transmitters are interfered (taken into account depend-
ing on signal level) by other transmitters sharing either an identical channel or an adjacent channel as function of signal
to noise ratio. Atoll computes C/I level on each calculation bin where conditions on signal reception are satisfied. Then, it
considers in coverage the bins where the calculated C/I is lower than an upper threshold and colours the bin depending
on an interfered transmitter attribute. The interference definition is proper to each study.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the interfered zone option from the study types
window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's this
help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
The interfered zone study is a template for which the field 'Transmitter' is selected by default in the display tab. In that case,
interfered zones will be displayed with the same colours than the ones defined for each transmitter.
Notes
Shadowing margins (depending on the entered cell edge coverage probability and the C/I
standard deviation at the receiver) are applied only on the C values. These are not taken into
account in I determinations.
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating interference area predic-
tion studies but it is possible to colour by any other consistent attribute just by adjusting display.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
The study depends on the hopping mode, and will be made for each pixel on:
- A channel of TRXs belonging to the related TRX type (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) in case of
a non hopping mode,
- A MAL of the related subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER), in case of base band hopping,
- A MAL-MAIO of the related subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) in case of synthesised fre-
quency hopping.
When the detailed results option is checked, all the results for all the TRXs satisfying the condi-
tions are displayed. Check the detailed results option if you want to display details on interfer-
ence:
- per TRX (one channel) in Non Hopping mode,
- per MAL (indicating the related TRX type) in Base Band Hopping mode,
- per MAL-MAIO (indicating the related TRX type) in Synthesised Frequency Hopping mode,
- per transmitter in the current prediction folder.
When the detailed results option is unchecked, it is possible to display the study either for the
condition satisfied by "At least one TRX" or by "The worst TRX". There can be many possibilities
as the final results also depend on the type of interfered TRX (BCCH, TCH, or All). For example,
for an interference study with condition 0 <=C/I =10 performed for a transmitter having 1 BCCH
TRX with C/I =2, 1 TCH TRX with C/I =-1, and 1 TCH TRX with C/I =1:
- For All types of interfered TRXs:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., the worst among the BCCH
TRX and the 2nd TCH TRX is C/I =1, which satisfies the conditions so the bin will be
coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., the worst
among the BCCH TRX and the 2 TCH TRXs is C/I =-1, which does not satisfy the condi-
tions so the bin will not be coloured.
- For interfered TRXs of type TCH:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., only the 2nd TCH TRX satis-
fies the conditions and has C/I =1, so the bin will be coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., the worst
among the 2 TCH TRXs is C/I =-1, which does not satisfy the conditions so the bin will
not be coloured.
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6.8.3 Computing a Coverage Study by C/I Level
The determination of zones by C/I level is possible as soon as channels have been allocated to the transmitters composing
the current network, exactly like for interferences study using the point analysis tool. This study is closely based on the
principle of common prediction studies from which it takes the definition mode and to which it adds an interference condi-
tion. Nevertheless, specific coverage GSM/GPRS/EDGE conditions are available. Prediction parameters are also stand-
ard.
The coverage by C/I level study enables the user to predict C/I levels involving transmitters (taken into account depending
on signal level) sharing either an identical channel or an adjacent channel with other transmitters as function of signal to
noise ratio. The interference definition is proper to each study.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Coverage by C/I level option from the study
types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
The coverage by C/I level study is a template for which the field 'C/I level' is selected by default in the display tab. In that
case, each layer corresponds to an area where the C/I level exceeds a defined minimum threshold. Numerous option
related to signal level coverage are available in the Display tab.
- For interfered TRXs of type BCCH:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., only the BCCH TRX satisfies
the conditions and has C/I =2, so the bin will be coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., only the
BCCH TRX satisfies the conditions and has C/I =2, so the bin will be coloured.
Since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties have to be set (e.g.: adjacent
channel protection level).
The noise figure is taken into account for calculations based on C/(I+N). This noise figure is
added to the thermal noise value (defined at -121 dBm) to calculate the value of N.
Notes
Shadowing margins (depending on the entered cell edge coverage probability and the C/I
standard deviation per clutter class) are applied only to the C values. These are not taken into
account in I determinations.
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating coverage by interference
level but it is possible to colour by any other consistent attribute just by adjusting display.
Choosing another display type can make invalid coverage study. In this case, it is necessary to
recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
When selecting a "highest signal level" option with a margin or the "All" option, you may have
areas where several transmitters are interfered. On these bins, several C/I values are calculated.
Therefore, you may choose to display either the lowest one of these values (Min C/I option) or
the highest one (Max C/I option) in the Field scrolling box of the display tab.
The study depends on the hopping mode, and will be made for each pixel on:
- A channel of TRXs belonging to the related TRX type (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) in case of
a non hopping mode,
- A MAL of the related subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER), in case of base band hopping,
- A MAL-MAIO of the related subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) in case of synthesised fre-
quency hopping.
When the detailed results option is checked, all the results for all the TRXs satisfying the condi-
tions are displayed. Check the detailed results option if you want to display details on interfer-
ence:
- per TRX (one channel) in Non Hopping mode,
- per MAL (indicating the related TRX type) in Base Band Hopping mode,
- per MAL-MAIO (indicating the related TRX type) in Synthesised Frequency Hopping mode,
- per transmitter in the current prediction folder.
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6.8.4 Studying Interferences with the Point Analysis
With the point analysis tool, Atoll is able to display interferers for a given transmitter, at the receiver location on the map
using the propagation model as defined before (with priority order respect). To analyse interferences, user must assign
frequencies to transmitters beforehand. Furthermore, since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties
have to be set.
To make active the Interference analysis window (GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects only):
1. From the menu bar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Click on the Interference tab,
4. Select the transmitter you want the receiver to be currently connected from the associated scrolling list,
5. Click the button from the toolbar,
6. Move over the map to display the transmitter interferers at any point,
7. The data appearing in the Point analysis window on receiver interference at the point clicked on will be as
follows:
It is possible to choose the signal to noise ratio to be taken into account. Actually, the thermal noise is taken into account
when choosing the (C/I+N) option (default) or not (C/I option).
You can study a TRX type or all the TRX types. Atoll displays the signal level and interference received on:
The most interfered channel of the selected transmitter subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) or the most interfered
of all the transmitter subcells (All), in case of a non hopping mode.
The MAL of the selected transmitter subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) or the most interfered MAL of all the
transmitter subcells (All), in case of base band hopping.
The most interfered MAL-MAIO of the selected transmitter subcell (BCCH, TCH, TCH_INNER) or the most inter-
fered MAL-MAIO of all the transmitter subcells (All), in case of synthesised frequency hopping.
Finally, you may take into account either contribution of all the interferers, or co-channel interferers only, or adjacent chan-
nel interferers only, in the interference level evaluation.
When the detailed results option is unchecked, it is possible to display the study either for the
condition satisfied by "At least one TRX" or by "The worst TRX". There can be many possibilities
as the final results also depend on the type of interfered TRX (BCCH, TCH, or All). For example,
for an interference study with condition 0 <=C/I =10 performed for a transmitter having 1 BCCH
TRX with C/I =2, 1 TCH TRX with C/I =-1, and 1 TCH TRX with C/I =1:
- For All types of interfered TRXs:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., the worst among the BCCH
TRX and the 2
nd
TCH TRX is C/I =1, which satisfies the conditions so the bin will be
coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., the worst
among the BCCH TRX and the 2 TCH TRXs is C/I =-1, which does not satisfy the condi-
tions so the bin will not be coloured.
- For interfered TRXs of type TCH:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., only the 2
nd
TCH TRX satisfies
the conditions and has C/I =1, so the bin will be coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., the worst
among the 2 TCH TRXs is C/I =-1, which does not satisfy the conditions so the bin will
not be coloured.
- For interfered TRXs of type BCCH:
- "At least one TRX" (default option)
- Atoll keeps the worst result satisfying the conditions, i.e., only the BCCH TRX satisfies
the conditions and has C/I =2, so the bin will be coloured.
- "The worst TRX"
- Atoll keeps the worst of all the results and then verifies the conditions, i.e., only the
BCCH TRX satisfies the conditions and has C/I =2, so the bin will be coloured.
Since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties have to be set (e.g.: adjacent
channel protection level).
The noise figure is taken into account for calculations based on C/(I+N). This noise figure is
added to the thermal noise value (defined at -121 dBm) to calculate the value of N.
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Results
In this tab, Atoll provides for a given receiver:
The signal level received from the interfered subcell.
Either the overall interference received from all the interferer transmitters (both co-channel and adjacent channel
interferers are considered), or the co-channel interference received from all the co-channel interferers, or the adja-
cent channel interference received from all the adjacent channel interferers.
The interference level received from each interferer. Interferers are sorted in a descending signal level order.
Atoll informs you when reduction factors of signal level and interference level are applied; reception bars consist of two
parts, a full part, which shows the received signal or interference level, and an empty part corresponding to signal or inter-
ference level reduction. In case of the interfered subcell reception bar, signal level reduction can be due to the subcell
power offset. For each interferer transmitter reception bar, interference level reduction can be due to power offsets of
subcells, adjacent channel protection and fractional load.
In addition, Atoll indicates the most interfered channel in case of non hopping (the most interfered MAL in case of base
band hopping and the most interfered MAL-MAIO in case of base band hopping) and the signal to noise ratio at the
receiver.
Lets imagine the following scenario: The studied transmitter is Site14_2; we analyse potential interferences from all the
interferers (both co-channel and adjacent channel interferers) received on all its TRXs (i.e., we study the worst case). The
requested cell edge coverage probability is 75%. Like for the interfered zones and coverage by C/I levels studies, Atoll
analyses the most interfered channel of the studied transmitter in case of non hopping mode.
Figure 6.9: Point analysis tool - Interference tab
Site 14_2 consists in two subcells, one is TRX type BCCH (no power offset); the other is TRX type TCH (no power
offset). The channel 4 is assigned to one TRX TCH.
Site 9_2 consists in two subcells, one is TRX type BCCH (no power offset); the other is TRX type TCH (no power
offset). The channel 4 is assigned to TRX BCCH.
Site 2_2 is a transmitter made of two subcells, one is TRX type BCCH (no power offset); the other is TRX type
TCH (power offset 3dB). The channel 4 is assigned to one TRX TCH.
Site 12_3 is a transmitter made of two subcells, one is TRX type BCCH (no power offset); the other is TRX type
TCH (no power offset). The channel 3 is assigned to one TRX TCH.
The Non hopping mode is assigned to TRX types of these transmitter.
Point analysis leads to the following results:
The 1st bar in brown shows the signal level from the transmitter Site14_2 at the receiver (-77.5 dBm). Initially, this
value would have been -71.4 dBm, but signal level value is decreased by 6.1 dB due to the shadowing margin.
The 2nd bar indicates the overall interference for interfering stations (-87.7 dBm).
The following bars show, respectively, in descending order, signal levels of each interferer subcell on the studied
station (Site9_2: -89.2 dBm, Site2_2: -93.5 dBm and Site12_3: - 106.94 dBm).
You can see that the most interfered channel of Site14_2 is the channel 4 and the C/I received is 10.2 dB. Analysis of
interferers leads to the following comments:
The reception bar of Site9_2 is full. The channel 4 is assigned to TRX BCCH of this transmitter; it is a co-channel
interferer. On the other hand, no power offset is defined.
The reception bar of Site2_2 is partly filled. The channel 4 is assigned to one TRX TCH of this transmitter; it is a
co-channel interferer. The empty part of the reception bar is due to power offset (3 dB) specified for the TCH sub-
cell.
Finally, the reception bar of Site 12_3 is partly filled. The channel 3 is assigned to one TRX TCH of this transmitter;
this is an adjacent channel interferer. Here, the empty part of the reception bar is due to the adjacent channel pro-
tection level is set to 18 dB. No power offset is defined for TCH subcell. Nevertheless, if a supplementary power
offset had been defined for this subcell, the related bar would have been cleared from 3dB more.
If the bar representing interference of the station is full, this means that this station interference on the interfered station is
not attenuated by one of the factors described above.
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6.8.5 Studying Interferences within a Transmitter Pair
The transmitter pair interference analysis tool lets you analyse the effects of an interfering signal from any transmitter on
the carrier signal of any other transmitter within the computation zone.
To activate the Transmitter pair interference analysis tool (GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects only):
Either,
- From the View menu, choose the Analysis between two transmitters command,
Or,
a. Right-click a transmitter in the Explorer window or on the map to open the associated context menu,
b. Select the Transmitter Interferences command from the context menu,
Activating the tool in the later fashion selects the transmitter as the victim/interfered transmitter automatically.
For the first method, you have to select the victim/interfered transmitter afterwards.
c. Select relevant victim or interfered and interferer transmitters on the map or through the lists in the tool win-
dow,
d. Click the Calculate button to calculate the effect of interfering signal from the interferer on the carrier signal
from the victim.
Atoll changes the symbols of the transmitters concerned for the duration of the analysis in order to improve visibility on
the map. The victim is represented by a icon while the interferers icon is .
It is possible to select the victim and interferer transmitters either from the lists available in the tool, which list all
the transmitters in the document, or by clicking the and buttons to select the victim and the interferer
transmitters respectively on the map.
The button lets you swap the victim and interferer transmitters.
The Visible option lets you display or hide this coverage by checking or unchecking it respectively.
It is possible to either restrict the coverage condition for this analysis to a defined reception threshold or to base
this analysis on an already computed coverage study. In this way, you can compare the result of this interference
analysis with the result from a coverage prediction study.
You can also view the relevant statistical details (histogram, cumulative distribution functions, mean and standard
deviation) of this coverage by clicking the button.
6.8.6 Creating a Coverage by GPRS/EGPRS Coding Schemes
This study displays areas according to the used coding schemes. The coverage colour depends on the assigned coding
scheme. The coding scheme choice is determined from radio conditions (C, C and C/I, or C/N and C/(I+N)). Therefore, the
strongest C and C/I values are, the higher the coding scheme will be.
As this study can be based on C/I, some parameters are similar to the ones found in interference predictions.
To create this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the GPRS/EGPRS coding schemes option from
the study types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the
What's this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
In the condition tab, specific GPRS/EDGE conditions are available.
You can define whether the coverage study is based on GPRS or/and EDGE. You can also specify a terminal type. So
that the C and C/I graphs related to this terminal type will be used in the calculations. This will also allow using the noise
figure of this terminal type. Furthermore, this implies that the highest coding scheme allowed for this terminal type will
restrict the calculations to that number of coding scheme.
If no terminal type is defined for the study, Atoll will use the graphs defined for the transmitters GPRS/EGPRS equipment.
The value for the noise figure can be defined in the coverage prediction properuser-defined.
A mobility can also be defined for this type of study. This will enable Atoll to choose between the graphs associated with
the defined terminal type and the graphs associated with the transmitter.
Notes
Only signal level (C) is downgraded by the shadowing margin (depending on the entered cell
edge coverage probability and the C/I standard deviation per clutter class). The interference level
(I) is not altered by the shadowing margin.
Neither DTX, nor traffic load of TRXs are taken into account to evaluate the interference levels
(Atoll calculates interference level by considering 100% as voice activity factor and traffic load).
If a MAL is defined on the most interfered subcell, you can obtain, for example, the following
result:
Interference on: TCH M.A.L. 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525
Note: It is imperative to have a computation zone defined for this tool to function.
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The Ideal link adaptation option changes the algorithm used to choose the coding schemes.
No Ideal Link Adaptation and Thermal Noise Not Taken into Account
For each C and C/I process, the coding scheme related to the computed threshold is extracted (from the related GPRS/
EGPRS equipment). The lowest value is kept.
No Ideal Link Adaptation and Thermal Noise Taken into Account
For each C and C/I process, the coding scheme related to the computed threshold is extracted (from the related GPRS/
EGPRS equipment). The C thresholds are internally converted to C/N thresholds (where N is the receiver noise - thermal
noise +noise figure), in order to be indexed with the C/(I+N) value. C/I thresholds are also indexed with the C/(I+N) value.
The highest value is kept.
Ideal Link Adaptation and Thermal Noise Not Taken into Account
For each C and C/I process, the best coding scheme is taken. The best coding scheme means the coding scheme for
which the throughput is maximal (from the related GPRS/EGPRS equipment). The lowest value is kept.
Ideal Link Adaptation and Thermal Noise Taken into Account
For each C and C/I process, the best coding scheme is taken. The best coding scheme means the coding scheme for
which the throughput is maximal (from the related GPRS/EGPRS equipment). The Throughput =f(C) graph is internally
converted to Throughput =f(C/N) graph, in order to be indexed with the C/(I+N) value. The Throughput =f(C/I) graph is
also indexed with the C/(I+N) value. The highest value is kept.
The coverage by coding scheme is a template for which the field 'Coding Schemes' is selected by default in the display
tab. In that case, each layer shows the coding schemes to be used in the transmitter coverage area. You can also choose
to display your coverage in term of Best coding schemes. The resulting coverage shows the best coding scheme that can
be used on each pixel. Other options related to GPRS/EDGE coverage are available in the Display tab.
6.8.7 Computing a Coverage by GPRS/EDGE Throughput per
Timeslot
This study displays the areas where the throughput carried by the transmitter on one packet timeslot exceeds the user-
defined thresholds. The throughput is determined from rate=f(C) or/and rate=f(C/I) graphs defined for each coding
scheme.
As this study can be based on C/I, some parameters are similar to the ones found in interference predictions.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the RLC/MAC Throughput/Timeslot or the Appli-
cation Throughput/Timeslot option from the study types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condi-
tion, and Display. For all of these, use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
In the condition tab, specific GPRS/EDGE conditions are available.
You can define whether the coverage study is based on GPRS or/and EDGE. You can also further specify this coverage
study by defining a terminal type. Thus, the C and C/I graphs related to this terminal type will be used in the calculations.
This will also allow using the noise figure of this terminal type or a user-defined one in the calculations based on interpo-
lation between C/I and C/(I+N). Furthermore, this implies that the highest coding scheme allowed for this terminal type will
restrict the calculations to that number of coding scheme.
If no terminal type is defined for the study, Atoll will use the graphs defined for the transmitters GPRS/EDGE equipment.
And the value for the noise figure is then user-defined if the calculations are based on interpolation between C/I and C/
(I+N).
A mobility can also be defined for this type of study. This will enable Atoll to choose between the graphs associated with
the defined terminal type and the graphs associated with the transmitter.
It is possible to choose between gross (RLC/MAC) throughput per transmitter and application throughput per transmitter
based on a selected service type. The application level throughput considers the data redundancy due to the network
layers present between the physical and the application layer. Relative information is defined in the service properties.
Selecting this option results in a coverage study showing the application level throughputs per transmitter. This type of
study can directly be created by selecting Application Throughput/Timeslot from the study types window. The application
level throughput is computed using the following formula:
TPapp =(TP TPO) * SF / 100
where, TPapp =Application level throughput per timeslot
Notes
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating GPRS/EDGE prediction
studies.
Choosing another display type can make the coverage study invalid. In this case, it is necessary
to recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
Since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties have to be set (e.g., adjacent
channel protection level).
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TP =Computed throughput per timeslot
TPO =Throughput offset (defined in the service properties): accounts for additional
information accompanying packets, e.g., headers.
SF =Scaling factor (defined in the service properties).
In case calculations are based on C/I, the Ideal link adaptation option has an effect on the coding schemes determination
only. Once the coding scheme is extracted, the related throughput is determined using the Worst case between C and C/
I or Interpolation between C/N and C/(I+N) options.
Worst Case Between C and C/I Option
For each C and C/I process, knowing the coding scheme, the related throughput is extracted (from the related GPRS/
EGPRS equipment). The minimal value is kept.
Interpolation Between C/N and C/(I+N) Option
For each C and C/I process, knowing the coding scheme, the related throughput is extracted (from the related GPRS/
EGPRS equipment). The throughput interpolation method consists in interpolating the throughput provided by the
Throughput =f(C) graph (indexed by the C/(I+N) value) and the throughput provided by the Throughput =f(C/I) graph (also
indexed by the C/(I+N) value), according to the respective weights of I and N values.
The Interpolation formula is given by:
TP =(N/(I+N))*(TPC)+(1-(N/(I+N)))*TPCI
where TPC: Throughput get by C/N throughput graph
TPCI: Throughput get by C/(I+N) throughput graph
To calculate the throughput/timeslot coverage, two coverage display options are available. You can choose among:
Throughput/timeslot: Each layer shows the throughput that a transmitter can carry on one timeslot.
Best throughput/timeslot: The resulting coverage gives the best throughput/timeslot per pixel from the previous
display.
Average throughput/timeslot: Gives the average throughput that the transmitter can carry on one timeslot per pixel.
If there are different coverage areas for different TRXs, this study will calculate the union of these coverages and
display the average values over these coverage areas. While the other coverages for throughput/timeslot perform
an intersection over these coverage zones keeping the minimum value of throughput per pixel.
BLER: The coverage is coloured according to the block error rate measured per transmitter. The block error rate
in this case is computed as follows:
BLER =1 TP/TPmax
Where, TP =Computed throughput per timeslot per pixel
TPmax =Maximum throughput per timeslot per pixel for the given coding scheme
determined from the terminal or transmitter GPRS/EDGE equipment.
If the throughput per timeslot is greater than the maximum throughput per timeslot, the BLER is 0%.
Max BLER: Gives the coverage according to the maximum block error rate per pixel for each transmitter.
Other options related to GPRS/EDGE coverage are available in the Display tab.
6.8.8 Calculating GSMCircuit Quality Indicators
This study displays the areas where the selected circuit quality indicator (BER, maximum BER, FER, maximum FER,
MOS, maximum MOS) for the transmitter satisfies the user-defined criteria. The quality indicator is computed from radio
conditions (C/N or C/(I+N)) and the adaptation or quality thresholds (depending on whether the equipment implements
ideal mode selection) defined for the codec equipment at each transmitter. Transmitters that have no codec equipment
defined are not considered in this study.
As this study can be based on C/I, some parameters are similar to the ones found in interference predictions.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Circuit Quality Indicators option from the study
types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Condition, and Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
You can specify a terminal type. So that the C and C/I graphs related to this terminal type will be used in the calculations.
This will also allow using the noise figure of this terminal type if the terminal noise figure is taken into account.
If no terminal type is defined for the study, Atoll will use the graphs defined for the transmitters GPRS/EDGE equipment.
The value for the noise figure is then user-defined.
Notes
Atoll offers default calculation and display parameters when creating GPRS/EDGE prediction
studies.
Choosing another display type can make the coverage study invalid. In this case, it is necessary
to recalculate prediction study in order to update coverage.
Since each pixel can be seen as a receiver, its related properties have to be set (e.g., adjacent
channel protection level).
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Furthermore, the ideal link adaptation is determined by the codec equipment assigned to the transmitters.
A mobility can also be defined for this type of study. This will enable Atoll to choose between the graphs associated with
the defined terminal type and the graphs associated with the transmitter.
The circuit quality indicators prediction study is performed by, firstly, determining the codec mode that satisfies the C/N or
C/(I+N) conditions according to the selected calculation options. The following scenarios can emerge:
If a terminal type is not defined or does not have a codec equipment assigned, Atoll will consider the codec equip-
ment assigned to the transmitter only.
If, on the contrary, a codec equipment is not defined for a transmitter, the codec equipment assigned to the ter-
minal will be considered for these calculations.
If no codec equipment is defined either for the terminal type or for the transmitter, the transmitter will not be con-
sidered during the calculations.
If 2 different codec equipment are defined for the terminal type and the transmitter, the codec mode will be deter-
mined for both equipment, but the codec mode with the higher priority will be considered.
Once a codec mode is determined, Atoll uses the Adaptation or Quality thresholds, defined in the codec equipment prop-
erties, to calculate the value of the quality indicator using the name of the calculated quality indicator and the priorities of
the codec modes. If the codec equipment implements ideal link adaptation, the Quality thresholds and Quality Indicator
graphs will be used. Otherwise, the Adaptation thresholds will be used.
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CHAPTER 7
ATOLL AFP MODULE
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
7 Atoll AFP Module
7.1 Atoll AFP Module: Overview
The Atoll AFP module supports Base Band Hopping (BBH) and Synthesized Frequency Hopping (SFH) modes. It enables
you to automatically plan:
Channels and HSN (Hopping sequence numbers) in case of BBH,
MAL (Mobile Allocation List), MAIO (Mobile Allocation Index Offset) and HSN in case of SFH,
Only channels in case of non hopping,
BSICs.
The Atoll AFP module is implemented using simulated annealing, taboo search, graph heuristics and machine learning.
It manages its time resources to match the user time directives. If given a lot of time, the model will use a major part of this
time to learn the network. During the learning phase, the model adjusts its internal parameters. At the end of the user-
defined time period, the AFP switches to a randomised combinatorial search phase. If the user-defined time period is
extremely short, the AFP may carry on only deterministic heuristics that converge quickly. In all the cases where random-
ness is used, the random seed is initialised by the machine time.
The network learning is performed by executing many fast and deterministic instances of the AFP. The one, which gains
the best performance, is memorized in the document and is therefore the most adapted to the specific network. The next
time that an AFP will be executed it will start where the learning process ended it will use the parameter profile of the
best solution stored in the .atl document.
The convergence criterion studied by the Atoll AFP module is based on a cost function taking into account all the require-
ments given by the network inputs. The goal of the model is to try to minimize the value of the cost function.
7.2 Managing the Atoll AFP Module
7.2.1 Atoll AFP Cost Function: Overview
The cost function is stated in interfered Erlangs, i.e. the number of interfered timeslots. It corresponds to the cost of the
entire loaded network. The cost function is based on the following four components:
Cost component due to interferences,
Cost component due to separation constraint violations,
Cost component due to missing requested TRXs, and
Cost component due to allocation changes and the cost component due to assigned frequencies out of the
domain.
Parameters considered in the cost function components can be fully controlled by the user. Some of these parameters are
part of the general data model (quality requirements, allowed percentage of interference per subcell, etc.) while others,
such as separation costs and diversity gains, can be managed through the properties dialogue of the Atoll AFP module.
For detailed information about the cost function calculation and cost function components, please refer to the AFP Refer-
ence Guide.
7.2.2 Accessing Atoll AFP Module Properties
You can manage AFP specific parameters to be considered in the cost function and set some directives for the AFP
module through the properties dialogue of the Atoll AFP module.
To open the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue:
Either,
a. Expand the AFP Modules folder in the Modules tab by clicking the button,
b. Right-click on the Atoll AFP Module subfolder,
Notes
At the end of an allocation, the final result in terms of achieved total cost does not depend on the
initial network state (initial cost) on condition that state is correct from a consistency checking
point of view. From this, we can say that the AFP starts from scratch every time the user starts
the allocation.
The AFP cost always starts from the previously achieved cost. For example, after once commit-
ting the AFP results, if we start a new AFP session with the same settings, its initial cost will be
the final cost of the previous AFP session.
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c. Select the Properties command from the context menu.
Or,
a. Right-click on the Transmitters folder,
b. Select the [Frequency plan: Automatic allocation] command from the context menu,
c. Select the Atoll AFP module from the AFP Module list,
d. Click the Properties button.
The AFP properties dialogue consists of 9 tabs: General, Cost, Separation Weights, Spectrum, HSN, MAL, MAIO, BSIC,
Advanced. The Cost, Separation Weights and Advanced tabs include parameters to take into account in the cost function
estimation. The other tabs refer to the allocation strategies of HSN, MAL, MAIO and BSICs assigned to the AFP.
7.2.3 Defining AFP Parameters
7.2.3.1 Defining Interference Cost
The interference cost component is evaluated for each TRX. Estimation is based on interference histograms calculated
for pairs of subcells and takes into account frequency and interferer diversity gains and models frequency hopping and
gain due to DTX.
For each single TRX, Atoll estimates the probability for the TRX to be interfered. A TRX 'v' is interfered by a TRX 'i' when
the C/I level on TRX 'v' is lower than an evaluated threshold, which is calculated by adding the different gains listed above
to the minimum C/I threshold specified in the subcell properties. Atoll reads the interference probability (probability to have
a C/I lower than the evaluated threshold) in the corresponding interference histogram. Then, for each TRX 'v', it adds the
interference probabilities from all the TRXs 'i'. This sum is limited to 100% of the TRX traffic.
On this basis, a safety margin on the required C/I threshold may be entered. The aim of this value is to take into account
the real distribution of the interferences around the threshold from which we assume that there are no interferences. Actu-
ally, one can think that a frequency plan for which most the C/I levels are just better than the C/I threshold will have to be
improved more "strongly" than another one for which the C/I levels are evenly distributed.
For example, let's consider a subcell for which the C/I threshold is 12. The interference histograms have been computed.
Without safety margin, Atoll extract the probability for which C/I is lower than 12 (e.g. 50%) and compare it to the maximum
allowed percentage of interference.
By introducing a "C/I weighting" of 3 dB, Atoll will now consider:
the probability for which C/I is lower than 12-3 =9 dB (e.g. 35%)
the probabilities of having C/I from 9 to 12+3 =15 dB, linearly weighted from 100% (for 8dB) to 0% (16dB).
So, in addition to the 35%, we will add:
85.7% of the probabilities of having 9<C/I<=10
71.4% of the probabilities of having 10<C/I<=11
57.1% of the probabilities of having 11<C/I<=12
42.8% of the probabilities of having 12<C/I<=13
28.5% of the probabilities of having 13<C/I<=14
14.2% of the probabilities of having 14<C/I<=15
0% of the probabilities of having 15<C/I
We see that if these probabilities decrease when C/I increases, we will consider a global value of less than the initial one
(50%). On the other hand, if we have a high probability of 12 <C/I <=15 (not considered with no C/I weighting), this aspect
will increase the global percentage (>50%). The close-to-threshold plan will be studied more precisely.
The interference component can be weighted in the global cost value.
For further details, please refer to the AFP Reference Guide.
7.2.3.2 Defining Separation Constraint Violation Cost
The separation violation cost component is evaluated for each TRX. Estimation is based on costs specified for the required
separations.
Let denote the required separation between two transmitters Tx
1
and Tx
2
in a network. If we assign f
1
at Tx
1
and f
2
at Tx
2
, and if
,
then we can consider that the separation requirement is not fulfilled.
A separation constraint can be violated strongly or weakly. For example, the pair of frequencies (1, 2) breaks a separation
requirement of 3. The pair of frequencies (1, 3) breaks this requirement as well but is still a better solution than (1, 2), since
the reached separation is 2. Therefore, this second pair should provide a lower cost than the first one.
Note: Similar to the propagation models, it is possible to make several duplicates of any AFP
module with different sets of parameters. These different copies will be available in AFP
sessions, i.e. you will be able to choose from the list of all AFP modules, duplicates or orig-
inals, available in the AFP module list of the AFP session wizard.
12
S
12 2 1
S f f <
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
Furthermore, frequencies that are part of a MAL with a low fractional load and that violate a separation requirement should
not be weighted the same as in non-hopping separation violation. Therefore, the cost is weighted by the burst collision
probability, which is the multiplication of the victim and interferer fractional loads, and the interferer diversity gain.
For each single TRX, separation constraint violations are summed up. This sum is limited to 100% of the TRX traffic. The
same limitation holds true for the interference cost component, i.e. it can cumulate the amount of impaired traffic to 100%
of the TRX traffic. This means that a TRX with many separation constraint violations is considered as 100% impaired and
has a cost component due to interference equal to 0.
To set the separation violation cost weights of different types of separation violations:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Separation Weights tab,
3. Assign weights to Co-cell, Co-site, Neighbour and Exceptional pair separation violations, and
4. In the Partial Separation Constraint Violations part, scroll in the list displaying the requested separation s ,
5. Click on the reached separation k and enter the desired cost value.
7.2.3.3 Other Costs Involved in the AFP Cost Function
In addition to the standard interference and separation constraint violation costs, Atoll AFP module global cost value
includes other components as well:
Missing TRX Cost Component
For each missing TRX, Atoll considers that, by default, 100% of the TRX traffic is impaired. The tax for each missing TRX
can be modified through the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue (Cost tab).
Consider a transmitter involved in AFP session (not a transmitter to be allocated any resource, TBA) for which the number
of required TRXs is 5. Suppose that this transmitter currently has 3 assigned TRXs. This means that the two missing or
undefined TRXs will have to be considered for this allocation as they would have an effect on the current frequency plan,
if allocated.
In the Taxes section of the AFP properties dialogue Cost tab, you may indicate the multiplicative tax factor to consider
when a TRX is missing. The default multiplicative tax factor for a missing TRX is 1. Clear its check box in order to not take
into account this component in the global cost.
Corrupted TRX Cost Component
Atoll considers a TRX corrupted when:
An allocated frequency does not obey the frequency domain constraints,
More than one frequency is assigned to a NH TRX,
No channel is assigned to a TRX,
The MAL assigned to a group constrained SFH TRX is not strictly a group of its domain.
By default, Atoll considers 1000% of the TRX traffic as cost. Value of this parameter can be modified in the Atoll AFP
module properties dialogue.
In the Taxes section of the AFP properties dialogue Cost tab, you may indicate the multiplicative tax factor to consider
when a TRX is corrupted. The default multiplicative tax factor for a corrupted TRX is 10. Clear its check box in order to not
take into account this component in the global cost.
Modified TRX Cost Component
Increasing this cost value will instruct the AFP to minimize the number of TRXs for which a change is performed. The aim
is to maintain an existing plan when it is correct enough and to work with the TRXs for which the problems are more linked
with corruption, interferences or separation constraints.
Let's consider the following example of a network consisting of 90 transmitters out of which 15 are frozen. The sum of the
required TRXs is 257.
193 TRXs are already allocated assuming that their quality is "correct". So, 64 TRXs must be created or newly allocated
with as little influence on the remaining 193 TRXs as possible.
Note: The TRX traffic depends on the number of circuit and shared timeslots available and the
TRX traffic load. These parameters are provided in the subcell properties.
For further details, please refer to the AFP Reference Guide.
Notes
The higher the violation is, the greater the cost value should be.
If the same TRX is involved several times in separation violations, its cost value will be limited to
100% (100% of its traffic is interfered).
The separation component can be weighted in the global cost value.
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The effects of the modified TRX cost are evident from the table below:
7.2.3.4 Weighting the Cost Components
The cost components of the global cost of the Atoll AFP cost function can be weighted.
To introduce weights to the different cost components (separation, interference, modified/missing/corrupt resource) in
the global cost:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Cost tab,
3. You can define multiplicative tax factors for the costs related to missing or corrupted TRXs in the Taxes sec-
tion, and
4. In the Components section, you can enter values between 0 and 1 as multiplicative factors for Separation,
Interference and Modified TRX cost components.
7.2.3.5 Setting Interferer Diversity Gain
When a frequency hopping mode is used, a mobile is linked with a list a frequencies (MAL) and the frequency collision
probability is spread over these several frequencies.
The use of frequency hopping leads to two types of gains, the interferer diversity gain and the frequency diversity gain.
The interferer diversity gain (in dB) models the geographic diversity of interferers and is applied to the interference and
separation cost components of the cost function. This gain depends on the MAL length of the victim TRX. A long MAL
helps in averaging the negative effects over the users with different geographic locations.
In the interference cost component, the gain is applied to lower the defined minimum C/I threshold per subcell, i.e. to shift
the entrance point in the interference histograms. In the separation violation cost component, the gain is translated into a
linear value and is applied directly to the separation cost by division.
To set the values of the interferer diversity gains:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Advanced tab,
3. In the Interferer Diversity Gain section, specify gain values for different MAL lengths.
Example:
Let us consider the following simple case of a network having two TRXs. TRXi carrying (MAL)i interfered by TRXj carrying
(MAL)j. TRXi and TRXj have a separation requirement of 2. Their MAL lengths are respectively 5 and 4. Unfortunately,
they share the same frequency (separation =0). In this case, the cost of the separation violation is 90 for each TRX. The
interferer diversity gain is 1.4 for a MAL of length 5 and 1.2 for a MAL of length 4.
In the interference histograms of the interfered TRXi (or TRXj), the entrance point is shifted by 1.4 dB (or 1.2 dB).
For TRXi with a gain of 1.4 dB, the effect on the separation cost is given by the linear value
.
The contri-
bution of the MAL length of 5 divides the separation cost for this interfered MAL by 1.38. Considering the initial separation
cost and the interferer diversity gain, we reach a separation cost of
.
If we now consider the fractional
load (considering the fact that only one channel of each TRX causes interferences, with (MAL length)i =5 and (MAL
length)j =4, the collision probability is
.
The separation violation cost to consider for TRXi is therefore 3.25%.
In the same way, the separation violation cost to consider for TRXj is:
.
Now, in order to compute the separation violation cost on each TRX, the current values have to be multiplied by the number
of timeslots dedicated to traffic (by default, 7 in BCCH and 8 for TCH) and by its related traffic load (given in units of
Erlangs/timeslot).
7.2.3.6 Setting Frequency Diversity Gain
The frequency diversity gain is taken into account in case of frequency hopping. When a frequency hopping mode is used,
a mobile is linked with a list a frequencies (MAL) and the frequency collision probability is spread over these several
frequencies.
The use of frequency hopping leads to two types of gains, the interferer diversity gain and the frequency diversity gain.
The frequency diversity gain (dB) models the gain due to diversity of multi-path effects and is applied to the interference
Cost of changing a TRX Number of changed TRXs
1 98
0.3 129
0.1 139
0 162
( )
38 . 1 10
10 4 . 1

( ) 21 . 65 38 . 1 90 =
20 1
% 41 . 3
10
90
20
1
10
2 . 1
=

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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
cost component only. Depending on the victim MAL length, the gain is applied to lower the defined minimum C/I threshold
per subcell.
To set the values of the frequency diversity gains:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Advanced tab,
3. In the Frequency Diversity Gain section, specify gain values for different MAL lengths.
7.2.3.7 Setting Gain Due to LowTimeslot Use Ratio
The gain due to low timeslot use ratio is taken into account in the case of interferers supporting DTX as the use of DTX
reduces their amount of interference. This fact is modelled by a gain (in dB) associated to the voice activity factor and is
applied to the minimum C/I threshold of the interfered subcell.
To consider the gain due to low timeslot use ratio:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Advanced tab,
3. In the Gain due to low timeslot use ratio section, choose Reduce the effect of interferers in the case of active
DTX and/or low traffic load to enable this gain.
7.2.4 Defining AFP Allocation Strategies
7.2.4.1 Defining AFP Allocation Strategies: Overview
The Atoll AFP module is currently capable of performing free MAL assignment or pre-defined MAL assignment. The
instructions indicating the assignment mode to be used are given at the subcell level.
When using free assignment mode, the AFP module may assign any MAL that satisfies the requirements of TRXs. Then,
the size of MAL, the channel spectrum usage, the HSNs and the MAIOs can be assigned either according to user direc-
tives or freely. In the second case, the AFP module takes all the decisions during allocation. The HSN and MAIO assign-
ments, the channel spacing within the allowed domains and the MAL size determination are all carried out so as to obtain
a user defined frequency reuse and fractional load.
When using a group constrained assignment mode, the AFP module may only assign a pre-defined group in the domain.
The success of the assignment depends on the definition of groups. Each MAL length represented in the domain should
fulfil the conditions that there must be many MALs having the same length and all together should cover the domain.
Examples:
An example of a badly planned domain is a domain containing many 3-length groups, a single 5-length group and
many 8-length groups. If restricted to such a domain, the AFP will not produce an optimised plan. On the other
hand, by adding only a few more 5-length groups, the quality can be improved.
An example of a good group definition is a domain of 40 frequencies where at least 60 groups are defined, 15 3-
length groups, 12 4-length groups, 10 5-length groups, etc.
The user must keep in mind some possible trade-offs in order to get correct results, for example:
When assigning the same HSN and MAL to synchronised subcells, the lowest bound of the MAL length is
increased since it must be at least equal to the total number of TRXs sharing the same HSN.
When assigning the same HSN and MAL to synchronised subcells, the choice of the MAL frequencies is limited.
When assigning the same HSN and MAL to synchronised subcells, we may gain more on interference and fre-
quency diversity.
In order to understand how to work with the AFP module, some notions are detailed below.
An atom is a set of synchronised subcells sharing the same HSN, the same frequency domain and the same MAL. The
MAIO assignment of an atom manages the frequency collisions between the MALs in it. If an atom contains more than one
subcell, the AFP may assign partially different MALs to it.
Notes
DTX is only applied over subcells for which the DTX supported flag is true (Subcell properties).
Take care not to mix up voice activity factor in DTX and traffic load. Traffic load represents the
average occupancy of TRXs and is always applied to the value of the cost function (as defined
per subcell during dimensioning).
Notes
The AFP module will always assign the same MAL to all the TRXs within the same subcell.
The Group constrained assignment mode is considered for SFH only. The assignment mode
is always free for NH and BBH.
The quality is almost as good as with free assignment when many groups are defined.
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Working at the atom level, and with the definition of a user-defined synchronisation reference (subcell table), the AFP
module is able to fully support the benefits of synchronisation in a GSM network.
7.2.4.2 Setting Channel SpectrumUsage
In case of Free MAL assignment, and for any hopping or non-hopping mode, it is possible to assign a strategy to the Atoll
AFP module for the Channel Spacing within these MALs.
To access the Channel Spacing options:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the Spectrum tab.
Three options are proposed:
Automatic (Default): The AFP will try to minimise the cost without paying particular attention to the channel distri-
bution.
Max: The AFP will create frequency plans close to uniform spectrum use distribution. This option is the best pos-
sible when some information is lacking.
Min: The user can instruct the AFP to put aside a part of the spectrum either for future use or to estimate the need
in terms of spectrum.
7.2.4.3 Setting HSN Strategy in FH
In Atoll, the HSN (Hopping Sequence Number) is defined at the subcell level. So, the AFP module tries to allocate different
HSNs for interfering and non-synchronised subcells. When the subcells are synchronised (usually within the same site),
the Atoll AFP module tries to assign the same HSN and different MAIOs.
To access the HSN strategy parameters:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the HSN tab.
In this tab of the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue, the user can manage the HSN allocation in order to respect one
of the following options:
Assignment of the same HSN to all the subcells of a site,
Assignment of the same HSN to all the subcells of a transmitter,
Assignment of different HSNs to a pair of subcells which mutually interfere,
Optimised assignment (free HSN) so as to obtain the best frequency assignment.
7.2.4.4 Defining MAL Targets in SFH
Settings available in the MAL tab are taken into account for SFH only. The AFP module uses these directives in order to
determine the MAL and MAL length to be assigned to each subcell.
You may choose either to assign the same MAL to all the TRXs of an atom or to allow allocation of different ones. Then,
in order to determine the MAL length to be assigned, the AFP proceeds in this order:
When using group constrained assignment mode, the AFP module may only assign a pre-defined group in the domain.
Only the length of groups available in the domain may be selected.
For any assignment mode (group constrained or free), the AFP module may either assign the MAL with the maximum
length allowed (user-defined in subcell properties) or freely choose the MAL length according to the following directives:
To access the MAL targets parameters:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the MAL tab.
Target Frequency Reuse
Both the MAL size determination and the HSN assignment are carried out so as to obtain a user defined frequency reuse,
whose value can be edited.
The frequency reuse ratio represents the ratio between the MAL length and the total number of frequencies in the domain.
The reuse ratio is not directly linked to the reuse pattern. Nevertheless, we can assume that a 1x1 reuse pattern has a
frequency reuse ratio of 1. A 4x12 reuse pattern can have a reuse ratio between 1/4 and 1/12, depending on whether all
TRXs sharing the same sites have the same MAL (and HSN) or not (considering synchronisation at the site level).
Note: The following constraints do not allow the Atoll AFP module to comply with some directives:
If two synchronised subcells on the same site have different "Max MAL lengths" they cannot be
assigned the same HSN.
If two synchronised subcells on the same site have different frequency domains (maybe due to
forbidden channels), they cannot be assigned the same HSN.
If two synchronised subcells on the same site have different assignment mode (free, grouped),
they cannot be assigned the same HSN.
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
MAL Size Strategy
It is possible to choose a MAL size strategy when allocating different MALs to the TRXs of an atom. You may decide to
use either a short MAL strategy or a long MAL strategy.
A long MAL strategy enables the AFP module to profit from the hopping gains. On the other hand, it may be harder to find
frequencies for these MALs.
Target Fractional Load
Both the MAL size determination and the HSN assignment are performed so as to obtain a user defined fractional load.
The value of the target fractional load parameter can be edited.
A fractional load of is obtained if the number of TRXs using a certain MAL is only times the size of this MAL. (Atoll's notion
of fractional load does not require taking into account the traffic load. It is always smaller or equal to 1. It equals 1 in NH
or BBH modes).
The target fractional load cannot be always obtained. Atoll AFP module considers this parameter as a guideline rather
than as a constraint. When it can be reached, the AFP module will choose a MAL length 1/ times higher than the number
of TRXs in the biggest subcell of the atom.
7.2.4.5 Managing MAIO Preferences in SFH
When working with Synthesized Frequency Hopping, it is possible to fix some targets for the AFP.
To access the MAIO preferences parameters:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the MAIO tab.
Two allocation options are available:
Staggered: The MAIOs assigned to TRXs of a subcell are evenly spaced.
Free: The AFP module freely assigns MAIOs (with no constraint on MAIO spacing).
The AFP assigns MAIOs to TRXs so as to reuse the same MAL within a subcell, within a transmitter, or even within a site.
The MAL-MAIO allocation is carried out at the same time in order to respect the separation requirements between frequen-
cies on air.
7.2.4.6 Setting BSIC Usage Diversity
The Atoll AFP module provides the possibility to define a strategy for BSIC usage.
To access the BSIC usage strategy parameters:
1. Access the Atoll AFP module properties dialogue,
2. Click the BSIC tab.
3. Choose the BSIC allocation strategy:
- Min: The AFP module will use a minimum number of BSICs and will reuse the same BSICs.
- Max and homogeneous: This strategy consists in using as many BSICs as possible. In addition, the AFP
module will choose BSICs evenly distributed in the entire domain.
BSIC allocation is based on neighbourhood links between cells defined in the Neighbours table.
Notes
This directive is meaningless in NH and BBH.
This directive is used only if the option Adjust MAL length is checked. Otherwise, the specified
value is not taken into account.
Notes
This directive is meaningless in NH and BBH.
This directive is considered only if the option Adjust MAL length is checked.
Notes
This directive is meaningless in NH and BBH.
The target frequency reuse directive has a higher priority than the target fractional load directive.
This directive is used only if the option Adjust MAL length is checked. Otherwise, the specified
value is not taken into account.
The value of this parameter can be auto-calibrated by the AFP module if you check the box
Automatic adjustment.
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Example: Assume three transmitters, A, B and C.
1
st
case: A has two neighbours, B and C. The AFP module assigns different BSICs to A, B and C if they have the
same BCCH.
2
nd
case: A is neighbour of B and C. The AFP module assigns different BSICs to A, B and C if they have the same
BCCH.
1
st
case: B and C neighbours of A 2
nd
case: A neighbour of B and C
It is possible to consider an additional constraint on interferences. If you select the option Load all the potential interferers
when starting the AFP (and then, import/calculate interference histograms), the AFP module assigns different BSICs to
potential interferers having the same BCCH.
Lastly, the BSIC allocation is compliant with the strategy selected in the BSIC tab of the Atoll AFP module properties
dialogue.
7.3 Atoll AFP Module GUI
7.3.1 Atoll AFP Cost Tab
Figure 7.1: AFP Module Properties dialogue - Cost tab
This tab enables you to set the different components composing the global cost value. Each component may or may not
be considered (components are not considered by the AFP if their weight or tax =0).
Through the Taxes section, you can assign multiplicative tax factors to missing and corrupted TRXs, and TRXs with out
of domain frequencies assigned.
TRXs having out of domain frequencies can be interfered and can interfere as well. A TRX with out of domain channels
assigned, but having correct ARFCNs, will have a double influence on the cost:
The normal cost of interference/separation/modification.
A cost of being out of domain, multiplied by the number of frequencies that are out of domain and divided by length
of the MAL.
The effects of missing, corrupted and out of domain TRXs on the total AFP cost can be scaled by manipulating
these values.
The Components section deals with the TRXs that are neither missing not corrupted. Here you can set the values for
weights and cost for Separation, Interference and Modified TRX cost components.
A quality target, the percentage max of interference, is specified for each subcell (Subcell properties), which enables the
AFP to differentiate small and large amounts of interference. It is more useful to handle small and large amounts of inter-
ference in different manners. For example, it is better to have 10 transmitters with up to 2% of interfered traffic rather than
having two transmitters with up to 10% of interfered traffic.
N N
A
B C
N N
A
B C
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
Selecting the option Do not include the cost of TRXs having reached their quality target will tell the AFP to only take into
account the cost of TRXs exceeding this quality target. The AFP dismisses any TRX whose cost is less than the quality
target.
On the other hand, this quality target is not considered when the other option, Take into account the cost of all the TRXs,
is selected. In this case, the AFP includes the cost of all the TRXs in the global cost.
The Interference definition according to the required quality threshold section enables you to set a C/I weighting margin
around the required quality threshold in order for the AFP to consider the traffic having close-to-threshold C/I conditions
as neither 100% satisfactory nor 100% corrupted.
7.3.2 Atoll AFP Separation Weights Tab
Figure 7.2: AFP Module Properties dialogue - Separation Weights tab
This tab enables you to define Separation Constraints Violation weights for different types for Separation Constraints and
partial Separation Constraints Violation costs.
Here, you can assign Separation Constraints Violation weights between 0 and 1 to the following types of Separation
Constraints:
Co-cell Separation Violations
Co-site Separation Violations
Neighbourhood Separation Violations
Exceptional pair Separation Violations
The Partial Separation Constraints Violations section enables you to define the costs for separations of 'k', when 's' is
required. You can define the percentage of each TRX traffic to be considered in the case of a partial separation constraint
violation. You can also add and remove different separations using the corresponding buttons.
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7.3.3 Atoll AFP SpectrumTab
Figure 7.3: AFP Module Properties dialogue - Spectrum tab
This tab enables you to declare an allocation strategy in the case of free MAL assignments. It is possible to choose from
the three available Channel Spacing directives (any hopping or non-hopping mode):
Automatic: Directs the AFP to optimise the channel spacing so as to minimize the cost.
Max: Directs the AFP to use the entire spectrum available.
Min: Directs the AFP to use a limited spectrum.
7.3.4 Atoll AFP HSN Tab
Figure 7.4: AFP Module Properties dialogue - Spectrum tab
This tab enables you to define an allocation strategy in the case of frequency hopping.
In case of SFH or BBH, you may specify HSN Allocation directives, such as:
By Subcell,
By Transmitter,
By Site, or
Free.
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
7.3.5 Atoll AFP MAL Tab
Figure 7.5: AFP Module Properties dialogue - MAL tab
This tab enables you to inform the AFP about the Mobile Allocation List patterns and length priorities in the case of
frequency hopping.
In the case of synchronised set, you may choose from the following MAL Pattern directives:
Allocation of the same MAL for all the subcells of a synchronised set, or
Allocation of different MALs within a synchronised set.
In the case of SFH, you may define the MAL Length Priority directives:
1. Group Constrained mode limits the choice of MAL lengths.
2. Maximum MAL lengths or adjusted MAL lengths.
3. MAL length per domain size should be less than a defined value.
4. Long or Short MAL Strategy (with the option of keeping MAL long enough to allow a certain pattern).
5. Assign a Target Fractional Load and choose whether the AFP has the possibility of modifying this value in order
to adjust it automatically for optimisation.
7.3.6 Atoll AFP MAIO Tab
Figure 7.6: AFP Module Properties dialogue - MAIO tab
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This tab enables you to choose a MAIO allocation strategy in the case of frequency hopping.
In the case of SFH, you may choose between the following MAIO allocation preferences:
Staggered,
Free.
7.3.7 Atoll AFP BSIC Tab
Figure 7.7: AFP Module Properties dialogue - BSIC tab
This tab enables you to choose the BSIC usage diversity strategy in the case of frequency hopping.
You may set the BSIC usage diversity to either:
Minimum usage diversity, or
Maximum and homogeneous usage diversity.
7.3.8 Atoll AFP Advanced Tab
Figure 7.8: AFP Module Properties dialogue - Advanced tab
This tab enables you to define the Interference and Frequency diversity gains in the case of frequency hopping.
You may set:
the interferer diversity gain,
the frequency diversity gain,
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Chapter 7: Atoll AFP Module
the gain depending on the timeslot use ratio.
The interferer diversity and the frequency diversity gains are defined for different MAL lengths. All of the parameters avail-
able in this tab are used to evaluate the interference cost component. Only the interferer diversity gain has an influence
on the separation cost component.
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CHAPTER 8
UMTS HSPA NETWORKS
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
8 UMTS HSPA Networks
Atoll enables you to create and modify all aspects of a UMTS HSPA (HSDPA and HSUPA) network. Once you have
created the network, Atoll offers many tools to let you verify the network. Based on the results of your tests, you can modify
any of the parameters defining the network.
Planning the UMTS HSPA network and creating the network of base stations is explained in "Planning and Optimising
UMTS Base Stations" on page 289. Allocating neighbours and scrambling codes is also explained. In this section, you will
also find information on how you can display information on base stations on the map and how you can use the tools in
Atoll study base stations.
In "Studying Network Capacity" on page 357, using traffic maps to study network capacity is explained. Creating simula-
tions using the traffic map information and analysing the results of simulations is also explained.
Using test mobile data paths to verify the network is explained in "Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity" on
page 382. How to filter imported test mobile data paths, and how to use the data in coverage predictions is also explained.
8.1 Planning and Optimising UMTS Base Stations
As described in "Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project", you can start an Atoll document from a template, with no sites, or
from a database with a set of sites. As you work on your Atoll document, you will still need to create sites and modify
existing ones.
In Atoll, a site is defined as a geographical point where one or more transmitters are located. Once you have created a
site, you can add transmitters. In Atoll, a transmitter is defined as the antenna and any other additional equipment, such
as the TMA, feeder cables, etc. In a UMTS project, you must also add cells to each transmitter. A cell refers to the char-
acteristics of a carrier on a transmitter.
Atoll lets you create one site, transmitter, or cell at a time, or create several at once by creating a station template. Using
a station template, you can create one or more base stations at the same time. In Atoll, a base station refers to a site with
its transmitters, antennas, equipment, and cells.
Atoll allows you to make a variety of coverage predictions, such as signal level or transmitter coverage predictions. The
results of calculated coverage predictions can be displayed on the map, compared, or studied.
Atoll enables you to model network traffic by allowing you to create services, users, user profiles, environments, and termi-
nals. This data can be then used to make quality studies, such as effective service area, noise, or handover status predic-
tions, on the network.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a UMTS Base Station" on page 289
"Creating a Group of Base Stations" on page 300
"Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map" on page 301
"Display Hints for Base Stations" on page 303
"Creating a Dual-Band UMTS Network" on page 303
"Creating a Repeater" on page 303
"Creating a Remote Antenna" on page 306
"Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document" on page 308
"Studying a Single Base Station" on page 308
"Studying Base Stations" on page 313
"Planning Neighbours" on page 343
"Planning Scrambling Codes" on page 351.
8.1.1 Creating a UMTS Base Station
When you create a UMTS site, you create only the geographical point; you must add the transmitters and cells afterwards.
The site, with the transmitters, antennas, equipment, and cells is called a base station.
In this section, each element of a base station is described. If you want to add a new base station, see "Placing a New
Station Using a Station Template" on page 295. If you want to create or modify one of the elements of a base station, see
"Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 294. If you need to create a large number of base stations, Atoll
allows you to import them from another Atoll document or from an external source. For information, see "Creating a Group
of Base Stations" on page 300.
This section explains the various parts of the base station process:
"Definition of a Base Station" on page 289
"Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 294
"Placing a New Station Using a Station Template" on page 295
"Managing Station Templates" on page 296.
8.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. You will usually create a new base station using a station template, as described in "Placing a New Station
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Using a Station Template" on page 295. This section describes the following elements of a base station and their param-
eters:
"Site Description" on page 290
"Transmitter Description" on page 290
"Cell Definition" on page 292.
8.1.1.1.1 Site Description
The parameters of a site can be found in the sites Properties dialogue. The Properties dialogue has two tabs:
The General tab (see Figure 8.1):
Figure 8.1: New Site dialogue
- Name: Atoll automatically enters a default name for each new site. You can modify the default name here. If
you want to change the default name that Atoll gives to new sites, see the Administrator Manual.
- Position: By default, Atoll places the new site at the centre of the map window. You can modify the location
of the site here.
- Altitude: The altitude, as defined by the DTM for the location specified under Position, is given here. You can
specify the actual altitude under Real, if you wish. If an altitude is specified here, Atoll will use this value for
calculations.
- Comments: You can enter comments in this field if you wish.
The Equipment tab:
- Max Number of Uplink Channel Elements: The maximum number of physical radio resources for the current
site in the uplink. By default Atoll enters the maximum possible (256).
- Max Number of Downlink Channel Elements: The maximum number of physical radio resources for the cur-
rent site in the downlink. By default Atoll enters the maximum possible (256).
- Equipment: You can select equipment from the list. To create new site equipment, see "Creating Site Equip-
ment" on page 393.
If no equipment is assigned to the site, Atoll considers the following default values:
- Rake efficiency factor =1
- MUD factor =0
- Carrier selection =UL minimum noise
- Overhead CEs downlink and uplink =0
- The option AS restricted to neighbours is not selected, and Atoll uses one channel element on the
uplink or downlink for any service during power control simulation.
8.1.1.1.2 Transmitter Description
The parameters of a transmitter can be found in the transmitters Properties dialogue. When you create a transmitter, the
Properties dialogue has two tabs: the General tab and the Transmitter tab. Once you have created a transmitter, its Prop-
erties dialogue has three additional tabs: the Cells tab (see "Cell Definition" on page 292), the Propagation tab (see "Chap-
ter 5: Propagation Models"), and the Display tab (see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28).
The General tab:
- Name: By default, Atoll names the transmitter after the site it is on, adding an underscore and a number. You
can enter a name for the transmitter, but for the sake of consistency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If
you want to change the way Atoll names transmitters, see the AdministratorsManual.
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site with precision, you can also place sites using
the mouse and then position them precisely with this dialogue afterwards. For information
on placing sites using the mouse, see "Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 301.
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- Site: You can select the Site on which the transmitter will be located. Once you have selected the site, you
can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the site on which the transmitter will be located.
For information on the site Properties dialogue, see "Site Description" on page 290. You can click the New
button to create a new site on which the transmitter will be located.
- Frequency Band: You can select a Frequency Band for the transmitter. Once you have selected the fre-
quency band, you can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the band. For information on
the frequency band Properties dialogue, see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 390.
- Position relative to the site: You can modify the Position relative to the site, if you wish.
The Transmitter tab (see Figure 8.2):
Figure 8.2: Transmitter dialogue - Transmitter tab
- Active: If this transmitter is to be active, you must select the Active check box. Active transmitters are dis-
played in red in the Transmitters folder of the Data tab.
- Transmission/Reception: Under Transmission/Reception, you can see the total losses and the noise
figure of the transmitter. Atoll calculates losses and noise according to the characteristics of the equipment
assigned to the transmitter. Equipment can be assigned by using the Equipment Specifications dialogue
which appears when you click the Equipment button.
- On the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 8.3), the equipment you select and the gains and
losses you define are used to initialise total transmitter UL and DL losses:
- TMA: You can select a tower-mounted amplifier (TMA) from the list. You can click the Browse button
( ) to access the properties of the TMA. For information on creating a TMA, see "Defining a TMA" on
page 123.
- Feeder: You can select a feeder cable from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the feeder. For information on creating a feeder cable, see "Defining Feeder Cables" on
page 123.
- BTS: You can select a base transceiver station (BTS) equipment from the BTS list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the BTS. For information on creating a BTS, see "Defin-
ing a BTS" on page 123.
- Feeder Length: You can enter the feeder length at transmission and reception.
- Miscellaneous Losses: You can enter miscellaneous losses at transmission and reception. The value
you enter must be positive.
- Receiver Antenna Diversity Gain: You can enter a receiver antenna diversity gain. The value you enter
must be positive.
Note: Only active transmitters are taken into consideration during calculations.
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Figure 8.3: The Equipment Specifications dialogue
- Diversity: Under Diversity, you can select the type of diversity from the Transmission and Reception lists.
- Antennas:
- Height/Ground: The Height/Ground box gives the height of the antenna above the ground. This is added
to the altitude of the site as given by the DTM. If the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered
must include the height of building.
- Main Antenna: Under Main Antenna, the type of antenna is visible in the Model list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the antenna. The other fields, Azimuth, Mechanical
Downtilt, and Additional Electrical Downtilt, display additional antenna parameters.
- Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power, which is
the percentage of power reserved for this particular antenna. For example, for a transmitter with one
secondary antenna, if you reserve 40% of the total power for the secondary antenna, 60% is available for
the main antenna.
For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
8.1.1.1.3 Cell Definition
In Atoll, a cell is defined as a carrier, with all its characteristics, on a transmitter; the cell is the mechanism by which you
can configure a UMTS multi-carrier network. In other words, a transmitter has one cell for every carrier.
When you create a transmitter, Atoll reminds you to create at least one cell for the transmitter. The following explains the
parameters of a UMTS cell, including the parameters for HSDPA and HSUPA functionality. As you create a cell, Atoll
calculates appropriate values for some fields based on the information you have entered. You can, if you wish, modify
these values.
The properties of a UMTS cell are found on Cells tab of the Properties dialogue of the transmitter to which it is assigned.
The Cells tab has the following options:
Inter-Carrier Power Sharing: You can enable power sharing between cells by selecting the Inter-Carrier Power
Sharing check box under HSDPA and entering a value in the Maximum Shared Power box. In order for Inter-
Carrier Power Sharing to be available, you must have at least one HSDPA carrier with dynamic power allocation.
Inter-Carrier Power Sharing enables the network to dynamically allocate available power from R99-only and
HSDPA carriers among HSDPA carriers.
When you select Inter-Carrier Power Sharing and you define a maximum shared power, the Max Power of each
cell is used to determine the percentage of the transmitter power that the cell cannot exceed. To use power sharing
efficiently, you should set the Max Power of the cells to the same value as the Maximum Shared Power. For
example, if the Maximum Shared Power is defined as 43 dBm, the Max Power of all cells should be set to
43 dBm in order to be able to use 100% of the available power. In this case, a cells unused power can be distrib-
uted to other HSDPA cells.
Note: Any loss related to the noise due to a transmitters repeater is included in the calculated
losses. Atoll always considers the values in the Real boxes in prediction studies even if
they are different from the values in the Computed boxes. The information in the real BTS
Noise Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered in the Equip-
ment Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and
reception and the real BTS Noise Figure at reception if you wish. Any value you enter must
be positive.
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Name: By default, Atoll names the cell after its transmitter, adding the carrier number in parentheses. If you
change transmitter name or carrier, Atoll does not update the cell name. You can enter a name for the cell, but
for the sake of consistency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If you want to change the way Atoll names cells,
see The Administrators Manual.
Carrier: The number of the carrier.
Active: If this cell is to be active, you must select the Active check box.
Max Power (dBm): The maximum available downlink power for the cell.
Pilot Power (dBm): The pilot power.
SCH power (dBm): The average power of both the synchronisation channels (P-SCH and S-SCH).
Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels (P-CCPCH, S-CCPCH, AICH, PICH, P-SCH,
and S-SCH).
AS Threshold (dB): The active set threshold. It is the EcI0 margin in comparison with the EcI0 of the best server.
It is used to determine which cells, apart from the best server, will be part of the active set.
DL Peak Rate per User (kbps): The downlink peak rate per user in kbps. The DL peak rate per user is the max-
imum connection rate in the downlink for a user. The DL and UL peak rates are taken into account during power
control simulation.
UL Peak Rate per User (kbps): The uplink peak rate per user in kbps. The UL peak rate per user is the maximum
connection rate in the uplink for a user. The DL and UL peak rates are taken into account during power control
simulation.
Max DL Load (% Max Power): The percentage of the maximum downlink power (set in Max Power) not to be
exceeded. This limit will be taken into account during the simulation if the option DL Load is selected. If the DL
load option is not selected during a simulation, this value is not taken into consideration.
Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor not to be exceeded. This limit can be taken into
account during the simulation.
Total Power (dBm): The total transmitted power on downlink is the total power necessary to serve R99 and
HSDPA users. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered by the user.
UL Load Factor (%): The uplink cell load factor. This factor corresponds to the ratio between the uplink total inter-
ference and the uplink total noise. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered by the user.
UL Reuse Factor: The uplink reuse factor is determined from uplink intra and extra-cellular interference (signals
received by the transmitter respectively from intra and extra-cellular terminals). This is the ratio between the total
uplink interference and the intra-cellular interference. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered by
the user.
Scrambling code domain: The scrambling code domain to which the allocated scrambling code belongs. This
and the scrambling code reuse distance are used by the scrambling code planning algorithm.
SC Reuse Distance: The scrambling code reuse distance. This and the scrambling code domain are used by the
scrambling code planning algorithm.
Primary scrambling code: The primary scrambling code.
Comments: If desired, you can enter any comments in this field.
Max number of intra-carrier neighbours: The maximum number of intra-carrier neighbours for this cell. This
value is used by the intra-carrier neighbour allocation algorithm.
Max number of inter-carrier neighbours: The maximum number of inter-carrier neighbours for this cell. This
value is used by the inter-carrier neighbour allocation algorithm.
Max number of inter-technology neighbours: The maximum number of inter-technology neighbours for this
cell. This value is used by the inter-technology neighbour allocation algorithm.
Neighbours: You can access a dialogue in which you can set both intra-technology (intra-carrier and inter-carrier)
and inter-technology neighbours by clicking the Browse button ( ). For information on defining neighbours, see
"Planning Neighbours" on page 343.
HSDPA: The HSDPA check box is selected if the cell has HSDPA functionality. When the HSDPA check box is
selected, the following fields are also available:
- HSDPA Dynamic Power Allocation: If you are modelling dynamic power allocation, the HSDPA Dynamic
Power Allocation should be checked. During a simulation, Atoll first allocates power to R99 users and then
dynamically allocates the remaining power of the cell to the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA users. At
the end of the simulation, you can commit the calculated HSDPA power and total power values to each cell.
Note: The SCH power is only transmitted 110 of the time. Consequently, the value entered for the
SCH power should only be 110 of its value when transmitted, in order to respect its actual
interference on other channels.
Note: By default, the SCH power and CCH power are set as absolute values. You can set these
values as relative to the pilot power by right-clicking the Transmitters folder on the Data
tab of the Explorer window and selecting Properties from the context menu. Then, on the
Global Parameters tab of the Properties dialogue, under DL Powers, you can select Rela-
tive to Pilot. The SCH power and CCH power will then be set as relative to the pilot power.
Tip: The Browse button ( ) might not be visible in the Neighbours box if this is a new cell.
You can make the Browse button appear by clicking Apply.
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- Available HSDPA Power (dBm): When you are modelling static power allocation, the HSDPA Dynamic
Power Allocation check box is cleared and the available HSDPA power is entered in this box. This is the
power available for the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA users.
- Power Headroom (dB): The power headroom is a reserve of power that Atoll keeps for Dedicated Physical
Channels (DPCH) in case of fast fading. During simulation, HSDPA users will not be connected if the cell
power remaining after serving R99 users is less than the power headroom value.
- HS-SCCH Dynamic Power Allocation: If you are modelling dynamic power allocation the HS-SCCH
Dynamic Power Allocation check box should be checked and a value should be entered in HS-SCCH Power
(dBm). During power control, Atoll will control HS-SCCH power in order to meet the minimum quality
threshold (as defined for each mobility type). The value entered in HS-SCCH Power (dBm) is the maximum
power available for each HS-SCCH channel. The calculated power for each HSDPA user during the simulation
cannot exceed this maximum value.
- HS-SCCH Power (dBm): The value for each HS-SCCH channel will be used if you are modelling dynamic
power allocation. If you have selected the HS-SCCH Dynamic Power Allocation check box and modelling
dynamic power allocation, the value entered here represents a maximum for each HSDPA user. If you have
not selected the HS-SCCH Dynamic Power Allocation check box and are modelling static power allocation,
the value entered here represents the actual HS-SCCH power per HS-SCCH channel.
- Number of HS-SCCH Channels: The maximum number of HS-SCCH channels for this cell. Each HSDPA
user consumes one HS-SCCH channel. Therefore, at any given time (over a time transmission interval), the
number of HSDPA users cannot exceed the number of HS-SCCH channels per cell.
- Min. Number of HS-PDSCH Codes: The minimum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PDSCH chan-
nels. This value will be taken into account during simulations in order to find a suitable bearer.
- Max Number of HS-PDSCH codes: The maximum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PDSCH chan-
nels. This value will be taken into account during simulations and coverage predictions in order to find a suit-
able bearer.
- Max Number of HSDPA Users: The maximum number of HSDPA bearer users (HSDPA and HSUPA users)
that this cell can support at any given time.
- Number of HSDPA Users: The number of HSDPA bearer users (HSDPA and HSUPA users) is an average
and can be used for certain coverage predictions. You can enter this value yourself, or have the value calcu-
lated by Atoll using a simulation.
- HSDPA Scheduler Algorithm: The scheduling technique that will be used to rank the HSDPA users to be
served:
- Max C/I: HSDPA users will be sorted in descending order by the channel quality indicator (CQI).
- Round Robin: HSDPA users are scheduled in the same order as in the simulation (i.e., in random order).
- Proportional Fair: HSDPA users are first sorted in descending order by the channel quality indicator
(CQI). Then, the first "n" HSDPA users (where "n" corresponds to the maximum number of HSDPA users
defined) are selected and put into the same order as in the simulation.
HSUPA: The HSUPA check box is selected if the cell has HSUPA functionality. When the HSUPA check box is
selected, the following fields are also available:
- DL HSUPA Power: The power (in dBm) allocated to HSUPA DL channels (E-AGCH, E-RGCH, and E-HICH).
This value must be entered by the user.
- Max Number of HSUPA Users: The maximum number of HSUPA users that this cell can support at any given
time.
- UL Load Factor Due to HSUPA (%): The percentage of the load factor due to HSUPA. This value can be a
simulation result or can be entered by the user.
- Number of HSUPA Users: The number of HSUPA users is an average and can be used for certain coverage
predictions. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered by the user.
8.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. This section describes how to create or modify the following elements of a base station:
"Creating or Modifying a Site" on page 294
"Creating or Modifying a Transmitter" on page 295
"Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295.
8.1.1.2.1 Creating or Modifying a Site
You can modify an existing site or you can create a new site. You can access the properties of a site, described in "Site
Description" on page 290, through the sites Properties dialogue. How you access the Properties dialogue depends on
whether you are creating a new site or modifying an existing site.
To create or modify a site:
1. If you are creating a new site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select New from the context menu. The Sites New Element Properties dialogue appears (see Figure 8.1 on
page 290).
Note: In the context of dynamic power allocation, the total power equals the maximum power
minus the power headroom.
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2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Sites folder.
c. Right-click the site you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The sites Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Site Description" on page 290.
4. Click OK.
8.1.1.2.2 Creating or Modifying a Transmitter
You can modify an existing transmitter or you can create a new transmitter. You can access the properties of a transmitter,
described in "Transmitter Description" on page 290, through the transmitters Properties dialogue. How you access the
Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new transmitter or modifying an existing transmitter.
To create or modify a transmitter:
1. If you are creating a new transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select New from the context menu. The Transmitters New Element Properties dialogue appears (see
Figure 8.2).
2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
c. Right-click the transmitter you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Transmitter Description" on page 290.
4. Click OK. If you are creating a new transmitter, Atoll reminds you to create a cell. For information on creating a
cell, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295.
8.1.1.2.3 Creating or Modifying a Cell
You can modify an existing cell or you can create a new cell. You can access the properties of a cell, described in "Cell
Definition" on page 292, through the Properties dialogue of the transmitter where the cell is located. How you access the
Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new cell or modifying an existing cell.
To create or modify a cell:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter on which you want to create a cell or whose cell you want to modify. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Cells tab.
6. Modify the parameters described in "Cell Definition" on page 292.
7. Click OK.
8.1.1.3 Placing a NewStation Using a Station Template
In Atoll, a station is defined as a site with one or more transmitters sharing the same properties. With Atoll, you can create
a network by placing stations based on station templates. This allows you to build your network quickly with consistent
parameters, instead of building the network by first creating the site, then the transmitters, and finally by adding the cells.
To place a new station using a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the New Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
3. In the map window, move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the new station. The exact
coordinates of the pointers current location are visible in the Status bar.
4. Click to place the station.
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You can also place a series of stations using a Atoll template. You do this by defining an area on the map where you want
to place the stations. Atoll calculates the placement of each station according to the defined hexagonal cell radius in the
station template. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modifying a Station Template" on page 296.
To place a series of stations within a defined area:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the Hexagonal Design button ( ), to the left of the template list. A hexagonal design is a group of stations
created from the same station template.
3. Draw a zone delimiting the area where you want to place the series of stations:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
Atoll fills the delimited zone with new stations and their hexagonal shapes. Station objects such as sites and trans-
mitters are also created and placed into their respective folders.
You can work with the sites and transmitters in these stations as you work with any station object, adding, for example,
another antenna to a transmitter.
Placing a Station on an Existing Site
When you place a new station using a station template as explained in "Placing a New Station Using a Station Template"
on page 295, the site is created at the same time as the station. However, you can also place a new station on an existing
site.
To place a station on an existing site:
1. On the Data tab, clear the display check box beside the Hexagonal Design folder.
2. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
3. Click the New Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
4. Move the pointer to the site on the map. When the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected, click to
place the station.
8.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates
Atoll comes with UMTS station templates, but you can also create and modify station templates. The tools for working
with station templates can be found on the Radio toolbar (see Figure 8.4).
Figure 8.4: The Radio toolbar
8.1.1.4.1 Creating or Modifying a Station Template
When you create a station template, Atoll bases it on the station template selected in the Station Template Properties
dialogue. The new station template has the same parameters as the one it is based on. Therefore, by selecting the existing
station template that most closely resembles the station template you want to create, you can create a new template by
only modifying the parameters that differ.
As well, you can modify the properties of any station template.
To create or modify a station template:
1. If you are creating a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
Tips:
To place the station more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before you click the New Sta-
tion button. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map Scale" on
page 37.
If you let the pointer rest over the station you have placed, Atoll displays its tip text with its exact
coordinates, allowing you to verify that the location is correct.
Note: If the Hexagonal Design button is not available ( ), the hexagonal cell radius for this
template is not defined. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modify-
ing a Station Template" on page 296.
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c. Under Station Templates, select the station template that most closely resembles the station template you
want to create and click Add. The Properties dialogue appears.
2. If you are modifying the properties of a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
c. Under Station Templates, select the station template whose properties you want to modify and click Proper-
ties. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab of the Properties dialogue. In this tab (see Figure 8.5), you can modify the following: the
Name of the station template, the number of Sectors, each with a transmitter, and the Hexagon Radius, i.e., the
theoretical radius of the hexagonal area covered by this station.
Figure 8.5: Station Template Properties dialogue General tab
- Under Main Antenna, you can modify the following: the antenna Model, 1st Sector Azimuth, from which the
azimuth of the other sectors are offset to offer complete coverage of the area, the Height of the antenna from
the ground (i.e., the height over the DTM; if the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered must
include the height of building), the Mechanical Downtilt, and the Additional Electrical Downtilt.
- Under Propagation, you can modify the following: the Propagation Model, Radius, and Resolution for both
the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. For information on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propaga-
tion Models".
4. Click the Transmitter tab. In this tab (see Figure 8.6), if the Active check box is selected, you can modify the fol-
lowing:
- Under Transmission/Reception, you can click the Equipment button to open the Equipment Specifica-
tions dialogue and modify the tower-mounted amplifier (TMA), feeder cables, or base transceiver station
(BTS). For information on the Equipment Specifications dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on
page 290.
- The information in the real Total Losses in transmission and reception boxes is calculated from the informa-
tion you entered in the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 8.3 on page 292). Any loss related to
the noise due to a transmitters repeater is included in the calculated losses. Atoll always considers the values
in the Real boxes in prediction studies even if they are different from the values in the Computed boxes. You
can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and reception if you wish. Any value you enter must be pos-
itive.
- The information in the real BTS Noise Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered in
the Equipment Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real BTS Noise Figure at reception if you wish.
Any value you enter must be positive.
- Under Diversity, you can select the diversity from the Transmission and Reception lists.
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Figure 8.6: Station Template Properties dialogue Transmitter tab
5. Click the W-CDMA/UMTS tab. In this tab (see Figure 8.7), you modify the Carriers (each corresponding to a cell)
that this station supports. For information on carriers and cells, see "Cell Definition" on page 292.
- You can select the Carriers for this template.
- Under Power, you can select the Power Shared Between Cells check box. As well, you can modify the Pilot,
the SCH, the Other CCH powers, and the AS Threshold.
- Under Simulation Constraints, you can modify the Max Power, the Max DL Load (defined as a percentage
of the maximum power), the DL Peak Rate/User, the Max UL Load Factor, and the UL Peak Rate/User.
- Under Load Conditions, you can modify the Total Transmitted Power and the UL Load Factor.
- You can also modify the Number of Uplink and Downlink Channel Elements and select the Equipment.
Figure 8.7: Station Template Properties dialogue W-CDMA/UMTS tab
6. Click the HSDPA/HSUPA tab.
In this tab (see Figure 8.8), if the HSDPA supported check box is selected, you can modify the following under
HSDPA (for more information on the fields, see "Cell Definition" on page 292):
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- You can select the Allocation Strategy (Static or Dynamic). If you select Static as the Allocation Strategy,
you can enter the HSDPA Power. If you select Dynamic as the Allocation Strategy, you select the Inter-
Carrier Power Sharing option and enter the Max. Shared Power.
- Under HS-PDSCH, you can modify the Min. and Max number of codes and the Power Headroom.
- Under HS-SCCH, you can select the Allocation Strategy (Static or Dynamic) and the Number of channels.
- Under Scheduler, you can modify the Algorithm, the Max Number of Users, and the Number of Users.
Under HSUPA, if the HSUPA supported check box is selected, you can modify the following (for more information
on the fields, see "Cell Definition" on page 292):
- You can modify the DL Power, the UL Load, the Max Number of Users, and the Number of Users.
Figure 8.8: Station Template Properties dialogue HSDPA tab
7. Click the Neighbours tab. In this tab (see Figure 8.9), you can modify the Max Number of Intra- and Inter-Carrier
Neighbours and the Max Number of Inter-Technology Neighbours. For information on defining neighbours,
see "Planning Neighbours" on page 343.
Figure 8.9: Station Template Properties dialogue Neighbours tab
8. Click the Other Properties tab. The Other Properties tab will only appear if you have defined additional fields in the
Sites table, or if you have defined an additional field in the Station Template Properties dialogue.
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9. When you have finished setting the parameters for the station template, click OK to close the dialogue and save
your changes.
8.1.1.4.2 Modifying a Field in a Station Template
To modify a field in a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the template in the Available Templates list.
4. Click the Fields button.
5. In the dialogue that appears, you have the following options:
- Add: If you want to add a user-defined field to the station templates, you must have already added it to the
Sites table (for information on adding a user-defined field to a table, see "Adding a Field to an Object Types
Data Table" on page 42) for it to appear as an option in the station template properties. To add a new field:
i. Click the Add button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
ii. Enter a Name for the new field. This is the name that will be used in database.
iii. If desired, you can define a Group that this custom field will belong to. When you open an Atoll document
from a database, you can then select a specific group of custom fields to be loaded from the database,
instead of loading all custom fields.
iv. In Legend, enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll document.
v. For Type, you can select from Text, Short integer, Long integer, Single, Double, True/False, Date/
Time, and Currency. If you choose text, you can also set the field Size (in characters), and create a
Choice list, by entering the possible selections directly in the Choice list window and pressing ENTER
after each one.
vi. Enter, if desired, a Default value for the new field.
vii. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
- Delete: To delete a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to delete.
ii. Click the Delete button. The user-defined field appears in strikeout. It will be definitively deleted when you
close the dialogue.
- Properties: To modify the properties of a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to modify.
ii. Click the Properties button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
iii. Modify any of the properties as desired.
iv. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
6. Click OK.
8.1.1.4.3 Deleting a Station Template
To delete a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Under Station Templates, select the station template you want to delete and click Delete. The template is
deleted.
4. Click OK.
8.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations
You can create base stations individually as explained in "Creating a UMTS Base Station" on page 289, or you can create
one or several base stations by using station templates as explained in "Placing a New Station Using a Station Template"
on page 295. However, if you have a large data-planning project and you already have existing data, you can import this
data into your current Atoll document and create a group of base stations.
Note: When you import data into your current Atoll document, the coordinate system of the
imported data must be the same as the display coordinate system used in the document. If
you cannot change the coordinate system of your source data, you can temporarily
change the display coordinate system of the Atoll document to match the source data. For
information on changing the coordinate system, see "Setting Coordinate Systems" on
page 26.
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You can import base station data in the following ways:
Copying and pasting data: If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet,
you can copy this data and paste it into the tables in your current Atoll document. When you create a group of
base stations by copying and pasting data, you must copy and paste site data in the Sites table, transmitter data
in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
Importing data: If you have data in text or comma-separated value (CSV) format, you can import it into the tables
in the current document. If the data is in another Atoll document, you can first export it in text or CSV format and
then import it into the tables of your current Atoll document. When you are importing, Atoll allows you to select
what values you import into which columns of the table.
When you create a group of base stations by importing data, you must import site data in the Sites table, trans-
mitter data in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on exporting table data, see "Exporting Tables to External Files" on page 48. For information on
importing table data, see "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
8.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map
In Atoll, you can access the Properties dialogue of a site or transmitter using the context menu on the Data tab of the
Explorer window. However, in a complex radio-planning project, it can be difficult to find the data object in the Data tab,
although it might be visible in the map window. Atoll lets you access the Properties dialogue of sites and transmitters
directly from the map. You can also change the position of the station by dragging it, or by letting Atoll find a higher location
for it.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map" on page 301
"Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 301
"Moving a Site to a Higher Location" on page 302
"Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse" on page 302
"Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site" on page 302.
8.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map
You can modify a properties of a site or transmitter by opening its Properties dialogue from the map.
To open the Properties dialogue of a data object from the map:
1. Right-click the object in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
- For information on the Sites Properties dialogue. see "Creating a UMTS Base Station" on page 289.
- For information on the Transmitter Properties dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on page 290.
8.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse
You can move a site by editing the coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue, or by using the mouse.
To move a site using the mouse:
1. Click and drag the site to the desired position. As you drag the site, the exact coordinates of the pointers current
location are visible in the Status bar.
2. Release the site where you would like to place it. By default, Atoll locks the position of a site. When the position
of a site is locked, Atoll asks you to confirm that you wanted to move the site.
3. Click Yes to confirm.
Important: The table you data copy from must have the same column layout as the table you are past-
ing data into.
Note: You can quickly create a series of base stations for study purposes using the Hexagonal
Design tool on the Radio toolbar. For information, see "Placing a New Station Using a Sta-
tion Template" on page 295.
Tip: When a map has many data objects, it can be difficult to ensure that the correct object has
been selected. When a site is selected, the site (and its name) is surrounded by a black
frame ( ). When a transmitter is selected, both ends of its icon have a green point
( ).
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8.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location
If you want to improve the location of a site, in terms of reception and transmission, Atoll can find a higher location within
a specified radius from the current location of the site.
To have Atoll move a site to a higher location:
1. Right-click the site in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Move to a Higher Location.
3. In the Move to a Higher Location dialogue, enter the radius of the area in which Atoll should search and click
OK. Atoll moves the site to the highest point within the specified radius.
8.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can set the azimuth of a transmitters antenna by modifying it on the Transmitter tab of the Transmitter Prop-
erties dialogue, or you can modify it on the map, using the mouse. The azimuth is defined in degrees, with 0 indicating
north.
The precision of the change to the azimuth depends on the distance of the pointer from the transmitter symbol. Moving
the pointer changes the azimuth by:
1 degree when the pointer is within a distance of 10 times the size of the transmitter symbol.
0.1 degree when the cursor is moved outside this region.
To modify the azimuth of the antenna using the mouse:
You can also modify the azimuth on the map for all the antennas on a base station using the mouse.
To modify the azimuth of all the antennas on a base station using the mouse:
8.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site
By default, transmitters are placed on the site. However, transmitters are occasionally not located directly on the site, but
a short distance away. In Atoll, you can change the position of the transmitter relative to the site by adjusting the Dx and
Dy parameters on the General Tab of the Transmitter Property dialogue. Dx and Dy are the distance in metres of the
transmitter from the site position. You can also modify the position of the transmitter on the map, using the mouse.
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site quickly, you can adjust the location more pre-
cisely by editing the coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue. For
information on the Site Properties dialogue, see "Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on
page 301.
1. On the map, click the antenna whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green circle and drag it to change the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth to the desired angle.
The antennas azimuth is modified on the Transmitter tab of the Transmit-
ter Properties dialogue.
1. On the map, click one of the antennas whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Hold CTRL and, on the map, click the green circle and drag it to change
the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth of the selected antenna
to the desired angle.
The azimuth of the selected antenna is modified on the Transmitter tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue. The azimuth of the other antennas
on the base station is offset by the same amount as the azimuth of the
selected antenna.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the azimuth, you can undo your changes by using
Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the changes made.
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To move a transmitter using the mouse:
8.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations
Atoll allows to you to display information about base stations in a number of different ways. This enables you not only to
display selected information, but also to distinguish base stations at a glance.
The following tools can be used to display information about base stations:
Label: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a label that
is displayed with the object. You can display information from every field in that object types data table, including
from fields that you add. The label is always displayed, so you should choose information that you would want to
always be visible; too much information will lead to a cluttered display. For information on defining the label, see
"Defining the Object Type Label" on page 30.
Tooltips: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a tooltip
that is only visible when you move the pointer over the object. You can choose to display more information than
in the label, because the information is only displayed when you move the cursor over the object. You can display
information from every field in that object types data table, including from fields that you add. For information on
defining the tooltips, see "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
Transmitter colour: You can set the transmitter colour to display information about the transmitter. For example,
you can select "Discrete Values" to distinguish transmitters by antenna type, or to distinguish inactive from active
sites. You can also define the display type for transmitters as "Automatic." Atoll then automatically assigns a
colour to each transmitter, ensuring that each transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding
it. For information on defining the transmitter colour, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
Transmitter symbol: You can select one of several symbols to represent transmitters. For example, you can
select a symbol that graphically represents the transmitters bandwidth ( ). If you have two transmitters on the
same site with the same azimuth, you can differentiate them by selecting different symbols for each ( and
). For information on defining the transmitter symbol, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
8.1.5 Creating a Dual-Band UMTS Network
In Atoll, you can model a dual-band UMTS network, i.e., a network consisting of 2100 MHz and 900 MHz transmitters, in
one document. Creating a dual-band UMTS network consists of the following steps:
1. Defining the two frequency bands in the document (see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 390).
2. Selecting and calibrating a propagation model for each frequency band (see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models").
3. Assigning a frequency band, with its propagation model, to each transmitter (see "Transmitter Description" on
page 290).
8.1.6 Creating a Repeater
A repeater receives, amplifies, and re-transmits the radiated or conducted RF carrier both in downlink and uplink. It has a
donor side and a server side. The donor side receives the signal from a donor transmitter. This signal may be carried by
different types of links such as radio link or microwave link. The server side re-transmits the received signal.
Atoll models RF repeaters and microwave repeaters. The modelling focuses on:
The additional coverage these systems provide to transmitters in the downlink.
The UL total gain value in service areas studies (effective service area and UL Eb/Nt service area) and the noise
rise generated at the donor transmitter by the repeater.
1. On the map, click the transmitter you want to move.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green rectangle ( ). A
cross appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green rectangle and drag it to change the transmitters position
relative to the site.
The current position (Dx and Dy) of the transmitter is displayed in the far
right of the status bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have moved the selected transmitter to the
desired position.
The position of the selected transmitter is modified on the General tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the position of the transmitter, you can undo your
changes by using Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the
changes made.
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8.1.6.1 Creating and Modifying Repeater Equipment
You can define repeater equipment to be assigned to each repeater in the network.
To create or modify repeater equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Repeaters > Equipment from the context menu. The Repeater Equipment table appears.
4. To create repeater equipment, enter the following in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ):
a. Enter a Name and Manufacturer for the new equipment.
b. Enter a Noise Figure. The repeater causes a rise in noise at the donor transmitter, so the noise figure is used
to calculate the UL loss to be added to the donor transmitter UL losses. The noise figure must be a positive
value.
c. Enter minimum and maximum repeater amplification gains in the Min. Gain and Max Gain columns. These
parameters enable Atoll to ensure that the user-defined amplifier gain is consistent with the limits of the equip-
ment if there are any.
d. Enter a Gain Increment. Atoll uses the increment value when you increase or decrease the repeater amplifier
gain using the buttons to the right of the Amplification box ( ) on the General tab of the repeater Properties
dialogue.
e. If desired, enter an Internal Delay and Comments. These fields are for information only and are not used in
calculations.
5. To modify repeater equipment, change the parameters in the row containing the repeater equipment you wish to
modify.
8.1.6.2 Placing a Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can create a repeater and place it using the mouse. When you create a repeater, you can add it to an existing
site, or have Atoll automatically create a new site.
To create a repeater and place it using the mouse:
1. Select the donor transmitter. You can select it from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data tab, or
directly on the map.
2. Click the arrow next to New Repeater or Remote Antenna button ( ) on the Radio toolbar.
3. Select Repeater from the menu.
4. Click the map to place the repeater. The repeater is placed on the map, represented by a symbol ( ) in the
same colour as the donor transmitter. By default, the repeater has the same azimuth as the donor transmitter. Its
tooltip and label display the same information as displayed for the donor transmitter. As well, its tooltip and label
identify the repeater and the donor transmitter.
For information on defining the properties of the new repeater, see "Defining the Properties of a Repeater" on
page 305.
8.1.6.3 Creating Several Repeaters
In Atoll, the characteristics of each repeater are stored in the Repeaters table. You can create several repeaters at the
same time by pasting the information into the Repeaters table:
If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet, you can copy this data and
paste it into the Repeaters table in your current Atoll document.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
Note: Broad-band repeaters are not modelled. Atoll assumes that all carriers from the 3G donor
transmitter are amplified.
Note: You can see to which base station the repeater is connected by clicking it; Atoll displays a
link to the donor transmitter.
Important: The table you copy data from must have the same column layout as the table you are
pasting data into.
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8.1.6.4 Defining the Properties of a Repeater
To define the properties of a repeater:
1. Right-click the repeater either directly on the map, or from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- You can change the Name of the repeater. By default, repeaters are named "RepeaterN" where "N" is a
number assigned as the repeater is created.
- You can change the Donor transmitter by selecting it from the Donor list. Clicking the Browse button ( )
opens the Properties dialogue of the donor transmitter.
- You can change the Site on which the repeater is located. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens the Prop-
erties dialogue of the site.
- You can enter a Position relative to site location, if the repeater is not located on the site itself.
- You can select equipment from the Equipment list. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens the Properties
dialogue of the equipment.
- You can change the Amplification gain. The amplification gain is used in the link budget to evaluate the
repeater total gain.
4. Click the Donor Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Under Donor-Repeater Link, select a Link Type.
- If you select Microwave Link, enter the Link Losses and continue with step 5.
- If you select Air Link, enter the Propagation Losses or click Calculate to determine the actual propaga-
tion losses between the donor and the repeater.
When you create an off-air repeater, it is assumed that the link between the donor transmitter and the re-
peater has the same frequency as the network. The propagation losses between donor transmitter and
repeater are calculated using the ITU 526-5 propagation model.
- If you selected Air Link under Donor-Repeater Link, enter the following information under Antenna:
i. Select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the
antenna.
ii. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the Height/Ground box. This will be added to the altitude
of the transmitter as given by the DTM.
iii. Enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt.
- If you selected Air Link under Donor-Repeater Link, enter the following information under Feeders:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
5. Click the Coverage Site tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Select the Active check box. Only active repeaters (displayed in red in the Transmitters folder in the Data
tab of the Explorer window) are calculated.
- Under Total Gains, enter the gains in the Downlink and Uplink or click Calculate to determine the actual
gains. If you have modified any parameter in the General, Donor Side, or Coverage Side tabs, click Apply
before clicking the Calculate button. Atoll uses the DL total gain values to calculate the signal level received
from the repeater. The UL total gain value is considered in UL Eb/Nt service area studies.
The DL total gain is applied to each power (pilot power, SCH power, etc.). It takes into account losses between
the donor transmitter and the repeater, donor characteristics (donor antenna gain, reception feeder losses),
amplification gain, and coverage characteristics (coverage antenna gain and transmission feeder losses).
The UL total gain is applied to each terminal power. It takes into account losses between the donor transmitter
and the repeater, donor part characteristics (donor antenna gain, transmission feeder losses), amplification
gain and coverage part characteristics (coverage antenna gain and reception feeder losses).
- Under Antennas, you can modify the following parameters:
i. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the Height/Ground box. This will be added to the altitude
of the site as given by the DTM.
Important: If you want to create a remote antenna, you must select Optical Fibre Link.
Note: You can click the Calculate button to update azimuth and downtilt values after changing
the repeater donor side antenna height or the repeater location. If you choose another site
or change site coordinates in the General tab, click Apply before clicking the Calculate but-
ton.
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ii. Under Main Antenna, select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the antenna. Then, enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt. By default, the char-
acteristics (antenna, azimuth, height, etc.) of the repeater coverage side correspond to the characteristics
of the donor transmitter.
iii. Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power. For infor-
mation on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
- Under Feeders, you can modify the following information:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
6. Click the Propagation tab. Since repeaters are taken into account during calculations, you must set the propaga-
tion parameters. On the Propagation tab, you can modify the following: the Propagation Model, Radius, and Res-
olution for both the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. By default, the propagation characteristics of the
repeater (model, calculation radius, and grid resolution) are the same as those of the donor transmitter. For infor-
mation on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
8.1.6.5 Hints for Updating Repeater Parameters
Atoll provides you with a few shortcuts that you can use to change certain repeater parameters:
You can update the calculated azimuth and downtilt of the donor-side antennas of all repeaters by selecting
Repeaters > Calculate Donor Side Azimuths and Tilts from the Transmitters context menu.
You can update the UL and DL total gains of all repeaters by selecting Repeaters > Calculate Gains from the
Transmitters context menu.
You can update the propagation losses of all off-air repeaters by selecting Repeaters > Calculate Donor Side
Propagation Losses from the Transmitters context menu.
You can select a repeater on the map and change its azimuth (see "Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using
the Mouse" on page 302) or its position relative to the site (see "Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative
to the Site" on page 302).
8.1.7 Creating a Remote Antenna
Atoll allows you to create remote antennas to position antennas at locations that would normally require long runs of
feeder cable. A remote antenna is connected to the base station with an optic fibre. Remote antennas allow you to ensure
radio coverage in an area without a new base station.
By default in Atoll, the remote antenna is connected to a base station that does not have any antennas. It is assumed that
a remote antenna, as opposed to a repeater, does not have any equipment and, therefore, does not generate any noise.
In certain cases, you may want to model a remote antenna with equipment or a remote antenna connected to a base
station that has antennas. This can be done by modelling a repeater. For information on creating a repeater, see "Creating
a Repeater" on page 303.
When Atoll models remote antennas, the modelling focuses on the coverage these systems provide on the forward link.
8.1.7.1 Placing a Remote Antenna on the Map Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can create a remote antenna and place it using the mouse. When you create a remote antenna, you can add
it to an existing base station without antennas, or have Atoll automatically create a new site.
To create a remote antenna and place it using the mouse:
1. Select the donor transmitter. You can select it from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data tab, or
directly on the map.
2. Click the arrow next to New Repeater or Remote Antenna button ( ) on the Radio toolbar.
3. Select Remote Antenna from the menu.
4. Click the map to place the remote antenna. The remote antenna is placed on the map, represented by a symbol
( ) in the same colour as the donor transmitter. By default, the remote antenna has the same azimuth as the
donor transmitter. Its tooltip and label display the same information as displayed for the donor transmitter. As well,
its tooltip and label identify the remote antenna and the donor transmitter.
For information on defining the properties of the new remote antenna, see "Defining the Properties of a Remote
Antenna" on page 307.
Note: Ensure that the remote antennas donor transmitter does not have any antennas.
Note: You can see to which base station the remote antenna is connected by clicking it; Atoll dis-
plays a link to the donor transmitter.
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8.1.7.2 Creating Several Remote Antennas
In Atoll, the characteristics of each remote antenna are stored in the Remote Antennas table. You can create several
remote antennas at the same time by pasting the information into the Remote Antennas table.
If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet, you can copy this data and
paste it into the Remote Antennas table in your current Atoll document.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
8.1.7.3 Defining the Properties of a Remote Antenna
To define the properties of a remote antenna:
1. Right-click the remote antenna either directly on the map, or from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer
windows Data tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- You can change the Name of the remote antenna. By default, remote antennas are named "RemoteAn-
tennaN" where "N" is a number assigned as the remote antenna is created.
- You can change the Donor transmitter by selecting it from the Donor list. Clicking the Browse button ( )
opens the Properties dialogue of the donor transmitter.
- You can change the Site on which the remote antenna is located. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens
the Properties dialogue of the site.
- You can enter a Position relative to site location, if the remote antenna is not located on the site itself.
- Enter "0" as the Amplification gain.
4. Click the Donor Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Under Donor-Repeater Link, select Optical Fibre Link and enter the Cable Losses.
5. Click the Coverage Site tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Select the Active check box. Only active remote antennas (displayed in red in the Transmitters folder in the
Data tab of the Explorer window) are calculated.
- Under Total Gains, enter the gains in the Downlink and Uplink or click Calculate to determine the actual
gains. If you have modified any parameter in the General, Donor Side, or Coverage Side tabs, click Apply
before clicking the Calculate button. Atoll uses the DL total gain values to calculate the signal level received
from the remote antenna. The UL total gain value is considered in UL EbNt service area studies.
The DL total gain is applied to each power (pilot power, SCH power, etc.). It takes into account losses between
the donor transmitter and the remote antenna.
The UL total gain is applied to each terminal power. It takes into account losses between the donor transmitter
and the remote antenna.
- Under Antennas, you can modify the following parameters:
i. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the Height/Ground box. This will be added to the altitude
of the transmitter as given by the DTM.
ii. Under Main Antenna, select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the antenna. Then, enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt.
iii. Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power. For infor-
mation on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
- Under Feeders, you can modify the following information:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
6. Click the Propagation tab. Since remote antennas are taken into account during calculations, you must set prop-
agation parameters, as with transmitters. On the Propagation tab, you can modify the following: the Propagation
Model, Radius, and Resolution for both the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. By default, the propagation
characteristics of the remote antenna (model, calculation radius, and grid resolution) are the same as those of the
donor transmitter. For information on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Important: The table you copy data from must have the same column layout as the table you are past-
ing data into.
Note: A remote antenna does not have equipment.
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8.1.7.4 Hints for Updating Remote Antenna Parameters
Atoll provides you with a few shortcuts that you can use to change certain remote antenna parameters:
You can update the UL and DL total gains of all remote antennas by selecting Remote Antennas > Calculate
Gains from the Transmitters context menu.
You can select a remote antenna on the map and change its azimuth (see "Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna
Using the Mouse" on page 302) or its position relative to the site (see "Changing the Position of the Transmitter
Relative to the Site" on page 302).
8.1.8 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document
When you load project data from a database, you will probably only modify the data in the region for which you are respon-
sible. For example, a complex radio-planning project may cover an entire region or even an entire country. You, however,
might be responsible for the radio planning for only one city. In such a situation, doing a coverage prediction that calculates
the entire network would not only take a lot of time, it is not necessary. Consequently, you can restrict a coverage prediction
to the sites that you are interested in and generate only the results you need.
In Atoll, there are two ways of restricting the number of sites covered by a coverage prediction, each with its own advan-
tages:
Filtering the desired sites
You can simplify the selection of sites to be studied by using a filter. You can filter sites according to one or more
fields, or you can create an advanced filter by combining several criteria in several fields. You can create a graphic
filter by either using an existing vector polygon or creating a new vector polygon. For information on graphic filters,
see "Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter" on page 63. This enables you to keep only the base stations with
the characteristics you want to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
Setting a computation zone
Drawing a computation zone to encompass the sites to be studied limits the number of sites to be calculated,
which in turn reduces the time necessary for calculations. In a smaller project, the time savings may not be signif-
icant. In a larger project, especially when you are making repeated studies in order to see the effects of small
changes in site configuration, the savings in time is considerable. Limiting the number of sites by drawing a compu-
tation zone also limits the resulting calculated coverage.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus zone or hot spot zone. The computation zone
defines the area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage studies, Monte Carlo, power control simula-
tions, etc., while the focus zone or hot spot zone is the area taken into consideration when generating reports and
results.
For information on the computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 315.
You can combine a computation zone and a filter, in order to create a very precise selection of the base stations to be
studied.
8.1.9 Studying a Single Base Station
As you create a site, you can study it to test the effectiveness of the set parameters. Coverage predictions on groups of
sites can take a large amount of time and consume a lot of computer resources. Restricting your coverage prediction to
the site you are currently working on allows you get the results quickly. You can expand your coverage prediction to a
number of sites once you have optimised the settings for each individual site.
Before studying a site, you must assign a propagation model. The propagation model takes the radio and geographic data
into account and computes losses along the transmitter-receiver path. This allows you to predict the received signal level
at any given point. Any coverage prediction you make on a site uses the propagation model to calculate its results.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile" on page 308
"Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 311
"Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 320.
8.1.9.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile
In Atoll, you can make a point analysis to study reception along a profile between a reference transmitter and a UMTS
user. The profile is calculated in real time, using the propagation model, allowing you to study the profile without calculating
the path loss matrices. You can assign a propagation model to all transmitters at once, to a group of transmitters, or to a
single transmitter
In this section, the following are explained:
"Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters" on page 309
"Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters" on page 309
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 309
"Making a Point Analysis" on page 310.
For more information about the available propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
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Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters
In Atoll, you can choose a propagation model per transmitter or globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
6. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for all transmitters.
Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters
Transmitters that share the same parameters and environment will usually use the same propagation model and settings.
In Atoll, you can assign the same propagation model to several transmitters by first grouping them by their common
parameters and then assigning the propagation model.
To define a main and extended propagation model for a defined group of transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select from the Group by submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the transmitters.
The objects in the folder are grouped by that property.
4. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
5. Right-click the group of transmitters to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The
context menu appears.
6. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears with the transmitters from the
selected group.
For each transmitter, you can set the propagation model parameters in the following columns:
- Main Propagation Model
- Main Calculation Radius
- Main Resolution
- Extended Propagation Model
- Extended Calculation Radius
- Extended Resolution
7. To enter the same values in one column for all transmitters in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.
Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter
If you have added a single transmitter, you can assign it a propagation model. You can also assign a propagation model
to a single transmitter after you have assigned a main and extended propagation model globally or to a group of transmit-
ters.
When you assign a main and extended propagation model to a single transmitter, it overrides any changes made globally.
Note: Setting a different main or extended matrix on an individual transmitter as explained in
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 309 will override this entry.
Note: You can group transmitters by several properties by using the Group By button on the
Properties dialogue. For more information, see "Advanced Grouping" on page 51.
Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
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To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Propagation tab.
6. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
8. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for the selected transmitter.
Making a Point Analysis
To make a point analysis:
1. In the map window, select the transmitter from which you want to make a point analysis.
2. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
3. A line appears on the map connecting the selected transmitter and the current position. You can now do the fol-
lowing:
- Move the receiver to change the current position.
- Click to place the receiver at the current position. You can move the receiver again by clicking it a second time.
- Right-click the receiver to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
- Coordinates: Select Coordinates to change the receiver position by entering new XY coordinates.
- Target Site: Select a site from the list to place the receiver directly on a site.
4. Click the Profile tab.
5. The profile analysis appears in the Profile tab of the Point Analysis Tool window. The altitude (in metres) is
reported on the vertical axis and the receiver-transmitter distance on the horizontal axis. A blue ellipsoid indicates
the Fresnel zone between the transmitter and the receiver, with a green line indicating the line of sight (LOS). Atoll
displays the angle of the LOS read from the vertical antenna pattern. Along the profile, if the signal meets an
obstacle, this causes attenuation with diffraction displayed by a red vertical line (if the propagation model used
takes diffraction mechanisms into account). The main peak is the one that intersects the most with the Fresnel
ellipsoid. With some propagation models using a 3 knife-edge Deygout diffraction method, the results may display
two additional attenuations peaks. The total attenuation is displayed above the main peak.
The results of the analysis are displayed at the top of the Profile tab:
- The received signal strength of the selected transmitter
- The propagation model used
- The shadowing margin
- The distance between the transmitter and the receiver.
You can change the following options at the top of the Profile tab:
- Transmitter: Select the transmitter from the list.
- Carriers: Select the carrier to be analysed.
6. Right-click the Profile tab to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
- Properties: Select Properties to display the Analysis Properties dialogue. This dialogue is available from
the context menu on all tabs of the Point Analysis Tool window. You can change the following:
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select Signal Level, Path loss, and Total losses from the Result Type list.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Link Budget: Select Link Budget to display a dialogue with the link budget.
- Model Details: Select Model Details to display a text document with details on the displayed profile analysis.
Model details are only available for the standard propagation model.
Note: If you want to see a profile analysis with clutter height displayed, you can use the Height
Profile tool ( ). For information on the Height Profile tool, see "Displaying the Terrain
Profile Between Candidate Microwave Sites" on page 692.
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8.1.9.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone.
Figure 8.11 gives an example of a computation zone. In Figure 8.11, the computation zone is displayed in red, as it is in
the Atoll map window. The propagation zone of each active site is indicated by a blue square. Each propagation zone that
intersects the rectangle (indicated by the green dashed line) containing the computation zone will be taken into consider-
ation when Atoll calculates the coverage prediction. Sites 78 and 95, for example, are not in the computation zone.
However, their propagation zones intersect the rectangle containing the computation zone and, therefore, they will be
taken into consideration in the coverage prediction. On the other hand, the coverage zones of three other sites do not inter-
sect the green rectangle. Therefore, they will not be taken into account in the coverage prediction.
Figure 8.11: An example of a computation zone
For information on creating a computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 315.
As you are building your radio-planning project, you may want to check the coverage of a new base station without having
to calculate the entire project. You can do this by selecting the site with its transmitters and then creating a new coverage
prediction.
Figure 8.10: Point Analysis Tool - Profile tab
Fresnel ellipsoid
You can select a different transmitter, and
choose to display a profile only with a selected
carrier.
Displays data, including received signal, shadowing margin,
propagation model used, and transmitter-receiver distance.
Line of sight Attenuation with diffraction.
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This section explains how to calculate the signal level coverage of a single site. A signal level coverage prediction displays
the signal of the best server for each pixel of the area studied.
To study the signal level coverage of a single base station:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder and select Group by > Sites from the context menu. The transmitters are now
displayed in the Transmitters folder by the site on which they are situated.
3. Select the propagation parameters to be used in the coverage prediction:
a. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
b. Right-click the group of transmitters you want to study. The context menu appears.
c. Select Open Table from the context menu. A table appears with the properties of the selected group of trans-
mitters.
d. In the table, you can configure two propagation models: one for the main matrix, with a shorter radius and a
higher resolution, and another for the extended matrix, with a longer radius and a lower resolution. By calcu-
lating two matrices you can reduce the time of calculation by using a lower resolution for the extended matrix
and you can obtain more accurate results by using for the main and extended matrices propagation models
best suited for each distance.
e. In the Main Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
f. If desired, in the Extended Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
g. Close the table.
4. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the group of transmitters you want to study and select Calculations >
Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
The Study Types dialogue lists the studies available. They are divided into Standard Studies, supplied with
Atoll, and Customized Studies. Unless you have already created some customized studies, the Customized
Studies list will be empty.
5. Select Coverage by Signal Level and click OK. A study properties dialogue appears.
6. You can configure the following parameters in the Properties dialogue:
- General tab: You can change the assigned Name of the coverage prediction, the Resolution, and you can
add a Comment. The resolution you set is the display resolution, not the calculation resolution.
To improve memory consumption and optimise the calculation times, you should set the display resolutions of
coverage predictions according to the precision required. The following table lists the levels of precision that
are usually sufficient:
- Condition tab: The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you to define the signals that
will be considered for each pixel (see Figure 8.12).
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the signal level range to be considered. In Figure 8.12, a signal
level less than or equal to -120 dBm will be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider signal levels from all servers.
Note: You can use the same procedure to study the signal level coverage of several sites by
grouping the transmitters. For information on grouping transmitters, see "Grouping Data
Objects by a Selected Property" on page 51.
Tip: If you wish to study only sites by their status, at this step you could group them by status.
Size of the Coverage
Prediction
Display Resolution
City Center 5 m
City 20 m
County 50 m
State 100 m
Country According to the size of the country
Note: If you create a new coverage prediction from the context menu of either the Transmitters
or Predictions folder, you can select the sites using the Group By, Sort, and Filter buttons
under Configuration. Because you already selected the target sites, however, only the Fil-
ter button is available.
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- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
Figure 8.12: Condition settings for a signal level coverage prediction
- Display tab: You can modify how the results of the coverage prediction will be displayed.
- Under Display Type, select "Value Intervals."
- Under Field, select "Best signal level." Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give
you the same results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best
signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calculation.
- You can change the value intervals and their displayed colour. For information on changing display prop-
erties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
- You can create a tooltip with information about the coverage prediction by clicking the Tip Text box and
selecting the check boxes next to the fields you want to display in the tooltip.
- You can select the Add to Legend check box to add the displayed value intervals to the legend.
7. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window. The signal level
coverage prediction can be found in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results of a cover-
age prediction as soon as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction in the Predictions
folder. When you click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll only calculates unlocked coverage predictions ( ).
8.1.10 Studying Base Stations
In this section, the following are explained:
"Path Loss Matrices" on page 313
"The Calculation Process" on page 315
"Creating a Computation Zone" on page 315
"Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active" on page 315
"Signal Level Coverage Predictions" on page 316
"Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 320
"UMTS-Specific Studies" on page 327
"HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 339
"HSUPA Coverage Prediction" on page 340
"Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 341.
8.1.10.1 Path Loss Matrices
Path loss is caused by objects in the transmitter-receiver path and is calculated by the propagation model. In Atoll, the
path loss matrices are needed for all base stations that are active, filtered and whose propagation zone intersects a rectan-
Note: If you change the display properties of a coverage prediction after you have calculated it,
you may make the coverage prediction invalid. You will then have to recalculate the cover-
age prediction to obtain valid results.
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gle containing the computation zone (for an explanation of the computation zone, see "Studying Signal Level Coverage"
on page 311) and must be calculated before predictions and simulations can be made.
Storing Path Loss Matrices
Path loss matrices can be stored internally, in the Atoll document, or they can be stored externally. Storing path loss matri-
ces in the Atoll document results in a more portable but significantly larger document. in the case of large radio-planning
projects, embedding the matrices can lead to large documents which use a great deal of memory. As well, file size is
currently limited to 2 GB by the operating system. Therefore, in the case of large radio-planning projects, saving your path
loss matrices externally will help reduce the size of the file and the use of computer resources.
The path loss matrices are also stored externally in a multi-user environment, when several users are working on the same
radio-planning document and share the path loss matrices. In this case, the radio data is stored in a database and the path
loss matrices are read-only and are stored in a location accessible to all users. When the user changes his radio data and
recalculates the path loss matrices, the calculated changes to the path loss matrices are stored locally; the common path
loss matrices are not modified. These will be recalculated by the administrator taking into consideration the changes to
radio data made by all users. For more information on working in a multi-user environment, see the Administrator Manual.
When you save the path loss matrices to an external directory, Atoll creates:
One file per transmitter with the extension LOS for its main path loss matrix
A DBF file with validity information for all the main matrices.
A folder called "LowRes" with LOS files and a DBF file for the extended path loss matrices.
To set the storage location of the path loss matrices:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Predictions tab, under Path Loss Matrix Storage, you can set the location for your private path loss
matrices and the location for the shared path loss matrices:
- Private Directory: The Private Directory is where you store path loss matrices you generate or, if you are
loading path loss matrices from a shared location, where you store your changes to shared path loss matrices.
Click the button beside the Private Directory ( ) and select Embedded to save the path loss matrices in
the Atoll document, or Browse to select a directory where Atoll can save the path loss matrices externally.
- Shared Directory: When you are working in a multi-user Atoll environment, the project data is stored in a
database and the common path loss matrices are stored in a directory that is accessible to all users. Any
changes you make will not be saved to this directory; they will be saved in the location indicated in Private
Directory. The path loss matrices in the shared directory are updated by a user with administrator rights based
on the updated information in the database. For more information on shared directories, see The Administrator
Manual.
5. Click OK.
Checking the Validity of Path Loss Matrices
Atoll automatically checks the validity of the path loss matrices before calculating any coverage prediction. If you want,
you can check if the path loss matrices are invalid without creating a coverage prediction.
To check if the path loss matrices are valid:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab. The Available Results table lists the following information for the path loss matrix for
each transmitter:
- Transmitter: The name of the transmitter.
- Locked: If the check box is selected, the path loss matrix will not be updated even if the path loss matrices
are recalculated.
- Valid: This is a boolean field indicating whether or not the path loss matrix is valid.
- Origin of Invalidity: If the path loss matrix is indicated as being invalid, the reason is given here.
Note: Path loss matrices you calculate locally are not stored in the same directory as shared path
loss matrices. Shared path loss matrices are stored in a read-only directory. In other words,
you can read the information from the shared path loss matrices but any changes you make
will be stored locally, either embedded in the ATL file or in a private external folder, depend-
ing on what you have selected in Private Directory.
Caution: When you save the path loss files externally, the external files are updated as soon as cal-
culations are performed and not only when you save the Atoll document. In order to keep
consistency between the Atoll document and the stored calculations, you should save the
Atoll document before closing it, if you have updated the path loss matrices.
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- Size: The size of the path loss matrix for the transmitter.
- File: If the path loss matrix is not embedded, the location of the file is listed.
8.1.10.2 The Calculation Process
When you create a coverage prediction and click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll follows the following process:
1. Atoll first checks to see whether the path loss matrices exist and, if so, whether they are valid. There must be valid
path loss matrices for each active and filtered transmitter whose propagation radius intersects the rectangle
containing the computation zone.
2. If the path loss matrices do not exist or are not valid, Atoll calculates them. There has to be at least one unlocked
coverage prediction in the Predictions folder. If not Atoll will not calculate the path loss matrices when you click
the Calculate button ( ).
3. Atoll calculates all unlocked coverage predictions in the Predictions folder. Atoll automatically locks the results
of a coverage prediction as soon as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction
in the Predictions folder.
8.1.10.3 Creating a Computation Zone
To create a computation zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Computation Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the computation zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The computation zone is delimited by a red line.
You can also create a computation zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a computation zone by right-clicking it and
selecting Use as Computation Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a computation zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Computa-
tion Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a computation zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
8.1.10.4 Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone. Before
you define a coverage prediction, you must ensure that all the transmitters on the sites you wish to study have been acti-
vated. In the Explorer window, active transmitters are indicated with a red icon ( ) in the Transmitters folder and inac-
tive transmitters are indicated with a white icon ( ).
In Atoll, you can also set individual cells on a transmitter as active or inactive.
You can set an individual transmitter as active from its context menu or you can set more than one transmitter as active
by activating them from the Transmitters context menu or by activating the transmitters cells from the Cells table.
To set an individual transmitter as active:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter you want to activate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Activate Transmitter from the context menu. The transmitter is now active.
Note: You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button ( ) in
the toolbar.
Note: You can save the computation zone in the user configuration. For information on exporting
the computation zone in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on
page 59.
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To set more than one transmitter as active using the Transmitters context menu:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select the transmitters you want to set as active:
- To set all transmitters as active, right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
- To set a group of transmitters as active, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder and
right-click the group of transmitters you want to set as active. The context menu appears.
3. Select Activate Transmitters from the context menu. The selected transmitters are set as active.
To set more than one cell as active using the Cells table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Open Table. The Cells table appears with each cells parameters in a second row.
4. For each cell that you want to set as active, select the check box in the Active column.
Once you have ensured that all transmitters are active, you can set the propagation model parameters. For information on
choosing and configuring a propagation model, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Calculating path loss matrices can be extremely time and resource intensive when you are working on larger projects.
Consequently, Atoll offers you the possibility of distributing path loss calculations on several computers. You can install
the Atoll computing server application on other workstations or on servers. Once the computing server application is
installed on a workstation or server, the computer is available for distributed path loss calculation to other computers on
the network. For information on distributed calculations, see the Administrator Manual.
8.1.10.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions
Atoll offers a series of standard coverage predictions that are common to all radio technologies. Coverage predictions
specific to UMTS are covered in "UMTS-Specific Studies" on page 327, "HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 339, and
"HSUPA Coverage Prediction" on page 340.
Once you have created and calculated a coverage prediction, you can use the coverage predictions context menu to make
the coverage prediction into a template which will appear in the Study Types dialogue. You can also select Duplicate
from the coverage predictions context menu to create a copy. By duplicating an existing prediction that has the parameters
you wish to study, you can create a new coverage prediction more quickly than by creating a new coverage prediction. If
you clone a coverage prediction, by selecting Clone from the context menu, you can create a copy of the coverage predic-
tion with the calculated coverage. You can then change the display, providing that the selected parameter does not inval-
idate the calculated coverage prediction.
You can also save the list of all defined coverage predictions in a user configuration, allowing you or other users to import
it into a new Atoll document. When you save the list in a user configuration, the parameters of all existing coverage predic-
tions are saved; not just the parameters of calculated or displayed ones. For information on exporting user configurations,
see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
The following standard coverage predictions are explained in this section:
"Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal Level" on page 316
"Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 318
"Making a Coverage Prediction on Overlapping Zones" on page 319.
8.1.10.5.1 Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal Level
A coverage prediction by signal level allows you to predict the best signal strength at each pixel. You can base the cover-
age on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by signal level:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by Signal Level and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.13). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered. In Figure 8.13, a signal
level less than or equal to -120 dBm will be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider all servers.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
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Figure 8.13: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by signal level
7. Click the Display tab.
If you choose to display the results by best signal level, the coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresh-
olds. If you choose to display the results by signal level, the coverage prediction results will be arranged according
to transmitter. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28. Selecting
"All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give you the same results because Atoll displays the results
of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calcula-
tion.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 8.14).
Figure 8.14: Coverage prediction by signal level
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8.1.10.5.2 Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter
A coverage prediction by transmitter allows the user to predict which server is the best at each pixel. You can base the
coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by transmitter:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by Transmitter and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.13). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered. In Figure 8.13, a signal
level less than or equal to -120 dBm or greater then -85 dBm will be considered.
- Under Server, select "Best signal level."
You can also define a Margin. Atoll will then consider the best signal level on each pixel and any other signal
level within the defined margin of the best one.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
Figure 8.15: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by transmitter
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction by transmitter, the Display Type "Discrete Values" based on the Field "Transmitter" is
selected by default. Each coverage zone will then be displayed with the same colour as that defined for each trans-
mitter. For information on defining transmitter colours, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the transmitter coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Note: You can also predict which server is the second best server on each pixel by selecting
"Second best signal level" on the Conditions tab setting "Discrete Values" as the Display
Type and "Transmitter" as the Field on the Display tab.
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8.1.10.5.3 Making a Coverage Prediction on Overlapping Zones
Overlapping zones are composed of pixels that are, for a defined condition, covered by the signal of at least two transmit-
ters. You can base a coverage prediction of overlapping zones on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined
range.
To make a coverage prediction on overlapping zones:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Overlapping Zones and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.16). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered. In Figure 8.16, a signal
level less than or equal to -120 dBm will be considered.
- Under Server, select "Best signal level" and define a Margin. Atoll will then consider the best signal level on
each pixel and any other signal level within the defined margin of the best one.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account.
Figure 8.16: Condition settings for a coverage prediction on overlapping zones
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction on overlapping zones, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Number
of servers" is selected by default. Each overlapping zone will then be displayed in a colour corresponding to the
number of servers received per pixel. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of
Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Note: By changing the parameters selected on the Condition tab and by selecting different results
to be displayed on the Display tab, you can calculate and display information other than that
which has been explained in the preceding sections.
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8.1.10.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction
Once you have completed a study, you can analyse the results with the tools that Atoll provides.
The results are displayed graphically in the map window according to the settings you made on the Display tab when you
created the coverage prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 311). If several coverage predic-
tions are visible on the map, it may be difficult to clearly see the results of the coverage prediction you wish to analyse.
You can select which studies to display or to hide by selecting or clearing the display check box. For information on manag-
ing the display, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
In this section, the following tools are explained:
"Displaying the Legend Window" on page 320
"Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tooltips" on page 320
"Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab" on page 320
"Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 321
"Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics" on page 322
"Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples" on page 323.
8.1.10.6.1 Displaying the Legend Window
When you create a coverage prediction, you can add the displayed values of the coverage prediction to a legend by select-
ing the Add to Legend check box on the Display tab.
To display the Legend window:
Select View > Legend Window. The Legend window is displayed, with the values for each displayed coverage
prediction identified by the name of the coverage prediction.
8.1.10.6.2 Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tooltips
You can get information by placing the cursor over an area of the coverage prediction to read the information displayed in
the tooltips. The information displayed is defined by the settings you made on the Display tab when you created the cover-
age prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 311).
To get coverage prediction results in the form of tooltips:
In the map window, place the cursor over the area of the coverage prediction that you want more information on.
After a brief pause, the tooltip appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the coverage prediction
properties (see Figure 8.17).
Figure 8.17: Displaying coverage prediction results using tooltips
8.1.10.6.3 Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab
Once you have calculated the coverage prediction, you can use the Point Analysis tool.
1. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
2. At the bottom of the Point Analysis Tool window, click the Reception tab (see Figure 8.18).
The predicted signal level from different transmitters is reported in the Reception tab in the form of a bar chart,
from the highest predicted signal level on the top to the lowest one on the bottom. Each bar is displayed in the
colour of the transmitter it represents.
At the top of the Reception tab, you can select the carrier to be analysed.
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Figure 8.18: Point Analysis Window - Reception tab
3. Right-click the Reception tab and select Properties from the context menu. The Analysis Properties dialogue
appears.
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.
8.1.10.6.4 Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report
The focus and hot spot zones define an area on which statistics can be drawn and on which reports are made. While you
can only have one focus zone, you can define several hot spot zones in addition to the focus zone.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus and hot spot zones. The computation zone defines the
area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage studies, Monte Carlo, power control simulations, etc., while the
focus and hot spot zones are the areas taken into consideration when generating reports and results. When you create a
coverage prediction report, it gives the results for the focus zone and for each of the defined hot spot zones.
To define a focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Focus Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder, depending on whether you want to create a focus zone or
a hot spot. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the focus or hot spot zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
A focus zone is delimited by a green line; a hot spot zone is delimited by a heavy black line.
You can also create a focus or hot spot zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a focus zone by right-clicking it and selecting
Use as Focus Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a focus or hot spot zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Focus
Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a focus or hot spot zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
8.1.10.6.5 Displaying a Coverage Prediction Report
Atoll can generate a report for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). The report displays the
covered surface and percentage for each threshold value defined in the Display tab of the coverage predictions Proper-
ties dialogue.
Note: You can only create a focus zone, and not a hot spot zone, from an existing polygon.
Notes:
You can save the focus zone in the user configuration. For information on saving the focus zone
in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
You can include population statistics in the focus or hot spot zone by importing a population map.
For information on importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87.
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The coverage prediction report is displayed in a table. By default, the report table only displays the name and coverage
area columns. You can edit the table to select which columns to display or to hide. For information on displaying and hiding
columns, see "Displaying or Hiding a Column" on page 46.
Atoll bases the report on the area covered by the focus zone and hot spot zones; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will
use the calculation zone. However, by using a focus zone for the report, you can create a report for a specific number of
sites, instead of creating a report for every site that has been calculated.
The focus zone or hot spot zone must be defined before you display a report; it is not necessary to define it before comput-
ing coverage. For information on defining a focus zone or hot spot zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a
Coverage Prediction Report" on page 321.
Atoll can generate a report for a single prediction, or for all displayed predictions.
To display a report on a single coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction for which you want to generate a report. The context menu appears.
4. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The coverage prediction report table appears. The report is
based on the hot spot zones and on the focus zone if available or on the hot spot zones and computation zone if
there is no focus zone.
To display a report on all coverage predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The coverage prediction report table appears. The report shows
all displayed coverage predictions in the same order as in the Predictions folder. The report is based on the focus
zone if available or on the calculation zone if there is no focus zone.
You can include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone by importing a population map. For information on
importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87. Normally, Atoll takes all geo data into consid-
eration, whether it is displayed or not. However, for the population statistics to be used in a report, the population map has
to be displayed.
To include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Ensure that the population geo data is visible. For information on displaying geo data, see "Displaying or Hiding
Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
2. Display the report as explained above.
3. Select Format > Display Columns. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.
4. Select the following columns, where "Population" is the name of the folder on the Geo tab containing the popula-
tion map:
- " Population" (Population): The number of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (% Population): The percentage of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (Population [total]: The total number of inhabitants inside the zone.
Atoll saves the names of the columns you select and will automatically select them the next time you create a
coverage prediction report.
5. Click OK.
If you have created a custom data map with integrable data, the data can be used in prediction reports. The data will be
summed over the coverage area for each item in the report (for example, by transmitter or threshold). The data can be
value data (revenue, number of customers, etc.) or density data (revenue/km, number of customer/km, etc.). Data is
considered as non-integrable if the data given is per pixel or polygon and cannot be summed over areas, for example,
socio-demographic classes, rain zones, etc. For information on integrable data in custom data maps, see "Integrable
Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 101.
8.1.10.6.6 Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics
Atoll can display statistics for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). By default, Atoll displays
a histogram using the coverage study colours, interval steps, and shading as defined in the Display tab of the coverage
predictions Properties dialogue. You can also display a cumulative distribution function (CDF) or an inverse CDF
(1 - CDF). For a CDF or an inverse CDF, the resulting values are combined and shown along a curve. You can also display
the histogram or the CDFs as percentages of the covered area.
Atoll bases the statistics on the area covered by the focus zone; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will use the computation
zone. However, by using a focus zone for the report, you can display the statistics for a specific number of sites, instead
of displaying statistics for every site that has been calculated. Hot spot zones are not taken into consideration when
displaying statistics.
The focus zone must be defined before you display statistics; it is not necessary to define it before computing coverage.
For information on defining a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 321.
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To display the statistics on a coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction whose statistics you want to display. The context menu appears.
4. Select Histogram from the context menu. The Statistics dialogue appears with a histogram of the area defined
by the focus zone (see Figure 8.22).
- Under Histogram Based on Covered Areas, you can select to view a histogram, CDF, or inverse CDF based
on area or percentage.
- The Detailed Results section displays the covered area values, or the percentage of the covered area, along
the y-axis against the coverage criterion along the x-axis.
- You can copy the graph by clicking the Copy button.
- You can print the graph by clicking the Print button.
- Under Statistics Based on Study Conditions, you can view the mean and standard deviation of the cov-
erage criterion calculated during the coverage calculations, if available.
8.1.10.6.7 Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples
Atoll allows you to compare two similar predictions to see the differences between them. This enables you to quickly see
how changes you make affect the network.
In this section, there are two examples to explain how you can compare two similar predictions. You can display the results
of the comparison study coverage in one of the following ways:
Intersection: This display shows the area where both prediction coverages overlap (for example, pixels covered
by both studies are displayed in red).
Union: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour and pixels covered by
only one coverage prediction in a different colour (for example, pixels covered by both predictions are red and
pixels covered by only one prediction are blue).
Difference: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour, pixels covered by
only one of the two predictions with another colour and pixels covered only by the second prediction with a third
colour (for example, pixels covered by both studies are red, pixels covered only by the first prediction are green,
and pixels covered only by the second prediction are blue).
To compare two similar coverage predictions:
1. Create and calculate a coverage prediction of the existing network.
2. Examine the coverage prediction to see where coverage can be improved.
3. Make the changes to the network to improve coverage.
Figure 8.19: Histogram of a coverage prediction by signal level
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4. Duplicate the original coverage prediction (in order to leave the first coverage prediction unchanged).
5. Calculate the duplicated coverage prediction.
6. Compare the original coverage prediction with the new coverage prediction. Atoll displays differences in coverage
between them.
In this section, the following examples are explained:
"Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Site" on page 324
"Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt" on page 326.
Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Site
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how you can verify if a newly added site improves coverage.
A signal level coverage prediction of the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal
Level" on page 316. The results are displayed in Figure 8.20. An area with poor coverage is visible on the right side of the
figure.
Figure 8.20: Signal level coverage prediction of existing network
A new site is added, either by creating the site and adding the transmitters, as explained in "Creating a UMTS Base
Station" on page 289, or by placing a station template, as explained in "Placing a New Station Using a Station Template"
on page 295. Once the new site has been added, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated, but then it will be
impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original signal level coverage prediction can be copied by selecting
Duplicate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated to show the effect of the new site (see Figure 8.21).
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Figure 8.21: Signal level coverage prediction of network with new site
Now you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the coverage prediction you
want to compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes adding a new site made, you should choose Difference.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 8.22, shows clearly the area covered only by the
new site.
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Figure 8.22: Comparison of both signal level coverage predictions
Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how modifying transmitter tilt can improve coverage.
A coverage prediction by transmitter of the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage Prediction by
Transmitter" on page 318. The results are displayed in Figure 8.23. The coverage prediction shows that one transmitter is
covering its area poorly. The area is indicated with a red oval in the figure.
Figure 8.23: Coverage prediction by transmitter of existing network
You can try modifying the tilt on the transmitter to improve the coverage. The properties of the transmitter can be accessed
by right-clicking the transmitter in the map window and selecting Properties from the context menu. The mechanical and
electrical tilt of the antenna are defined on the Transmitter tab of the Properties dialogue.
Once the tilt of the antenna has been modified, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated, but then it will be
impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original coverage prediction by can be copied by selecting Dupli-
cate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show how modifying the antenna tilt has affected coverage
(see Figure 8.24).
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Figure 8.24: Coverage prediction by transmitter of network after modifications
As you can see, modifying the antenna tilt increased the coverage of the transmitter. However, to see exactly the change
in propagation, you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the coverage prediction you
want to compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes modifying the antenna tilt made, you can choose Union. This will display all pixels
covered by both predictions in one colour and all pixels covered by only one predictions in another colour. The
increase in coverage, seen in only the second coverage prediction, will be immediately clear.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 8.25, shows clearly the increase in coverage due to
the change in antenna tilt.
Figure 8.25: Comparison of both transmitter coverage predictions
8.1.10.7 UMTS-Specific Studies
In UMTS, the quality of the signal and the size of the area that can be covered are influenced by the network load. As the
network load increases, the area a cell can effectively cover decreases. For this reason, the network load must be defined
in order to calculate UMTS-specific studies.
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If you have traffic maps, you can do a Monte-Carlo simulation to model power control and evaluate the network load for a
generated user distribution. If you do not have traffic maps, Atoll can calculate the network load using the UL load factor
and DL total power defined for each cell.
In this section, the UMTS-specific coverage predictions will be calculated using UL load factor and DL total power param-
eters defined at the cell level. For the purposes of these studies, each pixel is considered a non-interfering user with a
defined service, mobility type, and terminal.
Before making a prediction, you will have to set the UL load factor and DL total power and the parameters that define the
services and users. These are explained in the following sections:
"Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Total Power" on page 328.
"Service and User Modelling" on page 328.
Several different types of UMTS-specific coverage predictions are explained in this section. The following quality studies
are explained:
"Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 332
"Studying Service Area (EbNt) Downlink or Uplink" on page 333
"Studying Effective Service Area" on page 334.
The following noise studies, also coverage predictions, are explained:
"Studying Downlink Total Noise" on page 336
"Calculating Pilot Pollution" on page 337.
Another type of coverage prediction, the handover study, is also explained:
"Making a Handover Status Coverage Prediction" on page 337.
You can also make a point analysis using the Point Analysis window. The analysis is calculated using UL load factor and
DL total power parameters defined at the cell level and provided for a user-definable probe receiver which has a terminal,
a mobility and a service:
"Making an AS Analysis" on page 338.
You can define a RSCP threshold to further define how results are displayed. Atoll uses the RSCP threshold to calculate
coverage predictions and to make the AS analysis. Atoll checks which pixels have a pilot signal level which exceeds the
defined RSCP threshold. Defining the RSCP threshold is explained in the following section:
"Defining the RSCP Threshold" on page 331
8.1.10.7.1 Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Total Power
If you are setting the UL load factor and the DL total power for a single transmitter, you can set these parameters on the
Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue. However, you can set the UL load factor and the DL total power for all
cells using the Cells table.
To set the UL load factor and the DL total power using the Cells table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
4. Enter a value in the following columns:
- Total Power (dBm)
- UL Load Factor (%)
For a definition of the values, see "Cell Definition" on page 292.
5. To enter the same values in one column for all cells in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.
8.1.10.7.2 Service and User Modelling
Before you can model services, you must already have R99 radio bearers defined in your Atoll document. Only the follow-
ing R99 radio bearer parameters are used in predictions:
Max TCH Power (dBm)
UL and DL Target (dB) per mobility
The type of bearer.
For information on defining R99 radio bearers, "Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on page 392.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling Services" on page 329
"Creating a Mobility Type" on page 330
Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
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"Modelling Terminals" on page 330.
Modelling Services
Services are the various services available to subscribers. These services can be either circuit-switched or packet-
switched services. This section explains how to create a service. However, only the following parameters are used in
predictions:
R99 bearer parameters
Handover capabilities
HSPA capabilities
Body loss
HSPA application throughput parameters
Before you can model services, you must have defined R99 bearers. For information on defining R99 radio bearers, see
"Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on page 392.
To create or modify a service:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Services New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can edit the fields on the General tab to define the new service. Some fields depend on the Type of service
you choose. You can change the following parameters:
- Name: Atoll proposes a name for the new service, but you can change the name to something more descrip-
tive.
- R99 Radio Bearer: Select an R99 radio bearer from the list. If you want to edit the settings of the selected
R99 radio bearer, click the Browse button ( ) to open the bearers Properties dialogue.
- Type: You can select either Circuit or Packet as the service type.
If you want the service to be able to use HSDPA channels, select Packet and the HSDPA check box. For pack-
et services that can use HSDPA channels, you have the following options:
- A-DPCH Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink A-DPCH activity factors (for services that support
HSDPA) are used to estimate the average power on A-DPCH channels.
- Average Requested Rate: You can enter the average requested rate for uplink and downlink. This rate
is the requested average HS-PDSCH rate which guarantees a minimum average downlink rate during an
HSDPA call. It is used twice in a simulation: once during user distribution generation in order to calculate
the number of HSDPA users attempting a connection and then during power control as a quality target to
be compared to the real obtained average throughput.
- Application Throughput: Under Application Throughput, you can set a Scaling Factor between the
application throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput Offset. These
parameters model the header information and other supplementary data that does not appear at the appli-
cation level.
If you want the service to be able to use HSUPA channels, select Packet, the HSDPA check box, and the
HSUPA check box. For packet services that can use HSUPA channels, you have the following options:
- E-DPCCH Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink E-DPCCH activity factors (for services that support
HSUPA) are used to estimate the average power on E-DPCCH channels.
- Average Requested Rate: You can enter the average requested rate for uplink and downlink. This rate
is the requested average E-DPDCH rate which guarantees a minimum average uplink rate during an
HSUPA call. It is used twice in a simulation: once during user distribution generation in order to calculate
the number of HSUPA users attempting a connection and then during power control as a quality target to
be compared to the real obtained average throughput.
- Application Throughput: Under Application Throughput, you can set a Scaling Factor between the
application throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput Offset. These
parameters model the header information and other supplementary data that does not appear at the appli-
cation level.
If you select Packet to create R99-bearer packet services that do not use HSDPA or HSUPA, you have the
following option:
- Efficiency Factor: The uplink and downlink efficiency factors are used to determine duration of usage by
the user. It does this by determining the average usage of the network by the user.
If you select Circuit, you have the following options.
- Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink activity factors are used to determine the probability of activity
for each user when making a Monte-Carlo distribution for a power control simulation.
- Carrier: You can select one of the available carriers or all carriers. The specified carrier is considered in sim-
ulation when admitting a transmitter to the mobile active set. If the transmitter uses the specified carrier, Atoll
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing service by right-clicking the service in the
Services folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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selects it. Otherwise, it will choose another one, using the carrier selection mode defined in the site equipment
properties. The carrier specified for the service is not used in predictions (i.e., AS analysis and coverage pre-
dictions). In predictions, Atoll considers the carrier selection mode defined in the site equipment properties. If
no particular carrier is specified in the service properties, it will consider the carrier selection mode defined in
the site equipment properties.
- Soft Handoff Allowed: Select the Soft Handoff Allowed check box if you want the network to be able to use
soft handoff with this service.
- Priority: Enter a priority for this service. "0" is the lowest priority.
- Body Loss: Enter a body loss for the service. The body loss is the loss due to the body of the user. For
example, in a voice connection the body loss, due to the proximity of the users head, is estimated to be 3dB.
6. If you selected Circuit as the Type in step 5., continue to step 7. If you selected Packet as the Type in step 5.,
an additional tab, the Packet tab, appears. Click the Packet tab.
In the Packet tab, you can set the following parameters for packet switched services:
- Under Session, you can set:
- Average Number of Packet Calls: Enter the average number of packet calls in the uplink and downlink
during one session.
- Average Time Between Two Packet Calls: Enter the average time between two packet calls (in millisec-
onds) in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet Calls, you can set:
- Min. Size (Kbytes): Enter the minimum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Max Size (Kbytes): Enter the maximum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Average Time Between Two Packets (ms): Enter the average time between two packets in milliseconds
in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet, you can set:
- Size (Bytes): Enter the packet size in bytes in the uplink and downlink.
7. Click OK.
Creating a Mobility Type
In UMTS, information about receiver mobility is important to efficiently manage the active set: a mobile used by someone
travelling a certain speed and a mobile used by a pedestrian will not necessarily be connected to the same transmitters.
EcI0 requirements and Eb/Nt targets per radio bearer and per link (up and down) are largely dependent on mobile speed.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
EcI0 threshold
HS-SCCH EcNt Threshold
To create or modify a mobility type:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Mobility Types folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can enter or modify the following parameters in the Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue:
- Name: Enter or modify the descriptive name for the mobility type.
- Average Speed: Enter or modify an average speed for the mobility type. This field is for information only; the
average speed is not used by any calculation.
- EcI0 Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum EcI0 required from a transmitter to enter the active set. This
value must be verified for the best server.
- HS-SCCH EcNt Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum quality required in order for the HSDPA link to be
available. This parameter is used by Atoll to determine the HS-SCCH power when the user has selected
dynamic allocation in the cell properties. For static allocation, Atoll calculates the HS-SCCH EcNt from the
HS-SCCH power set in the cell properties and compares it to this threshold. This field is only used with
HSDPA.
6. Click OK.
Modelling Terminals
In UMTS, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a cars on-
board navigation device.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
Receiver equipment
Maximum terminal power
Gain and losses
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing mobility type by right-clicking the mobility type
in the Mobility Types folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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Noise figure
Active set size
DL rake factor
Rho factor
Compressed mode capability
HSPA capability and HSPA-specific categories:
- UE category
- MUD factor (for HSDPA only).
To create or modify a terminal:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Terminals New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Name: You can change the name of the terminal.
- Reception Equipment: Select a type of reception equipment from the list. You can create a new type of
reception equipment by opening the Reception Equipment table. To open the Reception Equipment table,
right-click the Terminals folder in the UMTS Parameters folder on the Data tab and select Reception Equip-
ment from the context menu.
- Min. Power: Set the minimum transmission power. The minimum and maximum transmission power make up
the dynamic range for uplink power control.
- Max Power: Set the maximum transmission power.
- Gain: Set the antenna gain.
- Losses: Set the reception losses.
- Noise Figure: Set the terminal noise figure,
- Active Set Size: Set the active set size. The active set size is the maximum number of transmitters to which
a terminal can be connected at one time.
- DL Rake Factor: Set the DL rake factor. This enables Atoll to model the rake receiver on DL.
- Rho factor (%): This parameter enables Atoll to take into account the self-interference produced by the ter-
minal. Because hardware equipment is not perfect, the input signal experiences some distortion which affects,
in turn, the output signal. This factor defines how much distortion the system generates. Entering 100% means
the system is perfect (there is no distortion) and the output signal will be 100% equal to the input signal. On
the other hand, if you specify a value different than 100%, Atoll considers that the transmitted energy is not
100% signal and contains a small percentage of interference generated by the equipment, i.e., self-interfer-
ence. Atoll considers this parameter to calculate the signal to noise ratio in the uplink.
- Compressed Mode: Check the Compressed Mode check box if the terminal uses compressed mode. Com-
pressed mode is generally used to prepare hard-handover of users with single receiver terminals.
6. Click the HSDPA/HSUPA tab.
Under HSDPA, you can modify the following parameters:
- HSDPA supported: Check the HSDPA supported check box if the terminal is able to use HSDPA channels.
- UE Category: Select a user equipment category. HSDPA user equipment capabilities are standardised into
12 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
- MUD Factor: Enter a multi-user detection factor (MUD). MUD is based on an algorithm used to improve
mobile receiver capacity. It reduces intra-cell interference and allows for higher EcNt. MUD is modelled by a
coefficient between 0 and 1; this factor is considered in calculating DL interference. If MUD is not supported,
enter "0."
If you have selected the HSDPA supported check box, you can modify the following parameters under HSDPA:
- HSUPA supported: Check the HSUPA supported check box if the terminal is able to use HSUPA channels.
- UE Category: Select a user equipment category. HSUPA user equipment capabilities are standardised into
6 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
7. Click OK.
8.1.10.7.3 Defining the RSCP Threshold
To define the minimum pilot RSCP threshold:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing terminal by right-clicking the terminal in the
Terminal folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: The rake efficiency factor, used for calculating recombination in uplink has to be set in the
site equipment properties. For information on setting site equipment properties, see "Creat-
ing Site Equipment" on page 393.
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3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Predictions tab.
5. Under Calculation Limitation, enter a Min. Pilot RSCP Threshold.
6. Click OK.
8.1.10.7.4 Making Quality Studies
In Atoll, you can make several predictions to study the quality. In this section, the following quality predictions are
explained:
"Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 332
"Studying Service Area (EbNt) Downlink or Uplink" on page 333
"Studying Effective Service Area" on page 334
"Creating a Quality Study Using Quality Indicators" on page 334.
Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction
A pilot signal quality prediction enables you to identify areas where there is at least one transmitter whose pilot quality is
received sufficiently well to be added to the probe mobile active set.
Atoll calculates the best pilot quality received on each pixel. Then, depending on the coverage prediction definition, it
compares this value either to the EcI0 threshold defined for the selected mobility type, or to user-defined EcI0 thresholds.
The pixel is coloured if the condition is fulfilled (in other words, if the best EcI0 is higher than the EcI0 mobility threshold
or specified EcI0 thresholds).
To make a pilot signal quality prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Pilot Reception Analysis (Ec/I0) and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the pilot signal
quality prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites
to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. You
must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
If you want the pilot signal quality prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into
account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Note: A table listing quality indicators (BER, BLER, etc.) to be analysed is available. Quality stud-
ies proposed by Atoll depend on quality indicators specified in this table.
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
Figure 8.26: Simulation settings for a coverage prediction on overlapping zones
7. Click the Display tab.
For a pilot signal quality prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "EcI0 (dB)" is selected
by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the pilot signal quality. For information on defining
display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
You can also set parameters to display the following results:
- Where at least one transmitter is in the active set: Select "Unique" as the Display Type.
- Where at least one transmitter is in the active set, with information on the best server: Select "Discrete
Value" as the Display Type and "Transmitter" as the Field.
- The pilot quality relative to the EcI0 threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and "EcI0
margin (dB)" as the Field.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the pilot signal quality prediction. The progress
of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Studying Service Area (EbNt) Downlink or Uplink
Atoll calculates the traffic channel quality (as defined by EbNt) when using the maximum power allowed. In the coverage
prediction, the downlink or uplink service area is limited by the maximum traffic channel power allowable per cell and by
the pilot quality. If the received pilot is below the set threshold, Atoll will not display the traffic channel quality. Mobile
macro-diversity is taken in consideration to evaluate the traffic channel quality (EbNt) at the probe mobile. Atoll combines
the signal from each transmitter in the probe mobile active set.
To make a prediction on service area (Eb/Nt) downlink or uplink:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select one of the following studies and click OK:
- Service Area (Eb/Nt) Downlink
- Service Area (Eb/Nt) Uplink
The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the service area
(EbNt) coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select
which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26). When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select
which simulations you will be using on this tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a
simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction
using the UL load factor and the DL total power defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. You
must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
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If you want the service area (EbNt) coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing
taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab.
For a service area (Eb/Nt) coverage prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Max
EbNt (dB)" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the service area (EbNt)
downlink or uplink prediction makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the traffic chan-
nel quality. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
You can also set parameters to display the following results:
- The traffic channel quality relative to the EbNt threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type
and "EbNt margin (dB)" as the Field.
- The power required to reach the EbNt threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and
"Required power (dB)" as the Field.
- Where traffic channel quality exceeds the EbNt threshold for each mobility type: On the Condition tab,
select "All" as the Mobility Type. The parameters on the Display tab are automatically set.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the service area (EbNt) coverage prediction.
The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Studying Effective Service Area
The effective service area is the intersection zone between the pilot reception area, and the uplink and downlink service
areas. In other words, the effective service area prediction calculates where a service actually is available for the probe
mobile.
To make an effective service area prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Effective Service Area and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the effective
service area prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which
base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. You
must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
If you want the effective service area prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into
account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
You can select the Downgrading Allowed check box if you want the effective service area prediction to take into
consideration circumstances when the R99 bearer is downgraded. When downgrading is enabled, Atoll will
consider only the lowest bearer.
7. Click the Display tab.
For an effective service area prediction, the Display Type "Unique" is selected by default. The coverage prediction
will display where a service actually is available for the probe mobile. For information on defining display proper-
ties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Creating a Quality Study Using Quality Indicators
You can create a quality study based on a given quality indicators (BER, BLER, or FER). The coverage prediction will show
for each pixel the measurement of the selected quality indicator.
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This type of coverage prediction is not available in the list of standard studies; you can, however, use quality indicators in
a study by first ensuring that the parameters of the quality indicators have been correctly set and then creating a coverage
prediction, selecting display parameters that use these quality indicators.
Before you define the quality study, you must ensure that the parameters of the quality indicators have been correctly set.
To check the parameters of the quality indicators:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Quality Indicators from the context menu. The Quality Indicators table appears.
For each quality indicator in the Name column, you can set the following parameters:
- Used for Packet Services: Select the Used for Packet Services check box if the quality indicator is to be
used for packet services.
- Used for Circuit Services: Select the Used for Circuit Services check box if the quality indicator is to be
used for circuit services.
- Measured Parameter for QI: From the list, select the parameter that will be measured to indicate quality.
- QI Interpolation: Select the QI Interpolation check box if you want Atoll to interpolate between two existing
QI values. Clear the QI Interpolation check box if you want Atoll to take the closest QI value.
5. Close the Quality Indicators table.
6. In the UMTS Parameters folder, right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
7. Select Reception Equipment from the context menu. The Reception Equipment table appears.
"Standard" is the default reception equipment type for all terminals.
8. Double-click the reception equipment type for which you want to verify the correspondence between the measured
quality and the quality indicator. The reception equipment types Properties dialogue appears.
9. Click the Quality Graphs tab.
10. Ensure that a Quality Indicator has been chosen for each R99 Bearer. You can edit the values in the DL and
UL Quality Indicator Tables by clicking directly on the table entry, or by selecting the Quality Indicator and
clicking the Downlink Quality Graphs or the Uplink Quality Graphs buttons.
11. Click OK to close the reception equipment types Properties dialogue.
Once you have ensured that the parameters of the quality indicators have been correctly set, you can use the measured
quality to create a quality study. How you define a coverage prediction according to the measured quality indicator,
depends several parameters:
The settings made in the Quality Indicators table
The service you want to study
The quality indicator you want to use (BER, BLER, or FER)
The coverage prediction you want to use (Pilot Reception Analysis, the Service Area Downlink, or Service Area
Uplink).
In the following example, you will create a quality study showing BLER, for a user on foot, and with mobile internet access.
To create a quality study showing BLER for a user on foot, and with mobile internet access:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Service Area (EbNt) Downlink and click OK. the coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the service area
(EbNt) downlink prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select
which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 52.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
- Terminal: Select the appropriate terminal for mobile Internet access from the Terminal list.
- Service: Select "Mobile Internet Access" from the Service list.
- Mobility: Select "Pedestrian" from the Mobility list.
- Carrier: If you want to study a certain carrier, you can select it from the Carrier list. Otherwise, select "All."
If you want the service area (EbNt) downlink prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing
taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
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You can select the Downgrading Allowed check box if you want the service area (EbNt) downlink prediction to
take into consideration circumstances when the R99 bearer is downgraded. When downgrading is enabled, Atoll
will consider only the lowest bearer.
7. Click the Display tab.
Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "BLER" as the Field. The exact of the field value will depend on
the name given in the Quality Indicators table. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Prop-
erties of Objects" on page 26.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Atoll calculates for each pixel the DL traffic channel quality (EbNt) (provided when using the maximum traffic channel
power allowed). Then, it calculates the corresponding BLER value from the quality graph (BLER=f(DL EbNt)). The pixel
is coloured if the condition is fulfilled (i.e., if BLER is evaluated as being higher than the specified threshold).
8.1.10.7.5 Studying Noise
Atoll has several coverage predictions that enable you to study the downlink total noise, downlink noise rise or pilot pollu-
tion. In this section, the following noise predictions are explained:
"Studying Downlink Total Noise" on page 336
"Calculating Pilot Pollution" on page 337.
Studying Downlink Total Noise
In the downlink total noise prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the areas where the downlink total noise or the down-
link noise rise exceeds a set threshold.
To make a downlink total noise or downlink noise rise prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Downlink Total Noise and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the downlink total
noise or downlink noise rise prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328.
If you want the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the
Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text
box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab.
For a downlink total noise or downlink noise rise prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" is selected by
default. The Field you choose determines which information the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise predic-
tion makes available.
- Downlink total noise prediction: When making a downlink total noise prediction, select one of the following
in the Field list:
- Min. noise level
- Average noise level
- Max noise level
- Downlink noise rise prediction: When making a downlink noise rise prediction, select one of the following
in the Field list:
- Min. noise rise
- Average noise rise
- Max noise rise
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
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9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise
prediction. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
Calculating Pilot Pollution
A transmitter which fulfils all the criteria to enter a mobiles active set but which is not admitted because the active set limit
has already been reached is considered a polluter.
In the pilot pollution prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the areas where the probe mobile is interfered by the pilot
signal from polluter transmitters.
To make a pilot pollution prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Pilot Pollution and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the pilot pollution
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base stations
to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. You
must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
If you want the pilot pollution prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account
check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab.
For a pilot pollution prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" and the Field "Number of polluters" are selected
by default. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the pilot pollution prediction. The progress of
the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
8.1.10.7.6 Making a Handover Status Coverage Prediction
In the handover status prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the zones where a handover can be made. For a handover
to be possible, there must be a potential active transmitter, i.e., a transmitter that fulfils all the criteria to enter the mobile
active set, and the service chosen by the user must be available.
You can also use the handover status coverage prediction to display the number of potential active transmitters.
To make a handover status coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Handoff Status and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the handover
status coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select
which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total power
defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328.
If you want the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the
Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text
box.
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You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the coverage pre-
diction will display.
- To display the handover status:
i. Select "Discrete Values" from the Display Type list.
ii. Select "Status" from the Field list. The coverage prediction will display two values: No handoff and Not
connected.
- To display the number of potential active transmitters:
i. Select "Value Intervals" from the Display Type list.
ii. Select "Potential active transmitter nb" from the Field list. The coverage prediction will display the number
of potential active transmitters.
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
8.1.10.7.7 Making an AS Analysis
The Point Analysis window gives you information on reception for any point on the map. The AS Analysis tab gives you
information on the pilot quality (EcI0) (which is the main parameter used to define the mobile active set), the connection
status, and the active set of the probe mobile. Analysis is based on the UL load percentage and the DL total power of cells.
The analysis is provided for a user-definable probe receiver which has a terminal, a mobility and a service.
You can make an AS analysis to verify a coverage prediction. In this case, before you make the AS analysis, ensure the
coverage prediction you want to use in the AS analysis is displayed on the map.
For information on the criteria for belonging to the active set, see "Conditions for Entering the Active Set" on page 396.
To make an AS analysis:
1. Click the Point Analysis button ( ) on the toolbar. The Point Analysis window appears (see Figure 8.28).
2. Click the AS Analysis tab.
3. At the top of the AS Analysis tab, select "None" from Simulation.
4. If you are making an AS analysis to verify a coverage prediction, you can recreate the conditions of the coverage
prediction:
a. Select the same Terminal, Service, and Mobility studied in the coverage prediction.
b. Right-click the Point Analysis window and select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dia-
logue appears.
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "EcI0" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.
c. Click OK to close the Properties dialogue.
5. Move the pointer over the map to make an active set analysis for the current location of the pointer.
As you move the pointer, Atoll indicates on the map which is the best server for the current position (see
Figure 8.27).
Information on the current position is given on the AS Analysis tab of the Point Analysis window. See Figure 8.28
on page 339 for an explanation of the displayed information.
Figure 8.27: Point analysis on the map
6. Click the map to leave the point analysis pointer at its current position.
To move the pointer again, click the point analysis pointer on the map and drag it to a new position.
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7. Click the Point Analysis button ( ) on the toolbar again to end the point analysis.
Figure 8.28: AS Analysis tab
The bar graph displays the following information:
The pilot quality (EcI0) reception of all transmitters using the selected carrier (the colour of the bar colour corre-
sponds to the colour of the transmitter on the map).
The thresholds of the active set (EcI0 threshold, (EcI0) best server active set threshold). The portion of the graph
with the grey background indicates the transmitters in the active set.
The pilot and the availability of service on UL and DL.
If there is at least one successful connection (for pilot, downlink, or uplink), double-clicking the icons in the right-hand frame
will open a dialogue with additional information.
8.1.10.8 HSDPA Coverage Prediction
The HSDPA coverage prediction allows you to study many HSDPA-related parameters, depending on the parameters
defined. The parameters used as input for the HSDPA coverage prediction are the HSDPA power, and the total transmitted
power for each cell. If the coverage prediction is not based on a simulation, these values are taken from the cell properties.
For information about the cell parameters, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295. For information on the formulas
used to calculate different throughputs, see the Technical Reference Guide.
To make an HSDPA coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select HSDPA Study and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the HSDPA cov-
erage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base
stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the HSDPA power, the UL load factor and
the DL total power defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. For an HSDPA coverage
prediction, under Terminal, you must chose an HSDPA-capable terminal and, under Service, you must chose a
service with HSDPA.
If you want to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a
percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the coverage pre-
diction will display.
- To analyse the uplink and downlink A-DPCH qualities on the map:
The pilot reception in terms of active set components for the set
conditions. The active set is displayed in grey. Solid bars
indicate the transmitters which respect the active set
constraints. Even if more transmitters respect the constraints,
the active set size is limited to the number defined in the terminal
properties and is a function of the current service.
The connection status (pilot and uplink
and downlink traffic) for the current point.
: successful connection
: failed connection
This vertical bar represents the lower boundary of the
active set (defined as the signal value of the best
server at the current point minus the AS_Threshold -
defined in the global properties from the Transmitters
folder).
This vertical bar
represents the EcI0
threshold become the
best server (threshold
defined in the mobility
type properties dialogue).
Select the load conditions (DL Power
and UL Load from a simulation or
user-defined values) to use in this
analysis.
Select the parameters of the probe user to
be studied.
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- The maximum DL A-DPCH quality relative to the EbNt threshold: Select "Max A-DPCH EbNt DL
(dB)" as the Field. Atoll determines downlink A-DPCH quality at the receiver for the maximum traffic chan-
nel power allowed for the best server.
- The maximum UL A-DPCH quality relative to the EbNt threshold: Select "Max A-DPCH EbNt UL
(dB)" as the Field. Atoll determines uplink A-DPCH quality at the receiver for the maximum terminal
power allowed.
- To analyse the HS-SCCH quality or power:
- The HS-SCCH power per HS-SCCH channel relative to the power threshold: Select "HS-SCCH Pow-
er (dBm)" as the Field. This display option is relevant only if HS-SCCH power is allocated dynamically.
- The HS-SCCH EcNt per HS-SCCH channel relative to the EcNt threshold: Select "HS-SCCH EcNt
(dBm)" as the Field. This display option is relevant only if HS-SCCH power is allocated statically.
- To model fast link adaptation for a single HSDPA user or for a defined number of HSDPA users:
For a single HSDPA user, Atoll considers one HSDPA user on each pixel and determines the best HSDPA
bearer that the user can obtain by considering the entire available HSDPA power of the cell.
- The HS-PDSCH Ec/Nt relative to the EcNt threshold: Select "HS-PDSCH Ec/Nt" as the Field. Atoll cal-
culates the best HS-PDSCH EcNt on each pixel.
- The channel quality indicator (CQI) relative to the EcNt threshold: Select "CQI" as the Field. Atoll
displays either the CPICH CQI or the HS-PDSCH CQI, depending on the option selected under HSDPA
on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue (see "Creating or Modifying a
Transmitter" on page 295).
- The MAC rate relative to the threshold: Select "MAC Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll calculates the
MAC rate from the transport block size of the selected HSDPA bearer.
- The MAC throughput relative to the threshold: Select "MAC Throughput (kbps)" as the Field. The MAC
throughput is calculated from the MAC rate.
- The RLC peak rate relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Peak Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll displays
the RLC peak rate that the selected HSDPA bearer can by supplied with. The RLC peak rate is a charac-
teristic of the HSDPA bearer.
- The RLC peak throughput relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Peak Throughput (kbps)" as the
Field. Atoll calculates the RLC peak throughput from the RLC peak rate.
- The average RLC throughput relative to the threshold: Select "Average RLC Throughput (kbps)" as
the Field.
- The application throughput relative to the threshold: Select "Application Throughput (kbps)" as the
Field. Using the RLC peak rate, the BLER, the HSDPA service scaling factor, and the throughput offset,
Atoll calculates the application throughput. The application throughput represents the net throughput with-
out coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.).
Atoll can consider several HSDPA users per pixel. When the coverage prediction is not based on a simulation,
this value is taken from the cell properties. Atoll considers the defined number of HSDPA users on each pixel
and determines the best HSDPA bearer that each user can obtain. The HSDPA power of the cell is shared
between the HSDPA users. You can display the following results:
- The RLC throughput per mobile relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Throughput per Mobile (kbps)"
as the Field. Atoll calculates the RLC throughput per mobile from the peak throughput of each user.
For information on selecting the best bearer, see the Technical Reference Guide. For information on defining
display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
8.1.10.9 HSUPA Coverage Prediction
The HSUPA coverage prediction allows you to study several HSUPA-related parameters. The parameters used as input
for the HSUPA study are the uplink load factor the uplink reuse factor, the uplink load factor due to HSUPA and the maxi-
mum uplink load factor for each cell. If the coverage prediction is not based on a simulation, these values are taken from
the cell properties. For information about the cell parameters, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295. For infor-
mation on the formulas used to calculate required E-DPDCH Ec/Nt, required terminal power, and different throughputs,
see the Technical Reference Guide.
To make an HSUPA coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select HSUPA Study and click OK. The coverage prediction Properties dialogue appears.
Note: Each HSDPA user is associated to an R99 dedicated channel A-DCH, in the uplink and
downlink. Therefore, user must first initiate a A-DCH connection in order to be able to use
HSDPA channels. To manage this R99 connection, the HSDPA service is linked to an R99
bearer.
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5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the HSUPA cov-
erage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base
stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 8.26).
When you base a coverage prediction on simulations, you can select which simulations you will be using on this
tab. In this case, the coverage prediction is not going to be based on a simulation. Therefore, select "(None)" from
Simulation. Atoll then calculates the coverage prediction using the uplink load factor, the uplink reuse factor, the
uplink load factor due to HSUPA and the maximum uplink load defined in the cell properties.
You must select a Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on page 328. For an HSUPA coverage
prediction, under Terminal, you must chose an HSUPA-capable terminal and, under Service, you must chose a
service with HSUPA.
HSUPA Resources: Atoll can calculate the HSUPA coverage prediction in one of two ways:
- For a single user: After allocating capacity to all R99 users, the entire remaining load will be allocated to a
single HSUPA user.
- Shared by HSUPA users defined or calculated per cell: After allocating capacity to all R99 users, the
remaining load of the cell will be shared equally between all the HSUPA users. When the coverage prediction
is not based on a simulation, the number of HSUPA users is taken from the cell properties. The displayed
results of the coverage prediction will be for one user.
If you want the coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account
check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
You can also select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the coverage pre-
diction will display. You can set parameters to display the following results:
- The required E-DPDCH EcNt relative to the threshold: Select "Required E-DPDCH EcNt (dB)" as the
Field. Atoll selects the best HSUPA bearer whose required E-DPDCH EcNt does not exceed the maximum
E-DPDCH EcNt allowed. The required E-DPDCH EcNt is a property of the selected HSUPA bearer.
- The power required for the selected terminal relative to the threshold: Select "Required Terminal Power
(dBm)" as the Field. Atoll calculates the required terminal power from the required E-DPDCH Ec/Nt.
- The MAC Rate relative to the threshold: Select "MAC Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll calculates the MAC
rate from the transport block size of the selected HSUPA bearer.
- The RLC peak rate relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Peak Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll displays
the RLC peak rate that the selected HSUPA bearer can supply. The RLC peak rate is a property of the HSUPA
bearer.
- The guaranteed RLC throughput relative to the threshold: Select "Minimum RLC Throughput (kbps)" as
the Field.
- The application throughput relative to the threshold: Select "Application Throughput (kbps)" as the Field.
Using the RLC peak rate, the BLER, the HSUPA service scaling factor, and the throughput offset, Atoll cal-
culates the application throughput. The application throughput represents the net throughput without coding
(redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.).
For information on selecting the best bearer, see the Technical Reference Guide. For information on defining
display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
8.1.10.10 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
Once you have made a coverage prediction, you may want to save the results displayed on the map in an external format,
either by printing the coverage prediction results, or by saving the results in an external format. You can also export a
selected area of the coverage as a bitmap.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Printing Coverage Prediction Results" on page 341
"Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 342
"Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 342.
8.1.10.10.1 Printing Coverage Prediction Results
Atoll offers several options allowing you to customise and optimise the printed coverage prediction results. Atoll supports
printing to a variety of paper sizes, including A4 and A0.
Before you print coverage prediction results, you have the following options:
You can print the entire map, or you can define an area of the map to be printed in one of the following ways:
- Selecting the print area (see "Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34).
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- Creating a focus zone (see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 321).
You can accept the default layout or you can modify the print layout (see "Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
To print coverage prediction results:
1. Select the document window containing the coverage prediction results.
2. You now have the following options before printing:
- You can select a print area ("Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34) or create a focus zone ("Creating a Focus
or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 321).
- You can modify the print layout ("Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
- You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
3. Select File > Print.
4. Click OK.
8.1.10.10.2 Defining a Coverage Export Zone
If you want to export part of the coverage prediction as a bitmap, you can define a coverage export zone. After you have
defined a coverage export zone, Atoll will offer you the option of exporting only the area covered by the zone if you export
the coverage prediction as a raster image.
To define a coverage export zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Coverage Export Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the coverage export zone:
a. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone.
b. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone. When you release the
mouse, the coverage export zone will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
The coverage export zone is displayed as a rectangle with a light purple border.
8.1.10.10.3 Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
In Atoll, you can export the coverage areas of a coverage prediction in BMP, TIFF, or ArcViewgrid or Vertical Mapper
(GRD and GRC) raster formats or in ArcView, MapInfo, or AGD vector formats. Exporting coverage predictions allows
the user to generate a file that can be imported as a vector or raster object in Atoll or in another application. For each
exported prediction (total or for a single transmitter), the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encompassing the
coverage. All coverage types can be exported, however, you can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was
made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute,
by signal level, by path loss, or by total losses). In this case, only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported
in raster format.
To export a prediction coverage:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorerwindow.
2. Click the button to expand the Predictions folder.
3. You can export the entire coverage prediction, the coverage export zone, or part of the coverage prediction.
To export the entire coverage prediction:
- Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
Important: Printing graphics is a memory-intensive operation and can make heavy demands on your
printer. Before printing for the first time, you should review the "Printing Recommendations"
on page 34 to avoid any memory-related problems.
Important: The coverage export zone can only export in raster format. You can not export in raster for-
mat if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions
with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal level, by path
loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in
raster format.
Note: The coverage prediction must be displayed in the map window before it can be exported.
For information on displaying objects in the map window, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects
on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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To export the coverage export zone:
a. Define the coverage export zone as explained in "Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 342.
b. Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export part of the coverage prediction:
a. Click the button to expand the coverage prediction.
b. Right-click the part of the coverage prediction you want to export.
4. Select Export the Coveragefrom the context menu.
5. Enter the file name and select the type and the path of the file to be exported.
6. Click Save to export the coverage prediction results.
- If you have chosen to export the coverage prediction in raster format, a dialogue appears where you can select
The Coverage Area of the Prediction Study to export a rectangle containing only the area covered by the
coverage prediction, The Computation Zone to export a rectangle containing the entire computation zone,
or The Coverage Export Zone to export the rectangle defined by the coverage export zone.
- If you have chosen to export the coverage prediction in a vector format other than in AGD format:
i. If desired, change the export resolution. The default resolution is the resolution of the coverage prediction
results (as set in the coverage prediction Properties dialogue).
ii. If desired, change the reference coordinate system for the file being exported.
iii. Click Export to finish exporting the coverage prediction results.
8.1.11 Planning Neighbours
You can set neighbours for each cell manually, or you can let Atoll automatically allocate neighbours, based on the param-
eters that you set. When allocating neighbours, the cell to which you are allocating neighbours is referred to as the refer-
ence cell. The cells that fulfil the requirements to be neighbours are referred to as possible neighbours. When allocating
neighbours to all active and filtered transmitters, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the focus zone and
considers as possible neighbours all the active and filtered cells whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing
the computation zone. If there is no focus zone, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the computation zone.
Usually, you will allocate neighbours globally during the beginning of a radio planning project. Afterwards, you will allocate
neighbours to base stations as you add them. You can use automatic allocation on all cells in the document, or you can
define a group of cells either by using a focus zone or by grouping transmitters in the Explorer window. For information
on creating a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 321. For
information on grouping transmitters in the Explorer window, see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51.
Atoll supports the following neighbour types in a UMTS network:
Intra-technology neighbours: Intra-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours and both use
UMTS. Intra-technology neighbours can be divided into:
- Intra-carrier neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using the same carrier.
- Inter-carrier neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using a different carrier.
Inter-technology neighbours: Inter-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours that use a tech-
nology other than UMTS.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining Exceptional Pairs" on page 343
"Allocating Neighbours Automatically" on page 344
"Checking Automatic Allocation Results" on page 347
"Importing Neighbours" on page 348
"Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell" on page 348
"Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan" on page 350
"Exporting Neighbours" on page 351.
8.1.11.1 Defining Exceptional Pairs
In Atoll, you can define neighbour constraints that will be taken into consideration during the automatic allocation of neigh-
bours. Exceptional pairs are not taken into consideration when you manually allocate neighbours.
Notes
When selecting a different coordinate system than the one initially defined within Atoll, the file is
converted using the selected coordinate system.
You can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for
example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute,
by signal level, by path loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter
can be exported in raster format.
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To define exceptional pairs of neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
4. Right-click on the cell for which you want to define neighbour constraints. The context menu appears.
5. Select Record Properties from the context menu. The cells Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.
7. Under Exceptional Pairs, create a new exceptional pair in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ):
a. Select the cell from the list in the Neighbours column.
b. In the Status column, select one of the following:
- Forced: The selected cell will always be a neighbour of the reference cell.
- Forbidden: The selected cell will never be a neighbour of the reference cell.
8. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished creating the new exceptional pair.
9. Click OK.
8.1.11.2 Allocating Neighbours Automatically
Atoll can automatically allocate both intra- and inter-carrier neighbours in a UMTS network. Atoll allocates neighbours
based on the parameters you set in the Automatic Neighbour Allocation dialogue.
To automatically allocate intra-carrier UMTS neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neighbour Alloca-
tion dialogue appears.
4. Click the Intra-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max. Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max. Number of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of intra-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to
a cell. This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- Min. Pilot Signal Level: Enter the minimum pilot signal level which must be provided by reference cell A
and possible neighbour cell B.
- Min. EcI0: Enter the minimumEcI0 which must be provided by reference cell A in an overlapping area.
Reference cell A must also be the best server in terms of pilot quality in the overlapping area.
- EcI0 Margin: Enter the maximum difference of EcI0 between reference cell A and possible neighbour
cell B in the overlapping area.
- Power Contributing to I0: You can let Atoll base the interference ratio on the Total Power Used (as
defined in the cell properties) or on a percentage of the maximum power (% Max Power).
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cells coverage area must
overlap the reference cells coverage area.
5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force adjacent cells as neighbours: Select the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells that are adjacent to the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours. A cell is considered
adjacent if there is at least one pixel in the reference cells coverage area where the possible neighbour cell
is the best server, or where the possible neighbour cell is the second best server in the reference cells active
set (respecting the handover margin).
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relations to be reciprocal. In
other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the neigh-
bour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that cell will be removed from
the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Defining Exceptional Pairs" on page 343.
Notes: You can also create exceptional pairs using the Exceptional Pairs of Intra-Technology
Neighbours table. You can open this table by right-clicking the Transmitters folder and
selecting Cells > Neighbours > Intra-Technology Exceptional Pairs.
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- Reset neighbours: Select the Reset neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete all current neighbours
when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Reset neighbours check box, Atoll will not delete any
existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of a neighbour being admitted for coverage
reasons.
- Adjacency Factor: If you have selected the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set
the minimum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being adjacent to the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you have selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the
minimum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference
cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating intra-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks to see whether the
path loss matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates
them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Reset neighbours check box is cleared, the
Results table will be empty.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Cell: The name of the reference cell.
- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Adjacency
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing
- Coverage: The amount of reference cells coverage area that the neighbour overlaps, in percentage and in
square kilometres.
- Adjacency: The area of the reference cell, in percentage and in square kilometres, where the neighbour cell
is best server or second best server.
8. Select the Commit check box for each neighbour you want to assign to a cell. You can use many of Atolls table
shortcuts, such as filtering and sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data
Tables" on page 41.
9. Click Commit. All the neighbours whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the reference cells. Neigh-
bours are listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cells Properties dialogue.
To automatically allocate inter-carrier UMTS neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neighbour Alloca-
tion dialogue appears.
4. Click the Inter-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max. Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max. Number of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of inter-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to
a cell. This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- Min. Pilot Signal Level: Enter the minimum pilot signal level which must be provided by reference cell A
and possible neighbour cell B.
- Min. EcI0: Enter the minimumEcI0 which must be provided by reference cell A and possible neighbour B
in an overlapping area. Possible neighbour B must also be the best server in terms of pilot quality in the
overlapping area.
- EcI0 Margin: Enter the EcI0 margin relative to the EcI0 of the reference cell A. See the Technical Refer-
ence Guide for an explanation of how the EcI0 margin is used in different inter-carrier handover scenarios.
- Power Contributing to I0: You can let Atoll base the interference ratio on the Total Power Used (as
defined in the cell properties) or on a percentage of the maximum power (% Max Power).
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cells coverage area must
overlap the reference cells coverage area.
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5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relations to be reciprocal. In
other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the neigh-
bour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that cell will be removed from
the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Defining Exceptional Pairs" on page 343.
- Reset neighbours: Select the Reset neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete all current neighbours
when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Reset neighbours check box, Atoll will not delete any
existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of the minimum percentage of shared cov-
erage between the possible neighbour cell and the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you have selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the
minimum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference
cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating inter-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks to see whether the
path loss matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates
them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Reset neighbours check box is cleared, the
Results table will be empty.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Cell: The name of the reference cell.
- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing
- Coverage: The amount of reference cells coverage area that the neighbour overlaps, in percentage and in
square kilometres.
8. Select the Commit check box for each neighbour you want to assign to a cell. You can use many of Atolls table
shortcuts, such as filtering and sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data
Tables" on page 41.
9. Click Commit. All the neighbours whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the reference cells. Neigh-
bours are listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cells Properties dialogue.
8.1.11.2.1 Allocating Neighbours to a NewBase Station
When you create a new base station, you can let Atoll allocate neighbours to it automatically. Atoll considers the cells of
the new base station and other cells whose coverage area intersects with the coverage area of the cells of the new base
station.
Notes
A forbidden neighbour will not be listed as a neighbour unless the neighbour relation already
exists and the Reset neighbours check box is cleared when you start the new allocation. In this
case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event Viewer indicating that the constraint on the forbidden
neighbour will be ignored by the algorithm because the neighbour already exists.
When the options Force exceptional pairs and Force symmetry are selected, Atoll considers
the constraints between exceptional pairs in both directions in order to respect symmetry. On the
other hand, if the neighbour relation is forced in one direction and forbidden in the other one,
symmetry cannot be respected. In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event Viewer.
Area percentages are calculated with the resolution specified in the Predictions folder Proper-
ties dialogue.
You can save automatic neighbour allocation parameters in a user configuration. For information
on saving automatic neighbour allocation parameters in a user configuration, see "Exporting a
User Configuration" on page 59.
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To allocate neighbours to a new base station:
1. On the Data tab of the Explorer window, group the transmitters by site, as explained in "Grouping Data Objects"
on page 51.
2. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the new base station. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neighbour Alloca-
tion dialogue appears.
4. Define the automatic neighbour allocation parameters as described in "Allocating Neighbours Automatically" on
page 344.
8.1.11.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results
You can verify the results of automatic neighbour allocation in the following ways:
"Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map" on page 347
"Displaying the Coverage of Each Neighbour of a Cell" on page 348.
8.1.11.3.1 Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map
You can view neighbour relations directly on the map. Atoll can display them and indicate the direction of the neighbour
relation (in other words, Atoll indicates which is the reference cell and which is the neighbour) and whether the neighbour
relation is symmetric.
To display the neighbour relations of a cell on the map:
1. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
2. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
3. Select which neighbour links to display:
- Outwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Outwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is the reference cell and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Inwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Inwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is neighbour and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Symmetric: Select the Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations that are symmetric between the
selected cell and the neighbour.
4. Carrier: Because neighbour relations are between cells, you must select the carrier of the cells.
5. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
6. Select Neighbours from the menu. The neighbours of a cell will be displayed when you select a transmitter.
7. Click a transmitter on the map to display the neighbour relations. Atoll displays the following information (see
Figure 8.29) on the selected carrier:
- The symmetric neighbour relations of the selected (reference) transmitter are indicated by a heavy black
line.
- The outward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the selected
(reference) transmitter.
- The inward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the transmitter
which has the selected (reference) transmitter as a neighbour.
Figure 8.29: Neighbours of Site 22
Note: You can use the same procedure to display either forced neighbours or forbidden neigh-
bours by clicking the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the
Radio toolbar and selecting either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
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8.1.11.3.2 Displaying the Coverage of Each Neighbour of a Cell
By combining the display characteristics of a coverage prediction with neighbour display options, Atoll can display the
coverage areas of a cells neighbours and colour them according to any neighbour characteristic available in the Neigh-
bours table.
To display the coverage of each neighbour of a cell:
1. Create, calculate, and display a "Coverage by transmitter" prediction, with the Display Type set to "Discrete
Values" and the Field set to Transmitter (for information on creating a coverage by transmitter prediction, see
"Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 318).
2. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
3. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
4. Click the Browse button ( ) beside the Display Links list.
5. The Intra-technology Neighbour Display dialogue appears.
6. From the Display Type list, choose one of the following:
- Unique: Select "Unique" as the Display Type if you want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neigh-
bours with a unique colour.
- Discrete Values: Select "Discrete Values" as the Display Type, and then a value from the Field list, if you
want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according to a value from the Intra-technology
Neighbours table.
- Value Intervals: Select "Value Intervals" to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according the
value interval of the value selected from the Field list. For example, you can choose to display a cells neigh-
bours according to their rank, in terms of automatic allocation, or according to the importance, as determined
by the weighting factors.
7. From the Tip Text list, choose the neighbour characteristics to be displayed in the tooltip. This information will be
displayed on each coverage area.
8. In order to restore colours and cancel the neighbour display, click the left side of the Neighbour graphic man-
agement icon ( ).
8.1.11.4 Importing Neighbours
You can import neighbour data in the form of ASCII text files (in TXT and CSV formats) into the current Atoll document
using the Neighbours table.
To import neighbours using the Neighbours table:
1. Open the Neighbours table:
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select Cells > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neighbours table
appears.
2. Import the ASCII text file as explained in "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
8.1.11.5 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell
Although you can let Atoll allocate neighbours automatically, you can adjust the overall allocation of neighbours by allo-
cating or deleting neighbours per cell. You can allocate or delete neighbours directly on the map or using the Cells tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
This section explains the following:
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue" on page 348
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table" on page 349
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map" on page 349.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue
To allocate or delete UMTS neighbours using the Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter whose neighbours you want to change. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the Cells tab.
4. On the Cells tab, there is a column for each cell. Click the Browse button ( ) beside Neighbours in the cell for
which you want to allocate or delete neighbours. The cells Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.
Note: Only intra-carrier neighbour coverage areas are displayed.
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6. If desired, you can enter the maximum number of neighbours in the following boxes:
- Max Number Inter-Carrier
- Max Number Intra-Carrier
7. To allocate a new neighbour:
a. Under List, select the cell from the list in the Neighbour column in the row marked with the New Row icon
( ).
b. If you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric, select the check box in the Symmetric column.
c. Click elsewhere in the table to complete creating the new neighbour.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
9. Click OK.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table
To allocate or delete UMTS neighbours using the Neighbours table:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neighbours table
appears.
4. To allocate a neighbour:
a. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), select a reference cell in the Cell column.
b. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column.
c. Select the check box in the Symmetry column if you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric.
d. Click elsewhere in the table to create the new neighbour and add a new blank row to the table.
When the new neighbour is created, Atoll automatically calculates the distance between the reference cell
and the neighbour and displays it in the Distance column, sets the Type to "manual," and sets the Importance
to "1."
5. To create a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Right-click the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Symmetrise from the context menu. A symmetric neighbour relation is created between the cell in the
Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column.
6. To make all neighbour relation symmetric, right-click the Neighbours table and select Symmetrise All Neigh-
bour Relations.
7. To delete a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Right-click the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Delete Link and Symmetric Relation from the context menu. The symmetric neighbour relation be-
tween the cell in the Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column is deleted.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map
You can allocate or delete intra-technology neighbours directly on the map using the mouse.
To add or remove intra-technology neighbours using the mouse, you must activate the display of intra-technology neigh-
bours on the map as explained in "Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map" on page 347.
To add a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds both transmitters
to the intra-technology neighbours list.
Note: Atoll automatically sets the importance for manually allocated neighbours to "1."
Note: For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
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To remove a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes both trans-
mitters from the intra-technology neighbours.
To add an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds the reference
transmitter to the intra-technology neighbour list of the reference transmitter.
To remove an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the reference
transmitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
To add an inward neighbour relation:
Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
- If the two transmitters already have a symmetric neighbour relation, press CTRL and click the other trans-
mitter. Atoll converts the symmetric relation to an inward non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
- If there is no existing neighbour relation between the two transmitters, first create a symmetric neighbour rela-
tion between the two transmitters, and then press CTRL and click the other transmitter. Atoll converts the sym-
metric relation to an inwards non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
To remove an inwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the trans-
mitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
8.1.11.6 Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan
You can perform an audit of the current neighbour allocation plan. When you perform an audit of the current neighbour
allocation plan, Atoll lists the results in a text file. You can define what information Atoll provides in the audit.
To perform an audit of the neighbour allocation plan:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Audit from the context menu. The Neighbour Audit dialogue appears.
4. Define the parameters of the audit:
- Neighbourhood type: Select whether you want to perform an audit on Intra-Carrier or Inter-Carrier neigh-
bour relations.
- Average No. of Neighbours: The average number of neighbours per cell
- Empty Lists: Which cells have no neighbours (in other words, which cells have an empty neighbour list)
- Full Lists: Which cells having the maximum number of neighbours allowed (in other words, which cells have
a full neighbour list)
- Lists > Max Number: Which cells having more than the maximum number of neighbours allowed
- Missing Co-sites: Which cells have no co-site neighbours
- Missing Symmetrics: Which cells have non-symmetric neighbour relations
- Exceptional Pairs: Which cells have forced neighbours or forbidden neighbours.
5. Click OK to perform the audit. Atoll displays the results of the audit in a new text file:
- Average Number of Neighbours: X; where, X is the average number of neighbours (integer) per cell for the
plan audited.
- Empty Lists: x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having no neighbours (or empty neighbours list)
Syntax: |CELL|
- Full Lists (default max number = Y): x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having Y number of neighbours
listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
- Lists > Max Number (default max number = Y): x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having more than
Y number of neighbours listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
Note: You can use the same procedure to add or delete either forced neighbours or forbidden
neighbours by clicking the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the
Radio toolbar and selecting either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
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- Missing Co-Sites: X; total number of missing co-site neighbours in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
- Non Symmetric Links: X; total number of non-symmetric neighbour links in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
- Missing Forced: X; total number of forced neighbours missing in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
- Existing Forbidden: X; total number of forbidden neighbours existing in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
8.1.11.7 Exporting Neighbours
The neighbour data of an Atoll document is stored in a series of tables. You can export the neighbour data to use it in
another application or in another Atoll document.
To export neighbour data:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours and then select the neighbour table containing the data you want to export from the
context menu:
- Neighbours: This table contains the data for the intra-technology (intra-carrier and inter-carrier) neighbours
in the current Atoll document.
- Exceptional Pairs of Intra-technology Neighbours: This table contains the data for the intra-technology
exceptional pairs (forced and forbidden) in the current Atoll document.
4. When the selected neighbours table opens, you can export the content as described in "Exporting Tables to
External Files" on page 48.
8.1.12 Planning Scrambling Codes
In UMTS, 512 scrambling codes are available, numbered from 0 to 511. Although UMTS scrambling codes are displayed
in decimal format by default, they can also be displayed and calculated in hexadecimal format, in other words using the
numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F.
Atoll facilitates the management of scrambling codes by letting you create groups of scrambling codes and domains,
where each domain is a defined set of groups.
You can also assign scrambling codes manually or automatically to any cell in the network.
Once allocation is completed, you can audit the scrambling codes, view scrambling code reuse on the map, and made an
analysis of scrambling code distribution.
The procedure for planning scrambling codes for a UMTS project is:
Preparing for scrambling code allocation
- "Defining the Scrambling Code Format" on page 352
- "Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups" on page 352
- "Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 353.
Allocating scrambling codes
- "Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells" on page 353
- "Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells Manually" on page 354.
"Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan" on page 355.
Displaying the allocation of scrambling codes
- "Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 355
- "Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings" on page 356
- "Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code" on page 356
- "Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram" on page 357
- "Making a Scrambling Code Interference Zone Prediction" on page 357.
Note: If the field Maximum number of neighbours in the Transmitters table is empty, the Full
Lists check and the Lists > Max Number check use the Default Max Number value
defined in the audit dialogue.
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8.1.12.1 Defining the Scrambling Code Format
Scrambling codes may be displayed in decimal or hexadecimal format. The selected format is used to display scrambling
codes in dialogues and tables such as in the Domains and Groups tables, the Cells table, and the Scrambling Code
Allocation dialogue.
The decimal format is the default format in Atoll. The accepted decimal values are from 0 to 511. The decimal format is
also used, even if you have chosen the hexadecimal format, to store scrambling codes in the database and to display
scrambling code distribution or the results of a scrambling code audit.
The hexadecimal format uses the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F for its base characters. In Atoll, hexadecimal values
are indicated by a lower-case "h" following the value. For example, the hexadecimal value "3Fh" is "63" as a decimal value.
You can convert a hexadecimal value to a decimal value with the following equation, where A, B, and C are decimal values
within the hexadecimal index ranges:
For example, the hexadecimal value "3Fh" would be calculated as shown below:
To define the scrambling code format for an Atoll document:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Format from the context menu and select either Decimal or Hex-
adecimal.
8.1.12.2 Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups
Atoll facilitates the management of scrambling codes by letting you create domains, each containing groups of scrambling
codes.
The procedure for managing scrambling codes in a UMTS document consists of the following steps:
1. Creating a scrambling code domain, as explained in this section.
2. Creating groups, each containing a range of scrambling codes, and assigning them to a domain, as explained in
this section.
3. Assigning a scrambling code domain to a cell or cells. If there is no scrambling code domain, Atoll will consider
all 512 possible scrambling codes when assigning codes.
To create a scrambling code domain:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Domains. The Domains table appears.
4. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), enter a Name for the new domain.
5. Click in another cell of the table to create the new domain and add a new blank row to the table.
6. Double-click the domain to which you want to add a group. The domains Properties dialogue appears.
7. Under Groups, enter the following information for each group you want to create.
- Name: Enter a name for the new scrambling code group.
- Min.: Enter the lowest available primary scrambling code in this groups range. The minimum and maximum
scrambling codes must be entered in the format, decimal or hexadecimal, set for the Atoll document (for infor-
mation on setting the scrambling code format, see "Defining the Scrambling Code Format" on page 352).
- Max: Enter the highest available primary scrambling code in this groups range.
- Step: Enter the separation interval between each primary scrambling code.
- Excluded: Enter the scrambling codes in this range that you do not want to use.
- Extra: Enter any additional scrambling codes (i.e., outside the range defined by the Min. and Max fields) you
want to add to this group. You can enter a list of codes separated by either a comma, semi-colon, or a space.
You can also enter a range of scrambling codes separated by a hyphen. For example, entering, "1, 2, 3-5"
means that the extra scrambling codes are "1, 2, 3, 4, 5."
8. Click in another cell of the table to create the new group and add a new blank row to the table.
Notes
Within the context of primary scrambling code allocation, "neighbours" refer to intra-carrier
neighbours.
According to 3GPP specifications, the 512 possible scrambling codes can be broken down into
groups, each containing 8 codes. Because the term "group" in Atoll refers to user-defined sets
of scrambling codes, these groups of 8 codes each are referred to as "clusters" in Atoll. As well,
Atoll allows you to change the number of codes in a cluster.
A 16
2
B 16 C + +
0 16
2
3 16 15 63 = + +
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8.1.12.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation
You can also define pairs of cells which cannot have the same primary scrambling code. These pairs are referred to as
exceptional pairs. Exceptional pairs are used along with other constraints, such as neighbours, reuse distance, and
domains, in allocating scrambling codes.
To create a pair of cells that cannot have the same scrambling code:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Exceptional Pairs. The Exceptional Separation Constraints
table appears. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
4. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), select one cell of the new exceptional pair in the Cell column
and the second cell of the new exceptional pair from the Cell_2 column.
5. Click in another cell of the table to create the new exceptional pair and add a new blank row to the table.
8.1.12.4 Allocating Scrambling Codes
Atoll can automatically assign scrambling codes to the cells of a UMTS network according to set parameters. For example,
it takes into account the definition of groups and domains of scrambling codes, the selected scrambling code allocation
strategy (clustered, distributed per cell, distributed per site and one cluster per site), minimum code reuse distance, and
any constraints imposed by neighbours.
You can also allocate scrambling codes manually to the cells of a UMTS network.
In this section, the following methods of allocating scrambling codes are described:
"Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells" on page 353
"Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells Manually" on page 354.
Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells
The allocation algorithm enables you to automatically allocate primary scrambling codes to cells in the current network.
You can choose among several automatic allocation strategies (for more information, see the Technical Reference Guide):
Clustered: The purpose of this strategy is to choose for a group of mutually constrained cells, scrambling codes
among a minimum number of clusters. In this case, Atoll will preferentially allocate all the codes from same
cluster.
Distributed per cell allocation: This strategy consists in using as many clusters as possible. Atoll will preferen-
tially allocate codes from different clusters.
One cluster per site:This strategy allocates one cluster to each base station, then, one code of the cluster to
each cell of each base station. When all the clusters have been allocated and there are still base stations
remaining to be allocated, Atoll reuses the clusters at another base station.
Distributed per site: This strategy allocates a group of adjacent clusters to each base station in the network, then,
one cluster to each transmitter of the base station according to its azimuth and finally one code of the cluster to
each cell of each transmitter. The number of adjacent clusters per group depends on the number of transmitters
per base station you have in your network; this information is required to start allocation based on this strategy.
When all the groups of adjacent clusters have been allocated and there are still base stations remaining to be allo-
cated, Atoll reuses the groups of adjacent clusters at another base station.
To automatically allocate primary scrambling codes:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Automatic Allocation. The Primary Scrambling Codes dialogue
appears.
4. Set the following parameters in the Primary Scrambling Codes dialogue:
- Under Constraints, you can set the constraints on automatic scrambling code allocation.
- Existing Neighbours: If you select the Existing Neighbours check box, no cell will be allocated the
same scrambling code as any of its neighbours. Atoll can only consider neighbour relations if neighbours
have already been allocated. For information on allocating neighbours, see "Planning Neighbours" on
page 343.
- Second Order Neighbours: If you select the Second Order Neighbours check box, no cell will be allo-
cated the same scrambling code as any of its neighbours or any of its neighbours neighbours.
- Additional EcI0 Conditions: Select the Additional EcI0 Conditions check box, if you want to set
constraints related to EcI0 and then enter a Min. EcI0 and EcI0 Margin. If you wish you can also select
the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability. If cells
meet the EcI0 conditions to enter the reference cells active set, they will be not allocated the same scram-
bling code as the reference cell.
Note: Atoll takes into account the total downlink power used by the cell in order to evaluate I0. I0
equals the sum of total transmitted powers. If this parameter is not specified in the cell prop-
erties, Atoll uses 50% of the maximum power.
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- Default Reuse Distance: Enter the radius within which two cells on the same carrier cannot have the same
primary scrambling code.
- Under Strategy, you can select an automatic allocation strategy:
- Clustered
- Distributed per Cell
- One Cluster per Site
- Distributed per Site
- Carrier: Select the Carrier on which you want to run the allocation. You may choose one carrier (Atoll will
assign primary scrambling codes to transmitters using the selected carrier) or all of them.
- No. of codes per cluster: According to 3GPP specifications, the number of codes per cluster is 8. If you wish,
you can change the number of codes per cluster.
- Use a Maximum of Codes: Select the Use a Maximum of Codes check box to make Atoll use the maximum
number of codes. For example, if there are two cells using the same domain with two scrambling codes, Atoll
will assign the remaining code to the second cell even if there are no constraints between these two cells (for
example, neighbour relations, reuse distance, etc.). If you do not select this option, Atoll only checks the con-
straints, and allocates the first ranked code in the list.
- Reset All Codes: Select the Reset All Codes check box if you want Atoll to delete currently allocated scram-
bling codes and recalculate all scrambling codes. If you do not select this option, Atoll will keep currently allo-
cated scrambling codes and will only allocate scrambling codes to cells that do not yet have codes allocated.
- Allocate Carriers Identically: Select the Allocate Carriers Identically check box if you want Atoll to allocate
the same primary scrambling code to each carrier of a transmitter. If you do not select this option, Atoll allo-
cates scrambling codes independently for each carrier.
5. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating scrambling codes.
Once Atoll has finished allocating scrambling codes, the codes are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
newly allocated scrambling codes.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Site: The name of the base station.
- Cell: The name of the cell.
- Code: The primary scrambling code allocated to the cell.
6. Click Commit. The primary scrambling codes are committed to the cells.
Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells Manually
When you allocate scrambling codes to a large number of cells, it is easiest to let Atoll allocate scrambling codes auto-
matically, as described in "Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to UMTS Cells" on page 353. However, if you want
to add a primary scrambling code to one cell or to modify the primary scrambling code of a cell, you can do it by accessing
the properties of the cell.
To allocate a scrambling code to a UMTS cell manually:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter to whose cell you want to allocate a scrambling code. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the Cells tab.
4. Enter a Primary Scrambling Code in the cells column.
5. Click OK.
Note: A reuse distance can be defined at the cell level (in the cell Properties dialogue or in the
Cells table). If defined, a cell-specific reuse distance will be used instead of the value
entered here.
Note: If the set constraints make it impossible to allocate scrambling codes to one or more cells,
Atoll will post an error message in the Event Viewer window.
Note: You can save automatic scrambling code allocation parameters in a user configuration. For
information on saving automatic scrambling code allocation parameters in a user configura-
tion, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
Tip: If you need to allocate scrambling codes to all the cells on group of transmitters, you can
allocate them automatically by selecting Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Automatic
Allocation from the transmitter groups context menu.
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8.1.12.5 Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan
Once you have completed allocating scrambling codes, you can verify whether the allocated scrambling codes respect the
specified constraints by performing an audit of the plan. The scrambling code audit also enables you to check for incon-
sistencies if you have made some manual changes to the allocation plan.
To perform an audit of the allocation plan:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Audit. The Code and Cluster Audit dialogue appears.
4. In the Code and Cluster Audit dialogue, select the allocation criteria that you want to check:
- No. of codes per cluster: Enter the number of scrambling codes per cluster.
- Neighbours: If you select the Neighbours check box, Atoll will check that no cell has the same scrambling
code as any of its neighbours. The report will list any cell that does have the same scrambling code as one of
its neighbours.
- Second Order Neighbours: If you select the Second Order Neighbours check box, Atoll will check that no
cell has the same scrambling code as any of the neighbours of its neighbours. The report will list any cell that
does have the same scrambling code as one of the neighbours of its neighbours.
- Neighbours in different clusters: If you select the Neighbours in different clusters check box, Atoll will
check that neighbour cells have scrambling codes from different clusters. The report will list any neighbour
cells that does have scrambling codes from the same cluster.
- Domain Compliance: If you select the Domain Compliance check box, Atoll will check if allocated scram-
bling codes belong to domains assigned to cells. The report will list any cells with scrambling codes that do
not belong to domains assigned to the cell.
- Site Domains Not Empty: If you select the Site Domains Not Empty check box, Atoll will check for and list
base stations for which the allocation domain (i.e., the list of possible scrambling codes, with respect to the
configured allocation constraints) is empty.
- One Cluster per Site: If you select the One Cluster per Site check box, Atoll will check for and list base
stations whose cells have scrambling codes coming from more than one cluster.
- Distance: If you select the Distance check box and set a reuse distance, Atoll will check for and list cells that
do not respect this code reuse distance.
- Exceptional Pairs: If you select the Exceptional Pairs check box, Atoll will check for and display pairs of
cells that are listed as exceptional pairs but still use the same scrambling code.
5. Click OK. Atoll displays the results of the audit in a text file called CodeCheck.txt, which it opens at the end of the
audit. For each selected criterion, Atoll gives the number of detected inconsistencies and details each of them.
8.1.12.6 Displaying the Allocation of Scrambling Codes
Once you have completed allocating scrambling codes, you can verify several aspects of scrambling code allocation. You
have several options for displaying scrambling codes:
"Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 355
"Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings" on page 356
"Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code" on page 356
"Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram" on page 357
"Making a Scrambling Code Interference Zone Prediction" on page 357.
Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation
In Atoll, you can search for scrambling codes and scrambling code groups using the Search Tool. Results are displayed
in the map window in red.
To find scrambling codes or scrambling code groups using the Search Tool:
1. Create, calculate, and display a coverage prediction by transmitter. For information on coverage predictions by
transmitter, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 318.
2. Click View > Search Tool. The Search Tool window appears.
The Search Tool window is a docking window. For information on docking windows, see "Working with Docking
Windows" on page 24.
3. You can search either for a specific scrambling code or scrambling code group:
To search for a scrambling code:
a. Select Scrambling Code.
b. Enter a scrambling code in the text box.
To search for a scrambling code group:
a. Select SC Group.
b. Select a scrambling code group from the list.
4. Select the carrier you wish to search on from the For the Carrier list, or select "(All)" to search for the scrambling
code or scrambling code group in all carriers.
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5. Click Search. Transmitters with cells matching the search criteria are displayed in red. Transmitters that do not
match the search criteria are displayed in grey.
To restore the initial transmitter colours, click the Restore Colours button in the Search Tool window.
Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings
You can use the display characteristics of transmitters to display scrambling code-related information.
To display scrambling code-related information on the map:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Display tab.
You can display the following information per transmitter:
- Primary scrambling code: To display the primary scrambling code of a transmitters cell, select "Discrete
values" as the Display Type and "Cells: Primary scrambling code" as the Field.
- Ranges of primary scrambling codes: To display ranges of primary scrambling codes, select "Value inter-
vals" as the Display Type and "Cells: Primary scrambling code" as the Field.
- Scrambling code domain: To display the scrambling code domain of a transmitters cell, select "Discrete
values" as the Display Type and "Cells: Scrambling code domain" as the Field.
You can display the following information in the transmitter label or tooltip:
- Primary scrambling code: To display the primary scrambling code of a transmitters cell in the transmitter
label or tooltip, "Cells: Primary scrambling code" from the Label or Tip Text list.
- Scrambling code domain: To display the primary scrambling code domain of a transmitters cell in the trans-
mitter label or tooltip, "Cells: Scrambling code domain" from the Label or Tip Text list.
- Scrambling code reuse distance: To display the scrambling code reuse distance of a transmitters cell in the
transmitter label or tooltip, "Cells: SC reuse distance" from the Label or Tip Text list.
5. Click OK.
For information on display options, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code
You can group transmitters on the Data tab of the Explorer window by their primary scrambling code, their scrambling
code domain, or by their scrambling code reuse distance.
To group transmitters by scrambling code:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the General tab, click Group by. The Group dialogue appears.
5. Under Available Fields, scroll down to the Cell section.
6. Select the parameter you want to group transmitters by:
- Scrambling code domain
- Primary scrambling code
- SC reuse distance
7. Click to add the parameter to the Group these fields in this order list. The selected parameter is added to
the list of parameters on which the transmitters will be grouped.
8. If you do not want the transmitters to be sorted by a certain parameter, select it in the Group these fields in this
order list and click . The selected parameter is removed from the list of parameters on which the transmitters
will be grouped.
9. Arrange the parameters in the Group these fields in this order list in the order in which you want the transmitters
to be grouped:
a. Select a parameter and click to move it up to the desired position.
b. Select a parameter and click to move it down to the desired position.
10. Click OK to save your changes and close the Group dialogue.
Note: If a transmitter has more than one cell, Atoll cannot arrange the transmitter by cell. Trans-
mitters that cannot be grouped by cell are arranged in a separate folder under the Trans-
mitters folder.
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Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram
You can use a histogram to analyse the use of allocated scrambling codes in a network. The histogram represents the
scrambling codes or scrambling code clusters as a function of the frequency of their use.
To display the scrambling code histogram:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Primary Scrambling Codes > Scrambling Code Distribution. The Distribution Histograms
dialogue appears.
Each bar represents a scrambling code or a cluster, its height depending on frequency of its use.
4. Select Scrambling codes to display scrambling code use and Clusters to display scrambling code cluster use.
5. Move the cursor over the histogram to display the frequency of use of each scrambling code or cluster. The results
are highlighted simultaneously in the Detailed Results list.
Making a Scrambling Code Interference Zone Prediction
You can make a scrambling code interference zone coverage prediction to view areas covered by cells using the same
scrambling code.
To make a scrambling code interference zone coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Scrambling Zone Interference Zones and click OK.
5. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the scrambling code interference zone coverage
prediction. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
8.2 Studying Network Capacity
A UMTS network automatically regulates power on both uplink and downlink with the objective of minimising interference
and maximising network capacity. In the case of HSDPA, the network uses A-DCH power control in the uplink and down-
link and a fast link adaptation (in other words, the selection of an HSDPA bearer) in the downlink. Atoll can simulate these
network regulation mechanisms, thereby enabling you to study the capacity of the UMTS network.
In Atoll, a simulation is based on a realistic distribution of R99 and HSDPA users at a given point in time. The distribution
of users at a given moment is referred to as a snapshot. Based on this snapshot, Atoll calculates various network param-
eters, such as the active set for each mobile, the required power of the mobile, the total DL power and DL throughput per
cell, and the UL load per cell. Simulations are calculated in an iterative fashion.
When several simulations are performed at the same time using the same traffic information, the distribution of users will
be different, according to a Poisson distribution. Consequently you can have variations in user distribution from one snap-
shot to another.
To create these snapshots, services and users must be modelled. As well, certain traffic information in the form of traffic
maps must be provided. Once services and users have been modelled and traffic maps have been created, you can make
simulations of the network traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining Multi-service Traffic Data" on page 357
"Creating a Traffic Map" on page 358
"Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations" on page 364
"Analysing the Results of a Simulation" on page 380.
8.2.1 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data
The first step in making a simulation is defining how the network is used. In Atoll, this is accomplished by creating all of
the parameters of network use, in terms of services, users, and equipment used.
The following services and users are modelled in Atoll in order to create simulations:
R99 radio bearers: Bearer services are used by the network for carrying information. The R99 Radio Bearer table
lists all the available radio bearers. You can create new R99 radio bearers and modify existing ones by using the
R99 Radio Bearer table. For information on defining R99 radio bearers, see "Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on
page 392.
Services: Services are the various services, such as voice, mobile internet access, etc., available to subscribers.
These services can be either circuit-switched or packet-switched. For information on modelling end-user services,
see "Modelling Services" on page 329.
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Mobility type: In UMTS, information about receiver mobility is important to efficiently manage the active set: a
mobile used by a driver moving quickly or a pedestrian will not necessarily be connected to the same transmitters.
EcI0 requirements and EbNt targets per radio bearer and per link (uplink or downlink) are largely dependent on
mobile speed. For information on creating a mobility type, see "Creating a Mobility Type" on page 330.
Terminals: In UMTS, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone,
a PDA, or a cars on-board navigation device. For information on creating a terminal, see "Modelling Terminals"
on page 330.
8.2.2 Creating a Traffic Map
The following sections describe the different types of traffic maps available in Atoll and how to create, import, and use
them. The different types of traffic data sources are:
The OMC (Operation and Maintenance Centre)
Marketing statistics
Population statistics
2G network traffic statistics
Atoll provides four types of traffic maps for UMTS projects. These maps can be used for the different types of traffic data
sources as follows:
Live traffic data from the OMC: Traffic maps per transmitter and per service, where traffic is spread over the
best server coverage area of each transmitter and each coverage area is assigned either the total throughput
demand or the number of users. For more information, see "Live Traffic Data From the OMC" on page 358 and
"Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 358.
Marketing-based traffic data: Traffic vector maps based on user profiles, where each vector (polygon or line)
carries densities of user profiles and mobility types, and traffic raster maps based on environments, where
each pixel has an environment class assigned. For more information, see "Marketing-based Traffic Data" on
page 359, "Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map" on page 361, and "Importing an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 362.
Population-based traffic data: Traffic raster maps based on user densities, where each pixel has an actual
user density assigned. For more information, see "Population-based Traffic Data" on page 363 and "Importing a
Traffic Density Map" on page 363.
2G network statistics: Cumulated traffic maps. For more information, see "Converting 2G Network Traffic" on
page 364 and "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 364.
8.2.2.1 Live Traffic Data Fromthe OMC
The OMC (Operations and Maintenance Centre) collects data from all the cells in a network. This includes, for example,
the number of active users in each cell and the traffic characteristics related to different services. You can use this data to
create traffic maps containing the number of active users in each cell or the data transfer characteristics of all the services
in each cell.
The section "Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 358 explains how to use traffic data from the OMC in
Atoll to model traffic.
8.2.2.1.1 Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data
You can input the total throughput demand or the total number of users for each sector in this type of traffic map. A cover-
age prediction by transmitter is required to create this traffic map. If you do not already have a coverage prediction by trans-
mitter in your document, you must create and calculate it. For more information, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by
Transmitter" on page 318.
To create traffic map based on live data:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs) or Map based on Transmitters and Services
(# Users).
5. Click the Create Map button. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
6. Select a coverage prediction by transmitter from the list of available coverage predictions by transmitter.
7. Enter the data required in the Traffic per Transmitter dialogue:
- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs), enter the throughput
demands in the uplink and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (# Users), enter the active users in the uplink
and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
Note: You can also import a traffic map from a file by clicking the Import a File button. You can
import AGD (Atoll Geographic Data) format files that you have exported from an other Atoll
document.
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8. Click OK. The Cell Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
9. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
10. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
11. Under Clutter Distribution, for each clutter class, enter:
- A weight to spread the traffic over the vector.
- The percentage of indoor users. An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during Monte-Carlo simu-
lations.
12. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
You can update the information, throughput demands and the number of users, on the map afterwards. You can update
Live traffic per sector maps if you add or remove a base station. You must first recalculate the coverage prediction by trans-
mitter. For more information, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 318. Once you have recalcu-
lated the coverage prediction, you can update the traffic map.
To update the traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the traffic map based on live data that you want to update. The context menu appears.
4. Select Update from the context menu. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
Select the updated coverage prediction by transmitter and define traffic values for the new transmitter(s) listed at
the bottom of the table. Deleted or deactivated transmitters are automatically removed from the table.
5. Click OK. The Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click OK. The traffic map is updated on the basis of the selected coverage prediction by transmitter.
8.2.2.2 Marketing-based Traffic Data
The marketing department can provide information which can be used to create traffic maps. This information describes
the behaviour of different types of users. In other words, it describes which type of user accesses which services and for
how long. There may also be information about the type of terminal devices they use to access different services.
In Atoll, this type of data can be used to create traffic maps based on user profiles and environments.
A user profile models the behaviour of different subscriber categories. Each user profile is defined by a list of services
which are in turn defined by the terminal used, the calls per hour, and duration (for circuit-switched calls) or uplink and
downlink volume (for packet-switched calls).
Environment classes are used to describe the distribution of subscribers on a map. An environment class describes its
environment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a given density (i.e., the number of
subscribers with the same profile per km).
The sections "Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map" on page 361 and "Importing an Environment Class Based Traf-
fic Map" on page 362 describe how to use traffic data from the marketing department in Atoll to model traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling User Profiles" on page 359
"Modelling Environments" on page 360.
Modelling User Profiles
You can model variations in user behaviour by creating different profiles for different times of the day or for different circum-
stances. For example, a user may be considered a business user during the day, with video conferencing and voice, but
no web browsing. In the evening the same user might not use video conferencing, but might use multi-media services and
web browsing.
To create or modify a user profile:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the User Profiles folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The User Profiles New Element Properties dialogue appears.
Note: You can also import a text file containing the data by clicking the Actions button and select-
ing Import Table from the menu. For more information on importing table data, see "Import-
ing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing user profile by right-clicking the user profile in
the User Profiles folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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5. You can modify the following parameters:
- Service: Select a service from the list. For information on services, see "Modelling Services" on page 329.
- Terminal: Select a terminal from the list. For information on terminals, see "Modelling Terminals" on page 330.
- Calls/Hour: For circuit-switched services, enter the average number of calls per hour for the service. The calls
per hour is used to calculate the activity probability. For circuit-switched services, one call lasting 1000 sec-
onds presents the same activity probability as two calls lasting 500 seconds each.
For packet-switched services, the Calls/Hour value is defined as the number of sessions per hour. A session
is like a call in that it is defined as the period of time between when a user starts using a service and when he
stops using a service. In packet-switched services, however, he may not use the service continually. For ex-
ample, with a web-browsing service, a session starts when the user opens his browsing application and ends
when he quits the browsing application. Between these two events, the user may be downloading web pages
and other times he may not be using the application, or he may be browsing local files, but the session is still
considered as open. A session, therefore, is defined by the volume transferred in the uplink and downlink and
not by the time.
- Duration: For circuit-switched services, enter the average duration of a call in seconds. For packet-switched
services, this field is left blank.
- UL Volume: For packet-switched services, enter the average uplink volume per session in kilobytes.
- DL Volume: For packet-switched services, enter the average downlink volume per session in kilobytes.
Modelling Environments
An environment class describes its environment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a
given density (i.e., the number of subscribers with the same profile per km). To get an appropriate user distribution, you
can assign a weight to each clutter class for each environment class. You can also specify the percentage of indoor
subscribers for each clutter class. In a Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties)
will be added to the indoor users path loss.
To create or modify a UMTS environment:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Environments folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Environments New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
6. Enter a Name for the new UMTS environment.
7. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), set the following parameters for each user profile/mobility com-
bination that this UMTS environment will describe:
- User: Select a user profile.
- Mobility: Select a mobility type.
- Density (Subscribers/km
2
): Enter a density in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination
of user profile and mobility type.
8. Click the Clutter Weighting tab.
9. For each clutter class, enter a weight that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
For example: An area of 10 km with a subscriber density is 100/km. Therefore, in this area, there are 1000
subscribers. The area is covered by two clutter classes: Open and Building. The clutter weighting for Open is "1"
Note: In order for all the services defined for a user profile to be taken into account during traffic
scenario elaboration, the sum of activity probabilities must be lower than 1.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing environment by right-clicking the environment
in the Environments folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
N
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
and for Building is "4." Given the respective weights of each clutter class, 200 subscribers are in the Open clutter
class and 800 in the Building clutter class.
10. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class. During a Monte-Carlo simu-
lation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
8.2.2.2.1 Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map
User profile based traffic maps are composed of vectors (lines with a number of userskm or polygons with a number of
userskm) with a user profile, mobility type, and traffic density assigned to each vector.
To create a user profile based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on User Profiles.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Traffic tab (see Figure 8.30). Under Traffic Fields, you can specify the user profiles to be considered,
their mobility type (kmh), and their density. If the file you are importing has this data, you can define the traffic
characteristics by identifying the corresponding fields in the file. If the file you are importing does not have data
describing the user profile, mobility, or density, you can assign values. When you assign values, they apply to the
entire map.
Figure 8.30: Traffic map properties dialogue - Traffic tab
Define each of the following:
- User Profile: If you want to import user profile information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and
select the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a user profile from the UMTS Parame-
ters folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and select the user profile in the Choice column.
- Mobility: If you want to import mobility information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select
the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a mobility type from the UMTS Parameters
folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and select the mobility type in the Choice column.
- Density: If you want to import density information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select the
source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a density, under Defined, select "By value" and
enter a density in the Choice column in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination of user
profile and mobility type.
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 362.
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11. Under Clutter Distribution, enter a weight for each class that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
12. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class. During a Monte-Carlo simu-
lation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
13. Click OK to finish importing the traffic map.
8.2.2.2.2 Importing an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
Environment classes describe the distribution of user profiles.
To create a traffic map based on environment classes:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Environments.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Description tab.
In the imported map, each type of region is defined by a number. Atoll reads these numbers and lists them in the
Code column.
11. For each Code, select the environment it corresponds to from the Name column.
The environments available are those available in the Environments folder, under UMTS Parameters on the
Data tab of the Explorer window. For more information, see "Modelling Environments" on page 360.
12. Select the Display tab. For information on changing the display parameters, see "Display Properties of Objects"
on page 28.
8.2.2.2.3 Creating an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
Atoll enables you to create an environment class based traffic map manually. If you are creating a map manually, and
click the Create Map button. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears.
To create a traffic map manually:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on environments (raster) as the type of map you want to create.
5. Click Create Map. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 8.31).
Important: When you import user profile or mobility information from the file, the values in the file must
be exactly the same as the corresponding names in the UMTS Parameters folder of the
Data tab. If the imported user profile or mobility does not match, Atoll will display a warning.
N
k
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W
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W
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-------------------------- =
N
k
N
Area
W
k
S
k
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 362.
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
Figure 8.31: Environment Map Editor toolbar
6. Select the environment class from the list of available environment classes.
7. Click the Draw Polygon button ( ) to draw the polygon on the map for the selected environment class.
8. Click the Delete Polygon button ( ) and click the polygon to delete the environment class polygon on the map.
9. Click the Close button to close the Environment Map Editor toolbar and end editing.
8.2.2.2.4 Displaying Statistics on an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
You can display the statistics of an environment traffic map. Atoll provides absolute (surface) and relative (percentage of
the surface) statistics on the focus zone for each environment class. If you do not have a focus zone defined, statistics are
determined for the computation zone.
To display traffic statistics of an environment class based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the environment class based traffic map you whose statistics you want to display. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears.
The Statistics window lists the surface (Si in km) and the percentage of surface (% of i) for each environment
class "i" within the focus zone. The percentage of surface is given by:
You can print the statistics by clicking the Print button.
5. Click Close.
If a clutter classes map is available in the document, traffic statistics provided for each environment class are listed per
clutter class.
8.2.2.3 Population-based Traffic Data
Population-based traffic data can be based on population statistics and user densities can be calculated from the density
of inhabitants. In the traffic maps based on population statistics, you can enter the number of active, potential, users, per
unit surface, i.e., the density of users.
8.2.2.3.1 Importing a Traffic Density Map
The traffic density map defines the density of users per pixel. For a traffic density of X users per km, Atoll will distribute
x users per pixel during the simulations, where x depends on the size of the pixels. These x users will have a terminal, a
mobility type, a service, and percentage of indoor users as defined in the Traffic tab of the traffic density maps properties
dialogue.
You can create a number of traffic density maps for different combinations of terminals, mobility types, and services. You
can add vector layers to the map and draw regions with different traffic densities.
To create a traffic density map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Traffic Densities.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
DrawMap DeleteMap
% of i
S
i
S
k
k

-------------- 100 =
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 362.
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10. Select the Traffic tab.
11. Select whether the users are active in the Uplink/Downlink, only in the Downlink, or only in the Uplink.
12. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
13. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
14. Under Services (%), enter the percentage of each service type used in the map. The total percentages must total
100.
15. Under Clutter Distribution, enter for each clutter class the percentage of indoor users.
An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during the Monte-Carlo simulations. You do not have to define
a clutter weighting for traffic density maps because the traffic is provided in terms of user density per pixel.
16. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
8.2.2.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic
Atoll provides a feature which can cumulate the traffic of the traffic maps that you select and export it to a file. The infor-
mation exported is the number of active users per km for a particular service of a particular type, i.e., data or voice. This
allows you to export your 2G network packet and circuit service traffic, and then import these maps as traffic density maps
into your UMTS document. These maps can then be used in traffic simulations like any other type of map.
For more information on how to export cumulated traffic, see "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 364, and for informa-
tion on importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 363.
To import a 2G traffic map into a UMTS document:
1. Create a live data traffic map in your 2G document for each type of service, i.e., one map for packet-switched and
one for circuit-switched services. For more information on creating live data traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map Based on Live Data" on page 358.
2. Export the cumulated traffic of the maps created in step 1. For information on exporting cumulated traffic, see
"Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 364.
3. Import the traffic exported in step 2 to your UMTS document as a traffic density map. For more information on
importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 363.
8.2.2.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic
Atoll allows you to export the cumulated traffic of all the traffic maps. The cumulated traffic can be exported in 32-bit BIL
and ArcViewGrid formats.
To export the cumulated traffic:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export Cumulated Traffic from the context menu.
4. Enter a file name and select the file format.
5. Click Save. The Export dialogue appears.
6. Specify the area to export, the terminals, mobility types, and service, the traffic maps to consider, and the export
resolution.
7. Click OK.
8.2.3 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations
Once you have modelled the network services and users and have created traffic maps, you can create simulations. The
simulation process consists of two steps:
1. Obtaining a realistic user distribution: Atoll generates a user distribution using a Monte-Carlo algorithm; this
user distribution is based on the traffic database and traffic maps and is weighted by a Poisson distribution
between simulations of a same group.
Each user is assigned a service, a mobility type, and an activity status by random trial, according to a probability
law that uses the traffic database.
The user activity status is an important output of the random trial and has direct consequences on the next step
of the simulation and on the network interferences. A user may be either active or inactive. Both active and inactive
users consume radio resources and create interference.
Then, Atoll randomly assigns a shadowing error to each user using the probability distribution that describes the
shadowing effect.
Finally, another random trial determines user positions in their respective traffic zone (possibly according to the
clutter weighting and the indoor ratio per clutter class).
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
2. Modelling network power control: Atoll uses a power control algorithm for R99 server users, and an algorithm
mixing A-DPCH power control and fast link adaptation for HSDPA users and an additional loop modelling noise
rise scheduling for HSUPA users. The power control simulation algorithm is described in "The Power Control Sim-
ulation Algorithm" on page 364.
8.2.3.1 The Power Control Simulation Algorithm
The power control algorithm (see Figure 8.32) simulates the way a UMTS network regulates itself by using uplink and
downlink power controls in order to minimize interference and maximize capacity. HSDPA users are linked to the A-DPCH
radio bearer (an R99 radio bearer). Therefore, the network uses a A-DPCH power control on UL and DL and then it
performs fast link adaptation on DL in order to select an HSDPA radio bearer. For HSUPA users, the network first uses a
E-DPCCH/A-DPCH power control on UL and DL, checks that there is an HSDPA connection on downlink and then carries
out noise rise scheduling in order to select an HSUPA radio bearer on uplink. Atoll simulates these network regulation
mechanisms for each user distribution. During each iteration of the algorithm, all the mobiles (R99, HSDPA, and HSUPA
service users) selected during the user distribution generation attempt to connect one by one to network transmitters. The
process is repeated until the network is balanced, i.e., until the convergence criteria (on UL and DL) are satisfied.
Figure 8.32: Schematic view of simulation algorithm
As shown in Figure 8.32, the simulation algorithm is divided in three parts. All users are evaluated by the R99 part of the
algorithm. HSDPA and HSUPA users, unless they have been rejected during the R99 part of the algorithm, are then eval-
uated by the HSDPA part of the algorithm. Finally, HSUPA users, unless they have been rejected during the R99 or
HSDPA parts of the algorithm, are then evaluated by the HSUPA part of the algorithm.
Description of the R99 Portion of the Simulation
The R99 part of the algorithm simulates power control, congestion and radio resource control performed for R99 bearers
for both R99, HSDPA and HSUPA users. Atoll considers each user in the order established during the generation of the
user distribution, determines his best server and his active set. Atoll first calculates the required terminal power in order
to reach the EbNt threshold requested by the R99 bearer on UL, followed by the required traffic channel power in order
to reach the EbNt threshold requested by the R99 bearer on DL. After calculating power control, Atoll updates the cell
load parameters. Atoll then carries out congestion and radio resource control, verifying the cell UL load, the total power
transmitted by the cell, the number of channel elements and OVSF codes consumed by the cell.
At this point, R99, HSDPA and HSUPA users can be either connected or rejected. They are rejected if:
The signal quality is not sufficient:
- On the downlink, the pilot quality is not high enough (no cell in the user active set): status is "EcI0 pilot <EcI0
min. pilot"
- On the downlink, there is not enough reception on traffic channel: the status is "Ptch >Ptch max"
- On the uplink, there is not enough power to transmit: the status is "Pmob >Pmob max"
Even if constraints above are respected, the network may be saturated:
- The maximum uplink load factor is exceeded (at admission or congestion): the status is either "Admission
rejection" or "UL load saturation"
R99 part
Initialisation
Mi Best Server Determination
Mi Active Set Determination
UL and DL Interference Update
For each R99, HSDPA
and HSUPA mobile, Mi
DL Power Control
UL Power Control
Congestion and Radio Resource Control
For HSDPA users, this part of
the al gorithm is performed for
the A-DPCH bearer (R99 bearer)
For HSUPA users, this part i s
performed for the E-DPCCH/A-
DPCH bearer (R99 bearer)
HSDPA part
Fast Link Adaptation
Mobile Scheduling
Radio Resource Control
For each HSDPA and
HSUPA mobile, Mi
HSUPA part
Admission Control
For each HSUPA
mobile, Mi
Radio Resource Control
Convergence Study
Noise Rise Scheduling
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- There are not enough channel elements on site: the status is "channel element saturation"
- There is not enough power for cells: the status is "DL load saturation"
- There are no more OVSF codes available: the status is "code saturation"
Description of the HSDPA Portion of the Simulation
In the HSDPA part, Atoll processes all HSDPA bearer users, i.e., HSDPA and HSUPA users. The HSDPA part of the algo-
rithm simulates fast link adaptation, the scheduling of HSDPA users, and radio resource control on downlink. Two fast link
adaptations are done, one before mobile scheduling and one after.
HSDPA bearer selection is based on look-up tables, available by double-clicking the corresponding entry in the Reception
Equipment table, under the Terminals context menu and it depends on reported CQI, UE and cell capabilities as detailed
below.
Figure 8.33: HSDPA bearer selection
The HSDPA and HS-SCCH powers of a cell are evaluated before calculating HS-PDSCH EcNt. The HSDPA power (the
power dedicated to HS-SCCH and HS-PDSCH of HSDPA bearer users) of a cell can be either fixed (statically allocated)
or dynamically allocated. If it is dynamically allocated, the power allocated to HSDPA depends on how much power is
required to serve R99 traffic. In other words, the power available after all common channels (including the power for down-
link HSUPA channels) and all R99 traffic have been served is allocated to HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA bearer
users. Similarly, the power per HS-SCCH can be either fixed or dynamically allocated in order to attain the HS-SCCH EcNt
threshold. Using the HS-SCCH and HSDPA powers, Atoll evaluates the HS-PDSCH power (the difference between the
HSDPA power and the HS-SCCH power), calculates the HS-PDSCH EcNt and, from that, the corresponding CQI (from
the graph CQI=f(HS-PDSCH EcNt) defined for the terminal reception equipment and the user mobility). Then, Atoll
selects the HSDPA bearer associated to this CQI (in the table Best Bearer=f(HS-PDSCH CQI) defined for the terminal
reception equipment and the user mobility) and compatible with the user equipment and cell capabilities.
Before mobile scheduling, each user is processed as if he is the only user in the cell. This means that Atoll determines
the HSDPA bearer for each HSDPA and HSUPA user by considering for each the entire HSDPA power available of the
cell.
During scheduling, cell radio resources are shared between HSDPA and HSUPA users by the scheduler. The scheduler
simultaneously manages the maximum number of users within each cell and ranks them according to the selected sched-
uling technique:
Max C/I: users are sorted in descending order by the channel quality indicator (CQI).
Round Robin: users are scheduled in the same order as in the simulation (i.e., in random order).
Proportional Fair: users are first sorted in descending order by the channel quality indicator (CQI). Then, the first
"n" users (where "n" corresponds to the maximum number of HSDPA users defined) are scheduled in the same
order as in the simulation.
After mobile scheduling, Atoll carries out a second fast link adaptation. HSDPA and HSUPA users are processed in the
order defined by the scheduler and the cells HSDPA power is shared among them.
Then, Atoll checks to see if enough codes are available for the HSDPA bearer assigned to the user (taking into account
the maximum number of OVSF codes defined for the cell). If not, Atoll allocates a lower HSDPA bearer ("downgrading")
which needs fewer OVSF codes. If no OVSF codes are available, the user is delayed.
At this point, HSDPA bearer users can be connected, rejected, or delayed. They are rejected if the maximum number of
HSDPA users per cell is exceeded (status is "HSDPA scheduler saturation") and delayed if:
They cannot obtain the lower HSDPA bearer (bearer index 5): the status is "HSDPA Delayed"
The HS-SCCH signal quality is not sufficient: the status is "HSDPA Delayed"
There are no more HS-SCCH channels available: the status is "HSDPA Delayed"
There are no more OVSF codes available: the status is "HSDPA Delayed"
Description of the HSUPA Portion of the Simulation
In the HSUPA part, Atoll processes all the HSUPA users who are connected to an HSDPA bearer or were delayed in the
previous step. It considers each user in the order established during the generation of the user distribution without exceed-
ing the maximum number of HSUPA users within each cell. The HSUPA part of the algorithm simulates an admission
control on these HSUPA users followed by noise rise scheduling. The happy bit mechanism is modelled as well and radio
resource control is performed at the end of the HSUPA part of the simulation.
Atoll first selects a list of HSUPA bearers that are compatible with the user equipment capabilities for each HSUPA user.
Then, during admission control, it checks that the lowest compatible bearer in terms of the required E-DPDCH EcNt does
not require a terminal power higher than the maximum terminal power allowed.
Then, Atoll begins noise rise scheduling. The noise rise scheduling algorithm attempts to evenly share the remaining cell
load between the users admitted in admission control; in terms of HSUPA, each user is allocated a right to produce inter-
ference. The remaining cell load factor on uplink depends on the maximum load factor allowed on uplink and how much
uplink load is produced by the served R99 traffic. From this value, Atoll calculates the maximum E-DPDCH EcNt allowed
and can select an HSUPA bearer. The HSUPA bearer is selected based on the values in a look-up table, and depends on
the maximum E-DPDCH EcNt allowed and on UE capabilities.
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
Atoll selects the best HSUPA bearer from the HSUPA compatible bearers, in other words, the HSUPA bearer with the
highest potential throughput where the required E-DPDCH Ec/Nt is lower than the maximum E-DPDCH EcNt allowed and
the required terminal power is lower than the maximum terminal power. In this section, the potential throughput refers to
the ratio between the RLC peak rate and the number of retransmissions. When several HSUPA bearers are available,
Atoll selects the one with the lowest required E-DPDCH EcNt.
Then, Atoll checks that each user has obtained the average requested rate (defined in the properties of the service). A
user is considered as "happy" if the RLC peak rate provided by the HSUPA bearer exceeds the average requested rate
and "unhappy" if not. Atoll collects the unused load of "happy" users and redistributes it among the "unhappy" users. This
process is repeated until there is no more available load.
Finally, Atoll carries out radio resource control, verifying the uplink load of all the cells and performs a new distribution of
the load if cells are overloaded.
At this point, HSUPA users can be either connected, or rejected. They are rejected if:
The maximum number of HSUPA users per cell is exceeded (the status is "HSUPA scheduler saturation")
The terminal power required to obtain the lowest compatible HSUPA bearer exceeds the maximum terminal power
in the admission control (the status is "HSUPA Admission Rejection").
Bearer Downgrading
If you select the option "Rate Downgrading," when creating a simulation, R99, HSDPA and HSUPA service users can be
downgraded under certain circumstances. When the downgrading is allowed, Atoll does not reject R99, HSDPA and
HSUPA users directly; it downgrades them beforehand.
The R99 to R99 bearer downgrading occurs when:
The cell resources are insufficient when the user is admitted
- The maximum uplink load factor is exceeded
The cell resources are insufficient during congestion control
- The maximum uplink load factor is exceeded
- There is not enough power for cells
- There are not enough channel elements on the site
- There are no more OVSF codes available
The user maximum connection power is exceeded during power control:
- On the downlink, the maximum traffic channel power is exceeded
- On the uplink, the maximum terminal power is exceeded
For all these reasons, the users R99 bearer will be downgraded to another R99 bearer of the same type (same traffic
class). Upon admission and during power control, downgrading is only performed on the user who causes the problem.
During congestion control, the problem is at the cell level and therefore, downgrading is performed on several users
according to their service priority. Users with the lowest priority services will be the first to be downgraded.
If R99 bearer downgrading does not fix the problem, the user will be rejected.
For an HSDPA bearer user, downgrading is triggered upon admission (into the R99 portion) when the best serving cell
does not support HSDPA traffic. When this happens, the HSDPA bearer user will not be able to get an HSDPA bearer and
will be downgraded to an R99 bearer of the same type as the A-DPCH bearer and the user will be processed as an R99
user.
For an HSUPA bearer user, downgrading is triggered upon admission (into the R99 portion) when the best serving cell
does not support HSUPA traffic. When this happens, the HSUPA bearer user will not be able to get an HSUPA bearer and
will be downgraded to an R99 bearer of the same type as the E-DPCCH/A-DPCH bearer and the user will be processed
as an R99 user.
8.2.3.2 Creating Simulations
In Atoll, simulations enable you to model UMTS HSPA network regulation mechanisms in order to minimise interference
and maximise capacity.
You can create one simulation or a group of simulations that will be performed in sequence.
To create a simulation or a group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the UMTS Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue for a new simulation or group of simulations appears.
4. On the General tab of the dialogue, enter a Name and Comments for this simulation or group of simulations.
5. Under Execution on the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
Note: You can open the HSUPA Bearer Selection table by right-clicking Terminals on the Data
tab of the Explorer window and selecting Reception Equipment. Then, double-clicking the
entry in the Reception Equipment table opens the Properties dialogue from which you
can select the HSUPA Bearer Selection tab.
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- Number of Simulations: Enter the number of simulations to be carried out. All simulations created at the
same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
- Execute Later: If you select the Execute Later check box, the simulation will not be carried out until you click
the Calculate button ( ). If the Execute Later check box is not selected, the simulation will be carried out
as soon as you click OK and close the dialogue.
- Information to retain: You can select the level of detail that will be available in the output:
- Only the average simulation and statistics: None of the individual simulations are displayed or availa-
ble in the group. Only an average of all simulations and statistics is available.
- No information about mobiles: All the simulations are listed and can be displayed. For each of them, a
properties window containing simulation output, divided among four tabs Statistics, Sites, Cells, and
Initial conditions is available.
- Standard information about mobiles: All the simulations are listed and can be displayed. The properties
window for each simulation contains an additional tab with output related to mobiles.
- Detailed information about mobiles: All the simulations are listed and can be displayed. The properties
window for each simulation contains additional mobile-related output on the Mobiles and Mobiles (Shad-
owing values) tabs.
6. Under Cell Load Constraints on the General tab, you can set the constraints that Atoll must respect during the
simulation:
- Number of Channel Elements: Select the Number of Channel Elements check box if you want Atoll to
respect the number of channel elements defined for each site.
- Number of Codes: Select the Number of Codes check box if you want Atoll to respect the number of OVSF
codes available each cell.
- UL Load Factor: If you want the UL load factor to be considered in the simulation, select the UL Load Factor
check box.
- Max UL Load Factor: If you want to enter a global value for the maximum uplink cell load factor, click the
button ( ) beside the box and select Global Threshold. Then, enter a maximum uplink cell load factor. If
you want to use the maximum uplink cell load factor as defined in the properties for each cell, click the button
( ) beside the box and select Defined per Cell.
- DL Load (% Max Power): If you want the DL load to be considered in the simulation, select the DL Load (%
Max Power) check box and enter a maximum downlink cell load in the Max DL Load box.
- Max DL Load (% Max Power): If you want to enter a global value for the maximum downlink cell load, as a
percentage of the maximum power, click the button ( ) beside the box and select Global Threshold. Then,
enter a maximum downlink cell load, as a percentage of the maximum power. If you want to use the maximum
downlink cell load factor as defined in the properties for each cell, click the button ( ) beside the box and
select Defined per Cell.
7. Under Bearer Negotiation on the General tab, check the Rate Downgrading check box if you want to permit
bearer downgrading during the simulation. When a constraint is not respected, user bearers are downgraded. If
the constraint is still not satisfied after downgrading, users are rejected. If downgrading is not selected, users will
be rejected immediately, starting with users with the lowest service priority, if a constraint can not be respected.
8. On the Source Traffic tab, enter the following:
- Global Scaling Factor: If desired, enter a scaling factor to increase user density.
The global scaling factor enables you to increase user density without changing traffic parameters or traffic
maps. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of subscrib-
ers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps per sector).
- Select Traffic Maps to Be Used: Select the traffic maps you want to use for the simulation.
Note: Execute Later enables you to automatically calculate UMTS coverage predictions after
simulations with no intermediary step by creating your simulations, creating your predic-
tions, and then clicking the Calculate button ( ).
Note: Some calculation and display options available for prediction studies are not available when
the option "Only the average simulation and statistics" is selected.
Tip: When you are working on very large radio-planning projects, you can reduce memory con-
sumption by selecting Only the average simulation and statistics under Information to
retain.
Note: You can prevent downgrading for certain services by setting the service priority to 100. In
this case, users with the service will not be downgraded; if a constraint is not respected,
they will be rejected immediately.
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
9. Click the Advanced tab.
10. Under Generator Initialisation, enter an integer as the generator initialisation value. If you enter "0", the default,
the user and shadowing error distribution will be random. If you enter any other integer, the same user and shad-
owing error distribution will be used for any simulation using the same generator initialisation value.
11. Under Convergence, enter the following parameters:
- Max Number of Iterations: Enter the maximum number of iterations that Atoll should run to make conver-
gence.
- UL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the uplink that must be reached between two iterations.
- DL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the downlink that must be reached between two iterations.
12. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
All simulations created at the same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window. You can
now use the completed simulations for specific UMTS and HSDPA coverage predictions (see "Making Coverage Predic-
tions Using Simulation Results" on page 381) or for an AS analysis using the Point Analysis window (see "Making an AS
Analysis of Simulation Results" on page 381).
8.2.3.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map
Atoll enables you to display on the map the distribution of the traffic generated by all simulations according to different
parameters. You can, for example, display the traffic according to service, activity status, pilot signal strength, or soft
handover gain.
You can set the display of the traffic distribution according to discrete values and the select the value to be displayed. Or,
you can select the display of the traffic distribution according to value intervals, and then select the parameter and the
value intervals that are to be displayed. You can also define the colours of the icon and the icon itself.
For information on changing display characteristics, see "Defining the Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
In this section are the following examples of traffic distribution:
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Handover Status" on page 369
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Connection Status" on page 370
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service" on page 370.
8.2.3.3.1 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Handover Status
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by the handover status.
To display the traffic distribution by the handover status:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the UMTS Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The UMTS Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "HO Status (Sites/No. Trans-
mitters Act. Set)" as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by handover status (see Figure 8.34).
Important: Select only traffic maps of the same type. If you have several different types of maps and
want to make simulations on each type, you must create a different simulation for each
type of traffic map. For information on the types of traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map" on page 358.
Tip: Using the same generated user and shadowing error distribution for several simulations can
be useful when you want to compare the results of several simulations where only one
parameter changes.
Tip: You can make the traffic distribution easier to see by hiding geo data and predictions. For
information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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Figure 8.34: Displaying the traffic distribution by handover status
8.2.3.3.2 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Connection Status
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by the connection status.
To display the traffic distribution by the connection status:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the UMTS Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The UMTS Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Connection status" as the
Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by connection status (see Figure 8.35).
Figure 8.35: Displaying the traffic distribution by connection status
8.2.3.3.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by service.
To display the traffic distribution by service:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the UMTS Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The UMTS Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Service" as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by service (see Figure 8.36).
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Chapter 8: UMTS HSPA Networks
Figure 8.36: Displaying the traffic distribution by service
8.2.3.4 Displaying the User Active Set on the Map
Atoll enables you to display on the map the active set for each user generated by a simulation.
To display the active set for a user:
On the map, click and hold the icon of the user whose best and second-best servers you want to display.
The servers in the users active set are connected to the user with lines the same colour as the serving transmitter.
The best server is indicated with the number "1", the second-best with number "2" and so on. Figure 8.37 shows
a user with three servers in his active set.
Figure 8.37: The active set of a user
8.2.3.5 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation
After you have created a simulation, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367, you can display the results.
To access the results of a single simulation:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose results
you want to access.
4. Right-click the simulation. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the simulation. Other tabs in the simulation properties dialogue contain
simulation results as identified by the tab title. A final tab lists the initial conditions of the simulation. The amount
of detail available when you display the results depends on the level of detail you selected from the Information
to retain list on the General tab of the properties dialogue for the group of simulations. For more information on
the different options, see step 5. of "Creating Simulations" on page 367.
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The Statistics tab: The Statistics tab contains the following two sections:
- Request: Under Request, you will find data on the connection requests:
- Atoll calculates the total number of users who try to connect. This number is the result of the first random
trial; power control has not yet finished. The result depends on the traffic description and cartography.
- During the first random trial, each user is assigned a service and an activity status. The number of users
per activity status and the UL and DL rates that all users could theoretically generate are provided.
- The breakdown per service (total number of users, number of users per activity status, and UL and DL
rates) is given.
- Results: Under Results, you will find data on the connection requests:
- The number of iterations that were run in order to converge.
- The number and the percentage of non-connected users is given along with the reason for rejection.
These figures include rejected and delayed users. These figures are determined at the end of the simula-
tion and depend on the network design.
- The number and percentage of R99 bearer users connected to a cell, the number of users per activity
status, and the UL and DL total rates they generate. These figures include R99 users as well as HSDPA
and HSUPA users (since all of them request an R99 bearer); they are determined in the R99 part of the
algorithm. These data are also given per service.
- The total number and the percentage of connected users with an HSDPA bearer, the number of users per
activity status, and DL total rate that they generate. Both HSDPA and HSUPA users are considered since
they both request an HSDPA bearer.
- The total number of connected HSUPA users and the percentage of users with an HSUPA bearer, the
number of users per activity status, and UL and DL total rates they generate. Only HSUPA users are
considered.
The Sites tab: The Sites tab contains the following information per site:
- Max No. of CEs (DL and UL): The maximum number of channel elements available on uplink and downlink
for R99 bearers requested by R99, HSDPA and HSUPA users.
- No. of CEs Used (DL and UL): The number of channel elements required on uplink and downlink for R99
bearers to handle the traffic of current simulation.
- No. CEs Due to SHO Overhead DL and UL: The number of extra channel elements due to soft handover,
on uplink and downlink.
- Carrier Selection: The carrier selection method defined on the site equipment.
- Overhead CEs/Cell Downlink and Uplink: The overhead channel elements per cell on the downlink and on
the uplink, defined on the site equipment.
- AS Restricted to Neighbours: Whether the active set is restricted to neighbours of the reference cell. This
option is selected on the site equipment.
- Rake Factor: The rake factor, defined on the site equipment, enables Atoll to model a rake receiver on down-
link.
- MUD Factor: The multi-user detection factor, defined on the site equipment, is used to decrease intra-cellular
interference on uplink.
- Compressed Mode: Whether compressed mode is supported. This option is defined on the site equipment.
- Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps): The Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps).
- HSUPA Rate (kbps): The HSUPA peak rate in kbps.
- DL and UL Throughput for Each Service: The R99 throughput in kbitss for each service. The result is
detailed on the downlink and uplink only when relevant.
The Cells tab: The Cells tab contains the following information, per site, transmitter, and carrier:
- Max Power (dBm): The maximum power as defined in the cell properties.
- Pilot Power (dBm): The pilot power as defined in the cell properties.
- SCH power (dBm): The SCH power as defined in the cell properties.
- Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels. It includes the other CCH power and the
DL HSUPA power as defined in the cell properties.
- Available HSDPA Power (dBm): The available HSDPA power as defined in the cell properties. This is the
power available for the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA users. The value is either fixed by the user when
the HSDPA power is allocated statically, or by a simulation when the option HSDPA Power Dynamic Alloca-
tion is selected.
- AS Threshold (dB): The active set threshold as defined in cell properties
- Gain (dBi): The gain as defined in the antenna properties for that transmitter.
- Reception loss (dB): The reception loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- Transmission loss (dB): The transmission loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- BTS Noise Figure (dB): The BTS noise figure as defined in the transmitter properties
- Total Transmitted R99 Power (dBm): The total transmitted R99 power is the power transmitted by the cell
on common channels (Pilot, SCH, other CCH), HSUPA channels (E-AGCH, E-RGCH, and E-HICH) and R99
traffic-dedicated channels.
- Total Transmitted Power (dBm): The total transmitted power of the cell is the sum of the total transmitted
R99 power and the available HSDPA power. If HSDPA power is allocated statically, this total transmitted
power must be lower than or equal to the maximum power. If HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the total
transmitted power equals the maximum power minus the power headroom. In other words, the HSDPA power
corresponds to the difference between the total transmitted power and the R99 transmitted power.
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- UL Total Noise (dBm): The uplink total noise takes into account the total signal received at the transmitter on
a carrier from intra and extra-cell terminals using the same carrier and adjacent carriers (uplink total interfer-
ence) and the thermal noise.
- Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor that the cell can support. It is defined either in the
cell properties, or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- Max DL Load (% Used Power): The maximum percentage of power that the cell can use. It is defined either
in the cell properties, or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- UL load factor (%): The uplink cell load factor corresponds to the ratio between the uplink total interference
and the uplink total noise. If the constraint "UL load factor" has been selected, UL cell load factor is not allowed
to exceed the user-defined maximum UL load factor (either in the cell properties, or in the simulation creation
dialogue).
- UL load factor due to HSUPA (%): The uplink cell load factor due to HSUPA traffic.
- DL Load Factor (%): The DL load factor of the cell i corresponds to the ratio (DL average interference [due
to transmitter signals on the same and adjacent carriers] for terminals in the transmitter i area) (DL average
total noise [due to transmitter signals and to thermal noise of terminals] for terminals in the transmitter i area).
- UL and DL noise rise (dB): The uplink and downlink noise rises are calculated from uplink and downlink load
factors. These data indicate signal degradation due to cell load (interference margin in the link budget).
- DL R99 Load (% Power Used): The percentage of power used for R99 channels is determined by the total
transmitted R99 power-maximum power ratio (power stated in W). When the constraint "DL load" is set and
HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the DL R99 Load can not exceed the user-defined Max DL Load
(defined either in the cell properties, or in the simulation).
- Reuse factor (UL): The uplink reuse factor is the ratio between the uplink total interference and the intra-cell
interference.
- Reuse efficiency factor (UL): The uplink reuse efficiency factor is the reciprocal of the uplink reuse factor.
- Number of UL and DL radio links: The number of radio links corresponds to the number of user-transmitter
links on the same carrier. This data is calculated on uplink and on downlink and indicates the number of users
connected to the cell on uplink and downlink. Because of handover, a single user can use several radio links.
- Connection Success Rate (%): The connection success rate gives the ratio of connected users over the total
number of users in the cell.
- HSDPA Application Throughput (kbps): This is the net HSDPA throughput without coding (redundancy,
overhead, addressing, etc.).
- Min. HSDPA RLC Peak Rate (kbps): The minimum HSDPA RLC peak rate corresponds to the lowest of RLC
peak rates obtained by HSDPA bearer users connected to the cell.
- Max HSDPA RLC Peak Rate (kbps): The maximum HSDPA RLC peak rate corresponds to the highest of
RLC peak rates obtained by HSDPA bearer users connected to the cell.
- Avg. Instantaneous HSDPA Throughput (kbps): The average instantaneous HSDPA rate (kbps) is the
average number of kbits per second that the cell supports on downlink to provide one connected user with an
HSDPA bearer.
- Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps): The instantaneous HSDPA rate (kbps) is the number of kbits per
second that the cell supports on downlink to provide simultaneous connected users with an HSDPA bearer.
- No. of Simultaneous HSDPA Users: The number of simultaneous HSDPA users corresponds to the number
of HSDPA bearer users that the cell supports at one time, i.e. within one time transmission interval. All these
users are connected to the cell at the end of the HSDPA part of the simulation; they have a connection with
the R99 bearer (ADPCH-UL64 for HSDPA users and ADPCH-EDPCCH bearer for HSUPA users) and an
HSDPA bearer.
- No. of HSDPA Users: The number of HSDPA users including the connected and delayed HSDPA bearer
users.
- No. of HSUPA Users: The number of HSUPA users connected to the cell.
- No. of Codes (512 Bits): The number of OVSF codes used per cell.
- The types of handover as a percentage: Atoll estimates the percentages of handover types for each trans-
mitter. Atoll only lists the results for the following handover status, no handover (11), softer (12), soft (22),
softer-soft (23) and soft-soft (33) handovers; the other handover status (other HO) are grouped.
- UL and DL throughput (kbps): The uplink and downlink R99 throughputs represent respectively the numbers
of kbits per second delivered by the cell on uplink and on downlink to supply HSUPA, HSDPA and R99 users
with a R99 bearer.
The Mobiles tab: The Mobiles tab contains the following information:
Note: When the constraint "DL load" is set and HSDPA power is statically allocated, the total
transmitted power cannot exceed the maximum DL load (defined either in the cell proper-
ties, or in the simulation). On the other hand, if HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the
control is carried out on the R99 transmitted power, which cannot exceed the maximum DL
load.
Note: The number of HSDPA bearer users cannot exceed the number of HS-SCCH channels per
cell at any given moment (within a time transmission interval).
Note: The Mobiles tab only appears if, when creating the simulation as explained in "Creating
Simulations" on page 367, you select either "Standard information about mobiles" or
"Detailed information about mobiles" under Information to Retain.
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- X and Y: The coordinates of users who attempt to connect (the geographic position is determined by the
second random trial).
- Service: The service assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Terminal: The assigned terminal. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the terminal
and the user profile.
- User: The assigned user profile. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the terminal
and the user profile.
- Mobility: The mobility type assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Activity: The activity status assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Carrier: The carrier used for the mobile-transmitter connection.
- DL and UL Requested Rate (kbps): For an R99 user, the DL and UL Requested Rate correspond to the DL
and UL nominal rates of the R99 bearer associated to the service.
For an HSDPA user, the uplink requested rate corresponds to the nominal rate of ADPCH-UL64 R99 bearer
and the downlink requested rate is the sum of the ADPCH-UL64 radio bearer nominal rate and the RLC peak
rate that the selected HSDPA radio bearer can provide. Here, the HSDPA user is treated as if he is the only
user in the cell and then, Atoll determines the HSDPA bearer the user would obtain by considering the entire
HSDPA power available of the cell.
For an HSUPA user, the uplink requested rate corresponds to the RLC peak rate of the requested HSUPA
radio bearer. The requested HSUPA radio bearer is selected from the HSUPA bearers compatible with the
user equipment; it is the lowest HSUPA bearer that provides the lowest potential throughput that is higher than
the average requested rate. In this section, the potential throughput refers to the ratio between the RLC peak
rate and the number of retransmissions. The downlink requested rate is the sum of the ADPCH-EDPCCH ra-
dio bearer nominal rate and the RLC peak rate that the requested HSDPA radio bearer can provide. The re-
quested HSDPA bearer is determined as explained in the previous paragraph.
- DL and UL Obtained Rate (kbps): For an R99 user, the obtained rate is the same as the requested rate if he
is connected without being downgraded. Otherwise, the obtained rate is lower (it corresponds to the nominal
rate of the selected R99 bearer). If the user was rejected, the obtained rate is zero.
For an HSDPA user connected to an HSDPA bearer, the uplink obtained rate equals the requested one and
the downlink obtained rate corresponds to the instantaneous rate; this is the sum of the ADPCH-UL64 radio
bearer nominal rate and the RLC peak rate provided by the selected HSDPA radio bearer after scheduling and
radio resource control. If the HSDPA user is delayed (he is only connected to an R99 radio bearer), uplink and
downlink obtained rates correspond to the uplink and downlink nominal rates of ADPCH-UL64 radio bearer.
Finally, if the HSDPA user is rejected either in the R99 part or in the HSDPA part (i.e., because the HSDPA
scheduler is saturated), the uplink and downlink obtained rates are zero.
For a connected HSUPA user, on uplink, if the user is connected to an HSUPA bearer, the obtained uplink
rate is the sum of the ADPCH-EDPCCH radio bearer nominal rate and the RLC peak rate provided by the se-
lected HSUPA radio bearer after noise rise scheduling. On downlink, if the user is connected to an HSDPA
bearer, the obtained downlink rate corresponds to the instantaneous rate. The instantaneous rate is the sum
of the ADPCH-EDPCCH radio bearer nominal rate and the RLC peak rate provided by the selected HSDPA
radio bearer after scheduling and radio resource control. If the user is delayed, the obtained downlink rate cor-
responds to the downlink nominal rate of ADPCH-EDPCCH radio bearer. If the HSUPA user is rejected, the
obtained uplink and downlink rates are "0."
- Mobile Total Power (dBm): The mobile total power corresponds to the total power transmitted by the ter-
minal.
- Connection Status: The connection status indicates whether the user is connected, delayed or rejected at
the end of the simulation. If connected, the connection status corresponds to the activity status. If rejected, the
rejection cause is given. If delayed (for HSDPA users only), the status is "HSDPA delayed."
- Best-server: The best server among the transmitters in the mobile active set.
- HO status (Sites/No. Transmitters Act. Set): The HO status is the number of sites compared to the number
of transmitters in the active set.
- AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4: The name of the cell that is the best server, the second-best server, and so on is given
in a separate column for each cell in the active set.
- Ec/I0 AS 1, 2, 3, 4, (dB): EcI0 is given in a separate column for each cell in the active set.
- Indoor: This field indicates whether indoor losses have been added or not.
- Active compressed mode: This field indicates whether active compressed mode is supported by the mobile
or not.
The following columns only appear if, when creating the simulation as explained in "Creating Simulations" on
page 367, you select "Detailed information about mobiles" under Information to Retain:
- HSDPA Application Throughput (kbps): The HSDPA application throughput is the net HSDPA throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the instantaneous HSDPA rate
(i.e., the DL obtained rate), the BLER, the HSDPA service scaling factor and the throughput offset.
- Served HSDPA Power: This is the HSDPA power required to provide the HSDPA bearer user with the down-
link obtained rate.
- Required HSDPA Power: The required HSDPA power is the HSDPA power required to provide the HSDPA
bearer user with the downlink requested rate. If the HSDPA bearer allocated to the user is the best one, the
required HSDPA power corresponds to the available HSDPA power of the cell. On the other hand, if the
HSDPA has been downgraded in order to be compliant with cell and UE capabilities, the required HSDPA
power will be lower than the available HSDPA power of the cell.
- No. of HSUPA Retransmissions (Required): The number of retransmissions for the requested HSUPA radio
bearer.
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- No. of HSUPA Retransmissions (Obtained): The number of retransmissions for the obtained HSUPA radio
bearer.
- HSUPA Application Throughput (kbps): The HSUPA application throughput is the net HSUPA throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the UL obtained rate, the BLER,
the HSUPA service scaling factor and the throughput offset.
- Cell Power TCH AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL) (dBm): The cell power transmitted on the downlink is given for
each link between the mobile and a transmitter in the active set.
- Ntot DL AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (dBm): The total noise on the downlink for each link between the mobile and
a transmitter in the \active set.
- Load Factor AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL) (%): The load factor on the downlink for each link between the mobile
and a transmitter in the active set. It corresponds to the ratio between the total interference on the downlink
and total noise at the terminal.
- Noise rise AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL) (dB): The noise rise on the downlink for each link between the mobile
and a transmitter in the active set.
- Reuse Factor AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL): The DL reuse factor for each link between the mobile and a trans-
mitter in the active set. It is calculated from the interference received at the terminal from the intra cell area
and the total interference received at the terminal from all the transmitters (intra and extra-cell and inter-car-
rier).
- Iintra AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL) (dBm): The intra-cell interference for each cell (I) of the active set.
- Iextra AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (DL) (dBm): The extra-cell interference for each cell (I) of the active set.
- Total Att. AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 (dB): The total attenuation for each link between the mobile and a transmitter
in the active set.
- No. Uplink CEs: The number of channel elements consumed on the uplink by the mobile.
- No. Downlink CEs: The number of channel elements consumed on the downlink by the mobile.
- Name: The name of the mobile, as assigned during the random user generation.
- Clutter: The clutter class on which the mobile is located.
- Orthogonality Factor: The orthogonality factor used in the simulation. The orthogonality factor is the
remaining orthogonality of the OVSF codes at reception. The value used is the orthogonality factor set in the
clutter classes, or on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue.
- % Pilot Finger: The percentage pilot finger used in the simulation, defined per clutter class or globally for all
clutter classes.
- UL SHO Gain (dB): The uplink soft handover gain is calculated if mobile receivers are connected either on
DL or on UL and DL.
- DL SHO Gain (dB): The downlink soft handover gain is calculated if mobile receivers are connected either on
DL or on UL and DL.
- No. of Codes (512 Bits): The number of OVSF codes used per mobile.
The Mobiles (Shadowing Values) tab: The Mobiles (Shadowing Values) tab contains information on the shad-
owing margin for each link between the receiver and up to ten closest potential transmitters:
- Name: The name assigned to the mobile.
- Value at Receiver (dB): The value of the shadowing margin at the receiver.
- Clutter: The clutter class on which the mobile is located.
- Path To: The name of the potential transmitter.
- Value (dB): The shadowing value for the potential link in the corresponding Path To column. These values
depend on the model standard deviation per clutter type on which the receiver is located and are randomly
distributed on a gaussian curve.
The Packet Session Parameters tab: The Packet Session Parameters tab contains the following information:
- Name: The name assigned to the mobile making the packet session.
- NPC (DL): The number of packet calls on the downlink.
- SPC (DL): The size of the packet calls on the downlink.
- NP (DL): The number of packets on the downlink per packet call.
- DP (DL): The time on the downlink between packet calls.
- NPC (UL): The number of packet calls on the uplink.
- SPC (UL): The size of the packet calls on the uplink.
Note: The Mobiles (Shadowing Values) tab only appears if, when creating the simulation as
explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367, you select "Detailed information about
mobiles" under Information to Retain.
Note: The Packet Session Parameters tab only appears if, when creating the simulation as
explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367, you select "Detailed information about
mobiles" under Information to Retain.
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- NP (UL): The number of packets on the uplink per packet call.
- DP (UL): The time on the uplink between packet calls.
The Initial Conditions tab: The Initial Conditions tab contains the following information:
- The global transmitter parameters:
- The spreading width
- The default orthogonality factor
- The default uplink soft handover gain
- Whether the MRC in softer/soft is defined or not
- The methods used to calculate I0 and Nt
- Parameters to compressed mode.
- The input parameters specified when creating the simulation:
- The maximum number of iterations
- The uplink and downlink convergence thresholds
- The simulation constraints such as maximum power, the maximum number of channel elements, the
uplink load factor and the maximum load
- The name of the traffic maps used.
8.2.3.6 Displaying the Average Results of a Group of Simulations
After you have created a group of simulations, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367, you can display the
average results of the group. If you wish to display the results of a single simulation of a group, see "Displaying the Results
of a Single Simulation" on page 371.
To access the averaged results of a group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations whose results you want to access.
4. Select Average Simulation from the context menu. A properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the group of simulations. Other tabs in the properties dialogue contain
simulation results for all simulations, both averaged and as a standard deviation.
The Statistics tab: The Statistics tab contains the following two sections:
- Request: Under Request, you will find data on the connection requests:
- Atoll calculates the total number of users who try to connect. This number is the result of the first random
trial; power control has not yet finished. The result depends on the traffic description and cartography.
- During the first random trial, each user is assigned a service. The UL and DL rates that all users could
theoretically generate are provided.
- The breakdown per service (total number of users, number of users per activity status, and UL and DL
rates) is given.
- Results: Under Results, you will find data on the connection requests:
- The number of iterations that were run in order to converge.
- The number and the percentage of non-connected users is given along with the reason for rejection.
These figures include rejected and delayed users. These figures are determined at the end of the simula-
tion and depend on the network design.
- The number and percentage of R99 bearer users connected to a cell, the number of users per activity
status, and the total UL and DL rates they generate. These figures include R99 users as well as HSDPA
and HSUPA users (since all of them request an R99 bearer); they are determined in the R99 part of the
algorithm. These data are also given per service.
- The total number and the percentage of connected users with an HSDPA bearer, the number of users per
activity status, and DL total rate that they generate. Both HSDPA and HSUPA users are considered since
they both request an HSDPA bearer.
- The total number of connected HSUPA users and the percentage of users with an HSUPA bearer, the
number of users per activity status, and UL and DL total rates they generate. Only HSUPA users are
considered.
The Sites (Average) and Sites (Standard Deviation) tabs: The Sites (Average) and Sites (Standard Deviation)
tabs contains the following average and standard deviation information, respectively, per site:
- Max No. of CEs (DL and UL): The maximum number of channel elements available on uplink and downlink
for R99 bearers requested by R99, HSDPA and HSUPA users.
- No. of CEs Used (DL and UL): The number of channel elements required on uplink and downlink for R99
bearers to handle the traffic of current simulation.
- No. CEs Due to SHO Overhead DL and UL: The number of extra channel elements due to soft handover,
on uplink and downlink.
- Carrier Selection: The carrier selection method defined on the site equipment.
- Overhead CEs/Cell Downlink and Uplink: The overhead channel elements per cell on the downlink and on
the uplink, defined on the site equipment.
- AS Restricted to Neighbours: Whether the active set is restricted to neighbours of the reference cell. This
option is selected on the site equipment.
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- Rake Factor: The rake factor, defined on the site equipment, enables Atoll to model a rake receiver on down-
link.
- MUD Factor: The multi-user detection factor, defined on the site equipment, is used to decrease intra-cellular
interference on uplink.
- Compressed Mode: Whether compressed mode is supported. This option is defined on the site equipment.
- Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps): The Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps).
- HSUPA Rate (kbps): The HSUPA peak rate in kbps.
- DL and UL Throughput for Each Service: The R99 throughput in kbitss for each service.
The Cells (Average) and Cells (Standard Deviation) tabs: The Cells (Average) and Cells (Standard Deviation)
tabs contains the following average and standard deviation information, respectively, per site, transmitter, and
carrier:
- Max Power (dBm): The maximum power as defined in the cell properties.
- Pilot Power (dBm): The pilot power as defined in the cell properties.
- SCH power (dBm): The SCH power as defined in the cell properties.
- Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels. It includes the other CCH power and the
DL HSUPA power as defined in the cell properties.
- Available HSDPA Power (dBm): The available HSDPA power as defined in the cell properties. This is the
power available for the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA bearer users. The value is either fixed by the
user when the HSDPA power is allocated statically, or by a simulation when the option HSDPA Power
Dynamic Allocation is selected.
- AS Threshold (dB): The active set threshold as defined in cell properties
- Gain (dBi): The gain as defined in the antenna properties for that transmitter.
- Reception loss (dB): The reception loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- Transmission loss (dB): The transmission loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- BTS Noise Figure (dB): The BTS noise figure as defined in the transmitter properties
- Total Transmitted R99 Power (dBm): The total transmitted R99 power is the power transmitted by the cell
on common channels (Pilot, SCH, other CCH), HSUPA channels (E-AGCH, E-RGCH, and E-HICH) and R99
traffic-dedicated channels.
- Total Transmitted Power (dBm): The total transmitted power of the cell is the sum of the total transmitted
R99 power and the available HSDPA power. If HSDPA power is allocated statically, this total transmitted
power must be lower than or equal to the maximum power. If HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the total
transmitted power equals the maximum power minus the power headroom. In other words, the HSDPA power
corresponds to the difference between the total transmitted power and the R99 transmitted power.
- UL Total Noise (dBm): The uplink total noise takes into account the total signal received at the transmitter on
a carrier from intra and extra-cell terminals using the same carrier and adjacent carriers (uplink total interfer-
ence) and the thermal noise.
- Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor that the cell can support. It is defined either in the
cell properties, or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- Max DL Load (% Used Power): The maximum percentage of power that the cell can use. It is defined either
in the cell properties, or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- UL load factor (%): The uplink cell load factor corresponds to the ratio between the uplink total interference
and the uplink total noise. If the constraint "UL load factor" has been selected, UL cell load factor is not allowed
to exceed the user-defined maximum UL load factor (either in the cell properties, or in the simulation creation
dialogue).
- UL load factor due to HSUPA (%): The uplink cell load factor due to HSUPA traffic.
- DL Load Factor (%): The DL load factor of the cell i corresponds to the ratio (DL average interference [due
to transmitter signals on the same carrier] for terminals in the transmitter i area) (DL average total noise [due
to transmitter signals and to thermal noise of terminals] for terminals in the transmitter i area).
- UL and DL noise rise (dB): The uplink and downlink noise rises are calculated from uplink and downlink load
factors. These data indicate signal degradation due to cell load (interference margin in the link budget).
- DL R99 Load (% Power Used): The percentage of power used for R99 channels is determined by the total
transmitted R99 power-maximum power ratio (power stated in W). When the constraint "DL load" is set and
HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the DL R99 Load can not exceed the user-defined Max DL Load
(defined either in the cell properties, or in the simulation).
- Reuse factor (UL): The uplink reuse factor is the ratio between the uplink total interference and the intra-cel-
lular interference.
- Reuse efficiency factor (UL): The uplink reuse efficiency factor is the reciprocal of the uplink reuse factor.
- Number of UL and DL radio links: The number of radio links corresponds to the number of user-transmitter
links on the same carrier. This data is calculated on uplink and on downlink and indicates the number of users
connected to the cell on uplink and downlink. Because of handover, a single user can use several radio links.
- Connection Success Rate (%): The connection success rate gives the ratio of connected users over the total
number of users in the cell.
- HSDPA Application Throughput (kbps): The HSDPA application throughput is the net HSDPA throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the instantaneous HSDPA rate
(i.e., the DL obtained rate), the BLER, the HSDPA service scaling factor and the throughput offset.
Note: When the constraint "DL load" is set and HSDPA power is statically allocated, the total
transmitted power cannot exceed the maximum DL load (defined either in the cell proper-
ties, or in the simulation). On the other hand, if HSDPA power is allocated dynamically, the
control is carried out on the R99 transmitted power, which cannot exceed the maximum DL
load.
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- Min. HSDPA RLC Peak Rate (kbps): The minimum HSDPA RLC peak rate corresponds to the lowest of RLC
peak rates obtained by HSDPA bearer users connected to the cell.
- Max HSDPA RLC Peak Rate (kbps): The maximum HSDPA RLC peak rate: It corresponds to the highest of
RLC peak rates obtained by HSDPA bearer users connected to the cell.
- Avg. Instantaneous HSDPA Throughput (kbps): The average instantaneous HSDPA rate (kbps) is the
average number of kbits per second that the cell supports on downlink to provide one connected user with an
HSDPA bearer.
- Instantaneous HSDPA Rate (kbps): The instantaneous HSDPA rate (kbps) is the number of kbits per
second that the cell supports on downlink to provide simultaneous connected users with an HSDPA bearer.
- No. of Simultaneous HSDPA Users: The number of simultaneous HSDPA users corresponds to the number
of HSDPA bearer users that the cell supports at a time, i.e. within one time transmission interval. All these
users are connected to the cell at the end of the simulation HSDPA part; they have a connection with the R99
bearer (ADPCH-UL64 for HSDPA users and ADPCH-EDPCCH bearer for HSUPA users) and an HSDPA
bearer. At any given moment in time (within a time transmission interval), the number of simultaneous HSDPA
users cannot exceed the number of HS-SCCH channels per cell.
- No. of HSDPA Users: The number of HSDPA users include the connected and delayed HSDPA bearer users.
- No. of Codes (512 Bits): The number of OVSF codes used per cell.
- The types of handover as a percentage: Atoll estimates the percentages of handover types for each trans-
mitter. Atoll only lists the results for the following handover status, no handover (11), softer (12), soft (22),
softer-soft (23) and soft-soft (33) handovers; the other handover status (other HO) are grouped.
- UL and DL throughput (kbps): The uplink and downlink R99 throughputs represent respectively the numbers
of kbits per second delivered by the cell on uplink and on downlink to supply HSUPA, HSDPA and R99 users
with a R99 bearer.
8.2.3.7 Updating Cell Values With Simulation Results
After you have created a simulation or a group of simulations, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367, you
can update values for each cell with the results calculated during the simulation. The following values are updated:
Total Transmitted Power
UL Load Factor
UL Reuse Factor
Available HSDPA Power
Number of HSDPA Users
UL Load Factor due to HSUPA
Number of HSUPA Users.
To update cell values with simulation results:
1. Display the simulation results:
To display the results for a group of simulations:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
c. Right-click the group of simulations whose results you want to access.
d. Select Average Simulation from the context menu. A properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the group of simulations. Other tabs in the properties dialogue contain
simulation results for all simulations, both averaged and as a standard deviation.
To display the results for a single simulation:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
c. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose re-
sults you want to access.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears.
2. Click the Cells tab.
3. On the Cells tab, click Commit Loads. The following values are updated for each cell:
- Total Transmitted Power
- UL Load Factor
- UL Reuse Factor
- Available HSDPA Power
- Number of HSDPA Users
- UL Load Factor due to HSUPA
- Number of HSUPA Users.
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8.2.3.8 Adding NewSimulations to an Atoll Document
When you have created a simulation or group of simulations, you can re-examine the same conditions by adding new
simulations to the Atoll document. In Atoll, there are the following ways of adding new simulations:
Adding to a group: When you add one or more simulations to an existing group of simulations, Atoll reuses the
same input (radio, traffic, and simulation parameters) as those used to generate the group of simulations. It then
generates a new user distribution and performs the power control simulation.
To add a simulation to a group of simulations, see "Adding a Simulation to a Group of Simulations" on page 379.
Replaying a group: When you replay an existing group of simulations, Atoll reuses the same user distribution
(users with a service, a mobility and an activity status) and traffic parameters (such as, maximum and minimum
traffic channel powers allowed, Eb/Nt thresholds, etc.) as the ones used to calculate the initial simulation. On the
other hand, the shadowing error distribution between simulations is different and only radio data modifications
(new transmitters, changes to the antenna azimuth, etc.) are taken into account during the power control (or rate/
power control) simulation.
To replay a group of simulations, see "Replaying a Simulation or Group of Simulations" on page 379.
Using the Generator Initialisation Number: When you create groups of simulations using the same generator
initialisation number (which must be an integer other than 0) Atoll generates the same user and shadowing error
distributions (user with a service, a mobility, an activity status and a shadowing error) in all groups using the same
number. However, any modifications to traffic parameters (such as, maximum and minimum traffic channel powers
allowed, EbNt thresholds, etc.) and radio data (new transmitter, azimuth, etc.) are taken into account during the
power control simulation.
By creating and calculating one group of simulations, making a change to the network and then creating and calcu-
lating a new group of simulations using the same generator initialisation number, you can see the difference your
parameter changes make.
To create a new simulation to a group of simulations using the generator initialisation number, see "Adding a Simu-
lation to a Group of Simulations" on page 379.
Duplicating a Group: When you duplicate a group, Atoll creates a group of simulations with the same simulation
parameters as those used to generate the group of simulations. You can then modify the simulation parameters
before calculating the group.
To duplicate a group of simulations, see "Duplicating a Simulation or Group of Simulations" on page 380.
Adding a Simulation to a Group of Simulations
To add a simulation to an existing group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations to which you want to add a simulation. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue of the group of simulations appears.
5. On the General tab of the dialogue, if desired, change the Name and Comments for this group of simulations.
6. Under Execution on the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Number of Simulations: Enter the number of simulations to added to this group of simulations.
- Execute Later: If you select the Execute Later check box, the simulation will not be carried out until you click
the Calculate button ( ). If the Execute Later check box is not selected, the simulation will be carried out
as soon as you click OK and close the dialogue.
7. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
Replaying a Simulation or Group of Simulations
To replay an existing simulation or group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations you want to replay. The context menu appears.
4. Select Replay from the context menu.
5. Under Convergence, you can set the following parameters:
- Max Number of Iterations: Enter the maximum number of iterations that Atoll should run to make conver-
gence.
Note: When adding a simulation to an existing group of simulations, the parameters originally
used to calculate the group of simulations are used for the new simulations. Consequently,
few parameters can be changed for the added simulation.
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- UL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the uplink that must be reached between two iterations.
- DL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the downlink that must be reached between two iterations.
6. Under Bearer Negotiation on the General tab, check the Rate Downgrading check box if you want to permit
bearer downgrading during the simulation.
7. Under Cell Load Constraints, you can set the constraints as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367
that Atoll must respect during the simulation.
8. Select the level of detail as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 367 that will be available in the output
from the Information to retain list.
9. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
Creating a New Simulation or Group of Simulations Using the Generator Initialisation Number
To create a new simulation or group of simulations using the generator initialisation number:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the UMTS Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue for a new simulation or group of simulations appears.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Under Generator Initialisation, enter an integer as the generator initialisation value. The integer must be the
same generator initialisation number as used in the group of simulations with the user and shadowing error distri-
butions you want to use in this simulation or group of simulations. If you enter "0", the default, the user and shad-
owing error distribution will be random. If you enter any other integer, the same user and shadowing error
distribution will be used for any simulation using the same generator initialisation value.
6. For information on setting other parameters, see "Creating Simulations" on page 367.
Duplicating a Simulation or Group of Simulations
To duplicate an existing simulation or group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the simulation or group of simulations you want to duplicate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Duplicate from the context menu. The properties dialogue for the duplicated group of simulations appears.
You can change the parameters for the duplicated simulation or group of simulations as explained in "Creating
Simulations" on page 367.
8.2.3.9 Estimating a Traffic Increase
When you create simulation or a group of simulations, you are basing it on a set of traffic conditions that represent the
situation you are creating the network for. However, traffic can, and in fact most likely will, increase. You can test the
performance of the network against an increased traffic load without changing traffic parameters or maps by using the
global scaling factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of
subscribers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps per sector).
To change the global scaling factor:
1. Create a simulation or group of simulations by:
- Creating a new simulation or group of simulations as described in "Creating Simulations" on page 367.
- Duplicating an existing simulation or group of simulations as described in "Adding New Simulations to an Atoll
Document" on page 379.
2. Click the Source Traffic tab of the properties dialogue.
3. Enter a Global Scaling Factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the
initial number of subscribers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps
per sector).
8.2.4 Analysing the Results of a Simulation
In Atoll, you have several methods available to help you analyse simulation results. You can make an active set analysis
of a real-time probe user or you can make a coverage study where each pixel is considered as a probe user with a defined
terminal, mobility, and service. The analyses are based on a single simulation or on an averaged group of simulations.
Tip: You can create a new group of simulations with the same parameters as the original group
of simulations by duplicating an existing one as explained in "Duplicating a Simulation or
Group of Simulations" on page 380.
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You can find information on the analysis methods in the following sections:
"Making an AS Analysis of Simulation Results" on page 381
"Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results" on page 381.
8.2.4.1 Making an AS Analysis of Simulation Results
The Point Analysis window gives you information on reception for any point on the map. The AS Analysis tab gives you
information on the pilot quality (EcI0) (which is the main parameter used to define the mobile active set), the connection
status, and the active set of the probe mobile. Analysis is based on the UL load percentage and the DL total power of cells.
In this case, these parameters can be either outputs of a given simulation, or average values calculated from a group of
simulations. The analysis is provided for a user-definable probe receiver which has a terminal, a mobility and a service.
For information on the criteria for belonging to the active set, see "Conditions for Entering the Active Set" on page 396.
Before you make an AS analysis:
Ensure the simulation or group of simulations you want to use in the AS analysis is displayed on the map.
Replay the simulation or group of simulations you want to use if you have modified radio parameters since you
made the simulation.
To make an AS analysis of simulation results:
1. Click the Point Analysis button ( ) on the toolbar. The Point Analysis window appears. (see Figure 8.10).
2. Click the AS Analysis tab.
3. At the top of the AS Analysis tab, select from the Simulation list, the simulation or group of simulations you want
to base the AS analysis on.
4. Select the Terminal, Service, and Mobility.
5. Right-click the Point Analysis window and select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue
appears.
6. Select or clear the following options:
- Whether shadowing is to be taken into account (and, if so, the cell edge coverage probability and shadowing
margin).
- Whether indoor coverage is to be taken into account.
- Whether downgrading is allowed.
7. Click OK to close the Properties dialogue.
8. Move the pointer over the map to make an active set analysis for the current location of the pointer.
As you move the pointer, Atoll indicates on the map which is the best server for the current position (see
Figure 8.27 on page 338).
Information on the current position is given on the AS Analysis tab of the Point Analysis window. See Figure 8.28
on page 339 for an explanation of the displayed information.
9. Click the map to leave the point analysis pointer at its current position.
To move the pointer again, click the point analysis pointer on the map and drag it to a new position.
10. Click the Point Analysis button ( ) on the toolbar again to end the point analysis.
8.2.4.2 Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results
When no simulations are available, Atoll uses the UL load factor, the DL total power, the UL reuse factor, the HSDPA
power, the number of HSDPA users, the number of HSUPA users, and the UL load factor due to HSUPA defined for each
cell to make coverage predictions. For information on cell properties, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295; for
information on modifying cell properties, see "Cell Definition" on page 292.
Once you have made simulations, Atoll can use this information instead of the defined parameters in the cell properties
to make coverage predictions where each pixel is considered as a probe user with a terminal, mobility, profile, and service.
For each coverage prediction based on simulation results, you can base the coverage prediction on a selected simulation
or on a group of simulations, choosing either an average analysis of all simulations in the group or a statistical analysis
based on a defined probability.
The coverage predictions that can use simulation results are:
Coverage predictions on the pilot or on a service:
- Pilot Reception Analysis: For information on making a pilot reception analysis, see "Making a Pilot Signal
Quality Prediction" on page 332.
- Service Area Downlink: For information on making a coverage prediction on the downlink service area, see
"Studying Service Area (EbNt) Downlink or Uplink" on page 333.
Note: The AS analysis does not take possible network saturation into account. Therefore, there is
no guarantee that a simulated mobile with the same receiver characteristics can verify the
point analysis, simply because the simulated network may be saturated.
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- Service Area Uplink: For information on making a coverage prediction on the uplink service area, see "Stud-
ying Service Area (EbNt) Downlink or Uplink" on page 333.
- Effective Service Area: For information on making a pilot pollution coverage analysis, see "Studying Effective
Service Area" on page 334.
Coverage predictions on noise and interference:
- Downlink Total Noise: For information on making a downlink total noise coverage prediction, see "Studying
Downlink Total Noise" on page 336.
- Pilot Pollution: For information on making a pilot pollution coverage analysis, see "Calculating Pilot Pollution"
on page 337.
A handover status coverage prediction to analyse macro-diversity performance:
- Handoff Status: For information on making a handover status coverage prediction, see "Making a Handover
Status Coverage Prediction" on page 337.
An HSDPA coverage prediction to analyse A-DPCH qualities, HS-SCCH power or quality per HS-SCCH channel
and to model fast link adaptation.
- HSDPA Coverage Prediction: For information on making an HSDPA coverage prediction, see "HSDPA Cov-
erage Prediction" on page 339.
An HSUPA coverage prediction to analyse the required E-DPDCH Ec/Nt, the required terminal power, and the
obtained HSUPA bearer.
- HSUPA Coverage Prediction: For information on making an HSUPA coverage prediction, see "HSUPA Cov-
erage Prediction" on page 340.
The procedures for the coverage predictions assume that simulation results are not available. When no simulations are
available, you select "(None)" from the Simulation list, on the Condition tab. However, when simulations are available you
can base the coverage prediction on one simulation or a group of simulations.
To base a coverage prediction on a simulation or group of simulations, when setting the parameters:
1. Click the Condition tab.
2. From the Simulation list, select the simulation or group of simulations on which you want to base the coverage
prediction.
3. If you select a group of simulations from the Simulation list, select one of the following:
- All: If you select All to make a statistical analysis of all simulations based on the defined Probability (the prob-
ability must be between 0 and 1). This will make a global analysis of all simulations in a group and with an
evaluation of the network stability in terms of fluctuations in traffic.
- Average: Select Average make the coverage prediction on the average of the simulations in the group.
8.3 Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity
An important step in the process of creating a UMTS HSPA network is verifying the capacity of the network. This is done
using measurements of the strength of the pilot signal in different locations within the area covered by the network. This
collection of measurements is called a test mobile data path.
The data contained in a test mobile data path is used to verify the accuracy of current network parameters and to optimise
the network.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Importing a Test Mobile Data Path" on page 382
"Network Verification" on page 385
"Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window" on page 389
8.3.1 Importing a Test Mobile Data Path
In Atoll, you can analyse drive tests by importing test mobile data in the form of ASCII text files (with tabs, semi-colons,
or spaces as separator), TEMS FICS-Planet export files (with the extension PLN), or TEMS text export files (with the exten-
sion FMT).
For Atoll to be able to use the data in imported files, the imported files must contain the following information:
The position of test mobile data points. When you import the data, you must indicate which columns give the
abscissa and ordinate (XY coordinates) of each point.
Information identifying scanned cells (for example, serving cells, neighbour cells, or any other cells). In UMTS net-
works, a cell is identified by its scrambling code. Therefore, you must indicate during the import process which
columns contain the scrambling code of cells and the scrambling code format (decimal or hexadecimal) used in
the file. Because a scrambling code can belong to several groups, you can also indicate from which group the
scrambling code has been selected.
You can import a single test mobile data file or several test mobile data files at the same time. If you regularly import test
mobile data files of the same format, you can create an import configuration. The import configuration contains information
that defines the structure of the data in the test mobile data file. By using the import configuration, you will not need to
define the data structure each time you import a new test mobile data file.
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To import one or several test mobile data files:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Test Mobile Data folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. You can import one or several files. Select the file or files you want to open.
5. Click Open. The Import of Measurement Files dialogue appears.
6. If you already have an import configuration defining the data structure of the imported file or files, you can select
it from the Configuration list on the Setup tab of the Import of Measurement Files dialogue. If you do not have
an import configuration, continue with step 7.
a. Under Configuration, select an import configuration from the Configuration list.
b. Continue with step 10.
7. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Name: By default, Atoll names the new test mobile data path after the imported file. You can change this
name if desired.
- Under Receiver, set the Height of the receiver antenna and the Gain and Losses.
- Under Measurement Conditions,
- Units: Select the measurement units used.
- Coordinates: By default, Atoll imports the coordinates using the display system of the document. You
can convert the coordinates used in the file to the projection system used by the Atoll document by click-
ing the Browse button ( ) and selecting the appropriate system.
8. Click the Setup tab (see Figure 8.38).
Note: If you are importing more than one file, you can select contiguous files by clicking the first
file you want to import, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last file you want to import. You
can select non-contiguous files by pressing CTRL and clicking each file you want to
import.
Note: Files with the extension PLN, as well as some FMT files (created with previous versions of
TEMS) are imported directly into Atoll; you will not be asked to define the data structure
using the Import of Measurement Files dialogue.
Notes:
When importing a test mobile data path file, existing configurations are available in the Files of
type list of the Open dialogue, sorted according to their date of creation. After you have selected
a file and clicked Open, Atoll automatically proposes a configuration, if it recognises the exten-
sion. In case several configurations are associated with an extension, Atoll chooses the first
configuration in the list.
The defined configurations are stored in the file "MeasImport.ini". This file is located in the direc-
tory where Atoll is installed. For more information on the MeasImport.ini file, see the Adminis-
trator Manual.
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Figure 8.38: The Setup tab of the Import of Measurement Files dialogue
a. Under File, enter the number of the 1st Measurement Row, select the data Separator, and select the Dec-
imal Symbol used in the file.
b. Click Setup to link file columns and internal Atoll fields. The Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue ap-
pears.
c. Select the columns in the imported file that give the X-Coordinates and the Y-Coordinates of each point in
the test mobile data file.
d. In the SC Group Identifier box, enter a string that must be found in the column names identifying the scram-
bling code group of scanned cells. For example, if the string "SC_Group" is found in the column names iden-
tifying the scrambling code group of scanned cells, enter it here. Atoll will then search for columns with this
string in the column name.
If there is no scrambling code group information contained in the test mobile data file, leave the SC Group
Identifier box empty.
e. In the SC Identifier box, enter a string that must be found in the column names identifying the scrambling code
of scanned cells. For example, if the string "SC" is found in the column names identifying the scrambling code
of scanned cells, enter it here. Atoll will then search for columns with this string in the column name.
f. From the Scramb. Code Format list, select the scrambling code format, either "Decimal" or "Hexadecimal."
g. Click OK to close the Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue.
9. If you wish to save the definition of the data structure so that you can use it again, you can save it as an import
configuration:
a. On the Setup tab, under Configuration, enter the Extension of the files that this import configuration will de-
scribe (for example, "*.csv").
b. Click Save and enter a name for this import configuration in the Saving Configuration dialogue.
c. Click OK.
Atoll will now select this import configuration automatically every time you import a test mobile data path file
with the selected extension. If you import a file with the same structure but a different extension, you will be
able to select this import configuration from the Configuration list.
Note: You can also identify the columns containing the XY coordinates of each point in the test
mobile data file by selecting them from the Field row of the table on the Setup tab.
Important:
If you have correctly entered the information under File on the Setup tab, and the necessary
values in the Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue, Atoll should recognize all columns in
the imported file. If not, you can click the name of the column in the table in the Field row and
select the column name. For each field, you must ensure that each column has the correct data
type in order for the data to be correctly interpreted. The default value under Type is "<Ignore>".
If a column is marked with "<Ignore>", it will not be imported.
The data in the file must be structured so that the columns identifying the scrambling code group
and the scrambling code are placed before the data columns for each cell. Otherwise Atoll will
not be able to properly import the file.
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10. Click Import, if you are only importing a single file, or Import All, if you are importing more than one file. The
mobile data are imported into the current Atoll document.
8.3.2 Network Verification
The imported test mobile data is used to verify the UMTS HSPA network. To improve the relevance of the data, Atoll
allows you to filter out incompatible or inaccurate points. You can then use the data for coverage predictions, either by
comparing the imported measurements with previously calculated coverage predictions, or by creating new coverage
predictions using the imported test mobile data.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths" on page 385
"Comparing Measurements with Predictions" on page 386
"Extracting a Field From a Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter" on page 387
"Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on page 388.
8.3.2.1 Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths
When using a test mobile data path, some measured points may present values that are too far outside of the median
values to be useful in calibration. As well, test paths may include test points in areas that are not representative of the test
mobile data path as a whole. For example, a test path that includes two heavily populated areas might also include test
points from the more lightly populated region between the two.
In Atoll, you can filter out points that are incompatible with the points you are studying, either by filtering out the clutter
classes where the incompatible points are located, or by filtering out points according to their properties.
To filter out incompatible points by clutter class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to filter incompatible points. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Filter tab.
6. By default, the data in all clutter classes is displayed. Clear the check box of each clutter class whose points you
do not want to use.
7. Click OK to apply the filter and close the dialogue.
To filter out incompatible points using a filter:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to filter incompatible points. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Filter tab.
6. Click More. The Filter dialogue appears.
7. Click the Filter tab:
a. Select a Field from the list.
b. Under Values to Include, you will find all the values represented in the selected field. Select the check boxes
next to the values you want to include in the filter. Click Clear All to clear all check boxes.
8. Click the Advanced tab:
a. In the Column row, select the name of the column to be filtered on from the list. Select as many columns as
you want (see Figure 8.39).
Note: You can permanently delete the points located in the clutter classes whose check boxes
you clear by selecting the Delete points outside the filter check box.
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Figure 8.39: The Filter dialogue - Advanced tab
b. Underneath each column name, enter the criteria on which the column will be filtered as explained in the fol-
lowing table:
9. Click OK to filter the data according to the criteria you have defined.
Combinations of filters are first made horizontally, then vertically. For more information on filters, see "Advanced
Data Filtering" on page 55.
10. Click OK to apply the filter and close the dialogue.
8.3.2.2 Comparing Measurements with Predictions

8.3.2.2.1 Creating Coverage Predictions for Test Mobile Data Paths
You can create the following coverage predictions for all transmitters on each point of a test mobile data path:
Pilot signal level and coverage by signal level
Pilot reception analysis (EcI0), service area (EbNt) downlink, and service area (EbNt) uplink.
To create a coverage prediction along a test mobile data path:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data to which you want to add a coverage prediction. The context menu appears.
4. Select Calculations > Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
5. Under Standard Studies, select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
- Coverage by Signal Level: Click the Condition tab.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be calculated. Under Server, you
can select whether to calculate the signal level from all transmitters, or only the best or second-best signal.
If you choose to calculate the best or second-best signal, you can enter a Margin. If you select the Shad-
owing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Probability. You can
select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.
Finally, you can select the Carrier to be studied.
Formula Data are kept in the table only if
=X value equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<>X value not equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<X numerical value is less than X
>X numerical value is greater than X
<=X numerical value is less than or equal to X
>=X numerical value is greater than or equal to X
*X* text objects which contain X
*X text objects end with X
X* text objects which start with X
Note: The Refresh Geo Data option available in the context menu of Test Mobile Data paths ena-
bles you to update heights (Alt DTM, Clutter height, DTM+Clutter) and the clutter class of
test mobile data points after adding new geographic maps or modifying existing ones.
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- Pilot Reception Analysis (EcI0): Click the Condition tab.
- On the Condition tab, you can select which Simulation to study. Or you can select a group of simulations
and either select All to perform an average analysis of all simulations in the group based on a Probability
(between 0 and 1) or select Average to perform statistical analysis of all simulations.
- If you want to perform the coverage prediction without a simulation, you can select "(None)" from Simu-
lation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total
power defined in the cell properties.
- You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on
page 328. You must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
- If you want the pilot signal quality prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken
into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Service Area (EbNt) Downlink: Click the Condition tab.
- On the Condition tab, you can select which Simulation to study. Or you can select a group of simulations
and either select All to perform an average analysis of all simulations in the group based on a Probability
(between 0 and 1) or select Average to perform statistical analysis of all simulations.
- If you want to perform the coverage prediction without a simulation, you can select "(None)" from Simu-
lation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total
power defined in the cell properties.
- You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on
page 328. You must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
- If you want the service area (Eb/Nt) coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shad-
owing taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability
text box.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Service Area (EbNt) Uplink: Click the Condition tab.
- On the Condition tab, you can select which Simulation to study. Or you can select a group of simulations
and either select All to perform an average analysis of all simulations in the group based on a Probability
(between 0 and 1) or select Average to perform statistical analysis of all simulations.
- If you want to perform the coverage prediction without a simulation, you can select "(None)" from Simu-
lation. In this case, Atoll calculates the coverage prediction using the UL load factor and the DL total
power defined in the cell properties.
- You must select a Terminal, Service, and Mobility, as defined in "Service and User Modelling" on
page 328. You must also select which Carrier is to be considered.
- If you want the service area (Eb/Nt) coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shad-
owing taken into account check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability
text box.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
6. When you have finished setting the parameters for the coverage prediction, click OK.
You can create a new coverage prediction by repeating the procedure from step 1. to step 6. for each new cover-
age prediction.
7. When you have finished creating new coverage predictions for these test mobile data, right-click the test mobile
data. The context menu appears.
8. Select Calculations > Calculate All the Studies from the context menu.
A new column for each coverage prediction is added in the table for the test mobile data. The column contains the
predicted values of the selected parameters for the transmitter. The propagation model used is the one assigned
to the transmitter for the main matrix (for information on the propagation model, see "Chapter 5: Propagation
Models").
You can display the information in these new columns in the Test Mobile Data window. For more information on
the Test Mobile Data window, see "Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on page 388.
8.3.2.3 Extracting a Field Froma Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter
You can extract a specific field for a specific transmitter on each point of an existing test mobile data path. The extracted
information will be added to a new column in the table for the test mobile data.
To extract a field from a test mobile path:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to extract a field. The context menu appears.
4. Select Focus on a Transmitter from the context menu. The Field Select for a Given Transmitter dialogue
appears.
5. Select a transmitter from the On the Transmitter list.
6. Click the For the Fields list. The list opens.
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7. Select the check box beside the field you want extract for the selected transmitter.
8. Click OK. Atoll creates a new column in the test mobile path data table for the selected transmitters and with the
selected values.
8.3.2.4 Analysing Data Variations Along the Path
In Atoll, you can analyse variations in data along any test mobile data path using the Test Mobile Data window. You can
also use the Test Mobile Data window to see which cell is the serving cell for a given test point.
To analyse data variations using the Test Mobile Data window.
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data you want to analyse. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open the Analysis Tool from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window appears (see Figure 8.40).
Figure 8.40: The Test Mobile Data window
5. Click Display at the top of the Test Mobile Data window. The Display Parameters dialogue appears (see
Figure 8.40).
Figure 8.41: The Test Mobile Data window
Note: Atoll can display the best server and up to six other servers in the active set. If you want to
display for example, the point signal level, remember to select the check box for the point
signal level for all servers in the For the Fields list. The new column will then display the
point signal level for the selected transmitter for all servers if a value exists.
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6. In the Display Parameters dialogue:
- Select the check box next to any field you want to display in the Test Mobile Data window.
- If you wish, you can change the display colour by clicking the colour in the Colour column and selecting a new
colour from the palette that appears.
- Click OK to close the Display Parameters dialogue.
The selected fields are displayed in the Test Mobile Data window.
7. You can display the data in the test mobile path in two ways:
- Click the values in the Test Mobile Data window.
- Click the points on the test mobile path in the map window.
The test mobile data path appears in the map window as an arrow pointing towards the serving cell, with a number
identifying the best server (see Figure 8.40 on page 388). If the transmitter display type is "Automatic," both the
number and the arrow are displayed in the same colour as the transmitter. For information on changing the display
type to "Automatic," see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
8. You can change the zoom level of the Test Mobile Data window display in the Test Mobile Data window in the
following ways:
- Zoom in or out:
i. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window.
ii. Select Zoom In or Zoom Out from the context menu.
- Select the data to zoom in on:
i. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window on one end of the range of data you want to zoom in on.
ii. Select First Zoom Point from the context menu.
iii. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window on the other end of the range of data you want to zoom in on.
iv. Select Last Zoom Point from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window zooms in on the data be-
tween the first zoom point and the last zoom point.
8.3.3 Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window
You can print or export the contents of the Test Mobile Data window, using the context menu in the Test Mobile Data
window.
To print or export the contents of the Test Mobile Data window:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data you want to analyse. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open the Analysis Tool from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window appears (see Figure 8.40
on page 388).
5. Define the display parameters and zoom level as explained in "Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on
page 388.
6. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window. The context menu appears.
To export the Test Mobile Data window:
a. Select Copy from the context menu.
b. Open the document into which you want to paste the contents of the Test Mobile Data window.
c. Paste the contents of the Test Mobile Data window into the new document.
To print the Test Mobile Data window:
a. Select Print from the context menu. The Print dialogue appears.
b. Click OK to print the contents of the Test Mobile Data window.
Note: You can change the display status or the colour of more than one field at a time. You can
select contiguous fields by clicking the first field, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last field
you want to import. You can select non-contiguous fields by pressing CTRL and clicking
each field. You can then change the display status or the colour by right-clicking on the
selected fields and selecting the choice from the context menu.
Tip: If you open the table for the test mobile data you are displaying in the Test Mobile Data
window, Atoll will automatically display in the table the data for the point that is displayed in
the map and in the Test Mobile Data window (see Figure 8.40 on page 388).
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8.4 Advanced Configuration
In this section, the following advanced configuration options are explained:
"Defining Inter-Carrier Interference" on page 390
"Defining Frequency Bands" on page 390
"The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 390
"Site Equipment" on page 393
"Conditions for Entering the Active Set" on page 396
"Modelling Shadowing" on page 397.
8.4.1 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference
If you want Atoll to take into account the interference between two carriers, you must create a carrier pair with an interfer-
ence reduction factor. Atoll will take the interference reduction factor into account on both the uplink and the downlink.
To create a pair of carriers with an interference reduction factor:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Interference Reduction Factors from the context menu. The Inter-Carrier Interference Reduc-
tion Factor table appears.
4. For each carrier pair for which you want define inter-carrier interference:
a. Enter the first carrier of the pair in the 1st Carrier column.
b. Enter the second carrier of the pair in the 2nd Carrier column.
c. Enter an interference reduction factor in the Reduction Factor (dB) column. When Atoll is calculating inter-
ference, it subtracts the interference reduction factor from the calculated interference. If the interference re-
duction factor is set to "0," Atoll assumes that the carriers in the defined pair generate as much interference
as cells with the same carrier interference.
For every pair of carriers that is not defined, Atoll assumes that there is no inter-carrier interference.
d. Press ENTER to create the carrier pair and to create a new row in the table.
8.4.2 Defining Frequency Bands
To define frequency bands:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Frequency Bands > Open Table from the context menu.
4. In the table, enter one frequency band per row. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with
Data Tables" on page 41. For each frequency band, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the frequency, for example, "Band 2100." This name will appear in other dialogues
when you select a frequency band.
- Average Frequency (MHz): Enter the average frequency.
- First Carrier: Enter the number of the first carrier in this frequency band.
- Last Carrier: Enter the number of the last carrier in this frequency band. If this frequency band has only one
carrier, enter the same number as entered in the First Carrier field.
- Spreading Width (MHz): Enter the width, in MHz, that this frequency band will cover.
5. When you have finished adding frequency bands, click Close.
8.4.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters
On the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue, you can define many network parameters that
are used in UMTS power control simulations. Many parameters are used as default values for all transmitters.
This section explains the options available on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue, and
explains how to access the tab:
"The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 391
"Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 391.
Important: When you have more than one frequency band, the carriers must be numbered sequen-
tially, contiguously (i.e., you cannot skip numbers in a range of carriers, and the range of
carriers in one band cannot overlap the range of carriers in another), and uniquely (i.e., you
can only use each number once).
For example:
Band 2100: First carrier: 0; Last carrier 1 and Band 900: First carrier: 2 and Last carrier: 2
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8.4.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab
The Global Parameters tab has the following options:
DL Power: Under DL Power, you can define whether the power values on the downlink are Absolute or Relative
to Pilot. The power values affected are the synchronisation channel and other common channels powers defined
in the cell properties, as well as the minimum and maximum traffic channel powers per R99 radio bearer.
Interferences: Under Interferences, you can define the parameters used to calculate interference on the down-
link: the orthogonality factor, and the method used to calculate I0 and Nt.
- Default Ortho. Factor: The default orthogonality factor (between 0 and 1) enables you to take into account
the non-orthogonality of OVSF codes caused by multipath.
- I0: You can select "Total noise" and Atoll will calculate I0 using the noise generated by all transmitters plus
thermal noise or you can "Without pilot" and Atoll will calculate I0 using the total noise less the pilot signal and
orthogonal part of traffic channels and other common channels.
- Nt: You can select "Total noise" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the noise generated by all transmitters plus
thermal noise or you can select "Without useful signal" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the total noise less the
signal of the studied cell.
Handoff: Under Handoff, you can define the parameters used to model soft handoff on the uplink.
- Default UL Macro-Diversity Gain: You can set a default value for the uplink gain due to macro-diversity on
soft and soft-soft handovers. If you clear the Shadowing taken into account check box on the Condition tab
when defining a coverage prediction or during a point analysis, Atoll uses this value. If you select the Shad-
owing taken into account check box on the Condition tab, Atoll calculates the UL macro-diversity gain,
based on the standard deviation value of EbNt on the uplink defined per clutter class.
- +MRC in Softer/Soft: If you select the +MRC (maximal ratio combining) in Softer/Soft check box, Atoll
selects the serving cell during a softer/soft handover by recombining the signal of co-site transmitters and mul-
tiplying the resulting signal by the rake efficiency factor and then comparing this value to the signal received
at transmitters located on the other sites of the active set. Atoll chooses the greatest value and multiplies it
by the macro-diversity gain.
Compressed Mode: Under Compressed Mode, you can define the parameters related to compressed mode.
Compressed mode is used when a mobile supporting compressed mode is connected to a cell located on a site
with a compressed-mode-capable equipment and either the pilot RSCP, or the received EcI0, or both of them are
lower than the defined activation thresholds.
- RSCP Activation Threshold: You can select the RSCP Active check box and enter a RSCP Activation
Threshold.
- EcI0 Activation Threshold: You can select the EcI0 Active check box and enter a EcI0 Activation
Threshold.
- EbNt UL and DL Target Increase: When compressed mode is activated, EbNt requirements in UL and DL
are increased. In order to take this into account, Atoll adds UL and DL EbNt target increase values to the UL
and DL EbNt requirements set for each radio bearer.
HSDPA: Under HSDPA, you can define how total noise is calculated and how the CQI (Channel Quality Indicator)
is evaluated for HSDPA.
- Nt: You can select "Total noise" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the noise generated by all transmitters plus
thermal noise (whatever the hell that is) or you can select "Without useful signal" and Atoll will calculate Nt as
the total noise less the signal of the studied cell.
- CQI: You can select Based on CPICH quality and Atoll will measure the CQI based on the pilot EcNt or you
can select Based on HS-PDSCH quality and Atoll will measure the CQI based on the HS-PDSCH EcNt.
Depending on the option selected, you will have to define either a CQI=f(CPICH Ec/Nt) graph, or a CQI=f(HS-
PDSCH Ec/Nt) graph in the Properties dialogue of the terminal equipment. The calculated CQI will be used
to determine the best bearer.
8.4.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters
You can change global transmitter parameters on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue.
To change global transmitter parameters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Global Parameters tab.
5. Modify the parameters described in "The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 391.
6. Click OK.
Note: You must select either the RSCP Active check box or the EcI0 Active check box or both.
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8.4.4 Radio Bearers
Bearer services are used by the network for carrying information. In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining R99 Radio Bearers" on page 392
"Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers" on page 393
"Defining HSUPA Radio Bearers" on page 393.
8.4.4.1 Defining R99 Radio Bearers
Bearer services are used by the network for carrying information. The R99 Radio Bearer table lists all the available radio
bearers. You can create new R99 radio bearers and modify existing ones by using the R99 Radio Bearer table.
Only the following R99 radio bearer parameters are used in predictions:
Max TCH Power (dBm)
UL and DL Target (dB) per mobility
The type of bearer.
To create or modify an R99 radio bearer:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select R99 Radio Bearer from the context menu. The R99 Radio Bearer table appears.
5. In the R99 Radio Bearer table, you can enter or modify the following fields:
- Name: You can modify the name of the bearer. If you are creating a new R99 radio bearer, enter a name in
the row marked with the New Row icon ( ).
- Nominal Uplink Rate (Kbps): Enter or modify the nominal uplink rate in kilobytes per second.
- Nominal Downlink Rate (Kbps): Enter or modify the nominal downlink rate in kilobytes per second.
- Type: Select or modify the service type. There are four classes: Conversational, Streaming, Interactive, and
Background. This field corresponds to the QoS (quality of service) class or traffic class that the bearer will
belong to.
- Uplink Coding Factor: Enter or modify the uplink coding factor.
- Downlink Coding Factor: Enter or modify the downlink coding factor. The uplink and downlink coding factors
model the data rate increase due to coding operations (CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) attachment, trans-
port block concatenation and code block segmentation, channel coding, radio frame equalisation, interleaving,
radio frame segmentation, and rate matching). The uplink and downlink coding factors are only used to esti-
mate the number of OVSF codes required by the service.
- UL DPCCH/DPCH Power Ratio: Enter or modify the uplink DPCCH (Dedicated Physical Control Channel)/
DPCH (Dedicated Physical Channel) power ratio. The DPCH power is the combination of the DPCCH and the
DPDCH (Dedicated Physical Data Channel) power.
- DL DPCCH/DPCH Power Ratio: Enter or modify the downlink DPCCH (Dedicated Physical Control Channel)/
DPCH (Dedicated Physical Channel) power ratio.
- Min. TCH Power (dBm): Enter or modify the minimum traffic channel power. The minimum and maximum
traffic channel power make up the dynamic range for downlink power control.
- Max TCH Power (dBm): Enter or modify the maximum traffic channel power.
6. When you have finished entering or modifying the R99 radio bearer parameters, double-click the row of the R99
radio bearer to open the bearers Properties dialogue. The Properties dialogue appears.
7. Click the General tab. The options on the General tab are the same as those already described in step 5. The
uplink and downlink Spreading Factor is calculated automatically by Atoll according to 3GPP specifications. The
coding factor is only used to evaluate the spreading factor, i.e. the number of OVSF codes required by the service.
8. Click the EbNt tab. On the EbNt tab, you can define downlink and uplink EbNt requirements. These are the
thresholds (in dB) that must be reached to provide users with the service. These parameters depend on the
mobility type and reception equipment; these parameters must be defined for each possible combination of
mobility type and reception equipment.
Using Transmission (Tx) and Reception (Rx) diversity results in a quality gain on received downlink and uplink
EbNt. In Atoll, this is modelled by reducing the downlink and uplink EbNt requirements. Therefore, in addition to
downlink and uplink EbNt requirements, you can specify gains on received downlink and uplink EbNt for each
possible diversity configuration. Atoll will consider them when Tx or Rx diversity configurations are assigned to
transmitters.
- Mobility: Select a mobility type from the list.
- Reception Equipment: Select a type of reception equipment from the list. You can create a new type of
reception equipment by opening the Reception Equipment table. To open the Reception Equipment table,
right-click the Terminals folder in the UMTS Parameters folder on the Data tab and select Reception Equip-
ment from the context menu.
Note: The maximum and minimum traffic channel powers can be either absolute values or values
relative to the pilot power; this depends on the option defined on the Global Parameters tab
of the Transmitters Properties dialogue.
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- UL Target (dB): Enter or modify the uplink (EbNt) threshold.
- UL 2RX div. Gain (dB): Enter or modify the two-receiver uplink diversity gain in dB.
- UL 4RX div. Gain (dB): Enter or modify the four-receiver uplink diversity gain in dB.
- DL Target (dB): Enter or modify the downlink (EbNt) threshold.
- DL Open Loop div. Gain (dB): Enter or modify the downlink open loop diversity gain in dB.
- DL Closed Loop div. Gain (dB): Enter or modify the downlink closed loop diversity gain in dB.
9. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialogue.
8.4.4.2 Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers
In each cell, the scheduler selects the HSDPA resource per UE and per TTI. This HSDPA resource is called a TFRC
(Transport Format Resource Combination) and is the set of parameters such as the transport format, the modulation
scheme, and the number of used HS-PDSCH channels. In Atoll, the TFRC are referred to as HSDPA radio bearers.
During a simulation, and for the HSDPA coverage prediction, Atoll selects a suitable HSDPA radio bearer and uses its
RLC peak rate. The HSDPA radio bearer selection is based on UE capabilities (maximum number of HS-PDSCH chan-
nels, transport block size, and whether it uses 16 QAM modulation), cell capabilities (maximum number of HS-PDSCH
channels), and reported CQI.
The HSDPA Radio Bearer table lists the available HSDPA radio bearers. You can create new HSDPA radio bearers and
modify existing ones by using the HSDPA Radio Bearer table.
To open the HSDPA Radio Bearer table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSDPA Radio Bearer from the context menu. The HSDPA Radio Bearer table appears with the following
information:
- Radio Bearer Index: The bearer index number.
- Transport Block Size (Bits): The transport block size in bits.
- Number of HS-PDSCH Channels Used: The number of HS-PDSCH channels used.
- 16QAM Modulation Used: The check box is selected if the HSDPA radio bearer uses 16QAM modulation. If
this option is not selected, Atoll assumes that QPSK modulation is used.
- RLC Peak Rate (bps): The RLC peak rate represents the peak rate without coding (redundancy, overhead,
addressing, etc.).
8.4.4.3 Defining HSUPA Radio Bearers
In each cell, the scheduler selects the HSUPA resource per UE, per Node B, and per user service. This HSUPA resource
is called a TFC (Transport Format Combination) and requires a defined ratio of E-DPDCH power over DPCCH power. This
ratio is modelled as the required E-DPDCH EcNt. The combination of the TFC and the power offset is modelled in Atoll
as HSUPA radio bearers.
During a simulation, and for the HSUPA coverage prediction, Atoll selects a suitable HSUPA radio bearer. The HSUPA
radio bearer selection is based on UE capabilities (maximum number of E-DPDCH codes, smallest spreading factor, and
TTI length) and the required E-DPDCH EcNt.
The HSUPA Radio Bearer table lists the available HSUPA radio bearers.
To open the HSUPA Radio Bearer table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSUPA Radio Bearer from the context menu. The HSUPA Radio Bearer table appears:
- Radio Bearer Index: The bearer index number.
- TTI Duration (ms): The TTI duration in ms. The TTI can be 2 or 10 ms.
- Transport Block Size (Bits): The transport block size in bits.
- Number of E-DPDCH Codes: The number of E-DPDCH channels used.
- Minimum Spreading Factor: The minimum spreading factor used.
- RLC Peak Rate (bps): The RLC peak rate represents the peak rate without coding (redundancy, overhead,
addressing, etc.).
8.4.5 Site Equipment
8.4.5.1 Creating Site Equipment
To create a new piece of UMTS site equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Open Table from the context menu. The Equipment table appears.
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4. In the Equipment table, each row describes a piece of equipment. For information on working with data tables,
see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41. For the new piece of UMTS equipment you are creating, enter the
following:
- Name: The name you enter will be the one used to identify this piece of equipment.
- Manufacturer: The name of the manufacturer of this piece of equipment.
- MUD factor: Multi-User Detection (MUD) is a technology used to decrease intra-cellular interference in the
uplink. MUD is modelled by a coefficient between 0 and 1; this factor is considered in the UL interference cal-
culation. In case MUD is not supported by equipment, enter 0 as value.
- Rake receiver efficiency factor: This factor enables Atoll to model the rake receiver on UL. Atoll uses this
factor to calculate the uplink SHO gain and uplink signal quality in simulations, point-to-point handover anal-
ysis and coverage studies. This parameter is considered in the uplink for softer and softer-softer handovers;
it is applied to the sum of signals received on the same site. The factor value can be between 0 and 1. It models
losses due to the imperfection of signal recombination.
- Carrier selection: Carrier selection refers to the carrier selection method used during the transmitter admis-
sion control in the mobile active set. The selected strategy is used in simulations when no carrier is specified
in the properties of the service (all the carriers can be used for the service) or when the carrier specified for
the service is not used by the transmitter. On the other hand, the specified carrier selection mode is always
taken into account in predictions (AS analysis and coverage studies). Choose one of the following:
- UL min. noise: The carrier with the minimum UL noise (carrier with the lowest UL load factor) is selected.
- DL min. power: The carrier with the minimum DL total power is selected.
- Random: The carrier is randomly chosen.
- Sequential: Carriers are sequentially loaded. The first carrier is selected as long as it is not overloaded.
Then, when the maximum uplink load factor is reached, the second carrier is chosen and so on.
- Overhead uplink and downlink CEs: The overhead uplink and downlink channel elements (CEs) correspond
to the numbers of channel elements that a cell uses for common channels in the uplink and downlink. This
setting is also used for OVSF code allocation; it indicates the number of OVSF codes to be allocated to control
channels per cell.
- AS restricted to neighbours: Select this option if you want the other transmitters in the active set to belong
to the neighbour list of the best server.
- Compressed Mode: If you select this option, cells located on sites with this equipment are able to manage
compressed mode when radio conditions require it. Compressed mode is generally used to prepare the hard
handover of users with single receiver terminals.
5. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.
8.4.5.2 Defining Channel Element Consumption per UMTS Site Equipment and
R99 Radio Bearer
The number of channel elements consumed by a user depends on the site equipment, on the R99 radio bearer, and the
link direction (up or down). The number of channel elements consumed can be defined for UMTS simulations.
To define channel element consumption during UMTS simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Channel Element Consumption from the context menu. The CE Consumption table
appears.
4. For each equipment-R99 radio bearer pair, enter in the CE Consumption table the number of UL and DL channel
elements that Atoll will consume during the power control simulation.
5. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.
8.4.6 Receiver Equipment
8.4.6.1 Setting Receiver Height
When you make UMTS coverage predictions, you can define the height of the receiver.
To define the height of the receiver:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Receiver tab.
5. Enter a receiver Height. This value will be used when calculating a UMTS coverage predictions and a point
analysis.
Note: The rake efficiency factor used to model the recombination in downlink can be set in termi-
nal properties.
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6. Click OK.
8.4.6.2 Creating or Modifying Reception Equipment
In Atoll, reception equipment is used when you create a terminal. The graphs defined for each reception equipment entry
are used for quality studies and for selecting HSDPA and HSUPA bearers.
To create or modify reception equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Reception Equipment from the context menu. The Reception Equipment table appears.
"Standard" is the default reception equipment type for all terminals.
5. Double-click the reception equipment type you want to modify. The reception equipment types Properties dia-
logue appears.
6. Click the Quality Graphs tab.
7. Ensure that a Quality Indicator has been chosen for each R99 Bearer. You can edit the values in the DL and UL
Quality Indicator Tables by clicking directly on the table entry, or by selecting the Quality Indicator and clicking
the Downlink Quality Graphs or the Uplink Quality Graphs buttons.
The DL and UL Quality Indicator tables describe the variation of the quality indicator as a function of the meas-
ured parameter (as defined in the Quality Indicators table). The Uplink and Downlink Quality Graphs are used
for quality studies. If no Mobility is entered, the values in the quality graphs are used for all mobility types.
8. Click the HSDPA Bearer Selection tab.
9. Ensure that the values for each Mobility in the CQI Table and the Best HSDPA Bearer Table have been entered.
You can edit the values in the CQI Table and the Best HSDPA Bearer Table by clicking directly on the table entry,
or by selecting the Mobility and clicking the CQI Graph or the Best Bearer Graph buttons.
The CQI table describes the variation of the CPICH CQI as a function of the CPICH Ec/Nt (or the variation of HS-
PDSCH CQI as a function of the HS-PDSCH Ec/Nt); the values displayed depend on the calculation parameter
you have selected in the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue (for more information,
see "The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 391).
The Best HSDPA Bearer table describes the index of the best HSDPA bearer as a function of the HS-PDSCH
CQI.
The CQI graphs and best bearer graphs are used in the simulation and in the HSDPA prediction study to model
fast link adaptation (selection of the HSDPA bearer).
The supplier RRM (radio resource management) strategy can be taken into account using the Best HSDPA
Bearer table, for example:
- You can define several pieces of reception equipment with a separate table for each. You can reserve low
bearer indexes for poor-performance reception equipment and higher bearer indexes for high-performance
equipment.
- You can specify a graph for each mobility. Here, you can reserve low bearer indexes for high speeds and
higher bearer indexes for low speeds.
- You can also give priority to either one user by assigning him a high bearer index or to all users by assigning
them low bearer indexes.
10. Click the HSDPA Quality Graphs tab.
11. Ensure that a Quality Indicator has been chosen for each Radio Bearer Index. You can edit the values in the
DL Quality Indicator Table by clicking directly on the table entry, or by selecting the Quality Indicator and
clicking the Downlink Quality Graph button.
The Downlink Quality table describes the variation of the BLER as a function of the HS-PDSCH EcNt. It is used
to calculate the application throughput for the HSDPA coverage prediction. If no Mobility is entered, the values in
the quality graphs are used for all mobility types.
12. Click the HSUPA Bearer Selection tab.
13. Ensure that, for each Radio Bearer Index and Mobility pair, you have entered a value for the Number of
Retransmissions and for the Requested EcNt Threshold.
The values are used in the simulation and in the HSUPA prediction to model noise rise scheduling and in the selec-
tion of the HSUPA radio bearer.
Early Termination Probabilities is intended for future use; it is not at present used by Atoll.
14. Click the HSUPA Quality Graphs tab.
Note: You can create a new reception equipment type by entering a name in the row marked with
the New Row icon ( ) and pressing ENTER.
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15. Ensure that a Quality Indicator has been chosen for each Radio Bearer Index and that there is a value defined
for the Number of Retransmissions. You can edit the values in the UL Quality Indicator Table by clicking
directly on the table entry, or by selecting the Quality Indicator and clicking the Uplink Quality Graph button.
The Uplink Quality table describes the variation of the BLER as a function of the E-DPDCH EcNt. It is used to
calculate the application throughput for the HSUPA coverage prediction. If no Mobility is entered, the values in
the quality graphs are used for all mobility types.
16. Click OK to close the reception equipment types Properties dialogue.
8.4.6.3 HSDPA UE Categories
HSDPA user equipment capabilities are standardised into 12 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
To edit a UE category:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSDPA User Equipment Categories from the context menu. The HSDPA User Equipment Categories
table appears.
5. The HSDPA User Equipment Categories table has the following columns:
- Category: The number identifying the HSDPA UE category.
- Max. Number of HS-PDSCH Channels: The maximum number of HS-PDSCH channels allowed for the cat-
egory.
- Min. Number of TTI Between Two TTI Used: The minimum number of TTI (Transmission Time Interval)
between two TTI used.
- Max. Transport Block Size (bits): The maximum transport block size allowed for the category.
- 16QAM Modulation: Select the check box if the category supports 16QAM modulation. If 16QAM modulation
is not selected, QPSK is used.
8.4.6.4 HSUPA UE Categories
HSUPA user equipment capabilities are standardised into 6 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
To edit a UE category:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the UMTS Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSUPA User Equipment Categories from the context menu. The HSUPA User Equipment Categories
table appears.
5. The HSUPA User Equipment Categories table has the following columns:
- Category: The number identifying the HSUPA UE category.
- Max. Number of E-DPDCH Codes: The maximum number of E-DPDCH codes allowed for the category.
- TTI 2 ms: Select the check box if a TTI of 2 ms is supported. If a 2 ms TTI is not selected, a 10 ms TTI is used.
- Minimum Spreading Factor: Enter the minimum spreading factor supported.
- Maximum Block Size for a 2 ms TTI (bits): The maximum transport block size allowed for a 2 ms TTI.
- Maximum Block Size for a 10 ms TTI (bits): The maximum transport block size allowed for a 10 ms TTI.
8.4.7 Conditions for Entering the Active Set
The mobile active set is the list of the transmitters to which the mobile is connected. The active set may consist of one or
more transmitters; depending on whether the service supports soft handover and on the terminal active set size. The qual-
ity of the pilot (EcI0) is what determines whether or not a transmitter can belong to the active set.
In order for a given transmitter to enter the mobile active set as best server, the pilot quality from this transmitter must
exceed an upper threshold defined in the properties of the mobility type. In addition, the pilot quality must be the highest
one.
In order for a transmitter to enter the active set:
It must use the same carrier as the best server transmitter. In Atoll, carriers are modelled using cells. For infor-
mation on accessing cell properties, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 295. For a description of the prop-
erties of a cell, see "Cell Definition" on page 292.
The pilot quality difference between the cell and the best server must not exceed the AS-threshold set per cell.
For information on accessing the AS threshold defined for a given cell, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on
page 295.
If you have selected to restrict the active set to neighbours, the transmitter must be a neighbour of the best server.
You can restrict the active set to neighbours by selecting the AS Restricted to Neighbours option in the Site
Equipment table. For an explanation of how to set the AS Restricted to Neighbours option, see "Creating Site
Equipment" on page 393.
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The active set for HSDPA users is different in the following way: HSDPA physical channels do not support soft handover,
therefore the user is never connected to more than one transmitter at a time. This transmitter is selected from HSDPA-
capable cells only.
8.4.8 Modelling Shadowing
Shadowing, or slow fading, is signal loss along a path that is caused by obstructions not taken into consideration by the
propagation model. Even when a receiver remains in the same location or in the same clutter class, there are variations
in reception due to the surrounding environment.
Normally, the signal received at any given point is spread on a gaussian curve around an average value and a specific
standard deviation. If the propagation model is correctly calibrated, the average of the results it gives should be correct.
In other words, in 50% of the measured cases, the result will be greater and in 50% of the measured cases, the result will
be worse.
Atoll uses a model standard deviation with the defined cell edge coverage probability to model the effect of shadowing
and thereby create coverage predictions that are reliable more than fifty percent of the time. The additional losses or gains
caused by shadowing are known as the shadowing margin. The shadowing margin is added to the path losses calculated
by the propagation model.
For example, a properly calibrated propagation model calculates a loss leading to a signal level of -70 dBm. You have set
a cell edge coverage probability of 85%. If the calculated shadowing margin is 7 dB for a specific point, the target signal
will be equal to or greater than -77 dBm 85% of the time.
In UMTS projects, the standard deviation of the propagation model is used to calculate shadowing margins on signal
levels. You can also calculate shadowing margins on EcI0 and EbNt values and the macro-diversity gain. For information
on setting the model standard deviation and the EcI0 and EbNt standard deviations for each clutter class or for all clutter
classes, see "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93.
Shadowing can be taken into consideration when Atoll calculates the signal level, EcI0, and EbNt for:
A point analysis (see "Making a Point Analysis" on page 310)
A coverage prediction (see "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 311).
Atoll always takes shadowing into consideration when calculating a Monte-Carlo-based UMTS simulation.
You can display the shadowing margins and the macro-diversity gain per clutter class. For information, see "Displaying
the Shadowing Margins and Macro-diversity Gain per Clutter Class" on page 397.
8.4.8.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins and Macro-diversity Gain per Clutter
Class
To display the shadowing margins and macro-diversity gain per clutter class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Shadowing Margins from the context menu. The Shadowing Margins and Gains dialogue appears (see
Figure 8.42).
4. You can set the following parameters:
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Enter the probability of coverage at the edge of the cell. The value you enter
in this dialogue is for information only.
- Standard Deviation: Select the type of standard deviation to be used to calculate the shadowing margin or
macro-diversity gains:
- From Model: The model standard deviation. Atoll will display the shadowing margin of the signal level.
- EcI0: The EcI0 standard deviation. Atoll will display the EcI0 shadowing margin and the resulting DL pilot
macro-diversity gains. The macro-diversity gains will be calculated using the values you enter in 1st - 2nd
Best Signal Difference and 2nd - 3rd Best Signal Difference.
- EbNt UL: The EbNt UL standard deviation. Atoll will display the EbNt UL shadowing margin and the
resulting UL macro-diversity gains. The macro-diversity gains will be calculated using the values you enter
in 1st - 2nd Best Signal Difference and 2nd - 3rd Best Signal Difference.
- EbNt DL: The EbNt DL standard deviation. Atoll will display the EbNt DL shadowing margin.
5. If you select "EcI0" or "EbNt UL" as the standard deviation under Standard Deviation, you can enter the differ-
ences that will be used to calculate the macro-diversity gain under Macro-Diversity Parameters:
- 1st - 2nd Best Signal Difference: If you selected "EcI0" as the standard deviation under Standard Devia-
tion, enter the allowed EcI0 difference between the best server and the second one. This value is used to
calculate DL macro-diversity gains. If you selected "EbNt UL" as the standard deviation under Standard Devi-
ation, enter the allowed Eb/Nt difference between the best server and the second one. This value is used to
calculate UL macro-diversity gains.
- 2nd - 3rd Best Signal Difference: If you selected "EcI0" as the standard deviation under Standard Devia-
tion, enter the allowed EcI0 difference between the second-best server and the third one. This value is used
to calculate DL macro-diversity gains. If you selected "EbNt UL" as the standard deviation under Standard
Deviation, enter the allowed Eb/Nt difference between the second-best server and the third one. This value
is used to calculate UL macro-diversity gains.
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6. Click Calculate. The calculated shadowing margin is displayed. If you selected "EcI0" or "EbNt UL" as the
standard deviation under Standard Deviation, Atoll also displays the macro-diversity gains for two links and for
three links.
7. Click Close to close the dialogue.
Figure 8.42: The Shadowing Margins and Gains dialogue
CHAPTER 9
CDMAONE/CDMA2000 PROJ ECT MANAGEMENT
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Chapter 9: cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Project Management
9 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Project Management
9.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects: Overview
Atoll enables the radio design of cdmaOne, CDMA2000 1xRTT (1st eXpansion Radio Telephone Technology) and
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (1xEvolution Data Only) Rev.0 and Rev.A networks. Two dedicated document templates, called
CDMA2000 1xRTT 1xEV-DO and IS-95 cdmaOne, enable you to model such networks; they may be used only if you have
the optional UMTS module. For each of these technologies, Atoll is capable of predicting radio coverage per service, eval-
uating the network capacity, generating neighbour lists, planning PN offset codes, and co-planning between cdmaOne,
CDMA2000 1xRTT and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks.
In Atoll, the modelling of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network is based on a Monte Carlo simulator. This Monte Carlo statis-
tical engine simulates the power control algorithm for both, forward and reverse, links (respectively UL and DL). It uses
realistic user distributions as input. These user distributions are generated from traffic map(s) based on a "Services and
Users model" (description of services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles and environment types); this association
models the traffic. Note that in case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, power control is only simulated in the reverse link while rate
control is modelled in the forward link.
Standard coverage plots may be created to study pilot signal level received from cells. In addition, you may calculate
specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 service and analysis plots and use the point analysis to study active set and service avail-
ability of any probe mobile; these studies may be based on either Monte Carlo simulation results or on a user-defined
network load configuration. Finally, a neighbour list generation and a PN offset code planning tools are available in Atoll.
CdmaOne, CDMA2000 1xRTT and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks may be also planned in the same project.
As in any other project, geo data are easily manageable; you may create or import geographic objects. Sites, antennas,
station templates, transmitters, measurements, and propagation models work in the same way for CDMA/CDMA2000 and
the other technology projects. In order to model the enhanced resource management at the site level, site equipment and
resource management per service have been introduced. Furthermore, since CDMA support several carrier networks, a
new item, CDMA cells, describing each carrier in a transmitter has been introduced. Hence, many properties are defined
at the cell level (e.g., powers).
The What's this context tool allows the user to understand the specific CDMA fields and features available in dialogues.
9.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects: Concepts
Atoll can be used to model cdmaOne networks as well as CDMA2000 1xRTT and 1xEV-DO ones. General concepts about
these different systems are provided below:
The cdmaOne System
It is designed for the voice service.
A fast power control is performed on forward and reverse links.
The forward link (DL) channels are the overhead channels (Pilot, Synchronisation and Paging) and the Funda-
mental channel (FCH).
Overhead channels are always on; they transmit a constant power (20-25% of the total transmitter power).
Each user must have one FCH. The FCH is variable data rate (9.6 kbps for RC1 or 14.4 kbps for RC2); it remains allocated
during a communication but has inactive period. It has a power control and supports soft handover.
On the reverse link (UL), the terminal power consists in the FCH. It is always on when the mobile is active. Power
control is performed and soft handover is supported.
The CDMA2000 1xRTT System
It is designed for data as well as voice.
A fast power control is performed on forward and reverse links.
A data service has variable data rates.
The forward link (DL) channels are the overhead channels (Pilot, Synchronisation and Paging), the Fundamental
channel (FCH) and the Supplemental channel (SCH).
Overhead channels are always on; they transmit a constant power (20-25% of the total transmitter power).
Each user must have one FCH. The FCH has a variable data rate (9.6 kbps or 14.4 kbps); it remains allocated during a
communication but has inactive period. It has a power control and supports soft handover.
Each user may be allocated one SCH when FCH is not sufficient (when SCH is allocated, FCH is on). The possible SCH
channel rates are: 9.6, 2*9.6, 4*9.6, 8*9.6 and 16*9.6 kbps (RC3 and RC4), 14.4, 2*14.4, 4*14.4, 8*14.4 and 16*14.4 kbps
(RC5). The SCH never has inactive periods (when allocated, it is always active). It has a power control and supports soft
handover. However, the SCH soft handover may be different from the FCH one.
On the reverse link (UL), the terminal power is shared between the Pilot, the FCH and the SCH channels.
Pilot and FCH channels are always on when the mobile is active. On the other hand, the SCH channel may or may not be
on; it depends on if there are sufficient data to send. Power control may be performed either on the pilot channel or on
FCH and SCH and soft handover is supported.
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The CDMA2000 1xEV-DO System
It is designed for data only.
The forward link (DL) channels are the overhead channels (Pilot, Medium Access Control (MAC), Control) and the
traffic data channel.
Nine rates (38.4, 76.8, 153.6, 307.2, 614.4, 921.6, 1228.8, 1843.2 and 2457.6 kbps) are supported by the traffic data chan-
nel in the revision 0 (DO Rev.0) and several new downlink traffic data channel rates have been added in the revision A
(DO Rev.A) to enable new data packet sizes and so new data applications as for example Broadcast/Multicast services
(BCMCS).
All the users are time multiplexed onto the same radio channel. Therefore, each cell only serves one active user at any
given time and the channels are all multiplexed together.
A rate control is performed instead of power control. Each channel uses the full transmitter power and the DL rate depends
on the C/I value measured at the mobile.
Finally, there is no soft handover in DL; the mobile only has one link from its best-server.
The 1xEV-DO reverse link (UL) still uses code-division-multiplex (CDM), so it is similar to the 1xRTT reverse link.
In the Revision 0, the terminal power is shared between the Pilot, the Data Rate Control channel (DRC), the Acknowledge-
ment channel (ACK) and the traffic data channel. Unlike the ACK and traffic data channels, Pilot and DRC channels are
always on when the mobile is active. The ACK channel is only sent after each slot and the traffic data channel is only on
if there is data to be sent. The possible data channel rates are: 9.6, 2*9.6, 4*9.6, 8*9.6 and 16*9.6 kbps.
In the Revision A, the terminal power is shared between the Pilot, the Data Rate Control channel (DRC), the Acknowledge-
ment channel (ACK), the Radio Reverse Indicator (RRI) Channel, the Auxiliary Pilot Channel and the traffic data channel.
Compared to DO Rev.0 traffic data channel which only supports five reverse rates, DO Rev.A traffic data channel supports
many additional rates to enable new data packet sizes. The traffic data channel is only on if there is data to be sent and
the auxiliary pilot channel is on only for high data transmissions.
Power control is performed on pilot channel and soft handover is supported.
9.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects Protocol
A classical cdmaOne/CDMA2000 project protocol, within Atoll, is described below:
Network design: Setting radio data
Pilot studies based only on signal reception
Traffic input
- Traffic description: activity probabilities
- Traffic map design: number of subscribers or users (depending on the type of map)
Simulations (Evaluation of interference level)
- Realistic user distribution generation
- Power control simulation
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 oriented prediction studies
- Point predictions
- Coverage predictions
Network optimisation
- Neighbour allocation
- PN Offset allocation
9.4 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Radio Data
Specific radio parameters enables you to model cdmaOne/CDMA2000 networks.
All the parameters related to the radio resource management are available at the site level:
The number of channel elements is limited by site.
You can model several pieces of equipment with different radio resource management parameters and describe
channel element consumption for each pair "equipment type-terminal". Then, you can assign a piece of equipment
to each site.
It is possible to specify global parameters of CDMA/CDMA2000 networks.
Finally, since CDMA support several carrier networks, a new item, CDMA cells, describing each carrier in a transmitter
has been introduced. As many other objects in Atoll, cells properties are easily manageable.
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9.4.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site equipment
9.4.1.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment
In cdmaOne/CDMA2000, site equipment allows the user to define some equipment related to channel elements and some
other specific CDMA parameters and calculation options (MUD factor, Rake efficiency factor, Carrier selection, Overhead
CEs, AS restricted to neighbours).
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Sites folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the [Equipment: Open] command from the open scrolling menu,
4. In the Equipment table, describe a piece of equipment per row. Type its name, the manufacturer name and
define:
- MUD factor: Multi-User Detection is a technology used to decrease intra-cellular interference on uplink. MUD
is modelled by a coefficient between 0 and 1; this factor is considered in the UL interference calculation. In
case MUD is not supported by equipment, enter 0 as value.
- Rake Receiver Efficiency Factor: This factor enables Atoll to model the rake receiver on uplink. Atoll uses
it to calculate the uplink SHO gain and uplink signal quality in simulations, point analysis and coverage studies.
This parameter is considered on uplink for softer and softer-softer handovers; it is applied to the sum of signals
received on the same site. The factor value can be between 0 and 1. It models losses due to the signal recom-
bination imperfection.
- The Carrier Selection Method: It refers to carrier selection mode used during the transmitter admission con-
trol in mobile active set. The selected strategy is used in simulations when no carrier is specified in the service
properties (all the carriers can be used for the service) or when the carrier specified for the service is not used
by the transmitter. On the other hand, the specified carrier selection mode is always taken into account in pre-
dictions (AS analysis and coverage studies). Four methods are available:
- UL min noise: The carrier with the minimum UL noise (the least loaded carrier) is selected.
- DL min power: The carrier with the minimum DL total power is selected.
- Random: The carrier is randomly chosen.
- Sequential: Carriers are sequentially loaded. Therefore, Atoll selects the first carrier as long as it is not
overloaded. Then (when the maximum uplink load factor is reached) the second carrier is chosen and so
on.
- Overhead CEs uplink and downlink: They correspond to the numbers of channel elements that a cell uses
for common channels on uplink and downlink.
- The option " AS restricted to neighbours:" This option is used to manage mobile active set. If you select
this option, the other transmitters in active set must belong to the neighbour list of the best server.
- The option " Pool of CEs shared:" This option enables you to share the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT and
EV-DO channel elements between different transmitters of the same site. When the option is not selected,
they are equally distributed between the different transmitters.
- The option " Power Pooling between Transmitters:" This option enables you to pool the power of all the
transmitters on a site using the same carrier and to distribute the total power between them. When the option
is not selected, the power of transmitters on a site is not pooled.
5. Click on to close the table.
9.4.1.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site Equipment
Site equipment are listed in a table in Atoll. So, as many other objects, they are easy to manage both in term of contents
or handy tools.
To access to the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Sites folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the [Equipment: Open] command from the open scrolling menu,
4. The table displays each piece of equipment in each row.
5. Click on to close the table.
Note: Rake efficiency factor used to model the recombination in downlink may be set in terminal
radio configurations.
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9.4.1.3 Managing Channel Element Consumption per cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site
Equipment
The number of channel elements consumed by a user depends on the site equipment, on the user terminal and the link
direction (up or down).
To describe channel element consumption during cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Sites folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the [Equipment: Channel Element consumption] command from the open scrolling menu,
4. In the CE consumption table, enter for each equipment-terminal(RC) pair the number of UL and DL channel ele-
ments that Atoll will consume for the terminal nominal rate during the power control simulation.
5. Click on to close the table.
9.4.1.4 Assigning cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Site Equipment to Sites
It is possible to assign a piece of equipment to each site.
To assign a piece of equipment to a site:
Either
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Sites folder by clicking on the button in front of it
c. Right click on the site you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the site you want to manage by right clicking on it ( ),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click the Equipment tab,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
4. Enter the maximum number of channel elements per 1xRTT carrier available on the site for uplink and downlink
(channel elements dedicated to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users on one carrier), the maximum number of
EV-DO channel elements per 1xEV-DO carrier available on the site for uplink (channel elements dedicated to
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users on one carrier) and specify the equipment used by the site,
5. Click on OK to validate.
Notes
Standard features for managing table content (Copy/Paste, Fill up/down, Delete, Display col-
umns, Filter, Sort, Table Fields) are available in context menu (when right clicking on column(s)
or record(s)) and in the Format, Edit and Records menus.
Rake efficiency factor used to model the recombination in downlink may be set in terminal radio
configurations.
Notes
The maximum number of EV-DO channel elements is only used with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO.
In case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the EV-DO channel element consumption does not depend on
the radio configuration unlike 1xRTT services; one user consumes one channel element. On
downlink, only one user can be served by a transmitter at a given time; therefore, he will con-
sume one channel element. On uplink, one channel element per connected user is consumed.
In case no equipment is assigned to the site, Atoll considers the following default values, Rake
efficiency factor =1, MUD factor =0, Carrier selection =UL minimum noise, Overhead CEs
downlink and uplink =0, AS restricted to neighbours option not selected, Pool of CEs shared
option not selected, Power Pooling between Transmitters option not selected and uses one
channel element per link (up or down) for any service, during power control simulation.
Equipment can be also assigned by accessing site table.
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9.4.1.5 Setting the Number of Available Channel Elements on the Site (cdmaOne/
CDMA2000)
It is possible to specify the maximum number of channel elements available on each site.
To set the maximum numbers of channel elements available on a site:
Either
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Sites folder by clicking on the button in front of it
c. Right click on the site you want to manage,
or
- Select on the map the site you want to manage by right clicking on it ( ),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click the Equipment tab,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
4. Enter the maximum number of channel elements per 1xRTT carrier available on the site for uplink and downlink
(channel elements dedicated to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users on one carrier), the maximum number of
EV-DO channel elements per 1xEV-DO carrier available on the site for uplink (channel elements dedicated to
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users on one carrier) and specify the equipment used by the site,
5. Click on OK to validate.
9.4.2 Transmitter cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Specific Parameters
9.4.2.1 Defining the Transmitter cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Global Parameters
Global parameters enable you to describe the CDMA network and to define some calculation options; they are applied to
all the transmitters listed in the transmitters folder. Some of them are used as default values.
To access the global parameters of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder,
3. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
4. Click the Global parameters tab,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
6. Click OK to close the dialogue.
Global Parameters:
Description of the frequency band: the average frequency, the first and last carrier numbers, the spread band-
width, each carrier type.
Option regarding power values you have to specified on downlink: the synchronisation channel and paging powers
defined in the cell properties as well as the minimum and maximum traffic channel powers per service can be
either absolute values, or values relative to the cell pilot power.
Options regarding the uplink power control for CDMA2000 1xRTT networks: it can be carried out either on the pilot
channel, or on the fundamental (FCH) and supplemental channels (SCH). This option is considered in simulations
as well as in predictions (point analysis and coverage predictions).
Options to calculate downlink interference: the orthogonality factor and Nt calculation modes.
- Orthogonality factor (value between 0 and 1) enables you to take into account the Walsh codes non-orthogo-
nality due to multipath.
Notes
The maximum number of EV-DO channel elements is only used with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO.
In case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the EV-DO channel element consumption does not depend on
the radio configuration unlike 1xRTT services; one user consumes one channel element. On
downlink, only one user can be served by a transmitter at a given time; therefore, he will con-
sume one channel element. On uplink, one channel element per connected user is consumed.
In case no equipment is assigned to the site, Atoll considers the following default values, Rake
efficiency factor =1, MUD factor =0, Carrier selection =UL minimum noise, Overhead CEs
downlink and uplink =0, AS restricted to neighbours option not selected, Pool of CEs shared
option not selected, Power Pooling between Transmitters option not selected and uses one
channel element per link (up or down) for any service, during power control simulation.
The number of channel elements can be also assigned by accessing site table.
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- For the Nt evaluation, you may either consider the noise generated by all the cells plus the thermal noise
(option "Total noise"), or deduct the signal of the studied cell from the total noise (option "Without useful
signal").
Options used for the soft handoff modelling on uplink.
9.4.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells
9.4.3.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells: Definition
Atoll supports cdmaOne/CDMA2000 multi-carrier network configuration. For this purpose a "cell" element has been
defined. A cell is a transmitter associated to a frequency. Therefore a transmitter carries as many cells as the number of
frequencies it supports. Each cell has its own radio parameters: transmission powers (Pilot, Synchronisation, Paging,
Maximum power), total power, UL load percentage, PN Offsets, neighbours.
The number of cells per transmitter is limited by the number of carriers available for a network as defined in the global
parameter dialogue. Cells can be listed either by transmitter, in a specific dialogue, or in a table, as other radio data (sites
and transmitters). So, here again, the management of cells remains easy and comfortable.
9.4.3.2 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell
The cell concept is fully supported in Atoll. Cell is characterised by the transmitter-carrier pair. Therefore, you can define
several cells per transmitter (as many cells as carriers associated to the transmitter).
To define cdmaOne/CDMA2000 transmitter cells:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Transmitters folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the [Cells: Open] command from the open scrolling menu,
The Cells table contains:
- The cell name, transmitter and carrier frequency which the cell refers to,
- The cell PN Offset,
- Inputs used by the PN Offset planning algorithm. They are the PN Offset domain to which the allocated PN
Offset belongs and the PN Offset reuse distance.
- The DL maximum power available,
- The Power Reserved for Pooling: the value is used only if the site equipment allows power pooling between
transmitters; it is the amount of power reserved for other transmitters on the site using the same carrier. In
case of power pooling between transmitters, the power allocated to a transmitter can be equal to the sum of
powers of all the transmitters on a site using the same carrier minus this reserve of power.
- All the values defining the transmitted signal level such as the pilot power, the synchronisation power and the
paging power. According to the option selected in the global parameters dialogue, the synchronisation and
paging channels powers can be either absolute values, or values relative to the pilot power.
- The DL total power: this is the total transmitted power on downlink.
- The uplink cell load factor: this factor corresponds to the ratio between the uplink total interference and the
uplink total noise,
- The maximum uplink load factor: this is the maximum load factor that the cell must not exceed on uplink. This
cell limit may be taken into account during the simulation.
- The maximum downlink load: this is the maximum percentage of used power that the cell must not exceed
(the percentage of used power is defined as the ratio between the downlink transmitted power and the max-
imum power). This limit may be taken into account during the simulation.
- The Max No of EV-DO Users (only used with EV-DO Rev.0 and Rev.A): the maximum number of EV-DO users
that the cell can support.
- The idle power gain (only used with EV-DO Rev.0 and Rev.A). This is the gain applied to the DL power when
there is no active user connected to the cell. It must be a negative value.
- The Multi-User Gain input graph of gain as a function of the number of users (only used with EV-DO Rev.0
and Rev.A). The average cell throughput is higher in a multi-user case than in a single user situation. This
effect is modelled by the MUG graph,
- The DRC error rate (only used with EV-DO Rev.0 and Rev.A): The Data Rate Control (DRC) Channel from
one mobile may be received by the cell as an error. In this case, the mobile is not scheduled for data trans-
mission. This parameter represents the error rate (%) received by the cell on the DRC channel; it is taken into
account during the rate control when Atoll calculates the cell average downlink throughput.
- The noise rise threshold and the acceptable noise rise margin (only used with EV-DO Rev.0 and Rev.A): Both
parameters are considered in the simulation during uplink congestion; Atoll controls that the cell uplink noise
rise is between the noise rise threshold plus the margin and the noise rise threshold minus the margin.
- BCMCS related information (only used with EV-DO Rev.A): You may define the BCMCS rate (two rates are
possible, 204.8 kbps and 409.6 kbps), the percentage of timeslots dedicated to BCMCS channels and the per-
centage of timeslots dedicated to control, pilot and ACK channels. These parameters are taken into account
during the rate control when Atoll calculates the cell average downlink throughput.
- The neighbour list,
- Inputs used by the intra-technology neighbour allocation algorithm such as the maximum numbers of intra-
carrier and inter-carrier neighbours.
- Inputs used by the inter-technology neighbour allocation algorithm such as the maximum numbers of inter-
technology neighbours.
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4. Click on to close the table.
9.4.3.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Activity
It is possible to manage the activity status of cells. This feature is not available by default. In order to make it available,
you must add a Boolean field named "Active" in the Cells table (either in the database if you work with .atl documents
linked to a database, or in the.mdb template or your .atl document if you work in disconnected .atl documents).
Only active cells will be considered in calculations (predictions, Monte-Carlo simulations, neighbour and PN Offset plan-
ning, etc.).
9.4.3.4 Naming cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Automatically
In case of a single-carrier network, it is possible not display the carrier number between brackets for the cell name. By
default, in Atoll, for a transmitter called Site1_1, the cell located on carrier 0 is named Site1_1(0).
To avoid this number (and the brackets), add these lines in the atoll.ini file:
[ 3GCel l s]
NoSuf f i xI f Uni queCar r i er =1 ( Def aul t 0, car r i er i ndex bet ween br acket s)
In that case, the cell has the same name than its reference transmitter.
9.4.3.5 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Properties
In cdmaOne/CDMA2000, cells are defined per transmitter. Nevertheless, their associated properties can be reached by
several ways. Like many other objects (Sites, Transmitters, Antennas, Predictions, Simulations, measurements, etc.)
within Atoll, cells can be managed either individually (per transmitter or in a single dialogue) or globally.
Global Properties Management
In Atoll, you may manage globally the cell properties your network by accessing the cell table:
To do so:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Transmitters folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the [Cells: Open] command from the open scrolling menu,
4. Click on to close the table.
Individual Properties Management
There are two ways to edit cell properties of each transmitter in the current network.
To do so,
Either:
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the transmitters folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
c. Right click on the transmitter which cell properties you want to access,
or
- Select on the map the transmitter which cell properties you want to access by clicking on the appropriate
Tx symbol (arrow),
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Click the Cell tab from the open dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
Notes
Cells are automatically created and described in the table when you drag and drop a station. On
the other hand, you must define them manually after adding a new transmitter (New... command
when right clicking on the Transmitters folder) or copying a list of transmitters in the Transmitters
table.
Cell default name is: Transmitter name(carrier). If you change transmitter name or carrier, Atoll
does not update the cell name.
You cannot create two cells related to the same transmitter-carrier pair.
In CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the BTS always transmits at full power (the DL maximum power) unless
it has no user to support. In that case, it transmits a very low level of power during idle traffic slots
when there is no data to send (DL maximum power +Idle gain).
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It is also possible to open a single dialogue for each cell. To do so:
1. Open the cell table (see above)
Either
- Double click the record which property dialogue you want to open,
Or
a. Right click on the record which property dialogue you want to open to get its associated context menu,
b. Select the Record Properties command from the open scrolling menu (or the Record Properties command
from the Records menu),
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
9.4.3.6 Power Parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000
Because powers can be defined differently within a same transmitter depending on carriers, these are defined at the cell
level in Atoll.
To define the different powers related to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 technologies, access the cell properties (either from
the table or from dialogues) and fill the following fields (Transmission/Reception tab):
Max power (DL maximum power available),
Pilot power
Synchronisation power
Paging power
The synchronisation and paging channels powers can be either absolute values or values relative to the pilot power; this
depends on the option defined in the global parameters dialogue. The DL total power and the UL load, used in specific
CDMA coverage studies are also defined in the cell properties.
9.4.3.7 Active Set Parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000
The mobile active set is the list of transmitters, which the mobile is connected to. The mobile active set may consist of one
or several transmitters if the user service and terminal support soft handover. The active set determination is based on the
pilot quality measurement (Ec/Io).
In order for a given transmitter to enter the mobile active set as best server, the pilot quality from this transmitter must
exceed an upper threshold called T-Add. In addition, it must be the highest one.
In order for other transmitters to be included in active set, they must fulfil the following conditions:
They must use the same carrier than the best server,
Pilot qualities from these transmitters must exceed a lower threshold called T-Drop,
They must be neighbours of the best server if the option "AS restricted to neighbours" available in the site equip-
ment is selected.
To define T-Add and T-Drop, access the properties of each mobility type (either from the table or from dialogues) and fill
the fields T-Add and T-Drop.
9.4.3.8 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Properties on the Map
Only site and transmitter objects are displayed on the map. Cells are not represented but it is possible to colour transmit-
ters depending on any of cell attributes. For example, transmitters may be coloured depending on PN offsets assigned to
their cells.
To colour transmitters depending on any cell attribute:
1. Right click on the Transmitters folder,
2. Click the Properties command from the open context menu,
3. Click on the Display tab from the open window,
4. Choose Discrete values or Values interval as display type.
5. Select in the Field scrolling menu a cell attribute (they are the last one in the scrolling menu),
Notes
Cell Properties dialogue consists in three tabs: cell characteristics entered in the cells table are
grouped in the General and Transmission/Reception tabs, Intra and Inter-technology neighbours
may be allocated to the cell in the Neighbours tabs.
It is possible to define additional fields in the cell table by using the Fields command in its related
context menu (or from the Records menu). If it is the case, this new field will then be available in
the Other properties tab of any cell property dialogue.
Note: In CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the BTS always transmits at full power (the DL maximum power)
unless it has no user to support. In that case, it transmits a very low level of power during
idle traffic slots when there is no data to send (DL maximum power +Idle gain).
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6. Click OK to validate.
In addition, cell properties can be displayed as tips or labels on the map. To do this:
1. Right click on the Transmitters folder,
2. Click the Properties command from the open context menu,
3. Click on the Display tab from the open window,
4. Select cell attributes to be displayed in the Label and Tips text scrolling menus (they are the last one in the
scrolling menus),
5. Click OK to validate.
9.4.4 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference
If you want Atoll to take into account the interference on the downlink between two carriers, you must create a carrier pair
with an interference reduction factor.
To create a pair of carriers with an interference reduction factor:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Interference Reduction Factors from the context menu. The Inter-Carrier Interference Reduc-
tion Factor table appears.
4. For each carrier pair for which you want define inter-carrier interference:
a. Enter the first carrier of the pair in the 1st Carrier column.
b. Enter the second carrier of the pair in the 2nd Carrier column.
c. Enter an interference reduction factor in the Reduction Factor (dB) column. When Atoll is calculating inter-
ference, it subtracts the interference reduction factor from the calculated interference. If the interference re-
duction factor is set to "0," Atoll assumes that the carriers in the defined pair generate as much interference
as cells with the same carrier interference.
For every pair of carriers that is not defined, Atoll assumes that there is no inter-carrier interference.
d. Press ENTER to create the carrier pair and to create a new row.
9.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Management
In a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network, service areas depend on both, forward and reverse, link air interface traffic. In Atoll,
the air interface traffic is modelled by using a Monte Carlo statistical approach. Realistic distributions of users are actually
generated and then used as input to the power control algorithm (or rate control algorithm for the EV-DO forward link).
Creation of these user distributions requires "service and user modelling" and "traffic cartography" as input.
Service and User behaviours are modelled in Atoll through different tables that provide information about:
The Terminals and Reception Equipment compatible the network,
The Mobility Type,
The Services available in the network,
The User Profiles describing the way users use terminals and services.
The Environments describing the subscriber spatial distribution on the map. This is a list of user profile with certain
mobility type and density. Environments are used in case of traffic raster cartography only.
Atoll supports four kinds of traffic maps:
Traffic Raster Map based on environments (traffic information is a number of subscribers),
Traffic Vector Map based on user profiles (traffic information is a number of subscribers),
Throughput (or user) per sector map (traffic information is live traffic, i.e., a number of users or a throughput),
Traffic Density Raster Map (traffic information is live traffic, a density of users).
Notes
These features are fully available even if there are several cells per transmitter. In this case, for
each transmitter, Atoll concatenates the value of each carrier for the selected attribute.
It is also possible to group transmitters by any cell attribute. This feature is fully available if there
is one cell per transmitter only. When a transmitter has more than one cell, Atoll does not know
the carrier to be considered. In this case, no value is collected (#) and no group is created.
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9.5.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Multi-service Traffic Data
9.5.1.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services
9.5.1.1.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services
The Service table describes the services that are available in the network. Both, circuit-switched and packet-switched,
services are supported.
To create a service:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the created service,
The service parameters are:
- General information about the service
- The service type: either Voice, or 1xRTT data, or 1xRTT EV-DO Rev.0 data, or 1xRTT EV-DO Rev.A data.
- The carrier to be used: you may choose a given carrier or all of them. The specified carrier is considered
in simulation during the transmitter admission control in mobile active set.
If the transmitter uses the specified carrier, Atoll will select it. Else, it will choose another one by using the carrier
selection mode defined in the site equipment properties. On the same way, if no particular carrier is specified in
the service properties, it will consider the carrier selection mode defined in the site equipment properties.
- Soft handover supported or not (unavailable for CDMA2000 EV-DO),
- The service priority level,
- The body loss,
- IS-95 cdmaOne services related information
- The UL and DL activity factors for FCH
- The DL and UL Eb/Nt targets and power control ranges on FCH for each terminal (Radio configuration)
Note: The maximum and minimum powers on FCH can be either absolute values or values relative to the pilot
power; this depends on the option defined in the global parameters dialogue.
- CDMA2000 1xRTT services related information
- The UL and DL activity factors for FCH,
- The time percentage distribution of different SCH rates for UL and DL,
- The DL Eb/Nt target and power control ranges, for both FCH and SCH (for each SCH rate multiple). These
parameters are defined for each terminal and taken into account in the DL power control simulation.
Note: The maximum and minimum powers on FCH and SCH can be either absolute values or values relative
to the pilot power; this depends on the option defined in the global parameters dialogue.
- The UL Eb/Nt target, for both FCH and SCH (for each SCH rate multiple). This parameter is defined for
each terminal and used only if the UL power control is based on traffic quality (option available in the global
parameters dialogue).
- The pilot Ec/Nt required on UL and FCH and SCH gains relative to the pilot power (for each SCH rate multi-
ple). These parameters are defined for each terminal and used only if the UL power control is based on
pilot quality (option available in the global parameters dialogue).
- CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.0 and Rev.A services related information,
- The time percentage distribution of different rates for UL traffic data channel,
The traffic data channel, in case of 1xEV-DO Rev.0, supports five different rates on UL (9.6, 19.2, 38.4, 76.8 and
153.6 kbps). These five rates are available in the table and you can define a usage probability for each of them.
In case of 1xEV-DO Rev.A, the traffic data channel may support several different rates on UL. For an easier
management of these rates, the 1xEV-DO Rev.A radio bearers table lists the radio bearers and their related rates.
Therefore, in the rate probability table, you have to define the used radio bearers and the corresponding usage
probability. The bearers which are not selected in the table will not be considered in the simulation.
Notes
Whatever the traffic map type is, it is possible to weight the users according the clutter class and
to their indoor/outdoor status. An additional loss (defined in clutter classes properties) will be
added to the indoor user path loss.
A table listing quality indicators (BER, BLER, etc.) to be analysed is available. Quality studies
proposed by Atoll depend on quality indicators specified in this table.
It is possible to define different 1xEVDO Rev.A Radio bearers in a dedicated table. This table
provides a list of radio bearers and their related uplink rates.
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- Parameters used to calculate the downlink application throughput: you may enter a scaling factor between the
application throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput offset.
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) used on downlink or not. When TCP is used, an uplink traffic flow due
to acknowledgements is automatically generated. This uplink traffic due to TCP acknowledgements is esti-
mated using the graph of UL throughput due to TCP acknowledgements as a function of the downlink appli-
cation throughput. It is taken into account in simulation during the UL power control.
6. Use the What's this help to get further description about the fields available in the open window,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.1.2 Setting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services Parameters
Similar to the other Atoll object folders, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 services are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the services parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Services folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the service that you want to check to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the service that you want to check,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Click the available tabs to adjust the parameters of the current service,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.1.3 Globally Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services
In Atoll, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 objects are organized in folders. For this reason, Atoll allows the user to simultaneously
display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, environment types) in a table window.
To open the services table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Services folder,
Notes
The carrier specified for the service is not used in predictions (AS analysis and coverage predic-
tions). Here, Atoll considers the carrier selection mode defined in the site equipment properties.
Service nominal rates for FCH are defined within the terminal (RC) properties and the SCH rates
are given as multiple of this in the Eb/Nt tab.
Notes
When the Services table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any service by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different services within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous service properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last service properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties
of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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3. The services table opens.
The services table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste
functions are available.
9.5.1.1.4 Defining Quality Indicators (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
You may list quality indicator(s) you wish to analyse. By default, most common quality indicators such as BER (Bit Error
Ratio), BLER (Block Error Ratio) and FER (Frame Error Ratio) are defined.
BLER is the ratio of the number of incorrectly received blocks to the total number of blocks transferred. A transport block
is considered erroneous if it has at least one bit error.
BER refers to the number of erroneous bits divided by the total number of bits transmitted.
FER is the number of received frames that contain an error divided by the total number of transmitted frames.
To define quality indicators:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the CDMA/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Choose the Quality indicators option from the context menu,
5. In the open table, enter a quality indicator per row and specify:
- If the quality indicator is relevant for circuit-switched services only, packet switched services only or both of
them.
- The quality measure (service quality, pilot quality, etc.) used to determine the quality indicator value. Then, the
corresponding quality graph (quality indicator=f(measured quality)) can be defined.
- If quality indicator values deduced from the quality graph will be able to be interpolated or not.
9.5.1.1.5 Defining the 1xEV-DO Rev.A Radio Bearers
Unlike Rev.0 uplink traffic channel which allows five data rates only, the Rev.A uplink traffic channel can have many differ-
ent rates. A new table describing "1xEV-DO Rev.A radio bearers" has been created to easily manage the different rates
supported on the uplink traffic channel. This table provides a list of radio bearers and their related rates.
To open the 1xEV-DO Rev.A radio bearers table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Services folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on 1xEVDO Rev.A Radio Bearer.
9.5.1.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Mobility Types
9.5.1.2.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Mobility Type
The mobility types table describes the different user speeds and their parameters.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 mobility type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Mobility type folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
The mobility type parameters are:
- The Ec/Io thresholds used to manage the mobile active set: T-Add and T-Drop,
- The UL Pilot Ec/Nt target (used for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO only). This parameter is considered during the UL
power control in order to deduce the UL required pilot power.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the services from the context
menu associated with the Services folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also manage
the contents of the services table. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields
available in the different windows.
When the Services table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any service by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
Note: You may add in the table any other quality indicator.
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- The graph of DL 1xEV-DO Rev.0 data rate as a function of C/I (used for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.0 only). It
is used during the DL rate control.
- The graph of DL 1xEV-DO Rev.A data rate as a function of C/I (used for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.A only).
It is used during the DL rate control.
5. Use the What's this help to get further description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.2.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Active Set Conditions
Atoll determines the mobile active set as follows:
In order for a cell to enter active set as best server:
The pilot quality (Ec/Io) from the cell has to exceed the T-Add value (defined for each mobility type).
The pilot quality (Ec/Io) from the cell must be the highest one.
In order for other cells to enter active set:
They must use the same carrier than the best server one
The pilot quality (Ec/Io) from these cells has to be greater than the T-Drop value (defined for each mobility type).
Other cells have to belong to the neighbour list of the best server if you have selected the restricted to neighbours
option (in the definition of the Site equipment)
9.5.1.2.3 Setting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Mobility Type
Like for the other Atoll object folders, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 mobility types are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the Mobility type parameters dealing with Ec/I0 requirements:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Mobility type folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the mobility type that you want to check to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the mobility type that you want to check,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current mobility,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.2.4 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Mobility Types Globally
In Atoll, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 objects are organized in folders. For this reason, Atoll allows the user to simultaneously
display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, environment types) in a table window.
To open the Mobility type table dealing with Ec/I0 requirements:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the Mobility types folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Mobility types folder,
3. The mobility types table opens.
Note: When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the proper-
ties dialogues of different types of mobility within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous mobility properties dialogue
within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of the
first item of a subfolder.
The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last mobility properties dialogue
within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of the
last item of a subfolder.
Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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The mobility types table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/
paste functions are available.
9.5.1.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Terminal Equipment
9.5.1.3.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Receiver Equipment
Several types of receiver equipment may be described. For each of them, quality graphs (quality indicator (BER, BLER,
FER, etc.) as a function of a quality measure) may be entered; they are specified for the receiver equipment - service -
mobility triplet.
To create a receiver equipment:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the CDMA/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Terminals folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on Receiver Equipment,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. In the Receiver equipment dialogue, you can enter a receiver equipment per row. To validate a receiver equip-
ment creation, select another row.
Either
- Select a receiver equipment in the table and click on the button.
Or
- Select the row relating to the receiver equipment and double click on it.
7. In the properties dialogue, you may define uplink and downlink quality graphs for the receiver equipment -
service - mobility triplet. The quality graph describes the variation of a quality indicator as a function of the meas-
ured quality. Atoll takes into account these quality graphs in the quality studies.
9.5.1.3.2 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Terminal
The terminals table describes the terminals that may be used in the network.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 terminal:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Terminals folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the new terminal,
The terminal parameters are:
- General information about the terminal (General tab),
- The type of service the terminal supports: either Voice, or 1xRTT data, or 1xRTT EV-DO Rev.0 data, or
1xRTT EV-DO Rev.A data.
- The reception equipment,
- The minimum and maximum output powers,
- The antenna gain and reception losses,
- The terminal noise figure,
- The Rho factor (%): This parameter enables Atoll to take into account the self-interference produced
from the terminal. As hardware equipment are not perfect, a "clean" signal as input will experience some
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the mobility types from the con-
text menu associated with the mobility types folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also
manage the contents of the mobility types table. Use the What's this help to get description
about the fields available in the different windows.
When the Mobility types table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any mobility type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the asso-
ciated arrow at left.
Notes
Quality graphs to be entered depend on quality indicators and parameters specified in the
Quality Indicators table. Take care to define quality graphs corresponding to relevant receiver
equipment - service - mobility triplets. For example, quality graphs (BLER=f(Eb/Nt)) are relevant
in case of packet switched services but not for circuit switched services.
The quality graph BER=f(CPICH Ec/Io) is relevant for downlink only.
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distortions and consequently the output signal will be no longer a "clean" signal. This factor defines how
much distortion the system generates. Entering 100% means the system is perfect (there is no distortion)
and the output signal will be 100% equal to the input signal. On the other hand, if you specify a value differ-
ent from 100%, Atoll will consider that the transmitted energies are not 100% signal and they contain a
small percentage of interference generated from the equipment ("self-interference"). Atoll takes into
account this parameter to evaluate the signal to noise ratio on uplink.
IS-95 cdmaOne and CDMA2000 1xRTT services related information (1xRTT tab)
- The DL rake factor. This factor enables Atoll to model the rake receiver on DL.
- The maximum active set size for the FCH and SCH,
- The number of fingers. This parameter represents the maximum number of active set links that the termi-
nal (rake) can combine. This criterion is considered in simulations, point analysis and coverage prediction.
The number of fingers is the same for FCH and SCH.
- The nominal rate for the DL and UL,
- The percentage of the mobile power dedicated to the pilot. This parameter is used during the UL power
control (only if based on traffic quality) in order to deduce the mobile power.
- CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.0 services related information
- The gain on the Acknowledgement (ACK) channel,
- The gains on the Data Rate Control (DRC) channel for the different soft handoffs,
- The gains for each supported uplink rate on the Data channel.
- CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.A services related information
- The gain on the Acknowledgement (ACK) channel,
- The gain on the Radio Reverse Indicator (RRI) channel,
- The gains on the Data Rate Control (DRC) channel for the different soft handoffs,
- The gains for each supported uplink rate (radio bearer selected in the table) on the Data channel.
- The gains for each supported uplink rate (radio bearer selected in the table) on the Auxiliary Pilot chan-
nel.
6. Use the What's this help to get further description about the fields available in the open window,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.3.3 Setting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Terminal
Like for the other Atoll object folders, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 terminals are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the terminal parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Terminals folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the terminal that you want to check to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the terminal that you want to check,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current terminal,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
Note: All these gains are relative to the UL pilot power. They are respectively added to the UL
required pilot power in order to evaluate powers on ACK, DRC and traffic data channels.
Note: All these gains are relative to the UL pilot power. They are respectively added to the UL
required pilot power in order to evaluate powers on ACK, DRC and traffic data channels.
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9.5.1.3.4 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Terminals Globally
In Atoll, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 objects are organized in folders. For this reason, Atoll allows the user to simultaneously
display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, environment types) in a table window.
To open the Terminals table dealing with Ec/I0 requirements:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the Terminals folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Terminals folder,
3. The terminals table opens.
The terminals table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste func-
tions are available.
9.5.1.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profiles
9.5.1.4.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile
In cdmaOne/CDMA2000, user profiles describe the behaviour of different user categories. Each user profile contains a list
of services and their associated parameters describing how these services are accessed by the user.
User profile parameters are:
The average number of calls per hour
The average duration of a call in seconds
The used terminal (equipment used for the service (from the Terminals table))
Those parameters are used in simulation to determine the probability (activity status) that a user is transmitting or receiving
communication for the given service and terminal when the snapshot is taken.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Note: When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the proper-
ties dialogues of different terminals within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous terminal properties dialogue
within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of the
first item of a subfolder.
The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last terminal properties dialogue
within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of the
last item of a subfolder.
Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the terminals from the context
menu associated with terminals folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also manage the
contents of the terminals table. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields avail-
able in the different windows.
When the terminals table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue of
any terminal by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
Notes
Entering a one-hour call during 1000s corresponds to define 2 calls per hour during 500s...the
activity probabilities will be the same in both cases.
In order for all the services defined for a user profile to be taken into account during traffic sce-
nario elaboration, the sum of activity probabilities must be lower than 1
You can model temporal variations of user behaviour by creating different profiles for different
hours (busy hour, etc.).
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3. Right click on the User profiles folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Set the parameters of the currently created user profile,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.4.2 Adjusting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Properties
Like for the other Atoll object folders, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profiles are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the user profile parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the User profiles folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the user profile that you want to check to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the user profile that you want to check,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current user profile,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
9.5.1.4.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profiles globally
In Atoll, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 objects are organized in folders. For this reason, Atoll allows the user to simultaneously
display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, environment types) in a table window.
To open the user profiles table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the User profiles folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the User profiles folder,
3. The user profiles table opens.
The user profiles table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/paste
functions are available.
Note: When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the proper-
ties dialogues of different user profiles within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous user profile properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of
the first item of a subfolder.
The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last user profile properties dia-
logue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the properties of
the last item of a subfolder.
Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the User profiles from the con-
text menu associated with the User profiles folder. From the properties dialogue, you may also
manage the contents of the user profiles table. Use the What's this help to get description
about the fields available in the different windows.
When the User profiles table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any user type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the associated
arrow at left.
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9.5.1.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environments
9.5.1.5.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment
Environment classes may be used to describe subscriber spatial distribution on a map; they are the classes available for
the traffic cartography design. An Environment class represents an economic and social concept, which defines the char-
acteristics of user profiles. Each environment class (number of subscribers with the same profile per km).
To get an appropriate user distribution, you may assign weights per clutter classes, for each environment class. For each
clutter class, it is also possible to specify a percentage of indoor subscribers. In the Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional
loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the Environments folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on New,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click the available tabs to set the parameters of the currently created environment,
7. Validate by clicking on OK.
Particular case: When no multi-service geo-marketing data is available, you may supply Atoll with usual traffic data like
user densities per service (for example, values coming from adapted GSM Erlang maps). In this case, the user profile defi-
nition and the calculation of deduced activity probability are not necessary to create traffic scenario; traffic distribution will
only depend on densities per service.
Therefore, the activity probabilities calculated during simulation will be equal to 1 and density values defined in Environ-
ments will be user densities (no more subscriber densities). The elaborated traffic scenario will fully respect the user profile
proportion (i.e., service) given in environments. You will fully master the number of users in simulation as well as the serv-
ice proportion which will drive random trials. Moreover, each user will be connected.
This method is not the usual nominal working mode for Atoll.
9.5.1.5.2 Setting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Parameters
Like for the other Atoll object folders, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environments are easily manageable. Creation steps and the
display management are standard.
To manage the environments parameters:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Environments folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the environment type of which you want to manage the properties to open the associated
context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the environment type of which you want to manage the properties,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Click the available tabs to adjust the parameters of the current environment,
6. Validate by clicking on OK.
Notes
To get an appropriate user distribution, you may assign weights to clutter classes, for each envi-
ronment class in the Clutter weighting tab.
For each weighted clutter class, it is possible to impose a percentage of Indoor subscribers. In
the Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be
added to the indoor users path loss.
When the Environments table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any environment type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the
associated arrow at left.
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9.5.1.5.3 Globally Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Types
In Atoll, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 objects are organized in folders. For this reason, Atoll allows the user to simultaneously
display all topics of one type (services, terminal, mobility types, user profiles, environment types) in a table window.
To open the environment types table:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the Environments folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Open,
Or,
- Double click on the Environments folder,
3. The Environment type table opens.
The environment types table works exactly like the other tables. Its cells are editable, sorting and filtering tools, and copy/
paste functions are available.
9.5.1.5.4 Displaying Statistics per cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Type
Atoll allows the user to perform a statistic study on each environment class.
These statistics can be calculated only if a raster traffic map based on environments is available in the .atl document. For
each user profile contained in a given environment, Atoll indicates the number of users which will be created in the traffic
scenario. This number is given per clutter class.
To display a statistic study on any environment type:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Parameters folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the Environments folder by clicking on the button,
4. Right click on the environment type for which you want to display statistics to open the associated context menu,
5. Click in the scrolling menu on Statistics...,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the open window.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer, it is possible to scroll through the prop-
erties dialogues of different environments within the subfolder without closing. To do this, use the
buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous environment properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last environment properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Notes
The grouping/filtering/sorting advanced feature may be used on the environment types from the
context menu associated with the Environments folder. From the properties dialogue, you may
also manage the contents of the environment types table. Use the What's this help to get
description about the fields available in the different windows.
When the Environments table is displayed and active, it is possible to open the property dialogue
of any environment type by simply double clicking on any cell in the associated row, or on the
associated arrow at left.
Note: The statistic study is limited to the focus zone, only the clutter and environment areas inside
the focus zone are taken into account in calculations.
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9.5.1.5.5 Subscriber Clutter Weighting in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Area
Enter a weight for each clutter class in order to get an appropriate user distribution.
The following formula is used for calculations:
where:
Examples: We consider a square of 10 km. The subscriber density is 100/km. So, in this square, 1000 subscribers have
to be considered. The square is made of two clutter classes: Open and Building. The clutter weighting is 1 for Open, and
4 for Building.
1. The square is equally made of Open and Building pixels. In that case, for this square 1000 subscribers will be
considered, 200 over the Open clutter class and 400 over the Building class.
2. The area covered by the Open pixels represents 80% of the square. The remaining area is covered with Building
pixels. In that case, for this square 1000 subscribers will be considered, 500 over the Open clutter class and 500
over the Building class.
9.5.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Multi-service Traffic Cartography
Atoll provides 4 types of traffic maps for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects:
Traffic raster maps based on environments: each pixel of the map is assigned an environment class.
Traffic vector maps based on user profiles: each polygon or line contains a density of subscribers with given user
profile and mobility type.
Traffic maps per transmitter and per service: live traffic is spread over a best pilot coverage plot. Each service area
is assigned either rates or a number of users per service (uplink or downlink).
Traffic raster maps based on user densities: actual user density per pixel can be used to create a map of this type.
Whatever the type of map is, this one can be either created or modified manually, imported from an external file and
exported to an external file.
9.5.2.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Maps
9.5.2.1.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Map
There are two solutions to define an environment traffic map, either by creating environment polygons or by directly import-
ing a raster map in your project as an environment traffic map.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on environments (raster) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Use the cartography editor (selecting one of the available environment classes as defined in the environment
folder) to draw environment polygons,
7. Click the button to close the editor.
Number of users in the k clutter
Number of users in a zone area
k clutter weight at fixed surface
k clutter surface (stated in km)
Note: For each clutter class, it is also possible to specify a percentage of indoor subscribers. In
the Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will
be added to the indoor users path loss.

=
i
i i
k k
Area k
S W
S W
N N
k
N
Area
N
k
w
k
S
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9.5.2.1.2 Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Map
There are two solutions to define an environment traffic map, either by creating environment polygons or by directly import-
ing a raster map (with the appropriate format) in your project as an environment traffic map.
To import a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map from an external file:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on environments (raster) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate,
9. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
10. In the name column, click cells in order to associate an existing environment class to each code,
11. Press OK or Apply to validate.
9.5.2.1.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Maps
On an existing environment traffic map, you can access properties and it is possible to modify the class association and
its display settings.
To access the properties of an existing environment traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right click on the related environment map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related environment map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click the description tab to re-associate environment classes,
5. Click the display tab to set the transparency level, the visibility scale and to add the map information to the
legend,
6. Press OK or Apply to validate.
It is also possible to access the properties of a single file composing the resulting map (properties command in the related
context menu) to embed it into the atl project or to check the map geocoding.
Notes
Like other raster maps, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
You can only choose among existing environment classes in the cartography editor. To make
available additional classes, create them in the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 parameters and then, add
the new classes in the description tab of the environment map property dialogue.
Notes
Importing a file as a traffic map can be also made through the generic import (selection of the
environment traffic type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
Clutter files can be imported as traffic files,
In order to manage traffic on the entire map, this operation must be carried out for all classes.
The description table can be fully copied and pasted (using Ctrl+V and Ctrl+C) in a new Atoll
project after importing the raster file. To select globally the environment class table, just click on
the top left angle of the environment table.
Like other raster maps, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
Note: Absolute and relative statistics can be provided for this type of map.
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9.5.2.1.4 Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Map
Like the other cdmaOne/CDMA2000 traffic map types (user profile or live traffic), it is possible to export a environment
traffic map in either a 8 bits/pixel raster tiff, bil or bmp format. It is possible to export a part or the complete environment
traffic map.
To export a part or the complete environment traffic map in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Right click on the Environment map folder in order to get the related context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported,
6. Click the Save button when this is made,
7. In the Export dialogue, select one of the options and define the resolution (in metres) of file:
8. The Entire Project Area option allows you to save the whole traffic map in another file. As soon as the file is saved,
the properties (name, etc.) of the traffic maps listed in the Environment Traffic subfolder are updated.
9. The Only Pending Changes option allows just to save in the file the created traffic polygonal area. As soon as the
modifications are saved, an additional traffic item is created and listed in the Environment Traffic subfolder.
10. The Computation Zone option allows you to save only traffic map region inside the computation zone in another
file. As soon as the file is saved, an additional traffic object is created and listed in the Environment Traffic sub-
folder. To enable this option, you must have drawn a computation zone beforehand.
A resolution value is suggested; it is defined for raster traffic from the following criteria:
- If one traffic object is clipped, the displayed resolution will be the object resolution.
- If several traffic objects are modified, the suggested resolution will be the highest resolution of the altered
items.
- If there is no initial traffic item, the resolution will equal the highest resolution of all the DTM objects.
- If you draw your own traffic data without initial DTM, clutter or traffic object, a 100 m default resolution will be
suggested.
- The resolution value must be an integer.
- The maximum resolution is set to 1 metre.
11. Click OK to validate.
9.5.2.1.5 Displaying Statistics on cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Environment Traffic Maps
It is possible to display statistics on an existing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map. For each environment
class, Atoll provides absolute (surface) and relative (percentage of the surface) statistics. Traffic statistics refer to the
focus zone if existing.
To display traffic statistics of the map in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Right click on the Environment Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Choose the Statistics option from the scrolling menu
5. The surface (Si in km) of imported or edited traffic class (i) included in the focus (if existing) zone and its per-
centage (% of i) are specified:
Comment: When you save files using BIL, TIF, and BMP formats, .hdr, .tfw and .bpw files are automat-
ically created in the same folder. The .hdr, .tfw and .bpw files are respectively associated
with .bil, .tif and .bmp files; they contain geocoding information and resolution.
Notes
If no focus zone is defined, statistics are given over the computation zone.
When a clutter classes map is available in the .atl document, traffic statistics provided for each
environment class are detailed per clutter class.
Current statistics are printable by clicking the button.
100 of % =

k
k
i
S
S
i
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9.5.2.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Maps
9.5.2.2.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Map
In Atoll, user profile traffic maps can be defined in any type of project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or cdmaOne/
CDMA2000). The vector data (points, lines, polygonal shapes) are expected to directly link a dedicated user profile, mobil-
ity and traffic density. In order to get user profile traffic maps, you may either import vector files (MapInfo (MIF, MID),
Arcview (SHP), Autocad (DXF)) and use them as traffic maps or create vectors with the vector editor and assign them
some traffic information.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on user profiles (vector) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
7. Potentially define traffic information (user profile, mobility type, density) in the Table tab, assign them to Atoll
internal traffic fields in the Traffic tab, and use the vector editor to draw environment polygons, lines or points,
8. Click the button to close the editor.
See "Examples of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Data" on page 424.
9.5.2.2.2 Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Map
In Atoll, user profile traffic maps can be defined in any type of project (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or cdmaOne/
CDMA2000). The vector data (points, lines, polygonal shapes) are expected to directly link a dedicated user profile, mobil-
ity and traffic density. In order to get user profile traffic maps, you may either import vector files (MapInfo (MIF, MID),
Arcview (SHP), Autocad (DXF)) and use them as traffic maps or create vectors with the vector editor and assign them
some traffic information.
To import a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on user profiles (vector) option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate. A dialogue is displayed in order to configure traffic vector data.
9. Click the Traffic tab,
10. In the Traffic fields part, specify the user profiles to be considered on the traffic vector map, their mobility types
(km/h) and their densities (number of users/km for polygons and number of user/km for lines). You can decide
the type of information that you want to use to define the traffic characteristics, either a field described in the file
(by field option in the Defined column) or a value directly user-definable in Atoll (by value option in the Defined
column).
11. The first method can be used only if the file you are importing contains attributes providing information about the
user profile, mobility or density. In this case, select in the Choice column a suitable field for each data (user profile,
mobility and density); Atoll lists all the attributes described in the file. The attributes of the source file cannot be
modified. Using this method, each traffic polygon or linear is assigned specific characteristics (user profile, mobility
or density).
12. The second way is useful when traffic files contain no attribute. Therefore, you may assign manually user profiles,
mobility types and densities created in Atoll. Select in the Choice column user profile and mobility listed in UMTS
Notes
Like other vector layers, it is easily possible to save the generated traffic map.
Points can be seen as traffic hot spots.
Note: Take care to define in Atoll user profiles and mobility types described in traffic file with
exact spelling.
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Parameters folder and specify manually a global density for all the polygons. Beforehand, just make sure to define
in UMTS Parameters the internal data like user profile and mobility you want to allocate. Here, all the polygons
are described by global characteristics (user profile, mobility or density).
13. In the Clutter weighting part, assign a weight per clutter class to spread traffic over each polygon, line or point.
In addition, a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class may be entered. In the Monte-Carlo simula-
tion, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss. The
spreading operation will be performed during the traffic distribution.
14. Press OK to validate the properties setting.
See "Examples of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Data" on page 424.
9.5.2.2.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Maps
To access the properties of an existing user profile traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right click on the related user profile traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related user profile traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the General tab to either embed the file into the atl project, to relocate the map by the definition of the
appropriate coordinate system, by imposing sorts on the vector organisation or filters on the vector display,
5. Click on the Table tab to manage the content of the vector,
6. Click on the Traffic tab to re-associate vector fields and Atoll internal traffic fields, and to define the clutter
weighting and indoor ratio per clutter class to be used for the subscriber distribution during the monte-carlo simu-
lation,
7. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
8. Press OK or Apply to validate.
9.5.2.2.4 Examples of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Data
Structure of two vector traffic files is described hereafter. Niceregion.mif consists in eleven polygons representing the Nice
region. Each polygon is characterised by a user profile, the services offered to subscribers, their mobility types and densi-
ties. Densities are stated in number of subscribers per km. Highway.mif represents a highway (linear) where density corre-
sponds to a number of subscribers per km.
Niceregion.mif
Notes
Importing a file as a traffic map can be also made through the generic import (selection of the
Traffic type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
During the import procedure, if the imported user profiles or mobility types are not currently part
of the existing user profiles or mobility types, Atoll warns you about the fact that these may not
be correctly taken into account as traffic data.
Path and description are stored in the external user configuration file.
Name
User
Profile
Services Used Mobility Density
Hinterland rural user Speech 90 km/h 8
Village rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Corniche rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Rural rural user Speech 90 km/h 8
Villages rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Nice urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 700
Nice airport urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 700
Nice surroundings rural user Speech 50 km/h 100
Rural rural user Speech 90 km/h 5
Villages rural user Speech 50 km/h 10
Nice centre urban user Speech, Web, Simple messaging, Video conferencing pedestrian 4000
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Using the user profile traffic import procedure, it is possible to associate (Traffic tab of the properties dialogue):
To user profile: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Userprofile field of the vector (by field),
with a different definition for each polygon,
To mobility: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Mobility field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon,
To density: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Density field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon.
Highway.mif
Using the user profile traffic import procedure, it is possible to associate (Traffic tab of the properties dialogue):
To user profile: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the User_profile field of the vector (by field),
with a different definition for each polygon,
To mobility: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Mobility field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon,
To density: either a global value (by value) for all the polygons or the Density field of the vector (by field), with a
different definition for each polygon.
9.5.2.2.5 Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Profile Traffic Map
Like the other cdmaOne/CDMA2000 traffic map types (environment or live traffic), it is possible to export user profile traffic
maps.
To export a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the user profile traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Possible formats are Arcview
(.shp), MapInfo (.mif) and the Atoll internal format (.agd),
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
9.5.2.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Maps per Sector
9.5.2.3.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Map per Sector
This kind of traffic map requires a coverage by transmitter prediction study. Then, Atoll expects throughputs values (kbits/
s) or the number of active users for each service and each transmitter.
The definition of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic maps per sector can be made either from a direct creation on the basis
of a coverage by transmitter study previously calculated or by importing a file.
To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on transmitter and service (Throughput or Number of users) option in the Create a
traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Select the prediction study to be considered for traffic distribution. Only coverage per transmitter studies can
be used. A table where you can indicate the live traffic spread over the transmitter service areas is available. It
consists in a column dedicated to transmitters and several columns for the different services previously defined in
the CDMA/CDMA2000 Parameters folder. Three ways enable you to fill in this table:
- In the TX_ID column, select each row, click on the arrow and choose a transmitter in the list. Then, enter rate
values (kbits/s) (or Number of active users) on uplink and on downlink relating to different services for
each transmitter.
- You may also use the copy and paste commands (respectively Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) from an Excel file already
containing the expected columns.
- Finally, it is possible to import an ASCII text file (only .txt format is supported) containing the expected col-
umns. To do this, click on the Actions button and choose Import.
7. Press OK to continue the map creation.
ID User_profile
Service
Used
Density Mobility
highway driver Speech 400 120 km/h
Note: It is possible to define either one map per service or one map with all services.
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8. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open dialogues,
9. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. Click the Traffic tab of the opened property dialogue and define
terminal and mobility ratios by entering percentage values for each terminal and each mobility type (they will be
used in the traffic scenario). You may also specify a weight per clutter class to spread traffic over each coverage
area. In addition, a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class may be entered. In the Monte-Carlo
simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
The spreading operation will be performed during the traffic distribution.
10. Click OK to validate.
Atoll creates an object called "Traffic map per transmitter" in the Traffic folder of the Geo tab.
9.5.2.3.2 Updating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Map per Sector
Live traffic maps per transmitter can be updated afterwards when a transmitter is added or removed. In this case, you first
have to recalculate the coverage by transmitter prediction study. Then, you may update the traffic map.
To update the traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click the traffic map that you want to refresh,
3. Select Update from the context menu,
4. In the open dialogue, select the updated coverage by transmitter prediction study and define traffic values for the
new transmitter(s) listed at the bottom of the table. Note that deleted or deactivated transmitters are automatically
removed from the table.
5. Click OK. The traffic map property dialogue appears with the same settings as the ones initially defined.
6. Click OK. The traffic map is updated on the basis of the selected coverage by transmitter prediction study.
Moreover, it is possible to update traffic values (throughputs or number of users) in the Table related to the map.
To update traffic values in the table:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click the traffic map of which you want to display the data table,
3. Select Open Table from the context menu,
4. Edit the content of the table by entering the value directly in the field.
9.5.2.3.3 Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Map per Sector
The definition of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic maps per sector can be made either from a direct creation on the basis
of a coverage by transmitter study previously calculated or by importing a file.
You may import files with AGD format. This is the Atoll geographic data internal format. This kind of file must be created
from Atoll (export of a coverage by transmitter study in the AGD format).
To import a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector by drawing:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on transmitter and service (Throughput or number of users per transmitter) option in
the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Select the option "embed in the document" to include the file in the .atl document. When this option is not selected,
Atoll just memorizes the file directory path.
9. In the coordinate systems part, Atoll summarises the projection coordinate system you have defined in the .atl
project. In the box just below, specify the coordinate system of the file you are importing (click on Change... to
choose another coordinate system).
10. Press the button to validate,
11. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. Click the Traffic tab of the opened property dialogue and define
terminal and mobility ratios by entering percentage values for each terminal and each mobility type (they will be
used in the traffic scenario). You may also specify a weight per clutter class to spread traffic over each coverage
Note
The map only contains the service areas of transmitters listed in the table. It can be updated
afterwards when a transmitter is added or removed. Moreover, it is possible to modify traffic
values (throughputs or number of users) afterwards in the Table related to the map.
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area. In addition, a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class may be entered. In the Monte-Carlo
simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
The spreading operation will be performed during the traffic distribution.
12. Click OK to validate,
13. Open the table related to the map in order to define the traffic existing inside each polygon. Therefore, for each
row of the table, enter rate values (kbits/s) (or Number of active users) on uplink and on downlink relating to
different services,
14. Close the table.
9.5.2.3.4 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Maps per Sector
Management features of vector maps are available for traffic maps per transmitter: standard graphical features are avail-
able in the Display tab of the map property dialogue and each map has a corresponding table. This table contains the
transmitters used to build the map and traffic information for each of them.
To access the properties of an existing live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right click on the related live traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related live traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the General tab to either embed the file into the atl project, to relocate the map by the definition of the
appropriate coordinate system, by imposing sorts on the vector organisation or filters on the vector display,
5. Click on the Table tab to manage the content of the vector,
6. Click on the Traffic tab to re-define terminal and mobility ratios and to define the clutter weighting and indoor ratio
per clutter class to be used for the subscriber distribution during the monte-carlo simulation,
7. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
8. Press OK or Apply to validate.
9.5.2.3.5 Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Live Traffic Map per Sector
Like the other cdmaOne/CDMA2000 traffic map types (environment or user profile), it is possible to export live traffic maps
per sector.
To export a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the live traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the open scrolling menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Possible format is the Atoll
internal format (.agd),
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
9.5.2.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Density Maps
9.5.2.4.1 Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Density Map
This type of traffic maps enables the user to express the traffic density directly in the form of a map using graphical vector
layers. The user can add vector layers and draw the regions with different traffic densities. The user can also specify the
distribution of Terminal types, Mobility types and Services for the map based on traffic density.
The cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic maps can be defined either by directly drawing or by importing a raster (16
or 32-bit format) file.
Note: It is also possible to import a traffic map per transmitter using the standard import procedure
(Import command in the File menu). In this case, you must specify in the import dialogue
that you want to import the file in the Traffic folder.
Note: It is possible to create multiple maps based on traffic density with different distribution of
Terminal types, Mobility types and Services.
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To create a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the context menu,
4. Choose the map based on densities option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate. After clicking on Create map, Atoll adds a subfolder in the
Traffic folder.
6. Use the What's this help to get description of the fields available in the open dialogues,
7. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. In the Traffic tab, you can define the distribution of different types
of traffic. Specify the percentages of the distribution of different Terminal types, Mobility types and Services in the
map (they will be used in the traffic scenario). You can also manage the Display properties of the map from the
Display tab.
8. Atoll creates an object called "Traffic density map" in the Traffic folder of the Geo tab. A vector layer is automati-
cally created in this subfolder,
9. Edit this vector layer to define geographical areas with a certain traffic density. To change the traffic density,
you have to open the vector layer table and enter values in the Traffic density(Density) column.
10. Close the table to validate.
9.5.2.4.2 Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Traffic Density Map
The cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic maps can be defined either by directly drawing or by importing a raster (16
or 32-bit format) file. The supported formats are BIL (16 or 32 bit), BMP, PlaNET, TIFF, ISTAR and Erdas Imagine formats
To import a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Select the New map command from the scrolling menu,
4. Choose the map based on densities option in the Create a traffic map open window,
5. Press the button to validate,
6. Locate the file to be imported and click the button to validate,
7. Choose the Traffic density option from the scrolling menu in the open File import window,
8. Press the button to validate,
9. Use the What's this help to get description of the fields available in the open dialogues,
10. Atoll displays the property dialogue of the map. In the Traffic tab, you can describe the distribution of different
types of traffic. Specify the percentages of the distribution of different Terminal types, Mobility types and
Services in the map (they will be used in the traffic scenario). You can also manage the Display properties of the
map from the Display tab.
11. Click OK to close the dialogue.
Notes
The map contains traffic density per pixel directly entered by the user. So, if the user has entered
a traffic density of 100 users per km, Atoll will allocate x users per pixel (depending on the pixel
size) and these x users will be distributed according to the percentages given in the Traffic tab
of the maps properties window.
It is possible to modify traffic distribution (Terminal types, Mobility types and Services) afterwards
in the properties of the map.
Notes
You can turn the vector editor ON and OFF through the Edit menu in the Traffic density Maps
context menu or through the Edit menu in the vector layers context menu.
In this type of traffic maps, you are not asked to specify a clutter weighting as it already contains
traffic density per pixel in the map.
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9.5.2.4.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Density Traffic Maps
Management features of vector maps are available for traffic density maps. Limited graphical features are available in the
Display tab of the map property dialogue and each map has a corresponding table. This table contains the traffic density
values used.
To access the properties of an existing user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right click on the related user density traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the context menu on Properties,
Or
- Double click on the related live traffic map folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Click on the Traffic tab to re-define Terminal, Mobility and Services ratios using this map for the traffic distribution
at the beginning of any simulation,
5. Click on the Display tab to open the Atoll generic display dialogue,
6. Press OK or Apply to validate.
To open the table related to an existing user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
3. Expand the User density Traffic subfolder by clicking on the button in front of it,
4. Right click on the vector layer to open the associated context menu,
5. Click in the scrolling menu on Open.
The management of the table is generic and can be accessed from the Table tab of the vector properties dialogue or from
the Table context menu (Fields command). Sorting and Filtering features on the display are also available.
9.5.2.4.4 Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 User Density Traffic Map
Like the other cdmaOne/CDMA2000 traffic map types (environment, user profile or live traffic), it is possible to export user
density traffic maps.
To export a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Traffic folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the user density traffic map folder to open the associated context menu,
4. Click on the Save as... option from the context menu,
5. Define the format, the directory path and the name to give to the file to be exported. Relevant formats are BIL
(only 32 bit) and BMP formats,
6. Click the Save button to complete the export procedure.
Notes
A file can also be imported as a traffic map through the generic import (selection of the Traffic
density type in the appropriate scrolling menu),
The map contains traffic density per pixel directly entered by the user. So, if the user has entered
a traffic density of 100 users per km, Atoll will allocate x users per pixel (depending on the pixel
size) and these x users will be distributed according to the percentages given in the Traffic tab
of the maps properties window,
It is possible to modify traffic distribution (Terminal types, Mobility types and Services) afterwards
in the properties of the map.
In this type of traffic maps, you are not asked to specify a clutter weighting as it is already the
traffic density per pixel in the map.
Note: Atoll provides the possibility to export the cumulated traffic when working on several traffic
map(s), whatever there types are.
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9.5.2.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cumulated Traffic
9.5.2.5.1 Exporting the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cumulated Traffic
Atoll allows the user to export the cumulated traffic generated with all the traffic maps in the environment. The cumulated
traffic can be exported in BIL (only 32 bit) and ArcView Grid formats. These exported files can later be imported and used
as traffic density maps in Atoll and used for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations.
To export a raster file containing the cumulated traffic density:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the Traffic folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on the Export cumulated traffic command,
4. Specify the directory where you want to save the exported file, the file name and the file type in the opened
dialogue,
5. Select the area to consider, the terminal, mobility and service(s) to be filtered on the selected traffic map(s),
and the raster resolution,
6. Press OK to validate
The exported traffic map will be made of pixels of number of connected users/km whatever the service type is (packet or
circuit).
9.6 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
A cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT network automatically regulates itself by performing power control on both, UL and DL.
The objective is to minimise interference and maximise network capacity. In case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the network
uses power control on UL and rate control on DL. Atoll simulates both network regulation mechanisms.
In Atoll, a simulation corresponds to a given distribution of users. This is a snapshot of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network.
As outputs, Atoll calculates for the user distribution (called a random trial), the different network parameters (such as
active set for each mobile, the mobile required power, etc.) and the following parameters characterising the stabilised
network:
The total DL power per cell and the UL load per cell in case of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT networks,
The DL throughput per cell and the UL load per cell for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks.
You may perform as many simulations as you want, several simulations at the same time or only one. Simulations calcu-
lated at the same time are grouped. Even if using the same traffic information, each distribution inside a unique group
follows a Poisson distribution on the number of connected users. Hence, between these snapshots, you may have some
variations on the number of users trying to connect the network.
CdmaOne and CDMA2000 simulations may be displayed on the map and analysed. For each simulation, Atoll summa-
rises simulation inputs and initial conditions as well as outputs. Simulation outputs are divided into three categories: results
related to sites, transmitters and mobiles.
In addition, Atoll offers many management features; it is possible to duplicate or replay one group of simulations, to add
simulations to a group of existing simulations or to average a group of simulations.
Finally, simulations may be used in a next step in order to get a reception diagnosis at a given point using the point analysis
tool and to generate cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction studies.
9.6.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Process
The simulation process consists in two steps:
1st step: Obtaining a realistic user distribution
To get a user distribution, you need to have traffic cartography at your disposal. Atoll generates a user distribution using
a Monte-Carlo algorithm; this user distribution complies with the traffic database and cartography and is weighted by a
Poisson distribution between simulations of a same group.
Each user is assigned a service, a mobility type and an activity status by random trial, according to a probability law that
complies with the traffic database. The user activity status is an important output of the random trial, which will have direct
consequences on the next step of the simulation and then, on the network interferences.
A user may be either active or inactive:
Active means: a radio resource has been allocated to the user, and the user is speaking, or transmitting/receiving
data (i.e., he creates interference both on the downlink and the uplink).
Inactive means: a radio resource has been allocated to the user, but he is not speaking or transmitting/receiving
data (i.e., he does not create any interference).
Then, Atoll randomly derives a shadowing error for each user from the probability distribution that describes the shadow-
ing effect.
Finally, a second random trial determines user positions in their respective traffic zone (possibly according to the clutter
weighting and the indoor ratio per clutter class).
2nd step: Algorithm modelling the network regulation mechanism
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The algorithm depends on the network. Atoll uses a power control algorithm in case of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT
networks and an algorithm mixing rate control and power control for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks.
9.6.1.1 cdmaOne Power Control Algorithm
The power control simulation algorithm needs propagation path loss of transmitters. When these results are not available,
Atoll achieves propagation calculation using the defined propagation model.
The network automatically regulates itself by using uplink and downlink power controls on traffic channels in order to mini-
mize interference and maximize capacity. For each user distribution, Atoll simulates the power control mechanism. The
simulation uses an iterative algorithm. Each iteration, all the mobiles selected during the user distribution generation try to
be connected one by one to network transmitters. The process is repeated from iteration to iteration and ends when the
network is balanced, i.e., when the convergence criteria (on UL and DL) are satisfied. Algorithm steps are detailed in
Figure 9.1 on page 431.
Figure 9.1: Schematic view of power control simulation algorithm
During the simulation, mobiles penalizing too much the others are rejected. Different causes of rejection can be distin-
guished:
The signal quality may be not sufficient:
On the downlink, there may be not enough pilot signal quality: Ec/I0 pilot <Ec/I0 min pilot (1
st
step).
On the uplink, there may be not enough power to transmit: Pmob >Pmob max (3
rd
step).
Finally, on the downlink, there may be not enough reception on traffic channel: Ptch >Ptch max (4
th
step).
Even if constraints above are respected, the network may be saturated:
The maximum uplink load factor may be exceeded at the admission (1
st
step) or during the congestion control.
There may be not enough channel elements on site during the radio resource control: Channel element saturation.
There may be not enough power for cells during the radio resource control: maximum downlink load exceeded
(saturation).
There may be not enough Walsh codes per cell during the radio resource control: Walsh code saturation.
9.6.1.2 CDMA2000 1xRTT Power Control Algorithm
The power control simulation algorithm needs propagation path loss of transmitters. When these results are not available,
Atoll achieves propagation calculation using the defined propagation model.
The network automatically regulates itself by using uplink and downlink power controls. Uplink power control is performed
either on the pilot channel or on the fundamental and supplemental channels (respectively FCH and SCH) while downlink
power control is carried out on the FCH and SCH channels. For each user distribution, Atoll simulates the power control
mechanism. The simulation uses an iterative algorithm. Each iteration, all the 1xRTT data service users selected during
the user distribution generation try to be connected one by one to network transmitters. The process is repeated from iter-
ation to iteration and ends when the network is balanced, i.e., when the convergence criteria (on UL and DL) are satisfied.
Algorithm steps are detailed in Figure 9.2 on page 432.
Note: Convergence criteria are given in the technical reference guide.
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Figure 9.2: Schematic view of power control simulation algorithm
It is important to know that downgraded SCH rates cannot be lower than the FCH nominal rate. When the SCH rate down-
grading does not fix one of problems listed above, then the SCH is not allocated to the mobile. If using the FCH only does
no allow to fulfil one of constraints, then the mobile is rejected. The downgrading is driven by the best server of active set.
Therefore, no downgrading is performed if transmitters of active set other than the best server meet one of these problems.
In this case, the mobile is directly rejected.
During the simulation, mobiles penalizing too much the others are rejected. Different causes of rejection can be distin-
guished:
The signal quality may be not sufficient:
- On the downlink, there may be not enough pilot signal quality: Ec/I0 pilot <Ec/I0 min pilot (1
st
step).
- On the uplink, there may be not enough power to transmit: Pmob >Pmob max (3
rd
step).
- Finally, on the downlink, there may be not enough reception on traffic channel: Ptch >Ptch max (4
th
steps).
Even if constraints above are respected, the network may be saturated:
- The maximum uplink load factor may be exceeded at the admission (1
st
step) or during the congestion control.
- There may be not enough channel elements on site during the 3
rd
and 4
th
steps and the radio resource control:
Channel element saturation.
- There may be not enough power for cells during the radio resource control: maximum downlink load exceeded
(saturation).
- There may be not enough Walsh codes per cell during the 4
th
step and the radio resource control: Walsh code
saturation.
Notes
Convergence criteria are given in the technical reference guide.
Power control on SCH is carried out just for 1xRTT data service users.
During the simulation (3
rd
and 4
th
steps), Atoll may downgrade UL and DL SCH rates. It carries
out a downgrading on the DL SCH rate until:
- The required DL quality level on SCH is reached,
- The total DL power of a cell is lower than the maximum power allowed,
- The number of channel elements consumed on DL by a site is lower than the maximum
number of channel elements allowed,
- The number of Walsh codes used by a cell is lower than the maximum number of Walsh
codes available per cell.
On UL, downgrading the SCH rate may be also performed until:
- The required UL quality level on SCH or on pilot is reached,
- The number of channel elements consumed on UL by a site is lower than the maximum
number of channel elements allowed.
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9.6.1.3 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Power and Rate Control Simulation Algorithm
The simulation needs propagation path loss of transmitters. When these results are not available, Atoll achieves propa-
gation calculation using the defined propagation model.
In a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO system, the UL supports power control on the pilot channel but the DL does not. When a DL
connection is established, the transmitter transmits at full power (Pmax). Instead of power control, there is a rate control
based on the C/I ratio computed at the mobile. For each distribution of users, Atoll simulates the power control mechanism
for the UL and the rate control algorithm for the DL.
The simulation uses an iterative algorithm. Each iteration, all the 1xEV-DO data service users selected during the user
distribution generation try to be connected one by one to network transmitters. The process is repeated from iteration to
iteration and ends when the network is balanced, i.e., when the convergence criteria (on UL and DL) are satisfied. Algo-
rithm steps are detailed in Figure 9.3 on page 433.
Figure 9.3: Schematic view of power control simulation algorithm
During the simulation, mobiles penalizing too much the others are rejected. Different causes of rejection can be distin-
guished:
The signal quality may be not sufficient:
- On the downlink, there may be not enough pilot signal quality: Ec/I0 pilot <Ec/I0 min pilot (1st step).
- On the uplink, there may be not enough power to transmit: Pmob >Pmob max (3rd step).
Even if constraints above are respected, the network may be saturated:
- The maximum uplink load factor may be exceeded at the admission (1st step) or during the congestion control.
- There may be not enough channel elements on site during the radio resource control: 1xEV-DO resources
saturation.
- There may be not enough MAC index per cell or the maximum number of EV-DO users per cell may be
exceeded during the radio resource control: 1xEV-DO resources saturation.
Notes
Convergence criteria are given in the technical reference guide.
During the simulation (3rd step), Atoll may downgrade the rate on the UL traffic data channel
until the required UL quality level is reached. When the downgrading does not allow to fulfil the
constraint, then the mobile is rejected. The downgrading is driven by the best server of active set.
During the simulation (congestion control), Atoll may downgrade/upgrade the rate on the UL
traffic data channel of mobiles until the UL cell noise rise is between the noise rise threshold plus
the acceptable noise rise margin and the noise rise threshold minus the acceptable noise rise
margin.
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9.6.1.4 Resource Management in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT Simulations
9.6.1.4.1 Channel Element Management in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT Simulations
In Atoll, the number of channel elements needed on UL and DL for a user with a given terminal and data rate depends on
the site equipment and channel element consumption defined for the equipment-terminal pair.
The maximum number of channel elements per carrier available on the site on UL and DL is specified for each site. Chan-
nel elements can be either equally distributed between transmitters of site, or shared (if the option "Pool of CEs shared"
in site equipment properties is selected).
Atoll checks the availability of this resource during the simulation; it determines the number of channel elements that will
be consumed by each cell. When the option "Max Number of Channel Elements" in the simulation creation dialogue is
selected, the maximum number of Channel Elements available per site cannot be exceeded.
In cdmaOne documents, Atoll rejects users during the radio resource control step if there are not enough channel
elements.
In CDMA2000 1xRTT, Atoll rejects a user if there are not enough channel elements to support the user FCH rate. It may
downgrade the user SCH rate if there are no more channel elements free to support the requested SCH rate. Therefore,
a mobile will be rejected for the Channel elements saturation cause only if there are not enough channel elements to
support the user FCH rate. The lack of channel elements to support the user SCH rate leads to a SCH rate downgrading.
9.6.1.4.2 Walsh Codes Availability in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT Simulations
128 128-bit-length Walsh codes per cell are available in cdmaOne and CDMA2000 1xRTT networks. Atoll checks the
availability of this resource during the simulation; it determines the number of codes that will be consumed by each cell.
When the option "Number of codes" in the simulation creation dialogue is selected, the maximum number of Walsh codes
available per cell cannot be exceeded.
In cdmaOne documents, Atoll rejects users during the radio resource control step if there are not enough Walsh codes
per cell.
In CDMA2000 1xRTT, Atoll rejects a user if there is no Walsh code to support the user FCH rate. It may downgrade the
user DL SCH rate if there is no Walsh code free to support the requested SCH rate and enable the link. Therefore, a mobile
will be rejected for the code saturation cause only if there is no Walsh code to support the service FCH rate. The lack of
Walsh codes to support the user SCH rate leads to a DL SCH rate downgrading.
9.6.1.5 Resource Management in CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Simulations
Atoll checks the availability of 1xEV-DO resources, channel elements and MAC indexes, on UL during the simulation.
In CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, one user consumes one channel element. On downlink, only one user can be served by a trans-
mitter at a given time; therefore, he will consume one channel element. On uplink, one channel element per connected
user is consumed. This resource is only limited on UL. The maximum number of EV-DO channel elements per 1xEV-DO
carrier available on the site on UL is specified for each site.
The total number of MAC indexes available for traffic is 59 for DO Rev.0 and 114 for DO Rev.A. As DO Rev.A system is
backward compatible with the DO Rev.0 one, we assume that both Rev.0 and Rev.A users co-exist in the same network.
To take into account this, Atoll considers a pool of 114 Mac indexes per cell for traffic; this pool is common to DO Rev.0
and DO Rev.A users. Therefore, each DO Rev.0 user consumes two Mac indexes per traffic data channel whereas each
DO Rev.A user consumes one Mac index per traffic data channel.
Atoll determines the number of channel elements and MAC indexes that will be consumed by each cell. When options
"Max Number of Channel Elements" and "Number of codes" in the simulation creation dialogue are selected, the maximum
number of Channel Elements available per site and the maximum number of MAC indexes available per cell cannot be
exceeded. Therefore, during the radio resource control step, Atoll rejects users for the 1xEV-DO resources saturation
cause if there are not enough EV-DO channel elements or if there is no more MAC index free.
Note: When the option "Max Number of Channel Elements" is not selected, Atoll just checks the
channel elements availability. No SCH rate downgrading is performed in case of channel
elements unavailability.
Notes
When the option "Number of codes" is not selected, Atoll just checks the Walsh code availability.
No DL SCH rate downgrading is performed in case of Walsh code unavailability.
Formulas detailing the Walsh code consumption are given in the technical reference guide.
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9.6.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
9.6.2.1 Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
Performing a simulation in Atoll enables you to model the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network regulation mechanisms (UL and
DL power controls for cdmaOne and CDMA2000 1xRTT networks and UL power control/DL rate control for CDMA2000
1xEV-DO systems).
Atoll simulates this network regulation mechanism with an iterative algorithm and calculates, for each user distribution,
network parameters such as base station power, mobile terminal (RC) power, active set and handover status for each
terminal.
To create a (group of) cdmaOne/CDMA2000 power control simulation(s):
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder to open the associated context menu,
3. Click in the scrolling menu on New...,
4. The creation of simulations dialogue opens,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Set the parameters for the current simulation(s),
7. Click OK.
Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage predictions or for
the AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
9.6.2.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Inputs
Before running simulations, you must have a radio network with a satisfying pilot coverage. Then, it is necessary to define
traffic description and cartography.
Simulation needs propagation path loss of transmitters. When these results are not available, Atoll achieves propagation
calculation using the defined propagation model.
In Atoll, the dialogue allowing you to create simulations consists in three tabs: General, Source Traffic and Advanced
described below.
General Tab
In this tab, you can enter a name to the group of simulations that Atoll is going to compute. Then, you may decide the
number of simulations you want to run. It is possible to create several simulations at the same time or just one by one if
you prefer. The Execute later option can be used if you want to define simulation calculation settings and start the compu-
tation subsequently. In case the option is selected, simulation calculation is not carried out when closing the dialogue;
simulation will be worked out when clicking on the Calculate command (F7 shortcut or button),
Finally, you have the possibility to choose the level of detail in simulation outputs displayed by Atoll. The different options
are:
Only the average simulation and statistics: None of calculated simulations is displayed and available in the group.
It is only possible to get an average simulation.
No information about mobiles: All the calculated simulations are listed and can be displayed. For each of them, a
property window containing simulation outputs (four tabs available: Statistics, Sites, Cells, Initial conditions) can
be open.
Standard information about mobiles: An additional tab containing outputs related to mobiles is available in each
simulation property window.
Detailed information about mobiles: Additional simulation outputs relating to mobiles are available in the Mobiles
and Mobiles (Shadowing values) tabs of the simulation Properties window.
Notes
If you check the execute later box, computations will be started when using the Calculate com-
mand (F7 shortcut or button),
When starting computations, a group of simulations (with the input number of simulations) is
automatically created under the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation folder.
As is possible for prediction studies, any existing group of simulations can be duplicated using
the Duplicate command available from the group context menu. By default, the duplicated group
inputs are the same than the ones set in the initial group.
Note: The Execute later feature enables you to automatically calculate cdmaOne/CDMA2000
coverage studies after simulations without intermediary step.
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In the Cell load constraint part, you may select constraints you want Atoll to respect during the simulation. Constraints to
be checked are the maximum number of channel elements, the maximum uplink cell load factor, the maximum downlink
cell load and the Walsh codes availability. Maximum uplink load factor and downlink load can be either defined per cell
(cell properties), or globally specified in the dialogue (default values are set to 75%). Therefore, you just need to select in
the dialogue if you want to take into account the values defined per cell or the global thresholds specified in the dialogue.
The simulation proceeds without exceeding these limits. Mobiles with the lowest service priority (user-defined in each serv-
ice properties dialogue) are first rejected in order to fulfil these constraints. In order for the simulation to proceed freely,
clear all the calculation options.
Source Traffic Tab
The global scaling factor enables you to increase the user density without changing traffic parameters or cartography. For
example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 corresponds to double the initial number of subscribers (for environment and
user profile traffic maps or the rates/users (for live traffic maps per sector).
Traffic maps created in the CDMA/CDMA2000 Traffic folder (in the Geo tab) are listed in the Traffic part. Select the ones
you want to use for the simulation. Atoll takes into account the traffic information provided in all the selected maps. This
feature must be carefully used to avoid inconsistencies. Thus, make sure you do not mix several kinds of traffic maps (for
example, an environment traffic map and a live traffic map per sector) in a simulation; rather, make several simulations,
each one based on a same sort of traffic map. On the other hand, you can fully carry out a simulation using several traffic
maps belonging to the same kind.
Even if using the same traffic information, each distribution inside a unique group follows a Poisson distribution on the
number of connected users. Hence, between these snapshots, you may have some variations on the number of users
trying to connect the network.
Advanced Tab
Generator initialisation enables you to obtain the same user distribution in two simulations just by giving the same non-
zero integer in this field. For example, you create a simulation with generator initialisation value of 1 (or any integer different
from 0). When you create another simulation, giving 1 as generator initialisation, you obtain the same random distribution.
To avoid getting similar distributions, just enter zero value in this field. A group of several simulations with different distri-
butions may be repeated with the same principle. This feature is useful when one wants to compare results of two simu-
lations after changing one parameter; so to make a just comparison, it is better to have the same user locations.
The power control simulation is based on an iterative algorithm. In the Convergence part, you can define how many iter-
ations you want the simulation to run (maximum number of iterations) and specify your own uplink and downlink conver-
gence criteria.
When clicking OK (if the option "Execute later" is not selected), simulation starts running and stops when the convergence
criteria are fulfilled met in two successive iterations (when there is no network parameter evolution). Therefore, the simu-
lation can finish before reaching the maximum number of defined iterations.
In the explorer, all the simulations created at the same time are grouped. When the calculation is finished, Atoll has
created the required number of simulations in the newly created group of simulations.
Average simulations and simulation replays are reachable from each of these subfolders. Display properties are available
from the Simulations folder.
9.6.2.3 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Properties
Like many other objects (Sites, Transmitters, Cells, Antennas, Predictions, measurements, etc.) within Atoll, simulations
can be managed either individually or globally.
Global Properties Management
In Atoll, you may manage globally the display properties of the existing simulations.
To do so:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations folder to open the context menu,
3. Click the Properties command from the open scrolling menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
Notes
This feature is very useful in order to avoid "out of memory" problems that occur when the
number of calculated simulations is very high.
Some calculation and display options available for prediction studies cannot be used when the
first option "Only the average simulation and statistics" has been selected.
Note: Formulas detailing the convergence criteria are given in the technical reference guide.
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Individual Properties Management
Properties you can display on groups of simulations are related to the input parameters.
To open the properties related to a group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations folder by clicking on the button in front of it,
Either
a. Right click on the group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations you want to manage,
b. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
Or
- Double click the group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations you want to manage
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
9.6.2.4 Replaying a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation
It is possible to replay an existing group of simulations. Main simulation parameters (including reference maps, number of
simulations in the replayed group, initialisation number) are reused; on the other hand you may modify convergence
parameters and constraints on cell loads. The replayed group contains as many simulations as the existing group. Simu-
lations of replayed and existing groups are respectively based on the same user distributions (number of users who try to
be connected, allocated service, mobility and activity status, geographic position), on the other hand, shadowing error
distribution is different, power control (or rate/power control) is recalculated and the outputs updated.
To replay a group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations (one of several ones):
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the group of simulations you want to replay to open the associated context menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on Replay...,
5. The replay simulation(s) dialogue opens,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
7. Set the convergence parameters and the constraints on the cell loads for the current group of simulations to
replay,
8. Validate by clicking on OK.
Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage predictions or for
the AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
9.6.2.5 Generator Initialisation - Replay Differences (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
Main differences between the two features are the inputs taken into account in simulations. The comparison is detailed
below.
Replay: Atoll reuses the same user distribution (user with a service, a mobility and an activity status) and traffic
parameters (such as maximum and minimum traffic channel powers allowed, Eb/Nt targets, etc.) as the ones taken
into account to calculate the initial simulation. On the other hand, the shadowing error distribution between simu-
Note: The Atoll standard display dialogue is available in order to manage the display of simula-
tion results. So, for each simulation, it is possible to colour users depending on their con-
nection status, their handover status, or any cdmaOne/CDMA2000 parameter. Simulations,
in the explorer window are organised in sub-items which depend on the selected display
options.
Notes
Even if computations have not been performed (using the execute later command), you can
access to the group properties and modify input parameters for coming computations.
You can access to properties of any single simulation. The open dialogue contains simulations
statistics, specific results per site, per mobile, per cell and simulation initial conditions.
Note: Formulas detailing the convergence method are given in the technical reference guide.
Comment: As the generator initialisation function, this feature enables you to obtain the same user dis-
tribution in two simulations. Nevertheless, the generator initialisation option is more powerful
since it enables you to evaluate the influence of traffic parameters modifications as well as
radio parameters modifications on the power control (or rate/power control). See "Generator
Initialisation - Replay Differences (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)" on page 437.
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lations is different and finally, only radio data (new transmitter, azimuth, etc.) modifications are taken into account
during the power control (or rate/power control) simulation.
Generator initialisation: If the generator initialisation value entered when creating both simulations is a same
integer different from 0, Atoll generates the same user and shadowing error distribution (user with a service, a
mobility, an activity status and a shadowing error) in both simulations. On the other hand, in this case, both mod-
ifications on traffic parameters (such as maximum and minimum traffic channel powers allowed, Eb/Nt targets,
etc.) and radio data (new transmitter, azimuth, etc.) are taken into account during the power control (or rate/power
control) simulation.
9.6.2.6 Averaging cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations
It is possible to calculate an average simulation based on all the simulations contained in a group. This feature allows the
user to get an average value and a standard deviation on some outputs (statistics and results related to cells such as the
UL load per cell, the total DL power per cell, the DL throughput per cell, etc.). Results are automatically displayed.
To display an average simulation:
To display average results per cell over a group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the group of simulations you want to average the simulations to open the associated context
menu,
4. Click in the scrolling menu on Average simulations...,
5. The average simulation dialogue opens,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
7. Click on the available tabs to display either the Statistics, Means or Standard deviation window,
8. Click OK to close the window.
Average simulations may be used in specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage predictions or in an AS analysis with the
point analysis tool.
9.6.2.7 Adding a Simulation to an Existing Group of cdmaOne/CDMA2000
Simulations
In Atoll, It is possible to add a new simulation to an existing group of simulations. When Atoll creates the new simulation,
it reuses same inputs (radio and traffic data, simulation parameters) as the ones taken into account for generating the
group of simulations; then, it generates a new user distribution and performs the power control simulation for cdmaOne/
CDMA2000 1xRTT systems or rate/power control in case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems.
To add a simulation to an existing group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Right click on the simulation group which you want to add a simulation to,
4. Choose the New... command from the open context menu,
5. A new simulation is being computed using the parameters of the current group,
6. After calculation, a new simulation is added to the group.
9.6.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results Summary
9.6.3.1 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Statistics
A report containing simulation statistics is available for each computed simulation (except when the option "Only the aver-
age simulation and statistics" is selected in the simulation creation window). Statistics are divided into two parts. A part is
dedicated to the traffic request determined during the traffic scenario elaboration and another one refers to the network
performance (results coming from the power control or power/rate control).
If a focus zone is defined in your project, only sites, transmitters and mobiles located inside the focus zone are considered
when accessing simulation results. The global output statistics are based on these mobiles.
To display traffic requests and results on any simulation:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
Note: The added simulation is then considered if you calculate an average simulation.
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3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation for which you want to display traffic requests
and results by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click on the Statistics tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
The Statistics tab window contains:
The Traffic request part
- Atoll calculates the total number of users who try to be connected. It is a result of the first random trial, the
power control has not yet been achieved. This result depends on the traffic description and cartography.
- During the first random trial, each user is assigned a service and an activity status. Therefore, the number of
users per activity status, and UL and DL rates that all the users could theoretically generate are provided.
- Breakdown (number of users, number of users per activity status, UL and DL rates) per service is given.
The Results part
- Atoll displays the number of iterations that algorithm has run to converge.
- The number and the percentage of rejected users are calculated and detailed per rejection cause (cdmaOne,
1xRTT, 1xEV-DO). These results are determined after the power control (or power/rate control) and depend
on the network design.
- Atoll supplies the total number and the percentage of connected users, the number of users per activity status,
and UL and DL total rates that they generate. These data are also detailed per service.
9.6.3.2 Displaying Input Parameters of an Existing cdmaOne/CDMA2000
Simulation
In the simulation report, Atoll sums up input parameters used to calculate the simulation. They are transmitter global
parameters, simulation parameters defined during the creation step and parameters related to the clutter class map.
Note: Simulation report is unavailable when the option "Only the average simulation and statistics" is selected in the simu-
lation creation window.
To display input parameters of an existing simulation:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation for which you want to display initial conditions
by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click on the Initial condition tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
The initial condition tab window contains:
The transmitter global parameters such as:
- The spreading width,
- The default orthogonality factor,
- The default uplink soft handover gain,
Notes
Traffic rates are calculated at the user level without taking into account handover. Once finished,
simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage predic-
tions or for the AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
When the simulation does not converge (UL and DL convergence criteria not reached at the end
of the simulation), Atoll displays a special warning icon ( ) in front of Simulation object.
Formulas related to convergence method are given in the Technical Reference Guide.
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- The MRC in softer/soft option: if it is defined or not,
- The method used to calculate Io
Inputs specified when creating the simulation:
- The maximum number of iterations,
- The uplink and downlink convergence thresholds,
- The simulation constraints such as the maximum power, the maximum number of channel elements, the
uplink load factor and the maximum load,
- The name of used traffic maps.
Then, if available values of model, C/I, Eb/Nt standard deviations, orthogonality factors and indoor losses defined per clut-
ter class are displayed.
9.6.3.3 Summarising Results per site (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)
In the simulation report, Atoll provides information about sites parameters.
To display results on any simulation per site:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation for which you want to display sites parameters
by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click on the Sites tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
In this window, Atoll displays the maximum number of channel elements dedicated to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users
and to CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users previously defined for each site, the number of required channel elements for
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users on uplink and downlink at the end of simulation, the
number of extra channel elements due to soft handover for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
users, properties related to each site equipment (MUD factor, Rake receiver efficiency factor, carrier selection mode, AS
restricted to neighbours option and overhead channel elements on uplink and downlink), uplink and downlink throughputs
(kbits/s) per service supported by the site. UL and DL throughputs are the number of kbits per second supported by the
site on uplink and downlink to supply (mobiles connected with the transmitters located on the site) one kind of services.
The throughput calculation takes into account handover connections. When relevant, split between FCH and SCH results
is provided.
When the constraint "Max number of channel elements" in the simulation creation dialogue is not selected, the number of
channel elements required by a site can exceed the maximum number of channel elements defined for the site. In this
case, sites are displayed with red colour.
9.6.3.4 Summarising Results per cell (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)
In the simulation report, Atoll provides information related to cells. Results are given in two dedicated tabs; one deals with
1xRTT cells and the other one 1xEV-DO cells.
Note: Simulation report is unavailable when the option "Only the average simulation and statis-
tics" is selected in the simulation creation window.
Notes
It is possible to choose results of the current table you want to display by using the
button then the Display columns command.
You may export results of the current table in tabulated ASCII text files. To do this, the
button then the Export command.
Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000
coverage predictions or for the AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
Note: Simulation report is unavailable when the option "Only the average simulation and statis-
tics" is selected in the simulation creation window.
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To display results on any simulation per cell:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation for which you want to display cell parameters
by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click either on the Cells (1xRTT) tab or on the Cells (1xEV-DO) tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
In the Cells (1xRTT) tab, Atoll provides DL transmit power related information (total power used, load factor, noise rise,
percentage of power used, average, minimum and maximum traffic channel powers), UL mobile power related information
(total noise, load factor, noise rise, reuse factor, reuse efficiency factor), the percentage of connected users, the number
of radio links on UL and DL, the number of Walsh codes used, the number of channel elements consumed on UL and DL,
the percentage of users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types), the throughput allocated
to DL and UL, the number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason. When relevant, split between FCH and SCH
results is provided.
In the Cells (1xEV-DO) tab, Atoll provides UL mobile power related information (total noise, load factor, noise rise, reuse
factor, reuse efficiency factor), the percentage of connected users, the number of radio links on UL, the percentage of
users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types), the throughput allocated to DL and UL, the
number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason.
For more information, see "cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cells" on page 445.
When the constraints "UL load factor" and "DL load" in the simulation creation dialogue are not selected, the cell UL load
factor and DL load can exceed the set limits. In this case, cells are displayed with red colour.
9.6.3.5 Committing Simulated Loads to Cells (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)
As coverage studies, simulations cannot be stored in the database and shared between several users. However, there is
a way in order to share two main simulation results, the total power used by each cell and the cell UL load factor. These
results determined during the simulation are cell parameters; they can be assigned to cells (cell properties are saved in
the database) and then used in CDMA predictions and AS analysis by all the users even if these ones do not have the
simulation in their .atl documents. Both parameters can be results coming from a single or an average simulation.
To assign any simulated UL load factor and total DL power used to cells:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation you want to use,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click on the Cells tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
Notes
It is possible to choose results of the current table you want to display by using the
button then the Display columns command.
You may export results of the current table in tabulated ASCII text files. To do this, the
button then the Export command.
The button enables you to assign values of the total power used and the UL
load factor to cells (respectively in Total power and UL load fields). These values may be taken
into account in CDMA predictions and AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
Formulas detailing the Walsh code management are given in the technical reference guide.
Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000
coverage predictions or for the AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
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6. Click the to assign calculated loads and total powers to cells,
7. Values are automatically copied in each cell properties window,
8. Click OK to close the window.
9.6.3.6 Summarising Results per Mobile (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Projects)
When the Standard information about mobiles option is selected in the simulation creation dialogue, Atoll provides two
dedicated tabs; one deals with 1xRTT mobiles and the other one 1xEV-DO mobiles in the simulation report. These ones
contain information related to mobiles.
To display results on any simulation per mobile:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation for which you want to display mobile param-
eters by clicking on the button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click either on the Mobiles (1xRTT) tab or on the Mobiles (1xEV-DO) tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
In the Mobiles (1xRTT) tab, Atoll provides the mobile geographic location, the used service, the terminal type, the user
type, the mobility, its activity and connection status, the carrier, requested and allocated throughputs on UL and DL, the
UL pilot power, the mobile total power, the mobile FCH power, the mobile SCH power, the best server, the handover
status, active set information and the indoor/outdoor status.
In the Mobiles (1xEV-DO) tab, Atoll provides the mobile geographic location, the used service, the terminal type, the user
type, the mobility, its activity and connection status, the carrier, requested and allocated throughputs on UL, the DL maxi-
mum throughput, the mobile total power, the best server, the handover status and active set information.
Connection status refers to mobile rejection causes previously explained. It gives the reason why the mobile, even active,
is not connected to any transmitter at the end of the simulation. HO status represents the real number of sites compared
to the number of cells in active set.
For example, when a mobile is in connection with three cells and among them two co-site cells (soft - softer handover), its
HO status is 2/3. When the mobile is connected with only one transmitter (no handover) its HO status is 1/1. When the
mobile is connected with three co-site transmitters (softer - softer handover), its HO status is 1/3.
Active set is the list of transmitters in connection with the mobile. The maximum number of transmitters in active set is
defined by the user in Terminal Properties and besides limited to 6 in Atoll.
Indoor status is set to 1 (0 for Outdoor) for an indoor user. An additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) is
be added to the indoor users path loss.
For more information, see "cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobiles" on page 446.
Checking the Detailed results box in the simulation creation dialogue enables you to get additional simulation outputs. This
extra information includes for each mobile:
The detailed parameters values for each member of the active set (noise values, interference values, etc.)
The shadowing loss values for each path from a mobile to its 10 first best servers.
Notes
This feature is also available from the mean tab window of any average simulation.
Simulation report is unavailable when the option "Only the average simulation and statistics" is
selected in the simulation creation window.
Notes
It is possible to choose results of the current table you want to display by using the
button then the Display columns command.
You may export results of the current table in tabulated ASCII text files. To do this, use the
button then the Export command.
Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for specific cdmaOne/CDMA2000
coverage predictions or for an AS analysis with the point analysis tool.
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9.6.3.7 Displaying Shadowing Values of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation
When selecting the Detailed information about mobiles option in the simulation creation dialogue, Atoll provides the addi-
tional tab "Mobiles (Shadowing Values)" in the simulation report.
This feature is available only when selecting the Detailed information about mobiles option in the simulation creation
dialogue. Here, Atoll details for each mobile:
Its number Id,
The clutter class where the receiver is located,
The model standard deviation (value associated to the clutter class or default value)
The random shadowing error ( ) related to the receiver local environment (Value at receiver); this one
is the same whichever the link.
The random shadowing errors ( ) due to the transmitter-receiver path (Value). Atoll gives this error
for a maximum of ten paths; it considers the ten transmitters, which have the mobile in their calculation areas and
the lowest path losses (Lpath). Transmitters are sorted in an ascending path loss order.
To display shadowing values for each mobile in any simulation:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
3. Expand the simulation group subfolder containing the simulation you want to analyse by clicking on the
button,
Either
a. Right click on the simulation to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
4. Click on the Mobile (Shadowing values) tab from the open window,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK to close the window.
Here, Atoll details for each mobile, the clutter class where the mobile is located, the shadowing error value related to the
receiver local environment (Value at receiver), the shadowing error value for each path from the mobile to its 10 first best
servers (Value).
9.6.3.8 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results on the Map
It is possible to display simulation results of any simulation (except when the option "Only the average simulation and
statistics" is selected in the simulation creation window). The display is globally managed from the CDMA/CDMA2000
simulations folder.
To make available the display dialogue on all the simulations of the current project:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the CDMA/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the CDMA/CDMA2000 simulations folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties,
Or,
- Double click on the CDMA/CDMA2000 simulations folder,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Set the display parameters for all the simulations of the current project,
5. Click OK to close the window.
Like for most of the other display dialogues in Atoll, you can choose the display type (unique, discrete values, values inter-
val) and some corresponding fields.
Notes
It is possible to choose results of the current table you want to display by using the
button then the Display columns command.
You may export results of the current table in tabulated ASCII text files. To do this, use the
button then the Export command.
All formulas detailing the shadowing modelling in simulations are given in the technical reference
guide.
E
ceiver
Shadowing
Re
E
Path
Shadowing
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9.6.3.9 Exporting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Results
Results tables of any single simulation or average simulation may be exported.
To export simulation results:
1. Click the Data tab from the Explorer window,
2. Expand the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations folder by clicking on the button,
Either,
a. Right click on the simulation group folder to open the associated context menu,
b. Click in the scrolling menu on Average simulation... to open the average simulation results
Or,
- Either
i. Right click on a simulation to open the associated context menu,
ii. Click in the scrolling menu on Properties... to open the simulation results window,
- Or,
- Double click on the simulation,
3. In any tab (e.g., Sites, Cells, Mobiles, etc.), click on the Actions button,
4. Select the Export command,
This will open the generic table export window. It is the same export interface as the export function for tables in Atoll. You
can export results tables in delimited ASCII text files.
To export a results table:
1. Select Export from the Actions button menu,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
Either specify export settings,
a. Select the separator and the decimal symbol,
b. Specify if you want to save the table header in the file,
c. Use the buttons and in order to define the list of fields to be exported. Finally, use
the buttons and in order to change the order of fields to be exported.
Or select an export configuration if defined,
a. Click on the Load button,
b. Specify the directory where the configuration file is located,
c. Click on Open to close the dialogue,
3. Click OK to export,
4. In the open dialogue, select the directory where you want to save the exported file, enter the file name and click
on open to complete export.
9.6.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs
9.6.4.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Sites
For each site, Atoll provides:
The maximum number of channel elements dedicated to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users and CDMA2000
1xEV-DO users,
The number of channel elements required by cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
users, on uplink and downlink at the end of simulation,
The number of extra channel elements due to soft handover, for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT users and
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users, on uplink and downlink (Nb CEs due to SHO overhead UL and DL),
Note: Existing simulations, in the explorer window contain sub-items which depend on the
selected display options. The simulation display is managed with the standard display dia-
logue in use under Atoll. Once finished, simulations are available and may be used for spe-
cific cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage predictions or for an AS analysis with the point
analysis tool.
Note: Export settings may be saved in a configuration file. Click on Save. In the open dialogue,
specify the directory where you want to save the configuration file, type the file name and
click on Open to close the dialogue.
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Properties of the equipment installed on the site: MUD factor, Rake receiver efficiency factor, carrier selection
mode, AS restricted to neighbours option and overhead channel elements on uplink and downlink,
Uplink and downlink throughputs (kbits/s) per service supported by the site. UL and DL throughputs are the
number of kbits per second supported by the site on uplink and downlink to supply (mobiles connected with the
transmitters located on the site) a particular service. The throughput calculation takes into account handover con-
nections.
When relevant, split between FCH and SCH results is provided.
9.6.4.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cells
For each cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT cell, Atoll provides:
Cell properties previously user-defined: the maximum power, the pilot power, the synchronisation power, the
paging power, the gain, reception and transmission losses and the noise figure.
Downlink transmit power related information: the total power used, the load factor, the noise rise, the percentage
of power used and average, minimum and maximum traffic channel powers,
Uplink mobile power related information: the total noise, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor and the
reuse efficiency factor,
The percentage of connected users,
The number of radio links on uplink and downlink,
Resources required: the number of Walsh codes used and the number of channel elements consumed on
uplink and downlink,
The percentage of users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types)
The throughput allocated to uplink and downlink,
The number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason.
When relevant, split between FCH and SCH results is provided.
For each CDMA2000 1xEV-DO cell, Atoll provides:
Cell properties previously user-defined: the maximum power, the idle power gain, the gain, reception and
transmission losses and the noise figure.
Uplink mobile power related information: the total noise, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor and the
reuse efficiency factor,
The percentage of connected users,
The number of radio links on uplink,
The percentage of users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types)
The throughput allocated to uplink and downlink,
The number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason.
For more information, see "cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Average Simulation Outputs on Cells" on page 445.
9.6.4.3 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Average Simulation Outputs on Cells
In the Means (1xRTT) and Standard Deviations (1xRTT) tabs of the average simulation dialogue, Atoll provides for each
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT cell, average value and standard deviation for:
Downlink transmit power related information: the total power used, the load factor, the noise rise, the percentage
of power used and average, minimum and maximum traffic channel powers,
Uplink mobile power related information: the total noise, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor and the
reuse efficiency factor,
The percentage of connected users,
The number of radio links on uplink and downlink,
Resources required: the number of Walsh codes used,
The percentage of users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types)
The number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason.
In the Means (1xEV-DO) and Standard Deviations (1xEV-DO) tabs of the average simulation dialogue, Atoll provides for
each CDMA2000 1xEV-DO cell, average value and standard deviation for:
Uplink mobile power related information: the total noise, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor and the
reuse efficiency factor,
The percentage of connected users,
The number of radio links on uplink,
The percentage of users in handover (distinction between soft, softer and other handover types)
The throughput allocated to uplink and downlink,
The number of mobile rejections split per rejection reason.
For more information, see "cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cells" on page 445.
9.6.4.4 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Cell Components
The total power used is the total power that the transmitter transmits on a carrier. When the constraint "DL load"
is settled, the calculated power cannot exceed the maximum power value previously defined in the cell properties.
The total FCH Power used is the power transmitted on FCH.
The total SCH Power used is the power transmitted on SCH.
The uplink total noise takes into account the total signal received at the transmitter on a carrier from intra and
extra-cellular terminals (uplink total interference) and the thermal noise.
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The uplink transmitter load factor corresponds to the ratio between the uplink total interference and the uplink
total noise. If this constraint has been selected, UL cell load factor is not allowed to exceed the user-defined value
(either in the cell properties, or in the simulation creation dialog).The uplink reuse factor is determined from uplink
intra and extra-cellular interference (signals received by the transmitter respectively from intra and extra-cellular
terminals). This is the ratio between the uplink total interference and the intra-cellular interference.
The uplink reuse efficiency factor is the reciprocal of the uplink reuse factor.
The DL load factor of the cell i corresponds to the (DL average interference [due to transmitter signals on the
same carrier] for terminals in the transmitter i area) / (DL average total noise [due to transmitter signals and to
thermal noise of terminals] for terminals in the transmitter i area) ratio.
The uplink and downlink noise rises are respectively calculated from uplink and downlink load factors. These
data point out the signal degradation due to cell load (interference margin in the link budget).
The percentage of used power is determined by the total DL power used-maximum power ratio (power stated in
W). This value also shows the cell DL loading (percentage of DL capacity reached). When the constraint "DL load"
is settled, the percentage of used power is not allowed to exceed the user-defined value (either in the cell proper-
ties, or in the simulation creation dialogue).
Reminder: the maximum power is an input data user-definable for each cell in the Properties window. On the other hand,
the power is a simulation output data calculated for each transmitter, carrier by carrier.
Atoll estimates the percentages of handover status which the transmitter takes part in. HO status represents the number
of sites compared to the number of transmitters in active set size. Active set is the list of transmitters in connection with
mobiles. The maximum number of transmitters in the active set is defined by the user in Terminal Properties and limited
to 6 for cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects. For example, when a mobile is in connection with three transmitters and among
them two co-site transmitters (soft - softer handover), its HO status is 2/3. When the mobile is connected with only one
transmitter (no handover), its HO status is 1/1. When the mobile is connected with three co-site transmitters (softer-softer
handover), its HO status is 1/3.
The connection success rate gives the percentage of connected users (i.e. the ratio between the number of con-
nected users and the total number of users in the cell).
The number of radio links corresponds to the number of user transmitter links on the same carrier. This data is
calculated on uplink and on downlink. This parameter indicates the number of users connected to the cell on uplink
and downlink. Note that a single user can use several radio links (handover).
The number of channel elements required to provide connected mobiles with the service is estimated on uplink
and downlink. These data are given without taking into account handover status. Therefore, the sum of channel
elements requested by transmitters on the same site may exceed the number of channel element required by the
site (result provided in the Sites tab).
The uplink and downlink throughputs represent respectively the numbers of Kbits per second delivered by the
transmitter. These data are calculated on uplink and on downlink. In case of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO cells, the MUG
(Multi-User gain) is taken into account to calculate the downlink throughput. The MUG depends on the number of
users connected to the cell; it is defined in the cell properties.
Minimum traffic channel power is the lowest one of the powers allocated to traffic channels for supplying serv-
ices to mobiles connected to the transmitter.
Maximum traffic channel power is the greatest of the powers allocated to traffic channels for supplying services
to mobiles connected to the transmitter.
Average traffic channel power is the average of the powers allocated to traffic channels for supplying services
to mobiles connected to the transmitter.
9.6.4.5 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobiles
For each cdmaOne user who try to be connected, Atoll provides the mobile geographic location, the used service, the
terminal type, the user type, the mobility, its activity and connection status, the carrier, requested and allocated through-
puts on uplink and downlink, the mobile total power, the mobile FCH power, the best server, the handover status, the active
set information (transmitters in active set and associated Ec/Io), and the indoor status.
If the option "Detailed information about mobiles" has been selected for the current simulation, Atoll details:
Downlink transmit power related information for each (mobile - cells in active set) link: the total noise, cell powers
transmitted on the FCH, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor, the total noise received at the terminal
from the cell (Iintra) and the total noise received at the terminal from other cells (Iextra),
The total loss for each (mobile - cells in active set) link,
The clutter class where the mobile is located, the orthogonality factor, uplink and downlink SHO gains (on
FCH),
The shadowing error value related to the receiver local environment and the shadowing error value for each path
from the mobile to its 10 first best servers.
For each CDMA2000 1xRTT user who try to be connected, Atoll provides the mobile geographic location, the used serv-
ice, the terminal type, the user type, the mobility, its activity and connection status, the carrier, requested and allocated
throughputs on uplink and downlink, the uplink pilot power, the mobile total power, the mobile FCH power, the mobile SCH
power, the best server, the handover status and active set information (transmitters in active set and associated Ec/Io).
If the option "Detailed information about mobiles" has been selected for the current simulation, Atoll details:
Uplink and downlink downgrading factors applied to the SCH,
Note: Atoll details only the results for the following handover status, no handover (1/1), softer (1/2), soft
(2/2), softer-soft (2/3) and soft-soft (3/3) handovers; the other handover status (other HO) are globally
analysed.
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Downlink transmit power related information for each (mobile - cells in active set) link: the total noise, cell powers
transmitted on the FCH and the SCH, the load factor, the noise rise, the reuse factor, the total noise received at
the terminal from the cell (Iintra) and the total noise received at the terminal from other cells (Iextra),
The total loss for each (mobile - cells in active set) link,
The clutter class where the mobile is located, the orthogonality factor, uplink and downlink SHO gains (on FCH
and SCH),
The shadowing error value related to the receiver local environment and the shadowing error value for each path
from the mobile to its 10 first best servers.
For each CDMA2000 1xEV-DO user who try to be connected, Atoll provides the mobile geographic location, the used
service, the terminal type, the user type, the mobility, its activity and connection status, the carrier, requested and allocated
throughputs on UL, the DL maximum throughput, the mobile total power, the best server, the handover status and active
set information (transmitters in active set and associated Ec/Io).
If the option "Detailed information about mobiles" has been selected for the current simulation, Atoll details:
The uplink downgrading factor,
The signal to noise ratio for pilot,
Downlink transmit power related information: the total noise, the load factor, the noise rise,
The total loss for each (mobile - cells in active set) link,
The clutter class where the mobile is located, the orthogonality factor and the uplink SHO gain,
The shadowing error value related to the receiver local environment and the shadowing error value for each path
from the mobile to its 10 first best servers.
For more information, see "cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobile Components" on page 447.
9.6.4.6 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation Outputs on Mobile Components
X and Y are the coordinates of users who try to be connected (geographic position determined by the 2nd random
trial). The power control (or rate/power control) is based on this order.
The service, the user mobility and the activity status are the 1st random trial results (user distribution genera-
tion).
The terminal and the user profile are based on the traffic description. According to the service and the activity
status assigned to a user, Atoll determines his terminal and the corresponding user profile.
The carrier used for the mobile-transmitter connection.
Downlink and uplink requested throughputs: they respectively correspond to the DL and UL effective bit rates
of service.
Downlink and uplink obtained throughputs: after power control (rate/power control) simulation, the obtained
throughput equals the requested rate if the mobile is connected and no rate downgrading has occurred. In case
of rate downgrading, the downgrading factor is taken into account to calculate the obtained throughput. For
CDMA2000 1xRTT users, this one equals the effective FCH rate more the effective SCH rate multiplied by the
downgrading factor. For CDMA2000 1xEV-DO users, it corresponds to the effective rate multiplied by the down-
grading factor. If the user is rejected, the obtained rate is zero.
The mobile total power corresponds to the total power transmitted by the terminal.
The uplink pilot power (only for CDMA2000 1xRTT) is deduced from the total mobile power (total mobile power
multiplied by the pilot power percentage set in the terminal properties).
The downlink maximum data rate (only for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO) depends on the C/I condition at the terminal.
Atoll deduces this value from the Max rate=f(C/I) chart specified in the mobility type properties.
The best server among the transmitters entering mobile active set.
The Connection status refers to mobile rejection causes previously defined. It gives the reasons why the mobile,
even active, is not connected to any transmitter at the end of the simulation.
The HO status represents the real number of sites used compared to the number of fingers.
For example, if the terminal active set size is 6 and if its number of fingers is 3, the mobile will be able to be connected
with none, one, two or three transmitters. Atoll will consider in simulations and in predictions (HO status study) the follow-
ing handover status, no handover (1/1), softer (1/2), soft (2/2), softer-soft (2/3), soft-soft (3/3), or softer-softer (1/3) hando-
vers.
The list of transmitters in connection with the mobile (Active set). The maximum number of transmitters in active
set is defined by the user in Terminal Properties and limited to 6 in Atoll. Soft handover can be enabled/disabled
for every service.
Ec/Io values are calculated for each transmitter in active set.
The Downgrading factor for SCH rate in CDMA2000 1xRTT or traffic data rate in CDMA2000 1xEV-DO:
means the rate was halved.
The cell power transmitted on traffic channel. This parameter is determined for each (mobile transmitters in
active set) link.
The DL total noise is calculated for each (mobile transmitters in active set) link (FCH and SCH). This parameter
is calculated from the transmitter thermal noise and the DL total interference at the terminal.
The DL load factor (determined for each (mobile transmitters in active set) link) corresponds to the downlink
total interference total noise at the terminal ratio.
The DL noise rise (evaluated for each (mobile transmitters in active set) link) is deduced from the DL load factor.
Note: Rejected users at the end of the power control (or rate/power control) are included in this
list.
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The DL reuse factor (calculated for each (mobile transmitters in active set) link) is evaluated from the interfer-
ence received at the terminal from the intra transmitter area and the total interference received at the terminal from
all the transmitters (intra and extra-cellular).
DL intra-cellular interference for each cell (i) of the mobile active set:
DL extra-cellular interference for each cell (i) of the mobile active set:
The total path loss (determined for each (mobile transmitters in active set) link) is calculated from transmitter
and terminal losses, path loss (propagation result), transmitter and terminal gains.
The number of uplink and downlink channel elements respectively refer to the number of channel elements
consumed by the user on UL and DL,
The orthogonality factor is user-defined in the clutter Properties window.
The UL macro-diversity gain is determined for mobile receivers connected either on UL or on UL and DL.
The DL SHO gain is evaluated in case mobile receivers are connected either on DL or on UL and DL.
The Indoor status is set to 1 (0 for Outdoor) for an indoor user. An additional loss (as defined in the clutter class
properties) is be added to the indoor users path loss.
9.7 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Prediction Studies
In cdmaOne/CDMA2000 documents, Atoll provides two kinds of predictions:
Point analysis which enables you to get a prediction at a specific location within your network:
Standard studies on pilot reception (Profile, Reception and Results tab),
Active set analysis of a real time probe user in order to determine CDMA pilot quality and connection status at the
receiver by using the AS analysis tab.
AS analysis is a radio reception tool provided for:
UL and DL load conditions. Analysis is based on the UL load percentage and the DL total power of cells. These
parameters can be either outputs of a given simulation, or average values calculated from a group of simulations,
or user-defined cell inputs
A user-definable probe receiver with associated terminal, mobility and service with certain UL and DL rates. This
receiver does not create any interference.
Coverage studies where each map bin is considered as a non-interfering probe mobile with associated
terminal, mobility and service. These may be ordered in four different groups of studies, listed in a natural plan-
ning order, from the indispensable pilot study to the study of the downlink total noise:
- Pilot-oriented studies to determine the pilot coverage by transmitter, the pilot coverage by signal level, over-
lapping area, pilot quality (Ec/Io) and pilot pollution,
- Service-oriented studies to determine service availability in uplink and downlink and effective service areas,
- The handover status study to analyse macro-diversity performance,
- The downlink total noise study.
Except pilot coverage, coverage by signal level and overlapping studies, which are similar to classical coverage studies,
all other studies are specific to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network planning and closely dependent on the network noise.
Therefore, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 coverage studies are based on the UL load per cell and the DL total power per cell.
These parameters can be either outputs of a given simulation, or average values calculated from a group of simulations,
or user-defined cell inputs.
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9.7.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Point Analysis
You may use the Atoll point analysis window in order to get reception information for a given point on the map. In
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects, you may use the Profile, Reception and Results tab windows as in other projects, in order
to get a prediction on the signal received from the pilot channel. In addition, the AS analysis tab window provides you infor-
mation on the pilot quality (Ec/Io) (main parameter to define the mobile active set), the connection status and the active
set of the probe mobile.
To make the AS analysis window active:
1. From the menu bar, check the Point analysis command in the View menu,
2. The point analysis window opens in the lower right corner of your current environment,
3. Click on the AS analysis tab,
4. Click the button from the toolbar,
5. Move over the current map and place the pointer where you want to make your analysis.
AS analysis is a radio reception tool provided for:
UL and DL load conditions of network on a given carrier. Analysis is based on the UL load percentage and the DL
total power of cells. These parameters can be either outputs of a given simulation, or average values calculated
from a group of simulations, or user-defined cell inputs.
A user-definable probe receiver which has a terminal, a mobility and a service with certain UL and DL rates.
The pilot quality and the connection status are displayed for conditions listed above and without taking into account the
possible network saturation. Thus, there is no guarantee that a simulated mobile with same receiver characteristics can
check the point analysis diagnosis, simply because simulated network may be saturated.
Notes
You can define a RSCP threshold to further define how results are displayed. Atoll uses the
RSCP threshold to calculate coverage predictions and to make the AS analysis. Atoll checks
which pixels have a pilot signal level which exceeds the defined RSCP threshold. The RSCP
threshold can be defined in the Predictions folder ptoperty dialogue.
In CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the BTS always transmits at full power (Pmax) unless it has no user to
support. In that case, it transmits a very low level of power during idle traffic slots when there is
no data to send (Pmax +Idle gain).
Power control (or rate/power control) is achieved once only during simulation but never during
prediction studies.
In both kinds of predictions (point analysis and coverage studies), Atoll does not take into
account possible network saturation (lack of resources, network load exceeded, etc.).
Quality coverage studies of BLER/BER/FER may be performed as well. This kind of study is not
directly available in the list of standard studies proposed by Atoll. In order to calculate it, you
have to create either a pilot reception analysis (Ec/Io), or the Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink, or
the Service area (Eb/Nt) uplink study and select relevant display options.
All cdmaOne/CDMA2000 specific studies require propagation path loss on each bin. Atoll uses
path loss matrices calculated with the defined propagation model.
Note: The Point analysis window is automatically displayed when clicking on the button from
the toolbar,
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A description of the AS analysis window is given below.
The bar graph shows pilot quality (Ec/Io) reception from all transmitters using the selected carrier (the reception bar colour
corresponds to the transmitter colour). Limit values required to be in active set (T-Add, T-Drop) are displayed. Grey back-
ground represents transmitters in active set. Finally, pilot and service availability on UL and DL are indicated.
Reminder: Transmitters taking part in the active set have to check following conditions:
They must use the same carrier.
The pilot quality (Ec/Io) from the best server has to exceed the T-Add value (defined for each mobility type).
The pilot quality from other transmitters has to be greater than the T-Drop value (defined for each mobility type).
Other transmitters have to belong to the neighbour list of the best server if you have selected the restricted to
neighbours option (in the site equipment properties).
9.7.2 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies
9.7.2.1 List of Available cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies
9.7.2.1.1 Analysing Pilot Reception (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
This study enables you to know areas where there is at least one transmitter which the pilot quality at the receiver (Ec/Io)
is sufficient to be admitted in the probe mobile active set. Atoll calculates the best pilot quality received on each bin. Then,
depending on display settings, it compares this value either to the T-Add value (specified for the selected mobility type),
or to user-defined Ec/Io thresholds. The bin is coloured if the condition is fulfilled (best Ec/Io calculated higher than T-Add
or specified Ec/Io thresholds).
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Pilot reception analysis (Ec/Io) option from the
study types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
Displays the pilot reception of
transmitters out of the active set for this
scenario. Filled bars indicate the
transmitters which respect the active
set constraints. Even if more
transmitters respect the constraints,
the active set size is limited to the
number defined in the terminal
properties and is function of the
current service. Transmitters with
empty bars do not respect the active
set constraints
Displays the connection status
(pilot, uplink and downlink traffic)
for the current scenario.
: successful connection,
: failed connection
Vertical bar representing the lower boundary
to enter the active set (defined by the T-Drop
given per mobility type).
Vertical bar representing
the Ec/Io threshold to
enter the active set
(defined in the mobility
type properties page).
Choose the load conditions (DL
Power used and UL Load from a
simulation of from user-defined
values) to use in this analysis.
Choose from the scrolling lists the
parameters of a probe user to be studied
among the selected simulation.
Displays the pilot reception in term of
active set components for this scenario.
The active set is shown in grey. Filled
bars indicate the transmitters which
respect the active set constraints. Even
if more transmitters respect the
constraints, the active set size is limited
to the number defined in the terminal
properties and is a function of the
current service.
Notes
If the AS analysis is based on a given simulation, ensure that the used simulation is the same
than the one displayed on the map.
If you modify radio parameters, do not forget to replay cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations before
using the point analysis tool in order to base AS analysis on up-to-date simulations.
By right clicking in the window (Properties command), it is possible to modify the reception con-
ditions (location, if the shadowing is taken into account and in this case cell edge coverage prob-
ability), to display the related margins (on the pilot signal level, Ec/Io or Eb/Nt indicative values)
and to consider or not indoor coverage by checking/unchecking the related box. Indoor losses
are defined per clutter class. Considering a reception pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is
added to the total path loss regarding to the defined value (in dB).
Depending on the user-defined cell edge coverage probability, margins are applied to the Ec/Io
and Eb/Nt values (regarding to the standard deviations on Ec/Io and Eb/Nt defined per clutter
class).
From the window context menu, it is also possible to either print it or to copy it in order to paste
it in an external application.
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9.7.2.1.2 Studying Service Area (Eb/Nt) Downlink (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
When studying a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT system (study based on the 1xRTT type carrier), Atoll calculates on each
bin the DL traffic channel quality (Eb/Nt) (provided when using the maximum traffic channel power allowed on the FCH).
Then, depending on display settings, you may visualise:
Either areas where the DL traffic channel quality is higher than the quality target (defined for the service, the ter-
minal and the nominal rate). Many possibilities to colour bins are available. On the covered bins, the service is
available on the DL traffic channel.
Or areas where the DL traffic channel quality (or the traffic channel quality margin) is higher than user-defined
quality (or quality margin) thresholds,
Or areas where the required traffic channel power (or the required traffic channel power margin) exceeds user-
defined thresholds,
Or areas where the traffic data rate carried on DL exceeds fixed thresholds.
In case of a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO system (study based on the 1xEV-DO type carrier), Atoll calculates on each bin the DL
Ec/Nt (C/I) and deduces the maximum data rate that can be supplied to the probe mobile (from the chart specified for the
selected mobility type). Then, depending on display settings, you may visualise:
Either areas where the DL Ec/Nt is higher than user-defined C/I thresholds,
Or areas where the maximum data rate supplied exceeds fixed rate thresholds.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink option from the
study types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
9.7.2.1.3 Studying Service Area (Eb/Nt) Uplink (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
When studying a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT system (study based on the 1xRTT type carrier), Atoll calculates on each
bin the UL traffic channel quality on FCH (Eb/Nt) (provided when using the maximum terminal power allowed for FCH).
Then, depending on display settings, you may visualise:
Either areas where the UL traffic channel quality is higher than the quality target (defined for the service, the ter-
minal and the nominal rate). Many possibilities to colour bins are available. On the covered bins, the service is
available on the UL traffic channel.
Or areas where the UL traffic channel quality (or the traffic channel quality margin) is higher than user-defined
thresholds,
Or areas where the required terminal power (on FCH) (or the required terminal power margin) exceeds user-
defined thresholds.
Or areas where the traffic data rate channel carried on UL exceeds fixed thresholds.
In case of a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO system (study based on the 1xEV-DO type carrier), Atoll calculates on each bin the UL
quality (Eb/Nt) (provided when using the maximum terminal power allowed and an uplink data channel rate of 9.6 kbps).
Then, depending on display settings, you may visualise:
Either areas where the UL quality is higher than the quality target (calculated for a 9.6 kbps data channel rate from
the minimum uplink pilot quality and gains on the different uplink channels). Many possibilities to colour bins are
available.
Or areas where the UL traffic channel quality (or the UL quality margin) is higher than user-defined thresholds,
Or areas where the required terminal power on the traffic data channel (or the required terminal power margin)
exceeds user-defined thresholds.
Or areas where the traffic data channel rate carried on UL exceeds fixed thresholds.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink option from the
study types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's
this help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
9.7.2.1.4 Studying Effective Service Area (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
Effective service area is the intersection zone between pilot reception area and uplink and downlink service areas. This
coverage study shows the areas where a service is really available for the probe mobile.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Effective service area option from the study
types window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's this
help to get description about the fields available in the windows.
Notes
The DL service area is limited by the maximum traffic channel power allowable for FCH.
The mobile macro-diversity is taken in consideration to evaluate the DL traffic channel quality
(Eb/Nt) received at the probe mobile. Atoll combines the signal from each transmitter of the
probe mobile active-set.
Notes
The UL service area is limited by the maximum terminal power allowable for FCH.
The mobile macro-diversity is taken in consideration to evaluate the UL traffic channel quality
(Eb/Nt) received at the probe mobile.
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9.7.2.1.5 Defining Handoff Status (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
Using this study, you may display areas depending on the probe mobile handoff status. Note that handover is allowed only
on areas where the service chosen by the user is available.
It is also possible to colour areas depending on the number of potential active transmitters. A potential active transmitter
is a transmitter that fulfils all the criteria to enter the mobile active set.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the handover status option from the study types
window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's this help to
get description about the fields available in the windows.
9.7.2.1.6 Studying Downlink Total Noise (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
This study enables you to display areas where the DL total noise (Nt as it is defined in formulas) or the DL noise rise
exceeds some user-defined levels.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Downlink total noise option from the study types
window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's this help to
get description about the fields available in the windows.
9.7.2.1.7 Calculating Pilot Pollution (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
This study enables you to know the areas where the probe mobile is interfered by the pilot signal from polluter transmitters.
A polluter transmitter can be defined as follows: It fulfils all the criteria to enter the mobile active set but its signal cannot
be recombined by the terminal (rake).
In case of IS-95 cdmaOne networks, a transmitter is considered as polluter when the active set is full. In this case,
it is not admitted due to the active set limit size.
In CDMA2000 1xRTT systems, this occurs when the number of transmitters in active set exceeds the number of
fingers of the terminal (maximum number of active set links that the terminal (rake) can combine).
Finally, for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks, soft handoff is not supported on downlink. Therefore, all the cells other
than the best serving cell which fulfil criteria to enter mobile active-set are considered as polluter.
To prepare this prediction study, in the prediction creation steps, select the Pilot pollution option from the study types
window. The next window comprises three tabs: General, Simulation, Display. For all of these, use the What's this help to
get description about the fields available in the windows.
9.7.2.1.8 Calculating Quality Studies of BER/BLER/FER (cdmaOne/CDMA2000)
This study enables you to know on each pixel the probability to have a given quality indicator (BER, BLER, FER, etc.).
This kind of study is not directly available in the list of standard studies proposed by Atoll. In order to calculate it, you have
to proceed in three steps:
The quality indicator you want to study and the used quality measure must be correctly indicated in the Quality
Indicators table.
The quality graph giving the correspondence between the measured quality and the quality indicator must be
defined.
Finally, depending on the quality measure selected for the quality indicator, select either the Pilot reception anal-
ysis (Ec/Io) option, or the Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink option, or the Service area (Eb/Nt) uplink option from the
study types window. Then, choose suitable settings in the Simulation (service, mobility type) and Display (BER,
BLER, FER, etc.) tabs.
Example: How to display a quality study of BLER, for a pedestrian 1xRTT data user.
1. Open the Indicator table and check options selected for the quality indicator "BLER_DCH". This one is rele-
vant for packet switched services only; it may be deduced using a measure of Eb/Nt.
2. Open the User equipment table, double-click on the Standard equipment (we assume that it is installed on the
terminal to be considered in the study) and define in the property dialogue quality graphs giving the variation of
BLER_DCH as a function of DL and UL Eb/Nt for the 1xRTT data service pedestrian mobility BLER_DCH
triplet.
3. Create a service area (Eb/Nt) downlink study. In the Simulation tab of property dialogue,
4. Choose 1xRTT data as service and pedestrian as mobility.
5. In the Display tab, select Value intervals and BLER as display type.
6. Calculate the coverage study.
Atoll calculates on each bin the DL traffic channel quality (Eb/Nt) (provided when using the maximum traffic channel power
allowed). Then, it deduces the corresponding BLER value from the quality graph (BLER=f(DL Eb/Nt)). The bin is coloured
if the condition is fulfilled (BLER evaluated higher than the specified thresholds).
9.7.2.2 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Coverage Studies
9.7.2.2.1 Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Prediction Settings
The coverage study property dialogue consists in three tab windows: General, Simulation, Display.
The General tab works exactly like in common studies (coverage by transmitter, coverage by signal level and overlapping),
i.e., you may rename the study, add some comments, define group, sort and filter criteria.
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In the Simulation tab window, you have to decide network load conditions which you want to base the study on and
describe the modelled probe mobile.
You may decide which simulation to study (analysis of a particular simulation) or choose a group of simulations and prefer
either an average analysis of all the simulations included in the group (average simulation analysis) or a statistical analysis
of all simulations based on a user-definable probability (probability must be a value between 0 and 1) (global analysis of
all simulations in a group and evaluation of the network stability with regard to traffic fluctuations). Finally, you can perform
prediction studies without simulation. In this case, Atoll takes into account the UL load and the DL total power of cells
defined in the Cells properties.
Therefore, the general rule is to choose:
either a single simulation, or a group of simulations and a user-definable probability, or a group of simulations and
average option, or, finally no simulation,
If you want to take into account shadowing and in this case a cell edge coverage probability (in percentage)
Indoor losses are defined per clutter class. Considering a reception pixel of a specific clutter class, this loss is
added to the total path loss regarding to the defined value (in dB).
a specific carrier or all the carriers.
a terminal, a mobility (or All), a service (or All),
The Display tab is the Atoll generic display dialogue. It enables you to display covered areas with graphic settings depend-
ing on any attribute (from transmitter, site, etc.) and to easily manage legends, tips, thresholds, etc.
The possible display options, for each study, are given below:
Pilot reception analysis (Ec/Io)
Any technology
- Unique: A bin is covered if Ec/Io >=T-Add. All the covered bins have the same colour
- Transmitter: A bin is covered if Ec/Io >=T-Add. Each covered bin has the colour of the first transmitter in active
set (best server).
- Any transmitter (or cell) attribute: A bin is covered if Ec/Io >=T-Add. There are as many graphical coverage
layers as there are transmitters. The colour of each layer is the one associated to the value of the transmitter
(or cell) attribute.
- Ec/Io: A bin is covered if Ec/Io >=lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers
as there are user-defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Ec/Io margin: A bin is covered if Ec/Io T-Add >=lowest user-defined margin. There are as many graphical
coverage layers as there are user-defined margins. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding
margin.
- Cell edge coverage probability: A bin is covered if Ec/Io (calculated for each user-defined level of probability)
>=T-Add. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined probability thresholds. The
colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Any simulation output (e.g., percentage of used power) for a selected carrier: A bin is covered if Ec/Io >=T-
Add. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are cells. The colour of each layer is the one asso-
ciated to the value of the cell output in the selected simulation.
Service area (Eb/Nt) downlink
For CdmaOne/CDMA 2000 1XRTT
- Unique: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. All the covered bins have the same colour.
- Transmitter: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. Each covered bin has the colour of the first transmitter
in active set (best server).
- Any transmitter (or cell) attribute: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. There are as many graphical cov-
erage layers as there are transmitters. The colour of each layer is the one associated to the value of the trans-
mitter (or cell) attribute.
- Service: The receiver is not totally defined. Its service can take all existing service types. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined services. For each layer, a bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target. The layer colour is the one associated to the service.
- Maximum Eb/Nt: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical cov-
erage layers as there are user-defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding
threshold.
- Effective Eb/Nt: A bin is covered if: Effective_Eb/Nt >=lowest user-defined threshold. Effective_Eb/Nt: min-
imum between Eb/Nt and the quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-
defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Eb/Nt margin: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt quality target >=lowest user-defined margin. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined margins. The colour of each layer is the one of the corre-
sponding margin.
Notes
It is not possible to base a prediction study on a group of simulations with a user-definable prob-
ability if the group of simulations has been calculated with the option "Only the average simula-
tion and statistics".
When calculating a study based on no simulation, Atoll takes into account UL load percentage
and DL total transmitted power defined for each cell. In case these fields are not filled, Atoll con-
siders default values, 50% for UL load percentage and 40 dBm for DL total transmitted power.
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- Required power: A bin is covered if required_power >=lowest user-defined power threshold. There are as
many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined power thresholds. The colour of each layer is the
one of the corresponding power threshold.
- Required power margin: A bin is covered if required_power maximum_power >=lowest user-defined margin.
There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined margins. The colour of each layer is
the one of the corresponding margin.
- Data rate: A bin is covered if rate >=fixed rates. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are
fixed rates. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding fixed rate.
- Cell edge coverage probability: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt (calculated for each user-defined level of probability)
>=quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined probability thresh-
olds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Any simulation output (e.g., percentage of used power) for a selected carrier: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are cells. The colour of each layer is the
one associated to the value of the cell output in the selected simulation.
For CDMA 2000 1xEV-DO only
- Maximum data rate: A bin is covered if Max_rate >=lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graph-
ical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corre-
sponding threshold.
- C/I: A bin is covered if C/I >=lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as
there are user-defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
Service area (Eb/Nt) uplink
Any technology
- Unique: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. All the covered bins have the same colour.
- Transmitter: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. Each covered bin has the colour of the first transmitter
in active set (best server).
- Any transmitter (or cell) attribute: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target. There are as many graphical cov-
erage layers as there are transmitters. The colour of each layer is the one associated to the value of the trans-
mitter (or cell) attribute.
- Service: The receiver is not totally defined. Its service can take all existing service types. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined services. For each layer, a bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target. The layer colour is the one associated to the service.
- Maximum Eb/Nt: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical cov-
erage layers as there are user-defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding
threshold.
- Effective Eb/Nt: A bin is covered if: Effective_Eb/Nt >=lowest user-defined threshold. Effective_Eb/Nt: min-
imum between Eb/Nt and the quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-
defined thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Eb/Nt margin: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt quality target >=lowest user-defined margin. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined margins. The colour of each layer is the one of the corre-
sponding margin.
- Required power: A bin is covered if required_power >=lowest user-defined power threshold. There are as
many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined power thresholds. The colour of each layer is the
one of the corresponding power threshold.
- Required power margin: A bin is covered if: required_power maximum_power >=lowest user-defined
margin. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined margins. The colour of each
layer is the one of the corresponding margin.
- Data rate: A bin is covered if rate >=fixed rates. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are
fixed rates. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding fixed rate.
- Cell edge coverage probability: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt (calculated for each user-defined level of probability)
>=quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined probability thresh-
olds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Any simulation output (e.g., percentage of used power) for a selected carrier: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are cells. The colour of each layer is the
one associated to the value of the cell output in the selected simulation.
Effective service area
Any technology
- Unique: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target on UL and DL. All the covered bins have the same colour.
- Transmitter: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target on UL and DL. Each covered bin has the colour of the
first transmitter in active set (best server).
- Any transmitter (or cell) attribute: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=quality target on UL and DL. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are transmitters. The colour of each layer is the one associated to the value
of the transmitter (or cell) attribute.
- Service: The receiver is not totally defined. Its service can take all existing service types. There are as many
graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined services. For each layer, a bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target on UL and DL. The layer colour is the one associated to the service.
- Cell edge coverage probability: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt (calculated for each user-defined level of probability)
>=quality target on UL and DL. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined prob-
ability thresholds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
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- Any simulation output (e.g., percentage of used power) for a selected carrier: A bin is covered if Eb/Nt >=
quality target. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are cells. The colour of each layer is the
one associated to the value of the cell output in the selected simulation.
Handoff status
Any technology
- Status: A bin is covered if the service is available. The bin colour depends on the handoff status.
- Potential active transmitter number: A bin is covered when there are potential active transmitters. Its colour
depends on the number of potential active transmitters.
Pilot pollution
Any technology
- Polluter number: A bin is covered when there are polluter transmitters. Its colour depends on the number of
polluter transmitters.
Downlink total noise
Any technology
- Maximum noise level: A bin is covered if Noise_level (greatest of the values calculated on all carriers) >=
lowest user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresh-
olds. The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Minimum noise level: A bin is covered if Noise_level (lowest of the values calculated on all carriers) >=lowest
user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds.
The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Average noise level: A bin is covered if Noise_level (average of calculated values on all carriers) >=lowest
user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds.
The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Maximum noise rise: A bin is covered if Noise_rise (greatest of the values calculated on all carriers) >=lowest
user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds.
The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Minimum noise rise: A bin is covered if Noise_rise (lowest of the values calculated on all carriers) >=lowest
user-defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds.
The colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
- Average noise rise: A bin is covered if Noise_rise (average of calculated values on all carriers) >=lowest user-
defined threshold. There are as many graphical coverage layers as there are user-defined thresholds. The
colour of each layer is the one of the corresponding threshold.
9.7.2.2.2 Calculating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations and Predictions Simultaneously
This feature is provided to automatically calculate cdmaOne/CDMA2000 predictions after simulations without intermediary
step. To do this, you just need to define the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction studies you want to perform and then, press
the Calculate command: first, Atoll calculates the simulations and then, the predictions based on simulations. Therefore,
it is no more necessary to wait for the simulations to be finished to create the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction studies and
start the calculations.
To do so:
1. Create a simulation (see "Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulations" on page 435).
2. In the Creation of simulations window, check the option "Execute later" and then specify other simulation
inputs (number of simulations to be created, convergence criteria),
3. Create the CDMA prediction studies you want to perform and define their properties (colour, terminal, mobility,
service). As no simulation has been previously performed, you cannot base prediction studies on a specific sim-
ulation,
4. Thus, choose either an average analysis (Average) or a statistical analysis based on a probability (All) on all
the future simulations.
5. Click on the Calculate button (or F7).
Atoll performs the simulations and lists them in the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation folder. Then, Atoll carries out the
prediction calculations based on the created simulations.
Notes
Difference between a potential active transmitter and a polluter transmitter: A potential active
transmitter is a transmitter that fulfils all the criteria to enter the mobile active set. A polluter trans-
mitter also fulfils all the criteria to enter the mobile active set but its signal cannot be recombined
by the terminal (rake).
When performing a Downlink total noise study based on a given service and carrier, the calcu-
lated and displayed coverage is the same for any selected display per noise level (average, min-
imum or maximum) or any display per noise rise (average, minimum or maximum).
The display type per any cell attribute is available in case the coverage prediction is based on a
given carrier.
The display type per any simulation output is available in case the coverage prediction is based
on a given carrier.
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9.8 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Resources Allocation
Once your cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network is built, Atoll provides you some additional features in order to complete your
network planning by the allocation of neighbour cells and PN Offsets.
Like in GSM/GPRS/EDGE or UMTS, it is possible to easily allocate neighbours within Atoll. This can be made either
manually, or automatically, imposing several constraints on the potential cells that could be part of a neighbourhood. Then,
once allocated, neighbours can be easily managed (modification or deletion). In addition, Atoll makes easy the visualisa-
tion of neighbourhoods on the active map. An Audit tool of the current neighbourhood plan is also available.
PN Offsets permit to separate cells from others. It is strongly recommended to assign different codes to a given cell and
to cells belonging to its neighbour list. Some additional separation constraints can be also defined. In Atoll, you can either
allocate it manually for each cell or automatically for all cells or a group of cells in the network. Depending on the allocation
strategy, several constraints can be imposed on PN Offsets groups and domains, exceptional pairs, distance and neigh-
bours. At any moment, it is possible to check the consistency of the current PN Offset allocation in the studied network.
9.8.1 cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours
Atoll supports the following neighbour types in a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network configuration:
Intra-carrier neighbours: cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells defined as neighbours to which a call is handed over using
the same carrier.
Inter-carrier neighbours: cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells defined as neighbours to which a call is handed over using
a different carrier.
Inter-technology neighbours: cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells defined as neighbours which use a different tech-
nology other than cdmaOne/CDMA2000.
9.8.1.1 Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Neighbours Manually
You can allocate cdmaOne/CDMA2000 manually for each cell individually.
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Do one of the following:
- To allocate an intra-technology neighbour (either an intra- or inter-carrier neighbour), select Cells -> Neigh-
bours -> Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu.
- To allocate an inter-technology neighbour, select Cells -> Neighbours -> Inter-technology Neighbours from
the context menu.
4. In the row marked with the new row icon ( ), click the cell in the Cell column to select a reference cell.
5. Click the cell in the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour.
6. Click in another cell of the table to enter the new cell neighbour and add a new row to the table,
7. When you have completed your entry, click the close button ( ) to close the dialogue.
In the table, Atoll provides additional information; see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
An automatic allocation tool is also available (see "Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Neighbours Automatically" on
page 458).
Note: Formulas related to convergence method are given in the technical reference guide.
Notes
It is also possible to define an importance (between 0 and 1) related to the neighbour. This field
presents a general importance of the neighbour. Importance takes into account several neigh-
bourhood criteria. The importance value varies between 0 and 100%.
Neighbours allocated manually have their Importance field forced to the default value of 100%.
It is possible to add/remove symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the com-
mands [Symmetrise] and [Delete link and symmetric] available in a context menu. This one can
be open by right clicking on the neighbour you have added or you want to delete.
It is possible apply the exceptional pairs (forbidden or forced) directly from this table by right
clicking in it and choosing the related command.
Due to the organisation of neighbourhoods in tables, the copy-paste feature can be used in order
to generate the neighbour table of a global network (or per cell).
Standard features for managing table contents (Copy/Paste, Delete, Display columns, Filter,
Sort, Table Fields) are available in a context menu (when right clicking on column(s)) or record(s)
and in the Format, Edit and Records menus.
This feature only deals with GSM/GPRS/EDGE, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 and UMTS technologies.
Inter-technology neighbours may be also manually allocated between two linked documents in
co-planning.
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9.8.1.2 Defining cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours
Atoll enables you to define neighbourhood constraints that may be then considered by algorithm during the automatic allo-
cation of neighbours.
To define cdmaOne/CDMA2000 exceptional pairs of neighbours:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
Either,
- Choose the [Cells:Open] command from the open menu
- Once the cells table is open, either
i. Right click on the cell for which you want to define the neighbourhood constraints,
ii. Choose the record properties option from the context menu (or from the Records menu from the menu
bar),
- Or
i. Double click on the cell for which you want to define the neighbourhood constraints,
ii. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
iii. Use the What's this help to get information about fields available in the current window,
iv. In the displayed window, use the bottom table.
v. Select the row with the icon. In the Neighbours column,
vi. Click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose from the scrolling box a neighbour (the list contains
the first 32 neighbours of the reference cell).
vii. Click the cell of the Status column and choose from the scrolling menu whether you want to forbid or
force this neighbourhood relationship.
viii. Click either another cell of the table, or the button to validate and add a new row to the table,
ix. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
Or
a. Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Intra-technology exceptional pairs] command from the open menu,
b. In the displayed table, use the row with the icon. Click the cell of the Cells column to select a reference
cell and then, click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour. Finally, click the cell of the
Status column and specify if you want to forbid or force this neighbourhood relationship,
c. Click another cell of the table to validate and add a new row to the table,
d. When you have completed your entry, click on OK to close the dialogue.
9.8.1.3 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Exceptional Pairs of Neighbours on the
Map
It is possible to display on the map forced and forbidden neighbourhood relationships defined in the Intra-technology
Exceptional Pairs table.
To display the forced/forbidden neighbourhood links of any transmitter (whatever the carrier is):
1. Click on the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select either
Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the desired transmitter to select it on the map,
4. Atoll displays on the map:
a. The symmetric forced/forbidden neighbourhood links with the selected transmitter (reference transmit-
ter). A single black line represents these links.
b. The outwards forced/forbidden neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric); they are coloured as the
reference transmitter.
c. The inwards forced/forbidden neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric). Each link has the colour of
the transmitter involved in the exceptional pair with the selected transmitter.
Notes
Exceptional pairs are not taken into account during manual neighbour allocation.
It is possible to display on the map forced and forbidden neighbourhood relationships defined in
the Intra-technology Exceptional Pairs table.
You may directly define exceptional pairs on the map using CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts.
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It is possible to configure the exceptional pairs (symmetric, inwards, outwards) you wish to display on the map
5. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list.
9.8.1.4 Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell Neighbours Automatically
Allocation algorithm permits to automatically allocate neighbours in the current network.
To allocate automatically cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours in a network:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Automatic allocation...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters for the current Auto Neighbours allocation study,
The automatic allocation of neighbours as follows. We assume a reference cell A and a candidate neighbour,
cell B.
When automatic allocation starts, Atoll checks the following conditions:
1. The distance between both cells must be less than the user-definable maximum inter-site distance. If the
distance between the reference cell and the candidate neighbour is greater than this value, then the candidate
neighbour is discarded.
2. The calculation options,
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: This option enables you to force cells located on the reference cell site
in the candidate neighbour list. This constraint can be weighted among the others (see following).
- Force adjacent cells as neighbours: This option enables you to force cells geographically adjacent to the
reference cell in the candidate neighbour list. This constraint can be weighted among the others (see
following).
- Force neighbour symmetry: This option enables user to force the reciprocity of a neighbourhood link.
Therefore, if the reference cell is a candidate neighbour of another cell, this one will be considered as
candidate neighbour of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: This option enables you to force/forbid some neighbourhood relationships. There-
fore, you may force/forbid a cell to be candidate neighbour of the reference cell.
- Reset neighbours: When selecting the Reset option, Atoll deletes all the current neighbours and carries
out a new neighbour allocation. If not selected, the existing neighbours are kept.
3. There must be an overlapping zone ( ) with a given cell edge coverage probability where:
SA is the area where:
- The pilot signal received from the cell A is greater than minimum pilot signal level.
- The pilot quality from A exceeds a user-definable minimum value (minimum Ec/I0).
- The pilot quality from A is the best.
SB is the area where:
- The pilot signal received from the cell B is greater than minimum pilot signal level.
Notes
The displayed links are based on the exceptional pairs defined in the Intra-technology Excep-
tional Pairs table. Therefore, you may display them even if you have no current allocation in your
.atl document.
Finally, when you select a transmitter on the map, Atoll is able to show the coverage areas of
transmitters involved in exceptional pairs with it. You must just display on the map a "Coverage
by transmitter" study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated.
You may directly define exceptional pairs on the map using CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts.
It is also possible to display inter-technology exceptional pairs on the map.
Notes
Adjacency criterion: Let CellA be a candidate neighbour cell of CellB. CellA is considered adja-
cent to CellB if there exists at least one pixel in the CellB Best Server coverage area where CellA
is Best Server (if several cells have the same best server value) or CellA is the second best
server that enters the Active Set (respecting the HO margin of the allocation).
When this option is checked, adjacent cells are sorted and listed from the most adjacent to the
least, depending on the above criterion. Adjacency is relative to the number of pixels satisfying
the criterion.
B A
S S
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- The pilot quality from B is greater than the pilot quality from A minus the Ec/I0 margin. The Ec/I0 margin
has the same meaning as the AS-threshold defined in the Cell properties. So, it should logically have the
same value.
Atoll calculates the percentage of covered area ( ) and compares this value to the percentage minimum
covered area.
If this percentage is not exceeded, the candidate neighbour B is discarded.
The coverage condition can be weighted among the others (see number 4 below).
4. The importance weighting button opens a dialogue where you can define minimum and maximum importance
limits for three allocation reasons (co-site, adjacent and coverage reasons). These values are used by the alloca-
tion algorithm to rank the neighbours according to the allocation reason and to quantify the neighbour importance.
Atoll lists all neighbours and sorts them by importance value so as to eliminate some of them from the neighbour
list if the maximum number of neighbours to be allocated to each cell is exceeded. If we consider the case for
which there are 15 candidate neighbours and the maximum number of neighbours to be allocated to the reference
cell is 8. Among these 15 candidate neighbours, only 8 (having the highest importance values) will be allocated to
the reference cell.
As indicated in the table below, the neighbour importance depends on the neighbourhood cause; this value goes
from 0 to 100%.
Except forced neighbour case (importance =100%), priority assigned to each neighbourhood cause is now linked
to the Importance Function (IF) evaluation. The importance is evaluated through a function (IF), taking into account
the following three factors:
- Co-site factor (C) which is a Boolean factor,
- Adjacency factor (A) which deals with the percentage of adjacency,
- Overlapping factor (O) meaning the percentage of overlapping
The (IF) function is user-definable using the Min importance and Max importance fields. Details on the (IF) function
are available in the Technical Reference Guide.
Notes
SA is the zone where the cell A is the Ec/I0 best serving cell. It means that the cell A is the first
in the active set.
SB is the zone where the cell B can enter the active set.
Two ways enable you to determine the I0 value:
- A reduction factor (% of maximum powers contributing to I0) may be applied to cell maximum
powers (defined in Cell properties) to customize their contribution to I0. Thus, I0 represents
the sum of effective powers received from the other cells. The entered percentage is a kind
of downlink load factor estimation. If the percentage of maximum powers contributing to I0
is too low, i.e., if, Atoll takes into account the pilot powers to evaluate the I0 value.
- Atoll takes into account load parameters defined per cell (such as the total downlink power
used). I0 represents the sum of total transmitted powers.
Neighbourhood Cause When
Importance
Value
Existing neighbour
Only if the Reset option is not selected and in
case of a new allocation
Existing importance
Exceptional pair
Only if the Force exceptional pairs option is
selected
100%
Co-site cell
Only if the Force co-site cells as neighbours
option is selected
(IF) function
Adjacent cell
Only if the Force adjacent cells as neighbours
option is selected
(IF) function
Neighbourhood relationship that fulfils
coverage conditions
Only if the percentage minimum covered area
is exceeded
(IF) function
Symmetric neighbourhood relationship
Only if the Force neighbour symmetry option
is selected
(IF) function
A
B A
S
S S
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6. Click the button to start calculations,
In the Results part, Atoll provides the list of neighbours, the number of neighbours and the maximum number of
neighbours allowed for each cell. In addition, it indicates the importance (in percentage) of each neighbour and
the allocation reason. Therefore, a neighbour may be marked as exceptional pair, co-site, adjacent, coverage or
symmetric. For neighbours accepted for co-site, adjacency and coverage reasons, Atoll displays the percentage
of area checking the coverage conditions and the corresponding surface area (km2), the percentage of area
checking the adjacency conditions and the corresponding surface area (km2). Finally, if cells have previous allo-
cations in the list, neighbours are marked as existing.
7. Once calculations are finished, select the neighbours you want to assign to cells. You may do this by checking/
unchecking the related boxes in the Commit column; shortcuts (Ctrl+D and Ctrl+U) can be used for a faster man-
agement. In addition, sort and filtering options are available in the result table context menu.
8. Click the button to assign neighbours to cells. Neighbours are listed in the Intra-technology Neigh-
bours tab of each cell Properties window.
9. Click the Close button to achieve the procedure.
Notes
If there is no overlapping between the range of each factor, the neighbours will be ranked by
neighbourhood cause. Using the defaults values for minimum and maximum importance fields,
neighbours will be ranked in this order: first co-site neighbours, then adjacent neighbours, and
finally neighbours found on overlapping criterion.
If ranges of factors overlap each other, the neighbours may not be ranked by neighbourhood
cause.
The ranking between neighbours from the same category will depend on (A) and (O) factors.
The default value of Min(O)=1%, ensures that neighbours selected for symmetry will have an
importance greater than 1%. With a value of Min(O)=0%, neighbours selected for symmetry, will
have an importance field greater than 0% only if there is some overlapping.
Notes
This feature only deals with GSM/GPRS/EDGE, cdmaOne/CDMA2000 and UMTS technologies.
The allocation algorithm needs path loss matrices. Therefore, when starting an automatic neigh-
bour allocation, Atoll automatically calculates the path loss matrices if not found.
The neighbour lists may be optionally used in the power control simulations to determine the
mobile's active set.
The percentage of area is calculated with the resolution specified in the property dialogue of the
predictions folder (Default resolution parameter).
A forbidden neighbour must not be listed as neighbour except if the neighbourhood relationship
already exists and the Reset neighbours option is unchecked when you start the new allocation.
In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event viewer indicating that the constraint on the for-
bidden neighbour will be ignored by algorithm because the neighbour already exists.
The force neighbour symmetry option enables the users to consider the reciprocity of a neigh-
bourhood link. This reciprocity is allowed only if the neighbour list is not already full. Thus, if the
cell B is a neighbour of the cell A while the cell A is not a neighbour of the cell B, two cases are
possible:
- 1st case: There is space in the cell B neighbour list: the cell A will be added to the list. It will
be the last one.
- 2nd case: The cell B neighbour list is full: Atoll will not include cell A in the list and will cancel
the link by deleting cell B from the cell A neighbour list.
When the options "Force exceptional pairs" and "Force symmetry" are selected, Atoll considers
the constraints between exceptional pairs in both directions so as to respect symmetry condition.
On the other hand, if neighbourhood relationship is forced in one direction and forbidden in the
other one, symmetry cannot be respected. In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event
viewer.
You can carry out neighbour allocation globally on all the cells or only on a group of cells. In this
case, Atoll will consider all the cells contained in the group of transmitters, the symmetric neigh-
bours of these cells and all the other ones, which have an intersection area with the cells of the
group.
If the Reset button is unchecked and no new neighbour is found after a new allocation calcula-
tion, the Results part stays empty. Nevertheless, existing neighbours (from a previous allocation)
are kept as before. Atoll only displays the cells for which it finds new neighbours. Therefore, if a
cell has already reached its maximum number of neighbours before starting the new allocation,
it will not appear in the Results table.
The input parameters for the neighbour automatic allocation can be exported to an external user
configuration file (Automatic Neighbour Allocation Parameters).
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9.8.1.5 Displaying Current cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbour List
Atoll provides the possibility to open an editable table referencing all the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours of the current
network.
To access the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbour table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Intra-technology Neighbours] command from the open menu,
In the displayed table, Atoll lists reference cells and their related neighbours. In addition, it indicates the number of
neighbours assigned to each reference cell, and for each neighbour:
The distance between the neighbour and the reference cell,
If the neighbourhood relationship is symmetric or not,
The type of allocation. Three values are available, manual (copy/paste of a neighbour list, manual edition of
neighbours), automatic (automatic allocation), or imported (Planet import, generic import, import using an add-in).
The neighbour rank in the list of neighbours of the reference cell. This information is given only in case of an
automatic allocation.
The allocation reason. This information is given only in case of an automatic allocation.
The importance of each neighbour. This field is set to 100% for manually allocated neighbours by default.
This table can be used to allocate neighbours manually. Standard features for managing table contents (Copy/Paste,
Delete, Display columns, Filter, Sort, Table Fields) are available in a context menu (when right clicking on column(s)) or
record(s) and in the Format, Edit and Records menus.
9.8.1.6 Modifying the Allocated cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours
You may add new neighbours or remove allocated neighbours.
To delete allocated neighbours:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
Either,
a. Choose the [Cells:Open Table] command from the open menu
b. Once the cells table is open,
- Either
i. Right click on the cell from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Choose the record properties option from the context menu (or from the Records menu from the menu
bar),
- Or
i. Double click on the cell from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
or
- Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Intra-technology Neighbours] command from the open menu,
3. In the displayed table, select the desired neighbour row,
4. Press the keyboard Del (or Suppr.) key
5. Click on OK to validate and close the dialogue.
To add new neighbours:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
Either,
a. Choose the [Cells:Open Table] command from the open menu
b. Once the cells table is open,
Note: You can access several allocation tools directly from this table. By right-clicking in it, you can:
Apply the exceptional pairs (forbidden or forced),
Delete the link and its symmetric of the selected row,
symmetrise a selected link.
Note: It is possible to remove symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the com-
mand [Delete link and symmetric] available in a context menu. This one can be open by
right clicking on the neighbour you want to delete.
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- Either
i. Right click on the cell from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Choose the record properties option from the context menu (or from the Records menu from the menu
bar),
- Or
i. Double click on the cell from which you want to define the neighbourhood,
ii. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab from the current window,
iii. In the displayed table, use the last row with the icon. Click the cell of the Neighbours column to
choose a neighbour or edit the neighbour name,
or
a. Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Intra-technology Neighbours] command from the open menu,
b. In the displayed table, use the last row with the icon.
c. Click the cell of the Cells column to select a reference cell.
d. Click the cell of the Neighbours column to choose a neighbour or edit the neighbour name,
3. Click on OK to validate and close the dialogue.
9.8.1.7 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours and their Characteristics on
the Map
Once the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cell neighbours have been allocated, you can display neighbour relations of any transmit-
ter on the map. In addition, it is possible to display any neighbour characteristic available in the Intra-technology Neigh-
bours table.
9.8.1.7.1 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours
To display the neighbours of any transmitter (whatever the carrier is):
1. Click the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click the desired transmitter to select it on the map,
Atoll displays on the map:
The neighbourhood on the selected carrier,
The symmetric neighbourhood links with the selected transmitter (reference transmitter). A single black line
represents these links.
The outwards neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric); they are coloured as the reference transmitter.
They show the neighbours of the selected transmitter (however, the selected transmitter is not one of their neigh-
bours).
The inwards neighbourhood links (which are not symmetric). They show the transmitters, which have the
selected transmitter as neighbour (however, these transmitters are not in the neighbour list of the selected trans-
mitter). Each link has the transmitter colour.
Notes
Adding/Removing neighbours can be also made using the Neighbour graphic management
icon.
It is possible to add symmetric neighbourhood links at once. To do this, use the command [Sym-
metrise] available in a context menu. This one can be open by right clicking on the neighbour you
have added.
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Figure 9.4: Transmitter Site22_0 located on Site22
It is possible to configure the neighbourhood links you wish to display on the map and to display neighbourhood
relationships on a given carrier you may select.
4. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list.
9.8.1.7.2 Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours Characteristics
When you select a transmitter on the map, Atoll can show the coverage areas of its neighbours and colour them depend-
ing on any neighbour characteristic available in the Intra-technology Neighbours table.
1. Display on the map a "Coverage by transmitter" study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated.
2. Display neighbour relations of the desired transmitter as explained in the previous paragraph.
3. Click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management con ( ) from the toolbar and select Display
Options in the scrolling list. The Neighbourhood Display dialogue appears.
a. Click the Browse button ( ).
b. The Intra-technology Neighbour Display dialogue appears.
Three display types are available.
- Unique: Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours with a unique colour.
- Discrete Values: In this case, the user must select a field among the integer and text type ones available
in the Intra-technology Neighbours table. Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours depending on the
neighbour parameter value (e.g. rank).
- Value Intervals: In this case, the user must select a field among the numeric ones available in the Intra-
technology Neighbours table. Atoll colours coverage areas of neighbours depending on the neighbour
parameter value (e.g. Dropped call number, we assume that this field is a custom field previously imported
in the table).
Finally, you may choose neighbour characteristics to be displayed in the tool tip. This one is available on each
coverage area.
4. In order to restore colours and cancel the neighbour display, click the left side of the Neighbour graphic man-
agement icon ( ).
Note: It is also possible to display inter-technology neighbours on the map.
Note: Only intra-carrier neighbour coverage areas are displayed. The studied carrier is the one
selected in the Neighbourhood Display dialogue.
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9.8.1.8 Adding or Removing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbours and Exceptional
Pairs on the Map
You may directly add and remove neighbourhood links as well as exceptional pairs of neighbours on the map using CTRL
and SHIFT shortcuts.
To add a symmetric neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define a new symmetric link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (transmitter A is
neighbour of the reference transmitter and vice versa), hold down SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the trans-
mitter A. Atoll displays a single black line between both transmitters.
To remove a symmetric neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing symmetric link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
To add an outwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define a new outwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (transmitter A is neigh-
bour of the reference transmitter but reference transmitter is not neighbour of transmitter A), hold down CTRL on
your keyboard and click on the transmitter A. Atoll displays an arrow directed to transmitter A; it is coloured as
the reference transmitter.
To remove an outwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing outwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
CTRL on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
To add an inwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to define an inwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A (the reference transmitter
is neighbour of transmitter A but transmitter A is not neighbour of reference transmitter):
a. If there is an existing symmetric link between both transmitters: hold down CTRL on your keyboard and click
on the transmitter A.
b. If no neighbourhood link exist between both transmitters: first, create a symmetric neighbourhood link as
explained above and hold down CTRL on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
5. Atoll displays an arrow directed to the reference transmitter; it is coloured as transmitter A.
To remove an inwards neighbourhood link:
1. Click on the right side (arrow) of the Neighbour graphic management icon from the toolbar and select
Neighbours in the scrolling list.
2. Click on the left side of the Neighbour graphic management icon,
3. Click on the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbourhood links,
4. In order to remove an existing inwards link between the reference transmitter and a transmitter A, hold down
SHIFT on your keyboard and click on the transmitter A.
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9.8.1.9 Performing an Audit of the Current cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Neighbourhood
Plan
It is possible to perform an audit of the current neighbourhood plan in Atoll. The audit function can be used to check for
the following information:
The average number of neighbours per cell
Cells with no neighbours (having empty neighbours list)
Cells having the maximum number of neighbours allowed
Cells having more than the maximum number of neighbours allowed
Cells with missing co-site neighbours
Cells with non-symmetric neighbourhood
Cells with missing forced neighbours
Cells with existing forbidden neighbours
The audit feature can be used for checking the above criteria in the same project (intra-technology) as well as in linked co-
planning projects (inter-technology). The audit outputs are listed in a .txt file (IntraNeighbourCheck.txt for intra-technology
and InterNeighbourCheck.txt for inter-technology neighbours).
To perform a neighbourhood plan audit:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:Neighbours:Audit...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Select the checks you want Atoll to perform for the neighbours,
6. Click OK to perform audit,
7. Once you have finished performing audits, click Close to close the audit dialogue.
The Audit provides the following outputs
Average number of neighbours: X; where, X is the average number of neighbours (integer) per cell for the plan
audited.
Empty lists: x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having no neighbours (or empty neighbours list)
Syntax: |CELL|
Full Lists (default max number =Y): x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having Y number of neighbours listed
in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
Lists >max number (default max number =Y): x/X; x number of cells out of a total of X having more than Y number
of neighbours listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
Missing Co-Sites: X; total number of missing co-site neighbours in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
Non symmetric links: X; total number of non-symmetric neighbourhood links in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
Missing Forced: X; total number of forced neighbours missing in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Notes
In order to graphically define exceptional pairs of neighbours, proceed as explained above. You
just have to select either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours instead of Neighbours in
the scrolling list when you click the right side of the Neighbour graphic management icon.
Neighbourhood relationships and exceptional pairs of neighbours are automatically updated in
the respective tables.
Adding/removing neighbourhood links on the map is easier when a "coverage by transmitter"
study (with a colour display by transmitter) preliminary calculated is displayed on the map. In
order to add/remove a transmitter as neighbour, use the CTRL and SHIFT shortcuts as
explained above and click its coverage area on the map. The same feature may be used when
you graphically define exceptional pairs of neighbours.
Note: A related Inter-technology Neighbours tab will be available for inter-technology neigh-
bourhood plan audit in case of linked co-planning projects.
Note: If the field Maximum number of neighbours in the Transmitters table is empty, the above
two checks take into account the Default Max Number value defined in the audit dialogue.
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Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
Existing Forbidden: X; total number of forbidden neighbours existing in the audited neighbourhood plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
9.8.2 PN Offsets
In IS95-CDMA and CDMA2000 documents, it is possible to allocate a PN offset to each cell. PN offset is used to identify
a cell. PN offset is a time offset used by a cell to shift a Pseudo Noise sequence. Mobile identifies the strongest received
PN sequence and gets its phase, which identifies the cell.
Different problems (adjacent PN offset confusion, co-PN offset confusion or composite neighbours list alias confusion) can
appear due to bad PN offset allocation. In order to avoid these problems, two parameters have to be managed by PN offset
allocation: the PILOT_INC (separation between two available PN offsets) and the PN offset reuse distance. By increasing
the first one, we avoid adjacent problems in areas with large cells (rural areas). By increasing the second one, we avoid
Co-PN and alias problems in areas with small cells (urban areas).
512 PN Offsets are available. PN Offsets are numbered from 0 to 511.
It is possible to manage coordination problems and separation between PN offsets by defining domains and groups of PN
offsets. A domain is a set of groups and each group contains several PN offsets.
PN Offsets can be manually assigned to any cell of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 network. You can also use the automatic plan-
ning tool. This one takes into account the definition of groups and domains of PN offsets and additional constraints on
neighbours, second neighbours, minimum distance and exceptional pairs. It is possible to impose some constraints on
them and on neighbours, second neighbours, minimum distance and exceptional pairs to start the automatic tool.
Once allocation is completed, an Audit tool is available. In addition, it is possible to view the PN Offset reuse on the map
and to get an analysis of PN Offset distribution.
9.8.2.1 Creating PN Offsets Domains and Groups
It is possible to manage coordination problems and separation between PN Offsets by defining domains and groups of PN
offsets. A domain is a set of groups and each group contains several PN offsets.
To define domains and groups of PN Offsets:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets codes: Domains...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Domains dialogue, you can enter a domain per line. To validate a domain creation, select another line.
Either
- Select a domain in the table and click on the Properties... button.
Or
- Select the row relating to a domain and double click on it.
6. In the domain properties dialogue, specify the name of group(s) that you want to include in the domain and define
for each of them:
- The lowest available PN Offsets (Min),
- The highest available PN Offsets (Max),
- The separation between the PN Offsets (Step),
- The PN Offset(s) you do not want to use (Excluded). You can paste a list of PN Offsets; the separator must
be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to exclude a set of PN Offsets by using this
syntax number1-number2; Atoll will exclude all the PN Offsets from number1 to number2 (e.g., 1-5 corre-
sponds to 1 2 3 4 5).
- Additional PN Offset(s) you want to consider during allocation (Extra). You can paste a list of PN Offsets; the
separator must be either a comma, or a semi-colon, or a space. It is also possible to add a set of PN Offsets
by using this syntax number1-number2; Atoll will add all the PN Offsets from number1 to number2 (e.g., 1-5
corresponds to 1 2 3 4 5).
You can also define the domain-group pairs in the Group of PN Offsets window.
To do so:
1. After defining all the domains, close the Domains dialogue,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets: Groups...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Group of PN Offsets window, select a domain and associate one or several groups of PN Offsets to each
of them. Define the groups as explained above.
The defined domains can be then assigned to cells; they will be considered during the automatic allocation of PN Offsets.
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9.8.2.2 Assigning a PN Offset Domain to a Cell
After defining domains and groups, you can assign a domain to each cell. Therefore, Atoll will choose a PN Offset belong-
ing to the associated domain during the allocation.
To assign a domain to cells, you must access cell properties and fill the appropriate field. This can be made either from:
The transmitter property dialogue (Cells tab),
The cell property dialogue,
The cell table.
The specified domain will be then used by the automatic allocation tool.
9.8.2.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for PN Offset Allocation
In addition to standard constraints (reuse distance, neighbours and domains), it is possible to list pairs of cells, which
cannot have the same PN Offset. You can enter these forbidden pairs in the Exceptional separation constraints table.
To access the Exceptional pairs table:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets: Exceptional pairs...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the Exceptional separation constraints dialogue, indicate the pairs of cells.
Standard features for managing table content (Copy/Paste, Fill up/down, Delete, Display columns, Filter, Sort, Table
Fields) are available in the context menu (when right clicking on column(s) or record(s)) and in the Format, Edit and
Records menus.
9.8.2.4 Allocating PN Offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Automatically
The allocation algorithm enables you to automatically allocate PN Offsets to cells in the current network.
To automatically allocate PN Offsets to all the cells:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets: Automatic allocation...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
In this dialogue, you may select parameters you want the algorithm to take into account:
- Existing neighbours listed in the Neighbours table (option "Existing neighbours"): A cell and its neighbours
cannot have the same PN Offset. The neighbours of the cell cannot have the same PN Offset.
- Neighbours of listed neighbours (option "Second neighbours"): A cell and the neighbours of its neighbours
cannot have the same PN Offset. In addition, all the neighbours (first neighbours and second neighbours)
cannot have the same PN Offset.
- A criterion on Ec/Io (option "Additional Ec/Io conditions"): All the cells fulfilling Ec/Io condition will not have
the same PN Offset.
When this option is selected, you must specify a minimum threshold (minimum Ec/Io), if you want to take into
account shadowing and in this case a cell edge coverage probability. For a reference cell "A", Atoll considers
all the cells "B" that can enter active-set on the area where the reference cell "A" is the best server (area where
(Ec/Io)A exceeds the minimum Ec/Io and is the highest one and (Ec/Io)B is within a Ec/Io margin of (Ec/Io)A).
- A reuse distance: radius within which two cells on the same carrier cannot have the same PN Offset.
Notes
Atoll automatically selects the option "Existing neighbours" when choosing the option "Second
neighbours".
Atoll can consider neighbourhood and secondary neighbourhood relationships in the allocation
only if the neighbour allocation has been performed beforehand.
Note: Atoll takes into account the total downlink power used by the cell in order to evaluate Io. Io
equals the sum of total transmitted powers. In case this parameter is not specified in the cell
properties, Atoll uses 50% of the maximum power.
Note: The reuse distance can be defined at the cell level (property dialogue or cell table). If
defined there, this parameter is taken into account for the PN Offset allocations.
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- The carrier which you want to run the allocation on. You may choose one carrier (Atoll will assign PN Offsets
to transmitters using the selected carrier) or all of them.
- The Reset all PN Offsets option: When selecting the Reset option, Atoll deletes all the current PN Offsets
and carries out a new PN Offset allocation. If not selected, existing PN Offsets are kept.
In addition, the PN Offset allocation algorithm takes into account:
- Domains of PN Offsets associated to cells: Atoll will assign to cells only PN Offsets belonging to associated
domains. When a domain containing several groups is assigned to cells, the algorithm strategy consists in allo-
cating PN Offsets from each group. On the other hand, when no domain is assigned to cells, the algorithm
may use the 512 PN Offsets.
- Exceptional pairs: An exceptional pair of cells cannot have the same PN Offset.
5. Click on Run to start the automatic allocation; Atoll displays the automatic allocation results in the Results part,
6. Click on Commit to assign PN Offsets to cells.
9.8.2.5 Allocating PN Offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells Manually
Atoll allows you to manually specify PN Offsets for cells of your network.
To give a PN Offset to a cell, you must access cell properties. This can be made either from:
The transmitter property dialogue (Cells tab),
The cell property dialogue,
The cell table.
After allocation is completed (manually or automatically), it is possible to check if allocated PN Offsets are compliant with
specified constraints (associated domain, reuse distance, exceptional pairs, etc.).
9.8.2.6 Checking the Consistency of the PN Offset Plan
A checking algorithm is available. It enables you to examine if there are some inconsistencies after some manual changes.
To use the checking algorithm:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets: Audit...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. In the PN Offset checking window, select the allocation criteria that you want to check:
- Neighbours: For a cell "A", a set is constructed with A itself, all neighbours of A, and all cells which have A in
their neighbour list. In other word, this set contains A and all cells which have a direct neighbourhood relation-
ship with A (the direction of the relation does not matter). Once the set is constructed, Atoll checks that any
couple of cells among this set have different PN Offsets.
- Second order neighbours: The principle is the same than the one explained above but the set of cells which
is built is much bigger. As in the first case, the set contains the cell A itself, all cells having a direct relationship
with A, but it also contains all cells having a direct relationship with any cell of the first set. In other words, this
set contains A, all cells which have a direct relationship with A and all cells which have a relationship in two
steps with A (once again, the direction does not matter). In the resulting set, Atoll checks that any couple of
cells do not have the same PN Offset.
- Exceptional pairs: checking is performed on the forbidden pairs of cells; they must not have the same PN
Offset,
- Reuse distance: checking concerns cells which inter-transmitter distance is lower than the reuse distance you
can define; they must not have the same PN Offset,
- Domains: Atoll checks if allocated PN Offsets belong to domains assigned to the cells.
6. Click on OK to start the checking algorithm.
Atoll details the checking results in a report. This report is a text file called CodeCheck.txt; it is stored in the temporary
folder on your workstation. For each selected criterion, Atoll gives the number of detected inconsistencies and details each
of them.
For criteria 1, 2, 3 and 4, it displays the name of cells and the common PN Offset. In case of criterion 5, it lists the name
of cells, which do not satisfy the criterion, associated domains and allocated PN Offsets.
Notes
When there are not enough PN offsets available, the allocation fails and Atoll displays a warning
in the Events viewer. This warning indicates the first cell for which the domain constraint is not
fulfilled and stops the algorithm. In the Results table of the PN offset allocation dialogue, it gives
PN offsets assigned to cells before the algorithm was stopped.
It is possible to allocate PN offsets to a group of cells. To do this, right click on the group of trans-
mitters and select the [Cells:PN Offsets: Automatic allocation...] command.
The input parameters for the PN Offset automatic allocation can be exported to an external user
configuration file (Automatic PN Offset Allocation Parameters).
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Chapter 9: cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Project Management
9.8.2.7 Displaying the Reuse of PN Offsets on the Map
Several ways may be used in order to locate on the map cells with a given PN Offset.
Atoll provides a tool which allows you to search for PN Offsets and PN Offset groups.
To display the Search window, select the "Search tool" in the View general menu. Atoll opens a floating window that you
can keep at any location on your screen, or dock at the bottom of the map, like the Point analysis window.
The user defines a PN Offset or a PN Offset group. Atoll finds and highlights the transmitters which cells have the PN
Offset (or PN Offset group). It gives the colour RED to transmitters which cells have the specified PN Offset (or scrambling
code group) and GREY to the others.
Standard display features available at the transmitter and prediction study levels may be used in order to know the distri-
bution of PN offsets on the map. In addition, grouping features of transmitters are available; they enable you to group in
explorer transmitters which cells have the same PN Offset. Therefore, It is possible:
To give a colour to transmitters depending on the assigned PN offsets,
To display the assigned PN offsets in labels or tip balloons,
To colour the service area of transmitters depending on the assigned PN offsets.
To group transmitters by PN offset.
9.8.2.8 Displaying the PN Offset Distribution
The analysis of the allocated PN Offsets in a network can be made through the use of histograms. An histogram will repre-
sent the (f(PN Offsets)=frequency of use) function. In addition to the PN Offsets distribution, the cluster distribution can be
also analysed.
To open the scrambling code histogram:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Right click on the transmitters folder to get the related context menu,
3. Choose the [Cells:PN Offsets: PN Offsets Distribution...] command from the open menu,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window.
Each bar represent a PN Offset, its height depending on its usage frequency. By moving the mouse along the histogram
area, the (PN Offset, frequency) pair is displayed at the place of the cursor. In the right part of the window, a table summa-
rised the number of times each PN Offset is used.
Clicking the button keeps the histogram representation in memory, allowing you to paste it into another appli-
cation. You can also print it by clicking the button.
9.8.2.9 Displaying the PN Offset Interference Zones
The study "PN Offset Interference Zones" may be calculated in order to view the areas covered by cells with the same PN
Offset.
To display the PN Offset interference zones:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder to open the context menu.
3. Select New from the context menu.
4. Select the prediction template "Scrambling Code Interference Zones."
5. Click OK to create the study.
6. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the toolbar.
Note: To restore the initial transmitter colours, click the colours button
in the bottom of the window.
Note: The grouping feature is fully available if there is one cell per transmitter only. When a trans-
mitter has more than one cell, Atoll does not know the carrier to be considered. In this
case, no value is collected (#) and no group is created.
Notes
This study is based on a coverage by transmitter study which settings have been customised so
as to display PN Offset interference zones.
For further analysis of the interference, use the Search tool.
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CHAPTER 10
TD-SCDMA NETWORKS
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
10 TD-SCDMA Networks
Atoll enables you to create and modify all aspects of a TD-SCDMA network. Once you have created the network, Atoll
offers many tools to let you verify the network. Based on the results of your tests, you can modify any of the parameters
defining the network.
Planning the TD-SCDMA network and creating the network of base stations is explained in "Planning and Optimising TD-
SCDMA Base Stations" on page 473. Allocating neighbours and scrambling codes is also explained. In this section, you
will also find information on how you can display information on base stations on the map and how you can use the tools
in Atoll study base stations.
In "Studying Network Capacity" on page 550, using traffic maps to study network capacity is explained. Creating simula-
tions using the traffic map information and analysing the results of simulations is also explained.
Using test mobile data paths to verify the network is explained in "Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity" on
page 572. How to filter imported test mobile data paths, and how to use the data in coverage predictions is also explained.
10.1 Planning and Optimising TD-SCDMA Base Stations
As described in "Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project", you can start an Atoll document from a template, with no base
stations, or from a database with a set of base stations. As you work on your Atoll document, you will still need to create
base stations and modify existing ones.
In Atoll, a site is defined as a geographical point where one or more transmitters are located. Once you have created a
site, you can add transmitters. In Atoll, a transmitter is defined as the antenna and any other additional equipment, such
as the TMA, feeder cables, etc. In a TD-SCDMA project, you must also add cells to each transmitter. A cell refers to the
characteristics of a carrier on a transmitter.
Atoll lets you create one site, transmitter, or cell at a time, or create several at once, by creating a station template. Using
a station template, you can create one or more base stations at the same time. In Atoll, a base station refers to a site with
its transmitters, antennas, equipment, and cells.
Atoll allows you to make a variety of coverage predictions, such as signal level or transmitter coverage predictions. The
results of calculated coverage predictions can be displayed on the map, compared, and analysed.
Atoll enables you to model network traffic by allowing you to create services, user terminals, user profiles, and traffic envi-
ronments. This data can be then used to make quality coverage predictions, such as effective service area, noise, or inter-
ference predictions, on the network.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a TD-SCDMA Base Station" on page 473.
"Creating a Group of Base Stations" on page 484.
"Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map" on page 485.
"Display Hints for Base Stations" on page 486.
"Creating a Dual-Band TD-SCDMA Network" on page 487.
"Creating a Repeater" on page 487.
"Creating a Remote Antenna" on page 490.
"Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document" on page 492.
"Studying a Single Base Station" on page 492.
"Studying Base Stations" on page 497.
"Planning Frequencies" on page 533.
"Planning Scrambling Codes" on page 543.
10.1.1 Creating a TD-SCDMA Base Station
When you create a TD-SCDMA site, you create only the geographical point; you must add the transmitters and cells after-
wards. The site, with the transmitters, antennas, equipment, and cells, is called a base station.
In this section, each element of a base station is described. If you want to add a new base station, see "Placing a New
Base Station Using a Station Template" on page 480. If you want to create or modify one of the elements of a base station,
see "Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 479. If you need to create a large number of base stations,
Atoll allows you to import them from another Atoll document or from an external source. For information, see "Creating
a Group of Base Stations" on page 484.
This section explains the various parts of the base station process:
"Definition of a Base Station" on page 473.
"Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 479.
"Placing a New Base Station Using a Station Template" on page 480.
"Managing Station Templates" on page 481.
10.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. You will usually create a new base station using a station template, as described in "Placing a New Base
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Station Using a Station Template" on page 480. This section describes the following elements of a base station and their
parameters:
"Site Description" on page 474.
"Transmitter Description" on page 474.
"Cell Description" on page 477.
10.1.1.1.1 Site Description
The parameters of a site can be found in the sites Properties dialogue. The Properties dialogue has two tabs:
The General tab (see Figure 10.1):
Figure 10.1: New Site dialogue
- Name: Atoll automatically enters a default name for each new site. You can modify the name here. If you want
to change the default name that Atoll gives to new sites, see the Administrator Manual.
- Position: By default, Atoll places the new site at the centre of the map window. You can modify the location
of the site here.
- Altitude: The altitude, as defined by the DTM for the location specified under Position, is given here. You can
specify the actual altitude under Real, if you wish. If an altitude is specified here, Atoll will use this value for
calculations.
- Comments: You can enter comments in this field if you wish.
The Equipment tab:
- Equipment: You can select equipment from the list. To create new site equipment, see "Creating Site Equip-
ment" on page 586. If no equipment is assigned to the site, Atoll considers J D Factor =0 by default.
10.1.1.1.2 Transmitter Description
The parameters of a transmitter can be found in the transmitters Properties dialogue. When you create a transmitter, the
Properties dialogue has two tabs: the General tab and the Transmitter tab. Once you have created a transmitter, its Prop-
erties dialogue has three additional tabs: the Cells tab (see "Cell Description" on page 477), the Propagation tab (see
"Chapter 5: Propagation Models"), and the Display tab (see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28).
The General tab:
- Name: By default, Atoll names the transmitter after the site it is on, adding an underscore and a number. You
can enter a name for the transmitter, but for the sake of consistency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If
you want to change the way Atoll names transmitters, see the AdministratorManual.
- Site: You can select the Site on which the transmitter will be located. Once you have selected the site, you
can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the site on which the transmitter will be located.
For information on the site Properties dialogue, see "Site Description" on page 474. You can click the New
button to create a new site on which the transmitter will be located.
- Frequency Band: You can select a Frequency Band for the transmitter. Once you have selected the fre-
quency band, you can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the frequency band. For infor-
mation on the frequency band Properties dialogue, see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 579.
- Position relative to the site: You can modify the Position relative to the site, if you wish.
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site with precision, you can also place sites using
the mouse and then position them precisely with this dialogue afterwards. For information
on placing sites using the mouse, see "Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 485.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
The Transmitter tab (see Figure 10.2):
Figure 10.2: Transmitter dialogue - Transmitter tab
- Active: If this transmitter is to be active, you must select the Active check box. Active transmitters are dis-
played in red in the Transmitters folder of the Data tab.
- N-Frequency Mode: If this transmitter is to compatible with N-frequency mode, you must select the N-Fre-
quency Mode check box. Transmitters compatible with the N-frequency mode have one master carrier, and
may have one or more slave carriers. Transmitters which are not compatible with the N-frequency mode have
stand-alone carriers. Master carriers have P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH powers defined, while slave
carriers do not. For more information on the N-frequency mode and allocation of carrier types, see "Planning
Frequencies" on page 533.
- TransmissionReception: Under TransmissionReception, you can see the total losses and the noise figure
of the transmitter. Atoll calculates losses and noise according to the characteristics of the equipment assigned
to the transmitter. Equipment can be assigned by using the Equipment Specifications dialogue which
appears when you click the Equipment button.
- On the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 10.3), the equipment you select and the gains and
losses you define are used to initialise total transmitter UL and DL losses:
- TMA: You can select a tower-mounted amplifier (TMA) from the list. You can click the Browse button
( ) to access the properties of the TMA. For information on creating a TMA, see "Defining a TMA" on
page 123.
- Feeder: You can select a feeder cable from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the feeder. For information on creating a feeder cable, see "Defining Feeder Cables" on
page 123.
- BTS: You can select a base transceiver station (BTS) equipment from the BTS list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the BTS. For information on creating a BTS, see "Defin-
ing a BTS" on page 123.
- Feeder Length: You can enter the feeder length at transmission and reception.
- Miscellaneous Losses: You can enter miscellaneous losses at transmission and reception. The value
you enter must be positive.
- Receiver Antenna Diversity Gain: You can enter a receiver antenna diversity gain. The value you enter
must be positive.
Note: Only active transmitters are taken into consideration during calculations.
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Figure 10.3: The Equipment Specifications dialogue
- Antennas:
- HeightGround: The HeightGround box gives the height of the antenna above the ground. This is added
to the altitude of the site as given by the DTM. If the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered
must include the height of building.
- Main Antenna: Under Main Antenna, the type of antenna is visible in the Model list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the antenna. The other fields, Azimuth, Mechanical
Downtilt, and Additional Electrical Downtilt, display additional antenna parameters.
- Smart Antenna: Under Smart Antenna, the available smart antenna equipment are visible in the Equip-
ment list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the smart antenna equip-
ment. For more information on smart antenna equipment, see "Smart Antenna Equipment" on page 584.
The smart antenna has the same height and tilt as the main antenna.
In case you have a smart antenna equipment based on Grid of Beams (GOB) or Adaptive Beam mod-
elling, it is recommended to verify that the smart antenna beams are consistent with the main antenna pat-
tern.
The combined antenna pattern display can be used to understand any inconsistencies in smart antenna
results. If the gird of beams and the main antenna do not have the same gains, the smart antenna could
provide worse results than the main antenna for traffic timeslots.
To verify the smart antenna and main antenna patterns:
i. Click the Browse button ( ). The Smart Antenna Equipment Properties dialogue appears.
ii. Under Modelling Type, click the Parameters button. The Modelling by Grid of Beams (GOB) or Adap-
tive Beam dialogue appears.
iii. Under Patterns, click the Combined button. A dialogue displays the combined antenna patterns of all the
smart antenna beams and the main antenna (see Figure 10.4).
Note: Any loss related to the noise due to a transmitters repeater is included in the calculated
losses. Atoll always considers the values in the Real boxes in coverage predictions even if
they are different from the values in the Computed boxes. The information in the real BTS
Noise Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered in the Equip-
ment Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and
reception and the real BTS Noise Figure at reception if you wish. Any value you enter must
be positive.
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Figure 10.4: Smart antenna and main antenna patterns
- Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power, which is
the percentage of power reserved for this particular antenna. For example, for a transmitter with one
secondary antenna, if you reserve 40% of the total power for the secondary antenna, 60% is available for
the main antenna.
For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
The main antenna is used to transmit the pilot signals. Coverage predictions based on the P-CCPCH signal are
performed using the main antenna. It is also used for traffic signals if there is no smart antenna equipment selected
for the transmitter.
If there is a smart antenna equipment assigned to the transmitter, traffic data is transmitted and received using the
smart antenna, while the pilot and other common channels are transmitted using the main antenna.
10.1.1.1.3 Cell Description
In Atoll, a cell is defined as a carrier, with all its characteristics, on a transmitter; the cell is the mechanism by which you
can configure a TD-SCDMA multi-carrier network. In other words, a transmitter has one cell for every carrier.
When you create a transmitter, Atoll reminds you to create at least one cell for the transmitter. The following explains the
parameters of a TD-SCDMA cell, including the parameters for HSDPA functionality. As you create a cell, Atoll calculates
appropriate values for some fields based on the information you have entered. You can, if you wish, modify these values.
The properties of a TD-SCDMA cell are found on Cells tab of the Properties dialogue of the transmitter to which it is
assigned.
The Cells tab has the following options:
Name: By default, Atoll names the cell after its transmitter, adding the carrier number in parentheses. If you
change transmitter name or carrier, Atoll does not update the cell name. You can enter a name for the cell, but
for the sake of consistency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If you want to change the way Atoll names cells,
see the Administrator Manual.
Carrier: The number of the carrier.
Carrier Type: The type of carrier, i.e., Stand-alone, Master, or Slave.
Active: If this cell is to be active, you must select the Active check box.
Max Power (dBm): The maximum available downlink power for the cell.
P-CCPCH Power [TS0] (dBm): The power of the P-CCPCH channel.
Other CCH power [TS0] (dBm): The power of other common channels (S-CCPCH, FPACH, and PICH) on TS0.
RSCP P-CCPCH TComp [TS0] (dB): The RSCP P-CCPCH comparative threshold for determining the transmit-
ters to keep in the list of potential servers. This parameter is used in the baton handover coverage prediction along
with RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd and RSCP P-CCPCH TDrop parameters set for different mobility types.
DwPCH Power [DwPTS] (dBm): The power of the DwPTS timeslot.
Max Difference Between 2 Transmitted Powers (dB): The maximum difference between the powers transmitted
by this cell on two DCH. This parameter is used during Monte Carlo simulations in order to avoid too much differ-
ence between users in the same cell.
Scrambling code domain: The scrambling code domain to which the allocated scrambling code belongs. This
and the scrambling code reuse distance are used by the automatic scrambling code allocation algorithm.
SC Reuse Distance: The scrambling code reuse distance. This and the scrambling code domain are used by the
scrambling code planning algorithm.
Scrambling code: The scrambling code allocated to the cell.
Timeslot Configuration: The configuration of the traffic timeslots in the frame. You can select from the 5 possible
timeslot configurations in TD-SCDMA, i.e., (D)UDDDDD, (D)UUDDDD, (D)UUUDDD, (D)UUUUDD, and
(D)UUUUUD. There are two switching points in the frame, one after the first mandatory downlink timeslot (D), and
the other can be after 1 to 5 uplink timeslots. The symmetric configuration is selected by default.
Important: Transmitters that are using a smart antenna equipment should not be assigned any sec-
ondary antennas, remote antennas, or repeaters.
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Required Resource Units in UL: The number of resource units required in the uplink.
Required Resource Units in DL: The number of resource units required in the downlink. You can calculate the
number of required resource units in the uplink and downlink using the network capacity calculation tools. For infor-
mation on calculating network capacity, see "TD-SCDMA Network Capacity" on page 551.
Comments: If desired, you can enter any comments in this field.
HSDPA: The HSDPA check box is selected if the cell has HSDPA functionality. When the HSDPA check box is
selected, the following fields are also available:
- Available HSDPA Power (dBm): When you are modelling static power allocation, the HSDPA Dynamic
Power Allocation check box is cleared and the available HSDPA power is entered in this box. This is the
power available for the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH of HSDPA users.
- Power Headroom (dB): The power headroom is a reserve of power that Atoll keeps for Dedicated Physical
Channels (DPCH) in case of fast fading. During simulation, HSDPA users will not be connected if the cell
power remaining after serving R99 users is less than the power headroom value.
- Max Number of HS-PDSCH codes: The maximum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PDSCH chan-
nels. This value will be taken into account during simulations and coverage predictions in order to find a suit-
able bearer.
Max number of intra-technology neighbours: The maximum number of intra-technology neighbours for this
cell. This value is used by the intra-technology neighbour allocation algorithm.
Max number of inter-technology neighbours: The maximum number of inter-technology neighbours for this
cell. This value is used by the inter-technology neighbour allocation algorithm.
Neighbours: You can access a dialogue in which you can set both intra-technology and inter-technology neigh-
bours by clicking the Browse button ( ). For information on defining neighbours, see "Planning Frequencies"
on page 533.
Timeslots: You can access a dialogue in which you can access per-timeslot information, i.e, for each of the six
traffic timeslots, about the cell by clicking the Browse button ( ) (see Figure 10.5).
Timeslot properties dialogue has the following options:
- Blocked: If this timeslot is to be blocked, i.e., not used for traffic, you must select the Blocked check box. A
blocked timeslot is not used by the Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA) algorithm and does not carry any traffic.
- Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels (S-CCPCH, FPACH, and PICH) on the
traffic timeslot. Other common control channels can be transmitted on a downlink traffic timeslot using the
main antenna.
- Total Power (dBm): The total transmitted power on downlink is the total power necessary to serve R99 and
HSDPA users on the downlink timeslots. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered by the user.
- Max DL Load (% Max Power): The percentage of the maximum downlink power (set in Max Power) not to
be exceeded. This limit will be taken into account during the simulation if the option DL Load is selected. If the
DL load option is not selected during a simulation, this value is not taken into consideration.
- UL Load Factor (%): The uplink load factor for uplink timeslots. This factor corresponds to the ratio between
the uplink total interference and the uplink total noise. This value can be a simulation result or can be entered
by the user.
- Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor not to be exceeded. This limit can be taken into
account during the simulation.
- Geographic distribution of the UL and DL loads: The geographical distribution of downlink transmitted
power and uplink loads computed for cells whose transmitters have a smart antenna equipment. This value is
a simulation result.
- Resource Units Overhead: The number of resource units corresponding to overhead. You can enter the
Resource Units Overhead, which is taken into consideration during network dimensioning. For information
on calculating network capacity, see "TD-SCDMA Network Capacity" on page 551.
Tip: The Browse buttons ( ) might not be visible in the Neighbours and Timeslot boxes if
this is a new cell. You can make the Browse buttons appear by clicking Apply.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
Figure 10.5: Timeslot properties dialogue
10.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. This section describes how to create or modify the following elements of a base station:
"Creating or Modifying a Site" on page 479.
"Creating or Modifying a Transmitter" on page 479.
"Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 480.
10.1.1.2.1 Creating or Modifying a Site
You can modify an existing site or you can create a new site. You can access the properties of a site, described in "Site
Description" on page 474, through the sites Properties dialogue. How you access the Properties dialogue depends on
whether you are creating a new site or modifying an existing site.
To create or modify a site:
1. If you are creating a new site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select New from the context menu. The Sites New Element Properties dialogue appears (see Figure 10.1
on page 474).
2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Sites folder.
c. Right-click the site you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The sites Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Site Description" on page 474.
4. Click OK.
10.1.1.2.2 Creating or Modifying a Transmitter
You can modify an existing transmitter or you can create a new transmitter. You can access the properties of a transmitter,
described in "Transmitter Description" on page 474, through the transmitters Properties dialogue. How you access the
Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new transmitter or modifying an existing transmitter.
To create or modify a transmitter:
1. If you are creating a new transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select New from the context menu. The Transmitters New Element Properties dialogue appears (see
Figure 10.2).
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2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
c. Right-click the transmitter you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Transmitter Description" on page 474.
4. Click OK. If you are creating a new transmitter and Atoll reminds you to create a cell. For information on creating
a cell, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 480.
10.1.1.2.3 Creating or Modifying a Cell
You can modify an existing cell or you can create a new cell. You can access the properties of a cell, described in "Cell
Description" on page 477, through the Properties dialogue of the transmitter where the cell is located. How you access
the Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new cell or modifying an existing cell.
To create or modify a cell:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter on which you want to create a cell or whose cell you want to modify. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Cells tab.
6. Modify the parameters described in "Cell Description" on page 477.
7. Click OK.
10.1.1.3 Placing a NewBase Station Using a Station Template
In Atoll, a base station is defined as a site with one or more transmitters sharing the same properties. With Atoll, you can
create a network by placing base stations based on station templates. This allows you to build your network quickly with
consistent parameters, instead of building the network by first creating the site, then the transmitters, and finally by adding
the cells.
To place a new base station using a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the New Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
3. In the map window, move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the new base station. The
exact coordinates of the pointers current location are visible in the Status bar.
4. Click to place the base station.
You can also place a series of base stations using a station template. You do this by defining an area on the map where
you want to place the base stations. Atoll calculates the placement of each base station according to the defined hexag-
onal cell radius in the station template. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modifying a Station
Template" on page 481.
To place a series of base stations within a defined area:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the Hexagonal Design button ( ), to the left of the template list. A hexagonal design is a group of base
stations created from the same station template.
3. Draw a zone delimiting the area where you want to place the series of base stations:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
Tips:
To place the base station more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before you click the New
Station button. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map Scale" on
page 37.
If you let the pointer rest over the base station you have placed, Atoll displays its tip text with its
exact coordinates, allowing you to verify that the location is correct.
Note: If the Hexagonal Design button is not available ( ), the hexagonal cell radius for this
template is not defined. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modify-
ing a Station Template" on page 481.
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Atoll fills the delimited zone with new base stations and their hexagonal shapes. Base station objects such as
sites and transmitters are also created and placed into their respective folders.
You can work with the sites and transmitters in these base stations as you work with any base station object, adding, for
example, another antenna to a transmitter.
Placing a Base Station on an Existing Site
When you place a new base station using a station template as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a Station
Template" on page 480, the site is created at the same time as the base station. However, you can also place a new base
station on an existing site.
To place a base station on an existing site:
1. On the Data tab, clear the display check box beside the Hexagonal Design folder.
2. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
3. Click the New Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
4. Move the pointer to the site on the map. When the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected, click to
place the base station.
10.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates
Atoll comes with TD-SCDMA station templates, but you can also create and modify station templates. The tools for work-
ing with station templates can be found on the Radio toolbar (see Figure 10.6).
Figure 10.6: The Radio toolbar
10.1.1.4.1 Creating or Modifying a Station Template
When you create a station template, Atoll bases it on the station template selected in the Station Template Properties
dialogue. The new station template has the same parameters as the one it is based on. Therefore, by selecting the existing
station template that most closely resembles the station template you want to create, you can create a new template by
only modifying the parameters that differ.
As well, you can modify the properties of any station template.
To create or modify a station template:
1. If you are creating a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
c. Under Station Templates, select the station template that most closely resembles the station template you
want to create and click Add. The Properties dialogue appears.
2. If you are modifying the properties of a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
c. Under Station Templates, select the station template whose properties you want to modify and click Proper-
ties. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab of the Properties dialogue. On this tab (see Figure 10.7), you can modify the following:
- Name: The name of the station template.
- Sectors: The number of Sectors, each with a transmitter, of the base station created using this station tem-
plate.
- Hexagon Radius: The theoretical radius of the hexagonal area covered by this base station.
- Frequency Band: You can select a Frequency Band for the transmitters of the station template.
- Under Antennas:
- Height: The Height box gives the height of the antenna above the ground. This is added to the altitude of
the site as given by the DTM. If the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered must include
the height of building.
- 1st Sector Azimuth: The azimuth angle of the first sector. If it is a multi-sector station template, the
azimuth of the other sectors are offset to offer complete coverage of the area.
- Main Antenna: Under Main Antenna, the type of antenna is visible in the Model list. The other fields,
Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, and Additional Electrical Downtilt, display additional antenna param-
eters.
- Smart Antenna: Under Smart Antenna, the available smart antenna equipment are visible in the Equip-
ment list.
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- Under Propagation, you can modify the following: the Propagation Model, Radius, and Resolution for both
the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. For information on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propaga-
tion Models".
Figure 10.7: Station Template Properties dialogue General tab
4. Click the Transmitter tab. On this tab (see Figure 10.8), if the Active check box is selected, you can modify the
following:
- Under TransmissionReception, you can click the Equipment button to open the Equipment Specifica-
tions dialogue and modify the tower-mounted amplifier (TMA), feeder cables, or base transceiver station
(BTS). For information on the Equipment Specifications dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on
page 474.
The information in the real Total Losses in transmission and reception boxes is calculated from the informa-
tion you entered in the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 10.3 on page 476). Any loss related
to the noise due to a transmitters repeater is included in the calculated losses. Atoll always considers the
values in the Real boxes in coverage predictions even if they are different from the values in the Computed
boxes. You can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and reception if you wish. Any value you enter
must be positive.
The information in the real BTS Noise Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered in
the Equipment Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real BTS Noise Figure at reception if you wish.
Any value you enter must be positive.
Figure 10.8: Station Template Properties dialogue Transmitter tab
5. Click the TD-SCDMA tab. On this tab (see Figure 10.9), you modify the Carriers (each corresponding to a cell)
that this base station supports. For information on carriers and cells, see "Cell Description" on page 477.
- You can select the number of Carriers for this template.
- You can select whether the transmitters created with this template are compatible with the N-Frequency
Mode or not. If you select the N-Frequency Mode check box, the transmitters created using this station tem-
plate will have at least one master carrier with P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH powers. If there are more
than one carriers on the transmitters, the rest of the carriers will be slave carriers. Slave carriers will not have
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any P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH powers. If you do not select the N-Frequency Mode check box, the
transmitters created using this template will have standalone carriers.
- Under Power, you can modify the Max, P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and the Other CCH powers.
- You can select a default Timeslot Configuration for the cells.
- You can also select the default Equipment for the sites.
Figure 10.9: Station Template Properties dialogue TD-SCDMA tab
6. Click the HSDPA tab.
On this tab (see Figure 10.10), if the HSDPA supported check box is selected, you can modify the following under
HSDPA (for more information on the fields, see "Cell Description" on page 477):
- You can enter the Available HSDPA Power.
- You can define a Power Headroom.
- You can select the Max Number of HS-PDSCH Codes.
Figure 10.10: Station Template Properties dialogue HSDPA tab
7. Click the Other Properties tab. The Other Properties tab will only appear if you have defined additional fields in the
Sites table, or if you have defined an additional field in the Station Template Properties dialogue.
8. When you have finished setting the parameters for the station template, click OK to close the dialogue and save
your changes.
10.1.1.4.2 Modifying a Field in a Station Template
To modify a field in a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the template in the Available Templates list.
4. Click the Fields button.
5. In the dialogue that appears, you have the following options:
- Add: If you want to add a user-defined field to the station templates, you must have already added it to the
Sites table (for information on adding a user-defined field to a table, see "Adding a Field to an Object Types
Data Table" on page 42) for it to appear as an option in the station template properties. To add a new field:
i. Click the Add button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
ii. Enter a Name for the new field. This is the name that will be used in database.
iii. If desired, you can define a Group that this custom field will belong to. When you open an Atoll document
from a database, you can then select a specific group of custom fields to be loaded from the database,
instead of loading all custom fields.
iv. In Legend, enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll document.
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v. For Type, you can select from Text, Short integer, Long integer, Single, Double, TrueFalse,
DateTime, and Currency. If you choose text, you can also set the field Size (in characters), and create
a Choice list, by entering the possible selections directly in the Choice list window and pressing ENTER
after each one.
vi. Enter, if desired, a Default value for the new field.
vii. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
- Delete: To delete a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to delete.
ii. Click the Delete button. The user-defined field appears in strikeout. It will be definitively deleted when you
close the dialogue.
- Properties: To modify the properties of a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to modify.
ii. Click the Properties button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
iii. Modify any of the properties as desired.
iv. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
6. Click OK.
10.1.1.4.3 Deleting a Station Template
To delete a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Under Station Templates, select the station template you want to delete and click Delete. The template is
deleted.
4. Click OK.
10.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations
You can create base stations individually as explained in "Creating a TD-SCDMA Base Station" on page 473, or you can
create one or several base stations by using station templates as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a Station
Template" on page 480. However, if you have a large data-planning project and you already have existing data, you can
import this data into your current Atoll document and create a group of base stations.
You can import base station data in the following ways:
Copying and pasting data: If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet,
you can copy this data and paste it into the tables in your current Atoll document. When you create a group of
base stations by copying and pasting data, you must copy and paste site data in the Sites table, transmitter data
in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
Importing data: If you have data in text or comma-separated value (CSV) format, you can import it into the tables
in the current document. If the data is in another Atoll document, you can first export it in text or CSV format and
then import it into the tables of your current Atoll document. When you are importing, Atoll allows you to select
what values you import into which columns of the table.
When you create a group of base stations by importing data, you must import site data in the Sites table, trans-
mitter data in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on exporting table data, see "Exporting Tables to External Files" on page 48. For information on
importing table data, see "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
Note: When you import data into your current Atoll document, the coordinate system of the
imported data must be the same as the display coordinate system used in the document. If
you cannot change the coordinate system of your source data, you can temporarily
change the display coordinate system of the Atoll document to match the source data. For
information on changing the coordinate system, see "Setting Coordinate Systems" on
page 26.
Important: The table you copy data from must have the same column layout as the table you are past-
ing data into.
Note: You can quickly create a series of base stations for study purposes using the Hexagonal
Design tool on the Radio toolbar. For information, see "Placing a New Base Station Using
a Station Template" on page 480.
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10.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map
In Atoll, you can access the Properties dialogue of a site or transmitter through the context menu on the Data tab of the
Explorer window. However, in a complex radio-planning project, it can be difficult to find the data object in the Data tab,
although it might be visible in the map window. Atoll lets you access the Properties dialogue of sites and transmitters
directly from the map. You can also change the position of the station by dragging it, or by letting Atoll find a higher location
for it.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map" on page 485.
"Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 485.
"Moving a Site to a Higher Location" on page 485.
"Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse" on page 485.
"Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site" on page 486.
10.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map
You can modify a properties of a site or transmitter by opening its Properties dialogue from the map.
To open the Properties dialogue of a data object from the map:
1. Right-click the object in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
- For information on the Sites Properties dialogue. see "Site Description" on page 474.
- For information on the Transmitter Properties dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on page 474.
10.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse
You can move a site by editing the coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue, or by using the mouse.
To move a site using the mouse:
1. Click and drag the site to the desired position. As you drag the site, the exact coordinates of the pointers current
location are visible in the Status bar.
2. Release the site where you would like to place it. By default, Atoll locks the position of a site. When the position
of a site is locked, Atoll asks you to confirm that you wanted to move the site.
3. Click Yes to confirm.
10.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location
If you want to improve the location of a site, in terms of reception and transmission, Atoll can find a higher location within
a specified radius from the current location of the site.
To have Atoll move a site to a higher location:
1. Right-click the site in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Move to a Higher Location.
3. In the Move to a Higher Location dialogue, enter the radius of the area in which Atoll should search and click
OK. Atoll moves the site to the highest point within the specified radius.
10.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can set the azimuth of a transmitters antenna by modifying it on the Transmitter tab of the Transmitter Prop-
erties dialogue, or you can modify it on the map, using the mouse. The azimuth is defined in degrees, with 0 indicating
north.
The precision of the change to the azimuth depends on the distance of the pointer from the transmitter symbol. Moving
the pointer changes the azimuth by:
1 degree when the pointer is within a distance of 10 times the size of the transmitter symbol.
0.1 degree when the cursor is moved outside this region.
To modify the azimuth of the antenna using the mouse:
Tip: When a map has many data objects, it can be difficult to ensure that the correct object has
been selected. When a site is selected, the site (and its name) is surrounded by a black
frame ( ). When a transmitter is selected, both ends of its icon have a green point
( ).
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site quickly, you can adjust the location more pre-
cisely by editing their coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue. For
information on the Site Properties dialogue, see "Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on
page 485.
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You can also modify the azimuth on the map for all the antennas on a base station using the mouse.
To modify the azimuth of all the antennas on a base station using the mouse:
10.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site
By default, transmitters are placed on the site. However, transmitters are occasionally not located directly on the site, but
a short distance away. In Atoll, you can change the position of the transmitter relative to the site by adjusting the Dx and
Dy parameters on the General Tab of the Transmitter Property dialogue. Dx and Dy are the distance in metres of the
transmitter from the site position. You can also modify the position of the transmitter on the map, using the mouse.
To move a transmitter using the mouse:
Dx and Dy values are automatically modified in the transmitter properties.
10.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations
Atoll allows to you to display information about base stations in a number of different ways. This enables you not only to
display selected information, but also to distinguish base stations at a glance.
The following tools can be used to display information about base stations:
Label: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a label that
is displayed with the object. You can display information from every field in that object types data table, including
1. On the map, click the antenna whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green circle and drag it to change the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth to the desired angle.
The antennas azimuth is modified on the Transmitter tab of the Transmit-
ter Properties dialogue.
1. On the map, click one of the antennas whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Hold CTRL and, on the map, click the green circle and drag it to change
the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth of the selected antenna
to the desired angle.
The azimuth of the selected antenna is modified on the Transmitter tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue. The azimuth of the other antennas
on the base station is offset by the same amount as the azimuth of the
selected antenna.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the azimuth, you can undo your changes by using
Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the changes made.
1. On the map, click the transmitter you want to move.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green rectangle ( ). A
cross appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green rectangle and drag it to change the transmitters position
relative to the site.
The current position (Dx and Dy) of the transmitter is displayed in the far
right of the status bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have moved the selected transmitter to the
desired position.
The position of the selected transmitter is modified on the General tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the position of the transmitter, you can undo your
changes by using Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the
changes made.
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from fields that you add. The label is always displayed, so you should choose information that you would want to
always be visible; too much information will lead to a cluttered display. For information on defining the label, see
"Defining the Object Type Label" on page 30.
Tooltips: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a tooltip
that is only visible when you move the pointer over the object. You can choose to display more information than
in the label, because the information is only displayed when you move the cursor over the object. You can display
information from every field in that object types data table, including from fields that you add. For information on
defining the tooltips, see "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
Transmitter colour: You can set the transmitter colour to display information about the transmitter. For example,
you can select "Discrete Values" to distinguish transmitters by antenna type, or to distinguish inactive from active
sites. You can also define the display type for transmitters as "Automatic." Atoll then automatically assigns a
colour to each transmitter, ensuring that each transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding
it. For information on defining the transmitter colour, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
Transmitter symbol: You can select one of several symbols to represent transmitters. For example, you can
select a symbol that graphically represents the transmitters bandwidth ( ). If you have two transmitters on the
same site with the same azimuth, you can differentiate them by selecting different symbols for each ( and
). For information on defining the transmitter symbol, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
10.1.5 Creating a Dual-Band TD-SCDMA Network
In Atoll, you can model a dual-band TD-SCDMA network, i.e., a network consisting of 2100 MHz and 900 MHz transmit-
ters, in one document. Creating a dual-band TD-SCDMA network consists of the following steps:
1. Defining the two frequency bands in the document (see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 579).
2. Selecting and calibrating a propagation model for each frequency band (see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models").
3. Assigning a frequency band, with its propagation model, to each transmitter (see "Transmitter Description" on
page 474).
10.1.6 Creating a Repeater
A repeater receives, amplifies, and re-transmits the radiated or conducted RF carrier both in downlink and uplink. It has a
donor side and a server side. The donor side receives the signal from a donor transmitter. This signal may be carried by
different types of links such as radio link or microwave link. The server side re-transmits the received signal.
Atoll models RF repeaters and microwave repeaters. The modelling focuses on:
The additional coverage these systems provide to transmitters in the downlink.
The UL total gain value in service areas coverage predictions (effective service area and UL EbNt service area)
and the noise rise generated at the donor transmitter by the repeater.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating and Modifying Repeater Equipment" on page 487.
"Placing a Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse" on page 488.
"Creating Several Repeaters" on page 488.
"Defining the Properties of a Repeater" on page 488.
"Hints for Updating Repeater Parameters" on page 490.
10.1.6.1 Creating and Modifying Repeater Equipment
You can define repeater equipment to be assigned to each repeater in the network.
To create or modify repeater equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Repeaters > Equipment from the context menu. The Repeater Equipment table appears.
4. To create repeater equipment, enter the following in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ):
a. Enter a Name and Manufacturer for the new equipment.
b. Enter a Noise Figure. The repeater causes a rise in noise at the donor transmitter, so the noise figure is used
to calculate the UL loss to be added to the donor transmitter UL losses. The noise figure must be a positive
value.
Notes:
It is advised not to assign repeaters to transmitters that have a smart antenna equipment
assigned to them.
Broad-band repeaters are not modelled. Atoll assumes that all carriers from the 3G donor trans-
mitter are amplified.
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c. Enter minimum and maximum repeater amplification gains in the Min. Gain and Max Gain columns. These
parameters enable Atoll to ensure that the user-defined amplifier gain is consistent with the limits of the equip-
ment if there are any.
d. Enter a Gain Increment. Atoll uses the increment value when you increase or decrease the repeater amplifier
gain using the buttons to the right of the Amplification box ( ) on the General tab of the repeater Properties
dialogue.
e. If desired, enter an Internal Delay and Comments. These fields are for information only and are not used in
calculations.
5. To modify repeater equipment, change the parameters in the row containing the repeater equipment you wish to
modify.
10.1.6.2 Placing a Repeater on the Map Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can create a repeater and place it using the mouse. When you create a repeater, you can add it to an existing
site, or have Atoll automatically create a new site.
To create a repeater and place it using the mouse:
1. Select the donor transmitter. You can select it from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data tab, or
directly on the map.
2. Click the arrow next to New Repeater or Remote Antenna button ( ) on the Radio toolbar.
3. Select Repeater from the menu.
4. Click the map to place the repeater. The repeater is placed on the map, represented by a symbol ( ) in the
same colour as the donor transmitter. By default, the repeater has the same azimuth as the donor transmitter. Its
tooltip and label display the same information as displayed for the donor transmitter. As well, its tooltip and label
identify the repeater and the donor transmitter.
For information on defining the properties of the new repeater, see "Defining the Properties of a Repeater" on
page 488.
10.1.6.3 Creating Several Repeaters
In Atoll, the characteristics of each repeater are stored in the Repeaters table. You can create several repeaters at the
same time by pasting the information into the Repeaters table:
If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet, you can copy this data and
paste it into the Repeaters table in your current Atoll document.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
10.1.6.4 Defining the Properties of a Repeater
To define the properties of a repeater:
1. Right-click the repeater either directly on the map, or from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- You can change the Name of the repeater. By default, repeaters are named "RepeaterN" where "N" is a
number assigned as the repeater is created.
- You can change the Donor transmitter by selecting it from the Donor list. Clicking the Browse button ( )
opens the Properties dialogue of the donor transmitter.
- You can change the Site on which the repeater is located. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens the Prop-
erties dialogue of the site.
- You can enter a Position relative to site location, if the repeater is not located on the site itself.
- You can select equipment from the Equipment list. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens the Properties
dialogue of the equipment.
- You can change the Amplification gain. The amplification gain is used in the link budget to evaluate the
repeater total gain.
4. Click the Donor Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Under Donor-Repeater Link, select a Link Type.
Note: You can see to which base station the repeater is connected by clicking it; Atoll displays a
link to the donor transmitter.
Important: The table you copy data from must have the same column layout as the table you are
pasting data into.
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- If you select Microwave Link, enter the Link Losses and continue with step 5.
- If you select Air Link, enter the Propagation Losses or click Calculate to determine the actual propaga-
tion losses between the donor and the repeater.
When you create an off-air repeater, it is assumed that the link between the donor transmitter and the re-
peater has the same frequency as the network. The propagation losses between donor transmitter and
repeater are calculated using the ITU 526-5 propagation model.
- If you selected Air Link under Donor-Repeater Link, enter the following information under Antenna:
i. Select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the
antenna.
ii. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the HeightGround box. This will be added to the altitude
of the transmitter as given by the DTM.
iii. Enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt.
- If you selected Air Link under Donor-Repeater Link, enter the following information under Feeders:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
5. Click the Coverage Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Select the Active check box. Only active repeaters (displayed in red in the Transmitters folder in the Data
tab of the Explorer window) are calculated.
- Under Total Gains, enter the gains in the Downlink and Uplink or click Calculate to determine the actual
gains. If you have modified any parameter in the General, Donor Side, or Coverage Side tabs, click Apply
before clicking the Calculate button. Atoll uses the DL total gain values to calculate the signal level received
from the repeater. The UL total gain value is considered in UL EbNt service area coverage predictions.
The DL total gain is applied to each power (P-CCPCH power, DwPCH power, etc.). It takes into account losses
between the donor transmitter and the repeater, donor characteristics (donor antenna gain, reception feeder
losses), amplification gain, and coverage characteristics (coverage antenna gain and transmission feeder
losses).
The UL total gain is applied to each terminal power. It takes into account losses between the donor transmitter
and the repeater, donor part characteristics (donor antenna gain, transmission feeder losses), amplification
gain and coverage part characteristics (coverage antenna gain and reception feeder losses).
- Under Antennas, you can modify the following parameters:
i. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the HeightGround box. This will be added to the altitude
of the site as given by the DTM.
ii. Under Main Antenna, select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the antenna. Then, enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt. By default, the char-
acteristics (antenna, azimuth, height, etc.) of the repeater coverage side correspond to the characteristics
of the donor transmitter.
iii. Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power. For infor-
mation on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
- Under Feeders, you can modify the following information:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
6. Click the Propagation tab. Since repeaters are taken into account during calculations, you must set the propaga-
tion parameters. On the Propagation tab, you can modify the Propagation Model, Radius, and Resolution for
both the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. By default, the propagation characteristics of the repeater (model,
calculation radius, and grid resolution) are the same as those of the donor transmitter. For information on propa-
gation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Important: If you want to create a remote antenna, you must select Optical Fibre Link.
Note: You can click the Calculate button to update azimuth and downtilt values after changing
the repeater donor side antenna height or the repeater location. If you choose another site
or change site coordinates in the General tab, click Apply before clicking the Calculate but-
ton.
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10.1.6.5 Hints for Updating Repeater Parameters
Atoll provides you with a few shortcuts that you can use to change certain repeater parameters:
You can update the calculated azimuths and downtilts of the donor-side antennas of all repeaters by selecting
Repeaters > Calculate Donor Side Azimuths and Tilts from the Transmitters context menu.
You can update the UL and DL total gains of all repeaters by selecting Repeaters > Calculate Gains from the
Transmitters context menu.
You can update the propagation losses of all off-air repeaters by selecting Repeaters > Calculate Donor Side
Propagation Losses from the Transmitters context menu.
You can select a repeater on the map and change its azimuth (see "Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using
the Mouse" on page 485) or its position relative to the site (see "Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative
to the Site" on page 486).
10.1.7 Creating a Remote Antenna
Atoll allows you to create remote antennas to position antennas at locations that would normally require long runs of
feeder cable. A remote antenna is connected to the base station with an optic fibre. Remote antennas allow you to ensure
radio coverage in an area without a new base station.
By default in Atoll, the remote antenna is connected to a base station that does not have any antennas. It is assumed that
a remote antenna, as opposed to a repeater, does not have any equipment and, therefore, does not generate any noise.
If desired, you can model a remote antenna with equipment or a remote antenna connected to a base station with antennas
by creating a repeater. For information on creating a repeater, see "Creating a Repeater" on page 487.
When Atoll models remote antennas, the modelling focuses on the coverage these systems provide on the downlink.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Placing a Remote Antenna on the Map Using the Mouse" on page 490.
"Creating Several Remote Antennas" on page 490.
"Defining the Properties of a Remote Antenna" on page 491.
"Hints for Updating Remote Antenna Parameters" on page 491.
10.1.7.1 Placing a Remote Antenna on the Map Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can create a remote antenna and place it using the mouse. When you create a remote antenna, you can add
it to an existing base station without antennas, or have Atoll automatically create a new site.
To create a remote antenna and place it using the mouse:
1. Select the donor transmitter. You can select it from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer windows Data tab, or
directly on the map.
2. Click the arrow next to New Repeater or Remote Antenna button ( ) on the Radio toolbar.
3. Select Remote Antenna from the menu.
4. Click the map to place the remote antenna. The remote antenna is placed on the map, represented by a symbol
( ) in the same colour as the donor transmitter. By default, the remote antenna has the same azimuth as the
donor transmitter. Its tooltip and label display the same information as displayed for the donor transmitter. As well,
its tooltip and label identify the remote antenna and the donor transmitter.
For information on defining the properties of the new remote antenna, see "Defining the Properties of a Remote
Antenna" on page 491.
10.1.7.2 Creating Several Remote Antennas
In Atoll, the characteristics of each remote antenna are stored in the Remote Antennas table. You can create several
remote antennas at the same time by pasting the information into the Remote Antennas table.
If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet, you can copy this data and
paste it into the Remote Antennas table in your current Atoll document.
Note: It is advised not to assign remote antennas to transmitters that have a smart antenna equip-
ment assigned to them.
Note: Ensure that the remote antennas donor transmitter does not have any antennas.
Note: You can see to which base station the remote antenna is connected by clicking it; Atoll dis-
plays a link to the donor transmitter.
Important: The table you copy data from must have the same column layout as the table you are past-
ing data into.
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For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
10.1.7.3 Defining the Properties of a Remote Antenna
To define the properties of a remote antenna:
1. Right-click the remote antenna either directly on the map, or from the Transmitters folder of the Explorer
windows Data tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- You can change the Name of the remote antenna. By default, remote antennas are named "RemoteAn-
tennaN" where "N" is a number assigned as the remote antenna is created.
- You can change the Donor transmitter by selecting it from the Donor list. Clicking the Browse button ( )
opens the Properties dialogue of the donor transmitter.
- You can change the Site on which the remote antenna is located. Clicking the Browse button ( ) opens
the Properties dialogue of the site.
- You can enter a Position relative to site location, if the remote antenna is not located on the site itself.
- Enter "0" as the Amplification gain.
4. Click the Donor Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Under Donor-Repeater Link, select Optical Fibre Link and enter the Cable Losses.
5. Click the Coverage Side tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Select the Active check box. Only active remote antennas (displayed with in red in the Transmitters folder in
the Data tab of the Explorer window) are calculated.
- Under Total Gains, enter the gains in the Downlink and Uplink or click Calculate to determine the actual
gains. If you have modified any parameter in the General, Donor Side, or Coverage Side tabs, click Apply
before clicking the Calculate button. Atoll uses the DL total gain values to calculate the signal level received
from the remote antenna. The UL total gain value is considered in UL EbNt service area coverage predictions.
The DL total gain is applied to each power (P-CCPCH power, DwPCH power, etc.). It takes into account losses
between the donor transmitter and the remote antenna.
The UL total gain is applied to each terminal power. It takes into account losses between the donor transmitter
and the remote antenna.
- Under Antennas, you can modify the following parameters:
i. Enter the height off the ground of the antenna in the HeightGround box. This will be added to the altitude
of the transmitter as given by the DTM.
ii. Under Main Antenna, select a Model from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the antenna. Then, enter the Azimuth and the Mechanical Downtilt.
iii. Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power. For infor-
mation on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
- Under Feeders, you can modify the following information:
i. Select a Type of feeder from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of
the feeder.
ii. Enter the Length of the feeder cable at Transmission and at Reception.
6. Click the Propagation tab. Since remote antennas are taken into account during calculations, you must set prop-
agation parameters, as with transmitters. On the Propagation tab, you can modify the Propagation Model,
Radius, and Resolution for both the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. By default, the propagation charac-
teristics of the remote antenna (model, calculation radius, and grid resolution) are the same as those of the donor
transmitter. For information on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
10.1.7.4 Hints for Updating Remote Antenna Parameters
Atoll provides you with a few shortcuts that you can use to change certain remote antenna parameters:
You can update the UL and DL total gains of all remote antennas by selecting Remote Antennas > Calculate
Gains from the Transmitters context menu.
You can select a remote antenna on the map and change its azimuth (see "Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna
Using the Mouse" on page 485) or its position relative to the site (see "Changing the Position of the Transmitter
Relative to the Site" on page 486).
Note: A remote antenna does not have equipment.
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10.1.8 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document
When you load project data from a database, you will probably only modify the data in the region for which you are respon-
sible. For example, a complex radio-planning project may cover an entire region or even an entire country. You, however,
might be responsible for the radio planning for only one city. In such a situation, doing a coverage prediction that calculates
the entire network would not only take a lot of time, it is not necessary. Consequently, you can restrict a coverage prediction
to the sites that you are interested in and generate only the results you need.
In Atoll, there are two ways of restricting the number of sites covered by a coverage prediction, each with its own advan-
tages:
Filtering the desired sites
You can simplify the selection of sites to be studied by using a filter. You can filter sites according to one or more
fields, or you can create an advanced filter by combining several criteria in several fields. You can create a graphic
filter by either using an existing vector polygon or creating a new vector polygon. For information on graphic filters,
see "Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter" on page 63. Filtering enables you to keep only the base stations with
the characteristics you want to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
Setting a computation zone
Drawing a computation zone to encompass the sites to be studied, limits the number of sites to be calculated,
which in turn reduces the time necessary for calculations. In a smaller project, the time savings may not be signif-
icant. In a larger project, especially when you are making repeated coverage predictions in order to see the effects
of small changes in site configuration, the savings in time is considerable. Limiting the number of sites by drawing
a computation zone also limits the resulting calculated coverage.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus zone or hot spot zone. The computation zone
defines the area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage predictions, Monte Carlo, power control
simulations, etc., while the focus zone or hot spot zone is the area taken into consideration when generating
reports and results.
For information on the computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 499.
You can combine a computation zone and a filter, in order to create a very precise selection of the base stations to be
studied.
10.1.9 Studying a Single Base Station
As you create a base station, you can study it to test the effectiveness of the set parameters. Coverage predictions on
groups of sites can take a large amount of time and consume a lot of computer resources. Restricting your coverage
prediction to the base station you are currently working on allows you get the results quickly. You can expand your cover-
age prediction to a number of base stations once you have optimised the settings for each individual base station.
Before studying a base station, you must assign a propagation model. The propagation model takes the radio and
geographic data into account and computes losses along the transmitter-receiver path. This allows you to predict the
received signal level at any given point. Any coverage prediction you make on a base station uses the propagation model
to calculate its results.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile" on page 492.
"Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 495.
10.1.9.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile
In Atoll, you can make a point analysis to study reception along a profile between a reference transmitter and a TD-
SCDMA user. The profile is calculated in real time, using the propagation model, allowing you to study the profile without
calculating the path loss matrices. You can assign a propagation model to all transmitters at once, to a group of transmit-
ters, or to a single transmitter
In this section, the following are explained:
"Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters" on page 492.
"Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters" on page 493.
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 493.
"Making a Point Analysis" on page 494.
For more information about the available propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters
In Atoll, you can choose a propagation model per transmitter or globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
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4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
6. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for all transmitters.
Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters
Transmitters that share the same parameters and environment will usually use the same propagation model and settings.
In Atoll, you can assign the same propagation model to several transmitters by first grouping them by their common
parameters and then assigning the propagation model.
To define a main and extended propagation model for a defined group of transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select from the Group by submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the transmitters.
The objects in the folder are grouped by that property.
4. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
5. Right-click the group of transmitters to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The
context menu appears.
6. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears with the transmitters from the
selected group.
For each transmitter, you can set the propagation model parameters in the following columns:
- Main Propagation Model
- Main Calculation Radius
- Main Resolution
- Extended Propagation Model
- Extended Calculation Radius
- Extended Resolution
7. To enter the same values in one column for all transmitters in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.
Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter
If you have added a single transmitter, you can assign it a propagation model. You can also assign a propagation model
to a single transmitter after you have assigned a main and extended propagation model globally or to a group of transmit-
ters.
When you assign a main and extended propagation model to a single transmitter, it overrides any changes made globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Propagation tab.
Note: Setting a different main or extended matrix on an individual transmitter as explained in
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 493 will override this entry.
Note: You can group transmitters by several properties by using the Group By button on the
Properties dialogue. For more information, see "Advanced Grouping" on page 51.
Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
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6. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
8. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for the selected transmitter.
Making a Point Analysis
To make a point analysis:
1. In the map window, select the transmitter from which you want to make a point analysis.
2. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
3. A line appears on the map connecting the selected transmitter and the current position. You can now do the fol-
lowing:
- Move the receiver to change the current position.
- Click to place the receiver at the current position. You can move the receiver again by clicking it a second time.
- Right-click the receiver to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
- Coordinates: Select Coordinates to change the receiver position by entering new XY coordinates.
- Target Site: Select a site from the list to place the receiver directly on a site.
4. Click the Profile tab.
The profile analysis appears in the Profile tab of the Point Analysis Tool window. The altitude (in metres) is
reported on the vertical axis and the receiver-transmitter distance on the horizontal axis. A blue ellipsoid indicates
the Fresnel zone between the transmitter and the receiver, with a green line indicating the line of sight (LOS). Atoll
displays the angle of the LOS read from the vertical antenna pattern. Along the profile, if the signal meets an obsta-
cle, this causes attenuation with diffraction displayed by a red vertical line (if the propagation model used takes
into account diffraction mechanisms). The main peak is the one that intersects the most with the Fresnel ellipsoid.
With some propagation models using a 3 knife-edge Deygout diffraction method, the results may display two addi-
tional attenuations peaks. The total attenuation is displayed above the main peak.
The results of the analysis are displayed at the top of the Profile tab:
- The received signal strength of the selected transmitter
- The propagation model used
- The shadowing margin
- The distance between the transmitter and the receiver.
You can change the following options at the top of the Profile tab:
- Transmitter: Select the transmitter from the list.
- Carriers: Select the carrier to be analysed.
5. Right-click the Profile tab to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
- Properties: Select Properties to display the Analysis Properties dialogue. This dialogue is available from
the context menu on all tabs of the Point Analysis Tool window. You can:
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select Signal Level, Path loss, and Total losses from the Result Type list.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Link Budget: Select Link Budget to display a dialogue with the link budget.
- Model Details: Select Model Details to display a text document with details on the displayed profile analysis.
Model details are only available for the standard propagation model.
Note: If you want to see a profile analysis with clutter height displayed, you can use the Height
Profile tool ( ). For information on the Height Profile tool, see "Displaying the Terrain
Profile Between Candidate Microwave Sites" on page 692.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
10.1.9.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone.
Figure 10.12 gives an example of a computation zone. In Figure 10.12, the computation zone is displayed in red, as it is
in the Atoll map window. The propagation zone of each active site is indicated by a blue square. Each propagation zone
that intersects the rectangle (indicated by the green dashed line) containing the computation zone will be taken into consid-
eration when Atoll calculates the coverage prediction. Sites 78 and 95, for example, are not in the computation zone.
However, their propagation zones intersect the rectangle containing the computation zone and, therefore, they will be
taken into consideration in the coverage prediction. On the other hand, the coverage zones of three other sites do not inter-
sect the green rectangle. Therefore, they will not be taken into account in the coverage prediction.
Figure 10.12: An example of a computation zone
For information on creating a computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 499.
As you are building your radio-planning project, you may want to check the coverage of a new site without having to calcu-
late the entire project. You can do this by selecting the site with its transmitters and then creating a new coverage predic-
tion.
This section explains how to calculate the signal level coverage of a single site. A signal level coverage prediction displays
the signal of the best server for each pixel of the area studied.
Figure 10.11: Point Analysis Tool - Profile tab
Fresnel ellipsoid
You can select a different transmitter, and
choose to display a profile only with a selected
carrier.
Displays data, including received signal, shadowing margin,
propagation model used, and transmitter-receiver distance.
Line of sight Attenuation with diffraction.
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To study the signal level coverage of a single base station:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder and select Group by > Sites from the context menu. The transmitters are now
displayed in the Transmitters folder by the site on which they are situated.
3. Select the propagation parameters to be used in the coverage prediction:
a. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
b. Right-click the group of transmitters you want to study. The context menu appears.
c. Select Open Table from the context menu. A table appears with the properties of the selected group of trans-
mitters.
d. In the table, you can configure two propagation models: one for the main matrix, with a shorter radius and a
higher resolution, and another for the extended matrix, with a longer radius and a lower resolution. By calcu-
lating two matrices you can reduce the time of calculation by using a lower resolution for the extended matrix
and you can obtain more accurate results by using for the main and extended matrices propagation models
best suited for each distance.
e. In the Main Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
f. If desired, in the Extended Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
g. Close the table.
4. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the group of transmitters you want to study and select Calculations >
Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
The Study Types dialogue lists the coverage predictions available. They are divided into Standard Studies,
supplied with Atoll, and Customized Studies. Unless you have already created some customized coverage
predictions, the Customized Studies list will be empty.
5. Select RSCP P-CCPCH Coverage and click OK. A coverage prediction properties dialogue appears.
6. You can configure the following parameters in the Properties dialogue:
- General tab: You can change the assigned Name of the coverage prediction, the Resolution, and you can
add a Comment. The resolution you set is the display resolution, not the calculation resolution.
To improve memory consumption and optimise the calculation times, you should set the display resolutions of
coverage predictions according to the precision required. The following table lists the levels of precision that
are usually sufficient:
- Condition tab: The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you to define the signals that
will be considered for each pixel (see Figure 10.13). You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the
terminal properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service prop-
erties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold
defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
Note: You can use the same procedure to study the signal level coverage of several sites by
grouping the transmitters. For information on grouping transmitters, see "Grouping Data
Objects by a Selected Property" on page 51.
Tip: If you wish to study only sites by their status, at this step you could group them by status.
Size of the Coverage
Prediction
Display Resolution
City Centre 5 m
City 20 m
County 50 m
State 100 m
Country According to the size of the country
Note: If you create a new coverage prediction from the context menu of either the Transmitters
or Predictions folder, you can select the sites using the Group By, Sort, and Filter buttons
under Configuration. Because you already selected the target sites, however, only the Fil-
ter button is available.
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- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If
you select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.13: Condition settings for an RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction
- Display tab: You can modify how the results of the coverage prediction will be displayed.
- Under Display Type, select "Value Intervals."
- Under Field, select "Best signal level." Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give
you the same results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best
signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calculation.
- You can change the value intervals and their displayed colour. For information on changing display prop-
erties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
- You can create a tooltip with information about the coverage prediction by clicking the Tip Text box and
selecting the check boxes next to the fields you want to display in the tooltip.
- You can select the Add to Legend check box to add the displayed value intervals to the legend.
7. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window. The RSCP P-
CCPCH coverage prediction can be found in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results
of a coverage prediction as soon as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction in the
Predictions folder. When you click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll only calculates unlocked coverage predictions ( ).
10.1.10 Studying Base Stations
In this section, the following are explained:
"Path Loss Matrices" on page 497.
"The Calculation Process" on page 499.
"Creating a Computation Zone" on page 499.
"Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active" on page 499.
"Signal Level Coverage Predictions" on page 500.
"Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 507.
"Signal Quality Coverage Predictions" on page 514.
"HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 530.
"Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 531.
10.1.10.1 Path Loss Matrices
Path loss is caused by objects in the transmitter-receiver path and is calculated by the propagation model. In Atoll, the
path loss matrices are needed for all base stations that are active, filtered and whose propagation zone intersects a rectan-
gle containing the computation zone (for an explanation of the computation zone, see "Studying Signal Level Coverage"
on page 495) and must be calculated before predictions and simulations can be made.
Note: If you change the display properties of a coverage prediction after you have calculated it,
you may make the coverage prediction invalid. You will then have to recalculate the predic-
tion to obtain valid results.
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Storing Path Loss Matrices
Path loss matrices can be stored internally, in the Atoll document, or they can be stored externally. Storing path loss matri-
ces in the Atoll document results in a more portable but significantly larger document. In the case of large radio-planning
projects, embedding the matrices can lead to large documents which use a great deal of memory. As well, file size is
currently limited to 2 GB by the operating system. Therefore, in the case of large radio-planning projects, saving your path
loss matrices externally will help reduce the size of the file and the use of computer resources.
The path loss matrices are also stored externally in a multi-user environment, when several users are working on the same
radio-planning document and share the path loss matrices. In this case, the radio data is stored in a database and the path
loss matrices are read-only and are stored in a location accessible to all users. When the user changes his radio data and
recalculates the path loss matrices, the calculated changes to the path loss matrices are stored locally; the common path
loss matrices are not modified. These will be recalculated by the administrator taking into consideration the changes to
radio data made by all users. For more information on working in a multi-user environment, see the Administrator Manual.
When you save the path loss matrices to an external directory, Atoll creates:
One file per transmitter with the extension LOS for its main path loss matrix.
A DBF file with validity information for all the main matrices.
A folder called "LowRes" with LOS files and a DBF file for the extended path loss matrices.
To set the storage location of the path loss matrices:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Predictions tab, under Path Loss Matrix Storage, you can set the location for your private path loss
matrices and the location for the shared path loss matrices:
- Private Directory: The Private Directory is where you store path loss matrices you generate or, if you are
loading path loss matrices from a shared location, where you store your changes to shared path loss matrices.
Click the button beside the Private Directory ( ) and select Embedded to save the path loss matrices in
the Atoll document, or Browse to select a directory where Atoll can save the path loss matrices externally.
- Shared Directory: When you are working on in a multi-user Atoll environment, the project data is stored in a
database and the common path loss matrices are stored in a directory that is accessible to all users. Any
changes you make will not be saved to this directory; they will be saved in the location indicated in Private
Directory. The path loss matrices in the shared directory are updated by a user with administrator rights based
on the updated information in the database. For more information on shared directories, see the Administrator
Manual.
5. Click OK.
Checking the Validity of Path Loss Matrices
Atoll automatically checks the validity of the path loss matrices before calculating any coverage prediction. If you want,
you can check if the path loss matrices are invalid without creating a coverage prediction.
To check if the path loss matrices are valid:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab. The Available Results table lists the following information for the path loss matrix for
each transmitter:
- Transmitter: The name of the transmitter.
- Locked: If the check box is selected, the path loss matrix will not be updated even if the path loss matrices
are recalculated.
- Valid: This is a boolean field indicating whether or not the path loss matrix is valid.
- Origin of Invalidity: If the path loss matrix is indicated as being invalid, the reason is given here.
- Size: The size of the path loss matrix for the transmitter.
- File: If the path loss matrix is not embedded, the location of the file is listed.
Note: Path loss matrices you calculate locally are not stored in the same directory as shared path
loss matrices. Shared path loss matrices are stored in a read-only directory. In other words,
you can read the information from the shared path loss matrices but any changes you make
will be stored locally, either embedded in the ATL file or in a private external folder, depend-
ing on what you have selected in Private Directory.
Caution: When you save the path loss files externally, the external files are updated as soon as cal-
culations are performed and not only when you save the Atoll document. In order to keep
consistency between the Atoll document and the stored calculations, you should save the
Atoll document before closing it, if you have updated the path loss matrices.
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10.1.10.2 The Calculation Process
When you create a coverage prediction and click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll follows the following process:
1. Atoll first checks to see whether the path loss matrices exist and, if so, whether they are valid. There must be valid
path loss matrices for each active and filtered transmitter whose propagation radius intersects the rectangle
containing the computation zone.
2. If the path loss matrices do not exist or are not valid, Atoll calculates them. There has to be at least one unlocked
coverage prediction in the Predictions folder. If not Atoll will not calculate the path loss matrices when you click
the Calculate button ( ).
3. Atoll calculates all unlocked coverage predictions in the Predictions folder. The coverage predictions can be
found in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results of the coverage predictions
as soon as they are calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage predictions in the Predictions
folder.
10.1.10.3 Creating a Computation Zone
To create a computation zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Computation Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the computation zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The computation zone is delimited by a red line.
You can also create a computation zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a computation zone by right-clicking it and
selecting Use as Computation Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a computation zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Computa-
tion Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a computation zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
10.1.10.4 Setting Transmitters or Cells as Active
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone. Before
you define a coverage prediction, you must ensure that all the transmitters on the sites you wish to study have been acti-
vated. In the Explorer window, active transmitters are indicated with a red icon ( ) in the Transmitters folder and inac-
tive transmitters are indicated with a white icon ( ).
In Atoll, you can also set individual cells on a transmitter as active or inactive.
You can set an individual transmitter as active from its context menu or you can set more than one transmitter as active
by activating them from the Transmitters context menu or by activating the transmitters cells from the Cells table.
To set an individual transmitter as active:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter you want to activate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Active Transmitter from the context menu. The transmitter is now active.
Note: You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button ( ) in
the toolbar.
Note: You can save the computation zone in the user configuration. For information on exporting
the computation zone in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on
page 59.
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To set more than one transmitter as active using the Transmitters context menu:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select the transmitters you want to set as active:
- To set all transmitters as active, right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
- To set a group of transmitters as active, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder and
right-click the group of transmitters you want to set as active. The context menu appears.
3. Select Activate Transmitters from the context menu. The selected transmitters are set as active.
To set more than one cell as active using the Cells table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Open Table. The Cells table appears with each cells parameters in a second row.
4. For each cell that you want to set as active, select the check box in the Active column.
Once you have ensured that all transmitters are active, you can set the propagation model parameters. For information on
choosing and configuring a propagation model, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Calculating path loss matrices can be extremely time and resource intensive when you are working on larger projects.
Consequently, Atoll offers you the possibility of distributing path loss calculations on several computers. You can install
the Atoll computing server application on other workstations or on servers. Once the computing server application is
installed on a workstation or server, the computer is available for distributed path loss calculation to other computers on
the network. For information on distributed calculations, see the Administrator Manual.
10.1.10.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions
Atoll offers a series of coverage predictions that are based on the received signal level per pixel. These signal levels can
be the P-CCPCH signal on TS0, the DwPCH signal on the DwPTS timeslot, and the UpPCH signal on the UpPTS timeslot.
Coverage predictions based on interference and network load conditions are covered in "Signal Quality Coverage Predic-
tions" on page 514, and "HSDPA Coverage Prediction" on page 530.
Once you have created and calculated a coverage prediction, you can use predictions context menu to make the coverage
prediction into a template (which will appear in the Study Types dialogue. You can also select Duplicate from the predic-
tions context menu to create a copy. By duplicating an existing prediction that has the parameters you wish to study, you
can create a new prediction more quickly than by creating a new coverage prediction. If you clone a coverage prediction,
by selecting Clone from the context menu, you can create a copy of the prediction with the calculated coverage. You can
then change the display, providing that the selected parameter does not invalidate the calculated coverage prediction.
You can also save the list of all defined coverage predictions in a user configuration, allowing you or other users to import
it into a new Atoll document. When you save the list in a user configuration, the parameters of all existing coverage predic-
tions are saved; not just the parameters of calculated or displayed ones. For information on exporting user configurations,
see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
The following standard coverage predictions are explained in this section:
"Making an RSCP P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 500.
"Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
"Making a P-CCPCH Pollution Coverage Prediction" on page 503.
"Making an RSCP DwPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 504.
"Making an RSCP UpPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 506.
10.1.10.5.1 Making an RSCP P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction
An RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction allows you to predict the signal strength of the pilot channel (TS0) using the main
antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a
defined range.
To make an RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select RSCP P-CCPCH Coverage and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.14). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd (RSCP P-
CCPCH Threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage
prediction.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.14: Condition settings for an RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
If you choose to display the results by best signal level, the coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresh-
olds. If you choose to display the results by signal level, the coverage prediction results will be arranged according
to transmitter. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28. Selecting
"All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give you the same results because Atoll displays the results
of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calcula-
tion.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.15).
Figure 10.15: RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction
10.1.10.5.2 Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction
A best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction the user to predict which server is the best at each pixel according to the
signal strength of the pilot channel (TS0) using the main antenna of the transmitter. You can base the coverage on the
signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by transmitter:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
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3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.14). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel. On the Condition tab, you can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd (RSCP P-
CCPCH Threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage
prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.16: Condition settings for a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction by transmitter, the Display Type "Discrete Values" based on the Field "Transmitter" is
selected by default. Each coverage zone will then be displayed with the same colour as that defined for each trans-
mitter. For information on defining transmitter colours, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the transmitter coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.17).
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
Figure 10.17: Best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction
10.1.10.5.3 Making a P-CCPCH Pollution Coverage Prediction
A P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction is composed of pixels that are, for a defined condition, covered by the pilot
signal of at least two transmitters. The coverage prediction considers signal strengths of the pilot channel (TS0) transmitter
using the main antenna of the transmitters. You can base a P-CCPCH coverage prediction on the signal level, path loss,
or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction on overlapping zones:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select P-CCPCH Pollution and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.18). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel. On the Condition tab, you can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd (RSCP P-
CCPCH Threshold) defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage
prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Pollution Margin: The margin for determining which signals to consider. Atoll considers signal levels which
are within the defined margin of the best signal level.
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Figure 10.18: Condition settings for a P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction on overlapping zones, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Number
of servers" is selected by default. Each overlapping zone will then be displayed in a colour corresponding to the
number of servers received per pixel. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of
Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.19).
Figure 10.19: P-CCPCH pollution coverage prediction
10.1.10.5.4 Making an RSCP DwPCH Coverage Prediction
An RSCP DwPCH coverage prediction allows you to predict the signal strength of the DwPCH channel (DwPTS timeslot)
using the main antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total
losses within a defined range.
To make an RSCP DwPCH coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select RSCP DwPCH Coverage and click OK.
Note: By changing the parameters selected on the Condition tab and by selecting different results
to be displayed on the Display tab, you can calculate and display information other than that
which has been explained in the preceding sections.
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5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.20). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP DwPCH Threshold defined in
the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP DwPCH coverage prediction is performed for DwPTS timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.20: Condition settings for an RSCP DwPCH coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
If you choose to display the results by best signal level, the coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresh-
olds. If you choose to display the results by signal level, the coverage prediction results will be arranged according
to transmitter. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28. Selecting
"All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give you the same results because Atoll displays the results
of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calcula-
tion.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.21).
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Figure 10.21: RSCP DwPCH coverage prediction
10.1.10.5.5 Making an RSCP UpPCH Coverage Prediction
An RSCP UpPCH coverage prediction allows you to predict the signal strength of the UpPCH channel (UpPTS timeslot)
using the main antenna of the transmitter at each pixel. You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total
losses within a defined range.
To make an RSCP UpPCH coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select RSCP UpPCH Coverage and click OK.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.22). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. UpPCH Power, Gain, and Losses
defined in the terminal properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP UpPCH Threshold defined in
the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP UpPCH coverage prediction is performed for UpPTS timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.22: Condition settings for an RSCP UpPCH coverage prediction
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
7. Click the Display tab.
If you choose to display the results by best signal level, the coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresh-
olds. If you choose to display the results by signal level, the coverage prediction results will be arranged according
to transmitter. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28. Selecting
"All" or "Best signal level" on the Conditions tab will give you the same results because Atoll displays the results
of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" necessitates, however, the longest time for calcula-
tion.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.23).
Figure 10.23: RSCP UpPCH coverage prediction
10.1.10.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction
Once you have completed a coverage prediction, you can analyse the results with the tools that Atoll provides.
The results are displayed graphically in the map window according to the settings you made on the Display tab when you
created the coverage prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 495). If several coverage predic-
tions are visible on the map, it may be difficult to clearly see the results of the coverage prediction you wish to analyse.
You can select which coverage predictions to display or to hide by selecting or clearing the display check box. For infor-
mation on managing the display, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
In this section, the following tools are explained:
"Displaying the Legend Window" on page 507.
"Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tool Tips" on page 507.
"Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab" on page 508.
"Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 508.
"Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics" on page 510.
"Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples" on page 510.
10.1.10.6.1 Displaying the Legend Window
When you create a coverage prediction, you can add the displayed values of the coverage prediction to a legend by select-
ing the Add to Legend check box on the Display tab.
To display the Legend window:
Select View > Legend Window. The Legend window is displayed, with the values for each displayed coverage
prediction identified by the name of the coverage prediction.
10.1.10.6.2 Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tool Tips
You can get information by placing the cursor over an area of the coverage prediction to read the information displayed in
the tool tips. The information displayed is defined by the settings you made on the Display tab when you created the cover-
age prediction (step 6. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 495).
To get coverage prediction results in the form of tool tips:
In the map window, place the cursor over the area of the coverage prediction that you want more information on.
After a brief pause, the tool tip appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the coverage prediction
properties (see Figure 10.24).
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Figure 10.24: Displaying coverage prediction results using tool tips
10.1.10.6.3 Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab
Once you have calculated the coverage prediction, you can use the Point Analysis tool.
1. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
2. At the bottom of the Point Analysis Tool window, click the Reception tab (see Figure 10.25).
The predicted signal level from different transmitters is reported in the Reception tab in the form of a bar chart,
from the highest predicted signal level on the top to the lowest one on the bottom. Each bar is displayed in the
colour of the transmitter it represents.
At the top of the Reception tab, you can select the carrier to be analysed.
Figure 10.25: Point Analysis Window - Reception tab
3. Right-click the Reception tab and select Properties from the context menu. The Analysis Properties dialogue
appears.
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.
10.1.10.6.4 Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report
The focus and hot spot zones define an area on which statistics can be drawn and on which reports are made. While you
can only have one focus zone, you can define several hot spot zones in addition to the focus zone.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus and hot spot zones. The computation zone defines the
area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage predictions, Monte Carlo, power control simulations, etc., while
the focus and hot spot zones are the areas taken into consideration when generating reports and results. When you create
a coverage prediction report, it gives the results for the focus zone and for each of the defined hot spot zones.
To define a focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Focus Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder, depending on whether you want to create a focus zone or
a hot spot. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the focus or hot spot zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
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A focus zone is delimited by a green line; a hot spot zone is delimited by a heavy black line.
You can also create a focus or hot spot zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a focus zone by right-clicking it and selecting
Use as Focus Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a focus or hot spot zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Focus
Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a focus or hot spot zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
10.1.10.6.5 Displaying a Coverage Prediction Report
Atoll can generate a report for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). The report displays the
covered surface and percentage for each threshold value defined in the Display tab of the coverage predictions Proper-
ties dialogue.
The coverage prediction report is displayed in a table. By default, the report table only displays the name and coverage
area columns. You can edit the table to select which columns to display or to hide. For information on displaying and hiding
columns, see "Displaying or Hiding a Column" on page 46.
Atoll bases the report on the area covered by the focus zone and hot spot zones; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will
use the calculation zone. However, by using a focus zone for the report, you can create a report for a specific number of
sites, instead of creating a report for every site that has been calculated.
The focus zone or hot spot zone must be defined before you display a report; it is not necessary to define it before comput-
ing coverage. For information on defining a focus zone or hot spot zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a
Coverage Prediction Report" on page 508.
Atoll can generate a report for a single prediction, or for all displayed predictions.
To display a report on a single coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction for which you want to generate a report. The context menu appears.
4. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The prediction report table appears. The report is based on the
hot spot zones and on the focus zone if available or on the hot spot zones and computation zone if there is no
focus zone.
To display a report on all coverage predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The prediction report table appears. The report shows all dis-
played coverage predictions in the same order as in the Predictions folder. The report is based on the focus zone
if available or on the calculation zone if there is no focus zone.
You can include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone by importing a population map. For information on
importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87. Normally, Atoll takes all geo data into consid-
eration, whether it is displayed or not. However, for the population statistics to be used in a report, the population map has
to be displayed.
To include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Ensure that the population geo data is visible. For information on displaying geo data, see "Displaying or Hiding
Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
2. Display the report as explained above.
3. Select Format > Display Columns. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.
4. Select the following columns, where "Population" is the name of the folder on the Geo tab containing the popula-
tion map:
- " Population" (Population): The number of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (% Population): The percentage of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (Population [total]): The total number of inhabitants inside the zone.
Atoll saves the names of the columns you select and will automatically select them the next time you create a
coverage prediction report.
Note: You can only create a focus zone, and not a hot spot zone, from an existing polygon.
Notes:
You can save the focus zone in the user configuration. For information on saving the focus zone
in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
You can include population statistics in the focus or hot spot zone by importing a population map.
For information on importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87.
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5. Click OK.
If you have created a custom data map with integrable data, the data can be used in prediction reports. The data will be
summed over the coverage area for each item in the report (for example, by transmitter or threshold). The data can be
value data (revenue, number of customers, etc.) or density data (revenuekm, number of customerkm, etc.). Data is
considered as non-integrable if the data given is per pixel or polygon and cannot be summed over areas, for example,
socio-demographic classes, rain zones, etc. For information on integrable data in custom data maps, see "Integrable
Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 101.
10.1.10.6.6 Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics
Atoll can display statistics for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). By default, Atoll displays
a histogram using the coverage prediction colours, interval steps, and shading as defined in the Display tab of the cover-
age predictions Properties dialogue. You can also display a cumulative distribution function (CDF) or an inverse CDF
(1 - CDF). For a CDF or an inverse CDF, the resulting values are combined and shown along a curve. You can also display
the histogram or the CDFs as percentages of the covered area.
Atoll bases the statistics on the area covered by the focus zone; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will use the computation
zone. However, by using a focus zone for the report, you can display the statistics for a specific number of sites, instead
of displaying statistics for every site that has been calculated. Hot spot zones are not taken into consideration when
displaying statistics.
The focus zone must be defined before you display statistics; it is not necessary to define it before computing coverage.
For information on defining a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 508.
To display the statistics on a coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction whose statistics you want to display. The context menu appears.
4. Select Histogram from the context menu. The Statistics dialogue appears with a histogram of the area defined
by the focus zone (see Figure 10.26).
- Under Histogram Based on Covered Areas, you can select to view a histogram, CDF, or inverse CDF based
on area or percentage.
- The Detailed Results section displays the covered area values, or the percentage of the covered area, along
the y-axis against the coverage criterion along the x-axis.
- You can copy the graph by clicking the Copy button.
- You can print the graph by clicking the Print button.
- Under Statistics Based on Study Conditions, you can view the mean and standard deviation of the cov-
erage criterion calculated during the coverage calculations, if available.
10.1.10.6.7 Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples
Atoll allows you to compare two similar predictions, to see the differences between them. This enables you to quickly see
how changes you make affect the network.
In this section, there are two examples to explain how you can compare two similar predictions. You can display the results
of the comparison coverage in one of the following ways:
Figure 10.26: Histogram of a coverage prediction by signal level
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Intersection: This display shows the area where both prediction coverages overlap (for example, pixels covered
by both coverage predictions are displayed in red).
Union: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour and pixels covered by
only one coverage prediction in a different colour (for example, pixels covered by both predictions are red and
pixels covered by only one prediction are blue).
Difference: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour, pixels covered by
only one of the two predictions with another colour and pixels covered only by the second prediction with a third
colour (for example, pixels covered by both coverage predictions are red, pixels covered only by the first prediction
are green, and pixels covered only by the second prediction are blue).
To compare two similar coverage predictions:
1. Create and calculate a coverage prediction of the existing network.
2. Examine the coverage prediction to see where coverage can be improved.
3. Make the changes to the network to improve coverage.
4. Duplicate the original coverage prediction (in order to leave the first coverage prediction unchanged).
5. Calculate the duplicated coverage prediction.
6. Compare the original coverage prediction with the new coverage prediction. Atoll displays differences in coverage
between them.
In this section, the following examples are explained:
"Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station" on page 511.
"Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt" on page 512.
Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how you can verify if an newly added base station improves coverage.
An RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction of the current network is made as described in "Making an RSCP P-CCPCH
Coverage Prediction" on page 500. The results are displayed in Figure 10.27. An area with poor coverage is visible on the
right side of the figure.
Figure 10.27: RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction of existing network
A new base station is added, either by creating the site and adding the transmitters, as explained in "Creating a TD-
SCDMA Base Station" on page 473, or by using a station template, as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a
Station Template" on page 480. Once the new base station has been added, the original coverage prediction can be recal-
culated, but then it will be impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original RSCP P-CCPCH coverage
prediction can be copied by selecting Duplicate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show the effect of
the new base station (see Figure 10.28).
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Figure 10.28: RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction of network with new base station
Now you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes adding a new base station made, you should choose Difference.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 10.29, shows clearly the area covered only by the
new base station.
Figure 10.29: Comparison of both RSCP P-CCPCH coverage predictions
Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for improving
coverage. In this example, we will look at how modifying transmitter tilt can improve coverage.
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A best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction of the current network is made as described in "Making a Best Server P-
CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501. The results are displayed in Figure 10.30. The coverage prediction shows that
one transmitter is covering its area poorly. The area is indicated with a red oval in the figure.
Figure 10.30: Best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction of the existing network
You can try modifying the tilt on the transmitter to improve the coverage. The properties of the transmitter can be accessed
by right-clicking the transmitter in the map window and selecting Properties from the context menu. The mechanical and
electrical tilt of the antenna are defined on the Transmitter tab of the Properties dialogue.
Once the tilt of the antenna has been modified, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated, but then it will be
impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original coverage prediction by can be copied by selecting Dupli-
cate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show how modifying the antenna tilt has affected coverage
(see Figure 10.31).
Figure 10.31: Best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction of network after modifications
As you can see, modifying the antenna tilt increased the coverage of the transmitter. However, to see exactly the change
in propagation, you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their name and
resolution.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes modifying the antenna tilt made, you can choose Union. This will display all pixels
covered by both predictions in one colour and all pixels covered by only one predictions in another colour. The
increase in coverage, seen in only the second coverage prediction, will be immediately clear.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 10.32, shows clearly the increase in coverage due
at the change in antenna tilt.
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Figure 10.32: Comparison of both best server P-CCPCH coverage predictions
10.1.10.7 Signal Quality Coverage Predictions
In TD-SCDMA, the quality of the signal and the size of the area that can be covered are influenced by the network load.
As the network load increases, the area a cell can effectively cover decreases. For this reason, the network load must be
defined in order to calculate signal quality coverage predictions.
If you have traffic maps, you can do a Monte Carlo simulation to model power control and evaluate the network load for a
generated user distribution. You can base a coverage prediction on simulation results by committing the results of a simu-
lation to cell properties. If you do not have traffic maps, you can enter these values manually in the Cells and Cell Param-
eters per Timeslot tables. Atoll calculates the network load using the UL load factor and DL traffic power defined for each
timeslot of each cell.
In this section, the signal quality coverage predictions will be calculated using UL load factor and DL traffic power param-
eters defined at the timeslot level for each cell. For the purposes of these coverage predictions, each pixel is considered
a non-interfering user with a defined timeslot, service, mobility type, and terminal.
Before making a prediction, you will have to set the UL load factor and DL traffic power and the parameters that define the
services and users. These are explained in the following sections:
"Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Traffic Power" on page 514.
"Service and User Modelling" on page 515.
Several different types of signal quality coverage predictions, based either on EbNt, CI, or traffic channel quality, are
explained in this section. The following quality coverage predictions are explained:
"Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 518.
"Making a DwPTS Signal Quality Prediction" on page 520.
"Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Area" on page 521.
"Studying Effective Service Area" on page 523.
"Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage" on page 524.
The following noise coverage predictions, also coverage predictions, are explained:
"Studying Downlink Total Noise" on page 526.
A coverage prediction is available for determining the interference between cells in the case of asymmetric and different
timeslot configurations used for different cells:
"Studying Cell to Cell Interference" on page 528.
Another type of coverage prediction, the baton handover coverage prediction, is also explained:
"Making a Baton Handover Coverage Prediction" on page 528.
You can define the minimum RSCP threshold for your network in order to limit the calculation range and optimise the calcu-
lation time. For all the calculations, Atoll only considers the pixels where the RSCP P-CCPCH exceeds the minimum
RSCP threshold. Defining the minimum RSCP threshold for the network is explained in the following section:
"Defining the Minimum RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold" on page 518.
10.1.10.7.1 Setting the UL Load Factor and the DL Traffic Power
If you are setting the UL load factor and the DL traffic power for a single transmitter, you can set these parameters on the
timeslot properties dialogue available from the Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue. However, you can set
the UL load factor and the DL traffic power for all the timeslots of all the cells using the Cell Parameters per Timeslot
table.
To set the UL load factor and the DL traffic power using the Cell Parameters per Timeslot table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Timeslot from the context menu. The Cell Parameters per Timeslot table appears.
4. Enter:
- DL Traffic Power (dBm): The value of downlink traffic power for downlink timeslots.
- UL Load Factor (%): The value of uplink load factor for uplink timeslots.
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Uplink and downlink timeslots can be distinguished by referring to the cells Timeslot Configuration. For a defi-
nition of the values, see "Cell Description" on page 477.
10.1.10.7.2 Service and User Modelling
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling Services" on page 515.
"Creating a Mobility Type" on page 516.
"Modelling Terminals" on page 517.
Modelling Services
Services are the various services available to subscribers. These services can be either circuit-switched or packet-
switched services. This section explains how to create a service. However, only the following parameters are used in
predictions:
Maximum TCH Power (dBm)
Uplink and downlink EbNt or CI TCH targets (dB) per mobility
Body loss
HSDPA application throughput parameters
To create or modify a service:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Services New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can edit the fields on the General tab to define the new service. Some fields depend on the Type of service
you choose. You can change the following parameters:
- Name: Atoll proposes a name for the new service, but you can change the name to something more descrip-
tive.
- Type: You can select either Circuit or Packet as the service type.
If you want the service to be able to use HSDPA channels, select Packet and the HSDPA check box. For pack-
et services that can use HSDPA channels, you have the following options:
- A-DPCH Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink A-DPCH activity factors (for services that support
HSDPA) are used to estimate the average power on A-DPCH channels.
- Average Requested Rate: You can enter the average requested rate for uplink and downlink. This rate
is the requested average HS-PDSCH rate which guarantees a minimum average downlink rate during an
HSDPA call. It is used twice in a simulation: once during user distribution generation in order to calculate
the number of HSDPA users attempting a connection and then during power control as a quality target to
be compared to the real obtained average throughput.
- Application Throughput: Under Application Throughput, you can set a Scaling Factor between the
application throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput Offset. These
parameters model the header information and other supplementary data that does not appear at the appli-
cation level.
If you select Packet to create a service that does not use HSDPA, you have the following option:
- Efficiency Factor: The uplink and downlink efficiency factors are used to determine duration of usage by
the user. It does this by determining the average usage of the network by the user.
If you select Circuit, you have the following options.
- Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink activity factors are used to determine the probability of activity
for each user when making a Monte Carlo distribution for a power control simulation.
- Carrier: You can select one of the available carriers or all carriers. The specified carrier is considered in sim-
ulation when connecting a mobile user to a transmitter. If the transmitter uses the specified carrier, Atoll
selects it.
- Priority: Enter a priority for this service. "0" is the lowest priority.
- Body Loss: Enter a body loss for the service. The body loss is the loss due to the body of the user. For
example, in a voice connection the body loss, due to the proximity of the users head, is estimated to be 3 dB.
- Nominal Uplink Rate (Kbps): Enter or modify the nominal uplink rate in kilobytes per second.
- Nominal Downlink Rate (Kbps): Enter or modify the nominal downlink rate in kilobytes per second.
- Uplink Processing Gain: Enter or modify the uplink processing gain.
- Downlink Processing Gain: Enter or modify the downlink processing gain.
- Under Allowed Downlink Traffic Channel Power, you can set the minimum and maximum downlink traffic
channel powers, which make up the dynamic range for downlink power control.
- Min.: Enter or modify the minimum traffic channel power.
- Max: Enter or modify the maximum traffic channel power.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing service by right-clicking the service in the
Services folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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- Under Resource Units, you can define the uplink and downlink resource unit consumption in terms of uplink
and downlink timeslots and numbers of codes for different spreading factors.
- DL: Enter or modify the number of downlink traffic timeslots for the service.
- UL: Enter or modify the number of uplink traffic timeslots for the service.
You can access the Resource Unit Consumption dialogues by clicking the Browse button ( ) to the
right of the timeslot field. In the Resource Unit Consumption dialogues, you can enter the number of
OVSF codes of different lengths for each timeslot. This information is used to carry out network dimen-
sioning and to simulate the Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA) algorithm. For information on calculating
network capacity, see "TD-SCDMA Network Capacity" on page 551. For information on the dynamic chan-
nel allocation, see "The Monte Carlo Simulation Algorithm" on page 562.
6. If you selected Circuit as the Type in step 5., continue to step 8. If you selected Packet as the Type in step 5.,
an additional tab, the Packet tab, appears. Click the Packet tab.
In the Packet tab, you can set the following parameters for packet switched services:
- Under Session, you can set:
- Average Number of Packet Calls: Enter the average number of packet calls in the uplink and downlink
during one session.
- Average Time Between Two Packet Calls: Enter the average time between two packet calls (in millisec-
onds) in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet Calls, you can set:
- Min Size (Kbytes): Enter the minimum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Max Size (Kbytes): Enter the maximum size of a packet call in kilobytes in the uplink and downlink.
- Average Time Between Two Packets (ms): Enter the average time between two packets in milliseconds
in the uplink and downlink.
- Under Packet, you can set:
- Size (Bytes): Enter the packet size in bytes in the uplink and downlink.
7. Click the Required Thresholds tab. On the Required Thresholds tab, you can define downlink and uplink EbNt, or
CI, requirements (in dB) and the TCH thresholds (in dBm). The EbNt, or CI, quality targets are used to determine
the coverage area for the service, and the TCH thresholds must be reached to provide users with the service.
These parameters depend on the mobility type and reception equipment; these parameters must be defined for
each possible combination of mobility type and reception equipment.
- Mobility: Select a mobility type from the list.
- Reception Equipment: Select a type of reception equipment from the list. For more information on reception
equipment, see "Reception Equipment" on page 586.
- Uplink TCH EbNt Target (dB) or Uplink TCH CI Target (dB): Enter or modify the uplink EbNt threshold for
Service Area (EbNt) Uplink and Effective Service Area coverage predictions, or the uplink CI threshold for
the Service Area (CI) Uplink and Effective Service Area (CI) coverage predictions. This value is used as
the minimum requirement limit the coverage predictions.
- Downlink TCH EbNt Target (dB) or Downlink TCH CI Target (dB): Enter or modify the downlink EbNt
threshold for Service Area (EbNt) Downlink and Effective Service Area coverage predictions, or the down-
link CI threshold for the Service Area (CI) Downlink and Effective Service Area (CI) coverage predictions.
This value is used as the minimum requirement limit the coverage predictions.
- RSCP TCH Uplink Threshold (dBm): Enter or modify the uplink RSCP TCH threshold. This value is used as
the minimum requirement limit for the Uplink RSCP TCH coverage prediction.
- RSCP TCH Downlink Threshold (dBm): Enter or modify the downlink RSCP TCH threshold. This value is
used as the minimum requirement limit for the Downlink RSCP TCH coverage prediction.
8. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialogue.
Creating a Mobility Type
Radio propagation conditions as well as connection propertiescriteria vary with the vehicular speed of mobiles: a mobile
used by a speed driver or a pedestrian will not necessarily be connected to the same transmitters and both users will not
experience the same service characteristics. EcI0 requirements and EbNt targets per service and per link (up and down)
are largely dependent on mobile speed.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd (RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold)
Note: You can switch between EbNt and CI quality targets by modifying the following options in
the Atoll.ini file. To define whether these fields are to be used for EbNt or CI, you have to
declare the following options in the Atoll.ini file:
- For coverage predictions:
[TD-SCDMA]
QualityTargets =SINR or EBNT
- For simulations:
SimuQualityParams =SINR or EBNT
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RSCP P-CCPCH TDrop
RSCP DwPCH Threshold
RSCP UpPCH Threshold
P-CCPCH EbNt (or CI) Threshold
DwPCH CI Threshold
HS-SCCH EcNt Threshold (DL)
To create or modify a mobility type:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Mobility Types folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can enter or modify the following parameters in the Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue:
- Name: Enter or modify the descriptive name for the mobility type.
- Average Speed: Enter or modify an average speed for the mobility type. This field is for information only; the
average speed is not used by any calculation.
- Under Baton Handover Parameters, you can set the minimum required pilot signal levels from transmitters
for entering and exiting the list of potential servers.
- RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd (RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold): The minimum signal level from transmitters
required for entering the list of potential servers.
- RSCP P-CCPCH TDrop: The signal level from transmitters below which a transmitter cannot enter the list
of potential servers.
- RSCP DwPCH Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum signal level required for the DwPTS coverage. This
value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the RSCP DwPCH Coverage.
- RSCP UpPCH Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum signal level required for the UpPTS coverage. This
value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the RSCP UpPCH Coverage.
- P-CCPCH EbNt Threshold or P-CCPCH CI Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum P-CCPCH EbNt or CI
quality. This value is used as the minimum requirement limit for the P-CCPCH (EbNt) Reception Analysis
or P-CCPCH (CI) Reception Analysis coverage prediction.
- DwPCH CI Threshold: Enter or modify the minimum DwPCH CI quality. This value is used as the minimum
requirement limit for the DwPCH (CI) Reception Analysis coverage prediction.
- HS-SCCH EcNt Threshold (DL): Enter or modify the minimum quality required in order for the HSDPA link
to be available. Atoll calculates the HS-SCCH EcNt from the HS-SCCH power set in the cell properties and
compares it to this threshold. This field is only used with HSDPA.
6. Click OK.
Modelling Terminals
In TD-SCDMA, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a cars
on-board navigation device.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
Reception equipment
Maximum terminal power
UpPCH power
Gain and losses
Noise figure
J D factor
Rho factor
HSDPA capability and UE category
To create or modify a terminal:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing mobility type by right-clicking the mobility type
in the Mobility Types folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: You can switch between EbNt and CI quality targets by modifying the following options in
the Atoll.ini file. To define whether this field is to be used for EbNt or CI, you have to
declare the following options in the Atoll.ini file:
- For coverage predictions:
[TD-SCDMA]
QualityTargets =SINR or EBNT
- For simulations:
SimuQualityParams =SINR or EBNT
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3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Terminals New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. You can modify the following parameters:
- Name: You can change the name of the terminal.
- Reception Equipment: Select a type of reception equipment from the list. For more information on reception
equipment, see "Reception Equipment" on page 586.
- Under Power, you can set the minimum and maximum transmission power limits and the UpPCH power for
the UpPTS timeslot.
- Min. Power: Set the minimum transmission power. The minimum and maximum transmission powers
make up the dynamic range for uplink power control.
- UpPCH Power: The transmission power for the UpPTS timeslot.
- Max Power: Set the maximum transmission power.
- Under Interference, you can set the parameters that influence interference:
- Noise Figure: Set the terminal noise figure.
- JD Factor: Enter a joint detection factor (J D). J oint detection is used to model interference cancellation at
the user terminal. J D is modelled by a coefficient between 0 and 1; this factor is considered in calculating
downlink interference. If J D is not supported, enter "0."
- Rho factor (%): This parameter enables Atoll to take into account the self-interference produced by the
terminal. Because hardware equipment is not perfect, the input signal experiences some distortion which
affects, in turn, the output signal. This factor defines how much distortion the system generates. Entering
100% means the system is perfect (there is no distortion) and the output signal will be 100% equal to the
input signal. On the other hand, if you specify a value different than 100%, Atoll considers that the trans-
mitted energy is not 100% signal and contains a small percentage of interference generated by the equip-
ment, i.e., self-interference. Atoll considers this parameter to calculate the signal to noise ratio in the
uplink.
- Gain: Set the antenna gain.
- Losses: Set the reception losses.
- Under HSDPA, you can modify the following parameters:
- HSDPA supported: Check the HSDPA supported check box if the terminal is able to use HSDPA chan-
nels.
- UE Category: Select a user equipment category. HSDPA user equipment capabilities are standardised
into 12 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
6. Click OK.
10.1.10.7.3 Defining the MinimumRSCP P-CCPCH Threshold
To define the minimum RSCP P-CCPCH threshold:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Predictions tab.
5. Under Calculation Limitation, enter a Min. RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold.
6. Click OK.
10.1.10.7.4 Making Quality Coverage Predictions
In Atoll, you can make several predictions to study the quality. In this section, the following quality predictions are
explained:
"Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 518.
"Making a DwPTS Signal Quality Prediction" on page 520.
"Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Area" on page 521.
"Studying Effective Service Area" on page 523.
"Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage" on page 524.
Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction
A pilot signal quality prediction enables you to identify areas where there is at least one transmitter whose pilot quality is
received sufficiently well.
Atoll calculates the best pilot quality received on each pixel. Then, depending on the prediction definition, it compares this
value either to the P-CCPCH EbNt or CI threshold defined for the selected mobility type. The pixel is coloured if the condi-
tion is fulfilled (in other words, if the received pilot quality is better than the P-CCPCH EbNt or CI threshold). The total
noise, Nt, includes the pilot power (P-CCPCH). The processing gain used for the EbNt coverage prediction is the one
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing terminal by right-clicking the terminal in the
Terminal folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: A table listing quality indicators (BER, BLER, etc.) to be analysed is available. Quality cov-
erage predictions proposed by Atoll depend on quality indicators specified in this table.
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defined on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue. For more information on the global param-
eters, see "The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 580. The coverage prediction is limited by the RSCP P-CCPCH
threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a pilot signal quality prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select P-CCPCH (EbNt) Reception Analysis or P-CCPCH (CI) Reception Analysis and click OK. The predic-
tion Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the pilot signal
quality prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites
to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.33). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. P-CCPCH EbNt Threshold or P-
CCPCH CI Threshold defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage
prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The P-CCPCH (EbNt) or (CI) reception analysis predictions are performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.33: Condition settings for an P-CCPCH (EbNt) reception analysis coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a pilot signal quality prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "EbNt (dB)" or
"CI (dB)" is selected by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the pilot signal quality. For
information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the pilot signal quality prediction. The progress
of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.34).
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Figure 10.34: P-CCPCH (EbNt) reception analysis coverage prediction
Making a DwPTS Signal Quality Prediction
A DwPTS signal quality prediction enables you to identify areas where there is at least one transmitter whose DwPTS
signal quality is received sufficiently well.
Atoll calculates the best DwPTS signal quality received on each pixel. Then, depending on the prediction definition, it
compares this value with the DwPCH CI threshold defined for the selected mobility type. The pixel is coloured if the condi-
tion is fulfilled (in other words, if the received DwPTS signal quality is better than the DwPCH CI threshold. The coverage
prediction is limited by the RSCP DwPCH threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a DwPTS signal quality prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select DwPCH (CI) Reception Analysis and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.33). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. DwPCH CI Threshold defined in the
mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The DwPCH (CI) reception analysis predictions are performed for DwPTS.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
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Figure 10.35: Condition settings for a DwPCH (CI) reception analysis coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a DwPTS signal quality prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "CI (dB)" is selected
by default. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the DwPTS signal quality. For information on defin-
ing display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the DwPTS signal quality prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.34).
Figure 10.36: DwPCH (CI) reception analysis coverage prediction
Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Area
Atoll calculates the traffic channel quality, as defined by EbNt or CI, on the uplink or on the downlink considering the effect
of any smart antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results stored for the selected
timeslot. The coverage prediction is limited by the RSCP P-CCPCH threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make a prediction on service area (EbNt or CI) downlink or uplink:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
- Service Area (EbNt) Downlink
- Service Area (CI) Downlink
- Service Area (EbNt) Uplink
- Service Area (CI) Uplink
The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
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5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the service area
prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base stations
to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.37). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used. For the uplink service area coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the EbNt or CI using
the Max Power defined for the selected terminal.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Threshold and
Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Threshold) are used
as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties is also
used. For the downlink traffic channel coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the EbNt or CI using the Max
Allowed Downlink Traffic Channel Power defined for the selected service. The processing gains are also
used used for the EbNt coverage predictions.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Threshold
and Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Threshold),
defined in the service selected above, corresponding to the selected mobility type are used as the minimum
requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The service area coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink or uplink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.37: Condition settings for a downlink service area (EbNt) coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a service area prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Max EbNt (dB)" or "Max
CI (dB)" is selected by default. The Field you choose determines which information the service area downlink or
uplink prediction makes available. Each pixel is displayed in a colour corresponding to the traffic channel quality.
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
You can also set parameters to display the following results:
- The traffic channel quality relative to the EbNt or CI threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display
Type and "EbNt margin (dB)" or "CI margin (dB)" as the Field.
- The power required to reach the EbNt or CI threshold: Select "Value Intervals" as the Display Type and
"Required power (dB)" as the Field.
- Where traffic channel quality exceeds the EbNt or CI threshold for each mobility type: On the Condition
tab, select "All" as the Mobility Type. The parameters on the Display tab are automatically set.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the service area prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.38).
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Figure 10.38: Downlink (above) and uplink (below) service area (EbNt) coverage predictions
Studying Effective Service Area
The aim of this coverage prediction is to identify the areas where there can be coverage problems for a service either on
the downlink or on the uplink.
Atoll calculates the traffic channel quality, as defined by EbNt or CI, on the uplink and on the downlink considering the
effect of any smart antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results stored for the
selected timeslot. The effective service area is the intersection zone between the uplink and downlink service areas. The
coverage prediction is limited by the RSCP P-CCPCH threshold of the selected mobility type.
To make an effective service area prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Effective Service Area or Effective Service Area (CI) and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue
appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the effective
service area prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which
base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.39). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used. For the uplink, Atoll calculates the EbNt or CI using the Max Power defined for the
selected terminal.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Threshold and
Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Threshold) are used
as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties is also
used. For the downlink traffic channel, Atoll calculates the EbNt or CI using the Max Allowed Downlink
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Traffic Channel Power defined for the selected service. The processing gains are also used used for the
EbNt coverage predictions.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Threshold
and Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Threshold),
defined in the service selected above, corresponding to the selected mobility type are used as the minimum
requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The effective service area coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink or uplink
timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.39: Condition settings for an effective service area (EbNt) coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For an effective service area prediction, the Display Type "Unique" is selected by default. The coverage prediction
will display where a service actually is available for the probe mobile. For information on defining display proper-
ties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.40).
Figure 10.40: Effective service area (EbNt) coverage prediction
Studying Downlink and Uplink Traffic Channel Coverage
Atoll calculates the received traffic channel power on the uplink or on the downlink considering the effect of any smart
antenna equipment assigned to transmitters, and the smart antenna simulation results stored for the selected timeslot.
The coverage prediction is limited by the RSCP P-CCPCH threshold of the selected mobility type.
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To make an effective service area prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
- Downlink RSCP TCH Coverage
- Uplink RSCP TCH Coverage
The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the traffic channel
coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which
base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.41). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used. For the uplink traffic channel coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the RSCP using the
Max Power defined for the selected terminal.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink RSCP TCH Threshold or
Downlink RSCP TCH Threshold is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. Body
Loss defined in the service properties is also used. For the downlink traffic channel coverage prediction, Atoll
calculates the RSCP using the Max Allowed Downlink Traffic Channel Power defined for the selected
service.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink RSCP TCH Threshold
or Downlink RSCP TCH Threshold, defined in the service selected earlier, corresponding to the selected
mobility type is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP TCH coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink or uplink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.41: Condition settings for a downlink RSCP TCH coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and "RSCP TCH DL" or "RSCP TCH UL" as the Field. For informa-
tion on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the effective service area prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.42).
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Figure 10.42: Downlink (above) and uplink (below) RSCP TCH coverage predictions
10.1.10.7.5 Studying Noise
Atoll has the following coverage prediction that enables you to study the downlink total noise:
"Studying Downlink Total Noise" on page 526.
Studying Downlink Total Noise
In the downlink total noise prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the areas where the downlink total noise exceeds a
set threshold. The downlink total noise is based on the cumulate effect of all downlink powers, including P-CCPCH.
To make a downlink total noise prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Downlink Total Noise and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the downlink total
noise coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select
which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.43). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The downlink total noise calculation does not depend on the mobility type.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
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- Timeslot: The downlink total noise coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.43: Condition settings for a downlink total noise coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
Select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and one of the following options as Field:
- Min. noise level
- Average noise level
- Max noise level
For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the downlink total noise or downlink noise rise
prediction. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.44).
Figure 10.44: Downlink total noise coverage prediction
10.1.10.7.6 Studying Interference Between Cells
A coverage prediction is available that enables you to analyse the effect of different timeslot configurations allocated to
different cells. Different timeslot configurations have different switching points between uplink and downlink parts of the
subframe. Different switching points may cause interference between the two opposite links, up and down. If all the cells
have the same timeslot configuration assigned, there will be no inter-cell interference.
Atoll has the following coverage prediction that enables you to study cell to cell interference:
"Studying Cell to Cell Interference" on page 528.
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Studying Cell to Cell Interference
If different cells have different timeslot configurations assigned to them, the difference of switching point between the uplink
and the downlink parts of the subframe may cause interference between the two opposite links, up and down, i.e., on the
same timeslot, a cell receiving data in the uplink is interfered by nearby cells transmitting in the downlink.
The Cell to Cell Interference coverage prediction displays the level of interference received by a cell. The prediction sums
the interfering signals in the downlink received by the victim cell in the uplink over the selected timeslot. Interference is
calculated using the total transmitted power of the timeslot.
To make a cell-to-cell interference coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Cell to Cell Interference and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the cell to cell
coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which
base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.45). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The cell to cell interference coverage prediction can be performed for any timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.45: Condition settings for a cell to cell interference coverage prediction
- Click the Display tab.
For a pilot pollution prediction, the Display Type "Value Intervals" and the Field "Max Interference Level" are
selected by default. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
7. Click OK to save your settings.
8. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the pilot pollution prediction. The progress of
the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
10.1.10.7.7 Making a Baton Handover Coverage Prediction
In the baton handover coverage prediction, Atoll calculates and displays the zones where a baton handover can be made.
For a handover to be possible, there must be a potential serving transmitter, and the service chosen by the user must be
available.
All the transmitters whose signal levels at the receiver are within the range defined by RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd and RSCP
P-CCPCH TDrop are first added to a preliminary handover set. Then, only the transmitters whose signal levels are within
the range set by RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd +RSCP P-CCPCH TComp are kept in the baton handover set. The number of
potential servers per pixel displayed on the map are calculated from this set. RSCP P-CCPCH TComp [TS0] (dB) is set
per cell.
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To make a baton handover coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Baton Handover Analysis and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the baton
handover coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select
which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.46). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH TAdd, and RSCP
P-CCPCH TDrop defined in the mobility properties are used to define the signal level range for transmitters
to enter the preliminary handover set.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The baton handover coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 10.46: Condition settings for a baton handover analysis coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the prediction will
display.
For a baton handover analysis, the Display Type "Value Intervals" and the Field "Number of Potential Servers"
are selected by default. You can also display the baton handover coverage surface area only by selecting "Unique"
as the Display Type. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on
page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.47).
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Figure 10.47: Baton handover analysis coverage prediction
10.1.10.8 HSDPA Coverage Prediction
The HSDPA coverage prediction allows you to study HSDPA-related parameters. The parameters used as input for the
HSDPA coverage prediction are the HSDPA power, and the total transmitted power for each timeslot. For information
about the cell and timeslot parameters, see "Cell Description" on page 477. For information on the formulas used to calcu-
late different throughputs, see the Technical Reference Guide.
To make an HSDPA coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select HSDPA Study and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the HSDPA cov-
erage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base
stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.48). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The HSDPA-compatible terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain, Losses, and
HSDPA UE Category defined in the terminal properties are used.
- Service: The HSDPA-compatible service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss and
HSDPA Application Throughput parameters (Scaling Factor and Offset) defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. HS-SCCH EcNt Threshold (DL)
defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The HSDPA coverage prediction can be performed for any downlink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
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Figure 10.48: Condition settings for a baton handover analysis coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab. The settings you select on the Display tab determine the information that the coverage pre-
diction will display. To model fast link adaptation for a single HSDPA user or for a defined number of HSDPA users:
For a single HSDPA user, Atoll considers one HSDPA user on each pixel and determines the best HSDPA bearer
that the user can obtain by considering the available HSDPA power of the cell.
- The HS-PDSCH EcNt relative to the EcNt threshold: Select "HS-PDSCH EcNt (dB)" as the Field. Atoll cal-
culates the best HS-PDSCH EcNt on each pixel.
- The channel quality indicator (CQI) relative to the EcNt threshold: Select "CQI" as the Field. Atoll dis-
plays either the P-CCPCH CQI or the HS-PDSCH CQI, depending on the option selected under HSDPA on
the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue (see "The Options on the Global Param-
eters Tab" on page 580).
- The RLC peak rate relative to the threshold: Select "RLC Peak Rate (kbps)" as the Field. Atoll displays
the RLC peak rate that the selected HSDPA bearer can provide. The RLC peak rate is a characteristic of the
HSDPA bearer.
For information on selecting the best bearer, see the Technical Reference Guide. For information on defining
display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the handover status coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.49).
Figure 10.49: HSDPA coverage prediction (Display type: HS-PDSCH EcNt)
10.1.10.9 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
Once you have made a coverage prediction, you may want to save the results displayed on the map in an external format,
either by printing the coverage prediction results, or by saving the results in an external format. You can also export a
selected area of the coverage as a bitmap.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Printing Coverage Prediction Results" on page 532.
"Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 532.
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"Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 532.
10.1.10.9.1 Printing Coverage Prediction Results
Atoll offers several options allowing you to customise and optimise the printed coverage prediction results. Atoll supports
printing to a variety of paper sizes, including A4 and A0.
Before you print coverage prediction results, you have the following options:
You can print the entire map, or you can define an area of the map to be printed in one of the following ways:
- Selecting the print area (see "Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34).
- Creating a focus zone (see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 508).
You can accept the default layout or you can modify the print layout (see "Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
To print coverage prediction results:
1. Select the document window containing the coverage prediction results.
2. You now have the following options before printing:
- You can select a print area ("Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34) or create a focus zone ("Creating a Focus
or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 508).
- You can modify the print layout ("Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
- You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
3. Select File > Print.
4. Click OK.
10.1.10.9.2 Defining a Coverage Export Zone
If you want to export part of the coverage prediction as a bitmap, you can define a coverage export zone. After you have
defined a coverage export zone, Atoll will offer you the option of exporting only the area covered by the zone if you export
the coverage prediction as a raster image.
To define a coverage export zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Coverage Export Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the coverage export zone:
a. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone.
b. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone. When you release the
mouse, the coverage export zone will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
The coverage export zone is displayed as a rectangle with a light purple border.
10.1.10.9.3 Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
In Atoll, you can export the coverage areas of a coverage prediction in BMP, TIFF, or ArcViewgrid or Vertical Mapper
(GRD and GRC) raster formats or in ArcView, MapInfoor AGD vector formats. Exporting coverage predictions allows
the user to generate a file that can be imported as a vector or raster object in Atoll or in another application. For each
exported prediction (total or for a transmitter), the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encompassing the coverage.
All coverage types can be exported, however, you can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was made per
transmitter (for example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal
level, by path loss, or by total losses). In this case, only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in raster
format.
To export a prediction coverage:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorerwindow.
2. Click the button to expand the Predictions folder.
Important: Printing graphics is a memory-intensive operation and can make heavy demands on your
printer. Before printing for the first time, you should review the "Printing Recommendations"
on page 34 to avoid any memory-related problems.
Important: The coverage export zone can only export in raster format. You can not export in raster for-
mat if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions
with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal level, by path
loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in
raster format.
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3. You can export the entire coverage prediction, the coverage export zone, or part of the coverage prediction.
To export the entire coverage prediction:
- Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export the coverage export zone:
a. Define the coverage export zone as explained in "Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 532.
b. Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export part of the coverage prediction:
a. Click the button to expand the coverage prediction.
b. Right-click the part of the coverage prediction you want to export.
4. Select Export the Coveragefrom the context menu.
5. Enter the file name and select the type and the path of the file to be exported.
6. Click Save to export the prediction coverage results.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in raster format, a dialogue appears where you can select
The Coverage Area of the Prediction Study to export a rectangle containing only the area covered by the
coverage prediction, The Computation Zone to export a rectangle containing the entire computation zone,
or The Coverage Export Zone to export the rectangle defined by the coverage export zone.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in a vector format other than in AGD format:
i. If desired, change the export resolution. The default resolution is the resolution of the prediction coverage
results (as set in the coverage prediction Properties dialogue).
ii. If desired, change the reference coordinate system for the file being exported.
iii. Click Export to finish exporting the prediction coverage results.
10.1.11 Planning Frequencies
TD-SCDMA networks can work in single-carrier as well as multi-carrier modes. In single-carrier mode, each transmitter
has one and only one cellcarrier, which is considered a stand-alone carrier. In multi-carrier mode, each transmitter can
have up to six carriers. In this case, a transmitter would have one master carrier and several slave carriers. The master
carrier is used for P-CCPCH broadcast, scrambling code broadcast, and handover management, whereas the slave carri-
ers are only used for carrying traffic. The multi-carrier mode is called N-Frequency Mode in Atoll.
You can set the type of carrier for each cell of a transmitter manually, or you can let Atoll automatically allocate carrier
types to cells, for transmitters that support the N-frequency mode. Allocating frequencies to the cells of an N-frequency
compatible transmitter means assigning a carrier type to each cell of that transmitter. A transmitter that is N-frequency
mode compatible can have one master carrier and a number of slave carriers. Transmitters that are not N-frequency mode
compatible have stand-alone carriers.
You can use automatic allocation on all cells in the document, or you can define a group of cells either by using a focus
zone or by grouping transmitters in the Explorer window. For information on creating a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus
or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 508. For information on grouping transmitters in the Explorer
window, see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Setting Up N-Frequency Mode" on page 534.
"Allocating Frequencies Automatically" on page 534.
"Checking Automatic Allocation Results" on page 534.
"Allocating Carrier Types per Transmitter" on page 535.
"Checking the Consistency of the Frequency Allocation Plan" on page 535.
Note: The coverage prediction must be displayed in the map window before it can be exported.
For information on displaying objects in the map window, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects
on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
Notes:
When selecting a different coordinate system than the one initially defined within Atoll, the file is
converted using the selected coordinate system.
You can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for
example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute,
by signal level, by path loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter
can be exported in raster format.
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10.1.11.1 Setting Up N-Frequency Mode
In Atoll, you can define whether transmitters are compatible with the N-frequency mode or not.
To set up N-frequency mode:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears.
4. In the Transmitters table, select the N-Frequency Mode check box for transmitters that are compatible with the
N-frequency mode and will be taken into account in the automatic frequency allocation.
For more information on transmitter properties, see "Transmitter Description" on page 474.
5. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.
For more information on automatic frequency allocation, see "Allocating Frequencies Automatically" on page 534.
10.1.11.2 Allocating Frequencies Automatically
Atoll can automatically allocate master and slave carriers to N-frequency mode compatible transmitters in a TD-SCDMA
network. Atoll allocates master carriers to transmitters according to the distance between transmitters and their orientation
(azimuths). Two transmitters who are very close to each other or are directed towards each other will not have the same
master carrier.
To automatically allocate frequencies (master and slave carriers):
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > N-Frequency Mode > Automatic Frequency Allocation from the context menu. The
Automatic Frequency Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Select the Reset Existing Allocation check box if you want Atoll to delete the existing masterslave carrier allo-
cation before allocating.
5. Click Run. Atoll allocates master and slave carriers to N-frequency mode compatible transmitters.
6. Under Results, Atoll lists the transmitters to which it has allocated master and slave carriers in the Transmitters
column and the carrier number of the transmitters master carrier in the Master Carrier column.
7. Click Commit to apply the allocation to the transmitters listed in the Transmitters column.
8. Click Close to close the Automatic Frequency Allocation dialogue.
10.1.11.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results
You can verify the results of automatic frequency allocation in the following ways:
"Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map" on page 534.
"Displaying the Coverage of The Master Carrier" on page 534.
10.1.11.3.1 Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map
You can view the master carrier allocation directly on the map. Atoll can display the master carrier number for every N-
frequency compatible transmitter.
To display the master carrier number on the map:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click the Display tab.
5. Select "Discrete Values" as Display Type and "Cells: Carrier Type" as Field.
6. Select "Cells: Carrier Type" as Label.
7. Click OK.
The transmitters are coloured according to the carrier type, and the master carrier number is displayed on the map with
each transmitter.
10.1.11.3.2 Displaying the Coverage of The Master Carrier
By combining the display characteristics of a coverage prediction with the carrier type display options, Atoll can display
the coverage areas of a transmitters master carrier.
To display the coverage of the master carrier of a transmitter:
Create, calculate, and display a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction, with the Display Type set to "Discrete
Values" and the Field set to "Cells: Carrier Type". For information on creating a coverage by transmitter prediction,
see "Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
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10.1.11.4 Allocating Carrier Types per Transmitter
Although you can let Atoll allocate frequencies and carrier types automatically, you can adjust the overall allocation of
carriers by allocating carriers per transmitter. You can allocate carrier types using the Cells tab of the Transmitter Prop-
erties dialogue.
This section explains the following:
To allocate TD-SCDMA carrier types using the Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter whose carrier types you want to change. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the Cells tab.
4. On the Cells tab, there is a column for each cell. Select the carrier type for each cell of the transmitter from the
Carrier Type list.
5. Click OK.
10.1.11.5 Checking the Consistency of the Frequency Allocation Plan
You can perform an audit of the current frequency allocation plan.
To perform an audit of the frequency allocation plan:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Global > N-Frequency Mode > Audit from the context menu. The N-Frequency Mode Audit dia-
logue appears.
4. The audit checks for:
- For Master Carriers:
- Transmitters in N-Frequency Mode: The transmitters that are not N-frequency mode compatible.
- One Master Carrier per Transmitter: The transmitters that have either no or more than one master
carrier.
- Defined P-CCPCH Power: The transmitters whose master carriers do not have a P-CCPCH power
defined.
- For Stand-alone Carriers:
- Defined P-CCPCH Power: The transmitters whose stand-alone carriers do not have a P-CCPCH power
defined.
- For Slave Carriers:
- Linked to a Master Carrier: The transmitters whose slave carriers are not linked to any master carrier.
In other words, the transmitters that do not have any master carrier, but have slave carriers.
- P-CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH Fields Empty: The transmitters whose slave carriers have P-
CCPCH, DwPCH, and Other CCH powers defined.
- Timeslot Configurations, Scrambling Codes, and Neighbours Same as The Master Carrier: Select
this check box if you want the audit to check for slave carriers that do not have the same timeslot config-
urations, scrambling codes, and neighbours as the master carrier.
5. Click Run. Atoll performs the audit and lists the results under Problems occurred during the audit: X transmit-
ters have inconsistencies. The list includes:
- More Than One Master Carrier: Transmitters that have more than one master carrier.
- Master P-CCPCH Not Defined: Transmitters whose master carrier does not have a P-CCPCH power defined.
- Stand-alone P-CCPCH Not Defined: Transmitters whose stand-alone carriers do not have P-CCPCH
powers defined.
- Slaves Without Masters: Transmitters that have only slave carriers and no master carrier.
- Slave Power Defined: Transmitters whose slave carriers have P-CCPCH, DwPCH, or Other CCH powers
defined.
- Master-Slave Attribute Differences: Transmitters whose slave carriers have different timeslot configura-
tions, scrambling codes, and neighbours than the master carrier.
- Inconsistency N-Frequency ModeCarrier Types: Transmitters that are not N-frequency mode compatible.
6. Click Resolve to resolve the inconsistencies found by the audit. Atoll makes the timeslot configurations and
scrambling codes of the slave carriers the same as the master carrier. It also empties the neighbour list of the slave
carriers.
7. Click Close to close the N-Frequency Mode Audit dialogue.
10.1.12 Planning Neighbours
You can set neighbours for each cell manually, or you can let Atoll automatically allocate neighbours, based on the param-
eters that you set. When allocating neighbours, the cell to which you are allocating neighbours is referred to as the refer-
ence cell. The cells that fulfil the requirements to be neighbours are referred to as possible neighbours. When allocating
neighbours to all active and filtered transmitters, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the focus zone and
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considers as possible neighbours all the active and filtered cells whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing
the computation zone. If there is no focus zone, Atoll allocates neighbours only to the cells within the computation zone.
Usually, you will allocate neighbours globally during the beginning of a radio planning project. Afterwards, you will allocate
neighbours to base stations as you add them. You can use automatic allocation on all cells in the document, or you can
define a group of cells either by using a focus zone or by grouping transmitters in the Explorer window. For information
on creating a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 508. For
information on grouping transmitters in the Explorer window, see "Grouping Data Objects" on page 51.
Atoll supports the following neighbour types in a TD-SCDMA network:
Intra-technology neighbours: Intra-technology neighbours are two TD-SCDMA cells defined as neighbours.
Intra-technology neighbours in TD-SCDMA model hard handover (HHO) which is based on the coverage surface
area overlaps according to the P-CCPCH signal level. Intra-technology neighbours can be divided into:
- Intra-carrier neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using the same carrier. For
N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, intra-carrier neighbours are only calculated for master carriers. If
two transmitters have the same master carriers, they can have intra-carrier neighbours only, and no inter-car-
rier neighbours.
- Inter-carrier neighbours: Cells defined as neighbours which perform handover using a different carrier. For
N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, inter-carrier neighbours are only calculated for master carriers. If
two transmitters have different master carriers, they can have inter-carrier neighbours only, and no intra-car-
rier neighbours.
For N-frequency mode compatible transmitters, neighbours are only stored for the master carriers because
the slave carriers have the same neighbours as their master carrier.
Inter-technology neighbours: Inter-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours that use a technology
other than TD-SCDMA.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining Exceptional Pairs" on page 536
"Allocating Neighbours Automatically" on page 536
"Checking Automatic Allocation Results" on page 539
"Importing Neighbours" on page 540
"Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell" on page 541
"Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan" on page 542
"Exporting Neighbours" on page 543.
10.1.12.1 Defining Exceptional Pairs
In Atoll, you can define neighbour constraints that will be taken into consideration during the automatic allocation of neigh-
bours. Exceptional pairs are not taken into consideration when you manually allocate neighbours.
To define exceptional pairs of neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
4. Right-click on the cell for which you want to define neighbour constraints. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. The cells Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.
7. Under Exceptional Pairs, create a new exceptional pair in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ):
a. Select the cell from the list in the Neighbours column.
b. In the Status column, select one of the following:
- Forced: The selected cell will always be a neighbour of the reference cell.
- Forbidden: The selected cell will never be a neighbour of the reference cell.
8. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished creating the new exceptional pair.
9. Click OK.
10.1.12.2 Allocating Neighbours Automatically
Atoll can automatically allocate both intra- and inter-carrier neighbours in a TD-SCDMA network. Atoll allocates neigh-
bours based on the parameters you set in the Automatic Neighbour Allocation dialogue.
To automatically allocate intra-carrier TD-SCDMA neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
Note: You can also create exceptional pairs using the Exceptional Pairs of Intra-Technology
Neighbours table. You can open this table by right-clicking the Transmitters folder and
selecting Cells > Global > Neighbours > Intra-Technology Exceptional Pairs.
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3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neigh-
bour Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Click the Intra-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max Number of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of intra-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to
a cell. This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- Min. P-CCPCH Signal Level: Enter the minimum P-CCPCH signal level which must be provided by ref-
erence cell A and possible neighbour cell B.
- Handover Start: Enter the handover start margin which must be provided by reference cell A in an over-
lapping area. Reference cell A must also be the best server in terms of RSCP P-CCPCH in the overlapping
area.
- Handover End: Enter the handover end margin between reference cell A and possible neighbour cell B
in the overlapping area.
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cells coverage area must
overlap the reference cells coverage area.
5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force adjacent cells as neighbours: Select the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells that are adjacent to the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours. A cell is considered
adjacent if there is at least one pixel in the reference cells coverage area where the possible neighbour cell
is the best server.
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relationships to be reciprocal.
In other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the
neighbour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that possible neighbour
cell will be removed from the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Setting Up N-Frequency Mode" on page 534.
- Reset neighbours: Select the Reset neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete all current neighbours
when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Reset neighbours check box, Atoll will not delete any
existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of a neighbour being admitted for coverage
reasons.
- Adjacency Factor: If you selected the Force adjacent cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the min-
imum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being adjacent to the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the minimum
and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating intra-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks to see whether the
path loss matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates
them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Reset neighbours check box is cleared, the
Results table will be empty.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Cell: The name of the reference cell.
- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Adjacency
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing
- Coverage: The amount of reference cells coverage area that the neighbour overlaps, in percentage and in
square kilometres.
- Adjacency: The area of the reference cell, in percentage and in square kilometres, where the neighbour cell
is best server or second best server.
RSCP P-CCPCH
Hi ghest
M
HO
End
RSCP P-CCPCH
Cell A
RSCP P-CCPCH
Hi ghest
M
HO
Start
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8. Select the Commit check box for each neighbour you want to assign to a cell. You can use many of Atolls table
shortcuts, such as filtering and sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data
Tables" on page 41.
9. Click Commit. All the neighbours whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the reference cells. Neigh-
bours are listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cells Properties dialogue.
To automatically allocate inter-carrier TD-SCDMA neighbours:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neigh-
bour Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Click the Inter-Carrier Neighbours tab. You can set the following parameters:
- Max Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
- Max Number of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of inter-carrier neighbours that can be allocated to
a cell. This value can be either set here for all transmitters, or specified for each transmitter in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected for a cell to be considered as a neighbour.
Click Define to change the coverage conditions. In the Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the
following parameters:
- Min. P-CCPCH Signal Level: Enter the minimum P-CCPCH signal level which must be provided by ref-
erence cell A and possible neighbour cell B.
- Handover Start: Enter the handover start margin which must be provided by reference cell A in an over-
lapping area. Reference cell A must also be the best server in terms of RSCP P-CCPCH in the overlapping
area.
- Handover End: Enter the handover end margin between reference cell A and possible neighbour cell B
in the overlapping area.
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum, in percentage, that a possible neighbour cells coverage area must
overlap the reference cells coverage area.
5. Select the desired calculation parameters:
- Force co-site cells as neighbours: Select the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box if you want
cells located on the same site as the reference cell to be automatically considered as neighbours.
- Force symmetry: Select the Force symmetry check box if you want neighbour relationships to be reciprocal.
In other words, a reference cell will be a possible neighbour to all of the cells that are its neighbours. If the
neighbour list of any cell is full, the reference cell will not be added as a neighbour and that possible neighbour
cell will be removed from the list of neighbours of the reference cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Select the Force exceptional pairs check box if you want to be able to force or
forbid neighbour relations defined in the Exceptional Pairs table. For information on exceptional pairs, see
"Setting Up N-Frequency Mode" on page 534.
- Reset neighbours: Select the Reset neighbours check box if you want Atoll to delete all current neighbours
when allocating neighbours. If you do not select the Reset neighbours check box, Atoll will not delete any
existing neighbours when automatically allocating neighbours; it will only add new neighbours to the list.
6. Click the Importance Weighting button to set the relative importance of possible neighbours:
- Coverage Factor: Set the minimum and maximum importance of the minimum percentage of shared cov-
erage between the possible neighbour cell and the reference cell.
- Co-site Factor: If you have selected the Force co-site cells as neighbours check box in step 5., set the
minimum and maximum importance of a possible neighbour cell being located on the same site as reference
cell.
7. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating inter-carrier neighbours. Atoll first checks to see whether the
path loss matrices are valid before allocating neighbours. If the path loss matrices are not valid, Atoll recalculates
them.
Once Atoll has finished calculating neighbours, the new neighbours are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
new neighbours. If no new neighbours have been found and if the Reset neighbours check box is cleared, the
Results table will be empty.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Cell: The name of the reference cell.
- Number: The total number of neighbours allocated to the reference cell.
- Maximum Number: The maximum number of neighbours that the reference cell can have.
- Neighbour: The cell that will be allocated as a neighbour to the reference cell.
- Importance (%): The importance as calculated with the options selected in step 6.
- Cause: The reason Atoll has allocated the possible neighbour cell, as identified in the Neighbour column, to
the reference cell, as identified in the Cell column.
- Co-site
- Symmetry
- Coverage
- Existing
RSCP P-CCPCH
Hi ghest
M
HO
End
RSCP P-CCPCH
Cell A
RSCP P-CCPCH
Hi ghest
M
HO
Start
< <
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
- Coverage: The amount of reference cells coverage area that the neighbour overlaps, in percentage and in
square kilometres.
8. Select the Commit check box for each neighbour you want to assign to a cell. You can use many of Atolls table
shortcuts, such as filtering and sorting. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data
Tables" on page 41.
9. Click Commit. All the neighbours whose Commit check box is selected are assigned to the reference cells. Neigh-
bours are listed in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cells Properties dialogue.
Allocating Neighbours to a New Base Station
When you create a new base station, you can let Atoll allocate neighbours to it automatically. Atoll considers the cells of
the new base station and other cells whose coverage area intersects with the coverage area of the cells of the new base
station.
To allocate neighbours to a new base station:
1. On the Data tab of the Explorer window, group the transmitters by site, as explained in "Grouping Data Objects"
on page 51.
2. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the new base station. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neigh-
bour Allocation dialogue appears.
4. Define the automatic neighbour allocation parameters as described in "Allocating Frequencies Automatically" on
page 534.
10.1.12.3 Checking Automatic Allocation Results
You can verify the results of automatic neighbour allocation in the following ways:
"Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map" on page 534.
"Displaying the Coverage of The Master Carrier" on page 534.
10.1.12.3.1 Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map
You can view neighbour relations directly on the map. Atoll can display them and indicate the direction of the neighbour
relation (in other words, Atoll indicates which is the reference cell and which is the neighbour) and whether the neighbour
relation is symmetric.
To display the neighbour relations of a cell on the map:
1. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
2. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
3. Select which neighbour links to display:
- Outwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Outwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is the reference cell and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Inwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Inwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is neighbour and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Symmetric: Select the Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations that are symmetric between the
selected cell and the neighbour.
4. Carrier: Because neighbour relations are between cells, you must select the carrier of the cells.
5. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
6. Select Neighbours from the menu. The neighbours of a cell will be displayed when you select a transmitter.
7. Click a transmitter on the map to display the neighbour relations. Atoll displays the following information (see
Figure 10.50) on the selected carrier:
- The symmetric neighbour relations of the selected (reference) transmitter are indicated by a heavy black
line.
Notes:
A forbidden neighbour will not be listed as a neighbour unless the neighbour relation already
exists and the Reset neighbours check box is cleared when you start the new allocation. In this
case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event Viewer indicating that the constraint on the forbidden
neighbour will be ignored by the algorithm because the neighbour already exists.
When the options Force exceptional pairs and Force symmetry are selected, Atoll considers
the constraints between exceptional pairs in both directions in order to respect symmetry. On the
other hand, if the neighbour relation is forced in one direction and forbidden in the other one,
symmetry cannot be respected. In this case, Atoll displays a warning in the Event Viewer.
Area percentages are calculated with the resolution specified in the Predictions folder Proper-
ties dialogue.
You can save automatic neighbour allocation parameters in a user configuration. For information
on saving automatic neighbour allocation parameters in a user configuration, see "Exporting a
User Configuration" on page 59.
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- The outward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the selected
(reference) transmitter.
- The inward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the transmitter
which has the selected (reference) transmitter as a neighbour.
Figure 10.50: Neighbours of Site 22(0)
10.1.12.3.2 Displaying the Coverage of Each Neighbour of a Cell
By combining the display characteristics of a coverage prediction with neighbour display options, Atoll can display the
coverage areas of a cells neighbours and colour them according to any neighbour characteristic available in the Neigh-
bours table.
To display the coverage of each neighbour of a cell:
1. Create, calculate, and display a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction, with the Display Type set to "Discrete
Values" and the Field set to Transmitter. For information on creating a coverage by transmitter prediction, see
"Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
2. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
3. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
4. Click the Browse button ( ) beside the Display Links list.
5. The Intra-technology Neighbour Display dialogue appears.
6. From the Display Type list, choose one of the following:
- Unique: Select "Unique" as the Display Type if you want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neigh-
bours with a unique colour.
- Discrete Values: Select "Discrete Values" as the Display Type, and then a value from the Field list, if you
want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according to a value from the Intra-technology
Neighbours table.
- Value Intervals: Select "Value Intervals" to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according the
value interval of the value selected from the Field list. For example, you can choose to display a cells neigh-
bours according to their rank, in terms of automatic allocation, or according to the importance, as determined
by the weighting factors.
7. From the Tip Text list, choose the neighbour characteristics to be displayed in the tool tip. This information will be
displayed on each coverage area.
8. In order to restore colours and cancel the neighbour display, click the left side of the Neighbour graphic man-
agement icon ( ).
10.1.12.4 Importing Neighbours
You can import neighbour data in the form of ASCII text files (in TXT and CSV formats) into the current Atoll document
using the Neighbours table.
Note: You can use the same procedure to display either forced neighbours or forbidden neigh-
bours by clicking the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the
Radio toolbar and selecting either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
Note: Only intra-carrier neighbour coverage areas are displayed.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
To import neighbours using the Neighbours table:
1. Open the Neighbours table:
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neigh-
bours table appears.
2. Import the ASCII text file as explained in "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
10.1.12.5 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell
Although you can let Atoll allocate neighbours automatically, you can adjust the overall allocation of neighbours by allo-
cating or deleting neighbours per cell. You can allocate or delete neighbours directly on the map or using the Cells tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
This section explains the following:
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue" on page 541.
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table" on page 541.
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map" on page 542.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue
To allocate or delete TD-SCDMA neighbours using the Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter whose neighbours you want to change. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the Cells tab.
4. On the Cells tab, there is a column for each cell. Click the Browse button ( ) beside Neighbours in the cell for
which you want to allocate or delete neighbours. The cells Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.
6. If desired, you can enter the maximum number of neighbours in the following boxes:
- Max Number Inter-Carrier
- Max Number Intra-Carrier
7. To allocate a new neighbour:
a. Under List, select the cell from the list in the Neighbour column in the row marked with the New Row icon
( ).
b. If you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric, select the check box in the Symmetric column.
c. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished creating the new exceptional pair.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
9. Click OK.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table
To allocate or delete TD-SCDMA neighbours using the Cells tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neighbours
table appears.
4. To allocate a neighbour:
a. In the row marked with the new row icon ( ), select a reference cell in the Cell column.
b. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column.
c. Select the check box in the Symmetry column if you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric.
d. Click in another cell of the table to create the new neighbour and add a new blank row to the table.
Note: Atoll automatically sets the importance for manually allocated neighbours to "1."
Note: For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
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When the new neighbour is created, Atoll automatically calculates the distance between the reference cell
and the neighbour and displays it in the Distance column, sets the Type to "manual," and sets the Importance
to "1."
5. To create a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Symmetrise from the context menu. A symmetric neighbour relation is created between the cell in the
Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column.
6. To make all neighbour relation symmetric, right-click the Neighbours table and select Symmetrise All Neigh-
bour Relations.
7. To delete a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Delete Link and Symmetric Relation from the context menu. The symmetric neighbour relation be-
tween the cell in the Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column is deleted.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map
You can allocate or delete intra-technology neighbours directly on the map using the mouse.
To add or remove intra-technology neighbours using the mouse, you must activate the display of intra-technology neigh-
bours on the map as explained in "Displaying Frequency Allocation on the Map" on page 534.
To add a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds both transmitters
to the intra-technology neighbours list.
To remove a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes both trans-
mitters from the intra-technology neighbours.
To add an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds the reference
transmitter to the intra-technology neighbour list of the reference transmitter.
To remove an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the reference
transmitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
To add an inward neighbour relation:
Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
- If the two transmitters already have a symmetric neighbour relation, press CTRL and click the other trans-
mitter. Atoll converts the symmetric relation to an inward non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
- If there is no existing neighbour relation between the two transmitters, first create a symmetric neighbour rela-
tion between the two transmitters, and then press CTRL and click the other transmitter. Atoll converts the
symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
To remove an inwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the trans-
mitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
10.1.12.6 Checking the Consistency of the Neighbour Allocation Plan
You can perform an audit of the current neighbour allocation plan. When you perform an audit of the current neighbour
allocation plan, Atoll lists the results in a text file. You can define what information Atoll provides in the audit.
Note: You can use the same procedure to add or delete either forced neighbours or forbidden
neighbours by clicking the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the
Radio toolbar and selecting either Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
To perform an audit of the neighbour allocation plan:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours > Audit from the context menu. The Neighbour Audit dialogue appears.
4. Define the parameters of the audit:
- Neighbourhood type: Select whether you want to perform an audit on Intra-Carrier or Inter-Carrier neigh-
bour relations.
- Average No. of Neighbours: The average number of neighbours per cell.
- Empty Lists: Which cells have no neighbours (in other words, which cells have an empty neighbour list).
- Full Lists: Which cells have the maximum number of neighbours allowed (in other words, which cells have a
full neighbour list).
- Lists > Max Number: Which cells have more than the maximum number of neighbours allowed.
- Missing Co-sites: Which cells have no co-site neighbours.
- Missing Symmetrics: Which cells have non-symmetric neighbour relations.
- Exceptional Pairs: Which cells have forced neighbours or forbidden neighbours.
5. Click OK to perform the audit. Atoll displays the results of the audit in a new text file:
- Average number of neighbours: X; where, X is the average number of neighbours (integer) per cell for the plan
audited.
- Empty Lists: xX; x number of cells out of a total of X have no neighbours (or empty neighbours list).
Syntax: |CELL|
- Full Lists (default max number =Y): xX; x number of cells out of a total of X have Y number of neighbours
listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
- Lists >max number (default max number =Y): xX; x number of cells out of a total of X have more than Y
number of neighbours listed in their respective neighbours lists.
Syntax: |CELL| |NUMBER| |MAX NUMBER|
- Missing Co-Sites: X; total number of missing co-site neighbours in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
- Non symmetric links: X; total number of non-symmetric neighbour links in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
- Missing Forced: X; total number of forced neighbours missing in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR|
- Existing Forbidden: X; total number of forbidden neighbours existing in the audited neighbour plan.
Syntax: |CELL| |NEIGHBOUR| |TYPE| |REASON|
10.1.12.7 Exporting Neighbours
The neighbour data for an Atoll document is stored in a series of tables. You can export the neighbours data to use it in
another application or in another Atoll document.
To export neighbour data:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Neighbours and then select the neighbour table containing the data you want to export
from the context menu:
- Neighbours: This table contains the data for the intra-technology (intra-carrier and inter-carrier) neighbours
in the current Atoll document.
- Exceptional Pairs of Intra-technology Neighbours: This table contains the data for the intra-technology
exceptional pairs (forced and forbidden) in the current Atoll document.
4. When the selected neighbours table opens, you can export the content as described in "Exporting Tables to
External Files" on page 48.
10.1.13 Planning Scrambling Codes
In TD-SCDMA, 128 scrambling codes (or P-CCPCH midamble codes) of 16-bit lengths are available, numbered from 0 to
127. Although TD-SCDMA scrambling codes are displayed in decimal format by default, they can also be displayed and
calculated in hexadecimal format, in other words using the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F.
Note: If the field Maximum number of neighbours in the Cells table is empty, the above two
checks take into account the Default Max Number value defined in the audit dialogue.
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Atoll facilitates the management of scrambling codes by letting you create groups of scrambling codes and domains,
where each domain is a defined set of groups.
You can also assign scrambling codes manually or automatically to any cell in the network. Once allocation is complete,
you can audit the scrambling codes, view scrambling code reuse on the map, and analyse the distribution of scrambling
codes.
Downlink synchronisation, SYNC_DL, codes are assigned to cells in order to distinguish nearby cells, and for synchroni-
zation purposes. There are 32 different SYNC_DL codes of 64 bit lengths defined for the whole system in downlink.
According to 3GPP specifications, the 127 possible scrambling codes can be broken down into 32 groups, each containing
4 codes. Because the term "group" in Atoll refers to user-defined sets of scrambling codes, these groups of 4 codes each
are referred to as "clusters" in Atoll. Each cluster of scrambling codes is related to a SYNC_DL code used by a base
station.
The procedure of planning scrambling codes for a TD-SCDMA project is:
Preparing for scrambling code allocation
- "Defining the Scrambling Code Format" on page 544.
- "Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups" on page 544.
- "Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 545.
Allocating scrambling codes
- "Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells" on page 545.
- "Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells Manually" on page 547.
"Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan" on page 547.
Displaying the allocation of scrambling codes
- "Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 547.
- "Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings" on page 548.
- "Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code" on page 548.
- "Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram" on page 549.
- "Making a Scrambling Code Interference Prediction" on page 549.
10.1.13.1 Defining the Scrambling Code Format
Scrambling codes may be displayed in decimal or hexadecimal format. The selected format is used to display scrambling
codes in dialogues and tables such as in the Domains and Groups tables, the Cells table, and the Scrambling Code
Allocation dialogue.
The decimal format is the default format in Atoll. The accepted decimal values are from 0 to 127. The decimal format is
also used, even if you have chosen the hexadecimal format, to store scrambling codes in the database and to display
scrambling code distribution or the results of a scrambling code audit.
The hexadecimal format uses the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F for its base characters. In Atoll, hexadecimal values
are indicated by a lower-case "h" following the value. For example, the hexadecimal value "3Fh" is "63" as a decimal value.
You can convert a hexadecimal value to a decimal value with the following equation, where X, Y, and Z are decimal values
within the hexadecimal index ranges:
For example, the hexadecimal value "3Fh" would be calculated as shown below:
To define the scrambling code format for an Atoll document:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Format from the context menu and select either Decimal or Hex-
adecimal.
10.1.13.2 Creating Scrambling Code Domains and Groups
Atoll facilitates the management of scrambling codes by letting you create domains, each containing groups of scrambling
codes.
The procedure for managing scrambling codes in a TD-SCDMA document consists of the following steps:
1. Creating a scrambling code domain, as explained in this section.
2. Creating groups, each containing a range of scrambling codes, and assigning them to a domain, as explained in
this section.
3. Assigning a scrambling code domain to a cell or cells. If there is no scrambling code domain, Atoll will consider
all 128 possible scrambling codes when assigning codes.
Note: Within the context of scrambling code allocation, "neighbours" refer to intra-carrier neigh-
bours.
X 16
2
Y 16 Z + +
0 16
2
3 16 15 63 = + +
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To create a scrambling code domain:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Domains. The Domains table appears.
4. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), enter a Name for the new domain.
5. Click in another cell of the table to create the new domain and add a new blank row to the table.
6. Double-click the domain to which you want to add a group. The domains Properties dialogue appears.
7. Under Groups, enter the following information for each group you want to create.
- Name: Enter a name for the new scrambling code group.
- Min.: Enter the lowest available scrambling code in this groups range. The minimum and maximum scram-
bling codes must be entered in the format, decimal or hexadecimal, set for the Atoll document. For information
on setting the scrambling code format, see "Defining the Scrambling Code Format" on page 544.
- Max: Enter the highest available scrambling code in this groups range.
- Step: Enter the separation interval between each scrambling code.
- Excluded: Enter the scrambling codes within the range defined by the Min. and Max fields that you do not
want to use.
- Extra: Enter any additional scrambling codes (i.e., outside the range defined by the Min. and Max fields) you
want to add to this group. You can enter a list of codes separated by either a comma, semi-colon, or a space.
You can also enter a range of scrambling codes separated by a hyphen. For example, entering, "1, 2, 3-6"
means that the extra scrambling codes are "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6".
8. Click in another cell of the table to create the new group and add a new blank row to the table.
10.1.13.3 Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation
You can also define pairs of cells which cannot have the same scrambling code. These pairs are referred to as exceptional
pairs. Exceptional pairs are used along with other constraints, such as neighbours, reuse distance, and domains, in allo-
cating scrambling codes.
To create a pair of cells that cannot have the same scrambling code:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Exceptional Pairs. The Exceptional Separation Constraints
table appears. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
4. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), select one cell of the new exceptional pair in the Cell column
and the second cell of the new exceptional pair from the Cell_2 column.
5. Click in another cell of the table to create the new exceptional pair and add a new blank row to the table.
10.1.13.4 Allocating Scrambling Codes
In an Atoll TD-SCDMA document, you allocate scrambling codes to cells by creating domains, with each domain contain-
ing one or more groups of scrambling codes. This combination of groups and domains defines which scrambling codes
can be used by the cell. For information on scrambling code domains and groups, see "Creating Scrambling Code
Domains and Groups" on page 544.
You can also define pairs of cells which cannot have the same scrambling code. These pairs are referred to as exceptional
pairs. For information on exceptional pairs, see "Defining Exceptional Pairs for Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 545.
Atoll can automatically assign scrambling codes to the cells of a TD-SCDMA network according to set parameters. For
example, it takes into account the definition of groups and domains of scrambling codes, the selected scrambling code
allocation strategy (clustered, distributed per cell, distributed per site and one SYNC_DL per site), minimum code reuse
distance, and any constraints imposed by neighbours.
In this section, the following methods of allocating scrambling codes are described:
"Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells" on page 545.
"Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells Manually" on page 547.
Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells
The allocation algorithm enables you to automatically allocate scrambling code to cells in the current network. You can
choose among several automatic allocation strategies (for more information, see the Technical Reference Guide):
Clustered: The purpose of this strategy is to choose for a group of mutually constrained cells, scrambling codes
among a minimum number of clusters. In this case, Atoll will preferentially allocate all the codes from same
cluster.
Distributed per Cell: This strategy consists in using as many clusters as possible. Atoll will preferentially allocate
codes from different clusters.
One SYNC_DL per Site:This strategy allocates one SYNC_DL code to each base station, then, one code of the
cluster associated with the SYNC_DL code to each cell of each base station. When all the SYNC_DL codes have
been allocated and there are still base stations remaining to be allocated, Atoll reuses the SYNC_DL codes at
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another base station. Select this strategy if you want to allocate the same scrambling code to the master and the
slave carriers. For more information on master and slave carriers, see "Planning Frequencies" on page 533.
Distributed per Site: This strategy allocates a group of adjacent clusters to each base station in the network, then,
one cluster to each transmitter of the base station, according to its azimuth, and finally one code of the cluster to
each cell of each transmitter. The number of adjacent clusters per group depends on the number of transmitters
per base station you have in your network; this information is required to start allocation based on this strategy.
When all the groups of adjacent clusters have been allocated and there are still base stations remaining to be allo-
cated, Atoll reuses the groups of adjacent clusters at another base station.
To automatically allocate scrambling codes:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Automatic Allocation. The Scrambling Codes and SYNC_DL
Codes dialogue appears.
4. Set the following parameters in the Scrambling Codes and SYNC_DL Codes dialogue:
- Under Constraints, you can set the constraints on automatic scrambling code allocation.
- Existing Neighbours: If you select the Existing Neighbours check box, no cell will be allocated the
same scrambling code as any of its neighbours. Atoll can only consider neighbour relations if neighbours
have already been allocated. For information on allocating neighbours, see "Planning Frequencies" on
page 533.
- Second Order Neighbours: If you select the Second Order Neighbours check box, no cell will be allo-
cated the same scrambling code as any of its neighbours or any of its neighbours neighbours.
- Default Reuse Distance: Enter the radius within which two cells on the same carrier cannot have the
same scrambling code.
- Under Strategy, you can select an automatic allocation strategy:
- Clustered
- Distributed per Cell
- One SYNC_DL per Site
- Distributed per Site
- Carrier: Select the carrier on which you want to run the allocation. You may choose one carrier (Atoll will
assign scrambling codes to transmitters using the selected carrier) or all of them.
- Use a Maximum of Codes: Select the Use a Maximum of Codes check box to make Atoll use the maximum
number of codes. For example, if there are two cells using the same domain with two scrambling codes, Atoll
will assign the remaining code to the second cell even if there are no constraints between these two cells (for
example, neighbour relations, reuse distance, etc.). If you do not select this option, Atoll only checks the con-
straints, and allocates the first ranked code in the list.
- Reset All Codes: Select the Reset All Codes check box if you want Atoll to delete currently allocated scram-
bling codes and recalculate all scrambling codes. If you do not select this option, Atoll keeps the currently
allocated scrambling codes and only allocates scrambling codes to cells that do not yet have codes allocated.
5. Click Run. Atoll begins the process of allocating scrambling codes.
Once Atoll has finished allocating scrambling codes, the codes are visible under Results. Atoll only displays
newly allocated scrambling codes.
The Results table contains the following information.
- Site: The name of the base station.
- Cell: The name of the cell.
- Code: The scrambling code allocated to the cell.
- SYNC_DL: The SYNC_DL code allocated to the cell.
6. Click Commit. The scrambling codes are stored in the cell properties.
Note: A reuse distance can be defined at the cell level (in the cell Properties dialogue or in the
Cells table). A cell-specific reuse distance will be used instead of the value entered here.
Notes:
Atoll allocate the same scrambling code to each carrier of a transmitter.
If the set constraints make it impossible to allocate scrambling codes to one or more cells, Atoll
posts an error message in the Event Viewer window.
Note: You can save automatic scrambling code allocation parameters in a user configuration. For
information on saving automatic scrambling code allocation parameters in a user configura-
tion, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
Tip: If you need to allocate scrambling codes to all the cells of a group of transmitters, you can
allocate them automatically by selecting Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Automatic
Allocation from the transmitter groups context menu.
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Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells Manually
When you allocate scrambling codes to a large number of cells, it is easiest to let Atoll allocate scrambling codes auto-
matically, as described in "Automatically Allocating Scrambling Codes to TD-SCDMA Cells" on page 545. However, if you
want to add a scrambling code to one cell or to modify the scrambling code of a cell, you can do it by accessing the prop-
erties of the cell.
After allocation, you can use the audit tool to check the reuse scrambling code distances between cells and the compati-
bility of the domains of the cells for each base station.
To allocate a scrambling code to a TD-SCDMA cell manually:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter to whose cell you want to allocate a scrambling code. The context menu
appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the Cells tab.
4. Enter a Scrambling Code in the cells column.
5. Click OK.
10.1.13.5 Checking the Consistency of the Scrambling Code Plan
Once you have completed allocating scrambling codes, you can verify whether the allocated scrambling codes respect the
specified constraints by performing an audit of the plan. The scrambling code audit also enables you to check for incon-
sistencies if you have made some manual changes to the allocation plan.
To perform an audit of the allocation plan:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Audit. The Code and Cluster Audit dialogue appears.
4. In the Code and Cluster Audit dialogue, select the allocation criteria that you want to check:
- No. of codes per cluster: Enter the number of scrambling codes per cluster. This number is set to 4 by
default, which is the number of scrambling codes attached to each SYNC_DL.
- Neighbours: If you select the Neighbours check box, Atoll will check that no cell has the same scrambling
code as any of its neighbours. The report will list any cell that does have the same scrambling code as one of
its neighbours.
- Second Order Neighbours: If you select the Second Order Neighbours check box, Atoll will check that no
cell has the same scrambling code as any of the neighbours and its neighbours neighbours. The report will
list any cell that does have the same scrambling code as one of the neighbours or its neighbours neighbours.
- Neighbours in different clusters: If you select the Neighbours in different clusters check box, Atoll will
check that neighbour cells have scrambling codes from different clusters. The report will list any neighbour
cells that does have scrambling codes from the same cluster.
- Domain Compliance: If you select the Domain Compliance check box, Atoll will check if allocated scram-
bling codes belong to domains assigned to cells. The report will list any cells with scrambling codes that do
not belong to domains assigned to the cell.
- Site Domains Not Empty: If you select the Site Domains Not Empty check box, Atoll will check for and list
base stations for which the allocation domain (i.e., the list of possible scrambling codes, with respect to the
configured allocation constraints) is empty.
- One Cluster per Site: If you select the One Cluster per Site check box, Atoll will check for and list base
stations whose cells have scrambling codes coming from more than one cluster.
- Distance: If you select the Distance check box and set a reuse distance, Atoll will check for and list cells that
do not respect this code reuse distance.
- Exceptional Pairs: If you select the Exceptional Pairs check box, Atoll will check for and display pairs of
cells that are listed as exceptional pairs but have the same scrambling code allocated.
5. Click OK. Atoll displays the results of the audit in a text file called CodeCheck.txt. For each selected criterion,
Atoll gives the number of detected inconsistencies and details each of them.
10.1.13.6 Displaying the Allocation of Scrambling Codes
Once you have completed allocating scrambling codes, you can verify several aspects of scrambling code allocation. You
have several options for displaying scrambling codes:
"Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 547.
"Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings" on page 548.
"Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code" on page 548.
"Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram" on page 549.
"Making a Scrambling Code Interference Prediction" on page 549.
Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation
In Atoll, you can search for scrambling codes and scrambling code groups using the Search Tool. Results are displayed
in the map window in red.
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To find scrambling codes or scrambling code groups using the Search Tool:
1. Create, calculate, and display a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction. For information, see "Making a Best
Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
2. Click View > Search Tool. The Search Tool window appears.
The Search Tool window is a docking window. For information on docking windows, see "Working with Docking
Windows" on page 24.
3. You can search either for a specific scrambling code or for a scrambling code group:
To search for a scrambling code:
a. Select Scrambling Code.
b. Enter a scrambling code in the text box.
To search for a scrambling code group:
a. Select SC Group.
b. Select a scrambling code group from the list.
4. Select the carrier you wish to search on from the For the Carrier list, or select "(All)" to search for the scrambling
code or scrambling code group in all carriers.
5. Click Search. Transmitters with cells matching the search criteria are displayed in red. Transmitters that do not
match the search criteria are displayed in grey.
To restore the initial transmitter colours, click the Restore Colours button in the Search Tool window.
Displaying Scrambling Code Allocation Using Transmitter Display Settings
You can use the display characteristics of transmitters to display scrambling code-related information.
To display scrambling code-related information on the map:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Display tab.
You can display the following information per transmitter:
- Scrambling code: To display the scrambling code of a transmitters cell, select "Discrete values" as the Dis-
play Type and "Cells: Scrambling code" as the Field.
- Ranges of scrambling codes: To display ranges of scrambling codes, select "Value intervals" as the Display
Type and "Cells: Scrambling code" as the Field.
- Scrambling code domain: To display the scrambling code domain of a transmitters cell, select "Discrete
values" as the Display Type and "Cells: Scrambling code domain" as the Field.
You can display the following information in the transmitter label or tooltip:
- Scrambling code: To display the scrambling code of a transmitters cell in the transmitter label or tooltip,
"Cells: Scrambling code" from the Label or Tip Text list.
- Scrambling code domain: To display the scrambling code domain of a transmitters cell in the transmitter
label or tooltip, "Cells: Scrambling code domain" from the Label or Tip Text list.
5. Click OK.
For information on display options, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
Grouping Transmitters by Scrambling Code
You can group transmitters on the Data tab of the Explorer window by their scrambling code or scrambling code domain.
To group transmitters by scrambling code:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the General tab, click Group by. The Group dialogue appears.
5. Under Available Fields, scroll down to the Cell section.
6. Select the parameter you want to group transmitters by:
- Scrambling code domain
- Scrambling code
7. Click to add the parameter to the Group these fields in this order list. The selected parameter is added to
the list of parameters on which the transmitters will be grouped.
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8. If you do not want the transmitters to be sorted by a certain parameter, select it in the Group these fields in this
order list and click . The selected parameter is removed from the list of parameters on which the transmitters
will be grouped.
9. Arrange the parameters in the Group these fields in this order list in the order in which you want the transmitters
to be grouped:
a. Select a parameter and click to move it up to the desired position.
b. Select a parameter and click to move it down to the desired position.
10. Click OK to save your changes and close the Group dialogue.
Displaying the Scrambling Code Allocation Histogram
You can use a histogram to analyse the use of allocated scrambling codes in a network. The histogram represents the
scrambling codes or scrambling code clusters as a function of the frequency of their use.
To display the scrambling code histogram:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Global > Scrambling Codes > Code Distribution. The Distribution Histograms dialogue
appears.
Each bar represents a scrambling code or a cluster, its height depending on frequency of its use.
4. Select Scrambling codes to display scrambling code use and Clusters to display SYNC_DL code use.
5. Move the cursor over the histogram to display the frequency of use of each scrambling code or cluster. The results
are highlighted simultaneously in the Detailed Results list.
Making a Scrambling Code Interference Prediction
You can make a scrambling code interference coverage prediction to view areas covered by cells using the same scram-
bling code. The coverage prediction displays areas where transmitters other than the best server, whose received signal
level is within the Pollution Margin set in the coverage prediction properties, interfere the best server signal. The inter-
fered pixels are coloured according to the interfered scrambling code.
You can also select a colour
To make a scrambling code interference zone coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Scrambling Code Interferences and click OK. The prediction Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the scrambling
code interference coverage prediction, and add some Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter
to select which base stations to study. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 10.51). The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you
to define the signals that will be considered for each pixel. You can set:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the terminal
properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service properties
is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold defined
in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If you
select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The scrambling code interference coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Pollution Margin: The margin for determining which signals to consider. Atoll considers signal levels which
are within the defined margin of the best signal level.
Note: If a transmitter has more than one cell, Atoll cannot arrange the transmitter by cell. Trans-
mitters that cannot be grouped by cell are arranged in a separate folder under the Trans-
mitters folder.
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Figure 10.51: Condition settings for a scrambling code interference coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction on overlapping zones, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Interfer-
ence Scrambling Code" is available. Each interference zone will then be displayed in a colour corresponding to
the interfered scrambling code per pixel. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of
Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the scrambling code interference zone coverage
prediction. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 10.52).
Figure 10.52: Condition settings for a scrambling code interference coverage prediction
A specific colour is assigned to areas where more than one scrambling code is interfered. You can analyse these areas
in more detail using the Search Tool. For more information on using the Search Tool for scrambling code interference
analysis, see "Using the Search Tool to Display Scrambling Code Allocation" on page 547.
10.2 Studying Network Capacity
A TD-SCDMA network automatically regulates power on both uplink and downlink with the objective of minimising inter-
ference and maximising network capacity. In the case of HSDPA, fast link adaptation (in other words, the selection of an
HSDPA bearer) is performed in the downlink. Atoll can simulate these network regulation mechanisms, thereby enabling
you to study the capacity of the TD-SCDMA network.
In Atoll, a simulation is based on a realistic distribution of R99 users at a given point in time. The distribution of users at
a given moment is referred to as a snapshot. Based on this snapshot, Atoll calculates various network parameters, such
as the required power of the mobile, the total DL power and the UL load per timeslot. Simulations are calculated in an
iterative fashion.
When several simulations are performed at a time using the same traffic information, the distribution of users will be differ-
ent, according to a Poisson distribution. Consequently you can have variations in user distribution from one snapshot to
another.
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To create these snapshots, services and users must be modelled. As well, certain traffic information in the form of traffic
maps must be provided. Once services and users have been modelled and traffic maps have been created, you can make
simulations of the network traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"TD-SCDMA Network Capacity" on page 551.
"Defining Multi-service Traffic Data" on page 554.
"Creating a Traffic Map" on page 555.
"Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations" on page 561.
"Analysing the Results of a Simulation" on page 571.
10.2.1 TD-SCDMA Network Capacity
The capacity of a TD-SCDMA cell can be defined as the number of resource units available on the uplink and downlink.
There can be a maximum of 16 users (16 OVSF codes) per timeslot. This means that each timeslot counts for 16 resource
units.
There are 6 timeslots in a TD-SCDMA subframe, which can be used in uplink or downlink. There are different combinations
of uplink and downlink timeslots possible, which are referred to as timeslot configurations. Each cell can have a different
timeslot configuration assigned to it, which gives the number of uplink and downlink timeslots.
The following table lists the capacity of a cell for different possible timeslot configurations:
Assuming ideal dynamic channel allocation (DCA), all the resource units within a subframe, i.e., 6 x 16 =96 (TS0 is not
used) can be allocated and used. The total resource units in a network, i.e., the network capacity, is given by:
This section explains the network capacity and network dimensioning analysis tools:
"Calculating Available Network Capacity" on page 551.
"Calculating Required Network Capacity" on page 552.
10.2.1.1 Calculating Available Network Capacity
You can calculate the available capacity of your TD-SCDMA network in Atoll using the Network Capacity Estimation
dialogue.
To calculate the available network capacity:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Calculations > Network Capacity from the context menu. The Network Capacity Estimation dialogue
appears.
The dialogue contains three columns which list the names of the cells in the network, and the numbers of uplink
and downlink resource units in these cells. The last row in this dialogue displays the total uplink and downlink
resource units.
The uplink and downlink Resource Units Overhead defined for each timeslot per cell is considered when calculat-
ing the number of available resource units.
4. Click Close to close the dialogue.
Displaying the Available Network Capacity on the Map
You can create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction in order to display the available network capacity, i.e., the
number of available resource units in uplink or downlink, of your TD-SCDMA network on the map.
To display the available cellnetwork capacity on the map:
1. Create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction, as explained in "Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage
Prediction" on page 501, with the following display parameters:
- In step 7., set the Display Type "Value intervals" based on the Field "Resource Units Available in DL" or
"Resource Units Available in UL" according to what you would like to display. Each coverage zone will then
be displayed according to the number of available resource units for the cell (carrier used for the coverage
prediction).
Timeslot Configuration Resource Units in Uplink Resource Units in Downlink
UDDDDD 16 80
UUDDDD 32 64
UUUDDD 48 48
UUUUDD 64 32
UUUUUD 80 16
Network Capacity Number of Timeslots per Subframe Number of Codes per Timeslot Number of Carriers =
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Figure 10.53: Available network capacity coverage prediction (Display tab)
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.54).
Figure 10.54: Available network capacity coverage prediction
10.2.1.2 Calculating Required Network Capacity
You can calculate the number of required resource units according to a given traffic demand, compare it with the network
capacity (see "Calculating Available Network Capacity" on page 551), and analyse how many resource units each cell
requires, in your TD-SCDMA network in Atoll using the Dimensioning dialogue.
The dimensioning tool takes traffic data as input from the traffic maps that you select before calculating the number of
required resources.
To calculate the required network capacity:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Calculations > Network Dimensioning from the context menu. The Dimensioning dialogue appears.
Before the calculations, the dialogue contains a Source Traffic tab. On the Source Traffic tab, select:
- Global Scaling Factor: If desired, enter a scaling factor to increase user density.
The global scaling factor enables you to increase user density without changing traffic parameters or traffic
maps. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of users
(for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the ratesusers (for live traffic maps per sector).
- Select Traffic Maps to be Used: Select the traffic maps you want to use for dimensioning.
- Under Coverage, select the best server P-CCPCH Coverage to be used for distributing the traffic among the
cells of the network.
4. Click Calculate. Atoll distributes the traffic among cells using the information from traffic maps and the coverage
prediction, calculates the capacity of each cell, and displays the results in a new Results Per Cell tab.
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The Results Per Cell tab contains five columns which list the names of the cells in the network, and the numbers
of uplink and downlink resource units available and required per cell. The last row in this dialogue displays the total
uplink and downlink resource units, required and available. Cells for which the required resource units are more
than the available units, are displayed in red.
The uplink and downlink Resource Units Overhead defined for each timeslot per cell is considered when calculat-
ing the number of available resource units.
5. Click Commit to store the number of required resource units per cell in the Cells table.
6. Click Close to close the dialogue.
Displaying the Required Network Capacity on the Map
You can create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction in order to display the required network capacity, i.e., the
number of required resource units in uplink or downlink, of your TD-SCDMA network on the map. The number of required
resource units is an output of the network dimensioning feature which can be stored in the Cells table. For more informa-
tion, see "Calculating Required Network Capacity" on page 552.
To display the required cellnetwork capacity on the map:
1. Create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction, as explained in "Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage
Prediction" on page 501, with the following display parameters:
- In step 7., set the Display Type "Value intervals" based on the Field "Cells: Required Resource Units in DL"
or "Cells: Required Resource Units in UL" according to what you would like to display. Each coverage zone
will then be displayed according to the number of required resource units for the cell (carrier used for the cov-
erage prediction).
Figure 10.55: Required network capacity coverage prediction (Display tab)
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.54).
Figure 10.56: Required network capacity coverage prediction
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Displaying Usage of Resource Units on the Map
You can create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction in order to display the usage of resource units, i.e., the
percentage of available resource units which are effectively used by the traffic in uplink or downlink, of your TD-SCDMA
network on the map.
To display the usage of resource units on the map:
1. Create a best server P-CCPCH coverage prediction, as explained in "Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage
Prediction" on page 501, with the following display parameters:
- In step 7., set the Display Type "Value intervals" based on the Field "Resource Units Used in DL" or
"Resource Units Used in UL" according to what you would like to display. Each coverage zone will then be
displayed according to the percentage of available resource units that are used in each cell (carrier used for
the coverage prediction).
Figure 10.57: Resource unit usage coverage prediction (Display tab)
Once Atoll has finished calculating the prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 10.58).
Figure 10.58: Resource unit usage coverage prediction
Cells with high percentages of usage have dimensioning problems.
10.2.2 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data
The first step in making a simulation is defining how the network is used. In Atoll, this is accomplished by creating all of
the parameters of network use, in terms of services, users, and equipment used.
The following services and users are modelled in Atoll in order to create simulations:
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Services: Services are the various services, such as voice, mobile internet access, etc., available to subscribers.
These services can be either circuit-switched or packet-switched services. For information on modelling end-user
services, see "Modelling Services" on page 515.
Mobility types: In TD-SCDMA, information about receiver mobility is important to accurately model the channel
characteristics: a mobile used by a speed driver or a pedestrian will not necessarily undergo the same radiowave
behaviour. EbNt or CI targets for uplink and downlink are largely dependent on mobile speed. For information on
creating a mobility type, see "Creating a Mobility Type" on page 516.
Terminals: In TD-SCDMA, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile
phone, a PDA, or a cars on-board navigation device. For information on creating a terminal, see "Modelling Ter-
minals" on page 517.
10.2.3 Creating a Traffic Map
The following sections describe the different types of traffic maps available in Atoll and how to create, import, and use
them. The different types of traffic data sources are:
The OMC (Operation and Maintenance Centre)
Marketing statistics
Population statistics
2G network traffic statistics
Atoll provides four types of traffic maps for TD-SCDMA projects. These maps can be used for the different types of traffic
data sources as follows:
Live traffic data from the OMC: Traffic maps per transmitter and per service, where traffic is spread over the
best server coverage area of each transmitter and each coverage area is assigned either the total throughput
demand or the number of users. For more information, see "Live Traffic Data From the OMC" on page 555 and
"Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 555.
Marketing-based traffic data: Traffic vector maps based on user profiles, where each vector (polygon or line)
carries densities of user profiles and mobility types, and traffic raster maps based on environments, where
each pixel has an environment class assigned. For more information, see "Marketing-Based Traffic Data" on
page 556, "Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map" on page 558, and "Importing an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 559.
Population-based traffic data: Traffic raster maps based on user densities, where each pixel has an actual
user density assigned. For more information, see "Population-Based Traffic Data" on page 560 and "Importing a
Traffic Density Map" on page 560.
2G network statistics: Cumulated traffic maps. For more information, see "Converting 2G Network Traffic" on
page 561 and "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 561.
10.2.3.1 Live Traffic Data Fromthe OMC
The OMC (Operations and Maintenance Centre) collects data from all the cells in a network. This includes, for example,
the number of active users in each cell and the traffic characteristics related to different services. You can use this data to
create traffic maps containing the number of active users in each cell or the data transfer characteristics of all the services
in each cell.
The section "Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 555 explains how to use traffic data from the OMC in
Atoll to model traffic.
10.2.3.1.1 Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data
You can input the total throughput demand or the total number of users for each sector in this type of traffic map. A best
server RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction is required to create this traffic map. If you do not already have a best server
RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction in your document, you must create and calculate it. For more information, see
"Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
To create traffic map based on live data:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs) or Map based on Transmitters and Services
(# Users).
5. Click the Create Map button. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
6. Select a best server RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction from the list of available coverage predictions.
7. Enter the data required in the Traffic per Transmitter dialogue:
- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs), enter the throughput
demands in the uplink and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
Note: You can also import a traffic map from a file by clicking the Import a File button. You can
import AGD (Atoll Geographic Data) format files that you have exported from another Atoll
document.
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- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (# Users), enter the numbers of active users
in the uplink and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
8. Click OK. The Cell Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
9. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
10. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
11. Under Clutter Distribution, for each clutter class, enter:
- A weight to spread the traffic over the vector.
- The percentage of indoor users. An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during Monte-Carlo simu-
lations.
12. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
You can update the information, throughput demands and the number of users, on the map afterwards. You can update
Live traffic per sector maps if you add or remove a base station. You must first recalculate the best server RSCP P-CCPCH
coverage prediction. For more information, see "Making a Best Server P-CCPCH Coverage Prediction" on page 501.
Once you have recalculated the coverage prediction, you can update the traffic map.
To update the traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the traffic map based on live data that you want to update. The context menu appears.
4. Select Update from the context menu. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
Select the updated best server RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction and define traffic values for the new trans-
mitter(s) listed at the bottom of the table. Deleted or deactivated transmitters are automatically removed from the
table.
5. Click OK. The Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click OK. The traffic map is updated on the basis of the selected best server RSCP P-CCPCH coverage predic-
tion.
10.2.3.2 Marketing-Based Traffic Data
The marketing department can provide information which can be used to create traffic maps. This information describes
the behaviour of different types of users. In other words, it describes which type of user accesses which services and for
how long. There may also be information about the type of terminal devices they use to access different services.
In Atoll, this type of data can be used to create traffic maps based on user profiles and environments.
A user profile models the behaviour of different subscriber categories. Each user profile is defined by a list of services
which are in turn defined by the terminal used, the calls per hour, and duration (for circuit-switched calls) or uplink and
downlink volume (for packet-switched calls).
Environment classes are used to describe the distribution of subscribers on a map. An environment class describes its
environment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a given density (i.e., the number of
subscribers with the same profile per km).
The sections "Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map" on page 558 and "Importing an Environment Class Based Traf-
fic Map" on page 559 describe how to use traffic data from the marketing department in Atoll to model traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling User Profiles" on page 556.
"Modelling Environments" on page 557.
Modelling User Profiles
You can model variations in user behaviour by creating different profiles for different times of the day or for different circum-
stances. For example, a user may be considered a business user during the day, with video conferencing and voice, but
no web browsing. In the evening the same user might not use video conferencing, but might use multi-media services and
web browsing.
To create or modify a user profile:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the User Profiles folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The User Profiles New Element Properties dialogue appears.
Note: You can also import a text file containing the data by clicking the Actions button and select-
ing Import Table from the menu. For more information on importing table data, see "Import-
ing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
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5. You can modify the following parameters:
- Service: Select a service from the list. For information on services, see "Modelling Services" on page 515.
- Terminal: Select a terminal from the list. For information on terminals, see "Modelling Terminals" on page 517.
- CallsHour: For circuit-switched services, enter the average number of calls per hour for the service. The calls
per hour is used to calculate the activity probability. For circuit-switched services, one call lasting 1000 sec-
onds presents the same activity probability as two calls lasting 500 seconds each.
For packet-switched services, the CallsHour value is defined as the number of sessions per hour. A session
is like a call in that it is defined as the period of time between when a user starts using a service and when he
stops using a service. In packet-switched services, however, he may not use the service continually. For ex-
ample, with a web-browsing service, a session starts when the user opens his browsing application and ends
when he quits the browsing application. Between these two events, the user may be downloading web pages
and other times he may not be using the application, or he may be browsing local files, but the session is still
considered as open. A session, therefore, is defined by the volume transferred in the uplink and downlink and
not by the time.
- Duration: For circuit-switched services, enter the average duration of a call in seconds. For packet-switched
services, this field is left blank.
- UL Volume: For packet-switched services, enter the average uplink volume per session in kilobytes.
- DL Volume: For packet-switched services, enter the average downlink volume per session in kilobytes.
Modelling Environments
An environment class describes its environment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a
given density (i.e., the number of subscribers with the same profile per km). To get an appropriate user distribution, you
can assign a weight to each clutter class for each environment class. You can also specify the percentage of indoor
subscribers for each clutter class. In a Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties)
will be added to the indoor users path loss.
To create or modify a TD-SCDMA environment:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Environments folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Environments New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
6. Enter a Name for the new TD-SCDMA environment.
7. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), set the following parameters for each user profilemobility com-
bination that this TD-SCDMA environment will describe:
- User: Select a user profile.
- Mobility: Select a mobility type.
- Density (Subscriberskm
2
): Enter a density in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination
of user profile and mobility type.
8. Click the Clutter Weighting tab.
9. For each clutter class, enter a weight that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing user profile by right-clicking the user profile in
the User Profiles folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: In order for all the services defined for a user profile to be taken into account during traffic
scenario elaboration, the sum of activity probabilities must be lower than 1.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing environment by right-clicking the environment
in the Environments folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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For example: An area of 10 km with a subscriber density is 100km. Therefore, in this area, there are 1000
subscribers. The area is covered by two clutter classes: Open and Building. The clutter weighting for Open is "1"
and for Building is "4." Given the respective weights of each clutter class, 200 subscribers are in the Open clutter
class and 800 in the Building clutter class.
10. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class. During a Monte-Carlo simu-
lation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
10.2.3.2.1 Importing a User Profile Based Traffic Map
User profile based traffic maps are composed of vectors (lines with a number of userskm or polygons with a number of
userskm) with a user profile, mobility type, and traffic density assigned to each vector.
To create a user profile based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on User Profiles.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Traffic tab (see Figure 10.59). Under Traffic Fields, you can specify the user profiles to be considered,
their mobility type (kmh), and their density. If the file you are importing has this data, you can define the traffic
characteristics by identifying the corresponding fields in the file. If the file you are importing does not have data
describing the user profile, mobility, or density, you can assign values. When you assign values, they apply to the
entire map.
Figure 10.59: Traffic map properties dialogue - Traffic tab
Define each of the following:
- User Profile: If you want to import user profile information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and
select the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a user profile from the TD-SCDMA
Parameters folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and select the user profile in the Choice
column.
- Mobility: If you want to import mobility information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select
the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a mobility type from the TD-SCDMA Parame-
ters folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and select the mobility type in the Choice column.
- Density: If you want to import density information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select the
source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a density, under Defined, select "By value" and
enter a density in the Choice column in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination of user
profile and mobility type.
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 559.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
11. Under Clutter Distribution, enter a weight for each class that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
12. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class. During a Monte-Carlo simu-
lation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
13. Click OK to finish importing the traffic map.
10.2.3.2.2 Importing an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
Environment classes describe the distribution of user profiles.
To create a traffic map based on environment classes:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Environments.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Description tab.
In the imported map, each type of region is defined by a number. Atoll reads these numbers and lists them in the
Code column.
11. For each Code, select the environment it corresponds to from the Name column.
The environments available are those available in the Environments folder, under TD-SCDMA Parameters on
the Data tab of the Explorer window. For more information, see "Modelling Environments" on page 557.
12. Select the Display tab. For information on changing the display parameters, see "Display Properties of Objects"
on page 28.
10.2.3.2.3 Creating an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
Atoll enables you to create an environment class based traffic map manually. If you are creating a map manually, and
click the Create Map button. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears.
To create a traffic map manually:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on environments (raster) as the type of map you want to create.
5. Click Create Map. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 10.60).
Important: When you import user profile or mobility information from the file, the values in the file must
be exactly the same as the corresponding names in the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder of
the Data tab. If the imported user profile or mobility does not match, Atoll will display a
warning.
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Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 559.
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Figure 10.60: Environment Map Editor toolbar
6. Select the environment class from the list of available environment classes.
7. Click the Draw Polygon button ( ) to draw the polygon on the map for the selected environment class.
8. Click the Delete Polygon button ( ) and click the polygon to delete the environment class polygon on the map.
9. Click the Close button to close the Environment Map Editor toolbar and end editing.
10.2.3.2.4 Displaying Statistics on an Environment Class Based Traffic Map
You can display the statistics of an environment traffic map. Atoll provides absolute (surface) and relative (percentage of
the surface) statistics on the focus zone for each environment class. If you do not have a focus zone defined, statistics are
determined for the computation zone.
To display traffic statistics of an environment class based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the environment class based traffic map you whose statistics you want to display. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears.
The Statistics window lists the surface (Si in km) and the percentage of surface (% of i) for each environment
class "i" within the focus zone. The percentage of surface is given by:
You can print the statistics by clicking the Print button.
5. Click Close.
If a clutter classes map is available in the document, traffic statistics provided for each environment class are listed per
clutter class.
10.2.3.3 Population-Based Traffic Data
Population-based traffic data can be based on population statistics and user densities can be deduced from the density of
inhabitants. In the traffic maps based on population statistics, you can enter the number of active, potential, users, per unit
surface, i.e., the density of users.
10.2.3.3.1 Importing a Traffic Density Map
The traffic density map defines the density of users per pixel. For a traffic density of X users per km, Atoll distributes x
users per pixel during the simulations, where x depends on the size of the pixels. These x users will have a terminal, a
mobility type, a service, and percentage of indoor users as defined in the Traffic tab of the traffic density maps properties
dialogue.
You can create a number of traffic density maps for different combinations of terminals, mobility types, and services. You
can add vector layers to the map and draw regions with different traffic densities.
To create a traffic density map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Traffic Densities.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
DrawPolygon DeletePolygon
% of i
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Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class Based
Traffic Map" on page 559.
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10. Select the Traffic tab.
11. Select whether the users are active in the UplinkDownlink, only in the Downlink, or only in the Uplink.
12. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
13. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
14. Under Services (%), enter the percentage of each service type used in the map. The total percentages must total
100.
15. Under Clutter Distribution, enter for each clutter class the percentage of indoor users.
An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during the Monte-Carlo simulations. You do not have to define
a clutter weighting for traffic density maps because the traffic is provided in terms of user density per pixel.
16. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
10.2.3.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic
Atoll provides a feature which can cumulate the traffic of the traffic maps that you select and export it to a file. The infor-
mation exported is the number of active users per km for a particular service of a particular type, i.e., data or voice. This
allows you to export your 2G network packet and circuit service traffic, and then import these maps as traffic density maps
into your TD-SCDMA document. These maps can then be used in traffic simulations like any other type of maps.
For more information on how to export cumulated traffic, see "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 561, and for informa-
tion on importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 560.
To import a 2G traffic map into a TD-SCDMA document:
1. Create a live data traffic map in your 2G document for each type of service, i.e., one map for packet-switched and
one for circuit-switched services. For more information on creating live data traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map Based on Live Data" on page 555.
2. Export the cumulated traffic of the maps created in step 1. For information on exporting cumulated traffic, see
"Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 561.
3. Import the traffic exported in step 2 to your TD-SCDMA document as a traffic density map. For more information
on importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 560.
10.2.3.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic
Atoll allows you to export the cumulated traffic of all the traffic maps. The cumulated traffic can be exported in 32-bit BIL
and ArcViewGrid formats.
To export the cumulated traffic:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export Cumulated Traffic from the context menu.
4. Enter a file name and select the file format.
5. Click Save. The Export dialogue appears.
6. Specify the area to export, the terminals, mobility types, and service, the traffic maps to consider, and the export
resolution.
7. Click OK.
10.2.4 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations
Once you have modelled the network services and users and have created traffic maps, you can create simulations. The
simulation process consists of two steps:
1. Obtaining a realistic user distribution: Atoll generates a user distribution using a Monte-Carlo algorithm; this
user distribution is based on the traffic database and traffic maps and is weighted by a Poisson distribution
between simulations of a same group.
Each user is assigned a service, a mobility type, and an activity status by random trial, according to a probability
law that uses the traffic database.
The user activity status is an important output of the random trial and has direct consequences on the next step
of the simulation and on the network interferences. A user may be either active or inactive. Both active and inactive
users consume radio resources and create interference.
Then, Atoll randomly assigns a shadowing error to each user using the probability distribution that describes the
shadowing effect.
Finally, another random trial determines user positions in their respective traffic zone (according to the clutter
weighting and the indoor ratio per clutter class).
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2. Modelling dynamic channel allocation and power control: Atoll performs dynamic channel allocation and
power control for mobiles generated in the previous step. The power control simulation algorithm is described in
"The Monte Carlo Simulation Algorithm" on page 562.
10.2.4.1 The Monte Carlo Simulation Algorithm
The dynamic channel allocation (DCA) algorithm simulates the way a TD-SCDMA network allocates resource units to
users accessing different services. The power control algorithm (see Figure 10.61) simulates the way a TD-SCDMA
network regulates itself by using uplink and downlink power controls in order to minimize interference and maximize capac-
ity. The average HSDPA power per cell is considered in order to take into account the effect of HSDPA users. Atoll simu-
lates the network regulation mechanisms for each user distribution. During each iteration of the algorithm, all the mobiles
selected during the user distribution generation attempt to connect one by one to the networks transmitters. The process
is repeated until the network is balanced, i.e., until the convergence criteria (on UL and DL) are satisfied.
Figure 10.61: Schematic view of simulation algorithm
Atoll considers each user in the order established during the generation of the user distribution, determines his best
server. Atoll then calculates the ISCP (Interference Signal Code Power) for all timeslots of all the cells of the users best
server considering the effect of smart antenna equipment, if any. Next, Atoll performs dynamic channel allocation. The
DCA algorithm selects the carrier with the lowest ISCP and the least load that has enough free timeslots to support the
users service, and among the timeslots, Atoll selects the least loaded ones that have enough free OVSF codes for the
users service.
DCA reduces interference and maximises the usage of resource units. In TD-SCDMA networks, interference for a given
timeslot can be of the following four types:
DL ->DL: Cell A and cell B both transmitting in downlink.
UL ->UL: Cell A and cell B both receiving in uplink.
DL ->UL: Cell A receiving in uplink and cell B transmitting in downlink.
UL ->DL: Cell A transmitting in downlink and cell B receiving in uplink.
Next, Atoll performs uplink and downlink power control considering the effect of smart antenna equipment, if any. Atoll
first calculates the required terminal power in order to reach the EbNt or CI threshold required by the service in the uplink,
followed by the required traffic channel power in order to reach the EbNt or CI threshold required by service in the down-
link. Atoll updates the downlink and uplink ISCP for all the users.
After calculating power control, Atoll updates the cell load parameters. For each cell whose transmitter has a smart
antenna equipment assigned, Atoll updates the geometrical distribution of power transmitted using the smart antenna in
the downlink for each timeslot, which has to be updated for each user. Atoll also saves the geometrical distribution of
uplink loads calculated using the smart antenna in the uplink.
Atoll then carries out congestion and radio resource control, verifying the UL load, the total transmitted power, the number
of resource units and OVSF codes consumed considering the services which require several timeslots.
At this point, the users can be either connected or rejected. They are rejected if:
The signal quality is not sufficient:
- On the downlink, the RSCP P-CCPCH is not high enough: status is "RSCP P-CCPCH <Min. RSCP P-
CCPCH"
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- On the downlink, there is not enough reception on traffic channel: the status is "Ptch >Ptch max"
- On the uplink, there is not enough power to transmit: the status is "Pmob >Pmob max"
Even if constraints above are respected, the network (cell and timeslot) may be saturated:
- The maximum uplink load factor is exceeded (at admission or congestion): the status is either "Admission
rejection" or "UL load saturation"
- There are not enough resource units in the cell: the status is "RU saturation"
- There is not enough power for cells: the status is "DL load saturation"
10.2.4.2 Creating Simulations
In Atoll, simulations enable you to model TD-SCDMA network regulation mechanisms in order to minimise interference
and maximise capacity.
You can create one simulation or a group of simulations that will be performed in sequence.
To create a simulation or a group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue for a new simulation or group of simulations appears.
4. On the General tab of the dialogue, enter a Name and Comments for this simulation or group of simulations.
5. Under Execution on the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Number of Simulations: Enter the number of simulations to be carried out. All simulations created at the
same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
- Execute Later: If you select the Execute Later check box, the simulation will not be carried out until you click
the Calculate button ( ). If the Execute Later check box is not selected, the simulation will be carried out
as soon as you click OK and close the dialogue.
6. Under Cell Load Constraints on the General tab, you can set the constraints that Atoll must respect during the
simulation:
- UL Load Factor: If you want the UL load factor to be considered in the simulation, select the UL Load Factor
check box.
- Max UL Load Factor: If you want to enter a global value for the maximum uplink load factor, click the button
( ) beside the box and select Global Threshold. Then, enter a maximum uplink load factor. If you want to
use the maximum uplink load factor as defined in the properties for each timeslot, click the button ( ) beside
the box and select Defined per Cell.
- DL Load (% Max Power): If you want the DL load to be considered in the simulation, select the DL Load
(% Max Power) check box and enter a maximum downlink load in the Max DL Load box.
- Max DL Load (% Max Power): If you want to enter a global value for the maximum downlink load, as a per-
centage of the maximum power, click the button ( ) beside the box and select Global Threshold. Then,
enter a maximum downlink load, as a percentage of the maximum power. If you want to use the maximum
downlink load as defined in the properties for each timeslot, click the button ( ) beside the box and select
Defined per Cell.
7. Under TD-SCDMA Parameters on the General tab, enter an Angular Step in degrees to be used to build the
geometrical distributions of uplink and downlink loads. Angular step in used with grid of beams, statistical and
adaptive beam modelling. For more information on the different smart antenna models, see "Types of Smart
Antenna Modelling" on page 581.
8. On the Source Traffic tab, enter the following:
- Global Scaling Factor: If desired, enter a scaling factor to increase user density.
The global scaling factor enables you to increase user density without changing traffic parameters or traffic
maps. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of subscrib-
ers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the ratesusers (for live traffic maps per sector).
- Select Traffic Maps to Be Used: Select the traffic maps you want to use for the simulation.
Note: Execute Later enables you to automatically calculate TD-SCDMA coverage predictions
after simulations with no intermediary step by creating your simulations, creating your pre-
dictions, and then clicking the Calculate button ( ).
Important: Select only traffic maps of the same type. If you have several different types of maps and
want to make simulations on each type, you must create a different simulation for each
type of traffic map. For information on the types of traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map" on page 555.
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9. Click the Advanced tab.
10. Under Generator Initialisation, enter an integer as the generator initialisation value. If you enter "0", the default,
the user and shadowing error distribution will be random. If you enter any other integer, the same user and shad-
owing error distribution will be used for any simulation using the same generator initialisation value.
11. Under Convergence, enter the following parameters:
- Max Number of Iterations: Enter the maximum number of iterations that Atoll should run to make conver-
gence.
- UL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the uplink that must be reached between two iterations.
- DL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the downlink that must be reached between two iterations.
12. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
All simulations created at the same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window. You can
now use the completed simulations for specific TD-SCDMA and HSDPA coverage predictions (see "Making Coverage
Predictions Using Simulation Results" on page 571).
10.2.4.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map
Atoll enables you to display on the map the distribution of the traffic generated by all simulations according to different
parameters. You can, for example, display the traffic according to service, activity status, or pilot signal strength.
You can set the display of the traffic distribution according to discrete values and the select the value to be displayed. Or,
you can select the display of the traffic distribution according to value intervals, and then select the parameter and the
value intervals that are to be displayed. You can also define the colours of the icon and the icon itself.
For information on changing display characteristics, see "Defining the Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
In this section are the following examples of traffic distribution:
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Activity Status" on page 564.
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Connection Status" on page 565.
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service" on page 565.
10.2.4.3.1 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Activity Status
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by the activity status.
To display the traffic distribution by the activity status:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The TD-SCDMA Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "DL Activity" or "UL Activity"
as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by downlink or uplink activity status (see Figure 10.62).
Tip: Using the same generated user and shadowing error distribution for several simulations can
be useful when you want to compare the results of several simulations where only one
parameter changes.
Tip: You can make the traffic distribution easier to see by hiding geo data and predictions. For
information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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Figure 10.62: Displaying the traffic distribution by downlink activity status
10.2.4.3.2 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Connection Status
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by the connection status.
To display the traffic distribution by the connection status:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The TD-SCDMA Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Connection status" as the
Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by connection status (see Figure 10.63).
Figure 10.63: Displaying the traffic distribution by connection status
10.2.4.3.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by service.
To display the traffic distribution by service:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The TD-SCDMA Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Service" as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by service (see Figure 10.64).
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Figure 10.64: Displaying the traffic distribution by service
10.2.4.4 Displaying the User Best Server on the Map
Atoll enables you to display on the map the best serving transmitter for each user generated by a simulation.
To display the best server for a user:
On the map, click and hold the icon of the user whose best server you want to display.
The users best server is connected to the user with a line of the same colour as the serving transmitter. The best
server is indicated with the number "1". Figure 10.65 shows a user with its best server.
Figure 10.65: The best server of a user
10.2.4.5 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation
After you have created a simulation, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 563, you can display the results.
To access the results of a single simulation:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose results
you want to access.
4. Right-click the simulation. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the simulation. Other tabs in the simulation properties dialogue contain
simulation results as identified by the tab title. A final tab lists the initial conditions of the simulation.
The Statistics tab: The Statistics tab contains the following two sections:
- Request: Under Request, you will find data on the connection requests:
- Atoll calculates the total number of users who try to connect. This number is the result of the first random
trial; power control has not yet finished. The result depends on the traffic description and cartography.
- During the first random trial, each user is assigned a service and an activity status. The number of users
per activity status and the UL and DL rates that all users could theoretically generate are provided.
- The breakdown per service (total number of users, number of users per activity status, and UL and DL
rates) is given.
- Results: Under Results, you will find data on the connection requests:
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- The number of iterations that were run in order to converge.
- The number and the percentage of non-connected users is given along with the reason for rejection.
These figures are determined at the end of the simulation and depend on the network design.
- The number and percentage of users connected, the number of users per activity status, and the UL and
DL total rates they generate. These data are also given per service.
The Sites tab: The Sites tab contains the following information per site:
- JD Factor: The joint detection factor, defined on the site equipment, is used to decrease intra-cellular inter-
ference on uplink.
The Cells tab: The Cells tab contains the following information, per site, transmitter, carrier, and timeslot:
- Max Power (dBm): The maximum power as defined in the cell properties.
- P-CCPCH Power [TS0] (dBm): The P-CCPCH power as defined in the cell properties.
- Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels per timeslot.
- Gain (dBi): The gain as defined in the antenna properties for that transmitter.
- Reception loss (dB): The reception loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- Transmission loss (dB): The transmission loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- BTS Noise Figure (dB): The BTS noise figure as defined in the transmitter properties.
- DL Traffic Power (dBm): The DL traffic power is the power transmitted by the cell on a downlink traffic
timeslot.
- Geographic distribution of the UL and DL loads: The geographical distribution of downlink transmitted
power and uplink loads computed for cells whose transmitters have a smart antenna equipment. This field con-
tains binary data if you are using a 3rd party smart antenna model.
- Max DL Load (% Used Power): The maximum percentage downlink power that a cell can use. It is defined
either in the cell properties or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- DL Load (% Used Power): The percentage of the power used is determined by the ratio of the total trans-
mitted power and the maximum power (powers stated in W). When the constraint "DL Load" is set, the DL
Load cannot exceed the user-defined Max DL Load.
- Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor not to be exceeded. This limit is taken into account
during the simulation if the option UL Load is selected. If the UL load option is not selected during a simula-
tion, this value is not taken into consideration.
- UL Load Factor (%): The uplink load factor for uplink timeslots. This factor corresponds to the ratio between
the uplink total interference and the uplink total noise.
- Required Resource Units: The number of resource units required on a timeslot to carry the traffic. Each
timeslot can have a maximum of 16 resource units.
The Mobiles tab: The Mobiles tab contains the following information:
- Name: The name of the mobile, as assigned during the random user generation.
- X and Y: The coordinates of users who attempt to connect (the geographic position is determined by the
second random trial).
- Service: The service assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Terminal: The assigned terminal. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the terminal
and the user profile.
- User: The assigned user profile. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the terminal
and the user profile.
- Mobility: The mobility type assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- DL Activity: The activity status on the downlink assigned during the first random trial during the generation of
the user distribution.
- UL Activity: The activity status on the uplink assigned during the first random trial during the generation of
the user distribution.
- Indoor: This field indicates whether indoor losses have been added or not.
- Connection Status: The connection status indicates whether the user is connected or rejected at the end of
the simulation. If connected, the connection status corresponds to the activity status. If rejected, the rejection
cause is given.
- Best-server: The users best server.
- Carrier: The carrier used for the mobile-transmitter connection.
- RSCP P-CCPCH: The received signal code power on the P-CCPCH pilot channel.
- DL and UL Requested Rate (kbps): The DL and UL Requested Rate correspond to the DL and UL nominal
rates of the service associated to the user.
- DL and UL Obtained Rate (kbps): The obtained rate is the same as the requested rate if a user is connected.
If the user is rejected, the obtained rate is zero.
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd TS Rank (DL): A mobile can have at most three timeslots allocated for traffic. These columns
list the numbers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd timeslot assigned to a user. For example, if a user is assigned two
timeslots, 4 and 6, on the downlink, the 1st TS Rank (DL) will be 4 and 2nd TS Rank (DL) will be 6.
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd TS Rank (UL): A mobile can have at most three timeslots allocated for traffic. These columns
list the numbers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd timeslot assigned to a user. For example, if a user is assigned two
timeslots, 2 and 3, on the downlink, the 1st TS Rank (UL) will be 2 and 2nd TS Rank (UL) will be 3.
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd TS Total Mobile Power (UL) (dBm): The total mobile power corresponds to the total power
transmitted by the terminal on the uplink and on the timeslots assigned to the mobile.
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd TS Cell Traffic Power (DL) (dBm): The cell traffic power corresponds to the power transmitted
by the cell on the downlink for a mobile on the timeslots assigned to the mobile.
The Initial Conditions tab: The Initial Conditions tab contains the following information:
- The global transmitter parameters:
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- The spreading width
- The method used to calculate Nt.
- The input parameters specified when creating the simulation:
- The maximum number of iterations
- The uplink and downlink convergence thresholds
- The simulation constraints such as maximum DL load and the maximum UL load factor
- The name of the traffic maps used
- The parameters defined per clutter class, such as the uplink and downlink orthogonality factors, indoor
loss, spreading angle, and the various standard deviations (Model, P-CCPCH EbNt or CI, DL EbNt or CI,
and UL EbNt or CI).
10.2.4.6 Displaying the Average Results of a Group of Simulations
After you have created a group of simulations, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 563, you can display the
average results of the group. If you wish to display the results of a single simulation of a group, see "Displaying the Results
of a Single Simulation" on page 566.
To access the averaged results of a group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations whose results you want to access.
4. Select Average Simulation from the context menu. A properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the group of simulations. Other tabs in the properties dialogue contain
simulation results for all simulations, both averaged and as a standard deviation.
The Statistics tab: The Statistics tab contains the following two sections:
- Request: Under Request, you will find data on the connection requests:
- Atoll calculates the total number of users who try to connect. This number is the result of the first random
trial; power control has not yet finished. The result depends on the traffic description and cartography.
- During the first random trial, each user is assigned a service and an activity status. The number of users
per activity status and the UL and DL rates that all users could theoretically generate are provided.
- The breakdown per service (total number of users, number of users per activity status, and UL and DL
rates) is given.
- Results: Under Results, you will find data on the connection requests:
- The number of iterations that were run in order to converge.
- The number and the percentage of non-connected users is given along with the reason for rejection.
These figures are determined at the end of the simulation and depend on the network design.
- The number and percentage of users connected, the number of users per activity status, and the UL and
DL total rates they generate. These data are also given per service.
The Cells (Average) and Cells (Standard Deviation) tabs: The Cells (Average) and Cells (Standard Deviation)
tabs contains the following average and standard deviation information, respectively, per site, transmitter, carrier,
and timeslot:
- P-CCPCH Power [TS0] (dBm): The P-CCPCH power as defined in the cell properties.
- Other CCH power (dBm): The power of other common channels per timeslot.
- Gain (dBi): The gain as defined in the antenna properties for that transmitter.
- Reception loss (dB): The reception loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- Transmission loss (dB): The transmission loss as defined in the transmitter properties.
- BTS Noise Figure (dB): The BTS noise figure as defined in the transmitter properties.
- DL Traffic Power (dBm): The DL traffic power is the power transmitted by the cell on a downlink traffic
timeslot.
- Geographic distribution of the UL and DL loads: The geographical distribution of downlink transmitted
power and uplink loads computed for cells whose transmitters have a smart antenna equipment. This field con-
tains binary data if you are using a 3rd party smart antenna model.
- Max DL Load (% Used Power): The maximum percentage downlink power that a cell can use. It is defined
either in the cell properties or in the simulation creation dialogue.
- DL Load (% Used Power): The percentage of the power used is determined by the ratio of the total trans-
mitted power and the maximum power (powers stated in W). When the constraint "DL Load" is set, the DL
Load cannot exceed the user-defined Max DL Load.
- Max UL Load Factor (%): The maximum uplink load factor not to be exceeded. This limit is taken into account
during the simulation if the option UL Load is selected. If the UL load option is not selected during a simula-
tion, this value is not taken into consideration.
- UL Load Factor (%): The uplink load factor for uplink timeslots. This factor corresponds to the ratio between
the uplink total interference and the uplink total noise.
- Required Resource Units: The number of resource units required on a timeslot to carry the traffic. Each
timeslot can have a maximum of 16 resource units.
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10.2.4.7 Updating Cell and Timeslot Values With Simulation Results
After you have created a simulation or a group of simulations, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 563, you
can update values for each cell with the results calculated during the simulation. The following values are updated:
Cell:
- Required resource units in uplink and downlink.
Timeslot:
- DL Traffic Power
- UL Load Factor
- Geographic distribution of UL and DL loads
To update cell and timeslot values with simulation results:
1. Display the simulation results:
To display the results for a group of simulations:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
c. Right-click the group of simulations whose results you want to access.
d. Select Average Simulation from the context menu. A properties dialogue appears.
One tab gives statistics of the results of the group of simulations. Other tabs in the properties dialogue contain
simulation results for all simulations, both averaged and as a standard deviation.
To display the results for a single simulation:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
c. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose re-
sults you want to access.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears.
2. Click the Cells tab.
3. On the Cells tab, click Commit Loads.
10.2.4.8 Adding NewSimulations to an Atoll Document
When you have created a simulation or group of simulations, you can re-examine the same conditions by adding new
simulations to the Atoll document. In Atoll, there are the following ways of adding new simulations:
Adding to a group: When you add one or more simulations to an existing group of simulations, Atoll reuses the
same input (radio, traffic, and simulation parameters) as those used to generate the group of simulations. It then
generates a new user distribution and performs the power control simulation.
To add a simulation to a group of simulations, see "Adding a Simulation to a Group of Simulations" on page 570.
Replaying a group: When you replay an existing group of simulations, Atoll reuses the same user distribution
(users with a service, a mobility and an activity status) and traffic parameters (such as, maximum and minimum
traffic channel powers allowed, EbNt or CI thresholds, etc.) as the ones used to calculate the initial simulation.
On the other hand, the shadowing error distribution between simulations is different and only radio data modifica-
tions (new transmitters, changes to the antenna azimuth, etc.) are taken into account during the power control sim-
ulation.
To replay a group of simulations, see "Replaying a Simulation or Group of Simulations" on page 570.
Using the Generator Initialisation Number: When you create groups of simulations using the same generator
initialisation number (which must be an integer other than 0), Atoll generates the same user and shadowing error
distributions (user with a service, a mobility, an activity status and a shadowing error) in all groups using the same
number. However, any modifications to traffic parameters (such as, maximum and minimum traffic channel powers
allowed, EbNt or CI thresholds, etc.) and radio data (new transmitter, azimuth, etc.) are taken into account during
the power control simulation.
By creating and calculating one group of simulations, making a change to the network and then creating and calcu-
lating a new group of simulations using the same generator initialisation number, you can see the difference your
parameter changes make.
To create a new simulation to a group of simulations using the generator initialisation number, see "Adding a Simu-
lation to a Group of Simulations" on page 570.
Duplicating a Group: When you duplicate a group, Atoll creates a group of simulations with the same simulation
parameters as those used to generate the group of simulations. You can then modify the simulation parameters
before calculating the group.
To duplicate a group of simulations, see "Duplicating a Group of Simulations" on page 571.
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Adding a Simulation to a Group of Simulations
To add a simulation to an existing group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations to which you want to add a simulation. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue of the group of simulations appears.
5. On the General tab of the dialogue, if desired, change the Name and Comments for this group of simulations.
6. Under Execution on the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Number of Simulations: Enter the number of simulations to added to this group of simulations.
- Execute Later: If you select the Execute Later check box, the simulation will not be carried out until you click
the Calculate button ( ). If the Execute Later check box is not selected, the simulation will be carried out
as soon as you click OK and close the dialogue.
7. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
Replaying a Simulation or Group of Simulations
To replay an existing simulation or group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations you want to replay. The context menu appears.
4. Select Replay from the context menu.
5. Under Convergence, you can set the following parameters:
- Max Number of Iterations: Enter the maximum number of iterations that Atoll should run to make conver-
gence.
- UL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of interference and connected users on
the uplink that must be reached between two iterations.
- DL Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of intervenes and connected users on the
downlink that must be reached between two iterations.
6. Under Cell Load Constraints, you can set the constraints as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 563
that Atoll must respect during the simulation.
7. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
Creating a New Simulation or Group of Simulations Using the Generator Initialisation Number
To create a new simulation or group of simulations using the generator initialisation number:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue for a new simulation or group of simulations appears.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Under Generator Initialisation, enter an integer as the generator initialisation value. The integer must be the
same generator initialisation number as used in the group of simulations with the user and shadowing error distri-
butions you want to use in this simulation or group of simulations. If you enter "0", the default, the user and shad-
owing error distribution will be random. If you enter any other integer, the same user and shadowing error
distribution will be used for any simulation using the same generator initialisation value.
6. For information on setting other parameters, see "Creating Simulations" on page 563.
Note: When adding a simulation to an existing group of simulations, the parameters originally
used to calculate the group of simulations are used for the new simulations. Consequently,
few parameters can be changed for the added simulation.
Tip: You can create a new group of simulations with the same parameters as the original group
of simulations by duplicating an existing one as explained in "Duplicating a Group of Simula-
tions" on page 571.
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Duplicating a Group of Simulations
To duplicate an existing group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Simulations folder.
3. Right-click the group of simulations you want to duplicate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Duplicate from the context menu. The properties dialogue for the duplicated group of simulations appears.
You can change the parameters for the duplicated group of simulations as explained in "Creating Simulations" on
page 563.
10.2.4.9 Estimating a Traffic Increase
When you create simulation or a group of simulations, you are basing it on a set of traffic conditions that represent the
situation you are creating the network for. However, traffic can, and in fact most likely will, increase. You can test the
performance of the network against a higher traffic load without changing traffic parameters or maps by using the global
scaling factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of subscribers
(for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the ratesusers (for live traffic maps per sector).
To change the global scaling factor:
1. Create a simulation or group of simulations by:
- Creating a new simulation or group of simulations as described in "Creating Simulations" on page 563.
- Duplicating an existing simulation or group of simulations as described in "Adding New Simulations to an Atoll
Document" on page 569.
2. Click the Source Traffic tab of the properties dialogue.
3. Enter a Global Scaling Factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the
initial number of subscribers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the ratesusers (for live traffic maps
per sector).
10.2.5 Analysing the Results of a Simulation
In Atoll, you can make a coverage prediction where each pixel is considered as a probe user with a defined terminal,
mobility, and service. The analysis can be based on a single simulation or on an averaged group of simulations.
You can find information on the analysis method in the following sections:
"Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results" on page 571.
10.2.5.1 Making Coverage Predictions Using Simulation Results
When no simulations are available, Atoll uses the UL load factor the DL traffic power defined for each timeslot to make
coverage predictions. For information on cell properties, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 480; for information
on modifying cell properties, see "Cell Description" on page 477.
Once you have made simulations, Atoll can use this information instead of the defined parameters in the cell properties
to make coverage predictions where each pixel is considered as a probe user with a terminal, mobility, profile, and service.
For each coverage prediction based on simulation results, you can base the coverage prediction on a selected simulation
or on a group of simulations, choosing either an average analysis of all simulations in the group or a statistical analysis
based on a defined probability.
The coverage predictions that can use simulation results are:
Coverage predictions on P-CCPCH EbNt or CI, or on a service EbNt ro CI:
- P-CCPCH (EbNt) Reception Analysis or P-CCPCH (CI) Reception Analysis: For information on making a
P-CCPCH reception analysis, see "Making a Pilot Signal Quality Prediction" on page 518.
- DwPCH (CI) Reception Analysis: For information on making a DwPCH reception analysis, see "Making a
DwPTS Signal Quality Prediction" on page 520.
- Service Area Downlink: For information on making a coverage prediction the downlink service area, see
"Studying Downlink and Uplink Service Area" on page 521.
- Service Area Uplink: For information on making a coverage prediction the uplink service area, see "Studying
Downlink and Uplink Service Area" on page 521.
- Effective Service Area: For information on making a coverage analysis for the effective service area, see
"Studying Effective Service Area" on page 523.
Coverage predictions on noise and interference:
- Downlink Total Noise: For information on making a downlink total noise coverage prediction, see "Studying
Downlink Total Noise" on page 526.
- Cell to Cell Interference: For information on making a coverage analysis for cell to cell interference, see
"Studying Cell to Cell Interference" on page 528.
A coverage prediction for baton handover analysis:
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- Baton Handover: For information on making a baton handover coverage prediction, see "Making a Baton
Handover Coverage Prediction" on page 528.
An HSDPA coverage prediction to analyse HS-PDSCH quality and HSDPA data rate:
- HSDPA Coverage Prediction: For information on making an HSDPA coverage prediction, see "HSDPA Cov-
erage Prediction" on page 530.
To base a coverage prediction on a simulation or group of simulations, store the results of a simulation or the average
results of a group of simulations in the Cells and Cell Parameters per Timeslot tables as explained in:
"Updating Cell and Timeslot Values With Simulation Results" on page 569.
10.3 Optimising and Verifying Network Capacity
An important step in the process of creating a TD-SCDMA network is verifying the capacity of the network. This is done
using measurements of the RSCP P-CCPCH in different locations within the area covered by the network. This collection
of measurements is called a test mobile data path.
The data contained in a test mobile data path is used to verify the accuracy of current network parameters and to optimise
the network.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Importing a Test Mobile Data Path" on page 572.
"Network Verification" on page 574.
"Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window" on page 578.
10.3.1 Importing a Test Mobile Data Path
In Atoll, you can analyse drive tests by importing test mobile data in the form of ASCII text files (with tabs, semi-colons,
or spaces as separator), TEMS FICS-Planet export files (with the extension PLN), or TEMS text export files (with the exten-
sion FMT).
For Atoll to be able to use the data in imported files, the imported files must contain the following information:
The position of test mobile data points: When you import the data, you must indicate which columns give the
abscissa and ordinate (XY coordinates) of each point.
Information identifying scanned cells (for example, serving cells, neighbour cells, or any other cells): In TD-
SCDMA networks, a cell is identified by its scrambling code. Therefore, you must indicate during the import
process which columns contain the scrambling code of cells, the scrambling code format (decimal or hexadecimal)
used in the file. Because a scrambling code can belong to several groups, you can also indicate the group from
which the scrambling code has been selected.
You can import a single test mobile data file or several test mobile data files at the same time. If you regularly import test
mobile data files of the same format, you can create an import configuration. The import configuration contains information
that defines the structure of the data in the test mobile data file. By using the import configuration, you will not need to
define the data structure each time you import a new test mobile data file.
To import one or several test mobile data files:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Test Mobile Data folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. You can import one or several files. Select the file or files you want to open.
5. Click Open. The Import of Measurement Files dialogue appears.
6. If you already have an import configuration defining the data structure of the imported file or files, you can select
it from the Configuration list on the Setup tab of the Import of Measurement Files dialogue. If you do not have
an import configuration, continue with step 7.
a. Under Configuration, select an import configuration from the Configuration list.
b. Continue with step 10.
Note: Files with the extension PLN, as well as some FMT files (created with previous versions of
TEMS) are imported directly into Atoll; you will not be asked to define the data structure
using the Import of Measurement Files dialogue.
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7. Click the General tab. On the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Name: By default, Atoll names the new test mobile data path after the imported file. You can change this
name if desired.
- Under Receiver, set the Height of the receiver antenna and the Gain and Losses.
- Under Measurement Conditions,
- Units: Select the measurement units used.
- Coordinates: By default, Atoll imports the coordinates using the display system of the document. You
can convert the coordinates used in the file to the projection system used by the Atoll document by click-
ing the Browse button ( ) and selecting the appropriate system.
8. Click the Setup tab (see Figure 10.66).
Figure 10.66: The Setup tab of the Import of Measurement Files dialogue
a. Under File, enter the number of the 1st Measurement Row, select the data Separator, and select the Dec-
imal Symbol used in the file.
b. Click Setup to link file columns and internal Atoll fields. The Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue ap-
pears.
c. Select the columns in the imported file that give the X-Coordinates and the Y-Coordinates of each point in
the test mobile data file.
d. In the SC Group Identifier box, enter a string that must be found in the column names identifying the scram-
bling code group of scanned cells. For example, if the string "SC_Group" is found in the column names iden-
tifying the scrambling code group of scanned cells, enter it here. Atoll will then search for columns with this
string in the column name.
If there is no scrambling code group information contained in the test mobile data file, leave the SC Group
Identifier box empty.
e. In the SC Identifier box, enter a string that must be found in the column names identifying the scrambling code
of scanned cells. For example, if the string "SC" is found in the column names identifying the scrambling code
of scanned cells, enter it here. Atoll will then search for columns with this string in the column name.
f. From the Scramb. Code Format list, select the scrambling code format, either "Decimal" or "Hexadecimal."
g. Click OK to close the Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue.
Notes:
When importing a test mobile data path file, existing configurations are available in the Files of
type list of the Open dialogue, sorted according to their date of creation. After you have selected
a file and clicked Open, Atoll automatically proposes a configuration, if it recognises the exten-
sion. In case several configurations are associated with an extension, Atoll chooses the first
configuration in the list.
The defined configurations are stored in the file "MeasImport.ini". This file is located in the direc-
tory where Atoll is installed.
Note: You can also identify the columns containing the XY coordinates of each point in the test
mobile data file by selecting them from the Field row of the table on the Setup tab.
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9. If you wish to save the definition of the data structure so that you can use it again, you can save it as an import
configuration:
a. On the Setup tab, under Configuration, enter the Extension of the files that this import configuration will de-
scribe (for example, "*.csv").
b. Click Save and enter a name for this import configuration in the Saving Configuration dialogue.
c. Click OK.
Atoll will now select this import configuration automatically every time you import a test mobile data path file
with the selected extension. If you import a file with the same structure but a different extension, you will be
able to select this import configuration from the Configuration list.
10. Click Import, if you are only importing a single file, or Import All, if you are importing more than one file. The
mobile data are imported into the current Atoll document.
10.3.2 Network Verification
The imported test mobile data is used to verify the TD-SCDMA network. To improve the relevance of the data, Atoll allows
you to filter out incompatible or inaccurate measurement points. You can then use the data for coverage predictions, either
by comparing the imported measurements with previously calculated coverage predictions, or by creating new coverage
predictions using the imported test mobile data.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths" on page 574.
"Comparing Measurements with Predictions" on page 575.
"Extracting a Field From a Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter" on page 577.
"Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on page 577.
10.3.2.1 Filtering Incompatible Points Along Test Mobile Data Paths
When using a test mobile data path, some measured points may present values that are too far outside of the median
values to be useful. As well, test mobile data paths may include test points in areas that are not representative of the test
mobile data path as a whole. For example, a test path that includes two heavily populated areas might also include test
points from the more lightly populated region between the two.
In Atoll, you can filter out points that are incompatible with the points you are studying, either by filtering out the clutter
classes where the incompatible points are located, or by filtering out points according to their properties.
To filter out incompatible points by clutter class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to filter incompatible points. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Filter tab.
6. By default, the data in all clutter classes is displayed. Clear the check box of each clutter class whose points you
do not want to use.
7. Click OK to apply the filter and close the dialogue.
To filter out incompatible points using a filter:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to filter incompatible points. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Filter tab.
Important:
If you have correctly entered the information under File on the Setup tab, and the necessary
values in the Test Mobile Data Configuration dialogue, Atoll should recognize all columns in
the imported file. If not, you can click the name of the column in the table in the Field row and
select the column name. For each field, you must ensure that each column has the correct data
type in order for the data to be correctly interpreted. The default value under Type is "<Ignore>".
If a column is marked with "<Ignore>", it will not be imported.
The data in the file must be structured so that the columns identifying the scrambling code group
and the scrambling code are placed before the data columns for each cell. Otherwise Atoll will
not be able to properly import the file.
Note: You can permanently delete the points located in the clutter classes whose check boxes
you clear by selecting the Delete points outside the filter check box.
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6. Click More. The Filter dialogue appears.
7. Click the Filter tab:
a. Select a Field from the list.
b. Under Values to Include, you will find all the values represented in the selected field. Select the check boxes
next to the values you want to include in the filter. Click Clear All to clear all check boxes.
8. Click the Advanced tab:
a. In the Column row, select the name of the column to be filtered on from the list. Select as many columns as
you want (see Figure 10.67).
Figure 10.67: The Filter dialogue - Advanced tab
b. Underneath each column name, enter the criteria on which the column will be filtered as explained in the fol-
lowing table:
9. Click OK to filter the data according to the criteria you have defined.
Combinations of filters are first made horizontally, then vertically. For more information on filters, see "Advanced
Data Filtering" on page 55.
10. Click OK to apply the filter and close the dialogue.
10.3.2.2 Comparing Measurements with Predictions
10.3.2.2.1 Creating Coverage Predictions for Test Mobile Data Paths
You can create the following coverage predictions for all transmitters on each point of a test mobile data path:
RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction.
P-CCPCH (EbNt) reception analysis, service area (EbNt) downlink, and service area (EbNt) uplink.
P-CCPCH (CI) reception analysis, service area (CI) downlink, and service area (CI) uplink.
To create a coverage prediction along a test mobile data path:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data to which you want to add a coverage prediction. The context menu appears.
4. Select Calculations > Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
Formula Data are kept in the table only if
=X value equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<>X value not equal to X (X may be a number or characters)
<X numerical value is less than X
>X numerical value is greater than X
<=X numerical value is less than or equal to X
>=X numerical value is greater than or equal to X
*X* text objects which contain X
*X text objects end with X
X* text objects which start with X
Note: The Refresh Geo Data option available in the context menu of Test Mobile Data paths ena-
bles you to update heights (DTM, clutter heights, DTM +clutter) and the clutter class of test
mobile data points after adding new geographic maps or modifying existing ones.
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5. Under Standard Studies, select one of the following coverage predictions and click OK:
RSCP P-CCPCH Coverage:
a. Click the Condition tab.
b. Select:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the
terminal properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service prop-
erties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. RSCP P-CCPCH Threshold
defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If
you select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The RSCP P-CCPCH coverage prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
P-CCPCH (EbNt) Reception Analysis or P-CCPCH (CI) Reception Analysis:
a. Click the Condition tab.
b. Select:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service prop-
erties is used.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. P-CCPCH EbNt Threshold or
P-CCPCH CI Threshold defined in the mobility properties is used as the minimum requirement for the
coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If
you select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The P-CCPCH reception analysis prediction is performed for TS0.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Service Area Downlink or Service Area Uplink:
a. Click the Condition tab.
b. Select:
- Terminal: The terminal to be considered in the coverage prediction. Gain and Losses defined in the ter-
minal properties are used. For the uplink service area coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the EbNt us-
ing the Max Power defined for the selected terminal.
- Service: The service to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Threshold and
Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Threshold) are
used as the minimum requirement for the coverage prediction. Body Loss defined in the service proper-
ties is also used. For the downlink traffic channel coverage prediction, Atoll calculates the EbNt using the
Max Allowed Downlink Traffic Channel Power defined for the selected service.
- Mobility: The mobility type to be considered in the coverage prediction. The Uplink TCH EbNt Thresh-
old and Downlink TCH EbNt Threshold (or Uplink TCH CI Threshold and Downlink TCH CI Thresh-
old), defined in the service selected above, corresponding to the selected mobility type are used as the
minimum requirement for the coverage prediction.
- Carrier: You can select the Carrier to be studied, or select "All" to have all carriers taken into account. If
you select "All", Atoll performs the coverage prediction for the carrier with the highest power.
- Timeslot: The service area coverage predictions can be performed for any downlink or uplink timeslot.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
6. When you have finished setting the parameters for the coverage prediction, click OK.
You can create a new coverage prediction by repeating the procedure from step 1. to step 6. for each new cover-
age prediction.
7. When you have finished creating new coverage predictions for these test mobile data, right-click the test mobile
data. The context menu appears.
8. Select Calculations > Calculate All the Studies from the context menu.
A new column for each coverage prediction is added in the table for the test mobile data. The column contains the
predicted values of the selected parameters for the transmitter. The propagation model used is the one assigned
to the transmitter for the main matrix. For information on the propagation model, see "Chapter 5: Propagation
Models".
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You can display the information in these new columns in the Test Mobile Data window. For more information on
the Test Mobile Data window, see "Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on page 577.
10.3.2.3 Extracting a Field Froma Test Mobile Path for a Transmitter
You can extract a specific field for a specific transmitter on each point of an existing test mobile data path. The extracted
information will be added to a new column in the table for the test mobile data.
To extract a field from a test mobile path:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data from which you want to extract a field. The context menu appears.
4. Select Focus on a Transmitter from the context menu. The Field Select for a Given Transmitter dialogue
appears.
5. Select a transmitter from the On the Transmitter list.
6. Click the For the Fields list. The list opens.
7. Select the check box beside the field you want extract for the selected transmitter.
8. Click OK. Atoll creates a new column in the test mobile path data table for the selected transmitters and with the
selected values.
10.3.2.4 Analysing Data Variations Along the Path
In Atoll, you can analyse variations in data along any test mobile data path using the Test Mobile Data window. You can
also use the Test Mobile Data window to see which cell is the serving cell for a given test point.
To analyse data variations using the Test Mobile Data window.
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data you want to analyse. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open the Analysis Tool from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window appears (see
Figure 10.68).
Figure 10.68: The Test Mobile Data window
Note: Atoll can display the best server. If you want to display, for example, the point signal level,
remember to select the check box for the point signal level for all servers in the For the
Fields list. The new column will then display the point signal level for the selected transmit-
ter for all servers if a value exists.
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5. Click Display at the top of the Test Mobile Data window. The Display Parameters dialogue appears (see
Figure 10.68).
Figure 10.69: Test mobile data display parameters
6. In the Display Parameters dialogue:
- Select the check box next to any field you want to display in the Test Mobile Data window.
- If you wish, you can change the display colour by clicking the colour in the Colour column and selecting a new
colour from the palette that appears.
- Click OK to close the Display Parameters dialogue.
The selected fields are displayed in the Test Mobile Data window.
7. You can display the data in the test mobile path in two ways:
- Click the values in the Test Mobile Data window.
- Click the points on the test mobile path in the map window.
The test mobile data path appears in the map window as an arrow pointing towards the serving cell, with a number
identifying the best server (see Figure 10.68 on page 577). If the transmitter display type is "Automatic," both the
number and the arrow are displayed in the same colour as the transmitter. For information on changing the display
type to "Automatic," see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
8. You can change the zoom level of the Test Mobile Data window display in the following ways:
- Zoom in or out:
i. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window.
ii. Select Zoom In or Zoom Out from the context menu.
- Select the data to zoom in on:
i. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window on one end of the range of data you want to zoom in on.
ii. Select First Zoom Point from the context menu.
iii. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window on the other end of the range of data you want to zoom in on.
iv. Select Last Zoom Point from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window zooms in on the data be-
tween the first zoom point and the last zoom point.
10.3.3 Printing and Exporting the Test Mobile Data Window
You can print or export the contents of the Test Mobile Data window, using the context menu in the Test Mobile Data
window.
To print or export the contents of the Test Mobile Data window:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Test Mobile Data folder.
3. Right-click the test mobile data you want to analyse. The context menu appears.
Note: You can change the display status or the colour of more than one field at a time. You can
select contiguous fields by clicking the first field, pressing SHIFT and clicking the last field
you want to import. You can select non-contiguous fields by pressing CTRL and clicking
each field. You can then change the display status or the colour by right-clicking on the
selected fields and selecting the choice from the context menu.
Tip: If you open the table for the test mobile data you are displaying in the Test Mobile Data
window, Atoll will automatically display in the table the data for the point that is displayed in
the map and in the Test Mobile Data window (see Figure 10.68 on page 577).
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4. Select Open the Analysis Tool from the context menu. The Test Mobile Data window appears (see Figure 10.68
on page 577).
5. Define the display parameters and zoom level as explained in "Analysing Data Variations Along the Path" on
page 577.
6. Right-click the Test Mobile Data window. The context menu appears.
To export the Test Mobile Data window:
a. Select Copy from the context menu.
b. Open the document into which you want to paste the contents of the Test Mobile Data window.
c. Paste the contents of the Test Mobile Data window into the new document.
To print the Test Mobile Data window:
a. Select Print from the context menu. The Print dialogue appears.
b. Click OK to print the contents of the Test Mobile Data window.
10.4 Advanced Configuration
In this section, the following advanced configuration options are explained:
"Defining Inter-Carrier Interference" on page 579
"Defining Frequency Bands" on page 579.
"The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 580.
"Smart Antenna Modelling" on page 581.
"Radio Bearers" on page 585.
"Site Equipment" on page 586.
"Reception Equipment" on page 586.
"Modelling Shadowing" on page 587.
"Maximum System Range" on page 588.
"Maximum System Range" on page 588.
"TD-SCDMA Network Capacity" on page 551.
10.4.1 Defining Inter-Carrier Interference
If you want Atoll to take into account the interference between two carriers, you must create a carrier pair with an interfer-
ence reduction factor. Atoll takes the interference reduction factor into account on both the uplink and the downlink.
To define the interference reduction factor between a pair of carriers:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Interference Reduction Factors from the context menu. The Inter-Carrier Interference Reduc-
tion Factor table appears.
4. For each carrier pair for which you want define inter-carrier interference:
a. Enter the first carrier of the pair in the 1st Carrier column.
b. Enter the second carrier of the pair in the 2nd Carrier column.
c. Enter an interference reduction factor in the Reduction Factor (dB) column. When Atoll calculates interfer-
ence, it subtracts the interference reduction factor from the calculated interference. An interference reduction
factor of 0 dB means that the interference between the pair of carriers is the same as between cells using the
same carrier
For every pair of carriers that is not defined, Atoll assumes that there is no inter-carrier interference.
d. Press ENTER to create the carrier pair and to create a new row.
10.4.2 Defining Frequency Bands
To define frequency bands:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Frequency Bands > Open Table from the context menu.
4. In the table, enter one frequency band per row. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with
Data Tables" on page 41. For each frequency band, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the frequency, for example, "Band 2010." This name will appear in other dialogues
when you select a frequency band.
- Average Frequency (MHz): Enter the average frequency.
- First Carrier: Enter the number of the first carrier in this frequency band.
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- Last Carrier: Enter the number of the last carrier in this frequency band. If this frequency band has only one
carrier, enter the same number as entered in the First Carrier field.
- Bandwidth (MHz): Enter the bandwidth of the frequency band, in MHz.
5. When you have finished adding frequency bands, click Close.
10.4.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters
On the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue, you can define network parameters that are used
in TD-SCDMA power control simulations. Many parameters are used as default values for all transmitters.
This section explains the options available on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue, and
explains how to access the tab:
"The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 580.
"Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 581.
10.4.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab
The Global Parameters tab lists a number of parameters that are fixed for the TD-SCDMA technology and cannot be modi-
fied. Other parameters on this tab can be modified. The parameters that are fixed include:
Frame: Under Frame, you have all the frame and subframe parameters:
- Number of Timeslots per Subframe: There are 7 timeslots in a TD-SCDMA subframe. These timeslots can
be used for uplink or downlink according to the timeslot configuration selected for each cell.
- Duration: Under Duration, you have the frame and subframe duration:
- Frame: The duration of a TD-SCDMA frame (10 ms). A frame includes two subframes of equal duration.
- Subframe: The duration of a TD-SCDMA subframe (5 ms).
- Number of Chips per Timeslot: Under Number of Chips per Timeslot, you have the number of chips cor-
responding to the data, midamble, and the guard periods.
- Data: The number of data chips in each timeslot (704).
- Midamble: The number of midamble chips in each timeslot (144).
- Guard Period: The number of chips in the guard period of each timeslot (16).
The subframe duration, the number of timeslots per subframe, and the numbers of chips per timeslot are used
to calculate the processing gain for each service (see example below).
- Number of Chips Dedicated to Pilot: Under Number of Chips Dedicated to Pilot, you have the description
of the pilot timeslot:
- DwPTS: The Total number of chips used in the DwPTS timeslot (96), which are divided into a Guard
Period (32) and a Synch period (64).
- Guard Period: The number of chips in the guard period between DwPTS and UpPTS (96).
- UpPTS: The Total number of chips used in the UpPTS timeslot (160), which are divided into a Guard
Period (32) and a Synch period (128).
The parameters that can be modified include:
Spreading Rate: The chip rate used in TD-SCDMA for spreading the user signals (1.28 Mcps by default).
P-CCPCH Processing Gain: The processing gain is the ratio of the spread bandwidth to the unspread bandwidth.
It is set to 13.8 dB (=24 times) by default.
Spreading Factor: Under Spreading Factor, you have the minimum and maximum spreading factors allowed in
TD-SCDMA:
- Min.: The lowest spreading factor that can be used (1).
- Max: The highest spreading factor that can be used (16).
Interferences: Under Interferences, you can define the parameter used to calculate interference on the downlink.
- Nt: You can select "Total noise" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the noise generated by all transmitters plus
thermal noise, or you can select "Without useful signal" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the total noise less the
signal of the studied cell.
HSDPA: Under HSDPA, you can define how total noise is calculated and how the CQI (Channel Quality Indicator)
is evaluated for HSDPA.
- Nt: You can select "Total noise" and Atoll will calculate Nt as the noise generated by all transmitters plus
thermal noise (whatever the hell that is) or you can select "Without useful signal" and Atoll will calculate Nt as
the total noise less the signal of the studied cell.
- CQI: You can select Based on P-CCPCH quality and Atoll will measure the CQI based on the pilot EbNt or
you can select Based on HS-PDSCH quality and Atoll will measure the CQI based on the HS-PDSCH EcNt.
Depending on the option selected, you will have to define either a CQI=f(P-CCPCH EbNt) graph, or a
CQI=f(HS-PDSCH EcNt) graph in the reception equipment. The calculated CQI will be used to determine the
best bearer.
Important: When you have more than one frequency band, the carriers must be numbered sequen-
tially, contiguously (i.e., you cannot skip numbers in a range of carriers, and the range of
carriers in one band cannot overlap the range of carriers in another), and uniquely (i.e., you
can only use each number once).
For example:
Band 2010: First carrier: 0; Last carrier 1 and Band 900: First carrier: 2; Last carrier: 2
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Example: Processing Gain Calculation
The processing gain is the ratio between the chip rate transmitted on the air interface and the data rate of a service. The
processing gains on the uplink and downlink are calculated from the uplink and downlink data rates of the service that you
have set. The following example shows how the processing gains are calculated for different services.
Where W is the chip rate for TD-SCDMA, and R is the data rate of the service per timeslot.
The chip rate is calculated from the number of data chips per timeslot and the subframe duration:
Where is the number of data chips per timeslot (704), and is the subframe duration (5 ms).
Taking the service "Mobile Internet Access" for example, the service data rates per timeslot in uplink and downlink are
calculated to be:
and
Where 3 and 1 are the number of downlink and uplink timeslots, respectively.
The uplink and downlink processing gains are then calculated:
and
10.4.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters
You can change global transmitter parameters on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue.
To change global transmitter parameters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Global Parameters tab.
5. Modify the parameters described in "The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 580.
6. Click OK.
10.4.4 Smart Antenna Modelling
Smart antenna refers to a system of antenna arrays with smart signal processing algorithms that are used to identify the
direction of arrival (DOA) of the signal, and use it to calculate beamforming vectors, to track and locate the antenna beam
on the mobile.
There are two main types of smart antennas, switched beam smart antennas and adaptive array smart antennas. Switched
beam systems have several available fixed beam patterns. A decision is made as to which beam to access, at any given
point in time, based upon the requirements of the system. Adaptive arrays allow the antenna to steer the beam to any
direction of interest while simultaneously nulling interfering signals.
Atoll TD-SCDMA includes four smart antenna modelling types:
"Grid of Beams (GOB) Modelling" on page 582.
"Statistical Modelling" on page 583.
"Adaptive Beam Modelling" on page 584.
"3rd Party Smart Antenna Modelling" on page 584.
The following section explains how to work with smart antenna equipment in Atoll:
"Smart Antenna Equipment" on page 584.
How smart antennas are used in dynamic channel allocation (DCA) during the Monte Carlo simulations is described in
"The Monte Carlo Simulation Algorithm" on page 562.
10.4.4.1 Types of Smart Antenna Modelling
The following smart antenna modelling methods are available in Atoll. These methods can be divided into two categories.
The first category of models, which includes grid of beams (GOB), adaptive beam, and 3rd party modelling, requires Monte
Carlo simulations in order to simulate the effect of the dynamic channel allocation (DCA) and power control. The results
generated by the Monte Carlo simulations using the smart antenna equipment based on any of these methods are stored
in the TD-SCDMA document, and can be reused for coverage prediction studies.
The second category, which includes the statistical modelling, does not require Monte Carlo simulations. Statistical model-
ling is based on simulation results in terms of probabilities of CI gains, and can be used directly in coverage predictions.
G
P
Processing Gain
W
R
----- = =
W
N
Data Chips
TS
D
Subframe
--------------------------
704
0.005
--------------- 140800 bps = = =
N
Data Chips
TS
D
Subframe
R
DL 384000
3
-------------------- 128000 bps = = R
UL 64000
1
---------------- 64000 bps = =
G
P
DL 140800
128000
-------------------- 1.1 0.414 dB = = = G
P
UL 140800
64000
-------------------- 2.2 3.4242 dB = = =
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The smart antenna equipment that uses statistical modelling contains a list of CI gain graphs that depend on the spreading
angle
10.4.4.1.1 Grid of Beams (GOB) Modelling
In Atoll TD-SCDMA, a list of beams (antenna patterns) can be used to create a grid of beams smart antenna equipment.
A GOB in Atoll comprises a list of antenna patterns. Each antenna pattern usually has a different azimuth. All the antenna
patterns are stored in the Antennas table, and are individually accessible under the Antennas folder. The lists of antennas
forming the GOBs are accessible in the Antenna Lists dialogue from the Antennas folders context menu.
During Monte Carlo simulations, Atollselects the best suited beam from the GOB for each mobile generated. The best
suited beam is the one using which the mobile receives the highest signal level.
In downlink, all the interfering signals received at each mobile are attenuated according to the antenna pattern of the
selected beam. If the wanted and interfered users are in the same direction with respect to the beam selected for the
wanted user, the interference will be high. Otherwise, the interfering signals will be attenuated. In uplink, the interfering
signals received at the cell are attenuated according to the antenna pattern of the selected beam.
Atoll TD-SCDMA project template contains sample smart antenna equipment. You should create smart antenna equip-
ment according to the specifications of your equipment supplier, or import them in Atoll, in order to use real data in calcu-
lations.
The following sections explain how to create and import grids of beams:
"Creating a Grid of Beams (GOB)" on page 582.
"Adding Antennas to a Grid of Beams (GOB)" on page 582.
"Importing a Grid of Beams (GOB)" on page 582.
"Grid of Beams (GOB) Import Format" on page 583.
Creating a Grid of Beams (GOB)
In Atoll, a grid of beams is a list of antennas. A list of antennas can include any number of antennas listed in the Antennas
folder.
To create an antenna list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Antennas folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Antenna List > Open Table from the context menu. The Antenna Lists table appears.
4. Create a new antenna list in the row marked with the New Row icon ( ).
5. Click the Properties button. The New Antenna List Properties dialogue appears.
6. Select the antennas from the Antennas column to add to the antenna list in each new row.
7. Click OK to close the dialogue.
8. Click Close to close the Antenna Lists table.
You can also export an antenna list to an external file by clicking the Export button, or import an existing antenna list by
clicking the Import button in the New Antenna List Properties dialogue.
Adding Antennas to a Grid of Beams (GOB)
You can add antennas, or beams, from the antennas folder to an existing grid of beams or antenna list.
To add antennas to an antenna list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Antennas folder.
3. Right-click the antenna that you want to add to an antenna list. The context menu appears.
4. Select Add the Antenna to a List from the context menu. The Antenna Addition in a List dialogue appears.
5. Select the antenna list to which you want to add the antenna from the Antenna List.
6. Click OK to add the antenna to the list.
You can also add all the antennas in the Antennas folder or a subfolder to an antenna list by selecting Antenna List >
Add Antennas to a List from the folders context menu.
Importing a Grid of Beams (GOB)
You can import existing antenna lists to be used as grids of beams in Atoll.
To import an antenna list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Antennas folder. The context menu appears.
Important: Although the number of beams in a GOB is not limited, calculation times with a large num-
ber of beams will be longer.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
3. Select Antenna List > Import Antennas from a List from the context menu. The Open dialogue appears.
4. Select an Index file to import.
5. Click Open to import the antenna list to Atoll. The Import of antennas from a list dialogue appears.
6. Enter a name for the new antenna list.
7. Click OK to import the antenna list.
Atoll adds the antennas referred to in the index file to the Antennas folder, and adds the new antenna list to the
Antenna Lists table.
Grid of Beams (GOB) Import Format
Atoll supports standard, Planet-like antenna list format for export and import. An index file contains the list of files which
contain the horizontal antenna patterns and a file which contains the vertical antenna pattern.
The horizontal antenna pattern files have the following format:
The vertical antenna pattern file has the following format:
The fields in bold are obligatory. The keyword <ALL> can be used with NAME to indicate that the vertical pattern is the
same for all the files containing the horizontal antenna patterns.
10.4.4.1.2 Statistical Modelling
The statistical modelling approach is aimed at providing a fast and reliable coverage and capacity analysis without the
need of accurate traffic inputs or Monte Carlo simulations.
Statistical modelling is based on cumulative distribution functions of CI gains according to spreading angles. Spreading
angles can be defined for each clutter class.
For the transmitters that have a statistical smart antenna equipment assigned, all coverage predictions, including the ones
carried out for traffic timeslots, are calculated using the main antenna. During the calculation of coverage predictions, Atoll
reads the spreading angle for each pixel from the corresponding clutter class. Then, for the given pixel and spreading
angle, Atoll reads the CI gain to take into account in the prediction.
The CI gain considered in the coverage prediction is determined according to the probability threshold set. The CI gain
value to be used corresponds to the cumulative probability, i.e., 100 % less the probability threshold entered. For example,
for a probability threshold of 80 %, the cumulative probability is 20 %. If an exact value of CI gain is not available for the
calculated cumulative probability, Atoll performs linear interpolation between the two available surrounding values.
If no CI gain graph is available, the main antenna is used Monte Carlo simulations and coverage predictions.
Two default smart antenna equipment using statistical modelling are available in Atoll, ULA4 and ULA8 for 4 and 8
antenna elements, respectively. In these sample equipment, antenna elements have been considered to be half a wave-
length apart. The cumulative distribution functions (CDF) of the CI gains are the results of a number of simulations
performed for two values of spreading angles (0 and 10) using the Optimum Combining algorithm which maximises the
signal to noise and interference ratio (SNIR).
NAME Name of the antenna
MAKE Name of manufacturer
FREQUENCY Operating frequency (in MHz)
H_WIDTH Horizontal beamwidth (in degrees)
FRONT_TO_BACK Front to back gain ratio (in dB)
GAIN Antenna gain (in dBi)
HORIZONTAL Horizontal pattern range (in degrees)
DEGREE
a
a.The last row is repeated for every degree value.
ATTENUATION
NAME Name of the antenna
V_WIDTH Vertical beamwidth (in degrees)
VERTICAL Vertical pattern range (in degrees)
DEGREE
a
a.The last row is repeated for every degree value.
ATTENUATION
Note: Forsk can provide CDFs of CI gains, on request, for any ULA (Uniform Linear Array) or
UCA (Uniform Circular Array) equipment, any combining algorithm, and any angular
spread.
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10.4.4.1.3 Adaptive BeamModelling
The ideal adaptive beam model available in Atoll TD-SCDMA makes use of a selected beam (antenna) pattern. You can
create a adaptive beam smart antenna equipment and assign it an antenna pattern from among the antennas available in
the Antennas folder.
During Monte Carlo simulations, Atollorients the selected antenna pattern horizontally towards each mobile generated in
order to maximise the received signal.
In downlink, all the interfering signals received at each mobile are attenuated according to the antenna pattern of the adap-
tive beam. If the wanted and interfered users are in the same direction with respect to the beam directed towards the
wanted user, the interference will be high. Otherwise, the interfering signals will be attenuated. In uplink, the interfering
signals received at the cell are attenuated according to the antenna pattern of the adaptive beam.
The adaptive beam modelling gives the ideal results that can be obtained using adaptive smart antennas.
10.4.4.1.4 3rd Party Smart Antenna Modelling
If you have a 3rd party smart antenna model available, you can use it in Atoll TD-SCDMA thanks to Atolls smart antenna
API. Atolls smart antenna provides the possibility to interface any external smart antenna module with Atoll.
Any external smart antenna models available are listed in the Smart Antenna Models folder of the Modules tab of the
Explorer window. Atoll is fully capable of using the features of any external smart antenna model, which can be based on
MMSE (Minimum Mean Square Error), EBB (Eigen-Beam Beamforming), or any other specific modelling method.
10.4.4.2 Smart Antenna Equipment
You can use several smart antenna equipment in your TD-SCDMA document which can be based on different smart
antenna modelling methods.
To create a new smart antenna equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Smart Antenna Equipment from the context menu. The Smart Antenna Equipment table
appears.
4. In the table, create one smart antenna equipment per row. For information on using data tables, see "Working with
Data Tables" on page 41. For each smart antenna equipment, enter a Name and some Comments, if you wish,
and select a Modelling Type. The modelling types include Grid of Beams (GOB), Adaptive Beam, Statistical,
and Antenna Model.
If you selected Grid of Beams (GOB), Adaptive Beam, or Statistical as Modelling Type, continue with step 5..
If you selected Antenna Model as Modelling Type, continue with step 9..
5. Click the Properties button. The smart antenna properties dialogue appears.
6. On the General tab of this dialog, you can modify the Name, Modelling Type, and Comments.
7. Under Modelling Type, Click the Parameters button. This button opens a dialogue containing the parameters
specific to the selected modelling type.
If you selected Grid of Beams (GOB) as Modelling Type, the Grid of Beams (GOB) Modelling dialogue
appears. In this dialogue:
a. Select a DL Grid of Beams, the grid of beams to be used in downlink. The list of available grid of beams con-
tains all the grid of beams listed in the Antennas Lists table. For more information on creating grids of beams,
see "Grid of Beams (GOB) Modelling" on page 582.
b. Select a UL Grid of Beams, the grid of beams to be used in uplink. If you do not select a UL Grid of Beams,
Atoll uses the main antenna for uplink calculations.
c. Click the Properties button. The Properties dialogue appears. In this dialogue, you can modify the Name and
Modelling Type of the smart antenna equipment, and enter any comments if you wish.
d. Under Patterns,
i. Click the Separate button. The Grid of Beams Properties dialogue appears. This dialogue displays the
the antenna patterns of all the beams separately.
ii. Or, click the Combined button. The Grid of Beams Properties dialogue appears. This dialogue displays
the combined patterns of all the beams.
iii. Click OK to close the Grid of Beams Properties dialogue.
Notes:
If you have opened the smart antenna properties dialogue from the Transmitter tab of a trans-
mitters properties dialogue, by clicking the Browse ( ) button, these patterns will also
include the main antenna pattern, if any.
The combined antenna pattern display can be used to understand any inconsistencies in smart
antenna results. If the gird of beams and the main antenna do not have the same gains, the smart
antenna could provide worse results than the main antenna for traffic timeslots.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
e. Click OK to close the Grid of Beams (GOB) Modelling dialogue.
If you selected Statistical as Modelling Type, the Statistical Modelling dialogue appears. In this dialogue:
a. Select a Probability Threshold (%), the probability threshold used to read the CI gain graphs. For more in-
formation on the probability threshold and CI gains, see "Statistical Modelling" on page 583.
b. Define a Spreading Angle () per column.
c. Click the Browse ( ) button corresponding to the CI Gain Graph for each column. The CI Gain Graph
dialogue appears. The CI Gain Graph provides the cumulative probability of each CI value.
d. Click OK to close the CI Gain Graph dialogue.
e. Click OK to close the Statistical Modelling dialogue.
If you selected Adaptive Beam as Modelling Type, the Adaptive Beam Modelling dialogue appears. In this
dialogue:
a. Select a DL Adaptive Beam, the adaptive beam to be used in downlink. The list of available adaptive beams
contains all the antennas listed in the Antennas folder.
b. Select a UL Adaptive Beam, the adaptive beam to be used in uplink. If you do not select a UL Adaptive
Beam, Atoll uses the main antenna for uplink calculations.
c. Under Patterns,
i. Click the Separate or Combined button. The Adaptive Beam Properties dialogue appears. This dia-
logue displays the the adaptive beam pattern.
ii. Click OK to close the Adaptive Beam Properties dialogue.
d. Click OK to close the Adaptive Beam Modelling dialogue.
8. Click OK to close the smart antenna properties dialogue.
9. Click Close to close the Smart Antenna Equipment table.
10.4.5 Radio Bearers
Radio bearers are used by the network for carrying information. In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers" on page 585.
10.4.5.1 Defining HSDPA Radio Bearers
In each cell, the scheduler selects the HSDPA resource per UE and per TTI (Transmission Time Interval). This HSDPA
resource is called a TFRC (Transport Format Resource Combination) and is the set of parameters such as the transport
format, the modulation scheme, and the number of used HS-PDSCH codes. In Atoll, the TFRC are referred to as HSDPA
radio bearers.
During a simulation, and for the HSDPA coverage prediction, Atoll selects a suitable HSDPA radio bearer and uses its
RLC peak rate. The HSDPA radio bearer selection is based on UE capabilities (maximum number of HS-PDSCH chan-
nels, transport block size, and whether it uses 16 QAM modulation), cell capabilities (maximum number of HS-PDSCH
channels), and reported CQI.
The HSDPA Radio Bearer table lists the available HSDPA radio bearers. You can create new HSDPA radio bearers and
modify existing ones by using the HSDPA Radio Bearer table.
To open the HSDPA Radio Bearer table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSDPA Radio Bearers from the context menu. The HSDPA Radio Bearer table appears with the following
information:
Notes:
If you have opened the smart antenna properties dialogue from the Transmitter tab of a trans-
mitters properties dialogue, by clicking the Browse ( ) button, these patterns will also
include the main antenna pattern, if any.
The combined antenna pattern display can be used to understand any inconsistencies in smart
antenna results. If the adaptive beam and the main antenna do not have the same gains, the
smart antenna could provide worse results than the main antenna for traffic timeslots.
Note: Properties of external 3rd party smart antenna models may vary. These properties can be
accessed from the Smart Antenna Models folder under the Modules tab of the Explorer
window.
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- Radio Bearer Index: The bearer index number.
- Transport Block Size (Bits): The transport block size in bits.
- Number of HS-PDSCH Channels Used: The number of HS-PDSCH channels used.
- 16QAM Modulation Used: The check box is selected if the HSDPA radio bearer uses 16QAM modulation. If
this option is not selected, Atoll assumes that QPSK modulation is used.
- RLC Peak Rate (bps): The RLC peak rate represents the peak rate without coding (redundancy, overhead,
addressing, etc.).
10.4.6 Site Equipment
10.4.6.1 Creating Site Equipment
To create a new piece of TD-SCDMA site equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Open Table from the context menu. The Site Equipment table appears.
4. In the Equipment table, each row describes a piece of equipment. For information on working with data tables,
see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41. For the new piece of TD-SCDMA equipment you are creating, enter
the following:
- Name: The name you enter will be the one used to identify this piece of equipment.
- Manufacturer: The name of the manufacturer of this piece of equipment.
- JD factor: J oint Detection (J D) is a technology used to decrease intra-cellular interference in the uplink. J D is
modelled by a coefficient between 0 and 1; this factor is considered in the UL interference calculation. In case
J D is not supported by equipment, enter 0 as value.
5. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.
10.4.7 Reception Equipment
10.4.7.1 Setting Receiver Height
When you make TD-SCDMA coverage predictions, you can define the height of the receiver.
To define the height of the receiver:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Receiver tab.
5. Enter a receiver Height. This value will be used when calculating a TD-SCDMA coverage predictions and a point
analysis.
6. Click OK.
10.4.7.2 Creating or Modifying Reception Equipment
In Atoll, reception equipment is used when you create a terminal. The graphs defined for each reception equipment entry
are used for selecting HSDPA bearers.
To create or modify reception equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Reception Equipment from the context menu. The Reception Equipment table appears.
5. Double-click the reception equipment type you want to modify. The reception equipment types Properties dia-
logue appears.
6. Click the HSDPA Bearer Selection tab.
7. Ensure that the values for each Mobility in the CQI Table and the Best HSDPA Bearer Table have been entered.
You can edit the values in the CQI Table and the Best HSDPA Bearer Table by clicking directly on the table entry,
or by selecting the Mobility and clicking the CQI Graph or the Best Bearer Graph buttons.
The CQI table describes the variation of the P-CCPCH CQI as a function of the P-CCPCH EbNt (or the variation
of HS-PDSCH CQI as a function of the HS-PDSCH EcNt); the values displayed depend on the calculation param-
Note: You can create a new reception equipment type by entering a name in the row marked with
the New Row icon ( ) and pressing ENTER.
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
eter you have selected in the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue. For more informa-
tion, see "The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 580.
The Best HSDPA Bearer table describes the index of the best HSDPA bearer as a function of the HS-PDSCH
CQI.
The CQI graphs and best bearer graphs are used in the simulation and in the HSDPA coverage prediction to model
fast link adaptation (selection of the HSDPA bearer).
The supplier RRM (radio resource management) strategy can be taken into account using the Best HSDPA
Bearer table, for example:
- You can define several pieces of reception equipment with a separate table for each. You can reserve low
bearer indexes for poor-performance reception equipment and higher bearer indexes for high-performance
equipment.
- You can specify a graph for each mobility. Here, you can reserve low bearer indexes for high speeds and
higher bearer indexes for low speeds.
- You can also give priority to either one user by assigning him a high bearer index or to all users by assigning
them low bearer indexes.
8. Click OK to close the reception equipment types Properties dialogue.
10.4.7.3 HSDPA User Equipment Categories
HSDPA user equipment capabilities are standardised into 12 different categories according to 3GPP specifications.
To edit an HSDPA user equipment category:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the TD-SCDMA Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select HSDPA User Equipment Categories from the context menu. The HSDPA User Equipment Categories
table appears.
5. The HSDPA User Equipment Categories table has the following columns:
- Category: The number identifying the HSDPA UE category.
- Max Number of HS-PDSCH Channels: The maximum number of HS-PDSCH channels allowed for the cat-
egory.
- Min. Number of TTI Between Two TTI Used: The minimum number of TTI (Transmission Time Intervals)
between two TTI used.
- Max Transport Block Size (bits): The maximum transport block size allowed for the category.
- 16QAM Modulation: Select the check box if the category supports 16QAM modulation. If 16QAM modulation
is not selected, QPSK is used.
10.4.8 Modelling Shadowing
Shadowing, or slow fading, is signal loss along a path that is caused by obstructions not taken into consideration by the
propagation model. Even when a receiver remains in the same location or in the same clutter class, there are variations
in reception due to the surrounding environment.
Normally, the signal received at any given point is spread on a gaussian curve around an average value with a specific
standard deviation. If the propagation model is correctly calibrated, the average of the results it gives should be correct.
In other words, in 50% of the measured cases, the result will be better and in 50% of the measured cases, the result will
be worse.
Atoll uses a model standard deviation with the defined cell edge coverage probability to model the effect of shadowing
and thereby create coverage predictions that are reliable more than fifty percent of the time. The additional losses or gains
caused by shadowing are known as the shadowing margin. The shadowing margin is added to the path losses calculated
by the propagation model.
For example, a properly calibrated propagation model calculates a loss leading to a signal level of -70 dBm. You have set
a cell edge coverage probability of 85%. If the calculated shadowing margin is 7 dB for a specific point, the target signal
will be equal to or greater than -77 dBm 85% of the time.
In TD-SCDMA projects, the model standard deviation is used to calculate shadowing margins on signal levels. You can
also calculate shadowing margins on EbNt values. For information on setting the model standard deviation and the EbNt
standard deviations for each clutter class or for all clutter classes, see "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93.
Shadowing can be taken into consideration when Atoll calculates the signal level and EbNt for:
A point analysis (see "Making a Point Analysis" on page 494).
A coverage prediction (see "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 495).
Atoll always takes shadowing into consideration when calculating a Monte Carlo-based TD-SCDMA simulation.
You can display the shadowing margins per clutter class. For information, see "Displaying the Shadowing Margins" on
page 588.
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10.4.8.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins
To display the shadowing margins and macro-diversity gain per clutter class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Shadowing Margins from the context menu. The Shadowing Margins and Gains dialogue appears (see
Figure 10.70).
4. You can set the following parameters:
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Enter the probability of coverage at the edge of the cell. The value you enter
in this dialogue is for information only.
- Standard Deviation: Select the type of standard deviation to be used to calculate the shadowing margin or
macro-diversity gains:
- From Model: The model standard deviation. Atoll will display the shadowing margin of the signal level.
- P-CCPCH EbNt: The P-CCPCH EbNt standard deviation. Atoll will display the P-CCPCH EbNt shadow-
ing margin.
- DL EbNt: The DL EbNt standard deviation. Atoll will display the DL EbNt shadowing margin.
- UL EbNt: The UL EbNt standard deviation. Atoll will display the UL EbNt shadowing margin
5. Click Calculate. The calculated shadowing margin is displayed.
6. Click Close to close the dialogue.
Figure 10.70: The Shadowing Margins dialogue
10.4.9 MaximumSystemRange
Each sector in a TDD network has an intrinsic maximum coverage range. This maximum system range is defined by the
distance after which the uplink and downlink signals can interfere with each other. You can set the maximum range of your
TD-SCDMA system through the Properties dialogue of the Predictions folder.
To set the maximum range of the system:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the System tab. On the system tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Max Range: Select the Max Range check box if you want to apply a maximum system range limit, and enter
the maximum system range in the text box to the right.
5. Click OK.
The default value for the maximum system range is 11250 m, which is the distance corresponding to the duration of the
guard period in the pilot timeslot. The maximum system range is the distance after which the uplink and downlink pilot
timeslots could be unsynchronised. The maximum system range is calculated as follows:
Each subframe of 5 ms duration contains 1 pilot timeslot and 7 downlink or uplink timeslots. The pilot timeslot is divided
into a downlink pilot timeslot (DwPTS), a guard period (GP), and uplink pilot timeslot (UpPTS). The lengths of DwPTS, GP,
and UpPTS are 96, 96, and 160 chips, respectively. Each of the other 7 timeslots contains 704 data chips, 144 midamble
chips, and 16 guard period chips. All in all, a 5 ms subframe contains 6400 chips. The duration of the guard period of the
pilot can be calculated as:
The maximum system range is half the distance that the RF signal can travel in D
GP
:
D
GP
0.005
6400
--------------- 96 75 s = =
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Chapter 10: TD-SCDMA Networks
R
System
75 s 3 10
8
m/s
2
----------------------------------------------------- 11250 m = =
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Atoll User Manual
CHAPTER 11
WIMAX BWA NETWORKS
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
11 WiMAX BWA Networks
WiMAX (Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access) refers to a group of broadband wireless access (BWA) standards
which use OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) and SOFDMA (Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiple Access) technologies. The WiMAX air interface is described in the IEEE 802.16d and the IEEE 802.16e standards.
The 802.16d standard is the complete specification for fixed broadband wireless access networks using OFDM and the
802.16e specifications describe mobile broadband wireless access networks using SOFDMA which support handovers
and user terminal speeds of up to 100 km/hr.
Atoll allows you to design IEEE 802.16d and IEEE 802.16e broadband wireless access networks. Two separate document
templates, named WiMAX 802.16d and WiMAX 802.16e, are available for designing and planning these networks. Atoll
can predict radio coverage, manage mobile and fixed subscriber data, and evaluate network capacity. Atoll also supports
smart antennas.
Atoll enables you to model fixed and mobile users in WiMAX environments. The data input corresponding to fixed
subscribers, which is an important requirement of fixed wireless access networks, is modelled using a subscriber database
integrated in the module. You can carry out calculations on fixed subscriber locations as well as base your calculations on
mobile user scenarios during Monte Carlo simulations. You can also perform interference predictions, resource allocation,
and other calculations on mobile users.
Atoll uses Monte Carlo simulations to generate realistic network scenarios (snap-shots) and uses a Monte Carlo statistical
engine to simulate the scheduling and resource allocation algorithm. Realistic user distributions can be generated using
different types of traffic maps or subscriber data. Atoll uses realistic user distributions as input for simulations.
Coverage predictions can be created to study the following parameters:
The signal level received from cells
The carrier-to-interference-and-noise ratio
The radio bearer coverage
The channel throughput per pixel
WiMAX service and analysis plots can be created from either Monte Carlo simulation results or from a user-defined
network load configuration (uplink and downlink traffic loads and uplink noise rise). GSM GPRS EGPRS, IS-95 cdmaOne,
CDMA2000 1xRTT, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, and UMTS HSPA networks can be planned in the same project.
11.1 Planning and Optimising WiMAX Base Stations
As described in "Chapter 2: Starting an Atoll Project", you can start an Atoll document from a template, with no base
stations, or from a database with a set of base stations. As you work on your Atoll document, you will still need to create
base stations and modify existing ones.
In Atoll, a site is defined as a geographical point where one or more transmitters are located. Once you have created a
site, you can add transmitters. In Atoll, a transmitter is defined as the antenna and any other additional equipment, such
as the TMA, feeder cables, etc. In a WiMAX project, you must also add cells to each transmitter. A cell refers to the char-
acteristics of an RF channel on a transmitter.
Atoll lets you create one site, transmitter, or cell at a time, or create several at once, by creating a station template. Using
a station template, you can create one or more base stations at the same time. In Atoll, a base station refers to a site and
a transmitter with its antennas, equipment, and cells.
In Atoll, you can study a single base station or a group of base stations using coverage prediction plots. Atoll allows you
to make a variety of coverage predictions, such as signal level or transmitter coverage predictions. The results of calcu-
lated coverage predictions can be displayed on the map, compared, and studied.
Atoll enables you to model network traffic by allowing you to create services, users, user profiles, environments, and termi-
nals. This data can be then used to make network quality studies, such as C/(I+N), WiMAX radio bearer, and throughput
coverage predictions.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a WiMAX Base Station" on page 594.
"Creating a Group of Base Stations" on page 602.
"Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map" on page 602.
"Display Hints for Base Stations" on page 604.
"Creating a Multi-Band WiMAX Network" on page 605.
"Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document" on page 605.
"Studying a Single Base Station" on page 605.
"Studying Base Stations" on page 611.
Tip: Before starting to work with the Atoll WiMAX module for the first time, it is highly recom-
mended to go through the "Glossary of WiMAX Terms" on page 660. This will help you get
accustomed to the terminology used in Atoll.
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11.1.1 Creating a WiMAX Base Station
When you create a WiMAX site, you create only the geographical point; you must add the transmitters and cells afterwards.
The site with a transmitter and its antennas, equipment, and cells, is called a base station.
In this section, each element of a base station is described. If you want to add a new base station, see "Placing a New
Base Station Using a Station Template" on page 598. If you want to create or modify one of the elements of a base station,
see "Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 597. If you need to create a large number of base stations,
Atoll allows you to import them from another Atoll document or from an external source. For information, see "Creating
a Group of Base Stations" on page 602.
This section explains the various parts of the base station process:
"Definition of a Base Station" on page 594.
"Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element" on page 597.
"Placing a New Base Station Using a Station Template" on page 598.
"Managing Station Templates" on page 599.
11.1.1.1 Definition of a Base Station
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. You will usually create a new base station using a station template, as described in "Placing a New Base
Station Using a Station Template" on page 598. This section describes the following elements of a base station and their
parameters:
"Site Description" on page 594
"Transmitter Description" on page 594
"Cell Description" on page 596.
11.1.1.1.1 Site Description
The parameters of a site can be found in the sites Properties dialogue. The Properties dialogue has two tabs:
The General tab (see Figure 11.1):
- Name: Atoll automatically enters a default name for each new site. You can modify the default name here. If
you want to change the default name that Atoll gives to new sites, see The Administrator Manual.
- Position: By default, Atoll places the new site at the centre of the map window. You can modify the location
of the site here.
- Altitude: The altitude, as defined by the DTM for the location specified under Position, is given here. You can
specify the actual altitude under Real, if you wish. If an altitude is specified here, Atoll will use this value for
calculations.
- Comments: You can enter comments in this field if you wish.
Figure 11.1: New Site dialogue
11.1.1.1.2 Transmitter Description
The parameters of a transmitter can be found in the transmitters Properties dialogue. When you create a transmitter, the
Properties dialogue has two tabs: the General tab and the Transmitter tab. Once you have created a transmitter, its Prop-
erties dialogue has three additional tabs: the Cells tab (see "Cell Description" on page 596), the Propagation tab (see
"Chapter 5: Propagation Models"), and the Display tab (see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28).
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site with precision, you can also place sites using
the mouse and then position them precisely with this dialogue afterwards. For information
on placing sites using the mouse, see "Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 603.
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The General tab:
- Name: By default, Atoll names the transmitter after the site it is on, adding an underscore and a number. You
can enter a name for the transmitter, but for the sake of consistency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If
you want to change the way Atoll names transmitters, see the AdministratorManual.
- Site: You can select the Site on which the transmitter will be located. Once you have selected the site, you
can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the site on which the transmitter will be located.
For information on the site Properties dialogue, see "Site Description" on page 594. You can click the New
button to create a new site on which the transmitter will be located.
- Position relative to the site: You can modify the Position relative to the site, if you wish.
The Transmitter tab (see Figure 11.2):
Figure 11.2: Transmitter dialogue - Transmitter tab
- Active: If this transmitter is to be active, you must select the Active check box. Active transmitters are dis-
played in red in the Transmitters folder of the Data tab.
- Transmission/Reception: Under Transmission/Reception, you can see the total losses and the noise
figure of the transmitter. Atoll calculates losses and noise according to the characteristics of the equipment
assigned to the transmitter. Equipment can be assigned by using the Equipment Specifications dialogue
which appears when you click the Equipment button.
- On the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 11.3), the equipment you select and the gains and
losses you define are used to initialise total transmitter losses in the uplink and downlink:
- TMA: You can select a tower-mounted amplifier (TMA) from the list. You can click the Browse button
( ) to access the properties of the TMA. For information on creating a TMA, see "Defining a TMA" on
page 123.
- Feeder: You can select a feeder cable from the list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the
properties of the feeder. For information on creating a feeder cable, see "Defining Feeder Cables" on
page 123.
- BTS: You can select a base transceiver station (BTS) equipment from the BTS list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the BTS. For information on creating a BTS, see "Defin-
ing a BTS" on page 123.
- Feeder Length: You can enter the feeder length at transmission and reception.
- Miscellaneous Losses: You can enter miscellaneous losses at transmission and reception. The value
you enter must be positive.
Note: Only active transmitters are taken into consideration during calculations.
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- Receiver Antenna Diversity Gain: You can enter a receiver antenna diversity gain. The value you enter
must be positive.
Figure 11.3: The Equipment Specifications dialogue
- Antennas:
- Height/Ground: The Height/Ground box gives the height of the antenna above the ground. This is added
to the altitude of the site as given by the DTM. If the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered
must include the height of building.
- Main Antenna: Under Main Antenna, the type of antenna is visible in the Model list. You can click the
Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the antenna. The other fields, Azimuth, Mechanical
Downtilt, and Additional Electrical Downtilt, display additional antenna parameters.
- Adaptive Antenna: Under Adaptive Antenna, the available adaptive antenna equipment is available in
the Equipment list. You can click the Browse button ( ) to access the properties of the adaptive
antenna equipment. For more information on adaptive antenna equipment, see "Defining Adaptive
Antenna Equipment" on page 667.
- Under Secondary Antennas, you can select one or more secondary antennas in the Antenna column
and enter their Azimuth, Mechanical Downtilt, Additional Electrical Downtilt, and % Power, which is
the percentage of power reserved for this particular antenna. For example, for a transmitter with one
secondary antenna, if you reserve 40% of the total power for the secondary antenna, 60% is available for
the main antenna.
For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
11.1.1.1.3 Cell Description
In Atoll, a cell is defined as an RF channel, with all its characteristics, on a transmitter; the cell is the mechanism by which
you can configure a WiMAX network. Currently, the WiMAX module allows only one cell per transmitter.
When you create a transmitter, Atoll reminds you to create a cell for the transmitter. The following explains the parameters
of a WiMAX cell. As you create a cell, Atoll calculates appropriate values for some fields based on the information you
have entered. You can, if you wish, modify these values.
The properties of a WiMAX cell are found on Cells tab of the Properties dialogue of the transmitter to which it is assigned.
The Cells tab has the following options:
Name: By default, Atoll names the cell after its transmitter, adding a suffix in parentheses. If you change trans-
mitter name, Atoll does not update the cell name. You can enter a name for the cell, but for the sake of consist-
ency, it is better to let Atoll assign a name. If you want to change the way Atoll names cells, see The Administrator
Manual.
BSID: The Base Station ID.
Power (dBm): The cells transmission power.
Frequency Band: The cells frequency band from the Frequency Band list.
Channel Number: The number of the channel from the list of available channels.
UL Traffic Load (%): The uplink traffic load percentage. By default, the uplink traffic load is set to 100%.
DL Traffic Load (%): The downlink traffic load percentage. By default, the downlink traffic load is set to 100%.
Note: Atoll always considers the values in the Real boxes in prediction studies even if they are
different from the values in the Computed boxes. The information in the real Total Noise
Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered in the Equipment
Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and recep-
tion and the real Total Noise Figure at reception if you wish. Any value you enter must be
positive.
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WiMAX Equipment: The cells reception equipment from the WiMAX Equipment list. For more information, see
"Defining WiMAX Reception Equipment" on page 665. The cells reception equipment parameters are used in the
uplink calculations.
Max Number of Users: The maximum number of simultaneous users supported by the cell.
UL Noise Rise (dB): The uplink noise rise in dB. By default, the uplink noise rise is set to 0.
The following parameters are only available in WiMAX 802.16e documents (based on the WiMAX 802.16e project
template).
Frame Configuration: The cells frame configuration selected from the list. For more information on frame con-
figurations, see "Defining Frame Configurations" on page 663.
Preamble Index: A preamble index for the cell. It is an integer value from 0 to 113. The preamble indices are
defined in the IEEE 802.16 specifications. They provide the IDCell (DL_PermBase for the first permutation zone
of the frame) and the segment number.
Neighbours: You can access a dialogue in which you can set both intra-technology and inter-technology neigh-
bours by clicking the Browse button ( ). For information on defining neighbours, see "Planning Neighbours"
on page 637.
Segmentation Usage (%): You can set the percentage of the total downlink traffic load that corresponds to the
segmented part of the frame. For example, if the downlink traffic load is 80%, and you set the segmentation usage
to 50%, it means that 40% of the downlink traffic load is on the segmented part of the frame while the other 40%
is on the non-segmented part. You can set the value of segmentation usage manually.
11.1.1.2 Creating or Modifying a Base Station Element
A base station consists of the site, one or more transmitters, various pieces of equipment, and radio settings such as, for
example, cells. This section describes how to create or modify the following elements of a base station:
"Creating or Modifying a Site" on page 597
"Creating or Modifying a Transmitter" on page 597
"Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 598
11.1.1.2.1 Creating or Modifying a Site
You can modify an existing site or you can create a new site. You can access the properties of a site, described in "Site
Description" on page 594, through the sites Properties dialogue. How you access the Properties dialogue depends on
whether you are creating a new site or modifying an existing site.
To create or modify a site:
1. If you are creating a new site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Sites folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select New from the context menu. The Sites New Element Properties dialogue appears (see Figure 11.1
on page 594).
2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing site:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Sites folder.
c. Right-click the site you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The sites Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Site Description" on page 594.
4. Click OK.
11.1.1.2.2 Creating or Modifying a Transmitter
You can modify an existing transmitter or you can create a new transmitter. You can access the properties of a transmitter,
described in "Transmitter Description" on page 594, through the transmitters Properties dialogue. How you access the
Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new transmitter or modifying an existing transmitter.
To create or modify a transmitter:
1. If you are creating a new transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
Note: You can set the values for uplink and downlink traffic loads, and the uplink noise rise manu-
ally to actual network values, or use the values computed during Monte Carlo simulations.
Monte Carlo simulation results can be stored in the cells by clicking the Commit button in
the simulation results dialogue.
Tip: The Browse button ( ) might not be visible in the Neighbours box if this is a new cell.
You can make the Browse button appear by clicking Apply.
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c. Select New from the context menu. The Transmitters New Element Properties dialogue appears (see
Figure 11.2).
2. If you are modifying the properties of an existing transmitter:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
c. Right-click the transmitter you want to modify. The context menu appears.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Modify the parameters described in "Transmitter Description" on page 594.
4. Click OK. If you are creating a new transmitter and Atoll reminds you to create a cell. For information on creating
a cell, see "Creating or Modifying a Cell" on page 598.
11.1.1.2.3 Creating or Modifying a Cell
You can modify an existing cell or you can create a new cell. You can access the properties of a cell, described in "Cell
Description" on page 596, through the Properties dialogue of the transmitter where the cell is located. How you access
the Properties dialogue depends on whether you are creating a new cell or modifying an existing cell.
To create or modify a cell:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter on which you want to create a cell or whose cell you want to modify. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Cells tab.
6. Modify the parameters described in "Cell Description" on page 596.
7. Click OK.
11.1.1.3 Placing a NewBase Station Using a Station Template
In Atoll, a base station is defined as a site with one or more transmitters sharing the same properties. With Atoll, you can
create a network by placing base stations based on station templates. This allows you to build your network quickly with
consistent parameters, instead of building the network by first creating the site, then the transmitters, and finally by adding
the cells.
To place a new station using a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the New Base Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
3. In the map window, move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the new base station. The
exact coordinates of the pointers current location are visible in the Status bar.
4. Click to place the base station.
You can also place a series of base stations using a station template. You do this by defining an area on the map where
you want to place the base stations. Atoll calculates the placement of each base station according to the defined hexag-
onal cell radius in the station template. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modifying a Station
Template" on page 599.
To place a series of base stations within a defined area:
1. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
2. Click the Hexagonal Design button ( ), to the left of the template list. A hexagonal design is a group of base
stations created from the same station template.
Tips:
To place the base station more accurately, you can zoom in on the map before you click the New
Station button. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map Scale" on
page 37.
If you let the pointer rest over the base station you have placed, Atoll displays its tip text with its
exact coordinates, allowing you to verify that the location is correct.
Note: If the Hexagonal Design button is not available ( ), the hexagonal cell radius for this
template is not defined. For information on defining the cell radius, see "Creating or Modify-
ing a Station Template" on page 599.
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3. Draw a zone delimiting the area where you want to place the series of base stations:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
Atoll fills the delimited zone with new base stations and their hexagonal shapes. Base station objects such as
sites and transmitters are also created and placed into their respective folders.
You can work with the sites and transmitters in these base stations as you work with any base station object,
adding, for example, another antenna to a transmitter.
Placing a Station on an Existing Site
When you place a new station using a station template as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a Station
Template" on page 598, the site is created at the same time as the station. However, you can also place a new station on
an existing site.
To place a base station on an existing site:
1. On the Data tab, clear the display check box beside the Hexagonal Design folder.
2. In the Radio toolbar, select a template from the list.
3. Click the New Base Station button ( ) in the Radio toolbar.
4. Move the pointer to the site on the map. When the frame appears around the site, indicating it is selected, click to
place the station.
11.1.1.4 Managing Station Templates
Atoll comes with WiMAX station templates, but you can also create and modify station templates. The tools for working
with station templates can be found on the Radio toolbar (see Figure 11.4).
Figure 11.4: The Radio toolbar
11.1.1.4.1 Creating or Modifying a Station Template
When you create a station template, Atoll bases it on the station template selected in the Station Template Properties
dialogue. The new station template has the same parameters as the one it is based on. Therefore, by selecting the existing
station template that most closely resembles the station template you want to create, you can create a new template by
only modifying the parameters that differ.
As well, you can modify the properties of any station template.
To create or modify a station template:
1. If you are creating a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
c. Under Station Templates, select the station template that most closely resembles the station template you
want to create and click Add. The Properties dialogue appears.
2. If you are modifying the properties of a station template:
a. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
b. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
c. Under Station Templates, select the station template whose properties you want to modify and click Proper-
ties. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab of the Properties dialogue. In this tab (see Figure 11.5), you can modify the following: the
Name of the station template, the number of Sectors, each with a transmitter, and the Hexagon Radius, i.e., the
theoretical radius of the hexagonal area covered by this base station.
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Figure 11.5: Station Template Properties dialogue General tab
- Under Main Antenna, you can modify the following: the antenna Model, 1st Sector Azimuth, from which the
azimuth of the other sectors are offset to offer complete coverage of the area, the Height of the antenna from
the ground (i.e., the height over the DTM; if the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered must
include the height of building), the Mechanical Downtilt, and the Additional Electrical Downtilt.
- Under Propagation, you can modify the following: the Propagation Model, Radius, and Resolution for both
the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. For information on propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propaga-
tion Models".
4. Click the Transmitter tab. In this tab (see Figure 11.6), if the Active check box is selected, you can modify the
following:
- Under Transmission/Reception, you can click the Equipment button to open the Equipment Specifica-
tions dialogue and modify the tower-mounted amplifier (TMA), feeder cables, or base transceiver station
(BTS). For information on the Equipment Specifications dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on
page 594.
- The information in the real Total Losses in transmission and reception boxes is calculated from the informa-
tion you entered in the Equipment Specifications dialogue (see Figure 11.3 on page 596). Atoll always con-
siders the values in the Real boxes in coverage predictions even if they are different from the values in the
Computed boxes. You can modify the real Total Losses at transmission and reception if you wish. Any value
you enter must be positive.
- The information in the real Total Noise Figure reception box is calculated from the information you entered
in the Equipment Specifications dialogue. You can modify the real Total Noise Figure at reception if you
wish. Any value you enter must be positive.
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Figure 11.6: Station Template Properties dialogue Transmitter tab
5. Click the Other Properties tab. The Other Properties tab will only appear if you have defined additional fields in the
Sites table, or if you have defined an additional field in the Station Template Properties dialogue.
6. When you have finished setting the parameters for the station template, click OK to close the dialogue and save
your changes.
11.1.1.4.2 Modifying a Field in a Station Template
To modify a field in a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the template in the Available Templates list.
4. Click the Fields button.
5. In the dialogue that appears, you have the following options:
- Add: If you want to add a user-defined field to the station templates, you must have already added it to the
Sites table (for information on adding a user-defined field to a table, see "Adding a Field to an Object Types
Data Table" on page 42) for it to appear as an option in the station template properties. To add a new field:
i. Click the Add button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
ii. Enter a Name for the new field.
iii. For Type, you can select from Text, Short integer, Long integer, Single, Double, True/False, Date/
Time, and Currency. If you choose text, you can also set the field Size (in characters), and create a
Choice list, by entering the possible selections directly in the Choice list window and pressing ENTER
after each one.
iv. Enter, if desired, a Default value for the new field.
v. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
- Delete: To delete a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to delete.
ii. Click the Delete button. The user-defined field appears in strikeout. It will be definitively deleted when you
close the dialogue.
- Properties: To modify the properties of a user-defined field:
i. Select the user-defined field you want to modify.
ii. Click the Properties button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
iii. Modify any of the properties as desired.
iv. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.
6. Click OK.
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11.1.1.4.3 Deleting a Station Template
To delete a station template:
1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.
2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.
3. Under Station Templates, select the station template you want to delete and click Delete. The template is
deleted.
4. Click OK.
11.1.2 Creating a Group of Base Stations
You can create base stations individually as explained in "Creating a WiMAX Base Station" on page 594, or you can create
one or several base stations by using station templates as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using a Station
Template" on page 598. However, if you have a large project and you already have existing data, you can import this data
into your current Atoll document and create a group of base stations.
You can import base station data in the following ways:
Copying and pasting data: If you have data in table form, either in another Atoll document or in a spreadsheet,
you can copy this data and paste it into the tables in your current Atoll document. When you create a group of
base stations by copying and pasting data, you must copy and paste site data in the Sites table, transmitter data
in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on copying and pasting data, see "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 47.
Importing data: If you have base station data in text or comma-separated value (CSV) format, you can import it
into the tables in the current document. If the data is in another Atoll document, you can first export it in text or
CSV format and then import it into the tables of your current Atoll document. When you are importing, Atoll allows
you to select what values you import into which columns of the table.
When you create a group of base stations by importing data, you must import site data in the Sites table, trans-
mitter data in the Transmitters table, and cell data in the Cells table, in that order.
For information on exporting table data, see "Exporting Tables to External Files" on page 48. For information on
importing table data, see "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
11.1.3 Modifying Sites and Transmitters Directly on the Map
In Atoll, you can access the Properties dialogue of a site or transmitter through the context menu on the Data tab of the
Explorer window. However, in a complex radio-planning project, it can be difficult to find the data object in the Data tab,
although it might be visible in the map window. Atoll lets you access the Properties dialogue of sites and transmitters
directly from the map. You can also change the position of the base station by dragging it, or by letting Atoll find a higher
location for it.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map" on page 603.
"Moving a Site Using the Mouse" on page 603.
"Moving a Site to a Higher Location" on page 603.
"Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse" on page 603.
"Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site" on page 604.
Note: When you import data into your current Atoll document, the coordinate system of the
imported data must be the same as the display coordinate system used in the document. If
you cannot change the coordinate system of your source data, you can temporarily
change the display coordinate system of the Atoll document to match the source data. For
information on changing the coordinate system, see "Setting Coordinate Systems" on
page 26.
Important: The table you copy from must have the same column layout as the table you are pasting
data into.
Note: You can quickly create a series of base stations for study purposes using the Hexagonal
Design tool on the Radio toolbar. For information, see "Placing a New Base Station Using
a Station Template" on page 598.
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11.1.3.1 Opening the Properties Dialogue for an Object on the Map
You can modify a properties of a site or transmitter by opening its Properties dialogue from the map.
To open the Properties dialogue of a data object from the map:
1. Right-click the object in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
- For information on the Sites Properties dialogue. see "Creating a WiMAX Base Station" on page 594.
- For information on the Transmitter Properties dialogue, see "Transmitter Description" on page 594.
11.1.3.2 Moving a Site Using the Mouse
You can move a site by editing the coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue, or by using the mouse.
To move a site using the mouse:
1. Click and drag the site to the desired position. As you drag the site, the exact coordinates of the pointers current
location are visible in the Status bar.
2. Release the site where you would like to place it. By default, Atoll locks the position of a site. When the position
of a site is locked, Atoll asks you to confirm that you wanted to move the site.
3. Click Yes to confirm.
11.1.3.3 Moving a Site to a Higher Location
If you want to improve the location of a site, in terms of reception and transmission, Atoll can find a higher location within
a specified radius from the current location of the site.
To have Atoll move a site to a higher location:
1. Right-click the site in the map window. The context menu appears.
2. Select Move to a Higher Location.
- In the Move to a Higher Location dialogue, enter the radius of the area in which Atoll should search and click
OK. Atoll moves the site to the highest point within the specified radius.
11.1.3.4 Changing the Azimuth of the Antenna Using the Mouse
In Atoll, you can set the azimuth of a transmitters antenna by modifying it on the Transmitter tab of the Transmitter Prop-
erties dialogue, or you can modify it on the map, using the mouse. The azimuth is defined in degrees, with 0 indicating
north.
The precision of the change to the azimuth depends on the distance of the pointer from the transmitter symbol. Moving
the pointer changes the azimuth by:
1 degree when the pointer is within a distance of 10 times the size of the transmitter symbol.
0.1 degree when the cursor is moved outside this region.
To modify the azimuth of the antenna using the mouse:
You can also modify the azimuth on the map for all the antennas on a base station using the mouse.
To modify the azimuth of all the antennas on a base station using the mouse:
Tip: When a map has many data objects, it can be difficult to ensure that the correct object has
been selected. When a site is selected, the site (and its name) is surrounded by a black
frame ( ). When a transmitter is selected, both ends of its icon have a green point
( ).
Tip: While this method allows you to place a site quickly, you can adjust the location more pre-
cisely by editing their coordinates on the General tab of the Site Properties dialogue. For
information on the Site Properties dialogue, see "Site Description" on page 594.
1. On the map, click the antenna whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green circle and drag it to change the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth to the desired angle.
The antennas azimuth is modified on the Transmitter tab of the Transmit-
ter Properties dialogue.
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11.1.3.5 Changing the Position of the Transmitter Relative to the Site
By default, transmitters are placed on the site. However, transmitters are occasionally not located directly on the site, but
a short distance away. In Atoll, you can change the position of the transmitter relative to the site by adjusting the Dx and
Dy parameters on the General Tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue. Dx and Dy are the offsets of the transmitter
from the site position. You can also modify the position of the transmitter on the map, using the mouse.
To move a transmitter using the mouse:
Dx and Dy values are automatically modified in the transmitter properties.
11.1.4 Display Hints for Base Stations
Atoll allows to you to display information about base stations in a number of ways. This enables you not only to display
selected information, but also to distinguish base stations at a glance.
The following tools can be used to display information about base stations:
Label: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a label that
is displayed with the object. You can display information from every field in that object types data table, including
from fields that you add. The label is always displayed, so you should choose information that you would want to
always be visible; too much information in the label will make it harder to distinguish the information you are looking
for. For information on defining the label, see "Defining the Object Type Label" on page 30.
Tooltips: You can display information about each object, such as each site or transmitter, in the form of a tooltip
that is only visible when you move the pointer over the object. You can choose to display more information than
in the label, because the information is only displayed when you move the cursor over the object. You can display
information from every field in that object types data table, including from fields that you add. For information on
defining the tooltips, see "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
Transmitter colour: You can set the transmitter colour to display information about the transmitter. For example,
you can select "Discrete Values" to distinguish transmitters by antenna type, or to distinguish inactive from active
transmitters. You can also define the display type for transmitters as "Automatic." Atoll then automatically assigns
a colour to each transmitter, ensuring that each transmitter has a different colour than the transmitters surrounding
it. For information on defining the transmitter colour, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
Transmitter symbol: You can select one of several symbols to represent transmitters. For example, you can
select a symbol that graphically represents the transmitters bandwidth ( ). If you have two transmitters on the
1. On the map, click one of the antennas whose azimuth you want to modify.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green circle ( ). An arc
with an arrow appears under the pointer.
3. Hold CTRL and, on the map, click the green circle and drag it to change
the antennas azimuth.
The current azimuth of the antenna is displayed in the far left of the status
bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have set the azimuth of the selected antenna
to the desired angle.
The azimuth of the selected antenna is modified on the Transmitter tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue. The azimuth of the other antennas
on the base station is offset by the same amount as the azimuth of the
selected antenna.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the azimuth, you can undo your changes by using
Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the changes made.
1. On the map, click the transmitter you want to move.
2. Move the pointer to the end of the antenna with a green rectangle ( ). A
cross appears under the pointer.
3. Click the green rectangle and drag it to change the transmitters position
relative to the site.
The current position (Dx and Dy) of the transmitter is displayed in the far
right of the status bar.
4. Release the mouse when you have moved the selected transmitter to the
desired position.
The position of the selected transmitter is modified on the General tab of
the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
Note: If you make a mistake when changing the position of the transmitter, you can undo your
changes by using Undo (by selecting Edit > Undo or by pressing CTRL+Z) to undo the
changes made.
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same site with the same azimuth, you can differentiate them by selecting different symbols for each ( and
). For information on defining the transmitter symbol, see "Defining the Display Type" on page 29.
11.1.5 Creating a Multi-Band WiMAX Network
In Atoll, you can model a multi-band WiMAX network, for example, a network consisting of 3.3 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and 2.5 GHz
cells, in one document. Creating a multi-band WiMAX network consists of the following steps:
1. Defining the multiple frequency bands in the document (see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 661).
2. Selecting and calibrating a propagation model for each frequency band (see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models").
3. Assigning a frequency band, with its propagation model, to each transmitter (see "Transmitter Description" on
page 594 and "Cell Description" on page 596).
4. Assigning a frequency band to each cell and a relevant propagation model to each transmitter (see "Creating or
Modifying a Cell" on page 598 and "Creating or Modifying a Transmitter" on page 597).
11.1.6 Setting the Working Area of an Atoll Document
When you load project data from a database, you will probably only modify the data in the region for which you are respon-
sible. For example, a complex radio-planning project may cover an entire region or even an entire country. You, however,
might be responsible for the radio planning for only one city. In such a situation, doing a coverage prediction that calculates
the entire network would not only take a lot of time, it is not necessary. Consequently, you can restrict a coverage prediction
to the base stations that you are interested in and generate only the results you need.
In Atoll, there are two ways of restricting the number of base stations covered by a coverage prediction, each with its own
advantages:
Filtering the desired base stations
You can simplify the selection of base stations to be studied by using a filter. You can filter base stations according
to one or more fields, or you can create an advanced filter by combining several criteria in several fields. You can
create a graphic filter by either using an existing vector polygon or creating a new vector polygon. For information
on graphic filters, see "Selecting a Polygon as a Polygon Filter" on page 63. This enables you to keep only the
base stations with the characteristics you want for your calculations.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
Setting a computation zone
Drawing a computation zone to encompass the base stations to be studied, limits the number of base stations to
be calculated, which in turn reduces the time necessary for calculations. In a smaller project, the time savings may
not be significant. In a larger project, especially when you are making repeated calculations in order to see the
effects of small changes in the base station configuration, the savings in time is considerable. Limiting the number
of base stations by drawing a computation zone also limits the resulting calculated coverage.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus zone or hot spot zones. The computation zone
defines the area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage studies, Monte Carlo, power control simula-
tions, etc., while the focus zone or hot spot zones are the areas taken into consideration when generating reports
and results.
For information on the computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 613.
You can combine a computation zone and a filter, in order to create a very precise selection of the base stations to be
studied.
11.1.7 Studying a Single Base Station
As you create a base station, you can study it to test the effectiveness of the set parameters. Coverage predictions on
groups of base stations can take a large amount of time and consume a lot of computer resources. Restricting your cover-
age prediction to the base station you are currently working on allows you get the results quickly. You can expand your
coverage prediction to a number of base stations once you have optimised the settings for each individual base station.
Before studying a base station, you must assign a propagation model. The propagation model takes the radio and
geographic data into account and computes propagation losses along the transmitter-receiver path. This allows you to
predict the received signal level at any given point. Any coverage prediction you make on a base station uses the propa-
gation model to calculate its results.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile" on page 606.
"Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 608.
"Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 618.
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11.1.7.1 Making a Point Analysis to Study the Profile
In Atoll, you can make a point analysis to study reception along a profile between a reference transmitter and a user. The
profile is calculated in real time, using the propagation model, allowing you to study the profile without calculating the path
loss matrices.
In Atoll, you can assign a propagation model to all transmitters at once, to a group of transmitters, or to a single transmitter.
Atoll selects the propagation model to be used as follows:
Predictions folder: The propagation model set on the Predictions tab of the Properties dialogue of the Predic-
tions folder is considered as the default main propagation model, and is used for computations performed on
transmitters that do not have a main propagation model set.
Transmitters folder or subfolder: If set, the main and extended propagation models set on the Propagation tab
of the Properties dialogue of the Transmitters folder are considered in computations in priority over the default
propagation model defined in the Predictions folder.
Individual transmitters: Main and extended propagation models can be set for each individual transmitter on the
Propagation tab of the Properties dialogue of each transmitter. These propagation models have priority over the
default propagation model defined in the Predictions folder properties.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters" on page 606
"Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters" on page 606
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 607
"Making a Point Analysis" on page 607.
For more information about the available propagation models, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Assigning a Propagation Model to All Transmitters
In Atoll, you can choose a propagation model per transmitter or globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab.
5. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
6. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for all transmitters.
Assigning a Propagation Model to a Group of Transmitters
Transmitters that share the same parameters and environment will usually use the same propagation model and settings.
In Atoll, you can assign the same propagation model to several transmitters by first grouping them by their common
parameters and then assigning the propagation model.
To define a main and extended propagation model for a defined group of transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select from the Group by submenu of the context menu the property by which you want to group the transmitters.
The objects in the folder are grouped by that property.
4. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
Note: If you select a different main propagation model for an individual transmitter, no main prop-
agation model is displayed on the Propagation tab of the Properties dialogue of the Trans-
mitters folder. If you select a main propagation model on the Propagation tab of the
Properties dialogue again, you will clear any changes made to individual transmitters.
Note: Setting a different main or extended matrix on an individual transmitter as explained in
"Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter" on page 607 will override this entry.
Note: You can group transmitters by several properties by using the Group By button on the
Properties dialogue. For more information, see "Advanced Grouping" on page 51.
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5. Right-click the group of transmitters to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The
context menu appears.
6. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears with the transmitters from the
selected group.
For each transmitter, you can set the propagation model parameters in the following columns:
- Main Propagation Model
- Main Calculation Radius
- Main Resolution
- Extended Propagation Model
- Extended Calculation Radius
- Extended Resolution
7. To enter the same values in one column for all transmitters in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.
Assigning a Propagation Model to One Transmitter
If you have added a single transmitter, you can assign it a propagation model. You can also assign a propagation model
to a single transmitter after you have assigned a main and extended propagation model globally or to a group of transmit-
ters.
When you assign a main and extended propagation model to a single transmitter, it overrides any changes made globally.
To define a main and extended propagation model for all transmitters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter to which you want to assign a main and extended propagation model. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the Propagation tab.
6. Under Main Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model.
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
7. If desired, under Extended Matrix:
- Select a Propagation Model.
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
8. Click OK. The selected propagation models will be used for the selected transmitter.
Making a Point Analysis
Once you have defined a propagation model as explained in "Chapter 5: Propagation Models", you can make a point anal-
ysis to:
study the reception in real time along a profile between a reference transmitter and a WiMAX user, and
evaluate the signal levels coming from the surrounding transmitters at a given point (using existing path loss
matrices).
To make a point analysis:
1. In the map window, select the transmitter from which you want to make a point analysis.
2. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
3. A line appears on the map connecting the selected transmitter and the current position. You can now do the fol-
lowing:
- Move the receiver to change the current position.
- Click to place the receiver at the current position. You can move the receiver again by clicking it a second time.
- Right-click the receiver to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
Note: You can also define the propagation models for a transmitter by right-clicking it in the map
window and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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- Coordinates: Select Coordinates to change the receiver position by entering new XY coordinates.
- Target Site: Select a site from the list to place the receiver directly on a site.
4. Click the Profile tab.
The profile analysis appears in the Profile tab of the Point Analysis Tool window. The altitude is reported on the
vertical axis and the receiver-transmitter distance on the horizontal axis. A blue ellipsoid indicates the Fresnel zone
between the transmitter and the receiver, with a green line indicating the line of sight (LOS). Atoll displays the
angle of the LOS read from the vertical antenna pattern. Along the profile, if the signal meets an obstacle, this
causes attenuation with diffraction displayed by a red vertical line (if the propagation model used takes into
account diffraction mechanisms). The main peak is the one that intersects the most with the Fresnel ellipsoid. With
some propagation models using a 3 knife-edge Deygout diffraction method, the results may display two additional
attenuations peaks. The total attenuation is displayed above the main peak.
The results of the analysis are displayed at the top of the Profile tab:
- The received signal strength of the selected transmitter
- The propagation model used
- The shadowing margin
- The distance between the transmitter and the receiver.
You can change the following options at the top of the Profile tab:
- Transmitter: Select the transmitter from the list.
5. Right-click the Profile tab to choose one of the following commands from the context menu:
- Properties: Select Properties to display the Analysis Properties dialogue. This dialogue is available from
the context menu on all tabs of the Point Analysis Tool window. You can:
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
- Select Signal Level, Path loss, or Total losses from the Result Type list.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
- Link Budget: Select Link Budget to display a dialogue with the link budget.
- Model Details: Select Model Details to display a text document with details on the displayed profile analysis.
Model details are only available for the Standard Propagation Model.
6. To end the point analysis, click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar again.
11.1.7.2 Studying Signal Level Coverage
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll calculates all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects the rectangle containing the computation zone.
Figure 11.8 gives an example of a computation zone. In Figure 11.8, the computation zone is displayed in red, as it is in
the Atoll map window. The propagation zone of each active site is indicated by a blue square. Each propagation zone that
intersects the rectangle (indicated by the green dashed line) containing the computation zone will be taken into consider-
ation when Atoll calculates the coverage prediction. Sites 78 and 95, for example, are not in the computation zone.
However, their propagation zones intersect the rectangle containing the computation zone and, therefore, they will be
Note: If you want to see a profile analysis with clutter height displayed, you can use the Height
Profile tool ( ). For information on the Height Profile tool, see "Displaying the Terrain
Profile Between Candidate Microwave Sites" on page 692.
Figure 11.7: Point Analysis Tool - Profile tab
You can select a different transmitter and
choose to display a profile only with a selected
carrier.
Displays data, including received signal, shadowing margin,
propagation model used, and transmitter-receiver distance.
Fresnel ellipsoid Line of sight
Attenuation with diffraction
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
taken into consideration in the coverage prediction. On the other hand, the coverage zones of three other sites do not inter-
sect the green rectangle. Therefore, they will not be taken into account in the coverage prediction.
Site 130 is within the coverage zone but has no active transmitters. Therefore, it will not be taken into consideration either.
Figure 11.8: An example of a computation zone
For information on creating a computation zone, see "Creating a Computation Zone" on page 613.
As you are building your radio-planning project, you may want to check the coverage of a new base station, without having
to calculate the entire project. You can do this by selecting the site with its transmitters and then creating a new coverage
prediction.
This section explains how to calculate the signal level coverage of a single base station. A signal level coverage prediction
displays the signal of the best server for each pixel of the area studied.
To study the signal level coverage of a single base station:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder and select Group by > Sites from the context menu. The transmitters are now
displayed in the Transmitters folder by the site on which they are situated.
3. Select the propagation parameters to be used in the coverage prediction:
a. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
b. Right-click the group of transmitters you want to study. The context menu appears.
c. Select Open Table from the context menu. A table appears with the properties of the selected group of trans-
mitters.
d. In the table, you can configure two propagation models: one for the main matrix, with a shorter radius and a
higher resolution, and another for the extended matrix, with a longer radius and a lower resolution. By calcu-
lating two matrices you can reduce the time of calculation by using a lower resolution for the extended matrix
and you can obtain more accurate results by using for the main and extended matrices propagation models
best suited for each distance.
Note: You can use the same procedure to study the signal level coverage of several base stations
by grouping the transmitters. For information on grouping transmitters, see "Grouping Data
Objects by a Selected Property" on page 51.
Tip: If you wish to study only sites by their status, at this step you could group them by status.
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e. In the Main Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model.
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
f. If desired, in the Extended Matrix column:
- Select a Propagation Model.
- Enter a Radius and Resolution.
g. Close the table.
4. In the Transmitters folder, right-click the group of transmitters you want to study and select Calculations >
Create a New Study from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
The Study Types dialogue lists the coverage prediction types available. They are divided into Standard Studies,
supplied with Atoll, and Customized Studies. Unless you have already created some customized studies, the
Customized Studies list will be empty.
5. Select Coverage by Signal Level and click OK. A study properties dialogue appears.
6. You can configure the following parameters in the Properties dialogue:
- General tab: You can change the assigned Name of the coverage prediction, the Resolution, and you can
add a Comment. The resolution you set is the display resolution, not the calculation resolution.
To improve memory consumption and optimise the calculation times, you should set the display resolutions of
coverage predictions according to the precision required. The following table lists the levels of precision that
are usually sufficient:
- Condition tab: The coverage prediction parameters on the Conditions tab allow you to define the signals that
will be considered for each pixel (see Figure 11.9).
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the signal level range to be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider all servers. Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" will give you the
same results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal
level" necessitates, however, a longer time for calculation.
When you select "Best signal level" or "Second best signal level," you can also define a Margin that Atoll
will take into consideration.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage
Probability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Size of the Coverage
Prediction
Display Resolution
City Centre 5 m
City 20 m
County 50 m
State 100 m
Country According to the size of the country
Note: If you create a new coverage prediction from the context menu of either the Transmitters
or Predictions folder, you can select the sites using the Group By, Sort, and Filter buttons
under Configuration. Because you already selected the target sites, however, only the Fil-
ter button is available.
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Figure 11.9: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by signal level
- Display tab: You can modify how the results of the coverage prediction will be displayed.
- Under Display Type, select "Value Intervals."
- Under Field, select "Best signal level."
- You can change the value intervals and their displayed colour. For information on changing display prop-
erties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
- You can create a tooltip with information about the coverage prediction by clicking the Tip Text box and
selecting the check boxes next to the fields you want to display in the tooltip.
- You can select the Add to Legend check box to add the displayed value intervals to the legend.
7. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window. The signal level
coverage prediction can be found in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results of a cover-
age prediction as soon as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction in the Predictions
folder. When you click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll only calculates unlocked coverage predictions ( ). If you want
to calculate all the coverage predictions, both locked and unlocked, you can click the Force Calculation button ( ). A
similar procedure can be used for sites grouped by a status, for example, live, planned, acquired, etc.
11.1.8 Studying Base Stations
In this section, the following are explained:
"Path Loss Matrices" on page 611.
"The Calculation Process" on page 613.
"Creating a Computation Zone" on page 613.
"Setting Transmitters as Active" on page 613.
"Signal Level Coverage Predictions" on page 614.
"Analysing a Coverage Prediction" on page 618.
"WiMAX-Specific Coverage Predictions" on page 626.
"Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 635.
11.1.8.1 Path Loss Matrices
Path loss is caused by objects in the transmitter-receiver path. In Atoll, the path loss matrices must be calculated before
predictions and simulations can be made.
Storing Path Loss Matrices
Path loss matrices can be stored internally, in the Atoll document, or they can be stored externally. Storing path loss matri-
ces in the Atoll document results in a more portable but significantly larger document. In the case of large radio-planning
projects, embedding the matrices can lead to large documents which use a great deal of memory. As well, file size is
currently limited to 2 GB by the operating system. Therefore, in the case of large radio-planning projects, saving your path
loss matrices externally will help reduce the size of the file and the use of computer resources.
Note: If you change the display properties of a coverage prediction after you have calculated it,
you may make the coverage prediction invalid. You will then have to recalculate the cover-
age prediction to obtain valid results.
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The path loss matrices are also stored externally in a multi-user environment, when several users are working on the same
radio-planning project. In this case, the radio data is stored in a database and the path loss matrices are read-only and are
stored in a location accessible to all users. When the user changes his radio data and recalculates the path loss matrices,
the calculated changes to the path loss matrices are stored locally; the common path loss matrices are not modified. These
will be recalculated by the administrator taking into consideration the changes to radio data made by all users. For more
information on working in a multi-user environment, see the Administrator Manual.
When you save the path loss matrices to an external directory, Atoll creates:
One file per transmitter with the extension LOS for its main path loss matrix.
A DBF file with validity information for all the main matrices.
A folder called "LowRes" with LOS files and a DBF file for the extended path loss matrices.
To set the storage location of the path loss matrices:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Predictions tab, under Path Loss Matrix Storage, you can set the location for your private path loss
matrices and the location for the shared path loss matrices:
- Private Directory: The Private Directory is where you store path loss matrices you generate or, if you are
loading path loss matrices from a shared location, where you store your changes to shared path loss matrices.
Click the button beside the Private Directory ( ) and select Embedded to save the path loss matrices in
the Atoll document, or Browse to select a directory where Atoll can save the path loss matrices externally.
- Shared Directory: When you are working on in a multi-user Atoll environment, the project data is stored in a
database and the path loss matrices are stored in a directory that is accessible to all users. Any changes you
make will not be saved to this directory; they will be saved in the location indicated in Private Directory. The
path loss matrices in the shared directory are updated by a user with administrator rights based on the updated
information in the database. For more information on shared directories, see The Administrator Manual.
5. Click OK.
Checking the Validity of Path Loss Matrices
Atoll automatically checks the validity of the path loss matrices before calculating any coverage prediction. If you want,
you can check if the path loss matrices are invalid without creating a coverage prediction.
To check if the path loss matrices are valid:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Click the Propagation tab. The Available Results table lists the following information for the path loss matrix for
each transmitter:
- Transmitter: The name of the transmitter.
- Locked: If the check box is selected, the path loss matrix will not be updated even if the path loss matrices
are recalculated.
- Valid: This is a boolean field indicating whether or not the path loss matrix is valid.
- Origin of Invalidity: If the path loss matrix is indicated as being invalid, the reason is given here.
- Size: The size of the path loss matrix for the transmitter.
- File: If the path loss matrix is not embedded, the location of the file is listed.
Note: Path loss matrices you calculate locally are not stored in the same directory as shared path
loss matrices. Shared path loss matrices are stored in a read-only directory. In other words,
you can read the information from the shared path loss matrices but any changes you make
will be stored locally.
Caution: When you save the path loss files externally, the external files are updated as soon as cal-
culations are performed. In order to keep consistency between the Atoll document and the
stored calculations, you should save the Atoll document before closing it, if you have
updated the path loss matrices.
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11.1.8.2 The Calculation Process
When you create a coverage prediction and click the Calculate button ( ), Atoll follows the following process:
1. Atoll first checks to see whether the path loss matrices exist and, if so, whether they are valid. There must be valid
path loss matrices for each active and filtered transmitter whose propagation radius intersects the rectangle
containing the computation zone.
2. If the path loss matrices do not exist or are not valid, Atoll calculates them. There has to be at least one unlocked
coverage prediction in the Predictions folder. If not Atoll will not calculate the path loss matrices when you click
the Calculate button ( ).
3. Atoll calculates all unlocked coverage predictions in the Predictions folder. The coverage prediction can be found
in the Predictions folder on the Data tab. Atoll automatically locks the results of a coverage prediction as soon
as it is calculated, as indicated by the icon ( ) beside the coverage prediction in the Predictions folder.
11.1.8.3 Creating a Computation Zone
To create a computation zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Computation Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the computation zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The computation zone is delimited by a red line.
You can also create a computation zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a computation zone by right-clicking it and
selecting Use as Computation Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a computation zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Computa-
tion Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a computation zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
11.1.8.4 Setting Transmitters as Active
When you make a coverage prediction, Atoll considers all base stations that are active, filtered (i.e., that are selected by
the current filter parameters), and whose propagation zone intersects a rectangle containing the computation zone. There-
fore, before you define a coverage prediction, you must ensure that all the transmitters on the base stations you wish to
study have been activated. In the Explorer window, active transmitters are indicated with a red icon ( ) in the Transmit-
ters folder and inactive transmitters are indicated with a white icon ( ).
You can set an individual transmitter as active from its context menu or you can set more than one transmitter as active
by activating them from the Transmitters context menu.
To set an individual transmitter as active:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder.
3. Right-click the transmitter you want to activate. The context menu appears.
4. Select Active Transmitter from the context menu. The transmitter is now active.
To set more than one transmitter as active using the Transmitters context menu:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Select the transmitters you want to set as active:
- To set all transmitters as active, right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
- To set a group of transmitters as active, click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Transmitters folder and
right-click the group of transmitters you want to set as active. The context menu appears.
3. Select Activate Transmitters from the context menu. The selected transmitters are set as active.
Note: You can save the computation zone in the user configuration. For information on exporting
the computation zone in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on
page 59.
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To set more than one transmitter as active:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Transmitters table appears.
4. In the Active column, select the check box ( ) corresponding to each transmitter you want to set as active.
Once you have ensured that all transmitters are active, you can set the propagation model parameters. For information on
choosing and configuring a propagation model, see "Chapter 5: Propagation Models".
Calculating path loss matrices can be extremely time and resource intensive when you are working on larger projects.
Consequently, Atoll offers you the possibility of distributing path loss calculations on several computers. You can install
the distributed calculation server application on other workstations or on servers. Once the distributed calculation server
application is installed on a workstation or server, the computer is available for distributed path loss calculation to other
computers on the network. For information on setting up the distributed calculation server application, see The Adminis-
trator Manual.
11.1.8.5 Signal Level Coverage Predictions
Atoll offers a series of standard coverage predictions based on the measured signal level of each pixel; other factors, such
as interference, are not taken into consideration. Coverage predictions specific to WiMAX are covered in "WiMAX-Specific
Coverage Predictions" on page 626.
Once you have created and calculated a coverage prediction, you can use predictions context menu to make the coverage
prediction into a template (which will appear under the heading Customized Studies in the Study Types dialogue. You
can also select Duplicate from the predictions context menu to create a copy. By duplicating an existing prediction that
has the parameters you wish to study, you can create a new prediction more quickly than by creating a new coverage
prediction. If you clone a coverage prediction, by selecting Clone from the context menu, you can create a copy of the
prediction with the calculated coverage. You can then change the display, providing that the selected parameter does not
invalidate the calculated coverage prediction.
You can also save the list of all defined coverage predictions in a user configuration, allowing you or other users to import
it into a new Atoll document. When you save the list in a user configuration, the parameters of all existing coverage predic-
tions are saved; not just the parameters of calculated or displayed ones. For information on exporting user configurations,
see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
The following standard coverage predictions are explained in this section:
"Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal Level" on page 614
"Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 615
"Making a Coverage Prediction on Overlapping Zones" on page 617.
11.1.8.5.1 Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal Level
A coverage prediction by signal level allows you to predict coverage zones by the transmitter signal strength at each pixel.
You can base the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by signal level:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by Signal Level and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study. For information on filter-
ing, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.10). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider all servers. Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" will give you the same
results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" neces-
sitates, however, the longest time for calculation.
When you select "Best signal level" or "Second best signal level," you can also define a Margin that Atoll will
take into consideration.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
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Figure 11.10: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by signal level
7. Click the Display tab.
If you choose to display the results by best signal level, the coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresh-
olds. If you choose to display the results by signal level, the coverage prediction results will be arranged according
to transmitter. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the signal level coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 11.11).
Figure 11.11: Coverage prediction by signal level
11.1.8.5.2 Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter
A coverage prediction by transmitter allows the user to predict coverage zones by transmitter at each pixel. You can base
the coverage on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a defined range.
To make a coverage prediction by transmitter:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
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4. Select Coverage by Transmitter and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study. For information on filter-
ing, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.12). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider all servers. Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" will give you the same
results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" neces-
sitates, however, the longest time for calculation.
When you select "Best signal level" or "Second best signal level," you can also define a Margin that Atoll will
take into consideration.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
Figure 11.12: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by transmitter
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction by transmitter, the Display Type "Discrete Values" based on the Field "Transmitter" is
selected by default. Each coverage zone will then be displayed with the same colour as that defined for each trans-
mitter. For information on defining transmitter colours, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the transmitter coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 11.13).
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Figure 11.13: Coverage prediction by transmitter
11.1.8.5.3 Making a Coverage Prediction on Overlapping Zones
Overlapping zones are composed of pixels that are, for a defined condition, covered by the signal of at least two transmit-
ters. You can base a coverage prediction on overlapping zones on the signal level, path loss, or total losses within a
defined range.
To make a coverage prediction on overlapping zones:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Overlapping Zones and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which sites to study. For information on filter-
ing, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.14). On the Condition tab, you can define the signals that will be considered
for each pixel.
- At the top of the Condition tab, you can set the range of signal level to be considered.
- Under Server, select "All" to consider all servers. Selecting "All" or "Best signal level" will give you the same
results because Atoll displays the results of the best server in either case. Selecting "Best signal level" neces-
sitates, however, the longest time for calculation.
When you select "Best signal level" or "Second best signal level," you can also define a Margin that Atoll will
take into consideration.
- If you select the Shadowing Taken into Account check box, you can change the Cell Edge Coverage Prob-
ability.
- You can select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter
class.
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Figure 11.14: Condition settings for a coverage prediction on overlapping zones
7. Click the Display tab.
For a coverage prediction on overlapping zones, the Display Type "Value Intervals" based on the Field "Number
of servers" is selected by default. Each overlapping zone will then be displayed in a colour corresponding to the
number of servers received per pixel. For information on defining display properties, see "Display Properties of
Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see
Figure 11.15).
Figure 11.15: Coverage prediction on overlapping zones
11.1.8.6 Analysing a Coverage Prediction
Once you have performed a coverage prediction study, you can analyse the results with the tools that Atoll provides.
The results are displayed graphically in the map window according to the settings you made on the Display tab when you
created the coverage prediction (step 5. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 608). If several coverage predic-
tions are visible on the map, it may be difficult to clearly see the results of the coverage prediction you wish to analyse.
You can select which coverage predictions to display or to hide by selecting or clearing the display check box. For infor-
mation on managing the display, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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In this section, the following tools are explained:
"Displaying the Legend Window" on page 619.
"Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tool Tips" on page 619.
"Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab" on page 619.
"Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 620.
"Displaying a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 620.
"Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics" on page 621.
"Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples" on page 622.
11.1.8.6.1 Displaying the Legend Window
When you create a coverage prediction, you can add the displayed values of the coverage prediction to a legend by select-
ing the Add to Legend check box on the Display tab.
To display the Legend window:
Select View > Legend Window. The Legend window is displayed, with the values for each displayed coverage
prediction identified by the name of the coverage prediction.
11.1.8.6.2 Displaying Coverage Prediction Results Using Tool Tips
You can get information by placing the cursor over an area of the coverage prediction to read the information displayed in
the tool tips. The information displayed is defined by the settings you made on the Display tab when you created the cover-
age prediction (step 5. of "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 608).
To get coverage prediction results in the form of tool tips:
In the map window, place the cursor over the area of the coverage prediction that you want more information on.
After a brief pause, the tool tip appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the coverage prediction
properties (see Figure 11.16).
Figure 11.16: Displaying coverage prediction results using tool tips
11.1.8.6.3 Using the Point Analysis Reception Tab
Once you have calculated the coverage prediction, you can use the Point Analysis tool.
1. Click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The Point Analysis Tool window appears and the
cursor changes ( ) to represent the receiver.
2. At the bottom of the Point Analysis Tool window, click the Reception tab (see Figure 11.17).
The predicted signal level from different transmitters is reported in the Reception tab in the form of a bar chart,
from the highest predicted signal level on the top to the lowest one on the bottom. Each bar is displayed in the
colour of the transmitter it represents.
Figure 11.17: Point Analysis Window - Reception tab
3. Right-click the Reception tab and select Properties from the context menu. The Analysis Properties dialogue
appears.
- Change the X and Y coordinates to change the present position of the receiver.
- Select the Shadowing taken into account check box and enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability, and,
select "From Model" from the Shadowing Margin list.
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- Select the Indoor Coverage check box to add indoor losses. Indoor losses are defined per clutter class.
4. To end the point analysis, click the Point Analysis Tool ( ) in the Radio toolbar again.
11.1.8.6.4 Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report
The focus and hot spot zones define an area on which statistics can be drawn and on which reports are made. While you
can only have one focus zone, you can define several hot spot zones in addition to the focus zone.
It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the focus and hot spot zones. The computation zone defines the
area where Atoll computes path loss matrices, coverage predictions, Monte Carlo, power control simulations, etc., while
the focus and hot spot zones are the areas taken into consideration when generating reports and results. When you create
a coverage prediction report, it gives the results for the focus zone and for each of the defined hot spot zones.
To define a focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Focus Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder, depending on whether you want to create a focus zone or
a hot spot. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the focus or hot spot zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
A focus zone is delimited by a green line; a hot spot zone is delimited by a heavy black line.
You can also create a focus or hot spot zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a focus zone by right-clicking it and selecting
Use as Focus Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a focus or hot spot zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Focus
Zone or Hot Spot Zones folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a focus or hot spot zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
11.1.8.6.5 Displaying a Coverage Prediction Report
Atoll can generate a report for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). The report displays the
covered surface and percentage for each threshold value defined in the Display tab of the coverage predictions Proper-
ties dialogue.
The coverage prediction report is displayed in a table. By default, the report table only displays the name and coverage
area columns. You can edit the table to select which columns to display or to hide. For information on displaying and hiding
columns, see "Displaying or Hiding a Column" on page 46.
Atoll bases the report on the area covered by the focus zone and hot spot zones; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will
use the computation zone. However, by using a focus zone or hot spot zones for the report, you can create a report for a
specific number of base stations, instead of creating a report for every base station that has been calculated.
The focus zone or hot spot zones must be defined before you display a report; it is not necessary to define them before
computing the coverage. For information on defining a focus zone or hot spot zones, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot
Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 620.
Atoll can generate a report for a single prediction, or for all displayed predictions.
To display a report on a single coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction for which you want to generate a report. The context menu appears.
4. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The prediction report table appears. The report is based on the
hot spot zones and on the focus zone if available or on the hot spot zones and computation zone if there is no
focus zone.
Note: You can only create a focus zone, and not a hot spot zone, from an existing polygon.
Notes:
You can save the focus zone in the user configuration. For information on saving the focus zone
in the user configuration, see "Exporting a User Configuration" on page 59.
You can include population statistics in the focus or hot spot zone by importing a population map.
For information on importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87.
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To display a report on all coverage predictions:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Generate Report from the context menu. The prediction report table appears. The report shows all dis-
played coverage predictions in the same order as in the Predictions folder. The report is based on the hot spot
zones and on the focus zone if available or on the hot spot zones and computation zone if there is no focus zone.
You can include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone by importing a population map. For information on
importing maps, see "Importing a Raster-format Geo Data File" on page 87. Normally, Atoll takes all geo data into consid-
eration, whether it is displayed or not. However, for the population statistics to be used in a report, the population map has
to be displayed.
To include population statistics in the focus zone or hot spot zone:
1. Ensure that the population geo data is visible. For information on displaying geo data, see "Displaying or Hiding
Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
2. Display the report as explained above.
3. Select Format > Display Columns. The Columns to Be Displayed dialogue appears.
4. Select the following columns, where "Population" is the name of the folder on the Geo tab containing the popula-
tion map:
- " Population" (Population): The number of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (% Population): The percentage of inhabitants covered.
- " Population" (Population [total]): The total number of inhabitants inside the zone.
Atoll saves the names of the columns you select and will automatically select them the next time you create a
coverage prediction report.
5. Click OK.
If you have created a custom data map with integrable data, the data can be used in prediction reports. The data will be
summed over the coverage area for each item in the report (for example, by transmitter or threshold). The data can be
value data (revenue, number of customers, etc.) or density data (revenue/km, number of customers/km, etc.). Data is
considered as non-integrable if the data given is per pixel or polygon and cannot be summed over areas, for example,
socio-demographic classes, rain zones, etc. For information on integrable data in custom data maps, see "Integrable
Versus Non Integrable Data" on page 101.
11.1.8.6.6 Viewing Coverage Prediction Statistics
Atoll can display statistics for any coverage prediction whose display check box is selected ( ). By default, Atoll displays
a histogram using the coverage study colours, interval steps, and shading as defined in the Display tab of the coverage
predictions Properties dialogue. You can also display a cumulative distribution function (CDF) or an inverse CDF
(1 - CDF). For a CDF or an inverse CDF, the resulting values are combined and shown along a curve. You can also display
the histogram or the CDFs as percentages of the covered area.
Atoll bases the statistics on the area covered by the focus zone; if no focus zone is defined, Atoll will use the computation
zone. However, by using a focus zone, you can display the statistics for a specific number of base stations, instead of
displaying statistics for every base station that has been calculated. Hot spot zones are not taken into consideration when
displaying statistics.
The focus zone must be defined before you display statistics; it is not necessary to define it before computing coverage.
For information on defining a focus zone, see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 620.
To display the statistics on a coverage prediction:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Right-click the coverage prediction whose statistics you want to display. The context menu appears.
4. Select Histogram from the context menu. The Statistics dialogue appears with a histogram of the area defined
by the focus zone (see Figure 11.18).
- Under Histogram Based on Covered Areas, you can select to view a histogram, CDF, or inverse CDF based
on area or percentage.
- The Detailed Results section displays the covered area values, or the percentage of the covered area, along
the y-axis against the coverage criterion along the x-axis.
- You can copy the graph by clicking the Copy button.
- You can print the graph by clicking the Print button.
- Under Statistics Based on Study Conditions, you can view the mean and standard deviation of the cov-
erage criterion calculated during the coverage calculations, if available.
Note: If an environment traffic map exists in the project, you can display the report by the ratio of
covered environment classes.
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11.1.8.6.7 Comparing Coverage Predictions: Examples
Atoll allows you to compare two similar predictions, to see the differences between them. This enables you to quickly see
how changes you make affect the network.
In this section, there are two examples to explain how you can compare two similar predictions. You can display the results
of the comparison study coverage in one of the following ways:
Intersection: This display shows the area where both prediction coverages overlap (for example, pixels covered
by both studies are displayed in red).
Union: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour and pixels covered by
only one coverage prediction in a different colour (for example, pixels covered by both predictions are red and
pixels covered by only one prediction are blue).
Difference: This display shows all pixels covered by both coverage predictions in one colour, pixels covered by
only one of the two predictions with another colour and pixels covered only by the second prediction with a third
colour (for example, pixels covered by both predictions are red, pixels covered only by the first prediction only are
green, and pixels covered only by the second prediction are blue).
To compare two similar coverage predictions:
1. Create and calculate a coverage prediction of the existing network.
2. Examine the coverage prediction to see where coverage can be improved.
3. Make the changes to the network to improve coverage.
4. Duplicate the original coverage prediction (in order to leave the first coverage prediction unchanged).
5. Calculate the duplicate coverage prediction.
6. Compare the original coverage prediction with the new coverage prediction. Atoll displays differences in coverage
between them.
In this section, the following examples are explained:
"Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station" on page 623
"Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt" on page 625.
Figure 11.18: Histogram of a coverage prediction by signal level
Note: You may observe differences between the mean and standard deviation values displayed
by Atoll and those displayed on the histogram and CDF. This is because the histogram and
CDFs are calculated based on the surface area covered by the coverage prediction while
the mean and standard deviation values are computed according to the coverage prediction
conditions during its calculations.
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Example 1: Studying the Effect of a New Base Station
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how you can verify if an newly added base station improves coverage.
A signal level coverage prediction of the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage Prediction by Signal
Level" on page 614. The results are displayed in Figure 11.19. An area with poor coverage is visible on the right side of
the figure.
Figure 11.19: Signal level coverage prediction of existing network
A new base station is added, either by creating the base station and adding the transmitters, as explained in "Creating a
WiMAX Base Station" on page 594, or by placing a station template, as explained in "Placing a New Base Station Using
a Station Template" on page 598. Once the new site has been added, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated,
but then it will be impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original signal level coverage prediction can be
copied by selecting Duplicate from its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show the effect of the new base
station (see Figure 11.20).
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Figure 11.20: Signal level coverage prediction of network with new base station
Now you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their names and
resolutions.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes adding a new base station made, you should choose Difference.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 11.21, shows clearly the area covered only by the
new base station.
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Figure 11.21: Comparison of both signal level coverage predictions
Example 2: Studying the Effect of a Change in Transmitter Tilt
If you have an area in a network that is poorly covered by current transmitters, you have several options for increasing
coverage. In this example, we will look at how modifying transmitter tilt can improve coverage.
A coverage prediction by transmitter of the current network is made as described in "Making a Coverage Prediction by
Transmitter" on page 615. The results are displayed in Figure 11.22. The coverage prediction shows that one transmitter
is covering its area poorly. The area is indicated with a red oval in the figure.
Figure 11.22: Coverage prediction by transmitter of existing network
You can try modifying the tilt on the transmitter to improve the coverage. The properties of the transmitter can be accessed
by right-clicking the transmitter in the map window and selecting Properties from the context menu. The mechanical and
electrical tilt of the antenna are defined on the Transmitter tab of the Properties dialogue.
Once the tilt of the antenna has been modified, the original coverage prediction can be recalculated, but then it will be
impossible to compare the two predictions. Instead, the original coverage prediction can be copied by selecting Duplicate
from its context menu. The copy is then calculated, to show how modifying the antenna tilt has affected coverage (see
Figure 11.23).
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Figure 11.23: Coverage prediction by transmitter of network after modifications
As you can see, modifying the antenna tilt increased the coverage of the transmitter. However, to see exactly the change
in coverage, you can compare the two predictions.
To compare two predictions:
1. Right-click one of the two predictions. The context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Compare with and, from the menu that opens, select the prediction you want to
compare with the first. The Comparison Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the General tab. You can change the Name of the comparison and add Comments.
The General tab contains information about the coverage predictions being compared, including their names and
resolutions.
4. Click the Display tab. On the display tab, you can choose how you want the results of the comparison to be dis-
played. You can choose among:
- Intersection
- Union
- Difference
In order to see what changes modifying the antenna tilt made, you can choose Union. This will display all pixels
covered by both predictions in one colour and all pixels covered by only one prediction in another colour. The
increase in coverage, seen in only the second coverage prediction, will be immediately clear.
5. Click OK to create the comparison. The comparison in Figure 11.24, shows clearly the increase in coverage due
at the change in antenna tilt.
Figure 11.24: Comparison of both transmitter coverage predictions
11.1.8.7 WiMAX-Specific Coverage Predictions
In WiMAX, the quality of the signal and the size of the area that can be covered are influenced by the network loads. As
the network load increases, the area a cell can effectively cover decreases. For this reason, network loads must be defined
in order to calculate WiMAX-specific studies.
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Atoll offers a series of WiMAX coverage predictions which are based on the measured signal level from the best server
and the measured signal levels from other cells (interference) at each pixel, i.e., carrier-to-interference-and-noise ratio, or
C/(I+N).
The downlink interference experienced from different cells of the network is weighted by their respective downlink traffic
loads. The measure of uplink interference for each cell is provided by the uplink noise rise.
If you have traffic maps, you can do a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the downlink traffic loads and the uplink noise
rise values for a generated user distribution. If you do not have traffic maps, Atoll can calculate the WiMAX-specific cover-
age predictions using the downlink traffic loads and the uplink noise rise values defined for each cell.
In this section, the WiMAX-specific coverage predictions will be calculated using downlink traffic loads and the uplink noise
rise values defined at the cell level. For the purposes of these coverage predictions, each pixel is considered a non-inter-
fering user with a defined service, mobility type, and terminal.
Before making a prediction, you will have to set the downlink traffic loads and the uplink noise rise and the parameters that
define the services and users. These are explained in the following sections:
"Setting the Traffic Loads and the UL Noise Rise" on page 627.
"Service and User Modelling" on page 627.
Several different types of WiMAX-specific coverage predictions are explained in this section. The following quality studies
are explained:
"Making a Coverage by C/(I+N) Level" on page 629.
"Making a Coverage by Best Bearer" on page 631.
"Making a Coverage by Channel Throughput" on page 633.
11.1.8.7.1 Setting the Traffic Loads and the UL Noise Rise
If you are setting the traffic loads and the uplink noise rise for a single transmitter, you can set these parameters on the
Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue. However, you can set the traffic loads and the uplink noise rise for all
cells using the Cells table.
To set the traffic loads and the uplink noise rise using the Cells table:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
4. Enter a value in the following columns:
- UL Traffic Load (%)
- DL Traffic Load (%)
- UL Noise Rise (dB)
For a definition of the values, see "Cell Description" on page 596.
5. To enter the same values in one column for all cells in the table:
a. Enter the value in the first row in the column.
b. Select the entire column.
c. Select Edit > Fill > Down to copy the contents of the top cell of the selection into the other cells.
11.1.8.7.2 Service and User Modelling
Atoll can then base its quality studies on the entered information. Before you can model services, you must define WiMAX
radio bearers. For more information on WiMAX radio bearers, see "Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers" on page 664.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling Services" on page 627.
"Modelling Mobility Types" on page 628.
"Modelling Terminals" on page 628.
Modelling Services
Services are the various services available to users. These services can be either voice or data type services. This section
explains how to create a service. The following parameters are used in predictions:
Throughput scaling factor
Throughput offset
Body loss
To create or modify a service:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder.
Note: If you want to copy the contents of the last cell in the selection into all other cells, you can
select Edit > Fill > Up. For more information on working with tables in Atoll, see "Working
with Data Tables" on page 41.
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3. Right-click the Services folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Services New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can edit the fields on the General tab to define the new service. Some fields depend on the type of service
you choose. You can change the following parameters.
- Name: Atoll proposes a name for the new service, but you can set a more descriptive name.
- Type: You can select either Voice or Data as the service type.
- Priority: Enter a priority for this service. "0" is the lowest priority.
- QoS Class: Select a QoS class for the service. You have the option to choose from UGS (Unsolicited Grant
Service), rtPS (Real-Time Polling Service), ErtPS (Extended Real-Time Polling Service), nrtPS (Non-Real-
Time Polling Service), and BE (Best Effort).
- Activity Factor: The uplink and downlink activity factors are used to determine the probability of activity for
users accessing a voice type service during Monte Carlo simulations.
- Highest Bearer: Select the highest bearer that the service can use in the uplink and downlink. This is consid-
ered as an upper limit during bearer determination.
- Max Throughput Demand: Enter the highest throughput that the service can demand in the uplink and down-
link. This value is not considered for UGS services.
- Min. Throughput Demand: Enter the minimum required throughput that the service should have in order to
be available in the uplink and downlink. This value is not considered for BE services.
- Average Requested Throughput: Enter the average requested throughput for uplink and downlink. The
average requested throughput is used in a simulation during user distribution generation in order to calculate
the number of users attempting a connection.
- Application Throughput: Under Application Throughput, you can set a Scaling Factor between the appli-
cation throughput and the RLC (Radio Link Control) throughput and a throughput Offset. These parameters
model the header information and other supplementary data that does not appear at the application level.
- Body Loss: Enter a body loss for the service. The body loss is the loss due to the body of the user. For
example, in a voice connection the body loss, due to the proximity of the users head, is estimated to be 3dB.
6. Click OK.
The application throughput parameters are used in throughput coverage predictions and for application throughput calcu-
lation.
Modelling Mobility Types
In WiMAX, information about the receiver mobility is required for determining which bearer selection threshold and quality
graph to use from the reception equipment referred to in the terminal. Mobiles used at high speeds and at walking speeds
do not have the same quality characteristics. C/(I+N) requirements for different radio bearers are largely dependent on
mobile speed.
To create or modify a mobility type:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Mobility Types folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can enter or modify the following parameters in the Mobility Types New Element Properties dialogue:
- Name: Enter a descriptive name for the mobility type.
- Average Speed: Enter an average speed for the mobility type. This field is for information only; the average
speed is not used by any calculation.
6. Click OK.
Modelling Terminals
In WiMAX, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a cars
on-board navigation device.
The following parameters are used in predictions:
Antenna
Receiver equipment
Maximum terminal power
Gain and losses
Noise figure
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing service by right-clicking the service in the
Services folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing mobility type by right-clicking the mobility type
in the Mobility Types folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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To create or modify a terminal:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Terminals folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Terminals New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can enter or modify the following parameters in the Terminals New Element Properties dialogue:
- Name: Enter a descriptive name for the terminal.
- Reception Equipment: Select a reception equipment from the list of WiMAX equipment available. For more
information on WiMAX equipment, see "Defining WiMAX Reception Equipment" on page 665. The cells
reception equipment parameters are used in the uplink calculations.
- Antenna: Select an antenna from the list of available antennas. If you do not select an antenna for the ter-
minal, Atoll uses an isotropic antenna in calculations.
- Antenna Diversity Support: Select the type of antenna diversity technique supported by the terminal. In
WiMAX 802.16e, if you select AAS, all the users using this terminal will be allocated the AMC zones in the
uplink and the downlink.
- Min. Power: Enter the minimum transmission power of the terminal.
- Max Power: Enter the maximum transmission power of the terminal.
- Gain: This field is disabled and shows the gain of the antenna selected in the Antenna field, if any. If you do
not have an antenna selected, you can enter an antenna gain in this field.
- Losses: Enter the losses of the terminal.
- Noise Figure: The noise figure of the terminal. It is used to calculate the total noise (the sum of thermal noise
and noise figure).
6. Click OK.
11.1.8.7.3 Making Quality Studies
In Atoll, you can make several coverage predictions to study the network quality. In this section, the following quality
predictions are explained:
"Making a Coverage by C/(I+N) Level" on page 629.
"Making a Coverage by Best Bearer" on page 631.
"Making a Coverage by Channel Throughput" on page 633.
Making a Coverage by C/(I+N) Level
Downlink and uplink coverage predictions by C/(I+N) level predict the interference levels and signal quality levels in the
part of the network being studied.
Atoll calculates the best server for each pixel depending on the downlink signal level. Then, depending on the prediction
definition, it calculates the interference from other cells, and finally calculates the C/(I+N). The pixel is coloured if the
display threshold condition is fulfilled (in other words, if the C/(I+N) is higher than C/(+N) threshold).
Coverage prediction by C/(I+N) level computes the co-channel interference as well as the adjacent channel interference,
which is reduced by the adjacent channel suppression factor defined in the Frequency Bands table. For more information
on frequency bands, see "Defining Frequency Bands" on page 661.
To make a coverage prediction by C/(I+N) level:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by C/(I+N) Level (DL) or Coverage by C/(I+N) Level (UL) and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base stations to study. For information
on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.25).
On the condition tab, you can select a Terminal, a Mobility type, and a Service. The C/(I+N) coverage prediction
is always a best server plot. The Noise Figure defined in the terminal types properties dialogue is used in the
coverage prediction to determine the total noise in the downlink, and the Noise Figure of the transmitter is used to
determine the total noise in the uplink.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing terminal by right-clicking the terminal in the
Terminals folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Note: Keep in mind that in case you do not select an antenna, Atoll uses an isotropic antenna,
not an omni-directional antenna, in calculations. An isotropic antenna has a spherical radia-
tion pattern.
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For more information on services, terminals, mobility types, and WiMAX equipment, see "Modelling Services" on
page 627, "Modelling Terminals" on page 628, "Modelling Mobility Types" on page 628, and "Defining WiMAX
Reception Equipment" on page 665, respectively.
If you want the coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account
check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box. The shadowing margin for
C(I+N) calculations is based on the C/I standard deviation.
You can also have the coverage prediction take Indoor Coverage into consideration.
Figure 11.25: Condition settings for a coverage prediction by C/(I+N) level
7. Click the Display tab.
You can choose between a results display by C/(I+N) Level or Interference level. The coverage prediction results
will be in the form of thresholds. For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on
page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 11.26
and Figure 11.27).
Figure 11.26: Coverage prediction by downlink C/(I+N)
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Figure 11.27: Coverage prediction by uplink C/(I+N)
Making a Coverage by Best Bearer
Downlink and uplink best radio bearer coverage predictions calculate and display the best WiMAX radio bearers based on
C(I+N) for each pixel.
To make a coverage prediction by best bearer:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by Best Bearer (DL) or Coverage by Best Bearer (UL) and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base stations to study. For information
on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.28).
On the condition tab, you can select a Terminal, a Mobility type, and a Service. The C/(I+N) coverage prediction
is always a best server plot. The Noise Figure defined in the terminal types properties dialogue is used in the
coverage prediction to determine the total noise in the downlink, and the Noise Figure of the transmitter is used to
determine the total noise in the uplink. As well, the bearer selection for each pixel according to the C(I+N) level is
performed using the bearer selection thresholds defined in the reception equipment. This reception equipment is
the one defined in the selected terminal for the downlink coverage predictions, and the one defined in the cell prop-
erties of the serving transmitter for the uplink coverage predictions. Mobility is used to index the bearer selection
threshold graph to use.
For more information on services, terminals, mobility types, and WiMAX equipment, see "Modelling Services" on
page 627, "Modelling Terminals" on page 628, "Modelling Mobility Types" on page 628, and "Defining WiMAX
Reception Equipment" on page 665, respectively.
If you want the coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account
check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box. The shadowing margin for
C(I+N) calculations is based on the C/I standard deviation.
You can also have the coverage prediction take Indoor Coverage into consideration.
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Figure 11.28: Condition settings for a coverage prediction on WiMAX bearers
7. Click the Display tab.
You can choose a result display by Best Bearer. The coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresholds.
For information on adjusting the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the WiMAX bearer coverage prediction. The
progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window (see Figure 11.29
and Figure 11.30).
Figure 11.29: Coverage prediction by downlink best bearer
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Figure 11.30: Coverage prediction by uplink best bearer
Making a Coverage by Channel Throughput
Downlink and uplink channel throughput coverage predictions calculate and display the channel throughputs based on
C(I+N) and bearer computations for each pixel.
To make a coverage prediction by channel throughput:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The Study Types dialogue appears.
4. Select Coverage by Channel Throughput (DL) or Coverage by Channel Throughput (UL) and click OK.
5. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name and Resolution of the coverage prediction, and add some
Comments. Under Configuration, you can create a Filter to select which base stations to study. For information
on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
6. Click the Condition tab (see Figure 11.31).
On the condition tab, you can select a Terminal, a Mobility type, and a Service. The C/(I+N) coverage prediction
is always a best server plot. The Noise Figure defined in the terminal types properties dialogue is used in the
coverage prediction to determine the total noise in the downlink, and the Noise Figure of the transmitter is used to
determine the total noise in the uplink. As well, the bearer selection for each pixel according to the C(I+N) level is
performed using the bearer selection thresholds defined in the reception equipment. This reception equipment is
the one defined in the selected terminal for the downlink coverage predictions, and the one defined in the cell prop-
erties of the serving transmitter for the uplink coverage predictions. Mobility is used to index the bearer selection
threshold graph to use. The service is used for the application throughput parameters defined in the service prop-
erties dialogue.
For more information on services, terminals, mobility types, and WiMAX equipment, see "Modelling Services" on
page 627, "Modelling Terminals" on page 628, "Modelling Mobility Types" on page 628, and "Defining WiMAX
Reception Equipment" on page 665, respectively.
If you want the coverage prediction to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account
check box and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box. The shadowing margin for
C(I+N) calculations is based on the C/I standard deviation.
You can also have the coverage prediction take Indoor Coverage into consideration.
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Figure 11.31: Condition settings for a throughput coverage prediction
7. Click the Display tab.
You can choose between a results display by Peak RLC Throughput, Effective RLC Throughput, or Applica-
tion Throughput. The coverage prediction results will be in the form of thresholds. For information on adjusting
the display, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
8. Click OK to save your settings.
9. Click the Calculate button ( ) in the Radio toolbar to calculate the coverage prediction. The progress of the
calculation, as well as any error messages, is displayed in the Event Viewer.
Atoll calculates the peak RLC channel throughputs from the information provided in the Global Parameters and in the
terminal and mobility properties for the terminal and mobility selected in the coverage prediction. Atoll determines the total
number of symbols in the downlink and the uplink subframes from the information in the Global Parameters. Then, Atoll
determines the bearer at each pixel and multiplies the bearer efficiency with the number of symbols in the frame to deter-
mine the peak RLC channel throughputs.
The effective RLC channel throughputs are the peak RLC throughputs reduced by retransmission due to errors, or the
Block Error Rate (BLER). Atoll uses the block error rate graphs from the reception equipment defined in the selected termi-
nal or the reception equipment of the cell of the serving transmitter.
The application level throughput is the effective RLC throughput reduced by the overheads of the different layers between
the RLC and the Application layers. For more information on throughput computation, see the Technical Reference Guide.
For more information on the Global Parameters, see "The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 661.
Once Atoll has finished calculating the coverage prediction, the results are displayed in the map window.
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Figure 11.32: Coverage prediction by downlink channel throughput
Figure 11.33: Coverage prediction by uplink channel throughput
11.1.8.8 Printing and Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
Once you have made a coverage prediction, you may want to save the results displayed on the map in an external format,
either by printing the coverage prediction results, or by saving the results in an external format. You can also export a
selected area of the coverage as a bitmap.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Printing Coverage Prediction Results" on page 635.
"Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 636.
"Exporting Coverage Prediction Results" on page 636.
11.1.8.8.1 Printing Coverage Prediction Results
Atoll offers several options allowing you to customise and optimise the printed coverage prediction results. Atoll supports
printing to a variety of paper sizes, from A0 to A4.
Before you print coverage prediction results, you have the following options:
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You can print the entire map, or you can define an area of the map to be printed in one of the following ways:
- Selecting the print area (see "Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34).
- Creating a focus zone (see "Creating a Focus or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on
page 620).
You can accept the default layout or you can modify the print layout (see "Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
To print coverage prediction results:
1. Select the document window containing the coverage prediction results.
2. You now have the following options before printing:
- You can select a print area ("Defining the Printing Zone" on page 34) or create a focus zone ("Creating a Focus
or Hot Spot Zone for a Coverage Prediction Report" on page 620).
- You can modify the print layout ("Defining the Print Layout" on page 35).
- You can see how the map will appear once printed (see "Previewing Your Printing" on page 36).
3. Select File > Print.
4. Click OK.
11.1.8.8.2 Defining a Coverage Export Zone
If you want to export part of the coverage prediction as a bitmap, you can define a coverage export zone. After you have
defined a coverage export zone, Atoll will offer you the option of exporting the only the area covered by the zone if you
export the coverage prediction as a raster image.
To define a coverage export zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Coverage Export Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the coverage export zone:
a. Click the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone.
b. Drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the coverage export zone. When you release the
mouse, the coverage export zone will be created from the rectangle defined by the two corners.
The coverage export zone is displayed as a rectangle with a light purple border.
11.1.8.8.3 Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
In Atoll, you can export the coverage areas of a coverage prediction in BMP, TIFF, or ArcViewgrid or Vertical Mapper
(GRD and GRC) raster formats or in ArcView, MapInfo, or AGD vector formats. Exporting coverage predictions allows
the user to generate a file that can be imported as a vector or raster object in Atoll or in another application. For each
exported prediction (total or for a transmitter), the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encompassing the coverage.
All coverage types can be exported, however, you can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was made per
transmitter (for example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal
level, by path loss, or by total losses). In this case, only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in raster
format.
To export a coverage prediction:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorerwindow.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Select the display check box ( ) beside the coverage prediction you want to export. The coverage prediction is
displayed on the map.
4. You can export the entire coverage prediction, the coverage export zone, or part of the coverage prediction.
Important: Printing graphics is a memory-intensive operation and can make heavy demands on your
printer. Before printing for the first time, you should review the "Printing Recommendations"
on page 34 to avoid any memory-related problems.
Important: The coverage export zone can only export in raster format. You can not export in raster for-
mat if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions
with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal level, by path
loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in
raster format.
Note: The coverage prediction must be displayed in the map window before it can be exported.
For information on displaying objects in the map window, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects
on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 26.
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To export the entire coverage prediction:
a. Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export the coverage export zone:
a. Define the coverage export zone as explained in "Defining a Coverage Export Zone" on page 636.
b. Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export part of the coverage prediction:
a. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the coverage prediction.
b. Right-click the part of the coverage prediction you want to export.
5. Select Export the Coveragefrom the context menu.
6. Enter the file name and select the type and the path of the file to be exported.
7. Click Save to export the prediction coverage results.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in raster format, a dialogue appears where you can select
The Coverage Area of the Prediction Study to export a rectangle containing only the area covered by the
study, The Computation Zone to export a rectangle containing the entire computation zone, or The Cov-
erage Export Zone to export the rectangle defined by the coverage export zone.
- If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in a vector format other than in AGD format:
i. If desired, change the export resolution. The default resolution is the resolution of the prediction coverage
results (as set in the coverage prediction Properties dialogue).
ii. If desired, change the reference coordinate system for the file being exported.
iii. Click Export to finish exporting the prediction coverage results.
11.1.9 Planning Neighbours
You can set neighbours for each cell manually. When allocating neighbours, the cell to which you are allocating neighbours
is referred to as the reference cell. The cells that fulfil the requirements to be neighbours are referred to as possible neigh-
bours.
Usually, you will allocate neighbours globally during the beginning of a radio planning project. Afterwards, you will allocate
neighbours to base stations as you add them.
Atoll supports the following neighbour types in a WiMAX network:
Intra-technology neighbours: Intra-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours and both use
WiMAX. Intra-technology neighbour cells perform handover using a different carrier.
Inter-technology neighbours: Inter-technology neighbours are cells defined as neighbours that use a technology
other than WiMAX.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell" on page 637.
"Importing Neighbours" on page 639.
"Checking Neighbour Allocation" on page 639.
"Exporting Neighbours" on page 640.
11.1.9.1 Allocating and Deleting Neighbours per Cell
You can adjust the overall allocation of neighbours by allocating or deleting neighbours per cell. You can allocate or delete
neighbours directly on the map or using the Cells tab of the Transmitter Properties dialogue.
This section explains the following:
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue" on page 637.
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table" on page 638.
"Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map" on page 638.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Cells Tab of the Transmitter Properties Dialogue
To allocate or delete WiMAX neighbours using the Cells tab of the transmitters Properties dialogue:
1. On the map, right-click the transmitter whose neighbours you want to change. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The transmitters Properties dialogue appears.
3. Click the Cells tab.
4. On the Cells tab, click the Browse button ( ) beside Neighbours in the cell for which you want to allocate or
delete neighbours. The cells Properties dialogue appears.
Notes:
When selecting a different coordinate system than the one initially defined within Atoll, the file is
converted using the selected coordinate system.
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5. Click the Intra-technology Neighbours tab.
6. If desired, you can enter the maximum number of neighbours in the following boxes:
- Max Number Inter-Carrier
- Max Number Intra-Carrier
7. To allocate a new neighbour:
a. Under List, select the cell from the list in the Neighbour column in the row marked with the New Row icon
( ).
b. If you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric, select the check box in the Symmetric column.
c. Click elsewhere in the table when you have finished creating the new neighbour.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
9. Click OK.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours Using the Neighbours Table
To allocate or delete WiMAX neighbours using the Neighbours table:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appear.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neighbours table
appears.
4. To allocate a neighbour:
a. In the row marked with the new row icon ( ), select a reference cell in the Cell column.
b. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column.
c. Select the check box in the Symmetry column if you want the neighbour relation to be symmetric.
d. Click in another cell of the table to create the new neighbour and add a new blank row to the table.
When the new neighbour is created, Atoll automatically calculates the distance between the reference cell
and the neighbour and displays it in the Distance column, sets the Type to "manual," and sets the Importance
to "1."
5. To create a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Symmetrise from the context menu. A symmetric neighbour relation is created between the cell in the
Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column.
6. To make all neighbour relations symmetric, right-click the Neighbours table and select Symmetrise All Neigh-
bour Relations.
7. To delete a symmetric neighbour relation:
a. Select the neighbour in the Neighbour column. The context menu appears.
b. Select Delete Link and Symmetric Relation from the context menu. The symmetric neighbour relation be-
tween the cell in the Neighbour column and the cell in the Cell column is deleted.
8. To delete a neighbour:
a. Click in the left margin of the table row containing the neighbour to select the entire row.
b. Press DEL to delete the neighbour.
Allocating or Deleting Neighbours on the Map
You can allocate or delete intra-technology neighbours directly on the map using the mouse.
To add or remove intra-technology neighbours using the mouse, you must activate the display of intra-technology neigh-
bours on the map as explained in "Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map" on page 639.
To add a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds both transmitters
to the intra-technology neighbours list.
Note: Atoll automatically sets the importance for manually allocated neighbours to "1."
Note: For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
To remove a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes both trans-
mitters from the intra-technology neighbours.
To add an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds the reference
transmitter to the intra-technology neighbour list of the reference transmitter.
To remove an outward neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the reference
transmitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
To add an inward neighbour relation:
Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
- If the two transmitters already have a symmetric neighbour relation, press CTRL and click the other trans-
mitter. Atoll converts the symmetric relation to an inward non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
- If there is no existing neighbour relation between the two transmitters, first create a symmetric neighbour rela-
tion between the two transmitters, and then press CTRL and click the other transmitter. Atoll converts the
symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
To remove an inwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the trans-
mitter from the intra-technology neighbours list of the reference transmitter.
11.1.9.2 Importing Neighbours
You can import neighbour data in the form of ASCII text files (in TXT and CSV formats) into the current Atoll document
using the Neighbours table.
To import neighbours using the Neighbours table:
1. Open the Neighbours table:
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
c. Select Cells > Neighbours > Intra-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Neighbours table
appears.
2. Import the ASCII text file as explained in "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
11.1.9.3 Checking Neighbour Allocation
You can verify the results of automatic neighbour allocation in the following ways:
"Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map" on page 639.
"Displaying the Coverage of Each Neighbour of a Cell" on page 640.
11.1.9.3.1 Displaying Neighbour Relations on the Map
You can view neighbour relations directly on the map. Atoll can display them and indicate the direction of the neighbour
relation (in other words, Atoll indicates which is the reference cell and which is the neighbour) and whether the neighbour
relation is symmetric.
To display the neighbour relations of a cell on the map:
1. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
2. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
3. Select which neighbour links to display:
- Outwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Outwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is the reference cell and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Inwards Non-Symmetric: Select the Inwards Non-Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations
where the selected cell is neighbour and where the neighbour relation is not symmetric.
- Symmetric: Select the Symmetric check box to display neighbour relations that are symmetric between the
selected cell and the neighbour.
4. Carrier: Because neighbour relations are between cells, you must select the carrier of the cells.
5. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
6. Select Neighbours from the menu. The neighbours of a cell will be displayed when you select a transmitter.
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7. Click a transmitter on the map to display the neighbour relations. Atoll displays the following information (see
Figure 11.34) on the selected carrier:
- The symmetric neighbour relations of the selected (reference) transmitter are indicated by a heavy black
line.
- The outward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the selected
(reference) transmitter.
- The inward neighbour relations are indicated with a light black line with an arrow the colour of the transmitter
which has the selected (reference) transmitter as a neighbour.
Figure 11.34: Neighbours of Site 22(0)
11.1.9.3.2 Displaying the Coverage of Each Neighbour of a Cell
By combining the display characteristics of a coverage prediction with neighbour display options, Atoll can display the
coverage areas of a cells neighbours and colour them according to any neighbour characteristic available in the Neigh-
bours table.
To display the coverage of each neighbour of a cell:
1. Create, calculate, and display a "Coverage by Transmitter" coverage prediction, with the Display Type set to
"Discrete Values" and the Field set to Transmitter (for information on creating a coverage by transmitter prediction,
see "Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 615).
2. Click the menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The menu appears.
3. Select Display Optionsfrom the context menu. The Neighbour Displaydialogue appears.
4. Click the Browse button ( ) beside the Display Links list.
5. The Intra-technology Neighbour Display dialogue appears.
6. From the Display Type list, choose one of the following:
- Unique: Select "Unique" as the Display Type if you want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neigh-
bours with a unique colour.
- Discrete Values: Select "Discrete Values" as the Display Type, and then a value from the Field list, if you
want Atoll to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according to a value from the Intra-technology
Neighbours table.
- Value Intervals: Select "Value Intervals" to colour the coverage areas of a cells neighbours according the
value interval of the value selected from the Field list. For example, you can choose to display a cells neigh-
bours according to their rank, in terms of automatic allocation, or according to the importance, as determined
by the weighting factors.
7. From the Tip Text list, choose the neighbour characteristics to be displayed in the tool tip. This information will be
displayed on each coverage area.
8. In order to restore colours and cancel the neighbour display, click the left side of the Neighbour graphic man-
agement icon ( ).
11.1.9.4 Exporting Neighbours
The neighbour data for an Atoll document is stored in a series of tables. You can export the neighbours data to use it in
another application or in another Atoll document.
To export neighbour data:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Cells > Neighbours and then select the neighbours table containing the data you want to export from the
context menu:
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- Intra-technology Neighbours: This table contains the data for the intra-technology neighbours in the current
Atoll document.
4. When the selected neighbours table opens, you can export the content as described in "Exporting Tables to
External Files" on page 48.
11.2 Studying Network Capacity
Interference is the major limiting factor in the performance of WiMAX networks. It has been recognized as the major bottle-
neck in network capacity and is often responsible for poor performance. Frequency reuse implies that in a given coverage
area there are several cells that use a given set of frequencies. The cells that use the same frequency are called co-chan-
nel cells, and the interference from users with the same channel in the other co-channel cells is called co-channel inter-
ference. Unlike thermal noise which can be overcome by increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), co-channel
interference cannot be combated by simply increasing the carrier power of a transmitter. This is because an increase in
carrier transmit power will increase the interference to neighbouring co-channel cells. To reduce co-channel interference,
co-channel cells must be physically separated sufficiently by a distance, called the reuse distance. For a network with a
limited number of frequency channels, a large reuse distance can guarantee a high QoS for the system, but the capacity
will be decreased.
Another type of interference in WiMAX networks is the adjacent channel interference. Adjacent channel interference
results from imperfect receiver filters which allow nearby frequencies to interfere the used frequency channel. Adjacent
channel interference can be minimized through careful filtering and channel assignment.
In Atoll, a simulation is based on a realistic distribution of users at a given point in time. The distribution of users at a given
moment is referred to as a snapshot. Based on this snapshot, Atoll calculates various network parameters, such as the
downlink and uplink traffic loads, the uplink noise rise, the user throughputs, etc. Simulations are calculated in an iterative
fashion.
When several simulations are performed at the same time using the same traffic information, the distribution of users will
be different, according to a Poisson distribution. Consequently you can have variations in user distribution from one snap-
shot to another.
To create these snapshots, services and users must be modelled. As well, certain traffic information in the form of traffic
maps or subscriber lists must be provided. Once services and users have been modelled and traffic maps and subscriber
lists have been created, you can make simulations of the network traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Defining Multi-service Traffic Data" on page 641.
"Creating a Traffic Map" on page 641.
"Exporting a Traffic Map" on page 648.
"Subscriber Database" on page 648.
"Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations" on page 653.
11.2.1 Defining Multi-service Traffic Data
The first step in making a simulation is defining how the network is used. In Atoll, this is accomplished by creating all of
the parameters of network use, in terms of services, users, and equipment used.
The following services and users are modelled in Atoll in order to create simulations:
WiMAX radio bearers: Radio bearers are used by the network for carrying information. The WiMAX Radio
Bearer table lists all the available radio bearers. You can create new radio bearers and modify existing ones by
using the WiMAX Radio Bearer table. For information on defining radio bearers, see "Defining WiMAX Radio
Bearers" on page 664.
Services: Services are the various services, such as VoIP, FTP Download, etc., available to users. These serv-
ices can be either voice- or data-type services. For information on modelling end-user services, see "Modelling
Services" on page 627.
Mobility type: In WiMAX, information about receiver mobility is important to determine the users channel quality
and throughputs. For information on modelling mobility types, see "Modelling Mobility Types" on page 628.
Terminals: In WiMAX, a terminal is the user equipment that is used in the network, for example, a mobile phone,
a PDA, or a cars on-board navigation device. For information on modelling terminals, see "Modelling Terminals"
on page 628.
11.2.2 Creating a Traffic Map
The following sections describe the different types of traffic maps available in Atoll and how to create, import, and use
them. The different types of traffic data sources are:
The OMC (Operations and Maintenance Centre)
Marketing statistics
Population statistics
2G network traffic statistics
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Atoll provides four types of traffic maps for WiMAX projects. These maps can be used for the different types of traffic data
sources as follows:
Live traffic data from the OMC: Traffic maps per transmitter and per service, where traffic is spread over the
best server coverage area of each transmitter and each coverage area is assigned either the total throughput
demand or the number of users. For more information, see "Live Traffic Data From the OMC" on page 642 and
"Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 642.
Marketing-based traffic data: Traffic vector maps based on user profiles, where each vector (polygon or line)
carries densities of user profiles and mobility types, and traffic raster maps based on environments, where
each pixel has an environment class assigned. For more information, see "Marketing-Based Traffic Data" on
page 643, "Importing a User Profile-Based Traffic Map" on page 644, and "Importing an Environment Class-Based
Traffic Map" on page 646.
Population-based traffic data: Traffic raster maps based on user densities, where each pixel has an actual
user density assigned. For more information, see "Population-Based Traffic Data" on page 647 and "Importing a
Traffic Density Map" on page 647.
2G network statistics: Cumulated traffic maps. For more information, see "Converting 2G Network Traffic" on
page 648 and "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 648.
11.2.2.1 Live Traffic Data Fromthe OMC
The OMC (Operations and Maintenance Centre) collects data from all the cells in a network. This includes, for example,
the number of active users in each cell and the traffic characteristics related to different services. You can use this data to
create traffic maps containing the number of active users in each cell or the data transfer characteristics of all the services
in each cell.
The section "Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data" on page 642 explains how to use traffic data from the OMC in
Atoll to model traffic.
11.2.2.1.1 Creating a Traffic Map Based on Live Data
You can input the total throughput demand or the total number of users for each sector in this type of traffic map. A cover-
age prediction by transmitter is required to create this traffic map. If you do not already have a coverage prediction by trans-
mitter in your document, you must create and calculate it. For more information, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by
Transmitter" on page 615.
To create traffic map based on live data:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs) or Map based on Transmitters and Services
(# Users).
5. Click the Create Map button. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
6. Select a coverage prediction by transmitter from the list of available coverage predictions by transmitter.
7. Enter the data required in the Traffic per Transmitter dialogue:
- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (Throughputs), enter the throughput
demands in the uplink and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
- If you are creating a Map based on Transmitters and Services (# Users), enter the number of active users
in the uplink and downlink for each sector and for each listed service.
8. Click OK. The Cell Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
9. Select the Traffic tab. Enter the following:
a. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages
must total 100.
b. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
c. Under Clutter Distribution, for each clutter class, enter:
- A weight to spread the traffic over the vector.
- The percentage of indoor users. An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during Monte-Carlo
simulations.
10. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
Note: You can also import a traffic map from a file by clicking the Import a File button. You can
import AGD (Atoll Geographic Data) format files that you have exported from another Atoll
document.
Note: You can also import a text file containing the data by clicking the Actions button and select-
ing Import Table from the menu. For more information on importing table data, see "Import-
ing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
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You can update the information, throughput demands and the number of users, on the map afterwards. You can update
live traffic per sector maps if you add or remove a base station. You must first recalculate the coverage prediction by trans-
mitter. For more information, see "Making a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter" on page 615. Once you have recalcu-
lated the coverage prediction, you can update the traffic map.
To update the traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the traffic map based on live data that you want to update. The context menu appears.
4. Select Update from the context menu. The Traffic per Transmitter dialogue appears.
Select the updated coverage prediction by transmitter and define traffic values for the new transmitter(s) listed at
the bottom of the table. Deleted or deactivated transmitters are automatically removed from the table.
5. Click OK. The Traffic Map Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click OK. The traffic map is updated on the basis of the selected coverage prediction by transmitter.
11.2.2.2 Marketing-Based Traffic Data
The marketing department can provide information which can be used to create traffic maps. This information describes
the behaviour of different types of users. In other words, it describes which type of user accesses which services and for
how long. There may also be information about the type of terminal devices they use to access different services.
In Atoll, this type of data can be used to create traffic maps based on user profiles and environments.
A user profile models the behaviour of different user categories. Each user profile is defined by a list of services which are
in turn defined by the terminal used, the calls per hour, and duration (for voice-type calls) or uplink and downlink volume
(for data-type calls).
Environment classes are used to describe the distribution of users on a map. An environment class describes its environ-
ment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a given density (i.e., the number of users with
the same profile per km).
The sections "Importing a User Profile-Based Traffic Map" on page 644 and "Importing an Environment Class-Based Traf-
fic Map" on page 646 describe how to use traffic data from the marketing department in Atoll to model traffic.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Modelling User Profiles" on page 643.
"Modelling Environments" on page 644.
Modelling User Profiles
You can model variations in user behaviour by creating different profiles for different times of the day or for different circum-
stances. For example, a user may be considered a business user during the day, with video conferencing and voice, but
no web browsing. In the evening the same user might not use video conferencing, but might use multi-media services and
web browsing.
To create or modify a user profile:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the User Profiles folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The User Profiles New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. You can modify the following parameters:
- Name: Enter a descriptive name for the user profile.
- Service: Select a service from the list. For information on services, see "Modelling Services" on page 627.
- Terminal: Select a terminal from the list. For information on terminals, see "Modelling Terminals" on page 628.
- Calls/Hour: For voice-type services, enter the average number of calls per hour for the service. The calls per
hour is used to calculate the activity probability. For voice-type services, one call lasting 1000 seconds
presents the same activity probability as two calls lasting 500 seconds each.
For data-type services, the Calls/Hour value is defined as the number of sessions per hour. A session is like
a call in that it is defined as the period of time between when a user starts using a service and when he stops
using a service. In data-type services, however, he may not use the service continually. For example, with a
web-browsing service, a session starts when the user opens his browsing application and ends when he quits
the browsing application. Between these two events, the user may be downloading web pages and other times
he may not be using the application, or he may be browsing local files, but the session is still considered as
open. A session, therefore, is defined by the volume transferred in the uplink and downlink and not by the time.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing user profile by right-clicking the user profile in
the User Profiles folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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- Duration (sec.): For voice-type services, enter the average duration of a call in seconds. For data-type serv-
ices, this field is left blank.
- UL Volume (KBytes): For data-type services, enter the average uplink volume per session in kilobytes.
- DL Volume (KBytes): For data-type services, enter the average downlink volume per session in kilobytes.
6. Click OK.
Modelling Environments
An environment class describes its environment using a list of user profiles, each with an associated mobility type and a
given density (i.e., the number of users with the same profile per km). To get an appropriate user distribution, you can
assign a weight to each clutter class for each environment class. You can also specify the percentage of indoor subscribers
for each clutter class. In a Monte-Carlo simulation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be
added to the indoor users path loss.
To create or modify a WiMAX environment:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder.
3. Right-click the Environments folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Environments New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Click the General tab.
6. Enter a Name for the new WiMAX environment.
7. In the row marked with the New Row icon ( ), set the following parameters for each user profile/mobility com-
bination that this WiMAX environment will describe:
- User: Select a user profile.
- Mobility: Select a mobility type.
- Density (Subscribers/km
2
): Enter a density in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination
of user profile and mobility type.
8. Click the Clutter Weighting tab.
9. For each clutter class, enter a weight that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
For example: An area of 10 km with a user density is 100/km. Therefore, in this area, there are 1000 users. The
area is covered by two clutter classes: Open and Building. The clutter weighting for Open is "1" and for Building is
"4." Given the respective weights of each clutter class, 200 subscribers are in the Open clutter class and 800 in
the Building clutter class.
10. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor users for each clutter class. During a Monte Carlo simulation,
an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
11. Click OK.
11.2.2.2.1 Importing a User Profile-Based Traffic Map
User profile based traffic maps are composed of vectors (lines with a number of userskm or polygons with a number of
userskm) with a user profile, mobility type, and traffic density assigned to each vector.
To create a user profile based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
Note: In order for all the services defined for a user profile to be taken into account during traffic
scenario elaboration, the sum of activity probabilities must be lower than 1.
Note: You can modify the properties of an existing environment by right-clicking the environment
in the Environments folder and selecting Properties from the context menu.
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3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on User Profiles.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Traffic tab (see Figure 11.35). Under Traffic Fields, you can specify the user profiles to be considered,
their mobility type (kmh), and their density. If the file you are importing has this data, you can define the traffic
characteristics by identifying the corresponding fields in the file. If the file you are importing does not have data
describing the user profile, mobility, or density, you can assign values. When you assign values, they apply to the
entire map.
Figure 11.35: Traffic map properties dialogue - Traffic tab
Define each of the following:
- User Profile: If you want to import user profile information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and
select the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a user profile from the WiMAX 802.16d
Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and
select the user profile in the Choice column.
- Mobility: If you want to import mobility information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select
the source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a mobility type from the WiMAX 802.16d
Parameters or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder of the Data tab, under Defined, select "By value" and
select the mobility type in the Choice column.
- Density: If you want to import density information from the file, under Defined, select "By field" and select the
source field from the Choice column. If you want to assign a density, under Defined, select "By value" and
enter a density in the Choice column in terms of subscribers per square kilometre for the combination of user
profile and mobility type.
11. Under Clutter Distribution, enter a weight for each class that will be used to calculate a user distribution.
The user distribution is calculated using the following equation:
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class-Based
Traffic Map" on page 646.
Important: When you import user profile or mobility information from the file, the values in the file must
be exactly the same as the corresponding names in the WiMAX 802.16d Parameters or
WiMAX 802.16e Parameters folder of the Data tab. If the imported user profile or mobility
does not match, Atoll will display a warning.
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where:
= Number of users in the clutter k
= Number of users in the zone Area
= Weight of clutter k
= Surface area of clutter k (in square km)
12. If you wish you can specify a percentage of indoor subscribers for each clutter class. During a Monte Carlo simu-
lation, an additional loss (as defined in the clutter class properties) will be added to the indoor users path loss.
13. Click OK to finish importing the traffic map.
11.2.2.2.2 Importing an Environment Class-Based Traffic Map
Environment classes describe the distribution of user profiles.
To create a traffic map based on environment classes:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Environments.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Description tab.
In the imported map, each type of region is defined by a number. Atoll reads these numbers and lists them in the
Code column.
11. For each Code, select the environment it corresponds to from the Name column.
The environments available are those available in the Environments folder, under WiMAX 802.16d Parameters
or WiMAX 802.16e Parameters on the Data tab of the Explorer window. For more information, see "Modelling
Environments" on page 644.
12. Select the Display tab. For information on changing the display parameters, see "Display Properties of Objects"
on page 28.
13. Click OK.
11.2.2.2.3 Creating an Environment Class-Based Traffic Map
Atoll enables you to create an environment class based traffic map manually. If you are creating a map manually, and
click the Create Map button. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears.
To create a traffic map manually:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on environments (raster) as the type of map you want to create.
5. Click Create Map. The Environment Map Editor toolbar appears (see Figure 11.36).
Figure 11.36: Environment Map Editor toolbar
6. Select the environment class from the list of available environment classes.
7. Click the Draw Polygon button ( ) to draw the polygon on the map for the selected environment class.
N
k
N
Area
W
k
S
k
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class-Based
Traffic Map" on page 646.
Draw Map Delete Map
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8. Click the Delete Polygon button ( ) and click the polygon to delete the environment class polygon on the map.
9. Click the Close button to close the Environment Map Editor toolbar and end editing.
11.2.2.2.4 Displaying Statistics on an Environment Class-Based Traffic Map
You can display the statistics of an environment traffic map. Atoll provides absolute (surface) and relative (percentage of
the surface) statistics on the focus zone for each environment class. If you do not have a focus zone defined, statistics are
determined for the computation zone.
To display traffic statistics of an environment class based traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the environment class based traffic map you whose statistics you want to display. The context menu
appears.
4. Select Statistics from the context menu. The Statistics window appears.
The Statistics window lists the surface (Si in km) and the percentage of surface (% of i) for each environment
class "i" within the focus zone. The percentage of surface is given by:
You can print the statistics by clicking the Print button.
5. Click Close.
If a clutter classes map is available in the document, traffic statistics provided for each environment class are listed per
clutter class.
11.2.2.3 Population-Based Traffic Data
Population-based traffic data can be based on population statistics and user densities can be deduced from the density of
inhabitants. In the traffic maps based on population statistics, you can enter the number of active, potential, users, per unit
surface, i.e., the density of users.
11.2.2.3.1 Importing a Traffic Density Map
The traffic density map defines the density of users per pixel. For a traffic density of X users per km, Atoll will distribute
x users per pixel during the simulations, where x depends on the size of the pixels. These x users will have a terminal, a
mobility type, a service, and percentage of indoor users as defined in the Traffic tab of the traffic density maps properties
dialogue.
You can create a number of traffic density maps for different combinations of terminals, mobility types, and services. You
can add vector layers to the map and draw regions with different traffic densities.
To create a traffic density map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New Map from the context menu. The New Traffic Map dialogue appears.
4. Select Map based on Traffic Densities.
5. Click the Import a File button. The Open dialogue appears.
6. Select the file to import.
7. Click Open. The File Import dialogue appears.
8. Select Traffic from the Data Type list.
9. Click Import. Atoll imports the traffic map. The traffic maps properties dialogue appears.
10. Select the Traffic tab.
11. Select whether the users are active in the Uplink/Downlink, only in the Downlink, or only in the Uplink.
12. Under Terminals (%), enter the percentage of each type of terminal used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
13. Under Mobilities (%), enter the percentage of each mobility type used in the map. The total percentages must
total 100.
14. Under Services (%), enter the percentage of each service type used in the map. The total percentages must total
100.
15. Under Clutter Distribution, enter for each clutter class the percentage of indoor users.
% of i
S
i
S
k
k

-------------- 100 =
Note: You can also create a traffic map manually in Atoll by clicking the Create Map button in the
New Traffic Map dialogue. For information, see "Creating an Environment Class-Based
Traffic Map" on page 646.
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An additional loss will be counted for indoor users during the Monte Carlo simulations. You do not have to define
a clutter weighting for traffic density maps because the traffic is provided in terms of user density per pixel.
16. Click OK. Atoll creates the traffic map in the Traffic folder.
11.2.2.4 Converting 2G Network Traffic
Atoll provides a feature which can cumulate the traffic of the traffic maps that you select and export it to a file. The infor-
mation exported is the number of active users per km for a particular service of a particular type, i.e., data or voice. This
allows you to export your 2G network packet and circuit service traffic, and then import these maps as traffic density maps
into your WiMAX document. These maps can then be used in traffic simulations like any other type of maps.
For more information on how to export cumulated traffic, see "Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 648, and for informa-
tion on importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 647.
To import a 2G traffic map into a WiMAX document:
1. Create a live data traffic map in your 2G document for each type of service, i.e., one map for packet-switched and
one for circuit-switched services. For more information on creating live data traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map Based on Live Data" on page 642.
2. Export the cumulated traffic of the maps created in step 1. For information on exporting cumulated traffic, see
"Exporting Cumulated Traffic" on page 648.
3. Import the traffic exported in step 2 to your WiMAX document as a traffic density map. For more information on
importing traffic density maps, see "Importing a Traffic Density Map" on page 647.
11.2.2.5 Exporting Cumulated Traffic
Atoll allows you to export the cumulated traffic of all the traffic maps. The cumulated traffic can be exported in 32-bit BIL
and ArcViewGrid formats.
To export the cumulated traffic:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Traffic folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export Cumulated Traffic from the context menu.
4. Enter a file name and select the file format.
5. Click Save. The Export dialogue appears.
6. Specify the area to export, the terminals, mobility types, and service, the traffic maps to consider, and the export
resolution.
7. Click OK.
11.2.3 Exporting a Traffic Map
To export a traffic map:
1. Click the Geo tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Traffic folder.
3. Right-click the traffic map you want to export. The context menu appears.
4. Select Save as from the context menu.
5. Enter a file name and select a file format for the traffic map.
6. Click Save.
For raster traffic map you have to define:
The Export Region:
- Entire Project Area: Saves the whole traffic map.
- Only Pending Changes: Saves the modifications made to the map only.
- Computation Zone: Saves only the part of the traffic map inside the computation zone.
An export Resolution.
11.2.4 Subscriber Database
The WiMAX BWA module includes a subscriber database for modelling fixed user distributions in a network. A subscriber
database can be used for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks, like the IEEE 802.16d. The subscribers database
consists of subscriber lists. You can create subscriber lists in Atoll by adding subscribers to the list using the mouse, or
by copying data from any other source, such as a spreadsheet. You can also directly import subscriber lists in Atoll from
text (.txt) and comma separated value (.csv) files.
Atoll can allocate reference or serving base stations (cells) to subscribers. You can also have the subscriber antenna
oriented towards its serving cell to decrease interference. The automatic server allocation performs a number of calcula-
tions on the subscriber locations.
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In this section, the following are explained:
"Creating a Subscriber List" on page 649.
"Performing Calculations on Subscriber lists" on page 652.
11.2.4.1 Creating a Subscriber List
You create subscribers in Atoll in two steps. First, you create a subscriber list, and then you add subscribers to the list.
You can add subscribers to the list directly on the map using the mouse. For more information, see "Adding Subscribers
to a Subscriber List Using the Mouse" on page 651.
If you need to create a large number of subscribers, Atoll gives you the possibility of importing them from another Atoll
document or from an external source. For information, see "Importing a Subscriber List" on page 651.
To create a subscriber list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Subscribers folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New List from the context menu. The Subscriber List N Properties dialogue appears (see Figure 11.37),
where N is an incremental digit.
Figure 11.37: New subscriber list dialogue - General tab
4. Select the General tab.
- You can enter a Name for the subscriber list.
- You can choose a Coordinate System for the subscriber list.
- You can Sort the subscriber list. For information on filtering, see "Sorting Data" on page 53.
- You can create a Filter to select subscribers. For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
5. Click the Table tab. On the Table tab you can modify the various fields in the subscriber list, add your own user-
defined fields to the table, or, most importantly, change the default parameters for the fields in the table. These
default parameters will be assigned to all the subscribers in this list created by using the mouse on the map (see
Figure 11.38). To modify the default values for these fields:
a. Select the field whose default value you want to modify.
b. Click Properties. The Field Definition dialogue appears.
c. Enter the new default value.
d. Click OK.
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Figure 11.38: New subscriber list dialogue - Table tab
The following parameters are available by default in a new subscriber list:
- ID: The subscriber ID in the subscriber list. It is an automatically created identification number.
- X and Y coordinates: The geographical coordinates of the subscriber. A subscriber location always remains
fixed.
- Height: The altitude of the subscriber antenna with respect to the ground (DTM).
- Name: You can assign a descriptive name to each subscriber.
- User Profile: A user profile defines the traffic demand characteristics of subscribers. Atoll determines the
activity status of subscribers during simulations according to the information in the user profiles. For more
information, see "Modelling User Profiles" on page 643.
- Terminal: A terminal (CPE) is the user equipment with an antenna, reception equipment, and noise charac-
teristics.
- Azimuth: The orientation of the subscriber antenna in the horizontal plane. Azimuth is always considered with
respect to the north. You can either define this value manually or let Atoll calculate it for the subscriber. Atoll
points the subscriber antenna towards its serving base station.
- Mechanical Downtilt: The orientation of the subscriber antenna in the vertical plane. Mechanical downtilt is
positive when it is downwards and negative when upwards. You can either define this value manually or let
Atoll calculate it for the subscriber. Atoll points the subscriber antenna towards its serving base station.
- Lock Status: You can choose to lock the subscriber antenna orientation and server. Use this option if you do
not want Atoll to change the assigned server or the antenna orientation.
- Serving Base Station: The serving transmitter of the subscriber. You can either define this value manually
or let Atoll calculate it for the subscriber.
- Reference Cell: The reference cell of the serving transmitter of the subscriber. You can either define this value
manually or let Atoll calculate it for the subscriber.
- Received Power (DL) (dBm): The signal level received at the subscriber location in the downlink. This value
is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Interference + Noise (DL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the subscriber location in the
downlink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- C/(I+N) (DL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the subscriber location in the downlink. This value is generated by Atoll
during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Bearer (DL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the subscriber location in the down-
link. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- BLER (DL): The Block Error Rate read from the subscribers terminal types reception equipment for the
C(I+N) level at the subscriber location in the downlink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations
on subscriber lists.
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the subscriber location in the downlink. This value is generated by Atoll during the
calculations on subscriber lists.
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the subscriber location in the downlink. This value is generated by Atoll during the
calculations on subscriber lists.
- Received Power (UL) (dBm): The signal level received at the serving transmitter from the subscriber terminal
in the uplink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Interference + Noise (UL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the serving transmitter of the
subscriber in the uplink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- C/(I+N) (UL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink. This value is gener-
ated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Bearer (UL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the serving transmitter of the sub-
scriber in the uplink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
- BLER (UL): The Block Error Rate read from the reference cells reception equipment for the C/(I+N) level at
the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations
on subscriber lists.
- Transmission Power (UL) (dBm): The transmission power of the subscribers terminal after power control in
the uplink. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Number of Used Subchannels (UL): The number of subchannels being used by the subscriber in the uplink
after subchannelisation. This value is generated by Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink. This value is generated by
Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput available using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink. This value is generated by
Atoll during the calculations on subscriber lists.
For more information on the calculations that you can carry out on subscriber lists, see "Performing Calculations
on Subscriber lists" on page 652.
6. Click the Display tab. You can modify how subscribers added to the list will be displayed. For information on
defining the display properties, see "Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
7. Click OK. Atoll creates a new subscriber list.
You can now move the cursor over the map and click once to place a new subscriber at the location of the cursor. Press
ESC or click the Selection button ( ), to finish adding subscribers on the map. For information on adding subscribers to
a list, see "Adding Subscribers to a Subscriber List Using the Mouse" on page 651.
You can open the subscriber list table containing all the subscribers and their parameters.
To open the subscriber list table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Subscribers folder.
3. Right-click the subscriber list you want to open. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open Table from the context menu.
For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
11.2.4.1.1 Adding Subscribers to a Subscriber List Using the Mouse
You can use the mouse to add subscribers to an existing subscriber list. Atoll applies the default parameters defined in
the Table tab of the subscriber list Properties dialogue to all the subscribers you add to the list. For more information on
the Table tab, see "Creating a Subscriber List" on page 649.
To add subscribers to a subscriber list using the mouse:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Subscribers folder.
3. Right-click the subscriber list to which you want to add subscribers. The context menu appears.
4. Select Add Subscribers from the context menu. The cursor changes to subscriber addition mode ( ).
5. Move the mouse over the Map window, and click once to add each subscriber.
6. Press ESC or click the normal cursor button ( ) to finish adding subscribers.
11.2.4.1.2 Importing a Subscriber List
You can also import subscriber lists from text files (.txt) or Microsoft Excel comma separated value files (.csv).
To import a subscriber list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Subscribers folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Import from the context menu.
For more information on importing table data, see "Importing Tables from External Files" on page 49.
Note: In Atoll, channel throughputs are peak RLC, effective RLC, or application level throughputs
achieved at a given location using the best possible WiMAX bearer with the entire channel
resources.
Tips:
To place the subscribers more accurately, before clicking the map, you can zoom in on the
map. For information on using the zooming tools, see "Changing the Map Scale" on
page 37.
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11.2.4.2 Performing Calculations on Subscriber lists
You can perform calculations on subscriber lists without having to carry out simulations first. Atoll does not base compu-
tations performed on subscriber lists on the path loss matrices calculated for transmitters. This is because the path loss
matrices are calculated for a given receiver height (1.5 m by default), but each subscriber in a subscriber list can have a
different height. Therefore, Atoll recalculates the path loss, received power, and other output, for each subscriber when
you perform calculations based on subscribers.
Atoll includes an Automatic Server Allocation feature which performs the following for all the subscribers in a list:
Azimuth: The orientation of the subscriber antenna in the horizontal plane. Azimuth is always considered with
respect to the North. Atoll calculates this value according to the serving base station if the Lock Status field is
set to either Server or None. Atoll points the subscriber antenna towards its serving base station.
Mechanical Downtilt: The orientation of the subscriber antenna in the vertical plane. Mechanical downtilt is pos-
itive when it is downwards and negative when upwards. Atoll calculates this value according to the serving base
station if the Lock Status field is set to either Server or None. Atoll points the subscriber antenna towards its
serving base station.
Serving Base Station: The serving transmitter of the subscriber. Atoll determines the serving base station for
subscribers whose Lock Status field is set to None.
Reference Cell: The reference cell of the serving transmitter of the subscriber. Atoll determines the reference
cells for subscribers whose Lock Status field is set to None.
Received Power (DL) (dBm): The signal level received at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Interference + Noise (DL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the subscriber location in the
downlink.
C/(I+N) (DL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Bearer (DL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Permutation Zone ID (DL) (Available in WiMAX 802.16e documents only): The permutation zone number of the
downlink permutation zone allocated to the subscriber.
BLER (DL): The Block Error Rate read from the subscribers terminal types reception equipment for the C/(I+N)
level at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Peak RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Effective RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the subscriber location in the downlink.
Received Power (UL) (dBm): The signal level received at the serving transmitter from the subscriber terminal in
the uplink.
Interference + Noise (UL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the serving transmitter of the
subscriber in the uplink.
C/(I+N) (UL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink.
Bearer (UL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the serving transmitter of the subscriber
in the uplink.
Permutation Zone ID (UL) (Available in WiMAX 802.16e documents only): The permutation zone number of the
uplink permutation zone allocated to the subscriber.
BLER (UL): The Block Error Rate read from the reference cells reception equipment for the C/(I+N) level at the
serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink.
Transmission Power (UL) (dBm): The transmission power of the subscribers terminal after power control in the
uplink.
Number of Used Subchannels (UL): The number of subchannels being used by the subscriber in the uplink after
subchannelisation.
Peak RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink.
Effective RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the subscriber in the uplink.
To perform calculations on a subscriber list:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Subscribers folder.
3. Right-click the subscriber list on which you want to perform calculations. The context menu appears.
4. Select Calculations > Automatic Server Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Server Allocation
dialogue appears.
If you want the calculations to consider shadowing, you can select the Shadowing taken into account check box
and enter a percentage in the Cell Edge Coverage Probability text box. The shadowing margin for signal level
Note: You can also export subscriber lists. For information on exporting table data, see "Exporting
Tables to External Files" on page 48.
Notes:
A default Power Control Margin of 1 dB is taken into account during the power control process.
In Atoll, channel throughputs are peak RLC, effective RLC, or application level throughputs
achieved at a given location using the best possible WiMAX bearer with the entire channel
resources.
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calculations is based on the model standard deviation, and the shadowing margin for C/(I+N) calculations is based
on the C/I standard deviation.
5. Click Calculate to start the calculations. The progress of the calculation, as well as any error messages, is dis-
played in the Event Viewer.
6. Once the calculations are finished, click Close to close the Event Viewer.
7. Click Commit to store the results in the subscriber list.
11.2.5 Calculating and Displaying Traffic Simulations
To plan and optimise WiMAX networks, it is a basic requirement to be able to study the network capacity and to study the
network coverage taking into account realistic user distribution and traffic demand scenarios.
In Atoll, a simulation corresponds to a given distribution of WiMAX users. It is a snap-shot of a WiMAX network. The prin-
cipal outputs of a simulation are a geographic user distribution with a certain traffic demand, resources allocated to each
user of this distribution, and cell traffic loads.
You can create groups for one or more simulations and carry out as many simulations as required. A new simulation for
each different traffic scenario can help visualise the networks response to different traffic demands. Each user distribution
(each simulation generates a new user distribution) is a Poisson distribution of the number of active users. Therefore, each
simulation may have a varying number of users accessing the network.
WiMAX simulation results can be displayed on the map as well as listed in tabular form for analysis. Simulation outputs
are divided into two categories: results related to cells and results related to mobiles.
WiMAX simulation results can be stored in the cells table and used in C/(I+N), bearer, and throughput coverage predic-
tions.
In this section, the following are explained:
"WiMAX Traffic Simulation Algorithm" on page 653.
"Creating Simulations" on page 655.
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map" on page 656.
"Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation" on page 658.
"Updating Cell Load Values With Simulation Results" on page 659.
"Estimating a Traffic Increase" on page 660.
11.2.5.1 WiMAX Traffic Simulation Algorithm
The simulation process in WiMAX consists of the following steps:
1. Mobile Generation and Distribution
Simulations require traffic data, such as traffic maps (raster, vector, or live traffic data) or subscriber lists. Atoll
generates a user distribution for each simulation using a Monte Carlo algorithm. This user distribution is based on
the traffic data input and is weighted by a Poisson distribution.
Each mobile generated during the simulations is assigned a service, a mobility type, and a terminal according to
the user profile assigned to it. A transmission status is determined according to the connection probabilities. The
transmission status is an important output of the simulation as it has a direct impact on the next step of the simu-
lation process, i.e., the radio resource management (RRM), and has an impact on the interference level in the
network.
The geographical location of each mobile is determined randomly for the mobiles generated based on the traffic
data from traffic maps. The mobiles generated based on the traffic data from subscriber lists are located on the
subscriber locations.
2. Best Server Determination
Atoll determines the best server for each mobile based on the signal level in the downlink.
3. Downlink Computations
The downlink computations include the calculation of downlink C/(I+N), determination of the best available bearer
for that C/(I+N), allocation of resources (RRM), and calculation of user throughputs.
Segmentation is performed if the frame configuration selected for a cell supports segmentation. Interference calcu-
lation is based on the probabilities of collision between segments. The effect of power concentration is not consid-
ered.
4. Uplink Computations
The uplink computations include the calculation of uplink C/(I+N), determination of the best available bearer for
that C/(I+N), uplink power control and subchannelisation depending on the bearer, allocation of resources (RRM),
update of uplink noise rise values for cells, and calculation of user throughputs.
A default Power Control Margin of 1 dB is taken into account during the power control process.
Radio Resource Management and Cell Load Computation
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Atoll uses an intelligent scheduling algorithm to perform radio resource management. The scheduling algorithm
is explained in detail in the Technical Reference Guide. The scheduler:
a. Determines the total amount of resources in each cell
b. Selects the first N users from the users generated by the 1st step, where N is the Max Number of Users de-
fined in the cell properties.
c. Sorts the users in the decreasing order of service priority
d. Allocates the resources required to satisfy the minimum throughput demands of the users starting from the
first user (with the highest priority service) to the last user.
e. (If resources still remain in the resource pool after this allocation) divides the resources into as many portions
as the number of users that have a maximum throughput demand.
f. Allocates the same portion to all the users with maximum throughput demands.
g. (If a users maximum throughput demand is satisfied by resources less than this portion) only allocates the
part of this portion required by the user and stores the rest of the resources in a remaining resource pool.
h. Repeats steps e. through g. until either all the resources have been allocated or all the users throughput de-
mands have been satisfied.
Figure 11.39 shows the WiMAX simulation algorithm.
Figure 11.39: WiMAX simulation algorithm
Note: The service priority is determined by the pair (QoS Class, Priority). A UGS-Priority 1 service
will have higher service priority than a UGS-Priority 0 service. The QoS classes are UGS,
rtPS, ErtPS, nrtPS, and Best Effort, in the order of decreasing priority.
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11.2.5.2 Creating Simulations
In Atoll, simulations enable you to study the capacity of your WiMAX network and model the different network regulation
mechanisms, such as power control, subchannelisation, and scheduling, in order to optimise network quality and maximise
capacity.
You can create one simulation or a group of simulations that will be performed in sequence. You must have at least one
traffic map or subscriber list in your document to be able to perform simulations.
To create a simulation or a group of simulations:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select New from the context menu. The properties dialogue for a new simulation or group of simulations appears.
4. On the General tab of the dialogue, enter a Name and Comments for this simulation or group of simulations.
5. Under Execution on the General tab, you can set the following parameters:
- Number of Simulations: Enter the number of simulations to be carried out. All simulations created at the
same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
- Execute Later: If you select the Execute Later check box, the simulation will not be carried out until you click
the Calculate button ( ). If the Execute Later check box is not selected, the simulation will be carried out
as soon as you click OK and close the dialogue.
6. On the Source Traffic tab, enter the following:
- Global Scaling Factor: If desired, enter a scaling factor to increase user density.
The global scaling factor enables you to increase user density without changing traffic parameters or traffic
maps. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of subscrib-
ers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps per sector).
- Select Traffic Maps to Be Used: Select the traffic maps you want to use for the simulation.
- Select Subscriber Lists to Be Used: Select the subscriber lists you want to use for the simulation.
7. Click the Advanced tab.
8. Under Generator Initialisation, enter an integer as the generator initialisation value. If you enter "0", the default,
the user and shadowing error distribution will be random. If you enter any other integer, the same user and shad-
owing error distribution will be used for any simulation using the same generator initialisation value.
9. Under Convergence, enter the following parameters:
- Max Number of Iterations: Enter the maximum number of iterations that Atoll should run to make conver-
gence.
- DL Traffic Load Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of downlink traffic load that
must be reached between two iterations.
- UL Traffic Load Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of uplink traffic load that
must be reached between two iterations.
- UL Noise Rise Convergence Threshold: Enter the relative difference in terms of uplink noise rise that must
be reached between two iterations.
Note: Execute Later enables you to automatically calculate WiMAX coverage predictions after
simulations with no intermediary step by creating your simulations, creating your predictions
and then clicking the Calculate button ( ).
Important: Select only traffic maps of the same type. If you have several different types of maps and
want to make simulations on each type, you must create a different simulation for each
type of traffic map. For information on the types of traffic maps, see "Creating a Traffic
Map" on page 641.
Note: When you perform simulations for subscriber lists, Atoll does not base the computations on
subscriber lists on the path loss matrices calculated for transmitters. This is because the
path loss matrices are calculated for a given receiver height (1.5 m by default), but each
subscriber in a subscriber list can have a different height. Therefore, Atoll recalculates the
path loss, received power, and other output, for each subscriber when you perform simula-
tions on subscribers.
Tip: Using the same generated user and shadowing error distribution for several simulations can
be useful when you want to compare the results of several simulations where only one
parameter changes.
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10. Click OK. Atoll immediately begins the simulation unless you selected the Execute Later check box on the Gen-
eral tab.
All simulations created at the same time are grouped together in a folder on the Data tab of the Explorer window. You can
now use the results from completed simulations for WiMAX coverage predictions.
11.2.5.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution on the Map
Atoll enables you to display on the map the distribution of the traffic generated by all simulations according to different
parameters. You can, for example, display the traffic according to activity status, service, reference cell, or throughputs.
You can set the display of the traffic distribution according to discrete values and the select the value to be displayed. Or,
you can select the display of the traffic distribution according to value intervals, and then select the parameter and the
value intervals that are to be displayed. You can also define the colours of the icon and the icon itself.
For information on changing display characteristics, see "Defining the Display Properties of Objects" on page 28.
In this section are the following examples of traffic distribution:
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Activity Status" on page 656.
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service" on page 656.
"Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Throughput" on page 657.
11.2.5.3.1 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Activity Status
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by the activity status.
To display the traffic distribution by the activity status:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The WiMAX Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Activity Status" as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by activity status (see Figure 11.40).
Figure 11.40: Displaying the traffic distribution by activity status
11.2.5.3.2 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Service
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by service.
To display the traffic distribution by service:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The WiMAX Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Discrete values" as the Display Type and "Service" as the Field.
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by service (see Figure 11.41).
Tip: You can make the traffic distribution easier to see by hiding geographic data and coverage
predictions. For information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the
Explorer" on page 26.
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Figure 11.41: Displaying the traffic distribution by service
11.2.5.3.3 Displaying the Traffic Distribution by Throughput
In this example, the traffic distribution is displayed by throughput.
To display the traffic distribution by throughput:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The WiMAX Simulations Properties dialogue appears.
4. On the Display tab of the dialogue, select "Value intervals" as the Display Type and any one of the following
throughput types as the Field:
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (DL)
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (DL)
- Application Channel Throughput (DL)
- Peak RLC User Throughput (DL)
- Effective RLC User Throughput (DL)
- Application User Throughput (DL)
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (UL)
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (UL)
- Application Channel Throughput (UL)
- Peak RLC User Throughput (UL)
- Effective RLC User Throughput (UL)
- Application User Throughput (UL)
5. Click OK. The traffic distribution is now displayed by throughput (see Figure 11.42).
Figure 11.42: Displaying the traffic distribution by throughput
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11.2.5.3.4 Displaying Traffic Simulation Results Using Tooltips
You can display information by placing the cursor over a mobile generated during a simulation to read the information
displayed in the tool tips. The information displayed is defined by the settings you made on the Display tab. For information
on defining the tooltips, see "Defining the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31
To display simulation results in the form of tool tips:
In the map window, place the cursor over the user that you want more information on. After a brief pause, the tool
tip appears with the information defined in the Display tab of the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e
Simulations folder properties (see Figure 11.43).
Figure 11.43: Displaying the traffic simulation results using tool tips
11.2.5.4 Displaying the Results of a Single Simulation
After you have created a simulation, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 655, you can display the results.
To access the results of a single simulation:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations folder.
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose results
you want to access.
4. Right-click the simulation. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears. The tabs in the simulation
properties dialogue contain simulation results as identified by the tab title.
The Cells tab: The Cells tab contains the following information, per site and transmitter:
- DL Traffic Load (%): The traffic loads of the cells calculated on the downlink during the simulation.
- UL Traffic Load (%): The traffic loads of the cells calculated on the uplink during the simulation.
- UL Noise Rise (dB): The traffic loads of the cells calculated on the downlink during the simulation.
The Mobiles tab: The Mobiles tab contains the following information:
- X and Y: The coordinates of users who attempt to connect (the geographic position is determined by the
second random trial).
- Height: The height of the user terminal (antenna).
- User Profile: The assigned user profile. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the
terminal and the user profile.
- Service: The service assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Terminal: The assigned terminal. Atoll uses the assigned service and activity status to determine the terminal
and the user profile.
- Mobility: The mobility type assigned during the first random trial during the generation of the user distribution.
- Activity Status: The assigned activity status. It can be DL, UL, or DL+UL.
- Clutter Class: The code of the clutter class where the user is located.
- Subscriber ID: The ID of the user if it is generated based on a subscriber from a subscriber list and not from
a traffic map.
- Subscriber List: The subscriber list of the user if it is generated based on a subscriber from a subscriber list
and not from a traffic map
- Serving Base Station: The serving transmitter of the subscriber.
- Reference Cell: The reference cell of the serving transmitter of the subscriber.
- Total Path Loss (dB): The path loss calculated for the user.
- Received Power (DL) (dBm): The signal level received at the user location in the downlink.
- Azimuth: The orientation of the users terminal antenna in the horizontal plane. Azimuth is always considered
with respect to the North. Atoll points the user antenna towards its serving base station.
- Downtilt: The orientation of the users terminal antenna in the vertical plane. Mechanical downtilt is positive
when it is downwards and negative when upwards. Atoll points the user antenna towards its serving base sta-
tion.
- Interference + Noise (DL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the user location in the down-
link.
- C/(I+N) (DL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the user location in the downlink.
- Bearer (DL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the user location in the downlink.
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- Permutation Zone ID (DL) (Available in WiMAX 802.16e documents only): The permutation zone number of
the downlink permutation zone allocated to the user.
- BLER (DL): The Block Error Rate read from the users terminal types reception equipment for the C/(I+N)
level at the user location in the downlink.
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the user location in the downlink.
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the user location in the downlink. It is calculated from the peak RLC throughput and
the BLER.
- Application Level Channel Throughput (DL) (kbps): The application level throughput is the net throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the effective RLC throughput,
the throughput scaling factor of the service and the throughput offset.
- Peak RLC User Throughput (DL) (kbps): The maximum RLC user throughput attainable using the highest
bearer available at the user location in the downlink.
- Effective RLC User Throughput (DL) (kbps): The effective RLC user throughput attainable using the highest
bearer available at the user location in the downlink. It is calculated from the peak RLC throughput and the
BLER.
- Application Level User Throughput (DL) (kbps): The application level throughput is the net throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the effective RLC throughput,
the throughput scaling factor of the service and the throughput offset.
- Received Power (UL) (dBm): The signal level received at the serving transmitter from the user terminal in
the uplink.
- Interference + Noise (UL) (dBm): The interference +noise level experienced at the serving transmitter of the
user in the uplink.
- C/(I+N) (UL) (dB): The C/(I+N) at the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink.
- Bearer (UL): The highest WiMAX bearer available for the C/(I+N) level at the serving transmitter of the user
in the uplink.
- Permutation Zone ID (UL) (Available in WiMAX 802.16e documents only): The permutation zone number of
the uplink permutation zone allocated to the user.
- BLER (UL): The Block Error Rate read from the reference cells reception equipment for the C/(I+N) level at
the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink.
- Transmission Power (UL) (dBm): The transmission power of the user terminal after power control in the
uplink.
- Number of Used Subchannels (UL): The number of subchannels being used by the user in the uplink after
subchannelisation.
- Peak RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The maximum RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink.
- Effective RLC Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The effective RLC channel throughput attainable using the
highest bearer available at the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink. It is calculated from the peak RLC
throughput and the BLER.
- Application Level Channel Throughput (UL) (kbps): The application level throughput is the net throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the effective RLC throughput,
the throughput scaling factor of the service and the throughput offset.
- Peak RLC User Throughput (UL) (kbps): The maximum RLC user throughput attainable using the highest
bearer available at the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink.
- Effective RLC User Throughput (UL) (kbps): The effective RLC user throughput attainable using the highest
bearer available at the serving transmitter of the user in the uplink. It is calculated from the peak RLC
throughput and the BLER.
- Application Level User Throughput (UL) (kbps): The application level throughput is the net throughput
without coding (redundancy, overhead, addressing, etc.). It is calculated from the effective RLC throughput,
the throughput scaling factor of the service and the throughput offset.
11.2.5.5 Updating Cell Load Values With Simulation Results
After you have created a simulation or a group of simulations, as explained in "Creating Simulations" on page 655, you
can update cell load values for each cell with the results calculated during the simulation. The following values are updated:
DL Traffic Load
UL Traffic Load
UL Noise Rise
Note: A default Power Control Margin of 1 dB is taken into account during the power control proc-
ess.
Note: In Atoll, channel throughputs are peak RLC, effective RLC, or application level throughputs
achieved at a given location using the best possible WiMAX bearer with the entire channel
resources.
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To update cell values with simulation results:
1. Display the simulation results:
a. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the WiMAX 802.16d Simulations or WiMAX 802.16e Simulations
folder.
c. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the folder of the simulation group containing the simulation whose re-
sults you want to access.
d. Select Properties from the context menu. A simulation properties dialogue appears.
2. Click the Cells tab.
3. On the Cells tab, click Commit Loads. The following values are updated for each cell:
- DL Traffic Load
- UL Traffic Load
- UL Noise Rise
11.2.5.6 Estimating a Traffic Increase
When you create simulation or a group of simulations, you are basing it on a set of traffic conditions that represent the
situation you are creating the network for. However, traffic can, and in fact most likely will, increase. You can test the
performance of the network against an increase of traffic load without changing traffic parameters or maps by using the
global scaling factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the initial number of
subscribers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps per sector).
To change the global scaling factor:
1. Create a simulation or group of simulations as described in "Creating Simulations" on page 655.
2. Click the Source Traffic tab of the properties dialogue.
3. Enter a Global Scaling Factor. For example, setting the global scaling factor to 2 is the same as doubling the
initial number of subscribers (for environment and user profile traffic maps) or the rates/users (for live traffic maps
per sector).
11.3 Advanced Configuration
The following sections describe different advanced parameters and options available in the WiMAX module that are used
in coverage predictions as well as Monte Carlo simulations.
In this section, the following advanced configuration options are explained:
"Glossary of WiMAX Terms" on page 660.
"Defining Frequency Bands" on page 661.
"The Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 661.
"Defining Frame Configurations" on page 663.
"Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers" on page 664.
"Defining WiMAX Quality Indicators" on page 664.
"Defining WiMAX Reception Equipment" on page 665.
"Defining Adaptive Antenna Equipment" on page 667.
"Modelling Shadowing" on page 668.
11.3.1 Glossary of WiMAX Terms
Understanding the following terms and there use in Atoll is very helpful in understanding the WiMAX module:
User: A general term used interchangeably with subscribers, mobiles, and receivers.
Subscriber: Term used for users with fixed geographical coordinates.
Mobile: Term used to indicate the users generated and distributed during simulations. These users have, among
other parameters, definite services, terminal types, and mobility types assigned for the duration of the simulations.
Receiver: A probe mobile, with the minimum required parameters needed for the computation of path loss, used
for propagation loss and raster coverage prediction studies.
Bearer: Defines a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) used to carry data over the channel.
Peak RLC Throughput: The maximum RLC layer throughput (user or channel) that can be achieved at a given
location using the best possible WiMAX bearer. This throughput is the raw data rate without considering the effects
of retransmission due to errors and higher layer coding and encryption.
Effective RLC Throughput: The net RLC layer throughput (user or channel) that can be achieved at a given loca-
tion using the best possible WiMAX bearer computed taking into account the reduction of throughput due to
retransmission due to errors.
Application Throughput: The application layer throughput (user or channel) that can be achieved at a given loca-
tion using the best possible WiMAX bearer computed taking into account the reduction of throughput due to PDU/
SDU header information, padding, encryption, coding, and other types of overhead.
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Channel Throughputs: Peak RLC, effective RLC or application level throughputs achieved at a given location
using the best possible WiMAX bearer with the entire channel resources.
User Throughputs: Peak RLC, effective RLC or application level throughputs achieved at a given location using
the best possible WiMAX bearer with the amount of resources allocated to a user by the scheduler.
Traffic Loads: The uplink and downlink traffic loads are the percentages of the uplink and the downlink subframes
in use (allocated) to the traffic (mobiles) in the uplink and in the downlink, respectively.
Uplink Noise Rise: Uplink noise rise is the measure of uplink interference with respect to the uplink noise.
11.3.2 Defining Frequency Bands
To define frequency bands:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Network Settings > Frequencies > Bands from the context menu.
4. In the table, enter one frequency band per row. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with
Data Tables" on page 41. For each frequency band, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the frequency band, for example, "3.3 GHz - 1.5 MHz." Each WiMAX frequency band
has a specific channel bandwidth. Mentioning the channel bandwidth in the frequency band name is a good
approach. This name will appear in other dialogues when you select a frequency band.
- Channel Width (MHz): Enter the channel bandwidth for each channel in the frequency band.
- First Channel: Enter the number of the first channel in this frequency band.
- Last Channel: Enter the number of the last channel in this frequency band. If this frequency band has only
one carrier, enter the same number as entered in the First Channel field.
- Excluded Channels: Enter the channel numbers which do not constitute the frequency band.
- Start Frequencies (MHz): Enter the start frequency for TDD frequency bands, and the downlink and the
uplink start frequencies for FDD frequency bands.
- Adjacent Channel Suppression Factor (dB): Enter the adjacent channel interference suppression factor in
dB. Interference received from adjacent channels is reduced by this factor during the calculations.
- Sampling Factor: Enter the sampling factor for converting the channel bandwidth into the sampling fre-
quency.
- Duplexing Method: Enter the duplexing method used in the frequency band.
5. When you have finished adding frequency bands, click Close.
You can also access the properties dialogue of each individual frequency band by clicking the Properties button.
11.3.3 The Global Transmitter Parameters
Atoll allows you to set network level parameters which are common to all the transmitters and cells in the network. These
parameters are used in coverage predictions as well as during Monte Carlo simulations by the radio resource management
and scheduling algorithms.
This section explains the options available on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue, and
explains how to access the tab:
"The Options on the Global Parameters Tab" on page 661.
"Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters" on page 662.
11.3.3.1 The Options on the Global Parameters Tab
The global WiMAX parameters include:
Frame duration: The frame length in milliseconds. You can choose from a list of frame duration defined in the
IEEE 802.16 specifications.
Cyclic prefix ratio: The total symbol duration in WiMAX comprises the useful part of the symbol, carrying the data
bits, and a CRC part, which is a portion of the useful data part repeated at the beginning of each symbol. The cyclic
NR
UL
I
UL
N
UL
+
N
UL
------------------------- =
Note: The relationship between the frequency band (spectrum), the channel width, and the chan-
nel numbers can be defined as:
Frequency Band Width = Channel Bandwidth x (Last Channel + 1 - First Channel)
So, if you have a frequency band of 15 MHz, and you are deploying your network with
1.5 MHz allocated to each cell, you can find the First and Last Channel numbers by:
Last Channel - First Channel = (Frequency Band Width / Channel Bandwidth) - 1
If you plan to keep the First Channel number =0, for our example:
Last Channel = (15 MHz / 1.5 MHz) - 1 = 9
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prefix is the method used by WiMAX to counter inter-symbol interference (ISI). The cyclic prefix and the orthogo-
nality of subcarriers ensure that there is negligible intra-cell interference in WiMAX.
Fixed and variable overheads: The fixed and variable overheads in the uplink and downlink subframes are used
to model the preamble and other time-domain overheads such as broadcast messages including DL-MAP, UL-
MAP, UCD, and DCD, and the FCH, in downlink, and Ranging and Bandwidth Request messages in the uplink.
The preamble is always one symbol duration long and can be modelled using the fixed overhead, while other mes-
sages whose lengths vary according to either the frame duration or the channel bandwidth can be modelled using
the variable overheads. This is the reason why the fixed overheads are available in terms of symbol duration (SD)
and the variable overheads in terms of percentages of the uplink and downlink subframes. Variable overheads are
percentages of the downlink and the uplink subframe sizes, after the fixed overheads have been removed from
the subframe size.
DL subframe ratio (TDD only): It is the percentage of the entire frame duration which corresponds to the downlink
subframe. In FDD networks, the downlink and uplink frames cover entire frame duration in different frequency
bands.
Transmit and receive time guards (TDD only): Transmit and receive time guards are also time domain over-
heads, i.e., these are portions of the frame which cannot be used for data transfer. You can enter TTG and RTG
times in milliseconds.
The following parameters are only available in WiMAX 802.16d documents (based on the WiMAX 802.16d project
template).
Number of subchannels per channel: A channel can be divided into a number of subchannels. You can set the
number of these subchannels at the network level in Atoll.
Number of subcarriers per channel: The entire channel contains a number of subcarriers which compose the
upper and lower guard bands, the pilot subcarriers, and the data subcarriers. The guards, pilots, and the DC sub-
carrier can not be used for data transfer. The total thermal noise over the entire channel bandwidth is computed
according to the number of used subcarriers out of the total number of subcarriers. The used subcarriers are the
data and the pilot subcarriers. The data transfer capacity of a channel is calculated by considering the data sub-
carriers only.
Figure 11.44 depicts a WiMAX frame with the described parameters marked.
Figure 11.44: WiMAX Frame
11.3.3.2 Modifying Global Transmitter Parameters
You can change global transmitter parameters on the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters Properties dialogue.
To set the network level parameters:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
Note: The term subcarrier is synonymous with tone.
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4. Select the Global Parameters tab.
The Global Parameters tab has two sections.
- Frame Structure: In this section (see Figure 11.45), you can modify the following: the Frame Duration of
WiMAX frame, the Cyclic Prefix Ratio, the fixed and variable overheads for the uplink and the downlink sub-
frames, and, for TDD networks, the ratio of the downlink subframe (DL Ratio) with respect to the entire frame,
and the transmit and receive time guards (TTG and RTG).
The following section is only available in WiMAX 802.16d documents (based on the WiMAX 802.16d project
template).
- Channel Configuration: In this section (see Figure 11.45), you can enter the following: the number of
subchannels per channel, the total number of subcarriers per channel, the number of used subcarriers
per channel and the number of data subcarriers per channel.
Figure 11.45: WiMAX Global Parameters
5. Click OK. The global parameters will be stored for use during coverage predictions and simulations for the entire
network.
11.3.4 Defining Frame Configurations
Frame configurations and permutation zones are only available in WiMAX 802.16e documents (based on the WiMAX
802.16e project template).
Frame configurations model SOFDMA uses different numbers of subcarriers for different channel bandwidths. As well,
there can be up to 8 different permutation zones in the downlink subframe and 3 in the uplink subframe. Each permutation
zone can use a different subchannel allocation mode, and may have different numbers of used and data subcarriers. The
Frame Configurations table in Atoll models the channel and frame configuration of a cell.
To create a new frame configuration:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Network Settings > Frame Configurations from the context menu. The Frame Configurations table
appears.
4. In the Frame Configurations table, each row describes a frame configuration. For the new frame configuration,
enter:
- Name: The name of the frame configuration.
- Total Number of Subcarriers: The total number of subcarriers per channel.
- Segmentation: Select the Segmentation check box if the first PUSC permutation zone in the downlink is seg-
mented.
5. Double-click the frame configuration row in the table once the new frame configuration has been added to the
table. The frame configurations Properties dialogue opens (see Figure 11.46).
6. In the Permutation Zones tab, enter:
- Zone Number: The permutation zone number.
- Subchannel Allocation Mode: The subchannel allocation mode used by the permutation zone. You can
select from PUSC DL, PUSC, FUSC, OFUSC, AMC, TUSC1, and TUSC2 for the downlink subframe, and from
PUSC UL, OPUSC, and AMC for the uplink subframe.
Available in WiMAX 802.16d
documents only.
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- Number of Used Subcarriers: The number of subcarriers used for transmission. This number includes the
pilot and data subcarriers.
- Number of Data Subcarriers: The number of subcarriers used for data transfer.
- Number of Subchannels per Channel: The number of subchannels in the channel.
- Subframe: Select whether the permutation zone belongs to the downlink or the uplink subframe.
- Quality Threshold (dB): The minimum signal quality required for a user to be allocated a permutation zone.
- Max Speed (km/hr.): The maximum user speed above which the user cannot be allocation a permutation
zone.
- Priority: The priority of the permutation zone in terms of its allocation to a user.
The allocation of permutation zones to users is performed using the last three parameters, which can be termed as the
permutation zone allocation parameters. The Quality Threshold and the Max Speed are used to determine the possible
permutation zones for each user. Then, the highest priority permutation zone among the possible permutation zones is
allocated to the user.
Figure 11.46: Permutation Zones
11.3.5 Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers
WiMAX radio bearers carry the data in the uplink as well as in the downlink.
The WiMAX Bearers table lists the radio bearers available in Atoll by default. You can add, remove and modify bearer
properties, if you wish.
To define WiMAX bearers:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Network Settings > WiMAX Bearers from the context menu. The WiMAX Bearers table appears.
4. In the table, enter one bearer per row. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables"
on page 41. For each WiMAX bearer, enter:
- Radio Bearer Index: Enter a bearer index. This bearer index is used to refer to the bearer in other tables,
such as the bearer selection thresholds and the quality graphs in WiMAX reception equipment.
- Name: Enter a name for the bearer, for example, "16QAM3/4." This name will appear in other dialogues and
results.
- Modulation: Select a modulation from the list of available modulation types. This column is for information
and display purposes only.
- Bearer Efficiency (bits/symbol): Enter the number of useful bits that the bearer can transfer in a symbol.
This information is used in throughput computations.
11.3.6 Defining WiMAX Quality Indicators
Quality indicators depict the coverage quality at different locations. The Quality Indicators table lists the quality indicators
available in Atoll by default. You can add, remove and modify quality indicators, if you wish.
To define quality indicators:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Network Settings > Quality Indicators from the context menu. The Quality Indicators table appears.
Note: The term "bearer" in Atoll is synonymous with MCS, modulation, and coding schemes.
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4. In the table, enter one quality indicator per row. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with
Data Tables" on page 41. For each quality indicator, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the quality indicator, for example, "BLER" for Block Error Rate. This name will appear
in other dialogues and results.
- Used for Packet Services: Select this check box to indicate that this quality indicator can be used for packet
services.
- Used for Circuit Services: Select this check box to indicate that this quality indicator can be used for circuit
services.
- QI Interpolation: Select this check box to define that the quality indicator graphs can be interpolated to deter-
mine intermediate values between two defined values.
11.3.7 Defining WiMAX Reception Equipment
WiMAX reception equipment model the reception characteristics of cells and user terminals. Bearer selection thresholds
and channel quality indicator graphs are defined in these equipment.
To create a new piece of WiMAX reception equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > WiMAX Reception Equipment from the context menu. The WiMAX Equipment table
appears.
4. In the WiMAX Equipment table, each row describes a piece of equipment. For the new piece of WiMAX equip-
ment you are creating, enter its name.
5. Double-click the equipment entry in the WiMAX Equipment table once your new equipment has been added to
the table. The equipments Properties dialogue opens.
The Properties dialogue has the following tabs:
- Bearer Selection Thresholds: In this tab (see Figure 11.47), you can modify the following: the Bearer Selec-
tion Thresholds for different mobility types. A bearer is selected for data transfer at a given pixel if the
received carrier-to-interference-and-noise ratio is higher than its selection threshold. For more information on
bearers and mobility types, see "Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers" on page 664 and "Modelling Mobility Types"
on page 628, respectively.
Figure 11.47: WiMAX Reception Equipment - Bearer Selection Thresholds
a. Click the Best Bearer Thresholds button to open the bearer selection thresholds dialogue (see Figure 11.48).
b. Enter the graph values.
c. Click OK.
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Figure 11.48: Bearer Reception Thresholds
- Quality Graphs: In this tab (see Figure 11.49), you can modify the following: the Quality Indicator Graphs
for different bearers at different mobility types. These graphs depict the behaviour of various quality indicators
under different radio conditions. For more information on bearers, quality indicators, and mobility types, see
"Defining WiMAX Radio Bearers" on page 664, "Defining WiMAX Quality Indicators" on page 664, and "Mod-
elling Mobility Types" on page 628, respectively.
Figure 11.49: WiMAX Reception Equipment - Quality Indicator Graphs
a. Click the Quality Graph button to open the bearer selection thresholds dialogue (see Figure 11.50).
b. Enter the graph values.
c. Click OK.
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
Figure 11.50: Quality Indicator Graph
6. Click OK. The Properties dialogue closes. The settings are stored.
7. Click the Close button ( ) to close the WiMAX Equipment table.
You can open the WiMAX reception equipment table to access a list of all the equipment.
To open the WiMAX reception equipment table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > WiMAX Equipment from the context menu. The WiMAX Equipment table appears. For
information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41.
4. Click the Close button ( ) to close the table.
11.3.8 Defining Adaptive Antenna Equipment
Adaptive antenna equipment model smart antenna systems with more than one antenna elements. AtollWiMAX BWA
module includes an MMSE-based (Minimum Mean Square Error) smart antenna model. For more information on the smart
antenna modelling in Atoll
To create a adaptive antenna equipment:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Equipment > Adaptive Antenna Equipment from the context menu. The Adaptive Antenna Equipment
table appears.
4. In the Adaptive Antenna Equipment table, each row describes a piece of adaptive antenna equipment. For infor-
mation on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on page 41. For each frequency band, enter:
For the new adaptive antenna equipment, enter:
- Name: Enter a name for the adaptive antenna equipment.
- Model: Select the MMSE Smart Antenna Model from the list.
You can also modify the properties of the MMSE Smart Antenna Model. To modify the properties of the MMSE
Smart Antenna Model:
i. Click the Parameters button. The adaptive antenna model properties dialogue appears.
ii. Click the General tab.
On the General tab, you can change the default Name of the MMSE Smart Antenna Model.
iii. Click the Properties tab (see Figure 11.51). On the Condition tab, you can define:
- Number of Elements: The number of antenna elements in the adaptive antenna system.
- Single Element Pattern: The antenna patterns of each antenna element. You can select an antenna from
the list. The list contains the antennas available in the Antennas folder.
iv. Click OK to close the Properties dialogues.
5. When you have finished adding adaptive antenna equipment, click Close.
You can also access the properties dialogue of each individual adaptive antenna equipment by clicking the Properties
button.
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Figure 11.51: MMSE Smart Antenna Model properties
11.3.9 Modelling Shadowing
Shadowing, or slow fading, is signal loss along a path that is caused by obstructions not taken into consideration by the
propagation model. Even when a receiver remains in the same location or in the same clutter class, there are variations
in reception due to the surrounding environment.
Normally, the signal received at any given point is spread on a gaussian curve around an average value and a specific
standard deviation. If the propagation model is correctly calibrated, the average of the results it gives should be correct.
In other words, in 50% of the measured cases, the result will be better and in 50% of the measured cases, the result will
be worse.
Atoll uses a model standard deviation with the defined cell edge coverage probability to model the effect of shadowing
and thereby create coverage predictions that are reliable more than fifty percent of the time. The additional losses or gains
caused by shadowing are known as the shadowing margin. The shadowing margin is added to the path losses calculated
by the propagation model.
For example, a properly calibrated propagation model calculates a loss leading to a signal level of -70 dBm. You have set
a cell edge coverage probability of 85%. If the calculated shadowing margin is 7 dB for a specific point, the target signal
will be equal to or greater than -77 dBm 85% of the time.
In WiMAX projects, the model standard deviation is used to calculate shadowing margins on signal levels. You can also
calculate shadowing margins on C/I values. For information on setting the model standard deviation and the C/I standard
deviations for each clutter class or for all clutter classes, see "Defining Clutter Class Properties" on page 93.
Shadowing can be taken into consideration when Atoll calculates the signal level and C/(I+N) for:
A point analysis (see "Making a Point Analysis" on page 607)
A coverage prediction (see "Studying Signal Level Coverage" on page 608).
Atoll always takes shadowing into consideration when calculating a Monte Carlo-based WiMAX simulation. Atoll uses the
values defined for the Model Standard Deviations per clutter class when calculating the signal level coverage predictions.
Atoll uses the values defined for the C/I Standard Deviations per clutter class when calculating the WiMAX coverage
predictions.
You can display the shadowing margins per clutter class. For information, see "Displaying the Shadowing Margins per
Clutter Class" on page 668.
11.3.9.1 Displaying the Shadowing Margins per Clutter Class
To display the shadowing margins per clutter class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Shadowing Margins from the context menu. The Shadowing Margins dialogue appears (see
Figure 11.52).
4. You can set the following parameters:
- Cell Edge Coverage Probability: Enter the probability of coverage at the edge of the cell. The value you enter
in this dialogue is for information only.
- Standard Deviation: Select the type of standard deviation to be used to calculate the shadowing margin or
macro-diversity gains:
- From Model: The model standard deviation. Atoll will display the shadowing margin of the signal level.
- C/I: The C/I standard deviation. Atoll will display the C/I shadowing margin.
5. Click Calculate. The calculated shadowing margin is displayed.
6. Click Close to close the dialogue.
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Chapter 11: WiMAX BWA Networks
Figure 11.52: The Shadowing Margins dialogue
11.4 Tips and Tricks
Obtaining User Throughputs for All the Subscribers of a Subscriber List
Note that this procedure is only recommended if you have a correct and consistent list of subscribers and have full knowl-
edge of the services they use.
Atoll generates a realistic user distribution containing active users only during Monte Carlo simulations. The status of
these users is determined through the users service usage parameters defined in the user profile. In Atoll, all the subscrib-
ers have a user profile assigned to them. During Monte Carlo simulations based on subscriber lists, Atoll determines
active users from all the users in the subscriber list. If you perform calculations on subscriber lists, Atoll calculates the
channel throughput and not the user throughput as the services being used by the subscribers are not known. In the simu-
lations, however, a service is determined for each subscriber in order to perform the RRM and determine the user through-
puts.
It might be useful to determine user level throughputs for all the subscribers in a subscriber list. You can calculate user
throughput for all the subscribers by running a simulation on this subscriber list after modifying the user profiles assigned
to all subscribers so that all subscribers have a connection probability of 100%.
1. Setup a subscriber list with subscribers having a connection probability of 100%:
a. Create as many user profiles as there are services used by the subscribers in the list.
b. Assign only one service to each user profile.
c. Assign the following service usage parameters to the user profiles that you create:
i. For Voice services, set:
- Calls/Hour =1.
- Duration (sec.) =3600.
ii. For Data services:
- Calls/Hour =1.
- UL Volume (KBytes) =UL Average Throughput x 3600 / 8.
- DL Volume (KBytes) =DL Average Throughput x 3600 / 8.
Where, the UL Average Throughput and the DL Average Throughput are the uplink and downlink average
requested throughputs, respectively, of the service mentioned in the user profile.
d. Carefully assign these user profiles to subscribers in the subscriber list.
2. Create a simulation based on this subscriber list only.
The simulation results will contain all the subscribers in the subscriber list with their respective user throughputs
determined by Atoll after the scheduling process.
Working With User Densities Instead of User Profiles
If you do not currently have reliable WiMAX multi-service traffic, you can provide Atoll with per service user density infor-
mation, for example, traffic data from adapted GSM Erlang maps. In this case, you do not have to create user profiles. As
well, Atoll does not have to determine the user connection probabilities to create traffic scenarios during simulations. The
distribution of traffic during simulations will only depend on the user densities per service.
If you know user densities per service, you can avoid handling user profiles by setting the user connection probabilities to
100% in your WiMAX document, as shown below:
1. For Voice services, set:
- Calls/Hour =1.
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- Duration (sec.) =3600.
2. For Data services:
- Calls/Hour =1.
- UL Volume (KBytes) =UL Average Throughput x 3600 / 8.
- DL Volume (KBytes) =DL Average Throughput x 3600 / 8.
Where, the UL Average Throughput and the DL Average Throughput are the uplink and downlink average re-
quested throughputs, respectively, of the service mentioned in the user profile.
The above settings will set the user connection probabilities to 100%. Now, if you create a traffic map based on environ-
ment classes, the user density values that you define in your environment classes will be the actual user densities. This
means that, for X users/km defined in the environment class for a given user profile, the Monte Carlo simulator will gener-
ate exactly X users/km for each service of the user profile.
In this way, you can know the exact number of connected users and their services generated during the simulations before-
hand.
This procedure should only be used when or until appropriate traffic data is not available.
Restricting Coverage Predictions to LOS Areas Only
In WiMAX, and specially in IEEE 802.16d networks, it can require to study the areas with LOS coverage only and other
areas separately. You can restrict the coverage to LOS areas only if you are using the Standard Propagation Model. For
this, you have to enter a very high value for the parameter K
4
in the properties of the Standard Propagation Model.
Limiting the Coverage Range of Transmitters in Order to Avoid Uplink-to-Downlink Interference in
TDD Networks
You can define a maximum coverage range for all the transmitters in your network by entering a valid range in the Max
Range parameter. To turn on the Max Range parameter:
1. Right-click the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Predictions folders properties dialogue appears.
3. Select the System tab.
4. Select the Max Range check box. The Max Range field in enabled.
5. Enter the Max Range of the network.
6. Click OK.
In TDD networks, the TTG and RTG parameters, available in the Global Parameters tab of the Transmitters folders prop-
erties dialogue, define the time delays required by the cell and mobile equipment to switch from transmit to receive modes
and vice versa. You can determine the maximum coverage range that the sectors of your WiMAX network should have
from the values of TTG and RTG and enter it in the Max Range parameter.
CHAPTER 12
MICROWAVE LINK PROJ ECT MANAGEMENT
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
12 Microwave Link Project Management
12.1 Microwave Link Project Management: Overview
The Microwave Links module enables you to plan, design and analyse microwave links networks. Using Atoll's Microwave
links module, microwave links networks can be designed and analysed in separate Atoll projects as well as within 2G
(GMS/GPRS/EGPRS) and 3G (CDMA2000/UMTS/WCDMA) mobile network projects.
Using Atoll's Microwave Links module, you can define and model frequency bands and sub-bands, antennas, radio equip-
ment, feeder equipment, passive repeaters, simple, multi-hop, and point-to-multipoint links. It is possible to define and set
target performance objectives in terms of link classes and performance objectives, describing the quality and availability
targets. It is possible to determine link budgets over a single link, over multiple connected links (multi-hop links), or over a
hub with several links (point-to-multipoint links). You can also carry out end-to-end reliability analyses, interference anal-
yses and frequency planning. Atoll also enables users to design their microwave link networks taking into consideration
future growth and enhancements.
Comprehensive analysis features in Atoll microwave link module enable the study of simple, multi-hop, and point-to-
multipoint microwave links in any network. Any microwave link is considered operational when it globally satisfies the
required quality and availability criteria set by the operator. Any microwave link is assessed generally in terms of the link's
robustness, i.e., the data transmission should undergo the least possible errors, the link should suffer the least number of
failures (usually measured per year) and the duration of these failures should also be as short as possible. All these criteria
are described in detail in the ITU standards and recommendations. Atoll follows these standards and enables the user to
set in-depth quality and availability targets for the network being designed.
Furthermore, it is fundamental to the correct performance of a microwave radio link that line-of-sight is available, i.e., there
is a clear transmission path between the two nodes of the link. The electromagnetic signal disperses as it moves away
from source, and therefore the line-of-sight clearance must take account of this dispersion and attention should be paid to
objects near the direct signal path to ensure the required signal levels reach the receiving antenna. This is referred to as
"Fresnel Zone" clearance. Atoll's profile analysis feature permits visualising line-of-sight, Fresnel zone clearance and
reflective surfaces along the link's profile.
Real-life microwave links do not operate in ideal environments. As it is not always possible to have a direct line-of-sight
connection between two extremities, repeaters are employed as a workaround in order to create a pseudo-direct link. Atoll
fully models the design and use of microwave repeaters, and allows two repeaters to be inserted within a microwave link.
Performance improvement techniques such as frequency and space diversity at reception are also modelled.
Geo data are easily manageable as in the other projects. You may either create or import any of these data. Sites, anten-
nas, links templates, links, and propagation models work in similar ways to sites, antennas, station templates, etc., in other
project types. As with many objects in Atoll, these data are easy to manage as they also use generic dialogues. Rain data
in vector form can be can be managed through import, export and edit features.
Since several links can share their extremities (start or end), the description of a microwave links network in Atoll is divided
into two folders in the data tab of the Explorer window:
A Sites folder, which contains the set of points that can be used as extremities for links. This folder can also contain
sites for 2G and 3G mobile network projects in the case of incorporated mobile/microwave projects.
A Microwave Radio Links folder, which contains the descriptions of links, multi-hop links, point-to-multipoint links,
the quality targets and performance objectives, etc. A link always refers to two items in the Sites folder.
These folders work as any other object in the explorer window as far as data visibility, data priority and data display are
concerned.
For all the dialogues within microwave link projects, the What's this context tool helps you to understand the specific fields
and available features.
12.2 Microwave Links Projects Protocol
A normal microwave links project protocol using Atoll is described below:
Project initialisation
- Choice of a project template
- Definition of the projection and display coordinate systems
- Definition of length, reception and transmission units
Definition of geographic data through the import or the creation of maps
- Clutter classes
- Clutter heights
- DTM
- Rain and climate data
- Vector data
Note: You must define the coordinate systems for the microwave project before starting the
design and analysis processes.
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- Population data
- Generic data
- etc.
Radio data definition
- Frequency bands and sub-bands
- Antennas (operating frequency band, gain, diameter, horizontal and vertical diagrams, etc.)
- Equipment and trunk types (operating frequency band, power, losses, BER graphs, MTBF, etc.)
- Waveguides and cables (operating frequency, losses, type, etc.)
- IRFs
Definition of Performance Objectives for the network
- Link classes
- Quality Objectives (relevant performance parameter, link class, minimum and maximum data rates, etc.)
- Availability Objectives (relevant performance parameter, link class, minimum and maximum data rates, etc.)
Network design
- Creation of microwave links (with assigned antennas, equipment, link class, waveguides and cables, IRF, etc.)
- Creation of repeaters
- Creation of multi-hop microwave links (groups of microwave links considered as one in terms of engineering)
Analyses
- Probability of interruption
- Line-of-sight determination
- Link budgets
- Interference studies
- Profile analysis
- Study of reflections
- Performance objectives met (Quality and availability)
- Diversity
- Parities
The optimisation and analysis are iterative steps. In some cases the last four steps can be repetitive in order to achieve
an optimum solution for the network.
12.3 Global Microwave Link Parameters
In Atoll microwave module, global parameters can be defined for the entire network at the Microwave Radio Links folder
level. The following properties can be managed at this level in order for these to be available for all the microwave links of
the network:
Frequency bands
Frequency sub-bands with the definitions of upper and lower half-bands
Microwave links classes
Quality objectives
Availability objectives
As other objects in Atoll, these parameters have been integrated to the tool with the goal to make their management and
their use easy. Through these, it is possible to define the frequency range of operation for the microwave links network,
respective frequency sub-bands and corresponding channels, link classes, quality and availability objectives for different
microwave links present in the network.
12.3.1 Managing Microwave Links Frequency Bands
Definition of frequency bands enables to determine the operational limits of a microwave link. Primitive analyses can be
performed on any microwave link using the central frequency even if channels have not yet been assigned. It is obligatory
to define at least one frequency band to assign to created microwave links. Atoll includes some pre-defined ITU compliant
frequency bands by default.
To create, define or modify a frequency band:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Frequency Bands command from the Frequencies menu to open the Frequency Bands table,
4. Enter or modify values in the table columns to create or modify frequency bands.
You can also open a properties dialogue for any defined frequency band by double-clicking its record in the Frequency
Bands table.
For each frequency band, you have to assign a name and define the lower and upper limiting frequencies.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
12.3.2 Managing Microwave Links Frequency Sub-Bands
Frequency sub-bands are normalized, ITU-compliant, divisions of frequency bands into channels. Frequency bands can
be divided into a number of frequency sub-bands. ITU may have more than one division (frequency sub-bands) defined
for a single frequency band.
A frequency sub-band comprises two half-bands. A duplex link usually uses one of these half-bands in one direction and
the other half-band in the other direction. These half-bands are referred to as upper and lower half-bands.
A channelisation plan can be defined for the lower and upper half-band of each sub-band. A channelisation plan, or a chan-
nel-to-frequency map, is automatically generated by Atoll using the information entered for the frequency sub-bands.
To create, define or modify a frequency sub-band:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Frequency Sub-Bands command from the Frequencies menu to open the Frequency Sub-Bands table,
4. Enter (or change) values in the table columns to create (or modify) frequency sub-bands.
You can also open a properties dialogue for any defined frequency sub-band by double-clicking its record in the
Frequency Sub-Bands table.
For each frequency sub-band, you have to assign a frequency band, a reference frequency, lower and upper half-band
shifts, the inter-channel space, first and last channels, channels to be excluded from the channel-to-frequency map, and
the relevant ITU recommendations.
To view the channel-to-frequency mapping:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Frequency Sub-Bands command from the Frequencies menu to open the Frequency Sub-Bands table,
4. Double-click on the relevant record to open its properties dialogue,
5. Click the Channels/Frequencies Mapping button to display the channels-to-frequency map,
6. Click OK to close the window.
12.4 Microwave Links Classes and Performance
Objectives
12.4.1 Managing Microwave Links Classes
Microwave links classes are defined in order to distinguish between different microwave link types and relate different
performance objectives to them. Different microwave link classes can then be associated with different microwave links
declaring their general target parameters as well as usage limitations. Link classes can be defined and modified in a micro-
wave links project.
To create or modify a microwave links class:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Link Classes command from the context menu to open the Link Classes table,
4. Enter (or modify) values in the table columns to create (or modify) link classes.
You can define the type of link class (International or National), relevant link sub-class (Long Haul, Short Haul, Access,
Intermediate country etc.), and minimum and maximum length for links associated to the link class.
Atoll microwave module contains a few pre-defined microwave links classes compliant with the ITU G.821 and G.826
recommendations.
12.4.2 Microwave Links Performance Objectives
The ITU G.821 recommendation defines microwave performance parameters as functions of microwave performance
events. As according to the ITU recommendations, error events can occur in link paths or in connections, some of the error
performance events are applicable to both while others are specific to path or connection. Microwave error performance
parameters are fully modelled in Atoll, these include:
ESR
SESR
BBER
The above-listed error performance parameters rely on measurements of microwave error performance events. Error
performance events and error performance parameters are briefly described in the following sections.
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Microwave Error Performance Events
Microwave error performance parameters are derived from the following events:
Errored Block (EB): It is a block of data with one or more erroneous bits.
Errored Second (ES): It is a one-second period with one or more errored blocks or at least one defect.
Severely Errored Second (SES): It is a one-second period which contains 30% errored blocks or at least one
defect. SES is a subset of ES.
Background Block Error (BBE): It is an errored block not occurring as part of an SES.
Microwave Error Performance Parameters
The total observation time (S
total
) is split into two parts, namely, time for which the connection is deemed to be available
(S
avail
) and that time when it is unavailable (S
unavail
). Error performance should only be evaluated while the connection is
in the available state. Parameters are:
Errored Second Ratio (ESR): The ratio of ES to total seconds in available time during a fixed measurement
interval.
Severely Errored Second Ratio (SESR): The ratio of SES to total seconds in available time during a fixed meas-
urement interval.
Background Block Error Ratio (BBER): The ratio of Background Block Errors (BBE) to total blocks in available time
during a fixed measurement interval. The count of total blocks excludes all blocks during SESs.
In Atoll, it is possible to define microwave link classes and performance objectives based on these error performance
parameters. Atoll also includes default lists of microwave link classes and performance objectives derived from the ITU
G.821 and G.826 recommendations.
Functions of Microwave Error Performance Objectives
The performance objectives aim to serve two main functions:
To give the user of national and international digital networks an indication as to the expected error performance
under real operating conditions, thus facilitating service planning and terminal equipment design;
To form the basis upon which performance standards are derived for transmission equipment and systems in an
ISDN connection.
The performance objectives represent a compromise between meeting service requirements and designing a practically
feasible network considering the economic and technical constraints. The performance objectives, although expressed to
suit the needs of different services are intended to represent a single level of transmission quality.
12.4.2.1 Microwave Links Quality Objectives
Quality objectives can be defined in Atoll for different link classes depending on different parameters (BBER, ESR and
SESR). A number of quality objectives can be defined for each link class. Each quality objective is characterised by a
performance objective parameter equation that describes the limitation of the relevant quality objective parameter (BBER,
ESR, SESR). The parameter equations depict the behaviour of the quality parameter depending on the length (L) of the
microwave link. The length of a microwave link is in turn limited by the minimum and maximum lengths declared in the
microwave links class. Each quality objective is also characterised by its minimum and maximum bit rates.
Atoll microwave module includes the standard quality objectives compliant with the ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 recommen-
dations by default. Customised quality objectives can also be defined by the user.
To modify the pre-defined ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 quality objectives or to create new customised quality objectives:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Quality command from the Performance Targets menu to open the Quality Objectives dialogue,
Here you can either,
- Edit the default ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 quality objectives by modifying their respective properties in the
relevant tabs.
Or
- Create new customised quality objectives by defining the required parameters and the respective perform-
ance objective parameter equation in the Customised tab.
4. Use the Whats this help to get more information about the different fields in the window,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
Note: Consecutive Severely Errored Seconds may result in periods of unavailability, especially
when there are no backup/standby procedures in use. Periods of consecutive Severely
Errored Seconds persisting for T seconds, where 2 =T <10 (sometimes referred to as "fail-
ures"), can have a severe impact on service, leading to disconnection of switched services.
The frequency of these events can be limited through limiting the SESR.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
12.4.2.2 Microwave Links Availability Objectives
Availability objectives can be defined in Atoll for different link classes depending on different parameters (BBER, ESR and
SESR). A number of availability objectives can be defined for each link class. Each availability objective is characterised
by a performance objective parameter equation that describes the limitation of the relevant availability objective parameter
(BBER, ESR, SESR). The parameter equations depict the behaviour of the availability parameter depending on the length
(L) of the microwave link. The length of a microwave link is in turn limited by the minimum and maximum lengths declared
in the microwave links class. Each quality objective is also characterised by its minimum and maximum bit rates.
Atoll microwave module includes the standard availability objectives compliant with the ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 recom-
mendations by default. Customised availability objectives can also be defined by the user.
To modify the pre-defined ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 availability objectives or to create new customised availability
objectives:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu,
3. Select Availability command from the Performance Targets menu to open the Availability Objectives dialogue,
Here you can either,
- Edit the default ITU G.821 and ITU G.826 availability objectives by modifying their respective properties in the
relevant tabs.
Or
- Create new customised availability objectives by defining the required parameters and the respective perform-
ance objective parameter equation in the Customised tab.
4. Use the Whats this help to get more information about the different fields in the window,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
12.5 Managing Microwave Link Equipment
This section describes the management of equipment used for the microwave links network design. The following are
described:
"Microwave Manufacturers Table" on page 677
"Microwave Antennas" on page 677
"Microwave Equipment" on page 682
"Microwave Antenna/Equipment Compatibility" on page 689
12.5.1 Microwave Manufacturers Table
A table containing all the manufacturers of microwave radio equipment and antennas is available in Atoll. This table
contains the names of these manufacturers. The Manufacturer columns in equipment, link, antenna etc. properties and
tables point to this table and present its contents in the form of a choice list.
To access the manufacturers table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Choose Open table command from the Manufacturers menu to display the related table.
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values.
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also double-click on a record in the manufacturers table to open its corresponding properties dialogue.
12.5.2 Microwave Antennas
In Atoll, microwave antennas are completely described by providing an antenna name, operating frequency band, manu-
facturer name, horizontal and vertical antenna patterns, gain and antenna diameter.
Operating frequency band and manufacturer related information are used as filtering criteria when defining compatible
antenna/equipment sets.
Four different antenna pattern diagrams are used in microwave antennas, i.e., horizontal and vertical plane diagrams for
horizontal and vertical polarization each. Each of these patterns can have co-polar and cross-polar patterns both defined.
As an antenna can be horizontally and vertically polarized, Atoll uses the relevant antenna pattern diagrams when deter-
mining propagation.
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12.5.2.1 Creating Microwave Antennas
A microwave antenna is a device used for radiating or receiving electromagnetic energy in the form of microwaves. Atoll
provides well-suited microwave antenna modelling and a list of default microwave antennas as well.
Furthermore, Atoll permits creating new antennas and set the parameters for the characteristics of each of them (Name,
manufacturer, gain, horizontal pattern, vertical pattern, and diameter).
To create an antenna:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Open table command from the Antennas menu to display the related table,
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values,
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also double click on a record in the antennas table to open its corresponding properties dialogue. In this dialogue,
all the fields related to the antenna are available. In the General tab, you can define the antenna name, manufacturer (from
the manufacturers table), the operating frequency of the antenna, its diameter and gain.
A microwave antenna is described by 8 radiation patterns. The other four tabs of the antenna properties dialogue corre-
spond to the following antenna pattern diagrams respectively:
Horizontal polarisation - Horizontal plane:
- Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
- Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Horizontal polarisation - Vertical plane:
- Co-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
- Cross-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a horizontally polarised signal in the vertical plane.
Vertical polarisation - Horizontal plane:
- Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
- Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the horizontal plane.
Vertical polarisation - Vertical plane:
- Co-polar section: Vertical polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
- Cross-polar section: Horizontal polarised port response to a vertically polarised signal in the vertical plane.
The copy/paste functions available in these tabs make it easy to import pattern diagram data from other tools. Therefore,
if you already have table formatted values for microwave antenna patterns in a file (spreadsheet or word processor), you
can copy and paste them in the related tabs (a spreadsheet in the following example).
To copy and paste values into a table:
1. Select from your spreadsheet the columns containing angles and values you want to import.
2. Copy the selection.
Figure 12.1: Horizontal pattern values copying
3. Switch to Atoll,
4. Click the first top left cell of the corresponding pattern table.
Note: Creating and setting parameters for different antennas on the basis of manufacturers data
is a long and meticulous operation. To make it easier for you Atoll allows the use of copy
and paste functions as easily as in all office automation tools. You may thus create an
antenna from a blank sheet or from an existing one, Atolls display is compatible with most
spreadsheets and word processors.
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5. Press Ctrl+V to paste the data. The data is added to the antenna table.
12.5.2.2 Importing Microwave Antennas
Atoll permits importing antenna files with Planet microwave antenna format and standard NSMA (National Spectrum
Managers Association) formats defined by recommendations WG16.89.003 and WG16.99.050.
To import antenna files:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the button to open the Microwave Radio Links folder.
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Import command from the Antennas sub-menu,
5. In the open window, choose one of the following options:
- One file only: Choose this option if you only want to import one file.
- All the folder: Choose this option if you want to import all the files in a folder.
6. Click the Browse button ( ) to open the Open dialogue and to navigate to the file or the folder to be imported.
7. Select the file or folder to be imported and click Open.
8. Click Import. The file or folders are imported.
12.5.2.3 Managing Microwave Antenna Properties
In Atoll, you may edit and modify the current parameters of an antenna. You may do this action either individually for each
antenna, or globally.
Editing Single Radiation Pattern
You can edit horizontal or vertical patterns of each antenna by doing nearly the same as when creating microwave
antennas. To do so:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Select Antennas > Open Table. The Antennas table appears.
5. Activate the antenna properties window by double clicking the corresponding record in the table,
6. Choose the pattern tab associated with the pattern you want to edit.
You may change the values by filling new ones directly in the tables. Patterns can also be copied to clipboard or printed.
Editing Multiple Radiation Patterns
Atoll allows you to manage antennas in table form. To activate the antenna table, do the same as described above. By
resizing cell heights and widths, you may obtain all the antenna patterns on a view in order to make a comparative choice.
Notes:
If there are some missing values (blank rows) in your data sheet, Atoll is able to interpolate the
values in order to obtain a complete and realistic pattern all around the antenna. To do so, just
follow exactly the steps as above. When pasted, blank rows are compacted in the pattern table
when the apply button is pressed.
When performing a calculation along an angle on which no data is available, Atoll computes a
linear interpolation from existing pattern values.
Notes
Atoll does not stop the import process when an error occurs. It continues until all the files are
imported and then displays in the Events viewer how many files have been successfully and
unsuccessfully imported.
For further information about the standard NSMA format (recommendation WG16.99.050),
please refer to the web address http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/software/nsma/nsma-intrp.html.
For further information on importing microwave antennas in Planet format, refer to the Adminis-
trator Manual.
Note: It is possible to display antenna patterns with either linear or logarithmic axes. To choose
your display system, Right-click the pattern window and choose the appropriate option from
the context menu. The new shape is automatically displayed in the pattern window.
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Figure 12.2: Microwave Antenna Data Table
In addition, you may change data directly in the table (click on the cell you want to modify), or use copy and paste (Ctrl+C
and Ctrl+V). This last feature is very useful and allows you to assign patterns from one antenna to others.
Example: In the following table, a new antenna called Antenna1, from Manufacturer1, has been built, with a 40 dB Gain,
5 m diameter, and some patterns. The goal is to copy the patterns of a certain antenna to Antenna1.
To copy the patterns of a certain antenna to Antenna1:
1. Open the antenna table.
2. Select the pattern cell of the antenna whose pattern you want to export.
3. Press Ctrl+C to copy the cell.
Figure 12.3: Pattern Copying Microwave Antenna Data Table
4. Select the pattern cell of the antenna you want to copy this pattern to.
5. Press Ctrl+V to paste the antenna pattern.
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Figure 12.4: Pattern Pasting - Microwave Antenna Data Table
Atoll replaces the old pattern with the new one both in the antenna table and properties window. You can check that data
have also been adapted in the patterns table of the modified antenna properties window.
12.5.2.4 Copying Microwave Antenna Patterns to the Clipboard
To copy the horizontal/vertical pattern of an antenna to the clipboard:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Open table command from the Antennas menu to display the related table,
5. Activate the antenna properties window by double clicking the corresponding record in the table,
6. Choose the pattern tab associated with the pattern you want to copy (horizontal/vertical),
7. Right-click on the pattern window in order to open the associated context menu,
8. Choose the Copy command from the open menu.
This is possible for both linear and logarithmic display types.
12.5.2.5 Printing Microwave Antenna Patterns
To print the horizontal/vertical pattern of an microwave antenna:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Open table command from the Antennas menu to display the related table,
5. Activate the antenna properties window by double clicking the corresponding record in the table,
6. Choose the pattern tab associated with the pattern you want to print (horizontal/vertical),
7. Right-click on the pattern window in order to open the associated context menu,
8. Choose the Print... command from the open menu.
This is possible for linear and logarithmic display types both.
12.5.2.6 Smoothing Microwave Antenna Vertical Patterns
Empirical propagation models require antenna pattern smoothing in the vertical plane to simulate the effects of reflections
and diffractions. Signal level prediction can be improved by smoothing the high-attenuation points of the vertical pattern.
To smooth the vertical pattern of an existing antenna, proceed as follows:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
Notes: The way patterns are displayed (linear or logarithmic) is reported in the antenna table as
chosen in any single antenna properties dialogue.
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4. Choose Open table command from the Antennas menu to display the related table,
5. Activate the antenna properties window by double clicking the corresponding record in the table,
6. Choose the vertical pattern tab to access the pattern you want to smooth,
7. Right-click on the pattern tab to open the associated context menu,
8. Click Smooth... to open the Smoothing Parameters dialogue,
9. Enter the following smoothing parameters and click OK to smooth the vertical pattern:
- Max Angle: Smoothing will be applied to the section of the vertical pattern between 0 and this angle (clock-
wise).
- Peak-to-Peak Deviation: Criterion for determining the highest attenuation values to which the smoothing will
be applied. All attenuation values which are greater than or equal to the Peak-to-Peak Deviation will be
smoothed by the correction factor.
- Correction: The correction factor by which the attenuation values will be smoothed.
12.5.3 Microwave Equipment
Microwave radio equipment are devices that manipulate the initial data signals to produce microwave frequency signals
that can be transmitted over a given microwave link and then carry it to the antenna for transmission. And, on the other
hand, these devices carry the received signal from the antenna to the receiver part that regenerates the initial data. Typi-
cally, microwave radio equipment can be the transmitter, the receiver, the waveguides and cables, etc.
Most of these components may be modelled in Atoll:
Microwave transceiver equipment: converts data to transmittable RF signals and received RF signals back to data,
Waveguides and cables: carry the RF signals to and from antennas.
In any project, they are described in three respective tables at the Links folder level. In addition, some characteristics,
which may be different for links using the same equipment, are specified in each link properties.
12.5.3.1 Managing Microwave Transceiver Equipment
Microwave transceiver equipment in Atoll can be transmitter or receiver only, or both. A transceiver equipment in Atoll
deals with the modulation/demodulation of data, and their conversion to/from RF signals that can be transmitted/are
received through antennas.
In transmission, data are first modulated using the defined modulation type by the microwave transceiver equipments
modulating part, then this baseband modulated signal is up-converted to the microwave carrier frequency, amplified and
transmitted through the microwave antenna over the link.
In the receive direction, the microwave carrier frequency signal is down-converted to baseband form by the microwave
transceiver equipment and is then demodulated to retrieve the actual received data.
Link planners must be aware of the characteristics of radio equipment in order to use the correct parameters. The most
important RF parameters are: operating frequency or frequency range, transmission power and power control, reception
error thresholds, C/I thresholds, etc.
Atoll models microwave transceiver equipment in detail in order to enable link planners to design their networks using
their specific equipment parameters. This enables the link planners to analyse their networks with their specific data being
considered in the calculations and analyses.
12.5.3.1.1 Creating Microwave Transceiver Equipment
A microwave transceiver equipment is used to manage output power, power control, modulation and demodulation of
signals to be transmitted and signals received at the antenna, to describe the system configuration in terms of channels
and to define supported bit rates using trunk types with defined digital hierarchy. Atoll provides well-suited microwave
transceiver equipment modelling and a few default microwave transceiver equipment as well.
Furthermore, Atoll permits creating new transceiver equipment and setting the parameters for the characteristics of each
of them (Name, manufacturer, modulation type, maximum transmission power, automatic transmission power control
parameter, noise figure, system configuration, connector losses, phase, non-phase signatures, etc.).
To create an microwave transceiver equipment:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the button to expand the Microwave Radio Links folder.
3. Right-click the Links folder to open the context menu.
Note: It is advised to make a copy of the antenna before smoothing its vertical pattern.
Note: Creating and setting parameters for different transceiver equipment on the basis of manu-
facturers data is a long and meticulous operation. To make it easier for you Atoll allows the
use of copy and paste functions as easily as in all office automation tools. You may thus
create equipment from a blank sheet or from an existing one, Atolls display is compatible
with most spreadsheets and word processors.
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4. Select Equipment ->Open table from the context menu to display the related table.
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values.
6. Close the table to save your changes.
You can also double-click on a record in the equipment table to open its corresponding properties dialogue.
12.5.3.1.2 Importing Microwave Equipment
Atoll permits importing microwave equipment files with Pathloss format (version 4.0). They are ASCII files with the exten-
sion RAF.
To import equipment files:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the button to open the Microwave Radio Links folder.
3. Right-click on the Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. Choose Equipment and Import from the context menu.
5. In the open window, choose one of the following options:
- One file only: Choose this option if you only want to import one file.
- All the folder: Choose this option if you want to import all the files in a folder.
6. Click the Browse button ( ) to open the Open dialogue and to navigate to the file or the folder to be imported.
7. Select the file or folder to be imported and click Open.
8. Click Import. The file or folders are imported.
12.5.3.1.3 Managing Microwave Transceiver Equipment Properties
You can manage and edit the properties of the microwave transceiver equipment through their respective properties
dialogues.
To access their properties dialogue:
1. Select the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the button to expand the Microwave Radio Links folder.
3. Right-click the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Select Equipment >Open table from the context menu to display the related table.
5. Double-click one record in the Equipment table. The Property dialogue of the equipment appears.
6. Click the General tab and define the following parameters:
- Model: the equipment name.
- Frequency Band: the operating frequency of the equipment.
- Number of States and Modulation: the supported modulation type.
- Manufacturer: the name of the manufacturer.
- Max Power: the maximum supported power.
- Noise Figure: the noise figure.
- FKTB (17C): the receiver thermal noise calculated at 17C.
- Max ATPC: the maximum the power can be decreased when power control is on.
- XPIF: the cross-polar interference factor.
- System Configuration and Hot Standby Available option: the number of channels that can be used when
the equipment is installed on a link. It is defined in the form of "n +m" where n is the number of channels in
normal use and m is the number of channels available as standby channels. If you have selected Hot Standby
Available, you will have one additional channel available but dedicated as a hot standby channel. Therefore,
when a microwave link is assigned such a piece of equipment, it can use at most n+m+1 channels for the
equipment ports. Each port is assigned a channel in the microwave link properties dialogue.
- Signatures under different conditions.
7. Click the Hierarchy tab and define the following parameters:
- Trunk Type: the trunk type compatible with the equipment and the type of digital hierarchy.
- Capacity: the trunk capacity.
- Bandwidth: the channel width that the equipment can use. It depends on the modulation, the trunk type and
the capacity.
8. Click the Sensitivity tab and define the following parameters:
- Overflow Threshold: the equipment overflow threshold.
Notes
Atoll does not stop the import process when an error occurs. It continues until all the files are
imported and then displays in the Events viewer how many files have been successfully and
unsuccessfully imported.
For further information about the Pathloss file format, see the Technical Reference Guide.
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- (BER-Sensitivity) pairs: the equipment behaviour and sensitivity in terms of bit error ratios defined for dif-
ferent signal sensitivity conditions.
9. Click the Losses tab.
You can define filter losses on transmission and reception, and transmission and reception losses for each port of
the equipment.
10. Click the BER=f(C/I) tab and assign Bit Error Rate graphs to the equipment. Working with these graphs (creating,
managing, etc.) is detailed in the following sections.
11. Click the Outages tab and define the mean time before failure (MTBF) and the hot standby commutation delay.
12. Click the Transmitter Mask tab and define the transmission spectrum graph of the equipment.
The graph describes the attenuation of the main transmitted signal (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing
(in MHz). It can be used with the receiver selectivity graph to determine IRF graph when no IRF is defined.
If not available, you can initialise the graph using theoritical graphs. Click the Initialise From Standard Graphs
button and choose a theoretical graph in the list. Atoll filters the theoretical graphs displayed in the list according
to the frequency band and can propose one theoretical graph when its modulation, bandwith and manufacturer
matches the equipment characteristics. For more information on defining theoretical graphs, see "Theoretical
Graphs" on page 684.
13. Click the Receiver Filter tab and define the receiver selectivity graph of the equipment.
The graph describes the attenuation of the main received signal (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing (in
MHz). It can be used with the transmission spectrum graph to determine IRF graph when no IRF is defined
If not available, you can initialise the graph using theoritical graphs. Click the Initialise From Standard Graphs
button and choose a theoretical graph in the list. Atoll filters the theoretical graphs displayed in the list according
to the frequency band and can propose one theoretical graph when its modulation, bandwith and manufacturer
matches the equipment characteristics. For more information on defining theoretical graphs, see "Theoretical
Graphs" on page 684.
14. Click the T/I Graphs tab and define the threshold to interference (T/I) graph.
The graph describes the variation of the T/I (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing (in MHz). It can be used
to determine IRF graph when no IRF is defined.
If not available, you can initialise the graph using theoritical graphs. Click the Initialise From Standard Graphs
button and choose a theoretical graph in the list. Atoll filters the theoretical graphs displayed in the list according
to the frequency band and can propose one theoretical graph when its modulation, bandwith and manufacturer
matches the equipment characteristics. For more information on defining theoretical graphs, see "Theoretical
Graphs" on page 684.
15. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialogue.
12.5.3.1.4 Theoretical Graphs
Atoll allows you to define theoretical graphs that you can use when the equipment description is not complete (missing
information about the transmission spectrum, the receiver selectivity, T/I graph). These theoretical graphs can describe
either transmission spectrum, or receiver selectivity graph, or T/I graph for a certain manufacturer, frequency band, band-
width, rate, and modulation. Then, they can be used to initialise equipment properties (transmission spectrum, receiver
selectivity, T/I graphs) and calculate IRF graphs when no IRF is defined in the IRF table. Default theoretical graphs are
available for different frequency bands and bandwidths; T/I graphs have been found at the web address http://
www.radio.gov.uk and transmission spectra and receiver selectivity graphs have been taken from the web address
http:\\www.ero.dk.
Creating Theoretical Graphs
A theoretical graph contains information on the behaviour of microwave transceiver equipment under different conditions
of C/I. It represents the changes in the Bit Error Rate with the change in the level of interference suffered.
To create a theoretical graph:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Microwave Radio Links folder.
3. Right-click the Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Equipment and Theoretical graphs from the context menu. The Theoretical graphs table appears.
5. Double-click the theoretical graph you want to modify. The theoretical graphs Properties dialogue appears.
6. Click the General tab and define the following parameters:
- Name: the name of the theoretical graph.
- Type of Graph: the type of theoretical graph you define. It can be either a transmission spectrum, or a receiver
selectivity, or a T/I graph.
Note: You can create a new theoretical graph by entering a name in the row marked with the New
Row icon ( ) and pressing ENTER.
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- Manufacturer: the manufacturer for which the graph is valid.
- Frequency Band: the frequency band for which the graph is valid.
- Channel Width: the bandwidth for which the graph is valid.
- Rate: the rate for which the graph is valid.
- Modulation: the modulation for which the graph is valid.
7. Click the Values tab and define the corresponding graph.
- If the graph describes the transmission spectrum, define the attenuation of the main transmitted signal (in dB)
as a function of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
- If the graph describes the receiver selectivity, define the attenuation of the main received signal (in dB) as a
function of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
- If the graph is a T/I graph, define the variation of the T/I (in dB) as a function of the frequency spacing (in MHz).
8. Click OK to validate.
12.5.3.1.5 Bit Error Rate Graph
Graphs for Bit Error Rate (BER) as a function of carrier-to-interference ratio (C/I) can be defined in Atoll. These graphs
are used in the interference and performance analyses to determine whether a microwave link, using a certain transceiver
equipment, is able to function within BER thresholds set by the user for given C/I ratios.
Atoll enables you to model BER graphs for all possible modulation types through its easy to use interface. The supported
modulation types are FSK, PSK, MSK, QAM, MPSK, MQAM. All these modulation types can be modelled with any number
of states (2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).
Atoll interface provides easy manipulation of graph values and the possibility to import/export graphs from/to other office
automation tools using the universal copy (CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) functions.
The following sections describe how to create, manage and assign BER graphs to transceiver equipment.
Creating Bit Error Rate Graphs
A BER graph contains information on the behaviour of microwave transceiver equipment under different conditions of C/
I. It represents the changes in the Bit Error Rate with the change in the level of interference suffered.
To create a BER graph:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Theoretical graphs command from the Equipment menu to display the related table,
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values,
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also import/export these graphs from/to other applications using the copy and paste functions.
Managing Bit Error Rate Graph Properties
You can manage and edit the properties of the graphs through their respective properties dialogues.
To access their properties dialogue:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Theoretical graphs command from the Equipment menu to display the related table,
5. Double click on the concerned record in the BER graphs table to open its properties dialogue,
6. Use the Whats this help to get more information about the different fields in the window,
7. Click OK to validate or Cancel.
You can display the BER graph by clicking button. Atoll displays the curve and the corresponding
table with the C/I and BER values. Graph is updated in real-time as the values are entered by the user in the table.
Assigning BER Graphs to Microwave Equipment
Once defined, BER graphs can be assigned to microwave equipment. The assigned BER graph will be used in the calcu-
lations to determine the behaviour of the equipment under different C/I conditions.
To assign BER graphs to microwave equipment:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
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4. Choose Open table command from the Equipment menu to display the related table,
Either,
a. Select the BER graph for the concerned equipment from the choice list in the corresponding column,
b. Close the table to validate.
Or
- Double click on the concerned record in the Equipment table to open its properties dialogue,
5. Choose the BER graph from the list on the BER=f(C/I) tab,
6. Click OK or Apply to validate.
12.5.3.1.6 Managing Microwave Trunk Types
Microwave trunk types in Atoll define units of data transfer in terms of bit rates. Primitive examples of these are the E1,
E2, etc., standards defined by the ITU. Atoll models PDH as well as SDH trunk types.
A microwave link forms a trunk connection based on the defined trunk types. Any microwave link transfers data at bit rates
in multiples of the basic trunk type it is based on. This characteristic is modelled in Atoll through the definition of trunk
types, which provide the unit trunk with a defined supported bit rate, and assignment of these trunk types to microwave
links, through microwave equipment, along with a multiple. This multiple is the capacity defined in the microwave equip-
ment properties. This is in fact the number of unit trunks the equipment, and thus the microwave link also, can support.
A microwave link that has a capacity of 2, for example, assigned a trunk type of E1 will be capable of transferring data at
twice the E1 standard bit rate.
The following sections describe this modelling in detail.
Creating a Microwave Trunk Type
Microwave trunk types define the unit capacity of a microwave link. When a microwave link is set up using a certain
antenna and a certain equipment, its capacity, i.e., bit rate, is defined by the compatible trunk type of the equipment and
its capacity. If a microwave equipment is defined to be compatible with trunk type T and has a capacity of N, this implies
that the corresponding microwave link will support N times the bit rate of trunk type T.
Atoll permits creating new trunk types and setting the parameters for the characteristics of each of them (Name, supported
digital hierarchy, i.e., SDH or PDH, maximum and supported binary rates, number of bits per block and BER for SES).
To create a microwave trunk type:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Trunk Types command from the Equipment menu to display the related table,
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values,
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also double-click on a record in the trunk types table to open its corresponding properties dialogue.
Managing Microwave Trunk Type Properties
You can manage and edit the properties of different trunk types through their respective properties dialogues. To access
their properties dialogue:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Trunk Types command from the Equipment menu to display the related table,
5. Double click on the concerned record in the Trunk Types table to open its properties dialogue,
6. Use the Whats this help to get more information about the different fields in the window,
7. Click OK or Apply to validate or Cancel.
Note: It is also possible to access the properties dialogue of the assigned BER graph directly from
the equipment properties dialogue. To do this, click on the button beside the list on the
BER =f(C/I) tab.
Note: Creating and setting parameters for different trunk types on the basis of manufacturers data
is a long and meticulous operation. To make it easier for you Atoll allows the use of copy
and paste functions as easily as in all office automation tools. You may thus create trunk
types from a blank sheet or from an existing one, Atolls display is compatible with most
spreadsheets and word processors.
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In this dialogue, all the fields related to the trunk type are available.
You can define the trunk type name, compatible digital hierarchy, i.e., PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy) or SDH
(Synchronous Digital Hierarchy), the maximum and supported binary rates, bits per block transmitted, and the Bit Error
Rate during the severely errored second (BER
SES
).
You can assign any of the trunk types defined here to any equipment with the digital hierarchy being the compatibility crite-
ria. The capacity parameter in the equipment properties defines the number of these trunk types supported by a microwave
link.
12.5.3.2 Managing Microwave Waveguides and Cables
Waveguides and cables are both used to transfer the RF signal from the transmission module of the microwave equipment
to the microwave antenna.
Microwave energy can be guided in a metallic tube, called a waveguide, with very low attenuation. The electric and
magnetic fields are contained within the guide, and therefore there is no radiation loss. Furthermore, since the dielectric
is air, the dielectric losses are also negligibly small. A waveguide operates between two limiting frequencies, called the
cut-off frequency. Hence, the operating frequency is a very important characteristic for a waveguide. This frequency
depends on the geometry of the waveguide compared to the wavelength of the operation.
Cables, on the other hand, have a metallic inner core with a dielectric material separating the outer metallic conductor.
The cable is covered with a plastic jacket for protection. The dielectric material is usually air or foam in practice. These are
quite robust and therefore easy to install. Cable loss is a function of cross-sectional area; the thicker the cable, the lower
the loss. Cable loss is quoted in terms of decibels per 100m.
The following sections describe the modelling of waveguides and cables in Atoll.
12.5.3.2.1 Creating Microwave Waveguides and Cables
In Atoll, microwave waveguides and cables are characterised by the loss per length a signal of their corresponding oper-
ational frequency undergoes per 100m of their lengths. The defined waveguide or cable can be associated with each
microwave link in transmission and reception directions.
Atoll permits creating new waveguides and cables and setting the parameters for the characteristics of each of them
(Name, operating frequency band, manufacturer, loss per length and type).
To create a microwave waveguide and cable:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Open table command from the Waveguides and cables menu to display the related table,
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values,
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also double click on a record in the waveguides and cables table to open its corresponding properties dialogue.
12.5.3.2.2 Managing Microwave Waveguides and Cables Properties
You can manage and edit the properties of different microwave waveguides and cables through their respective properties
dialogues. To access their properties dialogue:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu,
4. Choose Open table command from the Waveguides and cables menu to display the related table,
5. Double click on the concerned record in the Waveguides and cables table to open its properties dialogue,
6. Use the Whats this help to get more information about the different fields in the window,
7. Click OK or Apply to validate or Cancel.
You can define the waveguide or cable name, its operating frequency band, manufacturer name (from Manufacturers
table), loss per 100m length, and its type (cable, elliptic or other).
You can assign any of the microwave waveguides and cables defined here to any microwave link in transmission and
reception directions, defining also the respective lengths. Atoll computes the attenuation suffered by the signal transferred
through these waveguides and cables through this information.
Note: Creating and setting parameters for different waveguides and cables on the basis of manu-
facturers data is a long and meticulous operation. To make it easier for you Atoll allows the
use of copy and paste functions as easily as in all office automation tools. You may thus
create waveguides and cables from a blank sheet or from an existing one, Atolls display is
compatible with most spreadsheets and word processors.
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12.5.3.3 Assigning Radio Equipment to Microwave Links
Once defined, antennas, transceiver equipment, waveguides and cables can be assigned to microwave links comprising
the network in order to determine the propagation and losses over the links.
For each microwave link, it is possible to assign these radio equipment to both sites, i.e., in forward and in reverse direction
of the link (from Site A to Site B and from Site B to Site A).
To assign microwave antenna, transceiver equipment, waveguides and cables to a microwave link:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Expand the Links subfolder by clicking the button,
Either,
a. Right-click on the microwave link to which you want to assign radio equipment to open the associated con-
text menu,
b. Choose the Properties command from the open menu,
Or
- Double click on the microwave link to which you want to assign radio equipment,
4. Click on the Radio tab in the open window to assign antennas and microwave transceiver equipment and Con-
nections tab to assign waveguides and cables,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
6. Click OK or Apply to validate or Cancel.
The Radio tab has the following sections and allows you to set the parameters for the antennas on both ends of the link:
Antennas: Antenna models can be selected from the corresponding list with all the antennas compatible with the
frequency band defined for the link. You can define the antenna height with respect to the ground, azimuth and tilt
angles with respect to the direct ray joining the two extremities. You can also define the polarisation of the antenna
to be used. This parameter will help Atoll in deciding which antenna pattern diagrams to use for computations. If
a diversity antenna is used at any of the two sites to improve reception, it can also be defined here along with the
separation between the main and the diversity antennas.
Equipment: Equipment models for the link can be selected from the corresponding list presenting the choice list
of equipment compatible with the microwave links frequency band from the equipment table. Here you can fine-
tune the output power to be used for the link by defining additional tuning and ATPC (Automatic Transmission
Power Control) margins (dB) for the equipment.
Frequencies: The frequency sub-band and diversity separation can be selected in this section. Channels can be
selected by selecting the check boxes in the list, or they can be configured in detail by clicking the Ports Param-
eter Settings button. In the Ports Definition dialogue that appears, you can configure the channels, transmis-
sion and reception ports, transmission and reception losses and the polarisation. Once you have configured one
half-band, you can click the Initialise by Symmetry button to set symmetrical values for the other half-band.
The Connections tab enables you to define the waveguides and cables used for each site of the link in transmission and
reception directions both. By default the lists for each site list the waveguides and cables compatible with the frequency
band of the microwave link. Here you can also enter the length of each waveguide or cable in order for Atoll to compute
the corresponding losses.
By default, Atoll lists the compatible antennaequipment pairs in the respective lists as defined in the Antennas/Equip-
ment compatibility table. However, it is possible to remove (and re-apply) this compatibility filter directly from the Radio tab
by clicking the (and ) button available beside the antenna and equipment name fields.
Notes: The number of channels that can be selected is defined by the system configuration setting
in the General tab of the Properties dialogue for each piece of equipment. The system con-
figuration is defined in the form of "n +m" where n is the number of channels in normal use
and m is the number of channels available as standby channels. If you have selected Hot
Standby Available, you will have one additional channel available but dedicated as a hot
standby channel. The values n and m for each piece of equipment can also be modified in
the MW Equipment table.
Notes
You can access the properties of antennas, transceiver equipment and waveguides and cables
directly from the Radio and Connections tab by clicking the button opposite to the corre-
sponding item.
These parameters can be set for both sites of the microwave link (Site A and Site B).
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12.5.4 Microwave Antenna/Equipment Compatibility
12.5.4.1 Microwave Antenna/Equipment Compatibilities Table
The antenna/equipment compatibilities table enables you to list compatible microwave antennas and equipment. When
you define properties (antenna and piece of equipment) of a microwave link, these compatibility definitions may be used
in order to display only compatible antenna/equipment pairs in the choice lists.
To access the antenna/equipment compatibility table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click on the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Choose Open table command from the Antenna/Equipment Compatibilities menu to display the related table.
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values.
You can also use the available assistant (table view of antennas and pieces of equipment fabricated by certain manufac-
turer(s) and that operate in the same frequency band) in order to easily define these compatibilities.
12.5.4.2 Assistant for Compatibility Definition
In Atoll, an assistant enables the user to easily define compatibilities between antennas and equipment. It gives you a
view of antennas and equipment fabricated by certain manufacturers and that operate in the same frequency band.
To use the assistant to define compatibilities:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Antenna/Equipment Compatibilities and Per Frequency Band/Manufacturer from the context menu.
The Compatibility Definition dialogue appears.
5. Select the frequency band from the menu. Only antennas and equipment operating in the selected frequency
band are displayed in the grid.
6. Choose the antenna manufacturer from the menu. Only antennas fabricated by the selected manufacturer are
displayed in the grid.
7. Select the equipment manufacturer from the menu. Only equipment fabricated by the selected manufacturer is
displayed in the grid.
8. Make an antenna compatible with an equipment:
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Add record from the context menu.
9. Remove the compatibility defined between a pair:
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Delete from the context menu.
10. Click OK.
These compatibility definitions are used in the microwave link properties dialogue in order to display only compatible
antenna / equipment pairs in the choice lists.
Note: You can double-click on a record in the compatibilities table to open its corresponding prop-
erties dialogue.
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Figure 12.5: Compatibility definition per frequency band/manufacturer
You can use the Fill (Up, Down, Right, Left) and the copy and paste commands from the context menu available in the
dialogue to assign or remove compatibilities between antennas and equipment. These can also be used through their
proper keyboard shortcuts.
12.6 Managing Microwave Links
In this sectioin, the following are described:
"Microwave Links" on page 690
"Microwave Passive Repeaters" on page 698
"Multi-hop Links" on page 700
"Point-to-Multipoint Links" on page 703.
12.6.1 Microwave Links
A microwave radio link, in Atoll, is a point-to-point fixed radio frequency link operating in either simplex or in duplex mode.
Duplex operation means that each radio frequency channel consists of a pair of frequencies, one for transmission and one
for reception. The baseband signal, containing the user data, occupies a limited bandwidth depending on the modulation
scheme used. This baseband signal is modulated onto a radio frequency carrier at the transmission end, and is transmitted
over the air as an electromagnetic wavefront. Microwave radio links are designed to operate between 300 MHz and 60
GHz.
A microwave link comprises two transmission/reception ends with antennas, transceiver equipment, etc., installed at both.
Atoll enables you to manage globally or individually the microwave link parameters and their individual activity/inactivity.
A site can support one or more microwave links and/or passive repeaters. With Atoll, you may work on several types, from
simple to multi-hop to point-to-multipoint links, by creating new ones from nothing or templates.
Multi-hop microwave links, or multi-hops, are a set of two or more microwave links that are interconnected to get to a desti-
nation. A multi-hop link can be modelled in Atoll as described in "Multi-hop Links" on page 700. Point-to-multipoint links
are sets of microwave links connected to a hub. A point-to-multipoint link can be modelled in Atoll as described in "Point-
to-Multipoint Links" on page 703.
The items referenced in this part deal with management of simple microwave links, multi-hop links and microwave links
templates. In the following sections, steps describe the ways of analysing candidate microwave sites, the creation, dele-
tion, moving and setting of the global properties of the microwave links, multi-hop links, point-to-multipoint links, and micro-
wave links templates.
12.6.1.1 Analysing Microwave Sites
Atoll provides different tools in order to analyse candidate microwave sites. In this section, the following are explained.
"Studying LOS between Candidate Microwave Sites" on page 690
"Checking LOS Area around One Site Graphically" on page 691
"Checking Intersection of Line of Sight Areas" on page 691
"Displaying the Terrain Profile Between Candidate Microwave Sites" on page 692
"Performing a 360 View on Microwave Sites" on page 692
12.6.1.1.1 Studying LOS between Candidate Microwave Sites
Atoll incorporates a useful tool for determining line of sight (LOS) between several candidate microwave sites.
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To perform the LOS study at any site:
1. Right-click the site either directly on the map, or from the Sites folder of the Explorer windows Data tab. The
context menu appears.
2. Choose the Line of Sight Report command from the context menu. The Calculation Parameters dialogue
appears.
3. Define the the maximum distance around the selected site, the value of the k factor and the operating frequency
you want to simulate.
4. Under Transmitter Site Height, either select the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to take
into account the pylon height defined for the sites and define a default height that Atoll will use if no value is
defined for the site, or keep clear the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to force a global
value for all the sites.
5. Under Receiver Height, either select the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to take into
account the pylon height defined for the sites and define a default height that Atoll will use if no value is defined
for the site, or keep clear the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to force a global value for
all the sites.
6. Click OK.
Atoll displays results in the Line of Sight Report table.
The Line of Sight Report table contains the following information for each pair of sites Site1-Site2. Site1 is the studied
site and Site2 a candidate site within the focus zone if available and computation zone if there is no focus zone (for infor-
mation on the focus zone, "Setting a Focus Zone" on page 716 and for information on the computation zone, see "Setting
a Computation Zone" on page 716).
- Distance: The distance between both sites.
- Line of Sight: The percentage of clearance/penetration of the Fresnel ellipsoid. The value can vary between
-100 and 100%. From -100 to 0%, this is a percentage of penetration of the upper half of the Fresnel ellipsoid
and from 0 to 100%, it corresponds to the percentage of clearance of the lower half of the Fresnel ellipsoid.
- Site1 Height: The height of Site1.
- Site2 Height: The height of Site2.
In addition, Atoll displays on the map a terrain section between each pair of sites (See Displaying the Terrain Profile
Between Candidate Microwave Sites on page 692.) and the studied site is selected.
12.6.1.1.2 Checking LOS Area around One Site Graphically
The LOS area analysis tool enables the user to view the visible area around a site.
To display the line of sight area around a site:
1. Right-click the site either directly on the map, or from the Sites folder of the Explorer windows Data tab. The
context menu appears.
2. Select Line of Sight Area from the context menu. The Line of Sight Area dialogue appears.
3. Under Calculation Parameters, define the maximum distance around the selected site, the transmitter site
height, the receiver site height, the value of the k factor and choose to study either the line of sight clearance
between the transmitter and receiver sites, or a percentage of clearance of the Fresnel ellipsoid. In the last case,
define the operating frequency you want to simulate and the percentage of clearance of the lower half of the
Fresnel ellipsoid.
4. Under View, choose the line of sight area colour and the transparency.
5. Click on OK to validate.
To hide the line of sight area around a site:
1. Right-click the site either directly on the map, or from the Sites folder of the Explorer windows Data tab. The
context menu appears.
2. Select Hide Line of Sight Area from the context menu.
12.6.1.1.3 Checking Intersection of Line of Sight Areas
The LOS area analysis can be performed for several sites. The tool enables the user to view the line of sight areas of sites
within the computation zone (for information on the computation zone, see "Setting a Computation Zone" on page 716)
and to study intersection between them.
To display the line of sight areas of several sites and intersection between them:
1. Right-click the Sites folder of the Explorer windows Data tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Line of Sight Areas from the context menu. The Line of Sight Areas dialogue appears.
3. Click the Calculation Parameters tab and define the following parameters.
- Define the maximum distance around the selected sites and the value of the k factor.
- Under Penetration Condition, choose to study either the line of sight clearance between the transmitter and
receiver sites, or a percentage of clearance of the Fresnel ellipsoid. In the last case, define the operating fre-
quency you want to simulate and the percentage of clearance of the lower half of the Fresnel ellipsoid.
Note: This feature is also available from any group of sites or from the Sites folder.
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- Under Transmitter Site Height, either select the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to
take into account the pylon height defined for the sites and define a default height that Atoll will use if no value
is defined for the site, or keep clear the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to force a
global value for all the sites.
- Under Receiver Height, either select the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to take into
account the pylon height defined for the sites and define a default height that Atoll will use if no value is defined
for the site, or keep clear the Use the pylon height defined per site check box in order to force a global value
for all the sites.
4. Click the Display tab.
You can display on the map either all the calculated line of sight areas, or only the areas where there is intersection
of several line of sight areas.
- In order to display the line of sight area of each calculated site, choose One Area per Site. You can define
the line of sight area colour and the transparency.
- In order to display intersection areas between the line of sight areas, select Overlapping. You can display
with different colours and transparancy levels the areas covered by at least two sites, at least three sites and
all the sites.
5. Click on OK to validate.
To hide the line of sight areas:
1. Right-click the Sites folder of the Explorer windows Data tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Hide Line of Sight Areas from the context menu.
12.6.1.1.4 Displaying the Terrain Profile Between Candidate Microwave Sites
You can use the Height Profile tool in order to study the terrain section between two candidate microwave sites. Before-
hand, you must have calculated a LOS report on a site or a group of sites (see "Studying LOS between Candidate Micro-
wave Sites" on page 690).
1. On the map, click the terrain section you want to analyse.
2. Click the Height Profile button ( ) on the toolbar.
3. Atoll opens the Terrain Section tab of the Profile analysis window. It displays the Fresnel ellipsoid between both
sites, height and clutter along the profile. In order to determine the Fresnel ellipsoid, Atoll uses the site heights
and the k factor value taken into account for the LOS report calculation.
Then, you can use any terrain section in order to rapidly create a microwave link.
1. On the map, right-click the terrain section you want to use for the microwave link design.
2. Choose the Create Link command in the context menu. Atoll adds the new microwave link in the Links folder; its
properties are based on the selected link template.
12.6.1.1.5 Performing a 360 Viewon Microwave Sites
Atoll incorporates a tool for determining line of sight from the location of any site. To perform a 360 view at any site:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Sites folder by clicking the button,
c. Right-click on the Site at which you want to view the 360 view to open the context menu,
Or,
- Right-click on the Site on the map at which you want to view the 360 view to open the context menu,
1. Choose the 360 view command from the context menu,
2. The Calculation Parameters dialogue appears,
3. In the Parameters tab, you can define the different parameters needed to determine the horizon profile from the
site location. You can define azimuth of the selected site, the aperture angle, the calculation step, maximum dis-
tance and the heights of the site and the receiver.
4. Click OK. The 360 View tab of the Microwave Link Analysis window opens.
Atoll calculates and displays the horizon profile for the selected site. Every x around the site (value user-defined
in the Calculation Parameters dialogue), it considers a fictitious link and determines the first diffraction obstacle
along this link. Note that the curvature of the Earth is considered in order to find the first diffracting obstacle and
its height. Each obstacle is marked by a point. If you click the point, you can view its position in the map window.
Finally, if you place the mouse cursor on the point, Atoll displays a popup with the following information: the
diffraction obstacle coordinates, its distance from the site, its angle with the site azimuth and its altitude.
5. Click the 360 View tab. Atoll displays the analysis area of the selected site in the Map window.
Note: The curvature of the Earth for the 360 view is considered to be zero at the selected site
and maximum at the point of reception (i.e., the farther the first diffracting obstacle, the
more the curvature).
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Additional information can be displayed in the 360 View tab.
1. Right-click the 360 View tab,
2. Select Properties from the context menu,
3. The Calculation Parameters dialogue appears,
4. In the Display tab, you may choose what you wish to display.
Altitudes without Roundness: Atoll displays the horizon profile calculated without considering the curvature of the
Earth,
Selected Site: The height of the selected site is marked by a horizontal line (a blue dotted line by default),
Other Sites: The position of other sites within the view is marked by a red line (by default). If the site is located in
front of the first obstacle, the line is solid; otherwise this is a dotted line.
5. Click OK to validate.
Analysis and display parameters defined for each site are saved during the Atoll session when clicking OK. You can also
save a set of parameters as default configuration when clicking the Save Configuration button. Therefore, if a site has
never been calculated, the 360 view calculation will be initialized with the default configuration settings. Finally, even if
you have modified some parameters, it is still possible to apply the default configuration again by clicking Load configura-
tion. Note that the default configuration is memorized for the current Atoll session only.
It is possible to directly modify on the map some analysis parameters such as the maximum distance, the aperture or the
site azimuth.
1. Right-click the 360 View tab,
2. Select Modify Sector from the context menu,
3. On the Map window, click one extremity of the analysis area and change the distance or the angle. You can read
the pending modifications (distance, aperture and new site azimuth) in left side of the Status bar.
4. Click the F5 key in order to refresh the displayed horizon profile.
12.6.1.2 Microwave Link Properties
12.6.1.2.1 Creating a Microwave Link
In Atoll, a microwave link can be managed similar to sites, transmitters (GSM/GPRS/EGPRS, UMTS HSPA, cdmaOne/
CDMA2000 projects) and other items. There are two possible means to create a microwave link, either using the mouse
or through the links folder.
You can also create a microwave link through the microwave links table.
To create a new microwave link directly on the map:
1. Click the button from the toolbar,
2. The pointer shape changes to ,
3. Click a first time on the map at the location of the site where you want the link to start,
4. Now the pointer shape changes to ,
5. Click a second time on the map at the location of the site where you want to define the other link extremity.
The sites that define the extremities of a microwave link can be already existing sites or Atoll will create new sites auto-
matically at the location clicked by the user. Each site in Atoll can support several microwave links, transmitters, and
passive repeaters.
1. To create a new microwave link through the Links folder:
2. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
3. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
4. Right-click on the Links folder,
5. Choose the New option from the context menu,
6. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open windows,
7. Fill out the appropriate fields in the several tab windows,
8. Click OK or Apply to validate the new microwave link.
Atoll opens the new microwave link properties window containing the main characteristics describing the microwave link
you are creating. This window contains seven tabs grouping together similar characteristics of the microwave link and
enabling you to edit them easily.
Note: Microwave links created in this manner will be based on the microwave links template
selected in the toolbar. Microwave links template management is described in later sec-
tions.
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The standard tabs are General and Display, and deal with the basic definition of the microwave link, its location, operating
frequency band, assignment of repeaters, and display related parameters. Other tabs (Radio, Connections, Rainfall, Reli-
ability and Propagation) enable you to define relevant parameters in order to completely define the microwave link created.
The details of these parameters are available in the managing microwave links properties section.
By default, Atoll names the newly created microwave links in the following manner: SiteX SiteY, where SiteX is the name
of the start site (existing or newly created) and SiteY is the name of the end site (existing or newly created).
12.6.1.2.2 Managing Microwave Link Properties
Like for all objects organised in folders (e.g., Sites) within Atoll, microwave links can be managed either individually or
globally. A global setting is applied to all the filtered microwave links.
Global Properties Management
In Atoll, you may manage the properties associated with microwave links of your network globally.
To do so:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
3. Right-click on the Links folder,
4. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
5. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
The 4 standard tab windows are: General, Table, Display and Extremities.
- The General tab deals with folder organisation and associate configurations.
- The Table tab helps you to manage contents in the Links table. Here you can manage user-defined fields to
the Links table.
- The Display tab allows you to manage the display of microwave links depending on their attributes, to manage
the legend, labels on the map, and the contents of help pop-ups using the tip tool .
- The Extremities tab allows you to manage the site and repeater symbols, and font style to display on map.
- The Links templates tab allows you to manage (creation, modification, deletion) models of stations.
Individual Properties Management
There are two ways to edit properties of each microwave link in the current network:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Expand the Links folder by clicking the button,
d. Right-click on the microwave link you want to manage,
Or,
a. Select the microwave link you want to manage on the map by clicking on the corresponding line represent-
ing the link,
b. Right-click on it to open the context menu,
1. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue.
The displayed window contains seven tabs: General, Radio, Connections, Geoclimatic, Reliability, Propagation and
Display. An Other Properties tab is available if some user defined fields have been added to the Links table:
The General tab deals with the location of the two extremities of the microwave link (sites and positions relative
to these sites), its operating frequency band, length (calculated), the repeaters (if any) composing the link, and the
link activity.
The Radio tab is linked with the definition of all radio parameters of the microwave link. Here you can specify
antenna models and characteristics for the both the sites of the link, space diversity antennas (if any), transceiver
equipment and all related parameters, frequency sub-bands, channels and frequency diversity parameters etc. in
detail.
The Connection tab lets you specify all the parameters relevant to waveguides, cables, attenuators, connectors,
site shielding. Here, you can define for each site:
- The waveguides and cables installed, their length and if they are used for transmission or reception only or for
both.
- The transmission and reception losses generated by some components such as connectors, attenuators, etc.
- A shielding factor.
You can define whether the link uses XPIC (Cross Polarisation Interference Canceller) mechanism or not.
Note: An Other Properties tab window is available if a user-defined field has been added to the
microwave links table.
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All the climate-related information concerning the microwave link can be defined in the Geoclimatic tab. You can
specify the type of environment zone, the climatic zone which a climatic factor is deduced from, the rain intensity,
vapour density, PL and temperature affecting the link.
Required reliability objectives for the current microwave link can be defined in the Engineering tab. Here you can
also define Bit Error Rate parameters, Vigants-Barnett and K.Q methods related information, the minimum time to
repair the fault, and whether a hot standby is available on the link or not.
The Propagation tab makes it possible to assign a propagation model to the current microwave link.
The Display tab allows you to manage the characteristics of the line representing the link on the map, the symbols
for extremities and repeaters (size, colour and type) and the display font on the map.
12.6.1.2.3 Moving a Microwave Site on the Map
It is possible to move microwave links from their original locations by moving their reference sites on the map or by modi-
fying the x and y coordinates of the sites in their properties window.
Atoll permits easy management of the site positions. You can proceed in several ways, by using geographic coordinates,
by integrating the field topology, or by moving sites manually (using the mouse).
A context menu is associated with each created site. This can be obtained identically by Right-clicking on the site on the
map or in the Sites folder from the Explorer window.
Using the Geographic Coordinates
To change the geographic coordinates of a microwave site:
1. Double click on the site (on the map, or in the Sites folder from the Explorer window) you want to move, in order
to obtain the site properties window. You can do the same by selecting the Properties option from the context
menu associated with this site.
2. Choose the General tab,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the open dialogue,
4. Give the site coordinates (X, Y) in the display system you have chosen. The position of the site by default (at
creation) corresponds to the centre of your active map.
Moving Sites to a High Point
When creating a network, it is a good idea to locate the sites on points that are elevated enough to propagate signals
easily. Atoll enables you to place sites on the highest point (based on the DTM) around the current site location within a
certain range.
To do so:
1. Activate the site context menu by Right-clicking on it either on the map or in the Explorer window,
2. Select the Move to a high point... option,
3. Display the radius of the highest point search around the current site.
Notes
In the naming conventions adopted in Atoll, A is the site of departure and B is the site of arrival.
Real values are used by Atoll if entered. Otherwise, the corresponding values are computed by
Atoll from other data sources (such as Geo data).
You can open the properties dialogues of the sites, frequency band, repeaters, antennas, equip-
ment, frequency sub-bands, waveguides and cables, and link class corresponding to the micro-
wave link by clicking the button on the right of the selection boxes in different tabs.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer or from the map window, it is possible to
scroll through the properties dialogues of different microwave links within the same subfolder
without closing. To do this, use the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous microwave link proper-
ties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the
properties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last microwave link properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Note: In the General tab of the site properties window, you can also change the name of the site,
add comments for each site, and lock its position on the map. Locking the site position
allows "safety" for manual movements (using the mouse) for sites on the map. When you
move the site, a message will ask you to confirm your action.
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Moving Sites Using the Mouse
You can move sites manually on the map, by dragging it on the map, to its new location you want. If the site is locked,
Atoll asks you to confirm that you wanted to move the site.
The corresponding microwave link automatically changes its azimuth angle with respect to north in order to point towards
the new site coordinates.
12.6.1.2.4 Setting a Microwave Link as Active
Once microwave links are set up within a network, you may decide whether to activate them or not. Quality, Availability
and interference analyses and associated reports/statistics take into account only active microwave links (and not filtered
microwave links). In the Explorer window, active microwave links are displayed in red ( symbol) in the Links folder,
unlike inactive ones which are displayed in grey ( symbol).
To set the activity of a microwave link,
Either,
- Select the General tab from the microwave link properties
Or,
- Activate the microwave links table window,
(Un)check the active box in order to make the microwave link (in)active in the network.
You may also manage the microwave link activity from the context menu associated with each microwave link individually
(Right-click on the microwave link in the Data tab of the Explorer window) or globally (Right-click on the Links folder in the
Data tab of the Explorer window)
12.6.1.2.5 Deleting a Microwave Link
To delete an existing microwave link:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Expand the Links folder by clicking the button,
d. Right-click on the microwave link you want to delete,
Or,
a. Select the microwave link you want to delete by clicking on the corresponding line representing the micro-
wave link,
b. Right-click on the microwave link,
Choose the Delete option from the context menu.
Another alternative is to delete the row associated with the microwave link you want to delete in the Links table.
12.6.1.3 Microwave Links Templates
12.6.1.3.1 Creating a Microwave Link Template
In Atoll, you may create, modify or delete station templates and build your network from links templates instead of manual
creation of links.
To create a microwave links template:
Either
a. From the toolbar, click the template scrolling box
b. Select the Manage Templates... tool
Note: Atoll can use either the DTM or a user-defined height for sites in computations.
Notes
Deleting a microwave link in this manner does not delete the corresponding sites even if there
are no other links or transmitters relating to that site.
When selecting a microwave link, be careful to select the line representing the link. Do not select
the site icon ( ). Since it is also possible to delete the sites on which microwave links are built,
be sure to select the line and not the site.
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Or
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Right-click on the Links folder,
d. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
e. Click the Links templates tab,
1. Click Add to create a new links template,
2. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
3. Enter the parameters of the links template being currently built,
4. Click OK to validate.
The new links template will then be available in the template scrolling menu.
12.6.1.3.2 Defining Microwave Link Template Properties
With Atoll, you may create, modify or delete station templates and build your network from links templates instead of
manual creation of links.
To manage a microwave links template:
Either
a. From the toolbar, click the template scrolling box
b. Select the Manage Templates... tool
Or
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Right-click on the Links folder,
d. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
e. Click the Links templates tab,
1. Select the template you want to manage in the Available templates box,
2. Click the button to open the microwave links template properties dialogue,
3. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
4. Set the parameters of the current links template,
5. Click OK to validate.
You can also add user-defined fields to links templates through the links templates management window. These additional
fields appear in a new tab in the links template properties window (Other properties) if there are corresponding user-
defined fields available in the sites table. This feature has been designed to allow users to introduce user-defined fields in
the sites table to the links templates. So that the links thus created with these templates contain these user-defined fields
by default.
To add, modify or delete a field in the links templates:
Either
a. From the toolbar, click the template scrolling box
b. Select the Manage Templates... tool
Or
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
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c. Right-click on the Links folder,
d. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
e. Click the Links templates tab,
1. Click the button on the links template management window to open the links template fields
dialogue,
2. Click to add, to modify properties or to delete a user-defined field,
3. Click OK to validate.
12.6.1.3.3 Deleting a Microwave Link Template
With Atoll, you may create, modify or delete station templates and build your network from links templates instead of
manual creation of links.
To delete a links template:
Either
a. From the toolbar, click the template scrolling box
b. Select the Manage Templates... tool
Or
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Right-click on the Links folder,
d. Choose the Properties option from the context menu,
e. Click the Links templates tab,
1. Select the template you want to delete in the Available templates box,
2. Click the button,
3. Click either OK or Cancel to close the dialogue.
12.6.1.3.4 Creating a Microwave Link on Existing Sites
In Atoll, the standard process of creating a microwave link using the mouse creates a couple of sites at the same time as
when creating the microwave link between these two sites. Atoll sets the properties by default of these created items.
Nevertheless, it is easily possible to create a microwave link linked to existing sites.
Once the reference sites are available, to create a microwave link between them from a template:
1. Select the template to use in the links template scrolling box (located in the toolbar),
2. Click on the New link button ( ), left of the scrolling box,
3. Move your pointer to the reference site on your map,
4. When the pointer sticks on it, click to assign the link to the site.
12.6.2 Microwave Passive Repeaters
Passive repeaters are normally used to redirect the microwave signal around an obstruction. Passive repeaters divide the
radio path into two branches, each traversing different type terrain, normally having different lengths and different inclina-
tions. This implies different propagation conditions for these two branches concerning fading, distortions and rain etc. Due
to this property of passive repeaters they are also referred to as "beam benders".
Passive repeaters have the following advantages over active sites:
No power required,
No regular road access required,
No equipment housing needed,
Environment friendly,
Little or no maintenance required.
Notes
The properties you can adjust are similar to the microwave links properties.
The user-defined fields added in the links templates must be the same as the user-defined fields
in the sites table to be taken into account.
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All of the above advantages mean that these can be placed in relatively inaccessible areas.
There are two main types of passive repeaters. The first type is where two antennas are placed back to back connected
by a short feeder cable; these are called back-to-back antenna passive repeaters. The second type is a plane reflector
type passive repeater where a flat metal reflector is used to redirect the signal; these are often called passive reflectors
or plane reflectors.
Atoll is capable of modelling both types of passive repeaters and providing the user with access to all the relevant param-
eters for both. The following sections explain the Atoll modelling of passive repeaters.
In Atoll microwave module, the word repeater is used for passive repeaters.
12.6.2.1 Creating a Microwave Passive Repeater
A microwave passive repeater is used to redirect or bend a microwave signal around an obstruction while keeping the
signal undistorted. Urban radio links are usually hampered by line of sight restrictions due to high obstacles (buildings and
hills etc.). Passive repeaters, being more efficient at higher frequencies, are an ideal solution for this problem in microwave
links. Although, microwave passive repeaters are attractive solutions in terms of economy and environment, they imply
tougher frequency planning constraints as they act as transmission and reception sites both. They also limit frequency
reuse in some cases.
Atoll provides well-suited microwave passive repeater modelling. Furthermore, Atoll permits creating new passive repeat-
ers and setting the parameters for the characteristics of each of them (Name, site, operating frequency band, height, type
of passive repeater, azimuths, and specific properties for back-to-back antenna and reflector type repeaters).
To create an microwave passive repeater:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Select Passive repeaters and Open table from the menu.
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values.
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also double click on a record in the equipment table to open its corresponding properties dialogue.
12.6.2.2 Managing Microwave Passive Repeater Properties
You can manage and edit the properties of the microwave passive repeaters through their respective properties dialogues.
To access their properties dialogue:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Select Passive repeaters and Open table from the menu.
5. Double click on the concerned record in the Passive repeaters table. The Property dialogue appears.
6. Select the General tab and define the passive repeater name, the site where the repeater is located (from the Sites
table), the operating frequency band of the passive repeater and its position relative to the site.
7. Open the Type tab and define whether the passive repeater is a reflector type or back-to-back antenna type
repeater.
a. For a reflector type repeater, assign a surface area for the repeater, and define its height and its azimuth an-
gle towards the site of transmission (and not towards the site of reception).
b. For a back-to-back antenna type repeater, you can choose the antennas used from the models available in
the Antennas table, define the antenna heights and assign the azimuth angles for these back-to-back anten-
nas in both the directions of the link from the repeater. Finally, you can select waveguides between both an-
tennas from the models available in the Waveguides table, and enter the length.
8. Click OK or Apply to validate.
Note: Creating and setting parameters for different passive repeaters on the basis of manufactur-
ers data is a long and meticulous operation. To make it easier for you Atoll allows the use
of copy and paste functions as easily as in all office automation tools. You may thus create
passive repeaters from a blank sheet or from an existing one, Atolls display is compatible
with most spreadsheets and word processors.
Notes
It is possible to access the properties of the relevant site and frequency band directly from the
General tab by clicking the button opposite to the corresponding item.
You can click the button to automatically calculate azimuth angles.
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12.6.2.3 Inserting Microwave Passive Repeaters in Microwave Links
Atoll allows inserting a maximum of 2 passive repeaters along a single microwave link. The following terms are used in
Atoll for passive repeaters and related parameters:
Passive repeaters (maximum 2) along a microwave link are named repeater P and repeater Q respectively.
A part of the link is called a Section. A section can be:
- One of the directions of a bi-directional link.
- One of the trajectories towards a repeater (if any).
- Examples:
Unidirectional link without repeater: 1 section, Site A Site B
Bi-directional link without repeater: 2 sections, Site A Site B and Site B Site A
Bi-directional link with 2 repeaters: 6 sections, Site A Site P, Site P Site Q, Site Q Site B, Site B Site Q, Site Q Site P, Site
P Site A.
To insert a repeater in a microwave link:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Insert a repeater from the context menu.
3. Click on the microwave link in the map where you want to insert the repeater.
The link is drawn on the map with a newly inserted site at the point indicated by the user using the mouse. Creating a
passive repeater through insertion of a point on a microwave link creates a new Repeater entry in the Passive repeaters
table and a new Site entry in the Sites table that will be assigned to the repeater created. The following default values are
applied to these created items:
The location of the repeater site is determined by the point of insertion.
The repeater is of reflector type by default with a default surface area assigned.
The operating frequency band of the repeater is the frequency band assigned to the corresponding microwave
link.
The azimuth for this repeater is computed according to the directions of the two sections of the corresponding
microwave link.
It is also possible to insert a repeater through the microwave link profile analysis window directly. To do this:
1. Choose Microwave Link Analysis from the View menu. The Microwave Link Analysis Window appears.
2. Select a microwave link by clicking on it either on the Map window or in the Links folder in the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the profile to open its context menu.
4. Select Insert Repeater from the context menu.
5. Click on the microwave link in the map where you want to insert the repeater.
The microwave profile analysis window then provides an interactive real-time display of the microwave link profile from site
A to site B.
When the point is inserted on the link, it is shown in the microwave link profile analysis window by a vertical line in the
profile. When the site of the passive repeater is moved on the map, the profile analysis window displays the entire link
profile (all sections) from site A to site B including the repeater site concatenating the 2 sections (Site A Site P Site B). This
is called a broken profile.
On the microwave link profile analysis window, a list proposes the six possible combinations of profile display:
Site A Site P
Site P Site B
Site B Site P
Site P Site A
Site A Site B (profile "broken" at Site P)
Site B Site A (profile "broken" at Site P)
A second repeater (Q) can be inserted in the same link in the same way. In this case, the profile display options proposed
by the list in the microwave link profile analysis window will include and consider Site Q as well.
12.6.3 Multi-hop Links
Multi-hop microwave links, or multi-hops, are a set of two or more microwave links that are interconnected to get to a desti-
nation. This method allows the link to extend distance as well as move the link path around buildings or mountains. A
microwave link can be common to more than one multi-hop as well.
In general practice, microwave multi-hop links are used for two purposes; to construct a microwave connection over areas
that do not provide line-of-sight and to transfer signals through microwave links over large distances.
Note: When the microwave link profile analysis window displays the broken profiles between Site
A and Site B including one or 2 inserted repeaters, it is not possible to modify antenna
heights and the relevant options are disabled.
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The following sections describe the creation and deletion of microwave multi-hop links and the setting of global properties.
12.6.3.1 Creating a Multi-hop Link
In Atoll, a multi-hop link can be managed as a group of single-hop microwave links (which may contain repeaters). There
are three ways to create a multi-hop link: by using the mouse, by using the multi-hops folder, or by editing the multi-hop
links table.
To create a new multi-hop link by using the mouse:
1. Click the multi-hop button ( ) on the toolbar. The pointer changes to .
2. Click on the map to create the first site of the multi-hop link.
3. Click on the map in each place you want to insert a new link.
4. Double-click at the location you want to define as the end of the multi-hop link.
The end site of the preceding link is considered to be the start site for the next link within a multi-hop link. The next micro-
wave link in the multi-hop links series is initialised based on the parameters of the preceding one (by inversing the site
parities).
The sites that define the extremities of a multi-hop link can be already existing sites or Atoll will create new sites automat-
ically at the location clicked by the user. Each site in Atoll can support several microwave links, transmitters, and passive
repeaters.
To create a new multi-hop link using the Multi-hops folder:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click on the Multi-hops folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Multi-Hops New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Enter or modify the following fields on the General tab:
- Name: The Name field is filled automatically by Atoll, but can be modified.
- Multi-Hops Class: Select the multi-hops class from the list. Atoll uses this information with the multi-hop
length in order to calculate the performance objectives required for the multi-hop. Once you have selected a
multi-hops class, you can view and modify the class properties by clicking the browse button ( ).
- Comments: Enter any comments for this new multi-hop.
6. Click OK. Atoll creates an empty multi-hop link item in the Multi-hops folder.
By default, Atoll names the newly created multi-hop links in the following manner: Multi-hopsX, where X increments with
each instance of creation for multi-hop links.
To define microwave links as parts of this multi-hop link:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Click the button of the Multi-hops Links folder. The Multi-hops folder opens.
4. Right-click the new multi-hop link and select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
5. Select the Links tab.
6. Assign links to the multi-hop:
a. Select a link from the Link column.
b. Enter a number in the Order column to set the position of this link in the multi-hop.
7. Click OK.
12.6.3.2 Managing Multi-hop Link Properties
As for all objects organised in folders (e.g., Sites, Links) within Atoll, multi-hop links can be managed either individually or
globally. A global setting is applied to all the filtered multi-hop links.
12.6.3.2.1 Modifying Global Properties
In Atoll, you can globally manage the properties associated with multi-hop links of your network.
Note: In Atoll it is not obligatory to have all the links composing a multi-hop link to be intercon-
nected. But this is the practical case in almost all microwave networks worldwide.
Note: An Other Properties tab window is also available if a user-defined field has been added to
the multi-hop links table.
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To manage the multi-hop link properties globally:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click on the Multi-hops folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Multi-Hops Properties dialogue appears.
5. Use the What's this help to get a description of the fields in the dialogue. The three standard tabs are:
- General: The General tab lets you organise folders and assign or save a configuration. You can also organise
multi-hops by using Atolls group, sort, and filter tools.
- Table: The Table tab helps you to manage contents in the Multi-hops table. Here you can manage user-
defined fields to the Multi-hops table.
- Display: The Display tab allows you to manage the display of multi-hop links depending on their attributes, to
manage the legend, labels on the map, and the contents of tool tips using the tip tool .
12.6.3.2.2 Modifying Individual Properties
There are two ways to edit properties of each multi-hop link in the current network: by selecting the multi-hop in the Data
tab or by selecting it on the map.
To access individual multi-hop link properties in the data tab:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Click the button of the Multi-Hops folder. The Multi-Hops folder opens
4. Right-click on the multi-hops link whose properties you wish to edit. The context menu appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
6. Use the What's this help to get a description of the fields in the dialogue.
To access individual multi-hop link properties on the map:
1. In the map, click the line of the multi-hop link whose properties you wish to edit.
2. Right-click on the multi-hops link whose properties you wish to edit. The context menu appears.
3. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
4. Use the What's this help to get a description of the fields in the dialogue.
The three standard tabs are:
The Properties dialogue has two tabs:
General: The General tab lets to manage the name and multi-hops objectives class assigned to the multi-hop link.
Links: The Links tab gives to access to the list of microwave links that are part of the multi-hop link. This list con-
tains the names of these microwave links and the order in which they join to form the multi-hop link.
An Other Properties tab is available if user-defined fields have been added to the Multi-hops table:
12.6.3.3 Managing Multi-hop Links and Microwave Links Mapping Globally
Atoll allows you to globally manage mapping microwave links to the multi-hop links.
To globally manage the mapping of links to multi-hop links:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click the Multi-Hops folder. The context menu appears.
Notes
You can open the properties dialogues of the multi-hops class corresponding to the multi-hop
link by clicking the button on the right of the selection box in General tab.
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer or from the map window, it is possible to
scroll through the properties dialogues of different multi-hop links within the same subfolder
without closing. To do this, use the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first/previous multi-hop link proper-
ties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the
properties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next/last multi-hop link properties
dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing the prop-
erties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
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4. Select Mapping between Multi-hops and Links from the context menu. The Multi-Hops Links table appears,
containing all the multi-hops links and the corresponding microwave links. In this table, you can modify, delete,
add, and change the order of the links that make up a multi-hop link.
12.6.3.4 Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a Multi-hop Link
To graphically add a microwave link to a multi-hop link:
1. Open the context menu of the multi-hop link to which you want to add a microwave link:
Either
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
c. Click the button of the Multi-hops folder. The Multi-hops folder opens.
d. Right-click on the multi-hop link to which you want to add a microwave link. The context menu appears.
Or
a. In the map, click the line of the multi-hop link to which you want to add a microwave link.
b. Right-click on the multi-hop link. The context menu appears.
2. Select Add a Link from the context menu. The pointer shape changes to in the map window.
3. On the map, click the microwave link you want to add to the multi-hop link.
The microwave link is added to the list of links forming the multi-hop link and assigned an order automatically.
12.6.3.5 Deleting a Multi-hop Link
To delete an existing multi-hop link:
1. Open the context menu of the multi-hop link you want to delete:
Either
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
c. Click the button of the Multi-hops folder. The Multi-hops folder opens.
d. Right-click on the multi-hop link you want to delete. The context menu appears.
Or,
a. In the map, click the line of the multi-hop link you want to delete.
b. Right-click on the multi-hop link. The context menu appears.
2. Select Delete from the context menu. The multi-hop link is deleted.
Another alternative is to delete the row associated with the multi-hop link you want to delete in the Multi-hops table.
12.6.4 Point-to-Multipoint Links
A point-to-multipoint link is a set of microwave links connected to a hub. A point-to-multipoint link is used when microwave
links must be made between one site and a fixed number of other sites.
The following sections describe the creation and deletion of microwave point-to-multipoint links and the setting of global
properties.
12.6.4.1 Creating a Point-to-Multipoint Link
In Atoll, a point-to-multipoint link can be managed as a group of single-hop microwave links (which may contain repeaters)
connected to a hub. There are several ways to create a point-to-multipoint link:
by using the mouse,
by using the point-to-multipoint link folder, or
by editing the point-to-multipoint links table.
Notes
Deleting a multi-hop link in this manner does not delete the corresponding sites even if there are
no other links or transmitters relating to that site.
When selecting a multi-hop link, be careful to select the line representing the multi-hop link. Do
not select the site icon ( ). Since it is also possible to delete the sites on which multi-hop links
are built, be sure to select the line and not the site.
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The sites that define the hub or sites of a point-to-multipoint link can be already existing sites or new sites, created auto-
matically at the location clicked by the user. Each site in Atoll can support several microwave links, transmitters, and
passive repeaters.
To create a new point-to-multipoint link by using the mouse:
1. Click the new PMP button ( ) on the toolbar. The pointer changes to .
2. Click on the map to create the hub of the point-to-multipoint link.
3. Click on the map in each place you want to insert a new link. If you do not click an existing site, Atoll creates a
new site where you click.
4. Double-click when adding the last link to complete the point-to-multipoint link.
To create a new point-to-multipoint link using the Point-to-Multipoint folder:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click on the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select New from the context menu. The Point to Multipoint New Element Properties dialogue appears.
5. Enter or modify the following fields on the General tab:
- Name: The Name field is filled automatically by Atoll, but can be modified.
- Frequency Band: You must select a frequency band when you create a point-to-multipoint link. Once you
have selected a frequency band, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the browse button ( ).
- Hub Site: You must select the site that will be the hub of the point-to-multipoint link. Once you have selected
the hub site, you can view and modify its properties by clicking the browse button ( ).
- Type: Select the type: TDA or FDA.
- Antenna: Select the antenna and its parameters.
- Comments: Enter any comments for this new point-to-multipoint link.
6. Click OK. Atoll creates an empty point-to-multipoint link item in the Point-to-Multipoint folder.
7. To add microwave links to the created point-to-multipoint link, see "Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a
Point-to-Multipoint Link" on page 706
To create a new point-to-multipoint link using the Point-to-Multipoint links table:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click on the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Open Table from the context menu. The Point to Multipoint table appears.
5. In the row marked with the new row icon ( ), enter the details of the new point-to-multipoint link. The following
fields must be filled: Name, Frequency Band, and Site.
6. To add microwave links to the created point-to-multipoint link, see "Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a
Point-to-Multipoint Link" on page 706.
By default, Atoll names the newly point-to-multipoint link "PMP HubX", where "X" increments with the creation of each
new point-to-multipoint link.
12.6.4.2 Point-to-Multipoint Link Properties
Point-to-multipoint links can be managed either individually or globally. A global setting is applied to all the filtered point-
to-multipoint links.
12.6.4.2.1 Modifying Global Properties
To manage the point-to-multipoint link properties globally:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click on the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Properties from the context menu. The Point-to-Multipoint Properties dialogue appears.
5. Enter or modify data in the fields of the Point-to-Multipoint Properties dialogue. The three standard tabs are:
- General: The General tab lets you organise folders and assign or save a configuration. You can also organise
point-to-multipoint links by using Atolls group, sort, and filter tools.
- Table: The Table tab helps you to manage contents, including user-defined fields, of the point-to-multipoint
table.
- Display: The Display tab allows you to manage the display of point-to-multipoint links depending on their
attributes, to manage the legend, labels on the map, and the contents of tool tips using the tip tool .
6. Click OK.
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12.6.4.2.2 Modifying Individual Properties
To edit the properties of a point-to-multipoint link:
1. Open the context menu:
In the Data tab
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
c. Click the button of the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The Point-to-Multipoint folder opens.
d. Right-click on the point-to-multipoint link whose properties you want to edit. The context menu appears.
On the map
a. Select the antenna icon of the point-to-multipoint link hub whose properties you wish to change. The point-to-
multipoint icon changes ( ).
Note: Be sure to select the antenna icon of the point-to-multipoint link hub. Do not select the site icon ( ).
b. Right-click on the point-to-multipoint icon. The context menu appears.
2. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
3. Use the What's this help to get a description of the fields in the dialogue. The three standard tabs are:
- General: The General tab lets you organise folders and assign or save a configuration. You can also organise
multi-hops by using Atolls group, sort, and filter tools.
- Links: The Links tab lets you add, edit, and delete microwave links.
- Display: The Display tab lets you to select and customize the icon symbolising the point-to-multipoint link on
the map.
- An Other Properties tab is available if user-defined fields have been added to the Point-to-Multipoint table.
12.6.4.3 Mapping of Microwave Links to Point-to-Multipoint Links Globally
To globally manage the mapping of microwave links to point-to-multipoint links:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Right-click the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select PMP/Link Mapping from the context menu. The PMP/Link Mapping table appears, containing all the point-
to-multipoint links and the corresponding microwave links.
5. In this table, you can modify, delete, and add the links that make up a point-to-multipoint link.
12.6.4.4 Adding a Microwave Link to a Point-to-Multipoint Link
To add a microwave link to a point-to-multipoint link:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Click the button of the Point-to-Multipoint Links folder. The Point-to-Multipoint folder opens.
Notes
When the properties dialogue is open from the explorer or from the map window, it is possible to
scroll through the properties dialogues of different point-to-multipoint links within the same sub-
folders without closing. To do this, use the buttons.
- The buttons enable you to switch back to the first or previous point-to-multipoint
link properties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when
viewing the properties of the first item of a subfolder.
- The buttons enable you to move forward to the next or last point-to-multipoint link
properties dialogue within the relevant subfolder. These buttons are not active when viewing
the properties of the last item of a subfolder.
- Subfolders are organised following the grouping/sorting/filtering configuration.
Note: Before you can define a microwave link as part of the point-to-multipoint link, the microwave
link must first exist between the site of the hub of the point-to-multipoint link and another
site. For information on creating links, see "Creating a Microwave Link" on page 693.
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4. Right-click the new Point-to-Multipoint link and select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue
appears.
5. Select the Links tab.
6. In the row marked with the new row icon ( ), select a link.
7. Click OK. The microwave link is added to the point-to-multipoint link.
12.6.4.5 Graphically Adding a Microwave Link to a Point-to-Multipoint Link
To add a microwave link to a point-to-multipoint link using the mouse:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Click the button of the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The Point-to-Multipoint folder opens.
4. Right-click the point-to-multipoint link to which you want to add a microwave link. The context menu appears.
5. Select Add a Link from the context menu. The pointer shape changes to in the map window.
6. On the map, click the microwave link you want to add to the point-to-multipoint link. The microwave link is added
to the list of links forming the point-to-multipoint link.
12.6.4.6 Deleting a Microwave Link froma Point-to-Multipoint Link
To delete a microwave link from a point-to-multipoint link:
1. In the map, select the line of the microwave link you want to delete.
2. Right-click the microwave link you want to delete from the point-to-multipoint link. The context menu appears.
3. Select Delete from the context menu. The microwave link is deleted.
12.6.4.7 Deleting a Point-to-Multipoint Link
To delete a point-to-multipoint link:
1. Open the context menu of the point-to-multipoint link you want to delete:
Either
a. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
b. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
c. Click the button of the point-to-multipoint folder. The Point-to-Multipoint folder opens.
d. Right-click on the Point-to-Multipoint link you want to delete. The context menu appears.
Or,
a. In the map, select the line of the point-to-multipoint link you want to delete.
b. Right-click on the Point-to-Multipoint link. The context menu appears.
2. Select Delete from the context menu. The point-to-multipoint link is deleted.
Note: Before you can define a microwave link as part of the point-to-multipoint link, the microwave
link must first exist between the site of the hub of the point-to-multipoint link and another
site. For information on creating links, see "Creating a Microwave Link" on page 693.
Note: Deleting a microwave link in this manner does not delete the corresponding sites even if
there are no other links or transmitters related to that site.
Notes
You can also delete a point-to-multipoint link by deleting the row associated with it in the Point-
to-Multipoint table.
Deleting a point-to-multipoint link in this manner does not delete the corresponding sites even if
there are no other links or transmitters relating to that site.
When selecting a point-to-multipoint link, be careful to select the line representing the point-to-
multipoint link. Do not select the site icon ( ). Since it is also possible to delete the sites on
which point-to-multipoint links are built, be sure to select the line and not the site.
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12.6.4.8 Adjusting the Antenna of the Point-to-Multipoint Hub
When a microwave link consists of only two sites, the antenna on each site is aligned with the other antenna. In a point-
to-multipoint link, it is impossible for the antenna on the hub to be directly aligned with the antenna on each link. Conse-
quently, the height, azimuth, and tilt of the antenna are calculated as a average of that needed for all link antennas.
Atoll calculates these settings for the point-to-multipoint hub antenna when the point-to-multipoint link is created.
However, after the point-to-multipoint has been created, other factors such as the addition of new microwave links may
mean that the settings of the hub antenna need to be readjusted. Atoll can recalculate the settings for the point-to-
multipoint hub antenna.
To make Atoll recalculate the settings for the point-to-multipoint hub antenna:
1. Select the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Click the button of the Microwave Radio Links folder. The Microwave Radio Links folder opens.
3. Click the button of the Point-to-Multipoint folder. The Point-to-Multipoint folder opens.
4. Right-click the point-to-multipoint link of which you want to recalculate the hub antenna settings. The context menu
appears.
5. Select Properties from the context menu. The Properties dialogue appears.
6. Select the General tab of the Properties dialogue.
7. In the "Antenna" subsection, click the Calculate button ( ) to the right of the Tilt field. A dialogue appears with
the recalculated height, azimuth, and tilt values for the point-to-multipoint hub antenna.
8. When the values for the point-to-multipoint hub antenna are recalculated, the point-to-multipoint link antennas may
need to be adjusted accordingly. If you want Atoll calculate the effect of the recalculated values for the hub
antenna on the link antennas, select the Transfer the misalignments to links check box.
9. Click OK to update the values for the point-to-multipoint antennas.
12.6.4.9 Graphically Adjusting the Antenna of the Point-to-Multipoint Hub
To use the mouse to graphically adjust the azimuth of the point-to-multipoint hub antenna:
1. Select the antenna icon of the point-to-multipoint hub. The point-to-multipoint icon changes ( ) and you can
now rotate it manually.
2. Click the antenna icon (the point changes: ) and rotate it to its new azimuth.
12.7 Managing Microwave Links Specific Geo Data
12.7.1 Working with Rain Maps
Rain maps contain information on rain intensity or on the total amount of rain per defined period. Rain maps are used in
microwave link projects to calculate radio wave attenuation.
Understanding how rain attenuates the propagation of radio waves at microwave frequencies helps in the planning of a
reliable communication system. This is even more important in regions with heavy rainfall. Rainfall can severely degrade
the propagation of radio waves at frequencies above 10 GHz. It restricts the path length of microwave links as well as the
use of higher microwave frequencies for line-of-sight communication.
Rainfall has a greater effect on horizontal polarity than vertical polarity which means that each area of operation differs
because of variations in the amount and intensity of rainfall. Furthermore, rain tends to decrease the cross-polar discrim-
ination (XPD) for short periods, thus affecting the microwave propagation.
It is possible to work with rain intensity maps in Atoll. You can import, edit, export and manage these maps under the Geo
tab Rain folder. These maps are used to compute the interruptions and outages of microwave links caused due to rain.
Atoll can deal with vector rain maps and enables you to easily manage this type of geo data through its user-friendly inter-
face.
12.7.2 Importing a Rain Map
It is possible to use rain maps, in terms of density or value information. Several forms of files can be mixed in order to
compose a resulting rain map. This type of map, like other geo data folders (clutter, DTM etc.) works on the principle of
"what is seen is what is used". Data retained in the folder will be used in clutter statistics and analyses reports.
Rain maps must be in vector format.
To import a rain map:
1. In the File menu, select the Import command
2. In the Vector Import dialogue, select the Rain item in the Import to scrolling list,
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3. Select the appropriate coordinate system (if needed),
4. Under Fields to be Imported, select a numeric field or attribute of the vector file that will be used as rain intensity
value (see Figure 12.6).
Figure 12.6: Rain values (mm of rain per item polygon, road, etc.)
5. Click OK to validate.
Atoll imports the files into the Rain folder of the Geo tab and adds the following tabs to the Rain Properties dialogue: Data
Mapping, Description, and Table tabs.
In addition, the Display tab is available and uses the generic Atoll display dialogue.
12.7.3 Managing Rain Map Properties
To access the properties of the resulting rain map:
1. In the Geo tab, Right-click the Rain folder,
2. Choose the Properties command in the context menu,
3. Depending on the imported file type, different tabs are available (see above):
- Table: this tab is dedicated to manage the contents of the class table.
- Data Mapping: an imported vector file is listed in each line. In the column Field, the vector field which has to
be chosen as rain data has to be selected, always with the density check box (when the relevant data is of
type density). The current selection is the one made during the import. The association can be modified after-
wards.
- Display: Atoll generic display dialogue with the possibility to tune the threshold shading. The displayed infor-
mation is the intensity of rain in mm/hr.
12.7.4 Displaying Rain Statistics
It is possible to display the relative and absolute distributions of rain depending on the thresholds defined in the Display
tab of the Rain folder property dialogue. To do this, select the Statistics command from the Rain folder context menu. Like
other statistics windows, what is used for the results is provided by what is seen.
Notes
The drag and drop feature is available to import such types of maps.
.geo or .cfg (user configuration files) can be used (import-export) to share paths of the imported
rain file paths between users.
It is possible to create a rain vector map using the vector edition tool. To do this, Right-click on
the Rain folder and select the Add vector layer command.
Imported files can be embedded during the import or afterwards.
Notes
The resulting rain map is not the addition of all the maps, but the result of what is seen. Maps of
interest have to be put on the top layer.
The display by value is not permitted is the following cases:
vectors mixing lines and polygons
The display by density is not permitted on vectors made of points.
Note: Statistics are provided on the focus zone if it exists. Otherwise, the computation zone is
considered. With neither of them, statistics are given for the total geographic zone.
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12.7.5 ITU Maps
12.7.5.1 ITU Vapour Density on Earth
Figure 12.7: Annual vapour density on Earth (g/m3)
12.7.5.2 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: February
Figure 12.8: ITU Percentage of time during which the gradient <=-100 units N/km: February
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12.7.5.3 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: May
Figure 12.9: ITU Percentage of time during which the gradient <=-100 units N/km: May
12.7.5.4 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: August
Figure 12.10: ITU Percentage of time during which the gradient <=-100 units N/km: August
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12.7.5.5 ITU Atmospheric Refraction: November
Figure 12.11: ITU Percentage of time during which the gradient <=-100 units N/km: November
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12.7.5.6 ITU Rain Zones: America
Figure 12.12: Rain Zones: America
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12.7.5.7 ITU Rain Zones: Europe and Africa
Figure 12.13: Rain Zones: Europe and Africa
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12.7.5.8 ITU Rain Zones: Asia
Figure 12.14: Rain Zones: Asia
12.8 Microwave Link Analysis
12.8.1 Propagation Model and Global Calculation Parameters
12.8.1.1 Propagation Model
The propagation model used to calculate the fade margin and to determine the links profile, Microwave propagation
model, is accessible through the Modules tab of the Explorer window. The attenuation computed by this model takes into
account the free space path losses, atmospheric losses, attenuation due to diffraction and tropospheric losses. Some of
the coefficients of the model are modifiable through its properties dialogue. For a link to be analysed, a propagation model
must be assigned to it through its properties dialogue.
For further information on the propagation model parameters, see the Technical Reference Guide.
12.8.1.2 Global Calculation Parameters
The global properties of the microwave links project can be managed at the Microwave Radio Links folder level. These
properties comprise the global analysis parameters for the microwave links.
To manage the global properties and parameters for microwave links in an Atoll Microwave Links project:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Microwave Radio Links folder to open the context menu.
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3. Select Properties from the context menu to open the properties dialogue.
4. Use the What's this help to get description of the fields available in the properties dialogue.
5. Click the General tab and define:
- The refractivity factor k to be considered in the link analyses.
- If power control on the transmitted signal is on.
- The link direction to be analysed.
- The transmission ports to be considered in the link analyses.
- The way link analysis will be run i.e. either for one BER value, the one defined in the link property dialogue, or
for two different BER values that you can globally specify in this dialogue (in this case, Atoll will consider these
values for all the links).
6. Click the Interference tab and define interference analysis related parameters:
- The maximum distance around the studied site to find potential interfering sites.
- The minimum drop margin.
- Whether automatic transmission power control is to be considered always on, always off or is to be computed
according to geometric correlation.
- The surface in km
2
of this correlation area.
- The interfered useful bandwidth (%): The parameter enables Atoll to filter the interferers; this is the per-
centage of the bandwidth to be considered when searching for interferers. In order to take into account all the
potential interferers, set the parameter to 3000%.
7. Click the Models tab and define:
- The quality and availability analyses method to be adopted by the network. Five quality analyses methods
(Vigants-Barnett, K.Q factor and those based on different implemented ITU recommendations, 530-5, 530-8
and 530-10) and four availability analyses methods (Crane and those based on different implemented ITU rec-
ommendations, 530-5, 530-8 and 530-10) are available.
In case you select the 530-10 ITU recommendation as quality calculation method, you may use either a sim-
plified method or a method taking into account roughness to calculate the geoclimatic factor (K).
- If you prefer not to take into account fadings due to cross polarisation reduction and fadings due to enhance-
ments in the link analysis.
Cross polarisation reduction is considered in calculations of the unavailability due to multi-path and the una-
vailability due to rain whereas enhancements have an impact on the unavailability due to multi-path only.
- Global parameters used in implemented ITU recommendations such as the network level consideration values
for the Residual Bit Error Rate (RBER), the reference delay values for the secondary signal t (tau) for minimum
and non minimum phase conditions, number of errors per burst for Bit Error Rate between 10-3 and BERSES
and for Bit Error Rate between BERSES and RBER.
- Global parameters used in K.Q method such as exponents of frequency and distance parameters.
- The way interferer-victim propagation is calculated, i.e., either based on the useful signal or based on the ITU-
R 452-11 recommendations.
8. Click the Objectives tab and define:
- The priority of different ways to select quality and availability objectives, i.e., according to the rate, according
to ITU-T G.821 or ITU-T G.826 recommendations, or customised.
- Weight of different components considered in the availability objective formula.
9. Click OK or Cancel.
12.8.2 Restricting the Number of Sites and Microwave Links Studied
When you load project data from a database, you will probably only modify the data in the region for which you are respon-
sible. For example, a complex microwave link planning project may cover an entire region or even an entire country. You,
however, might be responsible for the planning for only one city. In such a situation, doing engineering and interference
studies that calculate the entire network would not only take a lot of time, it is not necessary. Consequently, you can restrict
engineering and interference studies to the sites and microwave links that you are interested in and generate only the
results you need.
In Atoll, there are two ways of restricting the number of sites and microwave links studied, each with its own advantages:
Filtering the desired sites and microwave links
You can simplify the selection of sites and microwave links to be studied by using a filter. You can filter sites and
microwave links according to one or more fields, or you can create an advanced filter by combining several criteria
in several fields. You can create a graphic filter by either using an existing vector polygon or creating a new vector
polygon. For information on graphic filters, see "Filtering Data Using a Polygon" on page 62. This enables you to
keep only the sites and microwave links with the characteristics you want to study.
For information on filtering, see "Filtering Data" on page 54.
Setting a computation zone
Drawing a computation zone to encompass the sites and microwave links to be studied, limits the number of sites
and microwave links to be calculated, which in turn reduces the time necessary for calculations.
You can combine a computation zone and a filter, in order to create a very precise selection of the sites and microwave
links to be studied.
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In addition, it is possible to set a focus zone in order to filter the results displayed in reports (link budgets, interference).
12.8.2.1 Setting a Computation Zone
When you make a link budget or you study interference, Atoll calculates all the microwave links that are active, filtered
(i.e., that are selected by the current filter parameters), and intersects the computation zone.
To create a computation zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Computation Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the computation zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
The computation zone is delimited by a red line.
You can also create a computation zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a computation zone by right-clicking it and
selecting Use as Computation Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a computation zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Computa-
tion Zone folder on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a computation zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map
Window from the context menu.
12.8.2.2 Setting a Focus Zone
The focus zone defines an area on which reports are made. It is important not to confuse the computation zone and the
focus zone. The computation zone defines the sites and microwave links computed in link budget, interference studies,
etc. and the potential interferers while the focus zone filters the displayed results.
To define a focus zone:
1. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
3. Right-click the Focus Zone folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Draw from the context menu.
5. Draw the focus zone:
a. Click once on the map to start drawing the zone.
b. Click once on the map to define each point on the map where the border of the zone changes direction.
c. Click twice to finish drawing and close the zone.
A focus zone is delimited by a green line.
You can also create a focus zone as follows:
Existing polygon: You can use any existing polygon on the map as a focus zone by right-clicking it and selecting
Use as Focus Zone from the context menu.
Importing a polygon: If you have a file with an existing polygon, for example, a polygon describing an adminis-
trative area, you can import it and use it as a focus zone. You can import it by right-clicking the Focus Zone folder
on the Geo tab and selecting Import from the context menu.
Fit to Map Window: You can create a focus zone the size of the map window by selecting Fit to Map Window
from the context menu.
12.8.3 Microwave Link Profile Analysis
Microwave links can be analysed in terms of the terrain and clutter profile between the two extremities in Atoll. Profile
analysis is available in the Profile tab of the Microwave link analysis window, and can be accessed as described in the
next section.
Note: You can save the computation zone in the user configuration. For information on the user
configuration, follow the instructions in "Exporting a Geo Data Set" on page 104.
Note: You can save the focus zone in the user configuration. For information on the user configu-
ration, follow the instructions in "Exporting a Geo Data Set" on page 104.
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It is possible to visualise the profile of the microwave link according to the direction of the selected link (Site A Site B or
Site B Site A). Moreover, for a link comprising one or two passive repeaters, it is also possible to visualise either the global
profile of the link (a "broken" profile), or the profile of each section (AP, AQ, PQ, PB and QB).
Atoll considers the central frequency of the frequency band used as the frequency used by the microwave link for this
analysis. It is possible to modify antenna heights, the factor k, display options, and to display a second ellipsoid. Certain
results, which were available in this tab in the previous versions of Atoll, are now available in different tabs related to their
specific types of analyses (e.g., fade margin, reception, which are now available in the Report tab).
It is also possible to modify the geographic profile of the microwave link being analysed through the values tab of the micro-
wave link analysis window. Parameters, such as distance from the transmitter, altitude, clutter class, clutter height, clutter
category, and the average width of the obstacle can be modified for each point in the profile. The modifications are auto-
matically applied on the Profile tab and saved.
A feature enables you to compute the "optimum" antenna heights according to the value of the factor k entered. The new
heights computed can be automatically saved in the properties of the link. You also have the option to study the effects of
space and frequency diversities on any microwave link.
A study of reflections is also available. Atoll displays the points of reflection and the zones of reflection along the micro-
wave link profile. It is also possible to obtain a detailed analysis of the zones of reflection.
12.8.3.1 Viewing a Microwave Link Profile
Microwave link profile analysis is available in the Profile tab of the Microwave link analysis window. This window can be
accessed through the microwave module toolbar or through the context menus related to the concerned microwave link
on the map or in the Explorer window.
To open the microwave link Profile analysis window:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Select Engineering > Profile Analysis from the context menu.
You can also access the Profile analysis window through button in the toolbar.
1. Click the button in the toolbar to activate the Microwave link analysis window Profile tab.
2. Select the microwave link to analyse either on the map, or in the Links folder in the Explorer window or from
the list available in the Profile tab.
You can also select the microwave link to analyse directly from a list containing all the microwave links of the project avail-
able in the Profile analysis tab.
You can right-click the Link button in the profile analysis window and choose from the context menu:
Properties to open the microwave link property dialogue.
Apart from this, you can right-click on the profile as well and select from the context menu:
Zoom In to zoom in on the microwave link profile.
Actual Size to reset the zoom level and restore the initial profile display.
Copy to copy the profile in the clipboard.
Print to print the microwave link profile.
Display Options to define display parameters
Display Information on the Current Point to display information on any point along the profile.
Display Fresnel Ellipsoids to view Fresnel zones.
Display Reflections to view zones and points of reflection along the profile.
Insert Repeater to add a new repeater on the selected link.
A list in the Profile tab lists all possible combination of hops that can be visualised in the window, i.e., Site A Site B or vice
versa and including any passive repeaters composing in the link.
The propagation model used to compute the propagation in microwave link profile analysis is the one assigned to the link
under study.
12.8.3.2 Viewing Microwave Link Clearance
The microwave link profile analysis window allows you to display the clearance along the entire link profile. In order to
display or hide the Fresnel zones between the two extremities of the microwave link:
1. Open the microwave link profile analysis window,
2. Right-click on the the profile to open its context menu,
Notes
The microwave link to be analysed must be configured beforehand (antenna, equipment, fre-
quency band and propagation model defined) in order to be able to visualise its profile.
It is possible to visualise the microwave link profile with two different values of the k factor. This
can be done through the advanced options available by pressing the button opposite the
microwave links list.
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3. Choose Display Fresnel ellipsoids command from the context menu,
The first Fresnel ellipsoid corresponding to the first k value is shown in blue, while the second related to the second k value
is shown in red. It is also possible to display another Fresnel ellipsoid when a secondary antenna is installed at the receiver.
If there are obstructions in the path of the microwave link that introduce losses, a green coloured line is drawn from the
transmitter to the first obstacles highest point. A perpendicular from the horizontal axis is also drawn to mark the obstacle
that introduces the highest loss in the link, and the loss from this obstacle is displayed on the top of this perpendicular.
In addition, Atoll is able to provide details on each point along the microwave link profile in a dialogue.
To open it:
1. Open the Microwave Link Analysis window,
2. Right-click on the window where the profile is displayed to open its context menu,
3. Select Display the current point information from the context menu.
The dialogue contains the following information at each point along the profile:
- Distance from the transmitting site
- Height/Altitude of the ground level (DTM including clutter)
- First Fresnel zone clearance
- First Fresnel zone radius
- Current altitude of the pointer
Figure 12.15: Microwave analysis window Profile tab
It is possible to visualise the microwave link profile with two different values of the k factor. These values can be set through
the advanced options available by pressing the button opposite the microwave links list. Atoll displays the clearance
(%) and the penetration of the Fresnel zone for each value of k. In addition, it indicates for both antennas, the tilts/direct
ray, the azimuths and the angles of incidence.
A common mode of operation would be to display the first Fresnel zone at 100% and the second at 60% so as to depict
the minimum clearance requirement directly on the profile. To manage the display of Fresnel zones, both first and second,
you have to access the Display options dialogue for the profile and modify these parameters.
Here, it is also possible to modify the antenna heights at both extremities manually and automatically, this feature is
described in detail in the Optimising microwave link antenna heights section.
As the mouse pointer is clicked-dragged along the profile of the microwave link in the microwave analysis window, a
special pointer pinpoints the location of the current point along the profile on the map window.
12.8.3.3 Managing Microwave Link Profile Display Options
The microwave link profile analysis tab provides the user with the possibility to manage parameters that affect the display
of the profile. To access the microwave link profile display options window:
1. Open the microwave link profile analysis window,
2. Right-click on the profile to open its context menu,
Notes
The central frequency of the operating frequency band is used for the computations in the Profile
tab.
It is possible to visualise the microwave link profile with two different values of the k factor. This
can be done through the advanced options available by pressing the button opposite the
microwave links list.
As you modify the value of the first k factor, Atoll recalculates the highest peak penetrating (prin-
cipal knife edge) the fresnel zone and automatically calculates the losses due to this peak. The
same highest peak is used for computing losses according to the second k factor.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
3. Choose the Display options command,
4. Use the What's this help to get description about the fields available in the open window,
5. Set the parameters of the current display,
6. Click OK to validate.
Here you can manage the horizontal and vertical axes graduations, percentages of the first and second Fresnel ellipsoids
to be shown, the manner in which the curvature of the Earth is displayed, whether the reflections should be displayed or
not, and reflection paths you want to display, either the unobstructed reflection paths only or both obstructed and unob-
structed ones.
12.8.3.4 Zooming In on the Profile
Atoll provides the user with the possibility to zoom in on the profile.
TozoominontheProfile:
1. Open the microwave link Profile Analysis Window.
2. Right-click on the profile to open its context menu.
3. Select Zoom In from the context menu.
4. Click the Zoom Area icon ( ) on the Zoom toolbar (or press CTRL+W).
5. Click in the profile on one of the four corners of the area you want to select.
6. Drag to the opposite corner. When you release the mouse button, Atoll zooms in on the selected area.
Torestoretheinitialprofile:
1. Open the microwave link Profile Analysis Window.
2. Right-click the window to open its context menu.
3. Select Actual Size (1:1) from the context menu.
12.8.3.5 Printing a Microwave Link Profile
Atoll provides the user with the facility of printing a microwave link profile. To print the contents of a microwave link profile
analysis window:
1. Open the microwave link profile analysis window,
2. Right-click on the profile to open its context menu,
3. Choose Print command,
4. Click OK to print.
12.8.3.6 Modifying Microwave Link Profile Values
Microwave link analysis window has a tab called "Values" that provides the user with access to all the data values
concerned with the microwave link profile analysis extracted at different points along the profile. You can modify these
values at any point along the profile under study and check the Profile tab to visualise the impact of your modifications
instantaneously.
To edit the profile values through the Values tab:
1. Open the microwave link profile analysis window,
2. Select the Values tab,
3. Edit or modify any values according to your needs.
4. Click on the Actions button to open its context menu.
5. Choose Commit to link to store the modified values in the microwave link.
The Refresh geo data command in the same menu is used to regenerate the original microwave link profile values from
the geo data files and replace the user-modified values with these.
Any microwave link profile is determined considering a number of parameter values, for example:
Distance from transmitter,
Altitude (from DTM files),
Type of clutter (from clutter files),
Clutter heights (from clutter or clutter heights files),
Hygrometric category (user-defined when configuring the model for each type of clutter),
Average width of obstacle (can be initialised by the clutter class information or defined by the user as well).
All of these can be modified for each point along the microwave link profile through this tab. The modifications made in this
tab are stored in memory for each microwave link.
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12.8.3.7 Optimising Microwave Link Antenna Heights
Microwave links antennas should be placed at such heights so as to avoid any obstruction of the line-of-sight signal. The
line-of-sight signal is considerably degraded if less than 60% of the first Fresnel ellipsoid is clear. Any penetration of an
obstacle inside the 60% area of the first Fresnel zone of any microwave link should thus be avoided.
Atoll provides with two possible means of modifying or optimising microwave links antenna heights through user-friendly
interfaces. The user can modify antenna heights manually using a mouse or by entering new values and directly visualising
the clearance and penetration parameters being affected in real-time.
Finally, a specific function is available in Atoll microwave module that lets you compute and adjust the microwave links
antenna heights at the two extremities to their optimum values. Two optimisation methods are available; both of them take
into account the values of the factor k, defining the curvature of the Earth, the geographic data defining any possible terrain
or clutter penetration in the microwave line-of-sight, the initial antenna heights and antenna tilt angles.
The following sections describe these functionalities in Atoll.
12.8.3.7.1 Manually Adjusting Microwave Antenna Heights
It is possible to modify antenna heights at both extremities of a microwave link through the profile tab of the microwave
link analysis window. To do this:
1. Open the microwave link analysis window,
2. Select the Profile tab,
Either,
a. Move the mouse pointer to the antenna height icon ( ) on the profile tab,
b. Click the antenna height icon (which now looks like this: ) with the mouse and drag it up or down to modify
the antenna height,
c. Right-click on the pointer to open its context menu,
d. Choose Save H? command to save the current antenna height in the microwave link,
Or,
a. Click the button opposite the microwave links list,
b. Modify the antenna height parameters of the current link,
c. Click the button for the site whose antenna height you want to optimise to open its context menu,
d. Choose Save H? command to save the current antenna height in the microwave link,
12.8.3.7.2 Automatically Optimising Microwave Antenna Heights
Atoll enables the user to calculate antenna heights automatically so as to optimise the microwave link.
To perform an automatic optimisation for an antenna:
1. Open the Microwave Link Analysis window,
2. Select the Profile tab,
3. Click the button opposite the microwave links list,
4. Click on the button for the site whose antenna height you want to optimise.The context menu appears.
5. Select Optimisation Method... from the context menu. The Height Optimisation dialogue opens.
6. Choose one optimisation method.
Two optimisation methods are available and can be selected:
- One is based on the clearance of the Fresnel ellipse: You may enter one or two values of the k factor and
define for each of them a target clearance. Atoll will determine antenna heights so as to fulfil the highest con-
straint.
- The other one is based on diffraction losses: Atoll determines antenna heights so as to minimise diffraction
losses due to the main obstacle (i.e. it will find the antenna heights so as to get a clearance of 60% of the first
Fresnel zone).
7. Click OK or Cancel.
8. Click on the button for the site whose antenna height you want to optimise.The context menu appears.
Notes
H? can be Ha or Hb depending on the site of the microwave link under consideration.
It is possible to specify a maximum pylon height for the receiving and transmitting sites not to be
exceeded. This parameter can be defined in each site properties dialogue (Other Properties tab).
If defined, these height limits are represented in the Profile tab.
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9. Choose Optimise to compute the optimum antenna heights for both extremities according to the k factor defined.
It is also possible through the same context menu to freeze the antenna height at a certain value. In this way, you can
disallow any modification in this height during the optimisation process. Only the other antenna height will be computed
so as to optimise the link. Furthermore, you can always restore the last antenna height value through the Restore
command in the same menu.
Once the optimum antenna heights have been computed by Atoll, you can now save one or both the antenna heights in
the microwave link. This can be done through the same context menu as well.
This feature is only available for unbroken microwave link profiles, i.e., it is not accessible for microwave link profiles involv-
ing one or more repeaters. It enables you to compute optimum antenna heights for two-site microwave link profiles (e.g.,
Site Site B or Repeater P Site B).
12.8.3.8 Studying Reflections Along Microwave Link Profile
Study of reflection is essential while designing any microwave links network. Multipath fading is caused mainly by ground
reflections interfering with an attenuated main signal. Deep fading may occur over short intervals due to instable reflection
conditions. Ground reflections become more serious if the whole wavefront is reflected in phase; called specular reflec-
tions. For this the reflection plane should have a sufficiently large area. For the wavefront to be reflected in phase, the
ground has to be smooth compared with the wavelength of the signal.
The divergence of the beam due to the Earths curvature must also be considered. Ground is considered to be smooth if
the variations are less than one-fourth of the wavelength.
In Atoll, it is possible to study reflective areas along any microwave link profile as well as the actual reflections of the signal
along the profile.
To perform a reflection analysis in Atoll:
1. Open the microwave link analysis window.
2. Select the Profile tab.
3. Right-click on the profile to display its context menu.
4. Choose Display reflections command from the context menu.
Atoll now displays all the possible reflection zones along the profile in the microwave link profile analysis window,
they are distinguished by a hashed pattern. By default, only unobstructed reflection paths formed between the
transmitter and the receiver sites are displayed. In order to view both unobstructed and obstructed reflection paths,
open the Display options dialogue and select the Displayed obstructed reflections options (obstructed reflection
path will be represented by a dotted line). The goal of the network planer is to optimise antenna heights at the
extremities so as to avoid any coincidences between the reflection paths and reflective surfaces. Reflections will
introduce losses to the link if they actually occur at the reflective surfaces. In this case, Atoll is capable of deter-
mining these losses and generating detailed report on the characteristics of the reflection paths and the reflective
surfaces.
It should be kept in mind that reflection point is a function of the k factor. It is possible by carefully positioning the antenna
heights to minimize the effects of reflection.
It is also possible to obtain detailed analyses of reflective surfaces and their impacts on the microwave links. You can get
detailed reflection losses analysis over any reflection zone along the path and you can also obtain a graph of differences
between reflection paths depicting the (tau) factor as a function of k factor. is the delay of the secondary signal
received through reflection.
To obtain the reflection losses analysis or graph of differences between reflection paths:
1. Display the reflection zones along the profile as explained above.
2. Right-click on a reflection zone or reflection path to study in the profile to display its context menu.
3. Select one of the following from the context menu:
- Display the Reflection Study Dialogue: To display the reflection losses related to the selected reflection
zone or reflection path.
Note: This context menu can also be accessed through right-clicking the pointer depicting the
antenna height at the extremities.
Notes
It is possible to consider in the calculation a maximum pylon height for the receiving and trans-
mitting sites not to be exceeded. This parameter can be defined in each site properties dialogue
(Other Properties tab). If defined, these height limits are represented in the Profile tab.
Reflections are not taken into account in this calculation.
Notes
Reflection paths and reflective surfaces can only be visualised and analysed over unbroken
microwave link profiles, i.e., the profile should not include repeaters.
A reflection zone may be composed of several clutter classes.

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- Graph of differences between reflected paths: To display the graph of (tau) with respect to the k factor
related to the selected reflection zone or reflection path.
Atoll lists roughness, ground type, humidity type, permittivity, conductivity, surface reflection coefficient, divergence factor,
specular reflection factor and effective reflection coefficient as ground characteristics, and attenuations due to antenna
tilts, reflected waves and maximum possible fade depth, for any reflection zone through the Reflection losses command.
12.8.3.9 Studying Space Diversity Effects on Microwave Links
In Atoll, it is possible to introduce space and frequency diversities at the microwave link level. You can define second
antennas and their distance with respect to the main antenna in each microwave link properties in order to introduce space
diversity to the link. Through the same properties dialogue, you can also define the microwave link extremities to operate
with a certain frequency diversity by defining a frequency diversity separation in terms of MHz.
Diversity techniques are used to improve the received signal strength (or to improve the reception threshold) by introducing
the ability to combine more than one signals at the receiver to obtain a stronger useful signal.
Space diversity is very spectrum efficient and provides excellent performance against multipath fading. Frequency diver-
sity is a very efficient method from the propagation point of view but it is not very spectrum efficient as it requires that two
frequency bands be available.
To study the effects of space diversity method used for each microwave link:
1. Open the microwave link Profile Analysis window,
1. Select the Profile tab.
2. Display the reflection zones along the profile as explained above.
3. Right-click on a reflection zone.
4. Click the Diversity tab.
You may display:
- Either the variations of attenuation as a function of the refractivity factor (k), for three different receiver antenna
heights,
- Or the variations of attenuation as a function of the receiver antenna height, for three different refractivity fac-
tors (k).
The scales and other parameters corresponding to this calculation and display can be managed in the related display
options dialogue.
Figure 12.16: Microwave link analysis window Diversity tab
You can define display options by clicking the Actions button and choosing Display options in the menu. Here you can
manage the scales of the vertical and the horizontal axes depicting the variations in attenuation level and the varying
values of the k factor/receiver antenna height respectively. The effects of introducing diversity antennas can be directly
visualised on this graph by modifying the parameters available. The height H2 corresponds to the actual antenna height
at the receiver (Site B or Site A depending on the profile selected). The other heights (H1 and H3) correspond to imaginary
diversity antenna heights placed at a distance of Suggested Antenna Separation below and above the main antenna.
The Suggested Antenna Separation value is automatically determined by Atoll and represents the least separation
distance that provides that the attenuations and gains of the three antennas never coincide at any value of refractive index
within provided range.
12.8.4 Microwave Link Reliability Analysis
Reliability is the general term used to refer to the quality and availability of a microwave link obtained through assessing
its performance according to the criteria defined in the relevant performance objectives. Ideally, a microwave link should
be completely reliable 100% of the time. Although in practice, this performance level is never achieved over any microwave
link due the forever present and continuously changing propagation conditions and possible problems in the equipment.
Note: The calculation of the reflection point follows the recommendations 530.10 of the ITU-R.

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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
The objective of carrying out reliability analyses is to estimate the non-availability or outage of a microwave link on annual
basis and to determine the quality of connection over worst case or average monthly scenarios. Reliability analysis takes
into consideration the parameters of fade margin, diffraction loss, average annual temperature, terrain roughness calcu-
lations, radio parameters, antenna parameters, transmission and reception parameters and other miscellaneous losses.
Microwave link reliability analysis determines whether any designed system will operate successfully. In Atoll, the overall
process of analysing a microwave link is divided in the form of microwave link budget analysis, and microwave link
performance objectives analysis. These are described individually in the following sections.
12.8.4.1 Analysing Microwave Link Performance Objectives
It is possible to assign a link class to each microwave link or each group of microwave links. This link class refers to the
definitions of performance objectives as described in the microwave links classes and performance objective section. The
quality and availability objectives tables include the standard classes defined by the ITU in the G-821 and G-826 recom-
mendations by default.
Once a microwave link has been designed and its link class defined, the user can launch a calculation to determine the
margins required by the microwave link to meet the performance objectives defined in the link class. The next section
describes how to perform an analysis or the required margins for achieving the defined performance objectives.
12.8.4.1.1 Calculating Microwave Link Required Margins
The microwave link required margins are listed in the EPO tab of the microwave link analysis window.
To calculate the microwave link required margins:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Engineering > Required Margin from the context menu.
This will open the microwave link analysis window with the EPO tab displayed by default. This tab contains the report
generated after the calculation of required margins. This is a comprehensive report and can be configured as described
in the Configuring the performance objectives report display section.
Microwave link required margin results in the EPO tab include the following information:
Link Specifications: Including the information about the sites at the two extremities of the link (name, location
and altitude), the equipment installed at each site (name, compatible digital hierarchy, modulation used, capacity,
rate and bandwidth), the operating frequency band of the microwave link and its length.
Performance Objectives taken into account: The performance objectives considered in the margin calcula-
tions, i.e., quality objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER) and availability objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER).
Rx Level: The reception level information at the receiver including the Bit Error Rate and the receiver sensitivity.
Quality (Clear-Air): The data related to the margin calculations and results (acquired margin against dispersive
fading, the error performance parameters, their relevant required error performance objective probabilities, flat
margins and composite margins) and the total required margin.
Availability (Rain): The data related to the margin calculations and results (the error performance parameters,
their relevant required error performance objective probabilities and required margins) and the total required
margin.
12.8.4.1.2 Configuring the Performance Objectives Report
You can configure the display parameters of the report generated under the EPO tab to display some or all of the param-
eters used in the calculations and results of the calculations with different styles.
To configure the performance objectives report display:
1. Open the microwave link analysis window,
2. Click on the EPO tab,
Either,
- Right-click on the window to open its context menu,
Or,
- Click the Actions button on the window to open its context menu,
3. Select Configure report command to open the configuration dialogue
4. Use the Whats this help to get description of the fields available in the dialogue,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
This configuration dialogue lets you manage the display of the report through the options available in two tabs. The Report
content tab lets you select the level of information and detail you want to include in your report. You can check the infor-
mation you want to display and clear the rest. You can manage the font and paragraph characteristics of the displayed
report through the Style tab.
Note: The required performance objectives are also listed in the report on the Report tab of the
Microwave Link Analysis window.
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12.8.4.1.3 Performing a Microwave Link Budget Analysis
A link budget commonly refers to the complete gain and loss equation from the transmitter, through the ambient medium
(air, cable, waveguide, fibre, etc.) and through to the receiver. In the case of microwave links, the medium of propagation
for RF energy is of course the CAI (common air interface). Link budget calculation results are also excellent means to
understand the various factors which must be traded off to realise a certain level of reliability for any microwave link within
a given cost. It can be rightly considered the first step to be taken by any engineer in order to determine the feasibility of
a given system or network design.
A comprehensive link budget tool is available in Atoll that generates detailed microwave link budget reports including
many initial parameters as well as exhaustive results. As both the initial conditions and the outputs are listed in a clear
report and summarized as well, the user has the possibility to compare with ease the different factors compromising the
overall microwave link reliability. Thus, Atoll facilitates decision making by the user in terms of factors to be tuned or traded
off in order to realise the project.
Link budget computations in Atoll can be performed on single microwave links as well as on a group of microwave links
simultaneously. The following sections present both of the link budget calculation methods.
Computing Single Microwave Link Budget
Atoll provides the user with detailed microwave link budget tool. This tool generates a comprehensive report for each stud-
ied microwave link as detailed below.
Moreover, the results provided in this report are computed in real-time. Therefore, it is possible to modify the properties of
the microwave link, or the calculation parameters, and immediately visualise the impacts of the modifications in the micro-
wave link analysis window (both Profile and Report tabs). Furthermore, any modifications made by the user in the profile
of the microwave link through the Profile tab of the microwave link analysis window or any modifications in the geography
of the microwave link profile made through the Values tab are also taken into account in the link budget in the Report tab
in real-time.
To generate a microwave link budget for a single microwave link:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Engineering and Report from the context menu.
You can also access the Report tab by opening the Microwave Link Analysis window and clicking the Report tab.
The Report tab of the microwave link analysis window contains the link budget for the link being studied. Microwave link
budget results in the Report tab include the following information:
Microwave Link Profile: A snapshot from the Profile tab of the Microwave Link Analysis window in order to facil-
itate direct visualisation and printing of the link profile with the link budget report.
Summary: A summary of the link being studied; its operating frequency band, length, and nominal received power
level, fade margin, worst month quality, average annual availability and whether quality and availability objectives
are reached for both directions of the link and the specified BER values. Finally, a global link estimation taking into
account both link quality and availability is provided over an average year.
Link specifications: Information relating to the microwave link design; site names, locations, and altitudes for
both extremities, repeaters (if any), antennas used at both sites with their respective models, heights, azimuths,
tilts, gains, diameters and near fields, microwave transceiver equipment installed at both sites with details such as
the models, digital hierarchy employed, modulation used, data rates, bandwidths and capacities.
Transmission parameters: Transmission related parameters for both extremities of the microwave link including
the EIRP, ATPC effects, transmitter powers, passive repeater gains (if any), total losses comprising of equipment
losses, connection losses, attenuator losses and waveguides and cable losses, polarisation at both sites, and the
channel for which the computations have been performed (maybe the central frequency of the microwave links
operating frequency band).
Reception parameters: Reception related parameters for both ends of the microwave link including the bit error
ratios and sensitivities at the receivers, and total losses at reception comprising of equipment losses, connection
losses, attenuator losses and waveguides and cable losses.
Geoclimatic parameters: Information about the type of environment and the climatic zone in which the link is
operating, climatic factor, rain intensity (exceeding 0.01% of time), PL percentage, temperature, water vapour den-
sity, refraction index, geoclimatic factor K.
Calculation parameters: Parameters according to which the calculations for the link budget have been performed
such as the calculation methods used (propagation model, quality model, availability model, space diversity, fre-
quency diversity), quality objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER), and availability objectives (SESR, ESR, BBER).
Propagation: Propagation results for both directions of the microwave link including total attenuation, free space
loss, dry air, due to water vapour, vegetation attenuation, diffraction, antenna losses and antenna discrimination.
Unavailability due to multi-path (Clear-Air): Results depicting the quality of the microwave link in both directions
and for the specified BER values, such as total outage ratio, monthly outage period, annual outage period, per-
formance objectives (probabilities of SESR (required), ESR (required), BBER (required)), details for the worst
month (dispersive fading, selective fading, discrimination reduction, enhancement forecast).
Unavailability due to rain: Results depicting the unavailability of the microwave link due to rain in both directions
and for the specified BER values. These results include total outage (annual average), monthly outage period,
annual outage period, performance objectives (probabilities of SESR (required), ESR (required), BBER
(required)), details for the mean year (rain fading, discrimination reduction).
Unavailability due to faults: Results depicting the unavailability of the microwave link due to rain. These results
include availability of hot standby, outage due to faults (per year) and annual outage period.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
This is a comprehensive report and can be configured as described in the Configuring the link budget report display
section.
Modifying Microwave Link Calculation Parameters
It is possible to study the influence of some parameters on the microwave link engineering by setting some calculation
options.
To modify calculation options for analysis:
1. Open the Microwave Link Analysis window.
2. Click the Report tab.
3. Click the Actions button. The context menu appears.
4. Select from the context menu:
- Analysis Parameters for the Hop: to take into account space and antenna diversities on the microwave link
engineering without modifying the microwave link properties.
- Calculation Parameters: to define the studied port, BER values, etc., or change calculation models. For fur-
ther information, see "Global Calculation Parameters" on page 714
Configuring the Link Budget Report Display
You can configure the display parameters of the report generated under the Report tab to display some or all of the param-
eters used in the computations and results of the computations with different styles.
To configure the link budget report display:
1. Open the microwave link analysis window,
2. Click on the Report tab,
Either,
- Right-click on the window to open its context menu,
Or,
- Click the Actions button on the window to open its context menu,
3. Select Configure report command to open the configuration dialogue
4. Use the Whats this help to get description of the fields available in the dialogue,
5. Click OK or Apply to validate.
This configuration dialogue lets you manage the display of the report through the options available in two tabs. The Report
content tab lets you select the level of information and detail you want to include in your report. You can check the infor-
mation you want to display and clear the rest. The Report content tab enables You to switch the display of the microwave
link profile snapshot in the report tab on or off as well. You can manage the font and paragraph characteristics of the
displayed report through the Style tab.
Computing Multiple Microwave Link Budgets
Atoll provides the user with the feature enabling to compute multiple microwave link budgets for a group of microwave
links simultaneously. Microwave links in Atoll can be grouped in subfolders according to different property parameters
(e.g. frequency band). The user has the possibility of launching simultaneous link budget calculations for the microwave
links grouped in a subfolder. Atoll will calculate all the microwave links in the subfolder that are active, filtered (i.e., that
are selected by the current filter parameters), and intersects the computation zone.
For information on the computation zone, see "Setting a Computation Zone" on page 716.
To perform link budget computations on a group of microwave links:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
Either,
- Right-click on the Links folder to open its context menu,
Or,
a. Expand the Links folder by clicking the button,
b. Right-click on the subfolder under the Links folder for which you want to compute link budgets to open its
context menu,
3. Choose the Calculate command from the Link Budgets menu.
Note: You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button ( ) in
the toolbar.
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This will open a table listing all the link budgets computed for the microwave links included in the subfolder for
which computations had been launched. This table contains the link budgets for both directions of each microwave
link.
4. To view each single microwave link budget, click on the table row corresponding to the microwave link being
studied,
5. Click on the Report tab.
Atoll indicates the characteristics of the link (sites, antennas and equipment installed), the signal level received, the fade
margin, and its quality and availability in the Report tab. It displays the transmission parameters (EIRP, various losses,
etc.), reception parameters (sensitivity, various losses, etc.), calculation options, and geo-climatic parameters. It also
details the propagation calculation (total attenuation) and the calculations related to link engineering (quality (Clear-Air),
unavailability due to rain, unavailability due to faults). All the results are provided in both the directions of the microwave
link being studied.
12.8.4.2 End-to-End Reliability Level
Atoll provides the user with the option of performing end-to-end reliability analyses over multi-hop links. This calculation
is based on the ITU-R 530-5/8/10 recommendations.
To perform an end-to-end reliability analysis over a multi-hop link:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Expand the Multi-hops folder by clicking the button,
Or, on the map,
- Right-click on the multi-hop link to be analysed,
Choose the Analyse option from the context menu.
This will display the end-to-end multi-hop microwave links analysis results window containing the following information:
Multi-hop link characteristics: microwave links forming the multi-hop link, total length of the multi-hop link,
Transmission site characteristics: the frequency band, sub-band, channels, and polarisation of each transmitting
site,
Reception characteristics: reception thresholds, margins, quality (percentage over a month), availability (per-
centage over average year) and failures (percentage over year),
Multi-hop link budget (both directions): Clear-air quality and unavailability due to rain including total outage ratio,
monthly and annual outage periods, quality indicators (probabilities of SESR, ESR, BBER) compared to the
required performance objectives and unavailability due to faults comprising annual outages due to faults and
annual outage period.
Links within a network that are part of multi-hop links but are based on other technologies, such as optic fibre links, are
also supported in the calculation.
12.8.5 Interference Analysis and Frequency Planning
Interference is any unwanted signal that would present itself at the receiver end of a microwave link for demodulation.
There can be many causes of interference. This unwanted signal can be a delayed version of the links own signal, an
adjacent channels signal travelling over the same link, or a signal from another microwave link or RF source.
In analog systems the interference increases the idle and baseband noise, which has a direct impact on quality. It also
leads to increment in the intermodulation products, which reduces the quality further. In digital microwave systems, the
main interference problem occurs in a faded condition where the signal levels approach the receiver threshold values. The
interference effect is not in terms of its absolute signal amplitude but in terms of the C/I ratio.
Frequency planning is the process of planning the usage of any allocated frequency spectrum so as to utilise it in the most
efficient manner. Good frequency planning leads to less interference and high spectral efficiency of the system. Any
network planner working on the design of a system requires tools that facilitate analyses of interference and frequency
plans. Atoll microwave module incorporates comprehensive interference analysis and frequency planning tools described
in the following sections.
12.8.5.1 Interference Analysis
Atoll microwave module includes comprehensive interference analysis features based on the ITU 452-11 recommenda-
tions. Interference calculation between links and over the network can be performed for a single link as well as for any
user-defined group of links. In this case, Atoll will calculate all the microwave links in the group that are active, filtered (i.e.,
that are selected by the current filter parameters), and intersects the computation zone.
For information on the computation zone, see "Setting a Computation Zone" on page 716.
The user can set a number of interference calculation parameters including the calculation radius, received interferer
signal threshold and geoclimatic correlation factor between links.
By default, the interferences in Atoll are computed according to the ITU-R 452-11 recommendations. However, it is possi-
ble to the user to change the interference computation method and base it on any of the propagation models available in
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
the Module tab. This can be done through the network properties dialogue available through the Microwave Radio Links
folder of the Explorer window.
When calculating interference levels received for any microwave link, Atoll searches for potential interferers in the network
operating in the same frequency band. Potential interferers, among all the microwave links in the network, are the active
and filtered microwave links whose transmitter receiver trajectory intersects or passes through the computation zone and
whose interfering transmitter interfered receiver distance is less than a given value. Atoll also considers the adjacency
of frequency bands, i.e., microwave links with equipment operating frequency bands that overlap the operating frequency
band of the microwave link being studied.
Following parameters are taken into account when calculating interferences:
Interferer ATPC: Can be user-defined as always on, always off or based on a calculated geometric correlation.
IRFs defined in the IRF table if available
"T/I, transmission spectrum, receiver selectivity" graphs defined at the equipment level or theoretical graphs.
Polarisation and equipment signatures.
Co-channel and adjacent channel interference.
Atoll can perform quick interference analyses for single microwave links as well as for groups of microwave links. It can
generate qualitative analysis reports and detailed results in both and can display all the interference relations between
studied microwave links graphically on the map. The following sections describe how to carry out microwave link interfer-
ence analyses in Atoll.
12.8.5.1.1 Microwave IRF Definition
Microwave IRF or Interference Reduction Factor is a receiver filtering protection that is a function of the difference that
exists between the central frequencies of the disturbed signal and of the disturbing signal. These are user-definable protec-
tion levels for each victim interferer microwave transceiver equipment pair. For each pair, you can enter the protection
levels (in dB) for different deltaF (MHz).
The following sections describe the modelling of IRF in Atoll.
Microwave IRF Table
The IRF table enables you to define IRF (i.e. protection levels) between victim and interferer microwave equipment. These
IRFs are used during the calculation of interferences.
To access the IRF table:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click on the Links folder to open the context menu.
4. Choose Open table command from the IRF menu to display the related table.
5. Fill out the appropriate fields either manually, or by importing existing values.
6. Close the table to validate.
You can also use the available assistant (table view of pieces of victim and interferer equipment fabricated by certain
manufacturer(s) and that operate in the same frequency band) in order to easily define IRFs.
Assistant for the IRF Definition
In Atoll, an assistant enables the user to easily define IRFs between transmission and reception transceiver equipment
fabricated by certain manufacturers and that operate in the same frequency band.
To use the assistant to define IRFs:
1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select IRF and Per Frequency Band/Manufacturer from the context menu. The IRF Setting dialogue appears.
5. Select the Frequency Band from the menu. Only equipment operating in the selected frequency band is displayed
in the grid.
6. Choose the TX Equipment Manufacturer from the menu. Only equipment fabricated by the selected manufac-
turer are displayed in the grid.
7. Select the RX Equipment Manufacturer from the menu. Only equipment fabricated by the selected manufacturer
is displayed in the grid.
8. Define an IRF graph between transmission and reception equipment:
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Add record from the context menu.
c. Enter a protection level for different frequency spacings.
Note: You can double-click on a record in the IRF table to open its corresponding properties dia-
log.
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d. Click OK to validate or Cancel.
9. Remove an IRF graph between transmission and reception equipment:
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Delete from the context menu.
10. Create an IRF graph between transmission and reception equipment from equipment graphs or theoretical graphs.
a. Right-click on the cell of the grid that coincides with both entries. The context menu appears.
b. Select Calculate from Masks... from the context menu. The IRF Calculation dialogues appears.
c. Under Transmitter Spectrum Mask, select either "As Equipment" in order to use the transmission spectrum
graph defined for the equipment, or a theoretical "transmission spectrum" graph compatible with the operating
frequency band of the transmission equipment.
d. Under Receiver Filtering Mask, select either "As Equipment" in order to use the receiver selectivity graph
defined for the equipment, or a theoretical "receiver selectivity" graph compatible with the operating frequency
band of the reception equipment.
e. Define the calculation step stated in frequency spacing (MHz).
f. Click Run to determine the IRF graph.
g. Click OK to validate the result or Cancel.
11. Click OK to validate the new IRFs in the IRF table or Cancel.
These IRF graphs are used during the calculation of interferences.
Figure 12.17: IRF Definition per frequency band/manufacturer
You can use the Fill (Up, Down, Right, Left) and copy/paste functions from the context menu available in the dialogue to
assign or duplicate IRF protection level values among equipment pairs. These can also be used through their proper
keyboard shortcuts.
12.8.5.1.2 Usage of IRF in Interference Calculations
As explained in the previous paragraph, the IRF graphs defined in the IRF table are used during the interference calcula-
tion. When studying interference between a transmission equipment and a reception equipment, Atoll first checks if an
IRF graph is defined for the transmission equipment - reception equipment pair in the IRF table. If defined, it uses it. Else,
it determines the IRF graph during the interference calculation. It proceeds as follows:
1. It checks that the transmission equipment and the reception equipment have the same manufacturer, capacity and
modulation. In this case, Atoll uses T/I graphs in order to determine the IRF graph. It uses either the graphs
defined for equipment if available, or the theoretical "T/I" graphs if not.
2. If the equipment manufacturer, capacity or modulation are not the same, Atoll merges the transmission spectrum
and the receiver selectivity graphs of equipment in order to determine the IRF graph. It uses either the graphs
defined for equipment if available, or the theoretical graphs if not.
12.8.5.1.3 Performing Interference Analysis on a Microwave Link
Atoll provides comprehensive yet easy to use features enabling the user to carry out interference studies on any micro-
wave link of the network. You can easily define the parameters for studying each microwave link, visualise the results in
the form of reports and tables, and view the interference connections between the microwave link extremities being studied
and their interferers and victims respectively.
To perform an interference analysis on a microwave link:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Planning and Interference Details from the context menu.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
Results are displayed in the form of a detailed interference results window with the following five tabs:
Qualitative summary: This tab contains a qualitative report generated after the study of interferences over any
given microwave link. The report lists:
- Microwave link characteristics: Parameters for the sites corresponding to the microwave link extremities
(longitude, latitude, altitude) and some microwave link properties (frequency band, length).
- Calculation parameters: Parameters according to which the interference study has been carried out (prop-
agation model, interference calculation model) and the parameters defined by the user when launching the
computations (power control, minimum drop margin, maximum distance, correlation area).
- Interferences: Results of interference computations over the microwave link (nominal received carrier power
level, fade margin, effective margin, C/I, margin reduction, total interference in clear-air, drop margin for rain
and total interference in rain).
- Engineering: This part of the report lists the outputs relative to the quality of the link in clear-air (worst month
quality, monthly outage period, annual outage period and detailed results for the worst month), link availability
in rain (total outage average per year, monthly outage period, annual outage period and detailed for the
average year) and performance objective probabilities in both cases (required SESR, ESR and BBER).
Victim tabs: List the microwave links that interfere the given extremity of the microwave link being studied along
with relevant details of the interference study.
Interferer tabs: List the microwave links that are interfered by the given extremity of the microwave link being
studied along with relevant details of the interference study.
12.8.5.1.4 Calculating Interference for Multiple Microwave Links
It is possible in Atoll to compute interference levels for a group of microwave links. You can also perform interference anal-
ysis over the entire network of microwave links.
To compute interference over a group of microwave links:
Either,
a. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window,
b. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button,
c. Right-click on the Links folder to open its context menu,
Or,
a. Expand the Links folder by clicking the button,
b. Right-click on the subfolder under the Links folder for which you want to compute interferences to open its
context menu,
1. Choose the Calculate command from the Interferences menu. The Microwave Radio Links Properties
dialogue appears.
2. Define calculation parameters. For further information, See Global Calculation Parameters on page 714.
3. Click OK to launch calculations.
The results of the interference calculation over multiple microwave links are displayed in the form of a table. This table lists
the results for all the microwave link studied in the directions (site A site B/site B site A) selected by the user.
To view details of each single microwave link, double-click on the record related to it in the table. This will open a detailed
interference results window including five tabs as described in "Performing Interference Analysis on a Microwave Link" on
page 728.
12.8.5.1.5 Displaying Interference on the Map
After calculating interference on a microwave link, the user can display the result on the map.
To display interference connections on the map
1. Click the microwave link on the map.
2. Click in the Toolbar.
Notes
You can stop any calculations in progress by clicking the Stop Calculations button ( ) in the
toolbar.
You can access each microwave links properties by double clicking the corresponding record in
the Victim/Interferer tabs.
These calculations, performed over a group of microwave links, are saved in memory as long as
the .atl document is open (not saved in the document). So, once calculations have been per-
formed for all the links, you can quickly perform interference studies for a particular link or a
group of links.
The validity of results is automatically managed by Atoll. It is however possible to force recalcu-
lation of all results. To do this, it is necessary to delete the existing calculations and then recal-
culate.
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The interferer and victim connections between the studied microwave link and its interferers and victims are displayed on
the map. Atoll displays these interferers and victims for both extremities of the studied microwave link by inwards and
outwards pointing arrows respectively. This feature helps you in easily locating the microwave transmitters that are neither
interfering with the link nor being interfered by it. You can hide them by clicking again.
When the interference connections are displayed on the map, you can use the tool tip to show further information about
each interference connection by placing the cursor on it.
You can define the ways in which interferer and interfered link extremities will be displayed on the map.
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click on the Links folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Interference and Display Options from the context menu. The Interference dialogue opens.
You can choose different types of lines and colours to depict the interference connections on the map and select
if you want to make them visible.
12.8.5.2 Frequency Planning
Planning microwave link networks involves a number of areas of analysis. For each new link created in any environment,
there is a list of interference conflicts created due to this newly introduced link. It is common experience that such modifi-
cations in existing network designs introduce a number of interference problems that could have been avoided during the
initial design of the same network. Thus, frequency planning in microwave networks is of extreme importance not only for
interference reduction at the initial stage of the network but also to envisage for future modifications in the network.
The process of frequency selection in microwave systems is accomplished with interference minimisation being the most
important objective. There are various ways to accomplish this particular objective. A logical approach is to define a
number of specific frequency plans, each containing a fixed number of specific frequencies, then divide each plan into a
high segment and a low segment.
The idea is to basically allow frequency assignments to be made in pairs, with each pair having minimum separations.
When an assignment is made, the transmitter and receiver get assignments in opposite segments. If the transmitter
frequency is in the high block, the receiver frequency will be in the low block and vice versa.
Atoll includes a number of features that assist the microwave link network planner in the frequency planning process.
These features include:
Spectral analyser
Semi-automatic channel search tool
Site parity checking tool
The following sections describe the functioning of these tools.
12.8.5.2.1 Working with the Microwave Link SpectrumAnalyser
Atoll microwave link module can display a channel usage histogram within any microwave links operating frequency band
enabling the user to allocate unused or less used channels where required. This tool computes and draws a graph repre-
senting the channels used along with the interference levels received on each channel of a half band. Through this graph,
you can find the channels with least interference levels in order to allocate them to microwave links.
To access the spectrum analyser:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Planning and Frequency Spectrum from the context menu.
This opens the microwave link analysis window and directly displays the I levels on the band tab. A list in the tab
lists all possible combination of hops that can be studied, i.e., Site A Site B or vice versa.
Atoll computes the interference levels on each channel of the frequency half-band (lower or upper) of the micro-
wave link and represents them as vertical lines on the graph. The red line shows the total noise level received on
the interfered channel and each blue line represents the signal level transmitted on each interfering channel.
You can easily locate the channels on which there is least or no level of interference and can allocate these "free"
channels where required.
12.8.5.2.2 Performing Semi-automatic Channel Search
The semi-automatic channel search tool in Atoll ranks channels according to a user-definable cost function enabling the
user to find the best channel or channels to allocate to a microwave link. This channel search is performed according to
the interference received / transmitted per channel.
Note: Each vertical line representing the interference level received at any channel depicts the
peak signal value. If there are more than one interfering signals, only the peak value is dis-
played on the graph.
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Chapter 12: Microwave Link Project Management
To perform a semi-automatic channel search for a microwave link:
1. Right-click the microwave link either directly on the map, or from the Links folder of the Explorer windows Data
tab. The context menu appears.
2. Choose Planning and Semi-automatic Search from the context menu.
3. This will open the semi-automatic channel search tool window.
4. Use the Whats this help to get description of the fields available in the dialogue.
5. Click Calculate to launch the computations.
In the semi-automatic channel search tool window, you have to define the following computation criteria and parameters:
The directions of the link to be computed (Site A Site B, Site B Site A or both)
The frequency sub-band to consider (can be selected from a list of available frequency sub-bands relative to the
frequency band of the microwave link being studied)
The frequency half-band to compute (lower or upper) for the transmission site (the opposite half-band is assigned
to the reception site)
Channel weightings for the interferer and victim channels
The results window displays a list of channels sorted in increasing order with respect to their corresponding costs. This
implies that the best available channels, in terms of the related costs, are the ones listed on top of the list. It is then possible
through this results window to allocate the best channels to the link by checking the channels to assign and clicking the
Commit button.
12.8.5.2.3 Checking Microwave Link Site Parities
The parity of sites can be verified either graphically on the map or in a report. In this section, the following are explained:
"Checking Site Parities on the Map" on page 731
"Creating a Report on Site Parities" on page 731.
Checking Site Parities on the Map
The site parity checking tool enables the user to view the site parities on the map and hence detect any possible parity
conflicts.
To perform a site parity check and display:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Link folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Interferences, Channels Distribution per Site and Display on the Map from the context menu. The
Channel Distribution dialogue appears.
5. Select the operating frequency band for which you want to check the parities of microwave link extremities.
6. Choose an icon for the different cases.
- Lower: The site is assigned frequencies from the lower half-band.
- Upper: The site is assigned frequencies from the upper half-band.
- Multiple: The site is assigned frequencies from the lower and upper half-bands.
- Unspecified: No frequency is assigned to the site.
7. Enter the position of icons relative to the site (dpi).
8. Select the Add to Legend check box in order to add the displayed icons to a legend.
9. Click OK to start the computations.
You can also access the same channel distribution configuration dialogue through the toolbar by clicking the button.
Once the site parities are displayed on the map, you can hide them by clicking the button again. You can also hide
the site parities through the context menu as follows:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Link folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Interferences and Hide Channel Distribution from the context menu.
Creating a Report on Site Parities
Atoll enables the user to check site parities and to display the results in a report.
To display the result of the site parity checking in a report:
1. Click on the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Expand the Microwave Radio Links folder by clicking the button.
3. Right-click the Link folder. The context menu appears.
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4. Select Interferences, Channels Distribution per Site and Generate Report from the context menu. The
Channel Distribution dialogue appears.
5. Select the operating frequency bands for which you want to check the parities of the microwave link extremities.
6. Click OK to start the calculations.
Atoll checks the site parities of all the microwave links working at the selected frequency bands. Once Atoll has
finished checking site parities, results are displayed in the Channel Distribution table.
The Channel Distribution table contains the following information.
- Frequency Band: The operating frequency band.
- Site: The name of the site.
- Parity: The parity of the site.
- Upper: The site is assigned frequencies from the upper half-band.
- Lower: The site is assigned frequencies from the lower half-band.
- Multiple: The site is assigned frequencies from the lower and upper half-bands.
- Unspecified: No frequency is assigned to the site.
- Cause: Information provided for multiple parity only. Atoll gives the name of microwave links whose the site
has a multiple parity.
- Longitude: The longitude of the site.
- Latitude: The latitude of the site.
You can sort and filter data in the Channel Distribution table. For more information, see "Sorting Data in Tables" on
page 53 and "Filtering in Data Tables by Selection" on page 54.
CHAPTER 13
CO-PLANNING FEATURES
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
13 Co-planning Features
Atoll is a multi-technology radio network planning tool. You can work on several technologies at the same time, and
several network scenarios can be designed for any given area; a country, a region, a city, etc. For example, you can design
a GSM and a UMTS network for the same area in Atoll, and then work with Atolls co-planning features to study the mutual
impacts of the two networks. Atoll allows you to co-plan any two technologies, be it GSM-UMTS, GSM-CDMA2000, GSM-
WiMAX, etc.
This chapter contains detailed procedures and instructions for the RF planner on co-planning using Atoll. This chapter
takes the most common co-planning scenario as reference, i.e., GSM-UMTS co-planning. However, the procedures
described in this chapter are valid for any possible co-planning scenario.
The sectors of both networks can share the same sites database. You can display base stations (sites and transmitters),
geographic data, and coverage predictions, etc., of one network in the other networks Atoll document. You can also study
inter-technology handovers by performing inter-technology neighbour allocations, manually or automatically. Inter-tech-
nology neighbours are allocated on criteria such as the distance between sectors or coverage overlaps.
Atoll supports MS Access, MS SQL Server, Oracle, and Sybase databases. Therefore, you can work with Atoll docu-
ments connected to databases.
Atolls co-planning features include:
"Displaying Both Networks in the Same Atoll Document" on page 736.
"Creating a UMTS Sector From a GSM Sector" on page 736.
"Comparing GSM-UMTS Coverage Predictions" on page 738.
"Performing Inter-Technology Neighbour Allocation" on page 739.
13.1 Starting a Co-planning Project
Before starting a GSM-UMTS co-planning project, you must have a GSM and a UMTS network designed for a given area;
for example for a country, a region, or a city. One of the two Atoll documents will be referred to as the main document and
the other as the linked document. In our example, the UMTS document is considered as the main document, and the GSM
document as the linked document. There is no rule in Atoll for deciding which is the main document and which is the linked.
To start a co-planning project:
1. Open the GSM and the UMTS documents in the same Atoll session.
a. Select File > Open or File > Open From a Database.
2. Link the required items or folders from the Explorer window of the linked document to the Explorer window of the
main document:
a. Right-click the folder or the item to link. The context menu appears.
b. Select Make Accessible in > [main document]. The item or folder is made accessible in the Explorer win-
dow of the main document.
As soon as a link is created between the two documents, Atoll switches to co-planning mode. This means that Atolls co-
planning features are now available.
13.2 GSM-UMTS Co-planning Process
Usually, in a number of countries, where GSM networks have been operating for years, UMTS sites are a subset of the
already deployed GSM sites when they are first deployed. Using existing base station sites is important in speeding up
UMTS deployment and in sharing sites and transmission costs with the existing GSM network. Section "Creating a UMTS
Sector From a GSM Sector" on page 736 shows how you can create UMTS sectors based on existing GSM site and sector
parameters.
The feasibility of sharing sites depends on the relative coverage of the existing network compared to UMTS. It is useful to
compare the coverage of existing GSM services with UMTS speech and data services. Section "Comparing GSM-UMTS
Coverage Predictions" on page 738 shows how to compare coverage predictions.
Any comparison of UMTS and GSM coverage depends on system parameters such as handover. Inter-technology hando-
vers and neighbours can also be determined using Atoll. Section "Performing Inter-Technology Neighbour Allocation" on
page 739 explains how to work with inter-technology neighbours.
Important: Before starting a co-planning project in Atoll, the Atoll administrator must perform the pre-
requisite tasks that are relevant for your project as described in the Setting Up Atoll for
Co-planning chapter in the Administrator Manual.
Note: Before starting a co-planning project, make sure that your main and linked documents have
the same geographic coordinate systems.
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13.2.1 Displaying Both Networks in the Same Atoll Document
You can display GSM sites, transmitters, coverage predictions, and measurement paths in a UMTS document.
To display transmitters from the GSM document in the UMTS document:
1. Click the GSM documents Map window. The GSM documents Map window becomes active and the Explorer
window shows the contents of the GSM document.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Make accessible in > [main document] from the context menu, where [main document] is the name of
the UMTS document.
The Transmitters folder of the GSM document is now available in the UMTS document. The Explorer window of the
UMTS document now contains a folder named Transmitters in [linked document], where [linked document] is the
name of the GSM document. GSM and UMTS documents are now linked through the Transmitters folder of the GSM docu-
ment.
The above process can be used to link other folders such as Sites, Predictions, CW Measurements, Test Mobile Data,
Clutter classes, Traffic, and DTM, etc. from one document to another.
Once the folders are linked, you can access their properties and the properties of the items in the folders from either of the
two documents. Any changes made in the linked document will be taken into account in the linked and the main docu-
ments.
If you close the linked document, Atoll displays a warning icon ( ) in the main documents Explorer window, and the
linked folders and items are no longer accessible from the main document. You can load the linked document in Atoll
again by right-clicking the linked folder or item in the Explorer window of the main document, and selecting Load Target.
The administrator can create and set a configuration file for the display parameters of GSM and UMTS transmitters in order
to allow you to distinguish them on the map and to be able to select them on the map using the mouse. If such a configu-
ration file has not been set up, you can choose different symbols, sizes and colours for the GSM and the UMTS transmit-
ters. For more information on folder configurations, see "Folder Configurations" on page 60. You can also set the contents
of the tool tips to easily interpret the objects and data displayed on the map. For more information on tool tips, see "Defining
the Object Type Tip Text" on page 31.
In order to easily view differences between networks, you can also change the order of the folders or items in the Explorer
window.
Figure 13.1 shows UMTS transmitters with labels and GSM transmitters data summed up in tool tips.
13.2.2 Creating a UMTS Sector Froma GSMSector
You can create a new UMTS sector from an existing GSM sector. The new UMTS sector which will be located at the same
site as the GSM sector. The new UMTS sector will have the same common physical parameters as the GSM sector it was
based on. The common physical parameters, also called mast parameters, include:
Site
Dx and Dy (the offset of the antenna from the site)
Antenna Height
Figure 13.1: GSM and UMTS Transmitters displayed on the map
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
Azimuth
Mechanical Tilt
To create a UMTS sector from a GSM sector:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the linked Transmitters folder.
4. Right-click the GSM transmitter where you want to create a UMTS transmitter. The context menu appears.
5. Select Copy in Network: UMTS from the context menu.
Atoll makes a UMTS transmitter by copying the GSM transmitter from the linked document to the main document and
initialising the new UMTS transmitter with the common physical parameters from the GSM transmitter and the radio param-
eters from the default UMTS station template.
You can also create a group of UMTS transmitters from a group of GSM transmitters by selecting the Copy in Network
command available in the context menu of the Transmitters folder, or a subfolder.
Before creating the new UMTS transmitter, Atoll verifies that the GSM transmitters site has the same geographical coor-
dinates (location) as the site in the UMTS document. This will always be true if the Atoll administrator has set up site shar-
ing in the database. If the sites database is not shared by the two documents, this step detects any possible inconsistency
in the two sites databases.
The Copy in Network command is also available for a group of linked transmitters. To update the display settings of the
new UMTS transmitter:
1. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the Transmitters folder of the main document. The context menu appears.
3. Select Apply Configuration from the context menu.
Figure 13.2: New UMTS Transmitter Before and After Applying the Configuration
13.2.2.1 Synchronising Shared Common Physical Parameters
If a Propagate Changes macro icon is available in Atoll, you can synchronise the common physical parameters shared
between transmitters of the two linked documents. You can run this macro by clicking the macro icon in either the main or
the linked document. The macro reads the common physical parameters from the active document, linked or main, and
updates them in the other document. A log of the modifications is available in the Event Viewer.
Note: This feature is useful for deploying UMTS on existing GSM sites, especially when the new
UMTS sector is supposed to share the main antenna with the GSM sector.
Note: The azimuths and mechanical tilts of secondary antennas or remote antennas are not
included in the copy and have to be set up manually.
Important: Before running the macro, make sure that the main and the linked documents are both open
in Atoll, and, that the user-defined field SharedMast has been added to the Transmitters table of both
the documents. Ask the Atoll administrator to add this field to the databases if you are working with
documents connected to databases. Verify as well that the SharedMast field in the main and the linked
documents contains the same information for the transmitters that share common physical parameters.
The field should be left blank for transmitters that do not share common physical parameters.
Note: If the Propagate Changes macro icon is not available in Atoll, ask the Atoll administrator
to check whether this macro has been installed in silent mode or has not been installed. If
the macro has been installed in silent mode, the changes you make to the common shared
parameters are updated and saved when you save your Atoll documents.
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Figure 13.3: Synchronisation Macro Icon
13.2.3 Comparing GSM-UMTS Coverage Predictions
Atoll provides you with co-planning features which enable you to not only analyse the impact of changing common phys-
ical antenna parameters in one technology network, but also to analyse the impact on the other network. If you have GSM
and UMTS transmitters that share some common physical parameters, you can visualise the effect of changing the shared
parameters in both documents.
If you modify any common physical parameter of a UMTS transmitter which shares these parameters with a GSM trans-
mitter, it is necessary to study the impact of this change on the GSM networks coverage. If you have modified any param-
eter of a UMTS transmitter sharing parameters with a GSM transmitter, you can study the impact of this change on the
GSM network by creating a Coverage Prediction by Transmitter (Best Server) and a Coverage Prediction by Signal
Level. If you have modified any parameter of a GSM transmitter sharing parameters with a UMTS transmitter, you can
study the impact of this change on the UMTS network by creating a Coverage Prediction by Pilot Best Server and a
Coverage Prediction by Ec/Io Level.
Following is the recommended process for comparing GSM and UMTS coverage predictions.
1. Create and calculate a coverage prediction by transmitter (Best Server) and a coverage prediction by signal level
in the GSM document.
2. Create and calculate a coverage by transmitter (Pilot Best server) and a coverage prediction by Ec/Io level in the
UMTS document.
3. Carefully choose display settings for the coverage predictions and tool tip contents in order to easily interpret the
predictions displayed in the Map window. This can be very helpful in quickly assessing information graphically and
using the mouse.
4. Make the two GSM coverage predictions accessible in the UMTS document.
Note: The common physical parameters include Dx and Dy, antenna height, azimuth, and
mechanical tilt.
Figure 13.4: UMTS Coverage Prediction (Pilot Best Server) Pink Contours With no Interior
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
5. Change parameters to optimise the UMTS network, if needed.
6. Run the UMTS coverage predictions again to compare the effects of the changes you made with the GSM cov-
erage predictions.
7. Run the synchronisation macro if you want to update the GSM document with the common physical parameters,
if any.
8. Run the GSM coverage predictions in the GSM document to visualise the effect on the GSM coverage predictions.
For more information on synchronising common physical parameters, see "Synchronising Shared Common Physical
Parameters" on page 737.
You can also use the Coverage Prediction Comparison feature available in Atoll to compare the GSM and the UMTS
coverage predictions. .
To compare a GSM coverage prediction with a UMTS coverage prediction:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the main documents Predictions folder.
4. Right-click the UMTS coverage prediction you want to compare. The context menu appears.
5. Select Compare With > [linked coverage prediction] from the context menu, where [linked coverage predic-
tion] is the GSM coverage prediction you want to compare with the UMTS coverage prediction. The Comparison
Properties dialogue opens.
6. Select the display parameters of the comparison and add a comment if you wish.
7. Click OK.
The two coverage predictions are compared and a comparison coverage prediction is added to the main documents
Predictions folder.
13.2.4 Performing Inter-Technology Neighbour Allocation
A deployed or new UMTS network is considered correctly deployed only if inter-system handover with the existing GSM
network works. Although the deployment of UMTS starts in areas with high traffic volume, but mobile customers expect
roaming-access everywhere - without losing their connection. Therefore, it is essential to verify the inter-system hando-
vers.
Roaming between a UMTS and a GSM network can be studied in Atoll by allocating neighbour GSM sectors to UMTS
cells. The following sections describe the features available in Atoll that help the RF planner to carry out inter-technology
neighbour planning.
In this section, the following are explained:
"Setting Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs" on page 740.
"Displaying Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs on the Map" on page 740.
"Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Manually" on page 742.
"Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Automatically" on page 742.
"Displaying Inter-Technology Neighbours on the Map" on page 743.
Figure 13.5: GSM Coverage Prediction (Best Server) High Transparency With Full Interior Coloured According to
BCCH With BCCH/BSIC Information Available in Tooltips
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In the sections listed above, it is assumed that Atoll is already in co-planning mode, and the UMTS and the GSM docu-
ments have already been linked. For more information on starting a co-planning project, see "Starting a Co-planning
Project" on page 735.
13.2.4.1 Setting Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs
You can set inter-technology neighbour constraints by defining exceptional pairs in Atoll. These constraints can be taken
into account in the automatic allocation of inter-technology neighbours.
To define inter-technology exceptional pairs between GSM transmitters in the linked document and the UMTS cells in the
main document:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Neighbours > Inter-technology Exceptional Pairs from the context menu. The Exceptional
Pairs of Inter-technology Neighbours table appears.
5. Enter one exceptional pair per row of the table. Each cell can have more than one exceptional pairs.
6. For each exceptional pair, select:
a. Cell: The name of the cell in the UMTS document; first part of the exceptional pair. The names of all the cells
in the UMTS document are available in the list.
b. Neighbour: The name of the transmitter in the GSM document; second part of the exceptional pair. The
names of all the transmitters in the GSM document are available in the list.
c. Status: The status indicates whether the GSM transmitter should always (forced) or never (forbidden) be con-
sidered as a neighbour of the UMTS cell.
d. Atoll fills the Number and Distance (m) fields automatically.
You can also define exceptional pairs of UMTS cells for GSM transmitters. However, in GSM, neighbours and exceptional
pairs are allocated by transmitter (i.e., by sector) whereas in UMTS, neighbours and exceptional pairs are allocated by cell.
You can access the lists of inter-technology neighbours and exceptional pairs through a cells Properties dialogue. To
open a cells Properties dialogue:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
5. Double-click the row corresponding to the cell whose properties you want to access. The cells Properties dia-
logue appears.
6. Click the Inter-Technology Neighbours tab.
In GSM, the inter-technology neighbours tab is available in each transmitters Properties dialogue.
13.2.4.2 Displaying Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs on the Map
You can display inter-technology exceptional pairs on the map in order to study the forced and forbidden neighbour rela-
tions defined in the Inter-technology Exceptional Pairs table.
To display exceptional pairs of UMTS cells and GSM transmitters:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Neighbours > Display Options from the context menu. The Neighbour Display dialogue
appears.
5. Select Inter-technology in the Display Links list.
6. Select which neighbour links to display:
- Outwards Non-Symmetric: Shows an exceptional pair link for each UMTS cell that has an exceptional pair
with a GSM transmitter. These links are represented with straight dashed lines of the same colour as the
UMTS transmitters.
- Inwards Non-Symmetric: Shows an exceptional pair link for each GSM transmitter that has an exceptional
pair with a UMTS cell. These links are represented with straight dashed lines of the same colour as the GSM
tranmitters.
- Symmetric: Shows an exceptional pair link for each UMTS cell that has an exceptional pair with a GSM trans-
mitter only if the GSM transmitter also has this UMTS cell in its exceptional pair list. These links are repre-
sented with straight black lines.
- Carrier: Atoll displays the exceptional pair links for the carrier you select.
Note: Exceptional pairs are not taken into account in manual neighbour allocation.
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
7. Click the context menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The context
menu appears.
8. Select the neighbour links to display: Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
9. Click the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The selected neighbours are displayed on the
map. Neighbour display remains activated until you click the Neighbour Display button ( ) again.
10. Click a transmitter on the map to show its exceptional pair links.
You can also define exceptional pairs of UMTS cells for GSM transmitters. However, in GSM, neighbours and exceptional
pairs are allocated by transmitter (i.e., by sector) whereas in UMTS, neighbours and exceptional pairs are allocated by cell.
The exceptional pair links can be displayed even of you do not have neighbours allocated. If you select All in the Display
Links list, Atoll displays both inter-technology and intra-technology exceptional pairs on the map.
13.2.4.2.1 Adding and Removing Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs Using the Mouse
You can set inter-technology exceptional pairs using the mouse. Atoll adds or removes forced or forbidden exceptional
pairs depending on the display option set, i.e., Forced Neighbours or Forbidden Neighbours.
Before you can add or remove exceptional pairs using the mouse, you must activate the display of exceptional pairs on
the map as explained in "Displaying Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs on the Map" on page 740.
To add a symmetric forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter with which you want to set an exceptional pair. Atoll adds both transmitters
to the inter-technology exceptional pairs list of the other transmitter.
To remove a symmetric forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter that you want to remove from the list of exceptional pairs. Atoll removes
both transmitter from the inter-technology exceptional pairs list of the other transmitter.
To add an outwards forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter with which you want to set an exceptional pair. Atoll adds the reference
transmitter to the inter-technology exceptional pairs list of the other transmitter.
To remove an outwards forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter that you want to remove from the list of exceptional pairs. Atoll removes the
reference transmitter from the inter-technology exceptional pairs list of the other transmitter.
To add an inwards forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. There can be two cases:
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- If the two transmitters already have a symmetric exceptional pair relation, press CTRL and click the other
transmitter. Atoll converts the symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric exceptional pair relation.
- If there is no existing exceptional pair relation between the two transmitters, first create a symmetric excep-
tional pair relation between the two transmitters, and then press CTRL and click the other transmitter. Atoll
converts the symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric exceptional pair relation.
To remove an inwards forced or forbidden exceptional pair:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter that you want to remove from the list of exceptional pairs. Atoll removes the
transmitter from the inter-technology exceptional pairs list of the other transmitter.
13.2.4.3 Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Manually
You can allocate inter-technology neighbours in Atoll manually. Exceptional pair constraints are not taken into account
when you manually allocate neighbours.
To allocate inter-technology neighbours between GSM transmitters in the linked document and the UMTS cells in the main
document:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Neighbours > Inter-technology Neighbours from the context menu. The Exceptional Pairs of
Inter-technology Neighbours table appears.
5. Enter one exceptional pair per row of the table. Each cell can have more than one exceptional pairs.
6. For each exceptional pair, select:
a. Cell: The name of the cell in the UMTS document; i.e., the first part of the exceptional pair. The names of all
the cells in the UMTS document are available in the list.
b. Neighbour: The name of the transmitter in the GSM document; i.e, the second part of the exceptional pair.
The names of all the transmitters in the GSM document are available in the list.
c. Status: The status indicates whether the GSM transmitter should always (forced) or never (forbidden) be con-
sidered as a neighbour of the UMTS cell.
d. Atoll fills the Number and Distance (m) fields automatically. The Reason and Rank fields are reserved for
automatic neighbour allocation. Atoll also automatically sets the Type field to Manual for each new manual
neighbour you allocate.
You can also define exceptional pairs of UMTS cells for GSM transmitters. However, in GSM, neighbours and exceptional
pairs are allocated by transmitter (i.e., by sector) whereas in UMTS, neighbours and exceptional pairs are allocated by cell.
You can access the lists of inter-technology neighbours and exceptional pairs through a cells Properties dialogue. To
open a cells Properties dialogue:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Open Table from the context menu. The Cells table appears.
5. Double-click the row corresponding to the cell whose properties you want to access. The cells Properties dia-
logue appears.
6. Click the Inter-Technology Neighbours tab.
In GSM, the inter-technology neighbours tab is available in each transmitters Properties dialogue.
13.2.4.4 Allocating Inter-Technology Neighbours Automatically
Atoll can automatically determine handover relations between networks of different technologies, for example, GSM and
UMTS. Atoll can automatically determine neighbour GSM transmitters for UMTS cells and vice versa. Inter-technology
neighbours are stored in the database.
Inter-technology handovers occur when the UMTS coverage is not continuous. The networks overall coverage is
extended by a UMTS-to-GSM handover.
To automatically allocate neighbour GSM transmitters to UMTS cells:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Neighbours > Automatic Allocation from the context menu. The Automatic Neighbour Alloca-
tion dialogue appears.
5. Click the Inter-technology Neighbours tab. On the Inter-technology Neighbours tab:
- Max Inter-site Distance: Set the maximum distance between the reference cell and a possible neighbour.
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
- Max Number of Neighbours: Set the maximum number of inter-technology neighbours that can be allocated
to a cell. This value can be either set here for all the cells, or specified for each cell in the Cells table.
- Coverage Conditions: The coverage conditions must be respected by each possible neighbour. Click the
Define buttons to change the coverage conditions for the UMTS cells and the GSM transmitters.
In the UMTS Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the following parameters:
- Min. Pilot Signal Level: Enter the minimum pilot signal level which must be provided by the reference cell.
- Min. Ec/Io: Enter the minimum Ec/Io which must be provided by reference cell in the area of coverage
overlapping. The reference cell must also be the best server in terms of pilot quality. You can also define
a Max Ec/Io.
- Ec/Io Margin: Enter the Ec/Io margin to define the area of coverage overlapping between UMTS cells.
- Power Contributing to Io: You can let Atoll base the interference ratio on the Total Power Used (as
defined in the cell properties) or on a percentage of the maximum power (% Max Power).
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
In the GSM Coverage Conditions dialogue, you can change the following parameters:
- Min. BCCH Signal Level: Enter the minimum BCCH signal level which must be provided by the GSM
transmitter.
- Margin: Enter the margin to define the area of coverage overlapping between GSM transmitters.
- Shadowing Taken into Account: If desired, select the Shadowing taken into account check box and
enter a Cell Edge Coverage Probability.
- % Min. Covered Area: Enter the minimum percentage of the cells coverage area that the GSM transmitters
coverage area should also cover to be considered as a neighbour.
- Calculation Options:
- Force co-site as neighbours: Selecting this check box will include the co-site GSM transmitters in the
neighbour list of the UMTS cell.
- Force exceptional pairs: Selecting this check box will apply the inter-technology exceptional pair criteria
on the neighbours list of the UMTS cell.
- Reset neighbours: Selecting this option will delete all the existing neighbours in the neighbours list and
perform a clean neighbour allocation. If the box is left unchecked, Atoll keeps the existing neighbours in
the list.
6. Click the Run button to start calculations
7. Once the calculations finish, Atoll displays the list of neighbours in the Results section. The results include the
names of the neighbours, the number of neighbours of each cell, and the reason they are included in the neigh-
bours list. The reasons include:
8. Select the check box in the Commit column of the Results section to choose the inter-technology neighbours you
want to assign to cells.
9. Click the Commit button. The allocated neighbours are saved in the Intra-technology Neighbours tab of each cell.
10. Click Close.
13.2.4.5 Displaying Inter-Technology Neighbours on the Map
You can display inter-technology neighbours on the map in order to study the inter-technology handover scenarios.
To display GSM neighbour transmitters of UMTS cells:
1. Click the main documents Map window.
2. Click the Data tab of the Explorer window.
3. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.
4. Select Cells > Neighbours > Display Options from the context menu. The Neighbour Display dialogue
appears.
5. Select Inter-technology in the Display Links list.
6. Select the neighbour links to display:
Reason Description When
Exceptional Pair Neighbour relation is defined as an exceptional pair.
Force exceptional pairs is
selected
Co-site The neighbour is located at the UMTS cells site.
Force co-site as
neighbours is selected
Distance
The neighbour is within the maximum distance from the reference
transmitter.
Use Coverage
Overlapping is not
selected
% of covered area
and overlapping area
Neighbour relation that fulfils coverage conditions.
Use Coverage
Overlapping is selected
Existing
The neighbour relation existed before running the automatic
allocation.
Reset is not selected
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- Outwards Non-Symmetric: Shows a neighbour link for each UMTS cell that has a GSM neighbour trans-
mitter. These links are represented with straight dashed lines of the same colour as the UMTS transmitters.
- Inwards Non-Symmetric: Shows a neighbour link for each GSM transmitter that has a UMTS neighbour cell.
These links are represented with straight dashed lines of the same colour as the GSM transmitters.
- Symmetric: Shows a neighbour link for each UMTS cell that has a GSM neighbour transmitter only if the GSM
transmitter also has this UMTS cell as neighbour. These links are represented with straight black lines.
- Carrier: Atoll displays the exceptional pair links for the carrier you select.
7. Click the context menu button ( ) of the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The context menu
appears.
8. Select Neighbours as the type of neighbour links to display.
9. Click the Neighbour Display button ( ) in the Radio toolbar. The neighbour display on the map is activated.
The Neighbour display remains active until you lick the Neighbour Display button ( ) again.
10. Click a transmitter on the map to show its neighbour links.
You can also define exceptional pairs of UMTS cells for GSM transmitters. However, in GSM, neighbours and exceptional
pairs are allocated by transmitter (i.e., by sector) whereas in UMTS, neighbours and exceptional pairs are allocated by cell.
If you select All in the Display Links list, Atoll displays both inter-technology and intra-technology neighbours on the map.
The figure below shows the intra- and inter-technology neighbours of the transmitter Site22_2.
13.2.4.5.1 Allocating and Removing Inter-Technology Neighbours Using the Mouse
You can allocate inter-technology neighbours using the mouse. Atoll adds or removes neighbours to transmitters if the
display option is set to Neighbours.
Before you can add or remove exceptional pairs using the mouse, you must activate the display of exceptional pairs on
the map as explained in "Displaying Inter-Technology Exceptional Pairs on the Map" on page 740.
To add a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds both transmitter
to the inter-technology neighbours list of the other transmitter.
To remove a symmetric neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes both trans-
mitter from the inter-technology neighbours list of the other transmitter.
To add an outwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter with which you want to set a neighbour relation. Atoll adds the reference
transmitter to the inter-technology neighbour list of the other transmitter.
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Chapter 13: Co-planning Features
To remove an outwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press CTRL and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the reference
transmitter from the inter-technology neighbours list of the other transmitter.
To add an inwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. There can be two cases:
- If the two transmitters already have a symmetric neighbour relation, press CTRL and click the other trans-
mitter. Atoll converts the symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
- If there is no existing neighbour relation between the two transmitters, first create a symmetric neighbour rela-
tion between the two transmitters, and then press CTRL and click the other transmitter. Atoll converts the
symmetric relation to an inwards non-symmetric inter-technology neighbour relation.
To remove an inwards neighbour relation:
1. Click the reference transmitter on the map. Atoll displays its neighbour relations.
2. Press SHIFT and click the transmitter you want to remove from the list of neighbours. Atoll removes the trans-
mitter from the inter-technology neighbours list of the other transmitter.
13.3 Tips and Tricks
13.3.1 Minimising Memory Consumption
Co-planning with Atoll requires that both technology documents be open in Atoll at the same time. Loading both GSM
and UMTS documents in memory can cause memory saturation, specially if the documents contain large, for example,
country-wide, networks. To decrease the amount of memory consumed by Atoll in such cases, you can:
Load vector layers in main document only. Loading vectors in the linked document is not necessary and only con-
sumes more memory.
Avoid loading neighbours and custom fields which are not required. This can be performed by creating views in
the database. For more information, see the Administrator Manual.
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Index
Index
Symbols
+MRC in Softer/Soft (UMTS) 391
Numerics
2G network traffic, converting (TD-SCDMA) 561
2G network traffic, converting (UMTS) 364
2G network traffic, converting (WiMAX) 648
360 view (microwave) 692
3-D antenna pattern
defining attenuation 121
defining azimuth 121
defining tilt angle 121
importing 121
3rd party smart antenna modelling (TD-SCDMA) 584
A
Accessing coverage prediction properties 159
Accessing the Atoll AFP properties 273
active set
conditions for entering (UMTS) 396
defining size in terminals (UMTS) 331
displaying per simulation user (TD-SCDMA) 566
displaying per simulation user (UMTS) 371
size, used in predictions (UMTS) 331
threshold, defining in cells (UMTS) 293
active set analysis (UMTS) 338
Active set management 408, 413
cdmaOne 408, 413
Active set management,CDMA2000 408, 413
Active set parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 408
activity status
displaying traffic distribution by (WiMAX) 656
adaptive antenna
assigning (WiMAX) 596
creating (WiMAX) 667
adaptive beam smart antenna modelling (TD-SCDMA) 584
adaptive modulation and coding, see "fast link adaptation"
Adding a point in the computation/focus zone 132
Adding a simulation to an existing group of cdmaOne/
CDMA2000 simulations 438
Adding or Removing exceptional separations on the map 248
Adding/Removing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours and ex-
ceptional pairs on the map 464
Adding/Removing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours on the
map 464
Adding/Removing GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours and excep-
tional pairs on the map 239
Adding/Removing GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours on the map
239
Adjusting AFP parameters from the data model 249
Adjusting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile properties 417
Adjusting GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile properties 212
Administration files 165
Studies.xml 165
AFP 249, 251, 252, 273, 275
AFP Step 1 generic inputs 251
AFP Step 2 loading and checking the network 252
AFP Step 3 generic AFP settings 252
AFP Step 4 generic outputs 253
AFP,Cost function 249, 251, 252, 273, 275
Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cell neighbours automatically
458
Allocating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cell neighbours manually 456
Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE transmitter neighbours automat-
ically 233
Allocating GSM/GPRS/EDGE transmitter neighbours manually
231
Allocating manually a BCCH to transmitters 242
Allocating PN Offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells automati-
cally 467
Allocating PN offsets to cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells manually
468
Analysing a scenario at a point in cdmaOne/CDMA2000
projects 449
Analysing pilot reception (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 450
Antenna 167
Antenna attenuation 167
antenna
adaptive, creating (WiMAX) 667
antenna patterns, copying (microwave) 680
antenna patterns, printing (microwave) 681
antenna patterns, smoothing (microwave) 681
antennas, importing (microwave) 679
azimuth, changing on the map (WiMAX) 603
beamwidth, defining 120
changing azimuth on the map (TD-SCDMA) 485
changing azimuth on the map (UMTS) 302
changing relative position on the map (TD-SCDMA) 486
changing relative position on the map (UMTS) 302
compatibility with equipment (microwave) 689
compatibility with equipment, assistant (microwave) 689
creating 119
gain 119
heights, adjusting (microwave) 720
heights, adjusting automatically (microwave) 720
heights, optimising (microwave) 720
importing 3-D patterns 121
importing Planet-format 120
microwave 677
microwave antenna properties 679
microwave, creating 678
pasting antenna pattern 119
pattern electrical tilt 119
point-to-multipoint link, adjusting 707
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Index
point-to-multipoint link, adjusting with the mouse 707
relative position on the map, changing (WiMAX) 604
single antenna patterns, editing (microwave) 679
smoothing vertical pattern 122
antenna patterns
printing 36, 122
archiving
all modifications to the database 79
only site data to the database 79
Assigning a PN Offset domain to a cell 467
Assigning BSIC domains to transmitters 241
Assigning cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment to sites 404
Assigning cell types to transmitters 194
Assigning codec equipment to terminal types 203
Assigning codec equipment to transmitters 202
Assigning HCS layers to transmitters 189
Assigning manually BSICs to transmitters 241
Assigning TRX Equipment 200
Assigning TRX Equipment to cell types/subcells 200
atmospheric refraction maps 709
Atoll AFP cost function, overview 273
Atoll AFP module, Overview 273
Atoll features for computing 178
attenuation
3-D antenna pattern 121
audit of frequency allocation (TD-SCDMA) 535
audit of neighbour allocation plan 350, 542
audit of scrambling code plan (TD-SCDMA) 547
audit of scrambling code plan (UMTS) 355
Automatic Calibration Wizard 142
Automatic neighbour allocation 233, 458
cdmaOne networks 458
Automatic neighbour allocation,CDMA2000 networks 458
Automatic neighbour allocation,GSM/GPRS/EGPRS networks
233
Automatic Server Allocation (WiMAX) 652
availability objectives
microwave links 677
Averaging cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations 438
azimuth
3-D antenna pattern 121
antenna, changing on the map (TD-SCDMA) 485
antenna, changing on the map (UMTS) 302
antenna, changing on the map (WiMAX) 603
B
base station
assigning equipment (TD-SCDMA) 475
assigning equipment (UMTS) 291
components of subsystem123
copying into document (TD-SCDMA) 484
copying into document (UMTS) 300
copying into document (WiMAX) 602
creating (WiMAX) 594
creating with template (TD-SCDMA) 480
creating with template (UMTS) 295
creating with template (WiMAX) 598
definition (TD-SCDMA) 473
definition (UMTS) 289
definition (WiMAX) 594
displaying information (TD-SCDMA) 486
displaying information (UMTS) 303
displaying information (WiMAX) 604
equipment, assigning (WiMAX) 595
importing (TD-SCDMA) 484
importing (UMTS) 300
importing (WiMAX) 602
base station ID, see "BSID"
baton handover coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 528
beamwidth
defining antenna 120
bearer selection, HSDPA, explanation 366
bearer, downgrading (UMTS) 367
bearer, R99, see "R99 radio bearer"
BER coverage prediction (UMTS) 335
BER graphs
creating (microwave) 684, 685
microwave 685
microwave equipment, assigning 685
properties of (microwave) 685
best bearer coverage prediction (WiMAX) 631
bit error rate graphs, see "BER graphs"
BLER coverage prediction (UMTS) 335
BSIC allocation 187, 241, 253
BSIC format 187
BSICs Overview 187
BSID (WiMAX) 596
BTS
defining 123
noise figure 124
noise figure, updating 124
Rho factor 123
BTS equipment
assigning (TD-SCDMA) 475
assigning (UMTS) 291
BTS noise figure (TD-SCDMA) 476
BTS noise figure (UMTS) 292
BTS, assigning (WiMAX) 595
budget
configuring report (microwave) 725
microwave link 724
multiple microwave links, calculating for 725
single microwave link, calculating for 724
BWA, definition 593
C
C/(I+N) level coverage prediction (WiMAX) 629
cables
creating (microwave) 687
microwave 687
cables, microwave
properties of 687
Calculate 163
Calculating a coverage by signal level 164
Calculating a coverage by transmitter 164
Calculating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations and predictions
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 749
Index
simultaneously 455
Calculating GSM Circuit Quality Indicators 268
Calculating Interference Matrices 244
Calculating overlapping areas 164
Calculating pilot pollution (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 452
Calculating quality studies of BER/BLER/FER (cdmaOne/
CDMA2000) 452
Calculation area 127, 156
Calculation bin 157, 165
calculation process, explanation (TD-SCDMA) 499
calculation process, explanation (UMTS) 315
calculation process, explanation (WiMAX) 613
Calculation radius 156
calculations
subscriber list (WiMAX) 652
carrier types (TD-SCDMA)
allocating per cell 535
audit of allocation 535
displaying coverage 534
displaying master carrier on the map 534
master carrier 533
slave carrier 533
standalone carrier 533
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Power and Rate Control Simulation Al-
gorithm433
CDMA2000 1xRTT 1xEV-DO
template 72
CDMA2000 1xRTT Power Control Algorithm 431
cdmaOne 401
template 72
cdmaOne Power Control Algorithm431
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 active set conditions 413
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Average simulation outputs on cells 445
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cells definition 406
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 multi-service traffic cartography Over-
view 420
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 point analysis 449
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 power control simulation inputs 435
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction studies Overview 448
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects Concepts 401
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects Overview 401
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects protocol 402
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Resources allocation Overview 456
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation inputs 435
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation outputs on cell components
445
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation outputs on cells 445
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation outputs on mobile compo-
nents 447
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation outputs on mobiles 446
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Simulation outputs on sites 444
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation process Overview 430
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations Overview 430
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 traffic management Overview 409
Cell 406
cell
creating (TD-SCDMA) 480
creating (UMTS) 295
creating (WiMAX) 598
definition (WiMAX) 596
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 480
modifying (UMTS) 295
modifying (WiMAX) 598
parameters (TD-SCDMA) 477
parameters (UMTS) 292
setting as active (TD-SCDMA) 499
setting as active (UMTS) 315
updating load values with simulation (WiMAX) 659
updating values with simulation (TD-SCDMA) 569
updating values with simulation (UMTS) 378
Cell Edge Coverage Probability 154, 430
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations 430
Shadowing margins 154
cell to cell interference coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 528
Cell type parameters 191
Cell types 190
Cell types Overview 190
channel element
defining consumption per site equipment-R99 radio bearer
(UMTS) 394
defining on downlink (UMTS) 290
defining on uplink (UMTS) 290
simulations (UMTS) 368
uplink and downlink consumption (UMTS) 394
Channel element management in cdmaOne/CDMA2000
1xRTT simulations 434
Channel element management in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simu-
lations 434
channel search, semi-automatic (microwave) 730
channel throughput coverage prediction (WiMAX) 633
Checking consistency between transmitters and subcells 257
Checking path loss results validity 167
Checking the consistency of the PN Offset assignments 468
Checking the consistency of the PN Offset plan 468
Checking the frequency plan consistency 256
Choosing the appropriate propagation model 135
Clc files 252
clearance, displaying for microwave links 717
column headers
formatting 45
columns
changing width 45
displaying 46
freezing 46
hiding 46
moving 47
unfreezing 46
Committing simulated loads to cells (cdmaOne/CDMA2000
projects) 441
Common prediction studies 156, 160, 161, 173, 174
Plot display 161
Plot resolution 160
Profile analysis 173
Reception analysis 174
Service area 160
Common prediction studies,Calculation condition 160
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Index
Common prediction studies,Coverage display 161
Common prediction studies,Coverage studies 156
Comparing a global study with a study by transmitter 172
compressed mode (UMTS) 331, 372, 391
Computation and focus zones effects 128
Computation and focus zones Overview 127
Computation zone 127
computation zone
creating (microwave) 716
drawing (TD-SCDMA) 499
drawing (UMTS) 315
drawing (WiMAX) 613
explanation (TD-SCDMA) 495
explanation (UMTS) 311
explanation (WiMAX) 608
Fit to Map Window (TD-SCDMA) 499
Fit to Map Window (UMTS) 315
Fit to Map Window (WiMAX) 613
importing (TD-SCDMA) 499
importing (UMTS) 315
importing (WiMAX) 613
polygon, creating from (TD-SCDMA) 499
polygon, creating from (UMTS) 315
polygon, creating from (WiMAX) 613
using as polygon filter 63
Computations in Atoll, Overview 127
Computing a coverage by GPRS/EDGE rate per timeslot 267
Computing a coverage by GPRS/EDGE throughput per times-
lot 267
Computing a coverage study by C/I level 263
Computing automatically coding scheme thresholds 204
Computing shadowing margins 154
Connection Properties 77
connection status
displaying traffic distribution by (TD-SCDMA) 565
displaying traffic distribution by (UMTS) 370
context menu 27
renaming objects 27
coordinate system73
setting 74
coordinates, searching by 65
Cost function 252, 273
AFP 252
Cost-Hata propagation model 145
assigning environment formulas 146
creating environment formula 146
defining default environment formula 145
modifying environment formula 146
taking diffraction into account 145
coverage export zone
creating (TD-SCDMA) 532
creating (UMTS) 342
creating (WiMAX) 636
coverage of master carriers, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 534
coverage of neighbours, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 540
coverage of neighbours, displaying (UMTS) 348
coverage of neighbours, displaying (WiMAX) 640
coverage prediction
adding values to legend (TD-SCDMA) 507
adding values to legend (UMTS) 320
analysing results (TD-SCDMA) 507
analysing results (UMTS) 320
analysing results (WiMAX) 618
assigning a default propagation model 134
based on test mobile data path (TD-SCDMA) 575
based on test mobile data path (UMTS) 386
baton handover (TD-SCDMA) 528
best bearer (WiMAX) 631
by transmitter (TD-SCDMA) 501
by transmitter (UMTS) 318
by transmitter (WiMAX) 615
C/(I+N) level (WiMAX) 629
cell to cell interference (TD-SCDMA) 528
channel throughput (WiMAX) 633
comparing (TD-SCDMA) 510
comparing (UMTS) 323
comparing (WiMAX) 622
coverage export zone, defining (TD-SCDMA) 532
coverage export zone, defining (UMTS) 342
coverage export zone, defining (WiMAX) 636
displaying results with tooltips (TD-SCDMA) 507
displaying results with tooltips (UMTS) 320
displaying results with tooltips (WiMAX) 619
downlink and uplink traffic channel (TD-SCDMA) 525
downlink total noise (TD-SCDMA) 526
downlink total noise (UMTS) 336
DwPTS signal quality (TD-SCDMA) 520
effective service area (TD-SCDMA) 523
effective service area (UMTS) 334
exporting results (TD-SCDMA) 532
exporting results (UMTS) 342
exporting results (WiMAX) 636
handover status (UMTS) 337
histogram, viewing (TD-SCDMA) 510
histogram, viewing (UMTS) 322
histogram, viewing (WiMAX) 621
HSDPA 339, 530
HSUPA 340
legend, adding values to (WiMAX) 619
network capacity (TD-SCDMA) 551, 553
network load (TD-SCDMA) 554
on overlapping zones (TD-SCDMA) 503
on overlapping zones (UMTS) 319
on overlapping zones (WiMAX) 617
P-CCPCH (Eb/Nt) reception analysis based on test mobile
data path (TD-SCDMA) 576
pilot pollution (UMTS) 337
pilot reception analysis (Ec/I0) based on test mobile data
path (UMTS) 387
pilot signal quality (TD-SCDMA) 518
pilot signal quality (UMTS) 332
printing results (TD-SCDMA) 532
printing results (UMTS) 341
printing results (WiMAX) 635
quality indicator (UMTS) 335
report, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 509
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 751
Index
report, displaying (UMTS) 321
report, displaying (WiMAX) 620
report, displaying using focus zone (TD-SCDMA) 508
report, displaying using focus zone (UMTS) 321
report, displaying using focus zone (WiMAX) 620
report, displaying using hot spot zone (TD-SCDMA) 508
report, displaying using hot spot zone (UMTS) 321
report, displaying using hot spot zone (WiMAX) 620
restricting base stations studied by computation zone (TD-
SCDMA) 492
restricting base stations studied by computation zone
(UMTS) 308
restricting base stations studied by computation zone
(WiMAX) 605
restricting base stations studied by filter (TD-SCDMA) 492
restricting base stations studied by filter (UMTS) 308
restricting base stations studied by filter (WiMAX) 605
restricting base stations studied by filtering (TD-SCDMA)
492
scrambling code interference zone (TD-SCDMA) 549
scrambling code interference zone (UMTS) 357
service area (C/I) (TD-SCDMA) 521
service area (Eb/Nt) (TD-SCDMA) 521
service area (Eb/Nt) downlink based on test mobile data
path (TD-SCDMA) 576
service area (Eb/Nt) downlink based on test mobile data
path (UMTS) 387
service area (Eb/Nt) downlink or uplink (UMTS) 333
service area (Eb/Nt) uplink based on test mobile data path
(TD-SCDMA) 576
service area (Eb/Nt) uplink based on test mobile data path
(UMTS) 387
signal level - single station (TD-SCDMA) 496
signal level - single station (UMTS) 312
signal level - single station (WiMAX) 609
signal level (TD-SCDMA) 500, 504, 506
signal level (UMTS) 316
signal level (WiMAX) 614
statistics, viewing (TD-SCDMA) 510
statistics, viewing (UMTS) 322
statistics, viewing (WiMAX) 621
using simulation results (TD-SCDMA) 571
using simulation results (UMTS) 381
Coverage prediction available exports 171
Coverage prediction properties 159
coverage predictions
restricting sites studied (microwave) 715
coverage range
limiting to avoid interference (WiMAX) 670
Coverage studies Overview 156
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell 406
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment 418
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map 420
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector 425
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 mobility type 412
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Radio Configuration 412
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 receiver equipment 414
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 terminal 414
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map 427
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile 416
Creating a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map 423
Creating a Codec Equipment 201
Creating a computation/focus zone from polygons 130
Creating a coverage by GPRS/EGPRS coding schemes 266
Creating a GPRS/EDGE equipment 203
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment 213
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map 215
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector 219
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobility type 208
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminal 209
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic capture 224
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map 222
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile 211
Creating a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map 217
Creating a TRX Equipment 199
Creating a type of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment 418
Creating a type of GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment 213
Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 power control simulations 435
Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Services 410
Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulations 435
Creating cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment 403
Creating coverage calculations 158
Creating coverage studies per group of transmitter 159
Creating GSM/GPRS/EDGE services 206
Creating PN Offsets domains and groups 466
Creating predictions from modified cdmaOne/CDMA2000 sim-
ulations 455
Creating TRXs in transmitters 242
cursors 40
CW Measurement Analysis Tool
printing data 36
cyclic prefix ratio (WiMAX) 661
D
Data tab 25
data tables
adding a field 43
changing column width 45
changing row height 45
copying data 47
deleting a field 43
displaying columns 46
editing 43
exporting data 48
filtering 53
filtering by selection 54
filtering by several criteria 55
filtering, examples 57
formatting column headers 45
formatting table columns 45
freezing columns 46
hiding columns 46
importing data 49
moving columns 47
opening 42
opening record properties from table 44
pasting data 47
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 752
Index
printing 33
restoring after filtering 56
sorting 53
sorting by one column 53
sorting by several columns 53, 54
unfreezing columns 46
viewing properties 42
database
archiving all modifications 79
archiving only site data 79
connecting to MS Access 76
connecting to Oracle 77
Connection Properties 77
creating a document from76
refreshing document 78
resolving data conflicts 80
working with 75
Defining BSIC format 187
Defining cdmaOne/CDMA2000 exceptional pairs of neighbours
457
Defining exceptional pairs for PN Offset allocation 467
Defining exceptional separations for frequency allocation 247
Defining extended cells 194
Defining GSM/GPRS/EDGE resources Overview 184
Defining handoff status (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 452
Defining interference cost in the AFP 274
Defining MAL targets in SFH (AFP) 278
Defining Quality Indicators (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 412
Defining separation violation cost in the AFP 274
Defining the 1xEV-DO Rev.A Radio Bearers 412
Defining the AFP allocation strategies Overview 277
Defining the coverage conditions 160
Defining the transmitter cdmaOne/CDMA2000 global parame-
ters 405
defraction
smoothing vertical antenna pattern 122
degree display format, setting 74
Deleting a coverage study template 165
Deleting the computation/focus zone 131
Dimensioning outputs in GSM/GPRS/EDGE 228
display
changing properties 28
defining display type 29
display type, automatic 29
display type, discrete values 29
display type, unique 29
display type, value intervals 29
display coordinate system73
display resolution (TD-SCDMA) 496
display resolution (UMTS) 312
Displaying calculation events in a log window 180
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cell properties on the map
408
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 exceptional pairs of neigh-
bours on the map 457
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours on the map 462
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation requirements and
results 438
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation results on the map
443
Displaying cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation statistics 438
Displaying current cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbour list 461
Displaying exceptional separations on the map 248
Displaying general information on propagation model 135
Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE exceptional pairs of neighbours
on the map 233
Displaying GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours on the map 238
Displaying input parameters of an existing cdmaOne/
CDMA2000 simulation 439
Displaying predicted signal levels at a point 174
Displaying rate graphs 205
Displaying shadowing values of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simu-
lation 443
Displaying SPM parameters over a profile analysis 177
Displaying statistics on cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment
traffic maps 422
Displaying statistics on GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic
maps 217
Displaying statistics per cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment
type 419
Displaying the computation/focus zone coordinates 132
Displaying the frequency usage statistics 258
Displaying the PN Offset distribution 469
Displaying the reuse of PN Offsets on the map 469
Displaying the subcell list 195
Displaying the TRX list 243
Distance Measurement tool 39
diversity
reception (UMTS) 297, 392
transmission (UMTS) 297, 392
Docking windows 23
document
creating from database 71, 76
creating from template 71, 72
geographic data 71
information needed to create 71
radio data 71
radio equipment 71
refreshing from the database 78
setting basic parameters 73
document templates, see "templates"
Document windows 23
domains, creating scrambling code (TD-SCDMA) 544
domains, creating scrambling code (UMTS) 352
downgrading bearer (UMTS) 367
Downlink load factor 407, 440, 445, 448
cdmaOne 407, 440, 445, 448
Downlink load factor,CDMA2000 407, 440, 445, 448
downlink total noise coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 526
downlink total noise coverage prediction (UMTS) 336
downlink total power, setting (UMTS) 328
downlink traffic channel coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 525
downlink traffic power, setting (TD-SCDMA) 514
Drawing a computation/focus zone 129
dual-band network, creating (TD-SCDMA) 487
dual-band network, creating (UMTS) 303
DwPTS signal quality coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 520
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 753
Index
E
Ec/I0 threshold (UMTS) 330
effective service area coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 523
effective service area coverage prediction (UMTS) 334
EGPRS 204, 205, 206, 266, 267
Transmitters 206
EGPRS,Coding schemes 204
EGPRS,Coding schemes display 205
EGPRS,Coverage study 266, 267
environment
creating (TD-SCDMA) 557
creating (UMTS) 360
creating (WiMAX) 644
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 557
modifying (UMTS) 360
modifying (WiMAX) 644
environment class-based traffic map
creating (TD-SCDMA) 559
creating (UMTS) 362
creating (WiMAX) 646
importing (TD-SCDMA) 559
importing (UMTS) 362
importing (WiMAX) 646
statistics on (WiMAX) 647
environment-based traffic map
statistics on (TD-SCDMA) 560
statistics on (UMTS) 363
Equipment
Site 403
equipment 403
BER graphs, assigning (microwave) 685
compatibility with antennas (microwave) 689
compatibility with antennas, assistant (microwave) 689
importing (microwave) 683
microwave 682
microwave transceiver 682
microwave transceiver, creating 682
radio equipment, assigning (microwave) 688
transceiver, properties of (microwave) 683
Equipment Specifications dialogue (TD-SCDMA) 475
Equipment Specifications dialogue (UMTS) 291
Equipment Specifications dialogue (WiMAX) 595
equipment, repeater, see "repeater equipment"
Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) propagation model 148
assigning environment formulas 149
creating environment formula 148
defining default environment formula 148
modifying environment formula 148
Erlang B 191, 207, 226
Erlang C 191, 207, 226, 228
Examples of cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic data 424
Examples of cell types 192
Examples of GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic data 219
exceptional pairs, defining neighbour (TD-SCDMA) 536
exceptional pairs, defining neighbour (UMTS) 343
exceptional pairs, defining scrambling code (TD-SCDMA) 545
exceptional pairs, defining scrambling code (UMTS) 353
Explorer window 25
Data tab 25
Geo tab 25
layers 26
Modules tab 25
using tabs 25
Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map 422
Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector
427
Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map 429
Exporting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map 425
Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map 216
Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector 222
Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map 224
Exporting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map 219
Exporting a point analysis study 177
Exporting calculation events in a log file 180
Exporting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation results 444
Exporting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation statistics 444
Exporting main path loss matrices 168
Exporting prediction coverages 170
Exporting prediction reports 169
Exporting the cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cumulated traffic 430
Exporting the computation/focus zone to a file 131
F
fast link adaptation (UMTS) 365
feeder
assigning (TD-SCDMA) 475
assigning (UMTS) 291
defining cables 123
defining length (TD-SCDMA) 475
defining length (UMTS) 291
defining length (WiMAX) 595
feeder, assigning (WiMAX) 595
FER coverage prediction (UMTS) 335
field
adding to a table 43
deleting from a table 43
filtering
data tables by selection 54
data tables by several criteria 55
examples 57
restoring after filtering 56
using a polygon 62
with subfolders 62
filtering zone
deleting 63
drawing 63
Find toolbar 64
focus zone
creating (microwave) 716
creating (TD-SCDMA) 508
creating (UMTS) 321
creating (WiMAX) 620
explanation (TD-SCDMA) 508
explanation (UMTS) 321
Fit to Map Window (TD-SCDMA) 509
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 754
Index
Fit to Map Window (UMTS) 321
Fit to Map Window (WiMAX) 620
importing (TD-SCDMA) 509
importing (UMTS) 321
importing (WiMAX) 620
polygon, creating from (TD-SCDMA) 509
polygon, creating from (UMTS) 321
polygon, creating from (WiMAX) 620
population statistics (TD-SCDMA) 509
population statistics (UMTS) 322
population statistics (WiMAX) 621
using as polygon filter 63
using to display coverage prediction report (TD-SCDMA)
508
using to display coverage prediction report (UMTS) 321
folder configuration 60
applying a saved configuration 61
creating 60
deleting 61
exporting 61
importing 61
reapplying current configuration 61
Force calculation 163
frame configuration
creating (WiMAX) 663
frame configuration (WiMAX) 597, 663
frame duration (WiMAX) 661
Free space loss 132
frequencies (TD-SCDMA)
allocating automatically 534
displaying on the map 534
Frequencies Overview 184
frequency bands
defining (TD-SCDMA) 474, 579
defining (UMTS) 291, 390
defining (WiMAX) 661
microwave 674
frequency planning (microwave) 726, 730
frequency sub-bands
microwave 675
frequency, planning (TD-SCDMA) 533
G
gain
defining antenna 119
Generator initialisation - Replay differences (cdmaOne/
CDMA2000) 437
Geo tab 25
global scaling factor (TD-SCDMA) 571
global scaling factor (UMTS) 380
global scaling factor (WiMAX) 660
global transmitter parameters
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 581
modifying (UMTS) 391
modifying (WiMAX) 662
global transmitter parameters (TD-SCDMA) 580
global transmitter parameters (UMTS) 391
global transmitter parameters (WiMAX) 661
grid of beams (GOB) smart antenna model (TD-SCDMA) 582
grid of beams (GOB), creating (TD-SCDMA) 582
grid of beams (GOB), import format (TD-SCDMA) 583
grid of beams (GOB), importing (TD-SCDMA) 582
grouping 51
by a property 51
by several properties 51
examples 52
with subfolders 62
groups, creating scrambling code (TD-SCDMA) 544
groups, creating scrambling code (UMTS) 352
GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects Overview 183
GSM/GPRS/EDGE projects protocol 183
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Resources allocation Overview 230
GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic analysis Overview 224
GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic capture outputs 225
GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic management Overview 206
GSM/GPRS/EGPRS template 71
H
handover status
displaying traffic distribution by (TD-SCDMA) 564
displaying traffic distribution by (UMTS) 369
handover status coverage prediction (UMTS) 337
happy bit (UMTS) 366
hexagonal design
definition (TD-SCDMA) 480
definition (UMTS) 296
definition (WiMAX) 598
Hierarchical cells Overview 188
histogram, scrambling code 357, 549
histogram, viewing coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 510
histogram, viewing coverage prediction (UMTS) 322
histogram, viewing coverage prediction (WiMAX) 621
Histograms 252, 274
hot spot zone
creating (TD-SCDMA) 508
creating (UMTS) 321
creating (WiMAX) 620
explanation (TD-SCDMA) 508
explanation (UMTS) 321
Fit to Map Window (TD-SCDMA) 509
Fit to Map Window (UMTS) 321
Fit to Map Window (WiMAX) 620
importing (TD-SCDMA) 509
importing (UMTS) 321
importing (WiMAX) 620
population statistics (TD-SCDMA) 509
population statistics (UMTS) 322
population statistics (WiMAX) 621
using to display coverage prediction report (TD-SCDMA)
508
using to display coverage prediction report (UMTS) 321
HSDPA
activating 293, 478
bearer selection, explanation 366
configuring 293, 478
coverage prediction 339, 530
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 755
Index
editing user equipment category 396, 587
scheduler algorithm294
service, enabling 329, 515
template 72
terminal, enabling 331, 517
user equipment category 331, 518
HSDPA radio bearer
defining (TD-SCDMA) 585
defining (UMTS) 393
HSNs Overview 186
HSUPA
activating 294
configuring 294
coverage prediction 340
editing user equipment category 396
service, enabling 329, 515
template 72
terminal, enabling 331, 517
HSUPA radio bearer
defining (UMTS) 393
I
Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic map 421
Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector
426
Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic map 428
Importing a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic map 423
Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic map 215
Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic map per sector 220
Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic map 223
Importing a GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic map 217
Importing the computation/focus zone from a file 130
Improving calculation performances 179
indoor coverage
activating in AS analysis (UMTS) 338
activating in coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 497, 501,
502, 503, 505, 506, 549, 576
activating in coverage prediction (UMTS) 313
activating in coverage prediction (WiMAX) 610
activating in point analysis (TD-SCDMA) 494, 508
activating in point analysis (UMTS) 310, 321
activating in simulation (UMTS) 334, 335
defining when modelling environment (TD-SCDMA) 558
defining when modelling environment (UMTS) 361
defining when modelling environment (WiMAX) 644
defining when modelling user profile based traffic map
(TD-SCDMA) 559
defining when modelling user profile based traffic map
(UMTS) 362
defining when modelling user profile based traffic map
(WiMAX) 646
in traffic map (TD-SCDMA) 556
in traffic map (UMTS) 359
simulation results (TD-SCDMA) 567
simulation results (UMTS) 374
inter-carrier interference, defining (TD-SCDMA) 579
inter-carrier interference, defining (UMTS) 390
Interfered area study 262
interference
inter-carrier, defining (TD-SCDMA) 579
inter-carrier, defining (UMTS) 390
uplink to downlink, avoiding (WiMAX) 670
interference analysis
several links (microwave) 729
single link (microwave) 728
interference analysis (microwave) 726
Interference histograms 252
interference reduction factor
table (microwave) 727
using assistant (microwave) 727
interference reduction factor (microwave) 727
Interference studies 260, 263, 264
Point analysis 264
Service area 260
Signal to noise ratio 263
Interference studies,Coverage area 260, 263
Interference studies,Coverage display 260, 263
Interference studies,Coverage studies 260, 263
interference zone coverage prediction, scrambling code (TD-
SCDMA) 549
interference zone coverage prediction, scrambling code
(UMTS) 357
Intra-technology neighbours 231, 233, 238, 456, 458, 462
Automatic allocation 233, 456
Intra-technology neighbours,Display options 238, 462
IRF, see "interference reduction factor"
ITU 370-7 propagation model (Vienna 93) 147
ITU 526-5 propagation model 150
ITU 529-3 propagation model 146
assigning environment formulas 147
creating environment formula 147
defining default environment formula 147
modifying environment formula 147
taking diffraction into account 146
ITU maps
atmospheric refraction 709
rain zones 712
vapour density 709
J
J D, see "joint detection"
joint detection factor
defining in site equipment (TD-SCDMA) 586
K
Key Performance Indicators Definitions 227
keyboard shortcuts 67
L
label 30
Lambert Conformal-Conic projection 73
layers 26
legend
adding object type 31
displaying 32
displaying Legend window 39
printing Legend window 36
legend, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 507
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 756
Index
legend, displaying (UMTS) 320
legend, displaying (WiMAX) 619
line of sight area
intersection of areas (microwave) 691
studying (microwave) 691
line of sight area (microwave) 691
link, point-to-multipoint, see point-to-multipoint links
Listing all signal and C/I levels at a point 175
Location Finder
searching by coordinates 65
searching by text property 64
Locking path loss results 166
Longley-Rice propagation model 153
Los file 165, 168
M
macro-diversity gain
clutter class, displaying per (UMTS) 397
Managing BSIC domains and groups 187
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Cell properties 407
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment traffic maps 421
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic map per sector 427
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 live traffic maps per sector
427
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction display 452
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 prediction settings 452
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 radio data Overview 402
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation properties 436
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation results on the map
443
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 site equipment 403
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user density traffic maps 429
Managing cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profile traffic maps 424
Managing cell types 190
Managing channel element consumption per cdmaOne/
CDMA2000 site equipment 404
Managing Codec equipment properties 201
Managing exceptional separations for frequency allocation 247
Managing frequency bands 185
Managing frequency domains and groups 185
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment types
419
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 mobility types 413
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Radio Configurations
413
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 services 411
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 terminals 416
Managing globally cdmaOne/CDMA2000 user profiles 417
Managing GPRS/EDGE equipment properties 204
Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment traffic maps 216
Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE live traffic maps per sector 221
Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio data Overview 188
Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE user density traffic maps 223
Managing GSM/GPRS/EDGE user profile traffic maps 218
Managing HCS layers 188
Managing HSN domains and groups 186
Managing MAIO preferences in SFH (AFP) 279
Managing prediction display 161
Managing propagation model folders 136
Managing shadowing values of a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simu-
lation 443
Managing subcells in transmitters 195
Managing timeslot configurations 190
Managing TRX Equipment properties 200
Managing TRXs in transmitters 243
manufacturers table
microwave links 677
map
centring on a selected object 38
exporting 40
exporting as image 40
measuring distances 39
moving 38
printing 33
refreshing display 64
Map toolbar 66
master carrier (TD-SCDMA) 533
masthead amplifier, see "TMA"
matrix, see "path loss matrix"
measurement units, setting 75
measuring distances on the map 39
microwave error performance events 676
microwave error performance objectives 676
microwave error performance parameters 676
Microwave Link Analysis
printing 36
Microwave Link toolbar 66
microwave links 673
antenna heights, adjusting 720
antenna heights, adjusting automatically 720
antenna heights, optimising 720
antenna patterns, copying 680
antenna patterns, printing 681
antenna patterns, smoothing 681
antenna properties 679
antenna/equipment compatibility 689
antenna/equipment compatibility assistant 689
antennas 677
antennas, creating 678
antennas, importing 679
availability objectives 677
budget 724
budget, calculating for multiple links 725
budget, calculating for single link 724
budget, configuring report 725
cables 687
cables, creating 687
cables, properties of 687
calculation parameters, modifying 725
classes, creating 675
classes, modifying 675
clearance, displaying 717
equipment 677, 682
equipment, importing 683
error performance events 676
error performance objectives 676
error performance parameters 676
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 757
Index
existing sites, creating on 698
frequency bands 674
frequency planning 726, 730
frequency sub-bands 675
geographic coordinates of a site, editing 695
global parameters 674
global properties 714
global properties of simple links 694
interference analysis 726
interference on a single link, analysing 728
interference on several links, analysing 729
interference reduction factor 727
LOS between sites, intersection 691
LOS between sites, studying 691
manufacturers table 677
moving with the mouse 696
multi-hop links, mapping simple links to 702
multi-hop, creating 701
passive repeater 698
passive repeater, creating (microwave) 699
passive repeater, inserting (microwave) 700
passive repeater, properties (microwave) 699
performance objectives 675, 723
point-to-multipoint link 703
point-to-multipoint links, mapping links to 705
profile analysis 716
propagation model 714
quality objectives 676
radio equipment, assigning 688
rain maps 707
reliability analysis 722
required margins, calculating 723
restricting sites studied 715
semi-automatic channel search 730
simple link, creating 693
simple link, deleting 696
simple link, setting as active 696
simple links 690
single antenna patterns, editing 679
site parity 731
site parity, creating a report on 731
site parity, displaying on the map 731
site, moving 695
site, moving to a high point 695
spectrum analyser 730
studying LOS between sites 691
template field, adding 697
template field, deleting 697
template field, modifying 697
template properties 697
template, creating 696
template, deleting 698
terrain profile between sites, intersection 692
transceiver equipment 682
transceiver equipment, creating 682
transceiver equipment, properties of 683
trunk types 686
trunk types, creating 686
trunk types, properties of 686
waveguides 687
waveguides, creating 687
waveguides, properties of 687
workflow 673
Microwave Propagation Model 150
clutter categories 153
defining parameters 151
microwave radio links
template 72
Miscellaneous costs involved in AFP cost function 275
mobility type
creating (TD-SCDMA) 517
creating (UMTS) 330
creating (WiMAX) 628
definition (TD-SCDMA) 555
definition (UMTS) 358
definition (WiMAX) 641
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 517
modifying (UMTS) 330
modifying (WiMAX) 628
parameters used in predictions (TD-SCDMA) 516
parameters used in predictions (UMTS) 330
Modifying the allocated cdmaOne/CDMA2000 neighbours 461
Modifying the allocated GSM/GPRS/EDGE neighbours 237
Modules tab 25
Monte-Carlo simulation 430
cdmaOne 430
Monte-Carlo simulation,CDMA2000 430
Monte-Carlo-based user distribution (TD-SCDMA) 561
Monte-Carlo-based user distribution (UMTS) 364
Moving a point of the computation/focus zone 131
MS Access, connecting to 76
MUD, see "multi-user detection"
multi-band network, creating (WiMAX) 605
multi-carrier network (TD-SCDMA) 477
multi-carrier network (UMTS) 292
multi-hop links 700
adding links to 703
creating 701
deleting link 703
global properties 701
links, mapping to 702
properties 701, 702
reliability analysis 726
multipoint link, see point-to-multipoint link
multi-user detection factor
defining in site equipment (UMTS) 394
defining in terminals (TD-SCDMA) 518
defining in terminals (UMTS) 331
mult-user environment 75
N
Naming cdmaOne/CDMA2000 cells automatically 407
Neighbours 231, 233, 238, 456, 458, 462
cdmaOne 456, 458
neighbours
allocating automatically (TD-SCDMA) 536
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 758
Index
allocating automatically (UMTS) 344
allocating on the map (TD-SCDMA) 542
allocating on the map (UMTS) 349
allocating on the map (WiMAX) 638
allocating per cell (TD-SCDMA) 541
allocating per cell (UMTS) 348
allocating per cell (WiMAX) 637
allocating using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties (TD-
SCDMA) 541
allocating using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties
(UMTS) 348
allocating using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties
(WiMAX) 637
allocating using Neighbours table (TD-SCDMA) 541
allocating using Neighbours table (UMTS) 349
allocating using Neighbours table (WiMAX) 638
audit of allocation (TD-SCDMA) 542
audit of allocation (UMTS) 350
defining exceptional pairs of (TD-SCDMA) 536
defining exceptional pairs of (UMTS) 343
deleting on the map (TD-SCDMA) 542
deleting on the map (UMTS) 349
deleting on the map (WiMAX) 638
deleting per cell (TD-SCDMA) 541
deleting per cell (UMTS) 348
deleting per cell (WiMAX) 637
deleting using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties (TD-
SCDMA) 541
deleting using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties (UMTS)
348
deleting using Cells tab of Transmitter Properties (WiMAX)
637
deleting using Neighbours table (TD-SCDMA) 541
deleting using Neighbours table (UMTS) 349
deleting using Neighbours table (WiMAX) 638
displaying (TD-SCDMA) 539
displaying (UMTS) 347
displaying (WiMAX) 639
displaying coverage (TD-SCDMA) 540
displaying coverage (UMTS) 348
displaying coverage (WiMAX) 640
exporting (TD-SCDMA) 543
exporting (UMTS) 351
exporting (WiMAX) 640
importing (TD-SCDMA) 540
importing (UMTS) 348
importing (WiMAX) 639
possible (TD-SCDMA) 535
possible (UMTS) 343
possible (WiMAX) 637
Neighbours,CDMA2000 456, 458
Neighbours,Display options 238, 462
Neighbours,GSM/GPRS/EGPRS 231, 233
network capacity
calculating (TD-SCDMA) 551
dimensioning (TD-SCDMA) 552
displaying network load on the map (TD-SCDMA) 554
displaying on the map (TD-SCDMA) 551, 553
network, creating dual-band (TD-SCDMA) 487
network, creating dual-band (UMTS) 303
network, creating multi-band (WiMAX) 605
N-frequency mode (TD-SCDMA)
carrier types 533
definition 533
setting up 534
non-symmetric neighbours, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 539
non-symmetric neighbours, displaying (UMTS) 347
non-symmetric neighbours, displaying (WiMAX) 639
O
objects
changing transparency 30
deleting 27
displaying 26
displaying properties 27
grouping 51
grouping by a property 51
grouping by several properties 51
grouping, examples 52
hiding 26
label 30
tip text 31
visibility scale 30
OFDM, definition 593
Okumura-Hata model 144, 145, 146
Okumura-Hata propagation model 144, 145, 146
assigning environment formulas 145
creating environment formula 144
defining default environment formula 144
modifying environment formula 144
taking diffraction into account 144
Oracle, connecting to 77
Organising result outputs of a coverage study 160
overlapping zones coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 503
overlapping zones coverage prediction (UMTS) 319
overlapping zones coverage prediction (WiMAX) 617
OVSF codes
default orthogonality factor (UMTS) 391
maximum number of codes available for HS-PDSCH (TD-
SCDMA) 478
maximum number of codes available for HS-PDSCH
(UMTS) 294
minimum number of codes available for HS-PDSCH
(UMTS) 294
simulations (UMTS) 368
P
Page Setup, see "printing"
Panoramic window 24, 38
Path loss 132, 165, 174
Path loss calculation 140, 141
Radial 140, 141
Systematic 140, 141
Path loss matrix 163, 165, 167
Size 165
Storage 165
Validity 167
path loss matrix
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 759
Index
calculation process (WiMAX) 613
checking validity (TD-SCDMA) 498
checking validity (UMTS) 314
checking validity (WiMAX) 612
resolution (TD-SCDMA) 482
resolution (UMTS) 297
resolution (WiMAX) 600
storing (TD-SCDMA) 498
storing (UMTS) 314
storing (WiMAX) 612
Path loss matrix,Computation 163
path lost matrix
calculation process (TD-SCDMA) 499
calculation process (UMTS) 315
pattern electrical tilt 119
performance objectives report
display (microwave) 723
Performing an Audit of the current cdmaOne/CDMA2000
neighbourhood plan 465
Performing an Audit of the current GSM/GPRS/EDGE neigh-
bourhood plan 240
permutation zone
creating (WiMAX) 663
permutation zone (WiMAX) 663
pilot
minimum RSCP threshold, defining (TD-SCDMA) 518
minimum RSCP threshold, defining (UMTS) 331
pilot pollution coverage prediction (UMTS) 337
Pilot reception analysis 449
pilot reception analysis (Ec/I0) based on test mobile data path
(UMTS) 387
pilot signal quality coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 518
pilot signal quality coverage prediction (UMTS) 332
Planet
importing antennas 120
PN Offsets 466
PN Offsets Overview 466
Point analysis 173, 174, 175, 264, 449
Active set 449
Profile 173
Reception 174, 175
Point Analysis window
active set analysis of simulation (UMTS) 381
AS Analysis tab (UMTS) 338
printing 36
Profile tab (TD-SCDMA) 494
Profile tab (UMTS) 310
Profile tab (WiMAX) 607
Reception tab (TD-SCDMA) 508
Reception tab (UMTS) 320
Reception tab (WiMAX) 619
Point analysis,Interference 175, 264
point-to-multipoint link
adding a link 705, 706
creating 703
mapping links 705
properties 704
point-to-multipoint links 703
adding links 705
antenna, adjusting 707
antenna, adjusting with the mouse 707
creating 703
deleting 706
deleting a link from 706
global properties 704
links, adding on the map 706
links, mapping to 705
properties 705
polygon
deleting polygon filter 63
drawing a polygon filter 63
focus zone, using as (TD-SCDMA) 509
focus zone, using as (UMTS) 321
focus zone, using as (WiMAX) 620
using as computation zone (TD-SCDMA) 499
using as computation zone (UMTS) 315
using as computation zone (WiMAX) 613
using as filter 62, 63
using computation zone as polygon filter 63
using focus zone as polygon filter 63
population statistics
including in report (TD-SCDMA) 509
including in report (UMTS) 322
integrable data (TD-SCDMA) 509
integrable data (UMTS) 322
population-based traffic maps (TD-SCDMA) 560
population-based traffic maps (UMTS) 363
population-based traffic maps (WiMAX) 647
possible neighbours, definition (TD-SCDMA) 535
possible neighbours, definition (UMTS) 343
possible neighbours, definition (WiMAX) 637
Power control cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation concepts 430
Power control simulation 430
cdmaOne 430
power control simulation algorithm (TD-SCDMA) 562
power control simulation algorithm (UMTS) 364
Power control simulation,CDMA2000 430
Power parameters in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 408
power, defining
defining DwPTS power in cells (TD-SCDMA) 477
defining maximum power in cells (TD-SCDMA) 477
defining maximum power in cells (UMTS) 293
defining other CCH power in cells (TD-SCDMA) 477
defining other CCH power in cells (UMTS) 293
defining P-CCPCH power in cells (TD-SCDMA) 477
defining pilot power in cells (UMTS) 293
defining SCH power in cells (UMTS) 293
defining UpPTS power (TD-SCDMA) 518
preamble index (WiMAX) 597
Predictions 156, 173, 174, 175, 260, 263, 264, 448, 449
AS analysis 449
cdmaOne 448, 449
Overview 156, 260, 448
Profile analysis 173
Reception analysis 174, 175
Predictions,CDMA2000 448, 449
760 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited Forsk 2007
Atoll User Manual
Predictions,Coverage studies 260, 448
Predictions,GPRS/EGPRS 260
Predictions,GSM 260
Predictions,Interference studies 263, 264
printing
antenna patterns 36, 122
antenna patterns (microwave) 681
coverage prediction results (TD-SCDMA) 532
coverage prediction results (UMTS) 341
coverage prediction results (WiMAX) 635
CW Measurement Analysis Tool 36
data tables and reports 33
defining print layout 35
docking windows 36
Legend window 36
map 33
Microwave Link Analysis 36
Point Analysis window 36
print preview 36
profile analysis (microwave) 719
recommendations 34
Test Mobile Data Analysis Tool 36
Printing a point analysis study 178
Printing prediction reports 169
printing zone
drawing 34
Profile 140, 141
Radial extraction 140, 141
Systematic extraction 140, 141
profile analysis
microwave 716
options (microwave) 718
printing (microwave) 719
reflections, studying (microwave) 721
space diversity, studying (microwave) 722
Values tab (microwave) 719
viewing (microwave) 717
zooming in (microwave) 719
projection coordinate system 73
Lambert Conformal-Conic projection 73
Universal Transverse Mercator projection 73
Propagation 132, 165
propagation model
assigning a default model for predictions 134
assigning to a transmitter 134
assigning to a transmitter (TD-SCDMA) 493
assigning to a transmitter (UMTS) 309
assigning to a transmitter (WiMAX) 607
assigning to all transmitters 133
assigning to all transmitters (TD-SCDMA) 492
assigning to all transmitters (UMTS) 309
assigning to all transmitters (WiMAX) 606
assigning to group of transmitters (TD-SCDMA) 493
assigning to group of transmitters (UMTS) 309
assigning to group of transmitters (WiMAX) 606
Cost-Hata 145
Cost-Hata, diffraction 145
Erceg-Greenstein (SUI) 148
ITU 370-7 (Vienna 93) 147
ITU 526-5 150
ITU 529-3 146
ITU 529-3, diffraction 146
Longley-Rice 153
microwave 714
Microwave Propagation Model 150
Microwave Propagation Model, clutter categories 153
Microwave Propagation Model, defining parameters 151
Okumura-Hata 144, 145, 146
Okumura-Hata, diffraction 144
priority 135
Standard Propagation Model 136
Standard Propagation Model, correction factor for hilly re-
gions 138
Standard Propagation Model, defining parameters 139
Standard Propagation Model, diffraction 137, 151
WLL 149
propagation model, Standard Propagation Model, recommen-
dations 137, 151
Propagation models 132
Propagation models Overview 132
properties
changing display 28
grouping objects by 51
switching between property dialogues 27
Q
QoS Class, defining (WiMAX) 628
quality indicator coverage prediction (UMTS) 335
quality indicators
defining (WiMAX) 664
quality objectives
microwave links 676
R
R99 radio bearer
defining (UMTS) 392
definition (UMTS) 357
Radial 140, 141
radio equipment
assigning (microwave) 688
radio resource management
calculation of channel element consumption (UMTS) 365
calculation of OVSF code consumption (TD-SCDMA) 562
calculation of OVSF code consumption (UMTS) 365
calculation of resource unit consumption (TD-SCDMA) 562
channel elements, simulations (UMTS) 368
default orthogonality factor (UMTS) 391
defining channel element consumption per site equipment-
R99 radio bearer (UMTS) 394
defining channel elements on downlink (UMTS) 290
defining channel elements on uplink (UMTS) 290
maximum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PD-
SCH (TD-SCDMA) 478
maximum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PD-
SCH (UMTS) 294
minimum number of OVSF codes available for HS-PDSCH
(UMTS) 294
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 761
Index
OVSF codes, simulations (UMTS) 368
uplink and downlink channel element consumption
(UMTS) 394
Radio toolbar 66
rain maps 707
importing 707
properties 708
statistics 708
rain zones 712
receiver
defining height 394, 586
receiver antenna diversity gain, defining (TD-SCDMA) 475
receiver antenna diversity gain, defining (UMTS) 291
receiver antenna diversity gain, defining (WiMAX) 596
reception equipment
creating (TD-SCDMA) 586
creating (UMTS) 395
creating (WiMAX) 665
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 586
modifying (UMTS) 395
modifying (WiMAX) 665
redo 63
reflection
smoothing vertical antenna pattern 122
reflections
studying (microwave) 721
refresh 64
from the database 78
Refresh Geo Data (microwave) 719
Refresh Geo Data (TD-SCDMA) 575
Refresh Geo Data (UMTS) 386
reliability analysis (microwave) 722
remote antenna
copying into document (TD-SCDMA) 490
copying into document (UMTS) 307
defining properties (TD-SCDMA) 491
defining properties (UMTS) 307
importing (TD-SCDMA) 490
importing (UMTS) 307
placing on the map (TD-SCDMA) 490
placing on the map (UMTS) 306
Removing a point in the computation/focus zone 132
renaming 27
default object names 27
repeater
copying into document (TD-SCDMA) 488
copying into document (UMTS) 304
defining properties (TD-SCDMA) 488
defining properties (UMTS) 305
definition (TD-SCDMA) 487
definition (UMTS) 303
importing (TD-SCDMA) 488
importing (UMTS) 304
placing on the map (TD-SCDMA) 488
placing on the map (UMTS) 304
repeater equipment
creating (TD-SCDMA) 487
creating (UMTS) 304
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 487
modifying (UMTS) 304
repeaters
passive repeater (microwave) 698
passive repeater, creating (microwave) 699
passive repeater, inserting (microwave) 700
passive repeater, properties of (microwave) 699
Replaying a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 simulation 437
report, displaying a coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 509
report, displaying a coverage prediction (UMTS) 321
report, displaying a coverage prediction (WiMAX) 620
reports
printing 33
required margins, calculating (microwave) 723
Resizing the computation/focus zone 131
Resolution 157, 160
Bin 157
Matrix 157
resolution
display (TD-SCDMA) 496
display (UMTS) 312
path loss matrix (TD-SCDMA) 482
path loss matrix (UMTS) 297
path loss matrix (WiMAX) 600
Resolution,Calculation 157
Resolution,Coverage 160
Resource management in CDMA2000 1xEV-DO simulations
434
Rho factor, BTS 123
row height
changing 45
RSCP threshold (TD-SCDMA) 518
RSCP threshold (UMTS) 331
rulers
displaying 39
Running coverage calculations 163
S
scale level, choosing 38
scheduler
choosing the HSDPA scheduler algorithm 294
explanation of scheduling technique (UMTS) 366
scrambling codes
audit of plan (TD-SCDMA) 547
audit of plan (UMTS) 355
automatically allocating (TD-SCDMA) 545
automatically allocating (UMTS) 353
creating domains and groups (TD-SCDMA) 544
creating domains and groups (UMTS) 352
defining available (TD-SCDMA) 544
defining available (UMTS) 352
defining exceptional pairs (TD-SCDMA) 545
defining exceptional pairs (UMTS) 353
defining format (TD-SCDMA) 544
defining format (UMTS) 352
displaying allocation (TD-SCDMA) 547
displaying allocation (UMTS) 355
displaying on transmitter (TD-SCDMA) 548
762 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited Forsk 2007
Atoll User Manual
displaying on transmitter (UMTS) 356
grouping transmitters by (TD-SCDMA) 548
grouping transmitters by (UMTS) 356
histogram (TD-SCDMA) 549
histogram (UMTS) 357
interference zone coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 549
interference zone coverage prediction (UMTS) 357
manually allocating (TD-SCDMA) 547
manually allocating (UMTS) 354
using Search Tool with (TD-SCDMA) 547
using Search Tool with (UMTS) 355
scrambling codes (TD-SCDMA) 543
scrambling codes (UMTS) 351
Search Tool
using to display scrambling codes (TD-SCDMA) 547
using to display scrambling codes (UMTS) 355
Search toolbar 67
searching for map objects 64
secondary antenna, assigning (TD-SCDMA) 477
secondary antenna, assigning (UMTS) 292
secondary antenna, assigning (WiMAX) 596
Selecting a transmitter in point analysis 175
Selecting the power definition item in point analysis 176
service
activating soft handover (UMTS) 330
creating (TD-SCDMA) 515
creating (UMTS) 329
creating (WiMAX) 627
definition (TD-SCDMA) 555
definition (UMTS) 357
definition (WiMAX) 641
displaying traffic distribution by (TD-SCDMA) 565
displaying traffic distribution by (UMTS) 370
displaying traffic distribution by (WiMAX) 656
HSDPA, enabling 329, 515
HSUPA, enabling 329, 515
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 515
modifying (UMTS) 329
modifying (WiMAX) 627
parameters used in predictions (TD-SCDMA) 515
parameters used in predictions (UMTS) 329
parameters used in predictions (WiMAX) 627
setting priority (TD-SCDMA) 515
setting priority (UMTS) 330
service area (C/I) coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 521
service area (Eb/Nt) coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 521
service area (Eb/Nt) downlink based on test mobile data path
(UMTS) 387
service area (Eb/Nt) downlink or uplink coverage prediction
(UMTS) 333
service area (Eb/Nt) uplink based on test mobile data path
(UMTS) 387
Setting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 mobility type 413
Setting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 Radio Configuration 413
Setting a cdmaOne/CDMA2000 terminal 415
Setting a GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobility type 208
Setting BSIC usage diversity in the AFP 279
Setting calculation areas 156
Setting calculation resolutions 157
Setting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environment parameters 418
Setting cdmaOne/CDMA2000 services parameters 411
Setting Codec Adaptation Thresholds 202
Setting codec mode adaptation thresholds 202
Setting codec mode quality thresholds 202
Setting Codec Quality thresholds 202
Setting coding schemes parameters 204
Setting coverage resolutions 160
Setting GPRS/EDGE transmitters 206
Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE dimensioning models 226
Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE environment parameters 213
Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE service parameters 207
Setting GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminal parameters 210
Setting HSN strategy in frequency hopping (AFP) 278
Setting interferer diversity gain in the AFP 276
Setting specific coverage conditions in GSM/GPRS/EDGE
studies 260
Setting the channel spectrum usage (AFP) 278
Setting the frequency diversity gain in the AFP 276
Setting the number of available channel elements on the site
405
Setting the number of available channel elements on the site
(cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 405
Setting the receiver properties 153
Shadowing 154, 430, 440
Shadowing error 430
Shadowing margin 154
Simulations 430
UL macro-diversity gain 440
shadowing (TD-SCDMA) 587
shadowing (UMTS) 391, 397
shadowing (WiMAX) 668
Shadowing margin 448, 449
UL Soft Handoff 448, 449
shadowing margin
clutter class, displaying per (TD-SCDMA) 588
clutter class, displaying per (UMTS) 397
clutter class, displaying per (WiMAX) 668
Shadowing margin,DL Ec/Io 448, 449
Shadowing,DL macro-diversity gain 440
signal level coverage
single station (TD-SCDMA) 496
single station (UMTS) 312
signal level coverage prediction
single station (WiMAX) 609
signal level coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 500, 504, 506
signal level coverage prediction (UMTS) 316
signal level coverage prediction (WiMAX) 614
Simulation 430, 435
cdmaOne 430
Power control 430
User distribution 435
simulation
adding to a group (TD-SCDMA) 569, 570
adding to a group (UMTS) 379
average results of group (TD-SCDMA) 568
average results of group (UMTS) 376
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 763
Index
cell load values, updating (WiMAX) 659
creating (TD-SCDMA) 563
creating (UMTS) 367
creating (WiMAX) 655
displaying active set per user (TD-SCDMA) 566
displaying active set per user (UMTS) 371
displaying results with tooltips (WiMAX) 658
duplicating (TD-SCDMA) 569, 571
duplicating (UMTS) 379, 380
estimating a traffic increase (TD-SCDMA) 571
estimating a traffic increase (UMTS) 380
estimating a traffic increase (WiMAX) 660
generator initialisation number (TD-SCDMA) 569, 570
generator initialisation number (UMTS) 379, 380
global scaling factor (TD-SCDMA) 571
global scaling factor (UMTS) 380
global scaling factor (WiMAX) 660
power control algorithm (TD-SCDMA) 562
power control algorithm (UMTS) 364
replaying (TD-SCDMA) 569, 570
replaying (UMTS) 379
results of single (TD-SCDMA) 566
results of single (UMTS) 371
results of single (WiMAX) 658
traffic simulation algorithm (WiMAX) 653
updating cell values with results (TD-SCDMA) 569
updating cell values with results (UMTS) 378
using results for coverage predictions (TD-SCDMA) 571
using results for coverage predictions (UMTS) 381
Simulation,CDMA2000 430
site
accessing properties from the map (TD-SCDMA) 485
accessing properties from the map (UMTS) 301
creating (TD-SCDMA) 479
creating (UMTS) 294
creating (WiMAX) 597
definition (TD-SCDMA) 473
definition (UMTS) 289
definition (WiMAX) 593
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 479
modifying (UMTS) 294
modifying (WiMAX) 597
moving on the map (TD-SCDMA) 485
moving on the map (UMTS) 301
moving on the map (WiMAX) 603
moving to a higher location (TD-SCDMA) 485
moving to a higher location (UMTS) 302
moving to a higher location (WiMAX) 603
parameters (TD-SCDMA) 474
parameters (UMTS) 290
parameters (WiMAX) 594
properties, accessing from the map (WiMAX) 603
site equipment
creating (TD-SCDMA) 586
creating (UMTS) 393
defining channel element consumption per R99 radio bear-
er(UMTS) 394
site parity, microwave link 731
creating a report 731
displaying on the map 731
sites
geographic coordinates, editing (microwave) 695
microwave link, creating on 698
moving to a high point (microwave) 695
moving with the mouse (microwave) 696
slave carrier (TD-SCDMA) 533
slow fading, see "shadowing"
smart antennas
3rd party modelling (TD-SCDMA) 584
adaptive beam modelling (TD-SCDMA) 584
creating grid of beams (GOB) (TD-SCDMA) 582
equipment (TD-SCDMA) 584
grid of beams (GOB) import format (TD-SCDMA) 583
grid of beams (GOB) modelling (TD-SCDMA) 582
importing grid of beams (GOB) (TD-SCDMA) 582
modelling (TD-SCDMA) 581
statistical modelling (TD-SCDMA) 583
snapshot, definition (TD-SCDMA) 550
snapshot, definition (UMTS) 357
snapshot, definition (WiMAX) 641
SOFDMA, definition 593
soft handover
activating per service (UMTS) 330
modelling on the downlink (UMTS) 376
modelling on the uplink (UMTS) 330, 376, 391
sorting
sorting tables by one column 53
sorting tables by several columns 53, 54
with subfolders 62
space diversity
studying (microwave) 722
spectrum analyser (microwave) 730
SPM Parameters tab window 140, 141
standalone carrier (TD-SCDMA) 533
Standard Propagation Model 136, 140, 141
Automatic Calibration Wizard 142
calculating diffraction 137, 151
calibration 142
correction factor for hilly regions 138
defining parameters 139
recommendations 137, 151
sample values for constants 137, 151
typical values for losses per clutter class 139
Standard toolbar 65
station template
creating (TD-SCDMA) 481
creating (UMTS) 296
creating (WiMAX) 599
creating base station (TD-SCDMA) 480
creating base station (UMTS) 295
creating base station (WiMAX) 598
deleting (TD-SCDMA) 484
deleting (UMTS) 300
deleting (WiMAX) 602
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 481
modifying (UMTS) 296
764 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited Forsk 2007
Atoll User Manual
modifying (WiMAX) 599
modifying a field (TD-SCDMA) 483
modifying a field (UMTS) 300
modifying a field (WiMAX) 601
statistical smart antenna model (TD-SCDMA) 583
statistics, viewing coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 510
statistics, viewing coverage prediction (UMTS) 322
statistics, viewing coverage prediction (WiMAX) 621
status bar
information displayed 65
Steps of the dimensioning process in GSM/GPRS/EDGE 230
Storage of path loss matrices 165
study, see "coverage prediction"
Studying downlink total noise (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 452
Studying effective service area (cdmaOne/CDMA2000) 451
Studying interfered zone predictions 262
Studying interferences with the point analysis 264
Studying Interferences within a transmitter pair 266
Studying service area (Eb/Nt) downlink (cdmaOne/
CDMA2000) 451
Studying the profile from a transmitter 173
Subcell 195
Subcell property details 195
subfolders
creating 62
Subscriber clutter weighting in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 area 420
Subscriber clutter weighting in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 environ-
ments 420
Subscriber clutter weighting in GSM/GPRS/EDGE area 214
Subscriber clutter weighting in GSM/GPRS/EDGE environ-
ments 214
subscriber database (WiMAX) 648
subscriber list
adding subscribers with the mouse (WiMAX) 651
calculations (WiMAX) 652
creating (WiMAX) 649
importing (WiMAX) 651
Summarising results per cell (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects)
440
Summarising results per mobile (cdmaOne/CDMA2000
projects) 442
Summarising results per site (cdmaOne/CDMA2000 projects)
440
symmetric neighbours, displaying (TD-SCDMA) 539
symmetric neighbours, displaying (UMTS) 347
symmetric neighbours, displaying (WiMAX) 639
T
table columns
formatting 45
tables, see "data tables"
templates 71
CDMA2000 1xRTT 1xEV-DO 72
creating (microwave) 696
deleting (microwave) 698
field, adding (microwave) 697
field, deleting (microwave) 697
field, modifying (microwave) 697
GSM/GPRS/EGPRS 71
IS-95 cdmaOne 72
microwave radio links 72
properties (microwave) 697
UMTS HSDPA HSUPA 72
WiMAX 72
terminal
creating (TD-SCDMA) 517
creating (UMTS) 331
creating (WiMAX) 629
definition (TD-SCDMA) 555
definition (UMTS) 358
definition (WiMAX) 641
HSDPA, enabling 331, 517
HSUPA, terminal 331, 517
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 517
modifying (UMTS) 331
modifying (WiMAX) 629
parameters used in predictions (TD-SCDMA) 517
parameters used in predictions (UMTS) 330
parameters used in predictions (WiMAX) 628
terrain profile (microwave) 692
Test Mobile Data Analysis Tool
printing 36
test mobile data path
analysing variations 388, 577
extracting a field for a transmitter (TD-SCDMA) 577
extracting a field for a transmitter (UMTS) 387
filtering out points (TD-SCDMA) 574
filtering out points (UMTS) 385
importing (TD-SCDMA) 572
importing (UMTS) 382
Refresh Geo Data (TD-SCDMA) 575
Refresh Geo Data (UMTS) 386
using for P-CCPCH (Eb/Nt) reception analysis (TD-SCD-
MA) 576
using for pilot reception analysis (Ec/I0) (UMTS) 387
using for service area (Eb/Nt) downlink (TD-SCDMA) 576
using for service area (Eb/Nt) downlink (UMTS) 387
using for service area (Eb/Nt) uplink (TD-SCDMA) 576
using for service area (Eb/Nt) uplink (UMTS) 387
using in coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 575
using in coverage prediction (UMTS) 386
Test Mobile Data window
exporting (TD-SCDMA) 578
exporting (UMTS) 389
printing (TD-SCDMA) 578
printing (UMTS) 389
throughput
displaying traffic distribution by (WiMAX) 657
for all subscribers of a list (WiMAX) 669
tilt angle
3-D antenna pattern 121
Timeslot configurations Overview 190
tip text 31
TMA
defining 123
TMA, assigning (TD-SCDMA) 475
TMS, assigning (UMTS) 291
Forsk 2007 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited 765
Index
TMS, assigning (WiMAX) 595
tool tips, see "tip text"
toolbar
icons 65
Map 66
Microwave Link 66
Radio 66
Search 67
Standard 65
Vector Edition 67
tooltips
displaying coverage prediction results (TD-SCDMA) 507
displaying coverage prediction results (UMTS) 320
displaying coverage prediction results (WiMAX) 619
displaying simulation results with (WiMAX) 658
total losses, updating 124
total noise on downlink, see "downlink total noise"
Traffic analysis 224
Traffic capture 224
traffic channel coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 525
Traffic data 215, 217, 219, 222, 420, 423, 425
Live traffic map 219, 425
User density traffic map 222
User profile traffic map 217, 423
Traffic data,Cell traffic map 219, 425
Traffic data,Environment traffic map 215, 420
traffic distribution
creating, see "simulation"
displaying by activity status (WiMAX) 656
displaying by connection status (TD-SCDMA) 565
displaying by connection status (UMTS) 370
displaying by handover status (TD-SCDMA) 564
displaying by handover status (UMTS) 369
displaying by service (TD-SCDMA) 565
displaying by service (UMTS) 370
displaying by service (WiMAX) 656
displaying by throughput (WiMAX) 657
traffic increase, estimating (TD-SCDMA) 571
traffic increase, estimating (UMTS) 380
traffic increase, estimating (WiMAX) 660
Traffic load 252
traffic load 228
traffic load, setting (WiMAX) 627
traffic map
cumulated traffic, exporting (WiMAX) 648
data sources (TD-SCDMA) 555
data sources (UMTS) 358
data sources (WiMAX) 641
environment class-based, creating (TD-SCDMA) 559
environment class-based, creating (UMTS) 362
environment class-based, creating (WiMAX) 646
environment class-based, importing (TD-SCDMA) 559
environment class-based, importing (UMTS) 362
environment class-based, importing (WiMAX) 646
exporting cumulated traffic (TD-SCDMA) 561
exporting cumulated traffic (UMTS) 364
importing traffic density map (TD-SCDMA) 560
importing traffic density map (UMTS) 363
importing user profile based map (TD-SCDMA) 558
importing user profile based map (UMTS) 361
live data, creating from (TD-SCDMA) 555
live data, creating from (UMTS) 358
live data, creating from (WiMAX) 642
marketing-based (TD-SCDMA) 556
marketing-based (UMTS) 359
marketing-based (WiMAX) 643
statistics on environment-based (TD-SCDMA) 560
statistics on environment-based (UMTS) 363
statistics on environment-based (WiMAX) 647
traffic density map, importing (WiMAX) 647
user profile based map, importing (WiMAX) 644
traffic maps
converting 2G (TD-SCDMA) 561
converting 2G (UMTS) 364
converting 2G (WiMAX) 648
population-based (TD-SCDMA) 560
population-based (UMTS) 363
population-based (WiMAX) 647
traffic quality studies, see "quality studies"
traffic simulation algorithm (WiMAX) 653
transceiver equipment
microwave 682
microwave, creating 682
properties of (microwave) 683
transmitter
calculating network capacity (TD-SCDMA) 551
coverage prediction by transmitter (TD-SCDMA) 501
coverage prediction by transmitter (UMTS) 318
coverage prediction by transmitter (WiMAX) 615
creating (TD-SCDMA) 479
creating (UMTS) 295
creating (WiMAX) 597
definition ((WiMAX) 593
definition (TD-SCDMA) 473, 474
definition (UMTS) 289, 290
displaying scrambling codes (TD-SCDMA) 548
displaying scrambling codes (UMTS) 356
extracting a field from a test mobile data path (TD-SCDMA)
577
extracting a field from a test mobile data path (UMTS) 387
global parameters (TD-SCDMA) 580
global parameters (UMTS) 391
global parameters (WiMAX) 661
grouping by scrambling codes (TD-SCDMA) 548
grouping by scrambling codes (UMTS) 356
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 479
modifying (UMTS) 295
modifying global parameters (TD-SCDMA) 581
modifying global properties (UMTS) 391
modifying global properties (WiMAX) 662
network capacity dimensioning (TD-SCDMA) 552
setting as active (TD-SCDMA) 499
setting as active (UMTS) 315
setting as active (WiMAX) 613
transmitters
automatic display type 29
766 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited Forsk 2007
Atoll User Manual
transparency, changing 30
trunk types, microwave 686
creating 686
properties of 686
TRX 242, 243
TRX property details 243
TRX types definition 190
Tuning the gain due to low time slot use ratio in the AFP 277
U
UMTS HSDPA HSUPA
template 72
undo 63
Universal Transverse Mercator projection 73
uplink load factor, setting (TD-SCDMA) 514
uplink load factor, setting (UMTS) 328
uplink noise rise, setting (WiMAX) 627
uplink traffic channel coverage prediction (TD-SCDMA) 525
user configuration 58
creating 59
exporting 59
importing 59
user densities
using instead of user profiles (WiMAX) 669
user distribution (TD-SCDMA) 561
user distribution (UMTS) 364
user equipment category, HSDPA 331, 518
user equipment category, HSDPA, editing 396, 587
user equipment category, HSUPA, editing 396
user profile
creating (TD-SCDMA) 556
creating (UMTS) 359
creating (WiMAX) 643
importing traffic map based on (TD-SCDMA) 558
importing traffic map based on (UMTS) 361
modifying (TD-SCDMA) 556
modifying (UMTS) 359
modifying (WiMAX) 643
traffic map based on, importing (WiMAX) 644
user profiles
user densities, replacing with (WiMAX) 669
Using a GSM/GPRS/EDGE traffic analysis 226
Using the generic AFP interface 249
Using the receiver 173
V
vapour density maps 709
Vector data 219, 425
Vector Edition toolbar 67
Vienna 93 model 147
visibility scale 30
W
Walsh codes 434
Walsh codes availability 434
Walsh codes availability in cdmaOne/CDMA2000 1xRTT simu-
lations 434
waveguides
creating (microwave) 687
waveguides and cables, microwave
creating 687
waveguides, microwave 687
properties of 687
Weighting cost components in the AFP 276
WiMAX 593
cyclic prefix ratio 661
frame duration 661
glossary 660
template 72
WiMAX radio bearer
defining 664
definition 641
WiMAX, definition 593
windows
cascading 24
docking 24
wireless local loop propagation model 149
WLL (Wireless Local Loop) propagation model 149
Z
zooming
choosing a scale 38
in and out on the map 37
in on a specific area 37
previous zoom levels 38
profile analysis (microwave) 719
7ruedesbriquetiers31700BlagnacFrance
Tel:+33(0)562747210Fax:+33(0)562747211
http://www.forsk.com
UserManual
Atoll
Release2.6.0
AT260_UM_E1
March2007

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