Coverage Predictions

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Module objectives
At the end of this module you will be able to

DESCRIBE DIFFERENT PREDICTION MODELS DESCRIBE PREDICTION MODEL TUNING TOPICS CALCULATE CELL RANGE

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Content of Coverage Predictions

PROPAGATION MODELS MODEL TUNING

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Coverage Predictions

PROPAGATION MODELS MODEL TUNING

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Propagation Models
Used in Nokia tools

Okumura-Hata

Statistical to be tuned!

The most commonly used statistical model Statistical model especially for urban environments Same kind of a prediction tool as Hata, but with different equation for predictions beyond radio horizon (~20km)

Walfish-Ikegami

Juul-Nyholm

Ray-tracing

Deterministic

Deterministic prediction tool for microcellular environments

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Propagation Models
Okumura-Hata

Adapted for 900 MHz and 1800 MHz Different land usage classes

L = A + B log f 1382 . log hb a (hm ) + (44.9 6.55log hb ) log d + Lmorpho

additional attenuation due to land usage classes

f h a(hm) d

frequency in MHz BS antenna height [m] function of MS antenna height distance between BS and MS [km] B = 26.16 B = 33.9 (for 150 .. 1000 MHz) (for 1500 ..2000MHz)

A = 69.55 A = 46.3
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Propagation Models
Okumura-Hata

Urban Small cells, 40..50 dB/dec attenuation Forest Heavy absorption; 30..40 dB/dec; differs with season (foliage losses) Open, farmlands Easy, smooth propagation conditions Water Signal propagates very easily interference ! Mountain faces Strong reflections, long echos Etc Many morpho types have been defined
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Propagation Models
Walfish-Ikegami Model for urban microcellular propagation Assumes regular city layout (Manhattan grid) Total path loss consists of two parts:

LOS
line-of-sight loss

NLOS
roof-to-street diffraction and scatter loss mobile environment losses

h w b
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Propagation Models
Walfish-Ikegami

Line-of-sight path (LOS)

Use free space propagation Applicable for microwave & satellite links Heavy diffraction, refraction situations Many models exist in literature, none is satisfying Great uncertainties in modeling Needs detailed building databases (vectorial information) Use ray-tracing models?

Non-line-of-sight path (NLOS)

Manhattan grid model

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Propagation Models
Ray Tracing

Deterministic model for microcellular environments

Launch rays into every direction of space Certain number of rays calculated Reflections calculated based on dielectric coefficients Very high computational load

Mirror image method also possible

r
single point signal source

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Coverage Predictions

PROPAGATION MODELS MODEL TUNING

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Model Tuning
Basics

Its aimed to get a more realistic propagation model It should be done at the very beginning of a planning project, before any dimensioning activity How?

Select typical sites for measurements Define measurement routes Tune propagation model to make its predictions match the measurements data

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Model Tuning
Measurements

What antenna height should be used?

Typical for the area? Model restrictions? Okumura-Hata stay above 24 m!

Keep away from existing antennas Mark LOS situations, tunnels, bridges etc.
Take these out of the measurement file

A power budget is needed. Note down:

TX power, cable and connector losses Antenna type, height, direction, tilt Site coordinates

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Model Tuning
Measurements

Measure only interference free frequencies Measure only in the main lobe of the transmitting antenna Avoid or erase line-of-sight measurement points Use differential GPS if possible or match the coordinates with the map Check coordinate conversion parameters Measure all the cable losses (both in transmitting and receiving end) Measure the output power of the transmitter Check transmitter antenna installation and ensure that there are no obstacles nearby Document the measurements very carefully
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Okumura-Hata Measurements

Model Tuning

Measured field strength should be between 95 dBm and 60 dBm

Stay in the main coverage area of the selected cell Not too close to cell edges Not too close to TX antenna Minimum 100 samples are needed Avoid routes with LOS situations

Route long enough

O-H does not predict LOS situations

Make sure all wanted morpho classes and topo types are included Which coordinate system?

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Okumura-Hata Model Tuning

Model Tuning

Import measurement results to a planning tool

min. distance > 500 m to filter out too close samples

Tune morpho corrections to best fit Tune only factors, which have more than 3% Mean value +/- 1 dB If a lot of LOS negative mean Standard deviation 8 dB Correction factor for urban ~ 0 dB

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Measurements Predictions?

Model Tuning

Why are the predictions and measurements different?

Is the digital map accurate enough? What is the resolution of the map? Is the morpho data correct? Does the measured route match the roads? Do the measured routes have a lot of LOS situations?

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process
Digital map Site and cell data System information

Coordinates Calculate measurement route

Map matching Model tuning Measurement data Field strenght Compare

Analysis

Satisfactory model Yes End

No

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Prediction model tuning areas

Propagation slope Effective antenna height Morphographic corrections Calculation distance

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Assessment of propagation slope

Okumura-Hata correction factor C:

L = A + B log10 f D log10 hb + (C 6.55 log10 hb ) log10 d

propagation slope, parameter C has to be changed as a function of antenna height and environment

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Effective antenna height definition

0 3 km: the average terrain height is calculated from base station to mobile station. The effective antenna height is the difference between the absolute antenna height and the average terrain height. 3 6 km: the average terrain height is calculated as a sliding average over 3 km from the mobile station towards to the base station. 6 15 km: the average terrain height is calculated from 3 km (from base station) to the mobile station. over 15 km: effective antenna height is the difference between the transmitting antenna and the average terrain height between 3 and 15 km

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Model Tuning
Morphographic corrections
Detailed Process Example: Morphographic corrections The distance between the base station and the mobile station is 1.5 km. On the digital map there are 30 pixels (50 m x 50 m) between the base station and the mobile. Each pixel presents the terrain type within the 50 m x 50 m area.

30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

9 W

8 W

7 W

6 W

5 S

4 S -5

3 S -5

2 S -5

1 S -5

Terrain type Correction factor [dB]

U 0

U 0

U 0

S -5

S -5

S -5

P -8

P -8

P -8

0 -15 -15 0

0 -15 -15 -15 -15 -5

-8 -23 -23 -23 -23 -23 -5

Pixel size: 50 m x 50 m

The following notations are used: U = Urban, S = Suburban, P = Park, O = Open and W = Water.
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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Morphographic corrections
The morphographic correction calculated as an average of the pixels between the mobile station and base station The average of the correction factors in this example is 9.4 dB The basic propagation model is corrected by adding the calculated correction to the prediction result (correction factor Lmorpho in Okumura-Hata model).

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Calculation distance
It is not very likely that the area close to the base station has a great impact on the received power of the mobile station The areas close to the mobile are more important for the prediction thus there are ways to weight the areas close to the mobile station The calculation distance can be shorter than the distance between the mobile station and the base station Only the pixels close to the mobile stations are considered In the previous example the calculation distance is changed from 1.5 km down to 500 meters the average of the correction factors is 14 dB. Difference between the corrections is 4.6 dB.

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Model Tuning
Detailed Process

Calculation distance

Calculation distance 1.0 1.0

2.0 1.0

Linear weights for terrain type correction factors (example). The average of the normalized correction factors is 12.33 dB. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Terrain type W W -23 1.1 W -23 1.2 W -23 1.3 W -23 1.4 S -5 1.5 S -5 1.6 S -5 1.7 S -5 1.8 S -5 1.9 Correction factor [dB] -23 W eights 1

Normalized weights 0.67 0.73 0.80 0.87 0.93 1.00 1.07 1.13 1.20 1.27 Normalized correction factors -15 -17 -18 -20 -21 -5 -5.3 -5.7 -6 -6.3

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Example: Morpho Corrections Tuning

90
-40 Measured Predicted -50

80

70

60
-60 Signal level [dBm]

50
-70

40

-80

30

20
-90

10

-100 1 51 101 151 201 251 301 351 401 451 501 Measurement points

0 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 dB 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

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Example: Quality of Tuning

-40

-50

-60 Signal level [dBm]

-70

-80

-90

-100 100

1000 Distance [m]

10000

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Example: Tuning Results

Morpho Class Open W ater Forest Quasi-Open Houses Sub-Urban Urban Buildings Industrial buildings High rise buildings Value [dB] -20 -25 -11 -5 -12 -10 -2 7 -4 18

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Exercises / Questions

List different predictions models! List major tasks in OH - prediction model tuning! Calculate the coverage for a 900 MHz cell when antenna height is 30 and 50 m. Compare these results to the case of antenna height 30 m and 3 dB improvement in the power budget. Which one is better? (Excel/NetAct Exercise) Calculate a cell coverage area at 900 and 1800 MHz by using constant power budget? What is the difference? (Excel/NetAct exercise)

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References
1. 2. 3. 4. W.C.Y. Lee, Mobile Communications Design Fundamentals, John Wiley & Sons, 1993. W.C.Y. Lee, Mobile Cellular Telecommunication Systems, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1990. W.C. Jakes, Jr., (ed.), Microwave Mobile Communications, WileyInterscience, 1974. J. Lempiinen, M. Manninen, Radio Interface System Planning for GSM/GPRS/UMTS, Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001.

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