Atoll 3.2.0 User Manual MW

User Manual
Microwave Links
v e r s i o n 3.2.0
AT320_UMM_E0
AT320_UMM_E0
expertsinradionetworkplanning
&optimisationsoftware
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Atoll3.2.0UserManual
Forsk
Atoll3.2.0UserManualReleaseAT320_UMM_E0
Copyright19972013byForsk
Thesoftwaredescribedinthisdocumentisprovidedunderalicenceagreement.Thesoftwaremayonlybeusedorcopiedunderthetermsand
conditionsofthelicenceagreement.Nopartofthisdocumentmaybecopied,reproducedordistributedinanyformwithoutpriorauthorisation
fromForsk.
Theproductorbrandnamesmentionedinthisdocumentaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksoftheirrespectiveregisteringparties.
TheAtolluserdocumentationisaguideandreferenceforusersworkingwithAtoll.Atolliseasytouseandoffersaclear,selfexplanatoryuser
interface.TheuserdocumentationhelpstheusermakeeffectiveandefficientuseofallthefeaturesthatAtolloffers.Theuserdocumentation
aimstofamiliarisetheuserwiththeworkingenvironmentofAtollandenablehimtouseallofAtollsfeaturesandfunctions.
TheAtolluserdocumentationistechnologyspecific.ForeachAtollradiotechnology,theAtollusermanualcontainsinstructionsandinformation
specifictothattechnologyaswellaschaptersdescribingtheAtollworkingenvironmentandthetoolsavailable.
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AT320_UMM_E0 TableofContents
TableofContents
TableofContents ................................................................................ 5
1 TheWorkingEnvironment .................................................................... 15
1.1 TheAtollWorkArea .................................................................................... 15
1.1.1 SelectingaWindow................................................................................... 16
1.1.1.1 SelectingaWindowTab .............................................................................. 16
1.1.1.2 SelectingaWindowfromtheWindowsMenu............................................................ 17
1.1.1.3 UsingtheWindowsDialogue .......................................................................... 17
1.1.2 OrganisingtheAtollWorkspace......................................................................... 18
1.1.2.1 CreatingaNewMapWindow ......................................................................... 18
1.1.2.2 ArrangingToolandExplorerWindowsUsingtheMouse................................................... 18
1.1.2.3 UsingTabGroups ................................................................................... 19
1.1.2.4 ResettingtheWorkspaceLayouttotheDefaultView...................................................... 19
1.2 TheExplorerWindow................................................................................... 19
1.2.1 WorkingwiththeExplorerWindow ...................................................................... 20
1.2.2 WorkingwiththeSiteConfigurationWindow.............................................................. 21
1.2.3 AutomaticallyHidingExplorerWindows.................................................................. 21
1.2.4 DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMapUsingtheExplorerWindows......................................... 22
1.2.5 WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows .......................................................... 23
1.3 WorkingwithObjects................................................................................... 23
1.3.1 UsingtheObjectContextMenu......................................................................... 23
1.3.1.1 RenaminganObject................................................................................. 24
1.3.1.2 DeletinganObject .................................................................................. 24
1.3.1.3 DisplayingthePropertiesofanObject.................................................................. 24
1.3.2 ModifyingSitesandMicrowaveLinkExtremitiesDirectlyontheMap .......................................... 25
1.3.2.1 SelectingOneofSeveralLinks ......................................................................... 25
1.3.2.2 MovingaSiteUsingtheMouse ........................................................................ 25
1.3.2.3 MovingaSitetoaHigherLocation..................................................................... 26
1.3.2.4 ChangingtheAzimuthoftheAntennaUsingtheMouse ................................................... 26
1.3.2.5 ChangingtheAntennaPositionRelativetotheSiteUsingtheMouse......................................... 26
1.3.2.6 SelectingAnotherSitefortheLinkExtremityUsingtheMouse .............................................. 27
1.3.3 DisplayPropertiesofObjects ........................................................................... 27
1.3.3.1 DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects ............................................................... 27
1.3.3.2 ExamplesofUsingtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects ...................................................... 32
1.4 WorkingwithMaps ..................................................................................... 33

1.4.1 ChangingtheMapScale ............................................................................... 34
1.4.1.1 ZoomingInandOut ................................................................................. 34
1.4.1.2 ZoomingInonaSpecificArea......................................................................... 34
1.4.1.3 ChoosingaScale.................................................................................... 34
1.4.1.4 ChangingBetweenPreviousZoomLevels ............................................................... 34
1.4.2 UsingFullScreenMode ................................................................................ 35
1.4.3 MovingtheMapintheDocumentWindow ............................................................... 35
1.4.4 UsingthePanoramicWindow........................................................................... 35
1.4.5 CentringtheMapWindowonanObject .................................................................. 36
1.4.6 CentringtheMapWindowonaTableRecord.............................................................. 36
1.4.7 AdjustingtheMapWindowtoaSelection................................................................. 36
1.4.8 MeasuringDistancesontheMap ........................................................................ 36
1.4.9 DisplayingRulersAroundtheMap ....................................................................... 37
1.4.10 DisplayingtheMapScale............................................................................... 37
1.4.11 DisplayingtheMapLegend ............................................................................. 38
1.4.12 UsingZonesintheMapWindow ........................................................................ 38
1.4.12.1 FilteringZones...................................................................................... 38
1.4.12.2 TheComputationZone............................................................................... 39
1.4.12.3 TheFocusZone ..................................................................................... 40
1.4.12.4 UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools...................................................................... 41
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TableofContents Forsk2013
1.4.12.5 UsingaPrintingZone ................................................................................43

1.4.12.6 UsingaGeographicExportZone .......................................................................43
1.4.13 EditingPolygons,Lines,andPoints .......................................................................45
1.4.13.1 AddingaVectorLayer ................................................................................45
1.4.13.2 CreatingPolygons,Lines,andPoints ....................................................................45
1.4.13.3 EditingtheShapeofPolygonsandLines .................................................................46
1.4.13.4 CombiningorCroppingPolygonsUsingtheToolbar .......................................................46
1.4.13.5 EditingaPoint......................................................................................48
1.4.13.6 EditingContours,Lines,andPointsUsingtheContextMenu ................................................48
1.4.14 CopyingtheContentofaZoneintoAnotherApplication .....................................................49
1.4.15 MapWindowPointers.................................................................................49
1.5 WorkingwithDataTables ...............................................................................50

1.5.1 OpeningaDataTable ..................................................................................51
1.5.2 Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields.............................................................51
1.5.2.1 AccessinganObjectTypesTableFields .................................................................51
1.5.2.2 AddingaFieldtoanObjectTypesDataTable............................................................52
1.5.2.3 DeletingaFieldfromanObjectTypesDataTable.........................................................52
1.5.3 OpeninganObjectsRecordPropertiesDialoguefromaTable................................................53
1.5.4 DefiningtheTableFormat ..............................................................................53
1.5.5 EditingtheContentsofaTable..........................................................................56
1.5.5.1 EditingTableEntriesDirectlyintheTable................................................................56
1.5.5.2 CopyingandPastinginTables .........................................................................57
1.5.5.3 SearchingforandReplacingTextEntriesinTables ........................................................59
1.5.6 ViewingaStatisticalAnalysisofTableContents ............................................................60
1.5.7 ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpreadsheets ............................................................60
1.5.8 ImportingTablesfromTextFiles .........................................................................62
1.5.9 ExportingTablestoXMLFiles ...........................................................................63
1.5.10 ImportingTablesfromXMLFiles.........................................................................63
1.6 PrintinginAtoll.........................................................................................64
1.6.1 PrintingDataTablesandReports ........................................................................64
1.6.2 PrintingaMap........................................................................................64
1.6.2.1 PrintingRecommendations ...........................................................................64
1.6.2.2 DefiningthePrintingZone ............................................................................65
1.6.2.3 DefiningthePrintLayout .............................................................................66
1.6.3 PreviewingYourPrinting...............................................................................68
1.6.4 PrintingaDockingWindow.............................................................................68
1.6.5 PrintingAntennaPatterns..............................................................................68
1.7 Grouping,Sorting,andFilteringData.......................................................................69
1.7.1 GroupingDataObjects .................................................................................69
1.7.1.1 GroupingDataObjectsbyaSelectedProperty............................................................69
1.7.1.2 ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu ....................................................................70
1.7.1.3 GroupingMicrowaveLinksbySite ......................................................................70
1.7.1.4 AdvancedGrouping..................................................................................71
1.7.1.5 ExamplesofGrouping ................................................................................72
1.7.2 SortingData..........................................................................................72
1.7.2.1 SortingDatainTables ................................................................................72
1.7.2.2 AdvancedSorting....................................................................................73
1.7.3 FilteringData.........................................................................................74
1.7.3.1 FilteringinDataTablesbySelection ....................................................................74
1.7.3.2 AdvancedDataFiltering..............................................................................75
1.7.3.3 RestoringAllRecords ................................................................................76
1.7.3.4 AdvancedFiltering:Examples..........................................................................77
1.7.4 UserConfigurations ...................................................................................79
1.7.4.1 SavingaUserConfiguration...........................................................................79
1.7.4.2 LoadingaUserConfiguration ..........................................................................80
1.7.5 SiteLists .............................................................................................80
1.7.5.1 CreatingaSiteList ...................................................................................80
1.7.5.2 AddingaSitetoaListintheNetworkExplorer ...........................................................81
1.7.5.3 AddingaSitetoaListfromtheMapWindow ............................................................81
1.7.5.4 AddingSitestoaListUsingaZone......................................................................81
1.7.5.5 EditingaSiteList....................................................................................82
1.7.5.6 ImportingaSiteList..................................................................................82
1.7.5.7 ExportingaSiteList ..................................................................................82
1.7.5.8 FilteringonaSiteList ................................................................................83
1.7.6 FolderConfigurations ..................................................................................83
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1.7.6.1 CreatingaFolderConfiguration........................................................................ 83
1.7.6.2 ApplyingaSavedFolderConfiguration .................................................................. 83
1.7.6.3 ReapplyingtheCurrentFolderConfiguration ............................................................ 84
1.7.6.4 SavingaFolderConfigurationinanExternalFile.......................................................... 84
1.7.6.5 LoadingaFolderConfigurationfromanExternalFile ...................................................... 84
1.7.6.6 DeletingaFolderConfiguration........................................................................ 84
1.7.7 CreatingandComparingViews .......................................................................... 85
1.7.8 FilteringDataUsingaFilteringZone...................................................................... 85
1.8 TipsandTricks......................................................................................... 86
1.8.1 UndoingandRedoing.................................................................................. 86
1.8.2 RefreshingMapsandFolders........................................................................... 86
1.8.3 SearchingforObjectsontheMap ....................................................................... 86
1.8.3.1 SearchingforaMapObjectbyItsName ................................................................ 86
1.8.3.2 SearchingforaMapObjectusingAnyTextProperty ...................................................... 87
1.8.3.3 SearchingforaPointontheMap...................................................................... 87
1.8.4 UsingtheStatusBartoGetInformation .................................................................. 88
1.8.5 SavingInformationDisplayedintheEventViewer .......................................................... 88
1.8.6 UsingIconsfromtheToolbar ........................................................................... 88
1.8.7 UsingShortcutsinAtoll................................................................................ 91
2 StartinganAtollProject ........................................................................ 95
2.1 BeforeStartingaMicrowavePlanningProject ............................................................... 95
2.2 CreatinganAtollDocument .............................................................................. 95

2.2.1 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate .......................................................... 95
2.2.1.1 TemplatesAvailable................................................................................. 96
2.2.1.2 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate ......................................................... 96
2.2.1.3 DefiningaNewAtollDocument ....................................................................... 97
2.2.2 WorkinginaMultiUserEnvironment................................................................... 100
2.2.2.1 TheAtollMultiUserEnvironment .................................................................... 100
2.2.2.2 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaDatabase ........................................................ 101
2.2.2.3 WorkingWithaDocumentonaDatabase .............................................................. 102
2.2.2.4 RefreshinganAtollDocumentfromtheDatabase ....................................................... 104
2.2.2.5 ArchivingtheModificationsofanAtollDocumentintheDatabase ......................................... 104
2.3 MakingaBackupofYourDocument...................................................................... 107

2.3.1 ConfiguringAutomaticBackup......................................................................... 108
2.3.2 RecoveringaBackup ................................................................................. 108
2.4 MakingandSharingPortableAtollProjects................................................................ 109
3 GeographicData................................................................................ 113
3.1 GeographicDataTypes ................................................................................. 113
3.2 SupportedGeographicDataFormats ..................................................................... 114
3.3 ImportingGeoDataFiles ............................................................................... 115

3.3.1 ImportingaRasterformatGeoDataFile................................................................. 115
3.3.2 ImportingaVectorformatGeoDataFile ................................................................ 116
3.3.3 ImportingMSIPlanetData ........................................................................... 117
3.3.3.1 ImportingOneMSIPlanetDataType................................................................. 117
3.3.3.2 ImportingaMSIPlanetDatabase.................................................................... 118
3.3.4 ImportingaWMSRasterformatGeoDataFile............................................................ 119
3.3.5 GroupingGeoDataFilesinFolders ..................................................................... 120
3.3.6 EmbeddingGeographicData........................................................................... 121
3.3.7 RepairingaBrokenLinktoaGeoDataFile ............................................................... 121
3.4 DigitalTerrainModels.................................................................................. 121
3.5 ClutterClasses........................................................................................ 122

3.5.1 AssigningNamestoClutterClasses ..................................................................... 122
3.5.2 DefiningClutterClassProperties ....................................................................... 122
3.5.3 AddingaClutterClass ................................................................................ 123
3.5.4 RefreshingtheListofClutterClasses .................................................................... 123
3.5.5 DisplayingTotalSurfaceAreaperClutterClass............................................................ 124
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3.6 ClutterHeights....................................................................................... 124
3.7 Contours,Lines,andPoints ............................................................................. 124

3.7.1 ManagingtheDisplayofaVectorLayer ................................................................. 124
3.7.2 ManagingthePropertiesoftheVectorLayer ............................................................ 125
3.7.3 MovingaVectorLayertotheNetworkExplorer.......................................................... 125
3.8 ScannedImages...................................................................................... 126

3.8.1 ImportingSeveralScannedImages ..................................................................... 126
3.8.2 DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofScannedImages ....................................................... 126
3.9 GeoclimaticMaps..................................................................................... 127

3.9.1 ManagingGeoclimaticMapProperties ................................................................. 127
3.9.2 DisplayingGeoclimaticStatistics ....................................................................... 127
3.10 DisplayingOnlineMaps ................................................................................ 128
3.11 SettingthePriorityofGeoData......................................................................... 129

3.11.1 SettingtheDisplayPriorityofGeoData ................................................................. 129
3.11.2 SettingthePriorityofGeoDatainCalculations........................................................... 130
3.11.2.1 Example1:TwoDTMMapsRepresentingDifferentAreas................................................ 130
3.11.2.2 Example2:ClutterClassesandDTMMapsRepresentingtheSameArea.................................... 131
3.11.2.3 Example3:TwoClutterClassMapsRepresentingaCommonArea ......................................... 131
3.12 DisplayingInformationAboutGeoData .................................................................. 132
3.13 GeographicDataSets.................................................................................. 132

3.13.1 ExportingaGeoDataSet ............................................................................. 133
3.13.2 LoadingaGeoDataSet .............................................................................. 133
3.14 EditingGeographicData ............................................................................... 134

3.14.1 EditingClutterClassMaps............................................................................ 134
3.14.1.1 CreatingaClutterPolygon .......................................................................... 134
3.14.1.2 EditingClutterPolygons............................................................................ 134
3.14.1.3 DisplayingtheCoordinatesofClutterPolygons......................................................... 135
3.14.1.4 DeletingClutterPolygons ........................................................................... 135
3.14.2 EditingGeoclimaticMaps............................................................................. 135
3.15 SavingGeographicData................................................................................ 136

3.15.1 SavingModificationstoanExternalFile ................................................................. 137
3.15.1.1 ExportinganEditedClutterClassMapinaRasterFormatFile ............................................. 137
3.15.1.2 ExportinganEditedVectorLayerinVectorFormatFile .................................................. 138
3.15.2 UpdatingtheSourceFile ............................................................................. 138
3.15.3 CombiningSeveralRasterFilesintoOneFile ............................................................. 139
3.15.4 ExportinganEmbeddedFile .......................................................................... 139
3.15.5 CreatingaNewFilefromaLargerFile .................................................................. 140
4 AntennasandEquipment .................................................................... 143

4.1 DefiningtheListofManufacturers....................................................................... 144
4.2 DefiningAntennas.................................................................................... 144

4.2.1 CreatinganAntenna................................................................................. 145
4.2.2 ImportingMicrowaveAntennas ....................................................................... 146
4.2.3 EditingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns ................................................................... 147
4.2.4 DisplayingAntennaPatternsWithaFixedScale.......................................................... 148
4.2.5 PrintingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns.................................................................. 148
4.3 MicrowaveRadios.................................................................................... 149

4.3.1 CharacteristicsofaRadioSeries....................................................................... 149
4.3.2 CreatingaRadioSeries............................................................................... 150
4.3.3 ModifyingtheCharacteristicsofaRadioSeries........................................................... 151
4.3.4 DescriptionofaRadio ............................................................................... 155
4.3.5 CreatingorModifyingaRadio ......................................................................... 160
4.3.6 ImportingMicrowaveRadios.......................................................................... 161
4.3.7 AdvancedConfiguration.............................................................................. 161
4.3.7.1 InterferenceReductionFactor ....................................................................... 161
4.3.7.2 TheoreticalGraphs ................................................................................ 164
4.4 MicrowaveFeeders................................................................................... 165
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4.4.1 DefinitionofFeeders................................................................................. 165

4.4.2 CreatingorModifyingFeeders......................................................................... 166
4.5 MicrowaveAntenna/Radio/FeederCompatibility........................................................... 166

4.5.1 DefiningCompatibilityManually ....................................................................... 166
4.5.1.1 UsingtheMicrowaveAntenna/FeederCompatibilityTable ................................................ 167
4.5.1.2 UsingtheMicrowaveAntennaRadioCompatibilityTable................................................. 167
4.5.2 UsingAssistantstoDefineCompatibility ................................................................. 167
4.5.2.1 UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/FeederCompatibility .............................................. 168
4.5.2.2 UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/RadioCompatibility ............................................... 168
5 MicrowaveSettings............................................................................ 173
5.1 MicrowaveFrequencyBands............................................................................ 173
5.2 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencyBands................................................................. 174
5.3 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands ............................................................. 174

5.3.1 ExampleofCreatingaFrequencySubband .............................................................. 176
5.3.2 ImportingCustomChannels ........................................................................... 177
5.4 DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives .......................................................... 177

5.4.1 LinkClasses ......................................................................................... 178
5.4.2 DefiningPerformanceObjectives ....................................................................... 178
5.4.2.1 DefiningQualityObjectives.......................................................................... 179
5.4.2.2 DefiningAvailabilityObjectives ....................................................................... 179
5.5 DefiningConfigurations ................................................................................ 180

5.5.1 CreatingorModifyingModulations..................................................................... 180
5.5.2 CreatingorModifyingDigitalTrunks.................................................................... 181
5.5.3 CreatingorModifyingCapacities....................................................................... 182
5.5.4 CreatingorModifyingBranchingTypes .................................................................. 184
5.5.5 CreatingorModifyingOperationModes ................................................................. 185
5.6 DefiningTransmissionLinkTypes ........................................................................ 186
6 WorkingwithCalculationsinAtoll ......................................................... 189

6.1 UsingPropagationModelsinMicrowaveProjects ........................................................... 189
6.1.1 WorkingwiththeMicrowavePropagationModel ......................................................... 189
6.1.2 WorkingwiththeMicrowaveITURP.452Model.......................................................... 191
6.1.3 WorkingwiththeMicrowaveEBandPropagationModel ................................................... 193
6.2 DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculations ............................................................... 194

6.2.1 GlobalParameters................................................................................... 194
6.2.2 MicrowaveLinkParameters........................................................................... 198
6.2.2.1 DefiningParametersforaSingleMicrowaveLink........................................................ 198
6.2.2.2 DefiningParametersforAllMicrowaveLinks............................................................ 202
6.2.2.3 DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculationsforaGroupofMicrowaveLinks ................................ 205
6.2.2.4 RecalculatingMicrowaveLinkParameters .............................................................. 209
7 MicrowaveLinkProjects ...................................................................... 213

7.1 DesigningaMicrowaveLinkNetwork..................................................................... 213
7.2 PlanningandOptimisingMicrowaveSites ................................................................. 214

7.2.1 CreatingSites....................................................................................... 215
7.2.1.1 SiteDescription .................................................................................... 215
7.2.1.2 CreatingorModifyingaSite ......................................................................... 215
7.2.2 SiteSurveyTools .................................................................................... 216
7.2.2.1 DisplayingtheLineofSightAreaAroundOneSite ....................................................... 216
7.2.2.2 AnalysingtheLineofSightBetweenCandidateSites ..................................................... 217
7.2.2.3 FindingtheBestRouteBetweenTwoSites ............................................................. 220
7.2.2.4 DisplayingtheTerrainProfileBetweenCandidateSites ................................................... 221
7.2.2.5 Displayinga360ViewAroundOneSite ............................................................... 223
7.2.3 ToolsinAtollforFindingNewSites ..................................................................... 225
7.3 CreatingLinks......................................................................................... 226

7.3.1 CreatingMicrowaveLinks............................................................................. 227
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7.3.1.1 DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink....................................................................... 227

7.3.1.2 CreatingorModifyingaMicrowaveLink............................................................... 233
7.3.1.3 DefiningPortParameters ........................................................................... 233
7.3.1.4 PlacingaNewMicrowaveLinkUsingtheMicrowaveLinkTemplate ........................................ 235
7.3.1.5 ManagingMicrowaveLinkTemplates ................................................................. 236
7.3.2 CreatingOtherTransmissionLinks ..................................................................... 238
7.3.2.1 DefinitionofOtherTransmissionLinks................................................................ 238
7.3.2.2 CreatingorModifyingOtherTransmissionLinks........................................................ 239
7.3.2.3 PlacingOtherTransmissionLinksDirectlyontheMap ................................................... 239
7.3.3 ModifyingSitesandLinksDirectlyontheMap ........................................................... 240
7.3.4 DisplayingTipsforSitesandLinks ...................................................................... 240
7.3.5 AddingaPassiveRepeatertoaMicrowaveLink.......................................................... 240
7.3.5.1 DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater ..................................................................... 241
7.3.5.2 OpeningthePassiveRepeatersTable................................................................. 241
7.3.5.3 CreatingorModifyingaPassiveRepeater.............................................................. 242
7.3.5.4 PlacingaPassiveMicrowaveRepeaterontheMapUsingtheMouse ....................................... 242
7.3.5.5 CreatingSeveralPassiveRepeaters ................................................................... 243
7.3.6 CheckingDataConsistency ........................................................................... 243
7.3.7 SettingtheWorkingAreaofanAtollDocument.......................................................... 244
7.4 AnalysingthePathProfile .............................................................................. 244

7.4.1 DisplayingthePathProfile ............................................................................ 244
7.4.1.1 ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile .................................................................... 244
7.4.1.2 StudyingMicrowaveLinkClearance .................................................................. 245
7.4.1.3 DefiningtheDisplayoftheMicrowaveLinkProfile...................................................... 245
7.4.1.4 ZoomingInontheProfile ........................................................................... 247
7.4.1.5 PrintingaMicrowaveLinkProfile .................................................................... 247
7.4.1.6 DisplayingMicrowaveLinkClearanceValuesAlongtheProfile ............................................ 247
7.4.1.7 ModifyingMicrowaveLinkProfileValues .............................................................. 249
7.4.2 DeterminingMicrowaveLinkAntennaHeights........................................................... 252
7.4.2.1 AdjustingMicrowaveAntennaHeightsUsingtheMouse................................................. 252
7.4.2.2 DefiningMicrowaveAntennaHeights ................................................................. 253
7.4.2.3 AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights .................................................. 253
7.5 AnalysingMicrowaveLinkReliability..................................................................... 254

7.5.1 AnalysingaSingleMicrowaveLink..................................................................... 254
7.5.1.1 CalculatingMicrowaveLinkRequiredMargins .......................................................... 254
7.5.1.2 CalculatingaMicrowaveAnalysisReport.............................................................. 255
7.5.1.3 CalculatingaMicrowaveLinkDesignSummary......................................................... 256
7.5.1.4 ModifyingMicrowaveLinkCalculationParameters ...................................................... 257
7.5.1.5 ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports..................................................... 258
7.5.1.6 PrintingaMicrowaveReport........................................................................ 259
7.5.1.7 ExportingaMicrowaveReport....................................................................... 259
7.5.2 AnalysingMicrowaveLinks ........................................................................... 259
7.5.2.1 SettingaMicrowaveLinkasActive................................................................... 260
7.5.2.2 DefiningtheContentsoftheLinkBudgetsReport ....................................................... 260
7.5.2.3 CalculatingMultipleMicrowaveLinkBudgets .......................................................... 261
7.5.2.4 LinkBudgetCalculationValidity ...................................................................... 261
7.5.3 PerformingamEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis ........................................................... 262
7.5.3.1 CreatingMultihops................................................................................ 262
7.5.3.2 PerforminganEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis .......................................................... 264
7.6 StudyingReflection ................................................................................... 264

7.6.1 DisplayingReflection ................................................................................ 265
7.6.2 AnalysingReflections................................................................................ 266
7.6.2.1 DisplayingtheReflectionAnalysisReport .............................................................. 266
7.6.2.2 ConfiguringtheReflectionAnalysisReport............................................................. 269
7.6.2.3 ModifyingReflectionAnalysisParameters............................................................. 269
7.6.3 SolutionsforReflectionProblems ...................................................................... 270
7.7 PlanningMicrowaveLinkChannels ...................................................................... 271

7.7.1 CheckingMicrowaveLinkSiteParities.................................................................. 271
7.7.1.1 CheckingSiteParitiesontheMap.................................................................... 271
7.7.1.2 CreatingaReportonSiteParities .................................................................... 274
7.7.1.3 UsingtheFindonMapTooltoDisplayChannelReuse ................................................... 274
7.7.2 PerformingSemiautomaticChannelAllocation .......................................................... 275
7.7.3 WorkingwiththeFrequencySpectrumAnalyser ......................................................... 276
7.7.4 DisplayingThirdorderIntermodulationProducts ......................................................... 278
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7.8 AnalysingInterference ................................................................................. 279

7.8.1 InterferenceReductionFactor ......................................................................... 279
7.8.1.1 DefiningIRFGraphsManually........................................................................ 280
7.8.1.2 DefiningIRFGraphswiththeAssistant ................................................................. 281
7.8.2 UsingIRFinInterferenceCalculations................................................................... 282
7.8.3 AnalysingtheInterferenceonaSingleMicrowaveLink ..................................................... 282
7.8.3.1 DisplayingInterferenceintheFormofaReport......................................................... 282
7.8.3.2 DisplayingSite A/Site BInterferenceDetails ............................................................ 284
7.8.4 PerforminganInterferenceAnalysisonMultipleMicrowaveLinks ........................................... 284
7.8.4.1 DefiningtheContentsoftheInterferenceReport ........................................................ 284
7.8.4.2 CalculatingInterferenceonMultipleMicrowaveLinks .................................................... 285
7.8.5 ManagingInterferenceCalculationValidity............................................................... 285
7.8.6 DisplayingInterferenceontheMap ..................................................................... 286
7.8.6.1 DisplayingAllInterferenceforaMicrowaveLinkontheMap .............................................. 286
7.8.6.2 DisplayingInterferenceonorCausedbytheSelectedSiteofaMicrowaveLink............................... 287
7.8.6.3 DefiningHowInterfererandInterferedLinkExtremitiesAreDisplayed...................................... 287
7.9 ExportingCustomReports .............................................................................. 288

7.9.1 ExportingaCustomReportforOneMicrowaveLink....................................................... 288
7.9.2 ExportingaCustomReportforSeveralMicrowaveLinks.................................................... 288
7.10 AdvancedConfiguration ................................................................................ 289

7.10.1 PointtoMultipointSystems........................................................................... 289
7.10.1.1 CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystem ................................................................. 289
7.10.1.2 PointtoMultipointSystemProperties................................................................. 291
7.10.1.3 SettingallMicrowaveLinksofaPointtoMultipointSystemasActive....................................... 292
7.10.1.4 AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystem ................................................. 292
7.10.1.5 AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingtheMouse .................................. 292
7.10.1.6 DeletingaMicrowaveLinkfromaPointtoMultipointSystem ............................................. 293
7.10.1.7 DeletingaPointtoMultipointSystem ................................................................. 293
7.10.1.8 MappingMicrowaveLinkstoPointtoMultipointSystemsUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable .................. 293
7.10.1.9 AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHub .................................................... 294
7.10.1.10 AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHubUsingtheMouse..................................... 294
Index .............................................................................................. 295
11
12
Chapter1
TheWorking
Environment
ThischapterpresentstheAtollworkingenvironmentand Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
explainsthetoolsandshortcutsavailable.
"TheAtollWorkArea"onpage 15
"TheExplorerWindow"onpage 19
"WorkingwithObjects"onpage 23
"WorkingwithMaps"onpage 33
"WorkingwithDataTables"onpage 50
"PrintinginAtoll"onpage 64
"Grouping,Sorting,andFilteringData"onpage 69
"TipsandTricks"onpage 86
Chapter1:WiMAXBWANetworks Forsk2013
14
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter1:TheWorkingEnvironment
1 TheWorkingEnvironment
TheAtollworkingenvironmentisbothpowerfulandflexible.Itprovidesacomprehensiveandintegratedsetoftoolsand
featuresthatallowyoutocreateanddefineyourmicrowaveplanningprojectinasingleapplication.Atollincludesadvanced
multitechnologynetworkplanningfeatures(e.g.,CDMA/LTE),andacombinedsingleRAN,multiRATGSM/UMTS/LTEMonte
Carlosimulatorandtrafficmodel.Youcansavetheentireprojectasasinglefile,oryoucanlinkyourprojecttoexternalfiles.
TheAtollworkingenvironmentusesfamiliarWindowsinterfaceelements,withtheabilitytohaveseveraldocumentwindows
openatthesametime,supportfordraganddrop,contextmenus,andsupportforstandardWindowsshortcuts,forexample,
forcuttingandpasting.Atollnotonlyenablesyoutocreateandworkonyourplanningproject,butalsooffersyouawide
rangeofoptionsforcreatingandexportingresultsbasedonyourproject.Theworkingenvironmentprovidesawideselection
oftoolstofacilitatemicrowaveplanning,suchasasearchtooltolocateeitherasite,apointonthemap,oravector.
TheNetworkexplorer,theGeoexplorer,andtheParametersexplorerplayacentralroleinAtoll.Theexplorerscontainmost
oftheobjectsinadocumentarrangedinfolders.
Usingtheexplorerwindows,youcanmanageallobjectsintheAtolldocument:sites,calculations,etc.,aswellasgeographic
datasuchastheDigitalTerrainModel(DTM),andclutterclasses.Youcan,forexample,definevariouscoveragepredictions
orconfiguretheparametersordisplayofdataobjects.
Thecontentofthefoldersintheexplorerwindowscanbedisplayedintables,allowingyoutomanagelargeamountsofdata.
Youcansortandfilterthedatainatable,orchangehowthedataisdisplayed.Youcanalsoenterlargeamountsofinformation
intoatablebyimportingdataorbycuttingandpastingtheinformationfromanyWindowsspreadsheetintothetable.
ThemapistheworkingareaforyourdocumentandAtollprovidesmanytoolsforworkingwiththemap.Youcanchangethe
viewbymovingorzoominginoroutandyoucanchoosewhichobjectsaredisplayedandhowtheyaredisplayed.Youcan
alsoexportthecurrentdisplaydefinition,orconfiguration,touseitinotherdocuments.
ThischapterprovidesanoverviewoftheAtollworkingenvironment.
Thischapterexplainsthefollowingtopics:
"TheAtollWorkArea"onpage 15
"TheExplorerWindow"onpage 19
"WorkingwithObjects"onpage 23
"WorkingwithMaps"onpage 33
"WorkingwithDataTables"onpage 50
"PrintinginAtoll"onpage 64
"Grouping,Sorting,andFilteringData"onpage 69
"TipsandTricks"onpage 86.
1.1 TheAtollWorkArea
TheAtollworkarea,showninFigure 1.1onpage 16,consistsofthemainwindowwherethemapwindowanddatatablesand
reportsaredisplayedandtheexplorerwindows.Theexplorerwindowscontainthedata,objects,andparametersofadocu
ment,arrangedinfolders.Itispresentedindetailin"TheExplorerWindow"onpage 19.
15
Chapter1:TheWorkingEnvironment Forsk2013
Toolbar
Documentwindow
(map)
Workspace
Geoexplorer
(docked)
Panoramicwindow
(floating)
FindonMapwindow
(docked)
Figure 1.1:Atolluserinterface
Atolloffersavarietyoftoolstohelpyouplananetworkandenablesyoutokeepallthetoolsyouneedopenatthesametime
tosimplifyyourwork.Additionally,youcanhaveseveralAtolldocumentsopenatthesametimeorseveraldifferentviewsof
thesamedocumentopenatthesametime.
AtollenablesyoutomanagetheplacementandappearanceofthesetoolsandwindowsinordertomakeusingAtollaseffi
cientaspossible.
Inthissection,thefollowingareexplained:
"SelectingaWindow"onpage 16
"OrganisingtheAtollWorkspace"onpage 18.
1.1.1 SelectingaWindow
Whenworkingonaproject,youusuallyhavemorethanonewindowopen.YoumighthaveseveralAtolldocumentsopen,or
youmighthaveseveralwindowsopeninonedocument,includingdatatablesandmorethanonemapwindow.
Windowtabsofdifferentdocumentsaredisplayedusingadifferentcolour.Thetabtitleofthecurrentlyselectedwindowis
displayed in bold characters. In order to avoid very long window tabs, window tab titles longer than approximately
40 charactersaretruncated.However,thecompletetitleisvisibleintiptextdisplayedwhenthemouseisplacedoverthe
windowtab.ThetiptextalsodisplaysthepathtotheATLfiletowhichthewindowbelongs.
InAtollyoucanmovefromonedocumentwindowtoanotherinseveraldifferentways:
"SelectingaWindowTab"onpage 16
"SelectingaWindowfromtheWindowsMenu"onpage 17
"UsingtheWindowsDialogue"onpage 17.
1.1.1.1 SelectingaWindowTab
InAtoll,allopenwindowsordatatablesareidentifiedbyatabatthetopofthemapwindowortabgroup(seeFigure 1.2).
Toselectawindowtab:
Clickthetabofthewindowyouwanttoselect.
16
Figure 1.2:Windowtabs
Iftherearemorewindowsopenthancanbedisplayedatthetopofthemapwindow,youcanselectthewindowyouwant,
youcanselectthewindowyouwantfromtheWindowsmenu(formoreinformation,see"SelectingaWindowfromthe
WindowsMenu"onpage 17)orusingtheWindowsdialogue(formoreinformation,see"UsingtheWindowsDialogue"on
page 17).
Youcanalsorearrangethewindowsbyclickinganddraggingatabhorizontallytoanew
position.
1.1.1.2 SelectingaWindowfromtheWindowsMenu
Whenyouhaveseveraldocumentwindows,datatables,ormapwindowsopen,youcanselectawindowusingtheWindows
menu.
ToselectawindowusingtheWindowsmenu:
1. ClickWindows.TheWindowsmenuappears.
2. SelectthewindowyouwanttoworkwithfromthelistintheWindowsmenu.
YoucanalsoselectawindowbyclickingtheActiveFilesbutton( )totherightofthe
tabsinthemapwindowandselectingthewindowfromthelistthatappears.
1.1.1.3 UsingtheWindowsDialogue
AtolloffersaWindowsdialoguetosimplifyworkingwithmultiplewindows.YoucanusetheWindowsdialoguetoselecta
documentwindowordatatablethatisalreadyopen,tocloseadocumentwindow,ortosavetheAtolldocumentassociated
withthatwindow.
TousetheWindowsdialogue:
1. SelectWindows >Windows.TheWindowsdialogueappears.
Selectingawindow:
a. SelectthewindowfromtheSelectlist.
b. ClickActivate.TheWindowsdialogueclosesandtheselectedwindowismadetheactiveone.
Savingoneormoredocuments:
a. SelectthewindoworwindowsassociatedwiththedocumentsyouwanttosavefromtheSelectlist.
Youcanselectcontiguouswindowsbyclickingthefirstwindowanddraggingtothelastwindowoftheselection,
orbyclickingthefirstcell,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastwindow.Youcanselectnoncontiguouswindowsby
pressingCTRLandclickingeachwindowinthelistseparately.
b. ClickSave.Atollsavesthedocumentsassociatedwiththeselecteddocumentwindows.
Closingoneormorewindows:
a. SelectthewindoworwindowsyouwanttoclosefromtheSelectlist.
Youcanselectcontiguouswindowsbyclickingthefirstwindowanddraggingtothelastwindowoftheselection,
orbyclickingthefirstcell,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastwindow.Youcanselectnoncontiguouswindowsby
pressingCTRLandclickingeachwindowinthelistseparately.
b. ClickCloseWindow(s).Atollclosestheselecteddocumentwindows.Ifoneofthewindowsisthelastdocument
windowopenofadocumentandthereareunsavedchanges,Atollasksyouwhetheryouwanttosavethechanges
beforeclosing.
2. ClickOKtoclosetheWindowsdialogue.
17
1.1.2 OrganisingtheAtollWorkspace
Atollenablesyoutoorganisetheworkspacetobestsuityourneeds.Youcancreateseveralmapwindowsofthesameproject,
therebysimultaneouslyviewingseveralareasofthesameproject.Youcanalsorearrangethewindowsoftheworkspaceto
suityourneeds.Youcanmovethemtodifferentareasoftheworkspaceorgroupthem.
"CreatingaNewMapWindow"onpage 18
"ArrangingToolandExplorerWindowsUsingtheMouse"onpage 18
"UsingTabGroups"onpage 19
"ResettingtheWorkspaceLayouttotheDefaultView"onpage 19.
1.1.2.1 CreatingaNewMapWindow
WhenworkingonanAtollproject,especiallywhenyouareworkingonalarger,complexradioplanningproject,youmight
wanttobeabletoviewadifferentpartoftheprojectwithoutlosingthefocusontheoriginalarea.Atollenablesyoutoopen
severalmapwindowsofthesameproject.Thispermitsyoutoverifydataortovisuallycomparetwoseparateareasofthe
project.
Toopenanewmapwindow:
SelectWindow >NewMapWindow.AtollcreatesanewmapwindowofthecurrentAtollproject.Youcanworkwith
thenewmapwindowasyouwouldwithanyAtollmapwindow.
1.1.2.2 ArrangingToolandExplorerWindowsUsingtheMouse
Whileworkingonaradioplanningproject,youwillnormallyhaveseveraltoolorexplorerwindowsopenatthesametime.
Atollenablesyoutousethemousetopositiontoolandexplorerwindowstooptimiseyourworkspace.Youcanclickthetitle
ofthetoolorexplorerthatyouwanttorepositionanddragittoanewpositionorfloatitovertheworkspace.
Toarrangetoolandexplorerwindowsusingthemouse:
1. Clickthetitleofthetoolorexplorer.
2. Dragthewindowicontowardsthenewposition.
ApositioningiconappearsovertheAtollworkspace.
3. Placethewindowiconoverthepartofthepositioningiconcorresponding
tothenewpositionofwindow.
AnoutlineappearsovertheAtollworkspacetoindicatethenewposition
ofthewindow.
Ifyoureleasethewindowiconwithoutplacingitoverpositioningicon,youcanfloatthe
toolorexplorerwindowovertheworkspace.
18
4. Releasethemouse.Thewindowtakesitsnewposition.
1.1.2.3 UsingTabGroups
When working with large numbers of documents or document windows, you can facilitate your work by arranging the
windowsingroupsoftabbedwindows.Onlymapwindowsdatatablescanbegroupedintabgroups;tabgroupsdonotapply
totoolsandexplorerwindows.
Tomoveadocumentwindowtoatabgroup:
1. Clickthetitleofthedocumentwindow.
2. Dragthewindowicontowardsthecentreofthemapwindow.
3. Releasethemouse.Acontextmenuappears.
4. Selectoneofthefollowingfromthecontextmenu:
New Horizontal Tab Group: Atoll creates a new horizontal tab group and adds the selected document
windowtoit.
NewVerticalTabGroup:Atollcreatesanewverticaltabgroupandaddstheselecteddocumentwindowtoit.
YoucanalsoaddadocumentwindowtoanewtabgroupbyclickingitstitleandthenselectingNewHorizontalTab
GrouporNewVerticalTabGroupfromtheWindowsmenu.
Ifyoudragthewindowicontotheloweredgeorrightedgeofanexistingtabgroup
evenifthereisonlyonetabgroupanoutlineappearstoindicatethetabgroupthe
windowwillautomaticallybeaddedtowhenyoureleasethemouse.
1.1.2.4 ResettingtheWorkspaceLayouttotheDefaultView
Atolloffersauserinterfacethatcanbeeasilyandquicklycustomisedtosuityourneedsandyourcurrenttask.However,you
mightwanttoquicklyreturnthelayoutoftheworkspacetoitsdefaultsettings.
Toreturnthelayoutoftheworkspacetothedefaultsettings:
SelectWindow >ResetWindowLayout.Atollresetsthedisplayofallwindowsandtoolbarstotheirdefaultpositions
andsizes.
1.2 TheExplorerWindow
TheexplorerwindowplaysacentralroleinAtoll.Thetabsoftheexplorerwindowcontainthedataandobjectsofadocument,
arrangedinfolders.EachobjectandfolderintheNetwork,Geo,andParametersexplorershasacontextspecificmenuthat
youcanaccessbyrightclicking.Youcanmodifyitemsatthefolderlevel,withchangesaffectingallitemsinthefolder,oryou
19
canaccessandedititemsindividually.Aswell,mostfoldercontentscanalsobeaccessedinatable,allowingyoutomanage
largeamountsofinformation.Forinformationonworkingwithtables,see"WorkingwithDataTables"onpage 50.
Inthissection,thefollowingaredescribed:
"WorkingwiththeExplorerWindow"onpage 20
"WorkingwiththeSiteConfigurationWindow"onpage 21
"AutomaticallyHidingExplorerWindows"onpage 21
"DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMapUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 22
"WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 23.
1.2.1 WorkingwiththeExplorerWindow
Therearethreeprincipalexplorers:theNetworkexplorer,theGeoexplorer,andtheParametersexplorer;eachexplorerhas
objectsandfolderscontainingobjects.
Tomovefromonetabtoanother:
SelecttheexplorerattheleftoftheAtollworkingenvironment.
Youcanopenafolderinanexplorertoviewitscontents.EachfoldercontainingatleastoneobjecthasanExpand( )or
Contractbutton( )totheleftofitsname.
Toexpandafoldertodisplayitscontents:
ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofitsname.
Thethreeexplorersare:
TheNetworkExplorer:TheNetworkexplorerenablesyoutomanageradiodataandcalculations.Dependingon
themodulesinstalledwithAtoll,theNetworkexplorerhasthefollowingfolders:
Sites
Transmitters
Predictions
UMTSSimulations,CDMA2000Simulations,WiMAXSimulations,WiFiSimulations,orLTESimulations
Trafficanalysis(GSM/GPRS/EDGEprojectsonly)
Interferencematrices(GSM/GPRS/EDGE,LTE,andWiMAXprojectsonly)
Subscriberlists(LTE,WiMAX,andWiFiprojectsonly)
Multipointanalyses
Automaticcellplanningresults(GSM/GPRS/EDGE,UMTS,LTE,andWiMAXonly)
Hexagonaldesign
Microwavelinks
CWMeasurementsanddrivetestdata
TheGeoexplorer:TheGeoexplorerenablesyoutomanagegeographicdata.Thenumberoffoldersdependson
thenumberandtypesofgeographicaldatatypes(vectordata,scannedimages,etc.)youimportorcreate:
Clutterclasses
Clutterheights
Digitalterrainmodel
Geoclimaticparameters
Anyothergeodatamap
Trafficmaps(GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TDMA,UMTSHSPA,CDMA2000,LTE,WiMAX,andWiFi)
TheParametersexplorer:TheParametersexplorerenablesyoutomanagethepropagationmodelsandaddi
tionalmodules.Itcontains:
PropagationModels:TheParametersexplorerhasaPropagationModelsfolderwiththefollowingpropagation
models:
CostHata
ErcegGreenstein(SUI)
ITU1546
ITU3707(Vienna93)
ITU5265
ITU529
LongleyRice
MicrowaveITURP.452Model
MicrowavePropagationModel
OkumuraHata
StandardPropagationModel
WLL
20
RadioNetworkEquipment:TheRadioNetworkEquipmentfoldercontainsantennamodels,transmittermodels,
repeaterandsmartantennaequipment,andwaveguides,cables,andfeeders.
TrafficParameters:TheTrafficParametersfoldercontainsservices,mobilitytypes,terminals,userprofiles,and
environments.
Network Settings: The Network Settingsfolder containsstation templates, frequencies and frequency bands,
bearers,receptionequipment,qualityindicators,etc.
Microwavelinknetworksettingsandequipment
TheAFPmodelsavailableinyourAtollinstallation.
AnyadditionalmodulecreatedusingtheAPI.
1.2.2 WorkingwiththeSiteConfigurationWindow
UsingtheSiteConfigurationwindow,youcanviewthetransmittersthatareonanysiteandthenviewthepropertiesofany
transmitter.Thetransmittersoftheselectedsitearedisplayedinahierarchicalseriesoffolders(seeFigure 1.3).
TodisplaytheSiteConfigurationwindow:
SelectView >SiteConfigurationWindow.TheSiteConfigurationwindowappears.
Figure 1.3:TheSiteConfigurationwindow
TheSiteConfigurationwindowappearswhereitwaslastplaced.Ifyouresetthewindowlayout,itappearsasatabalongwith
theNetwork,Geo,andParametersexplorers.
Todisplaythetransmittersonasite:
1. SelectthesiteinthemapwindoworintheSitesfolderintheNetworkexplorer.
2. SelecttheSiteConfigurationwindow.ThesiteisdisplayedintheSiteConfigurationwindow.Thetransmitterslocated
onthatsitearedisplayedinfoldersidentifyingtheirradioplanningtechnology.
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofafoldertoexpandthefolderandviewthecontents.
YoucanviewthepropertiesofatransmitterdisplayedintheSiteConfigurationwindow
bydoubleclickingit.
1.2.3 AutomaticallyHidingExplorerWindows
Byhavingtheexplorersvisible,youhaveimmediateaccesstotheirdataandobjects.Sometimes,however,thatyoumight
wantmoreofthemapwindowtobedisplayed.Atollenablesyoutoautohidetheexplorers,therebyenablingyoutoseemore
ofthemapwindow.Whenautohideisactivatedonanexplorerwindow,allthreeexplorerwindowsarereducedtovertical
tabsattheedgeoftheworkarea(seeFigure 1.4).Thehiddenexplorersreappearswhenyoumovethepointeroverit.
21
Figure 1.4:AutohideactivatedfortheexplorerwindowsandforFindonMap
Toautohidetheexplorerwindows:
Intherighthandcorneroftheexplorerwindowtitlebar,besidetheCloseicon( ),clicktheAutohideicon( ).
Theexplorerwindowsarereducedtoverticaltabsattheedgeoftheworkarea(seeFigure 1.4).
Youcandisplaytheexplorerwindowbyrestingthepointeroverthenameoftheexplorerwindow.
Todeactivateautohide:
In the righthand corner of the explorer title bar, beside the Close icon ( ), click the Autohide icon ( ). The
explorerwindowsarerestoredtotheirformerpositions.
Youcandisplaytheexplorerbyrestingthepointeroverthenameoftheexplorer.
Youcanalsoautohidemosttoolwindows,forexample,theFindonMapwindow,the
Legendwindow,theDriveTestDatawindow,etc.
1.2.4 DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMapUsingtheExplorer
Windows
Youcanusetheexplorerwindowstodisplayorhideobjectsonthemap.Byhidingonetypeofobject,anothertypeofobject
ismoreplainlyvisible.Forexample,youcouldhideallpredictionsbutone,sothattheresultsofthatpredictionaremore
clearlydisplayed.
Hiding an object affects only its visibility in the map window; it will still be taken into
considerationduringcalculations.
Tohideanobjectonthemap:
1. Selecttheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer)thatcontainsthatobject.
2. Clearthecheckbox( )immediatelytotheleftoftheobjectname.Thecheckboxappearscleared( )andtheobject
isnolongervisibleonthemap.
22
Youcanhidethecontentsofanentirefolderbyclearingthecheckboxtotheleftofthe
foldername.Whenthecheckboxofafolderappearsgreyed( ),itindicatesthatthe
foldercontainsbothvisibleandhiddenobjects.
1.2.5 WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows
InAtoll,themapismadeofobjectsarrangedinlayers.Thelayersonthetop(asarrangedontheNetworkandGeotabs)are
themostvisibleonthescreenandinprint.Thevisibilityofthelowerlayersdependsonwhichlayersareaboveandvisible(see
"DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMapUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 22)andonthetransparencyoftheselayers
(see"DefiningtheTransparencyofObjectsandObjectTypes"onpage 30).
Tomovealayerupordown:
1. Selecttheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer)thatcontainsthatobject.
2. Clickanddragtheobjecttoitsnewposition.Asyoudragtheobject,ahorizontalblacklineindicateswheretheobject
willremainwhenyoureleasethemousebutton(seeFigure 1.5).
Figure 1.5:Movingalayer
Beforeyouprintamap,youshouldpayattentiontothearrangementofthelayers.For
moreinformation,see"PrintingRecommendations"onpage 64.
1.3 WorkingwithObjects
InAtoll,theitemsfoundintheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer)anddisplayedonthemaparereferredto
asobjects.MostobjectsinAtollbelongtoanobjecttype.Forexample,atransmitterisanobjectofthetypetransmitter.
Atollenablesyoutocarryoutmanyoperationsonobjectsbyclickingtheobjectdirectlyorbyrightclickingtheobjectand
selectingtheoperationfromthecontextmenu.
"UsingtheObjectContextMenu"onpage 23
"ModifyingSitesandMicrowaveLinkExtremitiesDirectlyontheMap"onpage 25
"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
1.3.1 UsingtheObjectContextMenu
InAtoll,anobjectscontextmenugivesyouaccesstocommandsspecifictothatobjectaswellastocommandsthatare
commontomostobjects.Inthissection,thefollowingcontextmenucommandscommontoallobjectstypesareexplained:
Rename:"RenaminganObject"onpage 24.
Delete:"DeletinganObject"onpage 24.
Properties:"DisplayingthePropertiesofanObject"onpage 24.
23
1.3.1.1 RenaminganObject
YoucanchangethenameofanobjectinAtoll.
Torenameanobject:
1. Rightclicktheobjecteitheronthemaporintheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer).Thecontext
menuappears.
2. SelectRenamefromthecontextmenu.
3. EnterthenewnameandpressENTERtochangethename.
InAtoll,objectssuchassitesarenamedwithdefaultprefixes.Individualobjectsaredistin
guishedfromeachotherbythenumberaddedautomaticallytothedefaultprefix.Youcan
changethedefaultprefixforsitesbyeditingtheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seethe
AdministratorManual.
1.3.1.2 DeletinganObject
Youcandeleteobjectsfromeitherthemaporfromtheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer).
Todeleteanobject:
menuappears.
2. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Theselectedobjectisdeleted.
1.3.1.3 DisplayingthePropertiesofanObject
YoucanmodifythepropertiesofanobjectinthePropertiesdialogue.
ToopenthePropertiesdialogueofadataobject:
menuappears.
Whenyouareselectingdataobjectsonthemap,itcanbedifficulttoensurethatthe
correctobjecthasbeenselected.Whenasiteisselected,thesite(anditsname)is
surroundedbyablackframe( ).Whenatransmitterisselected,bothendsofits
iconhaveagreenpoint( ).Whenthereismorethanonemicrowavelinkwithwith
thesameazimuth,clickingthetransmittersinthemapwindowopensacontextmenu
allowingyoutoselectthetransmitteryouwant(see"SelectingOneofSeveralLinks"on
page 25).
2. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
SwitchingBetweenPropertyDialogues
YoucanswitchbetweenthePropertiesdialoguesofitems(antennas,sites,etc.)inthesamefolderordefinedviewinthe
explorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer)byusingthebrowsebuttons( )inthelowerleftcorner
ofeachPropertiesdialogue:
:jumptothefirstiteminthelist
:jumptothepreviousiteminthelist
:jumptothenextiteminthelist
:jumptothelastiteminthelist
Ifyouhavemadeanychangestothepropertiesofanitem,Atollpromptsyoutoconfirmthesechangesbeforeswitchingto
thenextPropertiesdialogue.
Youcanusethis,forexample,toaccessthepropertiesofcositetransmitterswithoutclosingandreopeningtheProperties
dialogue.Switchingisperformedwithinthefolderor,ifyouhavecreatedaview,withintheview.Forexample:
Iftransmittersaregroupedbysite,youcanswitchonlywithinonesite(cositetransmitters).
Iftransmittersaregroupedbyaflag,youcanswitchonlywithinthisgroup.
Iftransmittersaregroupedbyactivityandbyaflag,youcanswitchonlywithintransmittershavingthesameactivity
andthesameflag.
24
Thebrowsebuttonsarenotavailable:
Whencreatinganewitem.
WhenopeninganitemsPropertiesdialoguebydoubleclickingitsrecordinatable.
Forrepeaterproperties.
Forpropagationmodelproperties.
TheDisplaytabofthePropertiesdialogueisexplainedin"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
1.3.2 ModifyingSitesandMicrowaveLinkExtremitiesDirectlyon
theMap
Inacomplexmicrowaveorplanningproject,itcanbedifficulttofindthedataobjectintheNetworkexplorer,althoughit
mightbevisibleinthemapwindow.AtollletsyouaccessthePropertiesdialogueofsitesandmicrowavelinksdirectlyfrom
themap.Youcanalsochangethepositionofasitebydraggingit,orbylettingAtollfindahigherlocationforit.
"SelectingOneofSeveralLinks"onpage 25
"MovingaSiteUsingtheMouse"onpage 25
"MovingaSitetoaHigherLocation"onpage 26
"ChangingtheAzimuthoftheAntennaUsingtheMouse"onpage 26"ChangingtheAntennaPositionRelativetothe
SiteUsingtheMouse"onpage 26
"SelectingAnotherSitefortheLinkExtremityUsingtheMouse"onpage 27.
1.3.2.1 SelectingOneofSeveralLinks
Ifthereismorethanonelinkwiththesameazimuth,Atollenablesyoutoselectaspecificlink.
Toselectoneofseverallinkwiththesameazimuth:
1. In the map window, click thelinks. A context menu appears with a list of thelinks with the same azimuth
(seeFigure 1.6).
Figure 1.6:Selectingonelink
2. Selectthelinkfromthecontextmenu.
Whenyouselectalink,bothendsappearwhiteandthelinkitselfappearsoutlined( ).
1.3.2.2 MovingaSiteUsingtheMouse
YoucanmoveasitebyeditingthecoordinatesontheGeneraltaboftheSitePropertiesdialogue,orbyusingthemouse.
Tomoveasiteusingthemouse:
1. Clickanddragthesitetothedesiredposition.Asyoudragthesite,theexactcoordinatesofthepointerscurrentloca
tionarevisibleintheStatusbar.
2. Releasethesitewhereyouwouldliketoplaceit.Bydefault,Atolllocksthepositionofasite.Whenthepositionofa
siteislocked,Atollasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttomovethesite.
3. ClickYestoconfirm.
25
Whilethismethodallowsyoutoplaceasitequickly,youcanadjustthelocationmore
preciselybyeditingthecoordinatesontheGeneraltaboftheSitePropertiesdialogue.
1.3.2.3 MovingaSitetoaHigherLocation
Ifyouwanttoimprovethelocationofasite,intermsofreceptionandtransmission,Atollcanfindahigherlocationwithina
specifiedradiusfromthecurrentlocationofthesite.
TohaveAtollmoveasitetoahigherlocation:
1. Rightclickthesiteinthemapwindow.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectMovetoaHigherLocation.
3. IntheMovetoaHigherLocationdialogue,entertheradiusoftheareainwhichAtollshouldsearchandclickOK.Atoll
movesthesitetothehighestpointwithinthespecifiedradius.
1.3.2.4 ChangingtheAzimuthoftheAntennaUsingtheMouse
In Atoll, you can set the azimuth of a links antenna by modifying it on the Radio tab of the Microwave Link Properties
dialogue,oryoucanmodifyitonthemap,usingthemouse.
Tomodifytheazimuthoftheantennausingthemouse:
1. IntheNetworkexplorer,movetheMicrowaveRadioLinksfolderontopoftheSitesfolder
asexplainedin"WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 23.
2. Onthemap,clickthelinkextremitywhoseazimuthyouwanttomodify.
3. Movethepointertotheendoftheantennawithagreencircle( ).Anarcwithanarrow
appearsunderthepointer.
4. Clickthegreencircleanddragittochangetheantennasazimuth.
Thecurrentazimuthoftheantennaisdisplayedinthefarleftofthestatusbar.Itisdefined
indegrees,with0indicatingnorth.
5. Releasethemousewhenyouhavesettheazimuthtothedesiredangle.
TheantennasazimuthrelativetothelinkdirectionismodifiedontheRadiotaboftheMicro
waveLinkPropertiesdialogue.
Ifyoumakeamistakewhenchangingtheazimuth,youcanundoyourchangesbyusing
Undo(byselectingEdit >Undo,bypressingCTRL+Z,orbyclicking inthetoolbar)to

undothechangesmade.
1.3.2.5 ChangingtheAntennaPositionRelativetotheSiteUsingtheMouse
Bydefault,antennasareplacedonthesite.However,antennasareoccasionallynotlocateddirectlyonthesite,butashort
distanceaway.InAtoll,youcanchangethepositionoftheantennarelativetothesiteeitherbyadjustingtheDxandDy
parameters or by entering the coordinates of the antenna position on the General tab of the Microwave link Property
dialogue.DxandDyarethedistanceinmetresoftheantennafromthesiteposition.Youcanalsomodifythepositionofthe
antennaonthemap,usingthemouse.
Tomoveamicrowavelinkextremityusingthemouse:
1. IntheNetworkexplorer,movetheMicrowaveRadioLinksfolderonthetopoftheSites
folderasexplainedin"WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 23.
2. Onthemap,clickthelinkextremityyouwanttomove.
3. Movethepointertotheendoftheantennawithagreenrectangle( ).Acrossappearsunder
thepointer.
4. Clickthegreenrectangleanddragittochangetheantennaspositionrelativetothesite.
Thecurrentcoordinates(xandy)oftheantennaaredisplayedinthefarrightofthestatus
bar.
5. Releasethemousewhenyouhavemovedtheselectedlinkextremitytothedesiredposition.
ThepositionoftheselectedlinkextremityismodifiedontheGeneraltaboftheMicrowave
LinkPropertiesdialogue.
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Ifyoumakeamistakewhenchangingthepositionofthelinkextremity,youcanundoyour
changesbyusingUndo(byselectingEdit >Undo,bypressingCTRL+Z,orbyclicking
inthetoolbar)toundothechangesmade.
1.3.2.6 SelectingAnotherSitefortheLinkExtremityUsingtheMouse
InAtoll,youcanchangethelinkextremityandplaceitonanothersiteusingthemouse.
Toselectanothersiteforthelinkextremityonthemap:
1. IntheNetworkexplorer,movetheMicrowaveRadioLinksfolderonthetopoftheSites
folderasexplainedin"WorkingwithLayersUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 23.
2. Onthemap,clickthelinkextremityyouwanttomove.
3. Movethepointertotheendoftheantennawithagreenrectangle( ).Acrossappearsunder
thepointer.
4. Clickthegreenrectangleanddragittotheothersiteonthemap.
5. Releasethemousewhentheframeappearsaroundthesite,indicatingitisselected.
ThesitefortheselectedlinkextremityismodifiedontheGeneraltaboftheMicrowaveLink
Propertiesdialogueandthelinkisrenamed.
Ifyoumakeamistakewhenchangingthepositionofthelinkextremity,youcanundoyour
changesbyusingUndo(byselectingEdit >Undo,bypressingCTRL+Z,orbyclicking
inthetoolbar)toundothechangesmade.
1.3.3 DisplayPropertiesofObjects
InAtoll,mostobjects,suchassites,belongtoanobjecttype.Howanindividualobjectappearsonthemapdependsonthe
settings on the Display tab of the object types Properties dialogue. The Display tab is similar for all object types whose
appearancecanbeconfigured.OptionsthatareinapplicableforaparticularobjecttypeareunavailableontheDisplaytabof
itsPropertiesdialogue(seeFigure 1.7).
Inthissection,thedisplayoptionsareexplained,followedbyafewexamplesofhowyoucanusethemwhileworkingonyour
Atolldocument(see"ExamplesofUsingtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 32).
"DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27
"ExamplesofUsingtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 32.
1.3.3.1 DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects
WhenyouaccessthePropertiesdialogueofagroupofobjects,forexample,whenyouaccessthePropertiesdialogueofthe
Sitesfolder,theDisplaytabwillshowoptionsapplicabletoallobjectsinthatgroup(seeFigure 1.7).
27
Figure 1.7:TheDisplaytabforSites
WhenyouaccessthePropertiesdialogueofanindividualobject,theDisplaytabwillonlyshowtheoptionsapplicabletoan
individualobject(seeFigure 1.8).
Figure 1.8:TheDisplaytabforanindividualsite
Todefinethedisplaypropertiesofanobjecttype:
1. Rightclicktheobjecttypefoldereitheronthemaporintheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer).The
contextmenuappears
3. SelecttheDisplaytab.Dependingontheobjecttype,thefollowingoptionsareavailable:
"DefiningtheDisplayType"onpage 28
"DefiningtheTransparencyofObjectsandObjectTypes"onpage 30
"DefiningtheVisibilityScale"onpage 30
"DefiningtheObjectTypeLabel"onpage 30
"DefiningtheObjectTypeTipText"onpage 31
"AddinganObjectTypetotheLegend"onpage 31
4. Setthedisplayparameters.
5. ClickOK.
DefiningtheDisplayType
Dependingontheobjectselected,youcanchoosefromthefollowingdisplaytypes:unique,discretevalues,valueintervals,
orautomatic.
28
Tochangethedisplaytype:
1. AccesstheDisplaytabofthePropertiesdialogueasexplainedin"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
2. SelectthedisplaytypefromtheDisplayTypelist:
Unique: defines the same symbol for all objects of this type. By defining a unique symbol for an object type,
objectsofdifferenttypes,forexample,sites,areimmediatelyidentifiable.
i. Tomodifytheappearanceofthesymbol,clickthesymbolinthetablebelow.TheSymbolStyledialogueap
pears.
ii. Modifythesymbolasdesired.
iii. ClickOKtoclosetheSymbolStyledialogue.
Discretevalues:definesthedisplayofeachobjectaccordingtothevalueofaselectedfield.Thisdisplaytypecan
beusedtodistinguishobjectsofthesametypebyonecharacteristic.Forexample,youcouldusethisdisplaytype
todistinguishtransmitterbyantennatype,ortodistinguishinactivefromactivesites.
i. SelectthenameoftheFieldbywhichyouwanttodisplaytheobjects.
ii. YoucanclicktheActionsbuttontoaccesstheActionsmenu.Forinformationonthecommandsavailable,see
"UsingtheActionsButton"onpage 29.
iii. Tomodifytheappearanceofasymbol,clickthesymbolinthetablebelow.TheDisplayParametersdialogue
appears.
iv. Modifythesymbolasdesired.
v. ClickOKtoclosetheDisplayParametersdialogue.
Valueintervals:definesthedisplayofeachobjectaccordingtosetrangesofthevalueofaselectedfield.Thisdis
playtypecanbeused,forexample,todistinguishsignalstrengthandthealtitudeofsites.
i. SelectthenameoftheFieldbywhichyouwanttodisplaytheobjects.
ii. Definetherangesdirectlyinthetablebelow.Foranexample,seeFigure 1.10onpage 32.
iii. YoucanclicktheActionsbuttontoaccesstheActionsmenu.Forinformationonthecommandsavailable,see
"UsingtheActionsButton"onpage 29.
iv. Tomodifytheappearanceofasymbol,clickthesymbolinthetable.TheDisplayParametersdialogueappears.
v. Modifythesymbolasdesired.
vi. ClickOKtoclosetheDisplayParametersdialogue.
Whenyoucreateanewmapobject,forexample,anewsite,youmustclickthe
Refreshbutton( )forAtolltoassignacolourtonewlycreatedobjectaccording
tothesetdisplaytype.
Youcandefinethedefaultsymbolusedforsitesandhowitisdisplayedbyediting
anoptionintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seetheAdministratorManual.
UsingtheActionsButton
TheActionsbuttonontheDisplaytabofthePropertiesdialogueallowsyoutomodifythedisplaytypeasdefinedin"Defining
theDisplayType"onpage 28.
ToaccesstheActionsmenu:
2. ClicktheActionsbutton.TheActionsmenugivesyouaccesstothefollowingcommands:
Properties:AtolldisplaystheDisplayParametersdialogue,enablingyoutodefinetheappearanceoftheselected
symbolinthetable.
Selectall:Atollselectsallthevaluesinthetable.
Delete:Atollremovestheselectedvaluefromthetable.
Insertbefore:Whentheselecteddisplaytypeisvalueintervals,Atollinsertsanewthresholdinthetablebefore
thethresholdselectedinthetable.
Insertafter:Whentheselecteddisplaytypeisvalueintervals,Atollinsertsanewthresholdinthetableafterthe
thresholdselectedinthetable.
Shading:AtollopenstheShadingdialogue.When"ValueIntervals"istheselecteddisplaytype,youselectShading
todefinethenumberofvalueintervalsandconfiguretheircolour.Entertheupperandlowerlimitsofthevalue
in the First Break and Last Break boxes respectively, and enter a value in the Interval box. Define the colour
shadingbychoosingaStartColourandanEndColour.Thevalueintervalswillbedeterminedbythesetvalues
andcolouredbyashadegoingfromthesetstartcolourtothesetendcolour.
29
When"DiscreteValues"istheselecteddisplaytype,youselectShadingtochooseaStartColourandanEndCol
our.
DisplayConfiguration:SelectLoadifyouwanttoimportanexistingdisplayconfiguration.SelectSaveifyouwant
tosavethedisplaysettingsofthecurrentobjectinadisplayconfigurationfile,sothatyoucansharethemwith
otherusersorusetheminotherdocuments.
DefiningtheTransparencyofObjectsandObjectTypes
Youcanchangethetransparencyofsomeobjects,suchaspredictions,andsomeobjecttypes,suchasclutterclasses,toallow
objectsonlowerlayerstobevisibleonthemap.
Tochangethetransparency:
2. MovetheTransparencyslidertotherighttomaketheobjectorobjecttypemoretransparentortothelefttomake
itlesstransparent.
DefiningtheVisibilityScale
Youcandefineavisibilityrangeforobjecttypes.Anobjectisvisibleonlyifthescale,asdisplayedontheMaptoolbar,iswithin
thisrange.Thiscanbeusedto,forexample,preventthemapfrombeingclutteredwithsymbolswhenyouareatacertain
scale.
Visibilityrangesaretakenintoaccountforscreendisplay,andforprintingandpreviewingprinting.Theydonotaffectwhich
objectsareconsideredduringcalculations.
Todefineanobjectvisibilityrange:
2. EnteraVisibilityScaleminimuminthebetween 1:textbox.
3. EnteraVisibilityScalemaximumintheand 1:textbox.
DefiningtheObjectTypeLabel
Formostobjecttypes,suchassites,youcandisplayinformationabouteachobjectintheformofalabelthatisdisplayedwith
theobject.Youcandisplayinformationfromeveryfieldinthatobjecttypesdatatable,includingfromfieldsthatyouadd.
Todefinealabelforanobjecttype:
2. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )besidetheLabelbox.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears(seeFigure 1.9).
Figure 1.9:Definingalabel
3. Selectthefieldswhichyouwanttodisplayinthelabel:
a. Toselectafieldtobedisplayedinthelabelfortheobjecttype,selectthefieldintheAvailableFieldslistandclick
tomoveittotheSelectedFieldslist.
b. ToremoveafieldfromtheSelectedFieldslist,selectthefieldintheSelectedFieldslistandclick toremove
it.
30
c. Tochangetheorderofthefields,selectafieldandclick or tomoveitupordowninthelist.Theobjectswill
begroupedintheorderofthefieldsintheSelectedFieldslist,fromtoptobottom.
4. ClickOKtoclosetheFieldSelectiondialogueandclickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.
Formostobjecttypes,youcanalsodisplayobjectinformationintheformoftiptextthat
isonlyvisiblewhenyoumovethepointerovertheobject.Thisoptionhastheadvantage
ofnotfillingthemapwindowwithtext.Formoreinformationontiptext,see"Definingthe
ObjectTypeTipText"onpage 31.
Whenyouhavedefinedalinkforamicrowavelink,youcanchangeitspositiononthemapusingthemouse.
Tochangethepositionofamicrowavelinklabelusingthemouse:
1. Selectthelinkinthemapwindow.
2. Clickthelinklabelanddragittothenewposition.
Whenyoumoveoneofthesitesdefiningamicrowavelinkorwhenyouloadaconfigura
tion,Atollresetsthepositionofthelabeltoitsdefaultposition.
DefiningtheObjectTypeTipText
Formostobjecttypes,suchassitesandmicrowavelinks,youcandisplayinformationabouteachobjectintheformoftiptext
thatisonlyvisiblewhenyoumovethepointerovertheobject.Youcandisplayinformationfromeveryfieldinthatobject
typesdatatable,includingfromfieldsthatyouadd.
Intheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer),thetiptextdisplaysthetotalnumbersofelementspresentinthe
Sites,Links,MultiHops,andPointtoMultipointfolders,andtheview.
Todefinetiptextforanobjecttype:
2. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )besidetheTipTextbox.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears(seeFigure 1.9).

3. Selectthefieldswhichyouwanttodisplayinthetiptext:
a. Toselectafieldtobedisplayedinthetiptextfortheobjecttype,selectthefieldintheAvailableFieldslistand
click tomoveittotheSelectedFieldslist.
b. ToremoveafieldfromtheSelectedFieldslist,selectthefieldintheSelectedFieldslistandclick toremove
it.
Formostobjecttypes,youcanalsodisplayobjectinformationintheformofalabelthatis
displayedwiththeobject.Thisoptionhastheadvantageofkeepobjectrelatedinforma
tionpermanentlyvisible.Formoreinformationontiptext,see"DefiningtheObjectType
Label"onpage 30.
Onceyouhavedefinedthetiptext,youmustactivatethetiptextfunctionbeforeitappears.
Todisplaytiptext:
ClicktheDisplayTipsbutton( )onthetoolbar.Tiptextwillnowappearwhenthepointerisovertheobject.
AddinganObjectTypetotheLegend
Youcandisplaytheinformationdefinedbythedisplaytype(see"DefiningtheDisplayType"onpage 28)inyourAtolldocu
ments legend. Only visible objects appear in the Legend window. For information on displaying or hiding objects, see
"DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMapUsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 22.
InFigure 1.10,ontheDisplaytabofasignallevelprediction,theintervalsdefinedare:
Signallevel>=65 red
65>Signallevel>=105 shadingfromredtoblue(9intervals)
Signallevel<105 notshowninthecoverage.
TheentriesintheLegendcolumnwillappearintheLegendwindow.
31
Figure 1.10:DefinedthresholdsastheywillappearintheLegend
Withvalueintervals,youcanenterinformationintheLegendcolumntobedisplayedonthelegend.Ifthereisnoinformation
enteredinthiscolumn,themaximumandminimumvaluesaredisplayedinstead.
2. SelecttheAddtolegendcheckbox.Thedefineddisplaywillappearonthelegend.
TodisplaytheLegendwindow:
SelectView>LegendWindow.TheLegendwindowappears.
YoucanalsodisplaythecommentsdefinedinthepropertiesofacoveragepredictionintheLegendwindowbysettingan
optionintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformationaboutsettingoptionsintheatoll.inifile,seetheAdministratorManual.
1.3.3.2 ExamplesofUsingtheDisplayPropertiesofObjects
Inthissectionarethefollowingexamplesofhowdisplaypropertiesofobjectscanbeused:
"AutomaticDisplayTypeServerCoveragePredictions"onpage 32
"ShadingSignalLevelCoveragePrediction"onpage 33.
AutomaticDisplayTypeServerCoveragePredictions
Whenmakingabestserverprediction,Atollcalculates,foreachpixelonthemap,whichserverisreceivedthebest.Ifthe
selecteddisplaytypefortransmittersis"Automatic,"Atollcolourseachpixelonthemapaccordingtothecolourofthetrans
mitterthatisbestreceivedonthatpixel.Thisway,youcanidentifyimmediatelywhichtransmitterisbestreceivedoneach
pixel.Thefollowingtwofiguresshowtheresultsofthesamebestserverareaandhandovermargincoverageprediction.
InFigure 1.11,thetransmitterdisplaytypeis"DiscreteValues,"withthesitenameasthechosenvalue.Thedifferencein
colourisinsufficienttomakeclearwhichtransmitterisbestreceivedoneachpixel.InFigure 1.12,thetransmitterdisplaytype
is"Automatic."BecauseAtollensuresthateachtransmitterhasadifferentcolourthanthetransmitterssurroundingit,the
predictionresultsarealsoimmediatelyvisible.
Figure 1.11:Valueintervaldisplaytype Figure 1.12:Automaticdisplaytype
Todisplaytheresultsofaservercoveragepredictionwiththetransmitterssettotheautomaticdisplaytype:
1. RightclicktheTransmittersfolderintheNetworkexplorer.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelecttheDisplaytab.
4. Select"Automatic"astheDisplayType.
5. ClickOK.
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6. ClicktheRefreshbutton( )toupdatethedisplayofthepredictionresults.
ShadingSignalLevelCoveragePrediction
Atolldisplaystheresultsofasignallevelpredictionasvalueintervals.Onthemap,thesevalueintervalsappearasdifferences
ofshading.YoucanusetheShadingcommandtodefinetheappearanceofthesevalueintervalstomaketheresultseasierto
readormorerelevanttoyourneeds.Forexample,youcanchangetherangeofdatadisplayed,theintervalbetweeneach
break,oryoucanchangethecolourstomaketheintervalsmorevisible.
Inthisexample,Figure 1.13showstheresultsofthebestsignallevelplotfrom60 dBmto105 dBm.However,ifyouaremore
interestedinreceptionfrom80 dBmto105 dBm,youcanchangetheshadingtodisplayonlythosevalues.Theresultisvisi
bleinFigure 1.14.
Figure 1.13:Shadingfrom60 dBmto105 dBm Figure 1.14:Shadingfrom80 dBmto105 dBm
Tochangehowtheresultsofasignallevelcoveragepredictionaredisplayed:
1. ExpandthePredictionsfolderintheNetworkexplorerandrightclickthesignallevelprediction.Thecontextmenu
appears.
4. ClickActionstodisplaythemenuandselectShading.TheShadingdialogueappears.
5. ChangethevalueoftheFirstBreakto"80".LeavethevalueoftheLastBreakat"105."
6. ClickOKtoclosetheShadingdialogue.
7. ClickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogueandapplyyourchanges.
1.4 WorkingwithMaps
Atollhasthefollowingfunctionstohelpyouworkwithmaps:
"ChangingtheMapScale"onpage 34
"UsingFullScreenMode"onpage 35
"MovingtheMapintheDocumentWindow"onpage 35
"UsingthePanoramicWindow"onpage 35
"CentringtheMapWindowonanObject"onpage 36
"CentringtheMapWindowonaTableRecord"onpage 36
"AdjustingtheMapWindowtoaSelection"onpage 36
"MeasuringDistancesontheMap"onpage 36
"DisplayingRulersAroundtheMap"onpage 37
"DisplayingtheMapScale"onpage 37
"DisplayingtheMapLegend"onpage 38
"UsingZonesintheMapWindow"onpage 38
"EditingPolygons,Lines,andPoints"onpage 45
"CopyingtheContentofaZoneintoAnotherApplication"onpage 49.
"MapWindowPointers"onpage 49.
33
1.4.1 ChangingtheMapScale
Youcanchangethescaleofthemapbyzoominginorout,byzoominginonaspecificareaofthemap,orbychoosingascale.
Atollalsoallowsyoutodefineazoomrangeoutsideofwhichcertainobjectsarenotdisplayed(see"DefiningtheVisibility
Scale"onpage 30).
1.4.1.1 ZoomingInandOut
Atolloffersseveraltoolsforzoominginandoutonthemap.Whenyouzoominoroutonthemap,youdosobasedonthe
positionofthecursoronthemap.
Tozoominonthemap:
1. ClicktheZoomicon( )ontheMaptoolbar(orpressCTRL+Q).
2. Clickthemapwhereyouwanttozoomin.
You can also zoom in by pressing CTRL++, by selecting Zoom > ZoomIn from theView
menu,orbyholdingdowntheCTRLkeyandrotatingthemousewheelbuttonforward.
Tozoomoutonthemap:
1. ClicktheZoomicon( )ontheMaptoolbar(orpressCTRL+Q).
2. Rightclickthemapwhereyouwanttozoomout.
YoucanalsozoomoutbypressingCTRL+,byselectingZoom >ZoomOutfromtheView
menu,orholdingdowntheCTRLkeyandrotatingthemousewheelbuttonbackward.
1.4.1.2 ZoomingInonaSpecificArea
Tozoominonaspecificareaofthemap:
1. ClicktheZoomAreaicon( )ontheMaptoolbar(orpressCTRL+W).
2. Clickinthemapononeofthefourcornersoftheareayouwanttoselect.
3. Dragtotheoppositecorner.Whenyoureleasethemousebutton,Atollzoomsinontheselectedarea.
1.4.1.3 ChoosingaScale
Tochooseascale:
1. Clickthearrownexttothescalebox( )ontheMaptoolbar.
2. Selectthescalefromthelist.
Ifthescalevalueyouwantisnotinthelist:
1. Clickinthescalebox( )ontheMaptoolbar.
2. Enterthedesiredscale.
3. PressENTER.Atollzoomsthemaptotheenteredscale.
1.4.1.4 ChangingBetweenPreviousZoomLevels
Atollsavesthelastfivezoomlevels,allowingyoutomovequicklybetweenpreviouszoomlevelsandzoomedareas.
Tomovebetweenzoomlevels:
ClickthePreviousZoombutton( )toreturntoazoomlevelyouhavealreadyused(orpressALT+).
Onceyouhavereturnedtoapreviouszoomlevel,clicktheNextZoombutton( )toreturntothelatestzoomlevel
(orpressALT+).
34
1.4.2 UsingFullScreenMode
Atollenablesyoutoexpandthemapwindowtofilltheentirecomputerscreen,temporarilyhidingtheexplorerwindowsand
thetoolbars.ThemenusremainvisibleandaCloseFullScreenbuttonappears,enablingyoutoquicklyreturntothenormal
view.
Toenablefullscreenmode:
SelectView >FullScreen.Themapwindowexpandstofillthecomputerscreen.
YoucanmovetheCloseFullScreenbuttonbyclickinganddraggingtheFullScreentitle
baraboveit.IfyouinadvertantlymovetheCloseFullScreenbuttonoffscreen,youcan
stillreturntothenormalviewbyselectingView >FullScreenagainorbypressingESC.
Withthetoolbarsandscrollbarshidden,youcanstillnavigatearoundthemapwindowusingthekeyboardshortcuts:
CTRL++:Zoominonthemap
CTRL+:Zoomoutonthemap
CTRL+Q:SelectZoomIn/Outtool(leftclicktozoominandrightclicktozoomout)
CTRL+D:Movethemapinthemapwindow
ALT+:Previouszoomandlocationonthemap
ALT+:Nextzoomandlocationonthemap.
1.4.3 MovingtheMapintheDocumentWindow
Youcanmovethemapinthedocumentwindowusingthemouse.
Tomovethemapinthedocumentwindow:
1. ClicktheMoveMapWindowbutton( )ontheMaptoolbar(orpressCTRL+D).
2. Movethepointeroverthemapanddragthemapinthedesireddirection.
Youcanalsomovethemapinthedocumentwindowbyplacingthepointeroverthemap,
pressingthemousewheel,anddraggingthemapinthedesireddirection.
1.4.4 UsingthePanoramicWindow
ThePanoramicwindowdisplaystheentiremapwithalloftheimportedgeographicdata.Adarkrectangleindicateswhatpart
ofthegeographicdataispresentlydisplayedinadocumentwindow,helpingyousituatethedisplayedareainrelationtothe
entiremap.
YoucanusethePanoramicwindowto:
Zoominonaspecificareaofthemap
Resizethedisplayedmaparea
Movearoundthemap.
Tozoominonaspecificareaofthemap:
1. ClickinthePanoramicwindowononeofthefourcornersoftheareayouwanttozoominon.
Toresizethedisplayedmaparea:
1. ClickinthePanoramicwindowonacornerorborderofthezoomarea(i.e.,thedarkrectangle).
2. Dragthebordertoitsnewposition.
Tomovearoundthemap:
1. Clickinthezoomarea(i.e.,thedarkrectangle)inthePanoramicwindow.
2. Dragtherectangletoitsnewposition.
35
1.4.5 CentringtheMapWindowonanObject
Youcancentrethemaponanyselectedobject,forexample,atransmitter,asite,oneorallpredictions,oronanyzoneinthe
ZonesfolderintheGeoexplorer.Whencentringthemapwindowonanobjectthecurrentscaleiskept.
Youcanselecttheobjectinthemapwindoworintheexplorer.
Tocentrethemapwindowonaselectedobject:
1. Rightclicktheobjectinthemapwindoworintheexplorer.
2. SelectCentreinMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Ifyouwanttoquicklyfindanobject,suchasasite,onthemap,youcanselectitinthe
explorerandthenselecttheCentreinMapWindowcommand.
1.4.6 CentringtheMapWindowonaTableRecord
Youcancentrethemaponanyrecordinthefollowingtables:
Sitestable
Transmitterstable
Anyvectortable.
Whencentringthemapwindowonanobjectthecurrentscaleiskept.
Tocentrethemapwindowonatablerecord:
1. Openthetable.
2. Rightclicktherecord.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectCentreinMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
1.4.7 AdjustingtheMapWindowtoaSelection
YoucanadjustthemapwindowtodisplaythecontentsoftheSitesfolder(orofaview),orasetofmeasurementdatapoints,
oroneorallpredictions,oranyobjectorzoneintheGeoexplorer.Whenyouadjustthemapwindowtodisplayaselection,
Atolloptimisesthedisplaybychangingthescaleandpositionsothattheselection(forexample,thesites)iscompletely
displayedinthemapwindow.
Toadjustthemapwindowtoafolderorobjectintheexplorer:
1. Rightclickthefolderorobjectintheexplorer.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectAdjustMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Youcanalsoadjustthemapwindowtoarecord(polygonorline)inavectortable.Themap
windowisthenadjustedsothatthepolygon(orline)entirelyoccupiesthedisplayedmap.
1.4.8 MeasuringDistancesontheMap
YoucanmeasuredistancesonthemapbyusingtheDistanceMeasurementtool.TheDistanceMeasurementtoolalsogives
youtheazimuthofalinesegment.YoucanalsousetheDistanceMeasurementtooltomeasuredistancebetweenseveral
pointsalongapolyline.Asyoumeasure,Atolldisplaysthefollowinginformation:
Path:Thetotaldistancebetweenthefirstpointandthelastpointofalinesegmentorapolyline.
Line:Thedistancebetweenthefirstpointandthepointersposition(foralinesegment),ordistancebetweenthelast
pointandthepointersposition(forapolyline).
Total:Thetotaldistancebetweenthefirstpointandthepointerslocation.
Azimuth:Theazimuthofthepointerspositionwithrespecttothefirstpointofalinesegment,orwithrespecttothe
lastpointofapolyline.
WhentheDistanceMeasurementtoolisactive,theinformationinthestatusbarchanges
from"Ready"tothefollowingwhenyouclickthefirstpoint:
"Path=0m,Line=0m;Total=0m;Azimuth=0"
36
Tomeasureadistanceonthemapbetweentwopoints:
1. ClicktheDistanceMeasurementbutton( )onthetoolbar.
2. Clickthestartingpointonthemap.Asyoumovethepointerawayfromthefirstpoint,Atollmarkstheinitialposition
andconnectsittothepointerwithaline.Thestatusbardisplaysthedistancecoveredbythepointerthusfar("Path
=0m"and"Line=Total"),andtheazimuthofthepointerslocationwithrespecttothefirstpoint.Asyoumovethe
pointerawayfromthefirstpoint,themeasurement"Line"increasesfrom0 mtothedistancecoveredbythepointer
thusfar.
3. Clickthemapwhereyouwanttoendmeasurement.
Thestatusbardisplaysthesameinformationasinstep 2.(exceptthat"Path=Total"and"Line=0m").
4. Doubleclickanywhereonthemaptoexitdistancemeasurementandclearthelinesegmentfromthemap.
Tomeasureadistanceonthemapbetweenseveralpoints:
1. ClicktheDistanceMeasurementbutton( )onthetoolbar.
2. Clickthefirstpointonthemap.Asyoumovethepointerawayfromthefirstpoint,Atollmarkstheinitialpositionand
connectsittothepointerwithaline.Thestatusbardisplaysthedistancemeasuredthusfar("Path=0m"and"Line
=Total"),andtheazimuthofthepointerslocationwithrespecttothefirstpoint.Asyoumovethepointerawayfrom
thefirstpoint,themeasurement"Line"increasesfrom0 mtothedistancecoveredbythepointerthusfar.
3. Clickthenextpointonthemap.Thestatusbardisplaysthesameinformationasinstep 2.(exceptthat"Path=Total"
and"Line=0m").
4. Continueclickingpointsuntilyouhaveclickedthelastpoint.IntheexampleinFigure 1.15,"Site052"isthefirstpoint,
"Site055"isthelastpoint,thepointerslocationis422 mawayfromthelastpointanditsazimuthis166withrespect
tothelastpoint.
5. Doubleclickanywhereonthemaptoexitdistancemeasurementandclearthepolylinefromthemap.
Figure 1.15:Measurementdatainthestatusbar
1.4.9 DisplayingRulersAroundtheMap
Youcandisplayrulersaroundthemapinthedocumentwindow.
Todisplayrulers:
1. SelectDocument >Preferences.ThePreferencesdialogueappears.
2. InthePreferencesdialogue,clicktheCoordinatestab.
3. UnderDisplayrulersandscale,selectwhereyouwanttherulerstobedisplayedinthemapwindow.
4. ClickOK.
1.4.10 DisplayingtheMapScale
Youcandisplaythemapscaleinthemapwindow.
Todisplaythemapscale:
1. SelectDocument >Preferences.ThePreferencesdialogueappears.
2. InthePreferencesdialogue,clicktheCoordinatestab.
3. UnderDisplayrulersandscale,selecttheScaleonmapcheckbox.
4. ClickOK.
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1.4.11 DisplayingtheMapLegend
Youcandisplayamaplegend.Thelegendwillcontaintheinformationontheobjecttypesthatyouhaveaddedtoit.Forinfor
mationonaddingobjecttypestothelegend,see"AddinganObjectTypetotheLegend"onpage 31.
Todisplaythelegend:
SelectView >LegendWindow.
1.4.12 UsingZonesintheMapWindow
IntheGeoexplorer,Atollprovidesyouwithasetoftoolscalledzones.Thezonesareatypeofpolygon,whichcanbecreated
andmodifiedinthesamewayascontours,lines,orpoints.Zonescanbeusedtodefineareasofthemapforthefollowing
purposes:
FilteringZone:Thefilteringzoneisagraphicalfilterthatrestrictstheobjectsdisplayedonthemapandinthe
Networkexplorertotheobjectsinsidethefilteringzone.Italsorestrictswhichobjectsareusedincalculationssuch
ascoveragepredictions,etc.
Formoreinformationonthefilteringzone,see"FilteringZones"onpage 38.
ComputationZone:Thecomputationzoneisusedtodefinewhichmicrowavelinksaretobetakenintoconsider
ationincalculations(i.e.,linkbudget,interferenceanalysis,etc.,).
Formoreinformationonthecomputationzone,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39.
FocusZone:Withthefocuszone,youcanselecttheareasofcoveragepredictionsorothercalculationsonwhich
youwanttogeneratereportsandresults.
Formoreinformationonthefocuszone,see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40.
PrintingZone:Theprintingzoneallowsyoutodefinetheareatobeprinted.
Formoreinformationonprintingusingtheprintingzone,see"UsingaPrintingZone"onpage 43.
GeographicExportZone:Thegeographicexportzoneisusedtodefinepartofthemaptobeexportedasabitmap.
Formoreinformationonthegeographicexportzone,see"UsingaGeographicExportZone"onpage 43.
Zonesaretakenintoaccountwhetherornottheyarevisible.Inotherwords,ifyouhave
drawnazone,itwillbetakenintoaccountwhetherornotitsvisibilitycheckboxinthe
ZonesfolderoftheGeoexplorerisselected.Forexample,ifyouhavefilteredthesites
usingafilteringzone,thesitesoutsidethefilteringzonewillnotbetakeninto
considerationincoveragepredictions,evenifyouhaveclearedthefilteringzones
visibilitycheckbox.Youwillhavetodeletethezoneifyounolongerwanttoselectsites
usingafilteringzone.
"FilteringZones"onpage 38
"TheComputationZone"onpage 39
"TheFocusZone"onpage 40
"UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools"onpage 41
"UsingaPrintingZone"onpage 43
"UsingaGeographicExportZone"onpage 43.
1.4.12.1 FilteringZones
ThefilteringzoneisagraphicalfilterthatrestrictstheobjectsdisplayedonthemapandintheNetworkexplorertotheobjects
insidethefilteringzone.Italsorestrictswhichobjectsareusedincalculationssuchascoveragepredictions,etc.Bylimiting
thenumberofsites,youcanreducethetimeandcostofcalculationsandmakevisualisationofdataobjectsonthemap
clearer.
Thefilteringzoneistakenintoaccountwhetherornotitisvisible.Inotherwords,ifyouhavedrawnazone,itwillbetaken
intoaccountwhetherornotitsvisibilitycheckboxintheZonesfolderoftheGeoexplorerisselected.Youwillhavetodelete
thezoneifyounolongerwanttoselectsitesusingafilteringzone.
Tocreateafilteringzone:
1. SelecttheGeoexplorer.
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofZonesfoldertoexpandthefolder.
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3. RightclicktheFilteringZonefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. Fromthecontextmenu,selectoneofthefollowing:
DrawPolygon
i. Clickonceonthemaptostartdrawingthezone.
ii. Clickonceonthemaptodefineeachpointonthemapwheretheborderofthezonechangesdirection.
iii. Clicktwicetofinishdrawingandclosethezone.
DrawRectangle
i. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethefilteringzone.
ii. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethefilteringzone.Whenyoureleasethemouse,
thefilteringzonewillbecreatedfromtherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
Thefilteringzoneisdelimitedbyablueline.Thedataobjectsoutsideoftheselectedzonearefilteredout.Inthe
Networkexplorer,anyfolderwhosecontentisaffectedbythefilteringzoneappearswithaspecialicon( ),toindi
catethatthefoldercontentshavebeenfiltered.
Youcanalsocreateafilteringzoneasfollows:
VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableintheVector

Editortoolbartodrawthefilteringzone.
Existingpolygon:YoucanuseanyexistingpolygonasafilteringzonebyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeo
explorerandUseAs >FilteringZonefromthecontextmenu.Youcanalsocombineanexistingfilteringzonewithany
existingpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorerandselectingAddTo >FilteringZonefromthe
contextmenu.
Importingapolygon:Ifyouhaveafilewithanexistingpolygon,forexample,apolygondescribinganadministrative
area,youcanimportitanduseitasafilteringzone.YoucanimportitbyrightclickingtheFilteringZonefolderinthe
GeoexplorerandselectingImportfromthecontextmenu.
FitZonetoMapWindow:YoucancreateafilteringzonethesizeofthemapwindowbyrightclickingtheFiltering
ZonefolderintheGeoexplorerandselectingFitZonetoMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Onceyouhavecreatedafilteringzone,youcanuseAtollspolygoneditingtoolstoeditit.Formoreinformationonthepoly
goneditingtools,see"UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools"onpage 41.
Youcansavethefilteringzone,sothatyoucanuseitinadifferentAtolldocument,inthe
followingways:
Savingthefilteringzoneintheuserconfiguration:Forinformationonsavingthe
fiiltering zone in a user configuration, see "Saving a User Configuration" on
page 79.
Exportingthefilteringzone:Youcanexportthefilteringzonebyrightclickingthe
FilteringZoneintheGeoexplorerandselectingExportfromthecontextmenu.
1.4.12.2 TheComputationZone
ThecomputationzoneisusedtodefinetheareawhereAtollcarriesoutcalculations.Whenyoumakealinkbudgetoryou
studyinterference,Atollcalculatesallthemicrowavelinksthatareactive,filtered(i.e.,thatareselectedbythecurrentfilter
parameters),andintersectsthecomputationzone.
Whenworkingwithalargenetwork,thecomputationzoneallowsyoutorestrictyourcoveragepredictionstothepartofthe
networkyouarecurrentlyworkingon.Byallowingyoutoreducethenumberofmicrowavelinksstudied,Atollreducesboth
thetimeandcomputerresourcesnecessaryforcalculations.
Ifthereisnocomputationzonedefined,Atollmakesitscalculationsonallmicrowavelinksthatareactiveandfilteredandfor
theentireextentofthegeographicaldataavailable.
Thecomputationzoneistakenintoaccountwhetherornotitisvisible.Inotherwords,ifyouhavedrawnacomputationzone,
itwillbetakenintoaccountwhetherornotitsvisibilitycheckboxintheZonesfolderoftheGeoexplorerisselected.Youwill
havetodeletethecomputationzoneifyounolongerwanttodefineanareaforcalculations.
Tocreateacomputationzone:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheZonesfolder.
3. RightclicktheComputationZone.Thecontextmenuappears.
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DrawPolygon
DrawRectangle
i. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethecomputationzone.
ii. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethecomputationzone.Whenyoureleasethe
mouse,thecomputationzonewillbecreatedfromtherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
Thecomputationzoneisdelimitedbyaredline.
Youcanalsocreateacomputationzoneasfollows:

Editortoolbartodrawthecomputationzone.
Existingpolygon:YoucanuseanyexistingpolygonasacomputationzonebyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeo
explorerandselectingUseAs >ComputationZonefromthecontextmenu.Youcanalsocombineanexistingcompu
tationzonewithanyexistingpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorerandselectingAddTo >
ComputationZonefromthecontextmenu.
area,youcanimportitanduseitasacomputationzone.YoucanimportitbyrightclickingtheComputationZonein
theGeoexplorerandselectingImportfromthecontextmenu.
FitZonetoMapWindow:YoucancreateacomputationzonethesizeofthemapwindowbyrightclickingtheCom
putationZoneintheGeoexplorerandselectingFitZonetoMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Onceyouhavecreatedacomputationzone,youcanuseAtollspolygoneditingtoolstoeditit.Formoreinformationonthe
polygoneditingtools,see"UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools"onpage 41.
Youcansavethecomputationzone,sothatyoucanuseitinadifferentAtolldocument,
inthefollowingways:
Savingthecomputationzoneintheuserconfiguration:Forinformationonsaving
thecomputationzoneinauserconfiguration,see"SavingaUserConfiguration"on
page 79.
Exportingthecomputationzone:Youcanexportthecomputationzonebyright
clickingtheComputationZoneintheGeoexplorerandselectingExportfromthe
contextmenu.
1.4.12.3 TheFocusZone
Usingthefocuszone,youcandefineanareaonwhichstatisticscanbedrawnandonwhichreportsaremade.
Itisimportantnottoconfusethecomputationzoneandthefocuszone.Thecomputationzonedefinesthesitesandmicro
wavelinkscalculatedinlinkbudget,interferencepredictions,etc.andthepotentialinterfererswhilethefocuszonefiltersthe
displayedresults.
Atollbasesthestatisticsontheareacoveredbythefocuszone;ifnofocuszoneisdefined,Atollwillusethecomputation
zone.However,byusingafocuszoneforthereport,youcandisplaythestatisticsforaspecificnumberofsites,insteadof
displayingstatisticsforeverysitethathasbeencalculated.
Atolltakesthefocuszoneintoaccountwhetherornottheyarevisible.Inotherwords,ifyouhavedrawnafocuszone,itwill
betakenintoaccountwhetherornotitsvisibilitycheckboxintheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorerisselected.Youwillhave
todeletethezoneifyounolongerwanttodefineanareaforreports.
Afocuszonecanconsistofmorethanonepolygon.Thepolygonsofafocuszonemustnot
intersectoroverlapeachother.
Todefineafocuszone:
3. RightclicktheFocusZonefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
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DrawPolygon
i. Clickonceonthemaptostartdrawingthefocuszone.
ii. Clickonceonthemaptodefineeachpointonthemapwheretheborderofthefocuszonechangesdirection.
iii. Clicktwicetofinishdrawingandclosethefocuszone.
DrawRectangle
i. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethefocuszone.
ii. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethefocuszone.Whenyoureleasethemouse,the
focuszonewillbecreatedfromtherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
Afocuszoneisdelimitedbyagreenline.IfyouclearthezonesvisibilitycheckboxintheZonesfolderintheGeo
explorer,itwillnolongerbedisplayedbutwillstillbetakenintoaccount.
Youcanalsocreateafocuszoneinoneofthefollowingways:

Editortoolbartodrawthefocuszone.
Existingpolygon:YoucanuseanyexistingpolygonasafocuszonebyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorer
andselectingUseAs >FocusZonefromthecontextmenu.Youcanalsocombineanexistingfocuszonewithany
existingpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorerandselectingAddTo >FocusZonefromthe
contextmenu.
area,youcanimportitanduseitasafocuszone.YoucanimportitbyrightclickingtheFocusZonefolderintheGeo
explorerandselectingImportfromthecontextmenu.
FitZonetoMapWindow:YoucancreateafocuszonethesizeofthemapwindowbyrightclickingtheFocusZone
folderintheGeoexplorerandselectingFitZonetoMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Youcansavethefocuszone,sothatyoucanuseitinadifferentAtolldocument,inthe
followingways:
Saving the focus zone in the user configuration: For information on saving the
focuszoneinauserconfiguration,see"SavingaUserConfiguration"onpage 79.
Exportingthefocuszone:YoucanexportthefocuszonebyrightclickingtheFocus
ZonefolderintheGeoexplorerandselectingExportfromthecontextmenu.
1.4.12.4 UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools
Atollprovidesyouwithseveraldifferentwaysofeditingthecomputationzone,focuszone,andfilteringzones.Youcanedit
thesezonesbyeditingthepointsthatdefinethem,bycombiningseveralpolygons,orbydeletingpartsofthepolygonsthat
makeupthesezones.Whenyounolongerneedthezone,youcandeleteitfromthemap.
Thecomputationandfocuspolygonscancontainholes.Theholeswithinpolygonalareasaredifferentiatedfromoverlaying
polygonsbytheorderofthecoordinatesoftheirvertices.Thecoordinatesoftheverticesofpolygonalareasareinclockwise
order,whereasthecoordinatesoftheverticesofholeswithinpolygonalareasareincounterclockwiseorder.
"EditingPolygonZones"onpage 41
"RemovingaPolygonZone"onpage 43.
1.4.12.4.1 EditingPolygonZones
Atollenablesyoutoeditapolygonzoneinseveraldifferentways.Thefirststepistoselectit,eitherby:
SelectingthepolygonzoneintheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorer
Selectingthepolygonzonebyclickingitonthemap,or
SelectingthepolygonzonefromthelistintheVectorEditortoolbar.
Thesecondstepistoputthezoneineditingmode:
RightclickthezoneyouwanttoeditinthemapwindowandselectEditZonefromthecontextmenu,or
RightclickthezoneintheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorerandselectEditZonefromthecontextmenu.
IfthezonehasbeenselectedfromthelistintheVectorEditortoolbar,itisautomatically
putineditingmode.
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Onceyouhavethepolygonzoneineditingmode,youcanedititasexplainedinthefollowingsections:
"EditingthePointsofaPolygonZone"onpage 42
"EditingPolygonZonesUsingtheToolbar"onpage 42
"EditingPolygonZonesUsingtheContextMenu"onpage 43.
EditingthePointsofaPolygonZone
Toeditapointofapolygonzone:
1. Putthepolygonzoneineditingmodeasexplainedin"EditingPolygonZones"onpage 41.
2. Selectthepolygonzone.Youcannowedititby:
Movingapoint:
i. Positionthepointeroverthepointyouwanttomove.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. Dragthepointtoitsnewposition.
Addingapointtothepolygonzone:
i. Positionthepointeroverthepolygonzoneborderwhereyouwanttoaddapoint.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. RightclickandselectInsertPointfromthecontextmenu.Apointisaddedtothepolygonzoneborderatthe
positionofthepointer.
Deletingapointfromapolygonzone:
i. Positionthepointeroverthepointyouwanttodelete.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. RightclickandselectDeletePointfromthecontextmenu.Thepointisdeleted.
EditingPolygonZonesUsingtheToolbar
InAtoll,youcancreatecomplexpolygonzonesbyusingthetoolsontheVectorEditortoolbar.Thefiltering,computation,
andfocuszonepolygonscancontainholes.Theholeswithinpolygonalareasaredifferentiatedfromoverlayingpolygonsby
the order of the coordinates of their vertices. The coordinates of the vertices of polygonal areas are in clockwise order,
whereasthecoordinatesoftheverticesofholeswithinpolygonalareasareincounterclockwiseorder.
ToeditapolygonzoneusingtheiconsontheVectorEditortoolbar:
1. Putthepolygonzoneineditingmodeasexplainedin"EditingPolygonZones"onpage 41.
2. Clickthecontourtoedit.TheVectorEditortoolbarhasthefollowingbuttons:
:Tocombineseveralpolygonzones:
i. IntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheCombinebutton( ).
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthenewpolygonzone.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthepolygonzone.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethepolygonzone.
v. Drawmorepolygonzonesifdesired.Atollcreatesagroupofpolygonsoftheselectedandnewcontours.If
polygonzonesoverlap,Atollmergesthem.
:Todeletepartoftheselectedpolygonzone:
i. IntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheDeletebutton( ).
ii. Drawtheareayouwanttodeletefromtheselectedpolygonzonebyclickingonceonthemapwhereyouwant
tobegindrawingtheareatodelete.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthearea.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethearea.Atolldeletestheareafromtheselectedcontour.
:Tocreateapolygonoutoftheoverlappingareaoftwopolygons:
i. IntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheIntersectionbutton( ).
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthepolygonthatwilloverlaptheselectedone.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthepolygon.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethepolygon.Atollcreatesanewpolygonoftheoverlappingareaofthetwopolygons
anddeletesthepartsofthepolygonsthatdonotoverlap.
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:Tosplittheselectedpolygonintoseveralpolygons:
i. IntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheSplitbutton( ).
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthepolygonthatwillsplittheselectedone.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthepolygon.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethepolygon.Atollseparatestheareacoveredbythepolygonfromtheselectedpolygon
andcreatesanewpolygon.
EditingPolygonZonesUsingtheContextMenu
Whenyouareeditingpolygonzones,youcanaccesscertaincommandsusingthecontextmenu.
Toeditapolygonzoneusingthecontextmenu:
1. Clickthepolygonzoneyouwanttoedit.
2. Rightclickthepolygonzonetodisplaythecontextmenuandselectoneofthefollowing:
Properties:SelectPropertiestoopenthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedpolygonzone.ThePropertiesdia
loguegivesthecoordinatesofeachpointthatdefinesthepositionandshapeofthepolygonzone.
InsertPoint:SelectInsertPointtoaddapointtotheborderofthecontouratthepositionofthepointer.
Move:
i. SelectMovefromthecontextmenutomovethecontour,line,orpointonthemap.
ii. Movethecontour,line,orpoint.
iii. Clicktoplacethecontour,line,orpoint.
Quitedition:SelectQuitEditiontoexiteditingmode.
Delete:SelectDeletetoremovetheselectedcontour,line,orpointfromthemap.
1.4.12.4.2 RemovingaPolygonZone
Whenyounolongerneedapolygonzone,youcanremovethezoneandredisplayalldataobjects.
Toremoveapolygonzone:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofZonesfoldertoexpandthefolder.
3. Rightclickthefoldercontainingthezoneyouwanttoremove.
4. Fromthecontextmenu,selectDeleteZone.Thepolygonzoneisremovedandalldocumentdataarenowdisplayed.
YoucanalsodeleteitbyrightclickingitsborderonthemapandselectingDeletefrom
thecontextmenu.
1.4.12.5 UsingaPrintingZone
Theprintingzoneallowsyoutodefinetheareatobeprinted.Forinformationonusingtheprintingzone,see"Definingthe
PrintingZone"onpage 65.
1.4.12.6 UsingaGeographicExportZone
If you want to export part of the map as a bitmap, you can define a geographic export zone. After you have defined a
geographicexportzone,Atolloffersyoutheoptionofexportingonlytheareacoveredbythezoneifyouexportthemapas
arasterimage.
Todefineageographicexportzoneandexportthemap:
3. RightclicktheGeographicExportZonefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
DrawPolygon
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DrawRectangle
i. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethezone.
ii. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinethezone.Whenyoureleasethemouse,thezone
willbecreatedfromtherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
FitZonetoMapWindow
Atollcreatesageographicexportzonethatfitsthemapwindow.
Thegeographicexportzoneisdelimitedbyalightpurpleline.Ifyouclearthegeographicexportzonesvisibilitycheck
boxintheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorer,itwillnolongerbedisplayedbutwillstillbetakenintoaccount.
Youcanalsocreateageographicexportzoneasfollows:
VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableinthe

VectorEditortoolbartodrawthegeogaphicexportzone.
Existingpolygon:Youcanuseanyexistingpolygonasageographicexportzonebyrightclickingitonthemapor
intheGeoexplorerandselectingUseAs >GeographicExportZonefromthecontextmenu.Youcanalsocombine
anexistinggeographicexportzonewithanyexistingpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorer
andselectingAddTo >GeographicExportZonefromthecontextmenu.The"effective"geographicexportzone
willbetherectangleencompassingtheseveralpolygonscomposingthegeographicexportzone.
Importingapolygon:Ifyouhaveafilewithanexistingpolygon,youcanimportitanduseitasageographicexport
zone.YoucanimportitbyrightclickingtheGeographicExportZonefolderintheGeoexplorerandselecting
Importfromthecontextmenu.
FitZonetoMapWindow:Youcancreateageographicexportzonethesizeofthemapwindowbyrightclicking
itonthemaporintheGeoexplorerandselectingFitZonetoMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Onceyouhavecreatedageographicexportzone,youcanuseAtollspolygoneditingtoolstoeditit.Formoreinfor
mationonthepolygoneditingtools,see"UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools"onpage 41.
Youcansavethegeographicexportzone,sothatyoucanuseitinadifferentAtolldocu
ment,inthefollowingways:
Savingthegeographicexportzoneintheuserconfiguration:Forinformationon
savingthegeographicexportzoneinauserconfiguration,see"SavingaUserCon
figuration"onpage 79.
Exportingthegeographicexportzone:Youcanexportthegeographicexportzone
by rightclicking the Geographic Export Zone in the Geo explorer and selecting
Exportfromthecontextmenu.
Thegeographicexportzonecanonlyexportinrasterformat.Youcannotexportinraster
formatifthecoveragepredictionwasmadepertransmitter(forexample,coverage
predictionswiththedisplaytypesetbytransmitter,byatransmitterattribute,bysignal
level,bypathloss,orbytotallosses).Onlythecoverageareaofasingletransmittercan
beexportedinrasterformat.
5. SelectFile >SaveImageAs.TheMapExportdialogueappears,withtheoptionGeographicexportzoneselected.
6. ClickExport.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
7. IntheSaveasdialogue,selectadestinationfolder,enteraFilename,andselectafiletypefromtheSaveastypelist.
Thefollowingfileformatsaresupported:BMP,PNG,ArcViewGrid(TXT),TIFF,BIL,JPEG2000,andJPG.Ifyouwantto
usethesavedfileasadigitalterrainmodel,youshouldselecttheTIF,BIL,orTXTformat.WhensavinginBILformat,
Atollallowsyoutosavefileslargerthan2 Gb.
8. ClickSave.TheExportedImageSizedialogueappears.
9. Youcandefinethesizeoftheexportedimageinoneoftwoways:
Scale:Ifyouwanttodefinethesizebyscale,selectScale,enterascaleinthetextboxandaresolution.Ifyouwant
toexporttheimagewithrulers,selectIncludeRulers.
Pixelsize:Ifyouwanttodefinethesizebypixelsize,selectPixelsize,andenterapixelsizeinthetextbox.
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Ifyouwanttousetheexportedfileasadigitalterrainmodel,youmustdefinethesizeof
theexportedimagebypixelsize.Atollthencreatesageoreferencefilefortheexported
image.
10. ClickOK.
1.4.13 EditingPolygons,Lines,andPoints
Atollusesdifferenttypesofpolygons,lines,andpointsinthemapwindow.Forexample,thezonessuchasthecomputation
andfocuszone,describedin"UsingZonesintheMapWindow"onpage 38,arespecifictypesofpolygons.Anothertypeof
polygon,calledcontours,canalongwithlinesandpoints,beusedtoaddadditionalinformationtogeographicdata.
Atollprovidesyouwithseveraldifferentwaysofeditingthepolygons,lines,andpoints.Youcanmoveordeletethepoints
thatdefinepolygons,lines,andpoints.Youcaneditpolygonsbyeditingthepointsthatdefinethem,bycombiningseveral
polygons,orbydeletingpartsofthepolygons.
Polygons,includingthecomputationandfocuszonepolygonscancontainholes.Theholeswithinpolygonalareasarediffer
entiatedfromoverlayingpolygonsbytheorderofthecoordinatesoftheirvertices.Thecoordinatesoftheverticesofpolyg
onalareasareinclockwiseorder,whereasthecoordinatesoftheverticesofholeswithinpolygonalareasareincounter
clockwiseorder.
Whenyounolongerneedthepolygon,line,orpoint,youcandeleteitfromthemap.
Inthissection,thedifferentwaysofeditingpolygons,lines,andpointsareexplained:
"AddingaVectorLayer"onpage 45
"CreatingPolygons,Lines,andPoints"onpage 45
"EditingtheShapeofPolygonsandLines"onpage 46
"CombiningorCroppingPolygonsUsingtheToolbar"onpage 46
"EditingaPoint"onpage 48
"EditingContours,Lines,andPointsUsingtheContextMenu"onpage 48.
1.4.13.1 AddingaVectorLayer
Youcanaddvectorobjectssuchaspolygons,linesorpointstogeographicalmapinformationinaprojectbyfirstcreatinga
vectorlayer.Youcanalsomodifycertaingeographicdatamaps,forexample,geoclimaticmaps,byaddingavectorlayerto
themandafterwardsaddingpolygons,linesandpoints.Forinformationonmodifyingcertaingeographicdatamapsbyadding
avectorlayer,see"EditingGeoclimaticMaps"onpage 135.
ToaddavectorlayertotheGeoexplorer:
ClicktheNewVectorLayerbutton( )ontheVectorEditortoolbar.
Atollcreatesafoldercalled"Vectors"intheGeoexplorer.
Forinformationonaddingvectorobjectssuchascontours,lines,andpointstothevectorlayer,see"CreatingPolygons,Lines,
andPoints"onpage 45.
1.4.13.2 CreatingPolygons,Lines,andPoints
Onceyouhavecreatedavectorlayer,asexplainedin"AddingaVectorLayer"onpage 45,youcanaddpolygons,lines,and
pointstoit.
Toaddapolygon,line,orpointtoavectorlayer:
1. RightclickthevectorlayerintheGeoexplorer.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.ThetoolsontheVectorEditortoolbarareavailable.
Youcanalsomakethevectortoolsavailablebyselectingthevectorlayertoeditfrom
theVectorEditortoolbarlist.BecauseAtollnamesallnewvectorlayers"Vectors"by
default,itmightbedifficulttoknowwhichVectorsfolderyouareselecting.Byrenaming
eachvectorsfolder,youcanensurethatyouselectthecorrectfolder.Forinformationon
renamingobjects,see"RenaminganObject"onpage 24.
IftheVectorEditortoolbarisnotvisible,selectView >Toolbars >VectorEditor.

3. ClickoneofthefollowingbuttonsontheVectorEditortoolbar:
45
NewPolygon:
a. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthecontour.
b. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthecontour.
c. Doubleclicktoclosethecontour.
NewRectangle:
a. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectangle.
b. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectangle.
c. Releasethemousetocreatetherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
Ifthepolygonorrectangleisonthevectorlayerofageoclimaticmap,,youmustdefinethe
valuethepolygonorrectanglerepresentsandmapthevectorlayer.Formoreinformation,
see"EditingGeoclimaticMaps"onpage 135.
NewLine:
a. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegintheline.
b. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheline.
c. Doubleclicktoendtheline.
NewPoint:Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttoplacethepoint.
4. PressESCtodeselectthecurrentlyselectedbuttonontheVectorEditortoolbar.
1.4.13.3 EditingtheShapeofPolygonsandLines
Youcanedittheshapeofpolygonsandlinesonthevectorlayer.
Toedittheshapeofpolygonsandlines:
1. Intheexplorer(theNetworkexplorerortheGeoexplorer)containingthevectorlayer,rightclickthevectorlayer
folder.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectDrawfromthecontextmenu.ThevectortoolsontheVectorEditortoolbarareactivated.
Youcanalsoactivatethevectortoolsbyselectingthevectorlayertoeditfromthe
VectorEditortoolbarlist.
3. Selectthecontourorline.Youcannoweditby:
Movingapoint:
ii. Dragthepointtoitsnewposition.Ifyouareeditingarectangle,theadjacentpointsontherectanglechange
positionaswell,inorderfortherectangletoretainitsshape.
Addingapointtoacontouroraline:
i. Positionthepointeroverthecontourborderorlinewhereyouwanttoaddapoint.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. RightclickandselectInsertPointfromthecontextmenu.Apointisaddedtothecontourborderorlineatthe
positionofthepointer.
Deletingapointfromacontouroraline:
1.4.13.4 CombiningorCroppingPolygonsUsingtheToolbar
InAtoll,youcancreatecomplexcontoursbyusingthetoolsontheVectorEditortoolbar.
46
ToeditavectorobjectusingtheiconsontheVectorEditortoolbar:
3. Clickthecontourtoedit.TheVectorEditortoolbarenablesyoutoperformthefollowingfunctions:
:Tocombineanexistingcontourwithanewone:
i. OntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheCombinebutton( ).
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthenewcontour.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthecontour.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethecontour.
v. Drawmorecontoursifdesired.Atollcreatesagroupofpolygonsoftheselectedandnewcontours.Ifcontours
overlap,Atollmergesthem.
:Tocombinetwoexistingcontours:
i. IntheVectorEditortoolbar,clicktheCombinebutton( ).
ii. Clickthecontourthatyouwanttocombinewiththeselectedone.Atollcombinesthetwoselectedcontours
intoasingleobject,mergingthemiftheyoverlap.
:Todrawaholeintheselectedcontour:
ii. Drawtheareayouwanttodeletefromtheselectedcontourbyclickingonceinthecontourwhereyouwant
tobegindrawingtheareatodelete.
iii. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthearea.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethearea.Atolldeletestheareafromtheselectedcontour.
:Todeleteanareaoftheselectedcontourthatisoverlappedbyanothercontour:
ii. Clickthecontour(whichoverlapstheselectedcontour)todeletetheoverlappingareafromthefirstselected
contour.Atolldeletestheareacoveredbythesecondcontourfromthefirstcontour.
:Tocreateacontouroutoftheoverlappingareaofanexistingcontourandanewone:
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthecontourthatwilloverlaptheselectedone.
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethecontour.Atollcreatesanewcontouroftheoverlappingareaofthetwocontoursand
deletesthepartsofthecontoursthatdonotoverlap.
:Tocreateacontouroutoftheoverlappingareaoftwoexistingcontours:
ii. Clickthecontour(whichoverlapstheselectedcontour)thatyouwanttointersectwiththefirstselectedcon
tour.Atollcreatesanewcontourfromtheareaofthetwocontoursthatoverlapsanddeletesthepartsofthe
contoursthatdonotoverlap.
:Tosplittheselectedcontourintotwocontours:
ii. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthecontourthatwillsplittheselectedcontour.
47
iv. Doubleclicktoclosethecontour.Atolldeletestheareadefinedbythenewlydrawncontourfromtheselected
contour,therebycreatingtwonewcontours.
:Tosplitoverlappingcontoursintothreecontours:
ii. Clickthecontour(whichoverlapstheselectedcontour)thatyouwanttousetocropthefirstselectedcontour.
Atollseparatestheoverlappingareafromthefirstselectedcontour,therebycreatingthreecontours:thefirst
contourminustheareaoverlappedbythesecond,thesecondcontour(whichremainsunchanged,andathird
contourcreatedfromtheareadeletedfromthefirstselectedcontour.
1.4.13.5 EditingaPoint
Toeditapoint:
3. Selectthepoint.Youcannoweditby:
Moving:
i. Clickthepointyouwanttomove.Thepointerchanges( ).
Deletingapoint:
i. Clickthepointyouwanttodelete.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. RightclickandselectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Thepointisdeleted.
1.4.13.6 EditingContours,Lines,andPointsUsingtheContextMenu
Whenyouareeditingcontours,lines,andpoints,youcanaccesscertaincommandsusingthecontextmenu.
Toeditavectorobjectusingthecontextmenu:
1. Clickthevectorobjectyouwanttoedit.
2. Rightclickthevectorobjecttodisplaythecontextmenuandselectoneofthefollowing:
Delete:SelectDeletetoremovetheselectedcontour,line,orpointfromthemap.
ConverttoLine:SelectConverttoLinetoconverttheselectedcontourtoaline.
ConverttoPolygon:SelectConverttoPolygontoconverttheselectedlinetoacontour.
OpenLine:SelectOpenLinetoremovethesegmentbetweenthelastandthefirstpoint.
CloseLine:SelectCloseLinetoaddasegmentbetweenthelastandthefirstpointoftheline.
InsertPoint:SelectInsertPointtoaddapointtotheborderofthecontouratthepositionofthepointer.
Move:
i. SelectMovefromthecontextmenutomovethecontour,line,orpointonthemap.
ii. Movethecontour,line,orpoint.
iii. Clicktoplacethecontour,line,orpoint.
Quitedition:SelectQuitEditiontoexiteditingmode.
Properties:SelectPropertiestoopenthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedcontour,line,orpoint.TheProper
tiesdialoguehastwotabs:
General:TheGeneraltabgivesthenameofthevectorLayer,theSurfaceoftheobject,andanyPropertiesof
thecontour,line,orpoint.
Geometry:Thistabgivesthecoordinatesofeachpointthatdefinesthepositionandshapeofthecontour,
line,orpoint.
48
Onlythecommandsrelevanttotheselectedcontour,line,orpointaredisplayedinthe
contextmenu.
1.4.14 CopyingtheContentofaZoneintoAnotherApplication
Youcancopythecontentofoneofthefollowingzonesofthemapwindowintoadocumentcreatedusinganotherapplication:
Filteringzone
Focuszone
Computationzone
Hotspot
Printingzone
Geographicalexportzone
Tocopythecontentofazoneintoadocumentcreatedusinganotherapplication:
1. Selectthezoneinthemapwindow,orexpandtheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorerandselectthezone.
Youcancopythecontentsofthezoneinthefollowingways:
SelectEdit >Copy(orpressCtrl+C)tocopyabitmapimageoftheselectedzone,or
a. SelectEdit >AdvancedCopy.TheAdvancedCopydialogueappears.
b. Selectoneofthefollowing:
Bitmapimage:SelectBitmapImagetocopythecontentsofthezoneasabitmapandthenselecteitherScreen
resolutionorCustomresolutionandenterthecustomresolutioninthetextbox.Thedefaultcustomresolu
tionis50 m.
MetafileImage:SelectMetafileImagetocopythecontentsofthezoneasaWindowsmetafile.
GeoreferenceCoordinates:SelectGeoreferenceCoordinatestocopythegeoreferencecoordinatestothe
clipboard.Theywillbepastedasthecoordinates.
2. OpentheapplicationintowhichyouwanttopastetheimageandselectEdit >Paste(orpressCtrl+V).Thezoneofthe
mapispastedasanimage(orasgeoreferencecoordinates)intothenewdocument.
1.4.15 MapWindowPointers
InAtoll,thepointerappearsindifferentformsaccordingtoitsfunction.Eachpointerisdescribedbelow:
Appearance Description Meaning

Thezoneselectionpointerindicatesthat,onthemap,youcandefineazonetoprint
Selectionarrow orcopyand,inthePanoramicwindow,youcandefinethezonetobedisplayedon
themap.Todefineazone,clickanddragdiagonally.
Thepolygondrawingpointerindicatesyoucandrawazonetofiltereithersitesor
links,drawcomputation/focus/filtering/printing/geographicexportzones,ordraw
Polygondrawing
vectororrasterpolygonsonthemap.Todrawapolygon,clickoncetostart,and
pointer
eachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthepolygon.
Closethepolygonbyclickingtwice.
Therectangledrawingpointerindicatesyoucandrawcomputation/focus/filtering/
Rectangledrawing
printing/geographicexportzones,ordrawvectororrasterrectanglesonthemap.
pointer
Todefineazone,clickanddragdiagonally.
Hand Thehandpointerindicatesyoucanmovethevisiblepartofthedisplayedmap.
Thezoompointerindicatesyoucanclicktozoominandrightclicktozoomoutat
Zoomtool
thelocationofthemousepointer
Thezoomareapointerindicatesyoucanzoominonanareaofthebyclickingand
Zoomarea
draggingtodefinethearea.
Thepencilpointerindicatesyoucancreateapolygonalclutterzone,byclickingonce
Pencil tostartthepolygon,oncetocreateeachcorner,andbydoubleclickingtoclosethe
polygon.
49
Appearance Description Meaning

Thedeletionpointerindicatesthatyoucandeleteanewlycreatedpolygonalclutter
Deletion
zonebyclickingitsborder.
Thepositionindicatorpointerindicatesyoucanselecttheborderofapolygon.
Positionindicator Rightclickingthepolygonborderopensacontextmenuallowingyoutoaddapoint,
deletethepolygon,orcentrethemaponthepolygon.
Theselect/createpointspointerindicatesyoucanmodifythepolygoninthemap
window.Youcanaddanewpointandmodifythepolygoncontourbyclickingonone
Select/create
oftheedgesanddragging.Youcanmoveanexistingpointbyclickinganddragging
points
anexistingpoint.Youcanrightclicktoopenacontextmenutodeleteapoint,
deletethepolygon,orcentrethemaponthepolygon.
Microwavelink Themicrowavelinkpointerindicatesyoucanclickapointonthemaptocreatethe
start firstpointofamicrowavelink.Onceyouhavecreatedthefirstpoint,themicrowave
End linkpointerchangesandthenextclickendsthelink.
Themultihopandmultipointpointerindicatesyoucanclickoncetocreatethefirst
Multihoporpoint pointofamultihoplinkorthehubofapointtomultipointlink.Inthecaseofa
tomultipoint multihoplink,eachsubsequentclickcreatesanotherpointinthelink.Inthecaseof
microwavelink apointtomultipoint,eachsubsequentlinkcreatesanewpoint,connectedtothe
hubbyalink.
Rotatehub
Therotatehubantennapointerindicatesyoucanclickthehubantennaanddragit
antennaofpoint
toanewpositiontochangetheazimuthofthehubantenna.
tomultipointlink
Themeasurementpointerindicatesyoucanclickonthemaptosetthestartpointof
Measurementson
yourmeasurement.Asyoumovethepointer,thedistancebetweenthefirstpoint
themap
andthepointerisdisplayedinthestatusbar.
Theterrainsectionpointerindicatesthatyoucancreateaterrainsectionbyclicking
onceonthemaptocreatethefirstpointandoncemoretocreatethesecondpoint.
Terrainsection
TheterrainprofilebetweenthetwopointsisdisplayedinthePointAnalysiswindow
andstoredunderTerrainSectionsintheGeoexplorer.
1.5 WorkingwithDataTables
Atollstoresobjectdata(sites,antennas,microwavelinks,etc.)intheformoftables,containingalltheirparametersandchar
acteristics.Thedatacontainedinpredictionreportsarealsostoredintheformoftables.
Youcanaddcolumnstothedatatableandyoucandeletecertaincolumns.Whenyoucreateanewcolumn,youcancreatea
defaultvalueforafieldyoucreate.Youcanalsocreatealistofchoices(fortextfields)fromwhichtheusercanchoosewhen
fillinginthefield.
Youcanfilter,sort,andgroupthedatacontainedinthesetables,andviewastatisticalanalysisofthedata.Youcanalsoexport
thedataorimportdataintotheAtolldatatables.Theoptionsforworkingwithdatatablesareavailablefromthecontext
menuorfromtheTabletoolbardisplayedabovethetable.
Atollallowsyoutonavigatethroughthedataintablesbyeitherusingtheverticalorhorizontalscrollbars,themousewheel,
orbymovingthroughthetablecellbycellusingthecursorkeysorthetabkey.
"OpeningaDataTable"onpage 51
"Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields"onpage 51
"EditingtheContentsofaTable"onpage 56
"OpeninganObjectsRecordPropertiesDialoguefromaTable"onpage 53
"DefiningtheTableFormat"onpage 53
"CopyingandPastinginTables"onpage 57
"ViewingaStatisticalAnalysisofTableContents"onpage 60
"ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpreadsheets"onpage 60
"ImportingTablesfromTextFiles"onpage 62
"ExportingTablestoXMLFiles"onpage 63
"ImportingTablesfromXMLFiles"onpage 63.
50
1.5.1 OpeningaDataTable
Toopenadatatable:
1. SelecttheNetworkorParametersexplorer.
2. Rightclickthedatafolderofwhichyouwanttodisplaythedatatable.
3. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.
1.5.2 Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields
Thedataforeachobjecttypeisstoredintheformofadatatable.EverydatatableinAtolliscreatedwithadefaultsetof
columns,eachcorrespondingtoafield.Inthissection,thefollowingfunctionsareexplained:
"AccessinganObjectTypesTableFields"onpage 51
"AddingaFieldtoanObjectTypesDataTable"onpage 52
"DeletingaFieldfromanObjectTypesDataTable"onpage 52
1.5.2.1 AccessinganObjectTypesTableFields
Thefieldscontainedinanobjecttypestablearedefinedinadialogue.
Toaccessanobjecttypestablefields:
1. IntheNetworkorParametersexplorer,openthedatatableasdescribedin"OpeningaDataTable"onpage 51.
2. Rightclickthetableinthemapwindow.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectTableFieldsfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappearswhereyoucanviewtheexistingfieldsandaddor
deletenewones.
Thedialoguedisplaysthefollowinginformationforeachtypeofdata(seeFigure 1.16):
Name:Thenameofthefieldinthedatabase.
Legend:Thenameofthefieldasitappearsintheuserinterface.
Legendsofsomefieldsmaybefollowedby:
"(NOTUSED)"indicatingthatthefieldisnotusedinthecurrentAtollrelease.The
correspondingcolumnishiddeninthedatatable.
"(OBSOLETE)"indicatingthatthefieldisobsoleteandwillberemovedinafuture
Atollrelease.Thecorrespondingcolumnisnotavailableinthedatatable.
Type:Thetypeofthefield.
Size:Themaximumsizeofthefield.
Default:Thedefaultvalueofthefield.
Group:Thegrouptowhichthefieldbelongs.WhenopeninganAtolldocumentfromadatabase,youcanselecta
groupofcustomfieldstobeloadedfromthedatabase,insteadofloadingallcustomfields.
Figure 1.16:TheTabletab
51
ItisalsopossibletosetdefaultvaluesandchoicelistsforstandardAtolldatabasefields.
Formoreinformation,seetheAdministratorManual.
1.5.2.2 AddingaFieldtoanObjectTypesDataTable
Youcanaddacustomfieldtoanyobjecttypesdatatable.
Toaddacustomfieldtoanobjecttypesdatatable:
1. Accesstheobjecttypestablefieldsasexplainedin"AccessinganObjectTypesTableFields"onpage 51.
2. ClickAdd.TheFieldDefinitiondialogueappears(seeFigure 1.17).
3. TheFieldDefinitiondialoguehasthefollowingtextboxes:
Name:EntertheNameforthefieldthatwillappearinthedatabase
Type:Selectatypeforthefield(text,shortinteger,longinteger,single,double,true/false,date/time,orcurrency)
Size:TheSizefieldisonlyavailableifyouhaveselected"text"astheType.Enterasizeincharacters.
Group:Ifdesired,youcandefineaGroupthatthiscustomfieldwillbelongto.WhenyouopenanAtolldocument
fromadatabase,youcanthenselectaspecificgroupofcustomfieldstobeloadedfromthedatabase,insteadof
loadingallcustomfields.
Legend:EnterthenameforthefieldthatwillappearintheAtolluserinterface.
Readonly:SelecttheReadonlycheckboxifyouwantthecustomfieldtobenonmodifiableintheuserinterface.
Defaultvalue:Ifyouwant,enteradefaultvaluethatwillappeareachtimeyoucreateanewrecordofthisobject
type.
Choicelist:TheChoicelistfieldisonlyavailableifyouhaveselected"text"astheType.Youcancreateachoice
listbyenteringthelistitemsintheChoicelisttextboxandpressingENTERaftereachlistitem,keepingeachchoice
onaseparateline.
SelecttheRestrictedcheckboxifyouwantthecustomfieldtoonlyacceptvalueslistedintheChoicelisttextbox.
CleartheRestrictedcheckboxifyouwanttoallowuserstoentervaluesotherthanthoseinthechoicelist.
4. ClickOKtoreturntotheobjecttypetable.
Userorcustomfieldsareforinformationonlyandarenottakenintoaccountinanycalcu
lation.YoucanfindthesefieldsontheOtherPropertiestabofanobjecttypesProperties
dialogue.
Figure 1.17:TheFieldDefinitiondialogue
1.5.2.3 DeletingaFieldfromanObjectTypesDataTable
Youcandeletecustomfieldsfromanobjecttypesdatatable.Customfieldsarethefieldsthattheuseraddstoanobject
typesdatatable,asexplainedin"AddingaFieldtoanObjectTypesDataTable"onpage 52.
Todeleteacustomfieldfromanobjecttypesdatatable:
52
Alldatastoredinthefieldwillbelostwhenyoudeletethefielditself.Makesurethatyou
arenotdeletingimportantinformation.
1. Accesstheobjecttypestablefieldsasexplainedin"AccessinganObjectTypesTableFields"onpage 51.
2. Selectthecustomfieldthatyouwanttodelete.
Somefieldscannotbedeleted.IfyouselectafieldandtheDeletebuttonremains
unavailable,theselectedfieldisnotacustomfieldandcannotbedeleted.
3. ClickDelete.Thefieldisdeletedfromtheobjecttypesdatatable.
1.5.3 OpeninganObjectsRecordPropertiesDialoguefromaTable
YoucanopentheRecordPropertiesdialogueofanobject,forexample,asite,antenna,transmitter,orcell,fromitsdatatable.
ToopentheRecordPropertiesdialogueofanobject:
1. Openthedatatableasexplainedin"OpeningaDataTable"onpage 51.
2. Rightclicktherecordwhosepropertiesyouwanttosee.
3. SelectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
YoucanalsoopentheRecordPropertiesdialoguebydoubleclickingtherecord.Toavoid
editingtherecordwhenyoudoubleclick,doubleclicktheleftmarginoftherecordinstead
oftherecorditself.YoucanalsoselecttherecordandclicktheRecordPropertiesbutton
( )intheTabletoolbar.
1.5.4 DefiningtheTableFormat
Atollletsyouformatthedatatablessothatthedatapresentedismorelegibleorbetterpresented.Youcanchangetheformat
ofthedatatableby:
"FormattingtheColumnHeaders"onpage 53
"FormattingTableCells"onpage 54
"ChangingColumnWidthorRowHeight"onpage 54
"DisplayingorHidingaColumn"onpage 55
"FreezingorUnfreezingaColumn"onpage 55
"MovingColumns"onpage 56
FormattingtheColumnHeaders
Todefinetheformatofthecolumnheaders:
2. Rightclickthetable.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectFormat>HeaderFormatfromthecontextmenu.TheFormatdialogueappears.
4. TheFormatdialoguehasthefollowingtabs:
Font:YoucanselecttheFont,Outline(thefontstyle),fontSize,Effects,andTextcolour.
Colour:YoucanselectthecolourofthecolumnheadersbyselectingaForegroundcolour,aBackgroundcolour,
andapatternfromthelistbox.Youcanalsoselecta3DEffectfortheheader.
Borders:YoucanselecttheBorder,theType,andtheColourforeachcolumnheader.
Alignment:YoucanselectboththeHorizontalandVerticalalignmentofthecolumnheadertext.TheAlignment
tabhasadditionaloptionsaswell,allowingyoutoenableWraptext,Autosize,andAllowenter.
5. ClickOK.
53
FormattingTableCells
Todefinetheformatofthetablecells:
3. SelectFormat>CellFormatfromthecontextmenu.TheFormatdialogueappears.
4. TheFormatdialoguehasthefollowingtabs:
Font:YoucanselecttheFont,Outline(thefontstyle),fontSize,Effects,andTextColour.
Colour:Youcanselectthebackgroundcolour(Interior)ofthecolumnheaders,byselectingaForegroundcolour,
aBackgroundcolour,andapatternfromthelistbox.Youcanalsoselecta3DEffectfortheheader.
Borders:YoucanselecttheBorder,theType,andtheColourforeachcolumnheader.
Alignment:YoucanselectboththeHorizontalandVerticalalignmentofthecolumnheadertext.TheAlignment
tabhasadditionaloptionsaswell,allowingyoutoenableWraptext,Autosize,andAllowenter.
5. ClickOK.
ChangingColumnWidthorRowHeight
Youcanchangethecolumnwidthandrowheightinadatatable.Whenyouchangethecolumnwidth,youchangethewidth
onlyfortheselectedcolumn.Whenyouchangetherowheight,however,youchangetherowheightforeveryrowinthe
table.
Tochangethecolumnwidth:
2. Clicktheborderseparatingtwocolumnheadersanddragtochangethecolumnwidth(seeFigure 1.18).
Tochangetherowheight:
2. Clicktheborderseparatingtworowsanddragtochangetherowheight(seeFigure 1.19).
Thewidthorheightofthecolumnsorrowschangeonceyoureleasethemouse.
Figure 1.18:Changingcolumnwidth
Figure 1.19:Changingrowheight
54
DisplayingorHidingaColumn
Youcanchoosewhichcolumnsindatatablestodisplayorhide.
Todisplayorhideacolumn:
3. SelectDisplayColumnsfromthecontextmenuorclicktheDisplayColumnsbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.The
ColumnstoBeDisplayeddialogueappears(seeFigure 1.20).
4. Todisplayacolumn,selectitscheckbox.
5. Tohideacolumn,clearitscheckbox.
YoucanalsohideacolumnbyrightclickingonitsheaderandselectingHideColumns
fromthecontextmenuorbyclickingtheHideColumnsbutton( )intheTable
toolbar.YoucanhidemorethanonecolumnbypressingCTRLwhileselectingthe
columnsandthenclickingtheHideColumnsbutton( ).
6. ClickClose.
Figure 1.20:TheColumnstoBeDisplayeddialogue
FreezingorUnfreezingaColumn
InAtoll,youcanfreezeoneormorecolumnsofadatatablesothattheyalwaysremainvisibleasyouscrollhorizontally
throughthetable.Forexample,whilescrollingthroughtheSitestable,youmightwanttohavetheNamecolumnalwaysvisi
ble.Youcankeepthiscolumn,oranyothercolumnvisible,byfreezingit.
Tofreezeacolumn:
2. Selecttheheaderofthecolumnyouwanttofreeze.Clickanddragoverseveralheaderstoselectmorethanone
columntofreeze.
Youcanonlyfreezeadjacentcolumns.
3. RightclicktheselectedheaderorheadersandselectFreezeColumnsfromthecontextmenuorclicktheFreezeCol
umnsbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.Frozencolumnsaregroupedtotheleftofthetableandseparatedfromother
columnswithaverticalredline.
Youcannotfreezeacolumninareporttable.
55
Tounfreezecolumns:
RightclickthetableandselectUnfreezeAllColumnsfromthecontextmenuorclicktheUnfreezeAllColumnsbutton
( )intheTabletoolbar.
MovingColumns
InAtoll,youcanchangethecolumnordersothatyoucangroupsimilarcolumnsorpresentdatainadeterminedorder.
Tomoveacolumn:
2. Selectthe headerofthe column youwanttomove.Click anddragoverseveralheadersto selectmorethan one
columntomove.
Youcanonlymoveseveralcolumnsatthesametimewhentheyareadjacent.
3. Clickagainontheselectedcolumnanddragtothedesiredarea.Asyoudragthecolumn,thepositionthecolumnwill
occupyisindicatedbyaredline(seeFigure 1.21).
Figure 1.21:Movingcolumns
4. Releasethemousecolumntoplacethecolumn.
ItmightbenecessarytoclickRefresh intheMaptoolbarforyourchangestoappear.
1.5.5 EditingtheContentsofaTable
YoucaneditthecontentofatableinAtollinseveraldifferentways:
"EditingTableEntriesDirectlyintheTable"onpage 56
"CopyingandPastinginTables"onpage 57
"SearchingforandReplacingTextEntriesinTables"onpage 59.
1.5.5.1 EditingTableEntriesDirectlyintheTable
Toedittableentriesdirectlyinthetable:
1. ClicktheNetworkorParametersexplorer.
2. Rightclickthedatafolderofwhichyouwanttodisplaythedatatable.
3. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.
4. Editthecontentofthetablebyenteringthevaluedirectlyinthefield(seeFigure 1.22).
5. Clickelsewhereinthetablewhenyouhavefinishedupdatingthetable.Yourchangesareautomaticallysaved.
Ifalistofoptionshasbeendefinedforafield,youcanselectavaluefromthelist(see
Figure 1.23)orenteranewvalue.
56
Figure 1.22:Editingdatainthetransmittersdatatables
Figure 1.23:Choosingdatainthetransmittersdatatables
1.5.5.2 CopyingandPastinginTables
InAtoll,youcancopyandpastedataintablesusingtheCopy(CTRL+C),Cut(CTRL+X),andPaste(CTRL+V)commandsonthe
Editmenu.Youcancopyandpastedatatocreatenewelementsoryoucancopyandpastethesamedataintoseveralcells.
Inthissection,thefollowingisexplained:
"CopyingandPastingaTableElement"onpage 57
"PastingtheSameDataintoSeveralCells"onpage 58.
1.5.5.2.1 CopyingandPastingaTableElement
Youcancreateanewelementintablesbycopyinganexistingelement,pastingitintoanewrowandeditingthedetailsthat
aredifferent.
EachelementinatablemusthaveauniqueName.
Tocreateanewelementbycopyingandpasting:
2. Clickintheleftmarginofthetablerowcontainingtheelementtoselecttheentirerow.
3. SelectEdit >Copytocopythetablerow.
4. ClickintheleftmarginofthetablerowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( )toselecttheentirerow.
5. SelectEdit >Pastetopastethecopieddataintothenewrow.Atoll,createsanewelementfromthecopieddata.The
nameofthenewelementisthesameasthatofthecopiedelement,precededby"Copyof."Youcaneditthisname.
57
1.5.5.2.2 PastingtheSameDataintoSeveralCells
Youcanpastethesamedataintoseveralcells,usingFillUporFillDown.
Topastethesamedataintoseveralcells:
2. Clickonthecellwiththedatayouwanttocopyanddragtoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata(see
Figure 1.24).
Figure 1.24:Selectingthecells
3. Copyintotheselectedcells:
Tocopythecontentsofthetopcelloftheselectionintotheothercells,rightclicktheselectionandselectEdit >
FillDownfromthecontextmenuorclicktheFillDownbutton( )intheTabletoolbar(seeFigure 1.25).
Figure 1.25:Copyingthecontentsofthetopcell
Tocopythecontentsofthebottomcelloftheselectionintotheothercells,rightclicktheselectionandselect
Edit >FillUpfromthecontextmenuorclicktheFillUpbutton( )intheTabletoolbar(seeFigure 1.26).
58
Figure 1.26:Copyingthecontentsofthebottomcell
1.5.5.3 SearchingforandReplacingTextEntriesinTables
InAtoll,youcansearchforandreplacetextstringsinthetableentries:
"SearchingforTextEntriesinTables"onpage 59
"ReplacingTextEntriesinTables"onpage 59
1.5.5.3.1 SearchingforTextEntriesinTables
InAtoll,youcansearchfortextstringsinthetableentries.
Tosearchfortextstringsinatable:
1. PressCTRL+SHIFT+F.TheFinddialogueappears.
YoucanalsoclicktheFindbutton( )inthetabletoolbar.
2. IntheFindbutton,definewhatyouwanttofind:
a. EnterthetextyouwanttofindintheFindwhatbox.
b. SelectwhetheryouwanttosearchUporDownfromyourcurrentpositioninthetable.
c. Ifdesired,selecttheMatchcasecheckbox.
3. ClickFindNext.
1.5.5.3.2 ReplacingTextEntriesinTables
InAtoll,youcansearchforandreplacetextstringsinthetableentries.
Tosearchforandreplacetextstringsinatable:
1. PressCTRL+SHIFT+R.TheReplacedialogueappears.
YoucanalsoclicktheReplacebutton( )inthetabletoolbar.
2. IntheReplacebutton,definethetextyouwanttofindandreplace:
a. EnterthetextyouwanttofindintheFindwhatbox.
b. EnterthetextyouwanttoreplacethetextintheFindwhatboxintheReplacewithbox.
c. Ifdesired,selecttheMatchcasecheckbox.
3. ClickFindNext.AtollproceedstothenextentryofthetextenteredintheFindwhatbox.
Youcanreplacethetextfound:
Replace:AtollreplacestheselectedtextwiththeentryintheReplacewithbox.
ReplaceAll:AtollreplacesalloccurrencesofthetextintheFindwhatboxwiththeentryintheReplacewithbox.
59
1.5.6 ViewingaStatisticalAnalysisofTableContents
Youcanviewastatisticalanalysisofthecontentsofanentirecolumninatableorofthecontentsofaselectionofcells.
Toviewastatisticalanalysisoftablecontents:
2. Selectthecolumndatayouwanttoanalyse:
Toviewastatisticalanalysisofanentirecolumn:
Clickthecolumntitle.Theentirecolumnisselected.
Toviewastatisticalanalysisofaselectionofcellsinonecolumn:
Selectthecellsyouwanttoanalyse.Youcanselectcontiguouscellsbyclickingthefirstcellanddraggingtothe
lastcelloftheselectionyouwanttoanalyse,orbyclickingthefirstcell,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastcell.
YoucanselectnoncontiguouscellsbypressingCTRLandclickingeachcellinthecolumnseparately.
InAtollyoucanorganisedatainseveraldifferentways,allowingyoutoselectonly
certaindata.Formoreinformation,see"Grouping,Sorting,andFilteringData"on
page 69.
3. Rightclicktheselectionofcells.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectStatisticsfromthecontextmenu.TheStatisticsdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.27).
Figure 1.27:TheStatisticsdialogue
Thestatisticsdisplayeddependonthetypeofnumericaldataselected.IfyouleavetheStatisticsdialogueopen,you
canviewthestatisticalanalysisofothercellsbyselectingtheminthetable.ThecontentsoftheStatisticsdialogueare
updatedautomatically.
1.5.7 ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpreadsheets
YoucanexportentireAtolldatatables,orselectedcolumns,toASCIItextfiles(intextandcommaseparatedvalueformats),
MSExcelfiles(XLS),andXMLSpreadsheet2003files(XML).YoucanopenXMLSpreadsheet2003filesinMSExcel2003and
later.UnlikeXLSfiles,XMLSpreadsheetfilesarenotlimitedto65,536rowsand256columns.
Toexportatable:
3. SelectExportfromthecontextmenu.TheExportdialogueappears.Youcanseehowtheexportedtablewillappear
inthePreviewpane(seeFigure 1.28).
60
Figure 1.28:Exportingadatatable
4. SelecttheHeadercheckboxifyouwanttoexportthenamesofthecolumnswiththedata.
5. SelectaDecimalSymbolfromthelist.
6. SelectaFieldSeparatorfromthelist.
7. Selectthefields(displayedascolumnsinthetable)youwanttoexport.Youcandisplayallthefieldsbelongingtoa
tablebyclickingtheExpandbutton( )totheleftofthetablename.Youcanselectcontiguousfieldsbyclickingthe
firstfield,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfield.YoucanselectnoncontiguousfieldsbypressingCTRLandclicking
eachfieldseparately.
a. Toselectafieldtobeexported,selectthefieldintheAvailableFieldsboxandclick tomoveittotheEx
portedFieldslist.AllfieldsintheExportedFieldslistwillbeexported.
b. ToremoveafieldfromthelistofExportedFields,selectthefieldintheExportedFieldslistandclick tore
moveit.
c. Tochangetheorderofthefields,selectafieldandclick or tomoveitupordowninthelist.Thefieldsatthe
topoftheExportedFieldsappearattheleftoftheexportedtable.
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheExportdialogueasaconfigurationfileby
clickingtheSavebuttonatthetopofthedialogueandenteringanameforthefileinthe
SaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttimeyouexportadatatable,youcanclickLoad
intheExportdialoguetoopenyourconfigurationfilewiththesamesettingsyouusedthis
time.
8. ClickExport.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
9. IntheSaveAsdialogue,entertheFilenameandselecttheformatfromtheSaveastypelist.
10. ClickSavetoexportthetable.
YoucanexporttheSites,Links,MultiHops,andPointtoMultipointtablestotextfilesbyselectingthefolderorviewinthe
NetworkexplorerandpressingCTRL+E.
Forinformationonimportingdataintoadatatable,see"ImportingTablesfromTextFiles"onpage 62.
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1.5.8 ImportingTablesfromTextFiles
YoucanimportdataintheformofASCIItextfiles(inTXTandCSVformats)intoAtolldatatables.
Toimportatable:
3. SelectImportfromthecontextmenu.TheOpendialogueappears.
4. SelecttheASCIItextfileyouwanttoopenandclickOpen.TheImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.29).
Figure 1.29:Importinginformationintoadatatable
5. IfthefilewascreatedusingadifferentCoordinatesystem,clicktheBrowsebutton( )toselectthecoordinate
system the file was created with. Atoll will convert the coordinates in the imported file to match the coordinate
systemusedintheAtolldocument.
6. Enterthenumberofthefirstlineofdatainthe1stDataLinebox.
7. SelectaDecimalSymbolfromthelist.
8. SelectaFieldSeparatorfromthelist.
9. SelecttheUpdateRecordscheckboxifyouwanttoreplacethedataofrecordsalreadyexistinginthetable.
Atollcomparesthevaluesintheleftmostcolumnofthedatatobeimportedwiththe
valuesinthesamecolumnofthedatatabletoseeifrecordsalreadyexist.Thevaluesof
theserecordsarereplacedwhentheUpdateRecordscheckboxisselected.IftheUpdate
Recordscheckboxisnotselected,theserecordsarenotimported.
10. UnderFieldMapping,therearetwoheaderrows:
Source:Thecolumnheadersfromthetextfileyouareimporting.
Destination:ThecolumnheadersfromtheAtolldatatable.
AlignthecontentofthesourcefilewiththecontentofthedestinationfilebyclickingthecolumnheaderintheDesti
nationrowand selectingthecorrespondingcolumnfromtheAtolldatafile (seeFigure 1.29).Select <Ignore> for
sourcefilecolumnsthatyoudonotwanttoimport.
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Youcanchangethewidthofthecolumnstomakethecontentseasiertoworkwith.See
"ChangingColumnWidthorRowHeight"onpage 54.
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheImportdialogueasaconfigurationfileby
clickingtheSavebuttonatthetopofthedialogueandenteringanameforthefileinthe
SaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttimeyouexportadatatable,youcanclickLoad
intheImportdialoguetoopenyourconfigurationfilewiththesamesettingsyouusedthis
time.
11. ClickImport.ThecontentsareimportedinthecurrentAtolldatatable.
YoucanimportdatafromtextfilesintotheSites,Links,MultiHops,andPointtoMultipointtablesbyselectingthefolderor
viewintheNetworkexplorerandpressingCTRL+I.
Forinformationonexportingtheinformationinadatatableintoatextfile,see"ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpread
sheets"onpage 60.
1.5.9 ExportingTablestoXMLFiles
YoucanexportthedatatablesinyourAtolldocumenttoXMLfiles.YoucanuseXMLtoexchangeinformationbetweenAtoll
andtheOMC.
AtollcreatesoneXMLfileforeachexporteddatatable,andanindex.xmlfilethatcontainsthemappingbetweenthetables
thatwereexportedandtheXMLfilescorrespondingtoeachdatatable.Theindex.xmlfilealsostorestheinformationonthe
system,thetechnology,andtheversionofAtollwithwhichtheXMLfileswerecreated.Formoreinformationaboutthe
formatsoftheXMLfiles,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
ToexportallthedatatablesinyourdocumenttoXMLfiles:
1. SelectDocument >DataExchange >XMLExport.TheBrowseforFolderdialogueappears.
2. SelectthefolderwheretheXMLfilesaretobestored.ClicktheMakeNewFolderbuttonifyouwanttocreateanew
foldertostoretheXMLfiles.
3. ClickOK.AllthedatatablesinthedocumentareexportedtoXMLfiles.
ForinformationonimportingthedatatablesfromXMLfilesintoyourdocument,see"ImportingTablesfromXMLFiles"on
page 63.
1.5.10 ImportingTablesfromXMLFiles
YoucanimportdatatablesintoyourAtolldocumentfromXMLfiles.YoucanuseXMLtoexchangeinformationbetweenAtoll
andtheOMC.
InorderforAtolltobeabletocorrectlyimportthedatatablesfromXMLfiles,theXMLfilesandthecurrentAtolldocument
mustusethesamesystem,thetechnology,andtheAtollversionusedtocreatetheXMLfilesmustbethesameastheversion
usedtoimportthedata.FormoreinformationabouttheformatsoftheXMLfiles,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
ToimportdatatablesintoyourdocumentfromXMLfiles:
1. SelectDocument >DataExchange >XMLImport.TheBrowseforFolderdialogueappears.
2. Selectthefolderwheretheindex.xmlfileislocated.
3. ClickOK.ThedatatablesfromtheXMLfileslistedintheindex.xmlfileareimportedinthedocument.
Tablesareimportedinthesameordertheyappearintheindex.xmlfile.Donotmodifythe
orderoftablesintheindex.xmlfilebecausetheorderinwhichthedataisimportedisvery
important;somedatamustbeimportedbeforeotherdata.Forexample,antennasusedby
transmittersmustbeimportedbeforethetransmittersthemselves.
Whenthedatatablesareimported:
DatathatexistbothinthetablesandintheXMLfilesareoverwrittenbythedatafromtheXMLfiles.
DatathatexistonlyinthetablesandnotintheXMLfilesarenotdeletedfromthetables.
DatathatonlyexistintheXMLfilesandnotinthetablesareimportedfromtheXMLfilesasnewrecordsinthetables.
Oncetheimportiscomplete,Atollperformsadatabaseintegritycheckandaduplicaterecordschecktoensurethatthe
importdidnotcreatedatabaseproblems.
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ForinformationonexportingthedatatablesinyourdocumenttoXMLfiles,see"ExportingTablestoXMLFiles"onpage 63.
1.6 PrintinginAtoll
InAtoll,youcanprintanypartofyourdocument,includingmaps,datatables,documentreports,andantennapatterns.When
printingamap,Atollenablesyoutodefinetheareatobeprinted.Additionally,youcandefinethelayout,forexample,you
canaddalogoorgraphicelement,oralegend.
"PrintingDataTablesandReports"onpage 64
"PrintingaMap"onpage 64
"PrintingaDockingWindow"onpage 68
"PrintingAntennaPatterns"onpage 68.
1.6.1 PrintingDataTablesandReports
DatatablesandreportsarebothpresentedintabularformatinAtollandcan,therefore,beprintedinthesameway.
Ifyouwanttoseehowthetablewillappearonceprinted,see"PreviewingYourPrinting"onpage 68.
Toprintatable:
2. Ifyouwanttoprintanareaofthetable,selectitbyclickinginonecorneroftheareaanddraggingdiagonallytothe
oppositecorner.
3. SelectFile >Print.
4. Ifyouwanttoprintonlyaselectedarea,chooseSelectedinthePrintdialogue.
5. ClickOKtoprint.
1.6.2 PrintingaMap
YoucanprintamapinAtollandcreateapapercopyofcoveragepredictions,etc.Atolloffersseveraloptionsallowingyouto
customiseandoptimisetheprintedmap.Atollsupportsprintingtoavarietyofpapersizes,includingA4andA0.
Beforeyouprintamap,youhavethefollowingoptions:
Youcandefineanareaofthemaptobeprintedinoneofthefollowingways:
Byselectingtheprintarea(see"DefiningthePrintingZone"onpage 65).
Bycreatingafocuszone(see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40)andthenoptingtoprintonlythecontentsofthefocus
zone(see"DefiningthePrintLayout"onpage 66).
Youcanacceptthedefaultlayoutoryoucanmodifytheprintlayout(see"DefiningthePrintLayout"onpage 66).
Youcanseehowthemapwillappearonceprinted(see"PreviewingYourPrinting"onpage 68).
Printinggraphicsisamemoryintensiveoperationandcanmakeheavydemandsonyour
printer.Beforeprintingforthefirsttime,youshouldreviewthe"Printing
Recommendations"onpage 64toavoidanymemoryrelatedproblems.
Toprintamap:
1. Selectthedocumentwindowcontainingthemap.
2. Younowhavethefollowingoptionsbeforeprintingthemap:
Youcandefineanareaofthemaptoprintwithaprintingzone(see"DefiningthePrintingZone"onpage 65)or
withafocuszone(see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40).
Youcanmodifytheprintlayout("DefiningthePrintLayout"onpage 66).
Youcanseehowthemapwillappearonceprinted(see"PreviewingYourPrinting"onpage 68).
3. SelectFile >Print.
4. ClickOK.
1.6.2.1 PrintingRecommendations
Theappearanceofthemapisdeterminedbythearrangementandpropertiesoftheobjectsthemapcontains.ObjectsinAtoll
arearrangedinlayers.Thelayersonthetop(asarrangedontheNetworkandGeotabs)arethemostvisibleonthescreen
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andinprint.Thevisibilityofthelowerlayersdependsonwhichlayersareaboveitandonthetransparencyoftheselayers
(forinformationontransparency,see"DefiningtheTransparencyofObjectsandObjectTypes"onpage 30).
Beforeprintingamap,itisrecommendedtoorganisethelayersfromtoptobottomasfollows,whenadocumentcontains
surfacelayers(rastermapsorpolygonalvectormaps),lines(vectorssuchasroads,orairport),andpoints(measurements,
etc.):
Points(vectors)
RoadsandLines(vectors)
Surfacepolygons(vectors)
Multiformatmapsgeoclimatic,trafficmaps(vectororraster),andothers
Clutterclassmaps(transparentrastermaps)
Images,DTM,orclutterheightmaps(nontransparentmaps).
Sitesandtransmittersmustbeabovealltheotherlayers.Forthisreason,visibleobjectsintheNetworkexplorer,forexample,
sites,transmitters,andpredictions,aredisplayedaboveobjectsintheGeoexplorer.Forperformancereasons,however,itis
stronglyrecommendedtoputvectorlayers,suchasroads,overpredictions.Thiswillensurethatthesevectorlayersarevisible
whenyouprintthemap.
ToputvectorlayersintheGeoexploreroverpredictions:
2. RightclickthevectorlayeryouwanttomovetotheNetworkexplorer.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectMovetoNetworkfromthecontextmenu.
4. SelecttheNetworkexplorer.
5. DragthevectorlayertoapositionabovePredictionsbutbelowSites,Antennas,andTransmitters.
1.6.2.2 DefiningthePrintingZone
Youcandefinetheareaofthemaptobeprintedbycreatingaprintingzone.
Tocreateaprintingzone:
3. RightclickthePrintingZonefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
DrawPolygon
DrawRectangle
i. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinetheprintingzone.
ii. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectanglethatwilldefinetheprintingzone.Whenyoureleasethemouse,
theprintingzonewillbecreatedfromtherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
Theprintingzoneisdelimitedbyalightgreenline(seeFigure 1.30).Ifyoucleartheprintingzonesvisibilitycheckbox
intheZonesfolderintheGeoexplorer,itwillnolongerbedisplayedbutwillstillbetakenintoaccount.
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Figure 1.30:Printingzone
Youcanalsocreateaprintingzoneasfollows:

Editortoolbartodrawtheprintingzone.
Existingpolygon:YoucanuseanyexistingpolygonasaprintingzonebyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeo
explorerandselectingUseAs >PrintingZonefromthecontextmenu.Youcanalsocombineanexistingprintingzone
withanyexistingpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemaporintheGeoexplorerandselectingAddTo >PrintingZone
fromthecontextmenu.The"effective"resultingprintingzonewillbetherectangleencompassingtheseveralpoly
gonscomposingtheprintingzone.
Importingapolygon:Ifyouhaveafilewithanexistingpolygon,youcanimportitanduseitasaprintingzone.You
canimportitbyrightclickingthePrintingZonefolderintheGeoexplorerandselectingImportfromthecontext
menu.
FitZonetoMapWindow:YoucancreateaprintingzonethesizeofthemapwindowbyrightclickingthePrinting
ZonefolderandselectingFitZonetoMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Onceyouhavecreatedaprintingzone,youcanchangeitssizebydraggingtheedgesofthezonedisplayedontherulersof
themapwindow.YoucanalsouseAtollspolygoneditingtoolstoedittheprintingzone.Formoreinformationonthepolygon
editingtools,see"UsingPolygonZoneEditingTools"onpage 41.
Youcansavetheprintingzone,sothatyoucanuseitinadifferentAtolldocument,inthe
followingways:
Savingtheprintingzoneintheuserconfiguration:Forinformationonsavingthe
printingzoneinauserconfiguration,see"SavingaUserConfiguration"onpage 79.
Exportingtheprintingzone:Youcanexportthegeographicexportzonebyright
clickingthePrintingZoneintheGeoexplorerandselectingExportfromthecon
textmenu.
1.6.2.3 DefiningthePrintLayout
YoucanusethePrintSetupdialoguetodefinehowyourmapwillappearwhenyouprintit.OnthePrintSetupdialogue,you
can:
Setthescaleofthemap.
Choosetoprinttherulerswiththemap.
Choosetoprinttheareaoutsidethefocuszone.
Choosetoprintthelegend.
Addatitle,comment,logo,header,orfooter.
Selectpapersizeandsource,aswellasthepageorientationandthemargins.
Thesesettingscanbesavedasaconfiguration,allowingyoutodefineastandardappearancewhichyoucanthenloadand
usethenexttimeyouprintasimilardocument.
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Todefinetheappearanceofthemapwhenitisprinted:
1. SelectFile >PrintSetup.ThePrintSetupdialogueappears.YoudefinetheprintsetuponthePagetab,theCompo
nentstab,andtheHeader/Footertab.Youcanseeanychangesyoumakeintheschematicpreviewontherightside
ofthePrintSetupdialogue.
Ifyouhavepreviouslydefinedaconfigurationfilecontainingallthenecessarysettings,you
canclicktheLoadbuttonunderConfigurationfiletoimportthosesettings.
2. ClickthePagetab.OnthePagetab,youcandefinethepagesize,margins,andorientationandthescaleoftheprinted
map:
a. UnderOrientation,selectwhetherthepageshouldbeprintedinPortraitorLandscape.
b. UnderPaper,selecttheSizeofthepaperand,optionally,theSourceofthepaper.
c. UnderScaling,definethescaleoftheprintedimageeitherbyselectingFittopage,orbyselectingScaleandde
finingthescale.
d. UnderMargins,setthemarginsofthepageinmillimetres.
3. ClicktheComponentstab.
a. UnderMap,youcandefinetheappearanceoftheprintedmap:
SelecttheRulerscheckboxifyouwanttoprintthemapwithascalearoundit.
SelecttheAreainsidefocuszoneonlycheckboxifyouonlywanttoprintthepartofthemapinsidethefocus
zone.
b. UnderLegend,youcandefinetheplacementofthelegend.
SelecttheLegendcheckboxifyouwanttoprintalegendwiththemap.
Click a button to set the Position of the legend. The buttons

insidethesquarewillplacethelegendontopofthemap.The
buttonsoutsideofthesquarewillplacethelegendoutsideofthe
map.
ClicktheFontbuttontoopentheFontdialoguetodefinethefontofthelegend.
c. SelecttheCommentscheckboxifyouwanttoprintacommentwiththemapandsetitsPosition.Clickingthe
Propertiesbuttonopensadialoguewhereyoucanentertextandsetvariablessuchasthecurrenttimeanddate.
Ifyouwantthecommenttoappearonthemap(andnotoutsideofit),selecttheOnthemapcheckbox.
4. ClicktheHeader/Footertab.OntheHeader/Footertab,youcansetthepositionofgraphicelements.
a. SelecttheMaptitlecheckboxifyouwanttodefineatitleforthemapandsetitsPosition.ClickingtheProperties
buttonopensadialoguewhereyoucanentertextandsetvariablessuchasthecurrenttimeanddate.Ifyouwant
thetitletoappearonthemap(andnotoutsideofit),selecttheOnthemapcheckbox.
b. UnderLogo 1andLogo 2,youcandefinegraphicsthatappearforthemap.Thegraphicscanbeacompanylogo
orotherinformation,suchascopyrightinformation,intheformofaBMPgraphic.
i. Fortheselectedlogocheckbox,clickthePropertiesbutton.TheLogodialogueappears.
Bydefault,AtollsearchesforthelogofilesintheAtollsinstallationfolder.Ifafilenamedlogo.bmpispresent
inthisfolder,itisconsideredasthedefaultheaderlogo.However,youcanselectadifferentfile.
ii. IntheLogodialogue,clickFile.TheOpendialogueappears.
iii. SelecttheyourgraphicinBMPformatandclickOpen.
OnlyBMPgraphicscanbeusedaslogos.Ifyourlogoisinadifferentformat,youmustfirst
convertitusingagraphicsprogrammetotheBMPformat.
iv. SelectthecorrectWidthandHeight(inpixels).
v. ClickOK.
67
c. SelecttheHeader/FooterNotecheckboxifyouwanttodefineaheaderorfooterforthemapandsetitsPosition.
ClickingthePropertiesbuttonopensadialoguewhereyoucanentertextandsetvariablessuchasthecurrent
timeanddate.Ifyouwanttheheaderorfootertoappearonthemap(andnotoutsideofit),selecttheOnthe
mapcheckbox.
5. Onceyouhavemadeyoursettings,clickOKtoclosethePrintSetupdialogue,orclickPrinttoprintthedocument.
YoucansavethecurrentsettingsasaconfigurationfilebyclickingtheSavebuttonunder
Configurationfile.Thisenablesyoutoreusethesamesettingsthenexttimebyloading
them.
1.6.3 PreviewingYourPrinting
Whenyouwanttoprintmaps,datatables,orreports,youcanpreviewyourprinting.
Topreviewyourprinting:
1. Selectthemaportableyouwanttoprint.
2. SelectFile >PrintPreview.ThePrintPreviewwindowappears.
AtthetopofthePrintPreviewwindow,youcanclickoneofthefollowingbuttons:
ClickthePrintbutton( )toopenthePrintdialogue.
ClicktheNextPagebutton( )todisplaythefollowingpage
ClickthePreviousPagebutton( )todisplaythepreviouspage.
ClicktheZoomInbutton( )tozoominontheprintpreview.
ClicktheZoomOutbutton( )tozoomoutontheprintpreview.
ClicktheToggleOne/TwoPagesDisplaybutton( )toswitchdisplayfromonetotwopagessidebyside
ClickClosetoclosetheprintpreview.
1.6.4 PrintingaDockingWindow
Youcanprintthecontentofmanydockingwindowsusingthecontextmenu;selectingFile >Printonlyprintsthecontentsof
adocumentwindow,asexplainedin"PrintingaMap"onpage 64.Thedockingwindowswhosecontentsyoucanprintare:
LegendWindow(formoreinformationonthistool,see"AddinganObjectTypetotheLegend"onpage 31)
PointAnalysisTool
CWMeasurementAnalysisTool(formoreinformationonthistool,seetheMeasurementsandModelCalibration
Guide.
DriveTestDataAnalysisTool
MicrowaveLinkAnalysis(formoreinformationonthistool,see"StudyingReflection"onpage 264)
Toprintthecontentofadockingwindow:
1. Openthedockingwindowyouwanttoprint.
IfyouwanttoprintaPointAnalysiswindow,clickthetabyouwanttoprint.
2. Rightclickthewindowyouwanttoprint.
3. SelectPrintfromthecontextmenu.ThePrintdialogueappears.
4. ClickOKtoprint.
1.6.5 PrintingAntennaPatterns
Youcanprintthehorizontalorverticalpatternofanantenna.
Toprintanantennapattern:
1. ClicktheParametersexplorer.
2. OpentheAntennastable:
ToopenthemicrowaveAntennastable:
a. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheMicrowaveEquipmentfolder.
b. RightclicktheAntennasfolder.
c. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.
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3. Rightclicktheantennawhosepatternyouwanttoprint.
4. SelectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
5. SelecttheHorizontalPatterntabortheVerticalPatterntab.
6. RightclicktheantennapatternandselectLinearorLogarithmicfromthecontextmenu.
7. RightclicktheantennapatternandselectPrintfromthecontextmenu.
1.7 Grouping,Sorting,andFilteringData
InAtollyoucanorganisedatainseveraldifferentways,allowingyoutoselectonlycertaindataandthen,forexample,modify
onlyselecteddataorruncalculationsontheselecteddata.Atollallowsyoutogroup,sort,orfilterdataquicklybyonecrite
rion,orbyseveral.
Afteryouhavedefinedhowyouwillgroup,sort,orfilterdata,youcansavethisinformationasafolderconfiguration.
Inthissectionthefollowingwillbeexplained:
"GroupingDataObjects"onpage 69
"SortingData"onpage 72
"FilteringData"onpage 74
"FolderConfigurations"onpage 83
"CreatingandComparingViews"onpage 85
1.7.1 GroupingDataObjects
YoucangroupobjectsaccordingtoaselectedpropertyintheNetworkexplorer.Theobjectstobegroupedcanbeinadata
folderorinaview(see"CreatingandComparingViews"onpage 85).Youcanalsodefinethepropertiesbywhichyoucan
groupobjects.GroupingobjectsintheNetworkexplorerissimilartosortingdatainthedatatablebecauseitputsallrecords
withtheselectedpropertytogether.
Onceyouhavegroupeddataobjects,youcanaccesstheirPropertiesdialoguefromthecontextmenutoeditpropertieson
allgroupedobjects.Youcansavethegroupingparametersasafolderconfiguration.Forinformation,see"FolderConfigura
tions"onpage 83.
Thissectionexplains:
"GroupingDataObjectsbyaSelectedProperty"onpage 69
"ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu"onpage 70
"AdvancedGrouping"onpage 71.
Forexamplesofgroupingdataobjects,see"ExamplesofGrouping"onpage 72.
1.7.1.1 GroupingDataObjectsbyaSelectedProperty
YoucangroupdataobjectsbyaselectedpropertyusingtheGroupBycommandonthecontextmenu.
Togroupdataobjectsbyaselectedproperty:
2. Rightclickthefolderorviewwhoseobjectsyouwanttogroup.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. FromtheGroupBysubmenu,selectthepropertybywhichyouwanttogrouptheobjects.Theobjectsinthefolder
aregroupedbythatproperty.
If the range of properties available in the Group By submenu has been configured as
explainedin"ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu"onpage 70,youcanselectadditional
propertiesbyselectingMoreFieldsfromtheGroupBysubmenu.Forinformationonusing
thedialoguethatappears,see"ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu"onpage 70.
Toundothegrouping:
2. Rightclickthefolderorviewwhoseobjectsyouhavegrouped.
3. Fromthecontextmenu,selectfromtheGroupBy >None.
See"ExamplesofGrouping"onpage 72.
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1.7.1.2 ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu
Some data objects, such as transmitters, have a large number of properties that will appear by default in the Group By
submenu.YoucanmakeiteasiertogroupdataobjectsbyconfiguringtheGroupBysubmenutodisplayonlytheproperties
thatarerelevantforgrouping.
ToconfiguretheGroupBysubmenu:
2. RightclickthefolderwhoseGroupBysubmenuyouwanttoconfigure.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
4. SelecttheGeneraltabofthePropertiesdialogue.
5. ClicktheConfigureMenubuttonnexttotheGroupByfieldthatshowshowthedataobjectsarepresentlygrouped.
TheMenuConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.31).
Figure 1.31:TheMenuConfigurationdialogue
6. SelectthefieldsyouwanttoappearintheGroupBysubmenu.Youcandisplayallthefieldsbelongingtoatableby
clickingtheExpandbutton( )totheleftofthetablename.Youcanselectcontiguousfieldsbyclickingthefirstfield,
pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfield.YoucanselectnoncontiguousfieldsbypressingCTRLandclickingeachfield
separately.
ToselectafieldtoappearintheGroupBysubmenu,selectthefieldintheAvailablefieldslistandclick to
moveittotheGroupingFieldslist.
ToremoveafieldfromthelistofGroupingFields,selectthefieldintheGroupingfieldslistandclick to
removeit.
Tochangetheorderofthefields,selectafieldandclick or tomoveitupordowninthelist.Theobjectswill
begroupedintheorderofthefieldsintheGroupingfieldslist,fromtoptobottom.
7. ClickOKtoclosetheMenuConfigurationdialogueandclickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.TheGroupBysub
menuwillnowcontainonlythefieldsyouselected.
1.7.1.3 GroupingMicrowaveLinksbySite
Youcanfindallthemicrowavelinksthatareconnectedtoaspecificsitebygroupingalllinksbysite.
Togroupmicrowavelinksbysite:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofMicrowaveRadioLinksfoldertoexpandthefolder.
3. RightclicktheLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectClassifybySitefromthecontextmenu.Atollcreatesviewsforeachsitewithamicrowavelinkandsortsthe
linksbysite(seeFigure 1.32).
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Figure 1.32:Groupingmicrowavelinksbysite
Torestorenormaldisplayofmicrowavelinks:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofMicrowaveRadioLinksfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. SelectClassifybySitefromthecontextmenu.ThedefaultdisplayofthecontentsoftheLinksfolderisrestored.
1.7.1.4 AdvancedGrouping
Youcangroupdataobjectsbyoneormoreproperties,usingtheGroupBybuttononthePropertiesdialogue.
Togroupdataobjectsbyoneormoreproperties:
5. ClicktheGroupBybutton.TheGroupdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.33).
Figure 1.33:TheGroupdialogue
6. Selectthefieldsbywhichyouwanttogrouptheobjects.Youcanselectcontiguousfieldsbyclickingthefirstfield,
pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfield.YoucanselectnoncontiguousfieldsbypressingCTRLandclickingeachfield
separately.
Toselectafieldtobeusedtogrouptheobjects,selectthefieldintheAvailableFieldslistandclick tomove
ittotheGroupingFieldslist.
ToremoveafieldfromthelistofGroupingFields,selectthefieldintheGroupingFieldslistandclick to
removeit.
Tochangetheorderofthefields,selectafieldandclick or tomoveitupordowninthelist.Theobjectswill
begroupedintheorderofthefieldsintheGroupingFieldslist,fromtoptobottom.
7. ClickOKtoclosetheGroupdialogueandclickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogueandgrouptheobjects.
Toundothegrouping:
3. Fromthecontextmenu,selectfromtheGroupBy >None.
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1.7.1.5 ExamplesofGrouping
Inthisexample,thereisanAtolldocumentwithalargenumberofsitesand,therefore,transmitters.Whileitiseasytosee
onthemapwhichtransmittersarepartofwhichsite,intheNetworkexplorer,youcanonlyseeaverylonglistoftransmitters
undertheTransmitterfolder.
ByrightclickingtheTransmitterfolderandselectingGroupBy >Site,youcangroupthetransmittersbythesitetheyare
locatedon.TheresultofgroupingcanbeseeninFigure 1.34.
Figure 1.34:Transmittersgroupedbysite
Youcanalsogroupobjectsbythecomputationorfocuszone.Younormallycreateacomputationorfocuszonewhenyou
wanttoconcentrateonagivensubsetoftransmitters,forexample,whenyouareworkingonacertainareaofthenetwork.
Bygroupingthembycomputationorfocuszone,thetransmittersyouareworkingonareimmediatelyvisibleundertheTrans
mitterfolder.
ByrightclickingtheTransmitterfolderandselectingGroupBy >Polygon >FocusZone,youcangroupthetransmittersinthe
focuszonetogether.TheresultofgroupingcanbeseeninFigure 1.34.Thetransmittersarenowintwogroups:thoseinside
thefocuszoneandthoseoutsidethefocuszone.
Figure 1.35:Transmittersgroupedbysite
1.7.2 SortingData
InAtoll,youcansortthedocumentdataeitherinthedatatablesorusingtheSortfunctionofPropertiesdialogue.Youcan
sortthedatainascending(AtoZ,1to10)ordescending(ZtoA,10to1)order.
Youcansortthedatabyeitheroneorbyseveralcolumns.Whenyousortdatabyseveralcolumns,Atollsortstherecordsby
thefirstcolumnandthen,withineachgroupofidenticalvaluesinthefirstcolumn,Atollthensortstherecordsbythesecond
column,andsoon.
Onceyouhavesorteddataobjects,youcansavethesettingsasafolderconfiguration.Forinformation,see"FolderConfigu
rations"onpage 83.
Thissectionexplainsthefollowing:
"SortingDatainTables"onpage 72
"AdvancedSorting"onpage 73
1.7.2.1 SortingDatainTables
Whensortingdataintables,youcansortbyonecolumnorbyseveralcolumns:
"SortingbyOneColumn"onpage 73
"SortingbySeveralColumns"onpage 73.
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SortingbyOneColumn
Tosortdatainatablebyonecolumn:
2. Selecttheheaderofthecolumnthatyouwanttosorton.Theentirecolumnisselected.
3. Rightclickthecolumnheader.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. Fromthecontextmenu,selecthowyouwanttosort:
SortAscending:sortthedatatablerecordsfromthelowestvalueinthereferencecolumntothehighestvalue.
SortDescending:sortthedatatablerecordsfromthehighestvalueinthereferencecolumntothelowestvalue.
Youcanalsosortdatainatablebyselectingthecolumnasdescribedandthenclicking
eithertheSortAscending( )orSortDescending( )buttonsintheTabletoolbar.
SortingbySeveralColumns
Youcanonlysortinatablebyadjacentcolumns.Ifyouwanttosortbycolumnsthatarenotadjacent,youcanmovethe
columnsfirstasexplainedin"MovingColumns"onpage 56.
Ifyouwanttosortdatabyseveralcolumnswithoutmovingthecolumns,youcanusethe
SortfunctiononthePropertiesdialogue.Forinformation,see"AdvancedSorting"on
page 73.
Tosortdatainatablebyseveralcolumns:
2. Clicktheheaderofthefirstcolumnanddragovertheadjacentcolumnsthatwillbeyoursortreferences.Theentire
columnisselected.
3. Rightclickthecolumnheaders.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. Fromthecontextmenu,selecthowyouwanttosort:
SortAscending:sortthedatatablerecordsfromthelowestvalueinthefirstreferencecolumntothehighest
value.
SortDescending:sortthedatatablerecordsfromthehighestvalueinthefirstreferencecolumntothelowest
value.
Youcanalsosortdatainatablebyselectingthecolumnasdescribedandthenclicking
eithertheSortAscending( )orSortDescending( )buttonsintheTabletoolbar.
1.7.2.2 AdvancedSorting
YoucansortdatabyseveralcriteriausingtheSortfunctionofthePropertiesdialogue.
TosortdatausingtheSortfunctionofthePropertiesdialogue:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhosedatayouwanttosort.Thecontextmenuappears
4. SelecttheGeneraltabinthePropertiesdialogue.
5. ClicktheSortbutton.TheSortdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.36).
6. Forthefirstcolumnyouwanttosorton:
a. SelectthecolumnnamefromtheSortbylist.
b. Choosewhetheryouwanttosortinascendingordescendingorder.
7. Foreachothercolumnyouwanttosorton:
a. SelectthecolumnnamefromtheAndbylist.
b. Choosewhetheryouwanttosortinascendingordescendingorder.
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8. ClickOK.
Figure 1.36:TheSortdialogue
1.7.3 FilteringData
InAtoll,youcanfilterdataaccordingtooneorseveralcriteria.Youcanfilterdatatobeabletoworkwithasubsetofdata,or
tofacilitateworkingwithlargedocumentsbyreducingtheamountofrecordsdisplayed.
Thefiltereddataobjectsarethedataobjectsthatremainafteryouhaveappliedyourfiltercriteria.
Youcansavethefilteringparametersasafolderconfiguration.Forinformation,see"FolderConfigurations"onpage 83.
"FilteringinDataTablesbySelection"onpage 74
"AdvancedDataFiltering"onpage 75
"RestoringAllRecords"onpage 76
"AdvancedFiltering:Examples"onpage 77.
1.7.3.1 FilteringinDataTablesbySelection
Youcanfilteradatatablebyselectingoneormorevalues.Onceyouhaveselectedoneormorevalues,youcanchooseto
viewonlyrecordsthathavethesamevalueoronlyrecordsthatdonothavethatvalue.
Tofilteradatatableononeormorefields:
2. Selectthevaluetofilteron.YoucanselectmultiplevaluesbypressingCTRLasyouclicktheothervalues.
3. Rightclicktheselectedvalueorvaluesandselectoneofthefollowingfromthetablescontextmenu:
FilterbySelection:Allrecordswiththeselectedvalueorvaluesaredisplayed.Youcannowmodifytheserecords
ormakecalculationsonthemasyouwouldnormallydowiththeentiredatatable(seeFigure 1.37onpage 75).
FilterExcludingSelection:Allrecordswithouttheselectedvalueorvaluesaredisplayed.Youcannowmodify
theserecordsormakecalculationsonthemasyouwouldnormallydowiththeentiredatatable(seeFigure 1.38
onpage 75).
Whenthedatainatablearefiltered,afiltericon( )appearsatthetopoftheleftmost
columnandinthecorrespondingcolumnheader(s),asshowninFigure 1.37and
Figure 1.38.Theiconintheleftmostcolumncanproveusefulwhenthecolumn
containingthefiltereddataisnotdisplayedduetoalargetablewidth.
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Figure 1.37:Filteringbyselection
Figure 1.38:Filteringexcludingselection
Youcanalsofilterdatainatablebyselectingthevaluesasdescribedandthenclicking
eithertheFilterbySelection( )orFilterExcludingSelection( )buttonsintheTable
toolbar.
1.7.3.2 AdvancedDataFiltering
Youcanuseadvanceddatafilteringtocombineseveralcriteriaindifferentfieldstocreatecomplexfilters.
Tocreateanadvancedfilter:
2. ClicktheAdvancedFilterbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.TheFilterdialogueappears.
YoucanalsoaccesstheFilterdialoguebyclickingtheFilterbuttonofthetables
Propertiesdialogue.
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3. ClicktheFiltertab:
a. SelectaFieldfromthelist.
b. UnderValuestoInclude,youwillfindallthevaluesrepresentedintheselectedfield.Selectthecheckboxesnext
tothevaluesyouwanttoincludeinthefilter.ClickClearAlltoclearallcheckboxes.
MakingselectionsontheFiltertaboftheFilterdialogueistheequivalentoffilteringby
selectionasexplainedin"FilteringinDataTablesbySelection"onpage 74.
4. ClicktheAdvancedtab:
a. IntheColumnrow,selectthenameofthecolumntobefilteredonfromthelist.Selectasmanycolumnsasyou
want(seeFigure 1.39).
Figure 1.39:TheFilterdialogueAdvancedtab
b. Underneatheachcolumnname,enterthecriteriaonwhichthecolumnwillbefilteredasexplainedinthefollow
ingtable:
Formula Dataarekeptinthetableonlyif
=X valueequaltoX(Xcanbeanumberorcharacters)
<>X valuenotequaltoX(Xcanbeanumberorcharacters)
<X numericalvalueislessthanX
>X numericalvalueisgreaterthanX
<=X numericalvalueislessthanorequaltoX
>=X numericalvalueisgreaterthanorequaltoX
*X* textobjectswhichcontainX
X* textobjectswhichstartwithX
5. ClickOKtofilterthedataaccordingtothecriteriayouhavedefined.
Filtersarecombinedfirsthorizontally,thenvertically.
See"AdvancedFiltering:Examples"onpage 77.
1.7.3.3 RestoringAllRecords
Afteryouhaveappliedfiltercriteriatorecords,youmaywanttocancelthefiltercriteriaanddisplayalltherecordsagain.
Torestoreallrecords:
ClicktheRemoveFilterbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.
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1.7.3.4 AdvancedFiltering:Examples
Inthissection,youwillfindafewexamplesofadvancedfiltering:
"AdvancedFiltering:Example 1"onpage 77
"AdvancedFiltering:Example 2"onpage 77
"AdvancedFiltering:Example 3"onpage 78.
1.7.3.4.1 AdvancedFiltering:Example 1
Inthisexample,thereisanAtolldocumentwithantennasfromtwomanufacturersandwithdifferentcharacteristics.
Figure 1.40:Initialtable
TheobjectiveofthisexampleistousefiltercriteriatofindantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwithabeamwidthbetween
50and100.Todothis,thefollowingfiltersyntaxisenteredontheAdvancedtaboftheFilterdialogue(forinformationon
theAdvancedtab,see"AdvancedDataFiltering"onpage 75):
Thefirstcriterion,asshowninFigure 1.41,isallantennasmadebyamanufacturerwithanamebeginningwitha"K"
("=K*").Whileyoucouldwriteintheentirename("=Kathrein"),itisnotnecessarybecausethereisonlyonemanu
facturerwitha"K."
Thesecondcriterionisallantennaswithabeamwidthunder100.
Thethirdcriterionisallantennaswithabeamwidthover50.
Thecombinationofthesecriteriaisallantennasfrommanufacturerswithanamebeginningwith"K"andwithabeamwidth
under100butover50.
TheresultofthisadvancedfiltercanbeseeninthesecondpaneofFigure 1.41.
Figure 1.41:Advancedfiltering
Inthisexample,thedocumentisthesameasin"AdvancedFiltering:Example 1"onpage 77.Theobjectiveofthisexampleis
thesameaswell:tousefiltercriteriatofindantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwithabeamwidthbetween50and100.The
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filtersyntaxisenteredontheAdvancedtaboftheFilterdialogue(forinformationontheAdvancedtab,see"AdvancedData
Filtering"onpage 75),inthiscase,however,theenteredfiltersyntaxcontainserrors:
AsshowninFigure 1.42,thefirstcriterionisallantennasmadebyamanufacturerwithanamebeginningwitha"K"
("=K*").
Thesecondcriterionisallantennaswithabeamwidthunder100andover50.
Figure 1.42:Errorsinfiltering
Aspreviouslystated,theobjectiveofthisexamplewastousefiltercriteriatofindantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwitha
beamwidthbetween50and100.However,becausethesecondcriterion(beamwidthunder100andover50)ismalformed,
with"> 50"placedunder"< 100",itfunctionedasanORconditionandnotasanANDcondition.Theresultingfiltersearched
forallantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwithabeamwidthunder100,orallantennasover50;allantennasaredisplayed.
Inthisexample,thedocumentisthesameasin"AdvancedFiltering:Example 1"onpage 77.Theobjectiveofthisexampleis
thesameaswell:tousefiltercriteriatofindantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwithabeamwidthbetween50and100.The
filtersyntaxisenteredontheAdvancedtaboftheFilterdialogue(forinformationontheAdvancedtab,see"AdvancedData
Filtering"onpage 75),inthiscase,however,theenteredfiltersyntaxcontainserrors:
AsshowninFigure 1.43,thefirstcriterionisallantennasmadebyamanufacturerwithanamebeginningwitha"K"
("=K*").
Thesecondcriterionisallantennaswithabeamwidthunder100andover50.
Figure 1.43:Errorsinfiltering
Aspreviouslystated,theobjectiveofthisexamplewastousefiltercriteriatofindantennasmanufacturedbyKathreinwitha
beamwidthbetween50and100.However,becausethesecondcriterionismalformed,thefilteronlygeneratesanerror
messageandnoantennasarefilteredout.
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1.7.4 UserConfigurations
InAtoll,youcansavemanyparametersandsettingsinuserconfigurationsandthenloadtheminotherdocuments.User
configurationsareusedtostoreparametersandsettingsthatarenotstoredindatabases.Userconfigurationfilesenableyou
toensurethatallusersinamultiuserenvironmentusethesamesettings.
ThefileextensionofuserconfigurationfilesisCFG.ThefileextensionGEOis,however,usedifonlythegeographicdataset
orzonesarebeingsavedinauserconfigurationfile.UserconfigurationfilesareXMLfilesandcanbeopenedintextandXML
editors.
Youcansavethefollowinginformationinuserconfigurationfiles:
Geographicdataset:Fullpathsofimportedgeographicmaps,mapdisplaysettings(suchas,thevisibilityscale,trans
parency,tiptext,etc.),clutterdescription(code,name,height,standarddeviations,etc.),andrasteroruserprofile
trafficmapdescription.
Whenyousavethegeographicdatasetinauserconfigurationfile,thecoordinate
systemofallvectorgeographicdatamustbethesameasthatoftherastergeographic
data.
Mapcentreandzoomlevel:XandYcoordinatesofthecentreofthemapwindowandthezoomlevel.
Zones:Filtering,focus,computation,printing,andgeographicexportzonesinthecurrentdocument.
Folderconfigurations:Sort,group,andfiltersettings(thecurrentfolderconfiguration,evenifnotsaved,andother
definedconfigurationsforthefolders),thefilteringzone,thedisplaysettingsofnetworkdatafolders(includingmeas
urementdisplaysettings),andLTEandWiMAXAFPparameters(includingconstraintweightsforfrequencyplanning,
physicalcellIDplanning,andpreambleindexplanning).
MicrowaveLinkParameters:Thesettingsofmicrowavelinks.
Macros:Fullpathsofanymacros.MacrosareloadedforentireAtollsessionsandnotforaspecificAtolldocument.
YoucanexportthemacrostoauserconfigurationevenifyoudonothaveanAtolldocumentopen.
Foradetaileddescriptionoftheuserconfigurationfile,seetheAdministratorManual.
"SavingaUserConfiguration"onpage 79
"LoadingaUserConfiguration"onpage 80.
1.7.4.1 SavingaUserConfiguration
Youcreateauserconfigurationbysavingtheselectedsettingstoanexternalfile.
Tosaveauserconfiguration:
1. SelectTools >UserConfiguration >Save.TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.44).
Figure 1.44:Savingauserconfiguration
2. Selectthecheckboxesoftheinformationyouwanttoexportaspartoftheuserconfiguration.
3. ClickOK.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
4. EnteraFilenamefortheuserconfigurationfileandclickSave.Thefolderconfigurationhasbeensaved.
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1.7.4.2 LoadingaUserConfiguration
Youcanloadauserconfigurationthatyouoranotheruserhascreated,asexplainedin"SavingaUserConfiguration"on
page 79, into your current Atoll document. If the user configuration you load contains macro information, it will only be
loadedifnodocumentiscurrentlyopen.WhenthereisnoAtolldocumentopen,onlymacroinformationisloadedfromthe
userconfiguration.
Toloadauserconfiguration:
1. SelectTools >UserConfiguration >Load.TheOpendialogueappears.
2. Selecttheuserconfigurationfilewiththedatayouwanttouseinyourcurrentdocument.
3. ClickOpen.TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.45).
Figure 1.45:Loadingauserconfiguration
4. Selectthecheckboxesoftheinformationyouwanttoload.
5. ClickOK.Theuserconfigurationisloadedintoyourcurrentdocument.
1.7.5 SiteLists
InAtoll,youcancreatelistsofsites.Onceyouhavecreatedasitelist,youcanmodifythelistanduseittofilterdatatobe
abletoworkwithasubsetofdata,ortofacilitateworkingwithlargedocumentsbyreducingthenumberofrecordsdisplayed.
Inamultiuserenvironment,sitelistscanbestoredinthedatabase.Whenyouopenadocumentfromadatabase,youcan
selectthesitestoloadaccordingtoanydefinedsitelists.Inalargeradioplanningproject,thisallowsyoutomoreeffectively
manageyourresourcesbyreducingtheunnecessarydatayouretrievefromthedatabase.
"CreatingaSiteList"onpage 80
"AddingaSitetoaListintheNetworkExplorer"onpage 81
"AddingaSitetoaListfromtheMapWindow"onpage 81
"AddingSitestoaListUsingaZone"onpage 81
"EditingaSiteList"onpage 82
"ImportingaSiteList"onpage 82
"ExportingaSiteList"onpage 82
"FilteringonaSiteList"onpage 83.
1.7.5.1 CreatingaSiteList
Youcancreatelistsofsitesthatyoucanthenusetofilterthedatadisplayed.
Tocreateasitelist:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhereyouwanttocreatethelist:
Sitelist:ifyouwanttocreateasitelist:
a. RightclicktheSitesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
b. SelectSiteLists >OpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheSiteListstableappears.
3. EnterthenameofthenewlistintherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
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Youcancreateaseriesofblanksitelistsbyimportingatextfilewiththenamesofthe
newlists.YoucanimportthetextfilebyclickingtheActionsbuttonontheSiteLists
dialogueandthenselectingImportfromthemenuthatappears.Youcanalsoexportthe
namesofallexistingsitelistsbyselectingExportfromthesamemenu.
1.7.5.2 AddingaSitetoaListintheNetworkExplorer
YoucanaddasitetoalistbyselectingitfromtheNetworkexplorer.
Toaddasitetoalist:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftofSitesfoldertoexpandthefolder.
3. Rightclickthesiteyouwanttoaddtothelist.Thecontextmenuappears.
Sitelist:ifyouwanttoaddasitetoalist:
SelectAddSitetoaListfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
4. Selectthenameofthelistfromthedialogue.
Youcancreateanewlistbyenteringanameinthelistinsteadofselectingthename
fromthelist.Theselectedsitewillbeaddedtothenewlist.
5. ClickOK.Thesiteisaddedtotheselectedlist.
YoucanquicklycreateacompletelistbyfirstfilteringthecontentsoftheSitesfolderas
explainedin"FilteringData"onpage 74.Then,byrightclickingtheSitesfolderand
selectingSiteLists >AddSitestoaListfromthecontextmenu,youcanaddthefiltered
contentsoffoldertothelistyouselect.
1.7.5.3 AddingaSitetoaListfromtheMapWindow
Youcanaddasitetoalistbyselectingitfromthemapwindow.
Toaddasitetoalist:
1. Inthemapwindow,rightclickthesiteyouwanttoaddtoalist.
Sitelist:ifyouwanttoaddasitetoalist:
SelectAddSitetoaListfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
3. ClickOK.Thesiteisaddedtotheselectedlist.
1.7.5.4 AddingSitestoaListUsingaZone
Youcanaddthesitescontainedinazonetoasiteortransmitterlist.
Toaddthesitescontainedinazonetoalist:
1. Createazoneasexplainedin"UsingZonesintheMapWindow"onpage 38thatcontainsthesitesyouwanttoadd
toalist.Youcanuseafiltering,computation,focus,printing,orgeographicexportzone.
2. IntheGeoexplorer,rightclickthezoneandselectthefollowingfromthecontextmenu:
AddSitestoaList:SelectAddSitestoaListtoaddthesitesinthezonetoasitelist.Adialogueappears.
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4. ClickOK.Thesitescontainedinthezoneareaddedtotheselectedlist.
1.7.5.5 EditingaSiteList
YoucaneditasitelistusingtheSiteListtable.
Toeditasitelist:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhereyouwanttoeditthelist:
Sitelist:ifyouwanttoeditasitelist:
3. SelectthenameofthelistyouwanttoeditandclickProperties.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
4. Youcannoweditthelist:
Toaddasitetothelist:
SelectthenameofthesiteintherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
Todeleteasitefromthelist:
a. Clickintheleftmarginoftherowcontainingthesitetoselectit.
b. PressDELtodeletethesitefromthelist.
5. ClickOKwhenyouhavefinishededitingthesitelist.
1.7.5.6 ImportingaSiteList
YoucanimportasitelistfromatextfileusingtheSiteListtable.
Toimportasitelist:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhereyouwanttoimportthelist:
Sitelist:ifyouwanttoimportasitelist:
3. Select the name of the list into which you want to import entries and click Properties. The Properties dialogue
appears.
4. InthePropertiesdialogue,clicktheImportbutton.TheOpendialogueappears.
5. SelectthetextfilewiththesitenamesyouwanttoimportandclickOpen.Thecontentsofthetextfileareaddedto
thelist.
6. ClickOKinthePropertiesdialoguewhenyouhavefinishedimportingthefile.
1.7.5.7 ExportingaSiteList
YoucanexportasitelisttoatextfileusingtheSiteListtable.
Toexportasitelist:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhereyouwanttoexportthelist:
Sitelist:ifyouwanttoexportasitelist:
3. SelectthenameofthelistyouwanttoexportandclickProperties.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
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4. InthePropertiesdialogue,clicktheExportbutton.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
5. EnterafilenameandclickSave.Thesitelistissavedasatextfile.
1.7.5.8 FilteringonaSiteList
YoucanusesiteortransmitterliststofilterthecontentsoftheSitesfolder.
Tofilterfoldercontentsusingasitelist:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhosecontentsyouwanttofilter.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. OntheGeneraltabofthePropertiesdialogue,clicktheFilterbutton.TheFilterdialogueappears.
5. Ifyouhavecreatedalist,therewillbeanadditionaltab:
Sites:ClicktheSiteListstab.
6. Selectthecheckboxofthelistorliststhatyouwanttodisplay.
7. ClickOKtoclosetheFilterdialogue.
8. ClickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.OnlysitesthatbelongtotheselectedlistarenowdisplayedintheNetwork
explorerandinthemapwindow.
1.7.6 FolderConfigurations
InAtoll,theparametersdefininghowdatacontainedinafolderaregrouped,sorted,orfilteredarereferredtoasafolder
configuration.Youcandefinefolderconfigurationsandsavethem,allowingyoutoconsistentlyapplythesamegrouping,
filtering,orsortingcriteria.
"CreatingaFolderConfiguration"onpage 83
"ApplyingaSavedFolderConfiguration"onpage 83
"ReapplyingtheCurrentFolderConfiguration"onpage 84
"SavingaFolderConfigurationinanExternalFile"onpage 84
"LoadingaFolderConfigurationfromanExternalFile"onpage 84
"DeletingaFolderConfiguration"onpage 84.
1.7.6.1 CreatingaFolderConfiguration
InAtoll,youcansavetheparametersdefininghowdatacontainedinafolderaregrouped,filtered,orsortedasafolderconfig
uration.
Tocreateaconfiguration:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhosesettingsyouwanttosave.
5. Ifyouhavenotyetdoneso,setthefollowingparametersasdesired:
GroupBy(see"GroupingDataObjects"onpage 69)
Sort(see"SortingData"onpage 72)
Filter(see"FilteringData"onpage 74).
6. UnderFolderconfiguration,clickSave.
7. EnterthenameoftheconfigurationintheSaveConfigurationdialogue.
8. ClickOKtosavetheconfigurationandclickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.
Thesavedfolderconfigurationisonlyavailableforthecurrentfolderandcanbereappliedtothefolderbyselectingitfrom
theFolderConfigurationsubmenuonthefolderscontextmenu.
1.7.6.2 ApplyingaSavedFolderConfiguration
Youcanapplyafolderconfigurationthathasbeencreatedandsavedforthepresentfolder.
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Toapplyasavedfolderconfiguration:
2. Rightclickthefoldertowhichyouwanttoapplyafolderconfiguration.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. OntheFolderConfigurationsubmenu,selectthenameofthefolderconfigurationyouwanttoapply.Thefoldercon
figurationisappliedtothecurrentfolder.
1.7.6.3 ReapplyingtheCurrentFolderConfiguration
Ifyouhavegrouped,filtered,orsortedadatafolder,youhavecreatedandappliedafolderconfiguration.Ifyouthenaddor
modifydata,thepropertiesofthesemaynotmatchthefolderconfigurationyoupreviouslymadeonthedatafolder.Inthis
case,youcanreapplythesamefilterorsortsettingstothenewormodifieddata.
Toreapplythefolderconfiguration:
2. Rightclickthefolderwhosefolderconfigurationyouwanttoreapply.
3. SelectUpdateFolderConfigurationfromthecontextmenu.Thepreviouslyconfiguredfolderconfigurationisreap
pliedtothedata.
1.7.6.4 SavingaFolderConfigurationinanExternalFile
Whenyoucreateafolderconfiguration,yousaveitinthecurrentATLdocument.However,youcansaveitaspartofauser
configurationinanexternalfile,sothatitcanbeusedinotherdocuments.
Tosaveafolderconfigurationinanexternalfile:
1. SelectTools >UserConfiguration >Save.TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.44onpage 79).
2. SelecttheFolderConfigurationcheckbox.
Ifyouwanttoexportotherconfigurationsatthesametime,selectthosecheckboxesaswell.
3. ClickOK.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
4. EnteraFilenamefortheCFGfileandclickSave.Thefolderconfigurationhasbeensaved.
1.7.6.5 LoadingaFolderConfigurationfromanExternalFile
Onceyouhavesavedafolderconfigurationasexplainedin"SavingaFolderConfigurationinanExternalFile"onpage 84,you
canloaditintoyourcurrentdocument.
Toloadafolderconfiguration:
2. SelecttheCFGfilewiththefolderconfigurationyouwanttoimport.
3. ClickOpen.TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 1.45onpage 80).
4. SelecttheFolderConfigurationcheckbox.
Ifyouwanttoimportotherconfigurationsatthesametime,selectthosecheckboxesaswell.
5. ClickOK.Thefolderconfigurationisimported.
1.7.6.6 DeletingaFolderConfiguration
YoucandeleteafolderconfigurationfromtheAtolldocumentwhenyounolongerneedit.
Todeleteafolderconfiguration:
2. Rightclickthefolderwiththefolderconfigurationyouwanttodelete.
5. UnderFolderconfiguration,selectthenameoftheconfigurationfromthelist.
6. ClickDelete.Thefolderconfigurationisdeleted.
Whenyoudeleteafolderconfiguration,Atollwillnotaskforconfirmation;itisdeleted
immediately.
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1.7.7 CreatingandComparingViews
You can compare the effects of different grouping, sorting, or filtering settings by creating views of object folders in the
Networkexplorerandapplyingdifferentsettingstoeachview.Eachviewcontainsacopyofthedataintheobjectfolderin
whichitwascreated.
Tocreateaviewofafolder:
1. IntheNetworkexplorer,rightclickthefolderyouwanttocreateaviewof.
2. SelectCreateViewfromthecontextmenu.Aviewiscreatedcontainingacopyoftheoriginalfoldercontent.
Youcannowperformthefollowingactionsontheview:
Grouping(see"GroupingDataObjects"onpage 69)
Sorting(see"SortingData"onpage 72)
Filtering(see"FilteringData"onpage 74).
Ifyouhavecreatedseveralviews,youcanrenameeachonetogiveitamoredescriptive
name.Forinformationonrenaminganobject,see"RenaminganObject"onpage 24.
Onceyouhaveperformedtheactionsoneachview,youcancomparethedifferences,bydisplayinginturneachview,with
itsgrouping,sorting,orfilteringsettings,onthemap.Formoreinformationondisplayproperties,see"DisplayPropertiesof
Objects"onpage 27.
Tocompareviews:
1. IntheNetworkexplorer,clearthecheckboxestotheleftofeachview.Thedataobjectsarenotdisplayedonthemap.
2. Selectthecheckboxofoneoftheviews,leavingthecheckboxesoftheotherviewscleared.Thedataobjectsofthe
selectedview,withitsassociatedgrouping,sorting,orfilteringsettings,aredisplayedonthemap.
3. Clear this check box and select the check box of a different view. How the objects are displayed on the map will
change,dependingonthedifferentgrouping,sorting,orfilteringsettingsoftheselectedview.
Youcanremoveviewsbydeletingthem.Whenyoudeleteaview,thedatacontainedarenotdeleted.Whenyoudeletethe
lastview,thedatareappearundertheinitialfolder.
Todeleteaview:
SelecttheviewtobedeletedandpressDEL.
If,afterdeletingthelastview,thedatadonotreappearundertheinitialfolder,youcan
refreshthedisplaybyrightclickingthefolderandselectingGroupBy >Nonefromthe
contextmenu.
1.7.8 FilteringDataUsingaFilteringZone
InAtoll,youcansimplifyyourcalculationsbyusingapolygononthemaptolimittheamountofdataconsideredincalcula
tions.Bylimitingthenumberofsites,youcanreducethetimeandcostofcalculationsandmakethedisplayofdataobjects
onthemapclearer.Youcanselectapreexistingcomputationorfocuszoneasafilterzoneoryoucandrawanewfiltering
zone.
Thedataobjectsfilteredbythepolygonarereflectedonthemapandinthedatatables.IntheNetworkexplorer,anyfolder
whosecontentisaffectedbythefilteringzoneappearswithaspecialicon( ),toindicatethatthefoldercontentshave
beenfiltered.
Whenyouhaveappliedapolygonfilter,youcanperformthefollowingactionsonthefiltereddata:
Grouping(see"GroupingDataObjects"onpage 69)
Sorting(see"SortingData"onpage 72)
Filtering(see"FilteringData"onpage 74).
Formoreinformationoncreatingandeditingafilteringzone,see"FilteringZones"onpage 38.
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1.8 TipsandTricks
Inthissection,youwilllearnafewshortcutsandtrickstohelpyouworkmoreefficientlywithAtoll:
"UndoingandRedoing"onpage 86
"RefreshingMapsandFolders"onpage 86
"SearchingforObjectsontheMap"onpage 86
"UsingtheStatusBartoGetInformation"onpage 88
"SavingInformationDisplayedintheEventViewer"onpage 88
"UsingIconsfromtheToolbar"onpage 88
"UsingShortcutsinAtoll"onpage 91.
1.8.1 UndoingandRedoing
YoucanundoorredomostactionsinAtoll,uptoamaximumof10 actions.Ifyouperformanactionthatcannotbeundone,
forexample,asimulation,theUndoandRedohistoriesareerased.
Forexample,youcanundoorredo:
Mostmodificationsintheworkspace:suchascreating,deleting,andmovingasite,astationoragroupofstations,
modifyingtheantennaazimuth,movingatransmitter,ordeletingatransmitter,
TasksperformedintheExplorer:suchascreatinganddeletingobjects(sites,transmitters,antennas,repeatersor
remoteantennas,links,groupsofhexagons,measurementpaths,coveragepredictions,maps,propagationmodels,
etc.).
Tasksperformedintables:suchasaddingordeletingrecords,pastingintables.
Toundoanaction:
SelectEdit >Undo.
Toredoanactionthatyouhaveundone:
SelectEdit >Redo.
1.8.2 RefreshingMapsandFolders
Undercertaincircumstances,forexample,whenyouadddatathatisinconsistentwithanappliedfilter,thedatadisplayedon
themaporintheNetworkexplorermaynotbeactual.YoucanrefreshthedisplaytogetAtolltoreloadthedataandreapply
thecurrentfolderconfigurations.
TorefreshthedisplayoftheNetworkexplorerandthemap:
ClicktheRefreshbutton( )onthetoolbarorpressF5.
1.8.3 SearchingforObjectsontheMap
AtollprovidestheFindonMaptoolforfindingdataobjectsonthemap.Youcansearchforsomeobjects(sites,vectors,micro
wavelinks)bytheirnameorbyanytextfield,usingFindonMap.YoucanalsouseFindonMaptosearchforapointonthe
mapbyitsXandYcoordinates,orbyitspostaladdress.Additionally,FindonMapenablesyoutofindtechnologyspecific
attributessuchasachannelinamicrowaveproject.UsingFindonMaptofindtechnologyspecificattributesiscoveredinthe
chapterforthattechnology.
Thissectionexplains:
"SearchingforaMapObjectbyItsName"onpage 86
"SearchingforaMapObjectusingAnyTextProperty"onpage 87
"SearchingforaPointontheMap"onpage 87.
1.8.3.1 SearchingforaMapObjectbyItsName
YoucanuseFindonMaptosearchforthefollowingmapobjectsbyname:
sites
vectors
microwavelinks.
TosearchforamapobjectbynameusingtheFindonMaptool:
1. SelectTools >FindonMap.TheFindonMapwindowappears.
2. FromtheFindlist,choosethemapobjectyouaresearchingfor:
Vector
86
Site
MWLink
ThemapobjectyouselectappearsintheFieldbox.
3. Enterthenameoftheobjectinthetextboxmarkedwithanequalsign("=").Youcanuseanasterisk("*")asawild
cardbyenteringitasthefirstcharacter.Forexample,entering"*X*"willfindallnameswhichcontain"X".
AtollautomaticallybeginssearchinganddisplaystheresultsintheFindonMapwindow.
4. Selecttheobjectfromthelist.Atollcentresitinthemapwindow.
1.8.3.2 SearchingforaMapObjectusingAnyTextProperty
YoucanuseFindonMaptosearchforthefollowingmapobjectusinganytext(i.e.,nonnumeric)property:
Sites
Microwavelinks
Vectors
TosearchforamapobjectbyatextpropertyusingtheFindonMaptool:
2. FromtheFindlist,choosethemapobjectyouaresearchingfor:
Site
MWLink
Vector
3. FromtheFieldlist,selectthetextpropertyonwhichyouwanttosearch,forexample"SupportType"whenyouare
lookingfora"Site".
4. Enterthenameoftheobjectinthetextboxmarkedwithanequalsign("=").Youcanuseanasterisk("*")asawild
cardbyenteringitasthefirstcharacter.Forexample,entering"*X*"willfindallnameswhichcontain"X".
AtollautomaticallybeginssearchinganddisplaystheresultsintheFindonMapwindow.
5. Selecttheobjectfromthelist.Atollcentresitinthemapwindow.
1.8.3.3 SearchingforaPointontheMap
YoucanuseFindonMaptosearchforapointbyitsXandYcoordinatesorbyitspostaladdress.
Make sure that the coordinate system used in your document is the same projection
systemsupportedbythetileserver.Failingtodosowillleadtoinappropriatebehaviour
whenanonlinemapisspecified(disproportionateandbadlyrenderedmaptiles)asyou
dragthemapawayfromtheareatargetedbythespecifiedprojectioncoordinatesystem.
1.8.3.3.1 SearchingforaPointontheMapbyitsXandYCoordinates
TosearchforapointonthemapbyitsXandYcoordinates:
2. FromtheFindlist,choosePosition.
3. EntertheXandYcoordinatesofthepoint,usingthesameunitsasdefinedunderDisplayontheCoordinatestabof
thePreferencesdialogue(see"ProjectionandDisplayCoordinateSystems"onpage 97).
4. ClickSearch.Atollcentresthepointinthemapwindow.
1.8.3.3.2 SearchingforaPointontheMapbyitsPostalAddress
Tosearchforapointonthemapbyitspostaladdress:
2. FromtheFindlist,chooseOnline.
3. EnterapostalAddress.Youcanspecifyafullorpartialaddress,e.g.streetname,precinct,city,county,country,etc.
4. ClickSearch.AtollautomaticallybeginssearchinganddisplaystheresultsintheFindonMapwindow.
5. Selectaresultfromthelist.Atollcentresitinthemapwindow.
87
1.8.4 UsingtheStatusBartoGetInformation
Atolldisplaysthefollowinginformation,ifavailable,aboutthecurrentpositionofthemousepointerinrightsideofthestatus
bar(seeFigure 1.46):
thecurrentXYcoordinates(accordingtothedefineddisplaycoordinatesystem)
thealtitude(asdefinedintheDTM)
theclutterclass(asdefinedintheclutterclassesproperties)
theclutterheight(asdefinedintheclutterheightfile,orintheclutterclasses).
XYcoordinates Altitude Clutterclass
Figure 1.46:Informationdisplayedinthestatusbar
1.8.5 SavingInformationDisplayedintheEventViewer
AtolldisplaysinformationaboutthecurrentdocumentintheEventViewer.TheEventViewerdisplaysinformation( ),
warning( ),anderror( )messages,aswellastheprogressofcalculations.Youcansavetheinformationdisplayedinthe
EventViewerinalogfile.
TosaveeventsintheEventViewerinalogfile:
1. IftheEventViewerisnotdisplayed,selectView >EventViewertodisplayit.
2. ClicktheeventintheEventViewertoselectit.Clickanddragtoselectseveralevents.
3. Rightclicktheselectevent(s).Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectSaveAs.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
5. IntheSaveAsdialogue,selectadestinationfolder,enteraFilename,andselectafiletypefromtheSaveastypelist.
6. ClickOK.Theselectedeventsaresavedinthetextfile.
YoucanalsoautomaticallygeneratelogfilesforeachAtollsessionandselectthelevelofinformationdisplayedintheEvent
viewer.Formoreinformationaboutthesesettings,seetheAdministratorManual.
1.8.6 UsingIconsfromtheToolbar
YoucanaccessmanycommandsinAtollbyclickingitsicononthetoolbar.Someofthemarealsolinkedtoshortcutkeys(see
"UsingShortcutsinAtoll"onpage 91).
Thedifferenticonslocatedinthetoolbararelistedbelow:
IntheStandardtoolbar
OpentheProjectTemplatesdialogue(CTRL+N)
OpentheOpendialogue(CTRL+O)
Savethecurrentdocument(CTRL+S)
Newfromanexistingdatabase
Refreshfromdatabase
Savependingchangesindatabase
Importafile
Loadauserconfiguration
88
Saveauserconfiguration
Cuttheselecteddata(CTRL+X)
Copytheselecteddata(CTRL+C)
Pastethecontentoftheclipboard(CTRL+V)
Undothelastmodification(CTRL+Z)
Redothepreviousundonemodification(CTRL+Y)
Printthecurrentwindow(tableormap)(CTRL+P)
Previewthecurrentwindowbeforeprinting(tableormap)
OpentheAtollHelp
IntheMaptoolbar
Refreshdisplayofmapandfolders(F5)
Selectanobjectanddisablezoomingandpanningtools.
Movethemap(CTRL+D)
Mapscalecurrentlyused
Previousview(zoomandlocation)(Alt+leftarrow)
Nextview(zoomandlocation)(Alt+rightarrow)
Zoominoroutonthemapandcentreonthecursorlocation(CTRL+Q)
Defineazoomareaonthemap(CTRL+W)
Displayaterrainsection
Measuredistancesonthemap
Turnontiptext
Findonthemap
IntheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar
Currentlyselectedmicrowavelinkmodel
Createanewmicrowavelink.
Createanewrepeater.
Createanewmultihopmicrowavelink.
Createanewmultipointmicrowavelink.
Openthemicrowavelinkprofileanalysiswindow
Showorhidechannelarrangement
Stopthecalculationsinprogress
IntheVectorEditortoolbar
Createanewvectorlayer(ineithertheGeoortheNetworkexplorer)
Selectthevectorlayertoedit
89
Drawanewpolygon
Drawanewrectangle
Drawanewline
Drawpoints
Combineseveralvectorpolygons
Cutoutareasinpolygons
Createnewpolygonfromoverlappingareas
Splitonepolygonalongthedrawnlines.
IntheWindowstoolbar
DisplaytheNetworkexplorer
DisplaytheGeoexplorer
DisplaytheParametersexplorer
DisplaytheEventViewer
DisplaytheLegendWindow
DisplaythePanoramicWindow
IntheTabletoolbar
Importdatafromafileintothetable
Exportdatafromthetabletoafile
Displaythepropertiesofthecurrentrecord
Centrethecurrentrecordonthemap
Definewhichcolumnsshouldbedisplayed
Hidetheselectedcolumns
Freezetheselectedcolumns
Unfreezeallfrozencolumns
Filterbytheselectedfields
Filterexcludingallrecordswiththeselectedvalues
Defineanadvancedfilter
Removethefilter
Sorttheselectedcolumnsinascendingorder
Sorttheselectedcolumnsindescendingorder
Displaystatistics
Copythecontentsofthetopselectedrowintotherowsbelow
Copythecontentsofthebottomselectedrowintotherowsabove
Selecttheentiretable
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Alignthecontentsoftheselectedcolumnstotheleft
Centrethecontentsoftheselectedcolumns
Alignthecontentsoftheselectedcolumnstotheright
Displaytheselectedcolumnsinbold
Displaytheselectedcolumnsinitalics
Findspecifiedtextinthetable
Replacespecifiedtextinthetable
Whenyouplacethecursoroveranicon,tiptextappears,givingashortdescription.
1.8.7 UsingShortcutsinAtoll
Atollprovidesmanyshortcutsthatenableyoutoaccesscommonlyusedtoolsandcommandsmorequickly.
Theshortcutsavailablearelistedbelow(someofthesamecommandscanbeaccessedusingatoolbaricon;see"UsingIcons
fromtheToolbar"onpage 88):
UsingtheCTRLkey:
CTRL++:Zoominonthemap(inthetoolbar,click andclickthemap)
CTRL+:Zoomoutonthemap(inthetoolbar,click andrightclickthemap)
CTRL+A:Selectallrecordsinatable
CTRL+C:Copytheselecteddata(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+D:
Intables:Copythefirstcellofaselectiondownintoallselectedcells
Inthemapwindow:Movethemapinthemapwindow(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+E:ExportthetableoftheselectedSites,Links,MultiHops,orPointtoMultipointfolderorviewtoatextfile.
Formoreinformation,see"ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpreadsheets"onpage 60.
CTRL+F:
OpentheFindonMapwindowwhenthemapisactive(inthetoolbar,click )
OpentheFinddialoguewhenatableisactive(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+H:OpentheReplacedialoguewhenatableisactive(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+I:ImportthetableoftheselectedSites,Links,MultiHops,orPointtoMultipointfolderorviewfromatext
file.Formoreinformation,see"ImportingTablesfromTextFiles"onpage 62.
CTRL+N:OpentheProjectTemplatesdialogue(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+SHIFT+N:Createanewdocumentfromanexistingdatabase
CTRL+O:OpentheOpendialogue(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+P:Printthecurrentwindow(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+Q:SelectZoomIn/Outtool(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+S:Savethecurrentactivedocument(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+U:Copythelastcellofaselectionupintoallselectedcells
CTRL+V:Pastethecontentoftheclipboard(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+W:Defineazoomareaonthemap(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+X:Cuttheselecteddata(inthetoolbar,click )
91
CTRL+Y:Redothepreviousundonemodification(inthetoolbar,click )
CTRL+Z:Undothelastmodification(inthetoolbar,click )
UsingtheALTkey:
ALT+:Previouszoomandlocationonthemap(inthetoolbar,click )
ALT+:Nextzoomandlocationonthemap(inthetoolbar,click )
ALT+F8:OpentheAddinsandMacrosdialogue
UsingtheFunctionKeys
F5:Refreshdisplayofmapandfolders(toolbar:select )
YoucanalsoaccessmenusandcommandsbypressingtheALTkeyandtypingthe
underlinedletterinthemenuorcommandname.
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Chapter2
StartingaProject
ThischapterexplainshowtostartanewAtollproject. Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
"BeforeStartingaMicrowavePlanningProject"on
page 95
"CreatinganAtollDocument"onpage 95
"MakingaBackupofYourDocument"onpage 107
"MakingandSharingPortableAtollProjects"on
page 109
94
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter2:StartinganAtollProject
2 StartinganAtollProject
Whenyouwanttostartanewproject,youbaseitonatemplatethathasthedataandfolderstructurenecessaryforthetech
nologyyouareusing.OnceyouhavestartedyournewAtollproject,youcanmodifythenetworkparameterstomeetyour
particularneeds.SeveraltemplatesaresuppliedwithAtoll:GSMGPRSEDGE,CDMA2001xRTT1xEVDO,microwaveradio
links,UMTSHSPA,WiMAX,WiFi,andLTE.TheactualtemplatessupplieddependonthemodulesincludedwithyourAtoll
installation.Youcanalsocreateyourowntemplatesbyopeninganexistingtemplate,makingthechangesnecessarytomeet
yourownneedsandthensavingitasanewtemplate.
Whenyouopenanexistingproject,youcanselectitfromtheFilemenuifitisoneofthelastprojectsyouhaveworkedon,
oryoucanopenitfromtheOpendialogue.BecauseAtollcanworkwithlinkedgeographicdatafiles,itmayhappenthatone
ofthelinkedfileswasmovedorrenamedsincethelasttimeyouworkedonthatproject.Atollenablesyoutofindthefileand
repairthelink.
Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
"BeforeStartingaMicrowavePlanningProject"onpage 95
"CreatinganAtollDocument"onpage 95.
2.1 BeforeStartingaMicrowavePlanningProject
Foreverymicrowaveplanningprojectyoumustassembletheinformationnecessary:
Microwaveequipment:sites,antennas,andotherequipment.Formoreinformationonequipment,seethetech
nologyspecificchapters.
Microwavedata:frequencybands,technologyspecificparameters,coordinatesystems,etc.Formoreinformation
onmicrowavedata,seethetechnologyspecificchapters.
Geographicdata:clutterclasses,clutterheights,DTM,etc.Formoreinformationongeographicdata,seeChapter3:
GeographicData.
Oncethenecessarydatahavebeenassembled,youcancreatetheAtolldocument.
2.2 CreatinganAtollDocument
Whatevertheradiotechnologyyouwillbemodelling,youcreateanAtolldocumentinoneoftwoways:
Fromadocumenttemplate:YoucancreateanewAtolldocument,includingamultiRATdocument,fromatemplate.
Atollisdeliveredwithatemplateforeachtechnologyyouwillbeplanningfor.Forinformationoncreatingadocument
fromatemplate,see"CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate"onpage 95.
Youcanalsocreateyourowntemplatebybasingitonanexistingdocumentthatyouhavealreadycustomisedwith,
forexample,certaingeodataorantennas.
Fromanexistingdatabase:WhenyoucreateanewAtolldocumentfromadatabase,thedatabaseyouconnectto
has been created with the technology or technologies, in the case of a multiRAT document, and data you need.
Workingwithadatabaseallowsseveraluserstosharethesamedatawhileatthesametimemanagingdataconsist
ency.TheexactprocedureforcreatinganewAtolldocumentfromadatabasediffers,dependingonthedatabasecon
taining the data. Atoll canwork with several common databases. For information on starting a document from a
database,see"CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaDatabase"onpage 101.
2.2.1 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate
YoucancreateanewAtolldocumentfromatemplate.Atollhasatemplateforeachtechnologyyouwillbeplanningfor.Each
templateprovidesdataandadatastructuresuitableforthetechnology.Forexample,thetablesandfieldsfortransmitters
aswellastheradioparametersavailabledifferaccordingtotheproject.Aswell,theobjectsthatareavailableareappropriate
forthetechnology.Forexample,UMTScellsareonlyavailableinUMTSdocumentsandTRXareonlyavailableinGSMTDMA
documents.
IfyoucreateamultiRATdocument,Atollenablesyoutoselectthemultipleradiotechnologiesyouwillbeplanningfor.Ina
multiRATdocument,thedataanddatastructuresforeachradiotechnologyplannedforaremadeavailableinthenewAtoll
document.
Onceyouhaveselectedtheappropriatetemplateforyourmicrowaveplanningproject,youconfigurethebasicparameters
oftheAtolldocument(see"DefiningaNewAtollDocument"onpage 97).
"TemplatesAvailable"onpage 96
"CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate"onpage 96
95
Chapter2:StartinganAtollProject Forsk2013
"DefiningaNewAtollDocument"onpage 97
2.2.1.1 TemplatesAvailable
DependingonyourconfigurationofAtoll,thefollowingtemplatesareavailable:
MicrowaveRadioLinks:Atollallowsyoutomodelmicrowaveradiolinks,aspartofacompletemobiletelecommuni
cationsnetwork,fromanytechnologytemplate.However,thistemplateisprovidedtoenableyoutocreateaproject
ofonlymicrowaveradiolinks.

2.2.1.2 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate
Tocreateanewdocumentfromatemplate:
1. SelectFile >New >FromaDocumentTemplate.TheProjectTemplatesdialogueappears.
2. SelectthetemplateonwhichyouwanttobaseyourdocumentandclickOK.Atollcreatesanewdocumentbasedon
thetemplateselected.
Ifthetemplateyouselectedwas"MultiRAT,"Atolldisplaysadialogueenablingyoutoselecttheradiotechnolo
giesyouwanttomodelinthenewdocument:GSM,UMTS,orLTE.
Figure 2.1showsanewAtolldocumentbasedontheUMTSHSPAtemplate.TheNetworkexplorernowhasafolderstructure
suitableforaUMTSHSPAradioplanningproject,with,amongotherUMTSspecificelements,UMTSHSPAHSPAsimulations.
Figure 2.2showsthecontentsoftheGeoexplorerofthenewdocument.Figure 2.3showsthecontentsoftheParameters
explorer, with other UMTS HSPA parameters. The Antennas folder is expanded to show the UMTScompatible antennas
suggestedbyAtoll.Thesecanbemodifiedorreplaced.
Figure 2.1:NewAtolldocumentbasedonatemplate
96
Figure 2.2:NewAtolldocumentGeoexplorer Figure 2.3:NewAtolldocumentParametersexplorer
WhenyoucreateanAtolldocumentfromatemplate,thedocumentisnotconnectedtoadatabase.
Toverifywhetherthedocumentisconnectedtoadatabase:
SelectDocument >Database >ConnectionProperties.ThedialogueinFigure 2.4appears.
Figure 2.4:AnAtolldocumentbasedonatemplateisnotconnectedtoadatabase
2.2.1.3 DefiningaNewAtollDocument
OnceyouhavecreatedanewAtolldocumentasexplainedin"CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaTemplate"onpage 96,
youconfigurethebasicparametersoftheAtolldocument.Youcanacceptthedefaultvaluesforsomeparameters,suchas
basicmeasurementunits,butyoumustsetprojectionanddisplaycoordinatesystems.
"ProjectionandDisplayCoordinateSystems"onpage 97
"SettingaCoordinateSystem"onpage 98
"SelectingtheDegreeDisplayFormat"onpage 99
"SettingMeasurementUnits"onpage 99
"DefiningaProjectDescription"onpage 99
2.2.1.3.1 ProjectionandDisplayCoordinateSystems
InAtoll,youdefinethetwocoordinatesystemsforeachAtolldocument:theprojectioncoordinatesystemandthedisplay
coordinatesystem.Bydefault,thesamecoordinatesystemisusedforboth.
Aprojectionisamethodforproducingallorpartofaroundbodyonaflatsheet.Thisprojectioncannotbedonewithout
distortion, thus the cartographer must choose the characteristic (distance, direction, scale, area or shape) which is to be
shown appropriately at theexpense of theother characteristics, or he must compromise on several characteristics1. The
projectedzonesarereferencedusingcartographiccoordinates(meter,yard,etc.).
Twoprojectionsystemsarewidelyused:
TheLambertConformalConicprojection:aportionoftheearthismathematicallyprojectedonaconeconceptually
secantatoneortwostandardparallels.Thisprojectiontypeisusefulforrepresentingcountriesorregionsthatlay
primarilyeasttowest.
TheUniversalTransverseMercatorprojection(UTM):aportionoftheearthismathematicallyprojectedonacylinder
tangenttoameridian(whichistransverseorcrosswisetotheequator).Thisprojectiontypeisusefulformappinglarge
areasthatareorientednorthsouth.
1. Snyder,John.P.,MapProjectionsUsedbytheUSGeologicalSurvey,2ndEdition,UnitedStatesGovernmentPrinting
Office,Washington,D.C.,313pages,1982.
97
Ageographicsystemisnotaprojection,butarepresentationofalocationontheearth'ssurfacefromgeographiccoordinates
(degreeminutesecondorgrade)givingthelatitudeandlongitudeinrelationtotheoriginmeridian(ParisfortheNTFsystem
andGreenwichfortheED50system).Thelocationsinthegeographicsystemcanbeconvertedintootherprojections.
Atollhasdatabasesincludingmorethan980internationalcoordinatesystemreferences,adatabasebasedontheEuropean
PetroleumSurveyGroupandanotheroneregroupingonlyFrance'scoordinatesystems.Atollusesthecartographiccoordi
natesystemsforprojectionandeithercartographicorgeographiccoordinatesystemsfordisplay.
Themapsdisplayedintheworkspacearereferencedwiththesameprojectionsystemastheimportedgeographicdatafiles;
thus,theprojectionsystemdependsontheimportedgeographicfile.Bychoosingaspecificdisplaysystem,youcansee(using
therulersorstatusbars)thelocationofsitesonthemapinacoordinatesystemdifferentfromtheprojectioncoordinate
system.Youcanalsopositiononthemapsitesreferencedinthedisplaysystem:thecoordinatesareautomaticallyconverted
fromtheprojectionsystemtothedisplaysystemandthesiteisdisplayedonthemap.
InFigure 2.5,theBrusselsgeographicdatafilehasbeenimported.ThemapshowsBrusselsprojectedusingthecartographic
UTMsystem(coordinatesinmetres).Ontheotherhand,sitecoordinatesarestatedinthegeographicWGS84system(coor
dinatesindegreesminutesseconds).
Figure 2.5:UTMsystemusedwithWGS84system
Allimportedrastergeographicfilesmustbeusethesamecartographicsystem.Ifnot,you
mustconvertthemtoasinglecartographicsystem.
2.2.1.3.2 SettingaCoordinateSystem
Becauseyouareworkingwithmaps,youmustsetacoordinatesystemforyourAtolldocument.Bydefault,projectionand
displaycoordinatesystemsarethesame,butyoucanchooseadifferentdisplaycoordinatesystemifyouwant.
Todefinethecoordinatesystem:
1. SelectDocument >Properties.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
2. OntheCoordinatestab,clicktheBrowsebutton( )totherightoftheProjectionfield.TheCoordinateSystems
dialogueappears.
3. IntheCoordinateSystemsdialogue,selectacataloguefromtheFindinlist.Fortheprojectionsystem,onlycarto
graphicsystems( )areavailable.
4. Selectacoordinatesystemfromthelist.
Ifyoufrequentlyuseaparticularcoordinatesystemyoucanaddittoacatalogueof
favouritesbyclickingAddtoFavourites.
5. ClickOK.TheselectedcoordinatesystemappearsintheProjectionfieldand,bydefault,intheDisplayfieldaswell.
98
6. Ifyouwishtosetadifferentcoordinatesystemforthedisplay,clicktheBrowsebutton( )totherightofthe
Displayfieldandrepeatstep 3.tostep 5.Forthedisplaysystem,bothcartographicsystems(identifiedbythe
symbol)andgeographicsystems( )areavailable.
2.2.1.3.3 SelectingtheDegreeDisplayFormat
Atollcandisplaylongitudeandlatitudeinfourdifferentformats.Forexample:
265629.9N
26d56m29.9sN
26.93914N
+26.93914
Tochangethedegreedisplayformat:
2. OntheCoordinatestab,selecttheformatfromtheDegreeFormatlist.
3. ClickOK.
Thedegreeformatoptionsapplyonlytothegeographiccoordinatesystems.
2.2.1.3.4 SettingMeasurementUnits
WhenyoucreateanewAtolldocument,Atollsetscertainmeasurementunitsforreception,transmission,antennagain,
distance,heightandoffset,andtemperaturetointernaldefaults.Youcanacceptthesedefaultmeasurementunits,oryou
canchangethemusingthePropertiesdialogue.
Tosetthemeasurementunits:
2. OntheUnitstab,selectthedesiredunitforthefollowingmeasurements:
Radio:
Radiatedpower:Selecteither"EIRP"(EffectiveIsotropicallyRadiatedPower)or"ERP"()
Antennagain:Selecteither"dBi"(decibel(isotropic))or"dBd"(decibel(dipole))
Transmission:Selecteither"dBm"(decibel(milliWatt)),"W"(Watt),or"kW"(kiloWatt)
Reception:Selecteither"dBm"(decibel(milliWatt)),"dBV"(decibel(microvolt)),"dBV/M"(decibel(micro
voltpermetre)),or"V/M"(voltspermetre)
Geo:
Distance:Selecteither"m"(metres),"Km"(kilometres),or"mi"(miles)
Heightandoffset:Selecteither"m"(metres)or"ft"(feet)
Climate:
Temperature:Selecteither"C"(Celsius)or"F"(Fahrenheit)
3. ClickOK.
2.2.1.3.5 DefiningaProjectDescription
Atollallowsyoutodefineafewparameters,suchasauthororprojectstatus,thatwillcanbeusedtodescribetheAtollproject
youareworkingon.Thedescriptionyouentercanbeconsultedbyanyoneworkingonthisproject.
Todefineaprojectdescription:
2. ClicktheProjecttab.OntheProjecttab,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Title:YoucansetadescriptivenamefortheprojectthatisdifferentfromthefilenameoftheAtollprojectfile.
Timestamp:YoucanenteratimestampfortheprojectandthenclicktheLockbuttontopreventitfrombeing
changed.BydefaultAtollentersthecurrenttimeasthetimestamp.EachtimeyouaccesstheProjecttab,Atoll
willupdatethetimestamp.
Owner:Youcanenterthenameofthepersonresponsiblefortheproject,andthenclicktheLockbuttontopre
ventitfrombeingchanged.BydefaultAtollentersthenameyouusedtologontothecomputer.
Status:Youcanenteradescriptionoftheprojectstatus.
Logo:YoudefinealogofortheprojectbyclickingtheBrowsebutton( )andbrowsingtoagraphicfilethatcan
beusedasalogofortheproject.ThelogowillbeusedinreportsexportedinRTFformat
99
Comments:YoucanenteranycommentsintheCommentsfield.
3. ClickOK.
2.2.2 WorkinginaMultiUserEnvironment
Amultiuserenvironmentisonewhereanumberofusers,orgroupsofusers,worksimultaneouslyongivenpartsofasingle,
large(perhapsnationwide)network.Differentusergroupsmightbeworkingonregionalorsmallersectionsofthenetwork.
Thissectiondescribesthedifferentcomponentsofmultiuserenvironmentsandoutlinestheirpurpose.
WhenyoucreateanewAtolldocumentfromadatabase,Atollloadsthedatatowhichyouhaverightsfromdatabaseinto
yournewdocumentandthendisconnectsitfromthedatabase.Theconnectiontothereferencedatabaseisreactivatedonly
whennecessary,thusensuringaccesstothedatabasebyotherusers.
Whenyouworkonadocumentcreatedfromadatabase,youareworkingondatathatyouaresharingwithotherusers.
Consequently,thereareissuesrelatedtosharingdatathatdonotarisewhenyouareworkingonastandalonedocument.
Forexample,whenyouarchiveyourchangestothedatabase,thechangesyouhavemademayoccasionallyinterferewith
changesotherusershavemadeandyouwillneedtoresolvethisconflict.
"TheAtollMultiUserEnvironment"onpage 100
"CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaDatabase"onpage 101
"WorkingWithaDocumentonaDatabase"onpage 102
"RefreshinganAtollDocumentfromtheDatabase"onpage 104
"ArchivingtheModificationsofanAtollDocumentintheDatabase"onpage 104.
2.2.2.1 TheAtollMultiUserEnvironment
AnAtollmultiuserenvironmentconsistsofthefollowingelements,connectedoveranetwork:
AcentralAtollproject:ThecentralAtollprojectcanonlybeaccessed,modified,andupdatedbytheAtolladminis
trator.ThroughthiscentralAtollproject,theAtolladministratorcanmanageallthedatasharedbyalltheindividual
Atollusersorgroupsofusers.
Shareddata:ShareddataareinitiallysetupbytheadministratorusingthecentralAtollprojectandarethenaccessed,
modified,workedon,andupdatedbytheAtollusersandtheadministrator.Theshareddataaremainlyofthefol
lowingthreetypes:
Thecentraldatabase:ThecentraldatabasestoresalltheradiodataofalltheAtolluserdocuments.Itisinitiated
throughthecentralAtollprojectbytheadministrator,andisthensubdividedintosectionsonwhichusersor
groupsofuserscanworksimultaneously.Oncethedatabaseisinplace,userscanmodifytheirprojects,refresh
theirprojectsfromthedatastoredinthedatabase,andarchivetheirmodificationsinthedatabase.Theuseofa
databasemeansthatpotentialdataconflictsduetomodificationsfromotherusers,modifiedordeletedrecords,
forexample,canbedetectedandresolved.
Sharedgeographicdata:Sharedgeographicdatafilesareusuallystoredonacommonfileserverwithafastaccess
connection.Sincegeographicdatafilesareusuallylarge,theyareusuallylinkedtoanAtollfile,i.e.,theyarestored
externally,soastominimisethesizeoftheAtollfile.Userswhomodifygeographicdatalocally,forexample,
editingeditclutterortrafficintheirrespectiveprojects,usuallystorethesemodificationslocally,sincethesemod
ificationsrarelyhaveanimpactonotherusers.
UserDocuments:Individualuserdocumentsareinitialisedbytheadministratorbutarelaterworkeduponandman
agedbyeachuser.UserdocumentsareAtollfileswhichareconnectedtothecentraldatabase,loadonlytherequired
partofthegeographicdata(asdefinedbytheCFGfile,forexample),andhaveaccesstothesharedpathlossmatrices
folder.
100
Figure 2.6:ComponentsofMultiuserEnvironments
Forinformationoncreatingandmaintainingthedatabase,seetheAdministratorManual.
2.2.2.2 CreatingaNewAtollDocumentfromaDatabase
Whenyoucreateanewdocumentfromadatabase,youmustconnecttothedatabase.Onceconnected,Atollloadsthedata
baseintoanewAtolldocument.Thentheconnectedisinterrupted.Anewconnectionwiththedatabasewillbecreatedonly
whennecessary,inordertoallowotherusersaccesstothedatabase.
Theexactprocedureofconnectingwiththedatabasediffersfromonedatabasetoanother.Atollcanworkwiththefollowing
databases:
MicrosoftAccess
MicrosoftSQLServer
Oracle
Sybase
MicrosoftDataLinkfiles
Thefollowingsectionsgiveexamplesofconnectingtotwodifferentdatabasesandloadingdata:
"ConnectingtoaDatabase"onpage 101.
"SelectingtheDatatoLoadFromtheDatabase"onpage 102.
AnexampleofanewAtolldocumentcreatedfromadatabaseisshownin:
"WorkingWithaDocumentonaDatabase"onpage 102
2.2.2.2.1 ConnectingtoaDatabase
Tocreateanewdocumentfromadatabase:
1. SelectFile >New >FromanExistingDatabase.TheOpenfromaDatabasedialogueappears.
2. IntheFilesoftypelist,selecttheoptioncorrespondingtothetypeofyourdatabase.Dependingonthetypeofthe
database,adialoguemayappearwhereyoucanenteryourUserName,Password,andServer.
101
By setting an option in the atoll.ini file, you can instruct Atoll to always use a
defineddatabasetype(MSAccess,SQLServer,orOracle).TheOpenfromaData
base dialogue will not appear. Instead the databasespecific authentication dia
logue will appear immediately. For more information, see the Administrator
Manual.
Additionaldialoguesmightopenaskingyoutochoosewhichprojectinthedata
basetoloadorwhichsitelisttoload.
3. ClickOK.TheDatatoLoaddialogueappears,allowingyoutoselectthedatatoloadintoAtollasanewdocument(see
"SelectingtheDatatoLoadFromtheDatabase"onpage 102).
2.2.2.2.2 SelectingtheDatatoLoadFromtheDatabase
Whenyoucreateanewdocumentfromadatabase,youcanselectthedatatobeloadedfromthedatabasetocreatethe
documentintheDatatoloaddialogue.YoucanselectwhichProject,SiteList,CustomFieldsGroups,andNeighbourstoload.
Ifyouloadtheintratechnologyortheintertechnologyneighbourlist,Atollwillalsoloadtheassociatedexceptionalpairs
table.
Figure 2.7:Selectingthedatatoload
2.2.2.3 WorkingWithaDocumentonaDatabase
Figure 2.8showsanewAtolldocumentbasedcreatedfromadatabase.TheNetworkexplorernowhasafolderstructuresuit
ableforaUMTSradioplanningproject.TheSitesfolderisexpandedtoshowthatadocumentcreatedfromadatabasecan
haveadditionaldata,suchassites,unlikeadocumentcreatedfromatemplate.Thesecanbemodifiedorreplaced.Figure 2.9
andFigure 2.10showthecontentsoftheGeoandParameterstabsofthenewdocument,respectively.
102
Figure 2.8:NewAtolldocumentopenedfromadatabase
Thenewdocumentmightopenwithnositedisplayedinthemapwindow.Thisisbecause
thenorthwestpointoftheprojectisbydefaulttheaxisorigin.Youcanrecentrethedocu
mentonthedatadisplayedintheNetworkexplorerbyexpandingtheSitesfolder,right
clickinganysite,andselectingCentreinMapWindowfromthecontextmenu.
Figure 2.9:NewAtolldocumentGeoexplorer Figure 2.10:NewAtolldocumentParametersexplorer
WhenyoucreateanAtolldocumentfromadatabase,youcanviewthecharacteristicsofthedatabaseconnection.
Toviewthecharacteristicsofthedatabaseconnection:
1. SelectDocument >Database >ConnectionProperties.TheDatabaseConnectiondialogueappears(seeFigure 2.11).
2. Youcannow:
Disconnectyourdocumentfromthedatabase.
Ifyoudisconnectyourdocumentfromthedatabase,itwillbebecomeastandalone
documentandyouwillnotbeabletoreconnectittothedatabase.
Modifyyourconnectiontothedatabase.
103
Figure 2.11:TheDatabaseConnectiondialogue
2.2.2.4 RefreshinganAtollDocumentfromtheDatabase
Asyouareworkingonyourdocument,otheruserswhohaveaccesstothedatabasemayhavemodifiedsomeofthedata.You
canensurethatyouhavethemostrecentdatainyourdocumentbyrefreshingtheinformationfromthedatabase.How
frequently you refresh the document depends on how frequently the database is updated. If the database is updated
frequently,youshouldrefreshyourdocumentfrequentlyaswell,inordertocontinueworkingwiththemostuptodatedata.
TorefreshanAtolldocumentfromthedatabase:
1. SelectDocument >Database >RefreshFromtheDatabase.TheRefreshdialogueappears.
2. Inthedialogue,youcandooneofthefollowingifyouhavemodifiedyourdocumentbuthavenotyetsavedthose
changesinthedatabase:
Archiveyourchangesinthedatabase:Thisoptionallowsyoutoarchiveyourchangestotheserverinsteadof
refreshingyourdocumentfromtheserver.
Refreshunmodifieddataonly:Thisoptionallowsyoutorefreshfromthedatabaseonlythoseitemsthatyouhave
notmodifiedinyourdocument.
Cancelyourchangesandreloaddatabase:Thisoptionallowsyoutocancelanychangesyouhavemadeandstart
overfromthepointofthelastarchivetothedatabase.
If you chose Refresh unmodified data only or Cancel your changes and reload
database,Atollproceedswithoutaskingforconfirmation.
IfyouchoseArchiveyourchangesinthedatabase,theArchivedialogueappears.
ForinformationonusingtheArchivedialogue,see"ArchivingtheModificationsof
anAtollDocumentintheDatabase"onpage 104.
3. Under Take into account, you can select the neighbour lists, Intratechnology Neighbours and Intertechnology
Neighbours,torefresh.
4. UnderModificationsSincetheLastRefresh,youcanselecttheGenerateReportcheckboxtocreateareportforthe
refreshprocess.
5. ClickOK.Thedocumentisrefreshedaccordingtotheselectedoptions.
Ifyouselectedtogenerateareport,AtollcreatesatextfileinCSV(CommaSeparatedValues)formatinthetemporaryfiles
systemfolder,andopensit.Youcanthenrenamethefileandsaveitwhereyouwant.Thereportlistsallthemodifications
(deletions,additions,andupdates)thatwerestoredinthedatabasesincethelasttimeyourefreshedoropenedyourdocu
ment.
2.2.2.5 ArchivingtheModificationsofanAtollDocumentintheDatabase
WhenyouareworkingonanAtolldocumentthatisattachedtoadatabase,youshouldfromtimetotimearchivethemodi
ficationsyouhavemadetothedataonthedatabase.Howfrequentlyyoushouldarchiveyourdocumentdependsonseveral
factors:theamountandsizeofchangesyoumake,thenumberofotherusersusingthedatabasewhomightbenefitfromyour
modifications,etc.Whatyoucanarchivedependsontheuserrightsthedatabaseadministratorhasgiventoyou.Forexample,
you can have read access to the antennas table, allowing you to create a new Atoll document with the given antennas.
However, because only the administrator canmodifythe properties of theantennas,you will not be able to archiveany
changesyoumaketotheantennaswithoutwriteaccesstothetable.
TheAtollarchivingprocessisflexible.Youcanarchiveallyourmodificationsoronlythesiterelatedmodifications.Aswell,
whenyouarearchiving,Atollshowsyouallmodificationsthatwillbearchivedand,ifyouwant,youcanarchiveonlysomeof
themorevenundomodificationsyouhavemadelocally.Occasionally,otherusersmighthavemodifiedsomeofthesame
dataand,whenyouarchiveyourchanges,Atollwillinformyouofthepossibleconflictsandhelpyouresolvethem.
"ArchivingAllModificationsintheDatabase"onpage 105
"ArchivingOnlySiteRelatedDataintheDatabase"onpage 105
"ResolvingDataConflicts"onpage 105.
104
2.2.2.5.1 ArchivingAllModificationsintheDatabase
Toarchiveallyourmodificationsinthedatabase:
1. SelectDocument >Database >Archive.TheArchivedialogueappears(seeFigure 2.12).
2. IntheArchivedialogue,youcandothefollowing:
ClickRunAlltoarchiveallyourchangestothedatabase.
SelectoneitemunderPendingchangesandclickRuntoarchivetheselectedmodificationtothedatabase
SelectoneitemunderPendingchangesandclickDifferencestoviewthedifferencesbetweenthelocalitemand
theitemonthedatabase.
SelectoneitemunderPendingchangesandclickUndotorefreshthemodificationwiththeoriginaldatafromthe
database.
Figure 2.12:TheArchivedialogue
3. Ifsomeofthedatahasbeenmodifiedonthedatabasesinceyoulastrefreshed,Atollstopsthearchivingprocessand
asksyoutoresolvetheconflict.Forinformationonmanagingconflicts,see"ResolvingDataConflicts"onpage 105.
4. Whenyouarefinishedarchiving,clickClose.
2.2.2.5.2 ArchivingOnlySiteRelatedDataintheDatabase
Atollallowsyoutoarchiveonlysiterelateddataifyouwant.Whichdataisarchiveddependsontheradiotechnologyyouare
workingwith.Forexample,inaUMTSHSPAradioplanningproject,thesiterelateddataare:sites,transmitters,cells,and
neighbours.
Toarchiveonlythesiterelateddatainthedatabase:
2. RightclicktheSitesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectArchive.TheArchivedialogueappearswithonlysiterelateddatadisplayed.
4. IntheArchivedialogue,youcandothefollowing:
ClickRunAlltoarchiveallyourchangestothedatabase.
SelectoneitemunderPendingChangesandclickRuntoarchivetheselectedmodificationtothedatabase
SelectoneitemunderPendingChangesandclickDifferencestoviewthedifferencesbetweenthelocalitemand
theitemonthedatabase.
SelectoneitemunderPendingChangesandclickUndotorefreshthemodificationwiththeoriginaldatafromthe
database.
5. Ifsomeofthedatahasbeenmodifiedonthedatabasesinceyoulastrefreshed,Atollstopsthearchivingprocessand
asksyoutoresolvetheconflict.Forinformationonmanagingconflicts,see"ResolvingDataConflicts"onpage 105.
6. Whenyouarefinishedarchiving,clickClose.
2.2.2.5.3 ResolvingDataConflicts
Atollenablesseveraluserstousethesamedatabasebyallowingusertoloadthedataandthenfreeingthedatabaseforother
users.However,thisalsocreatesthepossibilityoftwousersmodifyingthesamedata.Whentheseconduserattemptsto
archivehischanges,Atollwarnshimthatthedatahavebeenchangedsincehelastrefreshedthedataandthatthereisa
conflict.
Atollallowsyoutoresolvedataconflicts.WhenAtollfindsaconflict,itdisplaysthewarningshowninFigure 2.13.
105
Figure 2.13:Conflictwarning
Youhavethreeoptions:
Ignore:IfyouclickIgnore,Atollignoresitemscausingconflictsinthetablebeingarchived,archivesallothermodifi
cationsinthetable,andcontinueswiththenexttable.Youcanresolvetheconflictsafterthearchivingprocesshas
ended.However,ifconflictsarefoundinothertables,AtollwillwarnyouwiththeDatabaseTransferErrordialogue
again.
IgnoreAll:IfyouclickIgnoreAll,Atollignoresallitemscausingconflictsinalltablesbeingarchived,andarchivesall
othermodifications.Youcanresolvetheconflictsafterthearchivingprocesshasended.
Abort: If you click Abort, the archiving process stops. You can attempt to resolve conflicts before restarting the
archivingprocess.
Whetheryouabortthearchiveprocesstoresolvetheconflictimmediately,orwaituntiltheendofthearchiveprocess,the
proceduretoresolvetheconflictisthesame.
Toresolvedataconflictsonebyone:
1. InthePendingChangespaneoftheArchivedialogue,selecttheconflictyouwanttoresolveandclickResolve.There
aretwodifferenttypesofdataconflicts:
Onamodifiedrecord:Youareintheprocessofarchivingyourmodificationsonthedatabaseandanotheruser
hasmodifiedthesamedatasinceyoulastarchivedorrefreshedyourdata.Aconflictiscausedonlybydifferences
inthesamefieldofthesamerecordbetweenthedatabaseandthecurrentAtolldocument.
TheConflictinChangesdialogueappears,withthefieldsinconflicthighlighted(seeFigure 2.14).IntheConflict
inChangesdialogue,youcanseethevalueofthefieldinthedatabaseintheDatabasevaluescolumn,aswellas
thevalueofthesamefieldinyourdocumentintheCurrentvaluescolumn.
Figure 2.14:TheConflictinChangesdialogue
Ifyouwanttooverwritethedatabasevaluewiththevalueofthesamefieldinyourdocument,selectthecheck
boxnexttothehighlightedchangeandclickOkay.Yourmodificationwillbewrittentothedatabase,overwrit
ingthevaluethere.
Ifyouwanttoacceptthevalueofthefieldinthedatabase,clearthecheckboxnexttothehighlightedchange
andclickOkay.Yourmodificationwillbelostandthevalueinthedatabasewillremainunchanged.
Onadeletedrecord:Youareintheprocessofarchivingyourmodificationsonthedatabaseandanotheruserhas
deletedarecordsinceyoulastarchivedorrefreshedyourdata.Forinformation,see"ResolvingDataConflicts"on
page 105.
Atolldisplaysamessageexplainingthattherecordyouaretryingtoupdatehasbeendeletedfromthedatabase
(seeFigure 2.15).Selectoneofthefollowing:
106
Figure 2.15:Conflictonadeletedrecord
Yes:SelectYestostoreyourmodificationsinthedatabase,therebyrecreatingthedeletedrecord.
No:SelectNotoabandonyourmodificationstothisrecordanddeletethisrecordfromyourdocument.
Cancel:SelectCanceltocancel.
2. ClickClosetoclosetheArchivedialogue.
Toresolveallthedataconflicts:
1. InthePendingChangespaneoftheArchivedialogue,selectanyconflictandclickResolveAll.Atolldisplaysamessage
explaininghowResolveAllworks(seeFigure 2.16).Selectoneofthefollowing:
Figure 2.16:Resolvingallthedataconflictssimultaneously
Yes:SelectYestoacceptallthemodificationsmadebyotherusersinthedatabaseandupdateyourdocument
withvaluesfromthedatabase.
No:SelectNotooverwritethemodificationsmadebyotherusersinthedatabasewiththevaluesfromyourdoc
ument.
Cancel:SelectCanceltocancel.
2. ClickClosetoclosetheArchivedialogue.
Youshouldonlyresolveallthedataconflictswhenyouarecertainaboutthe
modifications.
2.3 MakingaBackupofYourDocument
Atollcancreateandautomaticallyupdatebackupsofdocumentsyouareworkingon.Onceyouhavesavedthedocument,
Atollcreatesabackupoftheoriginaldocumentandupdatesitatadefinedinterval.Forexample,foradocumentnamed"file
name.atl,"Atollwillcreateabackupfilecalled"filename.atl.bak"inthesamefolderastheoriginaldocument.Youcandefine
theupdateintervaleachtimeyoustartAtoll.
YoucanalsoconfigureAtolltocreateautomaticbackupsofexternalpathlossmatrices(LOSfiles)bysettinganoptioninthe
atoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seetheAdministratorManual.
Whenyouhaveactivatedautomaticbackup,Atollautomaticallycreatesabackupforeverydocumentopen.Consequently,if
youhavealotofdocumentsopen,thisoperationcantakealongtime.However,youcanoptimisetheprocessbyopening
largedocumentsinseparateAtollsessions,insteadofinthesameAtollsession.Thisalsoimprovesmemorymanagement
because each instance of Atoll has its own 2 GB (under 32bit operating systems; 4 GB under 64bit operating systems)
memoryallocation.IfyouopentwolargedocumentsinthesameAtollsession,thesedocumentswillusethesame2 GB
memorypool.IfyouopenthemintwodifferentAtollsessions,eachdocumentwillhaveitsown2 GBallocatedmemory.
"ConfiguringAutomaticBackup"onpage 108
"RecoveringaBackup"onpage 108.
107
2.3.1 ConfiguringAutomaticBackup
YoucansetupautomaticbackupforeachAtollsession.
Toconfigureautomaticbackup:
1. SelectTools>ConfigureAutoBackup.TheAutoBackupConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 2.17).
Figure 2.17:AutoBackupConfigurationdialogue
2. SelecttheActivateAutoBackupcheckbox.
3. SelectthePromptbeforestartingAutoBackupcheckboxifyouwantAtolltoaskyoubeforesavingthebackupof
yourfileeverytime(seeFigure 2.18).
4. Enteratimeinterval,inminutes,betweenconsecutivebackupsintheAutomaticallysavebackupseverytextbox.
Itcantakealongtime toback uplargedocuments. Therefore,youshould setacorre

spondinglylongerintervalbetweenbackupswhenworkingwithlargedocumentsinorder
tooptimisetheprocess.
5. ClickOK.
IfyouselectedthePromptbeforestartingautomaticbackupcheckbox,Atollpromptsyoueachtimebeforebackingupthe
document.IfyouclickOK,Atollproceedstobackupallopendocuments.IfyouclickCancel,Atollskipsthebackuponce.
Figure 2.18:Automaticbackupprompt
Theautomaticbackuptimerisstoppedwhilethepromptisdisplayed.AtolldisplaysamessageintheEventViewereverytime
abackupfileisupdated.Ifyouareperformingcalculations,i.e.,coveragepredictionsorsimulations,theautomaticbackupis
delayeduntilthecalculationshaveended.Thetimerstartsagainoncethecalculationsareover.Ifyousavetheoriginaldocu
mentmanually,thetimerisresetto0.
2.3.2 RecoveringaBackup
YoucaneasilyrecoveryourbackupdocumentandopenitinAtolljustlikeanyotherAtolldocument.
Torecoveryourbackupdocument:
1. UsingWindowsExplorer,navigatetothefoldercontainingyouroriginalAtolldocumentanditsbackup.
2. Iftheoriginaldocumentwasnamed"filename.atl,"thebackupdocumentwillbeinthesamefolderandwillbecalled
"filename.atl.bak".RenamethedocumentandremovetheBAKextension.Forexample,youcouldchangethename
to"filenamebackup.atl."
IfyoujustremovetheBAKextension,yourbackupfilewillhavethesamefilenameas
theoriginalfileandWindowswillnotallowyoutorenamethefile.Therefore,itissafer
togiveanewnametothebackupfileandkeeptheoriginalfileuntilyouaresurewhich
versionismostrecent.
108
3. OpentherenamedbackupdocumentinAtoll.Youwillbeabletorecoveralltheworkuptothelasttimethebackup
wassaved.
2.4 MakingandSharingPortableAtollProjects
YoucancreateportableAtolldocumentsintwoways:
byembeddingallthegeographicdataintheATLfile,or
bycreatingacompressedarchive(ZIPfile)containingtheATLfileandallgeographicdatalinkedtotheAtolldocument.
Inmostworkingenvironments,geographicdatafilesarestoredonacommonfileserverandarelinkedtotheATLdocuments
ofdifferentusersoveranetwork.Oftenthesegeographicdatafilesarequitelarge,anditisnotfeasibletoembedthesefiles
inanATLfileforreasonsrelatedtofilesize,memoryconsumption,andperformance.Itis,therefore,moreusefultomakea
projectportablebycreatinganarchivethatcontainstheATLandallgeographicdatafiles.
AtollletsyoumakeanarchivecontainingtheATLfileandallgeographicdatadirectlyfromtheFilemenu.
TomakeanarchivecontainingtheATLfileandalllinkedgeographicdatafiles:
1. SelectFile >SavetoZip.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
2. Selectthefolderwherethecreatedarchiveistobestored,enteraFilenameforthearchivetobecreated,andselect
"ZipFiles(*.zip)"fromtheSaveastypelist.
AtollcreatesaZIPfilecontaining:
AcopyoftheATLfilewiththesamenameasthenameofthearchive(ZIPfile).
TheATLfileaddedtothearchivecontainsallthedatathatmightbeembeddedinit(pathlossmatrices,geographic
data,coveragepredictions,simulationresults,measurementdata,etc.).
A".losses"foldercontainingapathloss.dbffileandaLowRessubfolderwhichcontainsthepathloss.dbffilecorre
spondingtotheextendedpathlossmatrices.
Externallystoredpathlossmatricesarenotaddedtothearchivebecausetheyarenotnecessaryformakinga
portabledocument;theycanberecalculatedbasedonthenetworkandgeographicdataintheATLfile.Thepath
loss.dbffilesarestoredinthearchivebecausetheyareneededwhenreopeningthearchiveinAtoll.
A"Geo"folderwithallthelinkedgeographicdataavailableintheGeoexplorerfortheAtolldocument.
ThisfoldercontainssubfolderswiththesamenamesasthefoldersintheGeoexplorer.Geographicdatathatare
foundoutsidefoldersintheGeoexplorerarestoredinfilesundertheGeofolder,anddatapresentwithinfolders
intheGeoexplorerarestoredinsidetheirrespectivefolders.Ifthegeographicdatafileslinkedtothedocument
arelocatedonaremotecomputer,suchasafileserveroveranetwork,theyarefirstcopiedtothelocalcomputer
intheWindowstemporaryfilesfolderandthenaddedtothearchive.
Oncetheportablearchiveiscreated,youcanopenitdirectlyfromAtollwithoutfirsthavingtoextractitusinganothertool.
ToopenanarchivecontaininganATLfileandalllinkedgeographicdatafiles:
1. SelectFile >OpenfromZip.TheOpendialogueappears.
2. SelecttheZIPfilethatcontainstheATLfileandlinkedgeographicdatafiles.
3. ClickOpen.TheBrowseForFolderdialogueappears.
4. SelectthefolderwhereyouwanttoextractthecontentsoftheZIPfile.
5. Click OK. Atoll extracts all the files from the archive to the selected folder. If necessary, it createsthe subfolders
requiredforextractingthecontentsoftheGeofolder.OnceAtollhasfinishedextractingfilesfromthearchive,it
openstheextractedATLfile.GeographicdataextractedfromthearchivearelinkedtotheATLfile.
Youdonotneedtohaveacompressionutility,suchasWinZiporWinRAR,installed
onthecomputerwhenworkingwitharchivedATLfiles.
Thehighestcompressionlevelisusedwhencreatingthearchive.
109
110
Chapter3
GeographicData
Thischapterprovidesinformationonworkingwith Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
geographicdatainanAtollproject.
"GeographicDataTypes"onpage 113
"SupportedGeographicDataFormats"onpage 114
"ImportingGeoDataFiles"onpage 115
"DigitalTerrainModels"onpage 121
"ClutterClasses"onpage 122
"ClutterHeights"onpage 124
"Contours,Lines,andPoints"onpage 124
"ScannedImages"onpage 126
"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127
"SettingthePriorityofGeoData"onpage 129
"DisplayingInformationAboutGeoData"onpage 132
"GeographicDataSets"onpage 132
"EditingGeographicData"onpage 134
"SavingGeographicData"onpage 136
112
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter3:GeographicData
3 GeographicData
SeveraldifferentgeographicdatatypesareusedinanAtolldocument.Forexample:thedigitalterrainmodel(DTM),clutter
classes,clutterheights,scannedimages,onlinemaps,andgeoclimaticmaps,aretypesofthegeographicdatathatyoucan
importorcreate.Somedatatypes,suchasclutterclasses,canbeusedtogivemorerealisticcalculations.Othertypessuchas
scannedimages,areusedtocreateamorerealisticdisplayoftheregionunderstudy.
Youcanimportawidevarietyofbothvectorandrasterformatgeodatafiles.WhenyouimportageodatafileintoAtoll,you
candecideinwhichfolderitgoes.TheGeoexploreroftheAtollExplorerwindowhasfoldersforthecommonlyuseddata
types.Therefore,choosingafolderischoosingwhatthefilewillbeusedfor.Youcanalsocreateyourowndatatypebyimport
ingafileanddefiningwhatdataistobeused.
OnceyouhaveimportedafileintotheAtolldocument,youcaneditthedata,definehowthegeodatawillbedisplayed.Atoll
alsoallowsyoutomanagemultiplefilesforasingledatatype,decidingthepriorityofdatafileswithdifferentinformationor
differentresolutions.YoucanalsodisplaygeodataoveritemsintheNetworkexplorer,eitherbytransferringthemtothe
Networkexplorer,orbyimportingthemdirectlytotheNetworkexplorer.
Youcanalsocreateandeditgeographicdata.Youcanaddavectorlayertocertaindatatypestowhichyoucanaddcontours,
lines,orpoints,createnewgeographicdata,ormodifyexistingdata.Youcanalsocreaterasterbasedgeographicdatasuch
astrafficmapsorclutterclasses.
Youcanexportmostgeodataobjects(forexample,DTM,clutterclasses,clutterheights,rasterpolygons,orvectorlayers)for
useinotherAtolldocumentsorinotherapplications.Atollalsoallowsyoutosavechangesyoumaketogeodataobjectsback
totheoriginalfiles.Thisenablesyoutoupdatetheoriginalfilesand,throughtheprocessofsavingthem,recompactthefile.
Thischapterexplainsthefollowingtopics:
"GeographicDataTypes"onpage 113
"SupportedGeographicDataFormats"onpage 114
"ImportingGeoDataFiles"onpage 115
"DigitalTerrainModels"onpage 121
"SettingthePriorityofGeoData"onpage 129
"EditingGeographicData"onpage 134
"SavingGeographicData"onpage 136.
3.1 GeographicDataTypes
An Atoll document can contain several different geographic data types. Atoll supports a wide range of file formats for
geographicdatafiles.ThedifferentgeographicdatatypesplaydifferentrolesintheAtolldocument:
Geographicdatausedinpropagationcalculation:
Digitalterrainmodel
Clutterclasses
Clutterheights
Geographicdatausedfordisplaypurposes:
Scannedmaps
Onlinemaps
Imagesfromwebmapservices(WMS)
Contours,lines,andpointsrepresenting,forexample,roads,railways,orregions.
Inthissection,thefollowingdatatypesaredescribed:
"DigitalTerrainModel"onpage 113
DigitalTerrainModel
TheDTMdescribestheelevationofthegroundoversealevel.YoucandisplaytheDTMindifferentways:bysinglevalue,
discretevalues,orbyvalueintervals(see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27).
113
Chapter3:GeographicData Forsk2013
TheDTMisautomaticallytakenintoaccountbythepropagationmodelduringcomputations.
ClutterClasses
Theclutterclassgeodatafiledescribeslandcoverorlanduse.Clutterclassesaretakenintoaccountbythepropagationmodel
duringcomputations.
Eachpixelinaclutterclassfilecontainsacode(fromamaximumof256possibleclasses)whichcorrespondstoaclutterclass,
orinotherwordstoacertaintypeofgrounduseorcover.Theheightperclasscanbedefinedaspartoftheclutterclass,
however,theheightwillbedefinedasanaverageheightforeachclutterclass.Forinformationondefiningtheheightperclut
terclass,see"DefiningClutterClassProperties"onpage 122.Clutterheightscanalsobedefinedbyaseparateclutterheights
file(see"ClutterHeights"onpage 114).Aclutterheightmapcanrepresentheightmuchmoreaccuratelybecauseitallowsa
differentheighttobeassignedforeachpixelofthemap.
ClutterHeights
ClutterheightmapsdescribethealtitudeofclutterovertheDTMwithonealtitudedefinedperpixel.Clutterheightmapscan
offermorepreciseinformationthandefininganaltitudeperclutterclassbecause,inaclutterheightfile,itispossibletohave
differentheightswithinasingleclutterclass.
Whenclutteraltitudeisdefinedbothinclutterclassesandinaclutterheightmap,clutteraltitudeistakenfromtheclutter
heightmap.
Youcandisplaytheclutterheightmapindifferentways:bysinglevalue,discretevalues,orbyvalueintervals(see"Display
PropertiesofObjects"onpage 27).
Theonlypropagationmodelsthatcantakeclutterheightsintoaccountincalculationsare
theStandardPropagationModelandWLLmodel.
Contours,Lines,andPoints
Atollsupportscontours,lines,andpointstorepresentpolygonssuchasregions,orlinessuchasroadsorcoastlines,orpoints.
Theyareusedfordisplayonlyandhavenoeffectoncomputations.Contourscanalsobeusedtocreatefilteringpolygonsor
computationorfocuszones.
ScannedImages
Scannedimagesaregeographicdatafileswhichrepresenttheactualphysicalsurroundings,forexample,roadmapsorsatel
liteimages.Theyareusedtoprovideaprecisebackgroundforotherobjectsorforlessprecisemapsandareusedonlyfor
display;theyhavenoeffectoncalculations.
GeoclimaticMaps
Geoclimaticmapsarevectorfilescontaininginformationonclimaticconditionssuchasraindensity,vapourdensity,temper
ature,andrefractivity.Geoclimaticmapsareusedinmicrowavelinkdocumentstocalculateradiowaveattenuation.
TrafficDataMaps
Trafficdatamapscontaininformationoncapacityandserviceusepergeographicarea.Trafficdatamapsareusedfornetwork
capacityanalyses.
OnlineMaps
Youcandisplayvarioustypesofonlinemapsinthemapwindow.FromtheGeoexplorer,youcanaccessthesemapsdirectly
orbyspecifyingtheirserverURLs.
3.2 SupportedGeographicDataFormats
Atollsupportsthefollowinggeographicdataformats:
DTMfilesinthefollowingformats:TIF(8or16bitinteger),BIL(8,16or32bitinteger,32bitfloat),Planet(16bit
integer),BMP(8bitinteger),GRDVerticalMapper(16bitinteger),andErdasImagine(8,16or32bitinteger,32bit
float)
Clutterheightfilesinthefollowingformats:TIF(8or16bitinteger),BIL(8,16or32bitinteger,32bitfloat),Planet
(16bitinteger),BMP(8bitinteger),GRDVerticalMapper(16bitinteger),andErdasImagine(8,16or32bitinteger,
32bitfloat)
Clutterclassandtrafficfilesinthefollowingformats:TIF(8bit),BIL(8bit),IST(8bit),BMP(8bit),Planet,GRCVertical
Mapper(8bit),andErdasImagine(8bit)
114
Vectordatafilesinthefollowingformats:AGD,DXF,Planet,SHP,MIF,andTAB.
Vectortrafficfilesinthefollowingformats:AGD,DXF,Planet,SHP,MIF,andTAB.
Scannedimagefilesinthefollowingformats:TIF(1to24bit),JPEG(1to24bit),JPEG2000(1to24bit),BIL(1to
24bit),IST(1to24bit),BMP(1to24bit),Planet,ErdasImagine(1to24bit),GRCVerticalMapper(1to24bit),and
ECW(8or24bit)
Geoclimaticfilesinthefollowingformats:AGD,DXF,SHP,MIF,andTAB.
Otherdatainthefollowingformats:TIF(16bit),BIL(16bit),IST(16bit),Planet,BMP(16bit),ErdasImagine(16bit),
GRD/GRCVerticalMapper(16bit),AGD,DXF,SHP,MIF,andTAB.
Allimportedrastermapsmusthavethesameprojectioncoordinatesystem.
3.3 ImportingGeoDataFiles
YoucanimportthegeographicdatayouneedintothecurrentAtolldocument.Asexplainedin"SupportedGeographicData
Formats"onpage 114,Atollsupportsavarietyofbothrasterandvectorfileformats.Whenyouimportanewgeodatafile,
AtollrecognisesthefileformatandsuggeststheappropriatefolderintheGeoexplorer.Youcanembedgeodatafilesinthe
Atolldocumentwhileyouareimportingthemorafterwards(see"EmbeddingGeographicData"onpage 121).
YoucansharethepathsofimportedmapsanddisplaysettingswithotherusersbyusingAtollsuserconfigurationfiles.For
informationonexportingthepathsofyourdocumentsfilesortoimportthepathfromanotherdocumentusinguserconfig
urationfiles,see"GeographicDataSets"onpage 132.
"ImportingaRasterformatGeoDataFile"onpage 115
"ImportingaVectorformatGeoDataFile"onpage 116
"ImportingMSIPlanetData"onpage 117
"ImportingaWMSRasterformatGeoDataFile"onpage 119
"GroupingGeoDataFilesinFolders"onpage 120
"EmbeddingGeographicData"onpage 121.
Youcanusedraganddroptoimportgeodatafilesintoadocument.Theformatis
automaticallyrecognisedandAtollpresentsyouwiththeappropriatedialogue.
3.3.1 ImportingaRasterformatGeoDataFile
AllrastergeodatafilesmustberepresentedinthesameprojectioncoordinatesystemastheAtolldocumentitself.
Toimportageographicdatafileinarasterformat:
1. SelectFile >Import.TheOpendialogueappears.
2. Selectthegeodatafileyouwanttoimport.
Youcanimportmorethanonegeodatafileatthesametime,providingthatthegeodatafilesareofthesametype.
Youcanselectcontiguousfilesbyclickingthefirstfile,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfileyouwanttoimport.You
canselectnoncontiguousfilesbypressingCTRLandclickingeachfile.
3. ClickOpen.TheFileImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.1).
IftheVectorImportdialogueappears,goto"ImportingaVectorformatGeoDataFile"on
page 116.
Dependingonthetypeofgeodatafileyouareimporting,chooseoneofthefollowingoptions:
DTM:SelectAltitudes(DTM)fromtheDataTypelist.
ClutterClasses:SelectClutterClassesfromtheDataTypelist.
ClutterHeights:SelectClutterHeightsfromtheDataTypelist.
ScannedImages:SelectImageorScanfromtheDataTypelist.
4. Bydefault,theimportedfileislinkedtotheAtolldocument.ToembedthedatafileintheAtolldocument,selectthe
EmbedinDocumentcheckbox.Forinformationonembeddingfiles,see"EmbeddingGeographicData"onpage 121.
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5. ClickImport.ThegeodatafileisimportedandlistedintheGeoexplorer.
Whenyouimportatrafficdatamap,thetrafficmapsPropertiesdialogueappears:
a. UnderTerminals(%),enterthepercentageofeachtypeofterminalusedinthemap.Thetotalpercentagesmust
equal100.
b. UnderMobilities(%),enterthepercentageofeachmobilitytypeusedinthemap.Thetotalpercentagesmust
equal100.
c. UnderServices(%),enterthepercentageofeachservicetypeusedinthemap.Thetotalpercentagesmustequal
100.
d. UnderClutterDistribution,enterforeachclutterclassthepercentageofindoorusers.
e. ForUMTSandCDMA,selectwhethertheusersareactiveintheUplink/Downlink,onlyintheDownlink,oronly
intheUplink.
f. ClickOK.
Figure 3.1:Importingaclutterclassfile
3.3.2 ImportingaVectorformatGeoDataFile
Whenyouimportgeodatafilesinvectorformat,theirgeographicsystemcanbeconvertedtothesystemusedbytheAtoll
document.Whenyouimportextremelylargevectorgeodatafiles,forexample,vectorfilesthatcoveranentirecountry,you
mustensurethatatleastthecentreoftheboundingboxdefiningthevectorfileiswithintheprojectioncoordinatesystem
definedfortheAtolldocument.
Toimportavectorformatgeographicdatafile:
2. Selectthegeodatafileyouwanttoimport.
Youcanimportmorethanonegeodatafileatthesametime,providingthatthegeodatafilesareofthesametype.
Youcanselectcontiguousfilesbyclickingthefirstfile,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfileyouwanttoimport.You
canselectnoncontiguousfilesbypressingCTRLandclickingeachfile.
3. ClickOpen.TheVectorImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.2).
IftheFileImportdialogueappears,goto"ImportingaRasterformatGeoDataFile"on
page 115.
Dependingonthetypeofgeodatafileyouareimporting,chooseoneofthefollowingoptions:
VectorData:
SelectGeofromtheImporttolist.
When you importvectordata,youcansimultaneouslyimportthecorrespondingdisplay configuration file
(CFG)bysettinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Thedisplayconfigurationfilewillonlybeimportedifithasthe
samefilenameandifitislocatedinthesamedirectoryastheimportedvectorformatfile.Formoreinforma
tionaboutsettingoptionsintheatoll.inifile,seetheAdministratorManual.
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GeoclimaticFile:
i. SelectGeoclimaticParametersfromtheImporttolist.
ThetemperaturesinthegeoclimaticfilemustbeexpressedinCelsiuswhetherthemeas
urementunitdefinedfortemperaturesintheAtolldocumentisFarhenheitorCelsius.
4. Bydefault,theimportedfileislinkedtotheAtolldocument.ToembedthedatafileintheAtolldocument,selectthe
EmbedinDocumentcheckbox.Forinformationonembeddingfiles,see"EmbeddingGeographicData"onpage 121.
5. ClickImport.ThegeodatafileisimportedandlistedintheGeoexplorer.
Figure 3.2:VectorImportdialogue
YoucanimportellipsesandarcsfromMapInfofiles(MIFandTAB).Rectanglesare
interpretedaspolygons.
YoucandefinemappingsbetweenthecoordinatesystemusedfortheMapInfo/
ESRIvectorfiles,definedinthecorrespondingMIF/PRJfiles,andAtoll.Thisway,
whenyouimportavectorfile,Atollcandetectthecorrectcoordinatesystemauto
matically.Formoreinformationaboutdefiningthemappingbetweencoordinate
systems,pleaserefertotheAdministratorManual.
3.3.3 ImportingMSIPlanetData
MSIPlanetdataarecontainedinaseriesoffilesdescribedinindexfiles.TheindexfileisinASCIItextformatandcontains
theinformationnecessarytoidentifyandproperlyinterpreteachdatafile.WhenyouimportMSIPlanetdata,youcanimport
eachtypeofdataseparately,byimportingthecorrespondingindexfile,oryoucanimportseveralMSIPlanetdatafilesat
thesametime,byimportingseveralindexfiles.
"ImportingOneMSIPlanetDataType"onpage 117
"ImportingaMSIPlanetDatabase"onpage 118.
3.3.3.1 ImportingOneMSIPlanetDataType
WhenyouwanttoimportacertaintypeofMSIPlanetdata,suchasaDTMorclutterheights,youimporttheindexfile
containingtheinformationnecessarytoimportthesetoffilescontainingthedata.
ToimportonetypeofMSIPlanetdata:
2. SelecttheindexfileyouwanttoimportandclickOpen.TheDataTypedialogueappears(seeFigure 3.3).
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Figure 3.3:ImportinganMSIPlanetindexfile
3. SelectthetypeofdatayouareimportingandselecttheEmbedcheckboxifyouwanttoembedthedatainthecurrent
Atolldocument.
4. ClickOKtoimportthedataintothecurrentAtolldocument.
3.3.3.2 ImportingaMSIPlanetDatabase
YoucanimportallavailableMSIPlanetdataatthesametimebyimportingallindexfiles.
ToimporttheMSIPlanetdatabase:
2. Select"Planetdatabase"fromtheFilesofTypelist.ThePlanetDataImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.4).
Figure 3.4:ImportinganMSIPlanetdatabase
3. Foreachtypeofdatathatyouwanttoimport:
a. Selectthecorrespondingcheckbox.
b. Ifyouwanttoembedthedata,selecttheEmbedcheckbox.
c. TolocatetheMSIPlanetindexfile,click .TheOpendialogueappears.
d. SelecttheMSIPlanetindexfileandclickOpen.Thepathandnameofthefileappearsinthecorrespondingfield
ofthePlanetDatatoBeImporteddialogue.
4. Ifyouarealsoimportingnetworkdata,selectthenetworkTechnology.
5. Whenyouhaveselectedallthetypesofdatayouwanttoimport,clickOK.ThedataisimportedintothecurrentAtoll
document.
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3.3.4 ImportingaWMSRasterformatGeoDataFile
YoucanimportrasterimagesfromaWebMapService(WMS)serverintoyourAtolldocument.TheimagescanbeinTIF,BMP,
PNG,orJPEGformats.Allimagesimportedatthesametimeareimportedasasingleimage.Beforeyouimportthem,youcan
arrangethembyplacingontoptheimagethatisthemostimportant,suchasroads.Or,youcanplacetheleasttransparent
imagetowardsthebottomsothattheotherimagesimportedatthesametimeremainvisible.
Theimagewillbereferencedinthedocument;itcannotbeembedded.OnlyWMSdatamappedwithaprojectionsystem(for
example,theLambertConformalConicortheUniversalTransverseMercatorprojection)canbeimported.Beforeimporting
animagefromaWMSserver,youmustensurethatthecoordinatesystemusedinyourdocumentisthesameprojection
systemsupportedbytheserver.Allrastergeodatafilesmustberepresentedinthesameprojectioncoordinatesystemas
thatusedbytheAtolldocumentitself.
Toimportageographicdatafilefromawebmapservice:
2. FromtheFilesofTypelist,selectConnectiontoaWebMapServicesserver.TheWebMapServicesDataImportdia
logueappears.
3. SelecttheURLoftheWMSserverfromtheServerURLlistorenteritdirectly.
ThelistofWMSserversthatappearsintheServerURLlistaredefinedbyentriesinthe
atoll.inifile.Forinformationondefiningtheseentries,seetheAdministratorManual.
4. ClicktheConnectbutton.AtollconnectstotheURLoftheWMSserveranddisplaystheinformationavailablealong
withadescriptionoftheservice(Figure 3.5onpage 119).
Figure 3.5:WebMapServicesDataImportdialogue
5. IntheleftpaneoftheWebMapServicesDataImportdialogue,navigatetotheitemthatyouwanttoshortlistinthe
rightpane,byclickingtheExpandbutton( )toopeneachlevel.
6. Selectthecheckboxprecedingtheimageortheimagegroup,i.e.agroupprecededbyanExpandbutton( ).The
selectedimagesareautomaticallyaddedtothelistintherightpane.
7. Intherightpane,clickonanimagetoselectit.Youcanalsoselectseveralimagesasfollows:
Toselectcontiguousimages:clickthefirstimage,pressSHIFT,andclickthelastimage.
Toselectnoncontiguousimages:pressCTRLandclickeachimageseparately.
8. Additionally,youcanmoveanimageinthelistbyclickingtheimagethen or tomoveitupwardordownward.
9. Ifyouwant,youcanalsoreversetheorderofthelistbyclicking .
10. ClickImportintheWebMapServicesDataImportdialogue.TheWMSMapImportdialogueappears.
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Figure 3.6:WMSMapImportdialogue
ThefollowinginformationisgivenabouttheimportedWMSdata:
DataTypes:"ImageorScan"isselected.
GeographicCoordinates:ThegeographiccoordinatesaretheWMSdataaregiven.
11. TheNamesuggestedisthenameofthelowestlayertobeimported.Ifdesired,youcanmodifythisname.
12. ClickImportintheWMSMapImportdialogue.TheimageisimportedbyreferenceintotheAtolldocument.Youcan
notembedaWMSimageinyourdocument.
Ifyouhadselectedmorethanoneimageoranimagegroup,Atollimportsthegroupasasingleobject.Youcannot
modifythisobject.Ifyouwanttoremoveoneoftheimagesoraddanotheroneyouwillhavetogothroughtheimport
processagain.
13. ClickCloseintheWebMapServicesDataImportdialoguethenCancelintheOpendialoguetoreturntoexit.
3.3.5 GroupingGeoDataFilesinFolders
Bydefault,whenyouimportscannedimagesandcontours,lines,andpoints,theyappeardirectlyintheGeoexplorer.Other
datafiles,suchasclutterclasses,arelistedtogetherinasingleClutterClassesfolder.Youcan,however,groupscannedimages
andcontours,lines,andpointsintofoldersaswell.
Oncegrouped,thesegeodatafilescanbedisplayedorhiddenandmovedmoreeasily.Theyretain,however,theirownindi
vidualdisplaysettings;thedisplaysettingscannotbemanagedatthefolderlevel.
Youcreatethefolderwhenyouimportthefirstgeodatafilethatwillbeimportedintoit.Whenyouimportthenextgeodata
file,eitherrasterorvector,youcanimportitdirectlyintothenewfolder.
Tocreateanewgeodatafolderwhenimporting:
2. SelectthegeodatafileandclickOpen.Ifthefiletobeimportedisarasterfile,theFileImportdialogueappears(see
Figure 3.1).Ifthefiletobeimportedisavectorfile,theVectorImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.2).
3. FromtheDataTypelist(ontheFileImportdialogue)ortheImportTolist(ontheVectorImportdialogue),selectNew
folderinGeo.TheNewFolderdialogueappears.
If you want to import your file to the Network explorer, you can select New folder in
Network.
4. EnteranameforthefolderinFolderNameboxandclickOK.
5. ClickImport.Yourfileisimportedintothenewlycreatedfolder.
YoucannowimportothergeodatafilesintothisfolderbyselectingitfromtheDataTypelist(ontheFileImportdialogue)or
theImportTolist(ontheVectorImportdialogue)whenyouimport.
YoucantransfergeodatathathasbeenimportedfromtheGeoexplorertotheNetwork
explorer,orviceversa.RightclickthedataintheExplorerwindowandselectMoveto
NetworkorMovetoGeo.
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3.3.6 EmbeddingGeographicData
Bydefault,whenyouimportageodatafile,Atollcreatesalinktothefile.Youcan,however,choosetoembedthegeodata
fileinyourAtolldocument,eitherwhenyouimportitorlater.WhenAtollislinkedtoageodatafile,thegeodatafileremains
separateandmodifyingorsavingtheAtolldocumenthasnoeffectonthegeodatafile.Whenthegeodatafileisembedded
intheAtolldocument,itissavedaspartofthedocument.
Bothlinkingandembeddingpresentadvantagesanddisadvantages.Formoreinformation,seetheAdministratorManual.
Ifyouareusingdistributedcalculations,youmustlinkyourgeodatafiles.Distributed
calculationswillnotworkwithembeddedgeodatafiles.Forinformation,seethe
ToembedageodatafileinthecurrentAtolldocumentwhileyouareimporting:
SelecttheEmbedinDocumentcheckboxontheFileImportorVectorImportdialoguebox.
ToembedageodatafilethatisalreadylinkedtothecurrentAtolldocument:
2. Rightclickthefileyouwanttoembedinthecurrentdocument.
4. ClicktheGeneraltabofthePropertiesdialogue.
5. ClickEmbed.
6. ClickOK.ThegeodatafileisnowembeddedinthecurrentAtolldocument.
3.3.7 RepairingaBrokenLinktoaGeoDataFile
Bydefault,whenyouimportageodatafile,Atollcreatesalinktothefile;thegeodatafileremainsseparateandmodifying
orsavingtheAtolldocumenthasnoeffectonthegeodatafile.If,however,thegeodatafileismoved,thelinkwillbebroken.
TorepairabrokenlinkfromwithintheAtolldocument:
Ifthegeodatafileisinafolder,suchastheClutterClasses,TrafficMaps,orDTMfolder,click toexpandthe
folder.
2. Rightclickonthegeodatafilewhoselinkyouwanttorepair.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. OntheGeneraltabofthePropertiesdialogue,clicktheFindbutton.
5. Browsetothegeodatafile,selectitandclickOK.
3.4 DigitalTerrainModels
TheDigitalTerrainModel(DTM)isageographicdatafilerepresentingtheelevationofthegroundoversealevel.
TomanagethepropertiesoftheDTM:
2. RightclicktheDigitalTerrainModelfolder.
4. ClicktheDisplaytabtodefinethedisplaypropertiesfortheDTM.
ForinformationonDisplaytabsettings,see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
5. MovetheReliefslidertowardsFlat,ifyouwanttodisplayveryfewlittlereliefortowardsx6ifyouwanttoemphasise
thedifferencesinaltitude.
6. ClickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.
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3.5 ClutterClasses
Theclutterclassgeodatafiledescribeslandcoverorlanduse.
Eachpixelofaclutterclassfilecontainsacode(fromamaximumof256possibleclasses)whichcorrespondstoaclutterclass,
orinotherwordstoacertaintypeofgrounduseorcover.Theheightperclasscanbedefinedaspartoftheclutterclass,
howeverthisheightisonlyanaverageperclass.Aclutterheightmapcanrepresentheightmuchmoreaccuratelybecauseit
allowsadifferentheighttobeassignedforeachbinofthemap.Forinformationonclutterheightmaps,see"ClutterHeights"
onpage 124.
"AssigningNamestoClutterClasses"onpage 122
"DefiningClutterClassProperties"onpage 122
"AddingaClutterClass"onpage 123
"RefreshingtheListofClutterClasses"onpage 123
"DisplayingTotalSurfaceAreaperClutterClass"onpage 124.
3.5.1 AssigningNamestoClutterClasses
Theclutterclassfileidentifieseachclutterclasswithacode.Tomakeiteasiertoworkwithclutterclasses,youcanassigna
descriptivenametoeachclutterclassname.Whenaclutterclasshasadescriptivename,itisthenamethatappearsintip
textandreports.
WhenyouimportaclutterclassfileinBIL,TIF,JPEG2000,orIMPformat,Atollcanautomaticallyassignnamestoclutter
classesiftheclutterclassfilehasacorrespondingMNUfile.TheMNUfilecontainsalistwiththeclutterclasscodesandtheir
correspondingnames.FormoreinformationontheMNUfileformatandoncreatinganMNUfile,seetheTechnicalReference
Guide.
Toassignnamestoclutterclasses:
2. RightclicktheClutterClassesfolder.
4. ClicktheDescriptiontabofthePropertiesdialogue.
5. IntheNamecolumn,enterdescriptivetextforeachclassidentifiedintheCodecolumn.
3.5.2 DefiningClutterClassProperties
Theparametersareappliedinrelationtothelocationofthereceiverbeingstudiedandtheclutterclassofthereceiverloca
tion.TheseparameterscanbesetonthePropertiesdialogue:
Todefineclutterclassproperties:
4. ClicktheDescriptiontabofthePropertiesdialogue.
5. EnteraNameandaverageHeight(m)foreachcode.
IfHeightisleftblank,thepropagationmodelsthatusethisinformationinterpretit
as"0."
Ifyoumodifyclutterclassheights,pathlossmatricesmustberecalculatedusing
theForceCalculationbutton( )inordertotakethischangeintoaccountinpre
dictionsandsimulations.
6. Enterdefault values inthe first row of the table on the Description tab.orinformation about each field, seethe
descriptionsinthefollowingstep.
Thedefaultvaluesareusedifnocluttermapisavailable.Evenifthereisaclutterclassesmap,youcanselecttheUse
defaultvaluesonlycheckboxontheatthebottomoftheDescriptiontabtomakeAtollusethevaluesspecifiedin
thisrowinsteadofthevaluesdefinedperclutterclass.
7. Ifdesired,youcanenteravalueforeachofthefollowingfieldsapplicabletothecurrentdocument:
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ForallAtolldocuments:
ModelStandardDeviation(dB):tocalculateshadowinglossesonthepathloss,asrelatedtoauserdefined
celledgecoverageprobability.
IndoorLoss(dB):tobeappliedtothepathlossandusedincoveragepredictions,pointanalysis,andMonte
Carlosimulations.Here,youcandefineavalueofindoorlossperfrequency.Ifanetworkelementoperateson
afrequencyforwhichtheindoorlossisnotdefinedintheindoorlossgraph,anindoorlossvalueisinterpo
latedfromthevaluesavailableinthegraph.

8. Ifyouwanttousedefaultvaluesforallclutterclasses,selecttheUseonlydefaultvaluescheckboxatthebottomof
theDescriptiontab.
9. ClicktheDisplaytabtodefinethedisplaypropertiesforclutterclasses.InadditiontotheDisplaytaboptionsdescribed
in"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27,eachclutterclassdisplaytypehasavisibilitycheckbox.Byselectingor
clearingthevisibilitycheckbox,youcandisplayorhideclutterclassdisplaytypesindividually.
Selectingwhiteasthecolourforaclutterclassvalueorvalueintervalwillcausethatclutter
classvalueorvalueintervaltobedisplayedastransparent.
10. ClickOK.
YoucancopythedescriptiontableintoanewAtolldocumentafterimportingtheclutter
classesfile.Tocopythedescriptiontable,selecttheentiretablebyclickingthecellinthe
upperleftcornerofthetableandpressCTRL+C.OntheDescriptiontaboftheclutter
classesPropertiesdialogueinthenewAtolldocument,pressCTRL+Vtopastethevalues
inthetable.
3.5.3 AddingaClutterClass
Youcanaddanewclutterclasstoyourdocument.
Toaddanewclutterclasstotheyourdocument:
4. SelecttheDescriptiontabfromthePropertiesdialogue.
5. Intheblankrowmarkedwith atthebottomofthetable,enteranunusednumberfrom1to255intheCode
column.
6. Fillintheremainderofthefieldsasdescribedinstep 5.andstep 7.of"DefiningClutterClassProperties"onpage 122.
7. ClickOK.
Youcannowusethenewclutterclasswhenmodifyingtheclutterclassmap.Forinformationonmodifyingtheclutterclass
map,see"CreatingaClutterPolygon"onpage 134.
3.5.4 RefreshingtheListofClutterClasses
Undercertaincircumstances,itcanhappenthatthelistofclutterclassesontheDescriptiontaboftheclutterclassesProper
tiesdialoguecontainsunusedclutterclasses.Forexample,ifyouhaveimportedtwoclutterclassfilesandthendeletedone
ofthem,thelistofclutterclasseswillstillcontaintheclutterclassesofthedeletedfile,eveniftheyarenotusedintheremain
ingfile.Wheneveryouwanttoensurethatthelistofclutterclassesisaccurateandcurrent,youcanrefreshthelist.
Torefreshthelistoftheclutterclasses:
4. SelecttheDescriptiontabfromthePropertiesdialogue.
5. ClickRefresh.Atollremovestheunusedclutterclassesfromthelist.
6. ClickOK.
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3.5.5 DisplayingTotalSurfaceAreaperClutterClass
Youcandisplaythetotalsurfaceareacoveredbyeachclutterclassinthedocument.Atolldisplaysthesurfaceareacovered
byeachclutterclassinthefocuszoneifthereisone,inthecomputationzoneifthereisnofocuszoneand,ifthereisnofocus
orcomputationzone,Atolldisplaysthetotalsurfaceareacoveredbyeachclutterclassintheentiredocument.Thisinforma
tionisalsoavailableinpredictionreports.
Todisplaythesurfaceareacoveredbyeachclutterclass:
3. SelectStatisticsfromthecontextmenu.
TheStatisticsdialogueappears,displayingthesurfacearea(Siinkm)ofeachclutterclass(i)anditspercentage(%of
i)inthecomputationzoneorfocuszone,ifoneexists.
Si
% of I = -------------- 100
Sk
k
3.6 ClutterHeights
ClutterheightmapsdescribethealtitudeofclutterovertheDTM.Clutterheightfilesallowforahigherdegreeofaccuracy
becausetheyallowmorethanoneheightperclutterclass.Inaclutterheightfile,aheightisgivenforeachpointonthemap.
Ifyoudefineclutterheightasapropertyofclutterclasses,theheightisgivenasanaverageperclutterclass.
When a clutter height file is available, Atoll uses its clutter height information for calculations using certain propagation
models(theStandardPropagationModelandWLLmodel),fordisplay(intiptextandinthestatusline),andforCWmeasure
mentsandtestmobiledatapaths.Ifnoclutterheightfileexists,Atollusestheaverageclutterheightperclutterclassas
definedintheclutterclassesproperties(see"DefiningClutterClassProperties"onpage 122).
Tomanagethepropertiesofclutterheights:
2. RightclicktheClutterHeightsfolder.
4. ClicktheDisplaytabtodefinethedisplaypropertiesforclutterheights.
ForinformationonDisplaytabsettings,see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
5. ClickOKtoclosethePropertiesdialogue.
Theclutterheightofthecurrentpointerpositionasgivenintheclutterheightfileorintheclutterclassesisdisplayedinthe
statusbar.
3.7 Contours,Lines,andPoints
InAtoll,youcanimportorcreatevectorobjectssuchascontours,lines,andpoints.Theimportedorcreatedvectorsareused
primarilyfordisplaypurposes,butpolygonscanbeusedasfilters,orcomputationorfocuszones.
InanAtolldocument,vectorobjectssuchascontours,lines,andpointsarearrangedinvectorlayers.Whenyouimporta
vectorfile,with,forexample,roads,Atolladdsthefileasanewvectorlayercontainingallthevectorobjectsinthefile.The
vectorobjectdatacanbemanagedinthevectorlayertable.Forinformationonworkingwithdatatables,see"Workingwith
DataTables"onpage 50.
"ManagingtheDisplayofaVectorLayer"onpage 124
"ManagingthePropertiesoftheVectorLayer"onpage 125
"MovingaVectorLayertotheNetworkExplorer"onpage 125.
3.7.1 ManagingtheDisplayofaVectorLayer
Importedgeographicvectorfilescanhavedifferentattributesdependingontheirfileformats.Atollcanuseadditionalinfor
mationrelatedtovectorsasdisplayparameters.Inaddition,Atollcanreadthreedimensionalvectordata.
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Tomanagethedisplayofavectorlayer:
1. ClicktheNetworkorGeoexploreronwhichthevectorlayerislocated.
2. Rightclickthevectorlayer.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelecttheDisplaytabofthePropertiesdialogue.Forinformationonusingthedisplaytab,see"DisplayPropertiesof
Objects"onpage 27.
You can manage the display of an individual vector object by rightclicking the vector
objectinthevectorlayerfolderandselectingPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
3.7.2 ManagingthePropertiesoftheVectorLayer
Thepropertiesoftheobjectsonthevectorlayercanbemanagedintwoways:eitherfromatablecontainingallvectorsand
theirattributesorfromthePropertiesdialogue.
VectorLayerTable
Allthevectorobjectsofavectorlayerandtheirattributesarelistedinthevectortable.
Toopenthevectorlayertable:
1. OntheExplorerwindowtabcontainingthevectorlayer,rightclickthevectorlayerfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.Thevectortableappears.
YoucaneditthecontentsofthistableusingthecommandsfromthecontextmenuorfromtheEdit,Format,andRecords
menus.FormoreinformationoneditingtablesinAtoll,see"WorkingwithDataTables"onpage 50.
VectorLayerPropertiesDialogue
ThevectorlayerPropertiesdialoguehasthreetabs:aGeneraltab,aTabletab,andaDisplaytab.
ToopenthePropertiesdialogueofavectorlayer:
3. ClicktheGeneraltab.Thefollowingoptionsareavailable:
Name:Thenameofthevectorlayer.Youcanrenamethevectorlayerusingthisfield.
SourceFile:ThecompletepathofthevectorlayerfileifthefileislinkedtotheAtolldocument;otherwisethefile
isdescribedasembedded.
Find:ClicktheFindbuttontoredefinethepathwhenthefileslocationhaschanged.
Embed:ClicktheEmbedbuttontoembedalinkedvectorlayerfileintheAtolldocument.
CoordinateSystem:Whenavectorlayerislinked,thecoordinatesystemusedisthefiles,asspecifiedwhenthe
filewasimported.Whentheavectorlayerisembedded,thecoordinatesystemusedisdocuments,asspecified
whenthefilewasembedded.
Change:ClicktheChangebuttontochangethecoordinatesystemofthevectorlayer.
Sort:ClicktheSortbuttontosortthedatacontainedinthevectorlayer.Forinformationonsorting,see"Advanced
Sorting"onpage 73.
Filter: Click the Filter button to filter the data contained in the vector layer. For information on filtering, see
"AdvancedDataFiltering"onpage 75.
4. ClicktheTabletab.YoucanusetheTabletabtomanagethevectorlayertablecontent.ForinformationontheTable
tab,see"Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields"onpage 51.
5. ClicktheDisplaytab.YoucanusetheDisplaytabtomanagethevectorlayerdisplay.ForinformationontheTabletab,
see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
3.7.3 MovingaVectorLayertotheNetworkExplorer
InAtoll,allobjectsintheNetworkexplorer,suchastransmitters,antennas,andpredictions,aredisplayedoverallobjectsin
theGeoexplorer.Youmaywish,however,toensurethatcertaingeodata,forexample,majorgeographicalfeatures,roads,
etc.,remainvisibleinthemapwindow.YoucandothisbytransferringthegeodatafromtheGeoexplorertotheNetwork
explorerandplacingitabovedatasuchaspredictions.
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TotransferavectorlayertotheNetworkexplorer:
2. Rightclickthevectorlayeryouwanttotransfer.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectMovetoNetworkfromthecontextmenu.ThevectorlayeristransferredtotheNetworkexplorer.
YoucantransferthevectorlayerbacktotheGeoexplorerbyrightclickingitintheNetworkexplorerandselectingMoveto
Geofromthecontextmenu.FormoreinformationaboutdisplaypriorityinAtoll,see"SettingthePriorityofGeoData"on
page 129.
3.8 ScannedImages
Scannedimagesaregeographicdatafileswhichrepresenttheactualphysicalsurroundings,forexample,roadmapsorsatel
liteimages.Theyareusedtoprovideaprecisebackgroundforotherobjectsorforlessprecisemaps.Theyhavenoeffecton
calculations.
"ImportingSeveralScannedImages"onpage 126
"DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofScannedImages"onpage 126.
3.8.1 ImportingSeveralScannedImages
YoucanimportscannedimagesintothecurrentAtolldocumentoneatatime,asexplainedin"ImportingGeoDataFiles"on
page 115,oryoucanimportagroupofimagesbyimportinganindexfilelistingtheindividualimagefiles.Theindexfileisa
textfilewiththeinformationforeachimagefileonaseparateline.
Eachlinecontainsthefollowinginformation,withtheinformationseparatedbyaspace:
Filename:Thenameofthefile,withitspathrelativetothecurrentlocationoftheindexfile.
XMIN:ThebeginningXcoordinateofthefile.
XMAX:TheendXcoordinate,calculatedasXMIN+(numberofhorizontalbinsxbinwidth).
YMIN:ThebeginningYcoordinateofthefile.
YMAX:TheendYcoordinate,calculatedasYMIN+(numberofhorizontalbinsxbinwidth).
0:Thezerocharacterendsthesequence.
nice1.tif 984660 995380 1860900 1872280 0

nice2.tif 996240 1004900 1860980 1870700 0
Filename XMIN XMAX YMIN YMAX 0
Toimportanindex
1. SelectFile >Import.
2. SelecttheindexfileandclickOpen.TheFileImportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.1).
3. SelectImageorScanfromtheDataTypelist.
4. ClickImport.TheimagefilesimportedandlistedintheGeoexplorer.
3.8.2 DefiningtheDisplayPropertiesofScannedImages
Becauseimportedimagescannotbemodified,theyhavefewerdisplayparametersthanotherobjecttypes.
Todefinethedisplaypropertiesofascannedimage:
2. Rightclickthescannedimage.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.7).
4. SelecttheDisplaytabandsetthefollowingoptions:
Colour:SelecteitherAutomatic,Shadesofgray,orWatermarkfromthelist.
TransparentColour:SelectWhitefromthelistifyouwishpartsofthescannedimagethatarecolouredwhiteto
betransparent,allowingobjectsinlowerlayerstobevisible.
Lightness:Movetheslidertolightenordarkenthescannedimage.
Contrast:Movetheslidertoadjustthecontrast.
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VisibilityScale:Enteravisibilityscaleminimuminthebetween 1:textboxandmaximumintheand 1:textbox.

Whenthedisplayedorprintedscaleisoutsidethisrange,thescannedimageisnotdisplayed.
5. ClickOK.
Figure 3.7:ScannedimagePropertiesdialogue
3.9 GeoclimaticMaps
Geoclimaticmapsarevectorfilescontaininginformationonclimaticconditionssuchasraindensity,vapourdensity,temper
ature,andrefractivity.Geoclimaticmapsareusedinmicrowavelinkdocumentstocalculateradiowaveattenuation.
"ManagingGeoclimaticMapProperties"onpage 127
"DisplayingGeoclimaticStatistics"onpage 127.
3.9.1 ManagingGeoclimaticMapProperties
Tomanagethepropertiesofageoclimaticmap:
1. RightclicktheGeoclimaticParametersfolderintheGeoexplorer.
3. Thefollowingtabsareavailable:
DataMapping:TheDataMappingtabenablesyoutoselectwhichvaluefromeachimportedvectorfileispartof
thegeoclimaticmap.TheimportedvectorfilesarelistedintheNamecolumn,withtherelevantdataselectedin
theFieldcolumn.YoucanselecttheparameteritcorrespondstofromtheParameterscolumn.
Display: The Display tab enables you to define how the geoclimatic map appears in the map window. Value
intervalistheonlyavailabledisplaytype.
Forinformationonusingthedisplaytab,see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
4. Click toexpandtheGeoclimaticParametersfolder.
5. RightclickanygeoclimaticfileintheGeoclimaticParametersfolder.
7. ClicktheTabletab.TheTabletabenablesyoutomanagethecontentsoftheclasstable.Forinformationonworking
withtheTabletab,see"Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields"onpage 51.
3.9.2 DisplayingGeoclimaticStatistics
Youcandisplaytherelativeandabsolutedistributionofeachvalueintervalaccordingtothedefinedvalueintervalsinthe
displayproperties(forinformationondefiningvalueintervals,see"DefiningtheDisplayType"onpage 28)ofageoclimatic
map.Atolldisplaysthestatisticsforthefocuszoneifthereisone,forthecomputationzoneifthereisnofocuszoneand,if
thereisnofocusorcomputationzone,Atolldisplaysthestatisticsfortheentiredocument.
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Todisplaythestatisticsofthegeoclimaticdata:
2. RightclicktheGeoclimaticParametersfolder.
3. SelectStatisticsfromthecontextmenu.TheStatisticswindowappearswiththedistributionsofeachvalueinterval.
Statisticsaredisplayedonlyforvisibledata.See"DisplayingorHidingObjectsontheMap
UsingtheExplorerWindows"onpage 22.
3.10 DisplayingOnlineMaps
Severaltypesofonlinemapscanbedisplayedinthemapwindow.Theseonlinemapshavenoeffectonpredictionandsimu
lationresults.
Aprojectioncoordinatesystemmustbespecifiedbeforeanyonlinemapcanbedisplayed.
Youmustalsoensurethatthecoordinatesystemyouspecifyinyourdocumentisthesame
projectionsystemsupportedbythetileserver.Failingtodosowillleadtoinappropriate
behaviour(disproportionateandbadlyrenderedmaptiles)whenyoudragthemapaway
fromtheareatargetedbythespecifiedprojectioncoordinatesystem.
ThemaptilesthatyouloadintoAtollarestoredinaspecificcachedirectorynamedafter
thecorrespondingtileserver.Bydefault,thelocationofthiscacheis"%TEMP%\Forsk".
You can change this location by editing the atoll.ini file. For more information, see the
Todisplayanonlinemap:
1. Specifyaprojectioncoordinatesystem(see"SettingaCoordinateSystem"onpage 98).
3. RightclicktheOnlineMapsfolder( ).Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheAddaTileServerdialogueappears.
Figure 3.8:AddaTileServerdialogue
5. IntheAddaTileServerdialogue,setthefollowingoptions:
Name:Enteranameofyourchoicetoidentifythethirdpartytileserveryouarespecifying.
ServerURL:EntertheURLofthethirdpartytileserver.
Youcanalsospecifyanonlinemapfromalistofpredefinedtileservers(seeFigure 3.9).Clickinganyiteminthelist
fillstheNameandServerURLfieldsautomatically.
Figure 3.9:PredefinedTileServersforOnlineMaps
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AserverURLincludesatilesetwhere:
"%z"representsthedetaillevel,and"%x"and"%y"thetilecoordinates,or
"%q"representsaquadkeyidentifyingasingletileataparticulardetaillevel.
6. ClickOKtoclosetheAddaTileServerdialogue.Anewitem( )appearsintheOnlineMapsfolderwiththeName
youspecifiedintheAddaTileServerdialogue.
7. IntheGeoexplorer,selectthecheckboxprecedingtheonlinemapyouspecified.Theselectedonlinemapappearsin
thebackgroundofthemapwindowinaccordancewiththescalecurrentlydefinedinthetoolbar.
3.11 SettingthePriorityofGeoData
AtollliststheimportedDTM,clutterclassortrafficobjectsintheirrespectivefoldersandcreatesaseparatefolderforeach
importedvectordatafileandscannedimage.Eachobjectisplacedonaseparatelayer.Thus,thereareasmanylayersas
importedobjects.ThelayersarearrangedfromtoptobottominthemapwindowastheyappearintheGeoexplorer.
ItisimportanttorememberthatallobjectsintheNetworkexplorer,suchastransmitters,antennas,andpredictions,are
displayedoverallobjectsintheGeoexplorer.
3.11.1 SettingtheDisplayPriorityofGeoData
Thereareseveralfactorsthatinfluencethevisibilityofgeodata:
Thedisplaycheckbox:ThecheckboximmediatelytotheleftoftheobjectnameintheGeoexplorercontrolswhether
ornottheobjectisdisplayedonthemap.Ifthecheckboxisselected( ),theobjectisdisplayed;ifthecheckboxis
cleared( ),theobjectisnotdisplayed.Ifthecheckbox,isselectedbutshaded( ),notallobjectsinthefolderare
displayed. For more information, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer Windows" on
page 22.
Theorderofthelayers:ThelayeratthetopoftheGeoexplorerisontopofallotherlayersinthemapwindow.Data
onlayersbelowisonlyvisiblewherethereisnodataonthetoplayerorifyouadjustthetransparencyoftheobjects
onthetoplayer.YoucanusedraganddroptochangetheorderoflayersbydraggingalayerintheGeoexplorer
towardsthetoporthebottomofthetab.
AllobjectsintheNetworkexplorer,suchastransmitters,antennas,andpredictions,are
displayedoverallobjectsintheGeoexplorer.Vectorgeodata,however,canbetrans
ferredtotheNetworkexplorer,wheretheycanbeplacedoverdatasuchaspredictions.
Inthisway,youcanensurethatcertainvectorgeodata,forexample,majorgeographical
features,roads,etc.,remainvisibleinthemapwindowFormoreinformation,see"Moving
aVectorLayertotheNetworkExplorer"onpage 125.
Thetransparencyofobjects:Youcanchangethetransparencyofsomeobjects,suchaspredictions,andsomeobject
types,suchasclutterclasses,toallowobjectsonlowerlayerstobevisibleonthemap.Formoreinformation,see
"DefiningtheTransparencyofObjectsandObjectTypes"onpage 30.
Thevisibilityrangeofobjects:Youcandefineavisibilityrangeforobjecttypes.Anobjectisvisibleonlyinthemap
windowifthescale,asdisplayedonthezoomtoolbar,iswithinthisrange.Formoreinformation,see"Definingthe
VisibilityScale"onpage 30.
InFigure 3.10,vectordata(includingthelinearvectorsHIGHWAYS,COASTLINE,RIVERLAKE,MAJORROADS,MAJORSTREETS,
RAILWAYSandAIRPORT),clutterclasses,DTMandscannedimagehavebeenimportedandaUMTSenvironmenttrafficmap
hasbeeneditedinsidethecomputationzone.Inthemapwindow,thelinearobjects(ROADS,RIVERLAKE,etc.)arevisibleboth
insideandoutsidethecomputationzone.Theclutterclasslayerisvisibleintheareawherethereisnotrafficdata(outside
thecomputationzone).Ontheotherhand,theDTMlayerwhichisbeneaththeclutterclasslayerandthescannedmapwhich
isbeneaththeDTMlayer,arenotvisible.
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Figure 3.10:DisplayingGeodatalayers
3.11.2 SettingthePriorityofGeoDatainCalculations
Thepriorityofgeodataincalculationsisdeterminedinmuchthesamewayasitisfordisplay.
WhenyoumakecalculationsinAtoll,thedatatakenintoaccountineachfolder(ClutterClasses,DTM,etc.)isthedatafrom
thetopdown.Inotherwords,Atolltakestheobjectontopandobjectsbelowonlywherethereisnodatainhigherlevels;
whatisusediswhatisseen.
Thevisibilityinthecontextofcalculationsmustnotbeconfusedwiththedisplaycheckbox
( ).Evenifthedisplaycheckboxofanobjectiscleared( ),sothattheobjectisnot
displayedonthemap,itwillstillbetakenintoconsiderationforcalculations.
Objectfolders,forexample,theDTM,clutterclasses,clutterheights,andtrafficdensityfolders,cancontainmorethanone
dataobject.Theseobjectscanrepresentdifferentareasofthemaporthesamepartsofthemapwiththesameordifferent
resolutions.Thereforeforeachfolder,youshouldplacetheobjectswiththebestdataatthetop.Thesearenormallythe
objectswhichcovertheleastareabuthavethehighestresolution.Forexample,whencalculatingcoverageinanurbanarea,
youmighthavetwoclutterclassfiles:onewithahigherresolutionforthedowntowncore,wherethedensityofusersis
higher,andonewithalowerresolutionbutcoveringtheentirearea.Inthiscase,byplacingtheclutterclassfileforthedown
towncoreoverthefilewiththelowerresolution,Atollcanbaseitscalculationsforthedowntowncoreontheclutterclass
filewiththehigherresolution,usingthesecondfileforallothercalculations.
ThefollowingsectionsgiveseveralexamplestobetterillustratehowdataareusedinAtoll:
"Example1:TwoDTMMapsRepresentingDifferentAreas"onpage 130
"Example2:ClutterClassesandDTMMapsRepresentingtheSameArea"onpage 131
"Example3:TwoClutterClassMapsRepresentingaCommonArea"onpage 131.
3.11.2.1 Example1:TwoDTMMapsRepresentingDifferentAreas
Inthisexample,therearetwoimportedDTMfiles:
"DTM1representsagivenareaandhasaresolutionof50 m.
DTM2representsadifferentareaandhasaresolutionof20 m.
Inthisexample,thefileorderoftheDTMfilesintheExplorerwindowdoesnotmatterbecausetheydonotoverlap;inboth
Case 1andCase 2,Atollwilltakeallthedatafromboth"DTM 1and"DTM 2intoaccount.
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Explorerwindow Workspace
Case1
DTM
DTM2(20m)
DTM1(50m)
Case2
DTM
DTM1(50m)
DTM2(20m)
Figure 3.11:MultilayermanagementincalculationstwoDTMmapsrepresentingdifferentareas
3.11.2.2 Example2:ClutterClassesandDTMMapsRepresentingtheSameArea
Inthisexample,therearetwoimportedmaps:
AclutterclassmapcalledClutter.
ADTMmapcalledDTM.
IndependentlyoftheorderofthetwomapsintheExplorerwindow,AtollusesboththeclutterandDTMdataincalculations.
InCase 1,theclutterclassmapisontopoftheDTMmap.InCase 2,theDTMmapisontopoftheclutterclassmap.Inboth
Case 1andCase 2,AtollwilluseboththeclutterandDTMdataincalculations.
Case1
Clutterclasses
Clutter
DTM
DTM
Case2
DTM
DTM
Clutterclasses
Clutter
Figure 3.12:MultilayermanagementincalculationsClutterandDTMmapsrepresentingthesamearea
3.11.2.3 Example3:TwoClutterClassMapsRepresentingaCommonArea
Inthisexample,therearetwoimportedclutterclassesmaps:
"Clutter 1"representsalargeareawitharesolutionof50 m.
"Clutter 2"representsasmallerareawitharesolutionof20 m.Thisareaisalsocoveredby"Clutter 1"
Inthecaseoftwoclutterclassmaps,AtollusestheorderofthemapsintheClutterClassesfolderintheGeoexplorerto
decidewhichdatatouse.InCase 1,"Clutter 2"isontopof"Clutter 1".Atollwillthereforeusethedatain"Clutter 2"where
it is available, and the data from "Clutter 1" everywhere that is covered by "Clutter 1" but not by "Clutter 2." In Case 2,
"Clutter 1"isontopandcompletelycovers"Clutter 2."Therefore,Atollwillonlyusethedatafrom"Clutter 1."
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Case1
Clutterclasses
Clutter2(20m)
Clutter1(50m)
Case2
Clutterclasses
Clutter2(50m)
Clutter1(20m)
Figure 3.13:Multilayermanagementincalculationstwocluttermapsrepresentingthesamearea
3.12 DisplayingInformationAboutGeoData
Youcandisplayinformationaboutageodatamapbyusingtiptext.Forinformationonhowtodisplayinformationintiptext,
see"DefiningtheObjectTypeTipText"onpage 31.
Todisplayinformationaboutthegeodataintiptext:
Holdthepointeroverthegeodatauntilthetiptextappears.Thesurfaceareaisonlygivenforclosedpolygons.
TiptextonlyappearswhentheTipTextbutton( )onthetoolbarhasbeenselected.
3.13 GeographicDataSets
InAtoll,onceyouhaveimportedgeographicdataanddefinedtheirparameters,youcansavemuchofthisinformationina
user configuration file. Then, another user, working on a similar Atoll document, can import the user configuration file
containingthepathstotheimportedgeographicdataandmanyofthedefinedparameters.
Whenyousavethegeographicdatasetinauserconfiguration,yousave:
thepathsofimportedgeographicmaps
mapdisplaysettings(visibilityscale,transparency,tipstext,etc.)
clutterdescription(code,name,height,standarddeviations,etc.)
rasteroruserprofiletrafficmapdescription.
"ExportingaGeoDataSet"onpage 133
"LoadingaGeoDataSet"onpage 133.
Youcansaveandloadothertypesofinformationwithuserconfigurationfilesaswell.For
information,seetheAdministratorManual.
132
3.13.1 ExportingaGeoDataSet
Whenyousaveageodatasetinauserconfigurationfile,theinformationlistedin"GeographicDataSets"onpage 132issaved
intoafile.
Vectorsmustbeinthesamecoordinatesystemastherastermaps.
Tosaveageodatasetinauserconfigurationfile:
1. SelectTools >UserConfiguration >Save.TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.14).
2. IntheUserConfigurationdialogue,selecttheGeographicDataSetcheckbox.
Figure 3.14:TheUserConfigurationdialogue
3. ClickOK,TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
4. IntheSaveAsdialogue,browsetothefolderwhereyouwanttosavethefileandenteraFilename.
5. ClickOK.
3.13.2 LoadingaGeoDataSet
When you load a user configuration file containing a geo data set, the information listed in "Geographic Data Sets" on
page 132isloadedintoyourcurrentAtolldocument.
ToloadauserconfigurationfilecontainingageodatasetintoyourcurrentAtolldocument:
2. Browsetotheuserconfigurationfile,selectitandclickOpen.
3. TheUserConfigurationdialogueappears.
Whenyouloadauserconfigurationfileincludingageographicdataset,Atollchecksiftherearealreadygeographic
datainthecurrentAtolldocument.Ifso,theoptionDeleteexistinggeodataappearswithotheroptionsintheUser
Configurationdialogue.
4. IntheUserConfigurationdialogue,selectthecheckboxesoftheitemsyouwanttoloadintoyourcurrentAtolldoc
ument.
5. IfyoualreadyhavegeographicdatainyourcurrentAtolldocumentandwouldliketoreplaceitwithanydatainthe
userconfigurationfileyouareloading,selecttheDeleteexistinggeodatacheckbox.
Ifyoudonotwanttoreplaceexistinggeodatawithimporteddata,cleartheDeleteexistinggeodatacheckbox.
6. ClickOK.
YoucanautomaticallystartAtollwithauserconfigurationfilebynamingthefile"atoll.cfg"
andplacingitinthesamefolderastheAtollexecutable.YoucanalsoedittheWindows
shortcuttoAtollandadd"cfg<.cfg_file>"where"<.cfg_file>"isthefullpathtotheuser
configurationfile.
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3.14 EditingGeographicData
InAtoll,youcaneditgeodatathatyouhaveimportedoryoucancreategeodata.
Thefollowingtypesofgeographicdatacanbeedited:
Clutterclasses(formoreinformation,"EditingClutterClassMaps"onpage 134)
Contours,lines,andpoints(formoreinformation,"EditingPolygons,Lines,andPoints"onpage 45)
Geoclimaticmaps(formoreinformation,"EditingGeoclimaticMaps"onpage 135)
Trafficdatamaps
3.14.1 EditingClutterClassMaps
Clutterclassmapsandcertaintrafficmapsarerastermaps.Youcaneditthesemapsbycreatingormodifyingpolygons.
"CreatingaClutterPolygon"onpage 134
"EditingClutterPolygons"onpage 134
"DisplayingtheCoordinatesofClutterPolygons"onpage 135.
"DeletingClutterPolygons"onpage 135
3.14.1.1 CreatingaClutterPolygon
InAtoll,youcanmodifyimportedclutterclassmapsorcreateyourownmapsbyaddingdataintheformofpolygons.Youcan
latereditandexportthepolygonsyouhavecreated.Allmodificationsyoumaketoclutterclassmapsaretakenintoaccount
bypropagationmodelcalculations.
Tocreateapolygon:
2. RightclicktheClutterClassesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.TheEditortoolbarappearswithaclutterortrafficlist,apolygondrawingtool ,
apolygondeletiontool ,andaClosebutton(seeFigure 3.15).
Figure 3.15:Editortoolbar
4. Fromthelist,selecttheclutterclassforthepolygonyouwanttocreate.
Clutter classes are defined on the Descriptions tab of the clutter classes Properties
dialogue.
5. Clickthepolygondrawingbutton( ).Thepointerchangestoapencil( ).
6. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthepolygon.
7. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthepolygon.
8. Doubleclicktoclosethepolygon.
Youcancopytheexactcoordinatesofaclosedpolygonbyrightclickingitonthemapand
selectingPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
3.14.1.2 EditingClutterPolygons
Youcaneditclutterpolygonsbymovingexistingpointsofthepolygonorbyaddingordeletingpoints.
Toeditclutterpolygons:
134
3. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.TheEditortoolbarappears(seeFigure 3.15).
4. Selectthepolygon.Youcannowedittheclutterpolygonby:
Movingapoint:
Addingapoint:
i. Positionthepointeroverthepolygonborderwhereyouwanttoaddapoint.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. RightclickandselectInsertPointfromthecontextmenu.Apointisaddedtotheborderatthepositionofthe
pointer.
Deletingapoint:
3.14.1.3 DisplayingtheCoordinatesofClutterPolygons
Todisplaythecoordinatesofthepointsdefiningthepolygonarea:
4. RightclickthepolygonandselectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappearswiththecoor
dinatesofthepointsdefiningthepolygonandthetotalarea.
You can select and copy the coordinates displayed in the Properties dialogue of the
polygon.
3.14.1.4 DeletingClutterPolygons
Youcandeleteclutterpolygons.
Todeleteaclutterpolygon:
4. Clickthepolygondeletiontool( ).Thepointerchanges( ).
5. Clickthepolygonyouwanttodelete.Thepolygonisdeleted.
3.14.2 EditingGeoclimaticMaps
Somegeographicdatamaps,forexamplegeoclimaticmaps,aremadeupofindividualvectorobjects.Youcanmodifyand
createthesegeodatamapsbyaddingavectorlayerandthenaddingvectorobjects(contours,lines,andpoints)tothislayer.
Tocreateavectorlayerandvectorobjectsonageodatamap:
2. Rightclickthegeodataobject,theGeoclimaticParameters,folder,towhichyouwanttoaddavectorlayer.
3. SelectAddVectorLayerfromthecontextmenu.Anewdataobjectcalled"Vectors"iscreatedintheselectedgeodata
objectfolder.
4. Rightclickthenewvectorlayer.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.ThevectortoolsontheVectorEditortoolbarareactivated.
135
VectorEditortoolbarlist.BecauseAtollnamesallnewvectorlayers"Vectors"by
default,itmightbedifficulttoknowwhichVectorsfolderyouareselecting.Byrenaming
eachvectorsfolder,youcanensurethatyouselectthecorrectfolder.Forinformationon
renamingobjects,see"RenaminganObject"onpage 24.
6. Todrawapolygon,clicktheNewPolygonbutton( )ontheVectorEditortoolbar:
a. Clickonceonthemapwhereyouwanttobegindrawingthecontour.
b. Clickeachtimeyouchangeanglesontheborderdefiningtheoutsideofthecontour.
c. Doubleclicktoclosethecontour.
7. Todrawarectangle,clicktheNewRectanglebutton( )ontheVectorEditortoolbar:
a. Clickthepointonthemapthatwillbeonecorneroftherectangle.
b. Dragtotheoppositecorneroftherectangle.
c. Releasethemousetocreatetherectangledefinedbythetwocorners.
8. RightclickthenewpolygonorrectangleandselectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
9. Enteravalue:
GeoclimaticParameters:EnteravalueintheRainIntensityfieldtoindicatetheintensityofrainfallforthepol
ygon.
10. PressESCtodeselecttheNewPolygon( )ortheNewRectangle( )buttonontheVectorEditortoolbar.

11. ForAtolltoconsiderthenewvectorlayeraspartofthedatamap,youmustmapthevectorlayer.RightclicktheGeo
climaticParameters,folder.Thecontextmenuappears.
13. ClicktheDataMappingtab.Forthefollowinggeodata:
GeoclimaticParameters:
IntheFieldcolumn,"Rain"isselectedbydefault.
Youcaneditthevectorobjectsasexplainedin"EditingPolygons,Lines,andPoints"onpage 45.
3.15 SavingGeographicData
AtollallowsyoutosaveyourgeographicdatafilesseparatelyfromsavingtheAtolldocument.Atollsupportsavarietyofboth
raster and vector file formats (for more information, see "Supported Geographic Data Formats" on page 114). Saving a
geographicfileseparatelyfromsavingtheAtolldocumentenablesyouto:
Savemodificationsyouhavemadetoanexternalfile:Ifyouhavemademodificationstogeodata,youcanexport
themtoanewexternalfile.
Updatethesourcefilewithmodificationsyouhavemade:IfyouhavemademodificationstoageodatatypeinAtoll,
youcansavethesechangestothesourcefile.
Combineseveralrasterfilesintoonefile:IfyouhaveseveralsmallrasterfilesinonefolderoftheGeoexplorer,you
cansavethemasonefile.
ExportanembeddedfiletobeusedinanotherAtolldocumentorinanotherapplication:Youcansaveafiletoan
externalfile,inthesameformatorinanotherone.
Createanewfilefrompartofalargerone:Youcanselectpartofcertaingeodatatypesandthensavetheselected
partasanewfile.
"SavingModificationstoanExternalFile"onpage 137
"UpdatingtheSourceFile"onpage 138
"CombiningSeveralRasterFilesintoOneFile"onpage 139
"ExportinganEmbeddedFile"onpage 139
"CreatingaNewFilefromaLargerFile"onpage 140
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3.15.1 SavingModificationstoanExternalFile
InAtoll,youcansaveyourmodificationstoanexternalfile.
"ExportinganEditedClutterClassMapinaRasterFormatFile"onpage 137
"ExportinganEditedVectorLayerinVectorFormatFile"onpage 138.
3.15.1.1 ExportinganEditedClutterClassMapinaRasterFormatFile
Youcanexportclutterclassmodificationsinarasterformatfile,eitherinthesameformatasusedinthecurrentAtolldocu
ment,orinadifferentrasterformat.Youcanalsochoosetoexporttheentireclutterclassgeodata,thepartcontainingthe
computationzone,orjustyourmodificationstothegeodata.
Whenyouhavemademodificationstoarasterformatgeodatafile,exportingeithertheentiregeodataorjustyourmodifi
cationsallowsyoutosavethosemodificationstoanexternalfile.
Toexportclutterclassmodificationsinarasterformatfile:
3. SelectSaveAsfromthecontextmenu.TheSaveAsdialogueappears.
4. IntheSaveAsdialogue,browsetothefolderwhereyouwanttosavethefile,enteranameforthefile,andselectthe
fileformatfromtheSaveastypelist.Youcanselectfromoneofthefollowingfileformats:
BMPFiles(*.bmp):WhenyouselectBMPformat,AtollautomaticallycreatesthecorrespondingBPWfilecon
tainingthegeoreferenceinformation.
PNG Files (*.png): When you select PNG format,Atoll automatically creates the corresponding PGW file con
tainingthegeoreferenceinformation.
ArcViewGridFiles(*.txt,*.asc):TheArcViewtextformatisintendedonlyforexport;nocorrespondinggeoref
erencefileiscreated.
TIFFFiles(*.tif):Whenyouselecttaggedimagefileformat,AtollautomaticallycreatesthecorrespondingTFWfile
containingthegeoreferenceinformation.
BILFiles(*.bil):WhenyouselecttheBILformat,AtollautomaticallycreatesthecorrespondingHDRfilecontaining
thegeoreferenceinformation.WhenexportinginBILformat,Atollallowsyoutoexportfileslargerthan2 Gb.
VerticalMapperFiles(*.grc,*.grd):FileswiththeextensionGRCorGRDareVerticalMapperfiles.Whenexporting
inGRDorGRCformats,Atollallowsyoutoexportfileslargerthan2 Gb.
5. ClickSave.TheExportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.16).
Figure 3.16:Exportdialogue
6. UnderRegion,selectoneofthefollowing:
TheEntireProjectArea:Thisoptionallowsyoutoexporttheentireclutterclassgeodatafile,includinganymod
ificationsyouhavemadetothegeodata.Theexportedgeodatafilewillreplacethegeodatafileinthecurrent
Atolldocument.
OnlyPendingChanges:Thisoptionallowsyoutoexportarectanglecontaininganymodificationsyouhavemade
totheclutterclasses.TheexportedgeodatafilewillbeaddedasanewobjecttotheClutterClassesgeodata
folder.
The Computation Zone: This option allows you to export the clutter class geo data contained by a rectangle
encompassingthecomputationzone,whetherornotthecomputationzoneisvisible.Theexportedgeodatafile
willbeaddedasanewobjecttotheselectedgeodatafolder.
137
7. DefineaResolutioninMetres.Theresolutionmustbeanintegerandtheminimumresolutionallowedis1.Thesug
gestedresolutionvalueisdefinedbythefollowingcriteria:
Ifoneobjecthasbeenmodified,thesuggestedresolutionistheresolutionofthemodifiedobject.
Ifseveralobjectshavebeenmodified,thesuggestedresolutionisthehighestresolutionofthemodifiedobjects.
Ifthereisnoinitialclutterclassobject,theresolutionwillequalthehighestresolutionoftheDTMmaps.
IftheAtolldocumentinwhichyoucreatedtheclutterclassfilehasnoDTM,nootherclutterclassgeodatafile,
ortrafficobjects,thesuggestedresolutionis100 m.
8. ClickOK.Theselecteddataissavedinanexternalfile.
3.15.1.2 ExportinganEditedVectorLayerinVectorFormatFile
Youcanexportaneditedvectorlayerasavectorformatfile.Avectorlayercancontaincontours,lines,andpoints.Alongwith
vectorlayersyouhaveaddedtotheGeoexplorer,thefollowingmapscanbeexportedasvectorformatfiles:
Vectorformatgeoclimaticmaps
Onceyousaveavectorlayer,theexportedfilereplacesthevectorlayerasalinkedfile.Youcanembedthefileafterwards
(see"EmbeddingGeographicData"onpage 121).
Youcansimultaneouslyexportthedisplayconfigurationfile(CFG)oftheeditedvector
layerbysettinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Theexporteddisplayconfigurationfilewill
havethesamefilenameandwillbesavedinthesamedirectoryastheexportedvector
formatfile.Formoreinformationaboutsettingoptionsintheatoll.inifile,seethe
Toexportavectorlayer:
3. IntheSaveAsdialogue,browsetothefolderwhereyouwanttosavethefile,enteranameforthefile,andselectthe
fileformatfromtheSaveastypelist.Youcanselectfromoneofthefollowingfileformats:
AGD:TheAtollGeographicDataformatisanAtollspecificformat.AsaformatcreatedforAtoll,Atollcanread
AGDfilesfasterthantheothersupportedvectorformats.
SHP:TheArcViewvectorformatcanbeusedforvectorlayerscontainingonlypolygons,onlylines,oronlypoints.
Ifavectorfilehasacombinationofpolygons,lines,andpoints,youshouldusetheAGD,MIF,orTABformats
instead.
MIFandTAB:MapInfoformats.
4. ClickSaveintheSaveAsdialogue.TheVectorExportdialogueappears,displayingthecurrentcoordinatesystemand
allowingyoutochangethecoordinatesystembyclickingChange.
5. ClickExport.Thevectorlayerissavedintheformatandwiththenameyouspecifiedandtheexportedfilereplaces
thevectorlayerinthecurrentdocumentasalinkedfile.
3.15.2 UpdatingtheSourceFile
WhileworkingonanAtolldocument,youmaymakechangestogeodata.IfthegeodatafileisembeddedintheAtolldocu
ment,Atollsavesthechangesautomaticallywhenyousavethedocument.Ifthegeodatafileislinked,Atollpromptsyouto
savethechangeswhenyouclosethedocument.
Toupdatethesourcefileofalinkedgeodatafile:
2. Rightclickthefoldercontaininggeodatafilewhosesourcefileyouwanttoupdate.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectSavefromthecontextmenu.Thelinkedfileisupdated.
Youwillnotbewarnedthatyouarereplacingthecurrentfile.Therefore,ensurethatyou
wanttoreplacethecurrentfilebeforeproceedingtothefollowingstep.Ifyoudonot
wanttoreplacethecurrentfile,youcansaveyourchangestoanexternalfile("Exporting
anEditedVectorLayerinVectorFormatFile"onpage 138).
138
3.15.3 CombiningSeveralRasterFilesintoOneFile
Incertaincircumstances,forexample,afterimportinganMSIPlanetindexfile,youmayhaveseveralgeodatafilesofthe
sametype.Youcancombinetheseseparatefilestocreateonesinglefile.Thefileswillbecombinedaccordingtotheirorder
fromthetopdowninthefolderintheGeoexplorer.Ifthefilesoverlaponthemap,thecombinedfilewillshowthefileonthe
top.
Youcancreateaonefilefromasectionofthefollowinggeodatatypes:
Digitalterrainmodel
Clutterclasses
Clutterheights
Scannedmaps
Tocombineindividualfilesintoanewfile:
2. Rightclickthefolderofthegeodatafilesyouwanttocombineintoonefile.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. EnteraFilenameandselectafiletypefromtheSaveastypelist.
5. ClickOK.TheExportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.17).
6. UnderRegion,selectTheEntireProjectArea.Thisoptionallowsyoutosavetheentireareacoveredbythegeodata
files,includinganymodificationsyouhavemadetothegeodata.
7. DefineaResolutioninMetres.Theresolutionmustbeanintegerandtheminimumresolutionallowedis1.Thesug
gestedresolutionvalueisthehighestresolutionofallobjects.
8. ClickOK.Theselecteddataissavedasanewfile.
3.15.4 ExportinganEmbeddedFile
YoucanexportanembeddedgeodatafiletobeusedinadifferentAtolldocument,orinadifferentapplication.Whenyou
exportanembeddedfile,AtollreplacestheembeddedfileinthecurrentAtolldocumentwiththenewlyexportedfile.
Toexportanembeddedgeodatafile:
2. Rightclickthefolderoftheembeddedgeodatafileyouwanttoexport.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. ClickOK.
Ifthegeodatafileisavectorfile,theVectorExportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.17).
Figure 3.17:TheVectorExportdialogue
a. TheVectorExportdialoguedisplaysthecoordinatesystemofthefile.Tochangethecoordinatesystemusedfor
theexportedfile,clickChange.TheCoordinateSystemsdialogueappears.ForinformationontheCoordinateSys
temsdialogue,see"SettingaCoordinateSystem"onpage 98.
b. ClickExport.Thegeodatafileisexportedwiththeselectedcoordinatesystem.
Ifthegeodatafileisarasterfile,theExportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.18).
139
Figure 3.18:Exportdialogue
a. UnderRegion,selectoneofthefollowing:
TheEntireProjectArea:Thisoptionallowsyoutoexporttheentirerasterformatgeodatafile,includingany
modificationsyouhavemadetothegeodata.TheexportedfilewillreplacetheembeddedfileintheGeoex
plorer.
OnlyPendingChanges:Thisoptionallowsyoutoexportarectanglecontaininganymodificationsyouhave
madetothegeodata.Theexportedfilewillbeaddedasanobjectinthegeodatafolder.
TheComputationZone:Thisoptionallowsyoutoexportthegeodatacontainedbyarectangleencompassing
thecomputationzone,whetherornotthecomputationzoneisvisible.Theexportedfilewillbeaddedasan
objectinthegeodatafolder.
b. DefineaResolutioninMetres.Theresolutionmustbeanintegerandtheminimumresolutionallowedis1.
c. ClickOK.Theselecteddataissavedinanexternalfile.
3.15.5 CreatingaNewFilefromaLargerFile
Youcancreateanewfilefromasectionofalargerfile.YoucanusethisnewfileinthesameAtolldocument,orinanewAtoll
document.Tocreateanewfile,youmustfirstdefinetheareabycreatingacomputationzone.
Youcancreateanewfilefromasectionofthefollowinggeodatatypes:
Digitalterrainmodel
Clutterclasses
Clutterheights
Scannedmaps
Geoclimaticmaps
Tocreateanewfilefromasectionofalargerfile:
2. Rightclickthefolderoftheembeddedgeodatafileyouwanttoexport.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. ClickOK.TheExportdialogueappears(seeFigure 3.17).
6. UnderRegion,selectTheComputationZone.Thisoptionallowsyoutoexportthegeodatacontainedbyarectangle
encompassingthecomputationzone,whetherornotthecomputationzoneisvisible.Theexportedgeodatafilewill
beaddedasanewobjecttotheselectedgeodatafolder.
7. DefineaResolutioninMetres.Theresolutionmustbeanintegerandtheminimumresolutionallowedis1.
8. ClickOK.Theselecteddataissavedasanewfile.
140
Chapter4
Antennasand
Equipment
Thischapterprovidestheinformationtoworkwith Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
antennasandequipmentinAtoll.
"DefiningtheListofManufacturers"onpage 144
"DefiningAntennas"onpage 144
"MicrowaveRadios"onpage 149
"MicrowaveFeeders"onpage 165
"MicrowaveAntenna/Radio/FeederCompatibility"on
page 166
142
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter4:AntennasandEquipment
4 AntennasandEquipment
InAtoll,theequipmentusedtocreateanetworkismodelled,alongwiththecharacteristicswhichhaveabearingonnetwork
performance.
Microwaveradioequipmentaretheelementsusedtoconverttheinitialdatatomicrowavefrequencysignalsthatcanthen
betransmittedoveragivenmicrowavelinkandtheelementsusedtoconvertmicrowavefrequencysignalsreceivedtodata.
Themicrowaveradiosystem,aswellastheequipmentthatconstituteit,iscomposedofthreemainsubsystems:
Indoorunit(IDU)
Outdoorunit(ODU)
Antenna
Figure 4.1:Radiosystemcomponents
IndoorUnit(IDU)
TheIDUistheterminationpointoftheenduserequipmentthatgeneratesthedatatobecarriedbythemicrowavelink.It
consistsofthefollowingcomponents:
Theradiomodemthatconvertsthedigitalsignalintoaformsuitableformodulationontheradiocarriersignal
ThepowersupplyfortheOutdoorUnit(ODU)
OutdoorUnit(ODU)
TheODUconvertsthemodulatedsignalfromitslowfrequencyformtoahighfrequencyradiosignalintheappropriateradio
bandandchannelforradiotransmission.
Antenna
Theantennaisthepartofthemicrowavelinkthattransmitselectromagneticenergyfromtransmissionlinesintotheairand
receivestransmittedelectromagneticenergyfromtheairtobethensentontransmissionlines.Theantennacanbeinoneof
manydifferentshapes(forexample,horn,parabolic,flatorplanar,lens,yagi,orarray)toachieveitsspecificobjectives.
Themaincharacteristicsofthemicrowaveantennaarethefollowing:
Directivity:Inpracticalterms,directivityisdefinedas:
Theabilitytosendthetransmittedpowerinonlythedesireddirection
Theabilitytorejectundesiredsignalscomingfromotherdirections.
Gain:ThegainistheamountofpowerradiatedinagivendirectionusingonlytheRFpowerattheinputterminalsof
theantenna.
FronttoBackRatio(FBR):TheFBRistheratioofthepowerradiatedinthedesireddirectiontothepowerradiated
intheoppositedirection,typicallybetween35and50 dB.Ingeneral,thehigherthegainoftheantenna,thehigher
theFBR.
Radiationpattern:Theradiationpatternisadiagramshowingthedirectionoftheradiatedpower.Theportionofthe
patternwherethemaximumgainoccursisoftenreferredtoasthemainlobeofthepattern
Polarisation:Polarisationistheabilitytotransmitonlyoneofthetwoelectromagneticvectorcomponentsofthe
wave(eitherthehorizontalcomponentortheverticalcomponent).Usingpolarisationenablesthesameradiofre
quencytobeusedbydifferentradiosystemsinphysicalproximitytooneanother.
143
Chapter4:AntennasandEquipment Forsk2013
Verticalpolarisation Horizontalpolarisation
Figure 4.2:Polarisation
CrossPolarisation Discrimination (XPD): The XPD istheratio of power received inthedesired polarisationtothepower
receivedinundesiredpolarisation.XPDisadesignparameterthatismaximisedinthemainlobeoftheantennapattern.
Thischapterexplainsworkingwithantennasaswellasequipmentsuchasradios,feeders:
"DefiningtheListofManufacturers"onpage 144
"DefiningAntennas"onpage 144
"MicrowaveRadios"onpage 149
"MicrowaveFeeders"onpage 165
"MicrowaveAntenna/Radio/FeederCompatibility"onpage 166.
4.1 DefiningtheListofManufacturers
InAtoll,themanufacturersofmicrowaveradios,feeders,andantennasarelistedintheManufacturersfolder.You can create
a new manufacturer or you can modify an existing one,throughthemanufacturersPropertiesdialogue.
Tocreateormodifyamanufacturer:
1. Ifyouarecreatinganewmanufacturer:
a. SelecttheParametersexplorer.
b. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheMicrowaveEquipmentfoldertoexpandthefolder.
c. RightclicktheManufacturersfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
d. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheManufacturers:NewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
2. Ifyouaremodifyingthepropertiesofanexistingmanufacturer:
a. SelecttheParametersexplorer.
b. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheMicrowaveEquipmentfoldertoexpandthefolder.
c. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheManufacturersfoldertoexpandthefolder.
d. Rightclickthemanufactureryouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
e. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
3. Definethefollowingparameters:
Name:Thenameofthemanufacturer.
Comments:Anycomments.
4. ClickOK.
4.2 DefiningAntennas
InAtoll,eachmicrowaveantennaisidentifiedbyaname,anddefinedbytheoperatingfrequencyband,manufacturername,
horizontalandverticalantennapatterns,gain,andantennadiameter.
Theoperatingfrequencybandandmanufacturerrelatedinformationareusedasfilteringcriteriawhendefiningcompatible
antenna/equipmentsets.
Fourdifferentantennapatterndiagramsareusedinmicrowaveantennas,i.e.,horizontalandverticalplanediagramsforhori
zontalandverticalpolarization.Eachofthesepatternscanhavebothcopolarandcrosspolarpatternsdefined.
144
Because an antenna can be horizontally and vertically polarised, Atoll uses the relevant antenna pattern diagrams when
determiningpropagation.
Inthissectionthefollowingaredescribed:
"CreatinganAntenna"onpage 145
"ImportingMicrowaveAntennas"onpage 146
"EditingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns"onpage 147
"DisplayingAntennaPatternsWithaFixedScale"onpage 148
"PrintingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns"onpage 148.
4.2.1 CreatinganAntenna
Themicrowaveantennaisusedtoradiateorreceiveelectromagneticenergyintheformofhighfrequencyradiowaves.Atoll
modelsmicrowaveantennasandprovidesdefaultmicrowaveantennas.Aswell,Atollenablesyoutocreatenewantennas
andsettheparametersofeach(i.e.,name,manufacturer,gain,horizontalpattern,verticalpattern,anddiameter).
Whenyoucreateanewantenna,youcancopythehorizontalandverticalantenna
patternsfromaspreadsheetorwordprocessor.
Tocreateanantenna:
1. SelecttheParametersexplorer.
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheMicrowaveEquipmentfoldertoexpandthefolder.
3. RightclicktheAntennasfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheAntennasNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. ClicktheGeneraltab.Youcanenterinformationinthefollowingfields:
Name:Atollautomaticallyentersadefaultnameforeachnewantenna.Youcanmodifythedefaultnameifyou
want.
Manufacturer:Thenameoftheantennamanufacturer.
FrequencyBand:Thefrequencybandthatthisantennawillbeusedwith.
Gain:Theantennasisotropicgain.
Diameter:Thediameteroftheantenna.
RadomeLosses:Foranantennaequippedwitharadome,thelossescausedbytheradome.
UnderCrossPolarDiscrimination(XPD),Atolldisplaysthecrosspolardiscriminationsforhorizontalandvertical
polarisations.
Horizontal:Theratioofpowerreceivedinthecrosspolarsectiontothepowerreceivedinthecopolarsec
tion,forthehorizontalpolarisation.
Vertical:Theratioofpowerreceivedinthecrosspolarsectiontothepowerreceivedinthecopolarsection,
fortheverticalpolarisation.
Comments:Anyadditionalinformationontheantenna.
6. Definethecopolarandcrosspolarsectionsforeachplaneoftheantenna.
Amicrowaveantennaisdefinedby8radiationpatterns.Oneachofthefourtabsoftheantennapropertiesdialogue,
youcandefinethecopolarandcrosspolarsectionsforeachplaneoftheantenna:
HorizontalpolarisationHorizontalplane:
Copolarsection:Horizontalpolarisedportresponsetoahorizontallypolarisedsignalinthehorizontalplane.
Crosspolarsection:Verticalpolarisedportresponsetoahorizontallypolarisedsignalinthehorizontalplane.
HorizontalpolarisationVerticalplane:
Copolarsection:Horizontalpolarisedportresponsetoahorizontallypolarisedsignalintheverticalplane.
Crosspolarsection:Verticalpolarisedportresponsetoahorizontallypolarisedsignalintheverticalplane.
VerticalpolarisationHorizontalplane:
Copolarsection:Verticalpolarisedportresponsetoaverticallypolarisedsignalinthehorizontalplane.
Crosspolarsection:Horizontalpolarisedportresponsetoaverticallypolarisedsignalinthehorizontalplane.
VerticalpolarisationVerticalplane:
Copolarsection:Verticalpolarisedportresponsetoaverticallypolarisedsignalintheverticalplane.
Crosspolarsection:Horizontalpolarisedportresponsetoaverticallypolarisedsignalintheverticalplane.
145
Tocopythecopolarandcrosspolarsectionsforeachplanefromawordprocessororspreadsheetdocument:
a. Switchtothedocumentcontainingthehorizontalpattern.
b. Selectthecolumnscontainingtheanglesandattenuationvaluesofthehorizontalpattern.
c. Copytheselecteddata.
Figure 4.3:Copyinghorizontalpatternvalues
d. SwitchtoAtoll.
e. Clicktheupperleftcellofthehorizontalpattern.
f. Pastethedatainthetable.
Ifsomevaluesaremissinginthedatasheet,Atollinterpolatesthevaluesinordertoobtainacompleteandreal
isticpatternaroundtheantenna.WhenyoupastethedataintotheAntennasNewElementPropertiesdialogue,
AtollremovesblankrowsinthepatterntablewhenyoupresstheApplybutton.Whenyoucalculatealonganan
gleforwhichnodataisavailable,Atollcalculatesalinearinterpolationfromexistingpatternvalues.
g. ClickApplytodisplaythepattern.
7. ClickOK.
4.2.2 ImportingMicrowaveAntennas
AtollenablesyoutoimportantennafilesinthePlanetmicrowaveantennaformatorinstandardNSMA(NationalSpectrum
ManagersAssociation)formatsdefinedbyrecommendationsWG16.89.003andWG16.99.0501.
Toimportantennafiles:
4. SelectImportfromthecontextmenu.TheDataImportdialogueappears.
5. IntheDataImportdialogue,chooseoneofthefollowingoptions:
Onefileonly:Choosethisoptionifyouonlywanttoimportonefile.
Entirefolder:Choosethisoptionifyouwanttoimportallthefilesinafolder.
6. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )tonavigatetothefileorthefoldertobeimported.
7. SelectthefileorfoldertobeimportedandclickOpen.
8. ClickImport.Thefileorfoldersareimported.
Atolldoesnotstoptheimportprocessifanerroroccurs.Atollcontinuesuntilallfilesareimportedandthendisplaysinthe
Eventsviewerhowmanyfileshavebeensuccessfullyandunsuccessfullyimported.
Atollautomaticallycalculatestheantennadiameterfromtheantennagainandaverageoperatingfrequency.Theaverage
operatingfrequencyiscalculatedas(MaximumFrequencyMinimumFrequency)/2.Theantennadiameteriscalculatedusing
thefollowingequationforaradiationefficiencyof55 %:
1. ForfurtherinformationaboutthestandardNSMAformat(recommendationWG16.99.050),seethefollowingwebsite:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/software/nsma/nsmaintrp.html.
146
Gain dBi = 20 Log Diametre m + 20 Frequency MHz 42.2 ,whichgives:
Gain dBi + 2.11 Log Max Frequency Min Frequency-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------
20 2
Diametre m = 10
Formoreinformationonantennafileformats,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
4.2.3 EditingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns
InAtoll,youcanmodifyantennapatternsbyeditingthemindividuallyoryoucancopytheantennapatternsofoneantenna
andreplacetheantennapatternsofanotherantenna:
"EditingaSingleRadiationPattern"onpage 147
"CopyinganAntennaPatterntoOneorMoreAntennas"onpage 147.
EditingaSingleRadiationPattern
Youcaneditthehorizontalorverticalpatternsofanantenna.
Toeditthehorizontalorverticalpatternsofanantenna:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheAntennasfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. Rightclicktheantennayouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheantennasPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Selectthetabofthepatternyouwanttoedit(forinformationonthetabsoftheantennasPropertiesdialogue,see
"CreatinganAntenna"onpage 145).
7. Edittheantennapatternbyenteringnewvaluesinthetable.
Youcandisplayantennapatternswitheitherlinearorlogarithmicaxes.Youcandefinethe
display by rightclicking the pattern window and choosing the either Linear display or
Logarithmicdisplayfromthecontextmenu.
CopyinganAntennaPatterntoOneorMoreAntennas
AtollenablesyoutocopyantennapatternsintheAntennastable.BycopyingandpastingpatternsintheAntennastableyou
canassigntheantennapatternsofoneantennatoanother.
Tocopyanantennapattern:
4. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheAntennastableappears.
Byresizingrowheightandcolumnwidth,youcanviewallantennapatternsinordertobeabletocomparethem(see
Figure 4.4).
147
Figure 4.4:MWAntennastable
5. Intherowoftheantennawiththepatternyouwanttocopy,selectthecellwiththepattern.
6. SelectEdit >Copytocopythecell.
7. Intherowoftheantennayouwanttocopythepatternto,selectthecellwiththepattern.
8. SelectEdit >Pastetopastetheantennapattern.
AtollreplacestheoldpatternwiththenewoneintheAntennastable.
Youcanalsocopyanantennapatternbyrightclickingthepatternonthetabofthe
antennasPropertiesdialogueandselectingCopyfromthecontextmenu.
PatternsaredisplayedintheAntennastablewitheitherlinearorlogarithmicaxes
asdefinedinthePropertiesdialogueofanindividualantenna.Youcandefinethe
displaybyrightclickingthepatternofanantennaandchoosingeitherLineardis
playorLogarithmicdisplayfromthecontextmenu.
4.2.4 DisplayingAntennaPatternsWithaFixedScale
Atolldisplaystheverticalandhorizontalantennapatternsusingascalethatisautomaticallyadjustedtothehighestandthe
lowestattenuationvaluesoftheantennabeingdisplayed.Youcan,however,displayallantennasusingafixedscaleinorder
tovisuallycompareorprintantennapatterns.
Tofixtheantennapatterndisplayscale:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveEquipmentfolder.
4. SelectDisplayPatternsUsingaFixedScalefromthecontextmenu.
AtolldeterminesthelowestandthehighestantennaattenuationvaluesofalltheantennasintheAntennasfolder,
andusesthesevaluestosetthepatternscale.Antennapatternsofalltheantennasarenowdisplayedusingthisscale.
4.2.5 PrintingMicrowaveAntennaPatterns
Toprintthepatternofamicrowaveantenna:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheAntennasfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. Rightclicktheantennawhosepatternyouwanttoprint.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheantennasPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Selectthetabwiththeantennapatternyouwanttoprint:
148
HPolar.HPlane:Horizontalpolarizationhorizontalplane
HPolar.VPlane:Horizontalpolarizationverticalplane
VPolar.HPlane:Verticalpolarizationhorizontalplane
VPolar.VPlane:Verticalpolarizationverticalplane
7. RightclicktheantennapatternandselectLineardisplayorLogarithmicdisplayfromthecontextmenu.
8. RightclicktheantennapatternandselectPrintfromthecontextmenu.
4.3 MicrowaveRadios
Theconceptofmicrowavetransceiverradiosisusedtomanageoutputpower,powercontrol,modulationanddemodulation
ofthesignaltobetransmittedandthesignalreceivedattheantenna,todescribethebranchingconfigurationandtodefine
supportedbitrates.
InAtoll,theseparametersaredefinedusingradioseriesandradios.Globalparameterssuchasthefrequencybandsinwhich
theradiosoperate,themodulationstheysupport,thetransmissionparameters,etc.,aregroupedanddefinedintheradio
serieswhileotherparameterssuchasthecapacity,sensitivity,etc.,aresetintheradioproperties.Thismodellingenablesyou
toregroupradiosbyradioseriesaccordingtotheparametersgivenbyradiomanufacturersandtoquicklycheckthefrequency
band,modulation,branchingtypecharacteristicssupportedbytheradiosofaradioseries.
"CharacteristicsofaRadioSeries"onpage 149
"CreatingaRadioSeries"onpage 150
"ModifyingtheCharacteristicsofaRadioSeries"onpage 151
"DescriptionofaRadio"onpage 155
"CreatingorModifyingaRadio"onpage 160
"ImportingMicrowaveRadios"onpage 161
"AdvancedConfiguration"onpage 161
"AdvancedConfiguration"onpage 161.
4.3.1 CharacteristicsofaRadioSeries
Aradioseriesisdefinedbytheglobalcharacteristicssupportedbytheradiosthatbelongtoit,i.e.,thefrequencybandsin
whichradiosoftheseriescanoperate,thesupportedmodulations,thechannelbandwidthsused,andprotectiontypes.Trans
missionrelatedparametersandtransmissionandreceptionlossesforbranchingcanbedefinedaswell.
Aradioseriesisdefinedbythefollowingparameters:
Name:TheNameoftheseries.
Manufacturer:Thenameofthemanufacturer.
Comments:Anyadditionalinformationontheradioseries.
Frequencybands:Thefrequencybandsonwhichradiosoftheseriescanoperate.
Operationmodes:Theoperationmodessupportedbytheradiosoftheseriesforagivenfrequencyband.
Modulations:Themodulationschemessupportedbytheradiosoftheseries,foragivenfrequencyband.
Transmission powers: The transmissionrelated parameters of radios for the selected frequency bandoperation
modemodulationconfiguration.Youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Minimumpower:Thelowestoutputpowersupportedbytheradiosafterapplyingtuning.
Standardpower:Themaximumoutputpowerforthestandardpower(SP)ODUconfiguration.
Highpower:Themaximumoutputpowerforthehighpower(HP)ODUconfiguration.
Lowpower:Themaximumoutputpowerforthelowpower(LP)ODUconfiguration.
Authorisedvalues:Theoutputpowerssupportedbytheradiosafterapplyingtuning.Thevaluesmustbesepa
ratedbyaspace(" ").
MaximumATPC:Youcanenterthemaximumoutputpowersupportedbytheradioafterapplyingapowerrange
reservedforAdaptiveTransmissionPowerControl(ATPC).
Step:YoucanenterthevalueintervalbetweentheallowedoutputpowerswhenATPCisused.
AdaptiveTransmissionPowerControl(ATPC)isusedbythetransmittertoadjustpowerbyincreasingorreducing
itinordertomaintainsignalqualityincaseofmultipathorrainfadingthattemporarilyattenuatesthereceived
signal.TheATPCalsoenablesthetransmittertorespondtoincreasedinterferencelevelsresultingfromATPCon
otherlinks.TheATPCcanbetakenintoconsiderationduringcalculations.
Channelbandwidths:Thechannelbandwidthssupportedbytheradiosoftheseriesintheselectedfrequencyband.
Branchingtypes:Thebranchingtypes(i.e.,protectionconfigurations)supportedbytheradiosoftheseriesinthe
selectedfrequencyband.
ACU(AntennaCouplingUnit)losses:Thelossesrelatedtothebranchingtypeforagivenfrequencyband.Youcan
definethefollowingparameters:
Transmission:Thetransmissionlossesduetotheconnectionwiththemainequipment.
149
Reception:Thereceptionlossesduetotheconnectionwiththemainequipment.
Protectedreception:Thetransmissionandreceptionlossesduetotheconnectionwiththestandbyequipment.
4.3.2 CreatingaRadioSeries
Atoll provides a wizard to create radio series. For a description of each field, see "Characteristics of a Radio Series" on
page 149.
Tocreatearadioseries:
3. RightclicktheRadioSeriesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.Theradioseriescreationwizardappears.
5. OntheGeneralscreenofthewizard,definethefollowing:
Name
Manufacturer
Comments
Frequencybands
6. ClickNexttodisplaythefollowingscreen.
7. OntheOperationModescreen,definethefollowing:
a. SelectaFrequencybandor<All>.
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinetheOperationmode.
9. OntheModulationsscreen,definethefollowing:
b. SelectanOperationmodeor<All>.
c. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s)andoperationmode(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedMod
ulations.
d. Foreachmodulationforwhichyouhaveselectedthecheckbox,clickthenameintheModulationslistanddefine
theTransmissionpowerrelatedparameters:
Minimumpower
Standardpower
Highpower
Lowpower
Authorisedvalues
MaximumATPC
Step
11. OntheChannelBandwidthsscreen,definethefollowing:
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedChannelbandwidths.
13. OntheBranchingscreen,definethefollowing:
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedBranchingtypes.
c. Foreachbranchingtypeforwhichyouhaveselectedthecheckbox,clickthenameintheBranchingtypeslistand
definetheACU(antennacouplingunit)losses:
Transmission
Reception
Protectedreception
YoucanchangethepropertiesoftheselectedbranchingtypebyclickingthePropertiesbutton.Youcancreateanew
branchingtypebyclickingtheNewbutton.Forinformationonbranchingtypeproperties,see"CreatingorModifying
BranchingTypes"onpage 184.
150
15. OntheRadioCapacitiesscreen,definethefollowing:
a. SelectaFrequencyband.
Atolllistsallchannelbandwidthmodulationcombinationsfortheselectedfrequencybandandoperationmode,
anddisplaysthecorrespondingcapacity.Thedisplayedcapacityiseitheranexistingcapacityoronecalculatedby
Atoll(indicatedbyanasteriskappendedtothenamedisplayedinthebox).Youcanmodifythecapacityofeach
bandwidthmodulationcombination:
i. Clicktheboxcolouredinbluecorrespondingtothebandwidthmodulationcombinationwhosecapacityyou
wanttomodify.Anarrowappearsintherightofthebox.
ii. Clickthearrowandselectthecapacityfromthelistthatappears.
YoucanfurtherdefinethedisplayedcapacitybyrightclickingitandselectingRecordPropertiesfromthecon
textmenu.
Ifyoudonotwanttocreateradioequipmentwithabandwidthmodulationcombination,
youcaneitherselecttheblackitemfromthetopofthelist,orrightclicktheentryand
selectDeletefromthecontextmenu.
OntheRadioEquipmenttoCreatescreen,Atolllistsallcombinationsofparametersthatyouhavedefined(frequency
band,operationmode,modulation,andchannelbandwidth).
17. SelectthecheckboxesintheCreatecolumnforeachcombinationforwhichyouwanttocreatearadio.
18. ClickFinish.Atollcreatestheradioseriesandtheradioscorrespondingtotheselectedcombinations.
4.3.3 ModifyingtheCharacteristicsofaRadioSeries
Youcanmodifyanexistingradioseriesandaddnewradios.Youcanaccessthepropertiesofaradioseriesthroughtheradio
seriessPropertiesdialogue.Foradescriptionofeachfield,see"CharacteristicsofaRadioSeries"onpage 149.
Tomodifytheradioseriescharacteristics:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheRadioSeriesfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. Rightclicktheradioserieswhosepropertiesyouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheradioseriesPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. ClicktheGeneraltab(seeFigure 4.5).TheGeneraltabdisplaysthefollowingparameters:
Name
Manufacturer
Comments
Frequencybands
151
Figure 4.5:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueGeneraltab
7. ClicktheOperationModetab(seeFigure 4.6).
OntheOperationModetab,modifythefollowingparameters:
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinetheOperationmode.
Figure 4.6:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueOperationModetab
8. ClicktheModulationstab(seeFigure 4.7).
OntheModulationstab,modifythefollowingparameters:
c. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s)andoperationmode(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedMod
ulations.
d. Foreachmodulationforwhichyouhaveselectedthecheckbox,clickthenameintheModulationslistanddefine
theTransmissionpowerrelatedparameters:
Minimumpower
Standardpower
Highpower
Lowpower
Authorisedvalues
MaximumATPC
Step
152
Figure 4.7:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueModulationstab
9. ClicktheChannelBandwidthstab(seeFigure 4.8).
OntheChannelBandwidthstab,modifythefollowingparameters:
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedChannelbandwidths.
Figure 4.8:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueChannelBandwidthstab
10. ClicktheBranchingtab(seeFigure 4.9).
153
Figure 4.9:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueBranchingtab
OntheBranchingtab,modifythefollowingparameters:
b. Fortheselectedfrequencyband(s),selectthecheckboxesthatdefinethesupportedBranchingtypes.
YoucanchangethepropertiesoftheselectedbranchingtypebyclickingthePropertiesbutton.Youcancreatea
newbranchingtypebyclickingtheNewbutton.Forinformationonbranchingtypeproperties,see"Creatingor
ModifyingBranchingTypes"onpage 184.
c. Foreachbranchingtypeforwhichyouhaveselectedthecheckbox,clickthenameintheBranchingtypeslistand
definetheACU(antennacouplingunit)losses:
Transmission
Reception
Protectedreception
11. ClicktheRadioEquipmenttab(seeFigure 4.10).
Figure 4.10:RadioseriesPropertiesdialogueRadioEquipmenttab
OntheRadioEquipmenttab,modifythefollowingparameters:
Atolllistsallchannelbandwidthmodulationcombinationsfortheselectedfrequencybandandoperationmode,
anddisplaysthecorrespondingcapacitieswhentheradioexists.Unlikecellscolouredingrey,theonescoloured
inblueindicatethattheradioscorrespondingtotheseconfigurationsexistintheRadiosfolder.
c. Youcancreatenewradios:
154
i. Clickthecellcorrespondingtotheconfigurationyouwanttoaddasanewradio.Anarrowappearstotheright
ofthecell.
ii. Clickthearrowandselectacapacity.
iii. Clickanothercelltovalidate.
iv. Rightclickthecell.Thecontextmenuappears.
v. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.ThecellismarkedinblueandindicatesthattheradioexistsintheRadios
folder.
d. Youcanremoveexistingradios:
i. Rightclickthecellcorrespondingtotheconfigurationyouwanttoremove.Thecontextmenuappears.
ii. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Thecellismarkedingreyandindicatesthattheradiodonolongerexist
intheRadiosfolder.
e. Youcanmodifythepropertiesofexistingradios:
i. Rightclickthecellcorrespondingtotheradioyouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
ii. SelectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheradioPropertiesdialogueappears.
iii. Changetheparametersasdefinedin"DescriptionofaRadio"onpage 155.
12. ClickOK.
4.3.4 DescriptionofaRadio
Atollenablesyoutodefineradios.Aradiobelongstoaradioseries.Itcorrespondstothecombinationoffrequencyband,
operation mode, modulation and channel bandwidth parameters. Each combination has specific characteristics that are
definedintheradioPropertiesdialogue.Bydefault,radiosaregroupedintoradioseries.
ThePropertiesdialoguehaseighttabs:
TheGeneraltab(seeFigure 4.11):
Name:Thenameoftheradio.
Radioseries:Thenameoftheradioserieswhichtheradiobelongsto.
Frequencyband:Thefrequencybandinwhichtheradiooperates.
Operationmode:Theoperationmodethattheradiosupports.
Modulation:Themodulationschemethattheradiosupports.
UnderPower,thefollowingparametersareavailable:
Minimum:Thelowestoutputpowersupportedbytheradioafterapplyingtuning.
Standard:Themaximumoutputpowerforthestandardpower(SP)ODUconfiguration.
High:Themaximumoutputpowerforthehighpower(HP)ODUconfiguration.
Low:Themaximumoutputpowerforthelowpower(LP)ODUconfiguration.
Authorisedvalues:Theoutputpowersallowedbytheradioafterapplyingtuning.
MaxATPC:Themaximumoutputpowersupportedbytheradioafterapplyingapowerrangereservedfor
AdaptiveTransmissionPowerControl(ATPC).
Step:ThevalueintervalbetweentheallowedoutputpowerswhenATPCisused.
Channelbandwidth:Thechannelbandwidth.
Capacity:Thecapacitysupportedbytheradio.
Transmissiondesignator:IDdedicatedtoregulatorybodies.Thisfieldisforinformationonly.
155
Figure 4.11:RadioPropertiesdialogueGeneraltab
TheSensitivitytab(seeFigure 4.12):
UnderThermalFadeMargin,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Receptionthreshold:Theminimumreceiversignallevel(threshold)ataspecifiedrate(BER)thattheradiocan
successfullydemodulate.Thiswillbeusedtocalculatethethermalfademargin.
YoucandefinereceptionthresholdsfortwovaluesofBER:103and106.InordertochangeaBERvalueorto
addanewreceptionthresholdforanotherBERvalue,clicktheEditbutton( ).
Systemgain:Thedifferencebetweenthemaximumpoweroftheradioandthereceptionthreshold,fortwo
valuesofBER,103and106.ThisfieldisautomaticallycalculatedbyAtoll.Thisisaperformanceindicatorfor
theradio.
Saturation threshold: The maximum receiver sensitivity before saturation. It is used to calculate the signal
enhancementmargin.YoucandefinesaturationthresholdsfortwovaluesofBER:103and106.Inordertochange
aBERvalueoriftoaddanewsaturationthresholdforanotherBERvalue,clicktheEditbutton( ).
UnderCrosspolarisationmargin,thefollowingparametersareavailable:
MinC/I:Thecarriertointerferenceratioinnormalconditions,i.e.,whennointerferenceisexperienced.This
isusedtoevaluatetherequiredmarginagainstdepolarisationwhenusingadualpolarisationtransmission
link.AtollautomaticallycalculatesthisparameterfortwovaluesofBER:103and106.
YoucansetAtolltouseMinC/IvaluesdefinedorcalculatedinoldversionsofAtollby
addinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformationonchangingoptionsinthe
atoll.inifile,seetheAdministratorManual.
XPIF:Themaximumimprovementfactorreservedforcrosspolarisationreduction(XPIF).Thisisusedonly
whenanXPIC(crosspolarisedinterferencecanceller)ispresent.Itisusedtoreducethescatteringofinterfer
encefromtheundesiredpolarisationintothedesiredpolarisationduetorainfadingbyincreasingthecross
polarisationdiscriminationfactor(XPD).XPIFisgenerallywithintherangeof1520 dB.
UnderThermalnoise,thefollowingparametersareavailable:
Noisefigure:Thenoisefigurefortheradio.
MinFKTB(at17C):Thereceiverthermalnoisecalculatedat17Candforthechannelbandwidth.
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Figure 4.12:RadioPropertiesdialogueSensitivitytab
TheLossestab(seeFigure 4.13):
Transmissionfilter:Thelossesduetotheuseoffiltersintransmission.
Receptionfilter:Thelossesduetotheuseoffiltersinreception.
Circulators:Foreachcirculatorpresentonthisradio,youcansetthePortitisattachedto,anddefinethelosses
inTransmissionandReception.
Figure 4.13:RadioPropertiesdialogueLossestab
TheMultipathDispersiontab(seeFigure 4.14):
DFM:Thedispersivefademargin,fortwodifferentvaluesofBER:103and106.Thisparameterisusedtopredict
thecompositefademarginwhenusingtheVigantscalculationmethod.
UnderRadioSignature,youcanchoosethemethodandtheparameterstakenintoaccounttopredictfrequency
selectivefadingwhenusingITURP.530recommendations.
Theradiosignatureparametersarenotusedbyalltypesofreceiverradios.
157
Theradiosignaturechosenwillcharacterisetheabilityofareceivingradiotoperformsuccessfully(i.e.,produce
acceptableerrorsrates)inthepresenceoffrequencyselectivefading.
Thisinformationisavailablefromthemanufacturer.
Standardised:Forastandardisedsignature,selectStandardisedandenteravaluefortheKnParameter.The
Knparameterismostlydependantonthemodulationused.
Modulation Kn
64QAM 15.4
16QAM 5.5
8PSK 7
4PSK 1
Knvalues(withoutadaptiveequalization)
RummlerModel:IfyouwanttousetheRummlermodeltopredictoutagetimes,selectRummlermodel,and
define the frequency shift (Signature width and Signature depth) for both minimum and nonminimum
phasesandtwovaluesofBER,103and106.Formoreinformation,seestudiesbyC.W.LundgrenandW.D.
Rummler1andtheITU P.530recommendation.
Figure 4.14:RadioPropertiesdialogueMultipathDispersiontab
TheReliabilitytab(seeFigure 4.15):
Meantimebeforefailure(MTBF):Thisparameterisusedtodefinethereliabilityoftheradioandcorrespondsto
theaveragelengthoftimethattheradiofunctionswithoutfailing.TheMTBFisavailablefromtheradiomanufac
turer.
Hotstandbycommutationdelay:TheHotStandbyCommutationDelayisthemaximumamountoftimeitwould
taketoswitchtobackupequipmentifthemainequipmentfails.TheHotStandbyCommutationDelayisusedonly
ifthesystemconfigurationsupportshotstandby.Furthermore,whenyoudefinethepropertiesforamicrowave
link,youmustindicatewhichchannelwillbeusedasabackupincaseofmainequipmentfailure.Formoreinfor
mationondefiningmicrowavelinkproperties,see"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
1. C.W. Lundgren and W.D. Rummler, "Digital radio outage due to selective fading observation vs. prediction from
laboratorysimulations,"BellSystemTechnicalJournal,pp.10731100,MayJune1979.
W.D.Rummler,"Characterizingtheeffectsofmultipathdispersionondigitalradios,"IEEEGlobecomProceedings,pp.1727
1732,1988.
158
Figure 4.15:RadioPropertiesdialogueReliabilitytabs
TheTransmitterMasktab(seeFigure 4.16):
YoucandefinethetransmitterspectralmaskeitherbyclickingtheUsedefaultgraphsbutton,toletAtollcreatethe
maskfromstandardvalues,orbydefininganattenuationindB(Att.)foreachfrequencyshiftinMHz(Delta F).This
informationisprovidedbytheradiomanufacturer.
Theresultingtransmittermaskisdisplayedinthegraphwindowontheright.
Figure 4.16:RadioPropertiesdialogueTransmitterMasktab
TheReceiverMasktab(seeFigure 4.17):
YoucandefineareceivermaskeitherbyclickingtheUsedefaultgraphsbutton,toletAtollcreatethemaskfrom
standardvalues,orbydefininganattenuationindB(Att.)foreachfrequencyshiftinMHz(Delta F).Thisinformation
isprovidedbytheradiomanufacturer.
Theresultingreceivermaskisdisplayedinthegraphwindowontheright.
159
Figure 4.17:RadioPropertiesdialogueReceiverMasktab
TheTIGraphtab:
Youcandefineathresholdtointerference(TI)grapheitherbyclickingtheUsedefaultgraphsbutton,toletAtoll
createthegraphfromstandardvalues,orbydefininganattenuationindB(Att.)foreachfrequencyshiftinMHz
(Delta F).Thisinformationisprovidedbytheradiomanufacturer.
Thethresholdtointerference(T/I)ratioisusedtocalculatetheinterferencefademargin(IFM)whichdefinesthe
vulnerabilitytocochannelandadjacentchannelinterference.TheT/Igraphdefinesthecorrespondencebetween
maximuminterferingpowerlevelsanddifferentfrequencyseparationsbetweenthetransmitterandvictimreceivers.
Foreachinterferingtransmitter,thereceivedpowerlevelindBiscomparedtothemaximumpowerleveltodeter
minewhethertheinterferenceisacceptable.ThisisdoneinsteadofcalculatingC/Ivaluesandcomparingthemtothe
objectivesforthatmicrowavelink.
TheresultingTIgraphisdisplayedinthegraphwindowontheright.
4.3.5 CreatingorModifyingaRadio
Youcanmodifyanexistingradiooryoucancreateanewradio.HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhether
youarecreatinganewradioormodifyinganexistingradio.
Tocreatearadio:
3. RightclicktheRadiosfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheCreationofaNewRadioEquipmentdialogueappears.
5. IntheCreationofaNewRadioEquipmentdialogue,selecttheRadioSerieswhichtheradiobelongsto.
Atollliststhecombinationsoffrequencybands,operationmodes,modulationsandchannelbandwidthswhichdonot
existasradioequipment.
6. Foreachcombinationforwhichyouwanttocreatearadio,definethefollowing:
a. SelectthecheckboxesintheCreatecolumn.
b. SelectthecorrespondingcapacityintheCapacitycolumn.Bydefault,Atollcalculatesthethroughputforthegiven
modulationandchannelbandwidthandselectsthecapacityassociatedwiththisthroughput.
c. DefinethereceptionthresholdforeachvalueofBERintheSensitivitycolumn.Youcanenterthevalueswiththe
followingformat:Sensitivity1BER1Sensitivity2BER2.
d. ChangethedefaultnameoftheradioequipmentintheNamecolumn.
160
7. ClickOK.Atollcreatestheradioscorrespondingtotheselectedcombinations.ThenewradiosappearintheRadios
folderoftheExplorerwindow.
Tomodifyanexistingradio:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheRadiosfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. Rightclicktheradiowhosepropertiesyouwanttoedit.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThemicrowaveradiosPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DescriptionofaRadio"onpage 155.
7. ClickOK.
4.3.6 ImportingMicrowaveRadios
AtollenablesyoutoimportradiofilesthatareinstandardNSMA(NationalSpectrumManagersAssociation)formatdefined
bytherecommendationWG21.99.051orinPathlossformat(versions4.0or5.0).
NSMAformatequipmentfilesareASCIIfileswiththeextensionNSM.PathlossformatradiofilesareASCIIfileswiththeexten
sionRAF.EachradiofilecancontainseveralT/Igraphsfordifferentpairsofmodulationsandcapacities.Inthiscase,theT/I
graphdefinedforidenticalmodulationsandcapacitiesisimportedintotheT/IGraphtabwhiletheothersareimportedinto
thetheoreticalgraphstable.Formoreinformationonthetheoreticalgraphs,see"TheoreticalGraphs"onpage 164.
ForfurtherinformationabouttheNSMAandPathlossfileformats,seetheAdministratorManual.
Toimportradiofiles:
4. SelectImportfromthecontextmenu.TheRadioImportdialogueappears.
5. IntheRadioImportdialogue,selecttheCompleteanexistingseriesoptionandthecorrespondingradioseriesfrom
thescrollinglistiftheradioseriesoftheradiosyouareimportingalreadyexists.Ifnot,selecttheCreateanewseries
optionandentertheradioseriesname.Atollwillcreateanewseries.
6. UnderImport,chooseoneofthefollowingoptions:
Onefileonly:ChooseOnefileonlyifyouonlywanttoimportonefile.
Entirefolder:ChooseEntirefolderifyouwanttoimportallthefilesinafolder.
7. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )tonavigatetothefileorthefoldertobeimported.
8. SelectthefileorfoldertobeimportedandclickOpen.
9. ClickImport.Thefileorfoldersareimported.
Atolldoesnotstoptheimportprocesswhenanerroroccurs.Itcontinuesuntilallthefiles
have been imported and then displays in the Events viewer how many files have been
successfullyandunsuccessfullyimported.
4.3.7 AdvancedConfiguration
Atolloffersseveraladvancedconfigurationoptions:
"InterferenceReductionFactor"onpage 161
"TheoreticalGraphs"onpage 164.
4.3.7.1 InterferenceReductionFactor
Theinterferencereductionfactor(IRF)isamethodofreducinginterferenceonthereceivedsignal.TheIRFisafunctionofthe
differencebetweenthecentralfrequenciesoftheinterferedsignalandtheinterferingsignal.Youcandefineaprotectionlevel
foreachvictiminterferermicrowavetransceiverradiopairbydefiningtheprotectionlevels(indB)foreachfrequencydelta
(inMHz).
The IRF graphs defined in the IRF table are used during the calculation of interference. When studying the interference
betweentransmissionandreceptionradios,AtollfirstverifieswhetheranIRFgraphisdefinedforthetransmissionradio
161
receptionradiopairintheIRFtable.Ifso,Atollusesit.Otherwise,AtolldeterminestheIRFgraphduringtheprocessofcalcu
latinginterference.Theentireprocessisasfollows:
1. Atollverifiesthatthetransmissionandthereceptionradioshavethesamemanufacturer,capacity,andmodulation.
Ifso,AtollusesTIgraphstodeterminetheIRFgraph.Atolluseseitherthegraphsdefinedfortheradiosifavailable,
or the theoretical TI graphs if not (for more information on the theoretical graphs, see "Theoretical Graphs" on
page 164).
2. If the radio manufacturer, capacity, or modulation are not the same, Atoll merges the transmitter mask and the
receivermaskoftheradiosinordertodeterminetheIRFgraph.Atolluseseitherthegraphsdefinedfortheradiosif
available,orthetheoreticalgraphsifnot.
"DefiningIRFGraphsManually"onpage 162
"DefiningIRFGraphswiththeAssistant"onpage 163.
DefiningIRFGraphsManually
YoucandefineIRFgraphsusingtheIRFtable.TheseIRFgraphswillbeusedtoreducetheinterferencebetweenvictimand
interferermicrowaveradioswhencalculatinginterference.
TocreateormodifyanIRFgraph:
3. RightclickontheRadiosfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectIRF >OpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheIRFtableappears(seeFigure 4.18).
Figure 4.18:IRFtable
5. SelectthenameoftheVictimradiofromthelist.
6. SelectthenameoftheInterfererradiofromthelist.
IfyouarecreatinganewIRFgraph,usetherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
7. DoubleclickintheleftmarginoftherecordtoopenitsPropertiesdialogue(seeFigure 4.19).
Figure 4.19:IRFrecordPropertiesdialogue
162
8. UnderIRFinthePropertiesdialogue,enteraprotectionlevel(indB)foreachfrequencydelta(inMHz).Theresulting
graphisdisplayedontherightofthePropertiesdialogue.
9. ClickOK.
DefiningIRFGraphswiththeAssistant
AtollprovidesanassistanttoenableyoutodefineIRFsbetweentransmissionandreceptiontransceiverradios.Whenyou
selectafrequencybandandtheradiomanufacturerswithradiosthatoperateinthesamefrequencyband,Atolldisplaysthe
entrieswherethetransmissionandreceptionradiospresentthepossibilityofinterference.
TousetheassistanttodefineIRFs:
4. SelectIRF >EditGridfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFEditiondialogueappears(seeFigure 4.20).
Figure 4.20:IRFEditiondialogue
5. SelecttheFrequencybandfromthelist.Onlyradiosoperatingintheselectedfrequencybandaredisplayedinthe
grid.
6. SelecttheTXmanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyradiosmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredisplayedinthe
grid.
7. SelecttheRXmanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyradiosmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredisplayedinthe
grid.
8. YoucannowdefineanIRFgraph,deleteanIRFgraph,orcreateanIRFgraphusingradiographsortheoreticalgraphs
(seeFigure 4.20):
Figure 4.21:IRFEditiondialogue
TodefineanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradios:
a. Rightclickthecellofthegridthatcoincideswithbothentries.Thecontextmenuappears.
b. SelectAddRecordfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
c. UnderEnterthegraphvalues,enteraprotectionlevel(indB)foreachfrequencydelta(inMHz).Theresulting
graphisdisplayedontherightofthedialogue.
d. ClickOK.
163
TodeleteanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradios:
a. Rightclickonthecellofthegridthatcoincideswithbothentries.Thecontextmenuappears.
b. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.
TocreateanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradiosfromtransmitterandreceivermasks:
b. SelectCalculateUsing >TransmitterandReceiverMasksfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFCalculationdialogue
appears.
c. FromtheTransmittermasklist,selectatheoreticaltransmissionspectrumgraphcompatiblewiththeoperating
frequencybandofthetransmissionradio.Ifthereisatransmissionspectrumgraphdefinedfortheradio,youcan
select"SameasRadio"touseit.
d. FromtheReceivermasklist,selectatheoreticalreceiverselectivitygraphcompatiblewiththeoperatingfrequen
cybandofthereceptionradio.Ifthereisareceiverselectivitygraphdefinedfortheradio,youcanselect"Same
asRadio"touseit.
e. DefinetheCalculationstepinMHz.
f. ClickCalculatetocalculatetheIRFgraph.
g. ClickOK.
TocreateanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradiosfromT/Igraphs:
b. SelectCalculateUsing >T/IGraphsfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFCalculationdialogueappears.
c. FromtheT/Igraph(Tx)list,selectatheoreticalT/Igraphcompatiblewiththeoperatingfrequencybandofthe
transmissionradio.IfthereisaT/Igraphdefinedfortheradio,youcanselect"SameasRadio"touseit.
d. FromtheT/I(Rx)list,selectatheoreticalT/Igraphcompatiblewiththeoperatingfrequencybandofthereception
radio.IfthereisaT/Igraphdefinedfortheradio,youcanselect"SameasRadio"touseit.
e. ClickCalculatetocalculatetheIRFgraph.
f. ClickOK.
9. ClickOKtoclosetheIRFSettingsdialogue.
4.3.7.2 TheoreticalGraphs
Atollallowsyoutodefinetheoreticalgraphsthatyoucanusewhentheradiodescriptionisnotcomplete(i.e.,wheninforma
tionaboutthetransmittermask,thereceivermask,orT/Igraphismissing).Thesetheoreticalgraphscandescribeeitherthe
transmittermask,orthereceivermask,orT/Igraphforacertainmanufacturer,frequencyband,bandwidth,rate,andmodu
lation.Theycanbeusedtoinitialiseradioproperties(thetransmittermask,thereceivermask,theT/Igraph),andtocalculate
IRFgraphswhennoIRFisdefinedintheIRFtable.Defaulttheoreticalgraphsareavailablefordifferentfrequencybandsand
bandwidths.1
CreatingTheoreticalGraphs
AtheoreticalgraphcontainsinformationonthebehaviourofmicrowavetransceiverradiounderdifferentconditionsofC/I.
Itrepresentsthechangesinthebiterrorrateasafunctionofthelevelofinterference.
Tocreateatheoreticalgraph:
4. SelectTheoreticalGraphsfromthecontextmenu.TheTheoreticalGraphstableappears.
5. Rightclickthetheoreticalgraphyouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
6. SelectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThetheoreticalgraphsPropertiesdialogueappears.
Youcancreateanewtheoreticalgraphbyenteringanameintherowmarkedwiththe
NewRowicon( )andpressingENTER.
1. T/Igraphswerefoundatthewebaddresshttp://www.radio.gov.ukandtransmitterandreceivermaskswerefoundat
http://www.ero.dk.
164
7. ClicktheGeneraltabanddefinethefollowingparameters:
Name:Thenameofthetheoreticalgraph.
Typeofgraph:Thetypeoftheoreticalgraphyoudefine.Itcanbeeitheratransmittermask,orareceivermask,
oraT/Igraph.
Manufacturer:Themanufacturerforwhichthegraphisvalid.
Frequencyband:Thefrequencybandforwhichthegraphisvalid.
Channelbandwidth:Thebandwidthforwhichthegraphisvalid.
Rawdatarate:Therawdatarateforwhichthegraphisvalid.
Modulation:Themodulationforwhichthegraphisvalid.
8. ClicktheValuestabanddefinethecorrespondinggraph.
Ifthegraphdescribesthetransmittermask,definetheattenuationofthemaintransmittedsignal(indB)asafunc
tionofthefrequencyspacing(inMHz).
Ifthegraphdescribesthereceivermask,definetheattenuationofthemainreceivedsignal(indB)asafunction
ofthefrequencyspacing(inMHz).
IfthegraphisaT/Igraph,definethevariationoftheT/I(indB)asafunctionofthefrequencyspacing(inMHz).
9. ClickOK.
4.4 MicrowaveFeeders
FeedersareusedtotransfertheRFsignalfromthetransmissionmoduleofthemicrowaveradiotothemicrowaveantenna.
Atollenablesyoutomanagedifferenttypesoffeeders(cables,etc.).
Microwaveenergycanbeguidedinametallictube,calledawaveguide,withverylowattenuation.Thewaveguideisdesigned
foraspecificwavelength.Hence,theoperatingfrequencyisaveryimportantcharacteristicforawaveguide.Theelectricand
magneticfieldsarecontainedwithintheguide,andthereforethereisnoradiationloss.Sincethedielectricisair,thedielectric
lossesarealsonegligible.Awaveguideoperatesbetweentwolimitingfrequencies,calledthecutofffrequencies.
Cables,ontheotherhand,haveametallicinnercorewithadielectricmaterialseparatingtheoutermetallicconductor.The
cableiscoveredwithaplasticjacketforprotection.Thedielectricmaterialisusuallyairorfoam.Thesearequiterobustand
thereforeeasytoinstall.Cablelossisafunctionofcrosssectionalarea;thethickerthecable,thelowertheloss.Cablelossis
measuredintermsofdecibelsper100m.
ThefollowingsectionsdescribethemodellingoffeedersinAtoll:
"DefinitionofFeeders"onpage 165
"CreatingorModifyingFeeders"onpage 166.
4.4.1 DefinitionofFeeders
InAtoll,microwavefeedersarecharacterisedbythelossasignalundergoesper100 moftheirlength.Onceamicrowave
feederhasbeendefined,youcanassignittoamicrowavelinkforbothtransmissionandreception.
TheparametersoffeederscanbefoundinthefeederPropertiesdialogue.ThePropertiesdialoguehasonetab:
TheGeneraltab(seeFigure 4.22)
Name:Thenameofthefeeder.
Frequency:Selectthefrequencybandfromthelist.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdia
logueoftheselectedfrequencyband.
Manufacturer:Selectthemanufacturerfromthelist.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdia
logueoftheselectedmanufacturer.
Lossperlength:EnterthesignallossindBper100 m.
Type:Selectthetypeoffeeder.YoucanselectfromCable,Elliptic,Rectangular,Circular,Flex/TwistorOther.
165
Figure 4.22:FeedersNewElementPropertiesdialogue
4.4.2 CreatingorModifyingFeeders
Youcanmodifyexistingfeedersoryoucancreatenewfeeders.HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhether
yourecreatingnewfeedersormodifyingexistingfeeders.
Tocreatenewfeeders:
3. RightclicktheFeedersfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheFeedersNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofFeeders"onpage 165.
6. ClickOK.
Ifyouarecreatingalargenumberoffeedersbasedonmanufacturersdata,itcantakea
longtime.However,ifyouhavethedataavailableintabularformat,youcancopyitfrom
thespreadsheetorwordprocessorandpastethedataintotheFeederstable.
Tomodifyexistingfeeders:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )totheleftoftheFeedersfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. Rightclickthefeederwhosepropertiesyouwanttoedit.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThefeederPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofFeeders"onpage 165.
7. ClickOK.
4.5 MicrowaveAntenna/Radio/FeederCompatibility
Atoll allows you to define compatibility between antennas, radios, and feeders. The defined compatible antenna/radio/
feedersetscanbethenselectedwhenyoudefinethepropertiesofamicrowavelink.Youcandefinecompatibilitydirectlyin
theAntennaRadioCompatibilityandAntennaFeederCompatibilitytablesoryoucanusetheassistantsavailableinAtollto
definecompatibility.
"DefiningCompatibilityManually"onpage 166
"UsingAssistantstoDefineCompatibility"onpage 167.
4.5.1 DefiningCompatibilityManually
InAtoll,youcanusetheAntennaRadioCompatibilityandAntennaFeederCompatibilitytablestodefinewhichmicrowave
antennasarecompatiblewithwhichfeedersandwhichmicrowaveantennasarecompatiblewithwhichradios.
166
"UsingtheMicrowaveAntenna/FeederCompatibilityTable"onpage 167
"UsingtheMicrowaveAntennaRadioCompatibilityTable"onpage 167
4.5.1.1 UsingtheMicrowaveAntenna/FeederCompatibilityTable
YoucanusetheAntennaFeederCompatibilitytabletolistcompatiblemicrowaveantennasandfeeders.Whenyoudefine
theproperties(i.e.,antennas,radios,andfeeders)ofamicrowavelink,thesecompatibilitydefinitionscanbeusedtodisplay
onlycompatibleantennas,radios,andfeedersasoptionsinlists.
Todefineantenna/feedercompatibilityusingtheAntennaFeederCompatibilitytable:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheCompatibilityfolder.
4. RightclickAntennaFeederCompatibilities.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheAntennaFeederCompatibilitytableappears.
6. Createanewantenna/feedercompatibilitypairbyselectinganAntennaandaFeederfromthelistsintherowmarked
withtheNewRowicon( ).ThevaluesintheAntennaandFeederlistsaretakenfromtheAntennastableandthe
Feederstable,respectively.Youcanalso,ifdesired,enteraCommentbydoubleclickingtheCommentfieldtoopen
therecordsPropertiesdialogue.
Ifyouhavealargenumberofantennaorfeedercompatibilitydefinitionstoenter,youcan
importthembyrightclickingonthetableandselectingImportfromthecontextmenu,or
youcanpastethemintotheAntennaFeederCompatibilitytable.
4.5.1.2 UsingtheMicrowaveAntennaRadioCompatibilityTable
YoucanusetheAntennaRadioCompatibilitytabletolistcompatiblemicrowaveantennasandradios.Ifyouhavepreviously
definedcompatibleantennafeederpairs,thesearetakenintoaccountand,bydefault,aradiocompatiblewithanantenna
willbecompatiblewiththefeederscompatiblewiththisantenna.Whenyoudefinetheproperties(i.e.,antennas,radios,and
feeders)ofamicrowavelink,thesecompatibilitydefinitionscanbeusedinordertodisplayonlycompatibleantennas,radios,
andfeedersasoptionsinlists.
TodefineantennaradiocompatibilityusingtheAntenna/RadioCompatibilitytable:
4. RightclickAntennaRadioCompatibility.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheAntennaRadioCompatibilitytableappears.
6. Createanewantenna/radiocompatibilitypairbyselectinganAntennaandRadiofromthelistsintherowmarked
withtheNewRowicon( ).ThevaluesintheAntennaandRadiolistsaretakenfromtheAntennastableandthe
Radiostable,respectively.Youcanalso,ifdesired,enteraCommentbydoubleclickingtheCommentfieldtoopen
therecordsPropertiesdialogue.
Ifyouhavealargenumberofantennaradiocompatibilitypairstoenter,youcanimport
thembyrightclickingonthetableandselectingImportfromthecontextmenu,oryoucan
pastethemintotheAntennaRadioCompatibilitytable.
4.5.2 UsingAssistantstoDefineCompatibility
Atollprovidesassistantstohelpyoudefinewhichmicrowaveantennasarecompatiblewithwhichfeedersandwhichmicro
waveantennasarecompatiblewithwhichradios.
"UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/FeederCompatibility"onpage 168
"UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/RadioCompatibility"onpage 168.
167
4.5.2.1 UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/FeederCompatibility
Atollprovidesanassistanttoallowyoutodefinecompatiblepairsofantennasandfeeders.Theassistantgivesyouanover
viewofantennasandfeedersthatoperateinthesamefrequencyband.
Tousetheassistanttodefinecompatiblepairsofantennasandfeeders:
4. RightclickAntennaFeederCompatibilities.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectEditGridfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
6. SelecttheFrequencybandfromthelist.Onlyantennasandfeedersoperatingintheselectedfrequencybandaredis
playedinthetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedfrequencyband.
7. SelecttheAntennamanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyantennasmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredis
playedinthetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmanufacturer.
8. SelecttheFeedermanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyfeedersmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufacturerisdisplayed
inthetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmanufacturer.
9. Youcannowdefinethecompatibilitybetweenanantennaandafeederordeleteadefinedcompatibleantenna
feederpair:
Figure 4.23:CompatibilityBetweenAntennasandFeedersdialogue
Todefinethecompatibilitybetweenanantennaandafeeder:
b. SelectAddRecordfromthecontextmenu.Thecellismarkedingreentoindicatethattheantennaandfeederare
compatible.
Todeleteadefinedcompatibleantennafeederpair:
b. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Thecellisnolongermarkedingreen.
10. ClickOK.
YoucanusetheFill(Up,Down,Right,Left)andtheCopyandPastecommandstocreateordeletecompatibleantennafeeder
pairs.
4.5.2.2 UsingtheAssistanttoDefineAntenna/RadioCompatibility
Atollprovidesanassistanttoallowyoutodefinecompatiblepairsofantennasandradios.Theassistantgivesyouanoverview
ofantennasandradiosthatoperateinthesamefrequencyband.
168
Tousetheassistanttodefinecompatiblepairsofantennasandradios:
4. RightclickAntennaRadioCompatibility.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectEditGridfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
6. SelecttheFrequencybandfromthelist.Onlyantennasandradiosoperatingintheselectedfrequencybandaredis
playedinthetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedfrequencyband.
7. SelecttheAntennamanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyantennasmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredis
playedinthetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmanufacturer.
8. SelecttheRadiomanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyradiosmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredisplayedin
thetable.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmanufacturer.
9. Youcannowdefinethecompatibilitybetweenanantennaandaradio,deleteadefinedcompatibleantennaradio
pair,ordefinecompatibilitywithanantenna,aradio,andfeeders:
Figure 4.24:CompatibilityBetweenAntennasandRadiosdialogue
Todefinethecompatibilitybetweenanantennaandaradio:
b. SelectAddRecordfromthecontextmenu.Thecellismarkedingreentoindicatethattheantennaandtheradio
arecompatible.
Todeleteadefinedcompatibleantennaradiopair:
b. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Thecellisnolongermarkedingreen.
Todefinecompatibilitywithanantenna,aradio,andfeeders:
a. Rightclickonthecellofthegridthatcoincideswiththeentriesfortheantennaandtheradio.Thecontextmenu
appears.
b. SelectAddRecordfromthecontextmenu.Thecellismarkedingreentoindicatethattheantennaandtheradio
arecompatible.
c. RightclickonthesquareandselectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.Thepropertiesdialogueopens.
d. Inthepropertiesdialogue,underListoftheCompatibleFeeders,selectthefeedersthatyouwanttomakecom
patiblewiththisantenna/radiopair.Ifyouhavepreviouslydefinedcompatibleantenna/feederpairs,theseare
takenintoaccountand,bydefault,thefeederscompatiblewiththecorrespondingantennaareselected.
e. ClickOKtoclosethepropertiesdialogue.
10. ClickOK.
169
YoucanusetheFill(Up,Down,Right,Left)andtheCopyandPastecommandstocreateordeletecompatibleantennaradio
pairs.
170
Chapter5
FrequencyBands
andSubBands
Thischapterprovidestheinformationtodefinefrequency Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
bandsandsubbandsinAtoll.
"MicrowaveFrequencyBands"onpage 173
"DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencyBands"on
page 174
"DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands"on
page 174
"DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives"on
page 177
"DefiningConfigurations"onpage 180
172
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter5:MicrowaveSettings
5 MicrowaveSettings
Whenplanningamicrowavelinknetwork,Atollenablesyoutodefinethesettingsthatwillmakeupthisnetwork,including
frequencybandsandsubbands,linkclasses,modulationschemes,digitaltrunks,capacities,branchingtypes,transmission
linktypesandoperationmodes.
Bydefiningfrequencybands,youcandeterminetheoperationallimitsofamicrowavelinknetwork.Eachfrequencybandis
inturndividedintoanumberoffrequencysubbands.Frequencysubbandsarestandardised,ITUcompliantdivisionsofa
frequencyband,breakingitintochannels.
Linkclassesareusedtodifferentiateperformanceobjectives.Byassigninglinkclassestomicrowavelinks,youcanassignthe
targetparametersandusagelimitationsofthelinkclasstotheselectedmicrowavelinks.
Atollalsoenablesyoutodefinethedifferentsystemconfigurationssupportedbyradios(modulationschemes,digitaltrunks,
capacities,branchingtypes,andoperationmodes)andtomanageothertransmissionlinkssuchasleasedlinesoroptical
fibres.
Inthischapter,thefollowingmicrowavesettingsareexplained:
"MicrowaveFrequencyBands"onpage 173
"DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencyBands"onpage 174
"DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands"onpage 174
"DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives"onpage 177
"DefiningConfigurations"onpage 180.
"DefiningTransmissionLinkTypes"onpage 186.
5.1 MicrowaveFrequencyBands
Microwavelinksoperatewithinahighfrequencyrange(290 GHz).Thelengthofamicrowavelinkisdependentuponthe
frequency: as the frequency increases, the length of the microwave link decreases. The characteristics of microwave
frequencybandsaredifferentdependingonthefrequency.
ThedefaultfrequencybandssuppliedwithAtollarebasedontheFseriesITURrecommendations:
Recommendations FrequencyBands
ITURF.382 2and4GHz
ITURF.383andITURF.384 6GHz
ITURF.385 7GHz
ITURF.386 8GHz
ITURF.747 10GHz
ITURF.387 11GHz
ITURF.636 15GHz
ITURF.497 13GHz
ITURF.595 18GHz
ITURF.637 23GHz
ITURF.748 26and28GHz
ITURF.1520 32GHz
ITURF.749 38GHz
ITURF.1496 52GHz
ITURF.1497 57GHz
ITURF.2006 7186GHz
173
Chapter5:MicrowaveSettings Forsk2013
5.2 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencyBands
MicrowavefrequencybandsareimplementedinAtoll.Theremustbeatleastonefrequencybandthatcanbeassignedto
microwavelinksthatarecreated.Bydefault,Atollincludesseveralpredefined,ITUcompliantfrequencybands.
Tocreateormodifyafrequencyband:
1. ClicktheParameterstabintheExplorerwindow.
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveSettingsfolder.
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheFrequenciesfolder.
4. IntheFrequenciesfolder,rightclickBands.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheFrequencyBandstableappears(seeFigure 5.1).
Figure 5.1:TheFrequencyBandstable
6. Tocreateafrequencyband,enterthefollowingintherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ):
Name:Thenameofthefrequencyband.
Min.Frequency(MHz):Theminimumfrequencyofthefrequencyband(inMHz).
Max.Frequency(MHz):Themaximumfrequencyofthefrequencyband(inMHz).
Comments:Anycomments.
TheinformationnecessarytodefineafrequencybandcanbefoundintheFseriesITUR
recommendations.
7. Tomodifyafrequencyband,modifyanyoftheentriesinthecorrespondingrow.
5.3 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands
Afrequencybandcanbedividedintofrequencysubbands.Frequencysubbandsarestandardised,ITUcompliantdivisions
ofafrequencyband,breakingitintochannels.ITUcompliantdivisionscanhavemorethanonefrequencysubbanddefined
forasinglefrequencyband.
Afrequencysubbandhastwohalfbands.Aduplexmicrowavelinkusuallyusesoneofthesehalfbandsinonedirectionand
theotherhalfbandintheotherdirection.Thesehalfbandsarereferredtoasupperandlowerhalfbands.
Youcandefineachannelisationplanforthelowerandupperhalfbandofeachsubband.
Tocreateormodifyafrequencysubband:
4. IntheFrequenciesfolder,rightclickSubBands.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheSubBandstableappears(seeFigure 5.2).
174
Figure 5.2:TheFrequencySubBandstable
6. EntertheNameofthefrequencysubbandintherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
7. OpenthesubbandPropertiesdialogueasdefinedin"OpeninganObjectsRecordPropertiesDialoguefromaTable"
onpage 53.ThesubbandPropertiesdialogueappears.
Figure 5.3:TheFrequencySubBandPropertiesdialogue
8. InthesubbandPropertiesdialogue,definethefollowingparameters:
Name:Thenameofthefrequencysubband.
FrequencyBand:Thenameofthefrequencybandtowhichthesubbandbelongs.
Channelbandwidth(MHz):Thewidth(inMHz)ofthechannelusedtotransmitthedata.
9. Ifyouwanttodefinethelistofchannelsandthecorrespondingfrequencies,selectCustomChannels.Otherwise,con
tinuewithstep 10.
a. ClicktheChannelsSettingsbutton.TheCustomChannelsdialogueappears.
b. IntherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ),enterthefollowingparameters:
175
Channel:Thechannelnumber.
BaseName:Thechannelnamewithoutaffixes.
LowFrequency(MHz):Thefrequency(inMHz)ofthechannelinthelowerhalfband.
HighFrequency(MHz):Thefrequency(inMHz)ofthechannelintheupperhalfband.
c. ClickOKtoclosetheCustomFrequenciesdialogue.
d. Continuewithstep 12.
10. IfyouwantAtolltoautomaticallycreatechannelnumbersandfrequencieswithauniformspacing,selectStandard
isedChannels.Inthiscase,Atolldefineschannelnumbersandfrequenciesbasedonaformulausingthefollowing
information:
ReferenceFrequency (MHz): Thereferencefrequency(inMHz).Notethatthisfrequencycanbedifferent
fromthecentralfrequency.
LowerHalfBandShift(MHz):Thelowerhalfbandshiftofthesubband(inMHz).Thesignoftheshiftcanbe
negativeorpositive;thisdependsonthehalfbandpositionrelativetothereferencefrequency.
UpperHalfBandShift(MHz):Theupperhalfbandshiftofthesubband(inMHz).Thesignoftheshiftcanbe
negativeorpositive;thisdependsonthehalfbandpositionrelativetothereferencefrequency.
FirstChannel:Thefirstchannelofthesubband.
LastChannel:Thelastchannelofthesubband.
Step:Thestepbetweenchannels.
ExcludedChannelsinUpperHalfBand:Enterthechannelsthatyoudonotwanttouseintheupperhalf
bands.Youcanenterorpastealistofchannels;thevaluesmustbeseparatedwithaspace.Youcanalsoenter
arangeofchannelstobeexcludedfromtheupperhalfband,byenteringthefirstandlastchanneloftherange
separatedbyahyphen.Forexample,entering1015correspondstoexclude101112131415.
ExcludedChannelsinLowerHalfBand:Enterthechannelsthatyoudonotwanttouseinthelowerhalf
bands.Youcanenterorpastealistofchannels;thevaluesmustbeseparatedwithaspace.Youcanalsoenter
arangeofchannelstobeexcludedfromthelowerhalfband,byenteringthefirstandlastchanneloftherange
separatedbyahyphen.Forexample,entering1015correspondstoexclude101112131415.
Thefrequenciesassociatedwithchannelsaredeterminedwiththefollowingequations:
Forthelowerhalfband:f=Referencefrequency+Lowerhalfbandshift+Channelnumber*Channelbandwidth
Fortheupperhalfband:f=Referencefrequency+Upperhalfbandshift+Channelnumber*Channelbandwidth
TheinformationnecessarytodefineafrequencysubbandcanbefoundintheFseries
ITURrecommendations.TheexcludedchannelsarenotpartoftheITURrecommenda
tions.
11. UnderChannelNaming,enteraffixes(i.e.,PrefixandSuffix)tobeusedfornamingchannels.Prefixesandsuffixescan
bedefinedforthelowerandupperhalfbands.
12. ClicktheChannels/FrequencyMappingbuttoninordertodisplaythechannelarrangementforthelowerandupper
halfbands.
13. AddsomeCommentsifyouwant.
14. ClickOKtoclosethesubbandPropertiesdialogue.
5.3.1 ExampleofCreatingaFrequencySubband
YoucanfindtheinformationnecessarytocreateafrequencysubbandintheappropriateITURrecommendation.Inthis
example,therecommendationRF.7470(for10 GHz)isused.
OnthefirstpageofITURF.7470(seeFigure 5.4),youseethattherecommendationisforthefrequencyband10 GHz.
Figure 5.4:FirstpageofRecommendationITURF.747
Onpage 2,youseetheinformationinFigure 5.5:
176
Figure 5.5:SecondpageofRecommendationITURF.747
Theinformationonpage 2ofRecommendationITURF.747givesyouthefollowingvalues:
ReferenceFrequency(MHz):11 701 MHz
LowerHalfBandShift(MHz):1204 MHz
UpperHalfBandShift(MHz):1113 MHz
ChannelBandwidth(MHz):7 MHz(asindicatedby"+ 7m")
FirstChannel:1(asindicatedby"from1to12")
LastChannel:12(asindicatedby"from1to12")
Step:1(asindicatedby"The12valuesofmfrom1to12)
5.3.2 ImportingCustomChannels
Foreachfrequencysubband,youcanimportthelistofchannelsandthecorrespondingfrequencies.Beforeyoucanimport
customchannels,youhavetocreatethefrequencysubbandanddefineitsmainparameters(i.e.,thename,thefrequency
band,thechannelbandwidth)asexplainedin"DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands"onpage 174.Inaddition,the
CustomchannelsoptionmustbeselectedinthesubbandPropertiesdialogue.
Toimportthecustomchannelsforafrequencysubband:
4. IntheFrequenciesfolder,rightclickCustomChannels.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheCustomChannelstableappears(seeFigure 5.6).
Figure 5.6:TheCustomChannelstable
6. IntherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ),enterthefollowingparameters:
SubBand:Thefrequencysubband.
BaseName:Thechannelnamewithoutaffixes.
LowFrequency(MHz):Thefrequency(inMHz)ofthechannelinthelowerhalfband.
HighFrequency(MHz):Thefrequency(inMHz)ofthechannelintheupperhalfband.
5.4 DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives
"LinkClasses"onpage 178
"DefiningPerformanceObjectives"onpage 178.
177
5.4.1 LinkClasses
Linkclassesareusedtodifferentiateperformanceobjectives.Byassigninglinkclassestomicrowavelinks,youareassigning
thetargetparametersandusagelimitationsofthelinkclasstotheselectedmicrowavelinks.
Tocreateormodifyalinkclass:
1. ClicktheNetworktabintheExplorerwindow.
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePerformancefolder.
4. InthePerformancefolder,rightclickLinkClasses.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheLinkClassestableappears.
6. Enterormodifythevaluesinthetablecolumnstocreateormodifyalinkclass.
Eachlinkclasshasthefollowingparameters:
Name:Thenameofthelinkclass
Portion:Thetypeoflinkclass(I(International)orN(National))
Type:Thesubclass(LH(LongHaul),SH(ShortHaul),A(Access),IC(IntermediateCountry),etc.)
LinkLengthMinandMax(m):Theminimumandmaximumlength(inmetres)forthislinkclass.Thesevaluesare
usedforinformationonly.
Comments:Additionalinformationdescribingthelinkclass.
TheAtollmicrowavemoduleincludessomepredefinedmicrowavelinksclassesthatarecompliantwithITUG.821,G.826,
andG.828recommendations.
5.4.2 DefiningPerformanceObjectives
TheITUG.821,G.826,andG.828recommendationsdefinemicrowaveperformanceparametersasfunctionsofmicrowave
performanceevents.AsoutlinedintheITUrecommendations,erroreventsthatoccuronalinkcanbemeasuredbyperfor
manceobjectives.ThesemicrowaveerrorperformanceparametersarefullymodelledinAtollandinclude:
ESR
SESR
BBER
Theseerrorperformanceparametersarebasedonmeasurementsofmicrowaveerrorevents.Microwaveerroreventsand
errorperformanceparametersarebrieflydescribedinthefollowingsections:
"MicrowaveErrorEvents"onpage 178
"MicrowaveErrorPerformanceParameters"onpage 178
"ThePurposeofMicrowaveErrorPerformanceObjectives"onpage 179.
MicrowaveErrorEvents
Microwaveerrorparametersarebasedonthefollowingevents:
ErroredBlock(EB):TheEBisablockofdatawithoneormoreerroneousbits.
ErroredSecond(ES):TheESisaonesecondperiodwithoneormoreerroredblocksoratleastonedefect.
SeverelyErroredSecond(SES):TheSESisaonesecondperiodwith30%erroredblocksoratleastonedefect.SESis
asubsetofES.
Consecutive Severely Errored Seconds can result in periods of unavailability, especially

whentherearenobackuporstandbyprocedures.PeriodsofconsecutiveSeverelyErrored
SecondspersistingforTseconds,whereT > 10(sometimesreferredtoas"failures"),can
haveasevereimpactonservice,leadingtothedisconnectionofswitchedservices.The
frequencyoftheseeventscanbelimitedbylimitingtheSESR.
BackgroundBlockError(BBE):TheBBEisanerroredblocknotoccurringaspartofanSES.
MicrowaveErrorPerformanceParameters
Thetotalobservationtime(Stotal)issplitintotwoparts,namely,thetimeforwhichtheconnectionisdeemedtobeavailable
(Savail)andthetimewhenitisunavailable(Sunavail).Errorperformanceshouldonlybeevaluatedwhiletheconnectionisinthe
availablestate.Theparametersare:
ErroredSecondRatio(ESR):TheESRistheratioofEStototalsecondsinavailabletimeduringafixedmeasurement
interval.
178
SeverelyErroredSecondRatio(SESR):TheSESRistheratioofSEStototalsecondsinavailabletimeduringafixed
measurementinterval.
BackgroundBlockErrorRatio(BBER):TheBBERistheratioofBackgroundBlockErrors(BBE)tototalblocksinavail
abletimeduringafixedmeasurementinterval.ThecountoftotalblocksexcludesallblocksduringSESs.
InAtoll,youcandefinelinkclassesandperformanceobjectivesbasedontheseerrorperformanceparameters.Atollalso
includesdefaultlistsoflinkclassesandperformanceobjectivesbasedontheITUG.821,G.826,andG.828recommendations.
ThePurposeofMicrowaveErrorPerformanceObjectives
Theperformanceobjectivesservetwomaingoals:
Performanceobjectivesgivetheuserofnationalandinternationaldigitalnetworksanindicationoftheexpectederror
performanceunderrealoperatingconditions,therebyfacilitatingserviceplanningandterminalequipmentdesign.
Performanceobjectivesformthebasisuponwhichperformancestandardsaremadefortransmissionequipmentand
systemsinadigitalconnection.
Performanceobjectivesrepresentacompromisebetweenmeetingservicerequirementsanddesigningapractical,feasible
network,takingeconomicandtechnicalconstraintsintoconsideration.Theperformanceobjectives,althoughexpressedto
suittheneedsofdifferentservices,areintendedtorepresentasingleleveloftransmissionquality.
5.4.2.1 DefiningQualityObjectives
Usingdifferentparameters(BBER,ESR,andSESR),youcandefineoneormorequalityobjectivesforeachlinkclassinAtoll.
Eachqualityobjectiveischaracterisedbyaperformanceobjectiveequationthatdefinesthelimitationoftherelevantquality
objectiveparameter(BBER,ESR,SESR).Theperformanceobjectiveequationsdefinethebehaviourofthequalityparameter
asafunctionofthelength(L)ofthelinkandaconstant.Thelengthofamicrowavelinkis,inturn,limitedbytheminimum
andmaximumlengthsdefinedinthelinkclass.Eachqualityobjectiveisalsocharacterisedbyitsminimumandmaximumbit
rates.
AtollincludesbydefaultthequalityobjectivesdefinedintheITUG.821,ITUG.826,andITUG.828recommendations.Youcan
alsodefinecustomisedqualityobjectives.
TomodifythepredefinedtheITUG.821,ITUG.826,andITUG.828qualityobjectivesortocreateanewqualityobjective:
4. RightclickQualityObjectivesinthePerformancefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.TheQualityObjectivesdialogueappears.
YoucaneithereditadefaultITUG.821,ITUG.826,andITUG.828qualityobjectiveorcreateanewqualityobjective.
ToeditaITUG.821,ITUG.826,orITUG.828qualityobjective:Selecttheappropriatetab(ITUG.821,ITUG.826,
orITUG.828)andmodifythepropertiesofthequalityobjective.
Tocreateanewcustomisedqualityobjective:SelecttheCustomisedtabandentertheparametersintherow
markedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
7. ClickClosetoclosetheQualityObjectivesdialogue.
5.4.2.2 DefiningAvailabilityObjectives
Usingaperformanceparameter(SESR),youcandefineoneormoreavailabilityobjectivesforeachlinkclassinAtoll.Each
availabilityobjectiveischaracterisedbyaperformanceobjectiveequationthatdefinesthelimitationoftherelevantavaila
bilityobjectiveparameter(SESR).Theavailabilityobjectiveequationsdefinethebehaviouroftheavailabilityparameterasa
functionofthelength(L)ofthemicrowavelinkandaconstant.Thelengthofamicrowavelinkis,inturn,limitedbythemini
mumandmaximumlengthsdefinedinthelinkclass.Eachavailabilityobjectiveisalsocharacterisedbyitsminimumandmaxi
mumbitrates.
Theavailabilityobjectivesareglobalobjectives.Theyconsistofthreepartialobjectivesas
microwave link unavailability can be either due to rain, due to equipment failure, or
random.
AtollincludesbydefaulttheavailabilityobjectivesdefinedintheITUG.821andITUG.826recommendations.Youcanalso
definecustomisedavailabilityobjectives.
179
TomodifypredefinedITUG.821andITUG.826availabilityobjectivesortocreateanewavailabilityobjective:
4. RightclickAvailabilityObjectivesinthePerformancefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectEditfromthecontextmenu.TheAvailabilityObjectivesdialogueappears.
YoucaneithereditadefaultITUG.821andITUG.826availabilityobjectiveorcreateanewavailabilityobjective.
ToeditaITUG.821andITUG.826availabilityobjective:Selectthetab(ITUG.821orITUG.826)andmodifythe
propertiesoftheavailabilityobjective.
Tocreateanewcustomisedqualityobjective:SelecttheCustomisedtabandentertheparametersintherow
markedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
7. ClickClosetoclosetheAvailabilityObjectivesdialogue.
5.5 DefiningConfigurations
Atollenablesyoutomanagethevariousconfigurationssupportedbyradios.
"CreatingorModifyingModulations"onpage 180
"CreatingorModifyingDigitalTrunks"onpage 181
"CreatingorModifyingCapacities"onpage 182
"CreatingorModifyingBranchingTypes"onpage 184
"CreatingorModifyingOperationModes"onpage 185
5.5.1 CreatingorModifyingModulations
Atollenablesyoutodefinethedifferentmodulationschemesusedbyradiosforthemodulationanddemodulationofthe
signalstobetransmitted.
Atollhasasetofdefaultmodulationdefinitionsavailable,butyoucancreatenewmodulationsandsettheirparameters.
Tocreateormodifyamodulation:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheConfigurationsfolder.
4. RightclicktheModulationsfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheModulationstableappears.
6. Doubleclickintheleftmarginthemodulationyouwanttomodify.ThemodulationsPropertiesdialogueappears(see
Figure 5.7).
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Figure 5.7:ModulationsPropertiesdialogue
7. InthePropertiesdialogue,definethefollowingparameters:
Name:Thenameofthemodulation.
Numberofstates:Enterthenumberofstatesforthismodulation(e.g.,128for128QAMmodulation).
UnderEb/No,youcandefinetheEb/NoasafunctionofBER.ForagivenBER,Eb/Norepresentsthequalitytarget
tobereachedinorderforthemodulationtobeused.YoucaneitherselectUserdefinedanddefinetheEb/No
valuesforBERof103and106,orselectCalculatedandletAtollentercalculatedvalues.
YoucanclicktheEditbutton( )toaddnewEb/NovaluesforotherBERvaluesorchangetheBERvalues.
Comments:Anyadditionalinformationonthemodulation.
8. ClickOK.
5.5.2 CreatingorModifyingDigitalTrunks
Atollenablesyoutomodelthedifferenttechnologiesusedtotransportlargequantitiesofdataoverdigitaltransportequip
mentsuchasfibreopticandmicrowaveradio.PDH,SDH/SONETaswellasIPcanbemodelled.
Theplesiochronousdigitalhierarchy(PDH)isatechnologyusedtotransportlargequantitiesofdataoverdigitaltransport
equipmentsuchasfibreopticandmicrowaveradio.PDHnetworkshavedatastreamswiththesamenominalfrequencybut
arenotsynchronisedwitheachother;inotherwords,therisingandfallingedgesofthepulsesineachdatastreamsdonot
coincide.
TheEuropeanandAmericanversionsofPDHsystemsdifferslightlyintheirdatarates,butthebasicprinciplesofmultiplexing
arethesame.
Thesynchronousdigitalhierarchy(SDH)referstothegrouporlayersoftransmissionratesorstandardsthatcantransport
digitaldataofdifferentcapacitiesthroughhighbandwidthmediumssuchasopticalfibresorradiowaves.Duetothesynchro
nousnatureoftheSDH,theaveragefrequencyofallslaveclocksinthesystemisthesame.
TheEuropean(SDH)andAmerican(SONET)versionsofSDHsystemsdifferslightly.Theframeformatsandthusthedatarates
ofbothsystemsarenotthesamebutarecompatibleduetotheirsynchronousnature.
Atollhasasetofdefaultdigitaltrunkdefinitionsavailable,butyoucancreatenewtrunktypesandsettheirparameters.
Tocreateormodifyamicrowavedigitaltrunk:
4. RightclicktheDigitalTrunksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheDigitalTrunkstableappears(seeFigure 5.8).
181
Figure 5.8:DigitalTrunkstable
6. Foreachdigitaltrunkyoudefine,addthefollowingdata:
Name:Thenameofthetrunktype.
Digitalhierarchy:SelectPDH,SDH/SONET,orIP.
Rawdatarate(Mbit/s):Thenumberofbitspersecond,includingusefuldataaswellascodingandoverheadbits.
Payloaddatarate(Mbit/s):Therateoftheusefulbits(i.e.thedataratewithoutconsideringthecodingandover
headbits).Thisfieldisforinformationonly.
Bits/block:Thenumberofbitsperblockcorrespondstothenumberofbitsperframe(i.e.,theusefulbitsplusthe
overheadandthecodingbits).
BERses:BERsescorrespondstoBitErrorRate(BER)asdocumentedinAnnex 2,Table 2oftheITURP.5308rec
ommendation.
YoucanalsodefinethepropertiesofadigitaltrunkinitsPropertiesdialogue.
ToopenadigitaltrunksPropertiesdialogue:
DoubleclickthedigitaltrunkintheleftmarginoftheDigitalTrunkstable.ThedigitaltrunksPropertiesdialogue
appears(seeFigure 5.9).
Figure 5.9:DigitalTrunkPropertiesdialogue
5.5.3 CreatingorModifyingCapacities
Atollenablesyoutodefinethecapacitiessupportedbythedifferentmicrowaveradios.Eachdefineddigitaltrunksupportsa
certainrawdatarate.Therefore,thecapacityofamicrowaveradiodependsonthetypeandthenumberoftrunktypesused.
Atollhasasetofdefaultcapacitiesavailable,butyoucancreatenewcapacitiesandsettheirparameters.
182
Tocreateormodifyacapacity:
4. RightclicktheCapacitiesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheCapacitiestableappears(seeFigure 5.10).
Figure 5.10:Capacitiestable
6. Foreachcapacityyoudefine,enterthefollowing:
Name:Thenameofthecapacity.
Ethernet+TDMcapacity:Thetotalcapacitythattheradiocansupport.
TDMcapacity:ThecapacitythatcanbeusedforTDMtraffic.
Technology:Thetypeoftrafficsupportedbytheradio.YoucanchoosebetweenMWpacket,HybridandTDM
only.IfyouselectTDMonly,theTDMcapacityandtheEthernet+TDMcapacityvaluesmustbethesame.
YoucanalsodefinethepropertiesofacapacityinitsPropertiesdialogue.
ToopenacapacitysPropertiesdialogue:
DoubleclickthecapacityintheleftmarginoftheCapacitiestable.ThecapacitysPropertiesdialogueappears(see
Figure 5.11).Atoll
Figure 5.11:CapacitysPropertiesdialogue
183
5.5.4 CreatingorModifyingBranchingTypes
Atollenablesyoutodefinethebranchingtypessupportedbyradios.Thebranchingtypeisdefinedintheformof"n+m"
where"n"isthenumberofactivechannelsand"m"isthenumberofstandbychannels.Inaddition,youcandefineifthe
systemsupportshotstandby,frequencydiversity,spacediversity,andXPIC.
Standbychannelsareinactiveandusedonlywhenactivechannelsfail.Switchingtothestandbychannelincaseoffailurecan
beautomatic;suchasystemiscalleda"hot"standbysystem.Ifthesystemmustbemanuallyswitchedtothestandbychannel,
thesystemiscalleda"cold"standbysystem.
Standbychannelfrequencycanbedifferentfromactivechannels.Frequenciesallocatedto
activeandstandbychannelsaredefinedinthemicrowavelinkpropertiesdialogue.
Tocreateormodifyabranchingtype:
4. RightclicktheBranchingTypesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheBranchingTypestableappears(seeFigure 5.12).
Figure 5.12:BranchingTypestable
6. Foreachbranchingtypeyoudefine,addthefollowingdata.
N:Thenumberofactivechannels.
M:Thenumberofstandbychannels.
HotStandby:SelecttheHotStandbyoptionifahotstandbysystemisavailable.Standbychannelsareinactiveand
usedonlywhenactivechannelsfail.Switchingtothestandbychannelincaseoffailurecanbeautomatic;sucha
systemiscalleda"hot"standbysystem.Ifthesystemmustbemanuallyswitchedtothestandbychannel,the
systemiscalleda"cold"standbysystem.
SpaceDiversity:SelectSpaceDiversityifthesystemsupportsspacediversity.
FrequencyDiversity:SelectFrequencyDiversityifthesystemsupportsfrequencydiversity.
XPIC:SelecttheXPICoptionwhenacrosspolarisedinterferencecanceller(XPIC)ispresent.
ToopenabranchingtypesPropertiesdialogue:
DoubleclickthebranchingtypeintheleftmarginoftheBranchingTypestable.ThebranchingtypesPropertiesdia
logueappears(seeFigure 5.13).
184
Figure 5.13:BranchingTypePropertiesdialogue
5.5.5 CreatingorModifyingOperationModes
Atollenablesyoutodefinetheoperationmodessupportedbytheradios.
Atollhasadefaultlistofoperationmodesavailable,butyoucancreatenewones.
Tocreateormodifyanoperationmode:
4. RightclicktheOperationModesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheOperationModestableappears(seeFigure 5.14).
Figure 5.14:OperationModestable
6. Foreachoperationmodeyoudefine,addthefollowingdata:
Name:Thenameoftheoperationmode.
ShortName:Entertheshortnameoftheoperationmodethatyouwanttodisplayinsomeanalysisreports.
WithACM:SelectTrueiftheoperationmodesupportsadaptivemodulation.Otherwise,chooseFalse.
ToopenanoperationmodesPropertiesdialogue:
DoubleclicktheoperationmodeintheleftmarginoftheOperationModestable.TheoperationmodesProperties
dialogueappears(seeFigure 5.15).
Figure 5.15:OperationModesPropertiesdialogue
185
5.6 DefiningTransmissionLinkTypes
Inadditiontomicrowavelinks,Atollenablesyoutomanageothertransmissionlinkssuchasleasedlinesoropticalfibres.Atoll
enablesyoutodefinethetypesofothertransmissionlinksyoucanmanage.
Atollhasadefaultlistoftransmissionlinktypesavailable,butyoucancreatenewones.
Tocreateormodifyatransmissionlinktype:
4. RightclicktheTransmissionLinkTypesfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheTransmissionLinkTypestableappears(seeFigure 5.16).
Figure 5.16:TransmissionLinkTypestable
6. Foreachtransmissionlinktypeyoudefine,enterthefollowinginformation:
Name:Thenameofthetransmissionlinktype.
Ethernet+TDMcapacity(Mbps):Thetotalcapacitythatthistransmissionlinktypecansupport.
TDMCapacity:Thecapacity(inMbps)usedforTDMtraffic.
Technology:Thetypeoftrafficsupportedbythistransmissionlinktype.YoucanchoosebetweenMWPacket,
Hybrid,andTDMonly.IfyouselectTDMonly,theTDMCapacityandEthernet+TDMCapacityvaluesmustbe
thesame.
ToopenatransmissionlinktypesPropertiesdialogue:
DoubleclickthetransmissionlinktypeintheleftmarginoftheTransmissionLinkTypestable.Thetransmissionlink
typesPropertiesdialogueappears(seeFigure 5.15).
Figure 5.17:TransmissionLinkTypesPropertiesdialogue
186
Chapter6
Workingwith
CalculationsinAtoll
Thischapterprovidestheinformationtoworkwith Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
calculationsinAtoll.
"UsingPropagationModelsinMicrowaveProjects"on
page 189
"DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculations"on
page 194
188
AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter6:WorkingwithCalculationsinAtoll
6 WorkingwithCalculationsinAtoll
Onceyouhavecreatedmicrowavelinks,youneedtodefinetheparametersnecessarytostudythenetwork:
"UsingPropagationModelsinMicrowaveProjects"onpage 189
"DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculations"onpage 194.
6.1 UsingPropagationModelsinMicrowaveProjects
Ifyouwanttoanalyseamicrowavelink,apropagationmodelmustbeassignedtoit,asexplainedin"MicrowaveLinkParam
eters"onpage 198.Atollcalculatesthepathlossbetweentwopointsusingpropagationmodels.
ThefollowingpropagationmodelsareavailableinAtollforuseinmicrowaveprojects:
MicrowavePropagationModelandMicrowaveITURP.452Model:Thesepropagationmodelsaresuitedformicro
wavelinksinthe1.5to55GHzband.WhiletheMicrowavePropagationModelisrecommendedforthecalculationof
theusefulsignal,theMicrowaveITURP.452Modelshouldbeusedtopredictthesignallevelfrominterferingsites.
Formoreinformation,see"WorkingwiththeMicrowavePropagationModel"onpage 189and"Workingwiththe
MicrowaveITURP.452Model"onpage 191.
MicrowaveEBandPropagationModel:TheMicrowaveEBandPropagationModelissuitedformicrowavelinksin
the60to90GHzband,inordertocalculatetheusefulsignalaswellastheinterferingsignal.Formoreinformation,
see"WorkingwiththeMicrowaveITURP.452Model"onpage 191.
6.1.1 WorkingwiththeMicrowavePropagationModel
TheMicrowavePropagationModelisusedtocalculatethefademarginandtodeterminethemicrowavelinkprofile.When
calculatingattenuation,theMicrowavePropagationModeltakesfreespaceloss,atmosphericlosses,diffractionloss,and
troposphericlossesintoaccount.
Theparametersofthepropagationmodel,includingsomeofitscoefficients,canbemodifiedusingtheMicrowavePropaga
tionModelPropertiesdialogue.
TodefinetheparametersoftheMicrowavePropagationModel:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePropagationModelsfolder.
3. RightclicktheMicrowavePropagationModel.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. ClicktheParameterstab(seeFigure 6.7).
189
Chapter6:WorkingwithCalculationsinAtoll Forsk2013
Figure 6.1:MicrowavePropagationModelPropertiesParameterstab
UnderHeights,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Cluttertakenintoaccountindiffraction:Select"1 Yes"tohaveAtolltakeclutterheightinformationintoaccount
whencalculatingdiffraction.Otherwise,select"0 No".Ifyouchoosetotakeclutterheightintoaccount,Atoll
usestheclutterheightinformationintheclutterheightsfileifavailable.Otherwise,itusesaverageclutterheight
specifiedforeachclutterclassintheclutterclasses.
UnderProfileExtraction,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Step:Definetheresolutioninmetrestobeusedtoextracttheprofile.Ifyouenter"0"astheresolution,Atollluses
the highest resolution of the geographic maps considered in the profile (i.e., DTM, clutter classes and clutter
heightmaps).
UnderLOSattenuation,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
K1,K2,andK3:EntertheK1,K2,andK3valuesthatwillbeusedtocalculatefreespaceloss.
UnderDiffraction,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculatediffraction.
Deygout
EpsteinPeterson
Deygoutwithcorrection
Millington
ITU45211
FullDeygout
K4:Enter"1"astheK4valueifyouwantAtolltocalculatediffraction.Entering"0"meansthatnodiffractionwill
becalculated.
UnderTroposphericscatter,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculatetroposphericscattering:
Noattenuation:Noattenuationwillbecalculated.
ITURP6171:AttenuationwillbecalculatedaccordingtotheITURP6171recommendationsfor50%,90%,
or99.99%ofthetime.
ITURP452:AttenuationwillbecalculatedaccordingtotheITURP452recommendations.
SimplifiedMethod:AttenuationwillbeestimatedusinganAtollspecificequation.
Ktropo:Enterthevaluefortheweightfactor.Atollmultipliesthelossgivenbytheselectedmethodtocalculate
thetroposphericscatterloss.
N0:EnterthevalueforN0,whichisthesurfacerefractivityofthecentreofthepath.
190
UnderVegetation,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculateattenuationduetovegetation:
ITURP.8334:AttenuationwillbecalculatedaccordingtoITURP.8334recommendations.
A1:EnterthevalueoftheA1coefficient.
Alpha:EnterthevalueoftheAlphacoefficient.A1andAlphacoefficientsareusedtocalculatethemaximum
attenuationexperiencedbyatransmitterorareceiversitelocatedwithinavegetationarea.Themaximumatten
uationistakenintoconsiderationtocalculatetheattenuationduetovegetation.
UnderGaseousattenuation,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculatetheattenuation(dB)duetoatmosphericgases:
ITURP.6761&2:AttenuationwillbecalculatedaccordingtoITURP.6761andITURP.6762recommenda
tions.
tions.
6. ClicktheCluttertab(seeFigure 6.2).
Figure 6.2:MicrowavePropagationModelPropertiesCluttertab
UnderClutterConsideration,youcansetthefollowingparametersforeachclutterclass:
Clearanceperclutterclass:Defineaclearance(inmetres)aroundeachtransmitterandeachreceiversiteforeach
clutterclass.Theclearanceinformationisusedwhenclutteristakenintoaccountindiffraction.Bothgroundalti
tudeandclutterheightareconsideredalongthewholeprofileexceptoveraspecificdistancearoundthetrans
mitterandthereceiversites(i.e.,theclearance),whereAtollbasesitscalculationsonlyontheDTM.
Cluttercategories:Selectacluttercategoryforeachclutterclass.Cluttercategoriesaretakenintoconsideration
whenstudyingreflectionsandmustbedefinedinordertoanalysereflectionsalongtheprofile.Cluttercategories
areITUstandardisedclutterclasses.Forinformationoncluttercategories,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
7. ClickOK.
FormoreinformationontheparametersoftheMicrowavePropagationModel,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
6.1.2 WorkingwiththeMicrowaveITURP.452Model
TheMicrowaveITURP.452Modelisusedtocalculatesignallevelfrominterferingsites.Itisanempiricalmodel,butittakes
morephysicalcharacteristicsintoconsiderationthantheMicrowavePropagationModel,whichiswhyitisrecommendedfor
calculatinginterference.
AssigningtheMicrowaveITURP.452Modeltoamicrowavelinkisexplainedin"MicrowaveLinkParameters"onpage 198.
Youcanmodifytheparametersofthepropagationmodel,includingsomeofitscoefficients,usingtheMicrowaveITURP.452
ModelPropertiesdialogue.
191
TodefinetheparametersoftheMicrowaveITURP.452Model:
3. RightclicktheMicrowaveITURP.452Model.Thecontextmenuappears.
Figure 6.3:MicrowaveITURP.452ModelPropertiesParameterstab
UnderReferenceattenuationnotexceededduringtheaverageyear,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Requiredtimepercentage:Enterthepercentageoftimeduringwhichtheglobalattenuationisnotexceeded.
UnderRec.ITURP452version,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculatetheglobalattenuation(dB)betweenaninterferingtrans
mitterandaninterfered(victim)receiver:
ITURP.45212
SimplifiedITURP.4528
tions.
tions.
192
Figure 6.4:MicrowaveITURP.452ModelPropertiesCluttertab
Cluttercategories:Selectacluttercategoryforeachclutterclass.Cluttercategoriesaretakenintoconsideration
whenstudyingreflectionsandmustbedefinedinordertoanalysereflectionsalongtheprofile.Cluttercategories
areITUstandardisedclutterclasses.Forinformationoncluttercategories,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
7. ClickOK.
FormoreinformationontheparametersoftheMicrowaveITURP.452Model,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
6.1.3 WorkingwiththeMicrowaveEBandPropagationModel
TheMicrowaveEBandPropagationModelissuitedformicrowavelinksinthe60to90GHzband,inordertocalculatethe
usefulsignalaswellastheinterferingsignal.
Theparametersofthepropagationmodel,includingsomeofitscoefficients,canbemodifiedusingtheMicrowaveEBand
PropagationModelPropertiesdialogue.
TodefinetheparametersoftheMicrowavePropagationModel:
3. RightclicktheMicrowaveEBandPropagationModel.Thecontextmenuappears.
Figure 6.5:MicrowaveEBandPropagationModelPropertiesParameterstab
AtollUnderDiffraction,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculatediffraction.
Deygout
EpsteinPeterson
193
Deygoutwithcorrection
Millington
ITU45211
FullDeygout
UnderVegetation,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Method:Selectthemethodthatwillbeusedtocalculateattenuationduetovegetation:
CCIReport2362:AttenuationwillbecalculatedaccordingtoCCIReport2362recommendations.
tions.
tions.
Figure 6.6:MicrowaveEBandPropagationModelPropertiesCluttertab
7. Clutter categories: Select a clutter category for each clutter class. Clutter categories are taken into consideration
whenstudyingreflectionsandmustbedefinedinordertoanalysereflectionsalongtheprofile.Cluttercategoriesare
ITUstandardisedclutterclasses.Forinformationoncluttercategories,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.ClickOK.
FormoreinformationontheparametersoftheMicrowaveEBandPropagationModel,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
6.2 DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculations
Inamicrowaveproject,parametersthataffectcalculationscanbedividedintothefollowingcategories:
Globalparameters:Globalparametersaredefinedforallmicrowavelinksandaffectalllinks.Forinformationonset
tingglobalparameters,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
MicrowaveLinkparameters:Microwavelinkparametersaredefinedpermicrowavelinkandaffectindividualmicro
wavelinks.Forinformationonsettingmicrowavelinkparameters,see"MicrowaveLinkParameters"onpage 198.
Aswell,anyparameterssetforthepropagationmodelaffectcalculations:
MicrowavePropagationModel:ForinformationonsettingMicrowavePropagationModelparameters,see"Working
withtheMicrowavePropagationModel"onpage 189.
MicrowaveITURP.452Model:ForinformationonsettingMicrowaveITURP.452Modelparameters,see"Working
withtheMicrowaveITURP.452Model"onpage 191.
MicrowaveEBandPropagationModel:ForinformationonsettingMicrowaveEBandPropagationModelparame
ters,see"WorkingwiththeMicrowaveEBandPropagationModel"onpage 193.
6.2.1 GlobalParameters
TheglobalpropertiesofamicrowavelinksprojectaredefinedforallmicrowavelinksinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder.The
globalparametersarethoseusedfor:
Qualityandavailabilityanalysis
Objectiveselection
Interferencecalculation.
194
Todefinetheglobalparametersformicrowavelinksforqualityandavailabilityanalysis,objectiveselection,andinterference
calculation:
3. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheLinksPropertiesdialogueappears.
4. ClicktheGeneraltab.OntheGeneraltab,theparametersyoudefinearevalidforalltypesofanalyses:qualityand
availabilityanalyses,objectiveselection,andinterferencecalculation.
UnderCalculationparameters,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Mediankfactor:Thevalueofthekfactor(theearthcurvaturefactor),observed50%oftime.Selectthevalueto
beusedinlinkanalyses:
Calculatedforeachlink:Atollcalculatesthemedianvalueofthekfactoraccordingtothemicrowavelinkpo
sition.Thenittakesintoaccountthecalculatedvalueforthelinkanalysis.
Samevalueforalllinks:Ifyouselectthisoption,thevalueyouenterwillbeusedasthek factorforalllinksin
linkanalyses.
Effectivekfactor:Thevalueofthekfactor(theearthcurvaturefactor),observed99%oftime.Selectthevalueto
beusedinlinkanalyses:
Calculatedforeachlink:Atollcalculatestheeffectivevalueofthekfactoraccordingtothemicrowavelink
position.Thenittakesintoaccountthecalculatedvalueforthelinkanalysis.
Samevalueforalllinks:Ifyouselectthisoption,thevalueyouenterwillbeusedasthek factorforalllinksin
linkanalyses.
Powercontrolonusefulsignal:Selectwhichoutputpoweryouwanttoconsiderwhenmodellingpowercontrol.
YoucanchoosebetweenUsenominalpowerandUsecoordinatepower.
UnderResultsfiltering,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Channelsandports:UnderChannelsandports,selectonwhichchannelshouldbedisplayedtheresultsofalink
analysis.Theseoptionsareconsideredinthelinkbudgetandinterferencereports,andwhenexportingcustom
reports:
All:IfyouselectAll,Atollperformsthelinkanalysisforeachchannel.IntheLinkBudgetandInterferenceta
bles,allresultsaredisplayed.Inthecustomreport,onlyresultscalculatedfortheworstchannelareexported.
Worstchannel:IfyouselectWorstchannelengineering,Atollperformsthelinkanalysisforeachchanneland
displays the results for the worst channel in terms of fade margin (i.e., the channel with the lowest fade
margin).
Specificport:IfyouselectSpecificportengineering,Atollperformsthelinkanalysisanddisplaystheresult
forthechannelspecifiedindividuallyforSite AandSite B.Inthecustomreport,Atollexportstheresultscalcu
latedfortheworstchannelifthedefinedportdoesnotexist.
Usingtheatoll.inifile,youcandefinetheprefixesorsuffixestobeusedfornamingchan
nels.Forinformation,seetheAdministratorManual.
UnderOperationmode,youcandefinewhetheryouwanttheoperationmodetobeConstantmodulation(CCM)or
Adaptivemodulation(ACM).IfyouselectConstantmodulation(CCM),Atollperformsthelinkanalysisforonemodu
lationonly(i.e.,themodulationsupportedbytheequipmentdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties).Ifyouselect
Adaptivemodulation(ACM),Atollperformsthelinkanalysisforeachmodulationdefinedinthemicrowavelinkprop
ertiesdialogue.
UnderBitErrorRate(BER),youcandefinethefollowingoptions:
BER1:SelectBER1ifyouwantAtolltoperformlinkanalysisfortheBER1value.
BER2:SelectBER2ifyouwantAtolltoperformlinkanalysisfortheBER2value.
Usedefinedvalueforeachlink:IfyouselectUsedefinedvalueforeachlink,Atollperformsthelinkanalysisusing
thevaluesoftheBER1andBER2definedinthepropertiesofeachmicrowavelink.
Samevalueforalllinks:IfyouselectSamevalueforalllinks,youcandefineavalueforBER 1andBER 2thatAtoll
willuseforallmicrowavelinks.
5. SelecttheInterferencetab.OntheInterferencetab,theparametersyoudefinewillbeusedtocalculateinterference.
UnderInterfererfiltering,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Maximumdistance:EnterthemaximumdistanceinmetresthatAtollwillsearcharoundeachsitetofindpoten
tiallyinterferingsites.
Interferedbandwidth:Definewhichsitesaretobeconsideredasinterferers.Youcanchoosefromthefollowing
options:
195
Cochannelonly:Onlycochannelsitesareconsideredasinterferersites.Atollconsiderscochannelinterfer
encewhenthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinterferedfrequenciesdoesnotexceedtheinterfered
bandwidth.WhenyouselectCochannelonly,noIRFgraphistakenintoaccount.
Userdefinedpercentage:Ifyouselectthisoption,youcanenterthepercentageoftheinterferedbandwidth
thatAtollshouldconsiderwhensearchingforinterferers.Therefore,ifyoukeepthedefaultvalueof250%,a
sitewillbeconsideredasaninterfererwhenthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinterferedfrequen
ciesdoesnotexceed2.5timestheinterferedbandwidth.
Fixedguardband:Ifyouselectthisoption,youcanenterthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinter
fered frequencies that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. For example, if you keep the
defaultvalueof250 MHz,asitewillbeconsideredasaninterfererwhenthedifferencebetweentheinterfer
ingandinterferedfrequenciesislowerthan250 MHz.
Nofilter:Thereisnofilterandallsiteswithinthemaximumdistanceareconsideredasinterferers.
Interferenceviarepeaters:Selecthowinterferencecausedbyrepeatersshouldbetakenintoconsideration.
Ignoreinterferencebetweenchannelsofasamelink:SelecttheIgnoreinterferencebetweenchannelsofasame
linkcheckboxifyouwantAtolltoignoreinterferencegeneratedbychannelsofthesamemicrowavelinkoneach
other.Thisoptionisusefulifyouhavemicrowavelinkswith2+0configuration(i.e.,microwavelinkswithtwochan
nels).Italsoappliestoparallelmicrowavelinks.Inthiscontext,parallelmicrowavelinksarereferredtoaslinks
sharingthesamelinkextremities(e.g.,twolinksbetweenthesametwosites).
UnderCalculationparameters,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Calculationsteponinterfererprofiles:Entertheresolutiontobeusedtocalculateinterference.Thedefaultvalue
is50 m.Ifyouenter"0",Atollwillusetheminimumresolutionofthegeographicdata.
Powercontrol:Selectwhichoutputpoweryouwanttoconsiderforinterferingsiteswhenmodellingpowercon
trol.YoucanchoosebetweenUsenominalpowerandUsecoordinatepower.
Ignoredecouplingreductionwhencrosspolarisationisnotdefinedatthereceiver:SelecttheIgnoredecoupling
reductionwhencrosspolarisationisnotdefinedatthereceivercheckboxifyouwantAtolltoignoredecoupling
reductionwhencrosspolarisationisnotdefinedatthereceiver.
UnderAdaptivemodulation,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Interferedequipment:SelectthemodulationAtollshoulduseforinterferedequipmentduringcalculations:the
defaultmodulation,thelowestmodulation,thehighestmodulation,orallmodulations.Selectingallmodulations
canincreaseconsiderablytheamountofmemorynecessaryforcalculations.
Interferingequipment:SelectthemodulationAtollshoulduseforinterferedequipmentduringcalculations:the
defaultmodulation,thelowestmodulation,orthehighestmodulation.Selectingallmodulationscanincreasecon
siderablytheamountofmemorynecessaryforcalculations.
WhendisplayingtheInterferenceDetailsviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow,youcanselect
themodulation(ormodulations)forthestudiedsite.Themodulationsusedforthesite
interferingwithorinterferedbythestudiedsitearethosedefinedinthissectionofthe
InterferencetaboftheLinksPropertiesdialogue.
UnderResultsfiltering,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Min.thresholddegradationperinterferer:Enterthelocalminimumthresholddegradation.Thisthresholdisused
todecidewhetherasiteisinterferedbyanotherone.Amicrowavelinkisconsideredtobeinterferedbyanother
onewhenthethresholddegradationcausedbytheinterfererlinkexceedsthelocalminimumthresholddegrada
tion(i.e.,ifthelevelofinterference(I)receivedfromtheinterfererlinkleadstoadecreaseofthefadingmargin
higherthanthelocalminimumthreshold).
Totalmin.thresholddegradation:Enterthetotalminimumthresholddegradation.Thisthresholdisusedtoindi
catewhenamicrowavelinkisinterfered.Amicrowavelinkisconsideredtobeinterferedwhenthethresholddeg
radationcausedbyallinterferersexceedsthetotalminimumthreshold(i.e.,ifthesumofallinterferenceleadsto
adecreaseofthefadingmarginhigherthanthetotalminimumthreshold).Whenthetotalminimumthreshold
degradationisexceeded,thesymbol(!)isdisplayedbesidethevalueofthethresholddegradationintheInterfer
encereport.
6. ClicktheModelstab.OntheModelstab,theparametersyoudefinewillbeusedforqualityandavailabilityanalysis.
UnderAvailability,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Method: Select the method to be used to calculate availability. Six availability analysis methods are available
(CraneandthosebasedonimplementedITUrecommendations:ITURP.5308,ITURP.53010,ITURP.53011,
ITURP.53012andITURP.53013).
Attenuationmodelforrain:Selectthemodeltobeusedtocalculaterainattenuation.Twoattenuationmodels
forrain(ITUrecommendations8381and8383)areavailable.
UnderQuality,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
196
Method: Select the method to be used to calculate quality: VigantsBarnett, KQ factor, ITUR P.5308, ITUR
P.53010,ITURP.53011,ITURP.53012orITURP.53013.
IfyouselectamethodbasedononeoftheITURP.530recommendations,youcansetfurtherparametersunder
ITURP.530.
Multipathoccurrencemethod:IfyouselectrecommendationITURP.53010,ITURP.53011,ITURP.53012or
ITURP.53013,youcanuseeitherasimplifiedmethodoramethodtakingroughnessintoaccounttocalculate
thegeoclimaticfactor(K).IfyouselectVigantsBarnett,youcaneitherenterthegeoclimaticfactor(K)valueoruse
asimplifiedmethodoruseamethodtakingroughnessintoaccounttocalculatethegeoclimaticfactor(K).
Multichannel frequency diversity: Define whether the number of diversitystandby channels should have an
impactonthefrequencyimprovementfactor.Theselectedoptionisonlyconsideredincaseofmultichannelfre
quencydiversitysystemswhenAtollcalculatestheequivalentfrequencyfactor.SelectSharedifyouwantthe
equivalentfrequencyfactortobeinproportiontothenumberofdiversitystandbychannels.Otherwise,select
ContinuousandtheequivalentfrequencyfactorwillbethesameforanyN+Mconfiguration(itwillbeequalto1).
FormoreinformationseetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
ITUR P.530: If you selected a Method under Quality based on implemented ITU recommendations (ITUR
P.5308,ITURP.53010,ITURP.53011,ITURP.53012andITURP.53013),youcansetthefollowingparame
ters:
Multipathpropagation:UnderMultipathpropagation,selecttheIgnoreSignalEnhancementscheckboxif
youwantAtolltoignoresignalenhancements.
Selectivefading:UnderSelectivefadingyoucandefinereferencedelayvaluesforthesecondarysignalt(tau)
forminimumandnonminimumphaseconditions.
Erroneous blocks: Under Erroneous blocks you can define the network level consideration values for the
ResidualBitErrorRate(RBER),thenumberoferrorsperburstforBitErrorRatebetween103andBERSESand
forBitErrorRatebetweenBERSESandRBER.
K.Q.method:Ifyouselected"KQfactor"astheMethod,underQuality,youcansetthefollowingparameter:
Frequencyexponent:Definetheexponentofthefrequency.
Distance:Definethedistance.
7. ClicktheObjectivestab.OntheObjectivestab,youcandefinethefollowingobjectiverelatedparameters:
UnderPerformanceobjectives,youcandefinehowqualityandavailabilityobjectivesareselected.Bydefault,the
objectivesareselectedaccordingtothemicrowavelinkrateanditslength.Then,theycanbeselectedaccording
tothetypeoftheobjective(fromITUTG.821,ITUTG.826,orITUTG.828recommendationsforthequalityobjec
tivesandITUTG.821orITUTG.826foravailabilityobjectives,oracustomisedobjective).ClickingtheBrowse
button( )besidetheQualityorAvailabilityboxopensadialoguewhereyoucandefineapriorityforeach
selectioncriterion.
UnderApportionmentofavailabilityobjectives,youcandefinetheratiobetweenthedifferentobjectivescon
sideredintheglobalavailabilityobjective.Microwavelinkunavailabilitycanbedueeithertorain(withitsimpact
onpropagation),toequipmentfailure,oritcanberandom.Therefore,theglobalavailabilityobjectiveconsistsof
threepartialobjectivesforwhichyoucandefineaweight.Theseweightsaretakenintoconsiderationwhencal
culatingtheperformanceobjectivestobeconsideredwhenanalysingthemicrowavelinkunavailabilityduetorain
andtheunavailabilityduetoequipmentfailures.
8. ClicktheClutterCategoriestab.OntheClutterCategoriestab,theparametersyoudefinewillbeusedtoanalyse
reflectionandcalculatevegetationlosses.
ThistablistsallcluttercategoriesdefinedinRec.ITURP.10582andtheircharacteristics.Foreachcluttercategory,
youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Reflective:SelecttheReflectivecheckboxifyouwantAtolltoconsiderallclutterclasseswiththiscluttercategory
asreflectionareas.
Vegetation with leaves: Select the Vegetation with leaves check box if you want Atoll to consider all clutter
classeswiththiscluttercategoryasvegetationzoneswithfoliage.
Vegetation without leaves: Select the Vegetation without leaves check box if you want Atoll to consider all
clutterclasseswiththiscluttercategoryasvegetationzoneswithoutfoliage.
Soiltype:SelectthetypeofgroundasdefinedinRec.ITURP.5273.Thetypeofgroundisusedtodetermineper
mittivityandconductivityvaluestakenintoaccountinreflectionanalysis.Thefollowingaretheavailabletypesof
ground:
A:seawater(averagesalinity),20C
B:wetground
C:freshwater,20C
D:mediumdryground
E:verydryground
F:purewater,20C
197
G:ice(freshwater)
9. ClickOK.
6.2.2 MicrowaveLinkParameters
Themicrowavelinkparameterswhichaffectcalculationsarethefollowing:
Geoclimaticparameters:Thegeoclimaticparametersdefinetheenvironmentandtheclimatezonewherethemicro
wavelinkisoperating,includingterrainclimatefactor,rainintensity(exceeding0.01%oftime),PLpercentage,tem
perature,watervapourdensity,earthcurvaturefactor(k),effectiveearthcurvaturefactor(ke),andthegeoclimatic
factorK.
Performance parameters: The performance parameters define the quality and availability of the microwave link.
Underidealcircumstancesamicrowavelinkshouldbecompletelyreliable100%ofthetime.Inpractice,thisperfor
mancelevelisneverachievedduetocontinuouslychangingpropagationconditionsandpossibleproblemswiththe
equipment.
Propagationparameters:Propagationmodelscanbedefinedtocalculateusefulandinterferingsignals.Fromthe
usefulsignal,Atollevaluatesthemarginwhichisthenconsideredforcalculatingthequalityandtheavailabilityofthe
microwavelink.
Linkclass:Eachlinkclasscanhavedifferentperformanceobjectives.Byassigningthelinkclasswiththeappropriate
performanceobjectives,youassigntheperformanceobjectivestothemicrowavelink.Forinformationoncreatinga
linkclass,see"LinkClasses"onpage 178.
Themicrowavelinkparameterswhichaffectcalculationscanbedefinedforasinglemicrowavelinkandthenappliedtoall
microwavelinksortoagroupofmicrowavelinksthatsharethesamecharacteristics.Definingparametersisexplainedinthe
followingsections:
"DefiningParametersforaSingleMicrowaveLink"onpage 198
"DefiningParametersforAllMicrowaveLinks"onpage 202
"DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculationsforaGroupofMicrowaveLinks"onpage 205
"RecalculatingMicrowaveLinkParameters"onpage 209.
6.2.2.1 DefiningParametersforaSingleMicrowaveLink
YousettheparametersthataffectcalculationsforamicrowavelinkonthreetabsofthemicrowavelinksPropertiesdialogue:
theGeoclimatictab,thePerformancetab,andthePropagationtab.
Todefinetheparametersforasinglemicrowavelink:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheLinksfolder.
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolder.
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkforwhichyouwanttosettheparameters.Thecontextmenuappears.
YoucanalsoaccessamicrowavelinksPropertiesdialoguebyrightclickingthemicrowave
linkonthemapandselectingPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.
ThemicrowavelinkPropertiesdialoguehasseveraltabs:General,Radio,Connections,Geoclimatic,Performance,
Propagation,andDisplay.ThemicrowavelinksettingsthataffectcalculationsareontheGeoclimatic,Performance,
andPropagationtabs andaredescribedhere.Foranexplanationofthe optionsavailableonthe General,Radio,
Connections,andDisplaytabs,seeChapter7:MicrowaveLinkProjects.
6. ClicktheGeoclimatictab(seeFigure 6.7).
198
Figure 6.7:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialogueGeoclimatictab
7. OntheGeoclimatictab,youcandefineclimaterelatedsettingsaffectingthemicrowavelink:
Currentmethods:UnderCurrentmethods,youcanseethecalculationmethodsusedtoanalysethemicrowave
linkqualityandavailability.ThemethodsdisplayedarethosesetontheModelstaboftheLinksPropertiesdia
logue.Formoreinformation,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194
Thegeoclimaticparametersavailabledependontheselectedqualityandavailabilitymethods.Toaccessallgeo
climaticparametersindependentlyofthemethodsyouhaveselected,clicktheDisplayAllbuttonunderCurrent
methods.
Atmosphericandclimaticconditions:UnderAtmosphericandclimaticconditions,youcandefinetheconditions
underwhichthemicrowaveoperates:
Climatezone(Vigants):Selecttheclimaticzonethatbestdescribestheclimateinwhichthemicrowavelink
operates.ThisinformationisusedonlywhenusingVigantsBarnettasthequalitycalculationmethod.Youcan
choosebetween"WarmandHumid","Temperate","Dry"and"GreatLakesAreas".
Rainzone:Selecttherainzoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkoperates.Youcanselectthefollowingrainzones:
"A:Polar(Dry)","B:Polar(Moderate)","B1:Cold(Dry)","B2:Cold(Moderate)","C:TemperateMaritime",
"D1:TemperateContinental(Dry)","D2:TemperateContinental(Moderate)","D3:TemperateContinental
(Wet)","E:SubtropicalWet","F:SubtropicalArid(Dry)","G:TropicalModerate"and"H:Tropical".
Temperature:Settheaveragetemperatureofthezoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkoperates.Clickingthe
button( )besidetheTemperaturetextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthetemperaturebased
onRec.ITURP.15100,ITURP.8353(andselectaseason),orthetemperaturesetinthegeoclimaticfile.For
moreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Rec.ITURP.530:TheparametersfoundunderRec.ITURP.530arethoserecommendedbyITURP.530to
calculatethequalityofthemicrowavelink:
WaterVapourDensity:Setthewatervapourdensityingramspercubicmetre.Clickingthebutton( )be
sidetheWaterVapourDensitytextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthewatervapourdensity
basedonRec.ITURP.8363(andselectthepercentageoftheaverageyearwherethedefinedwatervapour
densityisexceeded),orbasedonRec.ITURP.8353(andselectaseason),orthewatervapourdensitysetin
thegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.The
199
dialoguealsodisplaysthewatervapourpressureinhectopascals(hPa)calculatedusingyourdataandbased
onRec.ITURP.4539.
Rainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyear:Settherainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyear
(or,inotherwords,anamountofrainfallalmostneverobserved).Clickingthebutton( )besidetheRainfall
rateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyeartextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttherainfallrateex
ceeded0.01%oftheaverageyearbasedonRec.ITURP.8374ortherainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheav
erageyearsetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"on
page 127.
Atmosphericpressure:Settheatmosphericpressureinhectopascal.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheAt
mosphericpressureboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttheatmosphericpressurebasedonRec.ITUR
P.8353(andselectaseason),ortheatmosphericpressuresetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationon
thegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Relativehumidity:TheRelativehumiditydisplayediscalculatedusingthedefinedwatervapourdensity.
Rec.ITURP.53012,13:UnderRec.ITURP.53012,13,youcanentertheRainheight(0C/32FIsotherm)
inmetres.Therainheightistheheightofthetopoftheraincolumnabovemeansealevelfromthe0Ciso
therm.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheRainheightboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttherain
heightbasedonRec.ITURP.8393,ortherainheightsetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthe
geoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Refractivitygradient:UnderRefractivitygradient,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Innormalconditions:Settherefractivitygradientobserved50%oftimeinNunitsperkm.Clickingthebutton
( )besidetheInnormalconditionstextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthemethodtoestimate
therefractivitygradientundernormalconditions.TherefractivitygradientcanbecalculatedfromRec.ITUR
P.4539,usingauserdefinedreferencealtitude,ortherefractivitygradientcanbebasedondatagivenbyRec.
ITURP.4539forlessthan65 m.andapercentageoftheyearthatNisnotexceeded(50%issetbydefault),
ortherefractivitygradientcanbesetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see
"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Thekfactormedianvalue,calculatedusingthesetparameters,isdisplayed.
Insubrefractionconditions:Settherefractivitygradientobserved99%oftimeinNunitsperkm.Clickingthe
button( )besidetheInsubrefractionconditionstextboxautomaticallycalculatestherefractivitygradient
undersubrefractionconditions.
Thekfactoreffectivevalue,calculatedusingthesetparameters,isdisplayed.
Geoclimaticfactor:TheparametersunderGeoclimaticfactorareusedtocalculatethequalityofthemicrowave
linkandarebrokendownbycalculationmethod.UnderGeoclimaticfactor,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
VigantsBarnett:ParametersavailableunderVigantsBarnettdependontheoptionselectedontheModels
taboftheLinksPropertiesdialogue.
IfyouselectUserdefinedunderMultipathoccurrencemethod,youcanentertheTerrainclimatefactor C
value,thepropagationconditionfactorfortheVigantsBarnettmethod.
IfyouselecttheSimplifiedmethodortheTerrainbased(roughness)method,youcandefinetheTerraintype
("FlatTerrain","AverageTerrain","MountainousTerrain",or"GreatLakes").IfyouareusingtheSimplified
method,AtolldisplaystheTerrainclimatefactor Cvaluecorrespondingtothedefinedclimatezoneandthe
terraintype.FortheTerrainbased(roughness)method,AtolldisplaystheTerrainclimatefactor Cvaluecor
respondingtothedefinedclimatezoneandtheterraintypeandletsyouselectwhetheryouwanttoTaketer
rainroughnessintoaccount.
ITURP.5305,8:UnderITURP.5305,8,youcanselecttheEnvironment.Youcanchoosebetween"Open
areas"forterrestrialmicrowavelinkswheretheheightofthelowestantennainthemicrowavelinkislower
than700 m;"Mountains"forterrestrialmicrowavelinkswheretheheightofthelowestantennainthemicro
wavelinkishigherthan700 m;"Lakes"formicrowavelinksoveranexpanseofwater;or"Overwater"formi
crowavelinksoveranextendedexpanseofwater.Finally,youcandefinethePLfactor.PListhepercentof
timetherelativerefractivitygradientislessthan100 NKm.ThePLfactorcanbefoundontheITURmaps.
K.Q.method:UnderK.Q.method,youcandefineK.Q.fortheK.Qmethod.Kmodelsgeoclimaticandterrain
effectsonclimatewhileQisthefactorforvariablesotherthanthosedependentondistanceandfrequency.
Rec.ITURP.530:UnderITURP.530,youcandefinetheKfactor.Kmodelsgeoclimaticandterraineffectson
climate.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheKboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttheKfactorbased
onRec.ITURP.5305orRec.ITURP.5308(andselectaterraintypeandenteravalueforC0andforthe
percentage of time the refractivity gradient (< 100 m.) is less than 100 Nunitskm for the worst average
month)orbasedonRec.ITURP.53010andabove(andselectthesimplifiedmethodwhereyoualsodefine
200
the refractivity gradient (< 65 m.) not exceeded during 1% of the average year or select the method with
terrainroughnesstakenintoaccountwhereyoudefinetherefractivitygradientandtheterrainroughness).
8. ClickthePerformancetab(seeFigure 6.8).
Figure 6.8:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialoguePerformancetab
9. OnthePerformancetab,youcandefineperformancerelatedparameters:
Linkclass:UnderLinkClass,youcanselectthemicrowavelinkclass.Eachlinkclasscanhavedifferentperfor
manceobjectives.Byassigningmicrowavelinkclassestomicrowavelinks,youareassigningthetargetparameters
andusagelimitationsofthelinkclasstotheselectedmicrowavelinks.Forinformationoncreatingalinkclass,see
"LinkClasses"onpage 178.
ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedlinkclass.
ClickingtheObjectivesbuttonopensadialoguewhereyoucanviewandmodifytheperformanceobjectivesof
theselectedlinkclass.
BER:UnderBER,youcansetthevaluesforBER 1andBER 2.AtolldisplaystheresultingsensitivityforeachBER.
IfthevalueforBERthatyouenterisnotdefinedinthepropertiesoftheequipment,Atollwillinterpolatetode
terminethecorrespondingsensitivity.
Reliability:UnderReliability,youcansettheMeantimetorepair(MTTR)inhour.TheMTTRistakenintoaccount
whencalculatingunavailabilityduetofailuresifthemicrowavelinkisnotequippedwithahotstandbychannel
system.
10. ClickthePropagationtab(seeFigure 6.9).
201
Figure 6.9:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialoguePropagationtab
11. OnthePropagationtab,youcandefinepropagationrelatedparameters:
Usefulsignal:UnderUsefulsignal,youcanselectthepropagationmodelthatwillbeusedtocalculatetheuseful
signal.Fromthisparameter,Atollevaluatesthemarginwhichisthenconsideredforcalculatingthequalityand
theavailabilityofthemicrowavelink.Interferingsignal:UnderInterferingsignal,youcanselectthepropagation
modelthatwillbeusedtocalculatesignallevelreceivedfrominterferingsites.
12. ClickOK.
6.2.2.2 DefiningParametersforAllMicrowaveLinks
Undercertaincircumstances,forexample,inahighlyhomogeneousnetwork,youwillwanttosetthesameparametersfor
allmicrowavelinks.Youcansetthesameparametersforallmicrowavelinksatthesametimebyfirstdefiningtheparameters
forasinglemicrowavelinkandthencopyingthemtoallmicrowavelinks.
Todefinetheparametersforallmicrowavelinks:
1. Definetheparametersforasinglemicrowavelink,asdescribedin"DefiningParametersforaSingleMicrowaveLink"
onpage 198.
2. Copythedefinedparameterstoallmicrowavelinks.
Tocopythedefinedparameterstoallmicrowavelinks:
3. RightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheMicrowaveLinkstableappears.
5. LocatetherowintheMicrowaveLinkstablewiththemicrowavelinkwhoseparametersyoujustupdated.
202
IntheMicrowaveLinkstable,thecolumnnamescorrespondingtotheparametersthataffectcalculationsonthetabs
ofthemicrowavelinksPropertiesdialogueare:
Geoclimatictab:
ClimaticZone
RainArea
Temperature(C)
AtmosphericPressure(hPa)
WaterVapour(g/m3)
R001(mm/h)
RainHeight(m)
Refractivity
Refractivity(Subrefraction)
EnvironmentType(Vigants)
FactorC
EnvironmentType
PL(%)
FactorK.Q
GeoclimaticFactor(K)
Performancetab:
LinkClass
BER
2ndBER
MTTR(h)
Propagationtab:
PropagationModel
InterferenceModel
6. Foreachcellwithacalculationparameterthatyouhavealreadymodified,copythevaluesintoallcellsabovethemod
ifiedcell:
a. Clickthemodifiedcell.
b. Dragupwardstoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata.
c. ClicktheFillUpbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.
203
Thecontentsofthemodifiedcellarecopiedintoallcellsselected.
7. Repeattheproceduretocopythemodifiedvaluesintotheremainingcellsabovethemodifiedmicrowavelink.
8. Foreachcellwithacalculationparameterthatyouhavealreadymodified,copythevaluesintothecellsbelowthe
modifiedcell:
b. Dragdownwardstoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata.
c. ClicktheFillDownbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.
9. Repeattheproceduretocopythemodifiedvaluesintotheremainingcellsbelowthemodifiedmicrowavelink.
204
6.2.2.3 DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculationsforaGroupofMicrowave
Links
Undercertaincircumstances,forexample,inanetworkthatspansagreatdistance,youwillwanttosetthesameparameters
fordefinedgroupsofmicrowavelinksbutnotforallmicrowavelinks.Youcansetthesameparametersfordefinedgroupsof
microwavelinksbyfirstdefiningtheparametersforasinglemicrowavelink,sortingthemicrowavelinksaccordingtotheir
commonattributes,andthencopyingtheparameterstoallmicrowavelinksinthatgroup.
Todefinetheparametersforagroupofmicrowavelinks:
1. Definetheparametersforasinglemicrowavelink,asdescribedin"DefiningParametersforaSingleMicrowaveLink"
onpage 198.
2. Selectthemicrowavelinkstowhichyouwanttocopytheparametersby:
Groupingthemicrowavelinks(see"GroupingMicrowaveLinks"onpage 205)
Sortingthemicrowavelinks(see"SortingMicrowaveLinks"onpage 205)
Filteringthemicrowavelinks(see"FilteringMicrowaveLinks"onpage 208)
3. Copythedefinedparameterstotheselectedgroupofmicrowavelinks.
GroupingMicrowaveLinks
Toselectthemicrowavelinkstowhichyouwanttocopytheparametersbygrouping:
4. FromtheGroupBysubmenu,selectthepropertybywhichyouwanttogroupthemicrowavelinks.Ensurethatyou
choseapropertythatallthemicrowavelinksyouwanttomodifyandthemicrowavelinkwiththemodifiedparame
tershaveincommon.
Themicrowavelinksinthefolderaregroupedinseparatefoldersbythatproperty.
If the range of properties available in the Group By submenu has been configured as
explainedin"ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu"onpage 70,youcanselectadditional
propertiesbyselectingMoreFieldsfromtheGroupBysubmenu.Forinformationonusing
thedialoguethatappears,see"ConfiguringtheGroupBySubmenu"onpage 70.
5. Rightclickthefolderwiththegroupedmicrowavelinks.Thecontextmenuappears.
7. Copytheparametersfromthemodifiedmicrowavelinktotheothermicrowavelinksinthegroupasexplainedin
"DefiningParametersforAllMicrowaveLinks"onpage 202.
Onceyouhavefinishedcopyingtheparameters,youcanungroupthelinksbyrightclickingtheMicrowaveLinksfolderand
selectingGroupBy >Nonefromthecontextmenu.
SortingMicrowaveLinks
Tosortthemicrowavelinkstowhichyouwanttocopytheparameters:
5. Rightclickthetablecolumnwiththeparameteryouwanttosorton.Thecontextmenuappears.
6. SelecteitherSortAscendingorSortDescendingfromthecontextmenu.
7. LocatetherowintheMicrowaveLinkstablewiththemicrowavelinkwhoseparametersyoujustupdated.
IntheMicrowaveLinkstable,thecolumnnamescorrespondingtotheparametersonthetabsofthemicrowavelinks
Propertiesdialogueare:
Geoclimatictab:
ClimaticZone
RainArea
Temperature(C)
205
AtmosphericPressure(hPa)
WaterVapour(g/m3)
R001(mm/h)
RainHeight(m)
Refractivity
Refractivity(Subrefraction)
EnvironmentType(Vigants)
FactorC
EnvironmentType
PL(%)
FactorK.Q
GeoclimaticFactor(K)
Performancetab:
LinkClass
BER
2ndBER
MTTR(h)
Propagationtab:
PropagationModel
InterferenceModel
8. Foreachcellwithacalculationparameterthatyouhavealreadymodified,copythevaluesintoallcellsinthegroup
abovethemodifiedcell:
b. Dragupwardstoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata.
Ensurethatyouonlyselectthecellsofthemicrowavelinksyouwanttomodify.
c. ClicktheFillUpbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.
206
9. Repeattheproceduretocopythemodifiedvaluesintotheremainingcellsinthegroupabovethemodifiedmicrowave
link.
10. Foreachcellwithacalculationparameterthatyouhavealreadymodified,copythevaluesintothecellsinthegroup
belowthemodifiedcell:
b. Dragdownwardstoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata.
Ensurethatyouonlyselectthecellsofthemicrowavelinksyouwanttomodify.
c. clicktheFillDownbutton( )intheTabletoolbar.
207
FilteringMicrowaveLinks
Tofilterthemicrowavelinkstowhichyouwanttocopytheparameters:
Youcannowfilteronavalueinthetable.Youcaneitheruseavaluethatallmicrowavelinkstowhichyouwantto
copyparametershaveincommonwiththemicrowavelinkyoupreviouslymodified,oryoucanuseavaluethese
microwavelinksdonothave.
5. Selectthevaluetofilteron.Toselectmorethanonevalue,pressCTRLasyouclicktheothervalues.
6. Rightclickthecellandselectoneofthefollowingfromthecontextmenu:
FilterbySelection:Allmicrowavelinkswiththeselectedvalueorvaluesaredisplayed.Youcannowmodifythese
microwavelinksasyouwouldnormallydowiththeentireMicrowaveLinkstable(seeFigure 6.10onpage 208).
FilterExcludingSelection:Allmicrowavelinkswithouttheselectedvalueorvaluesaredisplayed.Youcannow
modifytheserecordsormakecalculationsonthemasyouwouldnormallydowiththeentireMicrowaveLinks
table(seeFigure 6.11onpage 208).
Figure 6.10:Filteringbyselection(SubBandA>>B:23G_28)
Figure 6.11:Filteringexcludingselection(SubBandA>>B:23G_28)
208
Youcanuseadvanceddatafilteringtocombineseveralcriteriaindifferentfieldstocreate
complexfilters.Formoreinformationonadvancedfiltering,see"AdvancedDataFiltering"
onpage 75.
7. Copytheparametersfromthemodifiedmicrowavelinktotheothermicrowavelinksinthegroupasexplainedin
"DefiningParametersforAllMicrowaveLinks"onpage 202.
6.2.2.4 RecalculatingMicrowaveLinkParameters
Someofthemicrowavelinkparameters,forexample,thegeoclimacticfactorK,arecalculatedbasedondefinedparameters.
Youcancalculatetheseparametersforeachmicrowavelink,usingeachmicrowavelinksPropertiesdialogue,oryoucan
calculatethemforallorforadefinedgroupofmicrowavelinksusingtheMicrowaveLinkstable.
Torecalculatemicrowavelinkparametersforallmicrowavelinks:
5. Selectthecolumnoftheparameteryouwanttorecalculateorselectasubgroupofmicrowavelinksasexplainedin
"DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculationsforaGroupofMicrowaveLinks"onpage 205.
6. RightclicktheselectionandselectCalculatefromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappearsinwhichyoucansetthecal
culationoptions.Forinformationontheparameters,see"MicrowaveLinkParameters"onpage 198.
Because the frequency is recalculated to respect the defined frequency band and sub
band,nodialogueappears.
7. ClickOK.Atollrecalculatesthevaluesoftheselectedentriesaccordingtotheenteredparameters.
209
210
Chapter7
MicrowaveLink
Projects
ThischapterprovidestheinformationtouseAtollto Inthischapter,thefollowingareexplained:
design,analyse,andoptimiseamicrowavelinknetwork.
"DesigningaMicrowaveLinkNetwork"onpage 213
"PlanningandOptimisingMicrowaveSites"on
page 214
"CreatingLinks"onpage 226
"AnalysingthePathProfile"onpage 244
"AnalysingMicrowaveLinkReliability"onpage 254
"StudyingReflection"onpage 264
"PlanningMicrowaveLinkChannels"onpage 271
"AnalysingInterference"onpage 279
"AdvancedConfiguration"onpage 289
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AT320_UMM_E0 Chapter7:MicrowaveLinkProjects
7 MicrowaveLinkProjects
Themicrowavelinksmoduleenablesyoutoplan,design,andanalysemicrowavelinknetworks.UsingAtoll'smicrowavelinks
module,microwavelinknetworkscanbedesignedandanalysedinseparateAtollprojectsaswellaswithin2G(GMS/GPRS/
EGPRS)and3G(CDMA2000/UMTS/WCDMA)mobilenetworkprojects.
UsingAtoll'smicrowavelinksmodule,youcandefineandmodelfrequencybandsandsubbands,antennas,radioequipment,
feeder equipment, passive repeaters, simple, multihop, and point to multipoint systems. You can define and set target
performanceobjectivesintermsoflinkclassesandperformanceobjectives,definingthequalityandavailabilitytargets.You
candeterminelinkbudgetsoverasinglemicrowavelink,overmultipleconnectedmicrowavelinks(multihoplinks),orover
ahubwithseverallinks(pointtomultipointsystems).Youcanalsocarryoutendtoendreliabilityanalyses,interferenceanal
yses,andfrequencyplanning.Atollalsoenablesyoutodesignyourmicrowavelinknetworkswhiletakingfuturegrowthand
enhancementsintoconsideration.
ComprehensiveanalysisfeaturesintheAtollmicrowavelinkmoduleenablethestudyofsimple,multihop,andpointtomulti
pointsystemsinanynetwork.Anymicrowavelinkisconsideredoperationalwhenitgloballysatisfiestherequiredqualityand
availabilitycriteriasetbytheoperator.Anymicrowavelinkisassessedgenerallyintermsofthelink'srobustness,i.e.,thedata
transmissionshouldundergotheleastpossibleerrors,themicrowavelinkshouldsuffertheleastnumberoffailures(usually
measuredperyear)andthedurationofthesefailuresshouldalsobeasshortaspossible.Allthesecriteriaaredescribedin
detailintheITUstandardsandrecommendations.Atollfollowsthesestandardsandenablestheusertosetindepthquality
andavailabilitytargetsforthenetworkbeingdesigned.
Furthermore,itisfundamentaltothecorrectperformanceofamicrowavelinkthatlineofsightbeavailable,i.e.,thatthere
beacleartransmissionpathbetweenthetwonodesofthemicrowavelink.Theelectromagneticsignaldispersesasitmoves
awayfromsource,andthereforethelineofsightclearancemusttakethisdispersionintoaccountandattentionshouldbe
paidtoobjectsnearthedirectsignalpathtoensuretherequiredsignallevelsreachthereceivingantenna.Thisisreferredto
as"FresnelZone"clearance.Atoll'sprofileanalysisfeaturepermitsallowsyoutoviewthelineofsight,Fresnelzoneclearance,
andreflectivesurfacesalongthelink'sprofile.
Reallife microwave links do not operate in ideal environments. As it is not always possible to have a direct lineofsight
connectionbetweentwoextremities,repeatersareemployedasaworkaroundinordertocreateapseudodirectmicrowave
link.Atollfullymodelsthedesignanduseofmicrowaverepeaters,andallowstworepeaterstobeinsertedwithinamicro
wavelink.Performanceimprovementtechniquessuchasfrequencyandspacediversityatreceptionarealsomodelled.
Sinceseverallinkscansharetheirextremities(startorend),thedescriptionofamicrowavelinksnetworkinAtollisdivided
intotwofoldersontheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow:
TheSitesfolder,whichcontainsthesetofpointsthatcanbeusedasextremitiesforlinks.Thisfoldercanalsocontain
sitesfor2Gand3Gmobilenetworkprojectsinincorporatedmobile/microwaveprojects.
TheLinksfolder,whichcontainsthedefinitionsofmicrowavelinks,othertransmissionlinks,multihoplinks,andpoint
tomultipointsystems.EachlinkreferstoatleasttwoseparatesitesintheSitesfolder.
7.1 DesigningaMicrowaveLinkNetwork
Figure 7.1depictstheprocessofcreatingandplanningamicrowavelinknetwork.Thestepsinvolvedinplanningamicrowave
linknetworkaredescribedbelow.ThenumbersrefertoFigure 7.1.
1. Openanexistingmicrowavelinkdocumentorcreateanewone( 1 ).
YoucanopenanexistingAtolldocumentbyselectingFile >Open.
YoucancreateanewAtolldocumentasexplainedinChapter2:StartinganAtollProject.
2. Configurethemicrowavelinknetworkbydefiningnetworkparameters( 2 ).
Youcandefinetheequipmentsuchasantennas,radiosandfeedersusedinthenetwork(seeChapter4:Antennas
andEquipment)
Youdefineandmodifymicrowavefrequencybands(seeChapter5:MicrowaveSettings).
3. Addsitesandcarryoutbasicevaluationsofthecandidatesitesandlocatemoresuitablelocationsforcandidatesites
( 3 ).
Youcanaddsitesormodifyexistingones(see"CreatingorModifyingaSite"onpage 215).
Youcanevaluatethelocationofexistingsites(see"SiteSurveyTools"onpage 216)andsearchfornewcandidate
sites(see"ToolsinAtollforFindingNewSites"onpage 225).
4. Createmicrowavelinksbetweensites( 4 ).
Youcancreateamicrowavelink(see"CreatingorModifyingaMicrowaveLink"onpage 233)basedonamicro
wave link template. If necessary, you can modify the template on which new links are based (see "Managing
MicrowaveLinkTemplates"onpage 236).
213
Chapter7:MicrowaveLinkProjects Forsk2013
Ifnecessary,youcancreaterepeatersalongmicrowavelinksbetweensites.
Youcancreatemultihopmicrowavelinks("CreatingMultihops"onpage 262).
5. Analysethemicrowavenetwork.
Youcananalysethepathprofile(see"AnalysingthePathProfile"onpage 244),addingpassiverepeatersifneces
sary(see"AddingaPassiveRepeatertoaMicrowaveLink"onpage 240)( 5 ).
Youcananalysethequalityandreliabilityofthenetwork(see"AnalysingMicrowaveLinkReliability"onpage 254)
( 6 ).
Youcanstudyreflectionalongthemicrowavelinkprofile(see"StudyingReflection"onpage 264)( 7 ).
Youcaninterferencealongthemicrowavelinkprofile(see"AnalysingInterference"onpage 279)( 8 ).
6. Planmicrowavelinkchannels( 9 )
"PlanningMicrowaveLinkChannels"onpage 271.
Optimisationandanalysisareiterativesteps.Thelastfourstepscanberepeatedinordertoachievetheoptimumsolutionfor
thenetwork.
7. Ifnecessary,modifynetworkparameterstostudythenetworkwithadifferentfrequencyplan( 10 ).Aftermodifying
thenetworksfrequencyplan,youmustperformsteps 7 and 8 again.
Figure 7.1:Planningamicrowavelinknetworkworkflow
7.2 PlanningandOptimisingMicrowaveSites
AsdescribedinChapter2:StartinganAtollProject,youcanstartanAtolldocumentfromatemplate,withnosites,orfroma
databasewithasetofsites.AsyouworkonyourAtolldocument,youwillstillneedtocreatesitesandmodifyexistingones.
InAtoll,asiteisdefinedasageographicalpointsupportingoneormoremicrowavelinks.Atollenablesyoutoverifythechar
acteristicsofeachcandidateinordertochosethebestsite.Additionally,Atollhastoolsthatallowyoutosearchfornewloca
tionsforsites.
"CreatingSites"onpage 215
"SiteSurveyTools"onpage 216
"ToolsinAtollforFindingNewSites"onpage 225.
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7.2.1 CreatingSites
Whenyoucreateamicrowavesite,youcreateonlythegeographicalpoint.Thecreatedsitecanthensupportoneormore
microwavelinks.
"SiteDescription"onpage 215
"CreatingorModifyingaSite"onpage 215.
7.2.1.1 SiteDescription
TheparametersofasitecanbefoundinthesitesPropertiesdialogue.ThePropertiesdialoguehastwotabs:
Figure 7.2:NewSitedialogue
Name:Atollentersadefaultnameforeachnewsite.Youcanmodifythedefaultname.Ifyouwanttochange
thedefaultnamethatAtollgivestonewsites,seetheAdministratorManual.
Bydefault,Atollplacesthenameofthesiteonthemapinacertainpositionvisvisthe
site.IfyourightclicktheSitestabintheNetworkexplorerandselectCalculatingLabel
Positionsfromthecontextmenu,Atollwilldetermineapositionforthelabelwhereitis
nothiddenbythemicrowavelink.
Position:Bydefault,Atollplacesthenewsiteatthecentreofthemapwindow.Youcanmodifythelocation
ofthesite.
Altitude:Thealtitude,asdefinedbytheDTMforthelocationspecifiedunderPosition,isgivenhere.Youcan
specifytheactualaltitudeunderReal,ifyouwant.Ifanaltitudeisspecifiedhere,Atollwillusethisvaluefor
calculations.
Comments:Youcanentercommentsinthisfieldifyouwant.
TheSupporttab:
Supportheight:Youcandefinetheheightofthestructureonwhichyoucaninstallantennas.Atollcanuse
thisheightinseveralanalyses(siteanalysis,antennaheightoptimisation,etc.).
Supporttype:Youcandescribethenatureofsite.Thisfieldisforinformationonly.
7.2.1.2 CreatingorModifyingaSite
Youcanmodifyanexistingsiteoryoucancreateanewsite.Youcanaccessthepropertiesofasite,describedin"SiteDescrip
tion"onpage 215,throughthesitesPropertiesdialogue.HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhetheryou
arecreatinganewsiteormodifyinganexistingsite.
Tocreateanewsite:
1. ClicktheNetworktabintheexplorerwindow.
3. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheSitesNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears(seeFigure 7.2onpage 215).
4. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"SiteDescription"onpage 215.
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5. ClickOK.
Tomodifyanexistingsite:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheSitesfolder.
3. Rightclickthesiteyouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThesitesPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"SiteDescription"onpage 215.
6. ClickOK.
Ifyouarecreatingseveralsitesatthesametime,ormodifyingseveralexistingsites,you
candoitquicklybyeditingorpastingthedatadirectlyintheSitestable.Youcanopen
theSitestablebyrightclickingtheSitesfolderontheNetworktaboftheexplorer
windowandselectingOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.Forinformationoncopying
andpastingdata,see"CopyingandPastinginTables"onpage 57.
7.2.2 SiteSurveyTools
Atollprovidesseveraltoolstoenableyoutoevaluatethelineofsightaroundasiteorbetweencandidatesites.
Inthissection,thefollowingareexplained.
"DisplayingtheLineofSightAreaAroundOneSite"onpage 216
"AnalysingtheLineofSightBetweenCandidateSites"onpage 217
"FindingtheBestRouteBetweenTwoSites"onpage 220
"DisplayingtheTerrainProfileBetweenCandidateSites"onpage 221
"Displayinga360ViewAroundOneSite"onpage 223
7.2.2.1 DisplayingtheLineofSightAreaAroundOneSite
Atollallowsyoutodisplaythelineofsightareaaroundasiteinthemapwindow.
Todisplaythelineofsightareaaroundasite:
1. Rightclickthesiteeitheronthemap,orintheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenu
appears.
2. SelectVisibility >LineofSightAreafromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears.
TodisplaythelineofsightareaaroundallsitesinyourSitesfolder(orinthecomputation
zone,ifany)youshouldrightclicktheSitesfolderandselectVisibility >OverlappingArea
instead.See"DisplayingtheMutuallyVisibleAreasofMultipleSites"onpage 225.
3. UnderHeighttransmitterside,theUsethesupportheightdefinedbysiteoptionissetbydefaultandcannotbe
changed.Itshowshowsupportheightwillbedefinedonthetransmittersideofeachmicrowavelink.
4. UnderHeightreceiverside,youcanselecthowreceiverheightwillbedefinedatthefaredgeoftheLOSarea:
Useheightsdefinedperclutterclass:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwillusethereceiverheightdefinedperclutter
classontheCluttertaboftheLineofSightParametersdialogue.
Usethedefaultheightrelativetotheground/Usethedefaultheightrelativetotheclutter:Ifyouselectoneof
theseoptions,AtollwillusethesupportheightyoudefineintheDefaultheightbox.
5. DefinetheMaximumdistancearoundtheselectedsitetobeconsideredinthelineofsightanalysis.
6. DefinetheResolution.
7. UnderEarthcurvaturefactors,definetheFirstkvalueandtheSecondkvalue.
8. UnderPenetrationcondition,definethefollowingparameters:
a. Takeclutterintoaccountindiffraction:SelecttheTakeclutterintoaccountindiffractioncheckboxifyouwant
touseclutterinformationwhencalculatingdiffractioninthelineofsight.
b. Definethetypeofclearancethatwillbecalculatedbyselectingoneofthefollowing:
Lineofsightclearance:SelectLineofsightclearanceifyouwanttostudythelineofsightbetweenthetrans
mitterandreceiversites.
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Ellipsoidclearance:SelectEllipsoidclearanceifyouwanttostudythepercentageofclearanceoftheFresnel
ellipsoid.EnterthepercentageofclearanceofthelowerhalfoftheFresnelellipsoidintheTargetclearance
boxandselecttheFrequencybandtobeusedwhencalculatingthelineofsightfromthelist.Theaverage
frequencyoftheselectedfrequencybandisdisplayedintheFrequencybox.
9. ClicktheCluttertab.OntheCluttertabyoucansetclutterrelatedparametersthatwillbeusedtocalculatetheline
ofsightarea.ThesettingsontheCluttertabareindependentfromanyclutterparametersyoumighthavesetforthe
propagationmodel.Foreachclutterclass,youcansetthefollowing:
Receiverheight(m):Ifyouwant,youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Thisisthevaluethatwill
betakenintoconsiderationifyouselectedUseheightsdefinedperclutterclassunderHeightreceiversideon
theCalculationParameterstab.
Horizontalclearancearoundtransmitterandreceiver(m):Ifyouwant,youcandefineaclearancearoundeach
siteforeachclutterclass.Theclearanceisusedwhencalculatingdiffraction.Bothgroundaltitudeandclutter
heightareconsideredalongthewholeprofileexceptoveraspecificdistancearoundthesites(clearance),where
AtollbasesitscalculationsonlyontheDTM.
10. ClicktheDisplaytab.OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinehowthelineofsightareaswillbedisplayedonthemap.You
canselectoneofthefollowingdisplayoptions:
Oneareapersite:Selectthisoptiontodisplayalineofsightareaforeachsiteandthendefinethecolourtheline
ofsightareaswillbedisplayedin:
Automaticcolour:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwillautomaticallyassignadifferentcolourtoeachlineof
sightarea,andyouwillbeabletodistinguishthelineofsightareasforeachsite.
Uniquecolour:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwithdisplayalllineofsightareasinthesamecolour,andthe
resultingdisplaywillshowthecumulativelineofsightareas.
Setthetransparencyofthedisplayedlineofsightarea,bymovingtheslider.
11. SelecttheAddtolegendcheckboxtoaddtheoptionsdefinedontheDisplaytabtotheLegend.Forinformationon
theLegendwindow,see"DisplayingtheMapLegend"onpage 38.
12. ClickOK.Atolldisplaysresultsonthemap.
Todeletethelineofsightareaaroundasite:
1. Rightclickthesiteeitheronthemap,orintheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenu
appears.
2. SelectVisibility >DeleteLineofSightAreafromthecontextmenu.
7.2.2.2 AnalysingtheLineofSightBetweenCandidateSites
InAtoll,youcananalysethelineofsight(LOS)betweencandidatesites.Theanalysiscanbedoneforoneparticularsiteifone
extremityofthemicrowavelinkisalreadylockedorforallsites.Intheanalysis,Atollconsiderstheselectedsite(s)andallsites
locatedwithinthefocuszone;ifnofocuszoneisdefined,Atollwillusethecomputationzone.Forinformationonthefocus
zone, see "The Focus Zone" on page 40 and for information on the computation zone, see "The Computation Zone" on
page 39.
TocalculateaLOSreportforoneparticularsite:
1. RightclickthesiteeitheronthemaporintheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenu
appears.
2. SelectVisibility >LineofSightReportfromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears(see
Figure 7.3).
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Figure 7.3:Settingthecalculationparametersforalineofsightreport
3. ClicktheCalculationParameterstab.
5. Under Height receiver side, the Use the support height defined by site option is set by default and cannot be
changed.Itshowshowsupportheightwillbedefinedonthereceiversideofeachmicrowavelink.
8. UnderEarthcurvaturefactors,definetheFirstkvalueandSecondkvalue.
Takeclutterintoaccountindiffraction:Selectthischeckboxifyouwanttouseclutterinformationwhencalcu
latingdiffractioninthelineofsight.
Frequencyband:Selectthefrequencybandtobeusedwhencalculatingthelineofsightfromthelist.Theaverage
ofsight.ThesettingsontheCluttertabareindependentfromanyclutterparametersyoumighthavesetfortheprop
agationmodel.Foreachclutterclass,youcansetthefollowing:
Receiverheight(m):Youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Itisnotusedwhencalculatingtheline
ofsightbetweenexistingsites.
11. ClicktheTabletab.OntheTabletabyoucandefinethecontentsofthereport.Atolldisplaysadefaultsetoffields
andletsyouselectotherinformationtobeincludedinthereport.
a. ClickAdd.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears.
b. IntheFieldselectiondialogue,selectthefieldsthatyouwanttodisplayinthereport.Youcanselectcontiguous
fieldsbyclickingthefirstfield,pressingSHIFTandclickingthelastfield.Youcanselectnoncontiguousfieldsby
pressingCTRLandclickingeachfieldseparately.
Toselectafieldtobeincludedinthereport,selectthefieldintheAvailablefieldslistandclick tomove
ittotheSelectedfieldslist.
ToremoveafieldfromthelistofSelectedfields,selectthefieldintheSelectedfieldslistandclick to
removeit.
Tochangetheorderofthefields,selectafieldandclick or tomoveitupordowninthelist.Theobjects
willbedisplayedintheorderofthefieldsintheSelectedFieldslist,fromtoptobottom.
c. ClickOKtoreturntotheTabletab.
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12. ClickOK.AtolldisplaystheselectedresultsintheLineofSightReporttableforeachsiteinthefocuszoneifavailable
andcomputationzoneifthereisnofocuszone.Aswell,Atolldisplaysaterrainsectiononthemapbetweeneachpair
ofsites(see"DisplayingtheTerrainProfileBetweenCandidateSites"onpage 221).
TheLineofSightReporttablecontainsthefollowingdefaultinformationforeachpairofsites.Site1isthestudiedsiteand
Site2acandidatesitewithinthefocuszoneifavailableandcomputationzoneifthereisnofocuszone.
Site1:Site1isthetransmittingsiteofthepairofsites.
Site2:Site2isthereceivingsiteofthepairofsites.
Distance(m):Thedistancebetweenthesites.
LineofSight(k1)(%):TheclearanceorpenetrationoftheFresnelellipsoidinpercentageforthefirstkfactorvalue.
Theresultcanbebetween100and100%.Avaluefrom100to0%correspondstothepercentageofpenetration
oftheupperhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid.Avaluefrom0to100%correspondstothepercentageofclearanceof
thelowerhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid(seeFigure 7.4).
LineofSight(k2)(%):TheclearanceorpenetrationoftheFresnelellipsoidinpercentageforthesecondkfactor
value.
Antenna1Height/Ground(m):Theheightofthetransmittingantenna.
Antenna2Height/Ground(m):Theheightofthereceivingantenna.
Frequency(MHz):Themeanfrequencyusedtocalculatethelineofsightbetweenthetransmittingsiteandthe
receivingsite.
Direction():TheanglefromSite1toSite2inthehorizontalplane.
Figure 7.4:Lineofsightclearance
IfyoudoubleclickaterrainsectionintheLineofSightReporttable,Atollwill
automaticallycentreitinthemapanddisplayitsprofileintheTerrainSectionviewof
theMWAnalysiswindow.
YoucanremovethelineofsightsectionsbyselectingVisibility >DeleteTerrainSectionsfromthesitescontextmenu.
TocalculateaLOSreportforallsites:
3. SelectVisibility>LineofSightReportfromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears.
changed.Itshowshowsupportheightwillbedefinedonthereceiversideofeachmicrowavelink.
Takeclutterintoaccountindiffraction:SelecttheTakeclutterintoaccountindiffractioncheckboxifyouwant
Frequencyband:Selectfromthelistthefrequencybandtobeusedwhencalculatingthelineofsight.Theaverage
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Receiverheight:Youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Itisnotusedwhencalculatingthelineof
sightbetweensites.
12. ClicktheTabletab.OntheTabletabyoucandefinethecontentsofthereport.Atolldisplaysadefaultsetoffields
andletsyouselectotherinformationtobeincludedinthereport.
a. ClickAdd.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears.
b. IntheFieldSelectiondialogue,selectthefieldsthatyouwanttodisplayinthereport.Youcanselectcontiguous
removeit.
willbedisplayedintheorderofthefieldsintheSelectedfieldslist,fromtoptobottom.
c. ClickOKtoreturntotheTabletab.
13. ClickOK.AtolldisplaystheresultsintheLineofSightReporttableforeachsiteinthefocuszoneifavailableandcom
putationzoneifthereisnofocuszone.Aswell,Atolldisplaysaterrainsectiononthemapbetweeneachpairofsites
(see"DisplayingtheTerrainProfileBetweenCandidateSites"onpage 221).
TheLineofSightReporttablecontainsthefollowingdefaultinformationforeachpairofsites.Site1isthestudiedsiteand
Site2acandidatesitewithinthefocuszoneifavailableandcomputationzoneifthereisnofocuszone.
Site1:Site1isthetransmittingsiteofthepairofsites.
Site2:Site2isthereceivingsiteofthepairofsites.
Distance:Thedistancebetweenthesites.
LineofSight(k1)(%):TheclearanceorpenetrationoftheFresnelellipsoidinpercentageforthefirstkfactorvalue.
Theresultcanbebetween100and100%.Avaluefrom100to0%correspondstothepercentageofpenetration
oftheupperhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid.Avaluefrom0to100%correspondstothepercentageofclearanceof
thelowerhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid(seeFigure 7.4).
LineofSight(k2)(%):TheclearanceorpenetrationoftheFresnelellipsoidinpercentageforthesecondkfactor
value.
Antenna1Height:Theheightofthetransmittingantenna.
Antenna2Height:Theheightofthereceivingantenna.
Frequency:Themeanfrequencyusedtocalculatethelineofsightbetweenthetransmittingsiteandthereceiving
site.
YoucanremovethelineofsightlinesbyselectingVisibility >DeleteTerrainSectionsfromthecontextmenuoftheSites
folderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.
7.2.2.3 FindingtheBestRouteBetweenTwoSites
Atollallowsyoutofindallroutesbetweentwositesfulfillinglineofsightcriteria.Theroutescanconsistofseveralhopsand
havedifferentlengths.Ifyouwant,Atollcandisplaytheroutewiththeleastofhopsortheshortestroute.Intheanalysis,
Atollconsiderstheselectedsitesandallsiteslocatedwithinthefocuszone;ifnofocuszoneisdefined,Atollwillusethe
computationzone.Forinformationonthefocuszone,see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40andforinformationonthecomputa
tionzone,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39.
Tofindthebestroutebetweentwosites:
1. Rightclickthetargetsiteeitheronthemap,orintheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontext
menuappears.
2. SelectVisibility >DefineRoutingfromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears.
3. OntheRoutingOptionstab,definethefollowingparameters:
Sourcesite:Thestartingsite.Atolllistsallsitesinthefocuszoneifavailableandcomputationzoneifthereisno
focuszone(forinformationonthefocuszone,see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40andforinformationonthecom
putationzone,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39).
Maximumnumberofhops:Themaximumnumberofhopsallowedbetweenstartingandtargetsites.
Minimisethenumberofhopstoreachthetarget:SelectthisoptionifyouwantAtolltodisplaythebestsolution
intermsofnumberofhops,i.e.thepathcontainingtheleastofhops.
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Minimisethetotalpathlength:SelectthisoptionifyouwantAtolltodisplaythebestsolutionintermsofdistance,
i.e.theshortestpath.
changed.Atollwillusethesupportheightdefinedbysiteforeachlineofsight.
Receiverheight:Youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Itisnotusedwhencalculatingthelineof
sightbetweenexistingsites.
12. ClickOK.AtolldisplaystheresultsintheRoutingtoSitetable.
TheRoutingtoSitetablecontainsthefollowinginformationforeachroute.
Node1:ThenameofthesourcesiteselectedontheRoutingOptionstab.
Node#:Thenamesofthesitesthatarepartoftherouteandthenameofthetargetsite.
Distance(m):Thelengthoftheroute.
Thenumberofcolumnsnamed"Node#"displayedintheRoutingtoSitetabledependsonthemaximumnumberof
hopsdefinedintheRoutingOptionstab.
Inaddition,Atolldisplaysterrainsectionsonthemapbetweeneachsiteofroutes(see"DisplayingtheTerrainProfile
BetweenCandidateSites"onpage 221).YoucanremovethelineofsightlinesbyselectingVisibility >DeleteTerrain
SectionsfromthecontextmenuoftheSitesfolderontheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.
7.2.2.4 DisplayingtheTerrainProfileBetweenCandidateSites
InAtoll,youcanchecktheterrainprofileinthefollowingcases:
fromasitetoanothersite
fromasitetoapointonthemap
fromapointonthemaptoasite
fromapointonthemaptoanotherpointonthemap
Tostudytheterrainprofilebetweentwositesorpointsonthemap:
1. Selecthowthesupportheightwillbedefinedonbothsitesofthemicrowavelinkbyclickingthearrownexttothe
HeightProfilebutton( )onthetoolbarandselectingoneofthefollowing:
TransmitterHeightsDefinedbySite/ReceiverHeightsDefinedbySite:Ifyouselectoneoftheseoptions,Atoll
willusethecorrespondingsupportheightdefinedoneachsite.
TransmitterHeightsRelativetoGround/ReceiverHeightsRelativetoGround:Ifyouselectoneoftheseoptions,
Atollwillusethecorrespondingsupportheightwithrespecttoground.
TransmitterHeightsRelativetoClutter/ReceiverHeightsRelativetoClutter:Ifyouselecttheseoptions,Atoll
willusethecorrespondingsupportheightwithrespecttoclutter.
ReceiverHeightDefinedperClutterClass:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwillusethereceiverheightdefinedper
clutterclassontheCluttertaboftheLineofSightParametersdialogue.
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YoucansetmoreoptionsusingtheLineofSightParametersdialogue.Youcanopenthe
LineofSightParametersdialoguebyclickingthearrownexttotheHeightProfiletoolbar
button( )andselectingProperties.Foradescriptionoftheoptionsavailableinthe
LineofSight Parametersdialogue,see"AnalysingtheLineof Sight BetweenCandidate
Sites"onpage 217.
2. ClicktheHeightProfilebutton( )onthetoolbar.
3. Movethepointertothesiteonthemap.Whentheframeappearsaroundthesite,indicatingitisselected,clickto
createthefirstanalysispoint.
4. Movethepointertoanothersiteonthemap.Whentheframeappearsaroundthesite,indicatingitisselected,click
tocreatethesecondanalysispoint.
5. TheprofilebetweenbothsitesappearsontheTerrainSectionwindow.Atolldisplaystheterrainheightalongthepro
fileaswellasclutterclassesandclutterheights.AblueellipsoidindicatestheFresnelzonebetweenbothsites.By
default,Atollconsiderstheantennaheightsdefinedfortheselectedsitestodeterminetheprofile.Youcanmodify
themaswellasthestudiedfrequencyintheTerrainSectionPropertiesdialogue.
6. IntheTerrainSectionwindow,clickthePropertiesbutton( ).TheTerrainSectionPropertiesdialogueappears.
7. IntheTerrainSectionPropertiesdialogue,youhavethefollowingparameters:
Id:Theterrainsectionreferencenumber.
LineofSight(k1)(%)andLineofSight(k2)(%):Thepercentageofclearance/penetrationoftheFresnelzone.The
valuecanvarybetween100%and100%.Avaluefrom100%to0%correspondstothepercentageofpenetration
oftheupperhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid.Avaluefrom0%to100%correspondstothepercentageofclearanceof
thelowerhalfoftheFresnelellipsoid.
Site1:ThenameofSite1.
Site2:ThenameofSite2.
Distance(m):ThedistancebetweenSite1andSite2.
Antenna1Height/Ground(m):TheantennaheightonSite1,relativetoground.
Antenna2Height/Ground(m):TheantennaheightonSite2,relativetoground.
Frequency(MHz):Thefrequencytobeconsidered.
8. ClickOKtoclosethedialogueandapplytheparameters.
Onceyouhavecreatedterrainsections,youcanstudythemorcreatelinkswiththem:
"StudyinganExistingTerrainProfile"onpage 222
"UsingaTerrainProfiletoDisplayProfileData"onpage 222
"CreatingaMicrowaveLinkwithaTerrainProfile"onpage 223.
7.2.2.4.1 StudyinganExistingTerrainProfile
IfyouhavepreviouslycalculatedaLOSreportonasiteoragroupofsites(see"AnalysingtheLineofSightBetweenCandidate
Sites"onpage 217),youwillalreadyhaveterrainsectionsbetweensitesthatyoucanstudy.
Tostudyanexistingterrainprofile:
1. Onthemap,clicktheterrainsectionyouwanttoanalyse.
2. ClicktheHeightProfilebutton( )onthetoolbar.
AtollopenstheTerrainSectionwindow.ItdisplaysaFresnelellipsoidbetweenbothsites,andterrainheightandclut
teralongtheprofile.InordertocalculatetheFresnelellipsoid,Atollusesthesiteheights,thekfactorvalueandthe
frequencyusedfortheLOSreportcalculation.
7.2.2.4.2 UsingaTerrainProfiletoDisplayProfileData
Whenyoucreateterrainsections,Atollcoloursthembydefaultaccordingtothepercentageofclearanceorpenetrationof
theFresnelzone:
Green:Bydefault,aterrainsectionisdisplayedonthemapingreenifitiscompletelyunobstructed(i.e.,ifthevisibility
isover100 m.).
Orange:Iftheterrainsectionispartiallyobstructed(i.e.,ifthevisibilityisbetween0 m.and100 m.),itisdisplayedin
orangeonthemap.
Red:Iftheterrainsectioniscompletelyobstructed,itisdisplayedinred.
Youcanmodifythecoloursandvalueintervalsinordertomaketheirdisplaypropertiesmoremeaningfultoyou.
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TocolourterrainsectionsaccordingtothepercentageofclearanceorpenetrationoftheFresnelzone
1. ClicktheGeotaboftheexplorerwindow.
2. RightclicktheTerrainSectionsfolderandselectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheTerrainSectionProperties
dialogueappears.
3. SelecttheDisplaytabanddefinethefollowingparameters:
UnderDisplayType,select"ValueIntervals."
UnderField,select"Visibility".
Youcanchangethevalueintervalsandtheirdisplayedcolour.Forinformationonchangingdisplayproperties,see
"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
4. ClickOK.
7.2.2.4.3 CreatingaMicrowaveLinkwithaTerrainProfile
Youcanuseaterrainsectiontocreateamicrowavelink.
Tocreateamicrowavelinkusingaterrainsection:
1. Onthemap,rightclicktheterrainsectionyouwanttouseforamicrowavelink.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectCreateLinkfromthecontextmenu.AtolladdsthenewmicrowavelinkintheMicrowaveLinksfolder;itsprop
ertiesarebasedonthedefaultmicrowavelinktemplate.
7.2.2.5 Displayinga360ViewAroundOneSite
Youcandisplaya360viewaroundeachsite.Displayinga360viewaroundasitehelpsyoudetermineifthesiteisagood
candidateandifitisvisiblefromtheothersites.
Toperforma360viewofasite:
1. RightclickthesiteeitheronthemaporintheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenu
appears.
2. SelectVisibility >360Viewfromthecontextmenu.The360Viewwindowopens(seeFigure 7.5):
Figure 7.5:360ViewTool
The360Viewwindowshowsthepointsofhighestelevationsineverydirectionaroundtheselectedsite.Thehori
zontalaxisshowsthedirection(indegrees).Theheightofthestudiedsiteisindicatedbyabluedottedline.Twopurple
markers on both sides of the 360 View window show the support height (i.e., the maximum height not to be
exceededifyouinstallanantennaonthesite)definedforthestudiedsite.Neighboursitesaroundthestudiedone
aredisplayedaccordingtotheirdirections.Eachneighboursiteisindicatedbyaverticalredlineanditssymbol.The
linepositionontheverticalaxisdependsonthesitealtitudewhichincludesthecurvatureoftheearth.Thelinelengths
andthesymbolpositiononthelinedependonthereceiverheightdefinedinthe360ViewPropertiesdialogue.Ifthe
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siteisentirelyvisiblefromthestudiedsite,thelineissolid.Ifitisentirelyhiddenbyanobstacle,thelineisdotted.If
asiteispartlyvisiblefromthestudiedsite,thevisiblepartisrepresentedbyasolidlinewhereasthehiddenpartis
indicatedbyadottedline.Thisrepresentationhelpsyouselectareceiversiteamongneighboursanddetermineat
whichheightyoushouldinstallanantennaonthereceiversite.Atolldisplaystheterrainheightalongtheprofileas
wellasclutterclassesandclutterheights.
The360Viewwindowdoesnotdisplayanydepthoffield.
The360Viewwindowprovidesyouwiththefollowingoptions:
Tocentrethereceiversiteinthemapwindow:Clickthesiteinthe360Viewwindow.Thesiteisautomatically
selectedandenteredinthemapwindow.
Togetinformationaboutareceiversite:Placethepointeronthesiteinthe360Viewwindow.Atolldisplaystip
textwiththefollowinginformation:
Thesitecoordinates(inthedisplaycoordinatesystem)
Itsdistancefromthestudiedsite(inmetres)
Thedirection(indegrees)
Thealtitude(inmetres)
ThecurvatureoftheEarth(inmetres)
Thesupportheight(inmetres).
Todisplaytheterrainprofilebetweenthestudiedsiteandthereceiversite:Rightclickthesiteinthe360View
windowandselectSeeTerrainSectionfromthecontextmenu.TheTerrainSectionwindowopens.
ToreturnfromtheTerrainSectionwindowtothe360Viewwindow:Clickthe360ViewtabintheTerrainSec
tionwindow.
Toviewtheexactlocationofahighelevationpointinthemapwindow:Clickapointonthelineindicatingthe
highestelevationpointsinthe360Viewwindow.Aspecialpointer( )pinpointsthelocationofthecurrent
pointinthemapwindow.
Togetinformationaboutahighelevationpoint:Placethepointeronapointonthelineindicatingthehighest
elevationpointsinthe360Viewwindow.Atolldisplaystiptextwiththefollowinginformation:
Thepointcoordinates(usingthedefineddisplaycoordinatesystem)
Thedistancefromthestudiedsite(inmetres)
Thedirection(indegrees)
Thealtitude(inmetres)
Thecurvatureoftheearth(inmetres)
Theclutterheightatthepoint(inmetres).
Toconfigurethe360viewcalculationparametersanddisplayoptions:Rightclickthe360Viewwindowand
select360ViewPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.Forinformationonparameterswhichcanbechanged,see
"ChangingtheCalculationandDisplayParameters"onpage 224
Tochangetheangleofviewandtheazimuthofthestudiedsite:Clickthefollowingbuttonsavailableonthesides
ofthe360Viewwindow.
:Increasetheangleofviewontheleft
:Decreasetheangleofviewontheleft
:Rotatetheangleofviewontheleft
:Increasetheangleofviewontheright
:Decreasetheangleofviewontheright
:Rotatetheangleofviewontheright.
ChangingtheCalculationandDisplayParameters
Tochangethecalculationanddisplayparameters:
1. Rightclickthe360Viewwindow.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. Select360ViewPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears.
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5. DefinetheMaximumdistancearoundtheselectedsite.
Receiverheight(m):Youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Itisnotusedwhencalculatingtheline
ofsightbetweenexistingsites.
heightareconsideredalongtheentireprofileexceptoveraspecificdistancearoundthesites(clearance),where
10. OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Supportheight:Whenyouselectthisoption,Atolldisplaystwomarkersonbothsidesofthewindowtorepresent
thesupportheightdefinedforthestudiedsite.Theyaredisplayedinpurplebydefault.
Heightoftheselectedsite:Whenyouselectthisoption,Atolldisplaysahorizontalline(abluedottedlineby
default)toindicatetheheightoftheselectedsite.
Positionoftheothersites:Whenyouselectthisoption,Atolldisplaysthepositionofothersiteswithintheview.
Eachsiteisindicatedbyaverticalline(redbydefault).
Azimuth:Entertheazimuthoftheselectedsite.
Beamwidth:Entertheangleofviewtobeconsidered.Ifyouenteranazimuthof0andabeamwidthof90,Atoll
willdisplaytheviewbetween45and45.
11. ClickOK.
7.2.3 ToolsinAtollforFindingNewSites
Atollprovidesdifferenttoolstofindnewmicrowavesitelocations.Youcanimprovethelocationofasite,intermsofrecep
tionandtransmission,bylettingAtollfindahigherlocationforit,asexplainedin"MovingaSitetoaHigherLocation"on
page 26.YoucanalsoletAtolldisplaythemutuallyvisibleareasofmultiplesitesinordertofindgoodplacestocreatenew
sites:
"DisplayingtheMutuallyVisibleAreasofMultipleSites"onpage 225
DisplayingtheMutuallyVisibleAreasofMultipleSites
AtollallowsyoutocalculatethelineofsightareasaroundallsitesintheSitesfolderanddisplaytheirintersection.Theinter
sectionoflineofsightareaswillbecalculatedforsitesinthecomputationzone(forinformationonthecomputationzone,
see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39).
Todisplaythelineofsightareasaroundmultiplesitesanddisplaytheirintersection:
3. SelectVisibility >OverlappingAreasfromthecontextmenu.TheLineofSightParametersdialogueappears.
6. UnderHeightreceiverside,youcanselecthowreceiverheightwillbedefinedatthefaredgeoftheLOSarea:
Useheightsdefinedperclutterclass:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwillusethereceiverheightdefinedperclutter
classontheCluttertaboftheLineofSightParametersdialogue.
Usethedefaultheightrelativetotheground/Usethedefaultheightrelativetotheclutter:Ifyouselectoneof
theseoptions,AtollwillusethesupportheightyoudefineintheDefaultheightbox.
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a. Takeclutterintoaccountindiffraction:SelecttheTakeclutterintoaccountindiffractioncheckboxifyouwant
b. Definethetypeofclearancethatwillbecalculatedbyselectingoneofthefollowing:
Lineofsightclearance:SelectLineofsightclearanceifyouwanttostudythelineofsightbetweenthetrans
mitterandreceiversites.
Ellipsoidclearance:SelectEllipsoidclearanceifyouwanttostudythepercentageofclearanceoftheFresnel
ellipsoid.EnterthepercentageofclearanceofthelowerhalfoftheFresnelellipsoidintheTargetclearance
boxandselecttheFrequencybandtobeusedwhencalculatingthelineofsightfromthelist.Theaverage
ofsightarea.ThesettingsontheCluttertabareindependentfromanyclutterparametersyoumighthavesetforthe
propagationmodel.Foreachclutterclass,youcansetthefollowing:
Receiverheight(m):Ifyouwant,youcandefineareceiverheightforeachclutterclass.Thisisthevaluethatwill
betakenintoconsiderationifyouselectedUseheightsdefinedperclutterclassunderHeightreceiversideon
theCalculationParameterstab.
12. ClicktheDisplaytab.OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinehowthelineofsightareaswillbedisplayedonthemap.You
canselectoneofthefollowingdisplayoptions:
Oneareapersite:Selectthisoptiontodisplayalineofsightareaforeachsiteandthendefinethecolourtheline
ofsightareaswillbedisplayedin:
Automaticcolour:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollwillautomaticallyassignadifferentcolourtoeachlineof
sightarea,andyouwillbeabletodistinguishthelineofsightareasforeachsite.
Uniquecolour:Ifyouselectthisoption,selectingacolourfromthepalette,Atollwithdisplayalllineofsight
areasinthesamecolour,andtheresultingdisplaywillshowthecumulativelineofsightareas.
Setthetransparencyofthedisplayedlineofsightarea,bymovingtheslider.
Overlapping:Selectthisoptiontodisplaythelineofsightareaswithcoveragefromthedefinednumberofsites:
Areascoveredbyatleast2sites:SelectthischeckboxifyouwantAtolltodisplayallareascoveredbyatleast
2 sitesinthecolourselectedfromthepalette.
Areascoveredbyatleast3sites:SelectthischeckboxifyouwantAtolltodisplayallareascoveredbyatleast
3 sitesinthecolourselectedfromthepalette.
Areascoveredbyallsites:SelectthischeckboxifyouwantAtolltodisplayallareascoveredbyallsitesinthe
colourselectedfromthepalette.
13. SelecttheAddtolegendcheckboxtoaddtheoptionsdefinedontheDisplaytabtotheLegend.Forinformationon
theLegendwindow,see"DisplayingtheMapLegend"onpage 38.
14. ClickOK.TheEventViewerappears.
15. ClickClosewhenTaskLineofsightareaEndisshownintheEventViewer.Atolldisplaystheresultsonthemap.
Todeletethelineofsightareas:
1. RightclicktheSitesfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectVisibility >Deletelineofsightareasfromthecontextmenu.
7.3 CreatingLinks
InAtoll,youcanmanagemicrowavelinksaswellasothertransmissionlinkssuchasleasedlinesoropticalfibres.
"CreatingMicrowaveLinks"onpage 227.
"CreatingOtherTransmissionLinks"onpage 238.
"ModifyingSitesandLinksDirectlyontheMap"onpage 240.
"DisplayingTipsforSitesandLinks"onpage 240.
"AddingaPassiveRepeatertoaMicrowaveLink"onpage 240
"AddingaPassiveRepeatertoaMicrowaveLink"onpage 240.
"SettingtheWorkingAreaofanAtollDocument"onpage 244.
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7.3.1 CreatingMicrowaveLinks
Amicrowavelink,inAtoll,isapointtopointfixedradiofrequencylinkoperatingineithersimplexorinduplexmode.Duplex
operationmeansthateachradiofrequencychannelconsistsofapairoffrequencies,onefortransmissionandoneforrecep
tion.Thebasebandsignal,containingtheuserdata,occupiesalimitedbandwidthdependingonthemodulationschemeused.
Thisbasebandsignalismodulatedontoaradiofrequencycarrieratthetransmissionend,andistransmittedovertheairas
anelectromagneticwavefront.Microwaveradiolinksaredesignedtooperatebetween300 MHzand90 GHz.
Amicrowavelinkcomprisestwotransmission/receptionendswithantennas,transceiverradios,etc.,installedatboth.Atoll
enablesyoutocreatenewmicrowavelinksbybasingthemontemplatesorbysettingalltheparametersforeachnewmicro
wavelink.Inaddition,youcanmanagethemicrowavelinkactivitystatusgloballyorindividually.
"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
"CreatingorModifyingaMicrowaveLink"onpage 233.
"DefiningPortParameters"onpage 233.
"PlacingaNewMicrowaveLinkUsingtheMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 235.
"ManagingMicrowaveLinkTemplates"onpage 236.
7.3.1.1 DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink
TheparametersofamicrowavelinkcanbefoundinthemicrowavelinksPropertiesdialogue.ThePropertiesdialoguehas
seventabs:
Name:Thenameofthemicrowavelink.
UnderSiteA:youcansetthenameofthesitedefiningoneextremityofthelink.Iftheextremityofthemicrowave
linkisnotlocatedexactlyonthesite,youcanmodifyitspositionunderAntennaposition:
Relativetosite:Selectthisoptionifyouwanttoentertheantennapositionasoffsetswithrespecttothesite
location,andthenenterthexaxisandyaxisoffsets,DxandDy,respectively.
Coordinates:Selectthisoptionifyouwanttoenterthecoordinatesoftheantenna,andthenenterthexaxis
andyaxiscoordinatesoftheantenna,XandY,respectively.
UnderSiteB:youcansetthenameofthesitedefiningtheotherextremityofthelink.Iftheextremityofthemicro
wavelinkisnotlocatedexactlyonthesite,youcanmodifyitspositionunderAntennaPosition:
RelativetoSite:Selectthisoptionifyouwanttoentertheantennapositionsasoffsetswithrespecttothesite
InAtoll,"A"isthesiteofdepartureand"B"isthesiteofarrival.
Frequencyband:Theworkingfrequencybandofthemicrowavelink.
Length:Thecalculatedlength.
UnderPassiverepeaters:youcanselectanyrepeatersonthemicrowavelink:
RepeaterP:Thenameofapassiverepeateronthemicrowavelink.
RepeaterQ:Thenameofasecondpassiverepeateronthemicrowavelink.
Active:Themicrowavelinkactivitystatus.Onlyactivemicrowavelinksareconsideredinreliabilityandinterfer
enceanalysis.
Comments:Anycommentaboutthemicrowavelink.
227
Figure 7.6:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialogueGeneraltab
TheRadiotab(seeFigure 7.7):
Figure 7.7:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialogueRadiotab
A>>BandA<<B:Thedirectionofthemicrowavelink(A>>B:transmissionfromSite AtoSite B,A<<B:transmission

fromSite BtoSite A).Selectbothoptionstomakethemicrowavelinkbidirectional(i.e.,toallowcommunication
inbothdirections).
228
UnderAntennas,youcandefineantennasandcharacteristicsforthebothsitesofthemicrowavelink
Model:Theantennamodel.Bydefault,Atolllistsantennasthatoperateinthefrequencybanddefinedforthe
microwavelink.Ifyouwant,youcanapplyanadditionalfilterbyclickingthebutton( )besidetheantenna
modelfield.Whenthefilterisactive,theappearanceofthebuttonchanges( ).Inthiscase,Atollproposes
inthelistantennascompatiblewiththeselectedequipmentasdefinedintheAntenna/EquipmentCompati
bilitytable.
Height/ground:Theantennaheightwithrespecttotheground(inmetres).
Polarisation:Thepolarisationoftheantennatobeused.ThisparameterhelpsAtolldeterminewhichantenna
patterndiagramstouseforcalculations.
Azimuth:Thecalculatedazimuthoftheantennaisdisplayed.
Misalignment(az.):Theazimuthwithrespecttothedirectraybetweenthebothextremities.
Tilt:Thecalculatedtiltoftheantennaisdisplayed.
Misalignment(tilt):Thetiltwithrespecttothedirectraybetweenthebothextremities.
Usearadome:SelecttheUsearadomecheckboxifthereisaradomeprotectingtheantenna.
Losses:IftheUsearadomecheckboxisselected,Atolldisplaystheradomelosses.
UnderRadios,youcandefineradiorelatedparametersforthebothsitesofthemicrowavelink:
Series:Selecttheradioseriesyouwanttouse.Bydefault,Atolllistsradioserieswhoseradioscanoperatein
thefrequencybanddefinedforthemicrowavelink.
Model:Youcanselectareferenceradio.Bydefault,Atolllistsradiosthatoperateinthefrequencybandde
finedforthemicrowavelink.Ifyouwant,youcanapplyanadditionalfilterbyclickingthebutton( )beside
theantennamodelbox.Whenthefilterisactive,theappearanceofthebuttonchanges( ).Inthiscase,
AtollproposesinthelistradioscompatiblewiththeselectedantennaasdefinedintheAntenna/RadioCom
patibilitytable.
Youcanalsouseanassistanttoselecttheradio.Clickingthewandbutton( )besidetheModeltextbox
openstheRadioSelectiondialogue(seeFigure 7.8).Onlyradioseriessupportingthedefinedfrequencyband
areavailableintheRadioserieslist.Inthesameway,onlytheoperationmodessupportedbytheselected
radioseriesareavailableintheOperationmodelist.AccordingtotheselectedRadioseriesandOperation
mode,Atollhighlightsinthetabletheinterchannelspacingmodulationconfigurationssupportedbythera
dioseriesforthisfrequencybandandthedefinedoperationmode.Selectingoneoftheseconfigurationsin
thetableandclickingOKselectsthereferenceradioandfillstheModulationsandtheCapacitytextboxes
fromthepropertiesoftheradio.
Figure 7.8:RadioSelectiondialogue
Modulations:YoucanchangethemodulationfromtheModulationslist.Thelistpresentsallmodulations
compatiblewiththechannelbandwidthoftheselectedreferenceradio(i.e.,128QAM,256QAM,and64QAM
intheexample).Dependingontheoperationmode(constantmodulationoradaptivemodulation)selectedin
thePropertiesoftheLinksfolder,youcandefineoneormoremodulations.Ifthemicrowavelinkdoesnot
supportadaptivemodulation,selectamodulationfromthelist.Ifthemicrowavelinkcanswitchfromone
modulationtoanotherone,thenselectthesupportedmodulations.Changingthemodulationautomatically
changestheselectedreferenceradioandthecapacity.
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Capacity: You can select the capacity from the Capacity list. The list presents only capacities that can be
providedforthechannelbandwidthoftheselectedradio(i.e.,100DS1,115DS1and87DS1inthisexample).
Changingthecapacityautomaticallychangestheselectedreferenceradioandthemodulation.
Power:YoucaneitherselecttheODUconfiguration(Lowpower,Standardpower,Highpower)oftheradio,
and Atoll considers the maximum output power defined for the selected configuration in the radio series
properties,oryoucanchooseConstantpower,andentertheoutputpowervalue.Thislastoptionallowsyou
toconsiderthesameoutputpowerforallsupportedmodulationswhenusingadaptivemodulation.
Tuning:ThetuningvalueindBifyoudonotwanttotransmitatmaximumpower.Youcandefinethisparam
eterifyouhavepreviouslyselectedeitherLowpower,orStandardpower,orHighpower.
Nominalpower:Theoutputpoweraftertuning.
ATPC:Thepowerreserveusedtoincreasethetransmittedsignalwhenitrains.Thisparametercanbedefined
forbidirectionallinksonly.ThevaluecannotexceedtheMaxATPCvaluedefinedfortheequipment.ATPC
valueisconsideredinreliabilityandinterferenceanalysisonlyifpowercontrolison.Forinformationontaking
powercontrolintoconsideration,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
CoordinatedPower:TheoutputpowerwhenATPCisconsidered.Thevaluecannotbelowerthanthemini
mumoutputpowersupportedbytheradio.
UnderBranching,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
Configuration:Selectabranchingtype.Onlythebranchingtypessupportedbytheradioseriesoftheradio
andthedefinedfrequencybandareavailableinthelist.
Diversityantenna:Selectthediversityantennamodelwhentheconfigurationsupportsspacediversity.
Separation:Thedistancebetweenthemainandthediversityantennaswhenspacediversityisusedonthe
site.
Radome:SelecttheRadomecheckboxifthereisaradomeprotectingthediversityantenna.Atolldisplaysthe
radomelossesbesidethecheckbox.
UnderFrequencies,youcandefinethefollowingparameters:
SubBand:Thefrequencysubband.Bydefault,Atolllistsallfrequencysubbands,whosethefrequencyspac
ingexceedsthechannelbandwidthoftheselectedradio.Ifyouwant,youcanremovethisfilterbyclickingthe
button( )besidethefrequencysubbandfield.Theappearanceofthebuttonchanges( )andAtolldis
playsallfrequencysubbandsavailableforthemicrowavelinkfrequencybandinthelist.
Frequency:Thefrequencyonwhichthesignalistransmitted.Thisvalueisusedwhennosubbandisdefined.
Bydefault,itequalsthecentralfrequencyofthefrequencyband.
Halfband:Definewhichhalfband(eithertheupperorthelowerhalfband)isassignedtothesite.
Channels:Thechannel(s)allocatedtothesite.Thecorrespondingfrequencyisindicatedinbrackets.Chan
nel(s)canbeselectedonlyafterchoosingafrequencysubband.
PortSettings:ClickthePortSettingsbuttontoconfigurechannel(s)indetail.ThePortsDefinitiondialogue
appears.Youcanconfigurethechannels,transmissionandreceptionportnumbers,valuesfortransmission
andreceptionattenuation,thepolarisationandthechannelportstatus.Thenumberofportsyoucandefine
depends on the selected configuration and cannot exceed n+m (where "n" is the number of channels in
normaluseand"m"isthenumberofchannelsavailableasstandbychannels).
Forfurtherinformationonportsettings,see"DefiningPortParameters"onpage 233.
Portsettingshavetobedefinedifyouusecrosspolarisationinterferencecanceller,hot
standbyorfrequencydiversityconfigurations.Forotherconfigurations,portsettingsisnot
mandatory;youcandefineeitherthefrequencyorthesubbandandchannels.
TheConnectionstab(seeFigure 7.7):
UnderFeeders,youcanselectuptotwofeeders.Foreachofthem,youcandefineifitisusedeitherfortransmis
sionorreceptiononly,orforbothtransmissionandreceptiondirectionsandselectthefeedermodel.Bydefault,
Atolllistsfeedersthatoperateinthefrequencybanddefinedforthemicrowavelink.Ifyouwant,youcanapply
an additional filter by clicking the button ( ) beside the antenna model field. When the filter is active, the
appearance of the button changes ( ). In this case, Atoll proposes in the list, feeders compatible with the
selectedantennaandradioasdefinedintheAntenna/FeederCompatibilityandAntenna/FeederCompatibility
tables.Youcanalsoenterthelengthofeachfeeder.Atolldisplaystheattenuation.
UnderConnectionLosses,youcandefineadditionallossestobetakenintoaccountontransmission,reception,
oronbothtransmissionandreception.YoucanalsoaddaShieldingFactorthatistakenintoconsiderationwhen
calculatingtheinterferencereceivedbythesitesofthemicrowavelink.Signallevelsreceivedfrominterferersare
attenuatedbytheshieldingfactor.
230
YoucanchangethewayAtollconsiderstheshieldingfactorincalculationsbysettingan
optionintheatoll.inifile.Whenthisoptionisactive,bothtransmittedandreceivedsignals
are attenuated by the shielding factor. For more information, see the Administrator
Manual.
Figure 7.9:MicrowavelinkPropertiesdialogueConnectionstab
TheGeoclimatictab:
CurrentMethods:UnderCurrentMethods,youcanseethecalculationmethodsusedtoanalysethemicrowave
linkqualityandavailability.ThemethodsdisplayedarethosesetontheModelstaboftheLinksPropertiesdia
logue.Formoreinformation,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
Thegeoclimaticparametersavailabledependontheselectedqualityandavailabilitymethods.Toaccessallgeo
climaticparameterswhateverthemethodsyouhaveselected,clicktheDisplayAllbuttonavailableunderCurrent
Methods.
Thedifferentgeoclimaticparametersaredescribedbelow:
AtmosphericandClimaticConditions:UnderAtmosphericandClimaticConditions,youcandefinetheconditions
underwhichthemicrowaveoperates:
Climatezone(Vigants):Selecttheclimaticzonethatbestdescribestheclimateinwhichthemicrowavelink
operates.ThisinformationisusedonlywhenusingVigantsBarnettasthequalitycalculationmethod.Youcan
choosebetween"WarmandHumid","Temperate","Dry"and"GreatLakesAreas".
Rainzone:Selecttherainzoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkoperates.Youcanselectthefollowingrainzones:
"A:Polar(Dry)","B:Polar(Moderate)","B1:Cold(Dry)","B2:Cold(Moderate)","C:TemperateMaritime",
"D1:TemperateContinental(Dry)","D2:TemperateContinental(Moderate)","D3:TemperateContinental
(Wet)","E:SubtropicalWet","F:SubtropicalArid(Dry)","G:TropicalModerate"and"H:Tropical".
Temperature:Settheaveragetemperatureofthezoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkoperates.Clickingthe
button( )besidetheTemperaturetextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthetemperaturebased
onRec.ITURP.15100,ITURP.8353(andselectaseason),orthetemperaturesetinthegeoclimaticfile.For
moreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Rec.ITURP.530:TheparametersfoundunderRec.ITURP.530arethoserecommendedbyITURP.530to
calculatethequalityofthemicrowavelink:
WaterVapourDensity:Setthewatervapourdensityingramspercubicmetre.Clickingthebutton( )be
sidetheWaterVapourDensitytextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthewatervapourdensity
basedonRec.ITURP.8363(andselectthepercentageoftheaverageyearwherethedefinedwatervapour
densityisexceeded),orbasedonRec.ITURP.8353(andselectaseason),orthewatervapourdensitysetin
231
thegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.The
dialoguealsodisplaysthewatervapourpressureinhectopascals(hPa)calculatedusingyourdataandbased
onRec.ITURP.4539.
Rainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyear:Settherainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyear
(or,inotherwords,anamountofrainfallalmostneverobserved).Clickingthebutton( )besidetheRainfall
rateexceeded0.01%oftheaverageyeartextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttherainfallrateex
ceeded0.01%oftheaverageyearbasedonRec.ITURP.8374ortherainfallrateexceeded0.01%oftheav
erageyearsetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"on
page 127.
Atmosphericpressure:Settheatmosphericpressureinhectopascal.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheAt
mosphericpressureboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttheatmosphericpressurebasedonRec.ITUR
P.8353(andselectaseason),ortheatmosphericpressuresetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationon
thegeoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Relativehumidity:TheRelativehumiditydisplayediscalculatedusingthedefinedwatervapourdensity.
Rec.ITURP.53012,13:UnderRec.ITURP.53012,13,youcanentertheRainheight(0C/32FIsotherm)
inmetres.Therainheightistheheightofthetopoftheraincolumnabovemeansealevelfromthe0Ciso
therm.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheRainheightboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttherain
heightbasedonRec.ITURP.8393,ortherainheightsetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthe
geoclimaticfile,see"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Refractivitygradient:UnderRefractivitygradient,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
Innormalconditions:Settherefractivitygradientobserved50%oftimeinNunitsperkm.Clickingthebutton
( )besidetheInnormalconditionstextboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselectthemethodtoestimate
therefractivitygradientundernormalconditions.TherefractivitygradientcanbecalculatedfromRec.ITUR
P.4539,usingauserdefinedreferencealtitude,ortherefractivitygradientcanbebasedondatagivenbyRec.
ITURP.4539forlessthan65 m.andapercentageoftheyearthatNisnotexceeded(50%issetbydefault),
ortherefractivitygradientcanbesetinthegeoclimaticfile.Formoreinformationonthegeoclimaticfile,see
"GeoclimaticMaps"onpage 127.
Thekfactormedianvalue,calculatedusingthesetparameters,isdisplayed.
Insubrefractionconditions:Settherefractivitygradientobserved99%oftimeinNunitsperkm.Clickingthe
button( )besidetheInsubrefractionconditionstextboxautomaticallycalculatestherefractivitygradient
undersubrefractionconditions.
Thekfactoreffectivevalue,calculatedusingthesetparameters,isdisplayed.
Geoclimaticfactor:TheparametersunderGeoclimaticfactorareusedtocalculatethequalityofthemicrowave
linkandarebrokendownbycalculationmethod.UnderGeoclimaticfactor,youcansetthefollowingparameters:
VigantsBarnett:ParametersavailableunderVigantsBarnettdependontheoptionselectedontheModels
taboftheLinksPropertiesdialogue.
IfyouselectUserdefinedunderMultipathoccurrencemethod,youcanentertheTerrainclimatefactor C
value,thepropagationconditionfactorfortheVigantsBarnettmethod.
IfyouselecttheSimplifiedmethodortheTerrainbased(roughness)method,youcandefinetheTerraintype
("FlatTerrain","AverageTerrain","MountainousTerrain",or"GreatLakes").IfyouareusingtheSimplified
method,AtolldisplaystheTerrainclimatefactor Cvaluecorrespondingtothedefinedclimatezoneandthe
terraintype.FortheTerrainbased(roughness)method,AtolldisplaystheTerrainclimatefactor Cvaluecor
respondingtothedefinedclimatezoneandtheterraintypeandletsyouselectwhetheryouwanttoTaketer
rainroughnessintoaccount.
ITURP.5305,8:UnderITURP.5305,8,youcanselecttheEnvironment.Youcanchoosebetween"Open
areas"forterrestrialmicrowavelinkswheretheheightofthelowestantennainthemicrowavelinkislower
than700 m;"Mountains"forterrestrialmicrowavelinkswheretheheightofthelowestantennainthemicro
wavelinkishigherthan700 m;"Lakes"formicrowavelinksoveranexpanseofwater;or"Overwater"formi
crowavelinksoveranextendedexpanseofwater.Finally,youcandefinethePLfactor.PListhepercentof
timetherelativerefractivitygradientislessthan100 NKm.ThePLfactorcanbefoundontheITURmaps.
K.Q.method:UnderK.Q.method,youcandefineK.Q.fortheK.Qmethod.Kmodelsgeoclimaticandterrain
effectsonclimatewhileQisthefactorforvariablesotherthanthosedependentondistanceandfrequency.
Rec.ITURP.530:UnderITURP.530,youcandefinetheKfactor.Kmodelsgeoclimaticandterraineffectson
climate.Clickingthebutton( )besidetheKboxopensadialoguewhereyoucanselecttheKfactorbased
onRec.ITURP.5305orRec.ITURP.5308(andselectaterraintypeandenteravalueforC0andforthe
percentage of time the refractivity gradient (< 100 m.) is less than 100 Nunitskm for the worst average
month)orbasedonRec.ITURP.53010andabove(andselectthesimplifiedmethodwhereyoualsodefine
232
the refractivity gradient (< 65 m.) not exceeded during 1% of the average year or select the method with
terrainroughnesstakenintoaccountwhereyoudefinetherefractivitygradientandtheterrainroughness).
ThePerformancetab:
Linkclass:UnderLinkclass,youcanselectthelinkclass.Eachlinkclasscanhavedifferentperformanceobjectives.
Byassigninglinkclassestomicrowavelinks,youareassigningthetargetparametersandusagelimitationsofthe
linkclasstotheselectedmicrowavelinks.Forinformationoncreatingalinkclass,see"LinkClasses"onpage 178.
ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedlinkclass.
ClickingtheObjectivesbuttonopensadialoguewhereyoucanviewandmodifytheperformanceobjectivesof
theselectedlinkclass.
Biterrorrate:UnderBiterrorrate,youcansetthevaluesforBER 1andBER 2.Atolldisplaystheresultingsensi
tivityforeachBER.
IfthevalueforBERthatyouenterisnotdefinedinthepropertiesoftheequipment,Atollwillinterpolatetode
terminethecorrespondingsensitivity.
Reliability:UnderReliability,youcansettheMeantimetorepair(MTTR)inhour.TheMTTRistakenintoaccount
whencalculatingunavailabilityduetofailuresifthemicrowavelinkisnotequippedwithahotstandbychannel
system.
ThePropagationtab:OnthePropagationtab,youcandefinepropagationrelatedparameters:
Usefulsignal:UnderUsefulsignal,youcanselectthepropagationmodelthatwillbeusedtocalculatetheuseful
signal.Fromthisparameter,Atollevaluatesthemarginwhichisthenconsideredforcalculatingthequalityand
theavailabilityofthemicrowavelink.
Interferingsignal:UnderModelusedfortheinterferingsignal,youcanselectthepropagationmodelthatwillbe
usedtocalculatesignallevelreceivedfrominterferingsites.
TheDisplaytab:OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinetheappearanceofthemicrowavelinkanditsextremities.
7.3.1.2 CreatingorModifyingaMicrowaveLink
Youcanaccessthepropertiesofamicrowavelink,describedin"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227,throughthe
microwavelinksPropertiesdialogue.HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhetheryouarecreatinganew
microwavelinkormodifyinganexistingmicrowavelink.
Tocreateamicrowavelink:
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheLinksNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
6. ClickOK.
Tomodifyamicrowavelink:
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkyouwanttomodify.Ifthemicrowavelinksareorganisedinsubfolders,youmustfirst
clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthesubfolderbeforerightclickingthemicrowavelink.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThemicrowavelinksPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
7. ClickOK.
7.3.1.3 DefiningPortParameters
InAtoll,portsareusedtoconfigurechannel(s)indetail.Theyhavetobedefinedifyouusecrosspolarisationinterference
canceller,hotstandbyorfrequencydiversityconfigurations.Forotherconfigurations,portsettingsisnotmandatory;youcan
defineeitherafrequencyorthechannelsused.Youcanconfigureportparametersforanindividualmicrowavelinkorforall
microwavelinks.
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Todefineportparametersforasinglemicrowavelink:
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkwhoseportparametersyouwanttodefine.Ifthemicrowavelinksareorganisedinsub
folders,youmustfirstclicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthesubfolderbeforerightclickingthemicrowavelink.
6. SelecttheRadiotab.
7. UnderFrequencies,selectaSubBandfortheSite Aofthemicrowavelink.
8. ClickApply.ThePortParameterSettingsbuttonbecomesactive.
9. FromtheHalfbandlist,selectthehalfbandusedonSite A.
10. ClickthePortParameterSettingsbutton.ThePortsDefinitiondialogueappears.
11. Definethefollowingparametersforeachchanneltransmittedinonedirection:
Channel:Thechannelname.Thecorrespondingfrequencyisindicatedinbrackets.
Txport:Theportnumberforthetransmittingequipment.Thenumbermustbe1orgreater.
Rxport:Theportnumberforthereceivingequipment.Thenumbermustbe1orgreater.
TransmissionAttenuation:ThetransmissionattenuationindB.
ReceptionAttenuation:ThereceptionattenuationindB.
Polarisation:Thesignalpolarisation.
Status:Eitherselect"Main"ifthechannelisactive(channel"n"),"Standby"forastandbychannel(channel"m"),
"Diversity"ifitisusedforfrequencydiversity,or"DiversityStandby"ifitusedasstandbydiversity.
InAtoll,frequencydiversitycanbemodelledintwodifferentways:
Onechannelcanbeassociatedwithadiversitychannelthatisalwaysactive.Youhavetocreatetwochannels
with"Diversity"asstatus.
Oneorseveralstandbychannelscanbeusedtoprotect"n"diversitychannels.Inthiscase,youhavetodefine
nchannelswith"Diversity"asstatusandoneorseveralstandbychannelswith"DiversityStandby"asstatus.
Thisisreferredtoasmultichannelfrequencydiversity.
Notethatthenumberofportsyoucandefinedependsonthesystemconfigurationselectedinthemicrowavelink
propertiesandcannotexceedn+m.
After defining the configuration for one direction, you can define the opposite direction by clicking the Initialise
Symmetricallybutton.
Ininterferencecalculations,anychannel,whetheritsstatusismain,standby,diversityordiversitystandby,isconsid
eredasapotentiallyinterferedchannelandapotentiallyinterferingchannel.
YoucanchangethewayAtolltakesstandbyanddiversitystandbychannelsintoconsider
ation when calculating interference by setting an option in the atoll.ini file. When this
option is active, standby and diversitystandby channels are considered as potentially
interferedchannelsbuttheyarenotinterferingotherchannels.Formoreinformation,see
theAdministratorManual.
12. ClickOK.ThePortsDefinitiondialoguecloses.
13. ClickOK.
Todefineportparametersforallmicrowavelinks:
1. SelecttheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow.
3. SelectPorts >Opentable.Thetableopens.
Definethefollowingparameters:
Link:Thenameofthemicrowavelink.
Way:Thelinkdirection(ABorBA).
Channel:Thechannelname.Thecorrespondingfrequencyisindicatedinbrackets.
Txport:Theportnumberforthetransmittingequipment.Thenumbermustbe1orgreater.
Rxport:Theportnumberforthereceivingequipment.Thenumbermustbe1orgreater.
TransmissionAttenuation:ThetransmissionattenuationindB.
ReceptionAttenuation:ThereceptionlossesattenuationindB.
Polarisation:Thesignalpolarisation.
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Status:Eitherselect"Main"ifthechannelisactive(channel"n"),"Standby"forastandbychannel(channel"m"),
"Diversity"ifitisusedforfrequencydiversityor"DiversityStandby"ifitusedasstandbydiversity.
InAtoll,frequencydiversitycanbemodelledintwodifferentways:
Onechannelcanbeassociatedwithadiversitychannelthatisalwaysactive.Youhavetocreatetwochannels
with"Diversity"asstatus.
Oneorseveralstandbychannelscanbeusedtoprotect"n"diversitychannels.Inthiscase,youhavetodefine
nchannelswith"Diversity"asstatusandoneorseveralstandbychannelswith"DiversityStandby"asstatus.
Thisisreferredtoasmultichannelfrequencydiversity.
Ininterferencecalculations,anychannel,whetheritsstatusismain,standby,diversityordiversitystandby,isconsid
eredasapotentiallyinterferedchannelandapotentiallyinterferingchannel.
YoucanchangethewayAtolltakesstandbyanddiversitystandbychannelsintoconsider
ation when calculating interference by setting an option in the atoll.ini file. When this
option is active, standby and diversitystandby channels are considered as potentially
interferedchannelsbuttheyarenotinterferingotherchannels.Formoreinformation,see
theAdministratorManual.
7.3.1.4 PlacingaNewMicrowaveLinkUsingtheMicrowaveLinkTemplate
WithAtoll,youcancreatemicrowavelinksbasedonmicrowavelinktemplates.Thisallowsyoutobuildyournetworkquickly
withconsistentparameters,insteadofbuildingthenetworkbyfirstcreatingthemicrowavelinkandthendefiningallofthe
relevantparameters.
Youcancreateamicrowavelinkinthefollowingways:
Directlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate
Betweentwoexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate.
Tocreateamicrowavelinkdirectlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate:
1. IntheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar,selectamicrowavelinktemplatefromthe
list.
2. ClickthearrownexttoNewLinkbutton( )ontheMicrowaveLinkPlanning
toolbar.
3. SelectMWUsingTheMouseOnTheMapfromthemenu.Thepointerchanges
( ).
Thesitesthatdefinetheextremitiesofamicrowavelinkcanbealreadyexisting
sitesorAtollcancreatenewsitesautomaticallyatthelocationyouclickonthe
map.EachsiteinAtoll cansupport several transmission links,transmitters,and
passiverepeaters.
4. Inthemapwindow,movethepointeroverthemaptowhereyouwouldliketo
place one end of the new microwave link and click. The pointer now changes
( ).
Ifyouclickonanexistingsite,Atollwillusethesiteasoneextremity;otherwise,
Atoll will create a site where you click. The exact coordinates of the pointers
currentlocationarevisibleintheStatusbar.
5. Move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the other
extremityofthemicrowavelinkandclicktoplaceit.
Toplacethemicrowavelinkmoreaccurately,youcanzoominonthemapbefore
you click the New Link button. For information on using the zooming tools, see
"ChangingtheMapScale"onpage 34.
Ifyouletthepointerrestovertheextremityyouhaveplaced,Atolldisplaysitstip
textwithitsexactcoordinates,allowingyoutoverifythatthelocationiscorrect.
Tocreateamicrowavelinkontwoexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate:
1. IntheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar,selectamicrowavelinktemplatefromthelist.
2. ClickthearrownexttoNewLinkbutton( )ontheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar.
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3. SelectMWBetweenSitesfromthemenu.TheLinkCreationdialogueappears.
4. IntheLinkCreationdialogue,definethefollowingparameters:
Model:themicrowavelinktemplateyouwanttouseinordertocreatethemicrowavelink.
SiteA:thenameofthesitedefiningoneextremityofthemicrowavelink.
SiteB:thenameofthesitedefiningtheotherextremityofthemicrowavelink.
5. ClickOK.
Bydefault,Atollnamesthenewlycreatedmicrowavelinksinthefollowingmanner:SiteXSiteY,whereSiteXisthenameof
thestartsite(existingornewlycreated)andSiteYisthenameoftheendsite(existingornewlycreated).
7.3.1.5 ManagingMicrowaveLinkTemplates
Atollcomeswithmicrowavelinktemplates,butyoucanalsocreateandmodifymicrowavelinktemplates.
"CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 236
"ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 237
"ModifyingaFieldonaMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 237
"DeletingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 238.
7.3.1.5.1 CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate
Youcancreateamicrowavelinktemplatebybasingitonanexistingmicrowavelinkorbybasingitonanexistingmicrowave
linktemplate.Thenewmicrowavelinktemplatehasthesameparametersasthemicrowavelinkormicrowavelinktemplate
onwhichitwasbased.Therefore,byselectingamicrowavelinkormicrowavelinktemplatewithparameterssimilartothe
microwavelinktemplateyouwanttocreate,youonlyneedtomodifytheparametersthataredifferent.
"CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateBasedonaMicrowaveLink"onpage 236
"CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateBasedonAnotherMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 236.
CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateBasedonaMicrowaveLink
Tocreateamicrowavelinktemplatebasedonanexistingmicrowavelink:
1. In the map window, rightclick the microwave link on which you want to base your template. The context menu
appears.
2. SelectSaveasTemplatefromthecontextmenu.
Thenewmicrowavelinktemplate,calledSameaslink<original_link>,hasthesameparametersasthemicrowave
linkitisbasedon.ItisavailableinthelistoftheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar.
CreatingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateBasedonAnotherMicrowaveLinkTemplate
You can also create a microwave link template based on an existing microwave link template. The new microwave link
templatehasthesameparametersastheoneitisbasedon.
Tocreateamicrowavelinktemplatebasedonanexistingmicrowavelinktemplate:
3. RightclicktheMWLinkTemplatefolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectManagementfromthecontextmenu.TheLinkPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. InthelistofAvailableTemplates,selectthemicrowavelinktemplatethatmostresemblesthemicrowavelinktem
plateyouwanttocreate.YoucanverifythepropertiesbyselectingthemicrowavelinktemplateandclickingtheProp
ertiesbutton.
6. ClicktheAddbutton.AtollautomaticallycreatesanewmicrowavelinktemplatecalledCopyof<original_link>Prop
erties.TheCopyof<original_link>Propertiesdialogueappears.
Youcannothavetwomicrowavelinktemplateswiththesamename.Ifthereisalready
atemplatecalledCopyof<original_link>,youwillhavetomodifythenameofthat
templateasexplainedin"ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate"onpage 237.
7. Edittheparametersofthenewmicrowavelinktemplateasexplainedin"ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateUsing
ItsPropertiesDialogue"onpage 237.Forinformationonthefields,see"DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
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8. ClickOKtoclosetheCopyof<original_link>Propertiesdialogue.Thenewmicrowavelinktemplateisdisplayedinthe
listofAvailableTemplates.
9. ClickOKtoclosetheLinkPropertiesdialogue.ThenewmicrowavelinktemplateisavailableinthelistoftheMicro
waveLinkPlanningtoolbar.
7.3.1.5.2 ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate
YoucanmodifyamicrowavelinktemplatedirectlyintheMWLinkTemplatestable,oryoucanopenthePropertiesdialogue
forthatmicrowavelinktemplateandmodifytheparametersinthedialogue.
"ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateintheMWLinkTemplatesTable"onpage 237
"ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateUsingItsPropertiesDialogue"onpage 237.
ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateintheMWLinkTemplatesTable
TomodifyamicrowavelinktemplatefromtheMWLinkTemplatestable:
1. ClicktheParameterstabintheexplorerwindow.
4. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheMWLinkTemplatestableappears.
5. Edittheparametersofthemicrowavelinktemplateinthecorrespondingtablerow.
ModifyingaMicrowaveLinkTemplateUsingItsPropertiesDialogue
TomodifyamicrowavelinktemplateusingitsPropertiesdialogue:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMWLinkTemplatesfolder.
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinktemplateyouwanttomodify.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheMWLinkTemplatePropertiesdialogueappears.
6. EdittheparametersofthelinktemplateandclickOKtoclosethedialogue.
7.3.1.5.3 ModifyingaFieldonaMicrowaveLinkTemplate
Youcanaddafieldtoamicrowavelinktemplate,modifyanexistingfield,ordeleteafieldfromamicrowavelinktemplate.
Youcanonlymodifyordeleteafieldthatyouhaveaddedyourselftoamicrowavelink
template.
Toadd,modifyordeleteafieldonamicrowavelinktemplate:
4. SelectManagementfromthecontextmenu.TheLinkPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. UnderAvailableTemplates,selectthemicrowavelinktemplatewiththefieldyouwanttomodify.
Toaddafieldtoamicrowavelinktemplate:
a. ClicktheFieldsbutton.TheTabledialogueappears.
b. IntheTabledialogue,clicktheAddbuttontoaddafield.TheFieldDefinitiondialogueappears.
c. IntheFieldDefinitiondialogue,edittheparametersofthenewfieldandclickOK.
Ifyouaddafieldtothemicrowavelinktemplates,youmustaddanequivalentfieldtothe
Sitestableorthefieldwillnotbetakenintoaccount.
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Tomodifyafieldonamicrowavelinktemplate:
b. IntheTabledialogue,selectthefieldyouwanttomodifyandclickthePropertiesbutton.TheFieldDefinitiondi
alogueappears.
c. IntheFieldDefinitiondialogue,edittheparametersofthefieldandclickOK.
Todeleteafieldonamicrowavelinktemplate:
b. IntheTabledialogue,selectthefieldyouwanttodeleteandclicktheDeletebutton.
6. ClickOKtoclosetheTabledialogue.
7.3.1.5.4 DeletingaMicrowaveLinkTemplate
Todeleteamicrowavelinktemplate:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMWLinkTemplatefolder.
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinktemplateyouwanttodelete.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Themicrowavelinktemplateisdeleted.
7.3.2 CreatingOtherTransmissionLinks
Atollenablesyoutomanageothertransmissionlinkssuchasleasedlinesoropticalfibres.
"DefinitionofOtherTransmissionLinks"onpage 238.
"CreatingorModifyingOtherTransmissionLinks"onpage 239.
"PlacingOtherTransmissionLinksDirectlyontheMap"onpage 239.
7.3.2.1 DefinitionofOtherTransmissionLinks
TheparametersofanOtherTransmissionLinkcanbefoundinitsPropertiesdialogue.ThePropertiesdialoguehastwotabs:
Name:Thenameofthelink.
Supporttype:Thetypeoftransmissionlink(e.g.,aleasedline,anopticalfibre,etc.).Forinformationoncreating
atransmissionlinktype,see"DefiningTransmissionLinkTypes"onpage 186.
SiteA:Thenameofthesitedefiningoneextremityofthelink.
SiteB:Thenameofthesitedefiningtheotherextremityofthelink.
Objectiveclass:Linkscanhavedifferentperformanceobjectives.Byassigninganobjectiveclasstoalink,youare
assigningthetargetparametersandusagelimitationsoftheobjectiveclasstotheselectedlink.Forinformation
oncreatingaobjectiveclass,see"LinkClasses"onpage 178.
Active:Thelinkactivitystatus.Onlyactivelinksareconsideredinreliabilityanalysis.
Figure 7.10:OtherTransmissionLinksPropertiesdialogueGeneraltab
TheDisplaytab:OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinetheappearanceofthelink.
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7.3.2.2 CreatingorModifyingOtherTransmissionLinks
The properties of an Other Transmission Link, described in "Definition of Other Transmission Links" on page 238, can be
accessedthroughitsPropertiesdialogue.HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhetheryouarecreatinganew
OtherTransmissionLinkormodifyinganexistingone.
TocreateanewOtherTransmissionLink:
3. RightclicktheOtherTransmissionLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheOtherTransmissionLink:NewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. Definetheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofOtherTransmissionLinks"onpage 238.
6. ClickOK.
TomodifyanexistingOtherTransmissionLink:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheOtherTransmissionLinksfolder.
4. RightclicktheOtherTransmissionLinkyouwanttomodify.IftheOtherTransmissionLinksareorganisedinfolders,
clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthefolderthenrightclickthedesiredOtherTransmissionLink.
5. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheOtherTransmissionLinksPropertiesdialogueappears.
6. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofOtherTransmissionLinks"onpage 238.
7. ClickOK.
7.3.2.3 PlacingOtherTransmissionLinksDirectlyontheMap
WithAtoll,youcancreateothertransmissionlinksdirectlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsites.
TocreateanOtherTransmissionLinkdirectlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsites:
1. ClickthearrownexttoNewLinkbutton( )ontheMicrowaveLinkPlanning
toolbar.Themenuappears.
2. SelectOtherLinkWithMouseOnTheMap.Thepointerchangesto( ).
ThesitesthatdefinetheextremitiesofanOtherTransmissionLinkcanbealready
existingsitesorAtollcancreatenewsitesautomaticallyatthelocationyouclickon
themap.EachsiteinAtollcansupportseveraltransmissionlinks,transmitters,and
passiverepeaters.
place one end of the new Other Transmission Link and click. The pointer now
changes( ).
4. Move the pointer over the map to where you would like to place the other
extremityoftheOtherTransmissionLinkandclicktoplaceit.
Toplacethelinkmoreaccurately,youcanzoominonthemapbeforeyouclickthe
NewLinkbutton.Forinformationonusingthezoomingtools,see"Changingthe
MapScale"onpage 34.
Bydefault,Atollnamesthenewlycreatedlinksinthefollowingmanner:SiteXSiteY,whereSiteXisthenameofthestartsite
(existingornewlycreated)andSiteYisthenameoftheendsite(existingornewlycreated).
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7.3.3 ModifyingSitesandLinksDirectlyontheMap
InAtoll,youcanaccessthePropertiesdialogueofasiteorlinkusingthecontextmenuontheNetworktaboftheexplorer
window.However,inacomplexmicrowaveproject,itcanbedifficulttofindthedataobjectontheNetworktab,althoughit
mightbevisibleinthemapwindow.AtollletsyouaccessthePropertiesdialogueofsitesandlinksdirectlyfromthemap.If
thereismorethanonelinkbetweenthesamesitesoriftherearetwositesincloseproximity,clickingtheminthemap
windowopensacontextmenuallowingyoutoselectonelinkorsite.Youcanalsochangethepositionofthesitebydragging
it,orbylettingAtollfindahigherlocationforit.
ModifyingsitesandlinksdirectlyonthemapisexplainedindetailinChapter1:TheWorkingEnvironment:
"DisplayingthePropertiesofanObject"onpage 24
"SelectingOneofSeveralLinks"onpage 25
"MovingaSiteUsingtheMouse"onpage 25
"MovingaSitetoaHigherLocation"onpage 26
"ChangingtheAzimuthoftheAntennaUsingtheMouse"onpage 26
"ChangingtheAntennaPositionRelativetotheSiteUsingtheMouse"onpage 26
"SelectingAnotherSitefortheLinkExtremityUsingtheMouse"onpage 27.
7.3.4 DisplayingTipsforSitesandLinks
Atollallowsyoutodisplayinformationaboutlinksinanumberofdifferentways.Thisenablesyounotonlytodisplayselected
information,butalsotodistinguishlinksataglance.
Thefollowingtoolscanbeusedtodisplayinformationaboutlinks:
Label:Youcandisplayinformationabouteachobject,suchaseachsiteorlink,intheformofalabelthatisdisplayed
withtheobject.Youcandisplayinformationfromeveryfieldinthatobjecttypesdatatable,includingfromfieldsthat
youadd.Thelabelisalwaysdisplayed,soyoushouldchooseinformationthatyouwouldwanttoalwaysbevisible;
toomuchinformationwillleadtoacluttereddisplay.Whenyoucreatealabelforalink,Atollallowsyoutochange
thepositionofthelabelusingthemouse.Forinformationondefiningthelabel,see"DefiningtheObjectTypeLabel"
onpage 30.
Tiptext:Youcandisplayinformationabouteachobject,suchaseachsiteorlink,intheformoftiptextthatisonly
visiblewhenyoumovethepointerovertheobject.Youcanchoosetodisplaymoreinformationthaninthelabel,
becausetheinformationisonlydisplayedwhenyoumovethepointerovertheobject.Youcandisplayinformation
fromeveryfieldinthatobjecttypesdatatable,includingfromfieldsthatyouadd.Forinformationondefiningthetip
text,see"DefiningtheObjectTypeTipText"onpage 31.
Linkcolour:Youcansetthelinkcolourtodisplayinformationaboutthelink.Forexample,youcanselect"Discrete
Values"todistinguishmicrowavelinksbyfrequencybands,ortodistinguishothertransmissionlinksbylinktype.For
informationondefiningthelinkcolour,see"DefiningtheDisplayType"onpage 28.
7.3.5 AddingaPassiveRepeatertoaMicrowaveLink
Passiverepeatersarenormallyusedtoredirectthemicrowavesignalaroundanobstruction.Passiverepeatersdividethe
radiopathintotwobranches,eachtraversingdifferenttypeterrain,normallyhavingdifferentlengthsanddifferentinclina
tions.Thisimpliesdifferentpropagationconditionsforthesetwobranchesconcerningfading,distortionsandrainetc.Dueto
thispropertyofpassiverepeaterstheyarealsoreferredtoas"beambenders".
Passiverepeatershavethefollowingadvantagesoveractivesites:
Nopowerisrequired
Noregularroadaccessisrequired
Noequipmenthousingisneeded
Theyareenvironmentallyfriendly
Littleornomaintenanceisrequired.
Theseadvantagesmeanthatpassiverepeaterscanbeplacedinrelativelyinaccessibleareas.
Therearetwomaintypesofpassiverepeaters.Thefirsttypeiswheretwoantennasareplacedbacktobackconnectedbya
shortfeedercable;thesearecalledbacktobackantennapassiverepeaters.Thesecondtypeisaplanereflectortypepassive
repeaterwhereaflatmetalreflectorisusedtoredirectthesignal;theseareoftencalledpassivereflectorsorplanereflectors.
Atollcanmodelbothtypesofpassiverepeatersandprovideyouwithaccesstoalltherelevantparameters.Thefollowing
sectionsexplainhowAtollmodelspassiverepeaters.
InAtoll,a"repeater"isalwaysa"passiverepeater."
"DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater"onpage 241.
"OpeningthePassiveRepeatersTable"onpage 241
"CreatingorModifyingaPassiveRepeater"onpage 242
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"PlacingaPassiveMicrowaveRepeaterontheMapUsingtheMouse"onpage 242
"CreatingSeveralPassiveRepeaters"onpage 243
7.3.5.1 DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater
TheparametersofapassiverepeatercanbefoundintherepeatersPropertiesdialogue.ThePropertiesdialoguehastwo
tabs:
TheGeneraltab:
Name:Thenameofthepassiverepeater.Bydefault,passiverepeatersarenamed"PassiveRepeaterN"where"N"
isanumberassignedasthepassiverepeateriscreated.
YoucanchangetheSitethepassiverepeaterislocatedonbyselectingitfromtheSitelist.ClickingtheBrowse
button( )opensthePropertiesdialogueofthesite.
UnderAntennaPosition,youcandefinethepositionofthepassiverepeater,ifitisnotlocatedonthesiteitself:
RelativetoSite:Selectthisoptionifyouwanttoentertheantennapositionsasoffsetswithrespecttothesite
FrequencyBand:Theoperatingfrequencybandofthepassiverepeater.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opens
thePropertiesdialogueofthefrequencyband.
TheSettingstab.
Type:Fromthe Typelist, you can select whetherthepassive repeateris a "PanelReflector"or "BacktoBack
Antennas".
Fora"PanelReflector",definetheseparameters:
Surface:Thesurfaceareaoftherepeater.
and,underAntenna 1:
Height:Thereflectorheight.
Azimuth:Theazimuthtowardsthesiteoftransmission.
Tilt:Thetiltangletowardsthesiteoftransmission.
TheGainat45iscalculatedanddisplayedforpanelreflectors.
YoucanclicktheCalculatebutton( )toautomaticallycalculateazimuthandtiltangles.
For"BacktoBackAntennas",definetheseparametersforAntenna 1andAntenna 2:
Model:Themodeloftheantenna.ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )opensthePropertiesdialogueofthe
model.
Height:Theantennaheight.
Azimuth:Theazimuthtowardsthesiteoftransmission.
Tilt:Thetiltangletowardsthesiteoftransmission.
ForAntenna 2,selecttheCrosspolarisationcheckboxforantennaswithcrossedpolarisation.
YoucanclicktheCalculatebutton( )toautomaticallycalculateazimuthandtiltangles.
UnderFeeder,youcanchoosetheFeederanddefinetheLengthfor"BacktoBackAntennas",.Bydefault,
Atolllistsfeedersthatoperateinthefrequencybanddefinedforthepassiverepeater.Ifyouwant,youcan
applyanadditionalfilterbyclickingthebutton( )besidethemodelfield.Whenthefilterisactive,the
appearanceofthebuttonchanges( ).Atollnowlistsfeederscompatiblewiththeselectedantennasas
definedintheAntennaFeederCompatibilitytable.
ClickingtheBrowsebutton( )besidetheFeederlistopensthePropertiesdialogueofthemodel.
TheAttenuationiscalculatedanddisplayed.
7.3.5.2 OpeningthePassiveRepeatersTable
PassiverepeatersandtheirdefiningparametersarestoredinthePassiveRepeaterstable.
ToopenthePassiveRepeaterstable:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )oftheLinksfoldertoexpandthefolder.
4. SelectPassiveRepeaters >OpenTablefromthecontextmenu.ThePassiveRepeaterstableappears.
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7.3.5.3 CreatingorModifyingaPassiveRepeater
Youcanmodifyanexistingpassiverepeaterorcreateanewpassiverepeater.Youcanaccessthepropertiesofapassive
repeater,describedin"DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater"onpage 241,throughthepassiverepeatersPropertiesdialogue.
HowyouaccessthePropertiesdialoguedependsonwhetheryouarecreatinganewpassiverepeaterormodifyinganexisting
passiverepeater.
Tocreateapassiverepeater:
4. SelectPassiveRepeaters >Newfromthecontextmenu.ThePassiveRepeatersNewElementPropertiesdialogue
appears.
5. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater"onpage 241.
6. ClickOK.
Tomodifyapassiverepeater:
4. SelectPassiveRepeaters >OpenTablefromthecontextmenu.ThePassiveRepeaterstableappears.
5. RightclickthepassiverepeaterinthePassiveRepeaterstable.Thecontextmenuappears.
6. SelectRecordPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThepassiverepeatersPropertiesdialogueappears
7. Modifytheparametersdescribedin"DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater"onpage 241.
8. ClickOK.
Ifyouarecreatingseveralpassiverepeatersatthesametime,ormodifyingseveral
existingpassiverepeaters,youcandoitquicklybyeditingorpastingthedatadirectlyin
thePassiveRepeaterstable.YoucanopenthePassiveRepeaterstableasexplainedin
"OpeningthePassiveRepeatersTable"onpage 241.Forinformationoncopyingand
pastingdata,see"CopyingandPastinginTables"onpage 57.
7.3.5.4 PlacingaPassiveMicrowaveRepeaterontheMapUsingtheMouse
InAtoll,youcancreateapassivemicrowaverepeaterandplaceitusingthemouse.Whenyoucreateapassivemicrowave
repeater,youcanaddittoanexistingsite,orhaveAtollautomaticallycreateanewsite.
Atollpermitsamaximumof2passiverepeatersinasinglemicrowavelink.ThefollowingtermsareusedinAtollforpassive
repeatersandrelatedparameters:
Passiverepeaters(maximum2)alongamicrowavelinkarenamedrepeaterPandrepeaterQ.
Apartofthemicrowavelinkiscalleda"Section".Asectioncanbe:
Oneofthedirectionsofabidirectionallink.
Oneofthetrajectoriestowardsarepeater(ifany).
Forexample:
Unidirectionallinkwithoutrepeater:1 section,Site ASite B
Bidirectionallinkwithoutrepeater:2sections,Site ASite BandSite BSite A
Bidirectionallinkwith2 repeaters:6 sections,Site ASite P,Site PSite Q,Site QSite B, Site BSite Q,Site Q
Site P,Site PSite A.
Tocreateapassivemicrowaverepeaterandplaceitusingthemouse:
1. Selectthemicrowavelink.YoucanselectitfromtheMicrowaveLinksfolderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab,
ordirectlyonthemap.
2. ClickthearrownexttoNewRepeaterbutton( )ontheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar.
3. SelectPanelReflectororBacktoBackAntennasfromthemenuaccordingtothetypeofpassiverepeateryouwant
tocreate.
4. Clickthemaptoplacetherepeater.Therepeaterisplacedonthemap,representedbythesitesymbol( ).
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AtollautomaticallycreatesanewrepeaterinthePassiveRepeaterstableandanewsiteintheSitestablethatis
assignedtothenewlycreatedrepeater.Theoperatingfrequencybandoftherepeateristhefrequencybandassigned
tothemicrowavelinkandazimuth(s)fortherepeaterantenna(s)arecalculatedaccordingtothedirectionsofthetwo
sectionsofthemicrowavelink.
Forinformationonthepropertiesofthenewmicrowavepassiverepeater,see"DefinitionofaPassiveRepeater"on
page 241.
YoucanalsoinsertarepeaterinamicrowavelinkbyselectingInsertRepeaterfromthe
microwavelinkscontextmenuandthenclickingonthemicrowavelinkwhereyouwantto
inserttherepeater.
7.3.5.5 CreatingSeveralPassiveRepeaters
InAtoll,thecharacteristicsofeachrepeaterarestoredinthePassiveRepeaterstable.Ifyouhavedataintableform,either
inanotherAtolldocumentorinaspreadsheet,youcancopythisdataandpasteitintothePassiveRepeaterstableinyour
currentAtolldocument.
TopastetheinformationintothePassiveRepeaterstable:
1. OpenthePassiveRepeaterstableasexplainedin"OpeningthePassiveRepeatersTable"onpage 241.
2. CopythedatafromthesourcedocumentandpasteitintotheRepeaterstable.
Thetableyoucopydatafrommusthavethesamecolumnlayoutasthetableyouare
pastingdatainto.
Forinformationoncopyingandpastingdata,see"CopyingandPastinginTables"onpage 57.
7.3.6 CheckingDataConsistency
Youcanperformanauditofthemicrowavelinknetwork.Theauditallowsyoutoverifytheconsistencyandvalidityofsome
data.
Toperformanauditofthemicrowavelinknetwork:
1. SelectDocument >DataAudit >MicrowaveLinkDataCheckfromthecontextmenu.TheMicrowaveDataCheck
dialogueappears.
2. IntheMicrowaveDataCheckdialogue,definetheparametersoftheaudit:
Frequencyconsistency:Selectthischeckboxifyouwanttheaudittoverify:
Frequencybanddefinition:Theminimumfrequencymustbelowerthanthemaximumfrequency.
Frequencysubbanddefinition:Thefrequencybandmustbedefined,excludedchannelsmustbelongtothe
listofchannelsandatleastonechannelmustbeavailable.
Microwavelinkdefinition:Atleastonedirectionmustbeselected,thefrequencydefinedmustbewithinthe
frequency band limits, the number of channels must not exceed the number of channels allowed by the
selectedconfiguration,thechannelsmustbelongtotheselectedfrequencysubband,thefrequencybandof
antennas,equipment,feedersandfrequencysubbandmustbethesameasthemicrowavelinkfrequency
bandand,theantennaverticalandhorizontalpatternsmustbecorrectlyalignedattheextremities(antenna
patternsarecorrectlyalignedwhenthehorizontalpatternattenuationat0isthesameastheverticalpattern
attenuationatthepatternelectricaltiltangle,andwhenthehorizontalpatternattenuationat180isthesame
astheverticalpatternattenuationatthe180lessthepatternelectricaltiltangle.Patternattenuationsare
consideredthesameiftheydifferlessthan1dB.)
Undefinedrecords:Selectthischeckboxifyouwanttheaudittoverifyifthereareundefinedmultihops(i.e.,
multihopswithnolink),undefinedpointtomultipointsystems(i.e.,pointtomultipointwithnolink),orunused
repeaters.
Other(XPIC,antennaseparation,etc.):Selectthischeckboxifyouwanttheaudittoverifythat:
TheXPIFvalueoftheradioisanonzerovaluewhenXPICsystemisusedonamicrowavelink.
Antennaseparationisanonzerovaluewhenspacediversityisusedonamicrowavelink.
Listallthechecks:Selectthischeckboxifyouwanttodisplayallchecksperformedinadditiontodetectedincon
sistencies.
3. ClickOKtoperformtheaudit.AtolldisplaystheresultsoftheauditintheEventsViewer.
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7.3.7 SettingtheWorkingAreaofanAtollDocument
Whenyouloadprojectdatafromadatabase,youwillprobablyonlymodifythedataintheregionforwhichyouarerespon
sible.Forexample,acomplexmicrowavelinkplanningprojectmaycoveranentireregionorevenanentirecountry.You,
however,mightberesponsiblefortheplanningforonlyonecity.Insuchasituation,doingengineeringandinterference
predictionsthatcalculatetheentirenetworknotonlytakealotoftime,theyarenotnecessary.Consequently,youcanrestrict
engineeringandinterferencepredictionstothesitesandmicrowavelinksthatyouareinterestedinandgenerateonlythe
resultsyouneed.
InAtoll,therearetwowaysofrestrictingthenumberofsitesandmicrowavelinksstudied,eachwithitsownadvantages:
Filteringthedesiredsitesandmicrowavelinks
Youcansimplifytheselectionofsitesandmicrowavelinkstobestudiedbyusingafilter.Youcanfiltersitesandmicro
wavelinksaccordingtooneormorefields,oryoucancreateanadvancedfilterbycombiningseveralcriteriainseveral
fields.Youcancreateagraphicfilterbyeitherusinganexistingvectorpolygonorcreatinganewvectorpolygon.For
informationongraphicfilters,see"FilteringDataUsingaFilteringZone"onpage 85.Thisenablesyoutokeeponlythe
sitesandmicrowavelinkswiththecharacteristicsyouwanttostudy.
Forinformationonfiltering,see"FilteringData"onpage 74.
Settingacomputationzone
Drawingacomputationzonetoencompassthesitesandmicrowavelinkstobestudied,limitsthenumberofsitesand
microwavelinkstobecalculated,whichinturnreducesthetimenecessaryforcalculations.
Forinformationoncomputationzones,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39.
Youcancombineacomputationzoneandafilter,inordertocreateaverypreciseselectionofthesitesandmicrowavelinks
tobestudied.
Inaddition,youcansetafocuszonetofiltertheresultsdisplayedinreports(linkbudgetsorinterference).Forinformationon
focuszones,see"TheFocusZone"onpage 40.
7.4 AnalysingthePathProfile
Afterthemicrowavelinkhasbeencreated,itcanbeanalysedintermsoftheterrainandclutterprofilebetweenthetwo
extremitiesinAtoll.Inthissection,thefollowingareexplained:
"DisplayingthePathProfile"onpage 244.
"DeterminingMicrowaveLinkAntennaHeights"onpage 252.
7.4.1 DisplayingthePathProfile
"ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 244.
"StudyingMicrowaveLinkClearance"onpage 245.
"DefiningtheDisplayoftheMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 245.
"ZoomingInontheProfile"onpage 247.
"PrintingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 247.
"DisplayingMicrowaveLinkClearanceValuesAlongtheProfile"onpage 247.
"ModifyingMicrowaveLinkProfileValues"onpage 249
7.4.1.1 ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile
InAtoll,youcanmakeaprofileanalysisofamicrowavelink.Beforestudyingamicrowavelink,youmustconfigureitsanten
nas,radios,itsfrequencyband,andthepropagationmodelyouwanttouse.Youcanmakeamicrowavelinkprofileanalysis
usingtheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow.
ToopentheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow:
1. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkeitherdirectlyonthemap,orfromtheMicrowaveLinksfolderoftheexplorerwindows
Networktab.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectEngineering >ProfileAnalysisfromthecontextmenu.
YoucanalsoopenProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowusingtheProfileAnalysisbutton( )inthetoolbar.
TheProfileAnalysisviewprovidesaninteractiverealtimedisplayofthemicrowavelinkprofilefromsite Atosite Borvice
versa.Itincludesanypassiverepeaterscomposingthemicrowavelink.Thealtitude(inmetres)isreportedontheverticalaxis
andthedistanceonthehorizontalaxis.AblueellipsoidindicatestheFresnelzonebetweenthetransmitterandthereceiver
sites,withagreenlineindicatingthelineofsight(LOS).Atolldisplaystheterrainheightalongtheprofileaswellasclutter
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classesandclutterheightswhenthevisibilitycheckboxoftheClutterClassesfolderontheGeotabisselected.Ifyoudonot
wanttodisplaytheclutteralongtheprofile,youcanclearthevisibilitycheckboxoftheClutterClassesfolderontheGeotab.
Alongtheprofile,ifthesignalmeetsanobstacle,thiscausesattenuationwithdiffractiondisplayedbyablackverticalline(if
thepropagationmodelusedtakesdiffractionintoaccount).ThemainpeakistheonethatintersectstheFresnelellipsoidthe
most.Thediffractionattenuationisdisplayedabovethepeak.
Whenarepeaterisinsertedonthemicrowavelink,itisdisplayedintheProfileAnalysisviewbyaverticallineintheprofile.
AtthetopoftheMWAnalysiswindow,youcanselectwhichpartoftheprofileyouwanttodisplay:
Site A==>Site P
Site P==>Site B
Site B==>Site P
Site P==>Site A
Site A==>Site B(profile"broken"atSiteP)
Site B==>Site A(profile"broken"atSiteP)
Whenasecondrepeater(Q)isinsertedonthemicrowavelink,theprofiledisplayoptionsincludeSite Qaswell.
YoucanclickthePropertiesbutton( )ontheProfileAnalysisviewtoopenthemicrowavelinkpropertiesdialogue.
7.4.1.2 StudyingMicrowaveLinkClearance
TheProfileAnalysisviewallowsyoutodisplaytheclearancealongtheentirelinkprofile.Whendisplayingtheclearance,you
canhideordisplaytheFresnelzonesbetweenthetwoextremitiesofthemicrowavelink.
Tostudythemicrowavelinkclearance
1. OpentheMWAnalysiswindowasexplainedin"ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 244.
2. Selectthemicrowavelinktoanalysefromthelist.
3. ClicktheParametersbutton( )besidethePathlistonthetoolbar.
You can view the microwave link profile with two different values for the earth curvature factor (k factor). Atoll
displaystheclearance(%)andthepenetration(m)oftheFresnelzoneforeachvalueofk.Bydefault,thekfactor
valuesareinitialisedeitherwithglobalvalues,orwiththevaluescalculatedforeachmicrowavelink;thisdependson
theoptionselectedinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder.Inaddition,itindicatesthetilts/directray,theazimuths,and
theanglesofincidenceforbothantennas.
TohideordisplaytheFresnelzones
3. ClickthearrownexttoDisplayOptionsbutton( )onthetoolbar.
4. SelectDisplayFresnelEllipsoidsfromthemenu.
ThefirstFresnelellipsoidcorrespondingtothefirstkvalueisshowninblue,whilethesecondrelatedtothesecondkvalueis
showninred.YoucanalsodisplayanotherFresnelellipsoidwhenadiversityantennaisinstalledatthereceiver.Ifthereare
obstructionsinthepathofthemicrowavelinkthatintroducelosses,agreencolouredlineisdrawnfromthetransmitterto
thefirstobstacleshighestpoint.Aperpendicularfromthehorizontalaxisisalsodrawntomarktheobstaclethatintroduces
thehighestlossinthelink,andthelossfromthisobstacleisdisplayedonthetopofthisperpendicular.
YoucandisplaythefirstFresnelzoneat100%andthesecondat60%inordertodepicttheminimumclearancerequirement
directlyontheprofile.YoucandefinehowboththefirstandsecondFresnelellipsoidsaredisplayedusingtheProfileDisplay
Optionsdialogue.YoucanopentheProfileDisplayOptionsdialoguebyrightclickingtheFresnelellipsoidsandthenselecting
DisplayOptionsfromthecontextmenu.
Youcanmodifytheantennaheightsatbothextremitieseithermanuallyorautomatically.Formoreinformation,see"Auto
maticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253.
When100%oftheFresnelellipsoidisdisplayed,theclearanceisreferredtoasF,F1forthe
firstkfactorvalueandF2forthesecondone.WhenthepercentageoftheFresnelellipsoid
islessthan100%,theclearanceisreferredtoasF,F1forthefirstkfactorvalueandF2
forthesecondone.
7.4.1.3 DefiningtheDisplayoftheMicrowaveLinkProfile
TheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowenablesyoutodefinethedisplayoftheprofile.
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ToopentheProfileDisplayOptionsdialogue:
4. SelectDisplayOptionsfromthemenu.TheProfileDisplayOptionsdialogueappears.
5. SelecttheDisplaytab.OntheDisplaytab,youcandefinethefollowing:
Verticalaxis:SettheMin.andMax.valueontheverticalaxisaswellastheIntervalbetweentickmarks.
Horizontalaxis:SettheIntervalbetweentickmarksonthehorizontalaxis.
Drawalongthepath:SelecttheDrawalongthepathcheckboxifyouwantAtolltodisplaygridlinestoindicate
thevaluesontheverticalaxis.
Earthcurvaturedisplay:Selectoneofthefollowing:
Real:SelectRealifyouwantAtolltodisplaytheactualcurvatureoftheearth,withtheradiopathdisplayed
curved.
Optical:SelectOpticalifyouwantAtolltodisplaytheradiopathasstraight,withthecurvatureoftheearth
increasedbythevaluedefinedfork.
6. SelecttheEllipsoidsandAntennaBeamwidthstab.OntheEllipsoidsandAntennaBeamwidthstab,youcandefine
thefollowingunderDiffraction:
Display1stFresnelellipsoid:SelecttheDisplay1stFresnelellipsoidcheckboxtodisplaythefirstFresnelellipsoid
anddefinethefollowing:
k1factor:Thek1factor,definedintheparametersofthemicrowavepropagationmodel,isdisplayed.Forin
formationonsettingthek1factor,see"AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253.
%ofdisplayedellipsoid:Definethepercentageoftheellipsoidtobedisplayed.
Displaythediversityantennaellipsoid:SelecttheDisplaythediversityantennaellipsoidcheckboxifyou
wanttheellipsoidofanydiversityantennatobedisplayed.
DisplaytheevenFresnelzones:SelecttheDisplaytheevenFresnelzonescheckboxifyouwanttheeven
FresnelzonestobedisplayedanddefinetheMaxorder.
Display2ndFresnelellipsoid:SelecttheDisplay2ndFresnelellipsoidcheckboxtodisplaythesecondFresnel
ellipsoidanddefinethefollowing:
k2factor:Thek2factor,definedintheparametersofthemicrowavepropagationmodel,isdisplayed.Forin
formationonsettingthek2factor,see"AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253.
%ofdisplayedellipsoid:Definethepercentageoftheellipsoidtobedisplayed.
7. OntheEllipsoidsandAntennaBeamwidthstab,youcandefinethefollowing:
Displaytreeorfoliagegrowth:Ifyouhaveoutofdatecluttermaps,youcanselecttheDisplaytreeorfoliage
growthcheckbox.Atollwilladdtheprojectedgrowthtotherelatedclutterclasses.Forinformationonsettingthe
projectedgrowth,see"AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253.
Displaythelineofsight:SelecttheDisplaythelineofsightcheckboxtodisplaythelineofsightbetweenthesites
ofthemicrowavelink.
8. SelecttheReflectionstab.OntheReflectionstab,youcandefinehowreflectionsaredisplayed:
UnderForallreflectionzones,youcanselectthefollowingoptions:
Displaythespecularreflectionpoint:SelecttheDisplaythespecularreflectionpointcheckboxifyouwant
todisplayreflectionareasalongthelinkprofileandunobstructedreflectedpaths.Theoptionisautomatically
selectedafteryouhavedisplayedreflectionsaspreviouslyexplained.
Displaythecriticalreflectionzonewhenkfactorvaries:SelecttheDisplaythecriticalreflectionzonewhen
kfactorvariescheckboxifyouwanttodisplaythereflectionzoneregardlessofcluttercategories.Thereflec
tionzoneisdeterminedfromantennaheightsandgroundaltitudeatthetransmitterandreceiversites;itis
notbasedonthedefinedcluttercategories.Whenthisoptionisselected,youhavetocheckifthiszoneisa
reflectionareaand,ifso,ifthereisareflectionpointwithinthereflectionarea.
UnderFortheselectedarea,youcanselectthefollowingoptions:
Displaythereflectionsforthekfactorrange:SelecttheDisplaythereflectionsforthekfactorrangecheck
boxifyouwanttodisplayunobstructedandobstructedreflectedpathscalculatedforthedefinedrangeofk
factorvalues.Forinformationondefiningtherangeofkfactorvalues,see"ModifyingReflectionAnalysisPa
rameters"onpage 269.
Displaytheobstructedreflections:SelecttheDisplaytheobstructedreflectionscheckboxifyouwantto
displayobstructedreflectedsignals.Obstructedreflectedsignalsarerepresentedwithorangedashedlines.
Displayallthepaths:SelecttheDisplayallthepathscheckboxifyouwanttodisplayallpossiblereflected
signalswithinthereflectionarea.
Displaythereflectionplan:SelecttheDisplaythereflectionplancheckboxinordertodisplaythereflection
slope.Thisoneisusedtodeterminethereflectionpoint.
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UnderAboveseawater,selecttheDisplaytidelevelscheckboxinordertodisplaytheheightvariationdueto
tides above the sea water clutter category. For information on defining the height variation, see "Modifying
ReflectionAnalysisParameters"onpage 269.
Reflectionpathsandreflectivesurfacescanonlybedisplayedandanalysedoverunbroken
microwavelinkprofiles,i.e.,theprofileshouldnotincluderepeaters.
9. ClickOK.
7.4.1.4 ZoomingInontheProfile
Atollenablesyoutozoominontheprofile.
Tozoominontheprofile:
3. ClicktheZoomonProfilebutton( )onthetoolbar.Thepointerchanges( ).
4. Clickintheprofileononeofthefourcornersoftheareayouwanttozoominon.
Torestoretheinitialprofile:
3. ClicktheCancelZoombutton( )onthetoolbar.
7.4.1.5 PrintingaMicrowaveLinkProfile
Youcanprintamicrowavelinkprofile.
ToprintthecontentsoftheProfileAnalysisview:
3. ClickthePrintbutton( )onthetoolbar.
4. ClickOKtoprint.
7.4.1.6 DisplayingMicrowaveLinkClearanceValuesAlongtheProfile
YoucandisplaytheclearancevaluesofamicrowavelinkusingeithertheProfileAnalysisviewortheProfileValuesviewof
theMWAnalysiswindow.
"UsingtheProfileAnalysisViewtoDisplayDataofEachPoint"onpage 247
"UsingtheValuesViewtoDisplayDataofEachPoint"onpage 248
7.4.1.6.1 UsingtheProfileAnalysisViewtoDisplayDataofEachPoint
YoucanusetheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowtodisplaydetailsoneachpointalongthemicrowavelink
profile.Atolldisplaysthedetailsinaseparatewindow.
Todisplaythedetailsonapointofamicrowavelinkprofile:
1. OpentheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowasexplainedin"ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"on
page 244.
4. SelectDisplayInformationontheCurrentPointfromthemenu.Aseparatewindowopensdisplayingdetailsofthe
selectedpoint.(seeFigure 7.11).
5. Movethepointeralongtheprofile.
Thewindowdisplaysthefollowinginformationforeachselectedpointalongtheprofile:
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Distance:Thedistancefromthetransmittingsite.
TotalHeight:Thealtitudeofthegroundlevelmoretheclutterheight.
DistanceuptoOpticalPath:TheclearanceoftheFresnelellipsoidforthefirstkfactorvalue.Thisvalueisrelative
tothelineofsightandcorrespondstothedifferenceofheightbetweenthelineofsightandthecurrentpoint.
FresnelEllipsoidRadius:TheradiusoftheFresnelellipsoidforthefirstkfactorvalue.
PointerAltitude(z):Thealtitudeofthepointer.
Figure 7.11:MWAnalysiswindowProfileAnalysisview
AsasyoudragthepointeralongtheprofileintheMWAnalysiswindow,thepointerinthemapwindowchanges( )
toindicatethelocationofthecurrentpointalongtheprofileinthemapwindow.Whenyouplacethepointeronthis
icon,theinformationdisplayedintheCurrentPointInformationwindowisdisplayedintiptext.
7.4.1.6.2 UsingtheValuesViewtoDisplayDataofEachPoint
YoucanusetheProfileValuesviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowtoviewalltheprofileanalysisdataforeachselectedpoint
alongthemicrowavelinkprofile.Atolldisplaysthedetailsinaseparatewindow.
TodisplaytheprofiledatausingtheProfileValuesview:
2. SelectEngineering >ProfileValuesfromthecontextmenu.
YoucanalsoaccesstheProfileValuesviewbyopeningtheMWAnalysiswindowandselectingtheProfileValues
view.
TheProfileValuesviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowdisplaysthefollowingvaluesforeachpointalongtheprofile:
Distance(m):Thedistancefromthetransmittingsite.
Altitude(m):Thealtitudeofthegroundlevel(fromDTMfiles).
Clutter:Theclutterclass.
ClutterHeight(m):Theclutterheightfromclutterheightfilesifavailableorfromclutterclassfile.
Category:Thecluttercategoryassignedtoeachclutterclasswhenconfiguringthepropagationmodel.
FresnelRadius(m):TheradiusoftheFresnelellipsoidforthefirstkfactorvalue.
Clearance(m):TheclearanceoftheFresnelellipsoidforthefirstkfactorvalue.Thisvalueisrelativetothelineof
sightandcorrespondstothedifferenceofheightbetweenthelineofsightandthecurrentpoint.
Ellipsoid Penetration (%): The penetrationof the current pointin thelower half of theFresnel ellipsoid (per
centageoftheellipsoidradiuspenetratedbythecurrentpoint).ThisvalueisrelativetothebottomoftheFresnel
ellipsoidandisgivenforthefirstkfactorvalue.
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Figure 7.12:PenetrationandclearancevaluesontheProfileValuesview
7.4.1.7 ModifyingMicrowaveLinkProfileValues
ThegeographicdetailsprovidedontheProfileValuesviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowarestoredinatable.Theresolution
oftheinformationgivendependsontheresolutionofthegeographicdata:informationisgiveneveryXmetres,whereXis
thehighestresolutionofclutterclassandDTMmaps.
Youcanmodifysomeprofilevaluesatanypointalongtheprofileandimmediatelychecktheimpactofthesemodificationsin
theProfileAnalysisview.However,achangemadeonA>>BdirectionisnotreportedtotheB>>Adirection(andviceversa)
untilitissavedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
ChangesmadeontheA>>BdirectioncanbeautomaticallyreportedontheB>>Adirection
(and vice versa) by adding an option in the atoll.ini file. For more information, see the
"EditingProfileValues"onpage 249
"DisplayingReflectionandVegetationZones"onpage 251
"CopyingandPastingProfileValues"onpage 251
"ExportingProfileValues"onpage 252
"ImportingProfileValues"onpage 252
"SavingtheEditedProfileValues"onpage 252
"ResettingtheProfileValues"onpage 252
7.4.1.7.1 EditingProfileValues
Somevalues(e.g.,thealtitude,theclutterclass,theclutterheight,andthecluttercategory)canbeeditedinthetableorusing
themouse.
Toedittheprofilevaluesinthetable:
1. OpentheProfileValuesviewasexplainedin"UsingtheValuesViewtoDisplayDataofEachPoint"onpage 248.
2. Editthecontentsofthetablebyenteringthevaluedirectlyinthefield.Youcaneditthefollowingcolumns:
Altitude:Thealtitude(DTM)
Clutter:Theclutterclass
ClutterHeight:Theclutterheight
Category:Thecluttercategory.
3. Clickelsewhereinthetablewhenyouhavefinishedupdatingthetable.
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Toeditprofilevaluesusingthemouse:
Figure 7.13:TheProfileValuesviewwhenediting.
2. Rightclickthepartwheretheprofileisdisplayed.
3. SelectZoomInfromthecontextmenu.
4. Intheprofile,clickoneofthefourcornersoftheareayouwanttoselect.
5. Dragtotheoppositecornerandreleasethemousebutton.Atollzoomsinontheselectedarea.
6. Selectoneofthefollowingcolumnsinthetable:
Altitude:SelectAltitudeifyouwanttoeditgroundaltitudes(seeFigure 7.14).
Figure 7.14:GroundinEditmode.
Youcanchangethealtitudeofonepointorarangeofpoints.
i. Clickthepointyouwanttoedit.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. Ifyouarechangingthealtitudeforarangeofpoints,movethepointertothesecondpointandclickthesecond
point.
iii. Onthemap,dragthepointtoitsnewaltitude.
ClutterHeight:SelectClutterHeightifyouwanttoeditclutterheights(seeFigure 7.15).
Figure 7.15:ClutterheightsinEditmode.
Youcanchangetheclutterheightofonepointorarangeofpoints.
i. Clickthepointyouwanttoedit.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. Ifyouarechangingtheclutterheightforarangeofpoints,movethepointertothesecondpointandclickthe
secondpoint.
iii. Dragthepointtoitsnewclutterheight.
Clutter:SelectClutterifyouwanttoeditclutterclasses(seeFigure 7.16).Theclutterclassesaredisplayedwith
linesseparatingtheclutterclassesifclutterheightsaredefinedorwithpointsifclutterheightsarenotdefined.
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Figure 7.16:ClutterclassesinEditmode.
i. Clickthelineorpoint.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. Dragthelineorpointtochangetheareawiththecorrespondingclutterclass.
Category:SelectCategoryifyouwanttoeditcluttercategories(seeFigure 7.17).Youcanseelinesseparatingthe
cluttercategories.
Figure 7.17:CluttercategoriesinEditmode.
i. Clicktheline.Thepointerchanges( ).
ii. Dragthelinetochangetheareawiththecorrespondingcluttercategory.
7.4.1.7.2 DisplayingReflectionandVegetationZones
Whenyouareeditingtheprofileasexplainedin"EditingProfileValues"onpage 249,youcanviewreflectionareasandvege
tationzones.
Todisplayreflectionareasandvegetationzones:
2. Rightclickthepartwheretheprofileisdisplayedandselectoneofthefollowingoptionsfromthecontextmenu:
DisplayReflectionAreas:SelectDisplayReflectionAreastoviewreflectionareastakenintoaccountinthereflec
tionanalysisandreflectingpaths.Reflectionareasaredisplayedwithapattern( ).
DisplaySlopes:SelectDisplaySlopestoviewtheslopeoftheselectedreflectionarea.Youmustalreadyhave
selectedDisplayReflectionAreasifyouwanttoDisplaySlopes.
DisplayVegetationZoneswithFoliage:SelectDisplayVegetationZoneswithFoliagetoviewzoneswithfoliage
thatAtolltakesintoaccountwhencalculatingvegetationlosses.Zoneswithfoliagearedisplayedwithwithapat
tern( ).
DisplayVegetationZoneswithoutFoliage:SelectDisplayVegetationZoneswithoutFoliagetoviewvegetation
zoneswithoutfoliagethatAtolltakesintoaccountwhencalculatingvegetationlosses.Vegetationzoneswithout
foliagearedisplayedwithapattern( ).
HidePeculiarityZones:SelectHidePeculiarityZonestohidereflectionareasandvegetationzones.
7.4.1.7.3 CopyingandPastingProfileValues
Youcancopyandpastesomeprofilevaluessuchasaltitude,clutterclasses,clutterheights,andcluttercategoriesinthetable.
Tocopyandpasteprofilevaluesinthetable:
2. ClickthecellwiththedatayouwanttocopyandpressCTRL+Ctocopyitscontents.
3. Clickanddragtoselectthecellsintowhichyouwanttocopythedata.
4. Copyintotheselectedcells:
Tocopythecontentsoftheclipboardintotheselectedcells,pressCTRL+V.
Tocopythecontentsofthetopcelloftheselectionintotheothercells,pressCTRL+D.
Tocopythecontentsofthebottomcelloftheselectionintotheothercells,pressCTRL+U.
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7.4.1.7.4 ImportingProfileValues
YoucanimportdataintheformofASCIItextfiles(inTXTandCSVformats)intothetableoftheProfileValuesview.Only
editablevalues(i.e.,altitude,clutterclasses,clutterheights,andcluttercategories)canbeimported.
Toimportdataintothetable:
2. ClicktheImportbutton( )inthetoolbar.TheOpendialogueappears.
3. SelectthetextfileyouwanttoimportandclickOpen.TheImportdialogueappears.
4. Defineimportsettingsasexplainedin"ImportingTablesfromTextFiles"onpage 62.
7.4.1.7.5 ExportingProfileValues
YoucanexporttheentiretableorselectedcolumnstoASCIItextfiles(inTXTorCSVformats)andMSExcelfiles.
Toexportprofilevalues:
2. ClicktheExportbutton( )inthetoolbar.TheExportdialogueappears.
3. Defineexportsettingsasexplainedin"ExportingTablestoTextFilesandSpreadsheets"onpage 60.
7.4.1.7.6 SavingtheEditedProfileValues
Thedata(altitudes,clutterheights,clutterclasses,cluttercategories)youhavechangedarenotautomaticallysavedandwill
belostifyouselectanotherlinkorifyouclosetheMWAnalysiswindow.Ifyouwant,youcansavetheminthemicrowave
linkproperties.
Tosavetheeditedprofilevalues:
2. ClicktheSavebutton( )inthetoolbar.
7.4.1.7.7 ResettingtheProfileValues
Ifyouhaveeditedtheprofilevalues,youcanresetthemtotheiroriginalvaluesfromthegeographicdatafiles.
Torestoretheoriginallinkprofilevalues:
2. ClicktheResetbutton( )inthetoolbaroftheMWAnalysiswindow.
7.4.2 DeterminingMicrowaveLinkAntennaHeights
Whendesigningamicrowavelinknetwork,youshouldsettheantennaheighttoavoidanyobstructionofthelineofsight
signalandreflections.
InAtoll,youcanmodifyoroptimisemicrowavelinksantennaheights.UsingtheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMWAnalysis
window,youcanmodifyantennaheightsusingthemouseorenternewvaluesandseetheclearanceandpenetrationparam
etersdisplayed.
Atollallowsyoutocalculateandadjustthemicrowavelinkantennaheightsattheextremitiestotheiroptimalvalues.
"AdjustingMicrowaveAntennaHeightsUsingtheMouse"onpage 252
"DefiningMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253
"AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights"onpage 253.
7.4.2.1 AdjustingMicrowaveAntennaHeightsUsingtheMouse
YoucanusethemousetomodifytheantennaheightoftheextremityofamicrowavelinkontheProfileAnalysisviewofthe
MWAnalysiswindow.
Tomodifyantennaheightsusingthemouse:
1. OpentheProfileAnalysisviewasexplainedin"ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 244.
2. Clicktheantennaheightpointer( )(thepointerchanges )anddragitupordowntomodifytheantennaheight.

3. Rightclicktheantennaheightpointer( ).Thecontextmenuappears.
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4. SelectSaveHxandTilt,where"x"iseither"a"or"b"dependingonthesite,fromthecontextmenu.Atollsavesthe
currentantennaheightandtiltinthemicrowavelink.
Youcanspecifyamaximumsupportheightforthereceivingandtransmittingsitesnotto
beexceeded.ThisparametercanbedefinedontheOtherPropertiestaboftheProperties
dialogueforeachsite.Whendefined,theseheightlimitsaredisplayedontheProfileAnal
ysisview.
7.4.2.2 DefiningMicrowaveAntennaHeights
YoucanenteranewheightfortheantennaoftheextremityofamicrowavelinkontheProfileAnalysisviewoftheMW
Analysiswindow.
Tomodifytheantennaheight:
2. ClicktheParametersbutton( )besidethePathlistandentertheexactantennaHeight.
4. SelectSaveHxandTilt,where"x"iseither"a"or"b"dependingonthesite,fromthecontextmenu.Atollsavesthe
currentantennaheightandtiltinthemicrowavelink.
beexceeded.ThisparametercanbedefinedontheOtherPropertiestaboftheProperties
dialogueforeachsite.Whendefined,theseheightlimitsaredisplayedontheProfileAnal
ysisview.
7.4.2.3 AutomaticallyOptimisingMicrowaveAntennaHeights
Atollenablesyoutoautomaticallycalculateantennaheightsinordertoavoidreflectionsandprofileobstructions.Automat
icallyoptimisingantennaheightsisonlypossibleforsinglemicrowavelinkprofiles,i.e.,youcannotautomaticallyoptimise
antennaheightsformicrowavelinkprofileswithoneormorerepeaters.Youcan,however,calculateoptimalantennaheights
foreachhopofamicrowavelinkprofile(e.g.,forSiteSite BorRepeater PSite B).
Toperformanautomaticoptimisationforanantenna:
3. SelectOptimisationMethodfromthecontextmenu.TheHeightOptimisationdialogueappears.
4. UnderClearanceconditions,definethek1factor.Ifdesired,youcanselecttheTakesecondconstraintintoaccount
anddefinethek2factor.
5. Selecttheoptimisationmethod:
Clearanceconditionmethods:ClearanceconditionmethodsarebasedontheclearanceoftheFresnelellipsoid.
YoucanenteraTargetclearanceforthek1factorandforthek2factor,ifyouchosetotakeitintoconsideration.
Ifyouhaveoutofdateclutterclassmaps,youcanestimatethegrowthofvegetation(Projectedtreeorfoliage
growth).Atolltakesthisvalueintoaccountforcluttercategoriesfrom6to14andaddsittotheclutterheight.
MinimumDiffractionLossMethod:Atolldeterminesantennaheightstominimisediffractionlossesduetothe
mainobstacle(i.e.,itcalculatesantennaheightstogetaclearanceof60%ofthefirstFresnelzone).
6. UnderReflectionconditions,selecttheTakeintoaccountthereflectionareascheckboxanddefinetherangeofk
factorvalues(kminfactorandkmaxfactor)tobeusedduringtheantennaheightoptimisationifyouwanttotake
reflectionintoconsideration.
7. ClickOK.
8. Rightclicktheantennaheightpointer( )forthesitewhoseantennaheightyouwanttooptimise.Thecontextmenu
appears.
9. ChooseOptimisetocalculatetheoptimumantennaheightsforbothextremities.
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YoucanlocktheantennaheightbyselectingLockfromthecontextmenu.Thiswillprevent
theantennaheightfrombeingmodifiedduringtheoptimisationprocess.Onlytheheight
of the other antenna (if it is not locked as well) will be calculated to optimise the link.
Furthermore,youcanalwaysrestorethelastantennaheightvaluebyselectingRestore
fromthecontextmenu.

11. SelectSaveHa,HbandTiltsfromthecontextmenutosavethecurrentantennaheightsandtiltsinthemicrowavelink.
beexceeded.Thisparametercanbedefinedineachsitepropertiesdialogue(OtherProp
ertiestab).Ifdefined,theseheightlimitsarerepresentedontheProfileAnalysisview.
7.5 AnalysingMicrowaveLinkReliability
Reliabilityisthegeneraltermusedtorefertothequalityandavailabilityofamicrowavelinkobtainedthroughassessingits
performanceaccordingtothecriteriadefinedintherelevantperformanceobjectives.Ideally,amicrowavelinkshouldbe
completelyreliable100%ofthetime.Inpractice,thisperformancelevelisneverachievedoveranymicrowavelinkduethe
continuouslychangingpropagationconditionsandpossibleproblemswiththeradio.
Theobjectiveofcarryingoutreliabilityanalysesistoestimatetheunavailabilityoroutageofamicrowavelinkonanannual
basisandtodeterminethequalityoftheconnectionoverworstcaseoraveragemonthlyscenarios.Reliabilityanalysistakes
intoconsiderationthefademargin,diffractionloss,averageannualtemperature,terrainroughnesscalculations,radioparam
eters,antennaparameters,transmissionandreceptionparameters,andothermiscellaneouslosses.
Amicrowavelinkreliabilityanalysisdetermineswhetheradesignedsystemwilloperatesuccessfully.
"AnalysingaSingleMicrowaveLink"onpage 254.
"AnalysingMicrowaveLinks"onpage 259.
"PerformingamEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis"onpage 262.
7.5.1 AnalysingaSingleMicrowaveLink
Whenyoucreateamicrowavelink,youcanstudyittotesttheeffectivenessofthesetparameters.
Beforeanalysingthemicrowavelinkreliability,youmustassignapropagationmodel,definethemicrowavelinkclassand
relatedperformanceobjectivesandsetthecalculationparameters.
Thepropagationmodeltakestheradioandgeographicdataintoaccountandcomputeslossesalongthemicrowavelinkpath.
Thisallowsyoutopredictthereceivedsignallevelandtocalculatethethermalfademargin.Youcanassignapropagation
modeltoallmicrowavelinksatonce,toagroupofmicrowavelinks,ortoasinglemicrowavelink.Assigningapropagation
modelisexplainedin"UsingPropagationModelsinMicrowaveProjects"onpage 189.
Microwavelinkclassesareusedtodifferentiatemicrowavelinktypesandgivetargetperformanceobjectivestomicrowave
links.Youcanassignalinkclasstoallmicrowavelinksatonce,toagroupofmicrowavelinks,ortoasinglemicrowavelink.
Assigningalinkclassisexplainedin"DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives"onpage 177.
Calculationparametersincludeglobalparametersappliedtoallmicrowavelinksandlinkparameterssuchasgeoclimaticand
reliability parameters defined per microwave link. Defining global parameters is explained in "Global Parameters" on
page 194.Settingmicrowavelinkparametersisexplainedin"MicrowaveLinkParameters"onpage 198.
"CalculatingMicrowaveLinkRequiredMargins"onpage 254
"CalculatingaMicrowaveAnalysisReport"onpage 255
"ModifyingMicrowaveLinkCalculationParameters"onpage 257
"ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports"onpage 258
"PrintingaMicrowaveReport"onpage 259
"ExportingaMicrowaveReport"onpage 259
7.5.1.1 CalculatingMicrowaveLinkRequiredMargins
Atollallowsyoutodeterminethemarginsrequiredbythemicrowavelinktoreachtheperformanceobjectivesdefinedinthe
linkclass.TherequiredmarginsareindicatedintheRequiredMarginviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow.
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Tocalculatethemicrowavelinkrequiredmargins:
2. SelectEngineering >RequiredMarginfromthecontextmenu.
ThiswillopentheMWAnalysiswindowwiththeRequiredMarginviewdisplayedbydefault.TheRequiredMarginview
containsthereportgeneratedafterthecalculationofrequiredmargins.Thisisacomprehensivereportwhichcanbeconfig
uredasdescribedin"ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports"onpage 258.
MicrowavelinkrequiredmarginresultsontheRequiredMarginviewincludethefollowinginformation:
Linkspecifications:Informationaboutthesitesatthetwoextremitiesofthemicrowavelink(name,location,altitude,
andcoordinatesystem),theradioinstalledateachsite(theradioserieswhichtheradiobelongsto,digitalhierarchy,
modulationused,capacity,payloadrate,capacity),theoperatingfrequencybandofthemicrowavelink,itslengthand
calculationparameters(propagationmodel,modelsforavailabilityandqualitycalculations,andwhetherdiscrimina
tionreductionandenhancementsaretakenintoaccount).
Performanceobjectivestakenintoaccount:Theperformanceobjectivesconsideredinthemargincalculations,i.e.,
qualityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER)andavailabilityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER).
Rxlevel:ThereceptionlevelinformationatthereceiverincludingtheBitErrorRateandtherequiredlevelofreceived
power.
Quality(clearair):Thedatarelatedtothemargincalculationsandresults(thecalculateddispersivefademargin,the
calculatedmarginagainstenhancements,thecalculatedcrosspolardiscriminationreduction,calculatedandrequired
thermalfademarginsandcalculatedandrequiredcompositefademargins)andtherequiredtotalmargin.
Availability(rain):Theerrorperformanceparametersandthetotalrequiredmargin.
ClearAirRecommendations:Therequiredoutputpowerwhichyoucancomparetothecurrentoutputpowerdis
playedinbrackets,andhowmuchyouhavetodecreaseorincreasethemaximumpowerandtherequiredantenna
diameter.
7.5.1.2 CalculatingaMicrowaveAnalysisReport
Atollenablesyoutocreateadetailedanalysisreportforamicrowavelink.Ifyouwantalessconcisereportinstead,youcan
createadesignsummary,asdescribedin"CalculatingaMicrowaveLinkDesignSummary"onpage 256.Atollcangeneratean
analysisreportordesignsummaryforeachmicrowavelink.
Theresultsprovidedinthisreportarecalculatedinrealtime.Therefore,youcanmodifythepropertiesofthemicrowavelink,
orthecalculationparameters,andimmediatelydisplaytheimpactofthemodificationsintheMWAnalysiswindow(the
ProfileAnalysis,DesignSummary,andAnalysisReportviews).Anymodificationmadetotheprofileofthemicrowavelink
usingtheProfileValuesandtheProfileAnalysisviewsaretakenintoaccountintheAnalysisReportview.However,achange
madeonA>>BdirectionisnotreportedtotheB>>Adirection(andviceversa)untilitissavedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
Togenerateananalysisreportforasinglemicrowavelink:
2. SelectEngineering >AnalysisReportfromthecontextmenu.
YoucanalsoopentheAnalysisReportviewbyopeningtheMWAnalysiswindowandselectingtheAnalysisReportview.
TheAnalysisReportviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowcontainstheanalysisreportforthemicrowavelinkbeingstudied.You
candefineexactlywhatinformationwillbedisplayedintheanalysisreport,however,bydefault,themicrowavelinkinforma
tionintheAnalysisReportviewincludesthefollowing:
Summary: Under Summary, you can read whether quality and availability objectives have been reached for both
directionsofthemicrowavelinkandthespecifiedBERvalues,andaglobalestimationofthecutoffdurationoveran
averageyeartakingintoaccountbothlinkqualityandavailability.
Budget:UnderBudget,youcanfindabasiclinkbudgetincludingtheoperatingfrequencyband,thelinklength,the
thermal fade margin, the worst month quality (in percentage of time), the average annual availability taking into
accountrain(inpercentageoftime),andtheaverageannualavailabilitytakingintoaccountbothrainandequipment
failures (inpercentage oftime),andtheworstmonthnonqualityobjectiveandtheaverageannualunavailability
objective(duration).TheaverageannualavailabilityiscalculatedusingtheCraneortheITUrecommendations:ITUR
P.5308,ITURP.53010,ITURP.53011,ITURP.53012andITURP.53013.
LinkSpecifications:Informationaboutthemicrowavelinkdesign,sitenames,locations,andthealtitudesforboth
extremities,repeaters(ifany),antennasusedatbothsiteswiththeirrespectivemodels,heights,azimuths,tilts,gains,
diameters,nearfields,beamwidthsandXPDvalues,diversityantennasandrepeaterbacktobackantennadetails
suchasthemodels,heights,azimuths,tilts,gainsanddiameters,microwavetransceiverradiosinstalledatbothsites
255
withdetailssuchastheradioseries,models,digitalhierarchyemployed,modulationused,payloadrates,minimal
channelbandwidths,capacitiesandconfigurations,feedersdetailsandpointtomultipointparametersifthestudied
microwavelinkisapartofapointtomultipointsystem.
Transmission:Transmissionrelatedparametersforbothextremitiesofthemicrowavelinkincludingthetransmitted
powers,whetherthisisthemaximumpowerorthestandardpower,EIRP,ATPCeffects,passiverepeatergains(ifany),
totallossesandthedetails(filterlosses,connectionlosses,sharedlosses,shieldinglosses,portconnectionlosses,and
feederlosses),thesystemconfiguration,channelandfrequencyparameterssuchastheportandthechannelfor
whichthecalculationshavebeenperformed,polarisationandthediversityfrequency,anddetailsontheportconfig
urationforbothdirections(thechannel,thecorrespondingfrequency,thepolarisation,ifitisamainchannelora
standbychannelorachannelforfrequencydiversityoradiversitystandbychannel,thetransmissionandreception
portnumbers,theACUlosses,theportcirculatorandattenuatorlosses.
Reception:Receptionrelatedparametersforbothendsofthemicrowavelinkincludingthebiterrorratiosandsen
sitivitiesatthereceivers,overflowthresholds,thermalnoise,therequiredC/IminustheXPIFandtotallossesatrecep
tioncomprisingfilterlosses,connectionlosses,sharedlosses,shieldinglosses,portconnectionlosses,andfeeder
losses.
GeoclimaticParameters:Informationaboutthetypeofenvironment,typeofterrain,rainareaandtheclimaticzone
inwhichthemicrowavelinkisoperating,climaticfactor,rainintensity(exceeding0.01%oftime),rainheight,atmos
pheric pressure, relative humidity, PL percentage, temperature, water vapour density, the global earth curvature
factorsetinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder,themeanearthcurvaturefactor(k)andtheeffectiveearthcurvature
factor(ke)calculatedforthemicrowavelinkandthegeoclimaticfactorK.
CalculationParameters:Parametersusedtocalculatetheanalysisreportsuchasthecalculationmethods(propaga
tionmodel,qualitymodel,availabilitymodel,interference,ifenhancementsanddiscriminationreductionareignored,
spacediversityandfrequencydiversity),qualityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER),andavailabilityobjectives(SESR,ESR,
BBER).
Propagation: The nominal received signal levels at the main and diversity antennas, propagation results for both
directionsofthemicrowavelinkincludingtotalattenuation,freespaceloss,lossesduetodryair,lossesduetowater
vapour,diffractionlosses,vegetationattenuation,antennalossesandtroposphericscattering,epsilonandthetype
ofpath(LOSorNLOS).Ifrelevant,propagationresultsarealsodetailedforthediversityantenna.
Nonqualityduetomultipath(clearair):Resultsdepictingthequalityofthemicrowavelinkintheselecteddirec
tions,forspecifiedBERvaluesandwheninterferenceisnottakenintoaccount.Theseresultsincludetheoutageprob
ability,thenonoutageprobabilityandtheoutageperiodfortheworstmonth,theoutageprobability,thenonoutage
probabilityandtheoutageperiodfortheaverageyear,performanceobjectives(probabilitiesofSESR(required),ESR
(required),BBER(required)),detailsfortheworstmonth(dispersivefading,selectivefading,fadingduetodiscrimina
tionreduction,enhancementforecast),improvementfactorswhenspaceandfrequencydiversitiesareused.
Unavailabilityduetorain:Resultsdepictingtheunavailabilityofthemicrowavelinkduetorainintheselecteddirec
tions,forspecifiedBERvaluesandwheninterferenceisnottakenintoaccount.Theseresultsincludetheoutageprob
ability,thenonoutageprobabilityandtheoutageperiodfortheworstmonth,theoutageprobability,thenonoutage
probabilityandtheoutageperiodfortheaverageyear,performanceobjectives(probabilitiesofSESR(required),ESR
(required),BBER(required)),detailsfortheaverageyear(rainfading,rainattenuation,attenuationduetothefog,
fadingduetodiscriminationreduction).
IftheITUrecommendationusedisITURP.53010andabove,theaverageannualunavail
ability objective will be calculated with a lower minimum unavailability (0.0001%) than
thatlistedintherecommendation(0.001%).Bydefininganoptionintheatoll.inifile,Atoll
willcalculatetheaverageannualunavailabilitywiththeminimumdefinedintherecom
mendation.
Unavailabilityduetofailures:Resultsdepictingtheunavailabilityofthemicrowavelinkduetoradiofailure.These
results include availability of hot standby, the probability of outages due to failures for the average year and the
outageperiodfortheaverageyearandtheperformanceobjective.
AdaptiveModulation:IfyouhaveselectedAdaptivemodulation(ACM)asoperationmodeinthePropertiesofthe
Linksfolderandifthemicrowavelinksupportsseveralmodulations,Atolldetailstheanalysisforeachdefinedmod
ulation.Thedisplayedresultsincludethermalfademargins,receivedsignallevels,payloadrates,systemgains,results
depictingthenonqualityofthelinkduetomultipath(outageandnonoutageprobabilityovertheworstmonthand
theaverageyear,outagedurationovertheworstmonthandtheaverageyear,outagedetailsovertheworstmonth),
resultsdepictingthelinkunavailabilityduetotherain(outageandnonoutageprobabilityovertheworstmonthand
theaverageyear,outagedurationovertheworstmonthandtheaverageyear,outagedetailsovertheaverageyear).
Forinformationondefiningthecontentsoftheanalysisreport,see"ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports"on
page 258.
7.5.1.3 CalculatingaMicrowaveLinkDesignSummary
Atollenablesyoutocreateaconcisedesignsummaryofamicrowavelink.Ifyouwantacomprehensivereport,youcancreate
an analysis report, as described in "Calculating a Microwave Analysis Report" on page 255, instead. Atoll can generate a
concisedesignsummaryoranalysisreportforeachmicrowavelink.
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Theresultsprovidedinthedesignsummaryarecalculatedinrealtime.Therefore,youcanmodifythepropertiesofthemicro
wavelink,orthecalculationparameters,andimmediatelydisplaytheimpactofthemodificationsintheMWAnalysiswindow
(theProfileAnalysis,DesignSummary,andAnalysisReportviews).Anymodificationmadetotheprofileofthemicrowave
link using the Profile Values and the Profile Analysis views are taken into account in the analysis report in the Design
Summaryview.However,achangemadeonA>>BdirectionisnotreportedtotheB>>Adirection(andviceversa)untilitis
savedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
Togenerateadesignsummaryforasinglemicrowavelink:
2. SelectEngineering >DesignSummaryfromthecontextmenu.
YoucanalsoopentheDesignSummaryviewbyopeningtheMWAnalysiswindowandselectingtheDesignSummaryview.
TheDesignSummaryviewoftheMWAnalysiswindowcontainsaconcisereportforthemicrowavelinkbeingstudied.You
candefineexactlywhatinformationwillbedisplayedinthedesignsummary,however,bydefault,themicrowavelinkinfor
mationintheDesignSummaryviewincludesthefollowing:
The preliminary section of the design summary provides a rapid overview of the objectives. Whether or not the
definedqualityandavailabilityobjectivesforeachsitearemetisgiven.Additionally,theglobaldurationofcutoff
overanaverageyearandthepercentageofnoncutoffforanaverageyear.Moredetailedinformationisgiveninthe
followingsections.
LinkBudget:UnderLinkBudget,youcanreadthebasicinformationontransmission,suchasthetransmittedpower,
theantennagain,thetotallosses(transmissionandreception),thereceivedsignallevel,thetotalattenuation,the
receiversensitivity,andtheuniformmargin.
LinkSpecifications:UnderLinkSpecifications,youcanreadtheinformationonthemicrowavelink,suchasthecoor
dinates,thealtitudesofbothendsofthemicrowavelink,theheight,azimuth,andtiltoftheantennasatbothendsof
themicrowavelink,aswellastheradioseries,modulation,capacity,calculatedchannelandpolarisation.
Performance(WorstMonth):Inthissection,youcanreadtheperformancemeasurementsforeachsitefortheworst
monthinayear.Includedaretheoutagedurationduetothemultipath,thedurationofthequalityobjective,the
outagedurationduetorain,thedurationoftherequiredavailabilityobjective,thetotaldurationofavailability,and
thetotaldurationofrequiredavailability.
Performance(AverageYear):Inthissection,youcanreadtheperformancemeasurementsforeachsiteaveraged
overayear.Includedinthissectionarethedurationofoutage(inclearairandinrain),thedurationofthequality
objective,thedurationoftherequiredrainobjective,thedurationofcutoffduetoequipmentfailures,andthedura
tionoftherequiredobjectiveduetofailures.
Forinformationondefiningthecontentsofthedesignsummary,see"ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports"
onpage 258.
7.5.1.4 ModifyingMicrowaveLinkCalculationParameters
Youcanstudytheinfluenceofcertainparametersonthemicrowavelinkengineeringbychangingcalculationoptions.
Tomodifycalculationparametersforanalysis:
2. SelectEngineering >AnalysisReportfromthecontextmenu.
3. In the Analysis Report view (or the Required Margin view), click the Calculation Parameters button ( ) on the
toolbar.TheMicrowaveRadioLinkPropertiesdialogueappears.Youcandefinethestudiedport,BERvalues,etc.,or
changecalculationmodels.Formoreinformation,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
4. ClickOKtochecktheimpactoftheselectedoptionsonthereport.
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7.5.1.5 ConfiguringtheContentsoftheMicrowaveReports
YoucanconfigureboththeappearanceandthecontentsofthereportgeneratedontheAnalysisReport,DesignSummary,
andRequiredMarginviews.
Toconfiguretheappearanceandcontentsofthereport:
1. OntheAnalysisReport,DesignSummary,orRequiredMarginview,clicktheConfigureReportbutton( ).The
ReportConfigurationdialogueappears.
2. ClicktheContentstab.
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandaresultcategory.
Youcandefinewhichresultswillbedisplayed:
Todisplayresults,selectthecheckboxcorrespondingtothoseresults.
Tohideresults,clearthecheckboxcorrespondingtothoseresults.
Torestoretheselectedresultstotheirdefaultsettings,ortorefreshthelistofresultsavailable,clicktheReset
button.
4. ClicktheStyletab.
Youcandefinetheappearanceofthetextstylesusedinthereport.
a. Clickthestyleyouwanttodefineinthepreviewwindow.
b. ClicktheAaBbYyZzbuttontosetthefont.
c. DefinethealignmentoftheparagraphbyselectingLeft,Centre,Right,orJustified.
YoucanrestorethestyletoitsdefaultappearancebyclickingtheResetbutton.
5. OntheStyletabyoucanalsodefinethecontentsoftheheaderandfooter.Youcanincludekeywordssuchasthedoc
umentauthor,thedocumenttitle,thecurrentdate,etc.Youcanalsoenteryouowntextintheheaderorfooter.
a. Clickthe"Header"or"Footer"entryinthepreviewwindow.
b. ClickoneoftheKeywordsbuttonstoselectthekeywordsyouwanttoappear.TheAvailableKeywordsdialogue
appears.
WherethekeywordsappearintheheaderorfooterdependsonwhichKeywordsbuttonyouselect:theKeywords
buttonacrossfromLeftdefineswhatappearsintheleftoftheheaderorfooter,theKeywordsbuttonacrossfrom
Centredefineswhatappearsinthecentre,andtheKeywordsbuttonacrossfromRightdefineswhatappearsin
theright.MostofthekeywordstaketheircontentfromtheentriesmadeontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdi
alogue(forinformation,see"DefiningaProjectDescription"onpage 99).
Thefollowingkeywordsareavailable:
Version:TheversionofAtollusedtolasteditthedocument.
UnlessyousaveyourAtolldocument,thereturnedvalueforVersionwillbe"undefined".
File:Thefilenameincludingthefullpathname.
Date:ThedatedefinedastheTimestampontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue.
Owner:TheownerofthedocumentdefinedontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue
Title:ThenameofthedocumentdefinedontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue.
Comments:AnycommentsenteredontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue.
Logo:ThelogodefinedontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue.
Status:TheprojectstatusdefinedontheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialogue.
YoucanchangethesettingsoftheProjecttabofthePropertiesdialoguebyclickingtheEditbutton.
c. ClickOKtoclosetheAvailableKeywordsdialogueandsaveyourchanges.
d. Ifdesired,youcanentertextintotheKeywordsboxeseitheralongwiththekeywordsoralone.
258
Ifyouencounteranalignmentissueinthegeneratedreport,youcanmodifythe
tabvaluebyaddinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seethe
Youcandefineadefaultconfigurationfileforeachlinkbudgetreportbyspecifying
anabsoluteorUNCpathintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seetheAdmin
istratorManual.
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheReportConfigurationdialogueas
amodelforfuturereportsbyclickingtheSaveAsbuttonatthetopofthedialogue
andenteringanameforthefileintheSaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttime
youconfigureareport,youcanclickOpenintheReportConfigurationdialogueto
openthemodelwiththesavedsettings.
6. Onceyouhavedefinedthecontentsandappearanceofthereport,clickOKtosaveyourchangesandclosethedia
logue.YoucanrestorethestyletoitsdefaultappearancebyclickingtheResetbutton.
7.5.1.6 PrintingaMicrowaveReport
AfteryouhaveconfiguredthereportdisplayedintheAnalysisReport,DesignSummary,orRequiredMarginview,youcan
printit.
Toprintthereport:
1. IntheAnalysisReport,DesignSummary,orRequiredMargin,clickthePrintbutton( ).ThePrintdialogueappears.
2. DefinethesettingsandclickOKtoprintyourreport.
7.5.1.7 ExportingaMicrowaveReport
AfteryouhaveconfiguredthereportdisplayedintheAnalysisReport,DesignSummary,orRequiredMarginview,youcan
exportitinRTFformat.
ToexportthereportinRTFformat:
1. In the Analysis Report, Design Summary, or Required Margin, click the Save Report button ( ). The Save As
dialogueappears.
2. IntheSaveAsdialogue,entertheFilenameandclickSave.
7.5.2 AnalysingMicrowaveLinks
Atollenablesyoutocalculatemultiplemicrowavelinkbudgetsforagroupofmicrowavelinkssimultaneously.Microwave
linksinAtollcanbegroupedinviewsaccordingtodifferentpropertyparameters(e.g.,byfrequencyband).Youcanlaunch
simultaneouslinkbudgetcalculationsforthemicrowavelinksgroupedinaview.Theresultsaredisplayedintheformofa
report.Beforecalculatingoneormorelinkbudgets,youcancreateacomputationzone.Thecomputationzoneisusedto
definetheareawhereAtollcarriesoutcalculations.Whenyoucreateacomputationzone,Atollcarriesoutthecalculation
forallmicrowavelinksintheselectedviewthatareactive,filtered(i.e.,thatareselectedbythecurrentfilterparameters),
andthatintersectthecomputationzone.
Thecomputationzoneistakenintoaccountwhetherornotitisvisible.Inotherwords,ifyouhavedrawnacomputationzone,
itwillbetakenintoaccountwhetherornotitsvisibilitycheckboxintheZonesfolderoftheGeotabintheexplorerwindow
isselected.Youwillhavetodeletethecomputationzoneifyounolongerwanttodefineanareaforcalculations.
Whenworkingwithalargenetwork,thecomputationzoneallowsyoutorestrictyourpredictionstothepartofthenetwork
youarecurrentlyworkingon.Byallowingyoutoreducethenumberofmicrowavelinksstudied,Atollreducesboththetime
andcomputerresourcesnecessaryforcalculations.
Ifthereisnocomputationzonedefined,Atollmakesitscalculationsonallmicrowavelinksintheselectedviewthatareactive
andfilteredandfortheentireextentofthegeographicaldataavailable.
Forinformationonthecomputationzone,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39.
"SettingaMicrowaveLinkasActive"onpage 260
"DefiningtheContentsoftheLinkBudgetsReport"onpage 260
"CalculatingMultipleMicrowaveLinkBudgets"onpage 261
"LinkBudgetCalculationValidity"onpage 261
259
7.5.2.1 SettingaMicrowaveLinkasActive
Oncemicrowavelinksaresetupwithinanetwork,youcandecidewhetherornottoactivatethem.Quality,availabilityand
interferenceanalysesandassociatedreportsandstatisticsonlytakeintoaccountactivemicrowavelinksthathavenotbeen
filteredout.Intheexplorerwindow,activemicrowavelinksaredisplayedinred( )intheMicrowaveLinksfolder;inactive
linksaredisplayedingrey( ).
Youcansetanindividualmicrowavelinkasactivefromitscontextmenuoryoucansetmorethanonemicrowavelinkasactive
byactivatingthemfromthecontextmenuoftheMicrowaveLinksfolder.
Tosetanindividualmicrowavelinkasactive:
1. ClicktheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow.
4. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkyouwanttoactivate.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectActiveLinkfromthecontextmenu.Thetransmitterisnowactive.
TosetmorethanonemicrowavelinkasactiveusingtheLinkscontextmenu:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksyouwanttosetasactive:
Tosetallmicrowavelinksasactive,rightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
Tosetagroupofmicrowavelinksasactive,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolder
andrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksyouwanttosetasactive.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectActivateLinksfromthecontextmenu.Theselectedmicrowavelinksaresetasactive.
TosetmorethanonemicrowavelinkasactiveusingtheMicrowaveLinkstable:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksyouwanttosetasactive:
Tosetallmicrowavelinksasactive,rightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
Tosetagroupofmicrowavelinksasactive,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolder
andrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksyouwanttosetasactive.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectOpenTable.TheMicrowaveLinkstableappearswitheachmicrowavelinksparametersinasecondrow.
5. Foreachmicrowavelinkthatyouwanttosetasactive,selectthecheckboxintheActivatecolumn.
Onceyouhaveensuredthatallmicrowavelinksareactive,youcansetthepropagationmodelandothercalculationparam
eters.Forinformationonchoosingandconfiguringapropagationmodelandcalculationparameters,seeChapter6:Working
withCalculationsinAtoll.
7.5.2.2 DefiningtheContentsoftheLinkBudgetsReport
Beforecalculatingthelinkbudget,youcandefinethecontentsofthelinkbudgetreport.
Todefinethecontentsofthelinkbudgetreport:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksforwhichyouwanttodefinethecontentsofthelinkbudgetreport:
Todefinethecontentsofthelinkbudgetreportforallmicrowavelinks,rightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.
Thecontextmenuappears.
Todefinethecontentsofthelinkbudgetreportforagroupofmicrowavelinks,clicktheExpandbutton( )to
expandtheMicrowaveLinksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksforwhichyouwanttodefine
thecontentsofthelinkbudgetreport.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectLinkBudgets >Propertiesfromthecontextmenu.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears.
AtolldisplaysadefaultsetoffieldsintheSelectedfieldslistandletsyouselectotherinformationtobeincludedin
thereport.
5. Definethecontentsofthereport:
260
a. IntheFieldSelectiondialogue,selectthefieldsthatyouwanttodisplayinthereport.Youcanselectcontiguous
removeit.
YoucanviewmoredetailedinformationoneachselectedfieldbyclickingtheTablebutton.
YoucanrestoretheSelectedfieldslisttoitsdefaultappearancebyclickingthe
Resetbutton.
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheFieldSelectiondialogueasacon
figurationfilebyclickingtheSaveAsbuttonatthetopofthedialogueandentering
anameforthefileintheSaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttimeyoucon
figureareport,youcanclickOpeninthePropertiesdialoguetoopenyourconfig
urationfilewiththesavedsettings.
b. ClickOKtosaveyourchangesandclosethedialogue.
7.5.2.3 CalculatingMultipleMicrowaveLinkBudgets
Youcancalculatealinkbudgetforallmicrowavelinksorforagroupofmicrowavelinks.
Toperformlinkbudgetcalculationsonagroupofmicrowavelinks:
3. SelectLinkBudgets >Calculatefromthecontextmenu.
Atolldisplaysthelinkbudgetreport.ThereportcontentdependsontheoptionsselectedinthePropertiesoftheLinks
folder:
Thelinkdirectionstobeanalysed(siteAsiteBand/orsiteBsiteA),
Thechannelandportsoption(All,worstchannelengineering,specificportengineering),
TheBERvaluestobeanalysed(BER1and/orBER2),
Theoperationmode(constantmodulationoradaptivemodulation).IfyouselectConstantmodulation(CCM),
Atollcalculatesthelinkbudgetforonemodulationonly(i.e.,themodulationdefinedinthelinkproperty).If
youselectAdaptivemodulation(ACM),Atollperformstheanalysisforeachmodulationdefinedinthemicro
wavelinkpropertiesdialogue.
Atoll indicates the characteristics of the microwave link (sites, antennas, and radios installed), the signal level
received,thefademargin,anditsqualityandavailability.Itdisplaysthetransmissionparameters(EIRP,variouslosses,
etc.),receptionparameters(sensitivity,variouslosses,etc.),calculationoptions,andgeoclimaticparameters.Italso
detailsthepropagationcalculation(totalattenuation)andthecalculationsrelatedtolinkengineering(quality(clear
air),unavailabilityduetorain,unavailabilityduetofailures).Alltheresultsareprovidedinboththedirectionsofthe
microwavelinkbeingstudied.
YoucanstopanycalculationsinprogressbyclickingtheStopCalculationsbutton
( )inthetoolbar.
You can access each microwave links properties by doubleclicking the corre
spondingrecordinthereport.
7.5.2.4 LinkBudgetCalculationValidity
Linkbudgetcalculationsperformedforagroupofmicrowavelinks(i.e.,intermediateresultssuchaspropagation,outage
probabilities)aresavedintheAtolldocument.So,oncecalculationshavebeenperformedforallmicrowavelinks,youcan
quicklyperformalinkbudgetforagroupofmicrowavelinks.Atollonlyrecalculatesnewandinvalidmicrowavelinks.Calcu
lationscanbecomeinvalidfordifferentreasons:
Ifacalculationmethodoroptionhasbeenchanged
Ifmicrowavelinkpropertieshavebeenmodified
Ifgeographicdatamapshavebeenupdated.
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Forthefirsttworeasons,Atollautomaticallydetectsinvalidityofthecalculationwhenstartingcalculationsandrecalculates.
Inthelastcase(e.g.,ifyouaddanewclutterclassmap),youmustforceAtolltorecalculate.
ToforceAtolltorecalculatethelinkbudget:
IfyouwanttorecalculatethelinkbudgetforagivenviewofmicrowavelinksintheMicro
waveLinksfolder,youcanclicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinks
folderbeforerightclickingtoaccessthecontextmenu.
4. SelectLinkBudgets >ForceCalculationsfromthecontextmenu.Atollremovesexistingcalculations,includingvalid
ones,andrecalculatesthelinkbudget.TheprogressofthecalculationsisdisplayedintheEventViewerwindow.
YoucanalsoresetexistingcalculationswithoutrecalculatingthelinkbudgetafterwardsbyselectingtheLinkBudgets >Rein
itialisecommand.Atollremovesexistingcalculations,includingvalidones.
7.5.3 PerformingamEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis
Multihoplinks,ormultihops,aresetsoftwoormorelinks(microwavelinksorothertransmissionlinks)thatareconnected
tocreatealongerlink.Ingeneralpractice,multihopsareusedfortwopurposes;toconstructaconnectionoverareasthat
donotprovidelineofsightandtotransfersignalsthroughlinksoverlongdistances.Atollenablesyoutoperformendtoend
reliabilityanalysisovermultihops.
"CreatingMultihops"onpage 262
"PerforminganEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis"onpage 264
7.5.3.1 CreatingMultihops
InAtoll,amultihopismanagedasagroupoflinks.Alinkcanbecommontomorethanonemultihopaswell.
"CreatingaMultihop"onpage 262.
"AddingaLinktoaMultihopUsingtheMouse"onpage 263.
"CreatingaMultihopontheMapUsingtheMouse"onpage 263.
"MappingMultipleMultihopsandLinksGlobally"onpage 263.
"SettingallLinksofaMultiHopasActive"onpage 264.
7.5.3.1.1 CreatingaMultihop
TocreateanewmultihopintheMultihopsfolder:
2. ClicktheExpandbutton( )oftheLinksfolder.TheLinksfolderopens.
3. RightclicktheMultiHopsfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.TheMultiHopsNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. EnterormodifythefollowingfieldsontheGeneraltab:
Name:TheNamefieldisfilledautomaticallybyAtoll,butcanbemodified.
LinkClass:Selectthemultihopsclassfromthelist.Atollusesthisinformationwiththemultihoplengthtocalcu
latetheperformanceobjectivesrequiredforthemultihop.Onceyouhaveselectedaclass,youcanviewand
modifytheclasspropertiesbyclickingtheBrowsebutton( ).
Comments:Enteranycommentsforthisnewmultihop.
6. ClickOK.AtollcreatesanemptymultihopintheMultihopsfolder.
Bydefault,Atollnamesthenewlycreatedmultihopinthefollowingmanner:"MultihopsX",where"X"increments
witheachinstanceofamultihop.
7. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMultihopsfolder.TheMultihopsfolderopens.
8. RightclickthenewmultihopandselectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
9. SelecttheLinkstab.
10. Assignlinkstothemultihop:
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a. EnteranumberintheIdcolumntosetthepositionofthelinkinthemultihop.
b. EitherselectamicrowavelinkfromtheLinkcolumn,orchooseanothertransmissionlinkfromtheOthertrans
missionlinkcolumn.
11. ClickOK.
TheOtherPropertiestabwillappearifyouhavedefinedadditionalfieldsintheMultihops
table.
7.5.3.1.2 AddingaLinktoaMultihopUsingtheMouse
Youcanaddalinktoamultihopusingthemouse.
Toaddalinktoamultihopusingthemouse:
1. RightclickthemultihopeitherintheMultihopsfolderontheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindoworonthemap.
2. SelectAddaLinkfromthecontextmenu.Thepointershapechanges( )inthemapwindow.
3. Onthemap,clickthelinkyouwanttoaddtothemultihop.
Thelinkisaddedtothelistoflinksformingthemultihopandisassignedanorderautomatically.
7.5.3.1.3 CreatingaMultihopontheMapUsingtheMouse
Youcancreateanewmultihopdirectlyonthemapusingthemouse.Whenyoucreateamultihop,eachlinkisbasedonthe
microwavelinktemplateselectedintheMicrowaveLinkPlanningtoolbar.Therefore,suchamultihopwillonlyconsistof
microwavelinks.
Tocreateanewmultihopdirectlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate:
list.
2. Click the Multihop button ( ) on the Microwave Link Planning toolbar. The
pointerchanges( ).
placeoneendofthenewmicrowavelinkandclick.Thepointernowchanges( ).
4. Movethepointeroverthemaptowhereyouwouldliketoendalinkandstarta
newlink.
5. Doubleclickatthelocationyouwanttodefineastheendofthemultihop.
you click the New Link button. For information on using the zooming tools, see
"ChangingtheMapScale"onpage 34.
Theendsiteoftheprecedinglinkisconsideredtobethestartsiteforthenextlinkwithinamultihop.Thenextmicrowave
linkinthemultihopsseriesisinitialisedbasedontheparametersoftheprecedingone(byinversingthesiteparities).
Thesitesthatdefinetheextremitiesofamultihopcanbealreadyexistingsites.Ifnositeexists,Atollwillcreatenewsites
automaticallyatthelocationyouclick.EachsiteinAtollcansupportseverallinks,transmitters,andpassiverepeaters.
7.5.3.1.4 MappingMultipleMultihopsandLinksGlobally
Atollallowsyoutomapmultiplelinkstothemultihops.
Tomapmultiplelinkstomultihops:
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3. RightclicktheMultiHopsfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectMultihopLinkMappingfromthecontextmenu.TheMultihopLinkMappingtableappears,containingall
the multihops and their corresponding links (i.e. microwave and other transmission links). In this table, you can
modify,delete,add,andchangetheorderofthelinksthatmakeupamultihop.
7.5.3.1.5 SettingallLinksofaMultiHopasActive
Youcanactivateordeactivatealllinksbelongingtoamultihop.Qualityandavailabilityanalysesonlytakeintoaccountactive
linksandnotinactiveorfilteredlinks.Intheexplorerwindow,activelinksaredisplayedinred( )intheMultiHopsfolder;
inactivelinksaredisplayedingrey( ).
Tochangetheactivitystatusofalllinksofamultihop:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMultiHopsfolder.
4. Rightclickthemultihopwhoseactivitystatusyouwanttoset.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. Dooneofthefollowing:
SelectActivateLinkstomakealllinksofthemultihopactive.
SelectDeactivateLinkstomakealllinksofthemultihopinactive.
7.5.3.2 PerforminganEndtoEndReliabilityAnalysis
Atollenablesyoutoperformendtoendreliabilityanalysisovermultihops.ThiscalculationisbasedontheITURP.5308and
P.53010recommendations.
Toperformanendtoendreliabilityanalysisoveramultihoplink:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMultiHopsfolder.
4. Rightclickthemultihopthatyouwanttoanalyse.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectAnalysisfromthecontextmenu.TheMultiHopBudgetdialogueappears.Itcontainsthefollowinginforma
tion:
Multihoplinkcharacteristics:thelinksformingthemultihop,totallengthofthemultihop.
Summary:Atollindicatesifqualityandavailabilityobjectiveshavebeenreachedforbothdirectionsofthelink.
Transmissionsitecharacteristics:thefrequencyband,subband,channels,andpolarisationofeachtransmitting
site.
Reception characteristics: received signal levels, margins, quality (percentage of time over the worst month),
availability(percentageoftimeoveranaverageyear)andfailures(percentageoftimeoveranaverageyear).
Multihoplinkbudget(bothdirections):Nonqualityduetomultipathandunavailabilityduetorainincluding
totaloutageratio,monthlyandannualoutageperiods,qualityindicators(probabilitiesofSESR,ESR,BBER)com
paredtotherequiredperformanceobjectivesandunavailabilityduetoradiofailurescomprisingannualoutages
duetofaultsandannualoutageperiod.
7.6 StudyingReflection
Studying reflection is essential to design any microwave link network. A reflected signal that can reach the receiver with
enoughstrengthandwithacertaindelayascomparedtothedirectsignalcangenerateinterference.Theinterferencecan
generatefading(calledreflectivefading)thatcanlowerdownthereceivedsignal.
InAtoll,youcandisplayreflectionareasalongthelinkprofileandanalysethelocationofthereflectionpointanditsimpact
onthereceivedsignallevel.Atollcalculatesthereflectionpointusinga2raymodel.
Cluttercategoriesaretakenintoaccountinthereflectionstudyandmustbeassignedtoclutterclassesinthemicrowaveprop
agationmodelpropertiesbeforeanalysingreflectionsalongtheprofile.Forinformationonassigningcluttercategoriestoclut
terclassesinthepropagationmodelproperties,see"WorkingwiththeMicrowavePropagationModel"onpage 189
Reflectionpointscanhavedifferentlocationsasthekfactorvariesduringtheday.Therefore,thereflectionanalysishastobe
performedfordifferentkfactorvalues.Forinformationondefiningtherangeofkfactorvalues,see"ModifyingReflection
AnalysisParameters"onpage 269.
"DisplayingReflection"onpage 265.
"AnalysingReflections"onpage 266.
264
"SolutionsforReflectionProblems"onpage 270.
7.6.1 DisplayingReflection
Atolldisplaysreflectionareasalongtheprofileandprovidesinformationabouttheinterferencegeneratedbythereflected
signal.Reflectioncanbedestructivewhenthereflectionpointislocatedwithinthereflectionareaandthereflectedsignalis
receivedatthereceiverside(i.e.,itisnotobstructed).
Todisplayreflectionareas:
4. SelectDisplayReflectionsfromthemenu.
AtolldisplaysreflectionareasandunobstructedreflectedsignalscalculatedforthefirstkfactorvalueoftheProfile
Analysisview.Thisvaluecorrespondstothemedianvalueofthekfactor.Bydefault,itisinitialisedeitherwithaglobal
value,orwiththevaluecalculatedforthemicrowavelink;thisdependsontheoptionselectedinthePropertiesof
theLinksfolder.
Reflectionareasarerepresentedwithahashedpatternandunobstructedreflectedsignalsbyorangelines.
5. Clickonereflectionarea.Atollcoloursthepatternandhighlightsthecorrespondingunobstructedreflectedpathif
thereisone.Thecolourindicatesifthereflectioncangeneratedestructiveinterference.
Green:Eitherthereisnoreflectionpoint,orthereflectionpointisoutofthereflectionarea.Thereflectiondoes
notcreatedestructiveinterference.
Orange:Thereflectionpointiswithinthereflectionareabutthereflectedsignalisobstructed.Thereflectiondoes
notcreatedestructiveinterference.
Red:Thereflectionpointiswithinthereflectionareaandthereflectedsignalisreceivedatthereceiverside(i.e.
thereflectedsignalisnotobstructed)(seeFigure 7.18).Thereflectioncancreatedestructiveinterference.
Figure 7.18:Reflectionareadisplay
Youcandisplayadditionalinformationregardingreflectedpaths.
Todisplayadditionalinformation:
1. Displaythemicrowavelinkprofileasexplainedin"ViewingaMicrowaveLinkProfile"onpage 244.
3. SelectDisplayOptionsfromthecontextmenu.TheProfileDisplayOptionsdialogueappears.
4. IntheProfileDisplayOptionsdialogue,selecttheReflectionstab.
5. UnderForallreflectionzones,youcanselectthefollowingoptions:
Displaythespecularreflectionpoint:SelecttheDisplaythespecularreflectionpointcheckboxifyouwantto
display reflection areas along the link profile and unobstructed reflected paths. The option is automatically
selectedafteryouhavedisplayedreflectionsaspreviouslyexplained.
Displaythecriticalreflectionzonewhenkfactorvaries:SelecttheDisplaythecriticalreflectionzonewhenk
factorvariescheckboxifyouwanttodisplaythereflectionzoneregardlessofcluttercategories.Thereflection
zoneisdeterminedfromantennaheightsandgroundaltitudeatthetransmitterandreceiversites;itisnotbased
onthedefinedcluttercategories.Whenthisoptionisselected,youhavetocheckifthiszoneisareflectionarea
and,ifso,ifthereisareflectionpointwithinthereflectionarea.
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6. UnderFortheselectedarea,youcanselectthefollowingoptions:
Displaythereflectionsforthekfactorrange:SelecttheDisplaythereflectionsforthekfactorrangecheckbox
ifyouwanttodisplayunobstructedandobstructedreflectedpathscalculatedforthedefinedrangeofkfactor
values.Forinformationondefiningtherangeofkfactorvalues,see"ModifyingReflectionAnalysisParameters"
onpage 269.
Displaytheobstructedreflections:SelecttheDisplaytheobstructedreflectionscheckboxifyouwanttodisplay
obstructedreflectedsignals.Obstructedreflectedsignalsarerepresentedwithorangedashedlines.
Displayallthepaths:SelecttheDisplayallthepathscheckboxifyouwanttodisplayallpossiblereflectedsignals
withinthereflectionarea.
Displaythereflectionplan:SelecttheDisplaythereflectionplancheckboxinordertodisplaythereflection
slope.Thisoneisusedtodeterminethereflectionpoint.
7. UnderAboveseawater,selecttheDisplaytidelevelscheckboxinordertodisplaytheheightvariationduetotides
abovetheseawatercluttercategory.Forinformationondefiningtheheightvariation,see"ModifyingReflectionAnal
ysisParameters"onpage 269.
Reflectionpathsandreflectivesurfacescanonlybedisplayedandanalysedoverunbroken
microwavelinkprofiles,i.e.,theprofileshouldnotincluderepeaters.
7.6.2 AnalysingReflections
"DisplayingtheReflectionAnalysisReport"onpage 266.
"ConfiguringtheReflectionAnalysisReport"onpage 269.
"ModifyingReflectionAnalysisParameters"onpage 269.
7.6.2.1 DisplayingtheReflectionAnalysisReport
Atollprovidesdetailedanalysisofreflectionareasandtheirimpactonmicrowavelinks.
Todisplayadetailedanalysisofreflectionareas:
1. Displayreflectionareasalongthelinkprofileasexplainedin"DisplayingReflection"onpage 265
2. Clickareflectionarea.
3. Rightclickthereflectionarea.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. Select Reflection and Diversity Analysis from the context menu. The Microwave Reflection/Diversity window
appears.
TheReportviewisselectedbydefault.Itcontainsthefollowingsections:
Summary:TheSummaryprovidesinformationontheimpactofthereflectiononthedirectsignal.Ifrequired,
Atollrecommendssolutionstominimisethereflectioneffectssuchaschangingthereceiverantennatiltorimple
mentingdiversitytechniques.
Inaddition,itdisplaysoptimalantennaandfrequencyseparationstobeusedwithdiversitytechniquesfortheval
uesofthekfactordisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.
LinkSpecifications:Youwillfinddataonthestudiedmicrowavelink:
Names:Thenameofthesites.
Longitude:Thesitepositiononthexaxis.
Latitude:Thesitepositionontheyaxis.
Altitude:Thesitealtitude.
CoordinateSystem:ThedisplaycoordinatesystemsetintheATLdocument.
FrequencyBand:Theoperatingfrequencybandselectedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
Length:Themicrowavelinklength.
GeoclimaticParameters:Youwillfindgeoclimaticparametersdefinedforthestudiedmicrowavelink:
Temperature:Theaveragetemperature(inC)ofthezoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkoperates.
WaterVapourDensity:Thewatervapourdensityingramspercubicmetre.
RelativeHumidity:Therelativehumidityinpercentage.
EarthCurvatureFactor(k):ThefirstvalueofthekfactorvaluedisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.
Geoclimaticfactor(K):TheKfactorwhichmodelsgeoclimaticandterraineffectsonclimate.
RainfallRate(exceededduring0.01%oftheaverageyear):Therainfallobserved99.99%oftheaverageyear
inmillimetresperhour.
GroundCharacteristics:TheGroundCharacteristicspartcontainsthefollowinginformation:
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GroundType:Thegroundtypecanbescattering,reflecting,orintermediate.Itdependsontheroughness,the
lengthofthemicrowavelinkandthetransmitterantennaheightabovethereflectionarea.Formoreinforma
tiononhowthegroundtypeisdetermined,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
HumidityType:Thehumiditytypedependsonthecluttercategory."Waterorverywet"isconsideredforwet
terrains,freshandseawatercluttercategories."Slightlywetormoderatelydry"isusedforruralopen,tree
coveredandcryospherecluttercategories."Verydry"isconsideredforbuiltupareaanddrygroundclutter
categories.
TerrainRoughnessFactor:Theterrainroughnessfactor.
EffectiveReflectionCoefficient:Thereflectioncoefficientofthereflectionarea.
Reflectionareageometry:TheReflectionareageometrypartcontainsthefollowinginformation:
TotalReflectionAreaLength:Thelengthoftheselectedreflectionzoneandthetotallengthincludingallre
flectionzonesintobrackets.
Criticalspecularreflectionpoint:Thisindicatesifthereisareflectionpointfortheselectedreflectionzone.
Grazingangleofreflectedray:Thegrazingangleandtheincidenceangleofthereflectedpathonthereflec
tionslopeplanearecomplementaryangles.
AngleatAbetweendirectandreflectedray:TheanglebetweenthedirectandthereflectedpathsatSite A.
AngleatBbetweendirectandreflectedray:TheanglebetweenthedirectandthereflectedpathsatSite B.
Attenuations:TheAttenuationspartcontainsthefollowingresultscalculatedforthetwovaluesofthekfactor
displayedintheProfileAnalysisview:
ReflectedSignalAttenuation:Theattenuationofthereflectedsignalatthereceiverside.Thesignalisatten
uatedbythereceiverantenna(Duetoantennadiscrimination)andbecauseitisreflectedbytheground(Due
togroundreflection).
TotalAttenuation:Thetotalattenuationofthereflectedsignalatthereceiverside.Thisisthesumofthe
attenuationduetoantennadiscriminationandtheattenuationduetogroundreflection.
DirectSignalAttenuation:Theattenuationofthedirectsignalatthereceiverside.Thesignalattenuationis
duetothereceiverantenna(Attenuationduetoantennadiscrimination)andrefractivity(Attenuationdue
torefractivity).
MaximumPossibleAttenuation:Thestrongestattenuationexperiencedbythedirectsignalatthereceiver
side.
Additionalresultsappearif,whenconfiguringthereportasexplainedin"ConfiguringtheReflectionAnalysisReport"
onpage 269,youselectthecheckboxescorrespondingtothefollowingoptions:
Summary:UnderSummary,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
DetailedStudy:Youcanreadifthespecularreflectionpointiswithinthereflectionarea,ifthereflectedsignal
isobstructed,andifthereflectedanddirectsignalsarriveinphase.
<FieldSelection>:Atollrecommendsoptimalantennaandfrequencyseparationstobeusedwithdiversity
techniquesforfourkfactorvalues(kmin,kmedian,keffandkmax).kmedian(medianvalueofthekfactor)and
keff(effectivevalueofthekfactor)correspondtothekfactorvaluesdisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.
Bydefault,theyareinitialisedeitherwithglobalvalues,orwiththevaluescalculatedforthelink;thisdepends
ontheoptionselectedinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder.kminandkmaxcanbedefinedintheParameters
forReflectionAnalysisoftheLinkdialogue.Forinformationondefiningthekminandkmax,see"Modifying
LinkSpecifications:UnderLinkSpecifications,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
<CustomFields>:ThecustomfieldsavailableinMicrowaveLinkstable.
Sites:Siterelatedparameterssuchasthesupportheight,thesupporttypeandcustomfields.
Antennas:Main,diversity,andbackantennapropertiesforbothmicrowavelinkextremities(Site AandSite B)
andrepeaters(Site PandSite Q).
Radio:Theradioparametersforbothmicrowavelinkextremities(Site AandSite B).
Feeders:feedersrelatedparametersforbothmicrowavelinkextremities(Site AandSite B).
TerrainProfile:Theterrainprofile.
Transmission:UnderTransmission,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
CalculatedChannel:Thecalculatedchannel.Forinformationonconfiguringthechanneltobestudied,see
"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
Polarisation:Theantennapolarisation.
DiversityFrequency:Thesecondchannelfrequencywhendiversityfrequencyisused.
GeoclimaticParameters:UnderGeoclimaticParameters,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
EnvironmentType:Theenvironmenttypeasdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
ClimateZone:Theclimatezoneasdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
RainArea:Therainareaasdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
TerrainType:Theterraintypeasdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
ClimaticFactor:Thegeoclimaticfactorasdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
AtmosphericPressure:Theatmosphericpressure(hPa)asdefinedinthemicrowavelinkproperties.
267
MedianValueofthekfactor:thekfactorvalueobserved50%oftime.Thevalueiscalculatedaccordingto
refractivityconditionsdefinedforthemicrowavelink.
EffectiveEarthCurvatureFactor(keat99.9%):thekfactorvalueobserved99.9%oftime.
Percentageoftimewhentherefractivitygradient(<100m)is<100Nunits/km:Thepercentageoftheaver
ageyearwheretherefractivitygradientvalueof100Nunits/kmisnotexceeded.Thevalueisdefinedinthe
microwavelinkproperties.
Refractivity Gradient: The refractivity gradient near the earths surface (in Nunits/km) as defined in the
microwavelinkproperties.
RainHeight(0C/32Fisotherm):Theheightofthetopoftheraincolumnabovemeansealevelfromthe0C
isotherm.
Fog:Thefogintensityinpercentage.Thevalueistakenfromthegeoclimaticparametersfile.
CalculationParameters:UnderCalculationParameters,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
CalculationMethods:Thecalculationmethodsused(propagationmodel,qualitymodel,availabilitymodel,if
enhancementsanddiscriminationreductionareignored,calculationonthediversityantenna,spacediversity,
andfrequencydiversity).
QualityObjectives:Thequalityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER)tobeconsideredforthemicrowavelink.
AvailabilityObjectives:Theavailabilityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER)tobeconsideredforthemicrowavelink.
GroundCharacteristics:TheGroundCharacteristicspartcontainsthefollowinginformation:
Permittivity:Theterrainpermittivity.
Conductivity:TheterrainconductivityinS/m.
SpecularReflectionFactor:Thespecularreflectionfactor.
TerrainIrregularity:Theterrainirregularity.
<FieldSelection>:Theresultslistedaftercanbecalculatedforfourkfactorvalues(kmin,kmedian,keffand
kmax).kmedian(medianvalueofthekfactor)andkeff(effectivevalueofthekfactor)correspondtothek
factorvaluesdisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.Bydefault,theyareinitialisedeitherwithglobalvalues,or
withthevaluescalculatedforthemicrowavelink;thisdependsontheoptionselectedinthePropertiesofthe
Linksfolder.kminandkmaxcanbedefinedintheParametersforReflectionAnalysisoftheLinkdialogue.For
informationondefiningthekminandkmax,see"ModifyingReflectionAnalysisParameters"onpage 269.
SurfaceReflectionCoefficient:Thesurfacereflectionfactor.
DivergenceFactor:Thedivergencefactor.
Reflectionareageometry:UnderReflectionareageometry,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
ZoneLocation:ThedistancefromSite Aatwhichthereflectionareastartsandends.
Antennaheightsabovethereflectionplan:TheantennaheightsatSite AandSite Babovethereflectionplan.
Tau(kmax)Tau(kmin):ThedifferencebetweenTaucalculatedforkmaxandTaucalculatedforkmin.Tau
correspondstothedifferenceinpathlengthbetweendirectandreflectedsignalsexpressedinwavelength.If
thedifferenceislowerthan1,thenthereisnominimum(destructiveinterferenceatthereceiversidedueto
thereflectedsignal)thatisexperiencedwiththecriticalkfactorrangeanddiversitycanbeavoided.Ifthe
differenceexceedsorequals1,thenthereisatleastoneminimumthatisexperiencedwiththecriticalkfactor
rangeanddiversitymaybeimplementeddependingonhowwellthesignalisreflectedandwhetherthereis
significantdiscriminationagainstsurfacereflectionsfromoneorbothoftheantennas.
<FieldSelection>:Selectthe<FieldSelection>checkboxinorderforAtolltodisplaytheresultslistedafterfor
fourkfactorvalues(kmin,kmedian,keffandkmax).kmedian(medianvalueofthekfactor)andkeff(effective
valueofthekfactor)correspondtothekfactorvaluesdisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.Bydefault,they
areinitialisedeitherwithglobalvalues,orwiththevaluescalculatedforthemicrowavelink;thisdependson
theoptionselectedinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder.kminandkmaxcanbedefinedintheParametersfor
Reflection Analysis of the Link dialogue. For information on defining the kmin and kmax, see "Modifying
Locationofthespecularreflectionpoint:ThedistanceofthespecularreflectionpointfromSiteA.
Pathdifference(direct/reflected)(m):Thedifferenceinpathlengthbetweendirectandreflectedsignals.
Reflectedpathdelay:Thedelayofthereflectedpathinns.
Attenuations:UnderAttenuations,youcanselectthefollowinginformation:
<FieldSelection>:Selectthe<FieldSelection>checkboxinorderforAtolltodisplaytheresultsforfourkfac
torvalues(kmin,kmedian,keffandkmax).kmedian(medianvalueofthekfactor)andkeff(effectivevalueof
thekfactor)correspondtothekfactorvaluesdisplayedintheProfileAnalysisview.Bydefault,theyareini
tialisedeitherwithglobalvalues,orwiththevaluescalculatedforthemicrowavelink;thisdependsontheop
tion selected in the Properties of the Links folder. kmin and kmax can be defined in the Parameters for
ReflectionAnalysisoftheLinkdialogue.Forinformationondefiningthekminandkmax,see"ModifyingRe
flectionAnalysisParameters"onpage 269.
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7.6.2.2 ConfiguringtheReflectionAnalysisReport
Youcanconfigurethedisplayparametersofthereflectionanalysisreporttodisplaysomeoralloftheparametersusedinthe
calculationsandresultsofthecalculationswithdifferentstyles.
Toconfiguretheappearanceandcontentsofthereflectionanalysisreport:
1. Displaythereflectionanalysisreportasexplainedin"DisplayingtheReflectionAnalysisReport"onpage 266.
2. ClicktheConfigureReportbutton( ).TheReportConfigurationdialogueappears.
3. ClicktheContentstab.
4. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandaresultcategory.
Youcandefinewhichresultswillbedisplayed:
Todisplayresults,selectthecheckboxcorrespondingtothoseresults.
Tohideresults,clearthecheckboxcorrespondingtothoseresults.
Torestoretheselectedresultstotheirdefaultsettings,ortorefreshthelistofresultsavailable,clicktheReset
button.
5. ClicktheStyletab.
Youcandefinetheappearanceofthereport.Todefinetheappearanceofeachelement:
a. Clickthestyleyouwanttodefineinthepreviewwindow.
b. ClicktheAaBbYyZzbuttontosetthefont.
c. DefinethealignmentoftheparagraphbyselectingAlignLeft,CentredorAlignRight.
YoucanrestorethestyletoitsdefaultappearancebyclickingtheResetbutton.
Ifyouencounteranalignmentissueinthegeneratedreport,youcanmodifythe
tabvaluebyaddinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Formoreinformation,seethe
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheReportConfigurationdialogueas
amodelforfuturereportsbyclickingtheSaveAsbuttonatthetopofthedialogue
andenteringanameforthefileintheSaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttime
youconfigureareport,youcanclickOpenintheReportConfigurationdialogueto
openthemodelwiththesavedsettings.
6. Onceyouhavedefinedthecontentsandappearanceofthereport,clickOKtosaveyourchangesandclosethedia
logue.
7.6.2.3 ModifyingReflectionAnalysisParameters
Youcanstudytheinfluenceofsomeparametersonthereflectionanalysis.Inaddition,youcanaccessandmodifytheglobal
calculationparametersandthemicrowavelinkparameters.
Todefinereflectionanalysisparameters:
1. In the MW Reflection/Diversity dialogue, click the arrow next to the Settings button ( ) on the toolbar. The
contextmenuappears.
2. SelectAnalysisParametersfortheHop.TheParametersforReflectionAnalysisoftheLinkdialogueappears.
3. UnderAnalysismode,selectthereflectionareatobeconsideredinthereflectionanalysis:
Calculationontheselectedreflectionarea:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atollmakesthereflectionanalysisonthe
selectedreflectionarea.
Globalcalculationonallreflectionareas:Ifyouselectthisoption,Atolltakesintoaccountallreflectionareas
alongtheprofileinthereflectionanalysis.
4. UnderAntennaheightsabovethereflectionplan,selectthemethodtobeusedtocalculateantennaheightsabove
thereflectionplan.YoucanchoosebetweentheSimplifiedmethodandtheMethodwithlinearregressiononthe
area.Formoreinformationonthesecalculationmethods,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
5. UnderTerrainheightirregularity,selectthemethodtobeusedtocalculateterrainheightirregularity.Youcanchoose
betweentheRootmeansquaremethod,theStandarddeviationmethodandtheInterdecilerangemethod.Formore
informationonthesecalculationmethods,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
6. UnderRefractivity,selecttherangeofkfactorvalues:
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kminFactor:thelowestkfactorvaluetobeconsideredinthereflectionanalysis.
kmaxFactor:thehighestkfactorvaluetobeconsideredinthereflectionanalysis.
7. UnderEffectduetotidelevelaboveseawater,selecttheTakeintoaccountheightvariationsofcheckboxanddefine
thecorrespondingheight.
8. UnderAmplitudecalculationoftheindirectray,selectthemethodtobeusedtocalculatetheindirectsignalampli
tude.YoucanchoosebetweentheSimplifiedmethodandtheMethodwithequivalentreflectioncoefficient.For
moreinformationonthesecalculationmethods,seetheTechnicalReferenceGuide.
9. ClickOK.
Toaccesstheglobalcalculationparameters:
2. ClickthearrownexttotheSettingsbutton( )onthetoolbar.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectCalculationParametersfromthecontextmenu.
Toaccessthemicrowavelinkparameters:
2. ClickthePropertiesbutton( )onthetoolbar.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
7.6.3 SolutionsforReflectionProblems
Attheendofthereflectionanalysis,youcanidentifywhethergroundreflectionisaproblemforthemicrowavelink.ifso,the
effects of reflections can be minimised by carefully setting the antenna heights as explained in "Studying Reflection" on
page 264,byusingtheantennadiscriminationcapabilitiesandtiltingthereceiverantennaasindicatedintheSummarypart
ofthereflectionanalysisreport,orbyusingdiversitytechniqueswiththeantenna/frequencyseparationsrecommendedin
theSummarypartofthereflectionanalysisreport.
Atollprovidesyouwithatoolyoucanusetocheckwhethertherecommendedantennaheightandfrequencyseparationsare
validoverarangeofkfactorvalues.Youcanalsouseittooptimisetheheightandfrequencyseparations.
Tochecktherecommendedantennaheightandfrequencyseparations:
1. Displaythereflectionareasasexplainedin"DisplayingReflection"onpage 265.
2. Clickareflectionarea.
3. RightclicktheProfileAnalysisview.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectReflectionandDiversityAnalysisfromthecontextmenu.TheMWReflection/Diversitywindowappears.
5. SelecttheAttenuationGraphsview(seeFigure 7.19).
Bydefault,Atolldisplaysthedifferenceofsignalstrengthbetweenthedirectpathandthereflectedpath(i.e.,the
attenuationofthereflectedpathcomparedtothedirectpath)asafunctionoftheantennaheight,fordifferentk
factorvalues(kmin,kmaxandthekavg)andtransmissionfrequencies.Youcanalsodisplaythedifferenceofsignal
strengthbetweenthedirectpathandthereflectedpathasafunctionof:
Thekfactor,fordifferentreceiverantennaheightsandtransmissionfrequencies.
Thetransmissionfrequency,fordifferentkfactorvalues(kmin,kmaxandthekavg)andreceiverantennaheights.
Figure 7.19:StudyofReflectionandDiversityAttenuationGraphs
6. ClicktheDisplayOptionsbutton( )inthetoolbar.TheGraphParametersdialogueappears.
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8. UnderVerticalaxis,eitherselecttheAutomaticboundcalculationcheckboxinordertoletAtollautomaticallydeter
minetheupperandlowervaluesoftheverticalaxis,orcleartheAutomaticboundcalculationcheckboxanddefine
thesevaluesmanually(MaxattenuationandMinattenuation).
9. UnderHorizontalaxis,youcanselectthefollowing:
Ordinate:Selectwhatyouwanttodisplayonthehorizontalaxis.Youcanchoosebetweenthe"kfactor,""Receiver
AntennaHeight,"andthe"TransmissionFrequency."
Minbound:Thelowervalueonthehorizontalaxis.
Maxbound:Theuppervalueonthehorizontalaxis.
10. UnderGraphselection,selectthegraphstobedisplayedandthedisplayoptions.
11. SelecttheVariableDefinitiontab.
12. Underkfactorselection,definethekfactorvalues,kmin,kavgandkmax,tobeconsideredfortheanalysis.Atolldis
playsthekefffactorat99%(i.e.,thekfactorvaluenotexceeded99%oftheaverageyear)andthekefffactorat50%
(i.e.,themediankfactorvalue).Youcanredotheanalysisusingthesevalues.
13. UnderReceiverantennaheightselection,definetheantennaheightvalues,Diversityantenna,Mainantennaand
Otherheight,tobeconsideredfortheanalysis.Theoptimalseparationsforthedifferentkfactorvaluesaredisplayed.
TheyareautomaticallycalculatedbyAtoll.Thevaluecalculatedforthekavgfactorisusedtoinitialisethediversity
antennaheight(mainantennaheightseparation)andtheotherheight(mainantennaheight+separation)values.
Youcanredotheanalysisbyconsideringotherseparations.
14. UnderTransmissionFrequencySelection,definethetransmissionfrequencyvalues,DiversityFrequency,MainFre
quencyandOtherFrequency,tobeconsideredfortheanalysis.Theoptimalseparationscalculatedforthedifferent
kfactorvaluesaredisplayed.Thevaluecalculatedforthekavgfactorisusedtoinitialisethediversityfrequency(main
frequency+separation)andtheotherfrequencyvalues(mainfrequency+2*separation).Youcanredotheanalysis
byconsideringotherseparations.
15. ClickOK.
7.7 PlanningMicrowaveLinkChannels
Planningmicrowavelinknetworksinvolvesanumberofareasofanalysis.Foreachnewmicrowavelinkcreatedinanyenvi
ronment,thereisalistofinterferenceconflictscreatedduetothisnewlyintroducedmicrowavelink.Itisacommonexperi
encethatsuchmodificationsinexistingnetworkdesignsintroduceanumberofinterferenceproblemsthatcouldhavebeen
avoidedduringtheinitialdesignofthesamenetwork.Thus,frequencyplanninginmicrowavenetworksisofextremeimpor
tance not only to reduce interference at the initial stage of the network but also to plan for future modifications in the
network.
Theprocessoffrequencyselectioninmicrowavesystemsisaccomplishedwithinterferenceminimisationbeingthemost
importantobjective.Therearevariouswaystoaccomplishthis.Alogicalapproachistodefineanumberofspecificfrequency
plans,eachcontainingafixednumberofspecificfrequencies,thendivideeachplanintoahighsegmentandalowsegment.
Theideaistobasicallyallowfrequencyassignmentstobemadeinpairs,witheachpairhavingminimumseparations.When
anassignmentismade,thetransmitterandreceivergetassignmentsinoppositesegments.Ifthetransmitterfrequencyisin
thehighblock,thereceiverfrequencywillbeinthelowblockandviceversa.
"CheckingMicrowaveLinkSiteParities"onpage 271.
"UsingtheFindonMapTooltoDisplayChannelReuse"onpage 274.
"PerformingSemiautomaticChannelAllocation"onpage 275.
"WorkingwiththeFrequencySpectrumAnalyser"onpage 276.
"DisplayingThirdorderIntermodulationProducts"onpage 278
7.7.1 CheckingMicrowaveLinkSiteParities
Youcanverifytheparityofsiteseitheronthemaporinareport.Atolltakesintoconsiderationthesitesofmicrowavelinks
whichareactive,filtered(i.e.,thatareselectedbythecurrentfilterparameters),andwhichintersectthecomputationzone.
"CheckingSiteParitiesontheMap"onpage 271.
"CreatingaReportonSiteParities"onpage 274.
7.7.1.1 CheckingSiteParitiesontheMap
Atollenablesyoutoviewthesiteparitiesonthemapandtherebytodetectanypossiblehigh/lowconflicts.
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Youcanverifythesiteparitiesinthefollowingways:
"DisplayingSiteParitiesontheMap"onpage 272.
"ColouringMicrowaveLinksaccordingtoSiteParities"onpage 272.
Thefollowingisalsoexplained:
"HidingSiteParities"onpage 273
"DeletingSiteParities"onpage 273.
7.7.1.1.1 DisplayingSiteParitiesontheMap
Youcanviewthesiteparitiesdirectlyonthemap.
Toperformasiteparitycheckanddisplaytheresultsonthemap:
1. ClickontheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow.
2. ClicktheExpand( )buttontoexpandtheLinksfolder.
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttoperformasiteparitycheck.
Toperformasiteparitycheckonallmicrowavelinksinaspecificfrequencyband:
RightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowave
links(groupedbyFrequencyBand)onwhichyouwanttoperformasiteparitycheck.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >ChannelArrangementperSite >DisplayonMapfromthecontextmenu.TheChannelArrange
mentdialogueappears.
IfyoureachedthisstepthroughtheMicrowaveLinksfolder,selectthefrequencybandforwhichyouwantto
checktheparitiesofmicrowavelinkextremities.
If you reached this step through a Microwave Links subfolder, the corresponding frequency band is already
selectedintheChannelArrangementdialoguebox.
5. SelecttheDisplayparitiesatsitelevelcheckbox.
6. Chooseaniconforthedifferentcases.
Lower:Thesiteisassignedfrequenciesfromthelowerhalfband.
Upper:Thesiteisassignedfrequenciesfromtheupperhalfband.
Undefined:Nofrequencyisassignedtothesite.
Multiple:Thesiteisassignedfrequenciesfromthelowerandupperhalfbands.
7. Enterthepositionoficonsrelativetothesite(indpi).
8. SelecttheAddtolegendcheckboxtoaddthedisplayediconstothelegend.
9. ClickOKtostartthecalculations.
Whenyouhavealreadydefinedhowchannelsaretobedisplayed,clickingtheChannelArrangementbutton( )displays
thedefinedchannels;ifyouwanttoredefinehowchannelsaredisplayed,youwillhavetoopentheChannelArrangement
dialogueusingthecontextmenuoftheMicrowaveLinksfolder(orthecontextmenuofaMicrowaveLinkssubfolderifthe
microwavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand)asexplainedearlier.
7.7.1.1.2 ColouringMicrowaveLinksaccordingtoSiteParities
Atollcandisplayeachhalfofthemicrowavelinkinacolourassignedtothehalfbandusedonitssite.
Tocolourmicrowavelinksaccordingtositeparities:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksyouwantcolouraccordingtositeparities.
Tocolouragroupofmicrowavelinksinaspecificfrequencyband:
RightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
IfthemicrowavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowave
Linksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksyouwanttocolouraccordingtositeparities.Thecon
textmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >ChannelArrangementperSite >DisplayonMapfromthecontextmenu.TheChannelArrange
mentdialogueappears.
IfyoureachedthisstepthroughtheMicrowaveLinksfolder,selectthefrequencybandforwhichyouwantto
colourthemicrowavelinksaccordingtositeparities.
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If you reached this step through a Microwave Links subfolder, the corresponding frequency band is already
selectedintheChannelArrangementdialoguebox.
5. SelecttheDisplayparitiesonlinkscheckbox.
6. Definethecolourandthelinethicknesstobeappliedtothehalfofthemicrowavelink,forthefollowingcases:
7. SelecttheAddtolegendcheckboxtoaddthedisplayedcolourstothelegend.
8. ClickOKtostartthecalculations.
Whenyouhavealreadydefinedhowchannelsaretobedisplayed,clickingtheChannelArrangementbutton( )displays
thedefinedchannels;ifyouwanttoredefinehowchannelsaredisplayed,youwillhavetoopentheChannelArrangement
dialogueusingthecontextmenuoftheMicrowaveLinksfolder(orthecontextmenuofaMicrowaveLinkssubfolderifthe
microwavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand)asexplainedearlier.
7.7.1.1.3 HidingSiteParities
Youcanhideallsiteparities,orhidespecificsiteparitieswhenmicrowavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand.
"HidingAllSiteParities"onpage 273
"HidingSiteParitiesinaSpecificOperatingFrequencyBand"onpage 273.
HidingAllSiteParities
Whensiteparitiesaredisplayedonthemap,youcanhideallsiteparities.
Tohideallsiteparities:
ClicktheChannelArrangementbutton( )
YoucandisplaythemagainbyclickingtheChannelArrangementbutton( )asecondtime.
HidingSiteParitiesinaSpecificOperatingFrequencyBand
YoucanhidesiteparitiesinaspecificfrequencybandusingthecontextmenuofaMicrowaveLinkssubfolder,ifthemicro
wavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand.
Tohidesiteparitiesinaspecificfrequencybandusingthecontextmenu:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolderand,ifthemicrowavelinksaregroupedbyFre
quencyBand,rightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksyouwanttohide.
4. SelectInterference >HideChannelArrangementfromthecontextmenu.
ClickingtheChannelArrangementbutton( )willdisplaythehiddensiteparitiesagainaswellasanyotherhiddensitepari
tiesinotheroperatingfrequencybands.
7.7.1.1.4 DeletingSiteParities
Youcandeleteallsiteparities,displayedorhidden,orjusttheonesinaspecificfrequencyband.Whenyoudeletesiteparities,
thedisplaypropertiesyouhavedefinedforthosesiteparitiesarealsodeleted.Anynewsiteparitiesyoucreatewillbebased
onthedefaultdisplayproperties.
"DeletingAllSiteParities"onpage 273
"DeletingSiteParitiesinOneorMoreSpecificFrequencyBands"onpage 274
DeletingAllSiteParities
Todeleteallsiteparities:
3. SelectInterference >DeleteChannelArrangement>Allfromthecontextmenu.
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DeletingSiteParitiesinOneorMoreSpecificFrequencyBands
YoucandeletesiteparitiesinoneormorespecificfrequencybandsusingthecontextmenuofanyMicrowaveLinkssub
folder(whenthemicrowavelinksaregroupedbyFrequencyBand).
Todeletesiteparitiesinspecificfrequencybandsusingthecontextmenu:
3. SelectInterference >DeleteChannelArrangement>Selectfromthecontextmenu.TheChannelDistributiondia
logueappears.
4. UnderFrequencybandstoremove,selectthefrequencybandsforwhichthesiteparitieswillbedeletedandclickOK.
Ifnecessary,youcanclicktheRefreshbutton( )orpressF5toupdatethedisplay.
7.7.1.2 CreatingaReportonSiteParities
Atollenablesyoutocreateareportdisplayingsiteparities.
Tocreateareportdisplayingsiteparities:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttocreateareportdisplayingsiteparities:
Tocreateareportdisplayingsiteparitiesforallmicrowavelinks,rightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.Thecon
textmenuappears.
Tocreateareportdisplayingsiteparitiesforagroupofmicrowavelinks,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpand
theMicrowaveLinksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttocreateareport
displayingsiteparities.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >ChannelArrangementbySite >GenerateReportfromthecontextmenu.TheChannelDistri
butiondialogueappears.
5. Selecttheoperatingfrequencybandsforwhichyouwanttochecktheparitiesofthemicrowavelinkextremities.
6. ClickOK.
Atoll checks the site parities of all the microwave links working at the selected frequency bands. Once Atoll has
finishedcheckingsiteparities,resultsaredisplayedintheChannelArrangementtable.
TheChannelArrangementtablecontainsthefollowinginformation.
FrequencyBand:Theoperatingfrequencyband.
Site:Thenameofthesite.
Parity:Theparityofthesite.
Multiple:Thesiteisassignedfrequenciesfromthelowerandupperhalfbands.
Cause:Informationprovidedformultipleparityonly.Atollgivesthenameofmicrowavelinkswhosethesitehas
amultipleparity.
Longitude:Thelongitudeofthesite.
Latitude:Thelatitudeofthesite.
YoucansortandfilterdataintheChannelDistributiontable.Formoreinformation,see"SortingDatainTables"onpage 72
and"FilteringinDataTablesbySelection"onpage 74.
7.7.1.3 UsingtheFindonMapTooltoDisplayChannelReuse
InAtoll,youcanusetheFindonMaptooltosearchforchannels.TheFindonMaptoolallowsyoutoviewchannelreuseon
themap.
TofindachannelusingtheFindonMaptool:
1. ClicktheFindonMapbutton( )ontheMaptoolbar.TheFindonMapwindowappears.
2. FromtheFindlist,select"MWChannel."
3. SelectaFrequencyband.
4. SelectaSubband.
5. Defineinwhichhalfband(LowerorUpper)youwanttosearchforthechannel.
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6. SelectaChannel.
7. IfyouonlywantthemicrowavelinkswiththeselectedfrequencySubbandtobeconsidered,selecttheSamesub
bandonlycheckbox.
8. IfyouonlywanttheselectedChanneltobedisplayed,selecttheCochannelonlycheckbox.
9. ClickSearch.
Microwavelinksusingtheselectedchannelinthesamesubbandaredisplayedinred.Microwavelinksusinganadja
centchanneltotheselectedchannelinthesamesubbandaredisplayedinblue.Microwavelinksusingachannel
which completely covers the selected channel are displayed in orange. Microwave links using a channel which is
completelycoveredbytheselectedchannelaredisplayedinpurple.Microwavelinksusingachannelwhichoverlaps
theselectedchannel(i.e.,partiallycoverstheselectedchannel)aredisplayedingreen.Allothermicrowavelinksare
displayedingrey.
IfyouselectedtheSamesubbandonlycheckbox,microwavelinksusingtheselectedchannelinthesamesubband
aredisplayedinred;microwavelinksusinganadjacentchanneltotheselectedchannelinthesamesubbandare
displayedinblueandallothersaredisplayedingrey.
IfyouselectedtheCochannelonlycheckbox,microwavelinksusingtheselectedchannelinthesamesubbandare
displayed in red; microwave links using a channel which completely covers the selected channel are displayed in
orange;microwavelinksusingachannelwhichiscompletelycoveredbytheselectedchannelaredisplayedinpurple;
microwavelinksusingachannelwhichoverlapstheselectedchannel(i.e.,partiallycoverstheselectedchannel)are
displayedingreenandallothermicrowavelinksaredisplayedingrey.
TheFindonMapwindowprovidesthefollowingoptions:
Torestoretheinitialmicrowavelinkcolours:ClicktheResetDisplaybuttoninthewindow.
Todisplayallchannelarrangementsavailablefortheselectedfrequencyband:ClicktheFrequencyPlans
buttoninthewindow.
7.7.2 PerformingSemiautomaticChannelAllocation
ThesemiautomaticallocationtoolinAtollrankschannelsaccordingtoadefinablecostfunctionenablingyoutofindthebest
channelorchannelstoallocatetoamicrowavelink.Thischannelsearchisperformedaccordingtotheinterferencereceived
ortransmittedperchannel.
Toperformasemiautomaticchannelallocationforamicrowavelink:
1. RightclickthemicrowavelinkeitherdirectlyonthemaporintheMicrowaveLinksfolderintheLinksfolderofthe
explorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenuappears.
2. SelectPlanning >SemiautomaticAllocationfromthecontextmenu.TheSemiAutomaticChannelAllocationdia
logueappears.
3. ClicktheConditionstabanddefinethefollowing:
LinkDirectionstoCalculate:Selectthecheckboxofthedirectionsofthemicrowavelinktobecalculated(A>>B,
A<<Borboth).
UnderChannelstostudy:
Frequencysubband:Selectthefrequencysubbandfromthelistofavailablefrequencysubbands(i.e.,allsub
bandsdefinedforthefrequencybandofthemicrowavelinkbeingstudied).
Site Ahalfband:Selectthefrequencyhalfbandtocalculate(lowerorupper)forthetransmissionsite(theoppo
sitehalfbandisassignedtothereceptionsite).
Thechannelstobeanalysed:
SelectUseallthechannelsofthesubbandifallchannelscanbeallocated.
Ifonlysomechannelsofthefrequencysubbandcanbeallocated,selectRestrictthelistofpotentialchannels
anddefinethechannelsavailable.Here,youhavetoenterthechannelnumberandnotthechannelname.
Youcanenterorpastealistofchannels;thevaluesmustbeseparatedwitheitheracomma,orasemicolon,
oraspace.Youcanalsoenterarangeofchannelsavailable,byenteringthefirstandlastchannelnumbersof
therangeseparatedbyahyphen.Forexample,entering2022correspondstoentering2021and22.
Polarisation:Definethemicrowavelinkpolarisationtobeconsideredinthecalculation.Atollcalculatesacostfor
eachchannelandeachdefinedpolarisation(eitherhorizontal,orvertical,orhorizontalandvertical).
UnderChannelweighting,usetheslidertodefinetheweightgiventotheinterfererandvictimchannels.
4. ClicktheParameterstab.OntheParameterstab,youcandefinetheparametersAtollusestocalculateinterference
onthemicrowavelink.
5. SelectUseglobalsettingsorUseuserdefinedsettings.
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IfyouselectUseglobalsettings,AtollwillusetheparametersdefinedontheInterferencetaboftheLinksProperties
dialogue.Formoreinformationontheglobalsettings,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.IfyouselectUseuser
definedsettings,youcancontinuewithstep 6.anddefineyourownsettings.
6. Definethek factor,theearthcurvaturefactor.
7. EntertheCalculationsteponinterfererprofiles.TheCalculationsteponinterfererprofilesistheresolutionusedto
calculateinterference.Thedefaultvalueis50 m.Ifyouenter"0",Atollwillusetheminimumresolutionofthegeo
graphicdata.
8. UnderInterfererfiltering,definethefollowingparameters:
Maxdistance:Themaximumdistancearoundthestudiedsitetofindpotentialinterferingsites.
Interferedbandwidth:TheinterferedbandwidthenablesAtolltofiltertheinterferers.Youcanchoosefromthe
followingoptions:
Cochannelonly:Onlycochannelsitesareconsideredasinterferersites.Atollconsiderscochannelinterfer
encewhenthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinterferedfrequenciesdoesnotexceedtheinterfered
bandwidth.
Userdefinedpercentage:Ifyouselectthisoption,youcanenterthepercentageoftheinterferedbandwidth
thatAtollshouldconsiderwhensearchingforinterferers.Therefore,ifyoukeepthedefaultvalueof250%,a
sitewillbeconsideredasaninterfererwhenthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinterferedfrequen
ciesdoesnotexceed2.5timestheinterferedbandwidth.
Fixedguardband:Ifyouselectthisoption,youcanenterthedifferencebetweentheinterferingandinter
fered frequencies that Atoll should consider when searching for interferers. For example, if you keep the
defaultvalueof250 MHz,asitewillbeconsideredasaninterfererwhenthedifferencebetweentheinterfer
ingandinterferedfrequenciesislessthan250 MHz.
Nofilter:Thereisnofilterandallsiteswithinthemaximumdistanceareconsideredasinterferers.
Interference via repeaters: How interference caused by repeaters is taken into consideration. You can select
whether"Alltherepeatersareignored","Linkswithpassiverepeatersmayalsointerfereviatheirrepeater",or
"Anysignalcaninterfereviaarepeater".
Minthresholddegradation:Theminimumthresholddegradation.
9. UnderPowercontrol,selecttheOnusefulsignalcheckboxifyouwantautomatictransmissionpowercontrolistobe
consideredontheusefulsignal.
10. SelectfromtheOntheinterferingsignallist,selectwhetherautomatictransmissionpowercontroloninterferingsig
nalsistobeconsideredalwayson,alwaysofforwhetheritistobetakenintoconsiderationaccordingtogeometric
correlation.
11. ClickCalculatetolaunchthecalculations.AfterAtollhasfinishedcalculatingtheallocation,theBestchannelsfound
dialogueappears.
Itcontainsthefollowinginformation.
Polarisation:Thepolarisationconsideredforthecalculation.
Thresholddegradation(Avictim):ThethresholddegradationexperiencedbySite A.
Thresholddegradation(Bvictim):ThethresholddegradationexperiencedbySite B.
C/I(Avictim):ThesignaltonoiseratioatSite A.
C/I(Bvictim):ThesignaltonoiseratioatSite B.
MaxThresholddegradation(Ainterferer):ThehighestdegradationthresholdcausedbySite A.
MaxThresholddegradation(Binterferer):ThehighestdegradationthresholdcausedbySite B.
Cost:Thecostofthechannel.
LowerHalfbandName:Thenameofthechannelinthelowerhalfband.
UpperHalfbandName:Thenameofthechannelintheupperhalfband.
Thelistofchannelsaresortedinincreasingorderwithrespecttotheircorrespondingcosts.Thismeansthatthebest
availablechannels,intermsoftherelatedcosts,aretheonesatthetopofthelist.
12. SelecttheCommitcheckboxforthechannel(s)youwanttoassigntothemicrowavelink.YoucanusemanyofAtolls
tableshortcuts,suchassorting.Ifmorechannelswereselectedthancanbeassignedtoamicrowavelink,theOk
button becomes unavailable. For information on working with data tables, see "Working with Data Tables" on
page 50.
13. ClickOk.AllthechannelswhoseCommitcheckboxisselectedareassignedtothemicrowavelink.
7.7.3 WorkingwiththeFrequencySpectrumAnalyser
Atollcandisplayachannelusagehistogramwithinanymicrowavelinksoperatingfrequencybandenablingyoutoallocate
unusedorlessfrequentlyusedchannelswhererequired.Thistoolcalculatesanddrawsagraphrepresentingthechannels
usedalongwiththeinterferencelevelsreceivedoneachchannelofahalfband.Throughthisgraph,youcanfindthechannels
withlowestinterferencelevelsinordertoallocatethemtomicrowavelinks.
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Toopenthespectrumanalyser:
2. SelectPlanning >FrequencySpectrumfromthecontextmenu.TheILevelsontheBandviewoftheMicrowaveAnal
ysiswindowopens(seeFigure 7.20):
Figure 7.20:TheMWAnalysiswindowILevelsontheBandview
Atollcalculatestheinterferencelevelsoneachchannelofthefrequencyhalfband(lowerorupper)ofthemicrowave
linkandrepresentsthemaspolygonsonthegraph,withthewidthofthepolygonindicatingthebandwidth.Thered
polygondisplaysthetotalnoiselevelreceivedontheinterferedchannelandeachbluepolygonrepresentsthesignal
leveltransmittedoneachinterferingchannel.
Whenyoumovethepointeroveroneofthepolygons,Atolldisplaysthefollowinginformationintiptext:
Forthestudiedmicrowavelink:
Studiedlink:Themicrowavelinkselectedeitherinthetoolbaroronthemap.
Way:Thedirectionofthemicrowavelinkthatisbeinganalysed.
Totalinterferencelevel:Thetotalinterferenceonthegivendirectionofthestudiedmicrowavelink.
FKTBLevel:Thereceiverthermalnoiseforthechannelbandwidthisdisplayedbyahorizontallineonthered
polygonrepresentingthestudiedmicrowavelink.Theexactvalueisdisplayedintiptextwhenyouplacethe
pointerovertheline.
Fortheinterferermicrowavelink:
Interfererlink:Thelinkinterferingwiththestudiedlink.
Way:Thedirectionofthelinkinterferingwiththelinkthatisbeinganalysed.
InterfererRxlevel:Thesignalleveltransmittedontheinterferingchannel.
Frequencygap:Thefrequencydifferencebetweenthestudiedlinkandtheinterferinglink.
Youcanlocatethechannelsonwhichthereistheleastornointerferenceandallocatethese"free"channelswhere
required.
Figure 7.1:ILevelsontheBandviewcompositeviewshowingtooltips
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Eachpolygonrepresentingtheinterferencelevelreceivedonanychanneldepictsthepeak
signalvalue.Ifthereismorethanoneinterferingsignal,onlythepeakvalueisdisplayed
onthegraph.
Youcanchangethefollowingoptions:
Direction:Youcanselectthedirectiontobestudied,i.e.,Site ASite B,orthedirection,i.e.,Site A=>Site Bor
viceversa.
Properties:YoucanopenthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmicrowavelinkbyclickingthePropertiesbutton
( )onthetoolbar.
CalculationParameters:YoucandefinethecalculationparametersbyclickingtheCalculationParametersbutton
( )onthetoolbar.Forinformationonglobalparameters,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
Print:YoucanprintthecontentoftheILevelsontheBandtabbyclickingthePrintbutton( )onthetoolbar.
7.7.4 DisplayingThirdorderIntermodulationProducts
Intermodulation is caused by nonlinear behaviour of the signal processing being used. Nonlinear systems generate
harmonics,meaningthatiftheinputofanonlinearsystemisasignalofasinglefrequency(e.g.,f1),thentheoutputisasignal
whichincludesanumberofintegermultiplesoftheinputfrequency(i.e.,2f1,3f1,4f1,5f1,etc.).Intermodulationoccurswhen
theinputtoanonlinearsystemiscomposedoftwoormorefrequencies.Thesignalsofdifferentfrequenciesaremixed
together,formingadditionalsignalsatfrequenciesthatarenot,ingeneral,atharmonicfrequenciesofeither.Thesenew
frequenciesarecalledintermodulationproducts(IMPs).
Atoll can calculate thirdorder intermodulation products. They are important because they fall within the vicinity of the
originalfrequencycomponents,andcanthereforeinterferewiththedesiredbehaviour.
Tocalculatethirdorderintermodulationproducts:
2. Select Planning > Intermodulation Products from the context menu. The Intermodulation Products view of the
MicrowaveAnalysiswindowopens(seeFigure 7.21):
Figure 7.21:TheMWAnalysiswindowIntermodulationsProductsview
Atollshowsthetransmissionandreceptionfrequenciesusedbythesite(i.e.,Site AifyouselectedSite A=>Site Bor

Site BifyouselectedSite B=>Site A)andcalculatesthethirdorderintermodulationproductsforeachtransmission
channelofthefrequencyhalfbandofthemicrowavelink.Frequenciesarerepresentedbyverticallinesandreported
onthehorizontalaxis.Onlyfrequencieswithinthefrequencybandofthestudiedmicrowavelinkarerepresented.The
bluelinesindicatethefrequenciesusedfortransmission;greenlinesshowthefrequenciesusedforreceptionandred
linesrepresentthethirdorderintermodulationproducts.Atolldisplaystiptextwhenyouplacethepointeroneach
verticalline.
Direction:Youcanselectthedirectiontobestudied,i.e.,Site ASite B,orthedirection,i.e.,Site A=>Site Bor
viceversa.
PortNumber:Youcanselecttodisplayeithertheportnumbertobeanalysedortheworstcase.
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Properties:YoucanopenthePropertiesdialogueoftheselectedmicrowavelinkbyclickingthePropertiesbutton
( )onthetoolbar.
CalculationParameters:YoucandefinethecalculationparametersbyclickingthearrowtotherightoftheSet
tings button ( ) on the toolbar and selecting Calculation Parameters from the menu. For information on
globalparameters,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194
Report: You can generate a report on intermodulation products by clicking the Report button ( ) on the
toolbar.Thereportcontainsthefollowinginformation:
Theselectedhopofthemicrowavelink.
Theselectedsite,i.e.,Site AifyouselectedSite A=>Site BorSite BifyouselectedSite B=>Site A.
Thetransmissionfrequenciesusedbythesite.
Thereceptionfrequenciesusedbythesite.
Thethirdorderintermodulationproductsofthefrequencyband.
AgraphicoftheIntermodulationProductstab.
7.8 AnalysingInterference
AtollenablesyoutoanalyseinterferencewithtoolsthatrespecttheITURP.45211recommendations.Interferencecalcula
tionbetweenmicrowavelinksandoverthenetworkcanbeperformedforasinglemicrowavelinkaswellasforanyuser
defined group of microwave links. Atoll calculates all microwave links in the group that are active, filtered (i.e., that are
selectedbythecurrentfilterparameters),andintersectthecomputationzone.
Forinformationonthecomputationzone,see"TheComputationZone"onpage 39.
Youcansetanumberofinterferencecalculationparametersincludingthecalculationradius,receivedinterferersignalthresh
old,andthegeoclimaticcorrelationfactorbetweenmicrowavelinks.
Bydefault,interferenceinAtolliscalculatedaccordingtotheITURP.45211recommendations.However,youcanchange
theinterferencecalculationmethodandbaseitonanyofthepropagationmodelsavailableontheParameterstab.
Whencalculatinginterferencelevelsreceivedforanymicrowavelink,Atollsearchesforpotentialinterferersoperatinginthe
samefrequencyband.Potentialinterferers,amongallmicrowavelinksinthenetwork,aretheactiveandfilteredmicrowave
linkswhosetransmitterreceivertrajectoryintersectsorpassesthroughthecomputationzoneandwhoseinterferingtrans
mitterinterferedreceiverdistanceislessthanagivenvalue.Atollalsoconsiderstheadjacencyoffrequencybands,i.e.,micro
wavelinkswithradiosoperatingfrequencybandsthatoverlaptheoperatingfrequencybandofthemicrowavelinkbeing
studied.
Thefollowingparametersaretakenintoaccountwhencalculatinginterference:
InterfererATPC,whichcanbesetasalwayson,alwaysoff,orbasedonacalculatedgeometriccorrelation.
IRFsdefinedontheIRFtableifavailable.
T/Icurve,transmittermask,andreceivermaskgraphsdefinedattheradiolevelortheoreticalgraphs.
Polarisationandradiosignatures.
Cochannelandadjacentchannelinterference.
"InterferenceReductionFactor"onpage 279.
"UsingIRFinInterferenceCalculations"onpage 282.
"AnalysingtheInterferenceonaSingleMicrowaveLink"onpage 282.
"PerforminganInterferenceAnalysisonMultipleMicrowaveLinks"onpage 284.
"ManagingInterferenceCalculationValidity"onpage 285.
"DisplayingInterferenceontheMap"onpage 286.
7.8.1 InterferenceReductionFactor
Theinterferencereductionfactor(IRF)isamethodofreducinginterferenceonthereceivedsignal.TheIRFisafunctionofthe
differencebetweenthecentralfrequenciesoftheinterferedsignalandtheinterferingsignal.Youcandefineaprotectionlevel
foreachvictiminterferermicrowavetransceiverradiopairbydefiningtheprotectionlevels(indB)foreachfrequencydelta
(inMHz).
The IRF graphs defined in the IRF table are used during the calculation of interference. When studying the interference
betweentransmissionradioandreceptionradio,AtollfirstverifieswhetheranIRFgraphisdefinedforthetransmissionradio
receptionradiopairintheIRFtable.Ifso,Atollusesit.Otherwise,AtolldeterminestheIRFgraphduringtheprocessofcalcu
latinginterference.Theentireprocessisasfollows:
1. Atollverifiesthatthetransmissionandthereceptionradioshavethesamemanufacturer,capacity,andmodulation.
Ifso,AtollusesTIgraphstodeterminetheIRFgraph.Atolluseseitherthegraphsdefinedfortheradiosifavailable,
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or the theoretical TI graphs if not (for more information on the theoretical graphs, see "Theoretical Graphs" on
page 164).
2. If the radio manufacturer, capacity, or modulation are not the same, Atoll merges the transmitter mask and the
receivermaskoftheradiosinordertodeterminetheIRFgraph.Atolluseseitherthegraphsdefinedfortheradiosif
"DefiningIRFGraphsManually"onpage 280
"DefiningIRFGraphswiththeAssistant"onpage 281.
7.8.1.1 DefiningIRFGraphsManually
YoucandefineIRFgraphsusingtheIRFtable.TheseIRFgraphswillbeusedtoreducetheinterferencebetweenvictimand
interferermicrowaveradioswhencalculatinginterference.
TocreateormodifyanIRFgraph:
4. SelectIRF >OpenTablefromthecontextmenu.TheIRFtableappears(seeFigure 7.22).
Figure 7.22:IRFtable
5. SelectthenameoftheVictimradiofromthelist.
6. SelectthenameoftheInterfererradiofromthelist.
IfyouarecreatinganewIRFgraph,usetherowmarkedwiththeNewRowicon( ).
7. DoubleclickintheleftmarginoftherecordtoopenitsPropertiesdialogue(seeFigure 7.23).
Figure 7.23:IRFrecordPropertiesdialogue
8. UnderProtectionvaluesinthePropertiesdialogue,enteraprotectionlevel(indB)foreachfrequencydelta(inMHz).
TheresultinggraphisdisplayedontherightofthePropertiesdialogue.
9. ClickOK.
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7.8.1.2 DefiningIRFGraphswiththeAssistant
AtollprovidesanassistanttoenableyoutodefineIRFsbetweentransmissionandreceptiontransceiverradios.Whenyou
selectafrequencybandandtheradiomanufacturerswithradiosthatoperateinthesamefrequencyband,Atolldisplaysthe
entrieswherethetransmissionandreceptionradiospresentthepossibilityofinterference.
TousetheassistanttodefineIRFs:
4. SelectIRF >EditGridfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFSettingsdialogueappears(seeFigure 7.24).
Figure 7.24:IRFSettingdialogue
5. SelecttheFrequencybandfromthelist.Onlyradiosoperatingintheselectedfrequencybandaredisplayedinthe
grid.
6. SelecttheTXequipmentmanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyradiosmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredis
playedinthegrid.
7. SelecttheRXequipmentmanufacturerfromthelist.Onlyradiosmanufacturedbytheselectedmanufactureraredis
playedinthegrid.
Atoll liststheentrieswherethetransmissionandreceptionradiospresentthepossibilityofinterference.Thecells
colouredingreenindicatethatanIRFgraphexists.
8. YoucannowdefineanIRFgraph,deleteanIRFgraph,orcreateanIRFgraphusingradiographsortheoreticalgraphs:
Figure 7.25:IRFcontextmenu
TodefineanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradios:
b. SelectAddRecordfromthecontextmenu.Adialogueappears.
c. UnderEnterthegraphvalues,enteraprotectionlevel(indB)foreachfrequencydelta(inMHz).Theresulting
graphisdisplayedontherightofthedialogue.
d. ClickOK.
TodeleteanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradios:
b. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.
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TocreateanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradiosusingtransmitterandreceivermasks:
b. SelectCalculateUsing >TransmitterandReceiverMasksfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFCalculationdialogue
appears.
c. FromtheTransmitterMasklist,selectatheoreticaltransmissionspectrumgraph.Ifthereisatransmissionspec
trumgraphdefinedfortheradio,youcanselect"SameasRadio"touseit.
d. FromtheReceptionMasklist,selectatheoreticalreceiverselectivitygraph.Ifthereisareceiverselectivitygraph
definedfortheradio,youcanselect"SameasRadio"touseit.
e. DefinetheCalculationstepinMHz.
f. ClickCalculatetocalculatetheIRFgraph.
g. ClickOK.
TocreateanIRFgraphbetweenthetransmissionandreceptionradiosusingT/Igraphs:
b. SelectCalculateUsing >T/Igraphsfromthecontextmenu.TheIRFCalculationdialogueappears.
c. FromtheT/IGraphlist,selectatheoreticalT/Igraph.
d. ClickCalculatetocalculatetheIRFgraph.
e. ClickOK.
9. ClickOKtoclosetheIRFEditiondialogue.
7.8.2 UsingIRFinInterferenceCalculations
Asexplainedin"InterferenceReductionFactor"onpage 279,theIRFgraphsdefinedintheIRFtableareusedduringtheinter
ferencecalculation.Whenstudyinginterferencebetweentransmissionandreceptionradios,AtollfirstchecksifanIRFgraph
isdefinedforthetransmissionradioreceptionradiopairintheIRFtable.Ifdefined,Atollusesit.Otherwise,Atolldetermines
theIRFgraphduringtheinterferencecalculationasfollows:
1. Itchecksthatthetransmissionradioandthereceptionradiohavethesamemanufacturer,capacityandmodulation.
Inthiscase,AtollusesT/IcurvesinordertocalculatetheIRFgraph.Ituseseitherthegraphsdefinedforradioifavail
able,orthetheoreticalT/Igraphsifnot.
2. If the radio manufacturer, capacity or modulation are not the same, Atoll merges the transmitter mask and the
receivermaskoftheradiosinordertocalculatetheIRFgraph.Atolluseseitherthegraphsdefinedfortheradiosif
7.8.3 AnalysingtheInterferenceonaSingleMicrowaveLink
Atollenablesyoutoanalysetheinterferenceonanymicrowavelinkofthenetwork.Youcandefinetheparametersusedto
analysetheinterference,displaytheresultsintheformofareportandintheformoftableswiththedetailsofsite Aorsite B
aseitherthevictimsofinterferenceorastheinterferers.
"DisplayingInterferenceintheFormofaReport"onpage 282
"DisplayingSite A/Site BInterferenceDetails"onpage 284.
7.8.3.1 DisplayingInterferenceintheFormofaReport
Youcananalysetheinterferenceonamicrowavelinkanddisplaytheresultsintheformofareport.
Todisplayaninterferenceanalysisonamicrowavelinkintheformofareport:
2. SelectPlanning >InterferenceReportfromthecontextmenu.TheMWAnalysiswindowappearswiththeInterfer
enceReportviewdisplayed.
IntheInterferenceReportview,thefollowinginformationabouttheselectedmicrowavelinkappears:
Summary:UnderSummary,youcanseethemicrowavelinksoperatingfrequencyband,length,thermalfade
margin, worst month quality (in percentage of time), average annual availability (in percentage of time), and
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whetherqualityandavailabilityobjectivesarereachedforbothdirectionsofthemicrowavelinkandthespecified
BERvalues.Aswell,agloballinkestimationtakingintoaccountbothlinkqualityandavailabilityisprovidedover
anaverageyear.
Link specifications: Under Link specifications, you can find information about the microwave link design, site
names,locations,andaltitudesforbothextremities,repeaters(ifany),antennasusedatbothsiteswiththeir
respectivemodels,heights,azimuths,tilts,gains,diameters,nearfields,beamwidthsandXPDvalues,diversity
antennasandrepeaterbacktobackantennadetailssuchasthemodels,heights,azimuths,tilts,gainsanddiam
eters,microwavetransceiverradiosinstalledatbothsiteswithdetailssuchastheradioseries,models,digitalhier
archy employed, modulation used, payload rates, minimal channel bandwidths, capacities and configurations,
feedersdetailsandpointtomultipointparametersifthestudiedmicrowavelinkisapartofapointtomultipoint
system.
Transmission: Under Transmission, you can find transmissionrelated parameters for both extremities of the
microwavelinkincludingthetransmittedpowers,whetherthisisthemaximumpowerorthestandardpower,
EIRP,ATPCeffects,passiverepeatergains(ifany),totallossesandthedetails(filterlosses,connectionlosses,
sharedlosses,shieldinglosses,portconnectionlosses,andfeederlosses),thesystemconfiguration,channeland
frequencyparameterssuchastheportandthechannelforwhichthecalculationshavebeenperformed,polari
sationandthediversityfrequency,anddetailsontheportconfigurationforbothdirections(thechannel,thecor
respondingfrequency,thepolarisation,ifitisamainchannelorastandbychannelorachannelforfrequency
diversityoradiversitystandbychannel,thetransmissionandreceptionportnumbers,theACUlosses,theport
circulatorandattenuatorlosses.
Reception: Under Reception, you can find receptionrelated parameters for both ends of the microwave link
includingthebiterrorratiosandsensitivitiesatthereceivers,overflowthresholds,thermalnoise,therequiredC/
IminustheXPIFandtotallossesatreceptioncomprisingfilterlosses,connectionlosses,sharedlosses,shielding
losses,portconnectionlosses,andfeederlosses.
Geoclimaticparameters:UnderGeoclimaticparameters,youcanfindinformationaboutthetypeofenviron
ment,typeofterrain,rainareaandtheclimatezoneinwhichthemicrowavelinkisoperating,climaticfactor,rain
intensity(exceeding0.01%oftime),rainheight,atmosphericpressure,relativehumidity,PLpercentage,temper
ature,watervapourdensity,theglobalearthcurvaturefactorsetinthePropertiesoftheLinksfolder,themean
earthcurvaturefactor(k)andtheeffectiveearthcurvaturefactor(ke)calculatedforthemicrowavelinkandthe
geoclimaticfactorK.
Calculationparameters:UnderCalculationparameters,youcanfindtheparametersusedtomakethecalcula
tionsforthelinkbudgetsuchasthecalculationmethodsused(propagationmodel,qualitymodel,availability
model,interference,whetherenhancementsanddiscriminationreductionareignored,spacediversityandfre
quencydiversity),qualityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER),andavailabilityobjectives(SESR,ESR,BBER).
Interference:UnderInterference,youcanfindtheparametersusedtostudytheinterference(powercontrol,
minimumandglobalthresholddegradationvalues,maximumdistance,correlationarea,interferedusefulband
width), interfering path calculation step and results of interference calculations over the microwave link
(thresholddegradation,nominalreceivedsignallevel,signallevelreceivedbythediversityantenna,totalinterfer
enceinclearair,thresholddegradationforrain,totalinterferencewhenitrainsandC/I).
Propagation:UnderPropagation,youcanfindthenominalreceivedsignallevelsatthemainandthediversity
antennas,andpropagationresultsforbothdirectionsofthemicrowavelinkincludingtotalattenuation,freespace
loss,lossesduetodryair,lossesduetowatervapour,diffractionlosses,vegetationattenuation,antennalosses
andtroposphericscattering,epsilonandthetypeofpath(LOSorNLOS).Ifrelevant,propagationresultsarealso
detailedforthediversityantenna.
Nonqualityduetomultipath(clearair):UnderNonqualityduetomultipath(clearair),youcanfinddetails
aboutthequalityofthemicrowavelinkintheselecteddirections,forthespecifiedBERvaluesandwheninterfer
ence is taken into account. These results include the outage probability, the nonoutage probability and the
outageperiodfortheworstmonth,theoutageprobability,thenonoutageprobabilityandtheoutageperiodfor
the average year, performance objectives (probabilities of SESR (required), ESR (required), BBER (required)),
detailsfortheworstmonth(dispersivefading,selectivefading,fadingduetodiscriminationreduction,enhance
mentforecast),improvementfactorswhenspaceandfrequencydiversitiesareused.
Unavailabilityduetorain:UnderUnavailabilityduetorain,youcanfinddetailsabouttheunavailabilityofthe
microwavelinkduetorainintheselecteddirections,forthespecifiedBERvaluesandwhetherinterferenceis
takenintoaccount.Theseresultsincludetheoutageprobability,thenonoutageprobabilityandtheoutageperiod
fortheworstmonth,theoutageprobability,thenonoutageprobabilityandtheoutageperiodfortheaverage
year,performanceobjectives(probabilitiesofSESR(required),ESR(required),BBER(required)),detailsforthe
averageyear(rainfading,rainattenuation,attenuationduetothefog,fadingduetodiscriminationreduction).
Unavailabilityduetofailures:UnderUnavailabilityduetofailures,youcanfindtheresultsdepictingtheunavail
abilityofthemicrowavelinkduetoradiofailure.Theseresultsincludeavailabilityofhotstandby,outageproba
bilityduetofaultsfortheaverageyearandtheoutageperiodfortheaverageyearandtheperformanceobjective.
Adaptivemodulation:UnderAdaptivemodulation,youcanfinddetailsaboutthequalityofthemicrowavelink
intheselecteddirectionsfortheselectedmodulation.Aswell,youcanfinddetailsofnonqualityduetomulti
pathandunavailabilityduetorainintheselecteddirectionsforthegivenmodulation.
Interferencedetails:UnderInterferencedetails,youcanfindthemicrowavelinksthatinterferetheextremityof
themicrowavelinkbeingstudiedandthemicrowavelinksinterferedbytheextremityofthemicrowavelinkbeing
studied.
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7.8.3.2 DisplayingSite A/Site BInterferenceDetails

Youcananalysetheinterferenceexperiencedbyeitherofthetwositesdefiningamicrowavelink.Atolldisplaystheresultsin
theformofatable,withthedetailsofsite Aorsite Baseitherthevictimsofinterferenceorastheinterferers.
Todisplaytheinterferencedetailsofsite Aorsite B:
2. SelectPlanning >InterferenceDetailsfromthecontextmenu.TheMWAnalysiswindowappearswiththeInterfer
enceDetailsviewdisplayed.
TheInterferenceDetailsviewdisplaystheinterferenceinformationintheformofatable.Fromthetoolbarinthe
InterferenceDetailsview,youcandefinethemicrowavelink,themicrowavelinksthatinterferewithorareinterfered
bytheselectedextremity,theanalysedport,andthemodulationormodulationsoftheselectedextremity.
Themodulationsusedforthesiteinterferingwithorinterferedbythestudiedsitearethosedefinedinthissectionof
theInterferencetaboftheLinksPropertiesdialogue.Formoreinformation,see"GlobalParameters"onpage 194.
Nearendinterferencecanbeignoredbyaddinganoptionintheatoll.inifile.Formore
informationseetheAdministratorManual.
7.8.4 PerforminganInterferenceAnalysisonMultipleMicrowave
Links
Atollenablesyoutocalculateinterferenceforagroupofmicrowavelinkssimultaneouslyorovertheentirenetworkofmicro
wavelinks.Interferenceresultsaredisplayedintheformofareportwhosethecontentyoucandefine.
"DefiningtheContentsoftheInterferenceReport"onpage 284.
"CalculatingInterferenceonMultipleMicrowaveLinks"onpage 285.
7.8.4.1 DefiningtheContentsoftheInterferenceReport
Beforecalculatinginterferenceonmultiplemicrowavelinks,youcandefinethecontentsoftheinterferencereport.
Todefinethecontentoftheinterferencereport:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksforwhichyouwanttodefinethecontentoftheinterferencereport:
Todefinethecontentoftheinterferencereportforallmicrowavelinks,rightclicktheMicrowaveLinksfolder.
Todefinethecontentoftheinterferencereportforonagroupofmicrowavelinks,clicktheExpandbutton( )
toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderforwhichyouwanttodefinethecontentof
theinterferencereport.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >Propertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogueappears.
Atolldisplaysadefaultsetoffieldsandletsyouselectotherinformationtobeincludedinthereport.
5. Definethecontentsofthereport:
a. IntheFieldSelectiondialogue,selectthefieldsthatyouwanttodisplayinthereport.Youcanselectcontiguous
removeit.
YoucanviewmoredetailedinformationoneachselectedfieldbyclickingtheTablebutton.
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YoucanrestoreallitemstotheSelectedfieldslistbyclickingtheResetbutton.
YoucansavethechoicesyouhavemadeintheFieldSelectiondialogueasacon
figurationfilebyclickingtheSaveAsbuttonatthetopofthedialogueandentering
anameforthefileintheSaveAsdialoguethatappears.Thenexttimeyoucon
figureareport,youcanclickOpeninthePropertiesdialoguetoopenyourconfig
urationfilewiththesavedsettings.
6. ClickOKtosaveyourchangesandclosethedialogue.
7.8.4.2 CalculatingInterferenceonMultipleMicrowaveLinks
YoucanuseAtolltocalculateinterferencelevelsforagroupofmicrowavelinks.Youcanalsoperforminterferenceanalysis
overtheentirenetworkofmicrowavelinks.
Tocalculateinterferenceonmultiplemicrowavelinks:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttocalculateinterference:
To calculate interference on all microwave links, rightclick the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
Tocalculateinterferenceonagroupofmicrowavelinks,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowave
Linksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttocalculateinterference.Thecon
textmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >Calculatefromthecontextmenu.Atollcalculatestheinterferenceanddisplaystheinterference
report.Thisreportliststheresultsforallstudiedmicrowavelinksintheselecteddirections(site Asite B/site Bsite A)
andforthedefinedBERvalues.
Youcanviewdetailsofeachmicrowavelink,bydoubleclickingtherecordinthereport.Thedetailsaredisplayedin
a detailed interference results window including five tabs as described in "Analysing the Interference on a Single
MicrowaveLink"onpage 282.
YoucanstopanycalculationsinprogressbyclickingtheStopCalculationsbutton
( )inthetoolbar.
You can access each microwave links properties by doubleclicking the corre
spondingrecordintheVictimandInterferertabs.
7.8.5 ManagingInterferenceCalculationValidity
InterferencecalculationsperformedonagroupofmicrowavelinksaresavedintheAtolldocument.So,oncecalculations
havebeenperformedforallthemicrowavelinks,youcanquicklyperforminterferencepredictionsforaparticularmicrowave
linkoragroupofmicrowavelinks.Atollonlyrecalculatesnewandinvalidmicrowavelinks.Calculationscanbecomeinvalid
fordifferentreasons:
Ifacalculationmethodoroptionhasbeenchanged
Ifmicrowavelinkpropertieshavebeenmodified
Ifgeographicdatamapshavebeenupdated.
Forthefirsttworeasons,Atollautomaticallydetectsinvalidityofthecalculationwhenstartingcalculationsandrecalculates.
Inthelastcase(e.g.,ifyouaddanewclutterclassmap),youmustforceAtolltorecalculate.
ToforceAtolltorecalculateinterference:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttorecalculateinterference:
To recalculate interference on all microwave links, rightclick the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
Tocalculateinterferenceonagroupofmicrowavelinks,clicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowave
Linksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksonwhichyouwanttocalculateinterference.Thecon
textmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >ForceCalculationsfromthecontextmenu.Atollremovesexistingcalculations,includingvalid
ones,andrecalculatesinterference.TheprogressofthecalculationsisdisplayedintheEventViewerwindow.
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YoucanalsoresetexistingcalculationswithoutrecalculatinginterferenceafterwardsbyselectingInterference >Reinitialise.
Atollremovesexistingcalculations,includingvalidones.
7.8.6 DisplayingInterferenceontheMap
Aftercalculatinginterferenceonamicrowavelink,youcandisplaytheinterferenceonthemapusingeithertheInterference
ReportviewortheInterferenceDetailsviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow.IfyouusetheInterferenceReportviewtodisplay
interferenceonthemap,Atollwilldisplayalltheinterferedandinterferingsitesfortheselectedmicrowavelink.Ifyouuse
theInterferenceDetailsviewtodisplayinterference,Atollwilldisplayonlytheinterferedsites(ifthesiteselectedinthetool
barisinterfering)ortheinterferingsites(ifthesiteselectedinthetoolbarisinterfered).
"DisplayingAllInterferenceforaMicrowaveLinkontheMap"onpage 286
"DisplayingInterferenceonorCausedbytheSelectedSiteofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 287
"DefiningHowInterfererandInterferedLinkExtremitiesAreDisplayed"onpage 287.
7.8.6.1 DisplayingAllInterferenceforaMicrowaveLinkontheMap
Aftercalculatinginterferenceonamicrowavelink,youcandisplayonthemapalltheinterferedandinterferingsitesforthe
selectedmicrowavelinkusingtheInterferenceReportviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow.
Todisplayallinterferenceforamicrowavelinkonthemap:
1. Rightclickamicrowavelinkeitherdirectlyonthemap,orfromtheMicrowaveLinksfolderoftheexplorerwindows
2. SelectPlanning >InterferenceReportfromthecontextmenu.TheMWAnalysiswindowappearswiththeInterfer
enceReportviewdisplayed.
Link:Youcanselectadifferentlinktobestudied,i.e.,Site ASite B.
3. ClicktheVictimandInterfererLinks( )buttoninthetoolbaroftheMWAnalysiswindow.Atolldisplaysalltheinter
feredandinterferingsitesfortheselectedmicrowavelink(seeFigure 7.2).
Figure 7.2:DisplayingalltheinterferenceonlinkBRU024BRU036
InFigure 7.2,youcanseethattheinterferenceexperiencedbysiteBRU036(site B)isindicatedbyaredline,witharrows

showingthedirection,betweenBRU036andtheinterferer,siteBRU046.BRU036isinterferingwithsiteBRU024(site A,not
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visibleinFigure 7.2)andthisinterferenceisindicatedbyagreenline,witharrowsshowingthedirectionoftheinterference.
Additionally,theinterferencecausedbysiteBRU036(site B)onsiteBRU046isindicatedbyayellowline,andtheinterference
causedbyBRU024(site A)onsiteBRU036(site B)isindicatedbyablueline.Forinformationonmodifyinghowinterferersand
victimsaredisplayed,see"DefiningHowInterfererandInterferedLinkExtremitiesAreDisplayed"onpage 287.
Whentheinterferenceconnectionsaredisplayedonthemap,youcanplacethepointeroneachinterferenceconnectionto
displayadditionalinformationinthetiptext.
YoucanhidetheinterferencebyclickingtheVictimsandInterferersLinksbutton( )again.
7.8.6.2 DisplayingInterferenceonorCausedbytheSelectedSiteofaMicrowave
Link
Aftercalculatinginterferenceonamicrowavelink,youcandisplayonthemapeithertheinterferedsites(ifthesiteselected
inthetoolbarisinterfering)ortheinterferingsites(ifthesiteselectedinthetoolbarisinterfered)usingtheInterference
DetailsviewoftheMWAnalysiswindow.
1. Rightclickamicrowavelinkeitherdirectlyonthemap,orfromtheMicrowaveLinksfolderoftheexplorerwindows
2. SelectPlanning >InterferenceDetailsfromthecontextmenu.TheMWAnalysiswindowappearswiththeInterfer
enceDetailsviewdisplayed.
Link:Youcanselectadifferentlinktobestudied,i.e.,Site ASite B.
Modulation:Youcanselectthemodulationormodulationsoftheselectedextremity.
3. ClicktheVictimandInterfererLinks( )buttoninthetoolbaroftheMWAnalysiswindow.Atolldisplaystherela
tionshipbetweenthesite(AorB)andthesitethatitisinterferingorthatisinterferingwithit(seeFigure 7.3).
Figure 7.3:DisplayingalltheinterferenceonlinkBRU024BRU036
InFigure 7.3,youcanseethattheinterferencedetailsareforsite B,asvictimofinterference.Site B,inthiscase,isthesite

BRU036ofthelinkBRU024BRU036.TheinterferenceexperiencedbysiteBRU036(site B)isindicatedbyaredline,with
arrowsshowingthedirection,betweenBRU036andtheinterferer,siteBRU046.Forinformationonmodifyinghowinterferers
andvictimsaredisplayed,see"DefiningHowInterfererandInterferedLinkExtremitiesAreDisplayed"onpage 287.
Whentheinterferenceconnectionsaredisplayedonthemap,youcanplacethepointeroneachinterferenceconnectionto
displayadditionalinformationinthetiptext.
YoucanhidetheinterferencebyclickingtheVictimsandInterferersLinksbutton( )again.
7.8.6.3 DefiningHowInterfererandInterferedLinkExtremitiesAreDisplayed
Youcandefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitieswillbedisplayedonthemap.
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Todefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitiesaredisplayed:
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksforwhichyouwanttodefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitiesaredisplayed:
Todefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitiesaredisplayedforallmicrowavelinks,rightclicktheMicro
waveLinksfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
Todefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitiesaredisplayedforagroupofmicrowavelinks,clickthe
Expandbutton( )toexpandtheMicrowaveLinksfolderandrightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksfor
whichyouwanttodefinehowinterfererandinterferedlinkextremitiesaredisplayed.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectInterference >DisplayOptionsfromthecontextmenu.TheInterferencedialogueopens.
OntheDirectInterferenceandInterferenceviaRepeaterstabs,youcandefinehowdifferenttypesofinterference
connectionsaredisplayedonthemapbyselectingdifferentlinesandcolours.
7.9 ExportingCustomReports
Atollenablesyoutoexportvariousoutputdata(i.e.,microwavelinkparameters,calculationresults,etc.)withauserdefined
layoutindifferentformats.YoucanexportthesecustomreportsinMicrosoftExcel(xlsx),MicrosoftWord(docx),OpenOffice
Writer(odt)andOpenOfficeCalc(ods).Beforeexportingthereport,youhavetocreateatemplateinthedesiredformat,with
thekeywordsassociatedtooutputsthatyouwanttoexport.Thistemplatemusthavethedesiredlayout.
Eachoutputhasacorrespondingkeyword.ThelistofkeywordsisavailableinthefileMWReportKeywords.xlsxlocatedinthe
Atollinstallationfolder.Thefilealsocontainsadescriptionandanexampleforeachkeyword.Templatescanbedownloaded
fromtheForskSupportwebsite.
Youcanexportacustomreportforonemicrowavelinkorseveralmicrowavelinksatthesametime.Inthiscase,Atollgener
atesonefilepermicrowavelink.Inthecustomreport,Atollexportstheresultscalculatedfortheportthatisdefinedinthe
GeneraltaboftheLinksPropertiesdialogue.IfyouhaveselectedAllorifthedefinedportdoesnotexist,Atollexportsthe
resultscalculatedfortheworstchannel.
"ExportingaCustomReportforOneMicrowaveLink"onpage 288
"ExportingaCustomReportforSeveralMicrowaveLinks"onpage 288
7.9.1 ExportingaCustomReportforOneMicrowaveLink
YoucanuseAtolltoexportacustomreportononemicrowavelink.Beforeexportingthereport,youhavetocreateatemplate
inthedesiredformat.
Toexportacustomreportforonemicrowavelink:
3. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkforwhichyouwanttoexportthecustomreport.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectCustomExport fromthecontextmenu.TheCustomExportdialogueappears.
5. BesideTemplate,browsetothefoldercontainingtheTemplateandselectthetemplate.
6. BesideSaveas,browsetothefolderwhereyouwanttosavethecustomreportandenterafilename.
7. ClickOKtoexportthereport.
YouhavetocheckthespellingbeforeusingatemplatewiththeMicrosoftWordformat.
7.9.2 ExportingaCustomReportforSeveralMicrowaveLinks
You can use Atoll to export a custom report several microwave links. Before exporting the report, you have to create a
templateinthedesiredformat.
Toexportacustomreportforseveralmicrowavelinks:
288
3. Selectthemicrowavelinksforwhichyouwanttoexportcustomreports:
To export custom reports on all microwave links, rightclick the Microwave Links folder. The context menu
appears.
Toexportcustomreportsonallmicrowavelinks,rightclickthesubfolderofmicrowavelinksforwhichyouwant
toexportcustomreports.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectCustomExport fromthecontextmenu.TheCustomExportdialogueappears.
5. BesideTemplate,browsetothefoldercontainingtheTemplateandselectthetemplate.
6. BesideSaveas,browsetothefolderwhereyouwanttosavethecustomreportandenterafilename.
7. ClickOKtoexportthereport.
YouhavetocheckthespellingbeforeusingatemplatewiththeMicrosoftWordformat.
7.10 AdvancedConfiguration
Inthissection,thefollowingadvancedconfigurationoptionisexplained:
"PointtoMultipointSystems"onpage 289.
7.10.1 PointtoMultipointSystems
Apointtomultipointsystemisasetofmicrowavelinksconnectedtoahub.Apointtomultipointsystemisusedwhenmicro
wavelinksmustbemadebetweenonesiteandafixednumberofothersites.
"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystem"onpage 289
"PointtoMultipointSystemProperties"onpage 291
"SettingallMicrowaveLinksofaPointtoMultipointSystemasActive"onpage 292
"AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystem"onpage 292
"AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingtheMouse"onpage 292
"DeletingaMicrowaveLinkfromaPointtoMultipointSystem"onpage 293
"DeletingaPointtoMultipointSystem"onpage 293
"MappingMicrowaveLinkstoPointtoMultipointSystemsUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable"onpage 293
"AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHub"onpage 294
"AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHubUsingtheMouse"onpage 294.
7.10.1.1 CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystem
InAtoll,apointtomultipointsystemcanbemanagedasagroupofsinglehopmicrowavelinks(whichcancontainrepeaters)
connectedtoahub.Youcancreateapointtomultipointsysteminseveraldifferentways:
Usingthemouse
UsingthePointtoMultipointfolder
EditingthePointtoMultipointtable.
Thesitesthatdefinethehuborsitesofapointtomultipointsystemcanbealreadyexistingsitesornewsites,createdauto
maticallyatthelocationyouclickonthemap.EachsiteinAtollcansupportseverallinks,transmitters,andpassiverepeaters.
"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingtheMouse"onpage 289
"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePointtoMultipointFolder"onpage 290
"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePointtoMultipointTable"onpage 290
7.10.1.1.1 CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingtheMouse
Tocreateanewpointtomultipointsystemdirectlyonthemapbetweenneworexistingsitesusingamicrowavelinktemplate:
list.
289
2. Click the New PMP button ( ) on the Microwave Link Planning toolbar. The
pointerchanges( ).
3. Clickonthemaptocreatethehubofthepointtomultipointsystem.
4. Clickthemapateachpointyouwanttoinsertanewmicrowavelink.Ifyoudonot
clickanexistingsite,Atollcreatesanewsitewhereyouclick.Theexactcoordinates
ofthepointerscurrentlocationarevisibleintheStatusbar.
5. Doubleclickwhenaddingthelastmicrowavelinktocompletethepointtomulti
pointsystem.
youclicktheNewPMPbutton( ).Forinformationonusingthezoomingtools,
see"ChangingtheMapScale"onpage 34.
7.10.1.1.2 CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePointtoMultipointFolder
TocreateanewpointtomultipointsystemusingthePointtoMultipointfolder:
3. RightclickthePointtoMultipointfolder.Thecontextmenuappears.
4. SelectNewfromthecontextmenu.ThePointtoMultipointNewElementPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. EnterormodifythefollowingfieldsontheGeneraltab:
Frequencyband:Youmustselectafrequencybandwhenyoucreateapointtomultipointsystem.Onceyouhave
selectedafrequencyband,youcanviewandmodifyitspropertiesbyclickingtheBrowsebutton( ).
NodalSite:Youmustselectthesitethatwillbethehubofthepointtomultipointsystem.Onceyouhaveselected
thehubsite,youcanviewandmodifyitspropertiesbyclickingthebrowsebutton( ).
Type:Selectthetype:TDMAorFDMA.
Antenna:Selecttheantennaanditsparameters.
Comments:Enteranycommentsforthisnewpointtomultipointsystem.
6. ClickOK.AtollcreatesanemptypointtomultipointsystemiteminthePointtoMultipointfolder.
Toaddmicrowavelinkstothecreatedpointtomultipointsystem,see"AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMulti
pointSystemUsingtheMouse"onpage 292
7.10.1.1.3 CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePointtoMultipointTable
TocreateanewpointtomultipointsystemusingthePointtoMultipointtable:
4. SelectOpenTablefromthecontextmenu.ThePointtoMultipointtableappears.
5. Intherowmarkedwiththenewrowicon( ),enterthedetailsofthenewpointtomultipointsystem.Thefollowing
fieldsmustbefilled:Name,FrequencyBand,andSite.
290
6. Toaddmicrowavelinkstothecreatedpointtomultipointsystem,see"AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMulti
pointSystemUsingtheMouse"onpage 292.
Bydefault,Atollnamesthenewlypointtomultipointsystem"PMPHubX",where"X"incrementswiththecreationofeach
newpointtomultipointsystem.
7.10.1.2 PointtoMultipointSystemProperties
Youcanmodifypointtomultipointsystempropertieseitherindividuallyorglobally.Globalsettingsareappliedtoallthe
filteredpointtomultipointsystems.
"ModifyingGlobalProperties"onpage 291
"ModifyingIndividualProperties"onpage 291.
7.10.1.2.1 ModifyingGlobalProperties
Tomanagethepointtomultipointsystempropertiesglobally:
4. SelectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePointtoMultipointPropertiesdialogueappears.
5. EnterormodifythedataonthefollowingtabsofthePointtoMultipointPropertiesdialogue:
General:TheGeneraltabletsyouorganisefoldersandassignorsaveafolderconfiguration(forinformationon
folderconfigurations,see"FolderConfigurations"onpage 83).Youcanalsoorganisepointtomultipointsystems
byusingAtollgroup,sort,andfiltertools.
Table:TheTabletabhelpsyoutomanagecontents,includinguserdefinedfields,ofthepointtomultipointtable.
Forinformationonworkingwithdatatables,see"Adding,Deleting,andEditingDataTableFields"onpage 51.
Display:The Display taballows youto manage the display of pointto multipoint systems depending on their
attributes,tomanagethelegend,labelsonthemap,andthecontentsoftiptextusingthetiptext .Forinfor
mationonchangingdisplayoptions,see"DisplayPropertiesofObjects"onpage 27.
6. ClickOK.
7.10.1.2.2 ModifyingIndividualProperties
Toeditthepropertiesofapointtomultipointsystem:
1. Openthecontextmenuofthepointtomultipointsystem:
OntheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow:
a. SelecttheNetworktaboftheexplorerwindow.
b. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandtheLinksfolder.TheLinksfolderopens.
c. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePointtoMultipointfolder.ThePointtoMultipointfolderopens.Ifthe
pointtomultipointsystemsareorganisedintosubfolders,youwillhavetoexpandthesubfolderaswell.
d. Rightclickthepointtomultipointsystemwhosepropertiesyouwanttoedit.Thecontextmenuappears.
Onthemap:
a. Selecttheantennaiconofthepointtomultipointsystemhubwhosepropertiesyouwishtochange.Thepointto
multipointiconchanges( ).
Besuretoselecttheantennaiconofthepointtomultipointsystemhub.Donotselectthe
siteicon( ).
b. Rightclickthepointtomultipointicon.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. EnterormodifythedataonthefollowingtabsofthePointtoMultipointPropertiesdialogue:
General:TheGeneraltabletsdefinethefollowingparametersofthepointtomultipointsystem:
291
Frequencyband:Youmustselectafrequencybandwhenyoucreateapointtomultipointsystem.Onceyou
haveselectedafrequencyband,youcanviewandmodifyitspropertiesbyclickingtheBrowsebutton( ).
NodalSite:Youmustselectthesitethatwillbethehubofthepointtomultipointsystem.Onceyouhave
selectedthehubsite,youcanviewandmodifyitspropertiesbyclickingthebrowsebutton( ).
Type:Selectthetype:TDMAorFDMA.
Antenna:Selecttheantennaanditsparameters.
Comments:Enteranycommentsforthisnewpointtomultipointsystem.
Links: The Links tab lets you add, edit, and delete the microwave links that make up this point to multipoint
system.
Display:TheDisplaytabletsyoutoselectandcustomisetheiconsymbolisingthepointtomultipointsystemon
themap.
AnOtherPropertiestabisavailableifyouhaveaddedfieldstothePointtoMultipointtable.
7.10.1.3 SettingallMicrowaveLinksofaPointtoMultipointSystemasActive
Youcanactivateordeactivateallmicrowavelinksbelongingtoapointtomultipointsystem.IntheNetworkexplorer,active
microwavelinksaredisplayedinred( )intheMultiHopsfolder;inactivelinksaredisplayedingrey( ).
Tochangetheactivitystatusofallmicrowavelinksofapointtomultipointsystem:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePointtoMultipointfolder.Ifthepointtomultipointsystemsareorganised
intosubfolders,youwillhavetoexpandthesubfolderaswell.
4. RightclickthePMPhubwhoseactivitystatusyouwanttoset.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. Selectoneofthefollowing:
ActivateLinks:SelectActivateLinkstomakeallmicrowavelinksofthepointtomultipointsystemactive.
DeactivateLinks:SelectDeactivateLinkstomakeallmicrowavelinksofthepointtomultipointsysteminactive.
7.10.1.4 AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystem
Beforeyoucandefineamicrowavelinkaspartofthepointtomultipointsystem,themicrowavelinkmustfirstexistbetween
thesiteofthehubofthepointtomultipointsystemandanothersite.Forinformationoncreatingmicrowavelinks,see"Defi
nitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
Toaddamicrowavelinktoapointtomultipointsystem:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePointtoMultipointfolder.Ifthepointtomultipointsystemsareorganised
intosubfolders,youwillhavetoexpandthesubfolderaswell.
4. RightclickthenewpointtomultipointsystemandselectPropertiesfromthecontextmenu.ThePropertiesdialogue
appears.
5. SelecttheLinkstab.
6. Intherowwiththenewrowicon( ),selectamicrowavelink.
7. ClickOK.Themicrowavelinkisaddedtothepointtomultipointsystem.
7.10.1.5 AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthe
Mouse
Beforeyoucandefineamicrowavelinkaspartofthepointtomultipointsystem,themicrowavelinkmustfirstexistbetween
thesiteofthehubofthepointtomultipointsystemandanothersite.Forinformationoncreatingmicrowavelinks,see"Defi
nitionofaMicrowaveLink"onpage 227.
Toaddamicrowavelinktoapointtomultipointsystemusingthemouse:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePointtoMultipointfolder.
4. Rightclickthepointtomultipointsystemtowhichyouwanttoaddamicrowavelink.Thecontextmenuappears.
5. SelectAddaLinkfromthecontextmenu.Thepointershapechanges( ).
292
6. Onthemap,clickthemicrowavelinkyouwanttoaddtothepointtomultipointsystem.Themicrowavelinkisadded
tothelistofmicrowavelinksformingthepointtomultipointsystem.
7.10.1.6 DeletingaMicrowaveLinkfromaPointtoMultipointSystem
Todeleteamicrowavelinkfromapointtomultipointsystem:
1. Onthemap,selectthemicrowavelinkyouwanttodelete.
2. Rightclickthemicrowavelinkyouwanttodeletefromthepointtomultipointsystem.Thecontextmenuappears.
3. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Themicrowavelinkisdeleted.
Deletingamicrowavelinkinthismannerdoesnotdeletethecorrespondingsitesevenif
therearenoothermicrowavelinksrelatedtothatsite.
7.10.1.7 DeletingaPointtoMultipointSystem
Todeleteapointtomultipointsystem:
1. RightclickthepointtomultipointsystemeitherdirectlyonthemaporinthePointtoMultipointfolderintheLinks
folderoftheexplorerwindowsNetworktab.Thecontextmenuappears.
Whenselectingapointtomultipointsystemonthemap,becarefultoselectthelinerepresentingthepointtomulti
pointsystem.Donotselectthesiteicon( ).
2. SelectDeletefromthecontextmenu.Thepointtomultipointsystemisdeleted.
YoucanalsodeleteapointtomultipointsystembydeletingtherowassociatedwithitinthePointtoMultipointtable.Delet
ingapointtomultipointsystemfromthetabledoesnotdeletethecorrespondingsiteseveniftherearenoothermicrowave
linksrelatingtothatsite.
7.10.1.8 MappingMicrowaveLinkstoPointtoMultipointSystemsUsingthePMP
LinkMappingTable
AtollenablesyoucreateormodifyallpointtomultipointsystemsusingthePMPLinkMappingtable.
ToopenthePMPLinkMappingtable:
3. RightclickthePointtoMultipointfolder.Ifthepointtomultipointsystemsareorganisedintosubfolders,youwill
havetoexpandthesubfolderaswell.
4. SelectPMPLinkMappingfromthecontextmenu.ThePMPLinkMappingtableopens,containingallthepointto
multipointsystemsandthecorrespondingmicrowavelinks.Inthistable,youcanmodify,delete,andaddthemicro
wavelinksthatmakeupapointtomultipointsystem.
"AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable"onpage 293
"EditingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable"onpage 294
"DeletingaMicrowaveLinkfromaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable"onpage 294
7.10.1.8.1 AddingaMicrowaveLinktoaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable
ToaddalinktoapointtomultipointsystemusingthePMPLinkMappingtable:
1. OpenthePMPLinkMappingtableasexplainedin"MappingMicrowaveLinkstoPointtoMultipointSystemsUsing
thePMPLinkMappingTable"onpage 293.
2. IntherowwiththeNewRowicon( ),clickinthecellinthePMPHubcolumnandselectthehubyouwanttoadd
amicrowavelinkto.
3. Inthesamerow,clickinthecellintheLinkcolumnandselectthemicrowavelinkyouwanttoaddtothePMPhub.
ThePMPhubandmicrowavelinkmustexisttobeselectedinthePMPLinkMappingtable.
ForinformationoncreatingaPMPhub,see"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystem"on
page 289.Forinformationoncreatingamicrowavelink,see"CreatingMicrowaveLinks"
onpage 227.
293
7.10.1.8.2 EditingaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMappingTable
ToeditapointtomultipointsystemusingthePMPLinkMappingtable:
2. Intherowwithpointtomultipointsystem,clickinthecellinthePMPHubcolumnorintheLinkcolumnandselect
thehubormicrowavelinkyouwanttochangeto.
ThePMPhubandmicrowavelinkmustexisttobeselectedinthePMPLinkMappingtable.
ForinformationoncreatingaPMPhub,see"CreatingaPointtoMultipointSystem"on
page 289.Forinformationoncreatingamicrowavelink,see"CreatingMicrowaveLinks"
onpage 227.
7.10.1.8.3 DeletingaMicrowaveLinkfromaPointtoMultipointSystemUsingthePMPLinkMapping
Table
TodeleteamicrowavelinkfromapointtomultipointsystemusingthePMPLinkMappingtable:
2. Clickintheleftmarginofthetablerowwiththemicrowavelinkyouwanttodelete.
3. PressDELtodeletethemicrowavelink.
7.10.1.9 AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHub
Whenamicrowavelinkconsistsofonlytwosites,theantennaoneachsiteisalignedwiththeotherantenna.Inapointto
multipointsystem,itisimpossiblefortheantennaonthehubtobedirectlyalignedwiththeantennaoneachmicrowavelink.
Consequently,theheight,azimuth,andtiltoftheantennaarecalculatedasaaverageofthatneededforalllinkantennas.
Atoll calculates these settings for the point to multipoint hub antenna when the point to multipoint system is created.
However,afterthepointtomultipointhasbeencreated,otherfactorssuchastheadditionofnewmicrowavelinkscanmean
thatthesettingsofthehubantennaneedtobereadjusted.Atollcanrecalculatethesettingsforthepointtomultipointhub
antenna.
TomakeAtollrecalculatethesettingsforthepointtomultipointhubantenna:
3. ClicktheExpandbutton( )toexpandthePointtoMultipointfolder.
4. Rightclickthepointtomultipointsystemofwhichyouwanttorecalculatethehubantennasettings.Thecontext
menuappears.
7. UnderAntenna,clicktheCalculatebutton( )totherightoftheTiltbox.TheCalculationoftheNodalAntenna
Anglesdialogueappearswiththerecalculatedheight,azimuth,andtiltvaluesforthepointtomultipointhubantenna.
8. Whenthevaluesforthepointtomultipointhubantennaarerecalculated,thepointtomultipointsystemantennas
mightneedtobeadjustedaccordingly.IfyouwantAtollcalculatetheeffectoftherecalculatedvaluesforthehub
antennaonthelinkantennas,selecttheTransferthemisalignmentstolinkscheckboxintheCalculationoftheNodal
AntennaAnglesdialogue.
9. ClickOKtoupdatethevaluesforthepointtomultipointantennas.
7.10.1.10 AdjustingtheAntennaofthePointtoMultipointHubUsingtheMouse
Tousethemousetoadjusttheazimuthofthepointtomultipointhubantenna:
1. Selecttheantennaiconofthepointtomultipointhub.Thepointtomultipointiconchanges( )andyoucannow
rotateitmanually.
2. Clicktheantennaicon(thepointchanges: )androtateittoitsnewazimuth.
294
AT320_UMM_E0 Index
Index
A freezing 55
analysisreport hiding 55
definingcontentsofreport(MW) 258 moving 56
antenna unfreezing 55
antennapatterns,fixingscale(MW) 148 computationzone
antennapatterns,printing(MW) 148 drawing 39
changingrelativepositiononthemap 26 editing 45
compatibilitywithequipment(MW) 167 FittoMapWindow 40
compatibilitywithequipment,assistant(MW) 168 importing 40
heights,adjusting(MW) 252, 253 polygon,creatingfrom 40
heights,adjustingautomatically(MW) 253 ConnectionProperties 102
heights,optimising(MW) 252 contextmenu
microwave 144 renamingobjects 24
microwaveantennaproperties 147 coordinatesystem 97
microwave,creating 145 setting 98
pointtomultipointlink,adjusting 294 coordinates,searchingby 87
pointtomultipointlink,adjustingwiththemouse 294 coverageprediction
singleantennapatterns,editing(MW) 147 geographicexportzone,defining 43
antennapatterns report,displayingusingfocuszone 40
printing 68 report,displayingusinghotspotzone 40
archiving coveragepredictions
allmodificationstothedatabase 105 restrictingsitesstudied(MW) 244
onlysitedatatothedatabase 105 cursors 49
automaticbackup 107 CWMeasurementAnalysisTool
configuring 108 printingdata 68
recoveringabackup 108
D
availabilityobjectives
datatables
microwavelinks,defining 179
addingafield 52
B changingcolumnwidth 54
backup 107 changingrowheight 54
configuring 108 copyingdata 57
recoveringabackup 108 deletingafield 52
BERgraphs displayingcolumns 55
creating(MW) 164 editing 56
budget exportingdata 60
definingcontentsofreport(MW) 258 filtering 72
multiplemicrowavelinks,calculatingfor 259, 284 filteringbyselection 74
filteringbyseveralcriteria 75
C filtering,examples 77
cables findtext 59
creating(MW) 165 formattingcolumnheaders 53
microwave 165 formattingtablecolumns 54
channelsearch,semiautomatic(MW) 275 freezingcolumns 55
clearance,displayingformicrowavelinks 245 hidingcolumns 55
columnheaders importingdata 62
formatting 53 movingcolumns 56
columns opening 51
changingwidth 54 openingrecordpropertiesfromtable 53
displaying 55 pastingdata 57
295
Index Forsk2013
printing 64 addingtoatable 52
replacetext 59 deletingfromatable 52
restoringafterfiltering 76 filter
sorting 72 sitelist,usingfor 83
sortingbyonecolumn 73 transmitterlist,usingfor 83
sortingbyseveralcolumns 73 filtering
unfreezingcolumns 55 datatablesbyselection 74
viewingproperties 51 datatablesbyseveralcriteria 75
XMLfiles,exportingto 63 examples 77
XMLfiles,importingfrom 63 restoringafterfiltering 76
database usingapolygon 38, 85
archivingallmodifications 105 withviews 85
archivingonlysitedata 105 filteringzone
connectingto 101 deleting 43
ConnectionProperties 102 drawing 38
creatingadocumentfrom 101 FittoMapWindow 39
refreshingdocument 104 importing 39
resolvingdataconflicts 105 polygon,creatingfrom 39
workingwith 100 find
designsummary indatatables 59
definingcontentsofreport(MW) 258 FindonMap 86
digitalhierarchy 181 searchingbycoordinates 87
display searchingbytextproperty 87
changingproperties 27 focuszone
definingdisplaytype 28 creating 40
displaytype,discretevalues 29 editing 45
displaytype,unique 29 explanation 40
displaytype,valueintervals 29 FittoMapWindow 41
displaycoordinatesystem 97 importing 41
DistanceMeasurementtool 36 polygon,creatingfrom 41
document usingtodisplaycoveragepredictionreport 40
creatingfromdatabase 95, 101 folderconfiguration 83
creatingfromtemplate 95, 96 applyingasavedconfiguration 83
geographicdata 95 creating 83
informationneededtocreate 95 deleting 84
microwavedata 95 exporting 84
microwaveequipment 95 importing 84
refreshingfromthedatabase 104 reapplyingcurrentconfiguration 84
settingbasicparameters 97 frequencybands
documenttemplates,see"templates" microwave 174
DTMmapsrepresentingdifferentareas 130 frequencyplanning(MW) 271
frequencysubbands
E microwave 174
equipment
compatibilitywithantennas(MW) 167 G
compatibilitywithantennas,assistant(MW) 168 Geoexplorer 19, 20
importing(MW) 161 geographicexportzone
explorerwindow 19, 20 creating 43
Geoexplorer 20 FittoMapWindow 44
layers 23 importing 44
Networkexplorer 20 polygon,creatingfrom 44
Parametersexplorer 20 grouping 69
byaproperty 69, 70
F byseveralproperties 71
feeders,microwave 165 examples 72
field withviews 85
296
AT320_UMM_E0 Index
H microwaveerrorperformanceevents 178
hotspotzone microwaveerrorperformanceobjectives 179
creating 40 microwaveerrorperformanceparameters 178
editing 45 MicrowaveLinkAnalysis
explanation 40 printing 68
FittoMapWindow 41 microwavelinktemplate
importing 41 creating(MW) 236
usingtodisplaycoveragepredictionreport 40 modifying(MW) 237
MicrowaveLinktoolbar 89
I microwavelinks 213
interferenceanalysis analysisreport,definingcontentsof 258
reportonsinglelink(MW) 282, 284 antennaheights,adjusting 252, 253
severallinks(MW) 285 antennaheights,adjustingautomatically 253
singlelink(MW) 282 antennaheights,optimising 252
interferenceanalysis(MW) 279 antennapatterns,fixingscale 148
interferencereductionfactor antennapatterns,printing 148
table(MW) 162, 280 antennaproperties 147
usingassistant(MW) 163, 168 antenna/equipmentcompatibility 167
interferencereductionfactor(MW) 161, 279 antenna/equipmentcompatibilityassistant 168
IRF,see"interferencereductionfactor" antennas 144
antennas,creating 145
L availabilityobjectives,defining 179
label 30 budget,calculatingformultiplelinks 259, 284
movinglinklabel(MW) 31 budget,definingcontentsof 258
LambertConformalConicprojection 97 cables 165
layers 23 cables,creating 165
legend calculationparameters 194
addingobjecttype 31 calculationparameters,modifying 257, 269
displaying 32 classes,creating 178
displayingLegendwindow 38 classes,modifying 178
printingLegendwindow 68 clearance,displaying 245
lineofsightarea creating(MW) 235, 239
intersectionofareas(MW) 225 creatingwithtemplate(MW) 235, 239
studying(MW) 217, 219, 220 designsummary,definingcontentsof 258
lineofsightarea(MW) 216 equipment,importing 161
lines errorperformanceevents 178
editing 45 errorperformanceobjectives 179
linktemplate errorperformanceparameters 178
creating(MW) 236 feeders 165
modifying(MW) 237 findingbysite 70
link,pointtomultipoint,seepointtomultipointlinks frequencybands 174
frequencyplanning 271
M
frequencysubbands 174
manufacturers(MW) 144
globalproperties,defining 194
map
groupingbysite 70
centringonaselectedobject 36
interferenceanalysis 279
exportingasimage 49
interferenceonasinglelink,analysing 282
measuringdistances 36
interferenceonasinglelink,report 282, 284
moving 35
interferenceonseverallinks,analysing 285
printing 64
interferencereductionfactor 161, 279
refreshingdisplay 86
label,moving 31
savingasimage 43
LOSbetweensites,intersection 225
mapscale
LOSbetweensites,studying 217, 219, 220
displaying 37
microwaveEBandpropagationmodel 193
Maptoolbar 89
microwaveITURP.452model 191
measurementunits,setting 99
microwavepropagationmodel 189
measuringdistancesonthemap 36
multihoplinks,mappingsimplelinksto 263
297
Index Forsk2013
multihop,creating 262 P
passiverepeater 240 PageSetup,see"printing"
passiverepeater,inserting(MW) 242 Panoramicwindow 16, 35
performanceobjectives 178 Parametersexplorer 19, 20
pointtomultipointlink 289 passivemicrowaverepeaters
pointtomultipointlinks,mappinglinksto 293, 294 creating 242
profileanalysis 244 passiverepeater
qualityobjectives,defining 179 definingproperties(MW) 241
reliabilityanalysis 254 passiverepeatertable,opening(MW) 241
requiredmargins,calculating 254 performanceobjectives
restrictingsitesstudied 244 microwavelinks 178
semiautomaticchannelsearch 275 PointAnalysiswindow
simplelink,settingasactive 260 printing 68
simplelinks 227 points
singleantennapatterns,editing 147 editing 45
siteparity 271 pointtomultipointlink
siteparity,creatingareporton 274 addingalink 292
siteparity,displayingonthemap 271 creating 289
sortingbysite 70 mappinglinks 293
spectrumanalyser 276 properties 291
studyingLOSbetweensites 216 pointtomultipointlinks 289
templatefield,adding 237 addinglinks 292
templatefield,deleting 237 antenna,adjusting 294
templatefield,modifying 237 antenna,adjustingwiththemouse 294
template,deleting 238 creating 289
trunktypes,creating 180, 181, 182, 184, 186 deleting 293
waveguides,creating 165 deletingalinkfrom 293
workflow 213 globalproperties 291
MicrowavePropagationModel links,addingonthemap 292
definingparameters 189, 191, 193 links,mappingto 293, 294
microwaveradiolinks properties 291
template 96 polygon
multihoplinks 262 deletingpolygonfilter 43
addinglinksto 263 drawingapolygonfilter 38
creating 262 editing 45
links,mappingto 263 focuszone,usingas 41
reliabilityanalysis 264 geographicexportzone,usingas 44
multipointlink,seepointtomultipointlink printingzone,usingas 66
multiuserenvironment 100 usingascomputationzone 40
usingasfilter 38, 85
N
usingasfilteringzone 39
Networkexplorer 19, 20
printing
O antennapatterns 68
antennapatterns(MW) 148
objects
CWMeasurementAnalysisTool 68
changingtransparency 30
datatablesandreports 64
deleting 24
definingprintlayout 66
displaying 22
dockingwindows 68
displayingproperties 24
Legendwindow 68
grouping 69
map 64
groupingbyaproperty 69, 70
MicrowaveLinkAnalysis 68
groupingbyseveralproperties 71
PointAnalysiswindow 68
grouping,examples 72
printpreview 68
hiding 22
profileanalysis(MW) 247
label 30
recommendations 64
tiptext 31
TestMobileDataAnalysisTool 68
visibilityscale 30
298
AT320_UMM_E0 Index
printingzone printing 64
drawing 65 requiredmargins,calculating(MW) 254
FittoMapWindow 66 rowheight
importing 66 changing 54
polygon,creatingfrom 66 rulers
profileanalysis displaying 37
microwave 244
options(MW) 245 S
printing(MW) 247 scalelevel,choosing 34
reflections,studying(MW) 264 searchingformapobjects 86, 87
Valuestab(MW) 248 site
viewing(MW) 244 movingonthemap 25
profilevalues movingtoahigherlocation 26
exportingdata 252 properties,accessingfromtheexplorerwindow 24
importingdata 252 properties,accessingfromthemap 24
project SiteConfigurationtab 21
description,defining 99 sitelist 80
projectioncoordinatesystem 97 adding 81
LambertConformalConicprojection 97 addingsite 81
UniversalTransverseMercatorprojection 97 creating 80
propagationmodel editing 82
microwaveEBandpropagationmodel 193 exporting 82
microwaveITURP.452model 191 filter,usingas 83
microwavepropagationmodel 189 importing 82
MicrowavePropagationModel,definingparameters 189, 191, siteparity,microwavelink 271
193 creatingareport 274
properties displayingonthemap 271
changingdisplay 27 sorting
groupingobjectsby 69, 70 sortingtablesbyonecolumn 73
switchingbetweenpropertydialogues 24 sortingtablesbyseveralcolumns 73
withviews 85
Q spectrumanalyser(MW) 276
qualityobjectives Standardtoolbar 88
microwavelinks,defining 179
T
R tablecolumns
redo 86 formatting 54
reflectionanalysisreport Tabletoolbar 90
display(MW) 269 tables,see"datatables"
reflections templates 96
studying(MW) 264 deleting(MW) 238
refresh 86 field,adding(MW) 237
fromthedatabase 104 field,deleting(MW) 237
reliabilityanalysis(MW) 254 field,modifying(MW) 237
renaming 24 microwaveradiolinks 96
repeater TestMobileDataAnalysisTool
copyingintodocument(UMTS) 243 printing 68
importing(UMTS) 243 tiptext 31
repeaterequipment tooltips,see"tiptext"
creating(UMTS) 241 toolbar
modifying(UMTS) 241 icons 88
repeaters Map 89
passiverepeater(MW) 240 MicrowaveLink 89
passiverepeater,inserting(MW) 242 Standard 88
replace Table 90
indatatables 59 VectorEditor 89
reports Windows 90
299
Index Forsk2013
transmitterlist 80 V
adding 81 VectorEditortoolbar 89
addingtransmitter 81 views
creating 80 creating 85
editing 82 visibilityscale 30
editingfilter 83
exporting 82 W
importing 82 waveguides
transparency,changing 30 creating(MW) 165
trunktypes,microwave waveguidesandcables,microwave
creating 180, 181, 182, 184, 186 creating 165
Windowstoolbar 90
U
undo 86 X
UniversalTransverseMercatorprojection 97 XML
userconfiguration 79 exportingdatatablesto 63
creating 79 importingdatatablesfrom 63
exporting 79
importing 80
Z
zooming
choosingascale 34
inonaspecificarea 34
300
AtollQuickReferenceCard
Toolbars
Standard Map
Newfromtemplate(Ctrl+N) Refresh(F5)
Openadocument(Ctrl+O) Pointer(Esc)
Save(Ctrl+S) Movemap(Ctrl+D)
Newfromdatabase(Ctrl+Shift+N) Setmapscale
Refreshfromdatabase Previousview(Alt+LeftArrow)
Importfile Nextview(Alt+RightArrow)
Loaduserconfiguration Zoominorout(Ctrl+Q)
Saveuserconfiguration Definezoomarea(Ctrl+W)
Cut(Ctrl+X) Displayaterrainsection
Copy(Ctrl+C) Measuredistance
Paste(Ctrl+V) Tiptext
Undo(Ctrl+Z) Findonmap(Ctrl+F)
Redo(Ctrl+Y)
Printtableormap(Ctrl+P)
Printpreview(tableormap)
Help(F1)
RadioPlanning MicrowaveLinkPlanning
Stationtemplate Microwavelinktemplate
Newtransmitter Newmicrowavelink
Hexagonaldesign Newrepeater
Newrepeaterorremoteantenna Newmultihopmicrowavelink
Editrelationsonthemap Newmultipointmicrowavelink
Pointanalysis Microwavelinkanalysis
Calculate(F7) Victimandinterfererlinks
Forcecalculation(Ctrl+F7) Channelarrangement
Stopcalculations Stopcalculations
Windows
Networktab Eventviewer
Geotab Panoramicwindow
Parameterstab Legendwindow
VectorEditor
Newvectorlayer Drawpoints
Vectorlayertoedit Combinepolygons
Newpolygon Cutoutareasinpolygons
Newrectangle Polygonfromoverlappingarea
Newline Splitapolygon
AtollQuickReferenceCard
Toolbars
Table
Importdata Sortindescendingorder
Exportdata Displaystatistics
Propertiesofcurrentrecord Filldown(Ctrl+D)
Centrecurrentrecordonmap Fillup(Ctrl+U)
Displaycolumns Selectall(Ctrl+A)
Hideselectedcolumns Alignleft
Freezeselectedcolumns Aligncentre
Unfreezeallcolumns Alignright
Filterbyselectedvalues Bold
Filterexcludingselectedvalues Italic
Advancedfilter Find
Removefilter Replace
Sortinascendingorder
KeyboardShortcuts
YoucanaccesssomeofthemorecommonfunctionsinAtollbyusingkeyboardshortcuts.
General
YoucanusethefollowingshortcutsanywhereinAtoll.
Newdocumentfromatemplate Ctrl+N Undolastaction Ctrl+Z

Newdocumentfromadatabase Ctrl+Shift+N Redolastaction Ctrl+Y
Openafile Ctrl+O Calculate F7
Print Ctrl+P Forcecalculations Ctrl+F7
Savethecurrentdocument Ctrl+S Accessaddinsandmacros Alt+F8
Onlinehelp F1 Exportcontentsofafolder Ctrl+E
Findonmap/Findintable Ctrl+F Importintoafolder Ctrl+I
Refreshdisplay F5 OpenAtoll.inifileinatexteditor Ctrl+Shift+I
MapShortcuts
Youcanusethefollowingshortcutsinthemapwindow.
Nextview Alt+RightArrow Zoomonarea Ctrl+W

Previousview Alt+LeftArrow Zoomin Ctrl++
Movemap Ctrl+D Zoomout Ctrl+
Findonmap Ctrl+F Zoomin/out Ctrl+Q
TableShortcuts
Youcanusethefollowingshortcutsinatable.
Copy Ctrl+C Filldown Ctrl+D

Cut Ctrl+X Fillup Ctrl+U
Paste Ctrl+V Find Ctrl+F
Selectall Ctrl+A Replace Ctrl+H
AT320_UMM_E0
303
User Manual
Microwave Links
version 3.2.0
AT320_UMM_E0
January 2013
Head Office
7, rue des Briquetiers
31700 Blagnac - France
Tel: +33 562 747 210
Fax: +33 562 747 211
US Office
200 South Wacker Drive - Suite 3100
Chicago, IL 60606 - USA
Tel: +1 312 674 4800
Fax: +1 312 674 4847
China Office
Suite 302, 3/F, West Tower,
Jiadu Commercial Building,
No. 66 Jianzhong Road,
Tianhe Hi-Tech Industrial Zone,
Guangzhou, 510665, P. R. of China
Tel: +86 20 8553 8938
Fax: +86 20 8553 8285
www.forsk.com

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User Manual

ForskUSAOffice ForskHeadOffice ForskChinaOffice

200SouthWackerDrive 7ruedesBriquetiers Suite302,3/F,WestTower,

sales_us@forsk.com sales@forsk.com enquiries@forsk.com.cn

+13126744800 +33(0)562747210 +862085538938

+13126744847 +33(0)562747211 +862085538285

support_us@forsk.com support@forsk.com atollsupport@forsk.com.cn

+1888GoAtoll(+18884628655) +33(0)562747225 +862085570016

8.00amto8.00pm(EST) 9.00amto6.00pm(CET) 9.00amto5.30pm(GMT+8)

1.4 WorkingwithMaps ..................................................................................... 33

1.4.12.5 UsingaPrintingZone ................................................................................43

1.5 WorkingwithDataTables ...............................................................................50

2.2 CreatinganAtollDocument .............................................................................. 95

2.3 MakingaBackupofYourDocument...................................................................... 107

2.4 MakingandSharingPortableAtollProjects................................................................ 109

3.2 SupportedGeographicDataFormats ..................................................................... 114

3.3 ImportingGeoDataFiles ............................................................................... 115

3.4 DigitalTerrainModels.................................................................................. 121

3.5 ClutterClasses........................................................................................ 122

3.6 ClutterHeights....................................................................................... 124

3.7 Contours,Lines,andPoints ............................................................................. 124

3.8 ScannedImages...................................................................................... 126

3.9 GeoclimaticMaps..................................................................................... 127

3.10 DisplayingOnlineMaps ................................................................................ 128

3.11 SettingthePriorityofGeoData......................................................................... 129

3.12 DisplayingInformationAboutGeoData .................................................................. 132

3.13 GeographicDataSets.................................................................................. 132

3.14 EditingGeographicData ............................................................................... 134

3.15 SavingGeographicData................................................................................ 136

4 AntennasandEquipment .................................................................... 143

4.2 DefiningAntennas.................................................................................... 144

4.3 MicrowaveRadios.................................................................................... 149

4.4 MicrowaveFeeders................................................................................... 165

4.4.1 DefinitionofFeeders................................................................................. 165

4.5 MicrowaveAntenna/Radio/FeederCompatibility........................................................... 166

5.2 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencyBands................................................................. 174

5.3 DefiningMicrowaveLinkFrequencySubbands ............................................................. 174

5.4 DefiningLinkClassesandPerformanceObjectives .......................................................... 177

5.5 DefiningConfigurations ................................................................................ 180

5.6 DefiningTransmissionLinkTypes ........................................................................ 186

6 WorkingwithCalculationsinAtoll ......................................................... 189

6.2 DefiningParametersthatAffectCalculations ............................................................... 194

7 MicrowaveLinkProjects ...................................................................... 213

7.2 PlanningandOptimisingMicrowaveSites ................................................................. 214

7.3 CreatingLinks......................................................................................... 226

7.3.1.1 DefinitionofaMicrowaveLink....................................................................... 227

7.4 AnalysingthePathProfile .............................................................................. 244

7.5 AnalysingMicrowaveLinkReliability..................................................................... 254

7.6 StudyingReflection ................................................................................... 264

7.7 PlanningMicrowaveLinkChannels ...................................................................... 271

7.8 AnalysingInterference ................................................................................. 279

7.9 ExportingCustomReports .............................................................................. 288

7.10 AdvancedConfiguration ................................................................................ 289

Index .............................................................................................. 295

Undo(byselectingEdit >Undo,bypressingCTRL+Z,orbyclicking inthetoolbar)to

2. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )besidetheLabelbox.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears(seeFigure 1.9).

2. ClicktheBrowsebutton( )besidetheTipTextbox.TheFieldSelectiondialogueappears(seeFigure 1.9).

Figure 1.11:Valueintervaldisplaytype Figure 1.12:Automaticdisplaytype

Figure 1.13:Shadingfrom60 dBmto105 dBm Figure 1.14:Shadingfrom80 dBmto105 dBm

VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableintheVector

VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableintheVector

VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableintheVector

VectorEditortoolbar:YoucanusetheNewPolygon( )andNewRectangle( )buttonsavailableinthe

IftheVectorEditortoolbarisnotvisible,selectView >Toolbars >VectorEditor.