Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Defining a Repeater for LMDS Deployment

Dieter Scherer Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

RAWCON 2001

August 20, 2001

Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge Ralph Jones for assisting in the isolation measurements and thanks Lucent Technologies for making the data available.

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Outline
Key requirements for a LMDS repeater Required repeater gain Isolation measurements Three proposals for repeater implementation Design outline and key features of repeater with IF processing Other repeater applications in LMDS deployment Conclusions

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

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LMDS deployment requires line-of-sight

Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Reality of LMDS Deployment: Blocking buildings

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Key Requirements for a LMDS Repeater

Hub Site

Shadowing Highrise

End User Site

Line-of-sight between hub/ repeater and end user/ repeater Bi-directional operation Repeater location anywhere between hub site and cell border Entails: Maximum Tx power for downstream: matching hub Tx power Maximum Tx power for upstream: matching maximum subscriber Tx power Rx sensitivities for up- and downstream: matching Rx sensitivities of hub and subscriber Maintaining margin of operation Transparent operation
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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Required Repeater Gain

Hub Repeater Subscriber

d1

d0

GRep = PRx Sens + Margin + 40log (4/)d0 + 20log d1/d0(1 - d1/d0) - PTx - GTx Ant - GRx Ant

GRep = Repeater gain including gain of repeater Rx and Tx antenna PRx Sens = Threshold Rx power at BER = 10-6 Margin = Desired margin over threshold to account for rain fade PTx = Transmit power of hub GTx Ant = Antenna gain of hub transmitter GRx Ant = Antenna gain of subscriber receiver = Wavelength of signal in m d0 = Hub to subscriber distance in m d1 = Hub to repeater distance in m 7
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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Required Gain as a Function of Location and Maximum Link Distance

140.0

Parameters affecting repeater gain: Link frequency =28GHz PTx = 20dbm PRx Sens = -85dBm Margin =10dB GTx Ant = 14dB GRx Ant = 32dB

130.0

do=10000m do=5000m do=2500m do=1000m

Repeater Gain [dB]

120.0 110.0 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% Distance of Repeater from Tx

Hub

Example: 5km link: 119dB required gain 10km link: 131dB required gain
d1= 30% of d0

Repeater

Subscriber

do

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Isolation Requirements for Repeater

Stability requirement: Isolation between repeater Tx output and Rx input needs to be higher than the forward signal gain Isolation may be achieved by Frequency translation with channel filtering: Drawback: Waste of valuable channel space Complicated repeater deployment High cost Spatial isolation (direction and distance ): Use of high directivity of signals at mm frequencies Use of spatial separation
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Feedback Forward Gain

Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Isolation Measurements

0.6m

Result: Isolation between up- and downstream antenna at 28GHz: 139dB

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Isolation Measurements, continued

2m

Result: Isolation between up- and downstream antenna at 28GHz: 141dB

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Isolation Measurements, continued

0.6m

Result: Isolation between up- and downstream antenna (at 90o) at 28GHz: 136dB
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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Conclusions on Isolation Prospects at mm Frequencies

High isolation is achievable at mm frequencies between Tx and Rx antenna of a repeater. At 28 GHz sufficient isolation was demonstrated to allow repeater operation in links exceeding 10km. Increasing the separation between Tx and Rx antenna of the repeater will additionally increase isolation. Minor peripheral features of the Tx and Rx antenna might have significant effects on isolation. Reflecting objects in the proximity of either Tx or Rx antenna could greatly reduce isolation.

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Three Proposals for Implementing an LMDS Repeater

Repeater with gain and gain control based on mm processing only Repeater with most of gain and gain control at IF Repeater based on data retrieval and re-transmission

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Proposal 1:

Repeater with mm Processing only

AC

Hub Site

Shadowing Highrise

End User Site

Pro y Conceptually simple y Only roof access + AC required

Con y High cost (mm gain blocks, gain control, filter) y Tx/Rx difficult to separate (requiring waveguides) y Lack of access for level control and monitoring

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Proposal 2:

Repeater with IF Processing

IF, Ref, -48V D/C U/C IF AC IF U/C D/C

Hub Tx/Rx

Hub Site

Shadowing Highrise

C P E

End User Site

Pro y Low cost (economical design of IF gain, filters, level control) y Separable repeater Rx / Tx modules y High gain (isolation) possible with long IF cable y Only roof access + AC required
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Con y Increased design complexity y Lack of access for level control and monitoring

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Proposal 3:

Repeater with Data Processing

CPE Hub Tx/Rx IF, Ref, -48V Control IF, Ref, -48V Control CPE Hub Tx/Rx

Baseband Repeater

Hub Site
AC

Standard CPE Modem

E1 10B-T

Shadowing Highrise

End User Site

Pro y Separable repeater Rx / Tx modules y High gain (isolation) possible with separate SRU / BRU y Data access y Full remote control and monitoring of up/ downstream Tx power

Con Higher system cost Higher system complexity Additional SW design Indoor units required Indoor installation needed (or weatherized roof installation) y Only single channel is processed y y y y y

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Favored Choice: Repeater with IF Processing

Proposal 2 was chosen to demonstrate a design because it has Minimal site requirements High installation flexibility Economic implementation of gain, gain control and filters at IF

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Design Outline of Repeater with IF Processing

3GHz
WG Diplex
Phase Locked DRO LNA
R L I

DC 3GHZ

Triplexer

2GHz in 3GHz out X-tal Ref.out -48DC in

100MHZ X-tal REF xN

X-tal REF

AGC
Bias T AC/DC

X-tal REF
L

PA

- 48V DC

A C

up to 50m LMR400

2GHz

2GHz 3GHz X-tal REF

DC

2GHz out 3GHz in X-tal Ref.in -48DC in

Triplexer

2GHz
I L R

LNA

WG Diplex
Phase Locked DRO

X-tal REF
xN

3GHz

3GHz
I

X-tal REF
L R

PA

AGC

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Transmit Level Adjust

Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Key Features of Repeater Design

Phase coherent up- and down-conversion Reference signal (100MHz) is shared via IF cable. Upstream transmit level control Forward level control loop is linked to downstream receive signal. Downstream transmit level setting Tx level is set according to repeater proximity to cell border (to avoid cochannel interference with frequency re-use). IF bandwidth The choice of up-and downstream IF is determined by cable loss limits, desired bandwidth, isolation and economic filter realization. Modularity Basic split in up- and downstream module mm circuit and IF sub-modules Modular antenna attachment allowing point-to- point or point-tomultipoint use.
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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Other Repeater Applications in LMDS Deployment

Reach sparsely populated areas with point-point repeaters in initial deployment. Reach clusters of subscribers outside reqular grid. Illuminate irregular uncovered areas outside grid with repeater linked to neighboring cell. Use repeater as substitute hub.
1
R

3
R
PP-R

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Dieter Scherer

Consultant Broadband Wireless Technologies

Conclusions

Fixed wireless at mm-wave has the greatest potential for providing broadband access. Lack of line-of-sight is a major obstacle in urban deployment. Line-of-sight blockage can be effectively overcome with repeaters. Repeaters will become an indispensable component of LMDS deployment if designed to be transparent in use easy to install inexpensive compared to base station equipment

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