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User Guide
version 5.2.1
Copyright © 2010
Notice
This document contains confidential and proprietary information of Mentum S.A. and may not be
copied, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced in any format or media, in whole or in
part, without the prior written consent of Mentum S.A. Information contained in this document
supersedes that found in any previous manuals, guides, specifications data sheets, or other
information that may have been provided or made available to the user. This document is provided
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adequacy, quality, validity, completeness or suitability for any purpose the information contained in
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WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO
THIS DOCUMENT OR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.
Trademark Acknowledgement
Mentum, Mentum Planet, Mentum Ellipse, and Mentum Fusion are registered trademarks owned by
Mentum S.A. MapInfo Professional is a registered trademark of PB MapInfo Corporation. RF-vu is a
trademark owned by iBwave. This document may contain other trademarks, trade names, or service
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Chapter 1 Introduction I
Features of Mentum Planet ii
Project Explorer ii
Site Editor ii
Traffic Map Generator ii
Interference Matrix Generator iii
Neighbor List Generator iii
Network Data Import Wizard iii
Survey Data tool iii
Subscriber Settings iii
Data Manager iv
MapInfo Professional iv
Microwave Links iv
Using this documentation v
User documentation updates v
Online Help v
Resource Roadmap vi
Knowledge Base vi
Printing vi
Library Search vi
North America x
Asia Pacific x
Chapter 1 Introduction
This User Guide provides an overview of the full life cycle of a wireless
network, and includes information on the tools and procedures that are
common to all network technologies. Many procedures, for example network
analyses, are dependent on the technology being used, and are not included
in this User Guide. For more information on technology-specific procedures,
see the appropriate User Guide.
Contacting Mentum x
Below is a list of some of the main features of Mentum Planet. This list is not
comprehensive. For a detailed feature list, go to the Mentum web site at
http://www.mentum.com.
Project Explorer
The Project Explorer organizes all components of a project into a hierarchical
structure, enabling you to easily manage all project-related data including
sites, project information, network analyses, network data, and surveys. You
can sort components such as sites and antenna patterns by their
characteristics and manage support documents such as census tract data,
capacity planning information, or RF design review documents. Shortcut
menus give you quick access to a wide variety of commands.
Site Editor
The Site Editor brings together all the parameters you need to specify when
defining base station technologies, sites, and sectors. This includes the link
configuration, the implementation settings as well as general site and sector
settings.
Subscriber Settings
The Subscriber Settings dialog box contains all the parameters you need to
define the characteristics of your network subscribers including the mobile
equipment and services they use as well as the Quality of Service thresholds.
Data Manager
The Data Manager enables you to store data centrally and manage projects
more efficiently, thus facilitating project collaboration and data sharing.
MapInfo Professional
Mentum Planet includes a full version of MapInfo Professional, an industry
standard mapping tool that gives you access to a full suite of raster and vector
analysis tools, cartographic-quality tools, and advanced thematic mapping
capabilities. For a list of new features in MapInfo 10.5, see the MapInfo
Professional User Guide.
Microwave Links
You can visualize microwave transmission links within the context of your
Mentum Planet projects and perform basic microwave planning tasks when
designing your wireless network.
For more information, see the Microwave Link Planning User Guide.
http://www.pbinsight.com/support/product-documentation.
All product information is available through the online Help. You access online
Help using the Help menu or context-sensitive Help from within a dialog box
by pressing the F1 key. If you want to view the online Help for a specific panel
or tab, click in a field or list box to activate the panel or tab before you press
the F1 key. The following sections describe the structure of the online Help.
Online Help
From the Help menu, you can access online Help for Mentum Planet software
and for MapInfo Professional. This section describes the structure of the
Mentum Planet online Help.
The online Help provides extensive help on all aspects of software use. It
provides
The following sections provide details about the resources available through
the online Help.
Resource Roadmap
When you first use the online Help, start with the Resource Roadmap. It
describes the types of resources available in the online Help and explains how
best to use them. It includes a step-by-step guide that walks you through the
available resources.
Knowledge Base
You can access the Knowledge Base maintained by the Customer Care group
by clicking the Knowledge Base button on the online Help toolbar. The
Knowledge Base contains current information on Mentum products such as
Frequently Asked Questions, How To procedures as well as solutions to issues.
Printing
Library Search
You can perform a full-text search on all PDF files contained in the Mentum
Planet documentation library if you are using a version of Adobe Reader that
You can also perform a search on all online Help topics by clicking the Search
tab in the Help window. Type a keyword, and click List Topics to display all Help
topics that contain the keyword. The online Help duplicates the information
found in the User Guide PDF files in order to provide more complete results. It
does not duplicate the information in the Release Notes, or Glossary.
User Guides
All User Guides for Mentum Planet software is easily accessible as part of the
online Help.
Documentation library
Mentum Planet comes with an extensive library of User Guides in PDF format.
You can access PDF versions of the user guides by navigating to the Help/User
Guides folder within the Mentum Planet installation folder or by choosing the
Guides command from the Mentum Planet Help menu.
Notational conventions
This section describes the textual conventions and icons used throughout this
documentation.
Textual conventions
Special text formats are used to highlight different types of information. The
following table describes the special text conventions used in this document.
Each chapter in this guide provides details about how to perform a step in the
planning process and explains how it relates to the other steps. Before you
begin, you should read the “Understanding...” sections in each chapter for an
overview of the planning process.
Contacting Mentum
Mentum is committed to providing fast, responsive technical support. This
section provides an extensive list of contacts to help you through any issues
you may have.
http://www.mentum.com/index.php?page=customer-care&hl=en_US.
North America
Asia Pacific
When you call for technical support, ensure that you have your product ID
number and know which version of the software you are running. You can
obtain this information using the About command from the Help menu.
techpubs@mentum.com
Using Mentum Planet, you can model networks designed for WiMAXTDMA-
FDMA communication. This chapter describes key planning processes and the
workflow you should adopt.
Optional tools
You can purchase the following optional tools for Mentum Planet :
n up-to-date geodata
n accurate and up-to-date survey data
n tuned propagation models that are appropriate for the
environment and data
n accurate and up-to-date site configuration information
When designing a new network, the traffic forecast typically comes from
marketing assessments while traffic models can be created from the network
traffic reports. There are various methods in Mentum Planet to generate
traffic so that all stages of network design are covered (i.e., from the early
stages of a new greenfield network to the later stages of a live network).
There are various types of data upon which you can base your market
prediction:
Processing the data can take many forms and requires that you understand
some of the Mentum Planet GIS features. The proposed sequence of data
processing described here should be seen as an example and might not be
applicable to your situation.
Geodata requirements
Predicting network propagation accurately is highly dependent on the quality
and type of geographical data (i.e., geodata) you use. Table 1.1 indicates the
suitability of common data types for the different technologies.
n Verify that your data is in a format that Mentum Planet 5 can use.
See the Grid Analysis User Guide for information on importing
grids.
n If you want to perform propagation model tuning or generate
merged predictions, you need to import survey data. See the
Mentum Planet User Guide for information on importing and
filtering surveys.
At this stage of the workflow, you place sites using the default
propagation models. You can later create and fine tune propagation
models to suit your requirements.
Step 7 Optionally, create the groups and flags you need to organize and
manage sites. See “Chapter 2: Working with Sites and Sectors” in
the Mentum Planet User Guide.
Step 10 Optionally, if you have purchased Capesso, optimize your sites using
the workflow described in the Capesso online Help.
Step 12 Optionally, generate traffic maps for the services and area that you
plan to analyze. See “Chapter 10: Working with Traffic Maps” in the
Mentum Planet User Guide.
Step 20 Optionally, create coverage map reports and FCC Service Area
Boundary reports. See “Chapter 15: Generating Reports” in the
Mentum Planet User Guide.
In order to work effectively with Mentum Planet, it is important that you have
an understanding of basic Mentum Planet concepts.
Understanding projects 25
User Preferences 44
Project Explorer 45
Performance 46
Zoom Automatically 47
User Preferences 49
Geodata 51
Color Profiles 77
Color 78
Understanding projects
A project contains and organizes all of the information pertaining to a
particular wireless network. This includes
A project also contains the results of predictions and network analyses made
on the basis of this information.
n site data, such as site name, sector name, and various site and
sector labels
n points, such as tower locations or survey result
n lines and polylines, such as roads
n polygons, such as bodies of water or county boundaries
Once you have opened a table, you can view the contents of each record by
choosing Window New Browser Window.
Understanding grids
Grid data is the best way to represent phenomena that vary continuously
through space. Elevation, signal strength, path loss, and signal interference
are excellent examples of properties that are distributed in constantly varying
degrees through space and are best represented in grid format. Grids are part
of the raster data format. Regions, points, and lines are part of the vector data
format.
What is a grid?
A grid is made up of regularly spaced square cells, called bins, where each bin
has a value and a color representing the value. If there are several bins
between two known locations, the change in color between these bins
indicates how the values change. All data that varies through space is
captured at discrete sample locations where the value is known. For example,
an RF engineer performs a survey to record the signal strength from a sector.
Readings are collected every second. In a vector-based GIS system, there are
limited ways to portray this kind of data. Some of the more traditional ways
are to label each individual sample location with the known value, to create
graduated symbols at each sample site where the symbol size reflects the
sample’s value, or to generate contour lines or contour regions depicting
locations of equal value (see Figure 3.1). Another common method of
displaying survey data in a vector-based GIS system is to thematically shade
points based on signal strength.
The problem with these methods is that it is difficult to portray how the data
changes between known locations. Grids, on the other hand, easily display
how the data changes between locations.
Numeric grids
One example of a numeric grid is a DEM, where each bin is referenced to a
value measured in units of height above sea level (see Figure 3.2). Numeric
grids are best used to define continuously varying surfaces of information,
such as elevation, in which bin values are either mathematically estimated
from a table of point observations or assigned real numeric values. For
example, in Figure 3.2 each bin was calculated (interpolated) from a table of
recorded elevation points. In Mentum Planet , numeric grid files are given the
extension .grd. Numeric grids have a corresponding .tab file containing
important metadata that describes the grid file.
Figure 3.2: Numeric grid showing the continuous variation of elevation across
an area
Classified grids
Classified grids are best used to represent information that is more commonly
restricted to a defined boundary. They are used in the same way that a region
is used to describe a boundary area, such as a land classification unit or a
census district. In this case, the grid file does not represent information that
varies continuously over space. In Figure 3.3 a land classification grid displays
each bin with a character attribute attached to it that describes the land type
underlying it. A common type of classified grid is a Best Serving Sector
analysis layer. In Mentum Planet , classified grid files use a .grc file extension.
Classified grids have a corresponding .tab file containing important metadata
that describes the grid file.
Figure 3.3: Classified grid representing land use (called a clutter file) where
each bin is referenced to a descriptive attribute
Each folder can contain multiple files, each of a different resolution and/or
coverage.
CAUTION: Files in the Heights, Clutter, Clutter Heights, and Polygons folder
should use the same map projection. Files in the Custom folder do not have to
use the same map projection as other geodata files.
Heights folder
The Heights folder contains one or more Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Each
grid (.grd) file contains, for each bin, the height in meters or feet of the
terrain above sea level. Using Mentum Planet , you can build height files from
point data or use many industry standard data formats. Each height file has a
corresponding .tab file that contains important metadata about the grid file.
When the Heights folder contains multiple grid files, each grid file must use
the same coordinate system, but may have a different resolution. The
primary height file, defined on the Geodata tab in the Project Settings dialog
box, should geographically contain all of the other grid files in the Heights
folder.
Clutter folder
The Clutter folder contains one or more clutter files in classified grid (.grc)
format. Each classified grid file contains, for each bin, the clutter class that
covers the majority of the bin. Clutter files are derived from aerial/satellite
imagery or generated from digitized maps. Each clutter file has a
corresponding .tab file that contains important metadata about the classified
grid file.
You are not required to choose a clutter file when you create a project.
However, using clutter files is fundamental to increasing the accuracy of
predictions when using propagation models that support clutter attenuation
parameters (e.g., CRC-Predict and the Planet General Model). Without land-
use information, predictions cannot model the effects of man-made
structures or trees.
When the Clutter folder contains multiple classified grid files, each classified
grid file must use the same coordinate system, but may have a different
resolution. The primary clutter file, defined on the Geodata tab in the Project
Settings dialog box, should geographically contain all of the other classified
grid files in the Clutter folder.
Clutter height files are particularly useful in urban environments, for high
resolution clutter files, to describe the height of buildings at the bin level. It is
also useful for lower resolution clutter files to describe clutter heights with
more granularity wherever the height of a clutter is not uniform over the
covered area. In this case, you would use a lower resolution grid file to specify
average clutter height, and a higher resolution grid file to provide more
precise clutter height information.
When the Clutter Heights folder contains multiple grid files, each grid file must
use the same coordinate system.
NOTE: You must add files to the Clutter Heights folder manually. See “To
manage geodata files”.
NOTE: Not all propagation models use clutter height information. If the
model you are using does not support clutter height data, you can create a
classified grid from the clutter height data and merge it with the clutter file.
Polygons folder
The Polygons folder is an optional folder that contains one or more polygon
files in MapInfo table (.tab) format. Each row in a table file specifies a polygon
or region object. Typically, individual polygon files are used to define polygons
of different types (e.g., one polygon table defines building contours, and
another defines vegetation contours).
Polygon table files must contain at least the columns specified in Table 2.1,
while 3D polygon tables files must also contain either of the columns specified
in Table 2.2. Tables may contain other columns such as street address,
building population, attenuation factor, or other user-defined or model-
specific columns.
Field
Type Comment
name
Polygon_ Character Unique ID to represent each polygon
ID (64) object
Polygon_ Character Descriptive information about a polygon;
Type (256) such as, “Building”, “Vegetation”, or
“Water”.
Height values for 3D polygons are specified in either this AMSL or AGL column.
Polygons are considered 2D when a polygon table file does not contain either
the AMSL or AGL columns.
Field
Type Comment
Name
AMSL Float A floating point number representing the
height above average mean sea level.
NOTE: The measurement unit used by values in the AMSL and AGL columns
are specified in the metadata associated with the .tab file. Use the following
integer values to specify measurement units:
n 2—Inches
n 3—Feet
n 5—Millimeters
n 6—Centimeters
n 7—Meters
When the Polygons folder contains multiple table files, each table file must use
the same coordinate system as the primary heights file.
NOTE: You must add files to the Polygons folder manually. See “To manage
geodata files”.
Custom folder
The Custom folder is an optional folder that contains one or more geographic
files that do not fit in the other geodata folders. The following are some
examples of geographic files that you would add to the Custom folder:
n boundaries
n road networks
n railway networks
n water ways
n aerial or satellite photos
Mentum Planet can display custom data if it is a MapInfo grid or table file. For
other types of custom data, Mentum Planet will use an appropriate application
with which to display the chosen custom data.
NOTE: You must add files to the Custom folder manually. See “To manage
geodata files”.
Site files
When you create a project, a default site set is added to the Project Data
category of the Project Explorer as shown in Figure 3.1. A site set defines a
collection of sites and contains the site data. You can create multiple site sets
within a Mentum Planet project but only one site set is active at any one time.
It is the active site set that you modify when you change site parameters.
Using multiple site sets enables you to have several versions of the same
network available and offers more flexibility to create and analyze “What-If”
scenarios. See “Working with site sets”.
The site information required to display sites in the Map window is duplicated
in the site table (i.e., in the .tab file) as shown in “Appendix A: Site Table
Format”. Additional site table columns are also available if you want to query
the site data using MapBasic functionality; however, you cannot update site
data by modifying the .tab file as this data is always updated from the internal
Mentum Planet project,which is held in-memory and stored in the project file.
You can update site sets using the Tabular Editor or Import/Export Wizard.
CAUTION: To update the site table (.tab) file, right-click the Sites node and
choose Update Site File. Site updates are not automatically added to the site
table.
CAUTION: Do not update the site table manually using MapBasic or MapInfo
functionality.
Workspaces
A workspace (.wor) file records which MapInfo files are open, the position of
each Map window and the properties of each layer it contains. You can save
your working configuration to a workspace file whenever you want. This
feature is particularly useful for features such as print layouts. If you associate
a workspace with a project, that workspace is opened whenever you open the
project.
You can also undock the Project Explorer by dragging it to any location on the
screen. When undocked, both the height and width of the Project Explorer are
resizable. Drag the Project Explorer to the left or right side of the screen to
once again dock it with the application window.
TIP: If you want to hide the Project Explorer from view, choose View Hide
Project Explorer. Choose View Show Project Explorer to once again view
the Project Explorer.
The Project Explorer can contain one, two, or three data windows. The Data
Window control buttons, located just below the title bar, control how many
data windows the Project Explorer displays.
Button Function
Adds another data window at the bottom of the
Project Explorer. The button is unavailable when there
are three data windows.
Removes the bottom data window in the Project
Explorer. The button is unavailable when there is only
one data window.
Updates the content of the Project Explorer. To
reorder items in the Sites category, right-click the
Groups, Repeaters, or Sites node and choose Refresh.
n Network Analyses
n Operational Data
n Project Data
n RF Tools
n Sites
n Microwave
n Windows
The items in the tree view are generically called nodes. Specific nodes are
always referred to by name. A node can be
n To add a site to a group, drag the site into the group from the
Sites node.
n To change the order of layers in a Map window, drag the layer
to where you want it in the list of map layers.
By default, a category can only be viewed in one data window at a time. For
information on how to view the same category in more than one data window,
see “Defining user preferences”.
Access to commands
When you right-click on any node, you access a shortcut menu of commands
that apply to that type of node. For example, the following menu appears
when you right-click on a site node.
Each shortcut menu has a default command that appears in bold. For
example, the default command for a site node is Edit. You can access these
default commands quickly by double-clicking a node.
You can make multiple selections by holding the Shift or Ctrl key while clicking
nodes, and then right-click to perform a command on all of them. In this case,
the shortcut menu contains only commands that are valid for multiple nodes.
For example, if you right-click on multiple sites, the New Sector command is
not available. You can add a sector to only one site at a time.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
CAUTION: You must restart Mentum Planet to apply value changes for any
user preference marked by an asterisk (*).
User Preferences
Use the User Preferences dialog box to specify default settings and actions for
Mentum Planet. These settings are maintained between Mentum Planet
sessions and upgrades.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Project Explorer
Use this panel to define Project Explorer performance and selection settings.
For more information about the Project Explorer, see Understanding the
Project Explorer in the User Guide for the technology you are using.
Performance
CAUTION: Enabling any of the options in this section will impact the
performance of the Project Explorer.
Zoom Automatically
On Located Site—enable this check box to set the zoom distance when using
the Locate command from the shortcut menu. To set the zoom distance,
move the slider until the desired zoom distance is displayed next to the slider.
On Viewed Site Selection—enable this check box to set the zoom distance
when using the View command from the shortcut menu. To set the zoom
distance, move the slider until the desired zoom distance is displayed next to
the slider.
NOTE: Translucency is applied when you view a layer from the Project
Explorer or from a menu. When you change a translucency setting, you must
remove the layer and re-display it in order to see the effect of your changes.
Traffic Map—enable this check box to apply translucency to traffic maps and
move the slider until the degree of translucency is displayed.
User Preferences
Use the User Preferences dialog box to specify default settings and actions for
Mentum Planet. These settings are maintained between Mentum Planet
sessions and upgrades.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Browse—click this button to locate the a folder to use as the default project
folder for new projects.
Global Folder—this field displays the name of the folder where default
project files such as antenna files or curve files are saved. If you do not specify
a global folder, the Global folder within the Mentum Planet installation folder is
used.
Browse—click this button to navigate to where the folder you want to specify
is located.
Geodata
Use Default Geodata—enable this check box to define a default location for
geodata. When you create a new project, these defaults will be used.
Geodata Location—this field displays the name of the folder where geodata
is saved. Geodata can be saved locally or remotely and the folder name can
be whatever best suits your needs; however, the geodata folder must contain
a Heights folder with the elevation grid and a Clutter folder, which can be
empty of you are not using clutter.
Primary Heights File—choose from this list the elevation file you want to
associate with the project. All files contained in the Heights folder will be
listed.
Primary Clutter File—choose from this list the clutter file you want to
associate with the project or choose None if you do not want to define a
default clutter file. All files contained in the Clutter folder will be listed. You can
have more than one clutter file in the folder.
Folder Contents
Antenna Algorithm Files that are used to describe the algorithms
used in various configurations of multiple
antenna systems
Antenna Queries Antenna query files
Antennas Files for antennas used in the project
Areas Area classified grid files
Attachments Files you want to associate with a project. Only
shared files are saved in the Attachments folder.
These files will automatically be put into Data
Manager when you submit the project.
Backup project data backup
Bin Path loss files
CDMA2000_Analyses cdma2000 analysis files
Folder Contents
Folder Contents
Site Sets Local and shared site sets
Site Templates Local and shared site templates
SPT Files related to the process of merging surveys
and predictions.
Subscriber Data Fixed broadband wireless access database
Surveys Survey files
TDMA_FDMA_Analyses TDMA/FDMA network analysis files
Test Mobile Data Test mobile data files and templates
TrafficMaps Numeric grid and clutter relative weighting files
for traffic maps
WCDMA_Analyses WCDMA network analysis files
WCDMAMC_Simulations WCDMA Monte Carlo simulation parameters and
results
WiMAX_Analyses WiMAX network analysis files
WiMAXMC_Analyses WiMAX Monte Carlo simulation parameters and
results
WiMAXMC_Simulations WiMAX Monte Carlo simulation parameters and
results
Workspaces MapInfo workspace files including the default
ProjectOpening.wor file.
When you open a workspace, the Map windows and layers specified in the
workspace are re-created, opening any files that are required.
You can define a workspace in your project settings that Mentum Planet will
open when you open the project. By default, Mentum Planet does not
associate a workspace with your project; it stores the working configuration in
a default workspace. To automatically update a workspace file when you
make changes, you must use a defined workspace (.wor) file and enable the
Workspace Autosave check box on the General tab in the Project Settings
dialog box.
To create a workspace
1 Choose GIS Save Workspace.
To open a workspace
1 Choose GIS Open Workspace.
TIP: You can also view the contents of a workspace file using a text editor
such as Notepad.
NOTE: Files can be saved locally on your workstation or shared with other
users using the Data Manager.
2 In the Open dialog box, locate the file you want to add, and click
Open.
TIP: You can also double-click the Local or Shared node to attach a file.
In contrast, when you work with groups, changes you make to sites in the
group are reflected in the project as soon as you apply them. For more
information, see “Grouping sites” in the Mentum Planet User Guide.
When you are satisfied with the results and the changes you have made to a
site subset, you can merge it back into the Master site set. And, if you are
working with the Data Manager, you can then submit the Master site set to the
server project so that others can access your changes. Site subsets are not
stored in Data Manager.
NOTE: To help you identify a site set, you can add a detailed description by
right-clicking on the site set and choosing Edit Description.
TIP: You can update site sets using the Tabular Editor or Import/Export
Wizard.
You can create a copy of the entire Master site set (i.e., all the sites in the
project) if you want to backup all site data. In the Project Explorer, right-click
the Master site set and choose Copy.
Site subsets
A site subset is a copy of specific sites contained in the Master site set. In the
Project Explorer, a site subset is identified with a green minus sign as shown in
Figure 2.6. Using site subsets, you can test various site configurations before
applying these changes to the project.
Site table
The site table (or site file) is used mainly for display purposes. It contains the
information required to display sites in the Map window as well as additional
site table columns that can be used if you want to query site data using
MapInfo functionality.
You cannot permanently update site data by modifying the site (.tab) file as
this data is always updated from the internal Mentum Planet project, which is
held in-memory and stored in the project file. Site data saved in the site table
is not updated automatically when you make changes to site or sector
parameters. You can, however, refresh the site data stored in the site table
using the Update Site File command from the Sites node in the Project
Explorer but these updates are not saved. The site table is re-written each
time you open a project.
The sites that will be included in the subset are displayed in the Selected
Sites list.
5 Click OK.
NOTE: If the number of sites in a site set is high (i.e., greater than 5_000
sectors), the action of switching between site sets can take some time to
complete.
2 Right-click the site set that you want to set as the active site set
and choose Active.
The active site set changes, and the new site set is displayed in the Map
window.
NOTE: When you change site sets, only the sites change. Defined flags,
groups, and link configurations are preserved. For example, flags you have
defined for the active site set will also be available for use with a subset of the
site set.
CAUTION: It is recommended that you backup the site set before doing a
merge. Changes made to the original site set cannot be undone.
Site data in the original site set is overwritten with the data from the
subset.
2 Right-click the site set you want to share and choose Create
Shared.
2 Right-click the original site set used to create the shared copy and
choose Update Shared.
The shared copy of the selected site set is updated to match the original
site set.
The site set is removed from the list, but the site set files are not deleted
from the project folder.
CAUTION: If you right-click a site set and choose Delete, the site set files are
deleted from the project folder.
2 Right-click the site set, choose Rename, type a new name, and
press Enter.
2 Right-click the site set for which you want to view site set details,
choose About.
2 Right-click the site set you want to edit and choose Edit
Description.
3 In the Edit Description dialog box, type the details you want to
associate with the site set and click OK.
Just as each layer can be visualized above or below another layer, layers can
be compared using spatial analysis functions.
When you open a grid, the Map window consists of a cosmetic layer and
individual map layers. You can manipulate these layers using the Project
Explorer or using the Layer Control.
Figure 2.7 Various map layers covering the same geographic area can hold
different types of information.
You can also manipulate map layers with the Layer Control. Right-click on the
Map window and choose Layer Control. For more information about the Layer
Control, click the Help button in the Layer Control dialog box.
NOTE: When you close a Map window by choosing File Close Table, the grid
is not deleted or removed from the project, it is simply no longer visible.
n To add a new map layer, click the Add Layers button, choose
a layer, and then click OK.
n To remove a map layer, choose a map layer and click the
Remove Layers button.
n To move a layer up, choose a map layer and click the Move
Layers Up button.
n To move a layer down, choose a map layer and click the Move
Layers Down button.
n To make a layer visible, enable the Visible check box next to
the map layer.
n To make a layer editable, enable the Editable icon next to the
map layer. Some layers cannot be made editable.
n To make a layer selectable, enable the Selectable icon next to
the map layer.
n To add labels to the layer, enable the Automatic Labels icon
next to the map layer.
NOTE: Move the cursor over the symbols above each column in the Layer list
to display the check box labels.
The folder you define for geodata can be located within the project folder
although it doesn’t have to be. In order to save disk space, the geodata folder
can be located on a server or in a common location where multiple users can
access it. At a minimum, it must, however, contain a Heights folder and a
Clutter folder. The Heights folder must contain the primary DTM file but the
Clutter folder can be empty.
CAUTION: You must add the files you want in the Clutter Heights, Polygons,
and Custom folders manually.
The geodata files are listed based on the type of grouping you chose.
3 To change the coordinate system used for sites, click the Select
button next to the Network Coordinate System field.
In order to create the highest quality network model, you should ideally
use the same coordinate system for the site database as is used for the
geodata. Using a different coordinate system for sites could introduce
inaccuracies in predictions.
For information on specific unit settings, press the F1 key.
You can specify common color profiles that will be applied globally across all
project data, or you can choose a color scheme (a .vcp file) for specific
numeric grids. Color profiles are text files saved with a .vcp extension. These
files should be saved in the <Mentum Planet installation
folder>\Global\Profiles folder.
2 In the Color Profiles dialog box, from the Analysis Type list,
choose the type of analysis for which you want to create color
profiles.
The values and colors defined in the profile are shown in the Colors
table.
n To add a color inflection point, click Add, define a value for the
inflection point, and click OK.
n To define a new color for the inflection point, double-click on a
color inflection point, choose a new color in the Color dialog
box and click OK.
n To move an inflection point, click a color inflection point and
drag it to the new location. This will update the value for this
inflection point in the Color Scheme list. The calculated values
in the Color Scheme List are automatically updated.
n Enable the Solid Band check box if you want hard breaks
between colors instead of interpolated fading.
n Click Flip if you want the colors associated with inflection points
in reverse order.
n Click Revert if you want to return to the color pattern that was
in place before you clicked Flip.
6 If you want to redefine the grid colors based on how they would be
illuminated by a single light source, in the Relief Shading section,
enable the Enabled check box, and click Properties.
If you want this profile to be available for use with all Mentum Planet
projects, save the .vcp file in the <Mentum Planet installation
folder>\Global\Profiles folder. Otherwise, the default location is the
Profiles folder within the project folder.
related grid files where the value range may vary considerably, then save
by percentile.
TIP: You can add a color inflection point in the Grid Color Tool by double-
clicking on the color slider bar. Conversely, you can delete an inflection point
by clicking on an inflection point to highlight it and pressing Delete.
Color Profiles
Use this dialog box to assign color profiles to numeric grids. By default, color
profiles are saved in the Global\Profiles folder within the Mentum Planet
installation folder.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Analysis Type—choose from this list the type of analysis for which you want
to define color profiles. The Common Analysis Type applies the color profiles
to analysis layers common to all technologies (i.e., path loss and signal
strength).
Color
Profiles—this table displays the color profiles (.vcp file) used by numeric
grids. Click a color profile file name in the Color Profile Name column to view
the profile colors in the Profile list table.
Select Color Profile—click this button to choose a .vcp file from the Select
Color Profile dialog box to associate with the chosen layer type.
Understanding projects 80
Creating projects 81
Migrating projects 85
Restoring projects 94
Saving projects 95
Understanding projects
A Mentum Planet project contains and organizes all of the information
pertaining to a particular wireless network. At a minimum, a project is created
from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) although you can also include clutter
information (i.e., land use) in a project.
A project contains:
A project also contains the results of predictions and network analyses made
on the basis of this information.
Creating projects
The Project Wizard leads you through the process of creating a project. In
order to streamline design work, you can specify that the Wizard
automatically displays when you start Mentum Planet. If you want Mentum
Planet to automatically open the last project, instead of the Project Wizard, in
the Startup Options section of the User Preferences dialog box, choose the
Open Most Recent Project option.
You can use remote project folders to store and access Mentum Planet project
data. For example, you can use shared project folders for the following types
of project files to conserve disk space on your workstation:
n bin files
n signal (field) strength files
n prediction view files
By default, these files are saved in the local project folder. If you use shared
project folders, the project files are stored in the shared folders, instead of
the local project folder. The shared folders must have read/write access
permissions for all Mentum Planet users accessing the shared folders.
CAUTION: If you are using shared folders and do not enable the
corresponding check box in the Sharing section of the Advanced Options tab in
the Project Settings dialog box, the shared path is not stored in Data Manager
when you check in the project. For any Data Manager users who perform a
Get on the project, all data will be stored within their local project folder.
When you create a project, you can choose to use a workspace to save your
map window settings, although this is not required. You can also choose the
coordinate system. For additional information about projections, see
“Appendix B, “Elements of a Coordinate System” in the MapInfo Professional
User Guide.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
To create a project
1 Start Mentum Planet.
By default, the Project Wizard opens when you start Mentum Planet. To
use the wizard at any other time, choose File New Project.
settings to use each time a new project is created, you can modify the
Excel file.
The folder you define for geodata can be located within the project
folder although it doesn’t have to be. In order to save disk space, the
geodata folder can be located on a server or in a common location
where multiple users can access it. At a minimum, it must, however,
contain a Heights folder and a Clutter folder. The Heights folder must
contain the primary elevation file but the Clutter folder can be empty.
5 Click Finish.
NOTE: When you create a project, default propagation model (.pmf) files
are copied to the Model folder located within the project folder.
NOTE: To open the Project Settings dialog box once a project is open, choose
Edit Project Settings, or click the Project Settings button on the Network
toolbar.
TIP: To make a copy of an existing project, close the existing project and
copy the contents of its project folder to a new project folder. It is not
recommended that you create the new project folder as subfolder of the
existing project folder.
TIP: In the new project folder, you can delete large folders (e.g., Bin,
SignalStrength, PredictionView, and <technology>_Analyses) or you can elect
not to copy them because Mentum Planet automatically recreates these
folders.
Migrating projects
Before installing Mentum Planet 5.2.1, it is important that you migrate
existing projects in order to take advantage of the new features in the latest
release of Mentum Planet. Changes to the data storage and management
architecture in Mentum Planet 5.2.1 require that projects created in previous
versions of the software be migrated in order to make it consistent with the
new data schema.
Upgrade paths
The Mentum Project Migrator supports the following upgrade paths:
NOTE: If you are using versions prior to Mentum Planet 4.5, contact
Customer Care for assistance with project migration. If you are using Data
Manager and working in a multi-user environment, the software upgrade must
be coordinated such that Mentum Planet and Data Manager Server are both
the same version. In this deployment model, it is also critical to coordinate
data migration from previous releases.
Step 1 Run Data Inspector on the project you want to migrate to identify
any issues prior to migrating the project to Mentum Planet 5.2. If
errors appear in the Project Status message window, contact
Customer Care for assistance. See ”Getting technical support”.
Step 3 Open the Mentum Planet Migrator, migrate the project, and then
save it. See ”To migrate projects from Mentum Planet 4.x or 5.x”
Step 5 If issues arise, run Data Inspector on your local project to identify
any known issues. The Data Inspector shipped with Mentum Planet
may identify issues that are not detectable in previous versions of
the tool. If errors appear in the Project Status message window,
contact Customer Care for assistance.
NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns about the migration process,
contact Customer Care.
3 In the Open Project dialog box, navigate to the folder where the
project is saved and click Open.
New project files are created including the Mentum Planet project
(.planet) file and the associated .dat and .xml files.
9 In the tree view, choose the technology you are working with.
10 Verify all network settings values and click OK on you are satisfied
with the settings.
In particular, ensure that you define appropriate values for the Useful
Bits Per Symbols column as well as Amplifier Backoff (dB) columns.
NOTE: The Migrate Files To command is used strictly when you want to
convert antenna files and propagation models contained in an existing project
for use with the Network Overlay tool. Only site and sector information is
migrated. If you do not migrate the project first, the Network Overlay tool
uses a default antenna file and propagation file.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
The network overlay file contains three worksheets: Sites, Sectors, and
Antennas.
TIP: If you want Mentum Planet to automatically open the last project,
choose the Open Most Recent Project option on the General panel in the User
Preferences dialog box. If you do not want the last project to open, choose the
None option.
To open a project
1 Do one of the following:
2 In the Open dialog box, locate the project you want to open, and
click Open.
TIP: To view two projects side-by-side, you can open multiple instances of
Mentum Planet on your workstation.
TIP: Create a shortcut to your Mentum Planet project (.planet) file to quickly
open projects that you use often.
Restoring projects
Each time you save a project, a copy is stored in the Backup folder within the
project folder. When a project has been terminated abnormally, you can
choose to restore the last saved version of the project or the last opened
version of the project.
CAUTION: Do not open a .planet file saved in the Backup folder. Backup
.planet files should only be opened from the Restore Project Files dialog box.
To restore a project
1 Start Mentum Planet .
3 Click the Browse button next to the Restore Project Files From
box and navigate to the .planet file saved in the Backup folder
within the project folder, and then click OK.
Saving projects
You can save project data at any time without closing a project. It is
recommended that you save your project periodically in order to avoid the
loss of data in the event of a network or system failure. You can also save a
named backup of your project. This can be useful if you want to save the
project at various stages in the network development.
To save a project
n Choose File Save Project.
To back up a project
1 Choose File Back Up Project.
Project data is saved in the named folder within the Backup folder.
Using the Propagation Model Editor, you can adjust the parameters of
propagation models to account for the characteristics of the environment.
It also describes how to use the Model Tuning tool to automatically adjust the
parameters of a propagation model based on measurement data in order to
produce signal strength predictions that are as accurate and realistic as
possible.
Toolbar 119
Step 1 Collect survey data and modify as required. See “Workflow for
surveys”.
Step 2 Configure the model (e.g., matching the frequency used when
collecting the survey data with the frequency in the tuned
propagation model). See “Workflow for editing propagation
models”.
n If you are tuning the Planet General Model, see “Tuning the Planet
General Model using AMT”.
n If you are tuning any other propagation model, see “Tuning
models using the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner”.
n Generate predictions for the survey sites using the tuned model.
See “Generating predictions”.
n View a thematic map of survey points and compare them to the
prediction layer. See “Displaying survey data”.
The data in the model tuning report does not provide a comparison
between the survey data and the final prediction. In most cases, the
differences will be negligible; however, if required, you can
generate an additional prediction and use the Compare to Grid
To model the real-world behavior of a network and account for how radio
waves react to elevation changes and clutter (e.g., reflection, diffraction, and
scattering), you must account for features in the environment such as the
surface of the terrain (e.g., hilly or flat) and the presence of lakes. Ground
cover such as buildings and trees must also be taken into consideration
because of the influence they have on radio propagation, particularly at the
frequencies used by mobile networks.
Although it is possible to create predictions without a clutter file, using one will
produce much more accurate predictions. The clutter file (in the form of a
classified grid) details surface features that are classified into meaningful
categories (or classes). It is important to be flexible in defining the physical
properties associated with each clutter type. For example, land on the west
coast of North America categorized as forest may have physical properties
significantly different from similarly categorized land on the east coast.
Because of the vast differences possible between clutter classes, it is
important to create and tune a propagation model for each clutter class. For
example, for a large urban city center, you might create a dense urban model,
an urban model, and a suburban model each tuned to reflect a specific area of
the region. In order to improve the accuracy of predictions, it is common to
use three or four propagation models for a specific market. This is because
some models are inherently more capable of adjusting to changes in the
environment. Also, the more deterministic a model is, the more adaptable it is
as well.
Propagation models are organized in the Project Data category of the Project
Explorer. The icons of propagation models that have been assigned to a
sector are displayed in color. The icons of propagation models that have not
been assigned to a sector, but are located in the Model folder of the project,
appear dimmed.
You can find detailed information about propagation models in the following
documents available in the <Mentum Planet installation folder>\Help folder:
You can use the Planet General Model to model many different kinds of
propagation environments. The path loss equation incorporates losses due to
a number of models (such as Okumura-Hata), contributors, and coefficients
that can be pieced together to create a user-defined propagation model.
Some of these are defined by algorithms derived from statistical data. These
algorithms are quite accurate under specific conditions, but become less
appropriate as the terrain and clutter varies from these conditions. Various
correction factors exist to compensate for these varying conditions, and it is
very important for these values to be assigned accurately in order to make
models simulate the real situation.
The Planet General Model predicts the path loss for each element within the
prediction area. This is achieved by constructing a terrain and clutter profile
from the base station (transmitter) to each element and then computing the
path loss for that profile. In order to ensure that path loss at each element
within the prediction region is computed, a profile can be constructed to each
element on the perimeter of the prediction region. Thus the number of
radials, , is given by
One of the most visible differences between the Planet General Model used
with Planet 2.8/Planet DMS and the one used with Mentum Planet is the shape
of the prediction area; Planet 2.8/Planet DMS uses a square prediction area,
whereas Mentum Planet defines a circular prediction area. Although the shape
and the total area of the prediction areas are markedly different, this has no
effect on the computed path loss or signal strength values. Using simple
geometry, you can convert Planet 2.8 Prediction Size to Mentum Planet
Propagation Distance using
The above equation overlaps the Mentum Planet circular prediction area with
Planet 2.8 square prediction region, thus assuring total coverage of the
prediction zone.
For more information on the Planet General Model, see the Planet General
Model Technical Note.
You can use 3D building data with the Planet General Model. To do this, you
must first convert the 3D data into new clutter classes, which represent the
height of the buildings. Then, you need to define clutter properties such that
each class is assigned a height equal to the height of the building. Using the
model in this way can increase the accuracy substantially in urban areas. The
best resolution for this type of model is 5-10 meters.
PGM-A model
PGM-A is a variation on the Planet General Model and is useful when migrating
projects from other wireless planning products. Contact Customer Care for
support in determining when to use PGM-A.
Some of the characteristics that differentiate PGM-A from the Planet General
Model include the following:
CRC-Predict model
CRC-Predict is a general-purpose model intended for macrocell planning. It is
not a ray-tracing model and, as such, should not be used with high-resolution
data. Instead, it is best used with geodata with a resolution between 20 to 30
meters. You can use it in most circumstances, regardless of the kind of
terrain, if detailed terrain or clutter information or both are available. The
following cases are exceptions:
The path loss calculation in the CRC-Predict model is designed for the VHF to
UHF (30 MHz to 3 GHz) frequency range. The physical principles used by the
CRC-Predict model are also applicable up to 30 GHz. However, accurate
predictions for that range depend on very detailed and accurate terrain data,
and currently there are no supporting test measurements. Also, above 10
GHz, rain attenuation becomes significant. The principal algorithm is a
diffraction calculation, based on the Fresnel-Kirchoff theory that takes terrain
into account in a detailed way. An estimate of the additional loss for
obstructions such as trees, buildings, or other objects is included when data
on clutter classes are available. Tropospheric scatter is included for long
paths. Estimates of time and location variability can be made.
The diffraction algorithm samples the propagation path from the transmitter
to the receiver and determines the signal strength at many points in space.
First, the wave field is determined as a function of height (a vertical column of
many values) above a terrain point close to the transmitter by an elementary
calculation. Then, using the Huygens principle of physical optics, each of these
field points is regarded as a source of radiation, and from them, the signal
strength is calculated a little farther away. In this way, a marching algorithm
simulates the progress of the radio wave from the transmitter to the end of
the path. Even though the signal strength is calculated at many points, an
efficient integration algorithm and a choice of only the most important signal
strength points permit the integration calculation to be fast enough for
practical use.
NOTE: For more information on the CRC-Predict model, see the CRC-Predict
Technical Note.
Universal model
The Universal model is only available if you have purchased a license. You can
obtain detailed information about the Universal model by pressing the F1 key
from the Universal Model Parameters dialog box. The online Help contains
context-sensitive help and provides access to the Universal Model User Guide.
Q9 model
The Q9 propagation model is based on the Okumura-Hata model. Using the
variables shown in Figure 1, it calculates the expected pathloss between the
transmitter and the receiver using the terrain profile. In other words, it
considers a cross-section of the earth along a straight line between the
transmitter and the receiver. This propagation model is most useful for
frequency bands in the 150-2000 MHz range and works best within a radius of
0.2-100 km. The Q9 model is intended for use with high-resolution elevation
and clutter data.
Figure 5.1 illustrates the variables that are taken into account to calculate
pathloss.
Where:
L is the pathloss
b
HOA (Hata Open Area) is a variant of Okumura-Hata’s equation in dB as
shown in equation Equation 2
Longley-Rice model
You can use the Longley-Rice area calculation for rural (non-urban) areas if
little is known about the terrain and clutter.
Although the point-to-area mode is an old method, it is still perhaps the best
method of estimating path loss in open country if the only parameters known
about the ground are its irregularity and (less importantly at UHF) its electrical
constants.
References
For more information about the Longley-Rice model, see the following
references:
Hufford, Longley, and Kissick. “A Guide to the Use of the ITS Irregular Terrain
Model in the Area Prediction Mode”, U.S. Department of Commerce. April
1982.
n the Clutter Absorption Loss tuner which enables you to tune all
propagation model types
n the Planet Automatic Model Tuner (AMT) which enables you to
tune the Planet General Model
For your project, the clutter file specifies the clutter class for each bin of the
coverage area. Before you can generate signal strength predictions or do
model tuning, you must define the values of the clutter properties for each
clutter class. These values are saved in the Propagation Model File (.pmf).
Your choice of ground type for each clutter class sets default values for
numeric properties, such as Clutter Absorption Loss. You can edit these
values. Usually this is done as part of model tuning.
When you use the Smart option, all of the model parameters are set to
Optimize. When set to Optimize, the Planet AMT runs various correlation and
cross-correlation tests to determine which model parameters can be
optimized. If any parameters cannot be optimized, default values are used.
2 Provide the information for which you are prompted and, from
the Model To Tune list, choose a Planet General Model template.
3 From the Model Tuner list, choose Planet AMT Version 1.5.
For information on using the Standard AMT option, see “Tuning the
Planet General Model using AMT” in the Planet General Model Technical
Note.
Custom model parameter values will not be optimized. If a factor cannot
be optimized, a suitable default value is used.
n Correlation P3T
n Correlation P4T
n Cross-Correlation P35T
n Cross-Correlation P45T
When the model tuning process is complete, the tuned model is added
to the Propagation Models node in the Project Data category of the
Project Explorer.
NOTE: You can edit the properties of the tuned model using the Propagation
Model Editor. To access the Propagation Model Editor, expand Propagation
Models in the Project Data category of the Project Explorer, right-click the
tuned model and choose Edit.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Toolbar
Click this button to create a new template. New templates are added the
Templates list.
Click this button to open a Planet AMT Parameter file. The opened file is
added the Templates list.
Click this button to save the current parameters in a new Planet AMT
Parameter file.
Click this button to save the current parameters.
Tuner Type
Smart—choose this option to use the Smart AMT method of setting K-factor
values. When you use the Smart option, all of the model parameters are set to
Optimize. When set to Optimize, the Planet AMT runs various correlation and
cross-correlation tests to determine which model parameters can be
optimized. If any parameters cannot be optimized, default values are used.
Model Parameters
K1—choose from this list an option to set the value of the K1 factor. The box
to the left of the list displays the value of the chosen option. Choose Optimize
to have the Planet Automatic Model Tuner optimize the K1 factor. Choose
User defined to type a value for the K1 factor in the box to the left of the list.
The valid range is from -100 to 100.
K2—choose from this list an option to set the value of the K2 factor. The box
to the left of the list displays the value of the chosen option. Choose Optimize
to have the Planet Automatic Model Tuner optimize the K2 factor. Choose
User defined to type a value for the K2 factor in the box to the left of the list.
The valid range is from -120 to 0.
K3—choose from this list an option to set the value of the K3 factor. The box
to the left of the list displays the value of the chosen option. Choose Optimize
to have the Planet Automatic Model Tuner optimize the K3 factor. Choose
User defined to type a value for the K3 factor in the box to the left of the list.
The valid range is from -60 to 0.
K4—choose from this list an option to set the value of the K4 factor. The box
to the left of the list displays the value of the chosen option. Choose Optimize
to have the Planet Automatic Model Tuner optimize the K4 factor. Choose
User defined to type a value for the K4 factor in the box to the left of the list.
The valid range is from 0 to 1.
K5—choose from this list an option to set the value of the K5 factor. The box
to the left of the list displays the value of the chosen option. Choose Optimize
to have the Planet Automatic Model Tuner optimize the K5 factor. Choose
User defined to type a value for the K5 factor in the box to the left of the list.
The valid range is from 0 to 100.
Correlation P3T—type in this box a value for the Correlation P3T threshold.
The valid range is from 0.01 to 0.99.
Correlation P4T—type in this box a value for the Correlation P4T threshold.
The valid range is from 0.01 to 0.99.
The Clutter Absorption Loss tuner enables you to calculate the mean error
between the predicted signal strength and the survey data for each clutter
class. The mean error is then used as the value for the clutter absorption loss
of each clutter class in the clutter property assignment file.
Model tuning with survey data for all models involves updating the clutter
absorption loss values. Model tuning for the CRC-Predict model involves the
additional step of adjusting the clutter property assignments for average
obstacle height and ground type.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
2 Provide the information for which you are prompted and, from the
Model Tuner list, choose the Clutter Absorption Loss Tuner.
The Model Tuning dialog box opens and displays the progress of the
model tuning process.
When the model tuning process is complete, the tuned model is added
to the Propagation Models node in the Project Data category of the
Project Explorer.
TIP: You can edit the properties of the tuned model using the Propagation
Model Editor. To access the Propagation Model Editor, expand Propagation
Models in the Project Data category of the Project Explorer, right-click the
tuned model and choose Edit.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Survey Distance
Use this section to define the distance from the survey antenna that survey
points must fall within to be used by the Clutter Absorption Loss model tuner
to tune the model.
NOTE: If you choose more than one survey in the Project Explorer, only the
survey containing the survey point that is farthest from the survey antenna
will be used to tune the model.
Distance—type in this box or choose the distance from the survey antenna
that survey points used to tune a model must fall within. The Clutter
Absorption Loss model tuner will ignore any survey points further than this
distance from the survey antenna.
Number of Radials
Use this section to define the number of radials originating from a site along
which to calculate predictions. More radials produce a more accurate but
slower calculation.
NOTE: If you are using the Universal Model, you can tune it using the
Universal Model Tuning algorithm.
5 Click OK.
The tabs that are displayed in the Editor depend on the model you have
chosen.
When you choose the ground type for the CRC-Predict model, the
Clutter Absorption Loss is set to 0. When you optimize survey results
using the Model Tuning tool, the tool calculates the Clutter Absorption
Loss.
TIP: You can also access the Propagation Model Editor in the Site Editor. To
edit the model for a sector, in the Site Editor, click the Link tab and click Edit
next to the Model list.
After you create a project, you must define the network settings. Network
settings include the technology type, supported modulations, frame
configuration, and the spectrum allotment. This chapter describes how to
define network settings.
General 145
Interference 147
Noise 149
Downlink 150
Uplink 151
HCL 153
Carrier 160
Technology types
Mentum Planet supports WiMAX TDD, Fixed WiMAX TDD, Fixed WiMAX FDD,
LTE FDD, LTE TDD, cdma2000, and WCDMA technologies as well as a generic
technology. You define which technologies are available on the Spectrum
Allocation tab. It is important to configure bands correctly in order to avoid
cases where a single real physical band is defined to several sub-bands;
therefore, making it difficult to manage the channels correctly at the sector
level.
Spectrum allocation
pectrum allocation involves assigning bands to technologies and network
operators, and defining the spectrum range and carriers for each band.
If the band is assigned to the Home operator (which represents the wireless
operator for which you work), you must define
n the technology
n the start and end downlink center frequencies, which must be
within the ranges allowed for the technology in your area
n the starting carrier number, which will correspond to the first
carrier at the start of the allocated band
For bands assigned to the Home operator, carriers are created based on the
carrier spacing for the technology and the frequency that you allocated.
A technology can occupy more than one band. This type of configuration is
necessary when the technology occupies spectrum in separate bands or
blocks of spectrum within one band, but not contiguous carrier numbers.
Carrier spacing and time slots per transceiver are fixed for GSM. For a user-
defined TDMA-FDMA technology, you must specify the time slots per
transceiver. The carrier spacing, which is the carrier bandwidth in kHz, is used
when you create carriers.
Noise settings
Noise settings enable you to specify the effect of noise in your environment.
Values calculated for Rx sensitivity can be used when you create analysis
layers.
HCL settings
HCLs enable you to use information in addition to the strongest received signal
strength to determine which server is the best server for a cell. You can use
HCLs for all technologies.
By enabling HCLs, you can define a priority for a sector that causes it to be
considered before or after other sectors without considering whether it has a
stronger signal. This enables you, for example, to balance traffic by increasing
the coverage area for a sector with a weaker signal and less traffic and
decreasing the coverage area for a sector with a stronger signal but with more
traffic.
HCLs also enable you to manage and prioritize coverage for microcells and
macrocells in your network. For example, a microcell covering a portion of the
macrocell area may provide a weaker signal but still be the preferred sector.
Therefore, the best server can be determined using criteria other than only
signal strength. For example, a microcell can have a priority=1, the macrocell
a priority=2 as long as the signal strength is > -75 dBm. Therefore, if the
signal strength > -75 dBm, the microcell is the best server regardless of the
macrocell’s signal.
You enable and define HCL settings at the network level for each technology.
However, you can override network HCL settings at the sector level.
If you enable HCL, all best server analysis layers are created based on HCL
rules.
When you enable HCLs, you must define a default priority for all sectors and a
minimum signal level that a sector must achieve to be a candidate for best
server. If a sector does not meet the minimum signal level, then it is not
identified as a best server regardless of its priority, unless it is the only server
for the area.
Carriers
Carriers define the frequencies available in your network and the bandwidth
of each. Once you define the start and end downlink center frequencies for a
band and technology type and identify the starting carrier, the carriers are
generated automatically based on the carrier spacing for the technology.
The carriers that you define will be used when you define sites and sectors for
your project.
Carrier groups
Carrier groups are an option that you can use in frequency planning. Carrier
groups enable to you to use specific groups of frequencies in a reuse pattern.
When you assign carriers to transceivers in a sector, you can specify which
group to choose the carriers from.
Carrier types
Carrier types are used by the Automatic Frequency Planning tool to limit the
carriers considered in a frequency plan.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
2 Click OK.
Network Settings
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have in
your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User Guide
for the technology you are using.
General
Carrier Configuration
Carrier Spacing—displays the carrier spacing assigned to the technology.
Time Slots Per Transceiver—choose from this list a value between 0 and 16
to indicate the total number of signaling time slots required for the
transceivers in a sector.
This option enables you to support the carrier number scheme used by iDEN
networks, which uses only odd numbered carriers. You can also use this option
to define a custom numbering scheme for user-defined networks.
Interference
Min C/I—type in this box a value that you want to use for the minimum C/I
required for service.
Min C/A—type in this box a value that you want to use for the minimum C/A
required for service.
Network Settings
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have in
your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User Guide
for the technology you are using.
Noise
Thermal Noise Density—this fielddisplays the thermal noise density, which
is a constant value equal to –144 dBm/kHz. This is referred to as the kT factor,
where k is Boltzmann’s constant (k=1.38*10-23 J/K), and T is the ambient
temperature in Kelvin, which is assumed to be 290 K.
Required C/N—type in this box the value for the required carrier-to-
interference ratio (C/N). The C/N is used with the uplink and downlink thermal
noise to calculate the uplink and downlink Rx sensitivity, respectively.
Downlink
Mobile Noise Figure—type in this box the value for the noise figure of the
mobile device.
Thermal Noise Floor—this field displays the value of the downlink thermal
noise floor. The Thermal Noise Floor is the amount of noise power generated
by the mobile device. The temperature of each device causes random motion
of electrons in the device that produces this noise power. It is typically referred
to as the kTBF factor.
Uplink
BTS Noise Figure—type in this field the value for the thermal noise
generated by the base station transceiver (BTS).
Thermal Noise Floor—this field displays the value of the uplink thermal
noise floor. The Thermal Noise Floor is the amount of noise power generated
by the mobile device. The temperature of each device causes random motion
of electrons in the device that produce this noise power. It is typically referred
to as the kTBF factor.
The following calculation is used to determine the uplink thermal noise floor:
Network Setting
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have in
your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User Guide
for the technology you are using.
HCL
Use the HCL tab to enable hierarchical cell layers (HCL) at the network level.
HCLs enable you to determine the best servers for a cell using factors in
addition to strongest signal strength. For example, a microcell covering a
portion of the macrocell area may provide a weaker signal but still be the
preferred server. Therefore, the best server can be determined using criteria
other than only signal strength. For example, a microcell can have a
priority=1, the macrocell a priority=2 as long as the signal strength is > -75
dBm. Therefore, if the signal strength > -75 dBm the microcell is the best
server regardless of the macrocell’s signal.
Finally, HCLs can be used to improve the frequency planning reuse and
provide a tighter, more efficient frequency plan.
Although the HCL settings are defined globally, you can also override the
global HCL settings on a per-sector basis in the Site Editor.
Default Settings
Priority—type in this box a value between 0 (highest priority) and 10 (lowest
priority) to set a default priority level for servers.
Signal Offset—type in this box a value for the signal offset. The signal offset
is used to calculate a best server when priorities are equal. In this situation,
the offset is added to the true signal strength, and the server with the highest
total signal strength, including the offset, is used as the best server. Some
manufacturer’s equipment uses the signal offset as the sole method of setting
priority (i.e., no priority values are assigned).
Max Range—type in this box a value to set the maximum distance a server's
sector may extend. A sector that exceeds the maximum range distance cannot
be designated as a best server regardless of priority.
Minimum Signal Level—type in this box a value to set the minimum signal
level required for a server to be designated as the best server. If a server does
not meet the minimum signal level, it cannot be designated as a best server,
regardless of its priority, unless it is the only server for the area.
Examples
Example A
If you have a macrocell and microcell at the same location, the microcell is
probably at a lower height to cover a hot traffic spot close to the site. Now if
the handover criteria are such that the macrocell requires 4 dB of a better
RSSI to be able to handover from the microcell, then the HCL parameters for
the 2 cells can be set as follows:
Priority = 0
Signal Offset = 4
Max Range = 35 (assuming GSM)
Min Signal Level = -104 dBm (using default GSM Access level signal. This value
can be lower if you want to obtain a server below –104 dBm levels)
If the Microcell has an RSSI = -70 dBm then the Macrocell must have an RSSI
> -66 dBm to become the server.
Example B
Same as above but a handover criterion is based strictly on RSSI. For
example, it is recommended that the calls be on the microcell as long as the
microcell has an RSSI > -70 dBm. If that is the case then the HCL parameters
can be set as follows:
Network Settings
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have
in your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User
Guide for the technology you are using
Color Code Tables—enable the check box beside any color code that you do
not want to be assigned to the sector.
The color code types and ranges displayed depends on the chosen technology.
For example, GSM technology uses the BSIC color code type, whereas NAMPS
technology uses both DSAT and DCC color code types.
Network Settings
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have
in your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User
Guide for the technology you are using.
Carrier
Carrier Name—type in this field an alphanumeric string to identify the
carrier.
Band Name—displays the band name. Band names are defined on the
Spectrum Allocation tab.
Network Settings
Use the Network Settings dialog box to indicate which technologies you have
in your network and to define settings and allocate spectrum for each
technology. It provides
For more information about working with network settings, see the User
Guide for the technology you are using.
Transceiver Configuration
Use the Transceiver Configuration panel to define the number of signaling
time slots for the number of transceivers in a sector. Transceiver configuration
information is used as input for traffic simulations, performance analyses, and
analysis layers (for example, interference, service quality, and service
coverage analysis layers).
Signaling time slots are used for signaling information such as handover
commands, location updates, and paging, whereas traffic time slots are used
for voice traffic (TCH for GSM) or packet traffic (PDTCH in GPRS).
The number of traffic time slots = the number of transceivers X the number of
time slots per transceiver — the number of signaling time slots.
The number of traffic time slots is used to calculate the C/I when there is
frequency hopping. When there are more signaling time slots, there are fewer
time slots for traffic; hence, the loads will be higher resulting in higher
interference.
Add—click this button to add a new row to the table, incrementing the number
of transceivers per sector by one. The default value for the number of
signaling time slots required will be equal to the previous row; however, you
can increase the value (as long as the value is equal to or greater than the
previous row).
Remove Last Row—click this button to remove the last row from the table.
Once you have created a project and defined network settings you can
configure and place the sites in your network. This chapter describes how to
configure and place sites.
Traffic 184
Uplink/Reverse 194
Downlink/Forward 196
Link 202
Antennas 203
Predictions 204
Mode 205
Information 206
Settings 210
Exceptions 221
CC 227
CAUTION: When the active site template is for a repeater, the donor sector
value in the template is not copied over to the new site. You need to manually
set the donor sector for the new site using the Site Editor.
3 Enable the Set as Active Template check box to set this site
template as active.
The active site template is used when creating new sites. If there is no
active site template, default values are used.
4 Click OK.
The active site template is used when creating new sites. If there is no
active site template, default values are used.
Figure 6.1 Example of how a site, base stations, and sectors relate.
In the Site Editor, you can access all pertinent information about a site,
associated base stations and the sectors they support. This includes link
information, quality and performance criteria, as well as details about the
supported antenna systems as shown in Figure 6.2.
A unique name identifies each site. You can add additional identification
information about a site such as a detailed site name, descriptive site details,
and a Universal ID.
You can view and update site and sector parameters using the Tabular Editor.
On the General tab at the base station level, you select the modulations that
you want the site to support and define the maximum pooled throughput
allowed.
Link parameters
The parameters on the Link tab focus on the settings required to model a
communication link between the user and the sector. This includes antenna
parameters, prediction parameters, and the link configuration (as defined in
the link configuration).
Implementation parameters
The parameters on the Implementation tab center around performance and
quality thresholds.
You can use filters to suppress unwanted interference from adjacent channels.
Filter characteristics are saved as filter (.flt) files. You can specify filters for the
downlink (i.e., the transmit mask) and you can also specify filters for the uplink
(i.e., the receive filter).
The filter loss table allows you to specify the frequency offset and the
associated filter loss parameter. The frequency is the difference between the
first and second channel away from the center frequency. Filter loss values
depend on the filter chosen by the equipment manufacturer. These values will
be used to determine the nature of the adjacent-channel interference.
You can save the values in the Filter Loss table as a .flt file using the options
from the File menu.
Figure 6.3 illustrates a filter that models a channel with a 10 MHz bandwidth.
With a 5.45 MHz frequency separation, the excessive energy transmitted
outside the channel bandwidth is attenuated by 25 dB while at 9.75 MHz, it is
attenuated by 32 dB.
If your filter files are not configured correctly, this could result in an excess or
shortage of adjacent channel interference. The latter is a less desirable
situation because it could lead to overestimated coverage.
Figure 7.1: This figure illustrates a sample filter loss graph for the transmit
signal. In this example, the filter loss is specified as 32 dB for 9.75 MHz
frequency separation. You can also define a separate filter loss graph for the
receive signal.
Configuration parameters
Configuration parameters include the channel and frame configuration for the
sector. You define the frame configuration in the Frame Editor.
Power parameters
Power parameters define the power requirements for the sector. You can view
the power distribution.
Antenna Systems
In the Site Editor, the antenna pattern, associated antenna parameters, and
location are grouped on the General tab making it easy to set up a non co-
located sector. You can also access the Antenna Editor where you can define
more detailed elements of the antenna system including the settings related
to the use of multiple antennas, the master antenna, or the antenna element.
Step 2 A proposed site is placed at the center of each hexagon using the
site template that you specify.
Step 3 When you create sites, sites are added to the Sites node in the
Project Explorer and placed on the map.
Step 2 Depending on the settings you define, the ASPT displays possible
site locations on the map. In Advanced mode, there are three types
of sites identified during the automatic site placement process:
You can specify when to place a site in individual clutter classes and
which site template you use. You can also define propagation model
parameters including the site radius, the minimum and maximum
site radius, the Okumura class as well as the frequency band
(whether network-defined or user-defined).
Step 3 A possible site is placed at the center of each shape using the site
template that you specify. If the planning strategy you choose is
"Expansion" with existing sites, then existing sites are considered
first in the planning process, candidate sites are considered next,
and new sites are placed to fill in any gaps. In the illustration that
follows, the blue sites are existing sites, the green sites are
candidate sites, and the purple sites are new sites. Candidate sites
are considered in order of priority (defined in the Site Editor).
Step 4 When you create sites, candidate sites become permenant sites
and are added to the Sites node in the Project Explorer. New sites
are placed in gap areas, added to the Project Explorer and placed
on the map. A new local group is also created that contains the
newly created sites.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
6 Click Generate.
5 Click Generate.
NOTE: If you are using a polygon to delineate the area where sites will be
placed, you must ensure that the cosmetic layer is editable and that you have
created an area object using the Drawing tools that identifies where you want
to place sites.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Site Templates
Index—displays the index number for the clutter class.
Class Name—displays the clutter class name as defined in the clutter grid.
Place Site—choose from this list if you want sites placed in the associated
clutter class.
Site Template—choose from this list the site template you want to use to
place site within the associated clutter class. You define site templates in the
Sites category of the Project Explorer.
Adjust Antenna Height—choose from this list whether the antenna height
can vary. This parameter is visible only when you are using a traffic map.
Minimum Site Traffic Load—type in this box the minimum site traffic load.
This parameter is visible only when you are using a traffic map.
Maximum Site Traffic Load—type in this box the maximum allowable site
traffic load. This parameter is visible only when you are using a traffic map.
Traffic
Use Traffic Map—enable this check box if you want site placement to be
influenced by the distribution of traffic. Using a traffic map will reduce site
coverage. Choose the traffic map you want to use from the associated list.
NOTE: If you are using a polygon to delineate the area where sites will be
placed, you must ensure that the cosmetic layer is editable and that you have
created an area object using the Drawing tools that identifies where you want
to place sites.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Propagation Model
Index—displays the index number for the clutter class.
Class Name—displays the clutter class name as defined in the clutter grid.
Class Weight—type in this box the weighting you want to assign to the class.
The class weight affects the calculated average radial distance used to
determine site placement. A low class weight will give less significance to the
clutter class while a higher class weight increases the significance of the clutter
class. This can be useful, for example, when a clutter grid includes roads and
buildings. If you assign a clutter weight of 0 to roads and a clutter weight of 50
to buildings, site placement will focus on placing sites on the buildings.
Okumura Class—choose from this list the Okumura class for which you want
to define site placement parameters.
Default Antenna Height—type in this box the default antenna height to use
when placing sites. If you are using a traffic map, the default antenna height
must be between the Minimum Antenna Height and the Maximum Antenna
Height defined on the Site Templates tab.
Minimum Site Radius—type in this box the minimum allowable site radius for
site placement.
Maximum Site Radius—type in this box the maximum allowable site radius
for site placement.
Frequency Band
Network-Defined—choose this option to select one of the frequency bands
defined in the Network Settings dialog box. Sites will use the specified band.
A default BTS Noise Figure is assigned to the uplink to account for base station
receiver noise gain. You should modify the BTS Noise Figure according to the
manufacturer's hardware specifications.
You can add additional losses and gains as required. Because the Friis noise
formula (see Equation 6.1) is used to calculate the Uplink Noise Figure, the
order of the items in the Link Configuration Editor must match the hierarchy of
the sector hardware (see Figure 6.4 ). By default, the BTS Noise Figure is
always the last item in the list.
The Reverse Composite Noise Figure (Composite System Noise Figure (NFs))
is calculated as follows, using the Friis noise formula:
When you assign a link configuration to a sector, you can view the impact it has
in the Information section of the Link tab.
Figure 6.5 Information section on the Link tab in the Site Editor.
If you are using an Excel spreadsheet to import link configuration settings, you
must use the Index column to specify the order of the items in the Losses and
Gains list. For more information, see “Importing and exporting project data” in
Chapter 13, “Working With Network and Project Data”, in the Mentum Planet
User Guide.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
For example, you could use the Link Configuration Editor with a newly created
project to define a common set of losses and gains according to the hardware
used most often in your network. Using these common settings as a base, you
could then define individual or unique sector power settings as required.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Uplink/Reverse
Use the Uplink/Reverse tab to define specific uplink/reverse link losses and
gains for the sectors that belong to sites, site groups, or flags. Losses and
gains defined for the uplink affect the total power for the sectors. The main
feeder loss is calculated based on the cable length you define on the Link tab
and is always displayed in the link configuration. You can add additional losses
and gains as required.
The Uplink/Reverse power settings initially display the power settings for the
first sector in the group, the first sector with the specified flag condition, or the
first sector chosen in the Project Explorer.
For both the downlink and uplink, the initial value is an antenna gain. This
value is determined by the antenna type assigned to each sector. You cannot
modify this value.
Name—type in this box a name for the link configuration. This box is only
available in the Link Configuration Editor.
Type—choose from this list whether the change to the sector's power is a loss
or a gain.
Value (dB)—type in this box a constant value for the loss or gain.
Value (dB/m)—type in this box a value per meter for the loss or gain, to be
multiplied by the cable length of the antenna.
Move Up—click this button to move a chosen power loss or gain up one
position in the list.
Move Down—click this button to move a chosen power loss or gain down one
position in the list.
Remove—click this button to delete a power loss or gain from the list.
For example, you could use the Link Configuration Editor with a newly created
project to define a common set of losses and gains according to the hardware
used most often in your network. Using these common settings as a base, you
could then define individual or unique sector power settings as required.
NOTE: This section details key parameters. For descriptions of all available
parameters, see the online Help.
Downlink/Forward
Use the Downlink/Forward tab to define specific downlink/forward link losses
and gains for the sectors that belong to sites, site groups, or flags. Losses and
gains defined for the downlink affect the total power for the sectors. The main
feeder loss is calculated using the cable length you define on the Link tab in the
Site Editor and the MainFeeder loss (dB/m) you define in the link configuration.
This loss is always displayed in the link configuration. You can add additional
losses and gains as required.
The Downlink/Forward power settings initially display the power settings for
the first sector in the group, the first sector with the specified flag condition, or
the first sector chosen in the Project Explorer.
For both the downlink and uplink, the initial value is an antenna gain. This
value is determined by the antenna type assigned to each sector. You cannot
modify this value.
Type—choose from this list whether the change to the sector's power is a loss
or a gain.
Value (dB)—type in this box a constant value for the loss or gain.
Value (dB/m)—type in this box a value per meter for the loss or gain, to be
multiplied by the cable length of the antenna.
Move Up—click this button to move a chosen power loss or gain up one
position in the list.
Move Down—click this button to move a chosen power loss or gain down one
position in the list.
Remove—click this button to delete a power loss or gain from the list.
Once a site has been placed, you can change any of the settings that have
been defined. If you have acquired GPS readings for all your sites and you
want to update the position of a sector, you can edit the site location manually.
For more information on general site, base station, and sector properties, see
“Working with Sites and Sectors”, in the Mentum Planet User Guide.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
CAUTION: By default, site updates are saved in the site set. To update the
site table (.tab) file, you must right-click the Sites node and choose Update
Site File. Site updates are not automatically added to the site table.
2 Click in the Map window at the location where you want to place
the site.
TIP: To define parameters for all sectors at the site, click the Tabular Edit
button.
TIP: You can also edit sites by clicking the Edit Site button on the Site toolbar,
and then clicking in the Map window to select the sector.
The created site is displayed in the Map window and a site having the
name Copy of <site name> is added to the Sites category in the Project
Explorer.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Link
Antennas
Antenna—choose from this list the antenna system for the selected sector.
The antenna systems listed are those displayed in the Site Editor tree view.
Power Split—type in this box how the sector transmit power is to be divided
between multiple antennas. This field is only available if there is more than
one antenna.
Link Configuration—choose from this list the link configuration you want to
associate with the sector. Click the View button to view the details of the link
configuration.
Cable Length—Type In This Box The Length Of The Feeder Cable. This Value
Is Used To Calculate The Main Feeder Loss In The Associated Link
Configuration.
Add—click this button to add secondary antenna systems to the sector if you
are using split sectors. Split sectors use several directional antennas to
transmit the same signal.
Antenna Algorithm—choose from this list the antenna algorithm to use with
the selected smart or MIMO antenna. Antenna algorithms are defined in the
Antenna Algorithm Editor. Only antenna algorithms that are compatible with
the selected antenna system (smart antenna and MIMO capabilities) are
available. Antenna algorithms are not available for cdma2000 sectors.
Predictions
Use this section to define the propagation model, the number of radials, the
prediction distance as well as the prediction mode.
Model—choose from this list the propagation model for the selected site.
Distance—type in this box the maximum distance from the sector to calculate
signal strength.
NOTE: If you are using the Planet General Model, the number of radials you
define is rounded up to the closest number divisible by four. For example, if
you set the number of radials to 357 then when generating predictions
Mentum Planet uses 360 radials.
Mode
Use this section to specify the type of prediction to associate with the sector.
Propagation models cannot always account for the complexities of signal
propagation in urban environments. Hence, to predict more accurately how a
signal will behave, you can merge survey and prediction data. This is valuable
because survey data represents the actual coverage provided by the network,
improving the accuracy of your predictions.
Merged—enable this check box to merge model predictions with survey data.
Clear the check box to generate predictions using only the assigned
propagation model.
Interpolation Distance—type in this box the distance used to set the survey
weighting value used to calculate merged prediction values. The survey
weighting value is a value between 0 and 1 determined using linear
interpolation and the distance between a prediction point and the nearest
survey point. The weight of the prediction is 1 minus the survey weighting
value.
Information
The Information section displays the power settings for the sector.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Sector - Implementation
Settings
Priority—type in this box a value between 0 (highest priority) and 10 (lowest
priority) to set a default priority level for the sector.
Signal Offset—type in this box a value between 0 and 100 dB for the signal
offset. The signal offset is used to calculate a best server when priorities are
equal. In this situation, the offset is added to the true signal strength, and the
server with the highest total signal strength, including the offset, is used as the
best server. Some manufacturer’s equipment uses the signal offset as the sole
method of setting priority (i.e., no priority values are assigned).
Max Range—type in this box a value between 0 and 150 km to set the
maximum distance a server's signal may extend. A sector with that signal that
exceeds the maximum range distance cannot be designated as a best server,
regardless of priority.
Minimum Signal Level—type in this box a value between -200 and 0 dBm to
set the minimum signal level required for a server to be designated as the best
server. If a server does not meet the minimum signal level, it cannot be
designated as a best server, regardless of its priority, unless it is the only
server for the area.
Example A
If you have a macrocell and microcell at the same location, the microcell is
probably at a lower height to cover a hot traffic spot close to the site. If the
handover criteria are such that the macrocell requires 4 dB or better RSSI to
be able to handover from the microcell, then the HCL parameters for the 2
sectors can be set as follows:
If the Microcell has an RSSI = -70 dBm the Macrocell must have an RSSI > -66
dBm to become the server.
Example B
Voice Traffic
Carried Traffic—type in this box a value between 0 and 100 Erlangs for the
carried traffic. Carried traffic is the actual traffic carried by a sector. If the Use
Per-sector Carried Erlangs option is chosen in the analysis settings, the
specified carried traffic value is used for the frequency hopping analysis used
when calculating C/I layers.
Offered Traffic—type in this box a value between 0 and 100 Erlangs for the
offered traffic. Offered traffic is the carried traffic plus any blocked traffic. To
use this value when calculating interference layers, you must choose the Use
Per-Sector Offered Erlangs option in the Traffic panel of the Analysis Settings
dialog box.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Sector - Configuration
Non-Hopping Transceivers
Carrier Type—choose from this list the type of carrier you want to assign to
the sector.
Carrier Group—choose from this list the type of carrier group you want to
associate with the sector.
Carrier—choose from this list the carrier you want to assign to the sector.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Required Transceivers
Carrier Type—displays the type of carrier.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Exceptions
Cost Factor (Optimizer Algorithm Only)—type in this box a cost factor for
the sector. This value scales the cost based on whether the carrier is an
interferer or a victim of interference. The cost factor is used by the Planet
Optimizer planning method.
Illegal Carriers
Carrier Number—enable the check box next to those carriers that you do not
want to be used for the sector in the frequency plan.
Sector—choose from this list the sector ID that the carriers you want to
define the spacing values for belong to.
Spacing—type in this field the minimum separation, in carriers, that you want
to have between the carriers assigned to this sector and other carriers.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
CC
Enable the check box beside any color code that you do not want to be
assigned to the sector.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Sector - Powers
PA Power—type in this box the PA power, in dBm.
Target Receive Level—type in this box the minimum receive level for the
mobile. This value is taken into consideration when generating the Required
Mobile Power analysis layer.
Understanding repeaters
Repeaters are used to retransmit signals received from donor sectors to
locations that have insufficient coverage. For example, repeaters can be used
to extend coverage or fill in shadow areas caused by hills, large buildings, and
other structures that obstruct signals.
A repeater receives a signal from the donor antenna of a donor sector, and
then amplifies and retransmits the signal through its service antenna.
Repeaters are primarily used to reduce path loss without providing an increase
in network capacity. Generally, repeaters add noise and amplify noise in the
uplink, which can limit their effectiveness; however, a well placed repeater can
reduce noise levels within a network and enhance the overall capacity.
The EIRP of repeaters is based on the power of the first active carrier, and is
calculated as shown in Equation 7.1.
sectors in the Site Editor by adding additional antennas on the Link tab for the
sector you want to use.
A combined signal strength file is also generated, which merges the separate
sector and repeater signal strength files. Combined signal strength predictions
are used when the full coverage area of a sector is required, such as when you
generate a traffic map or interference matrix, or analyze the interference
between two sectors.
After you have generated predictions for a sector, you can choose to view a
prediction for the donor sector or individual repeaters. You can also view a
combined prediction that displays the combined signal strengths of the donor
sector and all of its repeaters. For information on generating and viewing
predictions, see “Chapter 8: Generating Predictions” in the Mentum Planet
User Guide.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
2 Click in the Map window in the location where you want to add the
repeater.
Mentum Planet will not update the stored masked pathloss automatically, even
if the current value is generated using the Calculate Masked Pathloss dialog
box. If there are changes to the network that would impact the pathloss
between the donor sector and the repeater, you must apply a new value to the
repeater, either by manually entering a new value in the Repeater Settings
dialog box or re-calculating the value using the Calculate Masked Pathloss
dialog box.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Donor
Use the Donor tab to define the parameters of the relationship between the
repeater and its donor sector, including the donor antenna (i.e., the repeater
antenna that receives the signal from the donor sector on the downlink and
transmits the amplified signal to the donor sector on the uplink) for RF
repeaters.
Type
RF—enable this option to indicate that the donor antenna receives the signal
from a conventional RF signal.
Fiber—enable this option to indicate that the donor antenna receives the
signal from a fiber-optic cable. When the Fiber option is enabled, the Donor
Antenna parameters are not available.
Link Configuration—choose from this list the link budget you want to
associate with the repeater.
View —click this button to open the link configuration dialog box. Values are
read-only.
Cable Length—type in this box the length of the feeder cable. This value is
included in the main feeder loss calculated in the associated link budget.
Model—choose from this list the propagation model with which to calculate
the masked path loss.
Edit—click this button to open the Propagation Model Editor where you can
change the settings defined for the model.
Masked Pathloss—click in the box to define a masked pathloss value for the
donor.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Link
Service
Antenna—choose from this list the antenna pattern that the service antenna
will use to retransmit the signal received from the donor sector.
Power Split—type in this box how the power is to be divided between the
service antennas. This field is only available if there is more than one service
antenna.
Edit—click this button to open the Antenna - General tab where you can
change the antenna parameters.
Link Configuration—choose from this list the link budget you want to
associate with the service antenna.
Cable Length—type in this box the length of the feeder cable. This value is
included in the main feeder loss calculated in the associated link configuration.
View—click this button to open the link configuration dialog box. Values are
read-only.
Add—click this button to add additional service antennas to the link. When you
click add, a new Antenna section is added on the tab.
Predictions
Model—choose from this list the prediction model for the repeater.
Edit—click this button to open the Propagation Model Editor where you
can modify propagation model settings.
Isolation
Additional Isolation—type in this box a value in dB that will be added to the
total isolation calculated.
Site Editor
A site is the location where a sector is placed. Sites and sectors have common
attributes such as a geographic location and elevation. There can be more
than one sector at a particular site, each pointing in a different direction. The
Site Editor is a key editor where you can view and modify site, sector,
repeater, and antenna data.
Use the Site Editor to view and manipulate site, sector, and antenna
information. It provides
NOTE: When you select an antenna beneath the Antennas node, sectors
using that antenna are highlighted in blue.
Configuration
Equipment
Power EIRP—displays the total EIRP.
For each clutter type, you can define the characteristics of the environments
within that clutter type. The available environments are:
You can enable one or more of the environments for a clutter type. For each
clutter class, you indicate which environments you want to account for and
then specify the following parameters:
When you generate the analysis, you specify the subscriber environment you
want to model (i.e., Outdoor, Indoor, Deep Indoor, Vehicular).
Environment Editor
Use the Environment Editor to define how the signal behaves in specific
environments within each clutter class. Environment settings are used in
Monte Carlo simulations to determine the impact of the environment on the
signal and the service.
When you type an invalid value in a table cell, the cell is highlight in red and a
message is displayed.
Freeze Panes—enable this check box to lock rows or columns so that they
are always visible as you scroll through the worksheet.
If HCL is enabled in a network, the choice of the best server is based on both
the relative signal strengths of the received signals and the HCL properties of
the serving sectors.
n If you have enabled HCL, you can define the maximum range
for a sector, beyond which it will not be considered as a best
server.
n You can also define the timing advance limit for a sector,
beyond which it will not be considered as a best server, and
then choose to use this value for a best server analysis.
In a network where HCL is not enabled, the distance is limited only by the
timing advance limit if you choose to enable the option when defining best
server analysis settings.
The coverage probability uses the best server signal strength as the
mean value and calculates the probability that the signal strength is
better than the RSSI threshold. The coverage probability is also
referred to as coverage reliability.
Number of servers
Stores the number of servers available in a classified grid (.grc).
Valid values are null (0 servers), 1-99 and >99.
Interference analysis
Interference analysis enables you to determine the interference at every
location in the network. Interference analysis is dependent on best server
analysis and is computed based on a frequency plan, which enables the
calculation of co-channel and adjacent channel interference. A frequency plan
assigns carriers to sectors.
If any sectors in the network do not have carriers assigned, warning messages
identify these sectors. These sectors are ignored in the analysis.
Step 1 If you want to use the same settings for a number of analyses,
define default analysis settings.
Step 2 If you want to generate the same layers for a number of analyses,
define default layers settings.
2 Define the default settings that you want to use, and click OK.
Layer Description
Best Server This layer displays the name of the sector that has
the strongest signal strength. Time arrival from the
various sectors is not considered in this layer.
Composite Best Server This layer is the same as the best server layer,
except that for sectors with repeaters, the repeater
and its donor are treated as one combined sector.
Best Server Signal Strength This layer displays the signal strength for the best
server. The penetration loss associated with the
selected environment (e.g., indoor) and the clutter
class of the bin for which the value is calculated is
considered in this layer.
Best Server Time Arrival This layer displays the time arrival of the best server.
<Nth> Strongest Server This layer displays the name of the server with the
<Nth> strongest signal strength.
<Nth> Strongest Sector This layer displays the name of the sector with the
Signal Strength <Nth> strongest signal strength.
<Nth> Strongest Server Time This layer displays the difference between the time
Differential arrival of the Nth strongest sector and the time
arrival of the best server.
Total Simulcast C/(N+I) This layer displays the sum of the useful signals,
interfering signals, and the thermal noise.
Total Simulcast C Signal This layer displays the sum of all useful signals.
Strength
Useful signals are determined using the time arrival
of the signal, the time arrive of the best server, and
the capture window.
Layer Description
Total Simulcast I Signal This layer displays the sum of the intra-cell
Strength interfering signals, the sum of the inter-cell
interfering signals, or the sum of the intra-cell and
inter-cell interfering signals depending on the option
you chose in the analysis settings. The total
simulcast I signal strength is calculated for each
carrier assigned to the best server.
Simulcast Coverage This layer displays the coverage probability for
Probability simulcast signals.
Worst Interferer This layer displays the name of the sector with the
strongest signal strength that is considered an
interferer.
Worst Interferer Signal This layer displays the signal strength of the worst
Strength interferer.
Worst Interferer C/I This layer displays the C/I of the worst interferer.
Worst Interferer Time This layer displays the difference between the time
Differential arrival of the worst interferer and the time arrival of
the best server.
Multipath Delay Spread Time This layer displays the difference between the time of
arrival of the first signal component and the time of
arrival of the last signal component.
BER This layer displays the Bit Error Rate that
corresponds to the calculated multipath delay
spread.
When you finish creating a network analysis, you can generate it immediately
or save the analysis settings without generating it.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
5 On the last page of the Wizard, complete the final step and click
Finish.
Nth Best—choose from this list the Nth best server. If you choose, for
example, the number 2, you will create an analysis layer for the best server
and the second best server; if you choose 3, you will create an analysis layer
for the first, second, and third best server.
Rx Threshold—type in this box a value for the Rx threshold you want to use
for best server selection.
Use Timing Advance Limit—enable this check box to limit the best server
within the distance specified by the timing advance limit. The timing advance
limit constrains the size of the sector coverage to a maximum distance
measured in kilometers. For example, if the timing advance limit of a sector is
set to 10 km, then the sector will extend beyond 10 km regardless of its RSSI.
You define the timing advance limit in the Site Editor.
When both a timing advance limit and an HCL are applied to a server, the
lower value of the timing advance or maximum range will be used. For
example, if the timing advance limit is set to 10 km and the sector is enabled to
use HCL with a maximum range of 5 km, then the sector coverage will be
limited to 5 km and not 10 km. HCLs can be set for the entire network or on a
per-sector basis.
Interference Selection
The contents of this page change depending on whether you chose GSM or
TDMA-FDMA on the first page of the wizard.
Ignore Interferers—enable this check box if you want to limit the number of
interferers considered in the analysis.
Below Noise Floor—choose this option to exclude any interferers that are
below the noise floor from the interference analysis.
Ignore Interferers—enable this check box if you want to limit the number of
interferers considered in the analysis.
Below Noise Floor—choose this option to exclude any interferers that are
below the noise floor from the interference analysis.
Victim Carriers
All Hopping And Non-Hopping Carriers—choose this option to perform an
analysis for all hopping and non-hopping carriers as the victim carriers in your
interference analysis. If the victim sector has hopping and non-hopping
carriers, the C/I layer will report the worst C/I between hopping and non-
hopping. For example, if the C/I of the hopping carriers is 20 dB and the C/I of
the non-hopping carrier is 18 dB, the layer will report that C/I = 18 dB.
Enabling this check box simplifies the algorithm used to calculate interference
because it need to take fewer variables into account, which speeds up the
analysis.
Edit—click this button to edit a chosen curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
New—click this button to create a new BER vs. C/I curve file in the Curve
Editor dialog box.
C/I Layer—choose from this list a C/I layer to use for the BER calculation.
Edit—click this button to edit the chosen curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
New—click this button to create a new curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
C/I Layer—choose from this list the C/I layer that will be used to calculate the
FER.
Edit—click this button to edit a chosen curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
New—click this button to create a new BER vs. C/I curve file in the Curve
Editor dialog box.
C/I Layer—choose from this list a C/I layer to use for the BER calculation.
View Curves—click this button to view the COST-231 link level simulation
curve file in the Curve Editor dialog box.
FER Vs C/I Curve—choose this option to select from a list the FER vs. C/I
curve file that represents the relationship between the FER and the C/I.
Edit—click this button to edit the chosen curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
New—click this button to create a new curve in the Curve Editor dialog box.
C/I Layer—choose from this list the C/I layer that will be used to calculate
the FER.
Traffic Selection
Traffic Options
Use Per-Sector Carried Erlangs—choose this option to use the carried
Erlangs as the type of traffic loading for each sector. Carried traffic is the
actual traffic carried by a sector. This information is used for frequency
hopping calculations when interference layers are generated. The Carried
Traffic Loading value is defined for each sector on the Traffic panel of the
Sector Settings dialog box.
the traffic map are used to determine the captured Erlangs within the best
serving area. The captured Erlangs is equal to the offered Erlangs. When you
choose this option, you must choose a traffic map from the Traffic Maps
section below.
).
3The blocking probability is calculated using the offered Erlangs and the
number of traffic channels for each sector where number of traffic channels =
(number of time slots per transceiver)*(total number of transceivers) –
(number of signaling time slots). The calculation for the blocking probability
differs for Erlang B and Poisson conversion methods because these methods
handle blocked calls differently.
Traffic Maps
This table is only available if the captured Erlangs from Traffic Map option is
chosen from the Traffic options section.
Traffic Map—choose from a list in this column the traffic map from which the
captured Erlangs will be used for traffic loading of the related network
technology type.
Update Carried Erlangs In Site Table—enable this check box to save the
carried Erlangs for those sectors chosen in the analysis to the site table. (The
Carried Traffic value on the Traffic panel of the Sector Settings dialog box will
also be updated accordingly.) The carried Erlangs for sectors that are not part
of the analysis will remain unchanged. When you update the site table, you do
not need to re-calculate the captured Erlangs for later analyses, unless your
coverage area changes. This check box is only available when the Use
Captured Erlangs from Traffic Map option is chosen.
Update Offered Erlangs In Site Table—enable this check box to save the
offered Erlangs for those sectors chosen in the analysis to the site table. (The
Offered Traffic value on the Traffic panel of the Sector Settings dialog box will
also be updated accordingly.) The offered Erlangs for sectors that are not part
of the analysis will remain unchanged. This check box is only available when
the Use Captured Erlangs from Traffic Map option is chosen.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
5 On the last page of the Wizard, complete the final step and click
Finish.
System
Frequency Band—choose from this list the frequency band of the network
you want to analyze. You define frequency bands in the Network Settings.
Subscriber
Environment—choose from this list the environment for which you want to
generate an analysis. You define environment settings (e.g., slow fading
standard deviation, penetration loss, fast fading margin, etc.) in the
Environment Editor.
Analysis
Nth Strongest Sector—choose from this list the Nth strongest sector.
Capture Window—type in this box the span of time to consider in the time of
arrival of a signal.
Simulcast Interference
Intra-Cell—choose this option to calculate simulcast interference between
sectors of the same site.
Multipath Delay Spread to BER Curve—displays the name of the curve file
depicting the multipath spread to BER values.
Edit— click this button to open the Curve Editor where you can modify
MDS to BER Curve values.
TIP: To remove an analysis layer from the Map window, in the Project
Explorer, in the Network Analyses category, under the WiMAXTDMA-FDMA
Analysis node, right-click an analysis layer, and choose Remove.
You can update sector information that impacts a selected analysis, however
the analysis only uses the updated information if it has not yet started to
generate.
TIP: To reorder entries in the Analysis Generator, click the column title.
Deleting analyses
Files generated from a network analysis can take up a lot of hard disk space.
You can delete analyses that are no longer required.
To delete analyses
1 In the Project Explorer, in the Network Analyses category, do
any of the following:
The analyses or analysis layers you chose are removed from the Project
Explorer and the files are deleted from the project folder.
You can use the colors defined in a sector display scheme or choose from the
default color schemes used to display best serving sector analysis layers.
Sector display schemes enable you to display analysis layers based on sector
properties, such as the downlink load. When you use a sector display scheme
with the Best Serving Sector Recolor tool, only the colors that have been
defined for the scheme are used; other sector display scheme settings, such
as symbol and size, are ignored.
The best serving sector layers are displayed in the Map window using
the new color scheme.
NOTE: You can modify an existing sector display scheme from within in the
Best Serving Sector Recolor dialog box by right-clicking a scheme and
choosing Edit.
After you calculate statistics, you can export statistics to Excel or to .csv files.
In Excel, you can display statistics in a myriad of different ways as shown in
Figure 8.1.
For information on how to generate layer statistics, see “To calculate layer
statistics”.
This chapter explains how to create a frequency plan using the Interactive
Frequency and Preamble Planning tool.
This chapter explains how to create a frequency plan using the Automatic
Frequency Planning tool.
General 310
Plan 311
AFP 314
Optimization 315
HSN/MAIO 319
HSN 320
MAIO 322
To create a frequency plan, the Automatic Frequency Planning tool uses the
settings that are described in this chapter and the settings that are configured
for individual sectors, including frequency planning requirements and
exceptions and HSN exceptions.
You create a frequency plan using a group of sites. To create a group of sites,
you can either select individual sites or you can create and use a site group.
Because frequency planning is a complex process and requires input from
several other Mentum Planet tools, it is recommended that you create a group
of sites to be used across all tools. This will ensure that your output is
consistent and valid.
type basis, and include information such as required carrier separations, and
whether interference is considered in terms of affected area or traffic.
Where:
n Planet Optimizer
n Planet Fast
Planet Optimizer
Planet Optimizer allocates carriers even if some of the specified constraints
are broken. You can remove the allocated carriers that break certain
constraints.
Planet Optimizer attempts to find the plan with the smallest amount of
network interference from a choice of several feasible plans. Although the
method takes longer than Planet Fast, it makes the best use of interference
information and increases the likelihood of obtaining a quality plan.
Using Planet Optimizer, the frequency plan starts from an initial configuration,
possibly with many violations and a very large cost, and progresses to
solutions with lower costs.
Planet Fast
Planet Fast does not make any assignment that breaks the specified
constraints. This method achieves the fastest solution when few thresholds
are defined, and the thresholds that are defined are not very stringent.
When using this method, you should define increasingly smaller values for the
thresholds while maintaining acceptable levels of interference across the
network.
Step 1 Create a group of sites that you will use for your interference matrix,
neighbor list, and frequency planning. See Chapter 2, “Working with
Sites and Sectors”, in the Mentum Planet User Guide .
Step 4 Run the Automatic Frequency Planning tool, and save the plan.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
NOTE: The frequency planning procedures in this chapter apply to the Planet
Automatic Frequency Planning tool. For information on using optional third-
party frequency planning tools, see the documentation provided with those
tools.
4 From the Technology list, choose the technology for which you
want to generate a frequency plan.
You can only generate a frequency plan for one technology at a time.
6 From the Neighbor List list, choose the neighbor list that you
want to use for your frequency plan, and click OK.
Ensure that you choose a neighbor list that was created using the same
group of sites that you currently planning.
n General
n AFP
n HSN /MAIO
Frequency Planning
Use the Frequency Planning dialog box to create a frequency plan that
effectively assigns available frequencies (carriers) to a network of
transmitters. An optimal frequency plan efficiently reuses frequencies while
minimizing the total interference experienced in a network, either by area or
by traffic.
General
Technology—this field displays the technology for which the frequency plan
will be generated.
Neighbor List—this field displays the neighbor list chosen for the frequency
plan.
Plan
AFP—enable this check box to create a frequency plan that assigns available
carriers to sectors while attempting to minimize the total interference
experienced in the network.
HSN—enable this check box to plan the Hopping Sequence Numbers (HSN)
for the sectors. HSNs are used to inform a mobile which of the 64 possible
hopping sequences are used by a transceiver. HSN planning is only available
for GSM technology.
MAIO—enable this check box to plan Mobile Allocation Index Offsets (MAIOs)
for the transceivers. MAIOs are used to inform a mobile of the offset of the
carrier that it is to be used. MAIO planning is only available for GSM
technology.
Minimize Cost
Use this section to define the method that you want to use to minimize
incurred interference costs. Choose one of the following methods of
minimizing cost:
Run—click this button to generate a frequency plan for the chosen technology.
Once the frequency plan is created, the Reports panel is displayed.
Frequency Planning
Use the Frequency Planning dialog box to create a frequency plan that
effectively assigns available frequencies (carriers) to a network of
transmitters. An optimal frequency plan efficiently reuses frequencies while
minimizing the total interference experienced in a network, either by area or
by traffic.
AFP
Use the AFP panel to define the optimization method to be used by the
Automatic Frequency Planning tool, its quality/speed setting, and whether an
existing frequency plan is to serve as the starting point for the optimization
process. You can also indicate whether you want to conserve spectrum and
increase frequency reuse or to use the full range of spectrum and reduce
frequency reuse.
Optimization
Optimization Method—choose from this list one of the following frequency
planning optimization methods:
Quality/Speed—choose from this list a value to define the quality and speed
of the frequency planning process or type a value in the box. This option is
available for both the Planet Optimizer and Planet Fast optimization methods.
A value of 0 means that the frequency plan will be completed with the
minimum number of iterations. This is useful if you want to fine tune the
planning process (for example, to check the effects of changing a threshold
TIP: You can also set the quality and speed ratio for the planning process
using the adjacent slider.
Random Seed—type in this box a number from which to start the frequency
planning algorithm. The random seed number enables you to start the
algorithm from different points, which can produce slightly different results
when you run the frequency plan. For example, you can run the same plan
multiple times using different random seed numbers and then choose the
version that gives you the best result.
Carrier Usage
Minimize—choose this option to use a cost function to minimize the spectrum
span used while keeping the network interference to a minimum.
Use All—choose this option to use the full available bandwidth with a cost
function to minimize frequency reuse.
Frequency Planning
Use the Frequency Planning dialog box to create a frequency plan that
effectively assigns available frequencies (carriers) to a network of
transmitters. An optimal frequency plan efficiently reuses frequencies while
minimizing the total interference experienced in a network, either by area or
by traffic.
HSN/MAIO
Use the HSN/MAIO panel to define Hopping Sequence Number (HSN) and
Mobile Allocation Index Offset (MAIO) planning parameters.
n HSN informs the mobile which of 64 possible hopping sequences is used by the
site or sector.
n MAIO informs the mobile of the offset of the starting point in the HSN
sequence.
HSN
The HSN section is only available if you enabled the HSN check box on the
General panel.
Keep—enable this check box to keep existing HSN assignments. If this check
box is enabled, HSNs are only planned for transceivers or sectors with no
assignments. If this check box is cleared, HSNs are planned for all transceivers
or sectors, overwriting any existing assignments.
Planning Mode—choose from this list one of the following types of planning
modes:
HSN Assignment—choose from this list the level at which you want to assign
HSNs:
MAIO
The MAIO section is only available if you enabled the MAIO check box on the
General panel.
Run—click this button to generate a frequency plan for the chosen technology.
Once the frequency plan is created, the Reports panel is displayed.
Once you have generated a frequency plan, you can define display options,
choose which reports to view, save a report, and apply the frequency plan to a
project.
2 When the frequency plan is complete, in the AFP dialog box, click
Close.
4 To view reports, from the Report Type list, choose the type of
report that you want to view and click View.
2 For each carrier type in the Carrier Type table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
carrier type to the sectors in the group. These check boxes are
only available for carrier types allocated as part of the
frequency plan.
n In the Remove Existing column, enable the check box to
remove transceivers with the associated carrier type from the
sectors in the group. These check boxes are only available for
carrier types that existed when the frequency plan was
created.
3 For each color code in the Color Code table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
color code to the sectors in the group.
4 In the Remove Existing column, enable the check boxes for any
transceivers with the associated carrier type that you want to
remove from the sectors in the network.
These check boxes are only available for carrier types that existed when
the frequency plan was imported.
6 Click OK.
8 Generate any analyses for the project again to update the results
using the new frequency values.
Basic frequency planning functionality enables you to import and work with
existing frequency plans, but not automatically create frequency plans. To
create frequency plans automatically, you need to use the Automatic
Frequency Planning tool.
Constraints 337
Enable 338
Constraints 339
To create a frequency and color code plan, you can do any of the following:
By default, color codes are assigned so that reused color codes are placed as
physically far apart as possible. However, you can also use an interference
matrix to guide the assignment process. An interference matrix compares
signal strengths throughout the network and identifies the sectors that
potentially interfere with each other. By using an interference matrix, you can
minimize the total interference experienced by the chosen group of sectors
when assigning color codes according to the values in the interference matrix.
The color code planning process attempts to create color codes with the
lowest costs. As a result, a balance between low interference costs and low
violation costs is reached.
Step 3 Apply the frequency and color code plan to the group of sectors.
n in tabular format
n in a Map window
If you created the frequency and color code plan using the Automatic
Frequency Planning tool, you need to generate the color codes before you can
view them.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
TIP: If the plan contains only one color code type (for example, for GSM
technology, only BSIC is available), the color codes are displayed in the Map
window
2 To view the list of color codes that were generated, choose View
in the tree view.
General Settings
Use the General Settings panel to choose the technology for which you want to
plan color codes. You can also chose the color code type you want to plan; for
example, for NAMPS, you can plan the Digital Color Code (DCC), used by the
control channel, or the Supervisory Audio Tone (SAT), used by the traffic
channels.
Technology—displays the technology for which the color code plan will be
generated.
Color Code Type—choose from this list the color code type for which you
want to plan. The available color code types depend on the chosen technology.
The following table lists the color code types for each technology and valid
ranges for color codes.
Technology Band—choose from this list the technology band for which you
want to plan color codes.
Constraints
Use the Constraints panel to define the constraints that you want to use to
guide the color code assignment process. The constraints that you define can
be soft (i.e., the constraint should be respected, but can be broken if
necessary to make an assignment) or hard (i.e., the constraint cannot be
broken to make an assignment). Any color codes that you have defined as
illegal at the sector level are considered hard constraints.
Enable
In this column, enable the check box beside each of the constraints that you
want to use for your color code plan.
Constraints
This column lists the various constraints that can be enabled for your color
code plan. The available constraints include:
Same Codes Per Site—choose this option to use the same color code for
each carrier in a site.
Avoid Code Reuse Within MSC—choose this option to use different color
codes within a mobile switching center (MSC). By default, this constraint uses a
soft constraint type. This constraint is only valid if you have defined MSCs for
the sectors in your project. For information on defining MSCs, see “To define
technology sector settings”.
Avoid Code Reuse Within BSC—choose this option to use different color
codes within a base station controller (BSC). This constraint is only valid if you
have defined BSCs for the sectors in your project. For information on defining
BSCs, see “To define technology sector settings”.
Fixed NCC—choose this option to use a fixed Nation Color Code (NCC). If this
option is enabled, you must choose a value to be used from the far list. An NCC
is only used for GSM technology.
Constraint Type
Choose from this list a constraint type for each constraint that you have
enabled. With the exception of the Minimize Interference constraints, the
available constraint types are:
n Soft—choose this option to make the enabled constraint soft. A soft constraint
can be broken in order to make an assignment.
2 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the plan that you want to
open, and click Open.
The plan is added to the list under the Frequency and Color Code Plans
node.
If you enable more than one band, an error message displays stating
that selected sectors must be from the same band.
The sectors that will be included in the frequency plan are displayed in
the Selected Sectors list.
4 Click OK.
5 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want
to save the plan, type a name for the plan, and click Save.
The plan is added to the list under the Frequency and Color Code Plans
node.
2 Right-click the name of the plan you want to view and choose
View.
2 For each carrier type in the Carrier Type table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
carrier type to the sectors in the group. These check boxes are
only available for carrier types allocated as part of the
frequency plan.
n In the Remove Existing column, enable the check box to
remove transceivers with the associated carrier type from the
sectors in the group. These check boxes are only available for
carrier types that existed when the frequency plan was
created.
3 For each color code in the Color Code table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
color code to the sectors in the group.
n In the Remove Existing column, enable the check box to
remove transceivers with the associated color code from the
sectors in the group.
4 In the Remove Existing column, enable the check boxes for any
transceivers with the associated carrier type that you want to
remove from the sectors in the network.
These check boxes are only available for carrier types that existed when
the frequency plan was imported.
6 Click OK.
8 Generate any analyses for the project again to update the results
using the new frequency values.
2 Right-click the name of the plan that you want to export to a text
file and choose Export.
3 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want
to store the plan, type a name for the plan in the File Name box,
and click Save.
2 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the plan that you want to
open, and click Open.
The plan is added to the list under the Frequency and Color Code Plans
node.
If you enable more than one band, an error message displays stating
that selected sectors must be from the same band.
The sectors that will be included in the frequency plan are displayed in
the Selected Sectors list.
4 Click OK.
5 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want
to save the plan, type a name for the plan, and click Save.
The plan is added to the list under the Frequency and Color Code Plans
node.
2 Right-click the name of the plan you want to view and choose
View.
2 For each carrier type in the Carrier Type table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
carrier type to the sectors in the group. These check boxes are
only available for carrier types allocated as part of the
frequency plan.
n In the Remove Existing column, enable the check box to
remove transceivers with the associated carrier type from the
sectors in the group. These check boxes are only available for
carrier types that existed when the frequency plan was
created.
3 For each color code in the Color Code table, do the following:
n In the Apply Plan column, enable the check box to apply the
color code to the sectors in the group.
n In the Remove Existing column, enable the check box to
remove transceivers with the associated color code from the
sectors in the group.
4 In the Remove Existing column, enable the check boxes for any
transceivers with the associated carrier type that you want to
remove from the sectors in the network.
These check boxes are only available for carrier types that existed when
the frequency plan was imported.
6 Click OK.
8 Generate any analyses for the project again to update the results
using the new frequency values.
2 Right-click the name of the plan that you want to export to a text
file and choose Export.
3 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want
to store the plan, type a name for the plan in the File Name box,
and click Save.
4 Click OK.
And, while interactive frequency planning can be used on its own, it can also
be used as a supplement to automatic frequency planning (AFP), by creating a
plan using AFP and then fine-tuning it using interactive frequency planning.
Interactive frequency planning provides detailed information on interference
costs and violations for all sites, sectors, and carriers.
Frequency 360
Preamble 364
The IFPP tool gives you the further ability to examine interference information
at the channel level. For the channel(s) that are assigned to a sector, you can
see which channels create most of the interference and the associated
violations and violation costs.
Additional functionality in the IFPP tool includes the ability to do the following:
The IFPP tool is especially useful when planning a new site since it enables you
to quickly asses which channel(s) and which preamble should be assigned to
the new site.
Step 1 Create a group of sites that you will use for your interference
matrix, neighbor list, and frequency and preamble planning. See
“Working with Sites and Sectors” in the Mentum Planet User Guide .
Step 2 Create an interference matrix and a neighbor list using the same
group of sites. See “Working with Interference Matrices” and
“Working with Neighbor Lists” in the Mentum Planet User Guide .
Step 3 Define settings, create a frequency and preamble plan, and either
save it or apply it to the sectors in your network.
Step 4 If required, apply the saved frequency and preamble plan to the
sectors in your network.
You can then save the plan for future use or apply it to the sectors in your
network.
n From the Group to Plan list, choose the sector group for which
you want to plan frequencies and preamble indices.
n From the Frequency Band list, choose the frequency band for
which you want to plan frequencies and preamble indices.
Sectors that belong to the group to plan but are not part of the
selected frequency band are not displayed in the IFPP tool.
n From the Frame Configuration list, choose the frame
configuration for which you want to plan frequencies and
preamble indices. Sectors that belong to the group to plan but
do not use the selected frame configuration are not displayed
in the IFPP tool.
n From the Interference Matrix list, choose the interference
matrix to use in the calculation of interference costs. An
interference matrix is required for frequency and preamble
planning. Sectors that are included in the interference matrix
but are not part of the selected sector group are displayed in
the Cost Breakdown section of the IFPP tool.
n From the Neighbor List list, choose the neighbor list to use in
the calculation of violation costs. A neighbor list is an optional
input to frequency and preamble planning.
3 Click OK.
4 In the Cost section, in the Show Cost For category, choose one
of the following options:
8 If required, edit the cost color assignments. See “Editing the cost
color assignments”.
9 On the Frequency Planning tab of the IFPP dialog, click any row
in the Frequency Plan section.
TIP: You can copy a saved plan by right-clicking it in the Project Explorer and
choosing the Save Copy As command. This can be useful if you want to
experiment with different scenarios.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
4 Click OK.
When you re-open the IFPP dialog box, the current settings are applied.
IFPP Settings
Use the Interactive Frequency and Preamble Planning (IFPP) Settings dialog
box to define interference thresholds and channel allocations costs.
Frequency
Interference Threshold
Use this section to define interference thresholds and associated violation
costs. The co-channel and adjacent-channel interference thresholds
determine which interferers are displayed in the Cost Breakdown section.
Sectors that have less interference than the defined thresholds are not
displayed, and therefore, not accounted for, in cost calculations.
Violation Cost—click in this field to define the cost incurred when the
threshold is surpassed.
Same Site—type in this box the violation cost incurred when the associated
channel separation is violated on the same site. This setting represents the
minimum separation between channels that are assigned to the same site.
The separation unit is a channel bandwidth (i.e., a separation of 2 equals two
channel bandwidths). The minimum same site channel separation is 0.
Neighbor—type in this box the violation cost incurred when the associated
channel separation is violated between neighbors. This setting represents the
minimum separation between channels that are assigned to neighbor. The
separation unit is a channel bandwidth (i.e., a separation of 2 equals two
channel bandwidths). The minimum neighbor channel separation is 0.
Add—click this button to add a row to the Channel Allocation Cost table.
Remove—click this button to remove a row from the Channel Allocation Cost
table.
IFPP Settings
Use the Interactive Frequency and Preamble Planning (IFPP) Settings dialog
box to define interference thresholds and channel allocations costs.
Preamble
Condition—click in the associated Cost field to define the cost of breaking the
constraint. The conditions displayed depend on the site and sector
configuration.
l Same Segment ID—ensures that different segment IDs are assigned to co-
channel sectors that have high co-channel interference. Co-channel sectors
with the same segment ID use the same preamble carrier-set for preamble
transmission; hence, co-channel sectors located close to each other (whether
neighbor sectors or not) will have a high preamble interference if they use the
same Segment ID
Reserve Preamble Index—enable this check box to enter the range of the
preamble index in the associated box. You can type reserved preamble
indices separated by a comma (e.g., 5,6,7) or you can enter a range (e.g., 5-
7). By default, the preamble indices ranging from 96 to 113 are reserved.
4 Enable the Show Cost Colors check box to display IFPP results
using the color range.
Results where the cost is equal to the minimum cost are displayed in
green.
Violation costs that fall between the maximum and minimum values are
displayed according to the color range.
TIP: To view the settings used to generate the plan, right-click it and choose
Properties.
A key stage of network planning revolves around the analysis of network data
and the subsequent updates to network and site parameters that eventually
produce a network model with which you are satisfied. The Tabular Editor is a
powerful tool that you can use to globally edit project parameters.
NOTE: If you want to globally edit network settings, you must use the
Import/Export Wizard. Network settings are not visible in the Tabular Editor.
The Generated Statistics dialog box opens where you can view statistical
information for each column you chose.
NOTE: There are some columns that you cannot edit in the Tabular Editor.
These columns are grayed out.
TIP: To quickly copy a value across all rows in a column in the Tabular Editor,
type the new value in the first cell of the column, click the column header to
select the column, and press CTRL+D. Then, click outside the column to make
the updates. Click Apply to save your changes.
TIP: To update displayed information with current data, click the Refresh
button. This update may be longer than when you click Apply because all data
is recomputed.
You can import and export project data using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
(.xls or .xlsx) or comma separated value (.csv) files. This is useful when you
want to analyze data and, based on your analysis, edit site, sector, and
network parameters.
CAUTION: If your project is stored in Data Manager, and you export it and
re-import it using the Import/Export tool, Data Manager will treat it as a new
project if you use the Replace All Data option. In this case, if you want to
continue using the existing project, you must merge the new project into the
existing project. See Chapter 2, “Using Data Manager” in the Data Manager
User Guide.
Importing data
You can use .xls, .xlsx or .cvs files to add or remove sites, edit project
settings, and then import the new or updated data. Each worksheet in an .xls
file, .xlsx or each .csv file you use to import project data must contain the
required and mandatory columns, and must be formatted correctly for the
type of data in a column (i.e., text or numeric). Unless you specifically request
that data be replaced on import, data is never removed from a project when
you use the Import Wizard. For example, if the worksheet or .csv file from
which you are importing does not contain all of the sectors currently in your
project, only the sectors listed in the worksheet or .csv file are updated in the
project. The other sectors in your project are not affected by the Import
Wizard. If you are working with a large project and only want to update
specific project data, you can import individual worksheets or .csv files, and
include only the sites or sectors that require updating or are being added.
For descriptions of worksheets or .csv files and the columns they contain, valid
values and ranges, and an indication of required and mandatory columns, see
the Import Export Table Parameters folder in the Mentum Planet Help folder.
TIP: To ensure the proper worksheet or .csv file format when importing, use
previously exported .xls, .xlsx or .csv files to edit or update project data.
Replacing data
When you import data, you can choose to replace specific data. This can be
useful, for example, if:
n you want to delete sites from your project. When you delete a
site, however, you must delete the site from all dependent
worksheets.
n you want to change the prefix used in the site IDs (e.g., from
“Site” to “Ott”). When you change site IDs, however, you must
change the site ID on all dependent worksheets.
n you want to share and merge project data.
Exporting data
When you export data to a spread sheet, individual worksheets are created in
the .xls or .xlsx file for each category of project data. When you export data to
a .csv file, a folder is created containing individual .csv files for each category
of project data. In addition, a Summary worksheet or .csv file is also created
for the exported project. For descriptions of the data types that can be
exported, and the corresponding location (dialog box) of the field in the
Mentum Planet graphical user interface, see the Import Export Table
Parameters folder in the Mentum Planet Help folder.
By default, when you export data, the site coordinates are saved in the
Longitude/Latitude (WGS 84) projection and the sector coordinates are saved
in the projection specified when you originally created the project. If you
import an exported .xls file, .xlsx or .csv files, only the site and sector
coordinate systems are imported from the Summary worksheet or .csv file.
n If you want to export project data for all sites and sectors,
choose Data Export.
n If you want to export project data for individual sites, sectors,
or groups, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites category,
choose one or more groups, sites, or sectors, right-click and
choose Export.
n If you want to export repeater data, in the Project Explorer,
in the Sites category, right-click the Repeaters node, and
choose Export.
n If you want to export project data based on enabled flag
conditions, in the Project Explorer, in the Sites category,
right-click the Flags node, and choose Export.
2 On the Data Selection page, in the Tables list, enable the check
boxes for each of the tables that you want to export.
3 In the Columns list, for each of the tables that you chose in Step
2, enable the check boxes for each of the columns that you want
to export.
4 Click Next.
CAUTION: All values in the Excel file from which you are importing must use
the default units indicated in the worksheet column names, and the file must
contain required and mandatory columns.
1 If you want to import general site, sector and project data, choose
Data Import Project Data.
4 Click Next.
The Data Selection page lists the tables available to import and options
for replacing project data on import.
5 On the Data Selection page, enable the check boxes for each of
the tables that you want to import.
You can click Select All or Clear All to speed up the selection process.
When you replace data, the selected data is first deleted from the
project and the new data is then imported into the project. Once data
has been replaced, the original data cannot be recovered.
7 Click Finish.
The project data you chose will be updated or added to your project.
The Log dialog box displays the status of the import operation.
NOTE: Status messages are displayed cumulatively in the Log dialog box.
Click the Export button to save the log messages to a text file. Click the Clear
button to remove all messages from the Log dialog box.
NOTE: Descriptions of relevant parameters are listed after the procedure or,
if you are using the software, press F1 for the online Help.
3 On the Choose How You Want The Data Bound page, choose
one of the following options:
4 Click in the header row and, from the list, choose the Mentum
Planet data to which to bind the network data.
The Report Preview dialog box opens. The Mapping Status column
indicates whether the data is mapped or not in the project.
8 Define a name for the sector display scheme and, in the Sector
Display Scheme dialog box, define the parameters upon which
you want the scheme to be based.
9 To view the network data upon which the scheme is based, click
the Data button.
When you design a wireless network using Mentum Planet, you will
encounter the file types described in this appendix.
Project files
File Description
.algr An antenna algorithm file saved, by default, in the Antenna
Algorithm folder with the project folder.
.curve A file created in the Curve Editor and stored in the Curves folder
within the project folder.
.flt A binary file containing the filter loss and frequency offset for
each sector and each equipment type as defined in the Filter
Loss dialog box.
.fpp A frequency plan file.
.paf A Planet Antenna Format file saved in the Antennas folder
within the project folder.
.pex A compressed file that contains at a minimum an .xml file with
the necessary instructions and structure.
.flt A binary file containing the filter loss and frequency offset for
each sector and each equipment type as defined in the Filter
Loss dialog box.
Output files
File Description
.grd /.tab A numeric grid file that is always accompanied by an
associated .tab file. The .grd file contains the raw grid and
color information. The .tab file is required by MapInfo
Professional to open and register the grid image. The .tab file
also contains metadata of the grid data.
.grc /.tab A grid file that contains integer (not numeric) data. It is also
referred to as a classified grid. The .tab file is required by
MapInfo to open and register the grid image. The .tab file also
contains metadata on the settings of the grid data.
.imx An interference matrix file.
.nl A neighbor list file.
.pfc A contour color profile with specific break points (ranges) that
are applied when you convert a grid to a vector contour map.
.pfr A text file containing point-to-point profile settings (including
data files), antenna pattern and azimuth, sector, and receiver
values.
MapInfo files
File Description
.map Map file for objects associated with .tab files (see “Output
files”).
.id ID of objects associated with .tab file.
.dat Data file associated with .tab or .xml file.
.tda Intermediate file generated by MapInfo when edits have not
been saved. Serves as an intermediate save. Handled only by
MapInfo.
.tin Intermediate file generated by MapInfo when edits have not
been saved. Serves as an intermediate save. Handled only by
MapInfo.
.tma Intermediate file generated by MapInfo when edits have not
been saved. Serves as an intermediate save. Handled only by
MapInfo.