TRACER 4208 System Manual 612804208L1-1A March 2003 12804208L1A TRACER 4208 System (Plan A) 12804208L1B TRACER 4208 System (Plan B)
Trademarks TRACER 4208 System Manual Trademarks Any brand names and product names included in this manual are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. To the Holder of the Manual The contents of this manual are current as of the date of publication. ADTRAN reserves the right to change the contents without prior notice.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Revision History Revision History Document Revision A Date March 2003 Description of Changes Initial release of manual. Notes provide additional useful information. Cautions signify information that could prevent service interruption. Warnings provide information that could prevent damage to the equipment or endangerment to human life. 612804208L1-1A © 2003 ADTRAN, Inc.
Safety Instructions TRACER 4208 System Manual Safety Instructions When using your telephone equipment, please follow these basic safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock, or personal injury: 1. Do not use this product near water, such as a bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool. 2. Avoid using a telephone (other than a cordless-type) during an electrical storm. There is a remote risk of shock from lightning. 3.
TRACER 4208 System Manual FCC-Required Information FCC-Required Information Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
FCC-Required Information TRACER 4208 System Manual FCC Output Power Restrictions The FCC does not require licensing to implement this device. License-free operation in the industrial, scientific, and medical band is documented in FCC Rules Part 15.247. It is the responsibility of the individuals designing and implementing the radio system to assure compliance with any pertinent FCC Rules and Regulations. This device must be professionally installed.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Warranty and Customer Service Warranty and Customer Service ADTRAN will replace or repair this product within the warranty period if it does not meet its published specifications or fails while in service. Warranty information can be found at www.adtran.com/warranty. Customer Service, Product Support Information, and Training ADTRAN will replace or repair this product within the warranty period if it does not meet its published specifications or fails while in service.
Customer Service, Product Support Information, and Training TRACER 4208 System Manual Post-Sale Support Your reseller should serve as the first point of contact for support. If additional support is needed, the ADTRAN Support web site provides a variety of support services such as a searchable knowledge base, updated firmware releases, latest product documentation, service request ticket generation and trouble-shooting tools. All of this, and more, is available at: http://support.adtran.
Table of Contents Section 1 System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 This section of ADTRAN’s TRACER 4208 System Manual is designed for use by network engineers, planners, and designers for overview information about the TRACER 4208. Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Explains the basics of analyzing a wireless microwave link or path.
Table of Contents 10 TRACER 4208 System Manual © 2003 ADTRAN, Inc.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION This section of ADTRAN’s TRACER 4208 System Manual is designed for use by network engineers, planners, and designers for overview information about the TRACER 4208. It contains general information and describes physical and operational concepts, network relationships, provisioning, testing, alarm status, and system monitoring. This section should be used in conjunction with Section 3, Engineering Guidelines, of the system manual. CONTENTS System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 1 System Description 1. TRACER 4208 System Manual SYSTEM OVERVIEW The ADTRAN TRACER® 4208 wireless system provides eight independent T1 circuits over a wireless link for up to 30 miles (line-of-sight path required). As authorized under Part 15.247 of the FCC Rules, the TRACER 4208 operates license-free in the 5.8 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. The ISM band requires no frequency coordination or licensing of end users.
MICROWAVE PATH ENGINEERING BASICS Explains the basics of analyzing a wireless microwave link or path. The significant parameters are defined, and several recommendations are offered. CONTENTS Line-of-Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Decibels . . . . . . . .
Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics 14 © 2003 ADTRAN, Inc.
TRACER 4208 System Manual 1. Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics LINE-OF-SITE The TRACER 4208 system is designed for operation in the license-free 5.725 GHz to 5.850 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. Radio wave propagation in this band exhibits microwave characteristics which are ideally suited for point-to-point, line-of-sight communications.
Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4208 System Manual Higher levels of fade margin indicate stronger protection against signal fading and a more reliable link. For most applications, 20 to 30 dB of fade margin should ensure a reliable link. The following sections further discuss the necessary power calculations and their components. 4.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics λ GT GR d, LP L L PT PR Figure 1. Example Microwave Path with Parameters The following sections further discuss the power budget analysis and its components. Antenna Gain Actual transmit and receive antenna gain values depend strictly upon the physical characteristics of the antennas installed for each link. In other words, the size of the dish determines the antenna gain.
Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4208 System Manual Carrier Wavelength (λ) The carrier wavelength is the physical wavelength of the main RF carrier being used for communication, and is usually approximated at the center frequency of the band (which is 5787.5 MHz for the TRACER 4208). The carrier wavelength calculations follow: λ = c / f (meters) where c = speed of light (in meters) f = frequency (in Hz) resulting in the following carrier wavelength: λ = 3.00 x 10¯8 / 5787.5 x 10 5 = 0.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics Table 2 gives typical loss figures for some of the more common coaxial cable types (per 100 feet). Table 2. Typical Coaxial Loss for Common Cable Types 5.8 GHz Loss/100 ft. (in dB) Cable Type RG58 N/A RG8 (air) N/A RG8 (foam) N/A 1/4” Coax 11.36 3/8” Coax 9.65 1/2” Coax 6.49 5/8” Coax 4.90 7/8” Coax N/A 1 1/4” Coax N/A 1 5/8” Coax N/A 5.8 GHz Elliptical Waveguide 1.
Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4208 System Manual Table 3 lists path loss values for various path lengths for the TRACER 4208 5.8 GHz system. Values not listed in the table can be interpolated from those listed. Table 3. Path Loss for Given Path Lengths 5.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER RSSI Test Points The RSSI indicator for the TRACER 4208 system is provided through the VT100 terminal menus accessed through the RS-232 interface, and it is presented as a series of bars indicating signal strength. More bars means more RSSI, which ensures more received signal strength and better link performance.
Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4208 System Manual The first Fresnel zone corresponds to the main lobe, 60% of which must be free of physical obstructions for the path calculations to be valid. Since the main lobe contains the vast majority of the microwave energy, this zone is typically used to determine proper antenna heights when placing antennas on towers or buildings.
TRACER 4208 System Manual 7. Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Path Availability The path availability of a wireless link is a metric that expresses the fractional amount of time a link is available over some fixed amount of time, and depends on several factors. Path availability is expressed as A = [ 1 – ( 2.
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ENGINEERING GUIDELINES Provides information to assist network designers with incorporating the TRACER 4208 system into their networks. CONTENTS Equipment Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Reviewing the Front Panel Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 3 Engineering Guidelines 1. TRACER 4208 System Manual EQUIPMENT DIMENSIONS The TRACER 4208 unit is 17.12” W, 10.80” D, and 1.72” H, weighs 7 lbs, and can be used in 19 or 23-inch rack-mount configurations. 2. POWER REQUIREMENTS The TRACER 4208 system has a maximum power consumption of 18 W and a maximum current draw of 0.86 A (at 21 VDC). 3.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 3 Engineering Guidelines Front Panel LEDs With the TRACER 4208 powered-on, the front panel LEDs provide visual information about the status of the TRACER 4208 system. Table 1 provides a brief description of the front panel features, and Table 2 provides detailed information about the LEDs. Table 1.
Section 3 Engineering Guidelines 4. TRACER 4208 System Manual REVIEWING THE TRACER 4208 REAR PANEL DESIGN Figure 2 identifies the various features of the TRACER 4208 rear panel and Table 1 provides a brief description of each interface. E DC Power Connection A RS232 Interface (VT100 Terminal) B Test T1A T1B T1C T1D T1E T1F T1G T1H D Alarm Contacts C T1 Interfaces G Antenna Connector F Fuse H Ground Lug Figure 2. TRACER 4208 Rear Panel Table 1.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 3 Engineering Guidelines Table 2. RS-232 Connection Pinout PIN NAME DESCRIPTION 1, 7 GND Ground 2 TX Transmit 3 RX Receive 4 RTS Request To Send 5 CTS Clear To Send 6 DSR Data Set Ready (Modem Control Only) 8 CD Carrier Detect 9-19 — Unused 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready (Modem Control Only) 21 — Unused 22 RI Ring Indicator 23-25 — Unused Table 3.
Section 3 Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4208 System Manual RS-232 Connection (Modem Use) Modem controls, discussed in Section 5, User Interface Guide, enable or disable modem control through the RS-232 interface. When this option is enabled from a standard terminal connection, all RS-232 communications cease until a modem with a null modem adapter is attached between the TRACER 4208 and the data modem. Configure the data modem for AUTO ANSWER and 9600 BPS.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 3 Engineering Guidelines T1 Connections (RJ-48C) The physical T1 interfaces are provided by eight RJ-48C jacks that comply with the applicable ANSI and AT&T® standards. Table 6.
Section 3 Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4208 System Manual Antenna Interface (N-Type connector) The ANTENNA interface (N-Type connector) connects to the customer-supplied antenna using standard antenna feedline cable. When determining the cable specifications for your application, refer to Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics (System Losses (L) on page 18) for a discussion on cable length and loss factors. 5.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 3 Engineering Guidelines Table 9.
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NETWORK TURNUP PROCEDURE Provides shipment contents list, grounding instructions, mounting options, and specifics of supplying power to the unit. CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Tools Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Unpack and Inspect the System . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure 1. TRACER 4208 System Manual INTRODUCTION This section discusses the installation process of the TRACER 4208 system. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by ADTRAN could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. 2.
TRACER 4208 System Manual 4. Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure CHANNEL SELECTION The FCC has allocated 125 MHz of spectrum in the 5.8 GHz band where the TRACER 4208 operates. Figure 1 illustrates the bandwidth division. Channel A Channel B Bandplan 1 Bandplan 2 Bandplan 3 5742 5747 5753 5725 MHz 5787 Bandplan 1 Bandplan 2 Bandplan 3 5815 5827 5833 5850 MHz Figure 1. 5.
Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure 5. TRACER 4208 System Manual GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS The following provides grounding instruction information from the Underwriters’ Laboratory UL 60950 Standard for Safety of Information Technology Equipment Including Electrical Business Equipment, of December, 2000. An equipment grounding conductor that is not smaller in size than the ungrounded branch-circuit supply conductors is to be installed as part of the circuit that supplies the product or system.
TRACER 4208 System Manual 6. Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure SUPPLYING POWER TO THE UNIT The TRACER 4208 can operate from a supply between 21 and 60 VDC, with either polarity referenced to ground. Power supplies should be able to provide up to 25 watts at the selected voltage. A dual pin terminal plug accepts power at the rear panel of the unit, providing a + and - polarity reference point.
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USER INTERFACE GUIDE Provides detailed descriptions of all menu options and configuration parameters available for the TRACER 4208. This section of ADTRAN’s TRACER 4208 System Manual is designed for use by network administrators and others who will configure and provision the system. It contains information about navigating the VT100 user interface, configuration information, and menu descriptions. CONTENTS Navigating the Terminal Menu 62 Terminal Menu Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 5 User Interface Guide 1. TRACER 4208 System Manual NAVIGATING THE TERMINAL MENU The TRACER 4208 menu system can be accessed with a VT100 compatible terminal that is connected to the RS-232 port located on the back of the unit and set to 9600 bits per second, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity. Flow control on the serial interface should be configured to NONE for proper operation. Once a terminal is connected, press to refresh the current screen.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide Navigating using the Keyboard Keys You can use various keystrokes to move through the terminal menu, to manage a terminal menu session, and to configure the system. Moving Through the Menus To do this... Press this key...
Section 5 User Interface Guide 3. TRACER 4208 System Manual MENU DESCRIPTIONS The remainder of this section describes the TRACER 4208 menus and submenus. The menu structure of the TRACER 4208 system is depicted below as follows: > MENU PAGE > MENU PAGE > MENU SELECTION > MENU PAGE > MENU SELECTION > SUB-MENU >TRACER SYSTEM STATUS Figure 2 shows the TRACER 4208 System Status menu page.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide C. RF Status A graphical indicator of the TRACER RF links is located beneath the Technical Support contact number. The status of the received radio link is indicated as RF UP or RF DOWN for each direction. This RF status display corresponds to the RF DOWN LED on the front of the unit. D.
Section 5 User Interface Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual >MAIN MENU The TRACER 4208 Main Menu page provides access to all other configuration/status pages. Figure 3 shows the TRACER 4208 Main Menu page. Figure 3. TRACER 4208 Main Menu From the keyboard, use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the available pages, or enter the number or letter of the selected page (to highlight the menu page) and press .
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide >TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION Figure 4 shows the TRACER 4208 System Configuration menu page. System configuration parameters for both the local and remote TRACER 4208 units are available through this menu page. Figure 4. TRACER 4208 System Configuration Press from any menu in the TRACER 4208 VT100 menu structure to access the TRACER System Configuration menu page.
Section 5 User Interface Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual >TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > SITE NAME Provides a user-defined alphanumeric discription (up to 25 characters) for the TRACER 4208 system. >TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > RF BANDPLAN Sets the bandplan for the TRACER 4208. Each channel is divided into three bandplans (1, 2, or 3). Both local and remote TRACER 4208 must be configured with the same bandplan (1, 2, or 3) but different channel plans (Plan A or Plan B).
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide >TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > PASSWORD ENABLE Configures password protection for the VT100 terminal interface. Password protection for the TRACER 4208 requires password input from the TRACER 4208 System Status menu page when connecting to the unit. When configured for password protection, the TRACER 4208 closes any terminal session that remains inactive for more than 10 minutes.
Section 5 User Interface Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual The minimum received signal level (MIN RSL) is represented as a numerical value from 0 to 255 with 0 corresponding to no receive power and 255 corresponding to an extremely strong signal. The minimum received signal level is directly related to RSSI. The error count and received signal level for the most recent 24 hours are recorded and displayed on the right side of the page.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide >T1X STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1X INTERFACE ALARMS Displays any active alarms on the T1 link (reported from both the local and remote TRACER 4208 units). These alarms include Red, Blue/AIS, Yellow, LOS, and bipolar violations (BPV). Table 1 breifly describes these alarms. See Section 6, Troubleshooting Guide, for more information on these alarms. Table 1. T1 Interface Alarms RED Activates when a local facility failure occurs.
Section 5 User Interface Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual >T1X STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINK Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4208 T1 framer towards the wireless link (see Figure 8). Use the LINK loopback to test data path integrity from one unit across the wireless link. Figure 8. T1 Link Loopback >T1X STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINE Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4208 T1 framer towards the locally connected T1 equipment (see Figure 9).
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 5 User Interface Guide T1 performance data is presented as Errored Seconds (ES) and Severely Errored Seconds (SES) on the T1 link. The following events qualify as an ES–AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, a single bipolar violation (BPV), excessive zero event, or a single parity bit. An SES is caused by an AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, excessive BPVs, or framed parity bit errors causing a line bit error rate (BER) of 10-6.
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TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Provides helpful information for troubleshooting common configuration problems for the TRACER 4208. CONTENTS Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 PWR LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide 1. TRACER 4208 System Manual OVERVIEW This troubleshooting guide provides recommended actions for various conditions of the TRACER 4208 system. The status LEDs (located on the front panel of the unit) provide information to help determine the necessary troubleshooting action. Recommended actions for resolving possible status LED indicators are contained in this guide. 2.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide RF LOW LED If the RF LOW LED is ON (solid red), it is an indicator that the received signal is within 10 dB (approximately) of the minimum operable signal. This condition is typically indicative of a path problem. Recommended Actions: 1. Verify the far-end transmitter power setting is the value that the link planning budget allows. 2. Check all coaxial cable connectors for solid connections.
Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual BPV Bipolar violations (BPVs) indicate an improper configuration or faulty wiring. Recommended Actions: 1.Verify the TRACER 4208 unit and the attached equipment are configured for the same line coding (B8ZS or AMI). 2.Verify the cable connections for the T1 interface are solid. 3. RF ERRORS RF errors can range anywhere from a nonviable microwave path to loose RF connectors.
TRACER 4208 System Manual Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide 4. Attach the RF coaxial cables to be used in the permanent installation to the N-type connectors on the back of the TRACER 4208 unit. Attach the other end of the coaxial cable(s) to an RF power meter or spectrum analyzer, if either is available. The power measured by the meter/analyzer will be the RF power available at the input of the antenna. The TRACER 4208 unit is programmed at the factory to output approximately 100 mW (20 dBm) of RF power.
Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide TRACER 4208 System Manual Installing/Configuring T1 Hardware 1. If possible, attach any or all of the intended T1 hardware to the TRACER 4208 units using the same workbench setup. This step offers the perfect opportunity to configure your T1 hardware for proper functioning with the TRACER hardware. 2.
