User's Manual

Exalt Communications, Inc.
r-series Installation and Management Manual
5000007 (ETSI) 6
2007-02-12 (draft)
Pre-installation Tasks
This section describes the steps necessary to prepare a site for the installation of the Exalt Digital
Microwave Radio.
Link Engineering and Site Planning
Design all terrestrial wireless links prior to purchase and installation. Generally, professional
wireless engineering personnel are engaged to determine the viability and requirements for a
well-engineered link to meet the users’ needs for performance and reliability.
The reader is referred to the Exalt document, Guidance for Engineering and Site Planning of
Terrestrial Wireless Links and the ExaltCalc path calculator. This document and calculator aid
in the pre-planning and engineering required to determine following attributes:
• Antenna type/gain at each end of the link
• Antenna mounting height/location for proper path clearance
• Antenna polarization orientation
• RF cabling type, length, connectors, route, and mounting
• Antenna system grounding
• Lightning arrestor type(s), location(s), and grounding
• Radio mounting location and mechanisms
• Radio grounding
• Radio transmitter output power setting
• Anticipated received signal level (RSL) at each end
• Anticipated fade margin and availability performance at each end
• Radio settings for TDD frame length and occupied bandwidth
• Anticipated throughput performance (TDM circuit support and Ethernet)
• Anticipated system latency
With respect to radio path and site planning, these radios are generally identical to other
microwave terrestrial wireless systems. Engineering of these systems requires specific
knowledge about the radios, including:
• RF specifications (transmitter output power, receiver threshold, occupied channel bandwidth,
and carrier-to-interference tolerance)
• Regulatory limitations on transmitter output power setting and antenna type/gain
• Noise/interference profile for the intended location