User's Manual

Table Of Contents
Exalt Installation and Management Guide
EX-i Series (TDD) Digital Microwave Radios
6 206501-019
2016-05-24
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. 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
Familiarization with the i-Series Radios
The Exalt i-Series radios utilize time division duplex (TDD) radio transmission. This means that the
transmitted signal in both directions uses the same center frequency and transmits in one direction for
a period of time, and then in the opposite direction for another period of time. This total period of time
is referred to as the frame length or TDD frame length, and is further discussed in Time Division
Duplex (TDD) Factors.