Pathloss 5.0 : GIS Setup (ch 4)

Primary and Secondary DEMS

A primary and secondary DEM can be configured. Their usage is controlled by the profile generation options under Configure - PL50L options -Terrain data. If both primary and secondary databases have been configured and are checked in the options, the program will start with the primary database. If the operation (profile or elevation backdrop) is not complete, then the secondary database will be used to fill in the missing sections. Therefore, the primary data base should have the best resolution.

The default and recommended setting is to use the primary DEM only. If the operation fails then it is a simple matter to check the secondary DEM and the user can inspect the different areas in which this DEM was used.

When a profile is first generated for the first time, the DEM file usage is written to the notepad.

Note that it is possible to configure a DEM with different data sources provided that they are both in the same database category and are referenced to the same datum. For example, in the BIL geographic database, one could load the GTOPO30.ndx index file and then add SRTM files to the index. The program would always use the SRTM file (the best resolution) if available.

The following sections provide the setup procedures for the various database formats supported by the program.

On completion of the setup procedure, generate a path profile in the terrain data section of the program. The site coordinates must be within the south-north and west-east edges of the DEM file. In the case of the BIL projected database, the following default DEM parameters may need to be changed based on the results of a test profile. In the primary or secondary DEM tab, click the File index button and then select Edit - Parameters or right click on a data cell

· byte order - change from Motorola-Spark to Intel or vice versa if the elevations are missing or erratic

· file origin - change the origin from the SW corner to the NW corner or vice versa if the elevation backdrop appears to be upside down

· treat no data values as sea level - use this setting if elevations are missing when a portion of the profile is over water. The missing values will be replaced by 0 elevations.

BIL projected DEM setup procedure

Use this option for Planet type data and ESRI GRIDASCII projected data. Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the BIL projected data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The basic setup procedure is described below:

· Set the datum and projection for the data source. All data files used in this database selection must be referenced to this datum.

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. Depending on the specific DEM format, the following options are available to import an index from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For Planet type databases, select "text file index" item. This uses the standard text file import utility described in the general program operation section

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

If the DEM files are previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII utm files" and multi select the DEM files. Note that the file suffix "utm" means that this is a projected DEM as opposed to a geographic DEM. The actual projection is not necessarily UTM.

The File index includes a conversion utility from ERSI GRIDASCII to a binary format. Select Convert - GRIDASCII and multi select the files to be converted. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index

BIL geographic DEM setup procedure

Use this option for ESRI GRIDASCII geographic data. Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the BIL geographic data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. SRTM, NED and GTOPO39 DEMS are examples of the BIL geographic DEM. Preconfigured options for these databases are available. The basic setup procedure is described below:

· Set the datum corresponding to the data source. All data files used in this database selection must be referenced to this datum. Set the projection to geographic (latitude-longitude)

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. Depending on the specific DEM format, the following options are available to import an index from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

For SRTM hgt files, a file open dialog is used to multi select the hgt files. The index will be created using the file name for the extents and the file size for the resolution.

If the DEM files have been previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII geo files" and multi select the DEM files.

The File index menu includes a conversion utility from ERSI GRIDASCII to a binary format. Select Convert - GRIDASCII and multi select the files to be converted. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index

NED (CONUS) setup procedure

This is a specific implementation of the BIL geographic DEM. The term CONUS refers to the 48 contiguous states. The BIL file has the following characteristics:

· the data origin is the north west corner.

· data format can be 16 bit integers or 8 bit integers depending on the elevation range in the file

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· the spacial reference is geographic with a resolution of 1, 1/3 and 1/9 arc seconds. The datum is NAD83. Spacial details are given in external ESRI blw and hdr files

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the NED (CONUS) data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to NAD 83 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. The following options are available to import an index from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

If the DEM files have been previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII geo files" and multi select the DEM files.

NED (Alaska) setup procedure

This is a specific implementation of the BIL geographic DEM for Alaska. The BIL file has the following characteristics:

· data is referenced to the center of a cell

· data is organized in rows running from west to east starting in the north west corner.

· the data format is a 16 bit integer

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· the spacial reference is geographic with a resolution of 2 arc seconds. The datum is currently NAD27. Spacial details are given in external files ESRI blw and hdr files

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the NED (Alaska) data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to NAD 27 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. The following options are available to import an index from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

If the DEM files have been previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII geo files" and multi select the DEM files.

SRTM (World) setup procedure

SRTM data provides 3 arc second world wide coverage in the latitude range 60°N to 60°S. One arc second data is available for the United States. The data is available in ESRI BIL format and in 1 degree by 1 degree hgt files. This is a specific implementation of the BIL geographic data format with the following characteristics.

· the data origin is the north west corner.

· data format can be 8 or 16 bit integers in the ESRI BIL format. The hgt files use 16 bit integers.

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· the spacial reference is geographic. The datum is WGS84. Spacial details are given in external files in the ESRI BIL version and are derived from the file name

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the SRTM (World) data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to WGS 84 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. The following options are available to import an index from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

For SRTM hgt files, a file open dialog is used to multi select the hgt files. The index will be created using the file name for the extents and the file size for the resolution.

If the DEM files have been previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII geo files" and multi select the DEM files.

GTOPO30 (World) setup procedure

The GTOPO30 DEM provides world wide coverage with a 30 arc second resolution. This is a specific implementation of the BIL geographic data format with the following characteristics.

· data is organized in rows running from west to east starting at the north west corner.

· data format is 16 bit integers

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· the spacial reference is geographic with a resolution of 30 arc seconds. The datum is WGS84. Spacial details are predefined in the program

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the GTOPO30 (World) data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to WGS 84 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. Note that the complete index is automatically set The following options are available to add additional file indexes from external files. Select Files - Import Index.

For ESRI Arc Info/Grid BIL files, select the "bil, hdr, blw files" item and load any file with these suffixes. Note that the windows file open dialog includes an option to include the specific directory in the index.

For SRTM hgt files, a file open dialog is used to multi select the hgt files. The index will be created using the file name for the extents and the file size for the resolution.

If the DEM files have been previously converted GRIDASCII files, then select the "GRIDASCII geo files" and multi select the DEM files.

DTED setup procedure

DTED (Digital Terrain Elevation Data) is the US Defense Mapping Agency binary terrain data format. The basic DTED data format is given below:

· data is written in columns from south to north starting in the south west corner. each column begins with a header and ends with a check sum of the elevations.

· the elevation data is defined at the intersection of the row column grid lines

· data format is a 16 bit integer

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· the datum is WGS84. the spacial reference is geographic. The east - west resolution is 3 arc seconds DTED level 1 and 1 arc second for DTED level 2. The north - south resolution varies with latitude as shown below for DTED level 1 data

0 to 50° - 3 sec 50° to 70° - 6 sec 70° to 75° - 9 sec 75° to 80° - 12 sec 80° to 90° 18 sec

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the DTED data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to WGS 84 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection). The basic setup procedure is given below:

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files. This will depend on the selected directory structure as described below

· DTED files can be indexed using the main default directory or individual directories for each file. Another option is to used a defined directory structure and a file naming convention for these file. In the following arrangements the file name suffix is dt1 for level 1 data and dt2 for level 2 data.

USDMA defined directory names are based on the longitude e.g W072. File names in that directory are based on the latitude e.g. N34.dt1. In this arrangement the file would be (main directory)\W072\N34.dt1.

Canadian DTED file naming convention - this is the same as the USDMA convention with four zeros added to the directory and file names. The file name in this case would be (main directory)\W0720000\N340000.dt1.

the Pathloss version 4.0 file naming convention uses the latitude and longitude e.g. W072n34.dt1. The file name is unique and does not depend on the directory name. The files can be all located in a single directory or can be saved in a user defined data structure based on latitude or longitude. Using the directory format specifier "%x%03X" the file name would be (main directory)/W072/W072N34.dt1

· USGS 1:25000 ASCII DEM files can be converted to the DTED file format. This can be carried out from the Setup dialog or the File index. In the file index, the conversion will automatically create an index.

· If the file index method is used, click the File Index button. The select the Files - DTED file index menu item. Mu lit select the DTED files to create the index

CDED (Canada) setup procedure

CDED (Canadian Digital Elevation Data) files are provided in the USGS 1:250 000 ASCII DEM file format. These are available in a 3 arc second resolution for 1:250 000 scale mapping and 0.75 arc seconds for 1:50 000 scale mapping. The files are converted to a DTED file format with the suffix "dtd". The basic format is shown below:

· Data is written in columns from south to north starting in the south west corner. Each column begins with a header and ends with a check sum of the elevations.

· the elevation data is defined at the intersection of the row column grid lines

· data format is a 16 bit integer

· byte order is big-endian (Motorola)

· The datum is NAD83

· The the spacial reference is geographic (latitude - longitude). The grid spacing is based on the coordinates at a maximum and minimum resolution of 0.75 and 3 arc seconds for the 1:50 000, and 3 and 12 arc seconds for the 1:250 000 respectively, depending on latitude.

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the CTED (Canada) data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to NAD83 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory for the DEM files.

· Click the File index button. Then select the Files - DTED file index and multi select the DTED files. The index lines will be created based on the file header information.

· The ASCII CDED files must be converted to the DTED format to be used in the program. In the File index select the convert menu item. Multi select the CDED files and the conversion will automatically generate the index for the converted files.

USA 3 sec compressed setup procedure

Three arc second terrain data for the United States in a compressed format is available for use with the Pathloss program. This data has been taken directly from the USGS 1:250,000 ASCII DEMs. The elevations in these files are in meters relative to mean sea level. The south-north resolution is 3 arc seconds. Below 50° the west-east resolution is 3 arc seconds. Between 50° and 70° the resolution is 6 arc seconds and 9 arc seconds above 70°.The error checking on these files consisted of the following verifications.

· Each elevation must be within the range specified for both the entire file and the specific column.

· The absolute value of all elevations including the maximum and minimum values must be less than 10000 meters.

A total of 29 files did not pass this criteria and these were edited. The majority of errors involved the maximum elevation in the file. Other errors included extreme elevations (-32467) at the end of columns. These files have all been edited. None of the changes involved interpolating elevations. Most of the errors occurred at sea level.

All files are contained on a single CD-ROM and are organized in directories based on longitude under a main directory 3SEC_USA. The directory names are based on the longitude of the southwest corner of file e.g. W095. The file names are based on the longitude and latitude of the southwest corner. At latitudes less than 50º, the files have been split into two halves at the central longitude of the file. The letter L (left) or R (right) is appended to the file name. The file suffix is always cte (compressed terrain elevations). As an example, the file W095N44R.CTE represents the western half of the one degree block whose southwest corner is located at 44º north and 95º west. The file is located in the directory 3SEC_USA\W095 on the CD-ROM. The basic setup procedure is given below:

Select the primary or secondary DEM tab and then select the USA 3 sec compressed data format from the digital elevation model drop down list. The datum is automatically reset to WGS84 using a geographic (latitude - longitude projection).

· Click the Setup button and set the main directory to the location of the 3SEC_USA directory.

· As this database uses a file naming convention in a fixed directory structure, a file index is not used and the setup procedure is complete

Pathloss 5.0 : GIS Setup (ch 3)

Digital Elevation and clutter Models

The following description is applicable to both digital elevation and clutter models. The term DEM (digital elevation model) is used for both elevations and clutter databases. A DEM is a regular array (rows and columns) of data. These rows and columns can be considered to form two different arrangements

· The rows and columns form an x-y axis grid. The data is defined at the intersections of the x and y grid lines.

· The rows and columns form rectangular cells. The data represents the average value in the cell area and is defined at the center of the cell.

The horizontal extent of the data is determined by the grid spacing or the cell size and the number of rows and columns. Suppose the xy grid spacing is one kilometer and the cell size is also one kilometer. A horizontal extent of 100 kilometers would require 101 rows / columns for grid referenced data and 100 rows / columns for cell referenced data.

The horizontal reference can be in geographic or projected coordinate system. For example the data base might be described as a 3 arc second in the case of a geographic reference or 30 meters in database using a UTM projection. In both cases the horizontal datum must be known.

Some DEMS use a file naming convention is used to identify the horizontal extents. In others, the spacial data is in For example the SRTM hgt files are in one degree by one degree blocks. The file name is based on the south west corner coordinates and the resolution of either 3 arc seconds or 1 arc second is determined by the size of the file. Other databases provide the spacial information in external files

The usual data format is an unsigned 16 bit integer. This can represent any elevation in meters relative to sea level or an index into a clutter definition table. Some DEMs will use 8 byte integers provided that the actual range of data values can be accommodated. Other DEMS use floating point numbers.

The actual data file contains only the elevations or clutter values and is written as a continuous sequence of data values. The file may contain a header describing the extents and resolution of the file or this information may be available in external files Several common formats are given below.

· data is written in columns from south to north starting at west edge and proceeding to the east edge

· data is written in rows from west to east starting at the south edge and proceeding to the north

· data is written in rows from west to east starting at the north edge and proceeding to the south edge

BIL file format

BIL ("Band Interleaved by Line) is a generic GIS data file format. A single band (elevation or clutter) is used in all databases in this program and this would be more correctly denoted by BSQ (Band Sequential). BIL files have the following characteristics.

· the data is referenced to the center of a cell

· data is organized in rows running from west to east. The origin can be in the south west or north west corner.

· data format can be 16 bit integer, 8 bit integer or IEEE floating point

· byte order can be big-endian or little-endian ( Motorola - Intel)

· the spacial reference can be geographic or a projection such as UTM. The file contains only the elevation or clutter data. An external file index is used to define the extents of each file.

· Planet data is an example of BIL projected data. The US NED is a an example of BIL geographic data.

File Locations

Other that the Site coordinates tab, each tab includes a Setup button which specifies the location of the files associated with that tab. These files can be located in individual directories or in a main or common directory. If a directory is specified for a file, the program first looks for the file in that directory. If the file is not found or the file directory is not specified, the program looks for the file in the main directory.

File Index

A file index specifies the extents and resolution of the data files. This is the lookup table which maps the coordinates of a point to the database file name. The mapping procedure checks for file with overlapping areas and uses the file with the higest resolution. The File index uses a standard grid data entry form for which details are provided in the general program operation section. The following fields are used:

· west, east, south, north edges

· number of rows and columns

· x and y cell sizes

· UTM zone - standard meridian this field is only used on projections which have been specified as variable

Either the cell sizes or the number of rows and columns can be specified. The other fields will be calculated. If only the x cell dimension is entered, it is assumed that the y cell is the same size.

All dimensions must correspond to the specified projection. For example a DTED file (geographic) would have the edges specified in degrees and the cell size in seconds as follows:

west edge = 105W, east edge = 104W, south edge = 51N, north edge = 52N, x cell = 6 (seconds) y cell = 3 (seconds)

UTM projected data would have all units expressed in meters as in the example line below

west edge = 535590.0 m, east edge =545590.0 m, south edge = 721330.0 m, north edge = 731330.0, x cell = 10m

mention temporary file index here

talk about how the index is used and always the best resolution

Import Methods

Select Files - Import index on the File index menu bar. A submenu of the available import methods is displayed. The following methods to import an index are used:

· if the data files include header information or uses a file naming convention, a standard windows file open dialog is use to multi select the files. The headers are read and the index is automatically generated. Examples of this method are DTED and SRTM hgt files

· ESRI Arc Info/Grid employ separate files with the suffixes hdr, blw, and prj files to define the extents and projection of the data file which usually has a bil suffix. These files can be used to automatically generate an index item for the file.

· A text file index is included in Planet type data sets. This file can be imported using the standard text import utility described in the general program operation section.

· The file index menu may include an item to convert an ASCII file to the binary DEM format. This procedure will automatically generate an index for the converted file.

DEM Parameters

Right click on an index item or select Edit - Parameters from the File index menu bar. The DEM Parameters dialog shows the default DEM configuration.

· data type - default value - do not change

· byte order - A change may be necessary when using the generic BIL projected and geographic formats.

· location - default value - do not change

· units - default value - do not change

· no data value - changes allowed based on specific data file information.

· treat no data values as sea level - the default value is false. Users can change this based on actual knowledge of the area.

· read data as.. The default setting are "4 point weighted average" on DEMs and single point on clutter data bases. If the DEM contains embedded building data, this should be set to a single point read

· file organization - default value - do not change

· file origin - on BIL data, this setting effectively turns the display upside down. A change may be necessary when using the generic BIL projected and geographic formats

Pathloss 5.0 : GIS Setup (ch 2)

Site coordinates

The first step is to set the datum and projection as described above. All site coordinates must correspond to the datum specified here. This tab also includes several data entry and formatting options

Hemisphere selection

Internally, the program uses the standard convention of positive latitudes in the northern hemisphere and positive longitudes in the eastern hemisphere. The user has the option of setting any hemisphere as positive as a data entry convenience. When site data is imported into the program, the hemispheres are defined in the import procedure.

Latitude format

If the latitudes are positive in the northern hemisphere, a minus sign before the degrees will change the entry to a southern latitude. If the southern hemisphere is selected, the opposite is true. Alternately, the letters `N' and `S` can be used to specify a northern or southern latitude respectively.

Note that the latitude hemisphere selection also affects the zone in the Universal Transverse Mercator projection. The redundancy between UTM coordinates in the northern and southern hemispheres is removed by specifying the zone as north or south (e.g. 10N). A negative zone number has the effect of specifying the opposite hemisphere in the same manner as a negative latitude.

Northern Hemisphere Selected Southern Hemisphere Selected

Data Entry Result Data Entry Result

49 32 24 49 32 24.0 N 49 32 24 49 32 24.0 S

-49 32 24 49 32 24.0 S -49 32 24 49 32 24.0 N

49 32 24 S 49 32 24.0 S 49 32 24 N 49 32 24.0 N

Longitude Formats

If the longitude is set to the western hemisphere, a minus sign before the degrees will change the entry to an eastern longitude. If the eastern hemisphere is selected, the opposite is true. Alternately the letters `E' and `W` can be used to specify a eastern or western longitudes respectively.

Western Hemisphere Selected Eastern Hemisphere Selected

Data Entry Result Data Entry Result

115 32 24 115 32 24.0 W 115 32 24 115 32 24.0 E

-115 32 24 115 32 24.0 E -115 32 24 115 32 24.0 W

115 32 24 E 115 32 24.0 E 115 32 24 W 115 32 24.0 W

Precision

Geographic coordinates can be formatted to the nearest second, nearest 0.1 second or the nearest 0.01 second. This does not affect the calculations, because the coordinates are saved as double precision numbers.

Latitude Longitude Data Entry Format

Latitudes and longitudes are entered in degrees, minutes and seconds separated by space, or in decimal format or any combination of these two methods. The following examples illustrate the format:

Data Entry Format Geographic Defaults Settings

Latitude

49 049 00 00.00 N northern hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

49.5 049 30 00 S southern hemisphere - nearest second

49 30 01 049 30 01.0 N northern hemisphere - nearest 0.1 second

49 30.5 049 30 30.00 S southern hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

49 049 00 00.00 S northern hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

49.5 049 30 00.00 N southern hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

Longitude

122 122 00 00.00 W western hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

122.5 122 00 00 E eastern hemisphere - nearest second

122 12 02 122 12 02.0 W western hemisphere - nearest 0.1 second

-122 14.5 122 14 30.00 E western hemisphere - nearest 0.01 second

Advanced Site Coordinate Options

Reference latitude and longitude coordinates to WGS84

The following example illustrates the use of this option

Projection British National Grid

Datum Ordnace Survey Great Britain 1936

Region England.

The initial grid coordinates are X = 540000, Y = 235000 meters

The corresponding latitude and longitude are 51 59 43.25N and 00 02 21.85E. Note that these coordinates are referenced to the OSGB36 datum.

Suppose now that these coordinates were inadvertently used assuming a WGS84 datum. The error would be 113.6 meters in X and 47.7 meters in Y.

If the "Reference latitude and longitude coordinates to WGS84" option is checked, then a two step conversion is used from latitude - longitude (WGS84) to British National Grid XY. The intermediate latitude longitude in OSGB36 would not appear.

Latitude Longitude - to grid coordinate calculation sequence.

If the user enters the latitude and longitude, the projected grid coordinates are calculated and vice versa. Note that the calculation uses the major and minor axis of the ellipsoid.

Suppose the user has taken the UTM eastings and northings for a series of sites from a topographic map and entered these into the program. The user then notices that the datum was incorrectly set and therefore the latitude and longitude values are wrong. To salvage the work, the user would set the calculation sequence to "Recalculate the latitude - longitude from the projected XY coordinates" and then change the datum.

Projected coordinate system designation

This option specifies the grid coordinate labels in data entry forms and reports.

The easting and nothing designations are unambiguous; however X and Y designations can have opposite meanings on some projections. For example, in the Swiss National Grid system, X corresponds to northing and Y to easting.

Pathloss 5.0 : GIS Setup (ch 1)

Overview

The GIS configuration controls the following aspects of the network display:

· specifies the datum and projection of the site coordinates. All site coordinates must be referenced to the specified datum

· primary and secondary terrain database definition

· clutter 1 and clutter 2 database definition

· backdrop imagery definition

· vector data definition.

The GIS configuration is saved in a file with the suffix p5g. Furthermore, the full path of this GIS file name is saved in the network display gr5 file. When a network gr5 file is loaded, the corresponding GIS file is automatically loaded at the same time

On a new project, any existing GIS p5g file can be loaded. The GIS configuration can be set to load a default p5g file on start-up. Wen a network gr5 file is opened the GIS configuration will be reset to the p5g file specified in the network.

The GIS configuration in the PL50L (standalone) program includes its own GIS configuration. Backdrop imagery and and vector data are not defined in this application. The same p5g files are used with both the PL50 and the PL50L application. In the PL50L (standalone) program the datum and projection will be reset to thedatum and projection defined in the pl5 file when it is loaded.

Select Configure - Set GIS configuration to access the GIS setup dialog. Note that this dialog has a files menu. The setup is organized in the following tabs: site coordinates, primary DEM, secondary DEM, Clutter 1, Clutter 2, backdrop imagery and vector data. In the PL50L standalone application, the last two tabs are not shown.

Datum - projection definition

The ideal GIS configuration occurs when all of the GIS components (sites DEM, clutter, backdrop imagery and vector data) are referenced to the same datum - projection. This is the situation in Planet data sets; however in many cases the available data in the GIS components may be in a different datum - projection. A typical example would be NED data in NAD83 (latitude-longitude) and orthophoto
imagery referenced to state plane coordinates. To deal with this situation each of the GIS tabs has its own datum - projection setting.

These are organized alphabetically in terms of a general projection category and the specific projection. Many projections such as the British National Grid or the Swiss National System are unique and when one of these categories are selected, the corresponding datum will be automatically set. On other projections, such as the Universal Transverse Mercator projection, the user must set the datum.

A special projection category is the Geographic projection. This means that the coordinates are in latitude and longitude only. A rectangular projections is not used. The user must set the datum in this case.

Note that the geographic coordinates latitude and longitude are always present. Distance and azimuth calculations use latitude and longitude. Path profiles are created by calculating the points along the path which follow a great circle are between sites. Using the special geographic projection, it is possible to have only the latitude and longitude. If any other projection is specified, both the latitude - longitude and the projected coordinates are specified.

Some projections categories are classed as fixed or variable. These are

· Australian map grid AGD 66 fixed zone or variable zone

· Australian map grid AGD 84 fixed zone or variable zone

· Map grid of Australia MGA 94 fixed zone or variable zone

· Universal transverse Mercator (UTM) fixed zone or variable zone

· Gauss confrom - South Africa - fixed meridian or variable meridian

Geographic data can be specified in either latitude- longitude or in projected coordinates. If a variable zone is selected, in a UTM projection, then the following operation will be in effect:

· If latitude - longitude are entered, the corresponding easting, northing and UTM zone will be calculated.

· To enter the projected coordinates, the easting northing and the UTM zone must be entered to calculate the corresponding latitude

If a fixed zone is selected, in a UTM projection, then specific zone must be specified. The following operation will be in effect:

· If latitude - longitude are entered, the corresponding easting, northing for the specified UTM zone will be calculated.

· To enter the projected coordinates, only the easting and northing must be entered to calculate the corresponding latitude. The fixed zone specified

The use of variable zone definitions in terrain elevation and clutter databases has other implications which are described in these specific sections.

A datum includes the parameters to transform coordinates to and from the WGS84 datum. On regional datums which cover a large geographic area, the datum can include a number of regions with specific transformation parameters for that region. In these case the user must also set the specific region.

Pathloss 5.0 : Transmission line lookup table

Transmission line lookup table

The transmission line lookup table, was compiled from the Andrew 37 catalogue and includes the following data:

• Manufacturer - model - technology (elliptical waveguide, foam and air dielectric heliax), rigid wave guide and generic coaxial cable).
• Frequency range.
• Table of frequency versus loss in dB /100m.

The values in the loss column on calculated on entry using the design frequency. A blank loss means that the frequency is outside the frequency range. If the frequency in the "Loss shown for frequency" edit control is changed, the loss values will be recalculated; however the design frequency is not changed.

The table can be filtered by frequency or technology. For frequency, check the "Frequency in range" box and click the Apply button. For technology, select the technology from the drop down list and click the Apply button. If the model number is known, enter this in the "Find" edit control and the display will scroll to the model.

The buttons with a +, are used to transfer the transmission line data into the data entry form.

Adding a new transmission line

The basic transmission line lookup table uses a standard grid control; however a new transmission line cannot be added directly into this form as the data contains a frequency versus loss table. Click the add button to access the transmission line data entry form.

Enter the manufacturer model and technology in the upper section and at least two values of frequency and loss.

The maximum and minimum are taken as the first and last entries in the list. The loss is determined by the linear interpolation of this table.

Editing an existing transmission line

Place the cursor on the required entry and click the Edit button. The procedure is exactly the same as for the Add button described above.

Pathloss 5.0 : Radio data file index

Radio data file index

The radio data file index utility contains a list of all available radio data files. These files can be in any location on your computer. Initially the index will be empty and as part of the initial setup the user will select the radio files for the index.

A radio data file name less the suffix is used as a unique identifier or key field to determine the location of the actual data file. Therefore all radio data files must have a unique file name. The maximum file name length not including the suffix is 48 characters. Radio files with the same name but located in different directories cannot be used.

The tool bar section of the radio index display includes several features to locate a radio. The index can be searched for a specific manufacturer, code or model. The list of radios displayed can be filtered by the manufacturers, frequency range and technology. Enter / select the required values and click the Apply button.

To view the specifications and curves for a specific radio, place the cursor on the desired radio and click the display button.

The radio index is used to add radio data into the various data entry forms throughout the program. The add buttons shown are for a radio link. The +1 and +2 buttons add the selected radio into the site 1 and site 2 respectively and the +12 button adds the radio into both sites.

Importing radio data into the index

This step is carried on as part of the initial program setup. Click the import button to create an index from radio data files. Use the directory tree to navigate to the location of the radio data files. An index can be created by any of the following methods:

• Selected file(s) - select this option in the "Create index for" group. Multiselect the desired files. You need to click in the Code column to select a file. Click the Create index button.
• Selected directory - select this option in the "Create index for" group to create an index for all radio data files in the selected directory. Select the directory and click the Create index button.
• Selected directory and all sub directories - Be aware that the equipmnt\asd directory contains 3500+ radio data files. Select this option in the "Create index for" group, select the topmost directory and click the Create index button. This operation may take several minutes.

The index file is automatically saved in equipmnt\pl50_rad.ndx.

Pathloss 5.0 : Antenna data file index

Antenna data file index

The antenna data file index is used throughout the program to specify antennas and contains a list of all available antenna data files. The data files are created using the stand alone ant_rad utility. Refer to the documentation for this utility for details on file creation. These files can be in any location on your computer. Initially the index will be empty and as part of the initial setup the user will select the antenna files for the index.

An antenna data file name less the suffix is used as a unique identifier or key field to determine the location of the actual data file. Therefore all antenna data files must have a unique file name. The maximum file name length not including the suffix is 48 characters. Antenna files with the same name but located in different directories cannot be used.

The tool bar section of the Antenna index display includes several features to locate an antenna. The index can be searched for a specific manufacturer, code or model. The list of antennas displayed can be filtered by the manufacturer, frequency range and technology. Enter - select the required values and click the Apply button

To view the antenna patterns and specifications for a specific antenna, place the cursor on the desired antenna and click the display button

The antenna index is used to add antenna data into the various data entry forms throughout the program. The add buttons shown are for a radio link. The +1 and +2 buttons add the selected antenna into the site 1 and site 2 respectively and the +12 button adds the antenna into both sites.

Importing antenna data into the index

This step is carried on as part of the initial program setup. Click the import button to create an index from antenna data files. Use the directory tree to navigate to the location of the antenna data files. An index can be created by any of the following methods:

• Selected file(s) - select this option in the "Create index for" group. Multiselect the desired files. You need to click in the Code column to select a file. Click the Create index button.
• Selected directory - select this option in the "Create index for" group to create an index for all antenna data files in the selected directory. Select the directory and click the Create index button.
• Selected directory and all sub directories - Be aware that the equipmnt\asd directory contains 3500+ antenna data files. Select this option in the "Create index for" group, select the topmost directory and click the Create index button. This operation may take several minutes.

The index file is automatically saved in equipmnt\pl50_ant.ndx

Pathloss 5.0 : Program Organization

Program organization

The figure below shows a diagram of the basic program organization. The PL50 main window is the network display and is referred to as such throughout the documentation. The network display shows the sites and links geographically and is the primary user interface.

An automatic export feature to Google earth is provided for sites, links, and the local and area studies. The sites and links can also be exported in the ESRI shapefile format.

GIS section

The network display is controlled by the geographic information system (GIS) which provides the following functionality:

• Backdrop imagery in the form of raster data files (bmp, png, jpg tiff).
  
• Vector displays using shapefiles or Planet type vector files.
  
• Elevation and clutter views of the underlying terrain.
  
• Datum and projection definition for the site coordinates.
  

Site and link lists

The site and link lists represent the user's data. As a minimum, a site is defined by its name and geographic coordinates and a link is defined by the end site identities. The user interface is the site list from which data can be imported by any of the following means:

• Text files containing a list of sites.
  
• Text files containing a list of links (two sites per line).
  
• Existing pl5 files.
  
• An ODBC interface to an existing data base.
  

Links and sites can be exported to a database using the ODBC interface or to a text file.

Network display operations

The following design operations are carried out in the network display:

• Automatic link design - this is carried out for point to point and point to multipoint systems. In the point to point case, every possible combination of links are generated between two groups of sites. This includes the special case of all sites to all sites. Rejection criteria are used to determine the final link configuration.
  
• Local studies - a base station is defined at a site and the signal strength is calculated for a specified distance from the site.
  
• Area studies - a area is define which includes a number of base stations. The signal strength from each base station is calculated over this area. In addition to the signal strength displays, carrier to interference, most likely server and simulcast time delays displays are available.
  

PL50L integrated link design

When the user left clicks on a link in the network display, a drop down menu appears showing the following design sections of the integrated link design program:

• Transmission analysis - includes data entry forms for radio antenna and transmission line equipment. This section calculates the link unavailability due to multipath and rain fading. An automatic link design feature including path profile generation, antenna height calculation and data entry is available in this section.
  
• Terrain data - in this section path profiles are generated from a terrain database, imported from a text file or can be manually entered. Structures including off path structures and ranges of structures can be added to the path profile. If a clutter data base was used to generate the profile, the clutter heights can be edited.
  
• Antenna heights - clearance criteria in terms of the earth radius factor (K), percent of the first Fresnel zone radius and a fixed height are used to calculate antenna heights. The analysis is extended to show diffraction loss at the minimum expected value of K and a user specified value. The feasibility of links operating in the VHF and UHF bands can be quickly determined with this feature.
  
• Multipath - reflection analysis - section deals with terrain reflections and ducting. Ray tracing and reflective plane techniques are used to show the variations of receive signal using antenna heights, K, frequency and tide levels as variable parameters. The interactive display allows the optimum antenna spacing on space diversity applications to be simply determined. The elevated and surface duct characteristics are automatically determined for the specific path profiles using an ITU database.
  
• Diffraction loss - although diffraction loss is automatically calculated in the antenna heights and transmission analysis section, this section provides diffraction loss calculations as a function of K, frequency, antenna heights and along the path profile. Interactive calculations can be carried out as a means of verifying the results.
  

PL50L standalone link design program

In the integrated link design program, the individual pl5 files can only be accessed from the network display. In particular the files menu only allows pl5 files to be saved. Although a pl5 file can be imported into the network display and subsequently worked on in the integrated link design program, there is no provision to directly open a pl5 file in this program.

To deal with the general case of pl5 files which are not included in the network display, a standalone version of the PL50L link design program is provided. This can be accessed from the network tool bar or from a desktop icon. The standalone program has its own GIS setup which does not include backdrop imagery or vector displays.

In the integrated link design, all site coordinates are expected to be referenced to the same datum as defined in the sites tab of the GIS.

In the standalone version, the GIS sites tab datum and projection are changed to that defined in thepl5 file when it is opened.

Data entry

In addition to the standard windows dialog boxes, the program uses two data entry forms. The standard data entry form is used for a fixed number of entries. The grid data entry form is used for a variable number of items. These are described below.

Standard data entry form

Set the focus to the desired cell with a left click or use the cursor / tab keys and enter the data.

Cells which cannot be accessed are shown in blue letters. This may be a calculated field or not editable for some reason.

• Click the green check (OK) to accept the data entries. If the red X (Cancel) is selected, the data will change back to the original values.
  
• To erase an entry, select the field and press the F3 key or click the eraser button. Note that some data entries are mandatory and cannot be erased.
  
• To edit an existing entry, select the field and press the F2 key or double click on the cell.
  
• On forms with two columns, a data entry can be copied from one side to the other. Select the field to copy to and press the F4 key.
  
• The reset button resets add data to their original values.
  

Grid data entry display

The grid data entry display is used when a variable number of entries is required such as the site list in the Network display or in a lookup table. The following data types are used: numeric, text, boolean (e.g horizontal or vertical polarization) and drop down lists, check boxes, and color definitions.

To enter data or replace existing data, set the focus to the desired cell with a left click or use the cursor / tab keys and enter the new data.

To edit all other data types existing data double click on the cell or set the focus to the desired cell an press the Enter or F2 key.

Each data record has a minimum data entry requirement. For example in the case of a new site, the minimum requirement is the site name and the latitude - longitude.

Records can be edited and added using a list form. To edit an existing record, first select the record and then select Edit - Edit from the menu bar or right click on any field in the record and select Edit from the popup menu.

To add a new record, select Edit - Add on the site list menu bar. An existing item can be used as a template. Left click on the record number field to select an item to be used as a template before selecting Edit - Add.

The list form may contain additional fields which are not available in the grid data form. For example, in the Site list form, the following additional fields are available : projected coordinates, address, city, state, country and owner code.

The records in most grid data forms can be sorted. Click on the header of the field to sort by. The first click sorts in an ascending order. The second click sorts in a descending order.

To change column widths click on the column separator on the header bar and drag to the new width.

To change the column order, click on the column on the header bar and drag to the new location.

To reset the display to the default column widths and order, select

Right button menu

A right button click on a cell brings up a popup menu. The default menu selection consists of the edit list form and delete items; however, on others considerable functionality is available. An example of this is the DEM index grid data entry form.

Antenna configuration

All calculations and analysis in the program are based on an antenna configuration. The following terminology describes the antenna usage.

• TR - The antenna is used to transmit and receive.
  
• TX - The antenna is used to transmit only.
  
• RX - The antenna is used to receive only.
  
• DR - The antenna is used to receive only in a space diversity configuration.
  
• TH - The antenna is used to transmit and receive in a hybrid diversity configuration.
  

Table 1: Antenna Configurations
Two way antenna configurations
TR-TR	A single antenna is used at each site to transmit and receive.
TRDR-TRDR	Two antennas are used at each site in a space diversity configuration. The TR antenna is used to transmit and receive. The DR antenna is the diversity receive only antenna.
TXRX-TXRX	Two antennas are used at each site to transmit (TX) and receive (RX).
TXRXDR-TXRXDR	Three antennas are used at each site to transmit (TX), receive (RX) and space diversity receive (DR).
TR-TRTH TRTH-TR	This is a hybrid diversity configuration which uses frequency diversity in both directions and space diversity at one end of the path only. At the space diversity end, the TR antenna and TH antenna each transmit and receive one pair of the frequencies. The two configurations determine which site is equipped with space diversity.
TR-TXRX	A single antenna is used at Site 1 to transmit and receive. Separate antennas are used at site 2 to transmit and receive.
TXRX-TR	This is the reverse configuration of the above TR-TXRX configuration.
One way antenna configurations
TX-RX RX-TX	Transmit at one site and receive at the other. The two configurations identify the transmit and receive sites.
TX-RXDR RXDR-TX	Transmit at one site and diversity receive at the other. The two configurations identify the transmit and receive sites.

These antenna types are combined into antenna configurations as shown in the following table

Select Configure - Antenna Configuration from the PL50L menu bar to change the antenna configuration. If the antenna configuration is displayed on the status bar, you can also click the left mouse button on the configuration box.

Antenna combinations

Diversity and separate transmit and receive antenna configurations have several antenna combinations. Each combination must be analysed separately. Select Configure - Antenna Configuration on the menu bar. Alternately, if the current antenna configuration is displayed on the status bar, click the left mouse button on the antenna combination in the status bar to select a new combination. An antenna must be selected at each site to define the combination.

Color ramp

Color ramps are used for the following:

• Elevation backdrop.
  
• Color coding links in the auto link design section.
  
• Signal level displays in local and area studies.
  

This section describes the common features using the elevation color ramp shown on the right as an example

The display shows the color ramp with markers for each range on the left side of the color ramp. The basic operation is as follows

• Click on a range marker to select it. The range value will be displayed.
  
• Click and drag a range marker to a new location to change the range value. Be sure not to drag the maker outside the border as this will delete the range. Alternatively, enter a new value for the selected range.
  
• To remove a range, first select the range and then click the remove range button. Alternately click and drag the range marker outside the around the range maker border.
  
• To add a new range, double click inside the range border, but not on a specific range.
  
• To change the color of a range, select the range and click the change color button or double click on a range marker. If the ranges use solid colors, then you can also change the color by double clicking on the range display color. Note that the color selection dialog includes a transparency setting. Transparencies can be set for individual colors in local and area studies only. This feature can produce interesting effects for signal coverage. Elevation backdrops and the link color coding do not use the individual color transparencies.
  

Color schemes

Color schemes can be saved. The last scheme use becomes the default. To save a color scheme, enter and name for the color scheme and click the save button. To remove a color scheme, select the scheme from the drop down list and click the remove button.

Pathloss file types

GR5	The gr5 file contains the network data.
GR5ID	The gr5id file contains the next available numeric ID for sites, stations and links.
PL5	Pathloss 5 profile
PL4	Pathloss 4.0 profile
PL3	Pathloss 3.0 profile
LSY	Local study data file
ASY	Area study data file
P5G	GIS configuration file
ASD	Binary antenna data file
ADF, DAT	Commonly used for ASCII antenna data files.
RSD	Binary radio data file
RAF	ASCII radio data file
LD5	Link design file
TC5	Frequency plan file
IFR	Interference calculation results

Pathloss 5\cstmdata directory

This directory is used for custom data and contains the following file initially.

CIRCLEH.EMF, CIRCLEL.EMF	Files used to denote high and low frequency sites in frequency assignment operations.
PATHLOSS.EMF	Pathloss logo file
COMPROSE.BMP	Compass bit map used in the 3D terrain view.
HF1 -6.RTF	Rich text format files used to predefined headers and footers.
THSYMBOL.LST	Current list of thematic symbols - not initially present.
DEFAULT.LD5	Default link design file - not initially present.

Pathloss 5\equipmnt directory

This directory is intended for radio, and antenna data files. The following index files are saved in this directory:

PL50_ANT.NDX	Antenna data file index
PL50_RAD.NDX	Radio data file index
PL50_TXL.NDX	Transmission line lookup table

Profile displays

Profile displays are used in link design sections of the program. The basic operation of these displays is described below. The above display of the diffraction design section is a typical example of a profile display.

The terrain profile is preconditioned so that the minimum distance between profile points is one percent of the path length. Points are inserted to meet this requirement using linear interpolation. Most displays show the flat earth profile with a diagonal fill pattern and a second profile above this to represent the effective earth radius. The corresponding earth radius factor (K) will either be displayed on the status bar or as a selection in a drop down list on the control bar.

Profile displays use a cursor for various operations. The cursor is positioned on the display using the cursor keys or by clicking the left mouse button on the display. The cursor style and movement are described below.

Cursor style

The default cursor style is a red arrow. Press the letter A to change between an arrow and lines to the antenna. The latter is useful in assessing the clearance from some point to the antennas. The cursor style is also shown on the status bar as A of L. Alternately, left click on this letter to change the cursor style.

Cursor movement

Three cursor movement methods are used in the profile display:

• P (profile) the cursor can be positioned on any point of the terrain profile.
  
• S (snap) the cursor can only be positioned on peaks of the profile.
  
• C (continuous) the cursor can be positioned anywhere on the display. This option is only used in the diffraction design section.
  

The letters P, S or C appear on the status bar. To change the cursor movement press the letter for that movement or click the left mouse button on the letter in the status bar.

Selecting a Segment of the Profile

Many calculations involve the selecting a segment of a terrain profile. Several examples are:

• Defining the end points of a reflective plane.
  
• Terrain roughness calculations.
  
• Inhibiting reflections over a portion of the profile.
  
• Manual diffraction loss calculations.
  

The basic procedure, in all cases, is as follows:

• Place the cursor at one end of the segment and press the F1 key or click the right mouse button. The cursor will change color to indicate that it has been selected.
  
• To cancel the first point selection, press the F8 key or click the reset button on the display.
  
• Move the cursor to the opposite end of the segment and press the F1 key again or click the right mouse button.
  

Terrain data point information

Press the Ins key for information on the point at the cursor location. The format will vary depending on the design module. Alternately, click the left mouse button on the cursor location box on the status bar.

Status bar functions

The status bar, on most displays, includes short cut operations to commonly used functions. Typical examples are as follows:

• Click on either site name to access the site data entry form.
  
• To convert between metric and miles-feet click on the measurement box.
  

The selections available on the status bar depend on the specific design section.Click on each box in the status bar to determine if additional functionality has been implemented.

Fresnel zone reference

Fresnel zone reference area is an essential part of any terrain profile analysis. In profile displays, the Fresnel zone dialog is accessed from the menu bar or with the F2 key.

The Fresnel zone reference can be expressed as a percentage of the first Fresnel zone reference or as a Fresnel number (e.g. F2 = 1.414 F1).

Several types of Fresnel zone references are available. On line of sight paths the Fresnel zone references are always drawn from end to end. On obstructed paths, a more meaningful representation is achieved by drawing the Fresnel zones between the horizons.

If a reflective plane has been defined, the Fresnel zones can be drawn to the reflection point. This provides a visual representation of the area along the profile required to support a specular reflection.

If the label box is checked, the Fresnel zones reference will be written at the mid point.

There is no limit to the number of Fresnel zone references. The Fresnel zone reference settings are common to all design sections

Reports

Pathloss reports use the TE EDIT CONTROL, a full featured word processor, licensed from Sub Systems, Inc. The program generates the basic reports in an RTF format and then invokes the word processor. These can be If the files are saved in RTF format, then these can be used with Microsoft Word or any other word processor that supports the RTF file format.

Each link design section includes a report menu item for the specific reports applicable to that section. Details of these reports can be found in the documentation for that design section. Composite report generation for multiple pl5 files is provided in the PL50L link design program and in the PL50 network display. Details of these procedures are given below

PL50L report generation

Select the Design - reports on the PL50L menu bar to access the Reports dialog. This is really a report summary for the selected link.

Click the blue arrow for a particular report to print that report only

Check the desired reports and then click the blue arrow for "Print all selected reports" to print a composite report.

Click the blue arrow for "Edit report formats" to set the page margins and header footer format for the report templates

To batch print reports for multiple pl5 files, first check the desired reports and then click the blue arrow for "Multi select files to print". An open file dialog is used to multi select the pl5 files to print. This can also be carried out in the network display using a selection or group of links.

Path profile format

A path profile drawing is included in the Transmission summary report and is available as a single page landscape report. The drawing options depend on the profile format and the state of the "use clearance criteria" check box.

• The profile format can be a flat earth display, a curved earth display with straight axis or a curved earth display, with curved axis.
  
• With the flat earth display and the "use clearance criteria" checked, all Fresnel zone setting and K values are inhibited. The values specified in the pl5 file clearance criteria will be used.
  
• Four values of K can be shown using the flat earth display (with the "use clearance criteria not checked) or a single value with the curved earth displays.
  
• Four Fresnel zones can be drawn between the main antennas or between the main to diversity antennas. On obstructed paths the Fresnel zones can be drawn end to end or between the horizons.
  

Use the preview profile button to display the results.

Company name - Project name

These fields will be inserted into the header and footer as specified by the COMPANYNAME and PROJECTNAME keywords in the report templates

PL50 report generation

Select the Operations - PL5 reports menu to access the Reports dialog in the network display. This is used for batch printing reports. Note the following differences between this dialog and the pl50L reports dialog.

• The network display can be included in the report.
  
• The preview profile button is not available.
  
• Individual report printing is not available.
  

Select the files to print (selection, group or all links from the drop down list) and click the blue arrow button for "Print selected links.

Report formats

In the network display or link design section select Configure - PL50L options - Report layouts. Alternately in the reports dialog click the blue arrow for "Edit report formats"

RTF template files are provided for the following reports:

Transmission summary	P5transcalc_summ.rtf
Transmission detail	P5transcalc_detl.rtf
Profile display	P5profile_disp.rtf
Default report	P5default_rept.rtf
Batch print	P5batch_print.rtf
Interference case detail	P5interf_casedetl.rtf
Interference cross reference	P5interf_crossref.rtf
Performance summary	P5perform_summ.rtf
Network display - portrait	P5network_port.rtf
Network display - landscape	P5network_ldsc.rtf

These files are located in the cstmdata folder in the Pathloss program directory. The template files contain the report formatting including the header and footers. For each report click the "Edit RTF template file" button and edit the format as stated in the text in the template files.

The network display printing is automatically set to portrait or landscape based on the drawing aspect ratio.

Select the specific report to edit its format. Start by setting the units to either inches or millimeters. The following formatting options are available:

• Default image width and height - this is the size of the image (usually a profile display) as it will appear in the report. This can be resized in the report itself; however, in batch printing, the appropriate size should be determined on a single report before carrying out a batch print.
  
• A different font can be used for each report type.
  
• Color printer - a reflection analysis report uses color coded lines to display the relative receive signal level as a function of a variable. If color printer is not checked the coding will be changed from colors to a line style (dotted, dashed...).
  
• The contents of the pl5 file note pad can be included in the report. This option only refers to reports in the PL50L link design section.