Atoll 2.8.2 : Managing Station Templates (GSM EDGE Project)

Managing Station Templates

Atoll comes with GSM/GPRS/EDGE station templates, but you can also create and modify station templates. The tools for working with station templates can be found on the Radio toolbar (see Figure 6.8).

Figure 6.8: The Radio toolbar

In this section, the following are explained:

• "Creating or Modifying a Station Template"

Creating or Modifying a Station Template

When you create a station template, Atoll bases it on the station template selected in the Station Template Properties dialogue. The new station template has the same parameters as the one it is based on. Therefore, by selecting the existing station template that most closely resembles the station template you want to create, you can create a new template by only modifying the parameters that differ.

As well, you can modify the properties of any station template.

To create or modify a station template:

1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.

2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.

3. You can now create a new station template or modify an existing one:

- To create a new station template: Under Station Templates, select the station template that most closely resembles the station template you want to create and click Add. The Properties dialogue appears.

- To modify an existing station template: Under Station Templates, select the station template whose properties you want to modify and click Properties. The Properties dialogue appears.

4. Click the General tab of the Properties dialogue. In this tab (see Figure 6.9), you can modify the following: the Name of the station template, the number of Sectors, each with a transmitter, the Hexagon Radius, i.e., the theoretical radius of the hexagonal area covered by each sector, the HCS Layer, the Cell Type, the Max. TRXs/Sector, the Min. Range, the Max. Range, and the BSIC Domain.

Figure 6.9: Station Template Properties dialogue – General tab

- Under Main Antenna, you can modify the following: the antenna Model, 1st Sector Azimuth, from which the azimuth of the other sectors are offset to offer complete coverage of the area, the Height of the antenna from the ground (i.e., the height over the DTM; if the transmitter is situated on a building, the height entered must include the height of building), the Mechanical Downtilt, and the Additional Electrical Downtilt.

- Under Propagation, you can modify the following: the Propagation Model, Radius, and Resolution for both the Main Matrix and the Extended Matrix. For information on propagation models, see Managing Calculations in Atoll.

5. Click the Transmitter tab. In this tab (see Figure 6.10), you can modify the following:

- Under Transmission, you can select to enter either Power and Total Losses or EIRP (Effective Isotropically Radiated Power). If you select EIRP, you can enter the value yourself, without defining power and losses for the transmitter.

If you select Power and Total Losses, Atoll calculates losses and noise according to the characteristics of the equipment assigned to the transmitter. Equipment can be assigned using the Equipment Specifications dialogue which appears when you click the Equipment button. Atoll will calculate the EIRP with the following formula:

EIRP = Power + Gain - Losses

For information on the Equipment Specifications dialogue, see "Transmitter Description".

Figure 6.10: Station Template Properties dialogue – Transmitter tab

If you want transmitters created with this station template to be active by default, select the Active check box.

- Transmitter Type: If you want Atoll to consider transmitters created using this template as potential servers as well as interferer(s), set the transmitter type to Intra-Network (Server and Interferer). If you want Atoll to consider transmitters created using this template only as interferers, set the type to Extra-Network (Interferer Only). No coverage for an Interferer Only transmitter will be calculated for coverage predictions.

This enables you to model the co-existence of different networks in the same geographic area. For more information on studying interference between co-existing networks, see "Modelling the Co-existence of Networks".

6. Click the Configurations tab. In this tab (see Figure 6.11), you select the configuration used for GSM and GPRS/EDGE stations.

- Under GPRS/EDGE Properties, you must select the GPRS/EDGE Transmitter check box if the transmitters are going to be packet-switched capable transmitters, select a Coding Scheme Configuration from the list. For information on creating a coding scheme configuration, see "Coding Scheme Configuration".

Note: When you model EDGE Evolution on the transmitter side Atoll has to consider: - The support of high order modulations and the use of turbo codes in specific coding schemes which can be found in the selected GPRS/EDGE Configuration. In addition, EDGE Evolution can be modelled on the terminal side through: - The support of dual antenna terminals (Mobile Station Receive Diversity) and enhanced single antenna terminals (Single Antenna Interference Cancellation). Atoll offers a statistical modelling of these through the use of an EDGE evolution configuration, with the effect of SAIC or diversity already included both in the coding scheme admission thresholds and on the throughput versus C (or C/I) graphs. - The support of multi-carriers which can be set up on the terminal side. For more information, see "Creating or Modifying a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Terminal".

- For all transmitters, you can select a codec configuration from the list. For information on creating a coding scheme configuration, see "Codec Configuration".

Figure 6.11: Station Template Properties dialogue – Configurations tab

7. Click the Neighbours tab. In this tab (see Figure 6.12), you can modify the Max Number of Intra-Technology Neighbours and the Max Number of Inter-Technology Neighbours. For information on defining neighbours, see "Planning Neighbours".

Figure 6.12: Station Template Properties dialogue – Neighbours tab

8. Click the Other Properties tab. The Other Properties tab will only appear if you have defined additional fields in the Sites table, or if you have defined an additional field in the Station Template Properties dialogue.

9. When you have finished setting the parameters for the station template, click OK to close the dialogue and save your changes.

• "Copying Data from One Station Template to Another"

Copying Data from One Station Template to Another

You can copy properties from one template to another template by using the Station Templates table.

To copy properties from one template to another template:

1. Click the Data tab in the Explorer window.

2. Right-click the Transmitters folder. The context menu appears.

3. Select Network Settings > Station Templates from the context menu. The Station Templates table appears.

4. In the Stations Templates table, copy the settings in the row corresponding to the station template you want to copy from and paste them into the row corresponding to the station template you want to modify.

• "Modifying a Field in a Station Template"

Modifying a Field in a Station Template

To modify a field in a station template:

1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.

2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.

3. Select the template in the Available Templates list.

4. Click the Fields button.

5. In the dialogue that appears, you have the following options:

- Add: If you want to add a user-defined field to the station templates, you must have already added it to the Sites table (for information on adding a user-defined field to a table, see "Adding a Field to an Object Type’s Data Table") for it to appear as an option in the station template properties. To add a new field:

i. Click the Add button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.

ii. Enter a Name for the new field. This is the name that will be used in database.

iii. If desired, you can define a Group that this custom field will belong to. When you open an Atoll document from a database, you can then select a specific group of custom fields to be loaded from the database, instead of loading all custom fields.

iv. In Legend, enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll document.

v. For Type, you can select from Text, Short integer, Long integer, Single, Double, True/False, Date/Time, and Currency. If you choose text, you can also set the field Size (in characters), and create a Choice list, by entering the possible selections directly in the Choice list window and pressing ENTER after each one.

vi. Enter, if desired, a Default Value for the new field.

vii. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.

- Delete: To delete a user-defined field:

i. Select the user-defined field you want to delete.

ii. Click the Delete button. The user-defined field appears in strikethrough. It will be definitively deleted when you close the dialogue.

- Properties: To modify the properties of a user-defined field:

i. Select the user-defined field you want to modify.

ii. Click the Properties button. The Field Definition dialogue appears.

iii. Modify any of the properties as desired.

iv. Click OK to close the Field Definition dialogue and save your changes.

6. Click OK.

• "Deleting a Station Template".

Deleting a Station Template

To delete a station template:

1. In the Radio toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the list.

2. Select Manage Templates from the list. The Station Template Properties dialogue appears.

3. Under Station Templates, select the station template you want to delete and click Delete. The template is deleted.

4. Click OK.