BASIC RF
Components
CELL PLANNING
SMART Communications Inc.
OBJECTIVES:
Review the Basic Units, terminology
and RF components
Applications
I. Basic of Telecom
a. Transmitter the equipment that generates and
amplifies a RF carrier signal, modulating the
carrier signal with intelligence, and feeding the
modulated carrier to an antenna for radiation into
space as electromagnetic wave.
b. Receiver an equipment used for receiving
radio waves and converting them into the original
intelligence
c. Information/Intelligence the actual message
that is being sent in a communication system.
Hi! Good
Morning.
Rx
Tx
Hi! Good
Morning
too.
II. Terms and Units
a. Relative and Absolute
i. Ratios units which are in absolute form and
represent division of values. Ex. C/I, S/N, etc.
ii. Logarithmic units which are converted into
its equivalent logarithmic values. Ex. decibel
b. Amplitude or Signal Level
- signifies the strength of the given signal
i. Watts - the SI unit of electric power that in
one second gives rise to energy to one joule.
- it is named after the Scottish inventor
James Watt
Amplitude
Amplitude the value of a varying signal at a specific period
in time
ii. Decibel a power measurement unit referred to another
unit.
dBm the power level of a certain signal taking 1
milliwatt as the reference
iii. Losses and Gains -energies that are either
added/absorbed and subtracted/released in a system
iv. C/I or S/N the ratio of the desired signal to the
undesired signal or interference/noise
- this is a measure of the strength of a
signal compared to any unwanted
signal.
c. Frequency - the number of complete cycle per unit of
time for a periodic quantity such as alternating current,
sound waves and radiowaves.
i. Hertz the SI unit of frequency equal to cycle
per second
T
Frequency =
1
Period ( T )
Vel of Propagation
=
Frequency
v. 3 dB points Half power points
- points on the waveform where of
the maximum signal is located
- this is the reference when we take the
bandwidth of a certain waveform
amplitude
Max pt.
3dB pt
Bandwidth
frequency
ii. Center Frequency - the average frequency of the
emitted wave when modulated by a symmetrical signal
iii. Bandwidth the range of frequencies which have
been specified as performance limits for a filter, amplifier
or attenuator, defined as the 3dB points at the high pass
and low pass ends of the frequency response curve
CF
Bandwidth
d. SPECTRUM ANALYZER
Spectrum Analyzer - an instrument
that measures the amplitudes of the
components of a complex waveform
throughout the frequency range of the
waveform.
Spectrum analyzer
f. Law of Conservation of Energy
- this states that energy can neither be
created nor destroyed, instead it will
just transform from one form to
another.
IV. RF COMPONENTS
a. Active - components that introduces
additional energy and reprocess the received
signal
b. Passive components that do not introduce
any additional energy on the signal.
c. Basic RF Components
i. ANTENNA - a device that radiates and receives
radio waves
- they transition point in the
communication chain, where the signal
changes from a wireline signal to a radio
wave propagating signal and vice versa.
Types
- British term is AERIAL
- sometimes called RADIATOR
Omnidirectional antennas : radiate with the same intensity to
all directions (in azimuth)
Directional antennas : main radiation energy is concentrated
to certain directions
antennas
yagi
panel
pico
radiation pattern
a. Practical Requirements
i. Number of Antenna - reduce the required
number of antenna relative to the number of
radios. One to one ratio of antenna to radio is
impractical.
ii. Antenna isolation the separation
between two antennas that is usually
considered when employing a space
diversity technique. The distance should be
multiple of the half wavelength.
Antenna Isolation: Vertical
The following is valid for 900 Mhz.,
1800,1900Mhz and co-located 900 + 1800/1900
Mhz.
Requirements:
Tx -Rx and Rx- Tx: 30 dB
Pre-condition:
No influence from tower
structures More than 2m bet Ant and tower.
( A in figure)
Vertical Separation: Tx - Rx and Rx - Tx
Minimum 0.2 m
( K in figure)
Antenna Isolation: Horizontal
Requirements:
Tx -Rx and Rx- Tx: 30 dB
Vertical Separation:
See Table Below
Table:
Horizontal Separation
Gain dBi
900 Mhz
1800/1900
900+1800/1900
<10
3m
1.5m
1m
>10
5m
2.5 m
1m
DIVERSITY
There is a need for receiver diversity in cellular systems
to improve the uplink.
Space Diversity
dd
Horizontal Separation, dd
Common
TX/RX
Antenna
for diversity = 12-18 (wavelength)
for isolation = 30 dB = 2 (wavelength)
[antennas with 65 degrees beamwidth,
all gain values]
TX1/RXA TX1/RXA
BTS Equipment
DIVERSITY
Polarization Diversity using dual-polarized antennas
vertical
array
horizontal
array
+45
degrees
- 45
degrees
antenna
housing
connectors
feeders
vertical + horizontal polarization
+/- 45 degrees polarization
DIVERSITY
Polarization Diversity using dual-polarized antennas
Required isolation >30 dB between
the two antenna parts...
1.5 dB downlink loss
TX1/RXA TX1/RXA
ii. Filters - a selective device that allows a
desired range of energy to pass through
and substantially attenuating all other
ranges.
- they are used to separate, combine or
suppress microwave frequencies.
- they are used to ensure that no
harmonics are transmitted
1. Low Pass Filter a filter that
attenuates frequencies higher than
the cut-off frequency
Amplitude
Amplitude
Frequency
Input
Frequency
Output
fc
2. High Pass Filter -a filter
that permits frequencies
higher than the cut-off
frequency.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Frequency
Input
Frequency
Output
fc
3. Band pass Filter - a filter that
accepts a band of
frequencies and
considerably attenuates
higher and lower frequencies
than the desired band.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Frequency
Input
fc
Output
fc
Frequency
4. Band stop/Notch Filter - a
filter that prohibits the
passage of a certain
band of frequencies and
allows other
frequencies.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Frequency
Input
fc
Output
fc
Frequency
iii. Amplifier - a device that
increases the strength of a
signal without appreciably
altering its characteristic
waveform.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Time
Time
Input
Output
iv. Circulator - a waveguide component that has a number
of terminals so arranged that energy entering one terminal
is transmitted to the next in a particular direction. This can
be used as a duplexer
v. Directional Coupler - a device that
couples a secondary system only to a
wave traveling in a particular
direction while completely ignoring
the wave traveling into the opposite
direction
vi. Splitter/Divider - a device that has
the capability to distribute one input
signal to two or more output
without introducing distortion to the
signal.
vii. Resistive Load - component that can absorb the
transmitted energy and behaves like an actual load such
as an antenna.
viii. Attenuator - a device that uses resistive
components to reduce the strength of a
signal without introducing considerable
distortion.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Time
Time
attenuator
ix. Isolator - allows a signal to pass through in one
direction and attenuates it in the other direction. This is
usually used to prevent a very high SWR.
Incident Wave
Reflected Wave
x. Connectors - device that joins two or more circuit
Connectors
xi. Cables - a transmission line
where energy can pass through
without considerable decrease
on the energy
Cables
xii. Leaky Cables - a cable which has a leak where
energy escapes out continuously
d. Complex RF Components
i. Combiners are needed to enable more than
one transmitter to be connected to one
common transmitting antenna.
In GSM, two different TX combiners can be
used
FILTER COMBINER
HYBRID COMBINER
Transceiver 1
Transceiver 2
Transceiver 3
Transceiver 4
ii. Duplexer - a switching device that permits
alternate use of the same antenna for both transmit
and receive.
Tx
Rx
Duplexer Block Diagram
Tx Filter
Tx
Antenna
Rx Filter
LNA
Rx
iii. Diplexer - a coupling system that allows two
different transmitters to operate simultaneously
or separately from the same antenna.
Tx1
Tx 2
Diplexer Block Diagram
Port 900
Dual Band
Antenna
Port 1800
vi. RECEIVER MULTICOUPLER UNIT (RMU)
- amplifies the received signals and divides them to the
receivers (Rx) of the Transceiver units (TRXs).
RX 1
RX 2
ANT
Test
Module
RX
Filter
Amplifier
Module
TEST
RX 3
RX 4
RX 5
RX 6
Main Functional Part of the RMUA (1800)
IV. Implementation
a. BTS Base Transceiver Station
- this is the outer most part of the network
and it interfaces the mobile subscriber to
the network
BSC
MS
BTS
MSC
Base Transceiver Station
Antenna
Rx
Transceiver
Tx
RMU
Rx
Transceiver
Tx
Duplexer
Rx
Transceiver
Tx
Combiner
Rx
Transceiver
Tx
b. Repeater - an amplifier that processes weak signals
and retransmits stronger signal without reshaping
their waveform
REPEATER
LNA
ATT
BSF
LNA
BPF
PA
Downlink
BPF
BPF
PSU
To BTS
Alarms
To MS
BPF
BPF
Uplink
PA
BPF
LNA
BSF
ATT
LNA
c. DAS Distributed Antenna System
- a system employed wherein several
antennas can be used to cover several areas
with only one transmitter
Splitter/divider
amplifier
Splitter/divider
D.A.S.
V. Link Budget
- this is a calculation of the
signal strength seen at the receiver
considering the output power of the
transmitter and the possible gains and
losses that might be incurred within
the system.
Downlink Link Budget
Mobile sensitivity = Bts transmit power - Combiner loss duplexer loss - Cable/feeder loss + Bts antenna gain - Maximum
path loss - fading margin - Building/Car penetration loss - body
loss + Mobile antenna gain
Uplink Link Budget
Bts sensitivity = Mobile transmit power + mobile antenna gain body loss - Maximum path loss - fading margin - building/car
penetration loss + Bts antenna gain + - Duplexer loss
- cable/feeder loss + Low Noise Amplifier
