User Manual

Exalt Communications, Inc.
Exalt i-Series Installation and Management Guide
5000001 21
2007-06-25
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 any
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