User Manual

Littlefeet, Inc. 3
TWO
system overview
Ideally, a base station would provide coverage that tapers off uniformly (A, Figure 1). Variations
in propagation make the actual coverage irregular (B, Figure 1). This leads to dropped calls due
to excessive interference and low signal strength.
figure 1. ideal versus actual coverage
Littlefeet provides a way for base stations to communicate with mobiles using low-power SPICE
units. SPICE handle the coverage functions of a traditional base station. The units have smaller
footprints, and can be configured to provide more uniform coverage (C, Figure 1) by adjusting
parameters such as the height of each unit’s antenna and the RF output of each unit.
The SPICE system is transparent to the GSM network.
concepts and terminology
The following concepts and terms are used in this chapter:
bSPICE™ Base SPICE; unit that directly couples to an existing BTS.
cSPICE™ Coverage SPICE; unit that provides RF to the coverage area.
OMC-SPICE SPICE Operation and Maintenance Center.
SPICE Small Profile Intelligent Coverage Element. SPICE also refers to a network of SPICE units
maintained by a central operations system.
SST SPICE Support Tool; software tool used for field configuration and maintenance of SPICE units.