Security Level:

Nov 12, 2008

Alignment of
Microwave Antennas
www.huawei.com

www.huawei.com

Wang Fuzhong
Transmission Engineering Dept.
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
LTD.

Huawei Confidential

Contents

1. Resources and Tools Required for the Antenna Alignment

2. Precautions for Installing the Microwave Equipment

3. Commissioning Preparations

4. Precautions for the Alignment

5. Method for Adjusting the Antenna Support

6. Procedure for Aligning the Antennas

7. Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

8. Method for Aligning Antennas in HSB/SD/FD Modes

9. Checking After the Alignment

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Resources and Tools Required for the

Antenna Alignment

Design document: Includes the site information file and basic data files.

Assembly personnel required: four. Two persons are assigned at each site.

Multimeters required (which works better with the BNC connecter): two. One
multimeter is provided at each site.

Portable computers required: One. The computers are used to configure the
radio transmission network (RTN) equipment and to check the received
signal level (RSL).

Telecommunication tool: includes interphones and mobile phones.

Spanner

Telescope

Magnetic compass

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Prerequisites for Installing the Microwave

Equipment

The microwave equipment must be ready for the telecom (RFT) test.

Security check must be conducted.

The antenna must be installed and the outdoor operations must be

performed. These operations must be performed in favorable weather.

The IF cable and the elliptical wavelength must be installed.

The indoor operations, which can be performed during unfavorable

weather and at night, must be performed.

All the cables and links must be labelled.

Grounding must be performed.

The installation field must be cleaned after the installation is complete.

The power-on operation must be performed.

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Commissioning Preparations

1. According to the network planning document, check the service

capacity and modulation scheme of the IF board, and check whether the
transmit frequency and power of the ODU are consistent with the actual
configuration of the NE.

2. Set the working attribute of the ODU to Transmit.

3. Disable the ATPC function.

4. In the case of 1+1 protection configuration, set the working attribute of

the standby ODU to Mute or Forcibly Switched to the Working Board.

5. Check the alarms of the ODU. Normally, only the alarms indicating that
the RSL of the ODU is excessively low are reported.

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Precautions for the Alignment

Grease the nuts so that the antenna can be aligned smoothly and stably.
Align the antenna slowly. A delay may be caused in responding to the
equipment due to a change in the RSL.
When aligning the local antenna, make sure that the elevation and azimuth of
the antenna are locked. Do not align the antennas at both ends at the same
time.
When aligning the azimuth, make sure that the elevation of the local antenna
is locked.
When aligning the elevation, make sure that the azimuth of the local antenna
is locked.
Do not fasten the antenna very tightly before the alignment is complete. when
you move the antenna, do not apply too much force. Otherwise, the antenna
may be damaged mechanically.

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Method of Adjusting the Antenna Support

(With a Diameter of 0.3 M, 0.6 M)
You can adjust the elevation of the antenna at point 1, and the azimuth of the antenna at point 2.

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Method of Adjusting the Antenna Support

(With a Diameter of 1.2 M)

You can adjust the azimuth of the antenna by moving the support at point 1, and the elevation
of the antenna at point 2.

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Method of Adjusting the Antenna Support

(with a Diameter of 1.2 M)
Over-head view at point 2

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Procedure for Aligning the Antennas

Step 1 If the distance between the two antennas is more than 2 km, place
the two antennas horizontally. If the distance between the two antennas
is no more than 2 km, slightly adjust the elevation of the antenna
according to the actual situation.
Step 2 Connect the multimeter to the port of the local ODU correctly.
Then, measure the VBNC of the RSSI port.

Step 3 Adjust the azimuth of the antenna.

1. Keep the opposite antenna fixed.

2. Measure the VBNC by using the multimeter. Move the antenna from left to right

and make sure that the antenna tracks at least three peak signals of the VBNC. The
voltage of the second peak signal should be the maximum one.

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Procedure for Aligning the Antennas

Step 3 Adjust the elevation of the antenna.

1. Adjust the elevation at each peak VBNC so that the VBNC can reach the
maximum value.
2. Adjust the antenna to a position where the VBNC reaches the highest
value. Then, fix the local antenna. Make sure that the VBNC is of the

maximum value when the antenna is fixed.

Step 4 Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to adjust the antenna on the opposite side.
After the RSL of the opposite antenna reaches the maximum value, fix
the opposite antenna.

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Procedure for Aligning the Antennas

Step 5 Repeat Steps 24 two to four times to make the receive signal levels
at both ends reach the maximum value. Then, fix the antennas at both ends.

Step 6 Measure the VBNC at both ends by using the multimeter. Obtain the
current RSL by referring to the curve diagram and the RSL of the VBNC of
the ODUs at both ends.

Step 7 Fasten all the screws of the antenna.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

1. Coarse Adjustment

Lock the antenna at one side and loosen the adjusting nut of
the antenna at the other side. According to the network
planning design, adjust the azimuth and elevation of the
antennas so that the antennas at both ends can be aligned.
The RSL is about 80 dB. When one antenna is adjusted, the
other antenna is locked. That is, the antennas at both ends
are adjusted alternatively.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

Adjusting the Antenna by Using the Multimeter
Correctly connect the multimeter to the received signal strength indicator (RSSI)
port of the local ODU. Set the multimeter to 10 V DC. Measure the

VBNC of this

port.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

The VBNC of the RSSI port varies directly with the RSL of the antenna corresponding to the
ODU. That is, the higher the RSL, the higher is the V BNC. Adjust the antenna until the voltage
reaches the peak value so that the main lobes can be aligned properly. The following curve
figure shows the relationship between the VBNC and the RSL.
5
4.5

RS S I V oltage(V )

4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-100

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-90

-80

-70

-60
-50
RSL(dBm)

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-40

-30

Page 15

-20

-10

Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

Tracking path at different

elevations

VBNC changes during the path

tracking

Keep the opposite antenna fixed. The local antenna moves left to right at different elevations. Measure
the VBNC. Lines AA, BB, and CC are different tracking paths of the antenna. According to the
corresponding VBNC change curve, you can learn that line AA is the path wherein the main lobes of the
antennas are aligned properly. Three points reach the peak value on the curve. The main lobe is at
point 2. The first side lobes are at points 1 and 3.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Vertically)

Main lobe

Main lobe

Lateral view

First side lobe

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Vertical

Alignment)
Not aligned vertically

Ground or mirror reflection

Ground or mirror reflection

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Vertical

Alignment)

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Aligned properly

Ground or mirror reflection

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Special Adjustment in

the Case of Multipath Fading Caused by the Reflection During
the Long-Distance Transmission)

Aligned properly

Ground or mirror reflection

After the antennas are aligned properly, raise the elevation of the
antennas slightly (by 0.35 to 0.5 degrees, depending on the FNBW). In
this manner, the multipath fading caused by the reflection during the
long-distance transmission over the water surface is reduced.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Horizontally)

Vertical view

Main lobe

Main lobe

First side lobe

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas (Horizontal

Alignment)

Not aligned properly

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Aligned properly

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

2. Small Adjustment

The adjustment sequence is not required. If you adjust the elevation first, fix the
opposite antenna, and adjust the local antenna. Adjust the nuts to search for the peak
value S0. When the peak value S0 appears, continue to adjust the nuts until the peak
value S1 appears. If S1 is more than S0, continue to adjust the nuts in the same
direction until the peak signal S2 appears. If S2 is less than S1, S1 is the required point.
If S1 is less than S0, you must adjust the nuts in the opposite direction. Now, go back to
point S0, and continue to adjust the nuts until the next peak signal S-1 appears. If S-1 is
less than S0, S0 is the required point. If S-1 is more than S0, continue to adjust the nuts
until the next peak signal S-2 appears. If S-2 is less than S-1, S-1 is the required point.
During the adjustment, you need to find three continuous peak signals, and the peak
signal at the middle point must reach the largest value. In this case, the middle point is
the required point. Adjust the azimuth by using the same method. After the local
antenna is adjusted, fix the local antenna, and adjust the opposite antenna. Only several
adjustments are required to align the antennas properly.

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Resolution for Aligning the Antennas

Align the antennas by referring to the VBNC of the RSSI port.
According to the envelope diagram of the antenna radiation, you
can learn that the signals reach three peak values during the
antenna adjustment. One peak signal appears when the main
lobes of the two antennas are aligned properly. The other peak
signals appear when the main lobe of the local antenna is
aligned with both the first side lobes of the opposite antenna.
The peak signal reaches the highest peak value when the main
lobes of the two antennas are aligned properly.

RSSI/VAGC

First side lobe

Main lobe

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HSB Protection Mode

The main and standby ODUs share one antenna.

You only need to adjust the main ODU. If the
microwave link uses the 1+1 protection scheme
wherein one antenna is used. Power off the
standby ODUs at both ends before aligning the
antennas. After aligning the antennas, power on
the standby ODUs at both ends.

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FD Protection Mode
If one antenna is used, you only need to adjust the main ODU. If
two antennas are used, you need to adjust both the antennas.
The adjustment sequence is as follows:
(1) Power off the standby ODUs at both ends, and then align
the main antennas at both ends.
(2) Power on the standby ODUs at both ends, and then align
the standby antennas at both ends.

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SD Protection Mode
After aligning the main antennas, you need to check whether the RSL of the
standby ODUs is almost the same as the RSL of the main ODUs. After
aligning the standby antennas, you need to check whether the RSL of the
main ODUs is almost the same as the RSL of the standby ODUs. Ensure that
the RSL of the main ODU and the RSL of the standby ODU at the opposite
end are almost the same, regardless of whether the main ODU or the standby
ODU is used.

The adjustment sequence is as follows:

(1) Power off the standby ODUs at both ends, and then align the main
antennas at both ends.

(2) Power on the standby ODUs at the local end, and then fix the main
antenna at the opposite end, and adjust the diversity antenna at the local
end.

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Checking After the Alignment

1. Set the ATPC to Disabled according to the network planning.

2. If the 1+1 protection scheme is configured, set the working

attribute of the main ODU and standby ODU to Unmute.

3. If the 1+1 protection scheme is configured and the service is

being switched, clear the switching so that the main ODUs at both
ends are used.

4. Check the alarms, and ensure that no alarm is reported.

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Security Level:

Nov 12, 2008

Thank you !
www.huawei.com
www.huawei.com

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