technical considerations for deploying microwave

7/27/2019 Technical Considerations for Deploying Microwave

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Technical Considerations for Deploying

Mike Dalton

Microwave for Wireless Backhaul

Director

UTC Region 3

2009 Exalt Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.exaltcom.com


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Agenda

>Microwave Radio Systems for Utility Applications

> crowave a o ys em rme

> Licensed vs. License-exempt

>Scenario: Constrained Legacy System

>Alternative Solutions

>Case Study: South Texas Rural Electric Cooperative

>Case Study: NOVEC

page 2


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Why Point-to-Point Microwave Radio?

> Alternative to expensive copper and fibe

> No monthly recurring leased-line costs> Full ownership and control

> Multi-service data and voice support

>

Carrier-class availability (99.999%)uc

> Easy and cost-effective re-deployment

> Known benefits: Has been used b utilities and

critical infrastructure industries for decades

page 3


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Many Applications for Utilit ies

> Generation, Transmission, and Distributioncommunications

Electric Water

> Transfer trip and remote relay monitoring> Telemetry and control> Backhaul for AMR/AMI and smart meter

concentrators

> Video surveillance and security> Remote field reporting

Pipeline

> Disaster recovery communications> Wireless Internet services

> Ideal for critical infrastructurecommunications

> Full management and control

page 4Natural Gas Petroleum


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Network Applications Example: PTP Backhaul

page 5Generation, Transmission and Distribution


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Challenges for Critical Infrastructure Companies

>Growing demand for energy driving build-out of additional

> operational costs

>Transition from TDM to new IP-based infrastructuremonitoring, control, and operation devices

> Leveraging infrastructure and investment for newservices, such as Internet access

page 6


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Economics of Backhaul

Payback Sensit ivity to 1xDS3 Leased Line Cost (P2P/Backhaul)

$90,000

$100,000Lease @ $2,500/mo

Lease @ $3,000/mo

$60,000

$70,000

,

iveC

ost

,

Lease @ $4,000/mo

Lease @ $4,500/mo

Lease @ $5,000/moMicrowaveRadio

$30,000

$40,000

,

Cumulat

$-

$10,000

$20,000

page 7

Payback (months)


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Types of Point-to-Point Microwave Radio

> Frequency Spectrum- FCC in US and Canada

- ITU/ETSI International

- Licensed- License-exempt

> Technology- Time Division Duplex (TDD)

- Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)

Data

Data

Data

Data

Data

Data

> Physical Configuration

- All-Indoor (IDU: Indoor Unit only)ODU

- - u oor : u oor n ony- Split-Mount (IDU + ODU)

IDU ODU IDU

page 8

How to choose? Which is better?

Depends on the application requirements


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How to Choose?

Criteria Definition Questions to Ask

Range Distance of the point topoint microwave link

Can the product support the distance Ineed without sacrificing performance?

andThroughput

, ,

Fast Ethernet or GigE

How will my capacity needs evolveover time?

year that the link isexpected to be operational

over time?

Latenc Sin le-bit dela across a What is the maximum acce table dela

link for my applications to operate reliably?

Security Protection againsttampering and unauthorized

Does my data require encryption?

page 9

access


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How to Choose?

Criteria Definition Questions to Ask

ability to scale and evolve overtime in step with changingneeds

need in the future, how can Iprotect my investment?

Management Mechanisms for managingequipment locally or remotely

Do the products fit into my existingmanagement infrastructure and IT

support model?

Collocation Installation of multiplemicrowave radios at the samesite

Does my network topology havehubs or traffic aggregation points?

Value Ratio of perceived benefits tooverall cost; maximum returnon investment

Am I getting the best value for mycapacity, range, and performancerequirements?

page 10


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Which is Better?

Frequency SpectrumBenefits Trade-Offs

Licensed > Dedicated, coordinated spectrum > Requires licensing> or , me um, an ong au

spectrum available> Many products available

> us re- cense re oca ng, repac ng

equipment, or upgrading capacity> Spectrum not guaranteed for licensing

> Subject to interference from illegal transmitters

> oug regua e , no ac ve y mon ore norpoliced by FCC

> Requires professional installation

> Longer lead times to deployment

License-

exempt

> Over 700 MHz of free spectrum

> Immediately available

> No licensing required

> Immediate deployment

> Shared spectrum subject to interference

> Carrier-class type products are scarce

> Lots of low performing best effort products

> Short and long haul spectrumavailable

> Next-generation carrier-classproducts available

page 11

Advice: Weigh the need for license-exempt spectrum flexibility against theprotection of licensed spectrum


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FCC Licensed Bands

er

ency

ce it

y. - .

>

2.16-2.2 GHz

> 4940 MHz to 4990 MHz (Public Safety)

Wireless Services

+ + -

Weat

Re

sili

Dista

Ca

pa

> 5925 MHz to 6245 MHZ (6L Band)

> 6525 MHz to 6875 MHz (6U Band)

>

10700 MHz to 11700 MHz (11GHz Band)> 17700 MHz to 19700 MHz 18GHz Band

> 21200 MHz to 23600 MHz (23GHz Band)

> 38600 MHz to 40000 MHz (38 GHz Band)

> Others: 70/80GHz- - +

Advice: Evaluate your distance and capacity requirements taking intoconsideration your rain region. Inform yourself on the deployment

page 12

cos s or cense equpmen an n ras ruc ure. ons er eoptimum physical configuration for the application.


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License-Exempt Bands

ather

siliency

ance

acity

> 2400 MHz to 2483.5 MHz ISM*

> -+ + -

W Re

Dis

Ca

> 5470 MHz to 5725 MHz U-NII

> 5725 MHz to 5825 MHz U-NII

5 GHz Band

> 24000 MHz to 24250 MHz

> 57000 MHz to 64000 MHz- - +

ext generaton pro ucts can e verGHz capacities on 2.4 GHz.

page 13

consideration your rain region for frequencies over 6 GHz. Consider

the optimum physical configuration for the application.


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Which is Better?

Du lexin Technolo

RX

Data

TX

Data

RX

Data

TX

Data

RX

Data

TX

Data

Benefits Trade-Offs

TDD > Requires only one channel to > Higher latency than FDD, but productsransm an receve

> Supports variable symmetry forunidirectional traffic

> Carrier-class TDD roducts now

w arrer o er - e a ency

> Typically available only in license-exemptbands with the exception of 4.9 GHz

> T icall offer onl enter rise-class, best-available

> Available for the 4.9 GHz licensed

band

effort performance based on OFDMmodulation, but carrier-class products

now available

FDD > Very low latency> Many products for licensed bands

> Very good RF performance -- usually

> Requires two channels, one in eachdirection

> Wasteful for unidirectional traffic (50/50

-operation

Advice: Almost all licensed bands require the use of FDD. For license-exempt

page 14

, - . -

can deliver FDD-like performance and availability in half the spectrum

versus best-effort TDD alternatives.


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Which is Best?

Physical ConfigurationIDU

ODU

IDU

ODU

Benefits Trade-Offs

All- > Self contained unit> Easil accessible interfaces

> Only practical for frequencies under 13 GHz

> Must be rotected from the environment

> Simple to install

> Rack mountable

> Higher power alternatives

with indoor facility or enclosure

> Requires good quality coaxial cable toantenna, especially for long runs under 5GHz

> Requires waveguide for 6 GHz and above

All-

outdoor

> Rugged construction

>

Improved RF performance> Does not re uire cabinet or indoor facilit

> Physical interfaces are not easily accessibleafter install

> Limited interfaces, due to required cable

> Integrated or external antenna options

> Simplest to install

> Inexpensive CAT-5 cabling and PoE

runs

> Power consumption may limit transmitpower

> Must climb tower to service

Split-

mount

> Combined benefits of all-indoor and all-outdoor

> Easily accessible IDU and simple to install

> Two boxes to install

> Must climb tower to service ODU

page 15

> IDU to RFU connection via low cost IF cable

> Optimal for higher frequency bands up to 40

GHz


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Other Considerations (License-exempt):

> How long a wireless link can stay connected and carrying traffic reliably at full

throughput is an important decision criteria. Is it sufficient to look at the statedavailability number when comparing alternatives?

> Examples:

99.999% = 5.26 minutes/year outage99.995% = 26.28 minutes/year outage

=. .

Advice:

Consider both the ability of a system to maintain connection and provide- .

not sufficient to be able to keep a link connected if high BER or low-throughput renders the connection unstable or intermittent.

requirements, your budget, and the criticality for maximizing up-time.

Use link budget calculator tools for most accurate determination of expected

page 16

parameters


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Other Considerations (License-exempt):

Interference Mitigation> I want to take advantage of the flexibility of license-exempt bands, but I am

concerned about interference. How do I know it is going to work?

dvice:

Look for high capacity systems with low modulation rates, narrow channelbandwidth and high system gain to offer the best interference rejection andperformance.

Carrier-class point-to-point radios are naturally more resilient to interference (upto 100 times more) than best-effort NLOS radios using OFDM modulation.

Consider products with very wide spectrum coverage and tuning to increase theprobability of finding a clear channel.

Avoid hardware-specific configurations and look for software-controlled granularfrequency tuning, s/w upgradability for future enhancing, and variable channel

.

Consider systems with integral spectrum analyzer to perform site surveys andaid in troubleshooting potential interference issues.

page 17

multiple collocated links to operate in the same clear channel withoutinterference


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Other Considerations for License-exempt:

> End-to-end latency (delay) varies greatly depending on the radio type. It is criticalto have low latency for remote transfer relay and other real-time controlo erations. How do ou com are o tions?

Advice:

Beware of low-cost, OFDM or Wi-Fi based radio systems with high (5ms+) and- - ,

Look for native Ethernet and native TDM transport, which ensures no protocol

conversions or circuit emulation is used

Low latency has usually been associated with FDD (frequency division duplex)radio systems, but next generation TDD (time division duplex) now offer the lowlatency required for carriers and users with complex, multi-hop topologies.

Look for Carrier-TDD capability, which provides constant, 1 ms typical latencyavailable on TDD, as well as licensed band FDD products

page 18


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What About Ethernet?

>More Ethernet monitoring and control devices coming to

>Ethernet lowers costs as it is shared infrastructure

>Ethernet scales better than TDM or asynchronous serial

>Ethernet networks use packet switching and provide

n eren re un ancy a a ower cos

>Ethernet networks are connectionless eliminatin the

page 19

need for circuit provisioning


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Case Study:South Texas Electric Cooperative

Scenario

> as een rap y expan ng s s r u on ne wor

and adding more SCADA and Ethernet traffic to thecurrent communications infrastructure

Problem> Legacy 6 GHz licensed DS3 backhaul links are at capacity

and/or need to support IP-based data traffic

-while leveraging existing investments, with minimaldowntime

page 20


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Solution Alternatives

Alternative Pros Cons

upgrade exist ing6 GHz systems

utilization in existinglicensed spectrum

with replacement of legacycapacity

all requirements

Reuse existing cables and

associated with cutover

Augment existing Least expensive approach Must manage two radio

new 5 GHz

license-exempt

nma own meReuse/share existing cablesand antennas

page 21

No licensing required


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5 GHz Capacity Expansion Solution

Exalt Exalt Exalt Exalt

License-Free

200Mbps Ethernet

4 to 16xT1

Exalt Exalt Exalt Exalt

License-Free

200Mbps Ethernet

4 to 16xT1

License-Free

200Mbps Ethernet

4 to 16xT1

or

EX-5i-DS3

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

or

EX-5i-DS3

LicensednxT1, nxDS3,

OC-3or

EX-5i-DS3

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

Capacity

Expansion

Module

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

EX-5i

or

EX-5i-16

or

EX-5i-DS3


OC-3


OC-3

> Provides connectivity to 6 GHz Part 101 licensed

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

6 GHz

Licensed

Radio

radios allowing instant DS3, Ethernet and T1capacity upgrades using Exalt 5GHz tri-bandsystems

> Systems only use 1 to 1.5 rack spaces

6GHz Licensed

Radio

Exalt EX-5i

> Does not require licensing> Can usually be installed in less than 1 hour per end

> Provides maximum flexibility

page 22

radio

> Costs much less than other alternatives


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South Texas Electric Co-op

Solution Implemented

Exalt EX-5i-16 backhaul radio system with Exalt 5

GHz Capacity Expansion Kit

Results

In under 5 minutes, the legacy 6 GHz link was

expanded from DS3-only to DS3, 100MbpsEthernet, and up to 16xT1.

The license-exempt system maintains availabilityeven when link conditions cause the s ace-

diversity licensed radio to experience outages.

STEC now reliably carries Ethernet and T1 traffic

page 23


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Before and After

Before After

egacy a o

Fixed FDD channel plan

egacy + xa - -

Tri-band 5 GHz system

xe c anne an w

1xDS3

arrer

Native TDM

Interference Management

Software u radeable

Up to 16xT1/E1 or 1xDS3

Up to 200 Mbps aggregate

page 24

Ethernet throughput


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Case Study: NOVEC

> Immediate need: Replace legacy analog 2.1 GHz systems

- u

- Extremely short fused project (2 weeks)

> Identified solution: use of 2.4 GHz license-free microwave

- Vendor identified from trade publications: Exalt

- Concern with potential RF interference

-

>Benefits

- Ability to use existing antennas

- LOS previously established- Very quick installation of hardware and immediate turn-up

-

page 25


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Before and After

Before After

egacy a o

Aged analog 2 GHz

xa - .

CarrierTDD

o erne capa y

Low capacity

a ve

Native Ethernet

Software upgradeable

U to multi-T1

Up to 200 Mbps aggregateEthernet throughput

page 26


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Keys to Success

>Ability of license-exempt system to offer 99.999%

>Ability of license-exempt system to resist potentialinterference and maintain guaranteed availabilit

>Ability of license-exempt system to support stringent TDM

latency requirements> ty to accommo ate a rap cutover requremen

page 27


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About Exalt

> Founded by industry veterans in2004

>

Industry-leading radio productsfor diverse markets anda lications

> Focused exclusively onmicrowave backhaul andconnectivit- Licensed & unlicensed point-to-point

microwave radio systems

- TDD and FDD

- Native TDM & native Ethernet- Carrier-class performance andavailability

- Scalabilit & flexibilit

page 28


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Product Portfolio

i-Series

(all-indoor)

s-Series

(split mount)r-Series

(all-outdoor)

page 29

2.4, 4.9, 5, 6, 11 GHz 6 40 GHz2.4, 4.9, 5, 6, 11 GHz 6 40 GHz4.9, 5 GHz

technical considerations for deploying microwave

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