Microwave Radio Transmission Design Guide
A practical guide for engineers planning or building a microwave-based transmission system, with a special eye toward international standards.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Microwave Radio Transmission Design Guide
Chapter 2: Link Planning
Let us assume that you have been given the challenging task of performing the radio planning for a new network. Thorough planning and attention to detail in the initial stages will avoid many problems later on in the project. The infrastructure investment in a radio network is significant; therefore, the margin for error is small. Planning is an iterative process and will vary depending on the type of the installation. The planning issues in an urban area are completely different to those faced in rural greenfield sites. The link planner should identify all the steps to be followed for each site and draw up a project plan using, for example, a Gantt chart to identify and manage the critical path. A flow chart showing the link planning steps for a new radio route is shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Link planning flow chart for new radio route.
2.1 Establish the Planning Brief
The very first step is to establish a planning brief. The old adage that half the solution lies in defining the problem holds true. Often a system designer is told that a ( N + 1)-155 Mbit/s link with digital cross-connect switching is requited between two sites, when in reality a far simpler and more practical solution would be possible if the true requirement was defined. The planning brief should he specified in terms of the services and related bandwidth to be carried over the transmission medium, the end-to-end circuit connections, and the required quality objective.
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