Adtran TRC4205L1 Revised Manual

TRACER 4205

System Manual

12804205L1A TRACER 4205 System (Plan A)
12804205L1B TRACER 4205 System (Plan B)

612804205L1-1A
August 2002

Trademarks

Any brand names and product names included in this manua l are trademarks, registered trademarks, or
trade names of their respective holders.

To the Holder of the Manual

The contents of t his manual are curre nt as of the date of publi catio n. ADTRAN reser ves the right t o change
the contents without pri or notice.

In no event will ADTRAN be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages or for
commercial losses even if ADTRAN has been advised thereof as a result of issue of this publication.

901 Explorer Boulevard

P.O. Box 140000

Huntsville, AL 35814-4000

Phone: [phone]

©2002 ADTRAN, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Printed in U.S.A.

About this Manual

This manual provides a complete description of the TRACER 4205 system and system software.
The purpose of this manual is to provide the technician, system administrato r, and manager with
general and specific inf ormation related to the planning, insta llation, operation, and maintenance of the
TRACER 4205. This manual is arranged so that needed information can be quickly and easily found. The
following is an overview of the cont ents.

Section 1 4205 System Description

Provides managers with an overview of the TRACER 4205 system.

Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics

Explains the basics of analyz ing a wireless microwave link, or path. The significant
parameters are defin ed, and several recommendations are offered.

Section 3 Engineering Guidelines

Provides information to a ssist network designers with incor porating the
TRACER 4205 system into their networks.

Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure

Provides step-by- step in struc tions on how to in sta ll the TRACER 4205 unit , dete rmin e the
parameters for the syst em, install the network and option modules, and power up the
system.

Section 5 User Interface Guide

Explains the termina l interface and provides a description for each of the menus availabl e
for the TRACER 4205 system.

Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide

Provides helpful inf ormation for troubleshooting common config uration problems for the
TRACER 4205 system.

Revision History

This is the first issue of this manual.

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 3

Notes provide additional useful informat ion.

Cautions signify information that could prevent service interruption.

Warnings provide information that could prevent damage to the equipment or
endangerment to human life.

Safety Instructions

When using your telephone equipment , please follow these basic safety precautions to reduce the risk of
fire, electrical shock, or personal injury:

1. Do not use this product near water, such as a bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a
wet basement, or near a swimming pool.

2. Avoid using a telephone (other than a cordless-type) during an electrical storm. There is a remote
risk of shock from lightning.

3. Do not use the telephone to report a gas leak in the vicinity of the leak.

4. Use only the power cord , power supply, an d/or ba tteries indicate d in the manua l. Do not disp ose of
batteries in a fire. They may explode . Chec k with local codes for special disposal instructions.

Save These Important Safety Instructions

4 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to pro vide reasonable protection against ha rmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio fre quency energy and, if not install ed and used in accor dance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio freque ncies. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.

Shielded cables must be used with this unit to e nsure compliance with Class A FCC limits.

Changes or modifications to this unit not e xpressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipme nt.

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 5

Warranty and Customer Service

ADTRAN will repair and ret urn this produc t wit hin five year s from the dat e of shipme nt if it does not m eet
its published specif ications or fails while in service. For detailed warranty, repair , and return information
refer to the ADTRAN Equipment Warranty and Repair and Return Policy Procedure.

Return Material Authoriz ation (RMA) is required prior to returning equipment to ADTRAN.

For service, RMA requests, or further information, contact one of the numbers listed at the end of this
section.

LIMITED PRODUCT WARRANTY

ADTRAN warrants that for five years from the dat e of shipment to Customer, all pro ducts manufactured
by ADTRAN will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. ADTRAN also warrants that
products will conform to the applicable specifications and drawings for such products, as contained in the
Product Manual or in ADTRAN's internal specifications and drawings for such products (which may or
may not be reflected in the Product Manual ). This warranty only applies if Customer gives ADTRAN
written noti ce of defects during the warranty period. Upon such notice, ADTRAN will, at its option, either
repair or replace the defe ctive item. If ADTRAN is unable, in a reasonable time, to repair or replace any
equipment to a condition as warra nted, Customer is entitled to a full refund of the purchase price upon
return of the equipment to ADTRAN. This warranty applies only to the original purchaser and is not
transferable without ADTRAN's express written permission. This warranty becomes null and void if
Customer modifies or alters the equipment in any way, other than as specif ically authorized by ADTRAN.

EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE FOREGOING
CONSTITUTES THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE CUSTOMER AND THE
EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY OF ADTRAN AND I S I N LIEU OF ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES
(EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED). ADTRAN SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION), ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THIS EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO CUSTOMER.

In no event will ADTRAN or its suppliers be liable to the Customer for any incidental, special, punitive ,
exemplary or consequentia l damages experienced by either the Customer or a third party (including, but
not limited to, loss of data or information, loss of profits, or loss of use). ADTRAN is not liable for
damages for any cause whatsoever (whether based in contract, tort, or otherwise) in excess of the amount
paid for the item. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to the Customer.

6 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

Customer Service, Product Support Information, and Training

ADTRAN will repair and return this product if within five years from the date of shipment the product
does not meet its published specif ication or the product fails while in service.

A return material author ization (RMA) is required prior to retu rning equipment to ADTRAN. For service,
RMA requests, training, or more information, use the contact information given below .

Repair and Return

If you determine that a repair is neede d, please contact our Customer and Product Servi ce (CAPS)
department to have an RMA number issued. CAPS should also be contacted to obtain information
regarding equipment curr ently in house or possible fees associated with repair .

CAPS Department [phone]

Identify the RM A num b er cl early on t he pac k age (b el ow addre s s) , and return to the follow ing ad d ress :

ADTRAN Customer and Product Service
901 Explorer Blvd. (East Tower)
Huntsville, Alabama 35806

RMA # _____________

Pre-Sales Inquiries and Applications Support

Your reseller should serve as the first point of cont act for support . If additi onal pre-sa les suppor t is needed,
the ADTRAN Support web site provides a variety of support services such as a searchable knowledge
base, latest product documentation, application br iefs, case studies, and a link to submit a question to an
Applications Engineer. All of this, and more, is available at:

http://support.adtran.com

When needed, further pre-sales a ssistance is available by calling our Applications Engineering
Department.

Applications Engineering [phone]

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 7

Post-Sale Support

Your reseller should serve as the first point of contac t for support. If additional support is needed, the
ADTRAN Support web site provides a variety of suppo rt services such as a searchable knowledge base,
updated firmware relea ses, latest product documentation, service request ticket genera tion and
trouble-shooting tools. All of this, and more, is available at:

http://support.adtran.com

When needed, further post-sales assistance is availabl e by calling our Technical Support Center. Please
have your unit serial number available when you call.

Technical Support (888) 4ADTRAN

Installation and Mainte nance Supp ort

The ADTRAN Custom Extended Services (ACES) progra m offers multiple types and levels of ins talla tion
and maintenance servic es which allow you to choose the kind of assistance you need. This support is
available at:

http://www.adtran.com/aces

For questions, call the ACES Help Desk.

ACES Help Desk (888) 874-ACES (2237)

Training

The Enterprise Ne twork (EN) Technical Tr aining Depa rtment off ers training on our most popular products.
These courses include overviews on product features and functions while covering applications of
ADTRAN's product lines. ADTRAN provides a variety of training options, including customized training
and courses taught at our facilit ies or at your site. For more informati on about training, please cont act your
T erritory Manager or the Enterprise Training Coordinator.

Training Phone [phone], ext. 7500
Training Fax [phone]
Training Email [e-mail]

8 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

Radio Frequency Interface Statement

This equipment ha s been tested and found to comply with the limits for an intentional radiator, pursuant to
Part 15, Subpart C of the FCC Rules. This equipment genera tes, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy. If not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, it may cause interferenc e to radi o
communications.

The limits are des igned to provid e re asonable prot ecti on again st such int erferenc e in a re sidenti al situatio n.
However, ther e is no guarante e tha t interf erence will not occu r in a partic ular install ation. If this equipment
does cause interfere nce to radio or tele vision rec eption, which can be determi ned by turning the equipm ent
on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna of the affected radio or television.

• Increase the separation betw een the equip me n t and the aff ected rece iver.

• Connect the equipment and the affected receiver to power outlets on separate circuits.

• Consult the dealer or an experie nced r adio/TV technician for help.

Changes or modificati ons not expre ssly approved by ADTRAN coul d void th e user’s
authority to operate the equi pment.

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 9

FCC Output Power Restrictions

The FCC does not require licensing to implement this device. It is the responsibility of the individuals
designing and imple menting the ra dio sys tem to assure complianc e with these and any other pe rtine nt FCC
Rules and Regulations. This device must be professionally installed.

Exposure to Radio Fre quency Fields

The TRACER 4205 is designed to operate at 5.725 to 5.850 GHz with 100 mW maximum transmit power.

This level of RF energy is below the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) leve ls specified in FCC OET
65:97-01. The installation of high gain antenna equipment in the system configuration may c reate the
opportunity for expos ure to levels higher than recommended for the general popula tion at a distance less
than 15 feet ( 4.6 meter) from the ce nter o f the antenna. The following precautions must be taken during
installation of this equ ipment:

• The installed a ntenna m ust no t be loca ted in a manner t hat a llows expo sure o f the general pop ulation to
the direct beam path of the antenna at a dista nce less than 15 feet (4.6 meters). Install ation on towers,
masts, or rooftops not accessible to the general population is recommended; or

• Mount the antenna in a manner that prevent s any personnel from entering the area within 15 feet (4.6
meter) from the fron t of the anten n a.

• It is recommended that the installer place radio frequency hazard warnings signs on the barrier that
prevents acce ss to the anten n a.

• Prior to installing the antenna to the TRACER 4205 output, make sure the power is adjusted to the
settings specified in section 2 of this manual.

• During antenna installation, be sure that power to the TRACER equipment is turned off in order to
prevent any energy presence on the coaxi al connector.

• During installation and alignment of the antenna, do not stand in front of the antenna assembly.

• During installation and alignment of the antenna, do not handle or touch the front of the antenna.

These simple precautio ns must be taken to prevent general population and instal lation personnel from
exposure to RF energy in excess of specified MPE levels.

10 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

4205 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

This section of ADTRAN’s TRACER 4205 System manual is designed for use by network engineer s,
planners, and designers for overview information about the TRACER 4205.

It contains general inf ormation and describes physical and operational concepts, network relationships,
provisioning, test ing, alarm st atus, and sys tem monitor ing. This se ction s hould be use d in conjuncti on with
Section 2, Engineering Guidelines, of the system manual.

CONTENTS

System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Configuration and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Operational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 11

Section 1, System Description TRACER 4205 System Manua l

1. SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The ADTRAN TRACER® 4205 wireless data system provides tr ansparent extension of DS3 circuits over
wireless links for up to 25 mi les (line-of-sight path required). As authorized under Par t 15.247 of the FCC
Rules, the TRACER 4205 operates license-free in the 5.8 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM)
band requiring no FCC licensing of end users.

For configuration and testing, the TRACER 4205 provides the capability to control the remote TRACER
4205 through a separate maintenance channel. The TRACER 4205 has several built-in test capabilities
including remote loopba ck. Complete configuration and performance dat a is available through menus
accessed using a standard RS-232 terminal interface.

2. FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The following is a brief list of TRACER 4205 features and be nefits:

Configuration and Management

• Easy to use VT100 control port (RS-232 inte rface) for configuration and monitoring

• Remote configuration

Operational

• Transparent DS3 transmission over digital microwave link

• No license required per FCC Rules Part 15.247

• Frequency: 5.725 to 5.850 GHz

• Point-to-point, up to 25 miles

• 1-U high unit for easy rack-mounting

12 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

MICROWAVE PATH ENGINEERING BASICS

CONTENTS

Line-of-site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Decibels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Receiver Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Antenna Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Path Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Antenna Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Antenna Beam Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Fresnel Zones, Earth Curvature, & Antenna Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Coaxial Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Receiver Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Fade Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Path Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

FIGURES

Figu r e 1 . Exam p le Microwave Pa th with Para meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Figure 2. Typical Antenna B eam Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

TABLES

Table 1. Antenna Gain for Given Dish Di ameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Table 2. Path Loss for Given Path Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Table 3. Minimum Antenna Height for Given Path Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Table 4. Typical Coaxial Loss for Common Cable Types, per 100ft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 13

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4205 System Manual

1. LINE-OF-SITE

The TRACER 4205 system is designed for operation in the 5725 MHz to 5850 MHz license-free
industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. Radio wave propaga tion in this band exhibits microwave
characteristics, which are ideally suited for point-to-point, line-of- sight communications. Line-of-sight
essentially requires that the transmitting antenna and receiving antenna are able to “see” each other, and
that the straight-line path between the two antennas is free of any obstructions, such as buildings, trees,
mountains, and, in longer paths, even the curvature of the earth.

Point-to-Point Wireless communication from a single site to another

individual site. Contrast with point-to-multipoint

Line-of-Sight An unobstructed, direct path exists between the

transmitting and the receiving antennas.

2. DECIBELS

The received signal power equation is often expressed in a decibel (dB) format, which turns the power
multiplication a nd division operations into addition and subtraction operations. In gener al , an y quantity
can be expressed in decibels . If the quant ity (x) is a power level, the decibel equivalent is defi ned as

x

If the quantity x is referenced to a milliwatt (mW), then the decibel-milliwatt (dBm) is used instead of a
generic decibel.

x

dBm

dB

10 log10x()⋅=

10 log

⋅=

x



------------ -

10



1mW

(dB)

(dBm)

3. RECEIVER POWER

The radio frequenc y (RF) signal power that is a vailable at the input to the receiving TRACER 420 5 system
is the next parameter of inter est in analyzing a wireless path. The TRACER 4205 has a maximum output
power level of 100 mW, which is equivalent to 20 dBm. This output signal will be attenuated and distorted
by various factors, all of which will degrade the original signal and affect the signal strength and quality as
sensed by the receiving unit. A simplified power budget analysis is beneficial to perform after verifying a
suitable line-o f-sight path to determine if the microwave path is suit able, even for ideal, non-distorted
signals.

The equation relatin g received signal power to the other microwave parameters is

PTGTG

---------------------------

=

P

R

4π()2d2L

2

λ

R

(watts, W)

14 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

TRACER 4205 System Manual Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics

where the variables in the equation are defined as

P

R

P

T

G

T

G

R

received p ow er (Watts)
transmitted power (100 mW (max) for TRACER 4205 - adjustable)
transmit antenna gain
receive ant enn a g ain

λ carrier wavelength (c / ƒ) (meters)
d pat h dist ance (meters)
L other losses (RF coaxial cable, etc.)

The actual tran smit and rec eive antenna gain va lues ar e str ictly depe ndent upon the physic al chara cte ristics
of the antennas install ed for each link. T ypical gains are between 20 and 40 dB. For example, a 4 foot
diameter Parabolic dish has 34.2 dB of gain at 5.8 GHz. The carrier wavelength is the physi cal wavelengt h
of the main RF carrier being used for communication, and is usually approximated at the center frequency
of the band, which is 5787.5 MHz. This gives a wavelength of 5. 18 cm.

The path distance is simply the physical distance between the transmit and receive antennas. For the
TRACER 4205 these distances can range up to 25 miles. The final parameter L incorporates all other
signal power losses in the microwave link, most of which are caused by antenna feed.

4. ANTENNA GAIN

Best performance will res ult from the use of a parabolic dish antenna. Antenna gain is determi ned by the
size of the dish, with typical features detailed below. Dish manufatureres will be able to supply gains for
other types of antennas.

Table 1. Antenna Gain for Given Dish Diameters

Dish Diameter

(in feet)

2 28.5
4 34.2
6 37.5

8 40.7
10 42.5
12 44.2

Gain

(in dBi)

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 15

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4205 System Manual

5. PATH LOSS

The expression

L



--------- -

==

P



λ

2

4πd

4πdf



----------- -



2

(dB)

c

where

f carrier frequency (Hz)

λ carrier wavelength (c / f) (meters)
d pat h dist ance (meters)
c speed of light, free-space (meters)

is called the path loss, and increases rapidly as either path length increases or carrier wavelength decreases
(which happens as the carrier frequency increases). So, longer microwave paths will naturally experienc e
more path loss than shorter paths. Likewise, higher frequency microwa ve communication will experience
more path loss than lower frequenc y microwave communication.

T able 1 tabulates path loss values for various path lengths for the TRACER 4205 system. Values not listed
in the table can be interp o lat ed from t hose l isted .

Table 2. Path Loss for Given Path Lengths

Path Length

(miles)

1112

2118

3 121

4 124

5 126

6 127

7 129

8 130

9 131
10 132
11 133
12 133
13 134
14 135
15 135
16 136
17 136
18 137
19 137

Path Loss

(dB)

16 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804205L1-1A

TRACER 4205 System Manual Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics

Table 2. Path Loss for Given Path Lengths

Path Length

(miles)

20 138
21 138
22 139
23 139
24 139
25 140

Path Loss

(dB)

When using decibel notation, the received power equation becomes

4πdf

P

PTGTGRL– 20 · log

=

R

–++



----------- -

10



c

(dBm)

or

P

PTGTGRL– LP–++=

R

Where, in the second equation the path loss has been lumped into a single quantity, L

(dBm)

, as discussed

P

previously. When using decibel notation, it is necessary that al l quantities are individually converted to
decibels prior to performing addition and subtraction.

When d is expressed in miles and f in GHz, the path loss expression in deci bels becomes

L

96.6 20 log10d() 20·log+

P

10

f()⋅+=

(dB)

Figure 1 illustrate s a wireless link containing all of the parameter s previously discussed.

612804205L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 17