Adtran TRC4206L1 Manual rev

TRACER 4206

System Manual

12804206L1A TRACER 4206 System (Plan A)
12804206L1B TRACER 4206 System (Plan B)

612804206L1-1A
September 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 4206 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 4206. 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 System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Provides managers with an overview of the TRACER 4206 system.

Section 2 Microwave Path Engineering Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Provides information to a ssist network designers with incor porating the
TRACER 4206 system into their networks.

Section 4 Network Turnup Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Provides step-by- step in struc tions on how to in sta ll the TRACER 4206 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Explains the termina l interface and provides a description for each of the menus availabl e
for the TRACER 4206 system.

Section 6 Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Provides helpful inf ormation for troubleshooting common config uration problems for the
TRACER 4206 system.

Revision History

This is the first issue of this manual.

612804206L1-1A © 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. 612804206L1-1A

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. This device is designed for commercial use only.

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

Changes or modificati ons to this unit not e xpressly appr ov ed by the par ty responsible
for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment .

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 5

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 interference to radio
communications.

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

6 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

FCC Output Power Restrictions

The FCC does not require licensing to implement this device. License-free operation in the industrial,
scientific, and medical band is documented in FCC Rules Part 15.247. It is the responsibility of the
individuals desi gning and implementing the radio system to assure compliance with any pertinent FCC
Rules and Regulations. This device must be professionally installed.

Exposure to Ra dio Frequ ency Fi elds

The TRACER 4206 is designed to operate at 5.8 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 create 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 t he center of 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 4206 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.

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 7

Customer Service, Product Support Information, and Training

ADTRAN will repair and return this produ ct 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 contact f or support. If additi ona l pre-sale s support is neede d,
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 assistance is available by calling our Applications Engineering
Department.

Applications Engineering [phone]

8 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

Post-Sale Support

Your reseller should serve as the first point of contact for suppor t. 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 Trai ning Depar tment offe rs tr aining on our m ost popula r pr oducts.
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]

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 9

10 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

This section of ADTRAN’s TRACER 4206 System manual is designed for use by network engineer s,
planners, and designers for overview information about the TRACER 4206.

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 3, Engineering Guidelines, of the system manual.

CONTENTS

System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

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

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

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

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 11

Section 1, System Description TRACER 4206 System Manua l

1. SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The ADTRAN TRACER® 4206 wireless sys tem provi des four ind ependent T1 c ircuits ove r a wir eless li nk
for up to 30 miles (line-of-sight path required). As authorized under Part 15.247 of the FCC Rules, the
TRACER 4206 operates license-free in the 5.8 GHz unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM)
band, requiring no FCC licensing of end users.

For configuration and testing, the TRACER 4206 provides the capability to control the remote TRACER
4206 through a separate maintenance channel. The TRACER 4206 has several built-in test capabilities
including remote loopba ck. Complete configuration and performance data is available through menus
accessed using a standard RS-232 terminal interface.

2. FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The following is a brief list of TRACER 4206 features and benefits:

Configuration and Management

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

• Remote configuration

Operational

• Four Transparent T1 transmi ssion, over digital microwave link

• No license required per FCC Rules Part 15.247

• Frequency: 5.734 to 5.833 GHz

• Point-to-point, up to 30 miles

• 1-U high unit for easy rack-mounting

12 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

MICROWAVE PATH ENGINEERING BASICS

CONTENTS

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

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

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

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

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

Antenna Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Antenna Beam Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Fresnel Zones, Earth Curvature, & Antenna Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Coaxial Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Receiver Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Fade Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Path Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

FIGURES

Figu r e 1 . Exam p le Microwave Pa th with Para meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Figure 2. Typical Antenna B eam Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

TABLES

Table 1. Antenna Gain for Given Dish Diameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

Table 3. Minimum Antenna Height for Given Path Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 13

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4206 System Manual

1. LINE-OF-SITE

The TRACER 4206 system is designed for operation in the 5725 MHz to 5850 MHz unlicensed Industrial,
Scientific, and Medical (ISM) frequency band. Radio wave propagation 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, any 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 6 system
is the next parameter of inter est in analyzing a wireless path. The TRACER 4206 has a maximum output
power level of 100 mW, which is e quivalent 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

=

R

--------------------------­4π()2d2L

P

2

λ

R

(watts, W)

14 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 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 4206 - 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 transmitted power is limited for the 5.8 GHz ISM band to 1W or 30 dBm. The actual transmit and
receive antenna gain values are strictly dependent upon the physical characteristics of the antennas
installed for each link. Typical 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 physical wavelength of the main RF
carrier being used for communic ation, and is usually approximated at the cent er 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 4206 these distances can range up to 30 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 manufacturers 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)

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 15

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4206 System Manual

5. PATH LOSS

The expression

2

4πd



L

P

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.

Table 2 on page 16, tabulates pa th loss values for various path lengths for the TRACER 4206 system.
Values not listed in the table can be interpolated from those listed.

--------- -

==



λ

Table 2. Path Loss for Given Path Lengths

Path Length

4πdf



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



(miles)

1 112

2 118

3 121

4 124

5 126
10 132
15 135
20 138
25 140
30 141
35 143

2

(dB)

c

Path Loss

(dB)

When using decibel notation, the received power equation becomes

4πdf



PTGTGRL– 20 · log

=

P

R

or

P

16 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

PTGTGRL– LP–++=

R

–++

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

10



c

(dBm)

(dBm)

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics

P

L

L

Where, in the second equation the path loss has been lumped into a single quantity, LP, as discussed
previously. When using decibel notation, it is necessary that all 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 decibel s 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.

λ

G

T

T

d, L

P

G

R

P

R

Figure 1. Example Microwave Path with Parameters

6. ANTENNA ALIGNMENT

With line-of-sight microwave communications, optimum system performance requires that the
transmitting a nd receivi ng a ntennas are proper ly aligne d. This will ensure m aximum recei ved signal p ower
at each receiver. Antenna alignment must be achieved in both azimuth (along a horizontal plane) and
elevation (along a vertical plane). A received sig nal strength indicator (RSSI) is used to aid the equipment
installer in deter mining when alignment is maximized, by simply ensuring maximu m RSSI. The RSSI
indicator for the TRACER 4206 system is provi ded through the VT100 terminal menus accessed through
the RS-232 inter face, and is present ed as a series of bars indicating signal strength. More bars means mo re
RSSI, which ensures more received signal strength and better link performance.

If the local system has acquire d a useful signal from the remote system, then the remote TRACER 4206
RSSI can also be viewed from the local TRACER 4206 VT100 terminal menu interface.

An RSSI T est point is also provided on the front panel. The vol tage (relative to the gnd test point) present
on this test point represe nts a relative signal level of receive stre ngth from the far end. The voltage at this
test point can vary from approxi matly 0 to greater than 4 Volts DC, with 0 Volts corresponding to no signal
and 4 Volts or better to full signal strength.

Antenna Beam Patterns

Directly related to the subject of antenna alignment is the topic of antenna beam patte rns. Antennas being
used with the TRACER 4206 system will have a particula r beam shap e determined in part by the physical
construction and geometr y of the antenna. The antenna beam patterns are character ized by a dominant
main lobe, which is the preferred lobe to use for point-to-point communicati ons, and several side lobes, as

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 17

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4206 System Manual

shown in Figure 2 on page 18. The antenna alignm ent step to set ting up a microwa ve link is in f act steer ing
the main lobes of both a ntennas until the main lobe of one transmitter is centered on the receiving element
of the receiving antenna.

main lobe

side lobes

Figure 2. Typical Antenna Beam Pattern

Antennas are also designed to radiate RF energy efficiently for a specific range of frequencies. Please
consult the data shee t for your parti cular ante nna make and model to e nsure that it is specified to ope rat e in
the 5725 MHz to 5850 MHz frequency band.

Fresnel Zones, Earth Curvature, & Antenna Heights

The Fresnel zones correspond to r egions in the microwave path where reflections of the intended signal
occur and combine in both constructive and destructive manners with the main signal, thereby either
enhancing or reducing the net power at the receiver.

In general, the odd numbered Fresnel zo nes (1, 3, 5, ...) add constructively at the receiver, while the even
numbered Fresnel zones (2, 4, 6, ... ) add destructively at the receiver.

The first Fres nel z one corresp onds to the main lobe, and must b e at least 6 0% fr ee of ph ysical obstructi ons fo r
the path calculations to be valid . Since the main lobe contains the vast majorit y of the microwave ener g y, this
zone is typically used to determine proper antenna heights when placing antennas on towers or buildings.

The curvature of t he Earth be comes a legit imate obst ructi on for pa th length s of 7 mi les or greater, and must
also be accounted for when determining minimum antenna heights.

The aggregate expression f or minimum antenna height that incorporates both the 60% first Fresnel zone
and the Earth curvature is given by

h 72.1

d

---- - 0.125d

+=

2

(feet)

4f

where f is in GHz and d is in miles.
Table 3 tabulates minimum antenna heights for given path lengths.

18 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics

Table 3. Minimu m An t enn a H eig ht f or Gi ve n P at h Len gt hs

Path Length

(miles)

2 22
4 32
6 41

8 50
10 60
14 81
16 92
18 104
20 117
22 131
24 145
26 161
28 177
30 194
32 213
34 232
36 252

Min. Antenna Height

(ft)

7. COAXIAL CABLE

Coaxial cable will be re quired to at tach the TRACER 4206 to t he ant enna. The length of the cable wi ll vary
from a few feet to several feet, depending upon your application and the proximity of the TRACER 4206
to the antenna.

Various grades of coaxial cable will work suffic iently well for connecting the TRACER 4206 unit to the
antenna. A low-loss coaxial cable is suggested to minimize cable losses. One end of the cable will require
an N-type male connector (plug) to mate with the TRACER 4206 unit. The other end of the coax will
require a con nector com patible wit h the antenna chose n for the i nstallati on, which is usually al so an N-type
male connector (plug). Additionally, it is recommended that both connector s on the coaxial cable be
weatherproofed from the elemen ts to prevent corrosion and electrical shorting.

T able 3 gives typical loss figures for some of the more common coaxial cable types, per 100 feet.

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 19

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4206 System Manual

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

Cable Type Cable Loss (dB/ft)

RG-213, RG-214, RG-293

1/4” Coax
3/8” Coax
1/2” Coax
5/8” Coax

5.8 GHz Elliptical Waveguide

20

11.36

9.65

6.49

4.90

1.23

In certain areas whe re lightning strikes are frequent, a lightning a rrestor should be installed directly on the
antenna coax. This will help protect the RF electronics in the downstream path from damaging voltages
and currents, including the TRACER 4206 unit.

8. RECEIVER SENSITIVITY

Receiver sensitivity is a value expressed in decibels referenced to one milliwatt (dBm) that corresponds to
the minimum amount of signal power needed at the receiver to achieve a given bit error rate (BER).
Receiver sensitivity is usually a negative number of decibels, and as such smaller receiver sensitivity is
better for a given BER. Several fact ors affect receiver sensitivity, including the data bandwidth of the
wireless link, and the amount of additional signal degradation introduced in the receiver electroni cs. The

receiver sensitivity of the TRACER 4206 is -89 dBm at 10
for frequenc y agil ity, should an interferer be nearby.

-6

bit error rate. Three band plans are provided

9. FADE MARGIN

Fade margin is a val ue indicating the amount of extra si gnal power available to the receiver to operate at a
maximum bit error rat e (BER). Higher levels of fade margin are better, and will protect th e vi ability of the
microwave link against signa l fading. For most applications, 20 to 30 dB of fade margin should ensure a
reliable link. Fade margin is simply the difference between the available signal power at the rec eiver and
the receiver sensit ivity, discussed previously:

FPRP

– PRGTGRL– LP– P

sens

–++==

sens

(dB)

10. PATH AVAILABILITY

The path availability of a wireless link is a metric that expresses the fractional amount of time a link is
available over some fixe d amount of time, and depends on several fa cto rs. Path availability is expr essed as

A 12.510

6–

×()abfd310

F 10⁄–

()–[]100%×=

(dB)

20 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics

where the parameters are

a terrain factor
b climate factor
f carrier frequency (GHz)
d path length (miles)
F fade margin (dB)

The terrain factor is a quantity that compensates the link availability for different types of terrain.
Generally speaking , the more smooth an area 's terrain is, the less availability a wireless link running
over that terrain will have, primarily due to multipath reflections. In contrast, secondary microwave
signals will be randomly dispe rsed over rough terrain, and will not inter fer e with the main signal lobe
as badly as in the smooth terrain case. The terrain factor values normally used are listed below:

Terrain Terrain Factor Description

Smooth 4 water, flat desert

Average 1 moderate roughne ss

Mountainous 1/4 very rough, mountainous

The climate factor is a quantity that compensates the link availability for different types of climates
(weather). In general , micr owave links operating in areas with high humidity will have less availability
than those in arid are as , pri ma rily becau s e wat er is a dispersive mechan i sm t o mic ro w ave en erg y, and
causes the main signal lobe to refract and disperse away from the receiver location. The climate factor
values normally used are liste d below.

Climate Climate F a ctor Des c r iptio n

Very Dry 1/8 desert regions

Temperate 1/4 mainland, interior region

Humid 1/2 humid and coastal regions

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 21

Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics TRACER 4206 System Manual

22 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

ENGINEERING GUIDELINES

CONTENTS

Equipment Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Reviewing the Front Panel Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

RSSI Monitoring Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

TX PWR Monitoring Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Front Panel LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Reviewing the TRACER 4206 Rear Panel Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Antenna Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

DC Power Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Alarm Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

T1 Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

RS-232 Connection (Terminal Use) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

RS-232 Connection (Modem Use) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

At-A-Glance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

FIGURES

Figure 1. TRACE R 4206 Front Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Figure 2. TRACE R 4206 Rear Pa nel Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

TABLES

Table 1. TRACER 4206 Front Panel Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Table 2. TRACER 4206 LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Table 3. DC Power Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Table 4. Alarm Contact Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Table 5. T1 Interface Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Table 6. RS-232 Connection Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Table 7. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Terminal (DTE) Diagram (DB-25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Table 8. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Personal Computer (DB-9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Table 9. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Modem (DCE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 23

Section 3, Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4206 System Manua l

1. EQUIPMENT DIMENSIONS

The TRACER 4206 unit is 19” W, 10.5” D, and 1.75” H, weighs 7 lbs, and can be used in rack-mount
configurations.

2. POWER REQUIREMENTS

The TRACER 4206 system has a maximum power consumption of 25W and a maximum current draw of

1.2A (at 21 VDC).

3. REVIEWING THE FRONT PANEL DESIGN

The front panel contains RSSI and TX PWR monitoring interfaces, a GND interface for reference with the
monitoring interfa ces, and status LEDs to provide visual information about the TRACER 4206 system.
Figure 1 identifies the various bantam interfaces and the LEDs.

Status LEDs

ALARM

TRACER 4206

RSSI

Figure 1. TRACER 4206 Front Panel Layout

T1A T1B T1C T1D

TX PWR

GND

RSSI Monitoring Interface

The RSSI voltage is a function of the signal strength at the receiver and is used to measure the received
signal strength. RSSI varies approximately from 0 to greater than 4 Volts (V), with 0V corresponding to a
weaker received signal and 4V or better corresponding to a stronger received sig nal.

The voltage level present at the RSSI test point represents only a relative signal level of
receiv e strength from the far end. No direct correlation can be made between RSSI voltage
levels and actual receive levels in dBm. This test point is provided to assess relative signal
level for alignment of antennas.

24 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 3, Engineering Guidelines

TX PWR Monitoring Interface

The TX PWR voltage is a function of the selected tr ansmit power le vel. Thi s voltage ranges appr oximately
from 0 to 5V, with 0V corresponding to +5 dBm (3 milliwatts) and 5V corresponding to +20 dBm (100
milliwatts).

Front Panel LEDs

With the TRACER 4206 powered-on, the front panel LEDs provide visual information about the status of
the TRACER 4206 system. Table 1 provides a brief description of the front panel features, and Table 2
(continued on page 27) provide s detailed information about the LEDs.

Table 1. TRACER 4206 Front Panel Description

Feature Description

RSSI Interface DC voltage indicating strength of the received signal at the antenna
TX PWR Interface DC voltage indicating strength of transmitted signal
GND Interface Ground reference for RSSI and TX PWR interfaces
Status LEDs Provides status information about the system

Table 2. TRACER 4206 LEDs

For these LEDs... Th is co lo r li ght. .. Indicates that...

PWR Green (solid) the TRACER 4206 is connected to a power source.

Off the TRACER 4206 is not currently powered up.

PLAN A Green (solid) the TRACER 4206 is transmitting on Frequency Plan A.

Off the TRACER 4206 is not transmitting on Freque ncy

Plan A.

PLAN B Green (solid) the TRACER 4206 is transmitting on Frequency Plan B.

Off the TRACER 4206 is not transmitting on Freque ncy

Plan B.

RF DOWN Red (solid) there is a communication problem between the local and

remote TRACER 4206 systems.

T1 Alarms

T1A
T1B
T1C
T1D

Red (solid) an Alarm Condition on a T1 Interface. Check the respective

T1 status page to identify the active alarm.

Red (blinking) the respective T1 is in a loopback mode.

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 25

Section 3, Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Antenna

DC Power

RS232 Interface

Table 2. TRACER 4206 LEDs (Continued)

For these LEDs... Th is color light... Indicates that...

RF LOW Red (solid) the RSSI level is below suggested minimum threshold.
TST Amber (solid) there is an active test being performed by the system or

there is an active loopback.

4. REVIEWING THE TRACER 4206 REAR PANEL DESIGN

The TRACER 4206 rear panel contains the followi ng interfaces:

• ALARM interface (terminal block) for connecting to an external alarm monitoring system

DC POWER (terminal block) for connecting to a proper 21-63 VDC power source

•

T1A, T1B, T1C and T1D (R J- 48C jacks) for connecting to a T1 device

•

ANTENNA (N-Type connector) for the antenna feedline cable

•

TEST (1/4” stereo jack) for QPSK constellation test point

•

• Ground lug for connecting to earth gr ound

RS-232 (DB-25 female) for connecting to a VT100 terminal or PC with terminal emulation

•
software

Figure 2 on page 26 ide ntifies the various features of the TRACER 4206 rear panel. A detailed discussion
of all interfaces (inc luding pinouts, where applicabl e) fol lows the figure.

Antenna Interface

The ANTENNA interface (N-Type connector) connects to the antenna (customer supplie d) using standard
antenna feedline cable . When determining the cable specifica tions for your application, refer to Sec tion 2,
Microwave Path Engineering Basics (Coaxial Cable on page 19) for a discussion on cable length and loss
factors.

Fuse

The fuse holder, accessible from the rear panel of the TRACER 4206, accepts a generic 1 Amp, 250 Volt,
2-inch slow-blo fuse.

(VT100 Terminal)

T1 Interfaces

T1A T1B T1C T1D

Figure 2. TRACER 4206 Rear Panel Layout

Connection

Alarm

Contacts

Fuse

Connector

Ground

Lug

26 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 3, Engineering Guidelines

DC Power Connection

The TRACER 4206 can operate from a suppl y between 21 and 63 VDC, with either polarity referenced to
ground, and consumes less than 25 Watts (W). Power supplies should be able to provide up to 30 W at
the selected voltag e. Current required (in amps) is determined by dividing the power consumed (in watts)
by the applied voltage (i n volts). For example, at 48 V, TRACER 4206 would draw approximately 0.521 A
(25 W/48 V).

Connec tor t ype Terminal Block

Table 3. DC Power Connector Pinout

PIN NAME DESCRIPTION

1 + POS ITIVE LE AD (referenced to ground)
2 - NEGATIVE LEAD (referenced to ground)

Alarm Contacts

Normally open (NO) and normally closed (NC) alarm conta cts are provided on the rear panel of the
TRACER 4206 system. In normal operation, the NC contact is electrically connected to the common
contact (COM) and the NO contact is isolated. During an alarm condition, the NC contact becomes
isolated and the NO is electri cally connected to COM. This allows alarm conditions to be reported to
external alarm monitoring systems.

Connec tor t ype Terminal Block

Table 4. Alarm Contact Connector Pinout

PIN NAME DESCRIPTION

1 COM COMMON CONTACT
2 NO NORMALLY-OPEN CONTACT
3 NC NORMALLY-CLOSED CONTACT

T1 Connections

The physical T1 interfaces a re provided by 4 RJ-48C jacks that comply with the applicable ANSI and

®

AT&T

Connec tor t ype RJ-48C

standards.

Table 5. T1 Interface Connector Pinout

PIN NAME DESCRIPTION

1 R Transmit data (ring) towards the network
2 T Transmit data (TIP) towards the network
3, 6-8 UNUSE D ——
4 R1 Receive data (ring) toward the network
5 T1 Transmit data (TIP) from the network

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 27

Section 3, Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4206 System Manua l

RS-232 Connection (Terminal Use)

The RS-232 connector provides a female DB-25 terminal connec tion (wired as a DCE interface), whic h is
used for terminal access to the TRACER 4206 system. The RS-232 port provides the following functions:

• Accepts EIA-232 input from a PC or terminal for controlling the TRACER 4206 system

• Operates at 9600 bps
Table 6 on page 28 shows the pi nout. W ir ing di agrams for c onnec ting to th e RS-232 connector (for vari ous

applications) are provided following the pinout.

Connec tor t ype (USOC) DB-25

Table 6. RS-232 Connection Pinout

PIN NAME DESCRIPTION

1, 7 GND GROUND
2TXTRANSMIT
3 RX RECEIVE
4 RTS REQUEST TO SEND
5 CTS CLEAR TO SEND
6 DSR DATA SET READY (MODEM CONTROL ONLY)
8 CD CARRIER DETECT
9-19 — UNUSED
20 DTR DATA TERMINAL READY (MODEM CONTROL ONLY)
21 — UNUSED
22 RI RING INDICATOR
23-25 — UNUSED

Table 7. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Terminal (DTE) Diagram (DB-25)

PIN NAME PIN NAME

2 TX 2 TX
3 RX 3 RX
4 RTS 4 RTS
5 CTS 5 CTS
6 DSR 6 DS R
7 GND 7 GND

28 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 3, Engineering Guidelines

Table 8. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Personal Computer (DB-9)

PIN NAME PIN NAME

2 TX 2 TX
3 RX 3 RX
4 RTS 7 RTS
5 CTS 8 CTS
6 DSR 6 DS R
7 GND 5 GND

RS-232 Connection (Modem Use)

Modem controls, discussed in Section 5, User Inte rface Guide, of this manual, will enable or disable
modem control through the RS-232 inter face. When this option is enabled from a standard terminal
connection, all RS-232 communications will cease until a modem is attached with a null modem adapter
between the TRACER 4206 and the data modem. The data modem should be configured for AUTO
ANSWER and 9600 bps. When the user connects via modem to the TRACER 4206 unit, communications
via the RS-232 port will resume. If a user accidenta lly enables modem control from a termina l and disr upts
the RS-232 communication, pr essing <Ctrl + Z> three times will temporarily disable the modem control
option (until the system is reset) and access the system configuration to disable modem control.

The TRACER 4206 must be interfaced to a modem via an RS-232 null modem adapter or cable. The null
modem will convert Clear To Send (CTS) and Data Set Ready (DSR) into Ready To Send (RTS) and Data
T erminal Ready (DTR), respectiv ely. The se signals will indicate (to most modems) that a valid DTE
terminal device is pr esent. The null mo dem interfac e must rout e Carrie r Detect ( CD) on pin 8 di rectly fr om
the mod em, and the modem must s ource CD only when actually connected to a carrier w hen using the
RS-232 interface for modem control.

When MODEM CONNECTION (logout) is selected in the menu system, the TRACER 4206 will de-ass ert DTR
and DSR for a time greater than 20 ms. The null modem will consequently dr op DTR and RTS at the
modem interface, signaling the modem to hang up the line. If password functionality is enabled in the
TRACER 4206, selecting

MODEM CONNECTION (logout) will rese t the TRACER 4206 to the pa ssword e ntry

screen.

Hangup-on-DTR-drop may need to be explicitly enabled on some modems.

Table 9 on page 30 contains the wiring diagram needed for connecting the TRACER 4206 RS-232
interface to a modem using the null modem adapter.

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 29

Section 3, Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Table 9. TRACER 4206 (DCE) to Modem (DCE)

PIN NAME PIN NAME

2 TX 3 RX
3 RX 2 TX
4 RTS 5 CTS
5 CTS 4 RTS
6 DSR 20 DTR
7 GND 7 GND
8 CD 8 CD

5. AT-A-GLANCE SPECIFICATIONS

The following is a list of specifications for the TRACER 4206 system.

Hardware Description Specification

Transmitter

Receiver

Frequency Plan

Output Power +20 dBm, max
Frequency Range 5725 to 5850 MHz

Receive Level, Minimum -89dBm
Receive Level, Maximum -3 0 dBm
Receive Level, Nominal -55 dBm

Band Plan

1 Tx 5.734 GHz, Rx 5.814 GHz

Plan A

2 Tx 5.744 GHz, Rx 5.824 GHz
3 Tx 5.753 GHz, Rx 5.833 GHz

30 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 3, Engineering Guidelines

Hardware Description Specification

Frequency Plan (continued)

Band Plan

T1 Interface

User Interface

Plan B

1 Tx 5.814 GHz, Rx 5.734 GHz
2 Tx 5.824 GHz, Rx 5.744 GHz
3 Tx 5.833 GHz, Rx 5.753 GHz

Capacity 1.544 Mbps (each)
Connection RJ-48C jacks
Line Code B8ZS, AMI
Framing ESF, D4
Alarms AIS, Red, Yel low, BPVs, LOS
Loopbacks Local and remo te (line and link)

Panel Alarm LEDs
Diagnostics Line and Link Loopbacks
Test Points QPSK Constellation, RSSI, Tx PWR
Alarms Normally Open (NO) and Normally

Closed (NC)

VT100 Terminal Menu Driven User Interface, Control of

the Remote End, Loopback Test,
Optional Password Protection, Event
History

VT100 Terminal Interface

Data Rate 9600 bps
Data B its 8
Parity None
Stop Bits 1
Termi nal Emulation VT100

Mechanical and Environmental

Operating Temperature -25ºC to 65ºC
Size 19” W x 10.5” D x 1.75” H
Humidity 95%, Non-condensing

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 31

Section 3, Engineering Guidelines TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Hardware Description Specification

Mechanical and Environmental (continued)

Weight 7 lbs

Power

Input Voltage 21 to 63 VDC, either polarity

referenced to ground

Power Consumption <

25 W atts
Connector 2 pin terminal block (DC)
Fuse 1 amp, 250 Volt slow-blo fuse (2-inch)

32 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

NETWORK TURNUP PROCEDURE

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Tools Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Unpack and Inspect the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Contents of ADTRAN Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Customer Provides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Channel Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Grounding Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Supplying Power to the Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Mounting Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7

Connecting the T1 Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

FIGURES

Figure 1. Bandwidth Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 33

Section 4, Network Turnup Procedure TRACER 4206 System Manual

1. INTRODUCTION

This section discusses the installation process of the TRACER 4206 system.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by ADTRAN could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.

2. TOOLS REQUIRED

The tools required for the ins tallation of the TRACER 4206 are:

• VT100 terminal or PC with terminal emulation software

• RS-232 (DB-25 male for TRACER 4206 end) cable for connecting to terminal

To prevent electrica l shock, do not install equi pment in a wet location or du ring a ligh tning
storm.

3. UNPACK AND INSPECT THE SYSTEM

Each TRACER 4206 is shipped in its own cardboard shipping carton. Open each carton carefully and
avoid deep penetration into the carton with sharp objects.

After unpacking the unit, inspect it for possible shipping damage. I f the equipment has been damaged in
transit, immed i atel y file a clai m wi th the carri er, then cont act A D TRA N Cus t omer Service (see Customer
Service, Product Support Information, and Training information in the front of this manual).

Contents of ADTRAN Shipment

Your ADTRAN shipment includes the following items:

• TRACER 4206 unit

• TRACER 4206 Documentation CD

• 4 T1 Interconnect Cables (RJ-4 8C Straight-Through)

Customer Provides

The following items are necess ary for the installation of the TRACER 4206 system and are not provided
by ADTRAN:

• 21 to 63 VDC power source (or AC adapter availa ble from ADTRAN P/N 1280650L1), either polar ity
referenced to ground

• Antenna and mounting hardware

• Antenna feedline cabl e

34 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 4, Network Turnup Proce dure

4. CHANNEL SELECTION

The FCC has allocated 125 MHz of spectrum in the band in which the TRACER 4206 operates. Figur e 1
illustrates the bandwidth division.

Channel A

Band 3Band 2Band 1

57345725 5787 58505744 5753MHz MHz

Figure 1. Bandwidth Division

5814 5824 5833

Channel B

Band 3Band 2Band 1

T o designate the utilization of the ISM bandwidth, the re are two differen t channel plans, labeled A and B.
The letter of each channel plan setting is preset by the factory and refers to the physica l configuration of
the diplexer filter inside the environmental housing. Each channel is then divided into three Bandplans (1,
2 or 3). The Bandplans must be the same for the local and remote TRACER 4206. For example, the
transmitter at one end of the lin k will transmit in Bandplan 1 of the lower portion of the spectrum and
receive in Bandplan 1 of the upper portion. Consequently, the receiver at the other end should rec eive in
Bandplan 1 of the lower portion and transmi t in Bandplan 1 of the upper portion.

The letter of the channel plan (A or B) must be diff erent on both ends and the number of the Bandplan (1,
2, or 3) must be the same on both e nds. Shipmen t of a link will c onsis t of one Plan A, B andplan 2, and Pl an
B, Bandplan 2, unit.

The channel plan (A or B) of the unit may be changed in the field if necessary by rewiring the internal
diplexer. Contact ADTRAN Technical Support for more information on this procedure.

5. GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS

The following provides grounding instruction information from the Underwriters’ Laboratory UL 60950
Standard for Safe ty of Information Technology Equipment Inclu ding Electrical Business Equipment, of
December, 2000.

An equipment grounding conduct or that is not smaller in size than the ungrounded branch-circuit supply
conductors is to be installe d as part of the circuit that supplies the product or system. Bare, covered, or
insulated grounding c onductors are acceptable. Indivi dually covered or insulated equipment grounding
conductors shall have a continuous outer finish that is either green, or green with one or more yellow
stripes. The equipment grounding conductor is to be connected to ground at the service equipment.

The attachment-plug receptacles in the vicinity of the product or system are all to be of a grounding type,

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Section 4, Network Turnup Procedure TRACER 4206 System Manual

and the equipment grounding conduc tors serving these receptacles are to be connected to earth ground at
the service equip m ent.

A supplementary equipment grounding conductor shall be installed be tween the product or system and
ground that is in addition to the equipm ent grounding conductor in the power supply cord.

The supplementary equipment gr ounding conductor shall not be smaller in size than the ungrounded
branch-circuit supply conductors. The supplementary equipment grounding conductor shall be connected
to the product at the terminal pro vided, and shall be connected to ground in a manner that will retain the
ground connection when the produc t is unplugged from the receptacle. The connection to ground of the
supplementary equip ment grounding conductor shall be in compliance with the rule s for terminating
bonding jumpers at Part K or Artic le 250 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70. Termination of
the supplementary equipm ent grounding conductor is permitted to be made to building steel , to a metal
electrical raceway system, or to any grounded item that is permanently and reliably connected to the
electrical ser vice equipment ground.

The supplemental grounding con ductor sha ll be conne cted to t he equipment using a number 8 ring t erm inal
and should be fastened to the gro unding lug provi ded on the rear pane l of the equipment . The ring termin al
should be installed using the appropriate crimping tool (AMP P/N 59250 T-EAD Crimping Tool or
equivalent.)

The supplemental equipment grounding terminal is located on the rear panel of the
TRACER 4206.

• This unit shall be in stall ed in accorda nce with Arti cle 400 and 364. 8 of the N EC NFPA
70 when installed outside of a Restricted Access Locat ion (i .e., centr al office , behind a
locked door, service personnel only area).

• Power to the TRACER 4206 DC system must be from a reliably grounded 21-63 VDC
source which is electrica lly isolated from the AC source.

• The branch circuit overcur ren t protection shall be a fuse or circuit breaker rated min­imum 60 VDC, maximum 10A.

• A readily accessible disconne ct device that is suitably approved and rated shall be in­corporated in the field wiring.

• Maximum recommended ambient operating te mperature is 45 oC.

6. SUPPLYING POWER TO THE UNIT

The TRACER 4206 can operate from a suppl y between 21 and 63 VDC, with either polarity referenced to
ground. Power supplies should be able to provide up to 30 watts at the selected voltage. A dual pin
terminal plug accepts power at the rear panel of the unit, providing a + and - polarity reference point.
Adapters for this plug are available (P/N 1175043L2) and are furnished with the unit and optional power
supply (P/N 1280650L1).

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TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 4, Network Turnup Proce dure

7. MOUNTING OPTIONS

Install th e TRACER 4206 in a location that requires minimal antenna feedline length (the loss in this cable
directly aff ects overall system performance). The TRACER 4206 is designed to be mounted in a rack. If
multiple units are insta lled in one location, one half inch of spacing is rec ommended above and below the
unit.

8. CONNECTING THE T1 INTERFACE

The physical T1 interface is provided using 4 RJ-48C jacks for transmit and receive. Th e provided straight
through T1 interface cable s can be used to interface to any standard T1 DTE device.

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Section 4, Network Turnup Procedure TRACER 4206 System Manual

38 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

USER INTERFACE GUIDE

CONTENTS

Navigating the Terminal Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Terminal Menu Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Navigating using the Keyboard Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Terminal Menu and System Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Password Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Menu Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

>TRACER System Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

>Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

>TRACER System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

>TRACER Link Performance History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

>T1A Status/Configuration/Loop back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

>T1A Performance History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

>T1B Status/Configuration/Loop back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

>T1B Performance History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

>T1C Status/Configuration/Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

>T1C Performance History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

>T1D Status/Configuration/Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

>T1D Performance History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

FIGURES

Figure 1. Main Menu Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Figure 2. TRACER System Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Figure 3. Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5

Figure 4. TRACER System Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Figure 5. RF Bandplan Band width Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Figure 6. TRACER Link Performance History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Figure 7. T1A Status/Co nfiguration/ Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Figure 8. T1A Link Loopba ck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Figure 9. T1A Line Loop back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Figure 10. T1A Link Performance History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Figure 11. T1B Status/Configuration/Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Figure 12. T1B Link Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Figure 13. T1B Line Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Figure 14. T1B Link Performance History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Figure 15. T1C Status/Configuration/Loop back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Figure 16. T1C Link Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Figure 17. T1C Line Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Figure 18. T1C Performance History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Figure 19. T1D Status/Configuration/Loop back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Figure 20. T1D Link Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Figure 21. T1D Line Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Figure 22. T1D Performance History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

TABLES

Table 1. T1 Interface Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

40 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

1. NAVIGATING THE TERMINAL MENU

The TRACER 4206 menu system can be accessed with a VT100 compatible terminal set to 9600 bits per
second, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity, connected to the RS-232 port located on the back of the unit.
Flow control on the serial inte rface should be configured to None for proper operation. Once a terminal is
connected, pre ssin g <Ctr l + L> wil l refres h the cu rr en t scre en . If pas sw or d acces s has been en abl ed , the

ENTER PASSWORD message will be displayed at the bottom of the TRACER 4206 system status menu.

All TRACER 4206 systems are shipped factory default with password protection disabled.

Terminal Menu Window

The TRACER 4206 uses 11 (ele ven) menu pages a nd a single main menu page to access its many features.
The main menu page (see Figure 1) pro vides a link to all available configuration/status pages.

After connecting a VT100 terminal to the TRACER 4206, press <Ctrl + L> to redraw the
current screen.

Figure 1. Main Menu Screen

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Navigating using the Keyboard Keys

You can use various keystrokes to move through the terminal menu, to manage a terminal menu session,
and to configure the system.

Moving through the Menus

To do this... Press this key...

Move up to select items Up Arrow
Move down to select items Down Arrow
Edit a selected menu item Enter
Scroll through configuration parameters for a menu item Spacebar

Left/ R i g ht Arro ws

P or N (Prev/Next)
Cancel an edit Escape
Return to Main Menu page M

Session Mana gement Keys trokes

To do this... Press this key...

Log into a session Spacebar
Refresh the screen

To sa ve time, only the portion of the screen that has changed is refreshed.

<Ctrl + L>

2. TERMINAL MENU AND SYSTEM CONTROL Password Protection

The TRACER 4206 provide s optio nal password pr ot ection of t he termina l inte rfac e. If enable d, a password
prompt is presented at power-up, reboot, modem logout, or after ten minute s of inactivity on the terminal.
Password protection is enabled and a password is defined via the system configuration menu.

All TRACER 4206 systems are shipped factory default with password protection disabled.

42 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

3. MENU DESCRIPTIONS

The remainder of this section describes the TRACER 4206 menus and submenus.

The menu structur e of the TRACER 4206 system is depicted below as follows:
>

MENU PAGE

> MENU PAGE > MENU SELECTION
> MENU PAGE > MENU SELECTION > SUB-MENU

>TRACER SYSTEM STATUS

Figure 2 shows the TRACER System S tatus m enu page. S ta tus of majo r system component s fo r both sides
of the TRACER link are displayed, but no configuration can be performed from this view.

Figure 2. TRACER System Status

The top of the TRACER System Status menu page display s the elapsed time the TRACER 4206 system
has been operational sinc e the last power reset. Located directl y beneat h the ADTRAN Technical Support
phone number is a graphical indicator of the status of the TRACER 4206 T1 and RF links (as reported by
both the local and remote units). The T1 labels will be reverse highlighted if any error conditions exist on
that T1 interface.

The status of the rece ived radio link is indicated as RF UP or RF DOWN for each direction. The le ft portion
of the menu page reports the status of the local TRACER 4206 (the system where the active terminal is
attached). The right portion of the screen reports the status of the remot e system. If the RF link is down,

DATA NOT AVAILABLE will be displayed in place of the remote system status.

T o enter the TRACER main menu, press <M>.

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Press <0> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the
TRACER System Status page.

>TRACER SYSTEM STATUS > FREQUENCY PLAN

Displays the frequency pla n (A or B) for the TRACER 4206 unit. For an operational TRACER 4206
system, the local and remote units should display opposite frequency plans.

>TRACER SYSTEM STATUS > SITE

Displays the site name config ured from the TRACER System Configuration page.

>TRACER SYSTEM STATUS > RX POWER

Displays the appr oximate re ceiv er levels ( for both t he local and remote units) us ing a ser ies of symbols (#).
The more symbols (#) displayed, the stronger the signal. If the link is down and remote end data is
unavailable, DATA NOT AVAILABLE is displayed in place of the symbols (#).

>TRACER SYSTEM STATUS > TX POWER

Displays the approximate transmitter levels (for both the local and remote units) using a series of symbols
(#). The more symbols (#) displayed, the stronger the signal. If the link is down and remote end data is
unavailable,

DATA NOT AVAILABLE is displayed in place of the symbols (#).

44 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

>MAIN MENU

The TRACER 4206 Main Menu page provides access to all other configur ation/status pages. Figure 3
shows the TRACER Main Menu page.

Figure 3. Main Menu

Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the availa ble pages, or enter the number or letter of the
selected page (to highlight the menu page) and press <Enter>.

Press <M> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the
TRACER Main Menu page.

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Figure 4 shows the TRACER Sy stem Configur ation m enu page. Sy stem conf iguration para meters f or both
the local and remote TRACER 4206 units are available through this menu page.

Figure 4. TRACER System Configuration

Press <C> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structur e to access the
TRACER System Configuration menu page.

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > RX POWER

Displays the appr oximate re ceiv er levels ( for both t he local and remote units) us ing a ser ies of symbols (#).
The more symbols (#) displayed, the stronger the signal. If the link is down and remote end data is
unavailable, DATA NOT AVAILABLE is displayed in place of the symbols (#). This parameter is display only.

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > TX POWER

Allows the transmitter levels (for both the local and remote units) to be adjusted. The current transmitter
level is di splayed using a series of symbols (#). The more symbols (#) displayed, the stronger the signal. If
the link is down and remote end data is unavaila ble, DATA NOT AVAILABLE is displayed in place of the
symbols (#).

Reducing the transmitter power of the remote TRACER 4206 could negatively impact the
TRACER RF link.

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TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > SITE NAME

Enter up to 25 alphanumeric characters to be displayed for identification of the TRACER 4206 system.

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > RF BANDPLAN

Sets the bandplan f or the TRACER 42 06. Each c hannel is divide d into four Bandpla ns (1, 2 , 3, or 4) . Both
local and remote TRACER 4206 must be configured with the same bandpla n (1, 2, 3, or 4) but different
channel plans (Plan A or Plan B). For example, the transmitter at one end of the link will transmit in
Bandplan 1 of the lower portion of the spectrum and receive in Bandplan 1 of the upper portion.
Consequently, the receiver at the other end should receive in Bandplan 1 of the lower portion and transm it
in Bandplan 1 of the upper portion (Refer to Figure 5)

Channel A

Band 3Band 2Band 1

57345725 5787 58505744 5753MHz MHz

Figure 5. RF Ba n dpl a n Ban dwidth Divi si on

5814 5824 5833

Channel B

Band 3Band 2Band 1

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > MODEM CONTROL

Configures the modem control leads on the RS-232 port (termi nal interfa ce locat ed on the rear panel of the
unit). Set MODEM CONTROL to ENABLED when connecting the unit to a modem (using a null modem
adapter). Setting MODEM CONTROL to DISABLED prevents the TRACER 4206 from monitoring DCD and
enables data to be sent to the VT 100 continuously.
VT100 terminal is in use. The TRACER 4206 comes factory programmed with

DISABLED.

MODEM CONTROL must be set to DISABLED when the

MODEM CONTROL se t t o

Press <Ctrl+Z> three times from the terminal interface to temporarily disable MODEM

ONTROL when the modem control le ads are active.

C

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > MODEM CONNECTION (LOGOUT)

Activator to c ause the TRACER 4206 t o de -assert C lear To Send (CTS) and DSR for a time gr eater tha n 20
milliseconds. This signals the modem to disconnect the analog connection. Hangup-On-DTR-Drop may
need to be explicitly enabled on some modems. If
causes the unit to close the current session and return to the TRACER System Status menu page and wait
for passwor d input .

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PASSWORD PROTECTION is ENABLED, this menu also

Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > PASSWORD ENABLE

Configures password prote ction for the VT100 terminal interfac e. Password protection for the TRACER
4206 requires password inpu t from the TRACER System Status menu page when connecting to the unit.
When configured for Password protection, the TRACER 4206 closes any terminal session that remains
inactive for more than 10 minutes. The TRACER 4206 comes factory programmed with

NABLE set to DISABLED.

E

PASSWORD

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > PASSWORD

Sets the password for password protection of the TRACER 4206 VT100 terminal interface. Enter up to 8
alphanumeric chara cters. The system password is case sensitive.

The default password for the TRACER 4206 is tracer.

>TRACER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > PERFORMANCE STATS (CLEAR)

Activator to reset all system error counters for the TRACER 4206.

>TRACER LINK PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Figure 6 shows the TRACER Link Performance History menu page. The TRACER Link Performance
History menu page displa ys detailed error stati stics a nd received signal level for the RF link (fr om both the
local and remote TRACER 4206 units) in 15-minute increments.

Figure 6. TRACER Link Performance History

48 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

The minimum received signal leve l (MIN RSL) is represented as a numerical value from 0 to 255 with 0
corresponding to no recei ve power and 255 corresponding to an extremely hot signal. The minimum
received signal level is directly related to RSSI.

The error count and received sig nal level for the most recent 24 hours are recorded and displayed on the
right side of the page. The left side of the page displays the 24 hour totals for the most recent 7 days.

Press <N> to view the next 8 hours worth of 15-minute totals and <P> to view the
previ ous 8 hours.

Press <L> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structur e to access the
TRACER Link Performance History menu page.

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK

Figure 7 shows the T1A Stat us/Configuration/Loopba ck menu page. Real-time graphical representation
for the T1A link (using data from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units) is displayed on this
page. T1A operational configuration parameters and testing fu nctions are configured from this menu.

Figure 7. T1A Sta t us/Con figura tion/Loopba ck

Press <1> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the
T1A Status/Configuration/Loopback menu page.

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1A INTERFACE ALARMS

Displays any active alar ms on the T1A link (reported from both the local and remote TRACER 4206
units). These alarms include Red, Blue, Yellow, AIS, and bipolar violations (

BPV). See Section 6,

Troubleshooting Guide, for more information on these alarm s.

Table 1. T1 Interface Alarms

RED Activates when a local facility failure occurs.
BPV Activates when the incoming T1 stream presents bipolar violations (BPVs).
AIS Activates when an incoming remote alarm is received from a connected T1 device. An AIS

signal is an unframed All One signal that replaces the normal traffic signal

YEL Activates when an incoming remote alarm is received from the T1 device indicating that a

failure has occurred in the received direction.

LOS Activates when no T1 signal is present from the connected T1 equipment. LOS is

activated after receiving 192 consecutive zeros.

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1A LINE BUILD OUT

Configures the T1A for the appropria te line buildout, based on the distance to the T1A equipment.

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > ALARM REPORTING

Determines whether the TRACER 4206 unit will report active alarms. If DISABLED, no alarms will be
displayed on this menu page. The ALARM REPORTING parameter is independently configur ed for the local
and remote TRACER 4206 units. When DISABLED, the front panel LED alarms will also be disabl ed (OFF).

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > SIGNALING

Configures the framing format for the T1A link for both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units. The
TRACER 4206 transports T1A data across the link (as long as the T1A signal is properly timed).
Configure the framing format ( using the SIGNALING menu) to enable the TRACER 4206 to monitor
incoming framing error events and indicate problems with the attached metallic service. The TRACER
4206 supports both

ESF and D4 framing formats.

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LINE CODE

Sets the line coding for the T1A link. The TRACER 4206 supports B8ZS and AMI line coding.

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE

Controls the loop status of the T1A link. Act ivates/deactivates loopback conditions for testing purposes .

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > NORMAL

The T1A link is in normal data transport mode - there are no active loopbacks.

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TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINK

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1A framer towards the wireless link (see Figure 8). Use the

LINK loopback to te st dat a path integrity from one unit across the wireless link.

Figure 8. T1A Link Loopback

>T1A STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINE

Activates a loo pback at th e TRACER 4206 T1A fr amer towards th e locall y con nected T1A equipm ent (see
Figure 9). Use the
equipment.

LINE loopback to test data path integrity from the TRACER 4206 unit to the T1A

Figure 9. T1A Line Loopback

>T1A PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Figure 10 shows the T1A Performance History menu page. The T1A Performance History menu page
displays detaile d error statistics for the T1A link (from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units) in
15-minute increments.

Figure 10. T1A Li nk Performance History

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

T1A performance data is presente d as Errored Seconds (ES) and Severely Errored Seconds (SES) on the
T1A link. The following events qualify as an ES–AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, a single BPV or
excessive zero event, or a single parity bit. An SES is caused by an AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, or
excessive Bi po la r Violations (BPV s) o r fram ed Pari ty Bit erro rs cau s in g a line Bit Er ror Rat e (B E R) o f

-6

10

.

The error count for the most recent 24 hours are reco rded and displayed on the right side of the page. The
left side of the page displays the 24 hour totals for the most recent 7 days.

Press <N> to view the next 8 hours worth of 15-minute totals and <P> to view the
previ ous 8 hours.

Press <2> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the
T1A Link Performance History menu page.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK

Figure 11 shows the T1B Status/Configuration/Loopback menu page. Real-time graphical representation
for the T1B link ( using da ta f rom bot h t he loc al and r emote TRACER 4206 unit s) is di splaye d on t his page.
T1B operational configur ation parameters and testing functi ons are configured from this menu.

Figure 11. T1B S ta tu s/ C onfigurati on /L oopback

52 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

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Press <3> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the
T1B Status/Configuration/Loopback menu page.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1B INTERFACE ALARMS

Displays active alarm s on the T1B link reported from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units.
These alarms include Red, Blue, Yellow, AIS, and bipolar violations (BPV). See Table 1 on page 50 for
more information on these alarms.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1B LINE BUILD OUT

Configures the T1B for the appropriate line buildout, based on the distance to the T1B equipment.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > ALARM REPORTING

Determines whether the TRACER 4206 unit will report active alarms. If DISABLED, no alarms will be
displayed on this menu page. The Alarm Reporting parameter is independently configur ed for local and
remote TRACER 4206 units. When DISABLED, the front panel LED alarms will also be disabled (off).

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > SIGNALING

Configure the framing format f or the T1B link for both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units. The
TRACER 4206 transports T1B data across the link (as long as the T1B signal is properly timed).
Configure the framing format ( using the
incoming framing error events and indicate problems with the attached metallic service. The TRACER
4206 supports both

ESF and D4 framing formats.

SIGNALING menu) to enable the TRACER 4206 to monitor the

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LINE CODE

Sets the line coding for the T1B link. The TRACER 4206 supports B8ZS and AMI line coding.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE

Controls the loop status of the T1B link. Activates/deactivates loopback conditions for testing purposes.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK >LOOP/NORMAL STATE > NORMAL

The T1B link is in normal data transport mode - there are no active loopbacks.

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK >LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINK

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1B framer towards the wireless link (see Figur e 12). Use the

LINK loopback to te st dat a path integrity from one unit across the wireless link.

Figure 12. T1B Li nk Loopbac k

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>T1B STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK >LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINE

Activates a loopbac k at the TRACER 4206 T1B framer towards the wireless link (see Figure 13). Use t he

LINE loopback to tes t data path integrity from the TRACER 4206 unit to the T1 equipment.

Figure 13. T1B Li ne Loopbac k

>T1B PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Figure 14 shows the T1B Performance History menu page. The T1B Performance History menu page
displays detaile d error statistics for the T1B link (from both the local an d remote TRACER 4206 units) in
15 minute increments.

Figure 14. T1B Li nk Performance History

T1B performance data is presented as Errored Seconds (ES) and Severely Errored Seconds (SES) on the
T1B link. The following events qualify as an ES–AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, a single BPV or
excessive zero event, or a single parity bit. An SES is caused by an AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, or
excessive Bi po la r Violations (BPV s) o r fram ed Pari ty Bit erro rs cau s in g a line Bit Er ror Rat e (B E R) o f

-6

10

.

The error count for the most recent 24 hours are recorded and displaye d on the right side of the page. The

54 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

left side of the page displays the 24 hour totals for the most recent 7 days.

Press <N> to view the next 8 hours worth of 15 minute totals and <P> to view the
previ ous 8 hours.

Press <4> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the T1B
Link Performance History page.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK

Figure 15 shows the T1C Status/Configuration/Loop back menu page. Real-time graphical representa tion
for the T1C link usi ng data from bot h the loc al and remot e TRACER 4206 units) is disp layed on this pa ge.
T1C operational configur ation parameters and testing functi ons are configured from this menu.

Figure 15. T1C S ta tu s/ C onfigurati on /L oopback

Press <5> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the T1C
Status /Configuration/Loopbac k menu page.

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1C INTERFACE ALARMS

Displays and ac tive alarms on the T1C link reported from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units.
These alarms include Red, Blue, Yellow, AIS, and bipolar violations (BPV). See Table 1 on page 50, for
more information on these alarms.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1C LINE BUILD OUT

Configures the T1C for the appropriate line buildout, based on the distance to the T1C equipment.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > ALARM REPORTING

Determines whether the TRACER 4206 unit will report active alarms. If DISABLED, no alarms will be
displayed on this menu page. The Alarm Reporting parameter is independently configur ed for local and
remote TRACER 4206 units. When

DISABLED, the front panel LED alarms will also be disabled (off).

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > SIGNALING

Configure the framing format f or the T1C link for both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units. The
TRACER 4206 transports T1C data across the link (as long as the T1C signal is properly timed).
Configure the framing format ( using the SIGNALING menu) to enable the TRACER 4206 to monitor the
incoming framing error events and indicate problems with the attached metallic service. The TRACER
4206 supports both

ESF and D4 framing formats.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LINE CODE

Sets the line coding for the T1C link. The TRACER 4206 supports B8ZS and AMI line coding.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE

Controls the loop status of the T1C link. Activates/deactivates loopback conditions for testing purposes.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > NORMAL

The T1C link is in normal data transport mode - there are no active loopbacks.

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINK

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1C framer towards the wireless link (see Figur e 17). Use the

LINK loopback to te st dat a path integrity from one unit across the wireless link.

Figure 16. T1C Li nk Loopbac k

56 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 5, User Interface Guide

>T1C STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINE

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1C framer towards the wireless link (see Figur e 17). Use the

LINE loopback to test data path integrity from the TRACER 4206 unit to the T1 equipment.

Figure 17. T1C Li ne Loopbac k

>T1C PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Figure 18 shows the T1C Performance History menu page. The T1C Performance History menu page
displays detaile d error statistics for the T1C link (from both the local an d remote TRACER 4206 units) in
15 minute increments.

Figure 18. T1C Perf ormance Hist or y

T1C performance data is presented as Errored Seconds (ES) and Severely Errored Seconds (SES) on the
T1C link. The following events qualify as an ES–AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, a single BPV or
excessive zero event, or a single parity bit. An SES is caused by an AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, or
excessive Bi po la r Violations (BPV s) o r fram ed Pari ty Bit erro rs cau s in g a line Bit Er ror Rat e (B E R) o f

-6

10

.

The error count for the most recent 24 hours are recorded and displaye d on the right side of the page. The
left side of the page displays the 24 hour totals for the most recent 7 days.

612804206L1-1A © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 57

Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

Press <N> to view the next 8 hours worth of 15 minute totals and <P> to view the
previ ous 8 hours.

Press <6> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the T1C
Link Performance History page.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK

Figure 19 shows the T1D Status/Configuration/Loopback menu page. Real-time graphical representation
for the T1D link (using data from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units) is displayed on this
page. T1D operational configuration parameters and testing functions are configured from this menu.

Figure 19. T1D S ta tu s/ C onfigurati on /L oopback

Press <7> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the T1D
Status/Configuration/Loopback menu page.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1D INTERFACE ALARMS

Displays and active alarms on the T1D link reported from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units.
These alarms include Red, Blue, Yellow, AIS, and bipolar violations (BPV). See Table 1 on page 50, for
more information on these alarms.

58 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

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>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > T1D LINE BUILD OUT

Configures the T1D for the appropria te line buildout, based on the distance to the T1D equipment.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > ALARM REPORTING

Determines whether the TRACER 4206 unit will report active alarms. If DISABLED, no alarms will be
displayed on this menu page. The Alarm Reporting parameter is independently configur ed for local and
remote TRACER 4206 units. When

DISABLED, the front panel LED alarms will also be disabled (off).

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > SIGNALING

Configure the framing format f or the T1D link for both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units. The
TRACER 4206 transports T1D data across the link (as long as the T1D signal is properly timed).
Configure the framing format ( using the

SIGNALING menu) to enable the TRACER 4206 to monitor the

incoming framing error events and indicate problems with the attached metallic service. The TRACER
4206 supports both

ESF and D4 framing formats.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LINE CODE

Sets the line coding for the T1D link. The TRACER 4206 supports B8ZS and AMI line coding.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE

Controls the loop status of the T1D link. Activ ates/deactivates loopback conditions for testing purposes.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > NORMAL

The T1D link is in normal data transport mode - there are no active loopbacks.

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINK

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1D framer towards th e wireless link (see Figure 20). Use th e

LINK loopback to te st dat a path integrity from one unit across the wireless link.

Figure 20. T1D Li nk Loopbac k

>T1D STATUS/CONFIGURATION/LOOPBACK > LOOP/NORMAL STATE > LINE

Activates a loopback at the TRACER 4206 T1D framer towards th e wireless link (see Figure 21). Use th e

LINE loopback to tes t data path integrity from the TRACER 4206 unit to the T1 equipment.

Figure 21. T1D Li ne Loopbac k

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Section 5, User Interface Guide TRACER 4206 System Manua l

>T1D PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Figure 22 shows the T1D Performanc e History menu page. The T1D Performance History menu page
displays detaile d error statistics for the T1D link (from both the local and remote TRACER 4206 units) in
15 minute increments.

Figure 22. T1D Perf ormance Hist or y

T1D performance data is presente d as Errored Seconds (ES) and Severely Errored Seconds (SES) on the
T1D link. The following events qualify as an ES–AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, a single BPV or
excessive zero event, or a single parity bit. An SES is caused by an AIS, LOS or LOF Alarm Second, or
excessive Bi po la r Violations (BPV s) o r fram ed Pari ty Bit erro rs cau s in g a line Bit Er ror Rat e (B E R) o f

-6

10

.

The error count for the most recent 24 hours are recorded and displaye d on the right side of the page. The
left side of the page displays the 24 hour totals for the most recent 7 days.

Press <N> to view the next 8 hours worth of 15 minute totals and <P> to view the
previ ous 8 hours.

Press <8> from any menu in the TRACER 4206 VT100 menu structure to access the T1D
Link Performance History page.

60 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

CONTENTS

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2

LED Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

PWR LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

TST LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

RF DOWN LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

RF LOW LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

T1 Alarm LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

RF Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4

Installing/Troubleshootin g the TRACER Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Installing/Configuring T1 Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

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Section 6, Troubleshooting Guide TRACER 4206 System Manual

1. OVERVIEW

This troubleshooting guide provides recommended actions for various conditions of the TRACER 4206
system. The status LEDs (located on the front panel of the unit) provide information to help determine the
necessary troubleshooting action. Recommended actions for resolving possible status LED indicators are
contained in this guide.

2. LED INDICATORS

PWR LED

If the PWR LED is not ON and solid green, it is an indicator that the TRACER 4206 is not receiving
adequate DC power.

Recommended Actions:

1. Verify that the power source is delivering between 21 and 63 VDC.

2. Check the polarity of the power connection (referenced to ground) of both the TRACER 4206 unit and
the power source.

3. Check the internal fuse. The fuse is accessed from the rear panel of the unit. If this fuse is open,
replace with a 1Amp, 250 Volt (2-inch) slow-blo fuse.

TST LED

The TST will remain ON (solid Amber) during power-up to indicate a self-test is in progress. If the TST
LED is blinking or remains ON after 10 seconds, this indicates that the TRACER 4206 unit has failed
self-test. This is an internal failure, and ADTRAN technical support should be contacted.

RF DOWN LED

If the RF DOWN LED is ON (solid Red), it is an indicator that there is a problem with the RF link to the
TRACER 4206.

Recommended Actions:

1. Check the RF coaxial cable connection.

2. Measure the RSSI voltage. If the signal is acceptable (> 2.0 VDC at RSSI test point), go to Step 6.

3. Verify that one end of the link is configured as Plan A and the other end is Plan B and that both ends
have the same Band Plan Number (ex. A1 and B1).

4. Verify that the antenna polarization is the same at both ends of the RF signal transmit and receive
path.

5. Verify the RF signal path is clear.

6. Check for possible interference at both ends of the link. If necessary, change polarization and/or Band
Plans at both ends.

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TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 6, Troubleshoot ing Gui de

RF LOW LED

If the RF LOW LED is ON (solid Red), it is an indicator that the received signal is within 10 dB
(approximately ) of the minimum operable signal. This condition is typi cally indicative of a path problem.

Recommended Actions:

1. Verify the far-end transmitter power setting is the value that the link planning budget allows.

2. Check all coaxial cable connectors for solid connections. Check for water and corrosion around any of
the connectors. If water is apparent in the coax connectors, replace the coax.

3. Verify the RF signal path by verifying the antenna alignment.

4. Check the integrity of the cable plant.

5. Check the integrity of lightning arrestors.

T1 Alarm LEDs

If the ALARM LED is ON ( solid red), it is an indication that the TRACER 4206 is detecting an active T1
alarm. To identify the T1 interface in alarm and the specific alarm present, display the T1 (x) Status
Screens and check the

Recommended Actions:

T1(X) INTERFACE ALARMS field.

1. Display the T1(X) St atus Screen and Check the T1(X) Interface Alarm field to identify the active alarm.

2. Follow the steps below for the appropriate alarm.

LOS Alarm (Red Alarm)

LOS ALARM is an indication that the TRACER 4206 may be unable to detect a viable T1 received

signal from the co nnected T1 equipment. This error may be due to a degraded signal or no signal, or is
may be caused by improper framing.

Recommended Actions:

1. Verify that the T1 cable is connected to the T1 interface on the TRACER 4206.

2. Verify the connections at the opposite end of the T1 cable.

3. Verify that the framing mode (D4 or ESF) is the same for both the TRACER 4206 and the T1

equipment.

Yellow Alarm

A Yellow Alarm is generated by the attached equipment. Whe n the attached equipment’s T1 interface
is in Red Alarm, a Yellow Alarm will be generated at the TRACER 4206 unit.

Recommended Actions:

1. Follow the troubleshooting steps for Red Alarm, but do so at the attached equipment.

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Section 6, Troubleshooting Guide TRACER 4206 System Manual

Blue Alarm

A remote alarm (alarm indication signal or AIS) is generated by the attached equipment. The root
cause must be determined at the attached equipment. A typical cause of a blue alar m is a lack of input
to a CSU.

Recommended Actions:

1. Verify the input to any attached data equipment.

BPV

Bipolar violati ons (BPVs) indicate an improper configuration or faulty wiring.

Recommended Actions:

1. Verify the TRACER 4206 unit and the attached equipment are configured for the same line coding

(B8ZS or AMI).

2. Verify the cable connections for the T1 interface are solid.

3. RF ERRORS

RF errors can range anywhere from a non-viable microwave path to loose RF connectors.

Non-viable path conditions c ould be caused by physical obstructions suc h as buildings, moutainous terra in,
trees, etc., as well as other physical limitations such as excessive path distances and in-band RF
interference . The se types of errors are remedied by performing a detaile d line-of-sight microwave path
study to determine whether or not a microwave li nk is feasible for the terrain and environment under
consideration.

If after performing a microwa ve path study the system is still not operational, ensure that the antennas are
properly aligned. Note that alignment must be achieved in both elevation and azi muth for optimal link
performance. The TRACER 4206 can be used to aid in antenna alignment by looking at the RSSI
submenu. Optimal antenna alignment will correspond to the maximum number of RSSI bars on the
TRACER 4206 terminal display.

4. STEP-BY-STEP TROUBLESHOOTING

The logical troubleshooting flow presented in this section can be used to set up your TRACER 4206
system, and also to d iagno s e a prev io usl y ins ta lle d sy stem . Plea se co nta ct ADTRAN Technical support at
any stage during installation and/or troubleshooting if you require assistance.

5. INSTALLING/TROUBLESHOOTING THE TRACER HARDWARE

1. Perform a detailed path profile for each TRACER 4206 microwave link. A thorough path study can

be used to estimate signal power budgets, fade margins at each receiver, identity potential
line-of-site obstacles, properly size antenna dishes, and determine minimum antenna dish heights
above the earth.

2. Setup all of the TRACER hardware on a work bench. It is also recommended that the actual

cables to be used in the permanent installation be used in the work bench setup. A rigorous work
bench “simulation” of the link will help you alleviate and avoid time-consuming errors.

64 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A

TRACER 4206 System Manual Section 6, Troubleshoot ing Gui de

3. Examine the PLAN A and PLAN B lights on the front panel of each unit. These LEDs indicate the

frequency plan for each TRACER 4206 unit. The frequency plan (PLAN A, PLAN B) LED should
be the opposite on both TRACER 4206 units.

4. Attach the RF coaxial cables to be used in the permanent installation to the N-type connectors on

the base of the TRACER 4206 unit. Attach the other end of the coaxial cable(s) to an RF power
meter or spectrum analyzer if either is available. The power measured by the met er/ analy z er w ill
be the RF power available at the input of the antenna. The TRACER 4206 unit is programmed at
the factory to output approximately 100 mW (20 dBm) of 5.8 GHz RF power. The actual power
level measured by the meter/analyzer will be less than 100 mW due to RF losses through the
coaxial cable, and is a function of cable type and length of cable being used. In any event, the
power level at the output of the coaxial cable should be a significant fraction of 100 mW. A power
meter/analyzer reading that is not on the order of at least tens-of - m illiwatts could be an indication
of any combination of either unsuitable RF, faulty, or unreasonably long coaxial cable.

5. Resolve all RF coaxial cabling errors before proceeding.

6. Attach the RF coaxial cables to a 5.8 GHz attenuator, if possible. If you do not have an attenuator ,

attach the coaxial cables to the antennas to be used in the permanent installation. If the installation
antennas are not available, small, inexpensive dipole or patch antennas can be used for
verification purposes. If an adjustable attenuator is being used, dial in the amount of attenuation
that corresponds to the path loss value expected for the microwave link in which the TRACER
hardware will be installed. The path loss value can be calculated from a knowledge of the path
length, or provided by a path study. Remember to subtract both antenna gain values from the
attenuator level if these values have not already be accounted for.

7. After setting up the RF pieces, examine the RF DOWN LED on the front panel of each TRACER

4206 unit. If the RF DOWN LED is illuminated (red), the corresponding TRACER 4206 is not
receiving a suitable RF signal from the other TRACER 4206 unit. In this case, the receiving
TRACER 4206 is either receiving a very weak signal, or no signal at all. If the RF DOWN LED is
not illuminated, then the TRACER 4206 units are receiving a suitable RF signal. Suitable RF
power levels for low error rate communication will range from -30 dBm to -92 dBm measured at the
N-type connector input on the TRACER 4206 unit.

8. Resolve any signal level issues before proceeding.

9. Examine the RF LOW LED on the front panel of each TRACER 4206. If this LED is illuminated,

then the TRACER 4206 is receiving a relatively weak signal, however if the RF DOWN LED is not
illuminated, the received signal is being suitably processed by the TRACER system. If you are
receiving a weak signal (RF LOW is ON), please verif y that the weak signal i s not bei ng caused by
a faulty cable, an insufficiently tightened cable, or some other installation-related problem. Also,
make sure an unreasonably large attenuation value has not been selected if you are using an
attenuator on a work bench setup.

Use the tables in Section 2, Microwave Path Engineering Basics, of this manual to select the
proper free-space attenuation value (in dB) based on the estimated length of the microwave path.
Remember to subtract out both antenna gains (local and remote) from the attenuator setting.

10. Command a link loopback in one TRACER 4206 unit and run pattern from the connected T1

equipment. This will v er if y data path between the T1 equipment and the TRACER 4206 unit.

External pattern generators are required to test data path integrity. A T1 BERT tester is
suggested.

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Section 6, Troubleshooting Guide TRACER 4206 System Manual

Installing/Configuring T1 Hardware

1. If possible, attach any or all of the intended T1 hardware to the TRACER 4206 units using the

same work bench setup. This step offers the perfect opportunity to configure your T1 hardware for
proper functioning with the TRACER hardware.

2. Resolve any remaining T1 equipment-to-TRACER 4206 c onfiguration issues before field

installation, if possible. This will s igni fican tly r educe the probability of unsucces sful field
installation.

66 © 2002 ADTRAN, Inc. 612804206L1-1A