Blinq Wireless 00000001 Users manual
BLiNQ Networks Inc.
X-100 Intelligent Wireless Backhaul System
User Guide
Release 1.0
Issue 01
February 2013
BLiNQ Networks Inc. X-100 User Guide Release 1.0
Disclaimer
The statements, configurations, technical data, and recommendations in this document are believed to be accurate and
reliable, but are presented without express or implied warranty. Additionally, BLiNQ Networks makes no representations or
warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding the contents of this product. BLiNQ Networks shall not be liable for any
misuse regarding this product. The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Revision History
Date Issue Reason for Issue
February 2013 01 General Availability (GA) release.
Contact Information:
BLiNQ Networks Inc.
400 March Road, Suite 240
Ottawa, ON K2K 3H4
Web Site:
http://www.blinqnetworks.com
Sales Inquiries:
Email: sales@blinqnetworks.com
Telephone: 1-613-599-3388 x280
Support:
Web: http://www.blinqnetworks.com/support
Email: support@blinqnetworks.com
Telephone: 1-613-599-3388 x270
© Copyright 2012-2013 BLiNQ Networks Inc. All rights reserved.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
RESTRICTED USE AND DUPLICATION
The information contained herein is the property of BLiNQ Networks Inc. and is strictly confidential. Except as expressly
authorized in writing by BLiNQ Networks Inc., the holder shall keep all information contained herein confidential, shall disclose
it only to its employees with a need to know, and shall protect it, in whole or in part, from disclosure and dissemination to third
parties with the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but with no less than reasonable care.
Except as expressly authorized in writing by BLiNQ Networks Inc., the holder is granted no rights to use the information
contained herein.
BLiNQ and BLiNQ Networks Inc. corporate logo are trademarks of BLiNQ Networks Inc. All other trademarks used in this
document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship
between BLiNQ and any other company.
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Table of Contents
1 X-100 System Overview ........................................................................................................................ 6
2 X-100 System Description ..................................................................................................................... 9
3 Technical Specifications ...................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 System Parameters ..................................................................................................................... 12
3.2 OFDMA and Frame Parameters .................................................................................................. 13
3.3 Integrated RBM Antenna ............................................................................................................ 13
3.4 System Enclosure ........................................................................................................................ 15
4 Link Budget and System Gain .............................................................................................................. 16
4.1 System Trade-offs ....................................................................................................................... 17
5 System Synchronization ...................................................................................................................... 19
5.1 Synchronization Services ............................................................................................................ 19
6 System Throughput ............................................................................................................................. 21
7 Element and Network Management .................................................................................................. 23
8 Ethernet Bridge Support ..................................................................................................................... 26
9 Installation Planning............................................................................................................................ 27
10 Using the X-100 WebUI ................................................................................................................... 28
10.1 Requirements .............................................................................................................................. 28
10.2 Common X-100 WebUI Page Items ............................................................................................. 29
10.3 Configuring Hub Modules ........................................................................................................... 30
10.3.1 Logging In ............................................................................................................................ 31
10.3.2 System Overview Page ........................................................................................................ 32
10.3.3 Setup Page (System) ........................................................................................................... 33
10.3.4 Setup Page (Radio Interface) .............................................................................................. 34
10.3.5 Bridge Page ......................................................................................................................... 35
10.3.6 RBMs Page (RBM General) .................................................................................................. 36
10.3.7 RBMs Page (Default Service) ............................................................................................... 37
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10.3.8 RBMs Page (RBM List) ......................................................................................................... 39
10.3.9 Performance Page (Ethernet) ............................................................................................. 40
10.3.10 Performance Page (RBMs) .............................................................................................. 40
10.3.11 Events Page (Alarms) ...................................................................................................... 42
10.3.12 Events Page (History) ...................................................................................................... 43
10.3.13 Admin Page (Management Interface) ............................................................................. 43
10.3.14 Admin Page (User Manager) ........................................................................................... 44
10.3.15 Admin Page (SNMP Settings) .......................................................................................... 45
10.3.16 Admin Page (Software Upgrade) .................................................................................... 46
10.3.17 Admin Page (Configuration Management) ..................................................................... 47
10.3.18 Admin Page (Syslog Server)............................................................................................. 48
10.4 Configuring RBMs ........................................................................................................................ 49
10.4.1 Logging In ............................................................................................................................ 50
10.4.2 System Overview Page ........................................................................................................ 50
10.4.3 Setup Page (System) ........................................................................................................... 51
10.4.4 Setup Page (Radio Interface) .............................................................................................. 51
10.4.5 Performance Page ............................................................................................................... 52
10.4.6 Events Page ......................................................................................................................... 52
10.4.7 Admin Page ......................................................................................................................... 52
11 Alarms and Events (Fault Management)......................................................................................... 53
12 Using the X-100 Command Line Interface ...................................................................................... 56
12.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 56
12.2
Identify Command Context ......................................................................................................... 56
12.3 Logging On to the X-100 CLI ........................................................................................................ 57
12.4 Privileged EXEC Commands ........................................................................................................ 57
12.5 Global CONFIG Commands ......................................................................................................... 58
12.5.1 Radio CONFIG Mode ........................................................................................................... 59
12.5.2 User CONFIG Mode ............................................................................................................. 59
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12.5.3 RBM CONFIG Mode (Hub Modules Only) ........................................................................... 60
12.6 X-100 CLI Command Structure .................................................................................................... 62
12.7 X-100 CLI Command Line Prompts .............................................................................................. 63
12.8 X-100 CLI Keywords and Parameters .......................................................................................... 64
12.8.1 Keywords ............................................................................................................................. 64
12.8.2 Parameters .......................................................................................................................... 64
12.8.3 Keywords and Parameters Together .................................................................................. 65
12.9 Saving Configuration Changes Made Through the X-100 CLI .................................................... 65
12.10 Writing and Running X-100 CLI Scripts .................................................................................... 67
12.11 Using Help ............................................................................................................................... 67
12.11.1 ? (Question Mark Key) .................................................................................................... 68
12.11.2 help Command ................................................................................................................ 69
12.11.3 Partial-keyword <Tab> .................................................................................................... 70
12.12 Upgrading System Software Through the X-100 CLI ............................................................... 71
13 System Provisioning ........................................................................................................................ 73
13.1 Initial System Setup and IP Configurations ................................................................................. 73
13.2 Adding Users ............................................................................................................................... 76
13.3 Provisioning Default Versus Individual Service Flows ................................................................. 77
13.4 Configuring and Adding Individual RBMs .................................................................................... 77
14 Preambles, Flows, and Network Provisioning ................................................................................. 83
14.1 Preamble Functional Description ................................................................................................ 83
14.2 Preamble Operational Description ............................................................................................. 84
14.3 Provisioning Preambles ............................................................................................................... 84
14.4 Provisioning HM Service Flow Definitions .................................................................................. 87
14.5 Provisioning Multiple Clusters Within the Same Area ................................................................ 87
15 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 89
15.1 BLiNQ Wireless Devices and RF Safety ........................................................................................ 89
15.2 List of Acronyms .......................................................................................................................... 90
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List of Figures
FIGURE 1 BLINQ X-100 SYSTEM IN A WIRELESS BACKHAUL APPLICATION .................................................................................... 6
FIGURE 2 BLINQ X-100 HUB MODULE (HM) AND REMOTE BACKHAUL MODULE (RBM) ............................................................... 8
FIGURE 3 HORIZONTAL ANTENNA PATTERN (PORT 1) FOR 3.5 GHZ BAND ................................................................................... 14
FIGURE 4 PERFORMANCE VERSUS DISTANCE FOR 256 QAM 5/6 MCS ...................................................................................... 18
FIGURE 5 SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION THROUGH GPS ............................................................................................................. 20
FIGURE 6 SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION THROUGH IEEE 1588V2 ................................................................................................ 20
FIGURE 7 MODULE CASING LABEL EXAMPLE ......................................................................................................................... 27
List of Tables
TABLE 1 OVERVIEW OF MAIN X-100 SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................................. 7
TABLE 2 GENERAL X-100 SYSTEM PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................... 12
TABLE 3 OFDMA AND FRAME PARAMETERS FOR A 10 MHZ CHANNEL BANDWIDTH .................................................................... 13
TABLE 4 INTEGRATED ANTENNA SPECIFICATIONS IN THE 3.65 GHZ BAND ................................................................................... 14
TABLE 5 LINK BUDGET FOR X-100 SYSTEM AT 3.65 GHZ IN A 2X2 MIMO-SM OPERATION .......................................................... 16
TABLE 6 NLOS RANGE AT 3.65 GHZ FOR 2X2 MIMO-SM MODE ........................................................................................... 17
TABLE 7 SYSTEM GAIN FOR LOWER MODULATION AND CODING SCHEMES; INCLUDES MAXIMAL RATIO COMBINING (MRC) GAIN ........ 17
TABLE 8 THROUGHPUT PERFORMANCE FOR CYCLIC PREFIX OF 1/8 ............................................................................................ 21
TABLE 9 THROUGHPUT PERFORMANCE FOR CYCLIC PREFIX OF 1/16 .......................................................................................... 22
TABLE 10 LIST OF ALARMS ................................................................................................................................................. 53
TABLE 11 LIST OF EVENTS .................................................................................................................................................. 55
TABLE 12 HELP COMMANDS .............................................................................................................................................. 67
TABLE 13 LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................. 90
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1 X-100 System Overview
Figure 1 BLiNQ X-100 System in a Wireless Backhaul Application
BLiNQ Networks is a pioneer of next-generation wireless backhaul solutions that feature intelligent
systems capable of adapting to the radio frequency environment to maximise capacity and
performance.
The BLiNQ X-100 system operates in the sub 6 GHz licensed frequency bands and are designed for NonLine-of-Sight (NLOS) operation by incorporating advanced physical layer and medium access control
layer algorithms and techniques. BLiNQ has developed proprietary interference mitigation algorithms
and incorporated self-organizing network techniques into its solutions to increase capacity and reliability
beyond that of ordinary backhaul solutions. This is because in a NLOS environment, interference and
shadowing are the two main reasons that limit capacity and link reliability. Mitigating interference and
enhancing signal reliability maximizes system performance.
The X-100 system delivers 8 b/s/Hz spectral efficiency. The system is designed for use in multiple
applications that includes mobile backhaul, optical fibre cable extension and corporate and enterprise
data backhaul services by providing over 80 Mbps of throughput in a 10 MHz channel. The interference
mitigation technology allows network operators to deploy a greater density of wireless links in a small
spectrum allocation (such as 10 or 20 MHz).
The X-100 system operates in non-exclusive licensed Time Division Multiplexing (TDD) band 3.65 – 3.7
GHz in both Point-to-Point (PTP) and Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) configurations. Some of the main
product characteristics are shown in Table 1. The X-100 system incorporates Multiple Input Multiple
Output (MIMO technology and operates at high Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) rates to provide
high capacity. In addition, the product incorporates BLiNQ’s interference management techniques which
include multiple power control algorithms to maximize performance in dense networks.
The X-100 system using a 10 MHz channel employs a large number of sub-carriers (1024) which helps
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Duplex Mode
Time Division Multiplexing (
TDD)
Physical Layer
/Antenna
1024 sub
-
carrier
OFDM
– NLOS
Point
-to-Point
Total
83 Mbps
shared between DL
and UL
3.65 – 3.7 GHz (
non-exclusive license
d
Channel
Bandwidth
10
MHz
Network Interface
Ethernet
(Fiber optional for Hub)
Two classes
: Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR)
Form Factor
All-outdoor; zero
-
footprint
optimize bandwidth use. A large number of sub-carriers yields a long symbol time because the minimum
symbol time is inversely proportional to the sub-carrier bandwidth. Transmitted signals are subject to
time delay dispersion because of multiple paths. While the most direct path might involve no
reflections, other paths involve one or more thus presenting the signal with longer path lengths and
hence longer transit times. To prevent interference between successive symbols due to this dispersion,
a gap called the cyclic prefix (or guard time) is added to each symbol. Dispersion dictates a cyclic prefix
length of about 3-5 µsec in urban areas where small cells are deployed. For short symbol times on the
order of a few µsec the added cyclic prefix would substantially cut into the useful bandwidth. For the
longer symbol times used by the X-100 system the cyclic prefix is only a small fraction of the total
bandwidth.
Table 1 Overview of Main X-100 System Characteristic
System
Operation Configuration
Throughput
Frequency of Operation
Quality of Service (QoS)
s
2x2 MIMO
Point-to-Multipoint
depending on user defined TDD DL/UL
traffic ratios; e.g. DL 53 Mbps for 65:35
traffic ratio (user selectable in X-100
WebUI through Setup Page).
band)
and Best Effort (BE)
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Hub Module (HM)
(The RBM mechanical enclosure
is similar to the Hub Module,
except that the RF connectors,
Remote Backhaul
Module (RBM)
the SFP receptacle and the
integrated GPS antenna are
absent).
Figure 2 BLiNQ X-100 Hub Module (HM) and Remote Back
haul Module (RBM)
The X-100 system consists of the following modules:
• Hub Modules (HMs): These are sector controllers that control several RBMs. Hub Modules
feature two RF connectors for an external user-defined sectored antenna.
• Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs): These are subscriber units that are installed outdoors on
customer premises, including public infrastructure assets such as light and utility poles in mobile
backhaul applications. The RBMs feature an integrated antenna.
• Configuration System: This consists of the X-100 WebUI tool and X-100 CLI for configuration
management, as well as fault and performance management.
Note: Fault and performance management is also made available through a standard Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2C/v3) interface to existing third-party managing
applications such as element/network management systems (EMSs/NMSs).
The X-100 system has a small, all-outdoor, zero-footprint form factor that can be easily deployed on
towers, poles, building sidewalls, or rooftops unobtrusively.
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2 X-100 System Description
The BLiNQ X-100 system is designed to meet the requirements of network operators for high capacity
and reliability in small cell base station backhaul applications, as well as in a number of other
applications. The system can function either as Point-to-Point (PTP) or Point-to-Multipoint (PMP)
wireless Ethernet bridge equipment. Some of the main product characteristics include:
Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) Physical Layer: This includes 1024 subcarriers (data, pilot and guard-band). The OFDMA physical layer coupled with multiple antenna
technology provides robust performance in a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environment.
Time Division Duplex (TDD): The X-100 system features TDD access mode with variable frame length
(user selectable 3.125 and 5 msec). The TDD frame includes the downlink and uplink sub-frames. Each
subframe includes a number of OFDM symbols which are assigned to different Remote Backhaul
Modules (RBMs). The length of each sub-frame determines the traffic ratio for downlink and uplink
traffic and is a user settable parameter.
Note: Frame length of 3.125 msec not supported in current release.
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO): The X-100 system features spatial multiplexing on two
antennas (2x2) for high capacity.
Adaptive Modulation with Link Adaptation: The X-100 system supports QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM and
256QAM on both the downlink and uplink path to achieve high capacity in limited channel bandwidth
(83 Mbps Ethernet layer throughput in a 10 MHz channel for combined downlink and uplink traffic).
Note: Total 71.5 Mbps throughput is in effect this release.
Intelligent Interference Management: The X-100 system implements the BLiNQ proprietary Managed
Adaptive Resource Allocation (MARA) algorithm to identify the links with highest interference in the
backhaul network and to manage the transmission of backhaul nodes to eliminate interference. The
MARA algorithm improves capacity and link reliability. It also reduces the operational and capital costs
associated with site design, deployment and optimization activities as interference is automatically
identified and mitigated, thereby reducing the design and optimization effort required from RF
engineers and field technicians.
Backhaul Self-Organizing Networks: The X-100 system periodically characterizes the radio frequency
(RF) environment in the backhaul network to account for changes such as deployment of new sites or
changes that affect interference (for example, foliage, variation between seasons, new building
construction). The measurements, termed RF Environment Characterization (RFEC), are typically
scheduled by the operator to run at a certain time of the day and used in MARA/power control
algorithms.
Power Control: The X-100 system incorporates power control on both the downlink and uplink streams
to minimize interference at physical layer and maximize capacity. Two types of power control are
implemented: link level and network level. Link-level power control optimizes the power for a certain
link to meet its capacity requirements, whereas network-level power control optimizes link power based
on network level constraints to maximize network performance.
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Antennas: The X-100 Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs) integrate a specially designed slant-45 crosspolarized antenna to reduce interference and provide high co-polar isolation between the two branches.
For example, the sidelobe level in the azimuthal plane is 8 dB below European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI) Directory Number (DN) 4and 5 mask requirements and 15 dB below ETSI DN 2
mask requirements.
Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) with Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation: The X-100 system can operate in PTP
or PMP configurations with up to four RBMs. The capacity allocated to each RBM is variable according to
subscriber requirements (for example, compact base station).
Quality of Service (QoS): Two levels of QoS are defined in the X-100 system for traffic classification:
Guaranteed Bit Rate and Best Effort. Through service-level agreements (SLAs), customers can subscribe
to the service class desired for their application.
Service Class Description
Provides the most stringent scheduling, maintaining
GBR
BE
Guaranteed Bit Rate
Best Effort
guarantees on throughput, latency, and jitter to the levels
necessary for synchronization/timing packets such as NTP
v4.0 and Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) services.
No guaranteed minimum throughput. For data streams for
which no minimum service level is required and therefore
may be handled on a space-available basis.
Traffic Classification: Ethernet traffic is classified by the Layer 2 (L2) Media Access Control (MAC) source
and destination address, 802.1p/Q settings, differentiated services code point (DSCP) and type of service
(ToS) bits, L3 IP source and destination address, and protocol.
Form Factor: The all-outdoor, zero-footprint Hub Module (HM) and RBMs are built to IP67 requirements
for operation in tough environments with the capability to handle large variations in temperature from
extreme cold to extreme heat.
High-level of Integration: The X-100 systems are highly integrated and include:
• The RBM which integrates a high-gain 17 dBi antenna. The RBM derives its synchronization from
the Hub Module.
• The HM which integrates a complete Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and receiver with
high holdover (10 minutes). Therefore, no additional synchronization module is required for the
X-100 system, which reduces the total cost of ownership of the solution while simplifying and
accelerating installation.
The X-100 system is small in size (31x21x8 cm) and low in weight (3.5 kg) so it can be easily mounted on
the network operator’s existing tower assets. The small size and weight allows quick deployment of the
RBMs at customer premises in different enterprise/corporate data backhaul applications or other types
of industrial and commercial applications.
All modules offer a standard RJ45 Ethernet port, while the Hub Module offers optional optical
connectivity through a field-installable SFP optical transceiver module.
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The BLiNQ X-100 system also provides the following network management features:
• Fault and Performance Management: The X-100 system incorporates fault and performance
management through a standard Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)v2c interface.
For this BLiNQ provides its Management Information Base (MIB) to network operators for
integration into existing third-party managing applications such as element/network
management systems (EMSs/NMSs), thereby providing access to key information on X-100
service availability and performance.
• Configuration Management: BLiNQ products are designed to minimize the configuration effort
by the network operator. For example, when deployed in the field, the X-100 system can obtain
its IP address through DHCP rather than have it statically assigned by the user. Further, the X100 system provides a web-based configuration tool called the X-100 WebUI and a standard
Command Line Interface (CLI) that run directly on the X-100 equipment.
• Software Upgrade: BLiNQ products are field upgradeable through remote download and
activation of software release upgrades.
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Access Technology
Orthogonal Frequency
-
Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
Non-Line-of
-
RF Bands
3.65 – 3.7 GHz
Channel Size
(Bandwidth)
10 MHz
Data Rate
Up to
83 Mbps
(Layer 2/Ethernet)
Tx Power
23 dBm / 0.
2 W (per antenna port,
two ports)
Duplex Mode
Time Domain Duplex (TDD)
Modulation & Coding
Quadrature Phase Shit Keying (
QPSK
)
, 16/64/256 QAM; Bi
directional
Advanced Antenna Systems
2x2
Multiple Input Multiple
Output (
MIMO
) / Spatial Multiplexing
Antenna
Remote Backhaul Module (
RBM
)
: Integrated 17 dBi gain
Synchronization
Global Positioning System (
GPS); IEEE 1588v2
Encryption
AES-128 Network Interface
1
Copper: RJ45
100BaseT
Ethernet
Network Attributes
Ethernet bridge
, 802.1Q, 802.1ad, DSCP/ToS/802.1p (IPv4/IPv6) and
Power Requirement
-48 VDC
Power Consumption
35 W
(typical); 65 W (max)
Operating Temperature
-40°C to 55
°C
Weight
<3.8 kg / 7.7 lbs
Dimensions
31 x 21.8 x 8.3
cm
Humidity
Up to 95% non
-
condensing
Compliance
EMC:
FCC Part 15,
EN 301 489
-1
, FCC Part 27,
System Configuration
X-
100
WebUI/X
-
100
CLI Fault
and Performance
Simple Network Management Protocol (
SNMP
)v2C/v3
3 Technical Specifications
3.1 System Parameters
Table 2 shows general X-100 system parameters.
Table 2 General X-100 System Parameters
Sight (NLOS)
Dynamic Adaptive Convolutional Turbo Codes
Hub Module (HM): External antenna
Fiber (Optional on HM): Optical Gigabit Ethernet
QinQ Tagging
RF: ETSI EN 302 326, EN 302 544, ECC/REC/(04)05
FCC Part 90
Safety: IEC, EN and UL/CSA 60950
Environmental: IP 67
Management
1
The copper Ethernet interface on the HM has priority over the fiber optical Gigabit Ethernet interface. If, for
example, an on-site technician connects to the HM locally by the copper interface while the HM is providing
network services to its users through the fiber interface, the fiber interface is then disabled and taken out of
service. Network service through the fiber interface is restored when the copper interface is disconnected.
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3.2 OFDMA and Frame Parameters
Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Frame Parameters for 10 MHz channel
bandwidth option are shown in Table 3. The frame duration or size is a user settable feature in the X-100
WebUI (through the Setup Page for the Radio Interface) and is part of system configuration.
Table 3 OFDMA and Frame Parameters for a 10 MHz Channel Bandwidth
Number of Subcarriers
1024
Data Carriers
Pilot Subcarriers
Subcarrier Spacing
Frame Duration or Size
Frames per Second
Cyclic Prefix
Number of Symbols
5 msec 3.125 msec
200 320
1/8 1/16 1/81 1/16
48 51 301 32
720
120
10.9375 KHz
3.3 Integrated RBM Antenna
The Remote Backhaul Module (RBM) features a high-quality antenna that has very low side lobes (-30
dBc) to minimize interference. This allows greater scalability of deployment of BLiNQ X-100 system
modules in a market and allows smaller frequency reuse factor for higher spectrum utilization. Figure 3
shows the antenna patterns and compares them to standard off-the-shelf antennas typically available in
commercial systems such as WiMAX Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and other backhaul devices in
the 3.5 GHz band.
High gain (17 dBi) and directivity (narrow horizontal beamwidth of 22 degrees) work to increase system
gain and reduce the interference transmitted and received at angles away from the boresight of the
antenna. This is critical for small cell mobile backhaul applications as the backhaul network is
interference limited. It also works to increase the range in other types of applications where distance is
the overriding factor.
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Mask for off the
shelf antennas
BLiNQ’s RBM
Antenna Performance
Figure 3 Horizontal antenna pattern (Port 1) for 3.5 GHz band
Table 4 Integrated Antenna Specifications in the 3.65 GHz Band
Gain 17.0 ± 1 dBi
Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
1.8:1 (max) 1.5:1 (typ)
(VSWR)
-3 dB Azimuth Beam Width 22.5° ± 2°
-3 dB Elevation Beam Width 27° ± 3°
AZ and EL Beam Squint ± 2 °
Polarization Dual Slant ± 45°
Port To Port Isolation 22 dB (min), 28 dB (typ)
Front to Back (F/B) Ratio -45 dB (typ)
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3.4 System Enclosure
The enclosure for both the Hub and RBM is a rugged IP67 casing supplied with an optional mounting
bracket with both horizontal and vertical tilt capabilities to mount the unit on towers, poles, and
building side walls while allowing full flexibility in the range of orientation to establish best connectivity
between the Hub and RBMs.
In Figure 2, the mechanical enclosure for the HM has two RF port connectors for an external userdefined sectored antenna. Two connectors are also provided on the back of the HM: a -48 VDC power
connector, and an RJ45 connector for 1000 BaseT copper Ethernet network connectivity. An optional
small form-factor pluggable (SFP) fiber connector for optical Gigabit Ethernet network connectivity can
also be installed in the field. An integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna is shown on the top
(flat square patch). Therefore, no additional synchronization equipment is required to reduce total cost
of ownership.
Note: The copper Ethernet interface on the HM has priority over the fiber optical Gigabit Ethernet
interface. If, for example, an on-site technician connects to the HM locally by the copper interface while
the HM is providing network services to its users through the fiber interface, the fiber interface is then
disabled and taken out of service. Network service through the fiber interface is restored when the
copper interface is disconnected.
The RBM is the exact same size and dimension as the HM. It differs in that the antenna is integrated,
hence there are no external RF connectors. Also, the RBM does not include an integrated GPS antenna
as synchronization is available from the HM. There is also no provision for an SFP fiber connector.
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4 Link Budget and System Gain
Table 6 lists the link budget for the BLiNQ X-100 system at 3.65 GHz in a 2x2 Multiple Input Multiple
Output-Spatial Multiplexing (MIMO-SM) operation.
The X-100 system provides very high system gain (134 dB for 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
[QAM] 5/8 Modulation and Coding Scheme [MCS]). This is due to a relatively high transmit power for
both the Hub and Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs) (27 dBm per antenna port; a total of 30 dBm).
The X-100 system gain allows network design to incorporate a high fade margin to combat shadow and
fast fading and enable high link availability in urban areas which is important in small cell mobile
backhaul applications. Alternatively, high system gain translates into longer range in applications where
this is required.
Table 5 Link Budget for X-100 System at 3.65 GHz in
Transmitter
256-
QAM
7/8
256-
QAM
6/8
256-
QAM
5/8
64-
QAM
5/6
a 2x2 MIMO-SM Operation
64-
QAM
3/4
64-
QAM
2/3
64-
QAM
1/2
Units
Power per Stream
Hub Antenna Gain
Tx Losses
EIRP (per Stream)
Receiver
Thermal Noise
Noise Figure
Noise BW (per
Tone)
Receive Noise
Floor (per Tone)
RBM Antenna
Gain
Required RX
Power per Branch
System Gain (dB)
23 23 23 23 23 23 23 dBm
17 17 17 17 17 17 17 dBi
0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 dB
39.8 39.8 39.8 39.8 39.8 39.8 39.8 dBm
256-
QAM
7/8
-174 -174 -174 -174 -174 -174 -174 dBm/Hz
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 dB
10.9375 10.9375 10.9375 10.9375 10.9375 10.9375
-129.6 -129.6 -129.6 -129.6 -129.6 -129.6 -129.6 dBm
17 17 17 17 17 17 17 dBi
-65.5 -74.4 -75.5 -76.8 -78.7 -79.7 -83.6 dBm
122.3 131.2 132.3
256-
QAM
6/8
256-
QAM
5/8
64-
QAM
5/6
133.6 135.5 136.5 140.4 dB
64-
QAM
3/4
64-
QAM
2/3
64-
QAM
1/2
10.937
5
Units
kHz
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16
QAM3/4
-85 144
.75 16
QAM2/3
-88.7 148
.45 Q
PSK3/4
-91.3 151
.05
Table 7 shows the system gain at 3.65 GHz for different modulation rates and the associated capacity
and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) distance for 99.9% availability in urban and rural environments.
Table 6 NLOS Range at 3.65 GHz for 2x2 MIMO-SM Mode
NLOS (m)
Modulation System Gain (dB) Capacity (Mbps)
256QAM7/8 122.25 83 243 425
256QAM6/8 131.15 71 373 700
256QAM5/8 132.25 61 454 880
64QAM5/6 133.55 59 483 946
64QAM3/4 135.45 53 529 1,052
64QAM2/3 136.45 47 555 1,113
64QAM1/2 140.35 35 669 1,384
The system gain for maximum distance calculations for the lower modulation schemes is shown in Table
8 for a single antenna operation (that is, Single Input Single Output [SISO]) with receive diversity gain of
3 dB included to account for 2-branch maximal ratio combining.
(99.9% Link Availability)
Urban (SUI 5/6) Rural (SUI 1/2)
Table 7 System Gain for Lower Modulation and Coding
Schemes; Includes Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) Gain
Modulation Required Rx Power (dBm) System Gain (dB)
4.1 System Trade-offs
Range, capacity and reliability are three factors that can be traded off against each other. The higher the
fade margin, the lower the reach of the X-100 is to achieve a certain capacity target. For example, Figure
shows a system gain of 136 dB for 256-QAM 5/8 MCS which results in a throughput of 61 Mbps.
Budgeting 25 dB of fade margin for 99.9% availability results in a maximum allowable path loss of 13625 = 111 dB, or a corresponding range of just over 400 m. Higher reliability is possible by using a larger
fade margin which reduces the distance. Alternatively, higher reliability can be achieved at this range
with a lower MCS such as 64-QAM 3/4.
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Figure 4 Performance Versus Distance for 256 QAM 5/6 MCS
The BLiNQ proprietary Managed Adaptive Resource Allocation (MARA) interference management
technology built into the X-100 system contributes to increasing the link availability while also providing
higher capacity.
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5 System Synchronization
The X-100 system is a Time Division Multiplexed (TDD) radio system. Therefore, X-100 networks require
proper synchronization of the air interface to provide optimal service. The X-100 system is designed to
provide flexible synchronization options as well as provide a high-performance extension to existing
synchronization networks to provide quality clock services to downstream devices such as small-cells.
The X-100 system is synchronized at the Hub Module (HM) using one of two standard synchronization
mechanisms: Global Positioning System (GPS) or IEEE 1588v2.
When configured to synchronize on GPS, the X-100 system uses its internal GPS antenna and receiver
module to synchronize to the GPS network. This allows all X-100 HMs deployed in the network to
accurately synchronize their transmit and receive operations on the air interface. The GPS system also
allows the X-100 system to determine accurate time of day and date information. This time information
together with a user configured timezone setting is used to inform time across the system and is
essential in functions such as fault management (for example, event and alarm timestamping) and
historical performance (for example, performance indicator processing and performance file creation).
Time information is automatically transmitted from the HM to any Remote Backhaul Module (RBM)
associated to that HM.
When configured to synchronize on IEEE 1588v2, the X-100 system synchronizes to IEEE 1588v2 master
clocks deployed on the operator network. The HM can either be configured to use a specific master
clock (by providing the master clock identity) or can perform the standard Best Master Clock (BMC)
Algorithm to select the best available master clock on the network. Just like GPS, the IEEE 1588v2
infrastructure allows the HM to precisely synchronize its air interface. It also provides accurate time of
day information.
The X-100 system includes a high performance crystal oscillator that allows it to maintain its clock
properties (Holdover) even if the primary clock reference (that is, GPS or IEEE 1588v2) is no longer
available. The system is designed to provide a Holdover period of 10 minutes. During this time the radio
is operational and the system attempts to recover its primary clock source. If the clock source has not be
reacquired after the Holdover period expires, the system is deemed “Not synchronized” and therefore
ceases radio operation so as to not interfere with other deployed X-100 systems.
5.1 Synchronization Services
Based on its high-performance internal synchronization mechanisms, the X-100 system is designed to
provide in-band synchronization services to downstream devices using the IEEE 1588v2 protocol. The
HM and RBMs include IEEE 1588 capable Ethernet PHY modules that provide accurate hardware based
timestamping, necessary for high-performance synchronization applications.
The X-100 system supports two operating modes for synchronization services, depending on the primary
clock reference used at the HM: GPS or IEEE 1588v2..
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In the first mode, the HM uses the GPS as its primary clock reference. Based on the intrinsic
synchronized nature of the HM to RBM protocol, the clock reference is accurately transported at the
RBM and therefore the entire cluster implements the behavioral requirements of an IEEE 1588v2 master
clock. The X-100 system allows the configuration of the main IEEE 1588v2 master clock parameters such
as transport protocol and messaging intervals.
Figure 5 System Synchronization Using GPS
In the second mode, the HM is configured to synchron
ize using the IEEE 1588v2 network, making the
X-100 cluster effectively behave as an IEEE 1588v2 boundary clock. The system provides master clock
services at the RBM Ethernet port, and advertises itself as a boundary clock that uses the same
grandmaster clock as the HM parent clock. In this mode, all upstream IEEE 1588 messaging is dropped at
the HM.
Figure 6 System Synchronization Using IEEE 1588v2
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6 System Throughput
The X-100 system uses time division duplexing (TDD) access mode, employing a single frequency for
both transmit and receive paths. The throughput for the downlink and uplink depends on several usersettable parameters such as frame duration or size (3.125 or 5 ms), downlink-to-uplink frame bandwidth
ratio (option of 50:50 or 65:35), and the number of Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs) connected to a
Hub Module (HM). Furthermore, the system throughput depends on the Modulation and Coding Rate
(MCS) and whether the Multiple Input Multiple Output-Spatial Multiplexing (MIMO-SM) mode is active,
both of which vary according to link and signal conditions.
Note: Frame length of 3.125 msec not supported in current release.
Tables 9 and 10 show the maximum link throughput for the X-100 system assuming 10 MHz channel
MIMO operation which doubles the channel throughput by transmitting two independent codewords on
each antenna.
Note: System throughput is set using the X-100 WebUI Setup Page for the Radio Interface. See 10.3.4 for
details.
TDD Frame
Length, DL/UL
MCS
256-QAM 7/81
256-QAM 6/8
64-QAM 5/6
64-QAM 3/4
64-QAM 2/3
16-QAM 3/4
16-QAM 1/2
QPSK 3/4
Table 8 Throughput Performance for Cyclic Prefix of
1/8
5 ms, 20/20 3.125 ms, 12/10
1 RBM 2 RBMs 3 RBMs 4 RBMs 1 RBM 2 RBMs 3 RBMs 4 RBMs
76.0 73.1 70.0 67.0 64.5 60.6 54.9 49.9
65.0 62.6 60.1 57.6 55.3 52.1 47.1 42.5
54.2 51.9 49.8 47.7 45.9 43.2 39.0 35.1
48.7 46.8 44.6 42.7 41.1 38.7 34.9 31.4
43.3 41.5 39.9 37.8 36.7 34.5 30.9 27.7
32.3 31.0 29.6 28.4 27.5 25.8 23.1 20.3
21.5 20.5 19.6 18.5 18.3 17.0 15.0 13.0
16.1 15.2 14.5 13.5
13.5 12.6 10.9 9.3
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Table 9 Throughput Performance for Cyclic Prefix of 1/16
TDD Frame
Length, DL/UL
5 ms, 22/22 3.125 ms, 12/12
MCS
256-QAM 7/81
256-QAM 6/8
64-QAM 5/6
64-QAM 3/4
64-QAM 2/3
16-QAM 3/4
16-QAM 1/2
QPSK 3/4
1 RBM 2 RBMs 3 RBMs 4 RBMs 1 RBM 2 RBMs 3 RBMs 4 RBMs
83.5 80.4 77.1 73.7 70.4 67.4 64.4 54.5
71.5 68.9 66.2 63.4 60.3 57.9 55.5 46.4
59.6 57.2 54.8 52.5 50.2 48.0 45.9 38.4
53.6 51.5 49.2 47.1 44.8 43.0 41.2 34.3
47.6 45.6 43.9 41.6 40.1 38.5 36.4 30.3
35.7 34.1 32.6 31.3 30.0 28.6 27.4 22.3
23.7 22.6 21.7 20.4 20.0 19.0 17.9 14.2
17.7 16.7 16.0 14.9 14.8 14.1 13.1 10.2
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7 Element and Network Management
Designed to provide comprehensive Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security
(FCAPS) functionality, the X-100 system uses standard networking protocols and tools that facilitate a
full range of element and network management operations—from local craft configuration, to complex
integration in Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or script-based Network Management
System (NMS) and Operations Support System (OSS) infrastructures.
The X-100 system supports the following network management Interfaces:
• X-100 Command Line Interface (CLI). Accessible via Secure Shell protocol (SSH), the X-100 CLI
provides a well-structured command language in an industry standard idiom. The interface
allows an operator (or third-party system) to manipulate the full configuration of the unit and
examine state, performance and fault indicators.
• X-100 Web Interface (WebUI). Accessible via HTTP(S), the X-100 WebUI provides an interactive
visual toolset that allows an operator to modify the full configuration of the X-100 system as
well as view state, fault, and performance indicators. The performance data is displayed using
visual charts, and applications are provided to visualize up to 24 hours of historical performance
data stored on the system.
• Community-Based Simple Network Management Protocol version 2 (SNMPv2C) and SNMP
version 3 (SNMPv3). The SNMPv2C and SNMPv3 interfaces provides complete access to
configuration, state, performance and fault information in the X-100 system to allow for high
levels of integration in existing NMS/OSS infrastructure for monitoring, Service Level Agreement
(SLA) assurance, and administrative task automation.
• Syslog. The syslog interface allows the X-100 system to send standard syslog fault management
information (that is, syslog alarms, events, and log entries) from itself to external syslog servers.
All network management interfaces on the X-100 system are accessible via Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and User Datagram Protocol/IP (UDP/IP). The X-100 system provides
the following IP addresses for management purposes:
• Local Craft IP Address - A fixed, non-routable IP address: 169.254.1.1 which is always accessible
without VLAN encapsulation. This address is always present on both the Hub Modules and
Remote Backhaul Modules (RBMs) and should be used in situations where the Management IP
Address (see below) is not configured or is unavailable, including initial commissioning and field
troubleshooting scenarios. Typically, the Local Craft IP Address is accessed by an operator by
plugging in directly in the RJ-45 Ethernet port of the module.
Note: The RJ-45 port has priority over the optional optical connector on the HM. If the latter is
installed and the operator plugs into the RJ-45 port, the fiber connection is disabled as long as
the RJ-45 port is active.
• Management IP Address - An operator assigned, static or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) IP address used for remote management of the units. Both HMs and RBMs need a
management IP address. For the HM the management IP Address is accessible from the
Ethernet side of the network, while for the RBM the management IP Address is accessible from
the wireless side (that is, from behind the HM). All traffic to and from the management IP
address can be encapsulated in an operator-configurable Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN).
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The X-100 system provides the following network management functions:
• Configuration Management. The system configuration covers several functional areas:
o radio link commissioning
o service flow provisioning
o bridge configuration
o security configuration
All parameters in these areas are accessible via all the network management interfaces
described previously.
o The radio link commissioning parameters (for example, radio frequency,
synchronization, radio frame size, TDD downlink/uplink ratio, preamble indexes) need to
be set before system deployment and are particular to the RF network of the operator.
o Service Flow Provisioning parameters are set on the HM to configure the quality
parameters for the over-the-air service flows provided to RBMs. The system supports
both a simple provisioning model based on a default service flow configuration, or an
advanced provisioning model where service flow parameters can be configured
individually for each RBM.
o The bridge configuration parameters control the Ethernet bridge and core network data
behavior of the X-100 cluster.
o The security configuration parameters allow the operator to secure access or disable
specific management interfaces and perform various unit administrative operations.
• Fault Management. The X-100 system provides fault management service via a comprehensive
list of alarms and events. Some of the potential faults that the system is able to detect and
alarm upon include:
o radio and Ethernet link failures
o hardware module failures
o synchronization faults
o software module faults
All alarms and events are relayed to higher level managers via SNMP traps or Syslog. The system
also allows operators to access active alarm and event history information using either the X100 CLI or X-100 WebUI.
• Performance Management. The X-100 system maintains a comprehensive set of performance
counters and indicators to facilitate:
o performance monitoring
o SLA monitoring
o Troubleshooting
The system provides a full set of Ethernet counters at the interface, module, and service flow
level, as well as radio quality indicators at the module level. The system makes all the counters
available as either instantaneous values (via SNMP, CLI or WebUI), or historical performance
files. The system maintains 24 hours of performance data at a 15 minute granularity.
Performance files are stored only on the HM and can be extracted from the system on-demand.
Alternatively, the system can be configured to automatically push these files to an operator-
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provided File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server.
• Administrative Operations. The X-100 system provides tools that allow operators to perform all
standard unit administration operations using the provided remote network management
interfaces. The system supports remote software upgrade operations using either a pull
paradigm (that is, the system modules retrieve the software package files from external FTP
servers), or a push scheme using the X-100 WebUI (that is, the operator uploads a software
package file to the system modules using the X-100 WebUI). The X-100 system also supports
remote configuration backups and backup restoration.
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8 Ethernet Bridge Support
Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing Ethernet backhaul or general purpose networks, the X100 system is built for Ethernet services and provides network functionality as a standard Layer 2 (L2)
Transparent Bridge (IEEE 802.1d), whereby the X-100 cluster (a cluster being one Hub Module [HM] with
its group of up to four Remove Backhaul Modules [RBMs]) is the bridge, and the Ethernet ports on the
HM and associated RBMs are the ports of the bridge.
The embedded bridge functionality performs Media Access Control (MAC) address learning (up to 4096
MAC addresses). This function allows the HM to perform an optimal allocation of radio resources by
sending traffic to the RBM behind which the destination of that traffic is actually located. In addition, the
X-100 system provides support for advanced traffic classification and prioritization as part of its service
provisioning model. Service flow definitions can be used to engineer traffic so that specific packets are
either dropped or forwarded under a specific Quality of Service (QoS) provision.
The X-100 scheduler supports two Classes of Service (CoS): Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) and Best Effort
(BE). The GBR CoS is designed for latency sensitive traffic (such as voice) and provides an “always on”
channel that is able to transport designated packets as soon as they arrive in the system. The BE CoS
provides a balanced resource allocation between multiple RBMs in a cluster and ensures radio resource
fairness between them. The X-100 scheduler contains proprietary optimizations such as CoS
overflow/underflow that allow for an optimal utilization of radio resources in situations where certain
service flows are either under or over loaded beyond their designed capacity.
The X-100 classification engine allows the operator to define complex classification rules using basic
boolean constructs and packet field matching criteria. The following fields are supported:
• Layer 2 Ethernet frame fields: source/destination MAC Address with masking options,
EtherType, VLAN (802.1q), S-VLAN, C-VLAN (as per 802.1ad QinQ)
• Layer 3 IP packet fields: source/destination IP address with masking option, Type of Service
(ToS).
The X-100 system can also provide specialized processing of data traffic at the HM Ethernet port
(towards the core network). The operator can choose to either pass traffic transparently or,
alternatively, encapsulate the data traffic in an L2 tunnel through a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) by
using the stacking VLAN processing scheme. The system also allows network management traffic to be
encapsulated in a dedicated management VLAN.
The X-100 system can transport standard Ethernet frames (up to 1518 bytes) as well as mini Jumbo
frames of up to 2048 bytes.
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!
9 Installation Planning
For full installation instructions see the X-100 System Installation Guide.
Adhere to all safety warnings in the Installation Guide. Failure to do so could
result in personal injury or death, or damage to the equipment.
WARNING!
When planning the installation of X-100 systems, consider the following:
• Delegate installation and repairs to an experienced installer
• Determine if lightning protection is needed and install if required
Be sure to do the following upon unpacking the X-100 system modules. For each Hub and RBM module
in your system:
• Locate the label on the module casing that lists the Serial Number (SN) and Media Access
Control (MAC) address for the module
• Record the SN on your registration card for future reference
• Record the MAC address for future reference when provisioning the system
Figure 7 Module Casing Label Example
After installation of the X-100 system modules, perf
Provisioning”, and Chapter 14 “Preambles, Flows, and Network Provisioning”, as applicable for your
network.
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orm the tasks described in Chapter 13 “System
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