Pathloss 5 - Revision history
Pathloss 5 - revision date June 12, 2009
Set GIS Configuration
The default directory specification has been changed from a single directory to individual file directories when importing an index.
Some procedures involving lookup tables and code indexes, could cause the data entry form to loose focus and go behind the network display.
Import link text file
This procedure has been revised to include 3 antennas and 12 TX channel entries. Still outstanding are the cross references between the radio and antenna codes in the csv file and the actual codes to be used.
Pathloss 5 - revision date May 26, 2009
The Design link function has been completely revised and divided into two functions. The Design links function only operates on links without a pl5 file association. The Edit-Modify links function only operates on links with an existing pl5 file association.
Network Operations
The following side effects introduced in the due to the May 19 build have been corrected The Performance function caused a program crash The Add site and Move site dialogs sizes were not usable
Rain calculations
The ITU-R P.837-5 rain data base has been added to the program. The original 837-3 has not been removed. It should be noted that the difference can be significant between the two data bases.
ATT rain data files for the United States are not distributed with the program. The directory geo_data\rain\rain_usa contains Canadian rain data files in the ATT file format. The file naming convention is CURVEXX.CSV where XX is a one or two digit number. If the USA files are located in this directory, then they will be automatically used for the Crane rain algorithm
Antenna Lookup Tables
Radome loss and antenna diameter have been added to the lookup table
Radio and antenna data lookup files could cause a program crash if an arbitrary file was loaded.
Ant_rad.exe - radio data files
If a binary radio data file was saved several times in a row, the calculated curves - TX emission mask, RX selectivity mask and the RX selectivity curver used in calculations would be duplicated.
Pathloss 5 - revision date May 19, 2009
Design Links - Network Display
This has been completely revised. The operation is similar to the Create PTP / PTMP links feature.
It is possible simply to view the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the network links using either the original design rules or the current design rules.
A group selection criteria is provided to move the links into different groups based on these KPIs.
Transmission line lengths on PTMP link designs have been corrected
Data integrity checks between PL5 files and the network display. When a pl5 file was saved, the network display data was automatically updated to the PL5 data. This has been changed. If differences between the two data sets are present, the user is prompted to select the correct data.
MapInfo grc files (one byte data files) were not read correctly. These files were being used as clutter data.
Pathloss 5 - revision date May 7, 2009
Create PTP and PTMP links
Clearance has been added as a rejection criteria. This is the clearance relative to the clearance criteria. A value of 0 means that the clearance criteria has been exactly met. A positive value is the excess clearance over the clearance criteria. A negative value is the additional clearance required to meet the clearance criteria.
A minimum and maximum value can be specified for each rejection criteria. In addition, the current link display can be saved to a group. This makes it possible to save the analysis into multiple groups. For example the group names could be as follows:
clearance OK clearance within 10 meters clearance over 10 meters
The links can be saved with the original color legend.
Point to point equipment parameters now used the same standard data entry forms used in the transmission analysis section and include both lookup tables and the radio - antenna indexes.
Automatic Link Design
Diffraction loss is calculated at three values of K (4/3, the minimum expected value of K and a K of infinity). The infinity value was used in the transmission analysis under the assumption that heavy multipath fading is coincident with high values of K.
In this program build, the 4/3 value is used. Future program builds will expand on this and provide the probability of obstruction fading.
Lookup tables
Various data entry and conversion problems with antenna and radio data lookup tables were corrected dbm to microvolt conversion on the land mobile radio data entry form did not operate.
Pathloss 5 - revision date April 22, 2009
Multipath - reflection
Variable parameters calculations using ray tracing did not correctly save in the pl5 file.
Variable parameters calculations using ray tracing on paths which were blocked at the lowest value of the earth radius factor K could cause a program crash.
Transmission analysis
The vertical angle and azimuth were expressed as degrees minutes and seconds in report. The vertical angles were reported as positive values. These are now expressed as decimal degrees with the correct sign
The report format options for microwave total time below level showed the annual rain unavailability and the total annual rain + multipath unavailability in expressed in seconds. The actual report expresses the value in minutes. This provides compatibility with ITU conventions of expressing unavailability in minutes.
Loading a radio data file could could change several of the calculations options. These changes have been inhibited for the time being. The radio data files contain calculation methods such as selective outage and performance calculations in accordance with G826. A future release will prompt the user to make these changes and the changes will be immediately reflected in the radio data entry form.
FCC EIRP warnings were based on dBm instead of dBW
Vectors
A side effect of continuing development on shapefile features resulted in program crash when using vector shapefiles
Network display link list
If the link list was closed with the last row selected, the program would crash
Pathloss 5 - revision date March 26, 2009
Site list
Corrections made to the import/export CSV files operations.
Corrections made to column sorting.
Automatic link design
Antenna height greater than the tower height link rejection criteria has been added.
Tower heights have been added to the CSV report.
Finalize links did not correctly limit antenna heights to the tower heights
Diffraction module
Under some circumstances Fresnel zones could not be displayed.
Reports
This section is now under revision. The version 4 print profile report has been added.
Pathloss 5 - revision date March 10, 2009
Radio lookup tables can load version 4 microwave (mrd) and VHF-UHF (vrd) lookup files.
CSV Link reports have been added. They can be found under the Operations menu in the network display. The report can be customized by clicking the 'Edit' button and selecting CSV Link report from the dropdown list in the report settings window. (More report settings are available in the tree list on the left.)
Pathloss 5 - revision date February 24, 2009
Radio lookup tables
This has been added as an option to using the radio code index. If a code exists in the table, the, lookup table functions the same as the radio code index.
Other fixes
Loading pl4 files which contained Fresnel references became corrupted when saved as PL5 files.
Interference calculations for base stations without associated links has been implemented.
Pathloss 5 - revision date February 12, 2009
Base station sector frequency assignments
The TX channel table and frequency plan files are now used for frequency assignments.
Point to multipoint design
The base antenna height is not considered in the rejection criteria.
Google Earth kml export
General improvements to the overall display. Local and area studies are now exported as separate entities for each signal level.
Other fixes
Metric conversion problems - (feet and miles only).
Error in transmission line unit loss in ptmp link design corrected.
Error in tower heights corrected.
