3 TRUTHS ABOUT HIGH FADE MARGIN IN POINT-TO-POINT PATH DESIGN

Currently, there are no known ITU or North American error

performance standards that address outage probability on all-packet
point-to-point microwave radios. According to both the Vigants and
ITU-R P.530 models, the probability of outage (i.e., Severely
Errored Second Ratio) is inversely proportional to fade margin.
Truth or Myth: Higher Fade Margins Equal Better Performance?
This brings us to consider the following myth: Do higher fade
margins improve error performance? Even though it makes sense
intuitively, the concept of improving performance with high fade
margins is not applicable to critical linkslong links in low-lying, flat
and humid regions. For this reason, a cautionary note needs to be
disseminated among the global RF planning community.
Fade Margin and its Meaning in Point-to-Point Design
During the days of analog radios, high fade margins were required
because noise was additive on a per hop basis, and any disturbance affected performance. It is important to recognize that
annual or monthly outage time, not path fade margin, is the error performance objective for all-packet microwave radios. An
all-packet radio will perform essentially error-free just a few dBs above threshold.
Truth 1: Critical Link C or k-Factors Reduce Fade Margin, Increase Outage Time
For long (40km+/25-miles+) and flat paths deployed in low elevations (200m/656-feet and lower) and humid areas, the geoclimatic model will yield a high geo-climatic factor (C or k-factor) that will reduce fade margin and consequently increase
outage time from 300 sec/year (99.999% availability) to perhaps ~1500 sec/year (99.9952% availability). The logic is that to
reduce the outage time, large (>3m/9.8-foot) antennas would be required.
Truth 2: Large Antennas Have Narrow Beamwidth, Decouple at Night
However, large antennas have a narrow beamwidth that would render the path unusable due to antenna decoupling
because of dramatic changes of the k-factor at night.
Truth 3: High Output Power Does Not Accommodate High Nocturnal k-Factors
On the other hand, high output power would not accommodate very high nocturnal k-factor values and as a consequence a
high fade margin would be uselessnot to mention expensive to implement!
Four Principles of Critical Region Path Engineering
During our 54 years of existence in Silicon Valley, Aviat Networks has accumulated vast experience in the understanding of
microwave radio propagation and performance in divergent geo-climatic conditions around the globe. Consequently, Aviat
Networks recognizes the need to observe four path engineering commandments when implementing links in critical (i.e., low
elevation, high humidity, ducting) regions as opposed to just concentrating on fade margin:
1. Adequate path clearance above suspected atmospheric boundary layers
2. Optimized antenna spacing
3. Proper antenna sizes and exacting alignments
4. Fade margin
In critical regions, wide radio channels (i.e., 28 MHz; 56 MHz) are dramatically affected by divergent tropospheric dielectric
boundaries, which cannot be mitigated by high RF power or very large antennas. For these designs, sound path engineering
is crucial, not necessarily high fade margin.
For additional information on high fade margins in wireless path design see our video Check List for a Successful
Microwave Link, presented by noted microwave transmission expert Dick Laine, principal engineer for network engineering
support at Aviat Networks.
Ivan Zambrano
Senior Network Engineer
Aviat Networks