NETWORK PLANNING FUNCTIONS FOR EXCEL 97

Author:

Matti Manninen

1. GENERAL

The network planning function library for Excel 97 is created mainly to help
network planners maintain the existing models created in Excel 5.0. Like with
the standard functions it is important to know the input arguments and place
them properly. In some cases there are limitations for the range of one or
more of the input arguments (e.g. for Okumura-Hata or Walfish-Ikegami cell
range calculations) which are internally checked, but the user should be
aware that "garbage in - garbage out" rule is valid. The names very often
give a hint about the output or the purpose of functions and arguments.

The library was originally developed by Jordan Kalev for Excel 4. The most of
the functions are kept unchanged in this version. However, there are some
new functions and some old functions have new inputs.

This version is coded with Microsoft Visual C++ version 5.0. The library is
compiled to Excel stand-alone DLL (extension *.XLL).

2. VERSION

The current version of the function library is 1.0a. Note, that the file name is
kept the same (NPFun32.xll) when new releases are introduced.

3. INSTALLATION

Installation of the function library is made as simple as possible. There are

three ways how the function library can be used.

3.1.

OPEN COMMAND

The function library can be open and activated by choosing the Open
command in File menu. The DLL will register all the functions in the library
but will not create any menus.

3.2.

XLSTART DIRECTORY

The NPFun32.xll file can be placed in Excel 97s XLStart directory. All the
files in that directory are open automatically every time Excel is opened. The
directory is (usually) located in ..\Microsoft Office\Office directory.

3.3.

ADD-INS MANAGER

Maybe the most conveniet way to install the function library is to place the file
NPFun32.xll in users home directory and use Add-Ins Manager to register
the DLL. The location of the file can be selected freely because with Add-Ins
Manager the file can be browsed by selected Add-Ins in the Tools menu.
If the function library does not appear on the list of Add-Ins Manager (text
NPfun32 version 1.0a) press Browse button and find the file NPfun32.xll.
Once the library is activated it is loaded automatically every time when Excel
is opened.

4. UPDATE

If you have previously installed NPFun32.xll, you should simply replace the
old file with the new one. Make sure that EXCEL is switched off before you
do the update!

DESCRIPTION

To make the description more compact the following notation has been used
for the arguments and the return values: Real , Integer (I), String , Logical ,
Percent (%). Note that the percent values must always be in the 0.0-1.0
range!

A very simple notation has been used for the base stations, so that all the
relevant info is given in the name. The string may have two or three fields
separated with # and is constructed like this:
BTS#D#211
where the first field is BTS, the second is optional field for Diversity, RF head,
Booster, Cema or pre-Amplifier, and the third field gives the TRXs per sector
one after another. In case of 10 TRX per sector 0 must be used instead. Here
are several correct examples of base station names:

BTS#2

Omni BTS, no diversity, RF head or pre-amplifier, 2 TRXs

BTS#A#21

Two-sector BTS, pre-amplifier, 2+1 TRXs

BTS#RD#322 Tri-sector BTS, RF head and diversity, 3+2+2 TRXs

4.1.

LOCATION PROBABILITY AND SLOW FADING MARGIN FUNCTIONS

npLocProb(mar,dev,slope)

Parameters:
mar

Margin (dB), i.e. slow fading margin

dev

Standard deviation (dB), usually 7-8 dB

slope

The slope of the propagation loss curve, normally between 3

and 5
Returns:

The location probability as a value between 0 and 1, i.e. 94%

corresponds to 0.94

npSFMargin(lpc,dev,slope)
Parameters:
lpc

Location probability

dev

Standard deviation (dB), usually 7-8 dB

slope

The slope of the propagation loss curve, normally between 3

and 5
Returns:

4.2.

The slow fading margin to be used (dB)

ERLANG FORMULAE

npErlbChs(traf,prob)
Parameters:
traf

Traffic in Erl

prob

Blocking probability as a value between 0 and 1, i.e. 2%

corresponds to 0.02
Returns: (I) The number of traffic channels needed

npErlbProb(traf,chs)
Parameters:
traf

Traffic in Erl

chs

(I) Number of traffic channels

Returns:

Blocking probability

npErlbTraf(prob,chs)
Parameters:
prob
chs

Blocking probability as a value between 0 and 1

(I) Number of traffic channels

Returns:

4.3.

The traffic in Erl

PROGAPAGION MODELS

npRangeOH(freq,hbs,hms,ploss)
Parameters:
freq

Frequency in MHz

hbs

BS antenna height (m)

hms

MS antenna height (m)

ploss

Path loss in dB, say coming from the PBGT calculations

Returns:

The cell range (km)

npRangeWI(freq,hbs,hms,ploss,rw,ro,bs,bh)
Parameters:
freq

Frequency in MHz

hbs

BS antenna height (m)

hms

MS antenna height (m)

ploss

Path loss in dB, say coming from the PBGT calculations

rw

Road width (m)

ro

Road orientation angle (degrees)

bs

Building separation (m)

bh

Building height (m)

Returns:

The cell range (km)

4.4.

GSM RELATED FUNCTIONS

npGsmTchs(trx,hr)
Parameters:
trx

(I) Number of TRXs

hr

Half Rate use in percent

Returns: (I) The number of the traffic channels

npGsmTrx(chs,hr)
Parameters:
chs

(I) Number of traffic channels

hr

Half Rate use in percent

Returns:

The number of the TRXs as a real number, i.e. 2.7

npGsmTraffic(trx,prob,hr)
Parameters:
trx

Number of TRXs

prob

Blocking probability in percent, value between 0 and 1

hr

Half Rate use in percent

Returns:

4.5.

The traffic in Erl

COORDINATE FUNCTIONS

npRectX(lo,la,cm)
Parameters:
lo

Longitude in degree

la

Latitude in degree

cm

Central meridian in degree

Returns:

The UTM X co-ordinate. Please remember in geography X

means Y!

npRectY(lo,la,cm)
Parameters:
lo

Longitude in degree

la

Latitude in degree

cm

Central meridian in degree

Returns:

The UTM Y co-ordinate. In math this corresponds to X!

npDistance(x1,y1,x2,y2)
Parameters:
x1

X co-ordinate of the first point

y1

Y co-ordinate of the first point

x2

X co-ordinate of the second point

y2

Y co-ordinate of the second point

Returns:

4.6.

The distance between the two points

SITE RELATED FUNCTIONS

npSiteAreaK(site)
Parameters:
site

Site configuration as a string, say BTS#211 meaning tri-sector

BTS 2+1+1 TRXs

Returns:

The coefficient needed to calculate the coverage area of a site

npSiteCells(site)
Parameters:
site

Site configuration as a string

Returns: (I) The number of the cells or sectors, i.e. npSiteCells("BTS#00")

will return 2.

npSiteTRX(site)
Parameters:
site

Site configuration as a string

Returns: (I) The number of the TRXs, i.e. npSiteCells("BTS#43") will

return 7.

npSiteTraf(site)
Parameters:
site

Site configuration as a string

bp

Blocking probability as percent

hr

Half Rate use in percent

Returns:

4.7.

The traffic served by the site in Erl

BASE STATION FEATURE RELATED FUNCTIONS

npIsDir(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

0 if the site is omni 1 otherwise

npIsDiv(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

1

if

diversity

is

implemented

otherwise,

i.e.

otherwise,

i.e.

otherwise,

i.e.

otherwise,

i.e.

npIsDiv(BTS#D#111) will return 1.

npIsRFHead(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

1

if

RF

Head

is

implemented

npIsDiv(BTS#DR#1) will return 1.

npIsAmplifier(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

1

if

Amplifier

is

implemented

npIsDiv(BTS#A#22) will return 1.

npIsCEMA(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

1

if

CEMA

is

npIsDiv(BTS#C#22) will return 1.

implemented

npIsBooster(site)
Parameters:
site
Returns:

Site configuration as a string

1

if

Booster

npIsDiv(BTS#B#22) will return 1.

is

implemented

otherwise,

i.e.