Mentum Planet 5.

4
Gregory Donnard
Tuesday 6th 2012

Agenda
Introduction
Mentum Planet 5.3.2
General Features
MapInfo 11
Antennas
Propagation
Radio Access Technologies
Data Management
Orange Labs
Questions & Answers
2

Mentum Planet 5.3.2

Mentum Planet 5.3.2

Released on November the 30th of 2012
Maintenance release with a lot of features
EV-DO Revision B
Multi-carrier EV-DO
64-QAM modulation

Multiple EV-DO revisions within the same Planet

project
Graphical Neighbour Plan Editor
Miscellaneous
New neighbour plan merging algorithm
Neighbour priorities defined in site editor
4

General Features

New Start Page

Allows to put relevant information for users
Upcoming webinars and training classes
Information on Future product releases
Product patches
Etc.

Quick access to
Recent projects
User guides
Project creation, project opening

Google Earth Export

New Google Earth
export functionality
No white background
around exported grids
Ability to export larger
grids
Ability to export sector,
repeater, and antenna
information
Google Earth Export

MapInfo 11

MapInfo 11
Ability to leverage 4 GB
of RAM (vs. 2 GB of
RAM before)
Big scalability
enhancements

Open Street Map and

Bing Roads layers
Free of charge

New table browser look

& feel
Enhanced table sorting
9

MapInfo Table Browser

Bing Roads/Aerial/Hybrid & OSM

10

Bing Roads, Bing Aerial, Bing Hybrid and Open Street Map

Antennas

Antennas
Why a new antenna format?
New antenna format
.pafx = .paf extended

Impact in Site Editor

Antenna queries
Antenna server
Antenna synchronization
Antenna Optimization Constraints

12

Why a new antenna format?

More and more Mentum Planet customers asking
for the support of advanced antennas in Mentum
Planet
E.g. Multi-beam antennas, Quad-pole antennas, multisector configurations

Multiple requests to have an antenna format that

is a representation of physical antennas
E.g. modelling of antenna ports, e-controllers, etc.

Mentum hence decided to introduce a new

antenna format in Mentum Planet 5.4
Format: .pafx
13

Dual-Beam Antenna

Kathrein Dual Beam Antenna 80010606

14

Mentum Planet 5.4 Antenna Format

Prior to Mentum Planet 5.4
Antenna format: .paf (version 1.0)

Mentum Planet 5.4

Antenna format: .pafx

A given .pafx antenna file is a compressed

version of a .paf version 2.0 file.

15

Mentum Planet 5.4 Antennas

Ability to define
antenna ports
Support for dual, cross,
quad-pole antennas
Multi-band antennas
Support for electrical
controllers
Support for Remote
Control Unit
Support for 3-way
antennas
16

Mentum Planet 5.4 Antenna Editor

3D Antenna Viewer

3D Antenna Viewer
17

Site Editor
Ability to select
downlink and uplink
ports in site editor
Antenna algorithms
(e.g. diversity, spatial
multiplexing) based on
selected downlink and
uplink ports

18

Mentum Planet 5.4 Site Editor

Antenna Queries & Antenna Server

Antenna Queries and
antenna server adapted
to work with new
antenna format
Ability to filter antennas
based on
Frequency bands
Number of ports
Beamwidth
Polarization
Boresight Gain
Etc.
19

Antenna Server Filters

Valorisation of Antenna Server

The Antenna Server is a
very powerful feature
More visibility in mP 5.4
Download option when
right-clicking on
Antennas node
Download option from
Data menu
Download Option from
Antennas Node

20

Antenna Synchronization
Three dual-beam
antennas to be used by
six sectors
Dual-beam antennas
physically linked to
each other
Important to consider
such synchronization in
Radio Planning and
Automatic Cell Planning
tool
21

Dual-Beam Antenna
6-Sector Configuration

Antenna Optimization Constraints

Ability to define azimuth constraints between pairs
of antenna systems

Site Editor Antenna Optimization Constraints

22

Update Antenna Assignments

If users update
antennas in a rather
radical way (e.g. port or
deletion), antenna
assignments become
invalid
Users are then
prompted to Update
antenna assignments
Update of Sites,
Surveys, and Subscriber
editor
23

Update Assignments
from Antennas Node

Antennas - Miscellaneous
Support for polarization in antenna definition files

24

Propagation

Berg Antenna Masking

Antenna masking used in Mentum Cell Planner
Addition of co-pol and cross-pol patterns for crosspolarized antennas
Gaussian Filtering
To attenuate unrealistic strong Nulls

Enhanced interpolation algorithm

26

Propagation Signatures
Operators typically tune propagation models
periodically based on CW measurements
Tuned propagation models are then to be used by
RF engineers for accurate predictions
The challenge is to assess which propagation model
is the most appropriate one
This is rather time-consuming process, and also
quite often leads to incorrect model assignments
Another challenge faced by operators is that
measurements are not available in all markets,
hence the will to reuse models tuned in one region
to another region of similar environment
27

What Are Propagation Signatures?

Propagation Signatures represent the environment
in which propagation models are valid
They can be created from sectors or from surveys
(where the transmitter configuration is the
information that is used, not the measurements)

Transmitter
Configuration

28

Clutter

Elevation

Clutter
Heights

Propagation
Signature

Use of Propagation Signatures

Propagation Signatures
can be used for faster
and more accurate
propagation model
assignments
Using sectors tuned in
the same market, or
tuned in another
market

Measurements
Market A

Tuned & Signed

Models
Market A

Model
Assignments
Markets A, B, etc.

29

Propagation Signatures Delivery

Delivery of Planet extensions for Planet 5.4
One extension to create Propagation Signatures
One extension to compare Propagation Signatures and
to perform fast and optimal model assignments

Integration in Mentum Planet 5.5.

Mentums strategy
Creation of Propagation Signatures (paid services) to be
done by Mentum only, and potentially selected
companies
Mentum Planet users can use for free Signed
propagation models to assign propagation models

30

Point to Point Profile Tool

P2P tool to support
3D buildings data
Clutter Height grids

Point-to-Point Profile Tool

31

Calculation & Output Resolution

Planet General Model
Ability to define
calculation resolution
Ability to define output
resolution

Predict 4
Ability to define output
resolution
Planet General Model Editor

32

Radio Access
Technologies

Prediction Cache
Replacement of Prediction View by Prediction
Cache for every tool in Mentum Planet
Faster creation of the Cache
Cache limited to analysis area
Partial update supported

Faster creation of analyses layers and Monte Carlo

simulations
Smaller disk space required because tiles are
compressed
Generation of the Cache integrated with processes
Support for multi-resolution, split sectors, etc.
34

HSPA Rel. 9 and Rel. 10

Support for MultiCarrier data rate (DualCarrier data rate only
HSPA Rel. 8)
Number of carriers that
can be aggregated
depends on UE Terminal
Categories

Support for Dual-Carrier

HSUPA
Supported by some UE
Terminal Categories
only
35

Site Editor - HSPA parameters

LTE TDD de-synchronization

Base station to base
station interference
matrix for sectors
beyond a certain
distance (e.g. 21.4 km)
Minimum distance
controlled by special
subframe configuration

LTE TDD Special Subframe Configurations

Distant base station seen as an interferer

36

36

LTE TDD de-synchronization

TDD de-synchronization IMs in Mentum Planet
Based on Point to Point predictions
Computation of Percentage of Uplink frame interfered
Computation of Received Power

Ability to apply interference levels to sectors

Accounting for sector-carrier loads

Network analyses & Monte Carlo simulations to

leverage TDD interference
Defined on a per sector-carrier basis
Added noise at the BTS level

37

LTE Antenna Algorithms

Ability to define
different diversity and
multiplexing gains:
For the Downlink and
the Uplink
For different channel
models (e.g. Pedestrian
3 km/h)

Leveraged in Network
Analyses and Monte
Carlo simulations
LTE Antenna Algorithms

38

Preamble Radio Access CHannel

PRACH Channel used for initial network access or
when in handover
PRACH also use to achieve uplink synchronization
PRACH cannot carry data => strict overhead

LTE Channels
39

PRACH Overhead
PRACH channel multiplexed in time and frequency
with PUCCH and PUSCH
Users can define
Preamble format, which defines the size of a PRACH
resource in time domain
Number of resources per frame in the time domain

Preamble format
40

PRACH Root Sequence Planning

Each LTE cell needs 64
Preambles
Preambles are
generated from ZadoffChu sequences
Each sequence can
generate X Preambles, X
being defined by the
cells Cyclic Shift (Ncs)

Not Supported in mP
5.4

41

Dimensioning of Ncs
Automated planning of
Zadoff-Chu sequences

LTE Sector Configuration

PRACH Root Sequence Display

Ability to view the
reuse of PRACH root
sequences
Along with neighbour
relationships
Optionally displayed on
sectors serving area

PRACH Root Sequence Display Tool

42

Heterogeneous Networks
Different transmission
powers for macro and
pico cells.
Impact on cell selection
The cell that serves a
given UE is not always
the cell that offers the
strongest RSRP

New option in Mentum

Planet 5.4 to consider
Uplink coverage
when selecting server
43

Cell Selection in a Heterogeneous Network

LTE Hard Handover Gain

Quick cell re-selection
when one sector
experiences down
fading, which results in
so-called Hard
Handover Gain
In link budget, Hard HO
gain modelled as
constant gain (in dB)
Advanced modelling in
Planet based on signal
correlation
44

LTE Analysis Hard Handover Gain

LTE Other Features (1)

Support for LTE sub-bands
Also available for WiMAX TDD
Allows users to define exact frequencies for carriers

Support for multi-band analyses and Monte Carlo

simulations
More important now that operators start having
multiple LTE carriers, and those carriers are quite often
in different bands

Mobile Speeds replaced by Channel Models

Alignment with 3GPP standard terminology

45

LTE Other Features (2)

Ability to account for fading when computing
multiplexing gains
PCID planning: ability to have assignments follow
the same order as azimuths
Carrier aggregation
Automatic computation of the optimal number of
RBs per user in LTE network analyses
The optimal number of Resource Blocks is the one that
leads to the highest data rate

46

LTE Other Features (2)

Support for carrier preferences
To enable sequential or balanced loading strategies

PBCH CINR layer

Fixed subscriber analyses ability to force server
assignments (as opposed to always assuming that
the most appropriate cell is the server)
Available for WiMAX TDD as well

47

Technology - Miscellaneous
Ability to define larger carrier bandwidth for
TDMA/FDMA technology
Uplink Eb/No layer for WCDMA and Cdma2000
Support for iDEN
Full port of Mentum Planet 4.5 functionalities

Support for Erlang C table in Traffic Analysis and

Dimensioning Tool
Generation of up to 40th server for WiMAX

48

Data Management

Custom Reports
Ability to quickly create
custom reports
Multiple report types
Possibility to generate
reports for multiple
templates at once
Output formats
MapInfo table
Report Preview dialog
Excel
Csv
50

Report Template Wizard

Tabular Editor Advanced Filtering

Advanced Filtering
option available in
Tabular Editor
Similar functionalities
as Excel
Example
Antenna heights
between 20 and 30
meters above ground
Tabular Editor Advanced Filtering

51

Data Management Miscellaneous

Ability to have multiple Base Stations of the same
technology on the same site
Ability to have Mentum Planet 5.4 co-installed with
previous Mentum Planet 5.X versions
Ability to import AOD files for WCDMA/HSPA
Sector Display Schemes to support repeaters
Ability to import surveys defined as .xlsx files
Integration of TEMS Route Reader 7.0
Integration with Ellipse 8.1

52

Data Management Miscellaneous

Migration of mCP GSM projects
Migration of mCP 10.1 projects
New About dialog for Mentum Planet and Planet
migrator
Ability to edit link configuration within site editor
without closing site editor
Integration of L-Band restrictions tool
Easier way to move sites on the map

53

Orange Labs

Universal Model
Multi-processed predictions (as opposed to multithreaded within a single process in Mentum Planet
5.3)
Ability to generate larger predictions
Faster predictions

Enhanced modelling with Forest polygon

Enhanced Horizontal propagation modelling option
available with raster Geodata
Support for units defined in imperial system

55

Forest Modelling
In Mentum Planet 5.3,
Forest and Building
polygons are treated in
a very similar manner
Diffraction is treated
the same way on
Buildings or Forest

The only differences are

56

Forest polygons are not

accounted for when
building street graph
No in-building
penetration applied for
Forest polygons

In Mentum Planet 5.4,

option to
Ignore Forest polygons
in diffraction
calculations
Account for a
penetration loss
proportional to the
length of the Forest
polygon

Renaissance
Re-introduction of evaluation module
Update o the TDMA API to allow Orange Labs to reintroduce the evaluation module

57

Questions & Answers

Mentum
Defining your wireless network