Creating Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul Wireless Networks For Train-to-Ground Applications

Creating Ultra-Reliable Wireless
Backhaul Wireless Networks for

Train-to-Ground Applications
Part 4
System Design Process For Train-to-ground
1 HLD System Design Process
2 Network Layout
3 Configuration and Provisioning
4 Rollout
5 Troubleshooting
6 Preventative Maintenance
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Best Practices For Rollout
(Antenna RF Design | Typical Wayside Installation)
• Radio and pole interval spacing varies from 500 to 3,000 meters,
based on RF coverage and/or redundancy.
• Install wayside antenna ~5ft. above the roof of the train.
• Gives good RF coverage up and down the track.
• Aligns antenna beam width for maximum gain between
wayside and vehicle.
• Align wayside antenna with the track center line, and with a slight
downward tilt as needed.
• Install wayside antennas ~3ft away from all other radio antennas
on the vertical asset or pole.
• Once permanently installed, perform RF sweeps by running the
train on the track, and capturing performance data using
Fluidstats.
• Re-align the wayside antennas as needed.
• Adjust the radio Tx power as needed to increase or reduce
radio coverage for the track section.
• Co-axial cables between antennas, splitters, and radios must always be made as
short as practically possible. The shorter the cable length, the less the RF power loss.
• Weather-proof all co-axial connections at radio, splitter and antenna ports.
Option 1 (1 radio + 1 antenna):
• Each radio has a dedicated MIMO antenna
• One antenna points Uptrack, another points Downtrack
• Radio hand-off occurs as train passes pole (since we have 2 radios
per pole)
• Increases coverage on track vs. Option 2
Option 2 (1 radio + 2 splitters + 2 antennas):

• The radio output power is split to 2 MIMO antennas
• One antenna points Uptrack, and another points Downtrack
• Hand-off does not occur as train passes pole (since we have 1 radio
on the pole)
• Decreased coverage on track vs. Option 1, since RF power is split
• The image below shows a typical track layout with wayside pole locations.
• Coverage example for non-vital CCTV, VoIP or PA/PIS.
• Lots of poles per track length (overlapping coverage).
• Not designed for full redundancy.
(Antenna RF Design | Yard Depot Offloading)
Qualifying questions to ask include:
• Determine depot coverage boundaries.
• Determine where the wired network connects to the core network.
• Design the wayside radio coverage to handle maximum vehicle density
and throughput.
• Define antennas installations on tall structures.
• Wayside antennas provide nearby and distant coverage to vehicles.
(Antenna RF Design | Inter-car Installation)
• Typical radio RF distance of 3 to 8ft. between cars
• Low-gain directional antennas with signal
attenuators.
• Attenuators help reduce the RF broadcast FM-PANEL-9
distance.
• Needed communication distance is less than
10ft (link budgets typically take hundreds of
feet of separation into account).
• Onboard radios are configured as inter-car bridge
units.
• Associate or dis-associate RF links, based on RSSI
thresholds.
• Configure the thresholds using CLI or RACER.
• Eliminates erroneous consist associations in
train yards and dense stations.
(Antenna RF Design | Pole Placement Within Wayside Right-of-way)
• On average, trackside radios are typically around 800 meters
(0.5 miles) apart.
• Wherever possible, a zig-zag deployment of trackside radios
provides better coverage.
• Poles should be installed within the right-of-way to avoid
vegetation and other obstacles interfering over the system’s
lifetime.
(Antenna RF Design | Deployment On Curves)
• Based on the curve radius, adjacent trackside
radios are spaced 250 to 400 meters (0.15 to
0.25 miles) apart.
• Deploy poles at the edges of the curve, and
align them to the tangents of the imaginary
circle formed by the curve.
• Curves require increased pole densities,
compared to straight track sections.
(Antenna RF design | deployment in tunnels)
• As an initial rule-of-thumb,
trackside antennas should be 0.5 Miles
deployed every 0.5 miles
(800 meters) along tunnels. 0.5 Miles
• The initial value can be 0.5 Miles

adjusted when a proper
physical site survey yields
empirical RF data.
Best practices for rollout
(Pole height and transmission distance in open line-of-sight)
• Assuming that RF signal integrity is acceptable, extending the wireless range is a function of antenna installation height.
• Antenna installation points must be a minimum of 1.5m above the level of the vehicle antennas to ensure optimal
trackside coverage. However, antenna installation points must not be higher than 15m above the level of the train
antennas, as this can create RF nulls between trackside and vehicle antennas. Optimum antenna heights can be
determined by site surveys.
• Sometimes, using higher poles can result in a more expensive design than if a higher number of regular-length poles
were used.
• For a Depot deployment, installing trackside radios on a high pole will yield greater range.
• This should be taken into consideration on the overall design.
60-100
ft
30-60 ft trackside
trackside antenna
30 ft antenna
< 30 ft trackside
trackside antenna
antenna
Up to 0,5 mile Up to 1 mile Up to 2 miles Up to 3 miles

Best Practices For Rollout (FM-SHIELD)
If a 3500 ENDO or 4500-series radio is installed in outdoor conditions, it is compulsory to install the radio inside an FM-
SHIELD. This gives additional protection from impact, salt and water.
FM-SHIELD is a proprietary Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul solution. It is designed to assure long-term
durability and reliability of radios that are installed in outdoor environments.
• Steel protective enclosure with Polycarbonate cover,

designed to protect against high-pressure water spray
and impacts from heavy, fast-moving objects.
• Proven in high-vibration industrial environments.
• N-Female antenna connectors for easy integration, and
minimal RF signal loss.
• Designed for installation within automation cabinets,
and on vehicle hand railings and antenna poles.
• Semi-transparent front panel with self-retaining screws
for easy inspection.
(Trackside Antenna Installation)
The stability of the antenna’s support structure needs to be analyzed, taking into account:
• The wind load on the antenna.
• The mass of the antenna.
• Shock loads due to bird impacts, vibration, and other causes.
Do not subject co-axial antenna cables to a smaller-than-specified bending radius. This shortens cable life, and
increases cable expenditure costs!
Best practices for rollout (RF cable stress relief)
• When cables are attached to equipment, or are single-beam, the cables must not be pinched or distorted. RF cables
must be grouped together and secured in a way that allows movement without subjecting any cable in the group to
tension.
• Implementing appropriate relief loops from the connection point can reduce wear in the cable’s conductive media and
remove potential stress points.
Best practices for rollout (On-board placement)
• There must always be clear Line-of-Sight between on-board AC
and trackside antennas.
• Train antennas are usually located on the first and last cars of
OK
the train.
• Do not install the antenna where Line-of-Sight can be broken
by objects like power supplies, air-conditioning devices or
horns.
• Guarantee good line-of-sight by elevating the antennas using Front Back
brackets, if needed.
AC AC
Front Back
Best practices for rollout (On-board placement)
• On-board radios and antennas must be close to each other as possible to
minimize RF losses in the antenna cables.
• All Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul radios installed in outdoor conditions
must be mounted inside FM-SHIELD installation platforms.
• Maximum RF cable lengths should not exceed 10m (30ft) using LMR 400 or
higher-rated cables, and should not exceed 3m (10ft) if using LMR 200 cables. All
antenna cables must be kept as short as practically possible.
• Use conduiting to protect all antenna cables.
Switch
CCU
(Vehicle Antenna Installation)
• Example of a FM-SHARK-DUAL-13 (left) and FM-SHARK-16 (right) antenna installation.
• For FM-SHARK-16, the antenna is installed at the edge of the vehicle, away from any roof
obstructions.
• For FM-SHARK-DUAL-13, the antennas is installed at the centerline of the vehicle roof,
also away from any obstructions.
• Weatherize and seal all connection and installation points to prevent water ingress.
If FM-SHARK antennas are installed, take note of the following points:
• If two antennas are installed on the same train, the two antennas must always be installed on the
longitudinal centerline of the train.
• The mounting positions must be easily accessible for installation and maintenance.
• The antennas must not be installed in any location or near any objects that may compromise their
line-of-sight.
• Each antenna must be installed on the train roof, as close as possible of the front of the driver’s
cabin. This must be done at both ends of the train.
• The antennas must not be covered with any object or substance.
• All antennas must be mounted to a rigid, flat stainless steel plate measuring at least 500mm x
500mm.
• High-durability silicone sealant (for example, Sikaflex 221) must be applied between the antenna
and its mounting.
• The antennas must be installed at least one meter from all other radio antennas.
• It must be possible to dismantle the antenna without removing the installed RF cables and
antenna supports.
The fixing surface between each antenna and its supporting plate must:
• Be mechanically stable enough to ensure optimal sealing of the antenna to the plate.
• Face in the correct longitudinal direction of travel.
• Be rigid enough that the plate under the antenna is not distorted when the securing fasteners are
tightened.
• Be free of paint, non-conductive surface treatments, dirt, corrosion, brake dust, oil, fat and anodizing
treatments (to maintain acceptable conductivity to Ground).
The supporting plate must have an appropriate-sized and shaped hole that can be accurately aligned with the
hole made in the car’s roof. This ensures easy connection of the correct QMA connectors to the antenna, and
that the antenna cables are not bent at more than their minimum design radius.
• No obstacles must be allowed to block the antenna’s line of sight to wayside antennas in any direction.
• Antennas must be located on the highest part of the roof of the train.
• The distance between the antenna and the radio unit should be as small as possible to minimize transmission
power loss through the co-axial cables.
• The minimum distance between antennas connected to Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul equipment and
other radiating elements (such as TETRA and DCS antennas) must be at least 0.6m.
• The minimum distance between antennas connected to Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul equipment and radiating
elements operating at between 2 and 5 GHz must be at least 1m.
To ensure long-term reliability, care must be taken to prevent corrosion between:

• The antenna base and its supporting plate.
• The supporting plate and the bodywork of the train.
• The fasteners securing the antenna to its supporting plate.
(FM4500 Mobi Power Requirements And Options)
FM4500 Mobi radios require nominal power of 10
Watts, with a maximum of 20 Watts at 48 Volts
Always use shielded power and
DC. This can be supplied by: Ethernet cables!
• A standard IEEE 802.3at switch, through the

LAN1/PoE port.
• Active or passive 48Vdc PoE (this configuration

supports IEEE 802.3.at PoE), through the
LAN1/PoE port.
• A 48Vdc power supply (not included), through

the DC-IN port.
For reliable connectivity and proper grounding of DC-IN (5 Reset button

pin)
the radio, shielded M12 cables and connectors Gigabit LAN2
(8 pin)
Gigabit LAN1/PoE
(8 pin)
must always be used.

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3 Configuration and Provisioning

Option 2 (1 radio + 2 splitters + 2 antennas):

• The initial value can be 0.5 Miles

Up to 0,5 mile Up to 1 mile Up to 2 miles Up to 3 miles

• Steel protective enclosure with Polycarbonate cover,

To ensure long-term reliability, care must be taken to prevent corrosion between:

• A standard IEEE 802.3at switch, through the

• Active or passive 48Vdc PoE (this configuration

• A 48Vdc power supply (not included), through

For reliable connectivity and proper grounding of DC-IN (5 Reset button

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