proceedings of the 10th Microwave Colloquium, MICROCOLL’99, pp.231-234.

1 /4
21-24 March 1999, Budapest, Hungary

SPECTRAL STABILITY OF RADIO TRANSMITTERS

IN POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT ACCESS SYSTEMS
A.Hilt, L.Forgó, S.Tatár, I.Tóth
TKI Rt, Innovation Company for Telecommunications, H-1142 Ungvár utca 64-66, Budapest, Hungary
hilt@ tki.hu, forgo@tki.hu, tatar@ tki.hu, toth@ tki.hu,

INTRODUCTION called as fixed wireless access (FWA), radio

local loop (RLL) or wireless local loop
Stability of microwave (MW) transmitters is
(WLL) networks. They employ TDMA,
discussed in the paper. Similarly to existing
frequency or code division multiplex access
definitions of frequency and output power
(FDMA or CDMA) techniques. A general
stability [1], we introduce spectral stability.
schematic of these systems is shown in Fig.1.
To characterize spectral stability of radio
transmitters a simple but efficient technique TDM / TDMA

is shown. Presented results confirm that TS1

n*64
kbit/s
spectral stability gives an evident measure of
TS2
MW transmitter stability under real operation CRS

conditions. Spectral stability can be measured n*2

Mbit/s
even in the cases when frequency or output TSn

power stability can not be measured, it is

difficult to measure or it does not represent
well real operation conditions. A good
example is shown in time domain multiple
access (TDMA) point-to-multipoint (PMP)
systems, where burst mode operation of
terminal station (TS) transmitters is often
combined with QAM modulation and
automatic transmitter power control (ATPC).
POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT ACCESS SYSTEMS
Traditionally PMP systems connected sub-
scribers of rarely populated rural areas to the
public switched telecommunication network
(PSTN). In Europe nowadays, thanks to a
nearly complete GSM coverage, PMP
systems have less importance in rural areas.
On the contrary, PMP access finds promising
applications in densely populated urban
areas. New demands are arising for private
and secure networks, for office and business
communications, for internet access and
increased capacity data services. In some
applications, such as telemedicine or multi-
media, subscribers may require wider band-
width (BW) than that of supported by copper-
pair telephone lines. In PMP systems data
rates even up to 2 Mbit/s can be allocated to
subscribers. Compared to direct fiber-optical
or coaxial cable access, PMP systems offer
easier installation and flexible
reconfiguration possibility. PMP systems are
PSTN
RS
Figure 1. Point-to-multipoint access system
In the above configuration the central radio
station (CRS) communicates with terminal
stations either directly or through repeater
station(s) (RS). The CRS has sectorial or
omnidirectional antenna while TSs are
equipped with directional emitters.
Frequency ranges of actual FWA systems are
in the lower MW bands of 1.5, 2.4 and 3.5
GHz. Nevertheless, research work and system
trials are also carried out in millimeter-wave
(MMW) bands as well as in the near MMW
range of 26-29 GHz [2]. At the instant of
preparing our paper, the 1.5 GHz band has
been already opened for FWA services in
Hungary and new frequency bands will be
soon allocated at 3.4-3.8 GHz [3]. Efficient
reuse of available frequencies requires stable
radio transmitters. In addition, spectrally
efficient modulation modes are preferred to
increase system capacity both in point-to-
point (PP) and in PMP radio relay networks.
FREQUENCY AND OUTPUT POWER STABILITY
Conventional stability tests of MW radios are
based on frequency and output power
measurements of the transmitter under test.
European coordination as well as national
communication authorities require strict
 . 2 /4

radio-relay parameters. Output power and Output power is measured at the antenna
frequency values should fall within connection point of the RF unit. In this sense
standardized tolerance limits even at extreme branching filter and cabling losses are also
environmental and power supply conditions. included. Deviation around the nominal value
European telecommunication standards limit is usually given in dB units as :
the maximum deviation of output power and ∆P [dB] = Pmeasured [dBm] − Pnom [dBm] .
transmitter frequency [4-10]. Power stability is defined as the maximum
Frequency deviation is defined as : deviation around the nominal output power
∆f = f measured − f nom , including effects of extreme environmental,
where fnom denotes the center frequency of the power supply conditions and transients.
radio channel allocated for communication. Typically, output power stability should be
Maximum tolerated frequency deviation is better than ±3 dB [4-10]. Exact tolerance
usually given in kHz or in units of ppm values are indicated in Tab.1. Fig.3 plots
relative to the nominal frequency, ∆f/fnom measured output power stability curve of the
(1 part per million = 10-6). Frequency same unmodulated CRS transmitter.
stability is given as the upper and lower output power
Power Stability of Unmodulated CRS Temperature
at +23ºC → -30ºC → +23ºC
values of ∆f including frequency excursion [dBm] [ºC]

due to environmental effects, such as air temperature 25

temperature and humidity dependence. Tab.1 upper limit : +1 dB

15
shows tolerance values for PMP and PP
5
systems standardized by ETSI [4, 5, 8, 9, 10].
freq.band [GHz] ∆f [kHz or ppm] ∆P [dB] output power -5
of the CRS
1.5 ± 15 ppm ±1 temperature around
ODU container -15
3.4 - 3.8, ± 4 kHz or ± 60 kHz ±1
lower limit : -1 dB
10.5 ± 22 kHz -25
13, 15 and 18 ± 10 ppm ±2
-35
23 ± 20 ppm ± 3, ± 2 0 3 6 9 12 15
time [hours]
38 ± 50 ppm ± 3, ± 2
Table 1. Required frequency and power stability Figure 3. Typical output power stability curve
measured during a cold climatic test
As an example, Fig.2 presents measured
frequency stability of a CRS operating at We notice that the above stability definitions
1.5 GHz. In Fig.2 dashed lines indicate the pose some measurement problems. First, if
tolerance limits. During the measurements the carrier is modulated the frequency test is
the outdoor unit (ODU) was operated inside a influenced by significant measurement error.
climatic chamber. Temperature around the Obviously, measurement errors should be
radio container as well as air temperature kept below an acceptable level during the
were recorded. Modulation was switched off. transmitter tests. In case of QAM signals
frequency
Frequency Stability of Unmodulated CRS Temperature
MW frequency counters can not integrate out
at +23ºC → +55 ºC → +23ºC
[kHz] [ºC] fast phase changes due to the modulation.
55
Therefore the modulation should be switched
upper limit : f nom +4 kHz 50
off to avoid a frequency reading error greater
air temperature 45 than the required stability. Terminal stations
frequency of CRS temperature around
ODU container
40 often combine QAM modulation with TDMA
35 resulting in burst operation mode. In this case
30 exact frequency stability test should be
25 performed with gated counters increasing the
lower limit : f nom- 4 kHz
20 complexity of the measuring setup.
15 OCCUPIED POWER BANDWIDTH
0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21
time [hours] The BW occupied by a MW signal is defined
Figure 2. Typical frequency stability curve as the frequency band of spectral components
measured during a hot climatic test representing significant power. Power level
 . 3 /4
of important spectral components that should
be taken into account, is usually given in %
compared to the total emitted power. A
commonly used occupied power bandwidth
(OPBW) definition encounters 99% of the
signal power. It is determined by numerical
integration from measured power spectral
density emitted by the transmitter.
Figure 4. Measured 99 % occupied power bandwidth
of a 26 GHz FSK transmitter
State-of-the art spectrum analyzers are able to
display OPBW values by a simple “press of a
button”. As an example, Fig.4 presents a PP
26 GHz 2FSK modulated carrier. As it is seen
in the plot, measured 99 % OPBW is
7.82 MHz between the two markers. The aim
is to verify that 99% of the emitted energy is
within the allocated channel. Whenever this
condition is fulfilled, only a negligible part of
the total emitted power (1% or less) is spread
into adjacent channels.
Figure 5. Occupied power bandwidth compared to
16x2 Mbit/s ETSI mask
By this test undesired emissions that disturb
other users of adjacent channels are
controlled. A similar test possibility employs
spectrum masks. As an example, in Fig.5 a
PP 23 GHz 4QAM transmitter is compared to
its corresponding spectrum mask.
SPECTRAL STABILITY OF MW TRANSMITTERS
Neither frequency stability test of the
unmodulated transmitter (Fig.2), nor OPBW
measured at a given instant (Fig.5) does not
characterize the total band occupation of a
MW radio. Even if a constant modulation
BW is supposed, measured spectra of Fig.4 or
Fig.5 can be significantly shifted by
frequency excursion of the oscillator
circuit(s) of the transmitter. The exact value
of the modulation BW slightly depends on
probability statistics of the digital modulation
signal and varies with increased or decreased
traffic load conditions, therefore can not be
treated as a constant. Finally, the modulation
slope itself has also temperature dependence.
Therefore frequency band occupation of a
MW transmitter is defined as an aggregate
measure of oscillator frequency stability and
OPBW at arbitrary system load. Temperature
and power supply dependence of the spectral
characteristics should be also included. A
simple test method is shown for the spectral
stability characterization of digital MW
transmitters. Typical measurement setup is
shown in Fig.6. and in the photograph of
Fig.7. The spectrum analyzer is computer
controlled and measured traces are stored into
files. During a complete climatic cycle,
several spectrum plots are stored periodically.
directional couplers
MW
MW
Transmitter A1 A2
Receiver
( under test )
fTX, variable attenuators
climatic PTX A1+A2 ≈ 0...100 dB
room
n*64
Frequency HP-IB Computer kbit/s
Spectrum out
Counter, Analyzer with
Power Meter HP-IB card
n*64
kbit/s
in RX
Digital
Transmission
TX Analyzer
Figure 6. Typical measurement setup of transmitter
stability tests
The radio is said to be spectrally stable if its
99% OPBW remains always within the
allocated channel at all kind of permitted
power supply, system load and environmental
conditions. To evaluate the measured results
stored traces are plotted onto a single figure
as shown in Fig.8. These superimposed traces
were measured during a complete climatic
cycle of +23°C → +55°C → +23°C.

Figure 7. Photograph of a typical computer controlled
measurement and data acquisition setup
Main advantage of this solution that real
operation condition is measured. Frequency
stability can be treated as an internal
parameter of the radio equipment. Similar test
can be performed in a wider frequency band,
e.g. in the BW of the transmit filter.
Power [dBm]
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
-80
-90
-100 out of band, in band,
lower adjacent channel occupied channel upper adjacent channel
-110
fTX
Figure 8. Measured power spectra
of a burst mode MW transmitter (TS)
CONCLUSIONS
Stability of MW transmitters have essential
importance to ensure efficient use and reuse
of available frequencies. Examples have been
shown for conventional frequency and power [8]“Draft EN 301 128 V1.1.1, Transmission and
stability measurements of a CRS. Frequency
and power stability as well as OPBW have
standardized limits. It was pointed out
however, that in several cases only spectral
stability measurements represent well real
operation conditions of MW transmitters.
QAM modulation, ATPC and burst operation
widely used in PMP systems restrict easy
frequency and output power tests. Efficient
method was shown for characterizing spectral
stability of digital MW radio transmitters
based on spectral measurements. OPBW is
easily measured by a computer controlled
. 4 /4
spectrum analyzer at any kind of permitted
operation conditions (temperature, power
supply, system load). Continuously measured
and stored RF spectra show spectral stability,
a true control of frequency band occupation.
REFERENCES :
[1] A.Hilt, J.Farkasvölgyi, J.Györösi, I.Csonka :
“Digital Microwave Radio Measurements in the
Frequency Bands of 23 and 26 GHz”, Journal on
Communications, Vol. XLIV, pp. 37-39, (in
Hungarian), Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 1993.
[2] A.Hilt, A.Vilcot, T.Berceli, T.Marozsák, B.Cabon :
“New Carrier Generation Approach for Fiber-Radio
Systems to Overcome Chromatic Dispersion
Problems”, Digest of the IEEE MTT-S, pp. 1525-
1528, Baltimore, USA, June 1998.
[3] “National Frequency Sharing and Allocation
Table, (in Hungarian : Frekvenciasávok Nemzeti
Felosztási Táblázata), Magyar Közlöny, 101. szám,
II. kötet, Budapest, Hungary, 19th November 1997.
[4-10] Standards of the European Telecommunications
Institute, ETSI, Sophia Antipolis, France :
3.5 MHz [4]“ETS 300 636, Transmission and Multiplexing
raster (TM); Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
point-to-multipoint digital radio systems in the
99% occupied frequency range 1 to 3 GHz”, October 1996.
power BW
[5]“EN 301 021, Transmission and Multiplexing
(TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems (DRRS); Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA); Point-to-
multipoint DRRS in Frequency Division Duplex
(FDD) bands in the range 3 GHz to 11 GHz”, July
out of band, 1998.
[6]“EN 301 126-1 V1.1.1, Transmission and
frequency [GHz] Multiplexing (TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems
(DRRS); Conformance Testing for DRRS; Part 1:
Point-to-point equipment parameters”, December
1997.
[7]“DEN/TM 04026-2 V1.1.8, Transmission and
Multiplexing (TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems
(DRRS); Conformance Testing for Radio Relay
Systems; Part 2: Additional parameters for P-MP
Equipment”, April 1998.
Multiplexing (TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems
(DRRS); Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH);
Low and medium capacity DRRS operating in the 13
GHz, 15 GHz and 18 GHz frequency bands”,
December 1997.
[9]“EN 300 198 V1.2.1, Transmission and
Multiplexing (TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems
(DRRS); Parameters for DRRS for the transmission
of digital signals and analogue video signals
operating at 23 GHz”, February 1998.
[10] “EN 300 197 V1.2.1, Transmission and
Multiplexing (TM); Digital Radio Relay Systems
(DRRS); Parameters for DRRS for the transmission
of digital signals and analogue video signals
operating at 38 GHz”, February 1998.