International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)

e-ISSN 2455–1392 Volume 5 Issue 1, January 2019 pp. 10 – 20

Scientific Journal Impact Factor : 4.23
http://www.ijcter.com

Microwave Line of Sight Transmission

1Musaab Ali Abdelrahim, 2Mohammed Habeeb Ahmed
3Mubarak Dirar Abd Allah & 4Sawsan Ahmed Elhouri Ahmed
1
Sudan University of Science &Technology-College of Science-Department of Physics- Khartoum-Sudan
2
Islamic University- Khartoum-Sudan
3
Sudan University of Science &Technology-College of Science-Department of Physics & International
University of Africa- College of Science-Department of Physics- Khartoum-Sudan
4
University of Bahri- College of Applied & Industrial Sciences Department of Physics-Khartoum- Sudan

Abstract—Microwave line of sight transmission is one of several transmission media in modern

commutation. Microwave information transmission faces the problem of the effect of environment,
and this requires determination of operation condition and design for optimum operation this topic is
approached from two stand points: the microwave planning and project implementation. Since as a
microwave link is a circuit between terminals separated through a great distance, it can be considered
as a type of transmission line; but unlike copper or fiber optic cables, terrestrial microwave signals
are propagated through the lower atmosphere. Thus they are sensitive to terrain, atmospheric, and
climatic conditions adverse to error-free reception. An important part of microwave network is to
account for these conditions and provide technical corrections. For optimal operation this paper
describes the operation adjustment required and the suitable design needed so as to minimize and get
rid of environmental conditions that lead to optimum performance.

Keyword—Microwave, LOS, RSL, FSL, QoS, antenna Gain, Path loss

I. INTRODUCTION
Author study in this paper a link in a communication system one needs to focus on important points
to create efficient new link, this link can be defined as connecting two points separated at distance,
where one point may act as transmitter and another point act as a receiver. Implementation of data
link is an integral part of communication engineering design and performance of data links that
significantly affect the overall communication system performance [1, 2, 3, and 4].
Telecommunications transmission facilities are the physical means of communicating large amounts
of information over distance. Without exception, communication signals (speech, images, video, or
computer data) are electromagnetic waves traveling along transmission lines such as those in
Figure. 1. For a given route, the type of transmission line selected depends on the topography, the
amount of information to carry, and the cost. Even though fiber optic cable carries more information
with higher reliability than does any other transmission medium, for a long distance over remote or
rugged terrain, a microwave relay system is sometimes the better economic alternative Coaxial
Cable.

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 10

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Figure: 1 Types of communication transmission lines

The presence of the various forms of precipitation such as rain, snow, cloud and fog in a radio wave
or microwave path are always capable of producing major impairments to terrestrial
communications. The hydrometeors can introduce significant attenuation, together with a degree of
depolarization, through their ability to absorb and scatter radio waves. Today wireless technology is
used in many applications well integrated into our Everyday life. Planning a good, stable and reliable
microwave network can be quite challenging. Careful planning and detailed analysis is required for a
Microwave radio system before the equipment can be installed, a poorly designed Path can result in
periodic system outages, resulting in increased system latency, Decreased throughput, or worst case,
a complete failure of the system. Tom Garlington [5] reported that the Microwave line-of-sight
(LOS) propagation is based on the principles of electrodynamics. The two idealizations of free space
loss in a uniform medium and the reflection loss from a plane earth are the starting points for
propagation analysis. In practice, fading caused by actual terrain, atmospheric and climatic
conditions forces the microwave engineer to take a statistical approach to predicting the power loss
and distortion of a received signal over time. Despite the complications of radio propagation, a
microwave communication system is in some cases more economical and flexible than a cable
transmission system.
Huawei [6, 7] reported that the Microwave communication is realized based on line-of-sight
propagation in the Atmosphere. Therefore, the microwave propagation principle includes the
following aspects, Absorption and fading of the electromagnetic wave propagation in the
Atmosphere caused by rain or fog, Huygens-Fresnel principle, Fresnel zone in electromagnetic wave
propagation, Interference and polarization of the electromagnetic wave, Reflection of the
electromagnetic wave on the ground with different properties and Diffraction of the electromagnetic
wave on smooth sphere.to determine conditions for optimal operation.

II. MATERIAL AND METHODS

Author study anew microwave links will be installed in different length and different location, in
Khartoum, and author used Planning tools like path loss or ellipse design, and this tool require input
data like location (Latitude/Longitude), tower height, antenna diameter, frequency used, radio
information and capacity, to design a new network, traffic engineers must obtain numbers of users,
their geographic distribution, and their calling behavior, either through direct surveys or reliable
statistical data. This information is necessary to provision or size and configure, the switch,

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 11

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

multiplexer, and transmission equipment for a specified performance level, or grade of service,
without an accurate estimate of the traffic of a service area, it would be difficult to design a
transmission system that maintains a required grade of service economically. In other words, lacking
sufficient information, the tendency is to build a larger system than is necessary.

III. DATA COLLECTION

The propagation variations of each path are determined by its terrain, obstructions, and atmospheric
conditions, one purpose of a microwave field survey is to collect accurate data on locations and
elevations of critical terrain points along a path, heights of obstructions, and meteorological data in
the vicinity of a path, accuracy is essential in order to meet the performance objectives of a
microwave transmission system, uncertainty in locations and elevations forces the engineer to be
conservative about the clearance required for the line-of-sight between antennas, consequently, he
may specify higher towers and large Antennas than are necessary, which increases the total system
cost, furthermore if the antennas are too high, link performance is more likely to be degraded due to
greater exposure to interference and ground reflections, although preliminary path profiles permit a
comparison of alternative paths, terrain elevation databases and topographic maps are less accurate in
many cases than is required for the final path design, therefore, it is important to verify or make
necessary corrections during a field survey

IV. LINK BUDGET FORMULA

Shaping and calculating all the power gain and loss in a transmission system is known as link budget.
It identifies the total of power form transmitter that is required to broadcast a signal with a definite
Signal to Noise Ratio - SNR and Satisfactory Bit Error Rate - BER. Path loss, distortion, failure by
rain, connectors ’Losses, cable losses and antenna gain are the aspects which are obligatory to be
taken into the consideration though estimation of link budget.
Once the heights of the transmitting and receiving towers have been established the designer is in a
position to select the appropriate antenna, or waveguide, transmitter power and receiver sensitivity to
operate the proposed system, the next step is then to calculate the link budget to verify that the
design will operate satisfactorily, there is a need to check, on both of the link transmitting
frequencies, that sufficient signal arrives at the chosen receiver, this is done by
Consulting the appropriate data sheets for the chosen items of equipment to determine their
appropriate gains and losses

Sample of Link Budget Calculation

Let’s estimate the feasibility of a 5 km link, with one access point and one client radio, the access
point is connected to an antenna with 10 dBi gain, with a transmitting power of 20 dBm and a
receive sensitivity of -89 dBm, the client is connected to an antenna with 14 dBi gain, with a
transmitting power of 15 dBm and a receive sensitivity of -82 dBm, the cables in both systems are
short, with a loss of 2dB at each side at the 2.4 GHz frequency of operation.

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 12

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Figure.2 Link budget: access point to Client link

TX = Transmitted power, RX = received power
FSL= free space loss, antenna = antenna Gain

Total Gain = TX Power AP+ Antenna Gain AP - Cable Losses AP + Antenna Gain Client - Cable
Losses Client (1)
Total Gain = 20 + 10 -2 +14 -2 =40 dB
FSL =92.45 + 20*log (D) + 20*log (f) (2)
114 = 92.45 + 13.97 +7.60

So, expected received signal level @ 5Km is -73 and sensitivity of Client is -82
So the fade margin is 8dBThe starting point of any link budget is the equipment parameters of the
intended microwave equipment to be used and these are; RF output power usually expressed in dBm
or watts, receiver sensitivity usually expressed as a Bit Error Rate (BER)against a given RF signal
level.

Received Signal Level of Microwave (RSL)

Microwave communication is realized based on the line-of-sight propagation of the Space wave.
Therefore, the strength and stability of the received signal level of Microwave depend on the
following factors: height of antennas, distance between stations, degree of blocking, and locations of
other microwave system antennas that have the same or similar frequencies, operating frequencies or
harmonic frequencies, microwave transmitted frequencies nine of sight. You can calculate the
Received Signal Level of Microwave (RSL) by using the following formula:

RSL = Po – Lctx + Gatx – Lcrx + Gatx – FSL (3)

Link feasibility formula

RSL  Rx (receiver sensitivity threshold)
Where:

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 13

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Po = output power of the transmitter (dBm)

Lctx, Lcrx= Loss (cable, connectors, branching unit) between transmitter/receiver and antenna (dB)
Gatx = gain of transmitter/receiver antenna (dBi)
FSL = free space loss (dB)

So any Microwave communication is realized based on line-of-sight propagation in the atmosphere

Gain of Parabolic Antennas

You can calculate the gain of parabolic antennas by using the following formula:

G = 20lgD + 20lgF + 17.8 (4)

Where:

D: diameter of the parabolic antenna (unit: m)

F: operating frequency (unit: GHz)
G: antenna gain (unit: dB)

Generally, passive relay stations use large-diameter parabolic antennas. If the Diameter of the
parabolic antenna is increased to a large extent, the cost of the Passive relay station grows high and
the installation and erection become difficult. In Addition, the half-power angle of the beams from
the parabolic antenna must be small, which makes the antenna installation complicated and the
antenna adjustment Difficult, because the half-power angle of the beams from the parabolic antenna
is Reverse to the diameter of the parabolic antenna. Therefore, the parabolic antennas that have too
large diameters are not applicable to common passive microwave relay Stations on the ground.

Free Space Loss

FSL is a fundamental factor for numerous radio frequency calculations and it is used in various
locations for predicting power of radio signals which probably anticipated in a radio frequency
system. FSL is basically the sort of failure in signal Strengths which happens when an
electromagnetic wave communicate over a line of Sight path in free space. In this condition there is
no obstacle that may ground the Signal to be refracted of reflected, or that may source of extra
attenuation. The signal In FSL decreases in a manner which is inversely proportional to square of
distance among the signal source. You can calculate the free space loss on the path by using the
following formula:

FSL = 92.45 + 20lgD + 20lgF (5)

Where:

FSL: free space loss (unit: dB)

F: operating frequency (unit: MHz)
D: distance in km

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 14

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Figure. 3. Free space loss diagram

The total free space loss on the communication line that has a passive relay station is the sum of the
free space loss between the passive relay station and the two stations, that is, L = L2 + L4. This
indicates that the total free space loss on the line that has a passive relay station depends on the
relative location of the passive relay station away from the two stations. Therefore, to improve the
efficiency of the passive relay stations, shorten the distance between the passive relay station and
either of the two stations. When the passive relay station is closer to one of the two stations, L2 or
L4 is smaller. The worst situation is that the passive relay station is located right at the middle of the
two stations, because in this case, the total free space loss is the largest. To help further learn the
issues and understand the problems in projects, the following describe only a few microwave
propagation principles that are related to daily work.

Passiverelaystationwithtwoparabolicreflectors
L3L4
G2G3L
5
G4
L2P
R

L1
G1

PT

Figure. 4. Passive repeater with two parabolic reflectors

PT: output power of the transmitter (transmit power)

PR: input power of the receiver (receive power)
L1: loss on the feeder between the transmitter and the antenna
L2,4: free space loss between the passive relay station and the two communication points
L3: loss on the feeder between antennas of the passive relay station
L5: loss on the feeder between the receive antenna and the receiver
G1, G2, G3, G4: gains of the four microwave antennas

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 15

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Calculation of the Received Power PR

PR = PT - L0
L0 = L1 + L2 + L3 + L4 + L5 - G1 - G2 - G3 - G4 (6)

Where:
PT: transmitted power
L0: net loss on the path, that is, the net loss between the transmitter and the receiver

According to the formula, to increase the received power, you need to increase the output power of
the transmitter and the gain of the four microwave antennas. In Addition, you need to reduce the
feeder loss of each part and the free space loss on the two sections.

How to Improve PR

After the type of the microwave equipment is determined, the output power of the microwave
transmitter and the sensitivity of the microwave receiver are fixed values after the relative locations
of the transmit antenna and transmitter, and the receive Antenna and receiver are determined, the
feeder loss L1 and L5 are fixed values. Therefore, to improve the received power, you can improve
the gain of the four parabolic antennas, reduce the free space loss on the two sections, and shorten
the Distance between the two parabolic antennas used at the passive relay station for reducing the
feeder loss L3.

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

At a high level steps, to plan or create new microwave link design can be broken into several
elements listed below. The process is somewhat iterative especially the nominal design phase and
may involve the evaluation of several different connectivity options.

Preliminary Design

This step involves setting design guidelines and getting preliminary site candidate information to
start. Maximum antenna heights for each site should be noted, as this will be a controlling factor for
connectivity. The next task is to lay out the network routing and determine the capacity requirements
for the link. Once an initial routing is determined, the designer must select the most suitable
frequency band based on path length and the design guidelines. Then—using a link design tool in
conjunction with high-resolution terrain, morphology and possibly even building data the Designer
can confirm clear LOS along the path.

Path Survey

Once the link has been modeled in software, it’s time to perform a physical verification of the
proposed link path. This means visiting the site and confirming the link’s endpoint coordinates,
ground elevation and site parameters such as accessibility and the availability of electrical power. At
this stage, the site is photographed in detail to identify potential antenna space and to document the
candidate structure. The designer creates an initial path profile and then verifies critical points along
the proposed link path to confirm the dimensions of any obstacles so the antennas proposed height is
confirmed to offer clear LOS.

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 16

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

Final Design

Using data from both the nominal design and the path survey, all parameters are applied to the
engineering that will bring the design to life. It is at this point that decisions regarding radio
equipment, antenna size, mounting height, transmission lines and so forth are finalized. With these
factors now included, the link design is checked again for reliability, clearance and capacity

Frequency Planning and Licensing

While the path design identifies the correct spectrum band to use for the link, frequency planning and
licensing involve selecting the specific frequencies within that band as well as antenna polarizations
and complete all regulatory licensing as needed. This involves a detailed interference analysis that
proves the link will not interfere with existing Microwave paths. In the case of using unlicensed
bands—or area-wide licensed bands an intra-system interference analysis helps mitigate any
interference from other links within one’s own system.

140 18 GHZ FREQUENCY

135 136.65
134.05
130
Free Space Loss

131.45
125 128.85
126.25
120 123.65
121.05
115 118.45

110

105
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Distance per Km

Figure 5: Free Space Loss and Distance per Kmfor 18G frequency

7G frequency
160
140
147.05
140.55
Free Space Loss

120 128.85 134.05

121.05 124.9
100
80
60
40
20
0
15 18 21 25 30 35
Distance per KM

Figure 6: Free Space Loss and Distance per KM for 7G frequency

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 17

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

60

48
50 44.48
41.99
38.5
40
Antenna Gain

32.45
30

20

10

0
0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.8
Antenna Dimeter

Figure 7.Antenna Gain Calculation in 18G

While five nines is the standard for most wireless operators, some applications demand even Greater
availability: six nines, or 99.9999 percent availability allowing for a mere 30 seconds of downtime
per year. These criteria are common for public safety or utility applications.

Figure 8.Path Profile Diagram

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 18

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

System parameters Transmitting Station Receiving

RVN-Eldamar-01-G-1904 Eldamar-04

Elevation (m) 353.85 353.00

Latitude 17 35 20.67 N 17 34 33.91 N
Longitude 033 57 36.95 E 033 57 16.28 E
True azimuth (°) 202.97 22.97
Vertical angle (°) -0.04 0.03

Antenna model A18S03HAC A18S03HAC

Antenna height (m) 20.00 20.00
Antenna gain (dBi) 32.80 32.80

Frequency (MHz) 18000.00

Polarization Vertical
Path length (km) 1.56
Free space loss (dB) 121.44
Atmospheric absorption loss (dB) 0.08
Net path loss (dB) 55.93 55.93

Radio model 18G_XMC2_128Q_14M_78M 18G_XMC2_128Q_14M_78M

TX power (watts) 0.09 0.09
TX power (dBm) 19.50 19.50
EIRP (dBm) 52.30 52.30
Emission designator 14M0D7W 14M0D7W
RX threshold criteria BER 10-6 BER 10-6
RX threshold level (dBm) -71.50 -71.50
Maximum receive signal (dBm) -20.00 -20.00

RX signal (dBm) -36.43 -36.43

Thermal fade margin (dB) 35.07 35.07

Geoclimatic factor 8.92E-05

Path inclination (mr) 0.54
Fade occurrence factor (Po) 3.16E-05
Average annual temperature (°C) 25.00

Worst month - multipath (%) 100.00000 100.00000

(sec) 0.03 0.03
Annual - multipath (%) 100.00000 100.00000
(sec) 0.12 0.12
(% - sec) 100.00000 - 0.23

Mon, Oct 29 2018

Reliability Method - ITU-R P.530-7/8

Figure 9. System Characteristics

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 19

 International Journal of Current Trends in Engineering & Research (IJCTER)
Volume 05, Issue 1; January – 2019 [Online ISSN 2455–1392]

VI. CONCLUSION
The presence of Natural phenomena such as rain, snow, cloud, dust storm and fog in a radio wave or
microwave path are always capable of producing major impairments to terrestrial communications.
The hydrometeors can introduce significant attenuation, together with a degree of depolarization,
through their ability to absorb and scatter radio waves. Microwave line-of-sight propagation is based
on the principles of electrodynamics. In practice, fading caused by actual terrain, atmospheric and
climatic conditions forces the microwave engineer to take a statistical approach for predicting the
power loss and distortion of a received signal over time. Field surveys are a practical necessity to
verify or correct the accuracy of terrain elevation data, obstructions, and meteorological data.
For high efficiency, one needs special design considerations, and optimum operation conditions.

REFERENCES
[1] S. O. Bashir and N. J. McEwan, "Microwave propagation in dust storms: a review," Microwaves, Antennas and
Propagation, IEE Proceedings H, vol. 133, pp. 241-247, 1986.
[2] M. R. Islam, E. A. A. Elsheikh, A. Z. Alam, and O. O. Khalifa,"Proposing a horizontal path adjustment factor for
microwave link's attenuation prediction based on the analysis of dust storm behavior," in Communications (MICC),
2011 IEEE 10th Malaysia International Conference on, 2011, pp. 44-48.
[3] Tom Garlington, P.E. (2006) Microwave Line-of-Sight Transmission Engineering Systems Engineering Command
(USAISEC), Transmission Systems Directorate DSN 879-3105
[4] Huawei Technologies. (2012) Microwave Network Planning Technical
[5] S. Bashir and N. McEwan, "A novel measurement method of a single dust particle permittivity at a microwave
frequency band as I/P to accurate scattering computations. Part I," Radio electronics and Communications Systems,
vol. 55, pp. 178-185, 2012.
[6] J. Goldhirsh, "A parameter review and assessment of attenuation and backscatter properties associated with dust
storms over desert regions in the frequency range of 1 to 10 GHz," Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Transactions
on, vol. 30, pp. 1121-1127, 1982.

@IJCTER-2019, All rights Reserved 20