Viewing and Editing the Site Database ASSET User Reference Guide

4. In the Site Database, in the tree view, right-click the network element that you want to be
the new parent, and from the menu that appears, click Paste <Item>:

The reparented items appear beneath the parent item, in the Applied state.

To do this using the Hierarchy tab in the Site Database:

1. In the tree view, select the parent of the items that you want to reparent.

2. On the Hierarchy tab for the parent element, click the Display button (or the Refresh
button if you have previously clicked it).

3. On the tab, select the required items and right-click:

From the menu that appears, click Cut.

4. In the tree view, right-click the network element that you want to be the new parent for the
items that you have cut.

5. From the menu that appears, click Paste <Item>.

In the tree view, the reparented items appear beneath the parent item, in the Applied state.

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9 Using Vector File Features About the Vector Manager

You can create and manage vector file features in the Vector Manager.
In ASSET, you can create and display your own vector file features, which are saved with the
project. To open the Vector Manager:

There are a number of different types of vector file feature, which are described in the following 1. If not already open, open a Map View window.
table:

Feature Type Description 2. In the Map View toolbar, click the Vector Manager button .

Polygon A set of points connected by lines that form a closed shape. This picture shows an example of the Vector Manager:
Line Two or more points connected by lines that form an unclosed shape.
Point A geometric element that has no dimensions, and whose position is based on its
coordinates.
Text A set of words or letters.

This picture from the Map View window shows an example of vector file features (polygon, line,
point and text):

Vector Manager dialog box

The Vector Manager has a versatile toolbar. This table describes the button functions:

Button Description

Create a new vector.

Select a shape.

Draw a point.

Draw a line.

Draw a polygon.
Example of vector file features

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Button Description For more information on the index.xml file format, see the ASSET Technical Reference Guide. To
help you or your map data supplier create the index.xml file, Product Support can supply the
Create a region polygon. required xml schema and sample files on request.
Tip: This is a very useful feature, enabling you to:
 Set up a viewing region and subsequently return to that
region at any time.
Importing Vector File Data
 Share that region with other users.
You can import selected vector file data from a range of formats into the database at any time.
 Store specific region coordinates for quick and easy
usage when you run the planning or array wizards.
Important: For all the formats, if the imported vector is in a different projection system to that of the
For full details, see Creating a Region Polygon on page 266.
current project, it will be automatically converted during import. This is also true for 'Mapinfo (*.tab)'
Add text. vector files, but there is an additional option to import 'Unconverted Mapinfo (*.tab)' vector files if
you do not want conversion to take place. (The subsequent section provides more information.)
Append an existing line.

Append an existing polygon. To import vector file data:

Move a point within a shape. 1. In the Vector Manager, right-click a folder or top level node and from the menu that
appears, click Import Vector File:
Insert a point within a shape.

Move a shape.

Delete a point within a shape.

Delete a shape.

The usage of the buttons is described in the sections within Creating Your Own Vector File
Features on page 263 (in particular, Editing Lines and Polygons on page 273).

Tips:
 You can also open the Vector Manager from the Tools menu of the Utilities tab, without an
open Map View window. If you do this, you can perform some options (such as imports or
renaming) but you need a Map View if you want to use the drawing functionality.
 To hide the vector tree and show only the toolbar, from the Options menu click Hide 2. You can choose from any of the following supported formats:
Vector Tree. To show the vector tree again, click Show Vector Tree.

Configuring Vector Files

To display a new MapInfo *.tab file you must first register it for use within ASSET . You only have to
do this once, because the details are remembered between sessions.
You can do this in three ways:
 Import the vector files one by one, using the Vector Manager. This is the most
straightforward and recommended method. For more information on how to do this, see
Importing Vector File Data.
 Ask your map data supplier to provide an index.xml file for the tab files that you have.
 Modify the index.xml file yourself, either manually or by using a power tool.
Important: For the second and third methods, you must ensure that the coordinates in the tab files
are in metres, and they are using the same projection system as the ASSET project that you want
to use them in. However, for the importing method, this is not necessary.
Notes:
o You can define CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) FWA Terminal height and
azimuth values with the Table Browser. For more information, see Setting Values for
the Attributes on page 269.
o You can import point vectors using the CSV format. Doing this requires the .csv file and
accompanying .prj and .csvt files to be available for import.
A new vector file feature is created and the vector data file is imported. If the vector file
feature consists of a single TAB file, the import is complete.
3. If the vector file feature is made up of multiple TAB files, you should now right-click the new
vector file feature name and from the menu that appears, click Import Vector File.
The vector file feature is updated with the additional TAB file.

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4. Continue to add files, until all of the files have been imported.
Warning: Importing a vector in a different system without conversion may lead to incorrect results.
Therefore we generally recommend that you do not use the Unconverted MapInfo importing option
Note: If the vector file feature has any missing files, it is still loaded and the missing files
unless you are sure that the vector and the project already have matching coordinate systems.
marked with a red cross.

MapInfo Vectors - Coordinate System Conversion Exporting Vector File Data

Before version 8.1, the Import Vector File process ignored any difference between the coordinate You can use the Vector Manager to export selected vector file data.
system of the imported vector and the coordinate system of the project. From 8.1 onwards, you
have the choice of selecting:
Tip: You can export the files as they are (TAB files) or in MID/MIF format.
 MapInfo with conversion (which converts the imported vector file’s coordinate system to
match the project)
- or - To export vector file data:

 MapInfo without conversion (which leaves the imported vector file's coordinate system 1. In the Vector Manager, right-click the appropriate vector (includes all its files) or an
unchanged) individual vector file.

Note: The original TAB file is not changed by either option. 2. From the menu that appears, click:
Export to Folder
In 8.1 onwards, when using the Import Vector File process, the default type of file is MapInfo (with - or -
conversion):
Export to MID/MIF format

3. Choose a folder and click OK.

The appropriate files are output to the chosen folder.

Troubleshooting Vector Files

Depending on your current situation, you can set up your vector files to work correctly in different
If you use this option, a <VECTORNAME>_conv.TAB fileset will be created when the vector file is ways:
imported, and the message log confirms the conversion.

This conversion may cause the area and perimeter of the new converted file to differ from the Scenario Solution
original TAB file. You can check this by opening the _conv file and the original file in MapInfo and
You have created a new database You can convert your vector files into the new format, and
comparing them. Any differences will probably produce a difference in ASSET’s Array Statistical based on an import, and have a set of create an index.xml file from the index.txt file, using the
Reports for total area between a polygon vector imported in 7.0 and the same polygon vector old format vector files and an index.txt index2tab power tool. To obtain this power tool, contact
imported in 8.1 onwards. file. Product Support.
You have created a new database You can import these vector files into your project, and create
Note: The conversion only occurs within the vector import process; any polygon vectors upgraded based on an import and have a set of an index.xml file, using the Vector Manager. For more
to 8.1 onwards will not show a difference between 7.0 and 8.1 onwards. new format (*.tab) vector files. information on how to do this, see Importing Vector File Data.
You have created an entirely new You need to purchase a set of MapInfo format (*.tab) files for
database the geographical area that you require, and then import these
In light of the above, in situations where you are importing a vector file in 8.1 onwards, and require files.
backward compatibility regarding the array area and perimeter, you can choose the non-conversion
option:
Classifying User Vector Files
You can classify your user vectors so that you can subsequently search for and display only those
vectors that belong to the classification you are currently interested in. This is achieved by
assigning classifications to sub-folders in the Vector Manager and then moving vectors into the
appropriate sub-folders.

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The ability to classify user vectors can be particularly beneficial when using the following items in
ASSET:
 Layer Control Pane - Data Types tab (Map View window)
 Select Vectors dialog box (Statistics dialog box)
 Select Exclusion Polygons dialog box (Measurements toolbox)
 Vector Attribute properties in the Map Information Pane (Map View)
This table shows the available classifications and the vectors that should be associated with them:
You should ideally have sub-folders for each of the classifications shown in the table, ensuring that
each one has the appropriate classification.
To assign a classification to a sub-folder:
1. In the Vector Manager, right-click on the sub-folder in the vector tree to which a
classification is to be assigned.
2. Click Classifications. A submenu appears. This picture shows an example:

Use This Classification For Sub-folders Containing Vectors That

Building  specify building heights

 display only polygon properties
Line  contain only lines
 display only line properties
Measurement  are non editable
 contain only point features
 display only point properties (the display variable is preset to show
power)
 display x and y coordinates, and power, in the Table Browser
Point  contain only point features
 display only point properties
 display x and y coordinates in the Table Browser
Polygon  contain only polygons
 display only polygon properties
Note: Region polygons are a special case and will normally be
classified under Region as described below.
Postal Code  specify postal codes
 display only point properties 3. Click on the required classification. The classification is assigned to the sub-folder such that
any vectors placed in that sub-folder belong to the sub-folder's classification.
 display x and y coordinates in the Table Browser
Region  are generated by favourites, or by dragging existing regions, or, To re-classify a user vector file:
for existing vectors, by clicking the Create Region Polygon
button. For more information, see Creating a Region Polygon on 1. In the Vector Manager, right-click on the vector file to be re-classified.
page 266.
2. Click Cut.
Text  contain only text
 display only text properties 3. Right-click on the sub-folder representing the classification to which you want the vector to
belong.
Unclassified  do not fit any other classification
4. Click Paste. The vector file appears under the chosen sub-folder in the vector tree and
To create a sub-folder in which to place, for example, all your Roads vectors: inherits the classification assigned to that sub-folder.

1. In the Map View window, from the Tools menu, select Vector Manager.

2. Right-click on User Vectors and Measurements.

3. Click on Add Folder. A new folder called New Folder 1 appears on the vector tree.

4. Right-click on New Folder 1.

5. Click on Rename and type an appropriate name such as Roads.

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For an example of how useful the vector classifications can be, here is a picture of the Select The Vector Manager appears. This picture shows an example:
Vectors dialog box that is displayed when you are producing a Statistics Report for an array, and
wish to restrict the statistics to one of more vectors. Notice how you can use the Advanced pane to
limit the types (classifications) of vector that are listed for selection:

4. In the toolbar of the Vector Manager, click the Create New Vector button .

The vector file features can be organised in separate sub-folders (for example Buildings,
Postal Codes, Unclassified).

When you use the Create New Vector button , the new vector file feature is added to
the uppermost sub-folder that has its classification set as 'Unclassified' (for more
information, see Classifying User Vector Files on page 260). If no such sub-folder exists,
then a 'New Folder' is automatically created.
Here is an example:

Example of Select Vectors dialog box

Creating Your Own Vector File Features

To create your own vector file features:

1. Ensure you have specified a system vector folder and user vector folder in your project. For
more information, see About the Map Data Directories Tab on page 25 and About the
Shared Data Directories Tab on page 25.

Note: It is recommended that you set these directory paths to be unique per project (if you
have multiple projects). If the user vector folder is shared between users, you should be
aware that any folder deletion will impact other users trying to use that folder until they
restart that project.
2. Ensure you have a Map View window open with the required area displayed.
3. In the Map View toolbar, click the Vector Manager button . defined for User (line) vector data on the User data directories tab of the Project
Tip: You can also create a new vector from the Options menu in the Vector Manager. To
do this:
o In the Vector Manager, click the folder under which the new folder is to be created.
o In the Options menu, click Add Folder. A new folder is created and can be renamed.
o With the new folder selected:
Click Add Vector if you want to create a new vector and store the tab file in the folder
Settings dialog box. For more information, see About the Shared Data Directories Tab
on page 25.
- or -
Click Add Vector to Folder if you want to create a new vector and store the tab file in
a different folder.

5. In the Vector Structure Editor, type a name for the new vector.

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6. Click Add to add an initial attribute to the vector: 10.In the Map View window, follow the appropriate instructions depending on which feature
you are creating:
o Enter an attribute name, for example 'Population'
o Choose whether you want the value to be a float, integer or string If you are creating a Do this
o Click OK
Line 1. Click the start point and all the subsequent points, as required.
For a full description of attributes, see Defining Attributes for a Vector File Feature on page
268. 2. Double-click the final point to complete the line.
Polygon 1. Click the start point and all the subsequent points.
7. If you selected the Add Vector to Folder option, then in the Browse for Folder dialog box
that appears, select the folder in which you want to store the vector: 2. Double-click the final point to complete the polygon.
Point Click the location at which you want to add the point.
Text item 1. Click the location on the Map View window at which you want to add
the text.
2. In the dialog box that appears, type the required text.
3. Click OK.

11. You can now add attributes to the vector or polygon. For more information on how to do
this, see Defining Attributes for a Vector File Feature on page 268.

In the Vector Manager, you can save your vector file feature changes. To do this:
From the Options menu, click Save All.
For more information on saving and exporting vectors, see Saving Vectors on page 276.

In the Vector Manager, you can also delete vectors. To do this:

1. Select the vector that you want to delete.

2. From the Options menu, click Remove Vector.

- or - Creating a Region Polygon

If you clicked the Create New Vector button or the Add Vector menu option (or you
clicked Cancel in the Browse for Folder dialog box), the tab file is stored in the folder
defined for User (line) vector data on the Shared Data Directories tab of the Project
Settings dialog box. For more information, see About the Shared Data Directories Tab on
page 25.
A new blank vector tab file with its own sub-folder in the User Vectors folder is
automatically created.
8. To rename the folder, right-click and select Rename, type the required name and then click
OK.
9. To create the new vector file feature, for example the path of a new road or an area that
you want to define, select the new vector tab file and select the required button, depending
on what you want to create. The following table describes the available options:
Click this button To create
A Region Polygon vector can be extremely useful in various ways. You can:
 Set up a viewing Region and subsequently return to that Region at any time, because it will
be retrievable from your vectors on the Data Types tab of the Layer Control Pane.
 Share that region with other users, simply by making it available in the system vectors
(permission-dependent), rather than user vectors.
 Store specific region coordinates for quick and easy usage when you run any of the
planning or array wizards, without the need to precisely position the view every time you
run a wizard. You can use this method for the majority of the wizards in ASSET Radio, such
as Coverage Analysis, Simulator, Traffic, Neighbour Planner, and so on. This also means
you can remain looking at your current Map View when you run one of these wizards,
without having to zoom in or out of your current Map View. Instead, you can just continue
with your original view.
For more information, see 'Using Selected Vectors in the Planning or Array Wizards' in the
ASSET Radio User Reference Guide.

A line, or set of lines, in a vector. There are three ways to create a Region Polygon, using the Vector Manager, using a Favourite,
and using Drag Region.
A polygon (a closed shape).

A point.

A text item.

For more information on the different types of vector file features, see Using Vector File
Features on page 255.

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To create a region polygon using the Vector Manager:
1. Perform the same initial steps as described in Creating Your Own Vector File Features on
page 263.
2. In the toolbar of the Vector Manager dialog box, click the Create Region Polygon button
.
The Add Region Polygon dialog box appears:
3. In the Add Region Polygon dialog box, enter the required co-ordinates.
4. If you want to obtain a precise region which will match a specific map resolution, you can
achieve this by entering a 'Normalise to resolution' value and clicking Apply.
5. Click OK.
To create a Region Polygon from a Favourite
Simply open the required Favourite by selecting it from the Favourites drop-down in the
Map View toolbar.
When you do this, a Region Polygon vector is created automatically. The vector is added to those
listed in the Regions sub-folder of the User Vectors and Measurements folder on the Data Types
tab of the Layer Control Pane. It will also appear under the Regions node in the Vector Tree of
the Vector Manager dialog box. These pictures show two such vectors:
In the Layer Control pane, the newly created Region Polygon vector will be shown in blue text as
is Net1 in the above example. This indicates that it is the currently selected Region for the Map
View. To clear this selection you can right-click on the Region name in the Layer Control pane
then click Clear Region, or right-click in the Map View and then click Clear Region.
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To select another Region as current for the Map View, right-click on the Region name in the Layer
Control pane then click Select as Region. Only the currently selected Region is saved as part of a
Favourite.
Important: When a Region Polygon vector is selected and shown in blue text in the Layer Control
pane, the Select Vector button in various wizards is greyed out to indicate that vector choice is
overridden by your current Region Polygon vector selection. To make the Select Vector button
available in the wizards, select Clear Region as described above.
To Create a Region Polygon Using Drag Region
1. Right-click in the Map View window and select Drag Region. The cursor changes to a
hand icon.
2. Left-click and drag the hand icon to the extent of the region you require, then release the
left mouse button. The Add Region Polygon dialog box appears with the coordinates of
your region filled in. You can use Normalise to resolution to adjust these if necessary.
The dialog box now contains an additional field: Name of Region.
3. In the Name of Region field, type a name for your new Region.
4. Click OK. The new region is added to those listed in the Regions sub-folder of the User
Vectors and Measurements folder on the Data Types tab of the Layer Control Pane. It
will also appear under the Regions node in the Vector Tree of the Vector Manager dialog
box.
Defining Attributes for a Vector File Feature
When you are creating a vector file feature, you can use the Structure Editor to add attributes to
it. Attributes can include such information as salary, quality of area, population data and so on, that
you can assign a value to.
If your vector file feature contains more than one feature (for example, two polygons), they will
share the same attributes.
To add an attribute:
1. In the Vector Manager, right-click the required vector file feature and click Structure.
2. In the Vector Structure Editor dialog box, click Add.
3. In the dialog box that appears:
o Enter an attribute name, for example 'Population'
o Choose whether you want the value to be a float, integer or string
4. Click OK and the attribute is added to the list.
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5. To specify which columns are used in statistics reports, in the Attribute name columns 2. From the menu that appears, click Table Browser:
pane, type the required row numbers, each separated by a comma. In this example,
'CountyName' and 'Population' will be displayed in statistics reports:

The Table Browser dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

For information about setting values for the attributes, see Setting Values for the Attributes on page
269.

For information about changing the display of vector file features, see Customising How Vector File
Features are Displayed on page 193.

Setting Values for the Attributes

After you have created vector file features, and defined attributes for them, you can use the Table
Browser to:
 Set values for the attributes
 Highlight specific features within a vector in the Map View window
 Search for details of specific features within a vector
 Create a new vector using a searched sub-set

To do this:

1. Right-click the required vector file.

The top pane lists all of the features (polygons, appended polygons, lines, points and so on) that
belong to the vector file feature. Each feature is individually numbered (in the Feature# column)
based on its sequence of creation within the vector file feature.

The associated attribute columns correspond to the attributes already defined for the vector file
feature.

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To set the attribute values: The Table Browser highlights the features and attribute values that match the chosen
search criteria. This picture shows an example:
1. In the top pane, select the required feature, and double-click the attribute value that you
want to edit.

2. Type the required value and press Enter.

This picture shows an example:

To highlight specific features in the Map View window:

1. In the Display selection pane, choose whether you want to have the selected feature:
o Highlighted in the Map View window
- or -
o Highlighted and focused in the centre of the Map View window

2. In the top pane, select the required feature from the list.
The selected feature is highlighted (and if applicable, centred) in the Map View window:

Tips:
o If you just want to see search results, select the Display search results only
checkbox.

o To highlight each of the search results in order, click the arrow buttons .

To create a new vector containing a sub-set of the features displayed in the search results:

To search for specific details of features: 1. Ensure that the Display search results only checkbox is selected.

1. In the Search pane, select the item(s) on which you want to search - you can search on the 2. Select the checkboxes for the required features under the Feature# column:
feature 'number', and/or any number of the attributes.

2. To define the search criteria for one of the items, double-click the corresponding
Expression row, and in the dialog box that appears, select the required options and click
OK.
If you are searching based on more than one item, you should do this for each item.

3. Click Search.
3. Click Create Vector.
A new vector is created in the Vector Manager, and its name is displayed in the Message
Log.

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Editing Lines and Polygons Creating Holes or Islands for Polygons

In the Vector Manager, you can edit lines and polygons in a number of ways: After you have created a polygon, you can add a hole to represent a sub-section within it. For
example, your polygon may encompass the whole of a city, but you may want to have a centre
 To move a particular point in the line/polygon to another location, click the Move Point section representing the densely-populated city centre, with the outer section representing the less
button , click the point that you want to move, and then click the new location densely-populated suburbs:

 To move an entire line/polygon (including any holes or islands) to another location, select
the line/polygon that you want to move (using the Select Shape button ), click the
Suburban Area of
Move Shape button and then click the new location a City

 To delete a particular point in the line/polygon, click the Delete Point button and click
the point that you want to delete

 To delete a line/polygon, select the polygon/line using the Select Shape button , and
City Centre
then click the Delete Shape button .
 To append an existing line with another line:

o Select the line using the Select Shape button

o Click the Append Existing Line button .

o Add the new line as required.
 To add a point to an existing line/polygon:

o Select the line/polygon using the Select Shape button . Example Hole in Polygon

o Click the Insert a Point within a Shape button . In this way, you can, for example, generate population statistics based on the suburbs only or the
o Add the new point as required. centre only, and plan separate strategies accordingly.

For information on how to save your changes, see Saving Vectors on page 276. Alternatively, you may want to represent certain sub-sections of one area, but not the area as a
whole. To model this, you can create separate islands for a main polygon. For example, blocks of
If you do not want to save your changes, right-click the required vector and click Undo All flats spread across a wide area:
Changes.

You can also create holes in polygons, or islands (two or more separate shapes that are still treated
as the same polygon). For more information on how to do this, see Creating Holes or Islands for
Polygons on page 274.

Example Island for a Polygon

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To add a hole or island to a polygon:
1. In the Vector Manager, right-click the required vector file feature and click Structure.
2. In the Vector Structure Editor dialog box, click Add.
3. Click the Select Shape button , and in the Map View window, select the polygon to
which you want to add the hole or island.
4. From the Vector Manager toolbar, click the Append Existing Polygon button.
5. In the Map View window, click the start point and all subsequent points of the polygon,
either inside an existing one (which would make it a hole) or somewhere else on the Map
View (which would make it an island).
Important: All points of the hole must be within the same polygon.
6. To link up the two ends of the polygon, double-click.
7. To save the polygon, from the Options menu, click Save.
For more information on how vectors can be saved, see Saving Vectors on page 276.
When you select the hole or island, the main polygon should be selected too, and vice
versa.
This picture shows a polygon with a smaller island to its right:
You can add extra lines to existing lines or sets of lines in a similar way:
1. Click the Select Shape button , and in the Map View window select the line or set of
lines that you want to add an extra line to.
2. From the Vector Manager toolbar, click the Append Existing Vector button.
3. In the Map View window, click the start point and all subsequent points of the line.
4. To finish the line, double-click.
5. To add the line to the database, from the Options menu, click Save.
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Saving Vectors
After you have created or edited the vectors in your project, you can:
 Save them locally with the current MapInfo projection setting included, so that you can use
the vector data in other tools (for example, MapInfo).
 Save them to the default vector folder.
Tip: To check where this is, from the File menu, click View Project Settings. On the Map
Data Directories tab, the default vector folder is defined as the Line (Vector) Data folder.
To save vectors to a local folder:
1. In the Vector Manager, select:
o The vector name, if you want to save a vector and all of its associated files
o The individual vector file, if you want to save a single file as a vector
2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Save Copy As.
3. In the dialog box that appears, browse to the folder in which you want to save the vector file
feature.
If you are saving an individual vector file, you must also specify the TAB filename.
4. Click OK.
The selected file(s) are saved to the chosen location, using the MapInfo projection setting
defined in the project settings.
To save vectors to the default vector folder:
In the Vector Manager:
o Right-click the required vector name and from the menu that appears, click Save
- or -
o Select the required vector, and from the Options menu, click Save
The selected vector is saved to the default vector folder.
Tip: If you want to save all of the vectors that you have created, from the Options menu, click
Save All.
Also see Exporting Vectors on page 276.
Exporting Vectors
After you have created or edited the vectors in your project, you can export them to TAB/DAT file or
to MID/MIF file formats. You can:
 Export vectors locally, without the current MapInfo projection setting, to a TAB file.
 Export vectors locally, without the current MapInfo projection setting, to a MIF file.
Note: Export to MID/MIF format does not currently support polygons with holes.
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To export vectors to a TAB/DAT file in local folder:

(Saves an exact copy of the original file without including the current MapInfo projection setting.)

1. In the Vector Manager, select:

o The vector name, if you want to export a vector and all of its associated files
o The individual vector file, if you want to export a single file as a vector

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export to Folder.

3. In the dialog box that appears, browse to the folder to which you want to export the vector
file feature.

4. Click OK.
The selected file(s) are exported to the chosen location.

To export vectors to a MID/MIF file in local folder:

(Saves an exact copy of the original file without including the current MapInfo projection setting.)

1. In the Vector Manager, select:

o The vector name, if you want to export a vector and all of its associated files
o The individual vector file, if you want to export a single file as a vector

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export to MID/MIF format.

3. In the dialog box that appears, browse to the folder to which you want to export the vector
file feature.

4. Click OK.
The selected file(s) are exported to the chosen location.

Also see Saving Vectors on page 276.

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This picture shows an example of the Field Definer:

10 Using Filters and Fields

Filters enable you to group elements logically according to their attributes and/or functions, which
enables you to divide your network into more manageable sections for analysis, diagnosis and
display.

As well as filtering on network element type, hierarchy, owner and so on, you can define fields and
use them as the basis for a filter.

To make the management of filters easier they can be stored at two levels:
 At the system level in the System folder, making them available to all users on a system
 At the user level in the User folder, making them available to a single user only

The level at which you can store filters is controlled by the permissions that you have been granted.

Tip: On the Filters tab of the Preferences dialog box under the File menu, you can choose from a
variety of options to determine which user filter folders to display. For more information, see Setting
Filter and History Preferences on page 44.
Example of Field Definer dialog box

Using Fields in ASSET Examples of Field Definitions

Some examples of fields that could be created are:
Status fields are primarily used to enable project managers to manage and oversee the network
engineering cycle, from initial design to the rollout phase. Field Type Options
ASSET enables you to set up any number of fields in your project, so that they can provide Rollout Phase Picklist unset, Planned, Acquired, In-Build, On-Air
information about individual network elements (such as sites, cells or microwave links) in the Site
Database. Fields may be used for a variety of reasons, for example, to track the rollout phase of a Vendor Equipment Picklist unset, Nokia, Ericsson, Siemens
site, or record its equipment, or its region, or perhaps the name of the planner in charge. Region Picklist unset, North, South, East, West
Fields can serve as a useful way of creating filters. This means that you can, for example, display Equipment Costs Float any decimal number
"In Build" sites in the Map View, or generate a coverage array for "On Air" cells, or generate an
Planner's Name String any text
interference analysis for microwave links which are "Live", and so on.
Visit Due Boolean True or False
At the initial stage of setting up these fields, they must be associated with specific network element
Phase Number Integer 0,1,2,3,4...
types. After this has been done, the fields appear on the associated network elements in the Site
Database. This enables you to assign the appropriate field option for individual network element Established Date and Time date and time limits and timezones
types (such as site, cell, link or Property).

Important: When defining fields, it is important that you associate each field with the appropriate
Note: You define status fields within the ASSET Administrator module, in the Field Definer dialog network element object type(s), such as Properties, sites, cells or microwave links. For more
box. For more information, see the ASSET Installation and Administration Guide. information, see the ASSET Installation and Administration Guide.

Tip: For picklists, it is strongly recommended that the first option in each group is named “unset”,
It is generally advised that fields be set up as early in the project as possible, so that they are "unknown", or similar, so that this can be the default when no particular option has yet been
available for the planner to assign the relevant option to the relevant network elements in the Site assigned.
or Link Database, or in the Templates.

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Viewing and Editing Fields for Network Elements
When the fields have been defined in the ASSET Administrator module and committed to the
database, you can view and edit the fields within the Status tabs of the Site Database, listed
against the relevant network elements, and, in the case of the Link Database, against each link.
To view the status of the parent elements on this tab:
1. In the Site Database window, in the tree pane, click the required element.
2. Click the Status tab to see a list of the fields for this network element, and for any parent
elements that it may have.
Note: Fields displayed in grey are read-only - you do not have permissions to edit these.
The group permissions for the currently selected field are displayed in a panel at the
bottom of the status tab.
3. To change an associated field:
o For Picklist or Boolean types, click in the field value column and select the required
value from the drop-down list, as shown here:
- or -
o For Float, String or Integer types, double-click in the field value column, and type or
edit the value.
- or -
o For Date and Time type fields, click > to expand the editable rows, then edit the values
in them as required.
Tip: Any fields that you have edited - but not yet Applied - are displayed in bold.
In the case of the Link Database, you can find the Status tab under the General tab for a
microwave link.
Note: Fields in the Site Database operate independently of network hierarchy level or technology.
For example, if you have the same field associated for the Property, site and cell object types, an
individual field assignment in the Site Database at the site level will not affect or update the other
levels. For more information, see the ASSET Installation and Administration Guide.
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Using Filters in ASSET
Filters provide a logical grouping of network elements according to their characteristics or functions.
They enable you to sub-divide the network into more manageable sections for analysis, diagnosis
and display, and they therefore represent a powerful way of selecting a subset of items such as
Properties, sites, links or cells, from the ASSET database.
You can create your filters according to many different criteria, including element type, hierarchy,
fields and polygons, as well as attributes such as antenna type, frequency band, carried traffic, and
so on. For example, you could create a filter to display all operational sites within a geographical
region which are using a particular vendor’s equipment.
Filters can be defined as either Static or Dynamic, and there is an additional Selection Expert filter.
This table summarises each type:
Filter Type Description
Static Filters These are static lists of objects specified by the user. These filters can only be
changed by the user adding or deleting objects from the list.
There are various ways of adding and removing objects.
Dynamic Filters The lists of objects in dynamic filters will constantly update as the network
evolves. These filters select network elements based on criteria such as:
 Object type (for example, BSC, Site, Cell, Link)
 Status Field assignment
 Cell Layers assigned
 Parenting
 Geographical Location (for example, within a polygon)
These filters are 'dynamic' because the inclusion list will automatically be updated
whenever a change is made to any of the parameters forming the filter definition
criteria.
Selection Expert There is also an 'on-the-spot' memory filter which can swiftly and powerfully select
items from the 2D View or Site/Link Database. Also, the memory filter can
optionally be saved as a static filter for future use.
Note: In the Filters Database, static filters always appear as RED, and dynamic filters always
appear as BLUE. This helps you to quickly identify the filter type.
The All Filter (which includes all network elements in the database), the Selection Filter, and filters
for each technology type are provided by default:
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Purpose and Uses of Filters
Filters are a very important feature in ASSET Radio.
You can use filters to:
 Limit the list of network elements displayed in the Site Database
 Determine which combination of network elements appear in the Map View
 Vary the customised appearance of different filters in the Map View
 Control which items are to be included in the various wizards
 Limit which items will be included in any global edits in the Site Database
 Limit which items to include in the various reports
 Limit which items to include an XML Export
Note: Created filters can either be stored in a System folder (for everyone to use) or in the User
folder, which means that they are not available to other users (unless they expressly choose to
'show all user filters' on the Filters tab of the Preferences dialog box under the File menu). The
Apply and Commit principles are the same as for any other object saved to the database. The
general recommendation is to make sensible usage of the system and (personal) user folders, and
only commit filters that are essential to all users.
Creating a Dynamic Filter using the Filter Wizard
To create a dynamic filter:
1. On the main toolbar, click the Filters button .
2. The Filter Database dialog box appears, displaying any folders and filters which have
already been set up:
Note: The Selection Filter is a special filter which is used by the Selection Expert, and is
described in a subsequent section.
3. Select the folder in which you want to store the new filter and then click Add. This will
launch the Filter Wizard, which guides you through the creation process.
Tip: You can create sub-folders, if required, by right-clicking on the System folder or on
your individual User folder.
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4. Step 1 of the Filter Wizard prompts you to give the filter a meaningful name (this can be
modified later if required):
If your new filter has similar selection criteria as an existing filter, you can choose the option
to use an existing filter as a template and select it from the drop-down menu.
Click Next.
5. Step 2 of the Filter Wizard displays a list of Available Attributes. Move each required
element type to the Selected Attributes pane by double-clicking it, dragging it, or selecting
it and using the right arrow button. This will define which objects are to be considered in the
filter.
For example, one method would be to expand one of the items in the Available Attributes
pane to reveal the selection of fields already set up for the project in ASSET
Administrator. The required field can then be selected as an attribute for the filtering
criteria.
Polygons represent another way in which network elements can be filtered. All available
polygons can be displayed by expanding the Property element in the Available Attributes
pane.
In this example, the Cell Site element has been expanded, and the 'Rollout Phase' field has
been selected as an attribute to be considered in the filtering process:
You can specify the logical operators by right-clicking on them to toggle between the two
types:
o If you choose OR, a value will be returned if any of the attributes are present
o If you choose AND, a value will be returned only if all the attributes are present
Tip: It is also easy to modify these operators on the next screen, and to dynamically
preview the resulting item selection. (In this particular example, this will make no
difference, since there is only one attribute selected.)
Note: You can group attributes together with their own logical operator, and create rules
within rules. The easiest way to do this is to drag and drop the attributes into their logical
groupings. The Selection Rules will be activated from top to bottom, branching where
specified. For some ideas on how to create 'faster' filters, see Making Your Dynamic Filters
More Efficient on page 312.
When you have all the element types and criteria that you want to filter on, click Next.
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6. Step 3 of the Filter Wizard prompts you to set the definitive rules and criteria for the filter
and enables you to modify the logical operators using the associated radio buttons.
Important: On this screen, you must click on each of the selected attributes to ensure that
the appropriate options appear on the right-hand side.
Define the exact rule for each element type or criterion by selecting it in the 'Selected
Attributes' pane, and:
o Selecting a rule definition (for example, 'Equals'). You can also reverse the rule
definition (for example, 'Not Equal To') by selecting the 'Not' checkbox.
o Typing a value in the box or, if applicable, clicking the 'Values' button to select the
value(s) that you are interested in (for example, when selecting Field values).
In this example, click the 'Values' button, and select the ON AIR option:
Then click OK.
You can click Preview to see a list of all the elements that are included in the filter
according to your latest definitions. This will help you to refine the filter further if necessary.
When satisfied with your criteria, click Next.
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7. Step 4 of the Filter Wizard displays the list of elements currently included in your filter. The
filter will be 'Dynamic' (unless you now decide to switch it to 'Static' - but if you want to
create a static filter, it is easier to carry out the steps in the following section).
Note: In this example, we have used the simple approach of using only the Field attribute;
notice that all items associated with the filtered sites are also included in the filter, in other
words, their related objects, such as Properties, MSC, BSC, cells, and so on. If we had
selected the cell site AND its field attribute in Step 2, we would only have the cell sites in
the filter, and not the related objects.
Click Next.
8. Step 5 of the Filter Wizard enables you to set up the customised display settings for the
items which are included in your filter. If you selected the “Use existing filter as template”
option in Step 1, this screen will default to those settings. You can also easily modify these
later in the Map View.
Click Next.
9. Step 6 of the Filter Wizard (the final step) enables you to modify the name of the filter, and
also to establish which other users, if any, will be able to modify this filter in the future
(assuming it is committed, and assuming they have the appropriate permissions).
10. When satisfied, click the Finish button to complete the Filter creation process.
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The newly created filter appears in the Filters Database, in the folder you selected at the start of
the process. As a Dynamic filter, it will appear with a BLUE symbol, as in this example: Creating a Static Filter using the Filter Wizard
To create a static filter:

1. On the main toolbar, click the Filters button .

2. The Filter Database dialog box appears, displaying any folders and filters which have
already been set up.

Note: The Selection Filter is a special filter which is used by the Selection Expert, and is
Example of Dynamic Filter described in a subsequent section.

In the Filters Database, any of the filters may be committed, modified or removed, and also moved
or copied between folders.
If you want this filter to be available for use by other users, you can Commit the filter. Otherwise, it
will only be available locally on your machine.
All created filters are available for use in various parts of ASSET, such as the Site Database, Link
Database, Map View, Coverage Arrays, Wizards, Reports, and so on.
3. Select the folder in which you want to store the new filter and then click Add. This will
launch the Filter Wizard, which guides you through the creation process.
Tip: You can create sub-folders, if required, by right-clicking on the System folder or on
your individual User folder.
4. Step 1 of the Filter Wizard prompts you to give the filter a meaningful name (this can be
modified later if required):

Grouping Attributes in Dynamic Filters If your new filter has similar selection criteria as an existing filter, you can choose the option
to use an existing filter as a template and select it from the drop-down menu.
When you are creating dynamic filters, you can group attributes together with their own logical Click Next.
operator, and create rules within rules.
5. Steps 2 and 3 of the Filter Wizard are not applicable to static filters, so ignore both steps by
To do this: clicking Next.
1. In the Selected Attributes pane, right-click the first attribute. 6. In Step 4 of the Filter Wizard, select the 'Static' option. This picture shows the tabs that
become visible:
2. From the menu that appears, click Group.

3. Click the element you want to group it with.

- or -

1. In the Selected Attributes pane, select the first element you want to group.

2. In the Available Attributes pane, select the element that you want to group it with.

3. Click the right arrow button .

- or -

1. In the Selected Attributes pane, click the first element you want to group.

2. While still holding the mouse button, move to the element that you want to group it with.

This picture shows an example, in which the filter is set up to find all Properties or MSCs within the
coastline vector:

You can now manually select whichever elements you require by using the tabs and
methods described in this table:

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Tab Description How to Add Items to the Filter Click Next.

8. Step 6 of the Filter Wizard (the final step) enables you to modify the name of the filter, and
Identifier Use exact  Select the element type that you want to add.
matches or also to establish which other users, if any, will be able to modify this filter in the future
regular  Type the element ID, either defining an exact match or defining the (assuming it is committed, and assuming they have the appropriate permissions).
expressions match with a regular expression. For more information on using
regular expressions, see Examples of Searching by Regular When satisfied, click the Finish button to complete the Filter creation process.
Expression on page 108. You can make this case-sensitive by
selecting the Match case option. All newly created filters appear in the Filter Database, in the folder you selected at the start of the
process. Static filters appear with a RED symbol, as in this example:
 Click Add, and all of the elements matching this identifier will be
displayed in the Active Elements box.
Note: You can also remove items from the filter. To do this, in the
Active Element pane, right-click the elements(s) and from the menu
that appears, click Remove. You can also select the item(s) in the
Active Element pane and then click the Remove button that appears in
the Identifier tab.
File List Browse to a text  Select the element type that you want to add.
file listing the
identifiers on  Type in a file name or click the Browse button and locate the
separate lines correct file.
 The file format of this text file is a list of site identifiers each on a Example of Static Filter
separate line.
In the Filters Database, any of the filters may be committed, modified or removed, and also moved
 Click Add, and all of the elements matching this identifier will be
displayed in the Active Elements box.
or copied between folders.

Filters Use a  Select the element type that you want to add. If you want this filter to be available for use by other users, you can Commit the filter. Otherwise, it
combination of will only be available locally on your machine.
chosen filter and  Choose the filter from which you want to add elements of the type
element types selected, and click Add.
All created filters are available for use in various parts of ASSET, such as the Site Database, Link
Location Choose all or  Open a Map View window displaying the area and items you want Database, Map View, Coverage Arrays, Wizards, Reports, and so on.
selected network to add or remove from the filter.
elements in a
 On the Location tab, select the element type, for example
particular Map
Property. Editing and Deleting Filters
View
 In the Select Map View pane, click the appropriate button, for To edit an existing filter:
example, Add Element.
 In the Map View window, click the required network element. 1. In the Filter Database dialog box, select the filter you want to edit.
 Repeat for all of the elements that you want to add to or remove 2. Click Edit.
from the filter.
 Click the Stop Adding or Stop Removing button. 3. Use the Filter Wizard to modify the filter.

Tip: You can use the Add Element or Remove Element buttons with
multiple Map Views if required. The element selection is controlled Tip: To rename a filter, in the Filters dialog box, right-click the required filter and then click
automatically, depending where you click. Rename. In the dialog box that appears, type the new name and click OK.
Add or remove  Open a Map View window.
all of the
elements of a  On the Location tab, select the element type, for example To delete an existing filter:
selected element Property.
type 1. In the Filter Database dialog box, right-click the required filter.
 Click the required Map View (it is important to do this first when
using the Add or Remove All buttons)
2. From the menu that appears, click Remove.
 In the Select Map View pane, click the appropriate button, for
example, Add All Elements. - or -

Hierarchy Include or For items that already exist in the filter, you can add or remove parent Select the filter you want to delete and click the Remove button.
exclude elements, child elements or neighbours. The functionality is the same
The filter is moved to the Wastebasket. To ensure other people cannot use it, you will
hierarchical as for the Selection Filter. See Editing the Selection Filter using the
elements Element Hierarchy on page 309. need to remove it from the Wastebasket. Until you do this, the filter is still available to
others.
Click Next.

7. Step 5 of the Filter Wizard enables you to set up the customised display settings for the
items which are included in your filter. If you selected the “Use existing filter as template”
option in Step 1, this screen will default to those settings. You can also easily modify these
later in the Map View.
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Organising Filters Copying Filters

Using Folders
To enable you to store and organise your filters effectively, two filter folders called System and
User are provided. If you have the required permissions you can set up sub-folders within one or
both of these and store your filters in them.
As well as adding new filters, you can also copy a filter and then modify it.
For example, if you have created a complex filter to show all BSCs owned by John Smith that are
also in the South region and have one antenna, you can copy this filter and then modify it to show
the same information but for BSCs owned by Pat Taylor.

Copying in the Filter Database

1. In the Filter Database dialog box, right-click the filter that you want to copy, and from the
menu that appears, click Copy.
The filter and its display properties are copied.

2. Right-click the folder that you want to copy the filter to, and from the menu that appears,
click Paste.

Example of Filter Database dialog box Selecting to Use an Existing Filter as a Template

When adding a new filter you can choose to base it on an existing filter.
Important: On the Filters tab of the Preferences dialog box under the File menu, you can make
various choices of which user filter folders to display. For more information, see Setting Filter and To do this:
History Preferences on page 44.
On the first page of the Filter Wizard, select the "Use an existing filter as a template"
option:
To create a new folder for filters:

1. In the Filter Database dialog box, right-click the filters folder for which you wish to create a
sub-folder - either System or User.

2. From the menu that appears, click New Folder. A new folder appears in the tree view and
you can change this name if you wish.

Tip: You can create further folders within folders by right-clicking a folder, and then from the menu
that appears, clicking New Folder.

The rules and display properties are copied from the selected filter, and appear on the
subsequent pages of the wizard.
Moving Filters

When you are organising your filters, you may want to move them between folders. To do this: Note: If you choose the All filter, only the display properties are copied.

1. Right-click the filter that you want to move, and from the menu that appears, click Cut.
Copying Display Properties Between Filters in the Map View Window
2. Right-click the folder that you want to move the filter to, and from the menu that appears,
click Paste. 1. In the list of data types, right-click the filter whose display properties you want to copy, and
from the menu that appears click Copy Properties.
– or –
2. Right-click the filter whose properties you want to overwrite, and from the menu that
1. Select the filter you want to move, and while still holding the left mouse button down, drag appears click Paste Properties.
the filter onto the required folder.

2. Release the left mouse button to place in the folder.

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Example Filters
The examples in this section represent some of the typical filters that you may want to create.
Example of Filtering Sites under a Specific MSC/BSC
You may want to filter sites and so on based on their parent BSCs. For example, you may want to
filter all cell sites that have BSC1 as their parent.
To do this:
1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.
2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the BSC category.
3. Select Hierarchy and then click the right arrow button . 5. Ensure that the rule definition is 'Equals'.
4. In the Available Attributes pane, select Cell Site and then click the right arrow button
.
5. Ensure that the logical operator is set to AND , since you want to filter on everything that is
a cell site and has a parent BSC. This picture shows an example:
6. Click Next.
7. Ensure that the rule definition for BSC Hierarchy is Is Under, and the rule definition for
Cell Site is Is Equal To.
8. Click the Values button for BSC Hierarchy and select the parent BSC(s) you want to filter
on. Click OK when you are satisfied.
9. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish.
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Example of Filtering on a Field
You may want to filter a particular network element based on its field assignment. For example, if
your administrator has set up a group named 'Region', with East, West, North, South picklist
options, you may want to filter all Properties whose Region field assignment is 'South'.
To do this:
1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.
2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the Property category.
3. Expand the Fields category, select the Region group and then click the right arrow button.
In this simple example, the logical operator can be either AND or OR.
4. Click Next.
6. Click the Values button and select the field value of 'South'. Click OK.
7. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish.
Warning: If your administrator deletes a field from the Field Definer in ASSET Administrator, any
filters that include rules based on that field will be automatically modified, by having the
corresponding rule(s) removed from the filter.
Example of Filtering on a Field from a Parent Property
You may want to filter a particular network element on a field assigned to the parent element. For
example, you may want to filter all MSCs whose parent Property's Region field assignment is
'North'.
To do this:
1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.
2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the Property category.
3. Expand the Fields category, select the Region group and then click the right arrow button.
4. In the Available Attributes pane, select MSC and then click the right arrow button.
5. Ensure the logical operator is set to AND, since you want the filter to match both of the
criteria.
6. Click Next.
7. Ensure that the rule definition for the Property Region Field is 'Equals' and that the rule
definition for the MSC is 'Is Equal To'.
8. Click the Values button for the Property Region Field and select the field value of 'North'.
Click OK.
9. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish.
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3. Ensure that the logical operator is set to AND, because you want to filter on everything that
Example of Filtering on a Polygon is a property and has the specified WFS attribute.

You may want to filter Properties, sites and so on based on a polygon that you have created. You 4. Expand the WFS Services category and the required WFS feature:
can select sites to be included in a filter based on geographic regions defined by the vector data.

In this example, if you wanted to filter all cell sites in a North Region polygon, you would do the
following:

1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.

2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the Property category.

3. Expand the Polygons category, select the North Region polygon and then click the right
arrow button.

4. In the Available Attributes pane, select Cell Site and then click the right arrow button to
move it.

5. Ensure the logical operator is set to AND, because you want to filter on everything that is a
cell site and in the North Region polygon. This picture shows this example:
5. Select the WFS attribute - wfs:Airport/NAM then click the right arrow button.

Important: While it is the NAM attribute that has been associated with the Property
network element in Administrator, you will see that all the attributes of the WFS Airport
feature are listed. If you select an attribute other than NAM to include in your filter, the filter
first identifies those elements which match the NAM attribute and then those that match
6. Click Next. the selected attribute.
7. Ensure that the rule definition for Cell Site is Is Equal To, and the rule definition for North
Region polygon is Within. 6. Click Next.

8. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish. 7. In the Selected Attributes pane at Step 3 of the Filter Wizard, click Property:
wfs:Airport/NAM is Equal To "". The parameter entry fields in the right pane become
A filter for that polygon is created. available.

Note: If you edit the polygon at a later date, the filter is updated automatically. 8. In the Operator drop-down field, select the required Operator. Since this is a text attribute,
the available Operators are Equal To, Like, and Null. Select Equal to and type JERSEY in
the text box:

Example of Filtering on Web Feature Services

You may want to filter properties, sites and so on based on associated Web Feature Services. This
example assumes that the WFS attribute NAM, belonging to the WFS feature Airport, has been
mapped to the ASSET Property network element (object) as shown in the ASSET Installation and
Administration Guide.

To set up a filter that will find a Property for which the wfs:Airport/NAM attribute is equal to
You can click Preview to see what network elements will be identified by your filter:
JERSEY:

1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.

2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the Property category:

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3.16666698,53.29777908</gml:coordinates>
Notes: </gml:Box>
</ogc:BBOX>
o To filter for elements with attributes that do not match the specified Operator, select the </ogc:Filter>
Not option.
Any text string that you add must comply with the standard set out in the OpenGIS
o If you select the Like Operator, you can define and include a Wildcard character, a Filter Encoding Implementation Specification version 1.0.0. This document can be
Single unknown character or an Escape character in your search text string. downloaded from http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/filter.
For example:

If You Use the Default The Filter Returns 9. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish.

Wildcard character * and type JER* All element names beginning with JER. A filter based on the selected Web Feature Service attribute is created and can be used to find
matching elements in the Map View window. This picture shows an example:
Single character ? and type JERSE? All six character element names beginning with JERSE.
Escape character ! and type XY!* Any element with a name of XY*.

o When filtering for elements having attributes with a numerical value, the available
Operators are Equal To, Less Than, Greater Than, Less Than or Equal To, Greater
Than or Equal To, Null, and Between. A default value of 0.000000 can be changed
by clicking on the attribute at Step 3 of the Filter Wizard. This picture shows an
example in which the Between Operator has been chosen for the Airport/ID attribute
and the values have not yet been typed in:

Example of Filtering on Different Attributes in More Than One Vector

You may want to filter on more than one vector, but based on different attributes. For example, you
may have two vectors and you want to filter on Cell Sites from Vector 1, and MSCs from Vector 2.
o Using the Native XML Query Operator, you can create your own customised query To do this:
based on any filtering criteria that the server supports. You can use criteria such as
line or shape geometry that ASSET does not support. To do this, type an XML string 1. Begin creating your filter in the usual way.
into the text box:
2. In the Available Attributes pane, expand the Property category, then the Polygons
Example 1:
category, under User Vectors, select Vector1 and then click the right arrow button.
<ogc:Filter xmlns:ogc="http://www.opengis.net/ogc">
<ogc:PropertyIsEqualTo> 3. Repeat this to include Vector2.
<ogc:PropertyName>ZV3</ogc:PropertyName>
<ogc:Literal>59</ogc:Literal> 4. In the Selected Attributes pane, select Vector1.
</ogc:PropertyIsEqualTo>
</ogc:Filter> 5. In the Available Attributes pane, select Cell Site and then click the right arrow button.

Example 2:
<ogc:Filter xmlns:ogc="http://www.opengis.net/ogc"
xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml">
<ogc:BBOX>
<ogc:PropertyName>GEOM</ogc:PropertyName>
<gml:Box
srsName="http://www.opengis.net/gml/srs/epsg.xml#4326">
<gml:coordinates>-2.16666698,52.29777908 -

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A new logical rule tree is created, containing Vector1 and Cell Site: Here are some examples of the attributes and their purpose:
Object Attribute
MU-Node 'Subtype Mode Active'
Cell 'Supported Technologies'
6. In the Selected Attributes pane, select Vector2.
7. In the Available Attributes pane, select MSC and then click the right arrow button.
A new logical rule tree is created, containing Vector 2 and MSC.
8. Ensure that the logical operator for the whole filter is set to OR, but the logical operators for
each logical rule tree are set to AND.
This picture shows this example: Cell 'Active Technology Mode'
Cell 'Owner'
(this is just an example of one 'Operator' criteria such
particular attribute to
demonstrate how the
9. Click Next.
additional criteria can be
used)
10. Ensure that the rule definitions for the two vectors are set to Within, and the rule definitions
for Cell Sites and MSCs are set to Is Equal To.
11. Complete the pages of the Filter Wizard, and then click Finish.
Cell 'Antenna Type'
Filtering Objects by their Technology and Activity Settings
(this is just an example of an
antenna-related attribute to
Within your filters, you may want to use the criteria that consider the Fixed and Variable technology
demonstrate how the
settings on an MU-Node, and the Active and Not Active settings on a cell. There are various additional criteria can be
options, depending on the filter attributes. used)
Note: For information on the Fixed and Variable technology settings on an MU-Node, and the
Active and Not Active settings on a cell, see 'About MU-Nodes' and 'About Cells' in the ASSET
Radio User Reference Guide.
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Selectable Values Description
 True Relates to the Fixed Technology
checkbox on the General tab of the
 False MU-Node. 'True' will filter the MU-
Nodes which have the checkbox
selected, 'False' will filter the MU-
Nodes which have the checkbox not
selected.
 One or more of the Relates to filtering cells which have
listed technologies one or more of the chosen
technologies supported on the cell.
 Multiple Technology
You can choose one or more of the
 Undefined technologies (OR basis). Or choose
'Multiple Technology' if you want to
filter any technology. Or choose
'Undefined' if you want to filter cells
which have no technology supported.
 One or more of the Relates to filtering cells which have
listed technologies one or more of the chosen
technologies active on the cell.
 Multiple Technology
You can choose one or more of the
 Undefined technologies (OR basis). Or choose
'Multiple Technology' if you want to
filter any technology. Or choose
'Undefined' if you want to filter cells
which are not active.
(These options are in Relates to filtering cells for which you
addition to the basic not only want to satisfy the basic
criteria of the attribute, but also meet
as 'Equals' and 'Value') this additional optional criteria.
 Technology You can choose one or more of the
technologies (or All), and you can
 Active further specify that the chosen
technology(s) is in Active mode, or
 Not Active
Not Active mode, or Supported
 Supported (which means that as a minimum, it
only has to be supported on the cell).
(These options are in Relates to filtering cells for which you
addition to the basic not only want to satisfy the basic
'Operator' criteria such criteria of the attribute, but also meet
as 'Equals' and 'Value') this additional optional criteria.
 Technology You can choose one or more of the
technologies (or All), and you can
 Active further specify that the chosen
 Not Active technology(s) is in Active mode, or
Not Active mode, or Supported
 Supported (which means that as a minimum, it
only has to be supported on the cell).
 Not Applicable
There is also a Not Applicable option,
which means that you do not want the
filter to take the Active/Not
Active/Supported state into
consideration (this extra option is for
antenna-related attributes only).
 Using Filters and Fields ASSET User Reference Guide

About the Selection Expert and Selection Filter Adding to the Selection Filter Using the Map View Window
To add items to the Selection Filter using the Map View window:
The Selection Expert is a powerful and flexible feature. The main feature within it is the Selection
Filter. Here is an example: 1. Ensure the Map View window shows the area and elements from which you will be
selecting.

2. If required, choose to limit the element types that are added. See Choosing Which Types of
Network Elements are Added to the Selection Filter on page 303.

3. On the main toolbar, click the 'Selection Expert' button .

4. In the Map View window, click the down arrow on the Selection Filter toolbox to see
the options:

To Do This
Example of Selection Expert
Select individual network
The following explanations may help to define the terms used: elements Click the Single Select button.
Hold down Shift and click each network element that you want to include in the
The Selection Expert: Selection filter.
 Is a powerful way of creating a filter. Using it, you can select any subset of items by Note: If you click an element that already exists in the Selection filter, it will be
choosing them individually in the Site Database or Map View, or by creating in the Map removed from the filter. That is, holding down Shift while clicking will toggle an
View a polygonal, circular or rectangular area that contains the sites you want. Then you item in and out of the Selection filter.
can perform operations, such as globally editing and then re-predicting the coverage, for Tip: You can also replace the contents of the Selection filter with your new
only the sites in this Selection filter. selection by clicking without holding down Shift.
 Acts as a handy clipboard - to easily allow you to cut and paste network elements between Select network elements
different parents, cells between sites and so on. in a rectangular area that Click the Rectangular Select button and hold down Shift.
you will draw Click where you want a corner to be and then drag to create a rectangle. The
 Acts as a viewing window for all filters - you can quickly review all filters, (static, dynamic elements within the rectangle are added to the Selection filter.
and Selection) and edit the static and Selection filters.
As you do this, the width and height dimensions are displayed, along with the
 Reparenting network elements (for example, reparenting multiple nodes to a different RNC, units that you chose in the Preferences dialog box.
or multiple sites to a new BSC). For more information, see Reparenting Network Elements
Tip: You can also replace the contents of the Selection filter with your new
on page 252. selection by clicking and dragging without holding down Shift. If you hold down
Shift you can multi-select elements and remove them from the Selection filter.
The Selection Filter:
Select network elements
 Is the main feature within the Selection Expert. in a circular area that you Click the Circle Select button and hold down Shift.
will draw Click and hold down the mouse button where the centre of the circle will be,
 Is an extremely useful method of selecting groups of objects in a quick and easy way.
and drag outwards to set the radius of the circle. The currently selected
 Is a static filter that exists only in memory. It is not stored in the database and therefore elements inside the circle are added to the Selection filter.
cannot be Applied or Committed. Tip: You can also replace the contents of the Selection filter with your new
selection by clicking and dragging without holding down Shift. If you hold down
 Can be renamed and saved as a normal static filter.
Shift you can multi-select elements and remove them from the Selection filter.
 Can be used as the basis for creating a static filter in the Filter Wizard. Select network elements
in a polygon that you will Click the Polygon Select button and hold down Shift.
 Can be used to store, check and review the created/modified objects from an XML Import
or Grid Data Loader Import. See Saving the Contents of an Import into the Selection Filter draw Click where the first point of the polygon will be, then click to create more
on page 311. points as required. To close the polygon, double-click anywhere in the Map
View window.
The currently selected elements inside the polygon are added to the Selection
filter.
Tip: There is a shortcut button in the ASSET toolbar, which opens the Selection Expert.
Tip: You can also replace the contents of the Selection filter with your new
selection by clicking and dragging without holding down Shift. If you hold down
Shift you can multi-select elements and remove them from the Selection filter.
Clear Selection filter
Click the Clear Selection filter button to empty all objects from the
Selection filter.

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5. Click Update.
Important: Hold down Shift when using any of the above buttons to add a current
selection to the filter. If you do not hold down Shift, the filter contains ONLY the current The Selection filter will then be automatically updated.
selection, replacing what was there.
You can use the Remove button in a similar way.

The selected elements appear in the Selection Expert and you can edit the items shown, and save
or export the filter. Adding Items to the Selection Filter on the Hierarchy tab

You can use the Hierarchy tab of the Site Database to add to a Selection filter. For example, you
Choosing Which Types of Network Elements are Added to the Selection Filter might want to create a filter containing the multiple items that are parented to the same Property.

When creating the Selection Filter, by default, all network element types are added. However, you
can choose to limit what network element types are added. Note: This method is applicable to the Site Database only.

Tip: This limit applies when you are adding items to the Selection Filter using the Map View To add to the Selection Filter using the Hierarchy tab:
window. When clicking items on the Site Database Hierarchy tab, you can add all types of items
here regardless of what is selected in the Selection Expert Options dialog box. 1. In the Site Database, select the parent of the item that you want to add to the Selection
filter.

To select which items you want to add to the Selection Filter when using the Map View: 2. On the Hierarchy tab for that element, click the Display button (or the Refresh button if
you have previously clicked it). For example:
1. In the Map View window, from the Tools menu, click Options.
In the dialog box that appears, the Selection tab lists all of the network element types that
can be added to the Selection Filter.

2. Clear the checkboxes next to element types that you want to exclude from future Selection The items parented on this element now appear on the tab, as shown here:
filters.

Tip: Hold down Shift to select multiple types, then click one of the checkboxes to clear all
those selected.

3. When you have made your selections, close the dialog box.

Adding Items to the Selection Filter Using the Site or Link Database
You can add items to a Selection filter using the Site or Link Database in various ways.

Adding Items to the Selection Filter by Right-clicking

In the Site or Link Database, right-click the network element that you want to add to the Selection
filter and from the menu that appears, click Add to Selection Filter.

Tip: In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, you can add antennas to the Selection filter in a similar
way.

Adding Items to the Selection Filter using the Filters tab

To add to the Selection filter using the Filters tab of the Site or Link database:
1. In the Site or Link database, select the required object that you want to add to the
Selection filter.
2. On the Filters tab, click Display to reveal the current filters that the object belongs to.
3. Select one or more of the network elements shown on the tab and click the Add button to
add them to the Selection filter.
Tip: Similarly, to remove an item from the Selection filter, select the item on the tab and
click the Remove button.

3. Click Change (if in Site database) or Add (if in Link database) to reveal the list of available
filters.

4. Select the Selection checkbox, and click OK.

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The Selection Expert displays the number of vectors that have been selected:
Adding Items to the Selection Filter Using an Existing Polygon Vector
To add items to the Selection filter using a polygon vector that has already been imported or
created in the Vector Manager:

1. On the main toolbar, click the 'Selection Expert' button . 6. Click the Add All Elements button.

2. On the Location tab: All of the items of the selected element type that are contained within (or overlap) the
selected polygon vectors are added to the selection filter:
o Select 'All Types' to add all appropriate types to the Selection filter
- or -
o Choose a specific element type, for example Property.

3. In the Select Polygon Vector(s) pane, click the Select Polygon Vectors button.

4. In the Select Polygon Vector(s) dialog box that appears, select the polygon vectors that
contain the items that you want to add to the selection filter:

- or -
To remove the elements that are contained within (or overlap) the selected polygon
vectors, from the selection filter, click the Remove All Elements button.

Using the Selection Expert to Count the Sites in an Area

To count the sites in an area:

1. On the main toolbar, click the 'Selection Expert' button .

2. Select the sites you wish to count using any of the methods already described in this
section.

You can view the number of sites:

 In the Object Count box of the Selection Expert .

Tip: If you have classified your vectors, you can use the Filter By Vector Class pane to
restrict which classifications are available for selection. Any polygons contained within  At the bottom of the Site Database when you have the
them (which may not just be the Polygon classification) will be listed for selection. For more Selection filter selected.
information, see Classifying User Vector Files on page 260.
Tip: You can configure which network element types appear in the object count in the Site
5. Click OK. Database. See Customising the Object Count in the Site Database on page 49.

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Deleting Network Elements using the Selection Expert Editing the Selection Filter using a File

To edit items currently in the Selection filter by using the contents of a file:
Warning: You should use this option with extreme caution. This deletion option will move the
chosen items into the Wastebasket. 1. In the Selection Expert, on the File List tab, select the required element type, for example BSC.

2. Type in a file name or click the Browse button and locate the correct file.
To use the Selection Expert to delete items contained in the Selection Filter from the Site
Database: Notes:
o The file format of this text file is a list of site identifiers each on a separate line
1. On the main toolbar, click the 'Selection Expert' button . o File imports for patterns need DeviceID\PatternID to recognise patterns, as PatternID
on its own is not unique
2. Perform the filtering operations to compose the contents of the Selection Expert (as
described in the preceding sections).
3. Click Add.
3. In the Selection Expert, select the items that you want to delete. You can use the Shift and
Control keys to select multiple elements. All of the elements of the required type that exist in the file are displayed in the Selection
Filter. You can then remove any individual items, if required.
4. Right-click the selected items, and from the menu that appears, click Delete From
Database.
Editing the Selection Filter using the Map View
5. Confirm you wish to go ahead with the deletion(s).
To add or remove items in the Selection filter using the Map View window:
The selected network elements are deleted from the Site Database (moved into the
Wastebasket). 1. In the Selection Expert, on the Location tab, select the element type, for example
Property.
Editing the Selection Filter 2. In the Select Map View pane, click the appropriate button, for example, Add Element.
This section describes the ways in which you can edit the contents of the Selection filter. 3. In the Map View window, click the required network element.

4. Repeat for all of the elements that you want to add to or remove from the Selection filter.
To open the Selection Expert, on the main toolbar, click the 'Selection Expert' button .
5. In the Selection Expert, click the Stop Adding or Stop Removing button.

Removing Items from the Selection Filter

Tip: You can use the Add Element or Remove Element buttons with multiple Map Views if
To remove items from the Selection Filter: required. The element selection is controlled automatically, depending where you click.

1. In the Selection Expert, select the items that you want to remove from the Selection
Filter. You can use the Shift and Control keys to select multiple elements. To add or remove all of the elements of the selected element type:

2. Right-click the selected items, and from the menu that appears, click Remove From Filter. 1. In the Selection Expert, on the Location tab, select the element type, for example Property.
The selected network elements are removed from the Selection filter. 2. Click the required Map View (it is important to do this first when using the Add or Remove
All buttons)

Editing the Selection Filter using an Identifier 3. In the Select Map View pane, click the appropriate button, for example, Add All Elements.
To add or remove specific network elements in the Selection filter based on an identifier:
Editing the Selection Filter using Other Filters
1. In the Selection Expert, on the Identifier tab, select the element type that you want to add
or remove, for example BSC, and enter either an exact element ID, or a regular To add items from other filters to your Selection filter:
expression.
1. In the Selection Expert, select the required element type.
2. In the Match pane, ensure you have selected the correct type - either Exact or Regular
Expression - for what you have entered above. You can also choose whether or not to 2. From the list of folders shown, select the filter that contains the required network elements.
make this case-sensitive by selecting the checkbox.
3. Click Add.
3. Click the Add or Remove button as required.
All of the elements of the required type that exist in the file are displayed in the Selection
Filter.

4. Remove any unwanted items as required, by selecting the item and clicking Remove.

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In this example, the child GSM cells of SITE11 will be added to the Selection filter:
Editing the Selection Filter using the Element Hierarchy

You can edit which items currently exist in the Selection filter based on their position within the
element hierarchy. For a selected item that already exists in the Selection filter, you can add and
remove the following items to the Selection filter (if applicable):
 Parent elements
 Child elements
 Any neighbours that it may have
 Any connections (logical and/or cellular) that it may have

Note: To use this method, the items that you want to add must already exist in the Site Database;
the Selection Expert cannot create them.

To use the element hierarchy to add to the Selection filter:

1. Ensure you have added at least one item to the Selection filter.

2. In the left hand pane, select the item whose related elements you want to add/remove.
- or -

Tip: You can select more than one network element. To remove the children of the selected element type for the selected filter item(s), click
the Remove Child(ren) button.
3. In the Filter modification options pane of the Selection Expert, click the Hierarchy tab. o If you want to add the neighbour(s) of the selected item(s) (inward, outward and
mutual), click the Add Neighbour(s) button.
4. In the Element Type pane, select the type of element that you want to add/remove. You
The type of neighbour added to the Selection filter will depend on the technology of the
can choose 'All Types' if you want to add all appropriate element types to the Selection
selected element type; selecting All Types will add neighbours from all available
filter.
technologies.
5. Click the appropriate button, depending on what you want to do: In this example, the GSM neighbours of SITE11A will be added to the Selection filter:
o If you want to add the logical/physical parent(s) of the selected element type for the
selected filter item(s), click the Add Parent(s) button.
In this example, the parent Property of SITE11 will be added to the Selection filter:

- or -
To remove the logical/physical parent(s) of the selected element type for the selected
filter item(s), click the Remove Parent(s) button.
o If you want to add the logical/physical child (or children) of the selected element type - or -
for the selected filter item(s), click the Add Child(ren) button. To remove the neighbour(s) of the selected item(s), click the Remove Neighbour(s)
button.

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Notes:
o You can only add items that are one hierarchy level above or below the selected item.
For example, if you choose to add the child elements for an RNC, the UMTS NodeBs
will be added but not their associated cells or repeaters.
o When removing items, selected items in the left-hand pane can still be removed if they
are a parent, child or neighbour of a related item.
For example, if you select a parent RNC and a Node B in the left-hand pane, and you
choose to remove UMTS Cell children, only the cells are removed. But if you choose to
remove children of all types, then the selected Node B will be removed as well.
Locating Selection Filter Items in Other Windows
You can choose an item in the Selection Filter and quickly find it in one of the following windows:
 Site Database
 Map View
 Link Database
 Logical/Cellular Connection Database
To do this:
1. Ensure you have the appropriate window open with a view (for example, filter) that includes
the item you have selected.
2. In the Selection Expert, in the list of items, click the identity of the item you want to locate.
3. From the Tools menu, point to Locate and click the window you want to use.
The window you have chosen becomes the current window with the item indicated.
Saving the Contents of an Import into the Selection Filter
ASSET enables you to import created or modified objects into the database in various ways.
Sometimes, after performing an import, or a series of imports, it can be difficult to identify the
created or modified items in the Site Database (unless you had done a Commit All just before the
import, so that you can see the asterisked items).
However, ASSET provides a useful way of identifying, checking and reviewing created or modified
objects from recent imports. You can achieve this by using an option to automatically save these
created/modified objects into the Selection Filter.
To see these options:
In your Preferences, under the File menu, on the Filters tab, you can choose from three
options:
o No changes will be made to Selection Filter contents after an import
o Selection Filter contents will be aggregated with objects affected by an import
o Selection Filter contents will be replaced by objects affected by an import
This automatic saving option is applicable to imports from the XML Import and the Grid Data
Loader Import.
(For information on these, see Importing XML Data on page 418 and About the Grid Data Loader
on page 463, respectively.)
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Notes and Tips:
 If you want to accumulate the created/modified objects from a series of imports, the
Aggregate option may be useful.
 The Selection Filter is a filter that exists only in memory, so each user's Selection Filter is
individual to each user.
 You can use any of the functions in ASSET that use filters. For example, using the contents
of the Selection Filter, you can generate a site report, or you can display the contents in the
Site Database.
 At any time, you can easily clear the Selection Filter.
 At any time, you can easily rename and save the contents of the Selection Filter into a
normal static filter.
Saving the Selection Filter
To save network elements that currently exist in the Selection Filter:
1. From the Database menu, click Selection Expert.
2. From the File menu of the Selection Expert, click Save As.
3. In the Filter Name box, type a name and click Save.
4. Now, if you view the Filter Database, (from the Database menu, click Filters) your filter
has been added, and has a red symbol next to it, indicating that it is a static filter. You can
now modify the filter from the Filter Database as usual, and then use it, as you would any
filter, to limit lists of network elements in the Site Database window, reports and so on.
Making Your Dynamic Filters More Efficient
When creating dynamic filters, the selection rules will be activated from top to bottom.
The sequence of these rules can therefore affect the speed of your filters.
You can make your dynamic filters run faster by:
 Eliminating the largest number of unwanted objects first.
 Using as few rules as possible - the number of evaluations affects the speed at which a
filter runs.
 Placing the rules in a sensible order in step 2 of the Filter Wizard - some types of rule are
faster than others. For example, to test if an object is a particular element, the filter wizard
compares two integers to see if they are equal or not. However, to test to see if a Property
is within a vector, the filter wizard uses a complex algorithm to compare the location of the
Property with every point that makes up the vector.
This table lists the rules from quickest to process to the slowest:
Weighting Rule Type
Fastest 1 Element
5 Hierarchy
8 Field
5-15 Attribute
Slowest 50-10000+ depending on the number of points in the polygon Polygon
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The examples below show how performance is affected by good and bad use of rules. Example 2: With the ‘Hierarchy Type’ rule first:
 Example of reordering a simple filter
 Example of making filters faster by using fewer rules

Example of Making Filters Faster by Reordering a Filter

Imagine there is a GSM network where the sites and cells are evenly distributed under each
MSC/BSC. The network consists of:
 400 Properties
 2 MSC
 8 BSCs
 400 sites
 1000 cells

If you wanted a filter that included all the sites under ‘MSC1’, you would need two rules:
 An element type rule saying you only wanted sites
 A hierarchy rule saying anything under MSC1

The following diagrams show the difference in processing if you run these rules in different orders:

Example 1: With the ‘Element Type’ rule first:

Processing example - Hierarchy Type rule first

Even in this simple example, the filter must process 23% more objects.

It is even more important to optimise filters if they are complex as the difference in speed will be
dramatic.

Example of Making Filters Faster by Using Fewer Rules

This example shows how performance is improved by restructuring filter definitions to use fewer
rules and by making the faster rules run first. The two filters below provide identical outputs but the
performance of the second filter will far exceed the first.

In the first filter, every object is compared first with the Node field and then the Node element type.
Items that do not fulfil these criteria are then compared with the cell field and then the cell element type:

Processing example - Element Type rule first

First Filter Showing Time Consuming Process

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The second filter, however, compares every object with the Node element type followed, if needed,
with a comparison against the cell element type. Only if an object is of the correct element type Exporting Filters using XML Export
does it do a field comparison and it only does it once, unlike the first filter which had all cells doing
two field comparisons: If you want to take a copy of your filters (for example for backup) you can use the XML Export
functionality. See Exporting Filters on page 437.

First Filter Showing Faster Process

Displaying Filters
To show selected sites that have been defined in a filter:
In the Filter box, click the required filter.

To show a specific network element:

1. Ensure the selected filter includes the required element. If in doubt, use the All filter.

2. Type the element name in the Find box.

When you have both a Map View window and the Site Database window open, you can also
select an element on the map and the Site Database window scrolls to select that element
automatically. For this to work, the filter that is selected must include the selected element.

Tip: For information on what you can do with the display settings of filters, see Copying the Display
Properties of Filters and Using Visualisers.

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11 Managing Antennas and Equipment
This chapter explains how to create and manage the main equipment types, including antennas.
Note: There is some important information on the antenna-related definitions used. See 'Overview
of Antenna Concepts in ASSET Radio' in the ASSET Radio User Reference Guide.
Managing Antennas and Equipment using Folders
You can manage antennas and other equipment in two main types of folder:
 All projects - the equipment will be available in all projects within the current database
 The current project - the equipment will only be available in the project that is currently
open
Here is an example relating to antennas:
Example of using folders to store antennas
If required, you can add subfolders to any of these two main folders, to organise your equipment in
a more structured way. To do this:
1. Select the appropriate main folder for which you want to add subfolders (either 'All Projects'
or the specific project).
2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New folder.
A new folder is added to the list, which you should name as appropriate.
Tip: If required, you can also add subfolders to subfolders.
To move subfolders and equipment within folders:
1. Select the equipment/subfolder that you want to move.
2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Cut.
3. Select the folder/subfolder into which you want to move the equipment/subfolder.
4. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.
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To rename equipment or subfolders:
1. Select the required equipment or subfolder.
2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.
3. Type the new name as required, and then press Enter.
To delete equipment or subfolders:
1. Select the required equipment or subfolder.
2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.
The selected equipment or subfolder is removed.
Note:
 You cannot move, rename or delete the All Projects or current project folders, and you
cannot delete folders that contain items that are assigned in the Site Database. However,
you can delete a folder containing items that are unassigned; in such cases, the items (but
not the folder) can be restored from the wastebasket.
Storing Antennas in the Database
Antennas are stored in the database. These types of antennas are supported:
 Cellular antennas are used in ASSET Radio, TEOCO's radio planning product. They are
designed by manufacturers with fixed gain, directivity and radiation pattern. When installed
on a network they only have one pattern, which carries all of the uplink and downlink traffic.
See Using the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box on page 319.
Note: There is some important information on the antenna-related definitions used. See
'Overview of Antenna Concepts in ASSET Radio' in the ASSET Radio User Reference
Guide.
 Microwave antennas are used in ASSET Backhaul, TEOCO's microwave link planning
product.
See About the Microwave Antennas Dialog Box on page 74.
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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

Important:
Using the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box
For all propagation models except MYRIAD, Volcano, and ASSET Propagation:
This picture shows an example of the Cellular Antennas dialog box: o The Electrical Downtilt and Azimuth Offset values influence the predictions.
For MYRIAD, Volcano, and ASSET Propagation models:
o The Electrical Downtilt and Azimuth Offset values do not influence the predictions.
Instead, these models read these values directly from the antenna mask file.
For all propagation models:
o The Horizontal and Vertical Beamwidth values do not influence the predictions.
For more information, see 'Antenna Tilt and Masking Calculations' in the ASSET Technical
Reference Guide.

Normally you would not create antennas, but import them using an antenna definition file supplied
by a manufacturer. However, depending on your permissions, if you do want to create or edit an
antenna, you can do so.

In ASSET, cellular antennas consist of an 'antenna device' and one or more 'patterns' belonging to
that device. Here is an example:

Tips:
Cellular Antennas Dialog Box
 You can create folders and sub-folders in which to store your antennas. See Managing
This displays all the antenna devices and patterns that have been added or imported for your Antennas and Equipment using Folders on page 317.
project(s).
 You can perform an XML Import or XML Export of all the objects in the Cellular Antennas
The antennas are presented at two levels: Device (parent level) and Pattern (child level). dialog box by using the Import or Export buttons.
 You can perform folder-specific or antenna-specific XML Exports from the Cellular
For more information, see About the Tabs on the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box on page 320. Antennas dialog box. See About the Context Menu on the Tree Tab on page 337.
As antennas are important elements of a network, many parameters can be stored for each  You can easily organise your antenna devices and patterns by grouping together variants
antenna in the database including: of a device. For example, if you have a variable electrical tilt antenna type, you can store
each of its antenna patterns under a common device. You can use the same principle for
 Antenna Gain multi-mode antennas, for example GSM900 / GSM1800 / UMTS antennas. See Maintaining
 Frequency Band Your Antenna Lists Efficiently on page 342.

 Manufacturer name  You can perform searches for antennas, using one of two methods:

 Physical dimensions (such as weight) o Basic searches using the Tree tab (see Using the Basic Search for Cellular Antennas
on page 332).
 Horizontal and vertical radiation patterns (masks)
o Rule-base searches using the Advanced Search tab (see Using the Advanced Search
For the following parameters, you can either enter your own values, or click the Calculate buttons for Antennas on page 337).
to derive the values from the antenna pattern:
 Electrical Downtilt
 Azimuth Offset (see About the Azimuth Offset).
 Horizontal Beamwidth
 Vertical Beamwidth

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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

There are also sets of tabs in the right pane of the Cellular Antennas dialog box:
About the Tabs on the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box  When you click an antenna device, you can access the information on these tabs:
General, Hierarchy, Antenna Usage.
There are two tabs in the left pane of the Cellular Antennas dialog box:
See Adding Antenna Devices on page 323.
 Tree
 When you click an antenna pattern, you can access the information on these tabs:
 Advanced Search General, Mask.
See Adding Patterns to an Antenna Device on page 329.

About the Filter Option in the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box

The Tree tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box contains a Filter drop-down box that enables
you to view only the antennas that exist in your chosen filter. This is only appropriate if you use
The antennas comprise two levels: antenna device (parent level) and antenna pattern (child level). filters that are based on antenna objects.

Note: The tabs in the right pane of the Cellular Antennas dialog box are mentioned at the end of
this topic.

The Tree tab displays all the antenna devices and patterns that have been added or imported for
your project(s). There are various display options for how you want these to be shown.

The Advanced Search tab enables you to perform detailed searches using customised rules. It also Filter drop-down box on Tree tab
provides a useful way of regrouping patterns to devices, and helps you to efficiently maintain your
antenna lists.
Important: The Filter selection only operates when you are viewing the Tree tab. It has absolutely
The following table describes the actions you can perform on each tab: no effect when you are viewing the Advanced Search tab.

On This Tab You Can For More Information See

Tree Add antenna devices.
Add antenna patterns.
Find antenna devices and patterns (basic
search).
Edit and move antenna devices and patterns.
Delete antenna devices and patterns.
View the pathloss at different angles for a
pattern.
Display two patterns simultaneously to compare Comparing Two Patterns on page 336
them.
Use the Context Menu to make changes.
Advanced Perform detailed searches for antenna devices
Search and patterns, by constructing search rules base
on specific attributes.
Fine tune the results of the advanced search
results using extra inclusion/exclusion options.
Maintain your antenna lists efficiently by
grouping patterns under appropriate devices
and deleting empty devices.
Use the Context Menu to make changes.
Adding Antenna Devices on page 323 About the Display Options in the Cellular Antennas Dialog Box
Adding Patterns to an Antenna Device
on page 329 There are two sets of display options in the Cellular Antennas dialog box, available by clicking the
Options menu:
Using the Basic Search for Cellular
Antennas on page 332
Editing or Moving Antenna Devices and
Patterns on page 334
Deleting Antenna Devices and Patterns
on page 333
Viewing Pathlosses for Patterns on page
335
About the Context Menu on the Tree Tab
on page 337 Note: These options are available on both the Tree tab and the Advanced Search tab. In the case
Performing the Advanced Search on of the Tree tab, the selected filter will also influence which antennas are shown.
page 340
Firstly, you can choose one of the display options described in this table:
Fine Tuning the Results of the Advanced
Search on page 341
Select This Option To Display
Maintaining Your Antenna Lists
Efficiently on page 342 Show Pattern ID The Pattern ID, for example:
About the Context Menu on the
Advanced Search Tab on page 344

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 Managing Antennas and Equipment
Show Unique Pattern The Unique Pattern ID (device\pattern) in the list, for example:
ID
Tip: This may be useful if you use the Unique ID override option for your
patterns.
Secondly, you can choose one of the display options described in this table:
Select This Option To Display
Show All Devices All antenna devices, irrespective of their usage in the Site Database (all of
their patterns are displayed).
Show only Used Only antenna devices that have one or more of their patterns in use in the
Devices Site Database (all of their patterns are displayed).
Show only Unused Only antenna devices that do not have any of their patterns in use in the
Devices Site Database (all of their patterns are displayed).
Note: In the case of the ‘Show All/Used/Unused' options, the display affects all the projects in the
tree list.
Tip: If you make changes to the antenna assignments in the Site Database while using the Used or
Unused display option, you can use the Refresh button to refresh the list of antennas.
Adding Antenna Devices
In ASSET Radio, antenna patterns are parented to an antenna device. The following information
describes the parameters on the antenna device, and also describes how you could manually add a
device.
Note:
 There is a power tool for converting Planet Antenna files (*.txt / *.msi) into Antenna XML
files so that multiple antennas and patterns can be converted into ASSET XML format. It is
available from Add-ins under the File menu (see Using the Planet Antenna Utility on page
350), but can also be run independently of ASSET. If you require further details, please
contact your regional Product Support centre.
 There is also a Planet PAFX Antenna Import feature that supports the direct import of
*.pafx antenna files, where the Antenna Device and multiple Antenna Patterns that are
contained in the *.pafx file are imported directly into ASSET. No intermediate steps or
manual intervention are required. See Using the Planet PAFX Antenna Import on page 349.
You can add cellular antenna devices to the antenna inventory in a number of ways:
 If you have the required antenna information stored in a file that uses one of the supported
formats, you can import them. For more information, see Importing and Exporting on page
417.
Tip: You can also perform an XML Import/Export to/from the Cellular Antennas dialog box.
See About the Context Menu on the Tree Tab on page 337.
 If you have the antenna manufacturer's datasheets, or know the parameters (dimensions,
masks and so on), you can add them manually.
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ASSET User Reference Guide
To add an antenna device manually:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
2. In the dialog box that appears, right-click the project folder that will contain the antenna.
Note: You need the correct privileges to add antennas to all projects.
3. From the menu that appears, select New Antenna Device.
4. Select the new antenna and add the required information on the tabs:
On This Tab You Can
General In the Device ID box, type the user-defined name of the selected antenna device.
In the Manufacturer box, type the name of the manufacturer of your antenna.
In the Description box, type a description for your antenna device.
The Beam Patterns box shows the number of patterns on the device.
In the Antenna Type drop-down list, you can select one one of the following:
 Passive
 Beam-Switching
Coloured icons in the user interface help you to distinguish each type:
Switched Beam Antennas:
If the device's antenna type is set to Switched Beam, the behaviour is different from
non-Switched Beam antennas. For more information about Switched Beam
antennas, see 'About Switched Beam Antennas' in the ASSET Radio User
Reference Guide.
For more information about configuring antennas in the Site Database, see 'About
the Physical Antennas and Logical Antennas tabs' in the ASSET Radio User
Reference Guide. (This includes a section 'Configuring 5G Switched Beam
Antennas'.)
Important: The behaviour of the physical and logical antenna parameters in the Site
Database differs significantly according to the antenna type. You should only set the
Beam-Switching type for use with 5G cells or for digital splitting with other
technologies.
ASSET automatically updates the Created and Modified boxes when a new antenna
device is created or modified.
Costing: Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have
entered, and add a unit cost for the antenna.
Device details: Specify information about the device’s physical dimensions.
Antenna Beam Sets (Switched Beam): This pane is only relevant If the device's
antenna type is set to Switched Beam. A beam set is a defined group of patterns
that will be used by an assigned antenna. For a description of how to use this tab,
see Creating Beam Sets on page 326.
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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

On This Tab You Can

Creating Beam Sets
Hierarchy View a list of the antenna patterns that belong to the currently selected antenna
device. To view the details, click the Display button.
If the antenna device type is Switched Beam, you must define at least one beam set for it. A beam
set is a defined group of patterns that will be used by an assigned antenna. The beam set
information should be in the antenna definition file supplied by the antenna manufacturer.

Important:
 Copy and Paste functionality can be used to help to set up the data rows in the grid. So you
may prefer to prepare the information in an external spreadsheet, and use it to populate the
Antenna Usage Run a report showing which objects are using the device or pattern. This might be beam set definitions.
useful in various ways, for example when you want to perform cleanups.
Any data pasted into the grid will automatically create the required rows (there are also
You can choose to report on all objects or limit it to Properties, cells or repeaters.
Where antennas are used by all projects, you can select to limit the report to the
'Add Row' and 'Remove Row' options which may be useful when making manual entries).
current project. When ready, click Run Report. Afterwards, you can double-click on The instructions below describe how the column information needs to be defined.
any column header to re-order the data, and/or use the Find functionality.
 Validation rules must be met, otherwise the set will not be accepted when you click the OK
button. Appropriate error messages are provided in the user interface.
5. Click Apply (and Commit, as required) to save the changes to the antenna device.

To add a beam set:

About Switched Beam Antennas
1. Refer to the initial steps in Adding Antenna Devices on page 323.
Switched Beam antennas are only relevant for 5G, except when used for digital splitting with LTE.
2. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, select the appropriate antenna device, and click the
Operationally, a switched beam antenna allows the signal to be steered in both the horizontal axis General tab.
and vertical axis to give directional coverage to a mobile. For example, a switched beam antenna
may have 136 patterns formed from a grid of beams which results in many horizontal and several The Antenna Beam Sets (Switched Beam) pane lists any sets that have already been
vertical tilts. This means the azimuth can be electronically changed in small steps, and likewise the defined for the antenna device.
vertical tilt.
3. Click the Add Set button.
These effects can be considered in ASSET Radio, using the Pathloss Predictor, Signal Coverage
Analysis, or Simulator. 4. In the Add New Group dialog box, name the set, and click OK.

5. Ensure the appropriate set is selected, and click the Edit Set button.
Important: To use beam switching, Switched Beam antennas must be present in the Cellular
The Beam Set Editor appears:
Antennas dialog box (Equipment menu), with the device's antenna type set to ‘Beam Switching’,
and with defined Beam Sets. For full information on the Cellular Antennas dialog box, see the
'Managing Antennas and Equipment' chapter in the ASSET User Reference Guide.

Each Switched Beam device must (in addition to traffic patterns) have at least one control pattern. If
there are multiple frequencies, there must be one control pattern (in addition to traffic patterns) for
each frequency.

Switched Beam antennas typically comprise large numbers of patterns, therefore their configuration
in ASSET Radio is different from other antennas.

Notes:
 ASSET Radio provides a utility to create switched beam antennas that can partially model
full dimension (FD) beamforming for 5G, with beams in the horizontal and vertical
directions. This can increase the overall spectral efficiency of the cell and help to plan
coverage for users at different heights. Once created, they can then be assigned to
Properties and cells and used in the normal way for coverage analysis. See 'Using the
Switched Beam Antenna Utility' in the ASSET User Reference Guide.
 You can also use digital splitting on switched beam antennas. For more information, see
Digitally Splitting Antennas in the ASSET User Reference Guide. This table provides descriptions for each column in the grid:

325 326
 Managing Antennas and Equipment
Column Name Description
Pattern Beam Index This is the number that corresponds to the Pattern Beam Index value
specified at the pattern level (Info tab). See Adding Patterns to an Antenna
Device on page 329.
There must only be one instance of each pattern beam index in this column.
SSB Index If the row does not represent a control beam, the SSB Index must be set to
'-1'.
If the row represents a control beam, this index must be set to an
appropriate value, as explained here:
The total number of unique SSB Indexes within the beam set (Number of
SSB Beams) is specified on right side of the dialog box, and the validation
rules will expect this number to be matched by the corresponding entries in
the SSB Index column.
For example, if Number of SSB Beams is set to '3', then the validation rules
will expect one (or more) index of '0', one (or more) index of '1' and one (or
more) index of '2' in the SSB Index column, but no other index values.
A valid configuration can involve several control beams being grouped
under the same SSB index value. For that reason, the SSB Index value
does not have to be unique within the column.
Is Control Beam '1' = True; '0' = False.
Is Traffic Beam '1' = True; '0' = False.
Note: A beam can be set to '1' for both Control and Traffic, to represent the
fact that it supports both.
Control Beam Index This can be any number from '0' upwards, and it must be unique within the
column.
If it is not a control beam, this must be set to '-1'.
Traffic Beam Index This can be any number from '0' upwards, and it must be unique within the
column.
If it is not a traffic beam, this must be set to '-1'.
Tip: On the right side of the dialog box, there is an 'Auto Set Indexes'
button. This can be useful for setting the Control Beam Index and Traffic
Beam Index columns with incremental numbers.
Antenna Pattern Info This shows the Frequency, Electrical Tilt and Azimuth Offset that
correspond to the pattern of that particular Pattern Beam Index. If the same
index is used for more than one frequency, then multiple details are
displayed.
6. On the right side of the dialog box, specify the Number of SSB Beams. This represents the
total number of unique SSB Indexes within the beam set, and the validation rules will
expect this number to be matched by the corresponding entries in the SSB Index column
on the left. For example, if Number of SSB Beams is set to '3', then the validation rules will
expect one (or more) index of '0', one (or more) index of '1' and one (or more) index of '2' in
the SSB Index column, but no other index values.
The following simplified examples show beam sets that would satisfy the validation rules.
This first example shows three different SSB Index values of '0', '1' and '2', which
successfully matches the Number of SSB indexes ('3'):
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ASSET User Reference Guide
This second example shows two identical SSB Index values of '0'. This represents a
'grouped' control beam. The only SSB Index value in this set is '0' (albeit with more than
one instance), and so this successfully matches the Number of SSB indexes ('1'):
Note: There is also a way of creating a beam set based on frequency. See Creating a
Beam Set Based on Frequency on page 328.
7. When you have finished, click OK.
If the validation fails, you will see a message. Otherwise, the changes will be accepted.
8. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, click Apply (and Commit, as required) to save the
changes to the antenna device.
Creating a Beam Set Based on Frequency
When creating a beam set for Switched Beam antennas, you may want to do so by adding all the
patterns that operate at a requested frequency.
Important:
 This method guarantees that you add all the patterns (from the device's original set of
patterns) that operate at the requested frequency, that is, the frequency that is specified on
the Info tab of the antenna pattern.
Each of those patterns will have a Pattern Beam Index, and that index may also support
other frequencies. For this reason, the resulting beam set can in fact be used on those
other frequencies. This is indicated in the 'Antenna Pattern Info' column in the Beam Set
Editor.
This is a useful way of checking that the details in the beam set are as expected. It also
has the advantage that where you have the same antenna patterns that can operate at
different frequencies, you only need one beam set, instead of several sets.
The frequency itself is assigned on the logical antenna on the Property in the Site
Database, so only one frequency will be used when on that antenna when predictions are
run.
When you use this method, you must subsequently manually amend the rows that
represent control beams, as this information will not be known by the Beam Set Editor. You
can, of course, manually amend the beam set in any other way, as required.
 If you consecutively press the 'Add Patterns at Frequency' button, it will overwrite anything
previously in the beam set.
To creating a beam set based on frequency:
1. Refer to the initial steps in Creating Beam Sets on page 326.
2. In the Beam Set Editor, on the right side, you will see this option:
328
 Managing Antennas and Equipment
3. In the Frequency drop-down list, select the required frequency.
4. Click Add Patterns at Frequency.
This example shows part of a beam set where patterns that support 37000MHz were
added, but where they also support 40000MHz:
Note: All the SSB Index values show '-1', which means that you must subsequently
manually amend the rows that represent control beams, as this information will not be
known by the Beam Set Editor. The SSB Index for traffic beams should, of course, remain
as '-1'.
5. When you have finished, click OK.
If the validation fails, you will see a message. Otherwise, the changes will be accepted.
6. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, click Apply (and Commit, as required) to save the
changes to the antenna device.
Adding Patterns to an Antenna Device
In ASSET Radio, antenna patterns are parented to an antenna device. The following information
describes the parameters on the antenna pattern, and also describes how you could manually add
a pattern.
Note: In ASSET Radio, from a 5G perspective, the terms 'pattern' and 'beam' can be considered to
be the same thing.
To add patterns to an antenna device:
1. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, ensure you have added an antenna device to the
antennas database.
2. Right-click the antenna device for which you want to add a pattern and click New Pattern.
3. Add the required information on the tabs:
On This Tab You Can
General In the Options menu, you can choose to show the Unique Pattern ID, if you want to
have a unique name for the pattern, independent of the device/pattern name. This is
primarily intended for use with legacy imports and exports (PlaNet) as these tools
will not recognise the new device\pattern format generated by ASSET. To manually
set this ID, select the Override checkbox and enter the required new ID. If you
choose to import PlaNet format antennas, this field is auto-completed with the
antennas name contained in the file, enabling PlaNet sites to reference the correct
antenna on import.
In the Description box, type a description for your pattern.
329
ASSET User Reference Guide
On This Tab You Can
ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when a new pattern is
created or modified.
Define the gain for the selected pattern, referenced to either an isotropic (dBi) or
dipole (dBd) antenna.
Note: Ensure you select the correct reference antenna (dBi or dBd). There is no
conversion of the gain value in this dialog box when you switch from one to the
other. With respect to the cells in the Site Database, this gain value will be added to
the transmit power to determine the EiRP (if dBi chosen) or the ERP (if dBd
chosen).
Specify the polarisation used in this pattern: Horizontal, Vertical or Cross Polar.
Specify the Frequency of the pattern, the Front to back ratio, and, if appropriate, the
Cross polar antenna discrimination.
For Element Array Indicator, you can set this to '0', '1' or '2' to indicate the
capabilities of the antenna: 0 = single; 1 = dual band; 2 = tri band.
For Lever/Parameter Config ID, you can specify the lever/parameter configuration of
the antenna (such as the mounting or downtilt kit type).
Switched Beam Antennas
If the parent device is set to Switched Beam, you must specify the Pattern Beam
Index. This value must be unique per frequency.
You must define one or more Beam Sets so that you can create groups of patterns,
and specify the Control and/or Traffic beams. See Creating Beam Sets on page
326.
You can select the Composite Pattern option if you wish to use digital splitting on
the antenna. This will enable you to select beams on the Logical Antennas tab for a
property for the purpose of digital splitting. For more information, see
Logical Antennas Tab - Parameters in the ASSET Radio User Reference Guide.
When the Composite Pattern option is set and the pattern has been assigned to a
Logical Antenna, if you then de-select the Composite Pattern option, a warning that
the pattern is associated with a Logical Antenna appears.
Mask In the Edit Primary Mask pane, click the required mask type (either Horizontal or
Vertical) to view and edit a table of losses in dB for different values of the pattern
azimuth (or elevation). These losses are the reduction in antenna gain from the
antenna pattern's point of maximum gain. Any changes you make are shown in the
corresponding diagram on the mask tab.
You can enter degree values up to 1 decimal place.
Note: The diagrams only display path losses of 40 dB or less.
For the Electrical Downtilt, Azimuth Offset*, and Horizontal and Vertical
Beamwidths, you can either enter your own values, or click the 'Calculate' buttons to
derive the values from the antenna pattern.
* See About the Azimuth Offset.
Important:
For all propagation models except MYRIAD and Volcano:
 The Electrical Downtilt and Azimuth Offset values influence the predictions.
For MYRIAD and Volcano models:
 The Electrical Downtilt and Azimuth Offset values do not influence the
predictions. Instead, these models read these values directly from the antenna
mask file.
For all propagation models:
 The Horizontal and Vertical Beamwidth values do not influence the predictions.
4. When finished, click Apply (and Commit, as required) to save the changes to the pattern.
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About the Azimuth Offset Using the Basic Search for Cellular Antennas
This topic provides a clarification of the Azimuth Offset, which is one of the antenna pattern On the Tree tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box you can search on device and pattern IDs
parameters that can be configured on the Mask tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box. using the Find drop-down list.

This parameter is the angle, expressed in degrees, between the Physical Azimuth bearing of an
installed antenna and the maximum of its main beam in the azimuth plane. Azimuth Offset can be Tip: If you have Show Unique Pattern ID selected in the Options menu, you can also search on a
positive or negative. For example, a positive value means that the antenna beam is directed to a unique pattern ID.
compass heading numerically greater than the Physical Azimuth bearing.

Whilst the Physical Azimuth bearing is fixed by the geometry of the antenna installation, in general
the Azimuth Offset is remotely controllable and variable. This antenna capability is also known as
Remote Azimuth Steering or RAS.
The 'Effective Azimuth' bearing is defined as the sum of the Physical Azimuth bearing and the
Azimuth Offset (Effective Azimuth = Physical Azimuth + Azimuth Offset).
To make a basic search:
1. In the Find box, type one or more characters which you know are contained in the device
or pattern. In this example, the first two characters have been typed. The first item
matching these characters in the tree list is highlighted and a list of other matching items
becomes available in the drop-down list:

Displaying the Azimuth Offset on Map View

When you display cells on the Map View, you can choose to show the azimuths so that they
consider Azimuth Offset.

To do this:

1. In the Map View, in the Layer Control Pane, click the Data Types tab.

2. In the list of data types, select the checkbox next to the required network element filter
under the Filters heading.

3. Double-click on the name of the network element filter.

4. In the Display Properties dialog box that appears, select the 'Consider Azimuth Offset'
checkbox in the Radial section for cells.

5. Click Apply/Redraw.

Here is an example giving a comparison:

'Consider Azimuth Offset'
not selected
Ant 1: Physical Azimuth = 0 deg
Ant 2: Physical Azimuth = 120 deg
Ant 3: Physical Azimuth = 240 deg
Example result:
2. If the first item is not the one you require, either select the one you require from the drop-
'Consider Azimuth Offset' down list, or click the Find button to highlight the next matching item in the tree view.
selected
If you want to search for antennas by setting customised rules, you can use the Advanced Search
Ant 1: Azimuth Offset = 10 ; Effective Azimuth = 0 + 10 = 10 deg tab.
Ant 2: Azimuth Offset = -10 ; Effective Azimuth = 120 - 10 = 110
deg
Ant 3: Azimuth Offset = 5 ; Effective Azimuth = 240 + 5 = 245 deg Using the Hierarchy Tab to View, Delete or Reparent Patterns
Example result: You can use the Hierarchy tab of an antenna device to view the patterns that belong to it. To view
or refresh the details, click Display/Refresh.

In addition, when you click on an antenna object in the Map View using either the 'Re-orientate
antenna' option or 'Move antenna' option, the Effective Azimuth bearing is displayed (where
appropriate) next to the Physical Azimuth bearing.
You can use this tab to remove multiple elements to the Wastebasket. To do this, select the
required elements, then right-click and select Delete.
You can also reparent multiple patterns to a different device. To do this, select the required antenna
patterns, then right-click and select Cut. Then select a different antenna device in the left pane of
the dialog box, right-click, and select Paste.

You can also perform the Hierarchy tab functionality when you click on a folder (Tree tab only).

For more information about the Hierarchy tab, see:

 Deleting Antenna Devices and Patterns on page 333
 Editing or Moving Antenna Devices and Patterns on page 334
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 Managing Antennas and Equipment
Deleting Antenna Devices and Patterns
Provided that you have write access to the Cellular Antennas dialog box, you can delete antenna
devices and patterns. You can either do this individually, or you can use the Hierarchy tab to
perform multiple deletions.
Note: You will not be allowed to delete antenna devices or patterns that are currently assigned to
nodes/cells in the Site Database.
To delete a single antenna or pattern:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
The Cellular Antennas dialog box displays a tree list of folders.
2. Extend the tree to view the antenna devices and patterns available.
3. Right-click the device or pattern you want to delete and from the menu that appears, click
Delete.
Warning: If you delete a device, all of its associated patterns will be removed to the
wastebasket.
To delete multiple antenna devices:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
The Cellular Antennas dialog box displays a tree list of folders.
2. Select the folder from which you wish to delete antenna devices.
3. Select the Hierarchy tab.
4. Click the Display button.
A list of the antenna devices stored in this folder is displayed.
5. Hold down the Ctrl key and click the devices you want to delete, so that they are highlighted.
6. Right click and, from the menu that appears, select Delete.
All the highlighted antenna devices are deleted.
To delete multiple patterns:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
The Cellular Antennas dialog box displays a tree list of folders.
2. Expand the folder from which you wish to delete antenna patterns.
3. Select the antenna device from which you wish to delete patterns.
4. Select the Hierarchy tab.
5. Click the Display button.
A list of the patterns stored for this antenna device is displayed.
6. Hold down the Ctrl key and click the patterns you want to delete, so that they are highlighted.
7. Right click and, from the menu that appears, select Delete.
All the highlighted patterns are deleted.
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You can restore antenna devices and patterns by selecting them from the Wastebasket. For more
information on how to do this, see About the Wastebasket on page 76.
Tip: There is also a powerful 'Delete All' option that can be used on the Advanced Search tab.
See Maintaining Your Antenna Lists Efficiently on page 342.
Editing or Moving Antenna Devices and Patterns
Provided that you have write access to the Cellular Antennas dialog box, you can edit and move
antenna devices and patterns.
To edit an existing antenna or antenna pattern:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
2. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, click on the antenna or pattern you wish to edit.
3. Edit the required information on the tabs.
4. When finished, click Apply and, if required, Commit.
To move an existing antenna or antenna pattern in the antennas database:
In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, select and drag the antenna or the pattern to the
desired location.
(Antenna patterns can only be moved to antenna devices.)
Tip: Alternatively, you can use the Cut and Paste options from the Right-Click menu.
Warning: If you move antennas between projects, you cannot restore them to their original
project by clicking the Restore button.
To move multiple antennas or antenna patterns in the antennas database:
1. In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, select the folder containing the antennas that you
want to move, or the antenna containing the patterns that you want to move.
2. Select the Hierarchy tab.
3. Click the Display button.
Depending on the item you selected, a list of the cellular antennas stored in this folder or a
list of patterns stored on this antenna is displayed.
4. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the antennas or patterns you want to move so that they
are highlighted.
5. Right click one of the highlighted antennas or patterns, and select Cut.
6. Right-click the folder or antenna to which you want to move the antennas or patterns, and
select Paste.
The antennas or patterns are moved to the new location.
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Viewing Pathlosses for Patterns Comparing Two Patterns

In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, on the Mask tab, you can view the precise path loss If you have more than one pattern available, you can compare different patterns with each other to
(measured to 1 decimal place) at a particular angle on a pattern. enable you to select the most appropriate one for your requirements.

To do this:
Important: The diagrams in the Horizontal and Vertical panes only display path losses of 40 dB
or less. 1. In the Antennas Database, on the Tree tab, select the required antenna device, and the
first pattern that you want to view:

To do this:

1. In either the Horizontal or Vertical pane, click on the angle for which you want to view the
path loss.
The path loss at this particular point appears in the lower left corner of the beam pattern
pane. This picture shows an example, in which the path loss at 327° for the primary pattern
is 29.1 dB:

2. Click the Mask tab. The first pattern will be displayed on both horizontal and vertical masks
in red.

3. From the Secondary pattern drop-down list, select the second pattern that you want view:

4. Ensure that the Both patterns option is selected:

Tip: If you are comparing two patterns, you can view two pathloss values at the same
angle - one for the primary pattern (in red) and one for the secondary pattern (in blue).

2. To view the path loss at another angle, click the mouse button and drag the cursor to the
required angle. The second pattern is displayed on the same diagrams in blue:

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Tip: To view just one of the patterns at any time, select the Primary or Secondary pattern
option. Using the Advanced Search for Antennas

You can now compare the two patterns. You can make changes to the primary pattern, but If you want to search for antennas using customised rules, click on the Advanced Search tab of
the secondary pattern is read-only. the Cellular Antennas dialog box. Here you can:
 Create detailed search rules to enable you to locate specific antennas
Tip: As part of your comparison, you can view pathloss information for both patterns at
specific angles. For more information, see Viewing Pathlosses for Patterns on page 335.  Perform a search using the rules you have created
 Edit and remove search rules
 Fine tune the search results
About the Context Menu on the Tree Tab
 Add chosen items to the Selection Filter
An extensive context menu is available on the Tree tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box, by  Maintain your antenna lists efficiently
right-clicking on an object.

The options are as follows: Creating Rules for Advanced Searches

If You Want To Right-click This Level And Click This Option The first step towards performing an advanced search for antennas with particular attributes is to
create your search rules.
Create a new folder. Folder New Folder
To add a search rule:
Create a new antenna device. Folder New Antenna Device
Create a new antenna pattern. Device New Pattern 1. On the Advanced Search tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box, click the Add Rule
button:
Add the item to the list in the Advanced Search tab. Device or pattern Include in Advanced
Search
Note: If the selected item is a pattern, the parent
device is also added. If it is a device, only the
device is added.
Add the device or pattern to the Selection Filter. Device or pattern Add to Selection Filter
Delete the item from the database. Device, pattern, or folder Delete
Rename the item. Device, pattern, or folder Rename
Cut the pattern, and paste it onto a different device, Device, pattern, or folder Cut and Paste
or cut the device, then paste it into a different
folder.
Tip: You can also use the 'drag and drop' method.
Produce a report showing which objects are using Device, pattern, or folder Report Antenna Usage
the device or pattern.
Perform an XML Export directly from the Cellular Device, pattern, or folder XML Export
Antennas dialog box.
The exported object(s)
correspond to which level
Note: You can perform an XML Import or XML
of the tree is right-clicked.
Export of all the objects in the Cellular Antennas Device will include child
dialog box by using the Import or Export buttons.
pattern(s); Pattern will
include parent device;
Folder will include all its
devices and patterns.
Apply, Commit or Restore a change. Device or pattern Apply
Commit
Restore

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2. Select an attribute from the Antenna Search Rule dialog box:

Performing the Advanced Search
Once you have created your antenna search rules, you can perform your advanced search. To do
this:

1. On the Advanced Search tab, select AND or OR (as required) in the Search Rules pane:

3. From the drop-down list for the Operator field, select an operator (not relevant for all
attributes).

4. If you want your search to exclude antennas described by the operator, select the 'Not'
checkbox.

5. Type a value (or for some attributes select a value from a drop-down list, or for range-type
attributes you would need to type two values). For example you could search for antennas
with a Frequency equal to 37000:

If you have only a single rule, the operator is insignificant. But for multiple rules, you need
to choose:
o AND, if you want all of the rules to be satisfied
o OR, if you want any of the rules to be satisfied

2. Click Search.
After you have done this, the results appear in the Search Results pane:

Tip: For some attributes you can use a Regular Expression as an operator. For further
information see Examples of Searching by Regular Expression on page 108.

6. Click Add.

The rule appears in the Search Rules pane. You can add additional rules for your search in the
same manner. Once you have created your search rules you can perform your advanced search.

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Note: The object count appears under the Search Results pane. If you subsequently use any of the Tip: For a table listing all the context (right-click) menu options, see About the Context Menu on the
Exclude/Include options (see Fine Tuning the Results of the Advanced Search on page 341), this Advanced Search Tab on page 344.
changes to:

Adding Searched Items to the Selection Filter

Editing and Removing Search Rules The Advanced Search tab also enables you to add any of the items in the list to the Selection
Filter.
To edit a search rule that you have added:
You can do this for:
1. In the Search Rules Pane of the Advanced Search tab, right-click the rule that you want
to edit, and from the menu that appears click Edit.  Individual items one at a time, by right-clicking and selecting 'Add to Selection Filter'

- or -  All the items currently in the list, by clicking the 'Add Search Results to Selection filter'
button
Double click the rule to be edited.
The Antenna Search Rule dialog box appears. Tip: For a table listing all the context (right-click) menu options, see About the Context Menu on the
Advanced Search Tab on page 344.
2. Edit the entries in the Attribute and Operator boxes.

3. Click the Update button to save the entries.

Report of the Search Results
To remove a search rule:
You can also generate a report in text format for the search results, by clicking the the 'Text
1. In the Search Rules Pane of the Advanced Search tab, select the rule to be removed. Export' button.

2. Click the Remove Rule button.

The rule is deleted from the Search Rules pane. Maintaining Your Antenna Lists Efficiently
The Advanced Search tab provides options that help you to efficiently maintain the antenna lists
To remove all search rules: that are stored in your projects. These options are:
1. In the Search Rules Pane of the Advanced Search tab, right-click any of the rules.  Find All Empty Devices

2. Select Remove All.  Delete All (from the database)

All the rules are deleted from the Search Rules pane.  Group Antennas by Device

This table describes them:

Fine Tuning the Results of the Advanced Search
If You Want To Do This
The Advanced Search tab provides some extra options that help you to fine tune the results of the
Advanced Search. These are: Find all antenna devices that do not contain any antenna patterns. This may be Click the 'Find All Empty
useful if you want to delete these devices, either individually by right-clicking, or Devices' button
 Exclude from Search Results (right-click) using the Delete All button. (positioned top-left)

 Include All Associated Patterns (right-click) Perform a database removal of all the devices currently listed in the Search Click the 'Delete All'
Results. button (positioned bottom-
 Include Patterns for All Devices (button) right)
Notes:
This table describes them:  The deletion process operates at the device level: an antenna device is
either deleted as a whole (with all its patterns) or it is not deleted at all.
If You Want To Do This
 If the deletion process encounters a device with one or more of its patterns
currently assigned in the Site Database, or encounters a device that does
Remove the antenna device (with all its patterns), or remove an individual Right-click on a device or
not have all its patterns currently listed in the Search results, it skips that
pattern, from the Search results. pattern,
device and sends an appropriate message to the Message Log. It then
then select 'Exclude from
continues processing other items in the list.
Search Results'
Group together selected patterns under a particular antenna device. See Grouping Antennas
Ensure all patterns for the selected device are included in the Search results. Right-click on a device,
by Device on page 343
then select 'Include All
Associated Patterns'
Ensure all patterns for all the currently listed devices are included in the Search Click the 'Include Patterns
results. for All Devices' button

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o The middle pane ‘Search Results’ initially shows the same list that was present in the
Grouping Antennas by Device Advanced Search results
o The left pane ‘Device/Pattern List’ initially shows all other devices/patterns that were
In the Cellular Antennas dialog box, the cellular antennas consist of an antenna device and one or excluded from the Advanced Search results
more beam patterns that belong to that device. Here is an example:
Note: The contents of the middle pane and the left pane are always mutually
exclusive.
o The right pane ‘Select Target Device’ shows all the parent devices for the patterns
currently present in the ‘Search Results’ pane.
All three panes are organised with the same hierarchical structure (Folder, Device,
Pattern).
Example of Cellular Antennas - Device and Patterns
5. If required, you can refine the working list. You can move devices or patterns or folders
(Typically, the pattern name starts with the same string as the device name, but this may not be the from the ‘Device/Pattern List’ (left) pane to the ‘Search Results’ (middle) pane, and vice
case if you use the Unique Pattern ID override option.) versa, by selecting the item and then using the left/right arrow buttons.

It may be that your tree structure of antennas needs tidying from time to time. If so, you can use the If you select and move a pattern, only that pattern is moved (not any sibling patterns). If
'Group by Antenna Device' functionality to group together selected patterns under a particular you select and move a device, all of its patterns are moved. If you select and move a
antenna device. folder, all of its contents are moved.

Tip: If you want to find something in the left pane, you can type some characters in the
Note: This grouping functionality is only available from the Advanced Search tab. The operations search string, and click Find.
on this tab are not affected by any filters selected on the Tree tab.
6. When you have finished refining the list in the middle pane, you can move (group) all the
To use the grouping functionality: antenna patterns in the middle pane under one of the antenna devices listed in the right
pane. To do this, select one of the devices in the right pane, and then click the Group
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas. Patterns under Device button. Then click OK.

2. Click on the Advanced Search tab.
3. Perform your search as described in Using the Advanced Search for Antennas on page
337. (You can fine tune the list it if necessary.)
This enables you to produce a working list of antennas with which to perform the grouping.
For example, you may want to search all antennas of a particular manufacturer. However,
later in the process, you have the flexibility to manually add/remove other antennas to/from
the working list.
4. Click the Group Antennas by Device button.
This will launch a dialog box that shows three panes of information:
The list structure in the middle pane now updates to show the patterns grouped under the selected
device, and the list structure is automatically updated in the Cellular Antennas dialog box.
Tip: If you want to, you can create a new device in the right pane, by right-clicking on a folder,
clicking New Device, and then naming it. You then need to Commit the new device. After that, you
can then use this new device to group the antennas in the same way as described above.
When you have finished with the Group by Antenna Device dialog box, you can close it. If you
made any changes to the antenna groupings, this is reflected in the Cellular Antennas dialog box,
both on the Tree tab and the Advanced Search tab.

About the Context Menu on the Advanced Search Tab

A context menu is available on the Advanced Search tab of the Cellular Antennas dialog box, by
right-clicking on an object.

The options are as follows:

If You Want To Right-click on And Select This Option

Create a new pattern for the device. Device New Pattern

Remove the antenna device (with all its patterns), Device or pattern Exclude from Search results
or remove an individual pattern, from the Search
results.
Include all patterns for the selected device in the Device Include All associated Patterns
Search results.
Add the device (without its patterns), or add a Device or pattern Add to Selection Filter
pattern, to the Selection Filter.
Delete the item from the database. Device or pattern Delete

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If You Want To Right-click on And Select This Option

Rename the item. Device or pattern Rename

Using the Switched Beam Antenna Utility
Cut a pattern and paste it onto a different device Device or pattern Cut and Paste ASSET Radio provides a utility to create switched-beam antennas that can partially model full
(on either of the tabs) or cut a device and then click dimension (FD) beamforming for 5G. This is sometimes referred to as FD MIMO.
the Tree tab to paste it into a different folder.
Produce a report showing which network elements Device or pattern Report Antenna Usage The purpose of this utility is to create a switched-beam antenna with a large number of beams
are using the device or pattern. (directions) to approximate a beamforming antenna (which can dynamically steer a beam in any
direction).
Perform an XML Export. Device or pattern XML Export
Apply, Commit or Restore the change. Device or pattern Apply The role of FD beamforming is to cover the 3D space in both directions: Azimuth (or Horizontal)
and Elevation (or Vertical).
Commit
Restore This will increase the overall spectral efficiency of the cell, with an increase in MU-MIMO, and also
help to plan coverage for users at different heights.

The utility can create a switched-beam antenna with a large number of traffic beams. Once created,
Searching Antennas from the Site Database these multi-beam antennas can be saved as XML files and then imported into your project where
they will appear in the Cellular Antennas dialog box. There they will correspond with the usual
When selecting antenna devices/patterns, you can search for antennas directly from the Site
rules for switched beam antennas (see About Switched Beam Antennas on page 325), such as the
Database.
need to set up one or more beam sets (see Creating Beam Sets on page 326). They can then be
To perform a simple search: assigned to Properties and cells and used in the normal way for coverage analysis.

1. From the Database menu, click Sites. To use the utility:

2. From the View menu in the Site Database window, select Logical Links. 1. From the File menu, click Add-ins.

3. In the left pane, right-click the required network element and select View Property from the 2. Click Switched-Beam Antenna Utility.
drop-down menu.
3. A dialog box appears, as in this example:
4. Click the Physical Antennas tab.

5. In the Device ID column, click at the right end of the cell on the required row. (If you click
elsewhere in the cell a drop-down arrow appears at the right end of the cell and you can
click on that to achieve the same result, which is that the Antenna Search dialog box
opens).

6. In the Search field of the Antenna Search dialog box, type your search criteria.

7. Click Find.

8. Click the required device in the Match List pane. The Antenna Search dialog box closes
and your chosen antenna appears in the Device ID column of the Physical Antennas tab
in the Site Database window.

To perform an advanced search:

1. Follow steps 1 to 5 of the simple search above.

2. In the Antenna Search dialog box, click the Advanced Search button. the Antenna
Search dialog box closes and the Cellular Antennas dialog box opens.

3. Carry out your advanced search as described under Using the Advanced Search for
Antennas on page 337.

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4. Set the parameters and options, which are as follows:

Pane
Element Array Configuration
Output Beam Array Configuration
Parameter or Edit Box
Elements
Spacing (wavelengths)
Min Angle (°)
Max Angle (°)
Number of Directions (*)
Note: Before you set these
values, see the description of the
Auto-Calculate option below)
Freq (MHz)
Automatically Calculating the Number of Directions
Values or Comments As stated above, the purpose of this utility is to create a switched-beam antenna with a large
number of beams (directions) to approximate a beamforming antenna (which can dynamically steer
Horizontal
a beam in any direction).
Vertical
Horizontal However, using too many beams in a small range means that adjacent beams will overlap
Vertical significantly and cause SINR to be over-estimated in the Simulator.
Horizontal
Therefore ASSET Radio provides an option in the utility to automatically populate the numbers of
Vertical
vertical and horizontal beams based on the other parameters. This calculates the number of beams
Horizontal (directions) that would minimise the error in SINR, and makes the process of creating the beams
Vertical much less complicated.
Horizontal
Vertical
If you want to do this, ensure you set all the other parameters and options first, and then click the
Auto-Calculate button. The sole purpose of the Auto-Calculate button is to set the two values in
the 'Number of Directions' boxes:

Antenna Name This will be the Device ID

Output XML file File name and location

Single Element Pattern (3GPP 38.901) Beamwidth (°) Horizontal

Vertical
Amax (dB) Horizontal
Vertical
It does not edit any other parameter in the Switched-Beam Antenna Utility.

Gain (dBi)

Visualise Beam Pattern Angle (°) Horizontal

Digitally Splitting Antennas
Vertical
Antennas that use digital splitting to expand network capacity can be accommodated on LTE and
Beam Index Incremental buttons
5G cells.

To use digital splitting:

Note: In this particular dialog box, the keyboard editing functions ENTER and TAB work
differently: 1. Add single beams as composite patterns to an antenna device. For more information - see
Adding Patterns to an Antenna Device on page 329.
o Pressing the ENTER key will update the value in the edit box, and the cursor remains
in the same box. 2. In the Site Database, using the Location view, select the cell to be split.
o Pressing the TAB key will update the value in the edit box and then move the cursor to
the next edit box or button on the dialog box. 3. Using the right-click menu, create two clones of the cell.

4. On the Property, select the physical antenna.

5. The 'Visualise Beam Pattern' pane enables you to view individual patterns by using the
5. Using the Add button, add two more logical antennas.
Beam Index arrows (this has no effect on what gets written to the XML file).
6. In the Single Beam column, select the two new logical antennas.
6. Optionally, click the Auto-Calculate button (see description below).
7. In the Pattern ID column, use the drop-downs to set the two new logical antennas to
7. After all the parameters have been specified:
different single beams.
a. Select the 'All Projects' checkbox if that is how you want the file to be imported at a
later time. If this is not selected, then the file will be imported (at later time) to your 8. In the Prediction Model column, use the drop-downs to add prediction models to the two
currently logged-in project only. new logical antennas.

b. Click the Write Antenna XML File button. 9. Click Apply.

8. The file is saved to the specified location, ready for import into your currently logged-in 10. In the Child Ids column, deselect the original logical antenna and select the two new ones.
project or all projects, as appropriate.
11. Click Apply.

The split sites will now be available for selection in the Pathloss Prediction Generator. For more
information, see Using the Pathloss Prediction Generator in the ASSET User Reference Guide
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Using the Planet PAFX Antenna Import Using the Planet Antenna Utility

ASSET Radio supports the direct import of Planet PAFX (*.pafx) antenna files.
This means that the Antenna Device and multiple Antenna Patterns that are contained in the *.pafx
file(s) are imported directly into ASSET. No intermediate steps or manual intervention are required.
Note:
 The import supports any technology or type of antenna that exists in *.pafx format.
 You can import a single file or multiple files.
 Only the data related to Patterns is imported; data related to Ports, Electrical Controllers
and Beamforming is not imported.
To perform the import:
1. From the Equipment menu, click Cellular Antennas.
ASSET Radio provides a utility that can convert Planet Antenna files (*.txt / *.msi) into Antenna
XML files so that multiple antennas and patterns can be converted into ASSET XML format.
It enables you to combine multiple antennas into single devices, or combine them all into one single
device. This second option is especially useful when, for a given switched-beam antenna, you have
multiple files representing different beam patterns and the aim is to have all of those files anchored
under a single switched beam antenna device.
(The utility can also be run independently of ASSET. If you require further details, please contact
your regional Product Support centre.)
Important: There is also a Planet PAFX Antenna Import feature that supports the direct import of
*.pafx antenna files, where the Antenna Device and multiple Antenna Patterns that are contained in
the *.pafx file are imported directly into ASSET. No intermediate steps or manual intervention are
required. (The Planet PAFX Antenna Import feature has no interaction or dependency on the Planet
Antenna Utility.) See Using the Planet PAFX Antenna Import on page 349.

2. At the top-left of the Cellular Antennas dialog box, from the File menu, click Import Planet To use the utility:
Antenna File.
1. Check first where your Planet Antenna files are stored.
A dialog box appears, as in this example:
2. From the File menu, click Add-ins.

3. Click Planet Antenna Utility.

A dialog box appears, as in this example:

3. Select the 'Add to All Projects' checkbox if you want the imported antenna device/pattern to
be added under All Projects. If not selected, then it will be imported to your currently
logged-in project only.

4. Select 'Import as Switched Beam' if you want to import the antenna into ASSET as a
switched-beam antenna. When you select this, the Pattern Beam Index will be sequenced
for patterns that have the same Frequency (from 0 onwards) and the Antenna Type on the
device will be set to 'Beam-Switching.' If this option is not selected, the antenna will be
4. From the folder where the Planet Antenna files are stored, drag and drop any or all of the
imported as a normal 'Passive' antenna type.
required files into the main area of the dialog box.
5. In the Import Conflicts pane, select how you want conflicts to be handled during import.
5. If you want to force all patterns into one device, select the appropriate checkbox.
You can be prompted on an individual basis, or (for all conflicts), you can leave the existing
Otherwise, the combining will only occur where the patterns have a common device name,
data as it is, merge the data, or replace the data in the project with the imported data.
so that this may result in several devices.
6. In the Import File box, select the required *.pafx file(s) to be imported into ASSET, by using
6. Specify the output folder, by typing the path or using the button.
the button. If required, you can select multiple files.
7. Click Generate XML.
7. Click OK.
The file or files are saved in the specified folder.
Your selections are persisted for the next time you use this import dialog box.

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6. Click Apply.
Adding Microwave Antennas 7. Click Commit.

You can add microwave antennas to the antenna inventory in a number of ways: 8. Click Close.
 If you have the required microwave antennas stored in a file that uses one of the supported You can then add a pattern to your microwave antenna.
formats, you can import them. For more information, see 'Importing Microwave Antennas' in
the ASSET Backhaul User Reference Guide.
 If you have the manufacturer's datasheets, or know the parameters (dimensions, masks Adding Microwave Antenna Patterns
and so on) that the antennas should have, you can add them manually.
To add a microwave antenna pattern:
To add an antenna manually:
1. In the left pane of the Microwave Antennas dialog box, right-click the microwave antenna
1. Ensure you have write permissions for equipment and that you have the Backhaul tab you wish to add a pattern to and from the menu that appears, select New MW Antenna
selected. Pattern.
2. From the Equipment menu, click MW Antennas. 2. Add the required information on the tabs, including:
The Microwave Antennas dialog box appears:
On This Tab Do This

General Define the gain for the selected beam pattern, referenced to either an
isotropic (dBi) or a dipole (dBd) antenna.
Specify the physical dimensions of the antenna - its diameter and weight.
Specify the frequency band of the beam pattern, the minimum and
maximum operating frequencies and the front to back ratio.
Type the manufacturer's name in the appropriate box.
Specify which type of polarization is used in this beam pattern - either single
polarization (which can be horizontal, vertical or both (crosspolar)) or dual
polarization.
Tip: If you want the antenna to be used in dual polar links, select dual
polarization.
The polarization type that you choose will affect the number of masks you
have to define on the Mask tab.
Select the required mask style, depending on your link type:
 If you are defining an antenna for a PtP link, a symmetrical mask is
appropriate. In a symmetrical mask, the horizontal and vertical planes
share the same mask.
 If you are defining an antenna for a PmP link, a non-symmetrical mask
is appropriate. In a non-symmetrical mask, different masks are used for
3. Select the project folder in which you want to store the new antenna(s). You need the the horizontal and vertical planes.
correct privileges to add antennas to the All Projects folder. If you are using NSMA format antennas, define:

4. Right-click and from the menu that appears, select New MWAntenna Device.  The FCC/ETSI ID - the ID number issued by the Common Carrier
Branch of the FCC. For services that do not issue ID numbers, insert
NONE to ensure the antenna can be exported correctly.
5. Add the required information on the General tab including:
 The Pattern ID - The reverse pattern FCC ID number. The reverse
pattern is generally obtained by inserting the feed in an opposite
In This Pane Do This manner in order to reverse the pattern.
General In the Device ID box, type the user-defined name of the selected antenna device  The Half Power Beam Width - This is the included angle centered on
Information to a maximum length of 31 characters. the main beam of the antenna and defines the angle where the antenna
response falls below -3dB.
Click Photo to display a photograph of the component or to search for and
assign a photograph. In the Description box, type in a description for your
antenna device.
ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when a new
antenna is created or modified.
Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have entered.
Information
Add a unit cost for the antenna.

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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

Mask Select the pattern that you want to view. The number of patterns available
will be based on the polarization type selected on the Info tab. For more
information on the available types, see below this table. Editing the Mask Data for Microwave Antennas
A graphical illustration of the chosen pattern is displayed, along with the
3dB beamwidth.
On the Mask tab for a microwave antenna, you can click Edit Mask Data to see a table listing
losses for different values of antenna azimuth (or elevation). These losses are the reduction in MW
You can edit the mask data to show losses for different values of antenna antenna gain from the MW antenna pattern's point of maximum gain.
azimuth (or elevation). For more information on how to do this, see Editing
the Mask Data for Microwave Antennas on page 354. This picture shows an example:
Note: Symmetrical patterns are indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the
angle.

On the Mask tab for a microwave antenna pattern, the patterns are listed using
abbreviations:
o V stands for vertical and H for horizontal
o The first letter shows the polarization that the antenna transmits
o The second letter shows the polarization of the signal being received
For example, a VH pattern transmits on the vertical plane and receives on the horizontal
plane.
Depending on the polarization type you have selected on the Info tab, you should define
the following patterns:

Polarization Type Masks

Required

Single Horizontal HH
HV
Single Vertical VV
VH
Single Horizontal and Vertical HH
- or - HV
Dual VV
VH

3. Click Apply.

4. Click Commit.

5. Click Close.

Example mask data for an antenna

You can add and change data in the table and this is then shown in the illustration on the Mask tab.

For the angle, you can enter values to 2 decimal places.

Tip: The mask that you want to add may be symmetrical - that is, have matching loss values for
both sides of the mask (from 0° to 360° and from 360° to 0°, but not including 0° and 180°).

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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

To quickly add a symmetrical mask:

1. Add one side of the mask (either the angle from 0 to 360 degrees, or the angle from 360 to
Storing Equipment in the Database
0 degrees) and the accompanying loss, and then click Add.
ASSET not only stores the logical configuration of the cellular or fixed network but also the physical
configuration by storing the various types of equipment used. Storing 'libraries' of equipment details
in ASSET has a number of benefits:
 Network component details are easily accessible
2. Click the Mirror button.  There is no need for a separate database
The other side of the mask, and its corresponding row, are created automatically. If you  Detailed parameters can be held against each equipment component, reducing the chance
subsequently update one of the rows, this is reflected in the corresponding row. of error
 Photographs can be attached to components, to make identification easy

When you have added an equipment type to ASSET, it becomes available in the relevant drop-
down lists in the Site Database:
Symmetrical masks are indicated by the word 'Symmetrical', and an asterisk (*) next to the
angle in the list.

Important: Make sure that you have entered all the required antenna radiation patterns (VV, VH,
HV and HH). Lacking one antenna radiation pattern might affect interference calculation results.

Editing, Moving and Deleting Microwave Antennas

Provided that you have write access to the Microwave Antennas dialog box, you can edit, move or
delete MW antennas.

To edit an existing MW antenna:

1. From the Equipment menu, click MW Antennas.

2. In the Microwave Antennas dialog box, click on the antenna you wish to edit. Choosing equipment types in the Site Database

3. Edit the required information on the tabs. You can then choose to Apply it to the required network element.
4. When finished, click Apply and, if required, Commit. The default type for all equipment types is Unknown, which uses default parameters for any
calculations that require equipment data.
To move an existing antenna to a different folder in the Microwave Antennas dialog box:
You should ensure your data is accurate; review it regularly so that the most up-to-date agreed
1. In the Microwave Antennas dialog box, select the antenna you want to move. values are being used for the network design.
2. Drag and drop it to the appropriate folder.
Creating Site (BTS) Equipment
Tip: Alternatively, you can use the Cut and Paste options from the right-click menu.
Warning: If you move antennas between projects, you cannot restore them to their original To create and edit site (BTS) equipment:
project by clicking the Restore button.
1. Ensure you have write access to the BTS database.

To delete a single antenna or antenna beam pattern: 2. From the Equipment menu, click BTS Equipment.
The BTS Equipment dialog box displays the site equipment available to the current
1. In the Microwave Antennas dialog box, right-click the antenna that you want to delete. project.
2. From the menu that appears, click Delete. 3. Click Add.

Note: You cannot delete antennas that are currently assigned to links in the Link A BTS with a default name appears in the list.
Database, nor when the project has been opened in Partial Load or Region Load. 4. Select the new BTS and add the required data on the tabs:
Tip: You can restore antennas by selecting them from the Wastebasket.

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On this tab Do this On this tab Do this

General In the Part ID box, enter the user-defined name of the selected equipment to a General In the Part ID box, enter the user-defined name of the selected equipment to a
maximum length of 128 alphanumeric characters. maximum length of 128 alphanumeric characters.
Click Photo to display a photograph of the BTS equipment or to search for and Click Photo to display a photograph of the cell equipment or to search for and
assign a photograph. assign a photograph.
If required, add a description of the mast head amplifier as well (up to 256 If required, add a description of the mast head amplifier as well (up to 256
characters) characters).
ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when new BTS ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when new cell
equipment is created or modified. equipment is created or modified.
Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have entered. See Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have entered.
Viewing and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details on page 362 for more See Viewing and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details on page 362 for more
information. information.
Add a unit cost. Add a unit cost.
Parameters Specify the maximum and minimum output power of the BTS equipment. Info Specify equipment loss (dB), which is the insertion loss for the component. The
default value for equipment loss in the Unknown cell equipment type is zero.
If the value for the PA output is set in the Site Database to a value outside the
allowed range for the appropriate transmitter, the value is adjusted by ASSET to the
maximum or minimum as required, and the Message Log informs you of this 5. Click Apply or Commit, as required.
change.
Specify the Minimum and Maximum carrier spacings allowed between carriers on To edit a cell equipment:
the same site (Site Spacing) and between carriers on the same cell (Cell Spacing).
1. Select the cell equipment and change the required data on the tabs.

5. Click Apply or Commit, as required. 2. When finished, click Apply or Commit, as required.

To edit a BTS: To remove a cell equipment:

1. Select the BTS and change the required data on the tabs. Click the cell equipment in the list, then click Remove.
Note: This cannot be done if the project has been opened in Partial Load or Region Load.
2. When finished, click Apply or Commit, as required.

To remove a BTS:
Creating Cabins
Click the BTS in the list, then click Remove.
Note: This cannot be done if the project has been opened in Partial Load or Region Load. As for other equipment, you can add and edit cabins:

1. Ensure you have write access to the cabin database.

Creating Cell Equipment 2. From the Equipment menu, click Cabins.

To model equipment such as hybrid combiners and attenuators which do not come under any of The Cabins dialog box displays the cabins available.
the predefined categories, use the Cell Equipment dialog box.
3. Select the folder to which you want to add the cabin, either the current project or All
To create cell equipment: Projects.

1. Ensure that you have write access to the cell equipment database. Note: You need the correct privileges to add cabins to the All Projects folder.
2. From the Equipment menu, click Cell Equipment.
4. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New Cabin.
The Cell Equipment dialog box displays the cell equipment available to the current project.
A cabin with a default name appears in the list.
3. Click Add.
5. Select the new cabin and add the required data on the tabs:
A cell equipment with a default name appears in the list.

4. Select the new cell equipment and add the required data on the tabs: On this tab Do this

General In the Part ID box, enter the user-defined name of the selected cabin to a
maximum length of 31 characters.
Click Photo to display a photograph of the cabin or to search for and assign a
photograph. ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when
new cabin is created or modified.

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On this tab Do this 4. Select the new feeder and add the required data on the tabs:

Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have entered.
See Viewing and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details on page 362 for more On this tab Do this
information.
General In the Part ID box, type the user-defined name of the selected feeder to a
Add a unit cost. maximum length of 31 characters.
Dimensions Specify the dimensions of the cabin - length, width, height, weight. Click Photo to display a photograph of the component or to search for and
assign a photograph. ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified
boxes when a new feeder is created or modified.
Tip: You can create subfolders, and you can move, delete and rename cabins. For more
Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have
information, see Managing Antennas and Equipment using Folders on page 317. defined.
Add a unit cost for the feeder.
Losses Specify the frequency band that the feeder is valid for.
Creating Feeders Specify the feeder loss on a per metre basis (not dB/100 m).

Feeder equipment is relevant to both ASSET Radio (cellular antennas) and ASSET Backhaul The total loss of all connectors (around 0.5-1 dB per station) should also be
(microwave antennas). It is important to define your feeders as accurately as possible, because included.
they incur losses which will affect the performance of your network. Specify the feeder weight, in kg per metre.

To define feeders:
Tip: You can create subfolders, and you can move, delete and rename feeders. For more
1. From the Equipment menu, and click Feeders. information, see Managing Antennas and Equipment using Folders on page 317.
The Feeders dialog box displays the feeders available, to all projects and just the current
project as well.
This picture shows an example: Creating Masts
To create and edit masts:

1. Ensure you have write access to the mast database.

2. From the Equipment menu, click Masts.

The Masts dialog box displays the masts available.

3. Select the folder to which you want to add the mast, either the current project or All Projects.

Note: You need the correct privileges to add masts to the All Projects folder.

4. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New Mast.
A mast with the default name appears in the list.

5. Select the new mast and add the required data on the tabs:

On this tab Do this

General In the Part ID box, enter the user-defined name of the selected equipment to a
maximum length of 31 characters.
2. Select the folder to which you want to add the feeder, either the current project or All Click Photo to display a photograph of the mast or to search for and assign a
Projects. photograph. ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when
a new mast is created or modified.
Note: You need the correct privileges to add feeders to the All Projects folder. Costing Select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers that you have entered.
See Viewing and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details on page 362.
3. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New Feeder. Add a unit cost.

A feeder with a default name appears in the list. Dimensions Specify the mast's dimensions - structure height, section length and weight.
Specify how the mast is mounted - for example, from a rooftop.
Constraints Optionally, set available mast heights. In this version of ASSET, this tab is for
information only, and has no other impact.

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 Managing Antennas and Equipment ASSET User Reference Guide

Tip: You can create subfolders, and you can move, delete and rename masts. For more
Viewing and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details
information, see Managing Antennas and Equipment using Folders on page 317.
You can enter the names, addresses and other contact details for equipment suppliers:

Creating Mast Head Amplifiers

For the appropriate technologies, you can use mast head amplifiers on some cells to improve the
receiver performance. They have a noticeable beneficial effect when there is considerable feeder
loss between the antenna and the transceiver.

To create and edit a mast head amplifier:

1. Ensure you have write access to the Mast Head Amplifier database.

2. From the Equipment menu, click Mast Head Amplifiers.

The Mast Head Amplifier dialog box displays the mast head amplifiers available to the
current project.

3. Click Add.
A mast head amplifier with a default name appears in the list.
Adding Equipment Suppliers
4. Select the mast head amplifier and add the required data on the tabs:
To add a new equipment supplier:

On this tab Do this 1. From the Equipment menu, click Suppliers.

General In the Part ID box, enter the user-defined name of the equipment. 2. Click Add and enter the required details then click OK.
Click Photo to search for and assign a photograph of the equipment.
If required, add a description.
ASSET automatically writes the Created and Modified boxes when a new mast
head amplifier is created or modified.
Costing Optionally, select one of the manufacturers from the list of suppliers. See Viewing
and Changing Equipment Suppliers Details on page 362 for more information.
Add a unit cost.
Amplifier Specify the Mast Head Amplifier parameters:
The Uplink Noise Figure, the Uplink Maximum Gain, and the Downlink Insertion
Loss.

5. Click Apply or Commit, as required.

To edit a mast head amplifier:

1. Select the mast head amplifier and change the required data on the tabs.

2. When finished, click Apply or Commit, as required.

To remove a mast head amplifier:

Click the mast head amplifier in the list, then click Remove.
Note: This cannot be done if the project has been opened in Partial Load or Region Load.

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 Using Propagation Models ASSET User Reference Guide

These default objects represent the minimum parameters required to create sites/nodes and
generate coverage arrays.
12 Using Propagation Models

Propagation models are mathematical attempts to model the real radio environment as closely as
About the Accuracy Required for a Propagation Model
possible. Most propagation models need to be tuned (calibrated) by being compared to measured
propagation data, otherwise you will not be able to obtain accurate pathloss predictions. Propagation model accuracy is always important. This table shows how the accuracy of a
propagation model can affect each of the planning processes:
Carrier Wave measurements (survey data) help you produce an accurate propagation model that
functions correctly. No model could be applied with accuracy to every situation, and the choice of This planning Is affected by the accuracy of propagation model in this way
model is not as important as the fine tuning for the particular environment. Normally this calibration process
process is carried out by a specialist. The validity of a propagation model will depend on the validity
and significance of the survey data. Best Server The better the model accuracy (that is, the lower the standard deviation), the
more representative the values are at each pixel in the Best Server array to real
A number of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are also available, enabling you to create life values.
custom propagation models. For more information, see the 'ASSET Interfaces' chapter in the Service area calculation This has implications for the spreading of traffic within cells. Typically, for a
ASSET Technical Reference Guide. densely planned area of the network, the accuracy of the model will have
minimal impact on this calculation of service area. For a less densely planned
network, where cell service areas are limited by minimum signal thresholds,
Note: Information about propagation models can be found here in the ASSET User Reference inaccuracies in the model will have a greater effect.
Guide, because it is generic to both ASSET Radio and ASSET Backhaul. However, information
about model analysis and model tuning, which are both specific to ASSET Radio, is in the ASSET Neighbour analysis Typically, for a densely planned area of the network, the accuracy of the model
Radio User Reference Guide. will have minimal impact on this calculation of nearest neighbours. For a less
densely planned network, where cell service areas are limited by minimum
signal thresholds, inaccuracies in the model will have a greater effect upon the
calculation of neighbours.
Interference table The greatest effect of accuracy of the model is in the interference table
How Many Propagation Models are Required? generation generation process. If, for example, the propagation model is accurate to 8dB
standard deviation, then for each individual C/I calculated the standard
There are two extreme ways in which you can use propagation models: deviation will be 11.3dB. If the model is accurate to 10dB standard deviation,
the standard deviation of the C/I will be 14.1dB. The accuracy of an
 You can have a large number of models, each pertaining to a particular area or city. This uncalibrated model may be significantly less than this.
has the advantage of having accurate models for specific areas or cities. The disadvantage Resulting interference The more accurate the model, the less errors are involved in the carrier to
is that it may not be feasible or economical to achieve and maintain that accuracy, given arrays interference arrays.
the time and cost incurred for the model tuning process.
 You can have one generic model which can be used for all areas. This has the advantage
of making the choice much simpler for the planner. Also, the model tuning process would About the Supplied Propagation Models
be more economical both in terms of cost and time. However, the disadvantage is that the
model is just an average case, and its accuracy may be limited.
These propagation models are supplied and supported in the ASSET suite:
A more realistic approach is to use a small number of different models for generic environments, for
example, urban, rural and so on. The number of models will depend on: Model Brief Description Recommended Usage Recommended Mapping
Data
 The resources available, in terms of time, finances, manpower and skills
 The available mapping data: resolution, number of clutter classes, building raster and Standard General Purpose macrocell  Sites in environments  Terrain DTM height -
Macrocell 3 model that accounts for the where the distance from raster data
building vector information
different elements of the site is greater than
propagation in the wireless  Terrain clutter - raster
 The diversity of area or country to be modelled approximately 500m
data
channel.
 The accuracy required  Base station antenna
Can be typically calibrated to heights in the range of Clutter and Height data
less than 7dB standard 15-200m should be of the same
deviation. resolution(s). Although there
Project Defaults  Receiver heights in the is no minimum resolution,
Models 1 and 2 are only range of 1-10m recommended pixel sizes for
In order to make a project easy to use right from the start, the following default objects, with pre-set supported for customers who this data are between 20m
still want to use them, and  Multiple height and 200m.
parameters, are provided each time a new project is created in ASSET:
upgrade from previous capability: see About
 Antenna default versions of ASSET (these Multiple Height Pathloss
models cannot be added). Predictions
 Propagation model defaults (450, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz)
 MU-Node Template defaults (with sites/nodes and cells for each single technology and for
some multiple technology combinations)
 Terminal type default (for each technology)
363 364

Model Brief Description
DHM model Same as the Standard
Macrocell 3 model but with the suited to built-up areas.
additional ability to include
building height rasters (digital
height maps) in the calculation.
Enhanced In the pathloss calculation
Macrocell parameters for this model, you
can specify the slope and
intercept parameters (k1 and
k2) independently for LOS and
NLOS. These parameters are 
used dynamically during the
propagation calculations.
Free Space Simulates the signal strength
Loss Model loss across a line-of-sight path LOS connections.
in which the transmit and
receive antennas operate in an
otherwise empty environment.
Note: The Free Space Loss
model is only available in
ASSET Backhaul.
MYRIAD The MYRIAD model is the
model successful result of several
years of research in
propagation, modelling,
optimisation and algorithms.
The model can automatically
adapt itself to all engineering
domains, radio environments
and systems.
It relies on highly realistic
modelling of the propagation
channel.
MYRIAD is a separately
licensed TEOCO propagation
model.
Volcano Suitable for transmitters
(Rural) located whether in rural or
suburban environments.
A deterministic propagation
model based on 'multiple knife- environments.
edge' diffraction.
Volcano models are separately
licensed.
Using Propagation Models ASSET User Reference Guide
Recommended Usage Recommended Mapping Model Brief Description Recommended Usage Recommended Mapping
Data Data
As above, but especially As for Standard Macrocell 3 Volcano Suitable for any transmitters Depending upon the site ASSET map data files:
but with additional building (Urban) located whether in dense- configuration, ray-tracing
raster layer. urban urban or suburban options can be activated,  DTM/Heights/Altitude
environments. which permits users to  Clutter data
benefit from a full multi-
A deterministic propagation paths calculation or a smart  Clutter heights in raster
model based on 'over rooftop' time optimized one. and/or vector format
 It is advantageous to As for Standard Macrocell 3. diffraction and on 'multipath (optional but
Specifically adapted for
use this model in component modelling', that is, urban environment in the recommended in urban
environments with hilly 2D or 3D ray-tracing. presence of a dense small environments)
terrain
cell distribution.
 Building outlines in vector
Multiple height format for ray-tracing
capability: see About
Multiple Height Pathloss Optionally:
Predictions
 Point cloud LiDAR data
 It has several
advantages over the Volcano Maestro is an adaptive “smart” Coherent and high precision Same as for the Volcano
Standard Models, as (Maestro) model manager which nationwide planning and Rural and Volcano Urban
described in About the automatically selects the best management. models.
Enhanced Macrocell propagation model to be
applied to the environment and For full information on the
Model on page 370 Volcano models, refer to the
frequency under study.
Volcano User Guide.
Best used when you have As for Standard Macrocell 3,
but you can also use building SUI model The SUI (Stanford University  Cells with radius <10km As for Standard Macrocell 3.
vectors. Interim) model is one of the
recommended models for use  Can be used for various
in analysing fixed wireless terrain and tree density
broadband communication types
networks at frequencies below  Base station antenna
11GHz. heights in the range of
15-40m
 All cell sizes (micro, As for Standard Macrocell 3.
mini, small, and macro  Directional antennas (2-
For full information on how to 10m) at the CPE
cells)
use this model, refer to the receiver, installed on or
 All radio environments MYRIAD Help or MYRIAD below rooftops or
(dense urban, urban, User Reference Guide. windows
suburban, mountainous,
maritime, open) SLR model The SLR model in ASSET is Point-to-Area model that can As for Standard Macrocell 3.
partly based on the ITU-R be used to make predictions
 All systems (DVB-H, P1546-2 recommendation. The for terrestrial services in the
GSM, (E)GPRS, UMTS, model can be used for DVB-H frequency range of 100 to
Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G, NB-IoT) planning or for other 2000 MHz.
 Frequencies from 400 applications that require long-
Restricted to 50% time
MHz to 5 GHz range calculations (1-1000km).
variability and to a land path.
 Multiple height
ASSET Based on the uniform theory of  This model is highly  Terrain DTM height
capability: see About
Propagation diffraction (UTD) and ray- efficient and very raster data
Multiple Height Pathloss
Model tracing. accurate in urban areas
Predictions  Clutter data describing
and the fringe of the
Specifically adapted for ASSET map data files: urban areas. the morphology of the
dominant sites, with land usage
antennas located above  DTM/Heights/Altitude  Seamless transition
surrounding building between urban and non-  Building outlines - vector
 Clutter data urban areas. data (to include the
rooftops, typically in rural building heights and
Optionally:
 Highly accurate outdoor attribute data)
 Clutter heights in raster to indoor model.
and/or vector format
 Building outlines in vector Note: All the supplied propagation models are distributable and can be multi-threaded (locally and
format
remotely).
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k6 Multiplying factor for log(Heff)log(d).

About the Standard Macrocell Models k7 Multiplying factor for diffraction loss calculation.
C_loss Clutter specifications taken into account in the calculation process.
There are three Standard Macrocell models: 1, 2, 3.
The propagation model can be tuned by modifying the k-factors. For improved near and far
It is recommended to use model 3, because it is more accurate than the older models. performance, dual slope attenuation can be introduced by specifying both near and far values for
k1 & k2 and the crossover point.
Note: The models 1 and 2 are only supported for customers who still want to use them, and
upgrade their databases from previous versions of ASSET. Only model 3 can be added (see How Signal Strength is Calculated
Configuring a Standard Macrocell Model on page 379).
For the Macrocell models, the received signal strength is calculated using the following equation:
The Standard Macrocell models incorporate an optimal dual slope loss model with respect to PRX (dBm)  EiRPTX  LMASK ( ,  )  LP
distance from the base station. They also incorporate algorithms for effective base station heights,
diffraction loss, and the effects of clutter.
Where:
Standard Macrocell model 2 has the following benefits compared to Standard Macrocell model 1:
PRX is the received power in dBm.
 It handles clutter effects differently by using a through-clutter loss effect
 It is faster EiRP TX is the maximum Effective Isotropic Radiated Power of the cell in dBm (that is, at the peak

Standard Macrocell model 3 has the following benefits compared to Standard Macrocell model 2: gain point of the antenna).

 The interpolation of the horizontal and vertical antenna masking gives a more accurate L ( , )
representation of the antenna mask
MASK is the antenna mask loss value for azimuth and elevation angles,  and  respectively,
in the direction of the path being calculated, in dB. When the received signal is directly on the main
 The quantisation of masking loss for the angle of calculation divides the vertical and beam of the antenna, this value will be zero.
horizontal antenna masks into 0.01 degree increments (36000 discrete angle and gain
values) L P is the path loss in dB.
 The lookup table of sin and cos values has been replaced with functions to generate the
true values
Calculation of EiRP
 It has multiple height capability (see About Multiple Height Pathloss Predictions)
EiRP = PAPower - cellEquipmentLoss - feederLoss + antennaG + antennaCorrectionFactor +
cellCorrection
Path Loss Formula for the Macrocell Models
where:
In the Propagation Models dialog box for the Standard or Enhanced Macrocell models, the Path
Loss tab shows the equation for pathloss. The general pathloss formula for the Macrocell models is feederLoss = (feederLength * feederLossPerMetre) + feederConnectionLoss
as follows:
antennaG = antennaGain (+ 2.14 if the gain is in dBd)
Path Loss (dB)  k1  k 2 log( d)  k 3(Hms )  k 4 log( Hms )  k 5 log( Heff )
 k 6 log( Heff ) log( d )  k 7(diffn )  C _ Loss
About Through-Loss for Clutter
Where: Some of the supplied propagation models can be set up to use through-clutter loss and through-
d Distance from the base station to the mobile station (km). loss distance.
Hms Height of the mobile station above ground (m). This figure may be For these model types, on the Clutter tab of the Propagation Models dialog box, each clutter
specified either globally or for individual clutter categories. category may be given an associated through-clutter loss (dB/km). The total through-clutter loss for
Heff Effective base station antenna height (m). a prediction point is calculated by examining the clutter lying between the mobile station and the
base station.
diffn Diffraction loss calculated using either the Epstein-Peterson, Bullington,
Deygout or Japanese Atlas knife edge techniques.
d
k1 and k2 Intercept and Slope. These factors correspond to a constant offset (in A through-loss distance (referred to as through ) must also be set. Only points lying within this
dB) and a multiplying factor for the log of the distance between the base distance from the mobile station contribute to the total through-clutter loss.
station and mobile.
k3 Mobile Antenna Height Factor. Correction factor used to take into
account the effective mobile antenna height.
k4 Multiplying factor for Hms.
k5 Effective Antenna Height Gain. This is the multiplying factor for the log of
the effective antenna height.

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This diagram shows an example:

About the DHM Model
The DHM model is fundamentally the same as the Standard Macrocell model 3, but with the
following distinct characteristic:
On the diffraction options for the model, you can also activate the parameter that considers
building height rasters (digital height maps) in the diffraction calculation:

It is therefore advantageous to use this model where you have map data that includes a building
height raster layer, so that the diffraction calculation will use this information in all pixels where this
data is available.

In the model parameters, you can optionally define clutter heights which are added to the terrain
height to incorporate them into the diffraction calculations. If this is the case, the diffraction
calculation will only use the clutter height data in pixels where building height raster data is not
available (clutter heights are described in Configuring a Standard Macrocell Model on page 379).

For information on how to add a DHM model, see Configuring a DHM Model on page 381.

Diagram showing through-loss distance About the Enhanced Macrocell Model

When calculating the total through-clutter loss, the individual through-clutter losses are weighted so
The Enhanced Macrocell model, like the Standard Macrocell models, incorporates an optimal dual
that the clutter nearest the mobile station has the highest effect. The weighting is linear with a
slope loss model with respect to distance from the base station. It also incorporates algorithms for
maximum weight of 1 (at the mobile station) and a minimum weight of zero (for clutter at distances
effective base station heights, diffraction loss, and the effects of clutter.
d through
>= ).
It also has multiple height capability (see About Multiple Height Pathloss Predictions).
The formula is as follows:
The Enhanced Macrocell model has the following distinct advantages compared to the Standard
Macrocell models:
 d 
Weight  max  0, 1  
d through 
 On the pathloss calculation parameters for the model, you can specify the slope and
 intercept model parameters (k1 and k2) independently for LOS and NLOS. The appropriate
parameters are used dynamically during propagation calculations by identifying where there
Where: is LOS and NLOS.

d  This model is able to produce LOS/NLOS information for each predicted location. In the
is the distance of the clutter pixel (resolution-dependent) from the mobile station. case of LTE networks, this can provide improved MIMO modelling when you use the
Simulator, by enabling you to deactivate MIMO in areas that have LOS to the serving cell.
d through (MIMO schemes rely on a low correlation between the signal paths to the transmit elements
is the through-loss distance.
of an antenna; locations that have LOS to an antenna are more likely to have a high
d through correlation.) You can also generate a 'Line Of Sight' array.
The formula ensures that when d is greater than , the weight always becomes zero.
 On the effective antenna height for the model, an extra Knife-Edge based option is
available for selection.
d through
In the case where the distance between the mobile and base station is less than , only the
 On the diffraction options for the model, you can also specify a maximum number of knife-
clutter lying between the mobile station and the base station is taken into account.
edges to consider, and an extra option (Giovaneli) is available for selection.
 It is advantageous to use this model in environments containing hilly terrain.
 The model tuning process for this particular model has been improved, and is more user-
friendly.

For the above reasons, it is generally recommended that you use the Enhanced Macrocell model
rather than the Standard Macrocell models.

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Note: For the purposes of this model only, the definitions of LOS and NLOS are as follows: Note: MYRIAD is a separately licensed TEOCO propagation model.
 A point is considered to be LOS if there are no obstructions in the direct path between the
transmitter and receiver. However, it is still possible to have some diffraction loss if any
terrain falls within the first Fresnel zone of the transmitted ray
About the Volcano Models
 A point is considered to be NLOS if it suffers any diffraction loss, that is, one or more points
along the transmit/receive path are inside the first Fresnel zone Volcano comprises state-of-the-art, high-performance and multi-platform propagation models, used
by operators for many years to design their networks.

For information on how to add this model type, see Configuring an Enhanced Macrocell Model on Compliant with all environments and topologies, from rural dominant to dense urban small cell sites
page 381. and fully 5G compatible, Volcano is the ideal propagation model to be used for large scale and
nationwide operational network design and optimization.

About the Free Space Loss Model
The Free Space Loss propagation model - if no other parameters are set - simulates the signal
strength loss across a line-of-sight path in which the transmit and receive antennas operate in an
otherwise empty environment, unaffected by the earth surface reflections or other atmospheric
influences. Antenna gain is important to the model, because it has a significant impact on the
transmitted/received power.
Note: The Free Space Loss model is only available in ASSET Backhaul, where it can be useful
when planning the backhaul connections for Small Cells.
In the model parameters, you can optionally define settings for clutter heights, building vectors,
diffraction loss, reflection loss and so on. See Configuring a Free Space Loss Model on page 383.
Volcano efficiently addresses mmW propagation simulations, leveraging High Definition GIS data
thanks to industry-leading 3D ray-tracing capabilities. Volcano models are suitable for any
environment or technology being therefore ideal for the advanced design and optimization of
telecommunications networks. In addition, the comprehensive outputs and advanced analysis
capabilities (such as accurate massive MIMO and beamforming calculation capabilities) help to
improve network design quality for new wireless technologies such as 5G mmW.
Volcano software could either be installed during the installation of ASSET or from standalone set-
up programs. Licences to use the Volcano models should be requested from TEOCO (in the same
way as all other licences for the ASSET tools).
All Volcano models are fully integrated with ASSET suite. Volcano propagation models can be
accessed in the same way as other models, using the Propagation Models dialog box.
For information on how to use these models, refer to the Volcano User Guide.
Key features summary:

About the MYRIAD Model Model Brief Description Recommended Usage Mapping Data Needed

The MYRIAD Model is a sophisticated and versatile propagation model. It is the successful result of Volcano Suitable for transmitters Specifically adapted for ASSET map data files:
several years of research in such domains as propagation, modelling, optimisation and algorithms. Rural located whether in rural or dominant sites, with
suburban environments. antennas located above  DTM/Heights/Altitude
This model is able to automatically adapt itself to: surrounding building  Clutter data
A deterministic propagation rooftops, typically in rural
 All cell sizes (micro, mini, small, and macro cells) model based on 'multiple environments. Optionally:
knife-edge' diffraction.
 All radio environments (dense urban, urban, suburban, mountainous, maritime, open)  Clutter heights in raster
and/or vector format
 All systems (DVB-H, GSM, (E)GPRS, TETRA, UMTS, Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G, NB-IoT)
 Building outlines in vector
 A wide range of frequencies, from 400MHz to 5GHz format

The model relies on highly realistic modelling of the propagation channel, and therefore achieves Volcano Suitable for any transmitters Depending upon the site ASSET map data files:
Urban located whether in dense- configuration, ray-tracing
synergy of the three vital physical elements: urban urban or suburban options can be activated,  DTM/Heights/Altitude

 Diffraction in the vertical plane environments. which permits users to  Clutter data
benefit from a full multi-
A deterministic propagation  Clutter heights in raster
 Guided propagation in the horizontal plane model based on 'over
paths calculation or a smart
time optimized one. and/or vector format (optional
 Reflections from hilly or mountainous terrain rooftop' diffraction and on Specifically adapted for but recommended in urban
'multipath component urban environment in the environments)
In addition, this model can produce LOS/NLOS information for each predicted location. modelling', that is, 2D or 3D presence of a dense small
ray-tracing.  Building outlines in vector
cell distribution.
For information on how to use this model, refer to the MYRIAD Help or MYRIAD User Reference format for ray-tracing
Guide. Optionally:
 Point cloud LiDAR data
Important: In ASSET, for the MYRIAD model, the Electrical Downtilt, Azimuth Offset and
Beamwidth values on the Mask tab of the antenna pattern in the Cellular Antennas dialog box do
not influence the propagation predictions. Instead, the model reads these values directly from the
antenna mask file.

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Model Brief Description
Volcano Maestro is an adaptive
Maestro “smart” model manager
which automatically selects
the best propagation model
to be applied to the
environment and frequency
under study.
Recommended Usage Mapping Data Needed Indoor Calculation Method: Volcano models use a specific deterministic calculation method to
estimate the signal level incoming or inside buildings providing accurate predictions for indoor multi-
Coherent and high Same as for the Volcano Rural floor receivers.
precision nationwide and Volcano Urban models.
planning and management. Reception Above Clutter: In addition to regular reference for receiver height above the ground,
Volcano models are separately
licensed. Volcano models could consider a receiver as being above clutter (such as buildings). This feature
may be especially suited for FWA applications.
For full information on the Volcano
models, refer to the Volcano User
Guide.

Important: In ASSET, for the Volcano models, the Electrical Downtilt, Azimuth Offset and
Beamwidth values on the Mask tab of the antenna pattern in the Cellular Antennas dialog box do
not influence the propagation predictions. Instead, these models read these values directly from the
antenna mask file.

Key benefits:

Operational Configurations: With more than 20 years in the market and cutting-edge technical
developments, Volcano is a mature, robust and well-proven tool dedicated for large scale
nationwide operational design and optimization projects.

3D network performance analysis: Volcano capabilities could be employed for several

applications, including Fixed Wireless Access network design, counting on 3D coverage analysis,
with a fully scalable approach to assess performance levels for a specific height or a specific side of Received power distribution above clutter
a building/window (see illustration below).
Clutter optimization: For an accurate mmW analysis, an optimization in propagation through
clutter has been set.

About the Volcano Rural Model

Volcano Rural is dedicated to predictions in rural and suburban environments based on 2D low-
resolution geographical data maps (for example, a raster resolution greater than or equal to 20m).

Volcano Rural is suitable for radio predictions related to dominant sites, whether located in rural or
suburban environments. In this case, a "dominant site" can be understood as a radio site with
transmitting antennas predominantly located well above the surrounding environment (such as
building rooftops, vegetation).

3D coverage map in New York City, with Volcano predictions

GIS modelling management: Depending on the level of detail in the GIS data, the application, and
the frequency (for both Sub-6GHz and mmW frequency bands), Volcano can manage standard low
and high resolution data (e.g. 3D City high accuracy buildings and accurate foliage modelling), as
well as point cloud LiDAR data.

Massive MIMO (MaMIMO) analysis capabilities: As a key issue for precise network planning,
Volcano is capable of simulating antenna behaviour with MIMO arrays larger than 64 elements.
Coverage example with the operational Volcano Rural Model (London UK)

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About the Volcano Urban Model About the SUI Model

Volcano Urban is dedicated to predictions in dense urban, urban and suburban environments
The SUI (Stanford University Interim) propagation model is one of the recommended models for
based on 2D low-resolution (that is, a raster resolution greater than or equal to 20m) or 3D high-
use in analysing fixed wireless broadband communication networks at frequencies below 11GHz.
resolution geographical data maps (that is, a raster resolution less than or equal to 10m and/or 3D
vector representation). ASSET enables you to set up propagation models based on the SUI standard. For information on
this, see Configuring a SUI Model on page 383.
Volcano Urban is suitable for radio predictions related to micro-cellular or mini-cellular sites in
urban environments. A "mini-cellular site" is here understood as a radio site with antennas above
rooftops or against building facade at a lower position than some surrounding buildings. A "micro- Note: The SUI model (IEEE 802.16 SUI Model V1) does not support point predictions.
cellular site" is here understood as a radio site with antennas placed in open areas at small height,
that is, below rooftops.

Depending on the site configuration, the Volcano Urban model takes advantage of direct path and Path Loss Formula for the SUI Model
multiple path contributions (the multiple path component option can be activated in the user
interface). The SUI model is an empirical model governed by the basic path loss equation as follows:

For :

Where

d is the distance in metres

d0 = 100 metres
s is the shadow fading factor with a normal distribution

Volcano Ray Tracing Principle For the following equation is applicable:

Leveraged by massive MIMO (MaMIMO), propagation through clutter optimization and small cells
analysis, Volcano offers unique 5G network planning capabilities.

About Maestro
Path Loss Formulae adjusted for Diffraction and Clutter Loss
Maestro is an adaptive “smart” model manager which automatically selects the right propagation
model to be applied to the environment, frequency and site topology under study. Maestro is a The SUI model can also account for diffraction loss and clutter loss. Therefore the above equations
major asset for managing large national networks, as it improves the accuracy, reduces time and can be modified as follows:
reduces risks.

Principal key benefits of Maestro: For :

 Model selection based on environment, frequency and topology – provides higher accuracy
 Automatic assignment – reduces time compared to manual assignment
 Automatic assignment – reduces risks of assigning the wrong model

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For :
Adding and Editing Propagation Models
ASSET enables you to add, edit or view propagation models.

To add a propagation model:

Where
Ld is the Diffraction Loss Scale Factor. 1. If you are using ASSET Radio, from the Configuration menu, click Propagation Models.
- or -
About the SLR Model If you are using ASSET Backhaul, from the Arrays menu, click Propagation Models.

In line with the suggestions of the DVB-H standard, the SLR (Standard Long-Range) model in
ASSET is partly based on the ITU-R P1546-2 recommendation for the purpose of calculating the
received signal strength of the DVB-H signal. The model is not an exact match of the ITU
recommendation, but it has sufficient capabilities to be used for DVB-H planning or for other
applications that require long-range calculations (1-1000km).
2. In the dialog box that appears, click the Add button.
Tip: If you want to use an existing model as a template for a new model, rather than creating a
completely new one, select the required model and then click Duplicate. You should then
follow the instructions in the following sections to modify the model as required.

This table describes the differences between ASSET and the ITU-R P1546-2 recommendation:
3. Choose the required model type, and click the Add button.
Item ITU-R P1546-2 ASSET
4. Specify a name for the model, and any required comments.
Frequency range supported 30-3000MHz 100-2000MHz
5. If you want the prediction system to perform bilinear smoothing on the height data when
Time Variability supported 1%, 10% and 50% 50% predictions are created, select the 'Smooth height data when predicting' checkbox. This is useful if
Propagation paths supported Land, Sea and Mixed Land you sometimes predict at a resolution for which height data is not available (for example, you may
be predicting at 25m resolution, with available height data of 10m, 20m and 50m).
Adjustments for different climatic regions Yes No
6. If you use Distributed Predictions, you may want to specify a 'Bytes Per Pixel' value. This
For information on how to add a SLR model, see Configuring an SLR Model on page 385. value can be used when estimating the prediction memory usage, and can help to distribute
predictions more evenly to agents which have enough spare resources, and therefore
For extra information, see 'Using ASSET with DVB-H' in the ASSET Radio User Reference Guide. achieve more overall efficiency.
When the Distributed Task Coordinator distributes prediction tasks, it can potentially
About the ASSET Propagation Model distribute them to any agent machine, regardless of memory or resources to perform those
tasks. Therefore, in an attempt to distribute predictions more evenly to agents which have
spare resources, the coordinator needs an estimate of the memory for the predictions,
The ASSET Propagation Model can be accessed in the same way as the other models, using the
based on the number of pixels and the bytes per pixel for the prediction model.
Propagation Models dialog box. See Configuring an ASSET Propagation Model on page 385.
If you use distributed predictions, we recommend a sensible starting value of ‘7’, but you
This model is highly efficient and very accurate in urban areas. It can be used without tuning in can set the value as required to suit your requirements.
cities where the variation in building height is small, such as in major European cities. However, if
the variation is significant, for example in US downtown areas or the centre of new metro areas If you do not use distributed predictions, you can just leave the value as ‘0’.
(such as Shanghai), tuning of the model is recommended.
Note: The setting is a temporary workaround. It is planned that in a future release, the
The ASSET Propagation Model uses a combination of deterministic ray-tracing in the vertical plane memory usage will be derived automatically, and the manual setting on the propagation
and the horizontal plane. Based on the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD) and ray-tracing, model dialog box will be removed.
algorithms take into account individual building footprints and heights, as well as terrain profile, to
predict signal powers accurately at every point of the area covered.
7. Click the View/Edit Model Parameters button.
For more information, see the ASSET Propagation Model Technical Reference Guide. Configure your model as required; instructions for each type of model are described in the
following sections.

To edit a propagation model:

1. If you are using ASSET Radio, from the Configuration menu, click Propagation Models.
- or -
If you are using ASSET Backhaul, from the Arrays menu, click Propagation Models.

2. Select the appropriate propagation model and click the View/Edit Model Parameters
button.

3. Follow the instructions in the following sections to modify the model as required.

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o Optionally, add clutter heights to the terrain height to incorporate them into the
Project Defaults obstruction loss calculations, by specifying a height and a separation for each clutter
category. The separation value models the reduction in the diffraction effect at the
In order to make a project easy to use right from the start, the following default objects, with pre-set mobile, by separating the mobile from the surrounding clutter, in order to prevent the
parameters, are provided each time a new project is created in ASSET: mobile from being swamped by high diffraction losses. Clutter lying within this distance
 Antenna default from the mobile is considered as having a clutter height of zero. The clutter height is
added to the terrain height along the profile except for the specified separation
 Propagation model defaults (450, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz) distance at the start and end of the profile. To activate these added heights in the
model, you need to select the Use Clutter Heights checkbox.
 MU-Node Template defaults (with sites/nodes and cells for each single technology and for
some multiple technology combinations) Note: Using clutter heights and separations will slow down the model. You do not need
to use them if you can tune your model satisfactorily.
 Terminal type default (for each technology)
7. Click OK.
These default objects represent the minimum parameters required to create sites/nodes and
generate coverage arrays. 8. Apply and Commit your changes as required, then click Close.

Configuring a Standard Macrocell Model Recommended Starting Parameters for the Standard Macrocell Models

To configure a Standard Macrocell Propagation Model: These tables provide suggested default parameters for the Standard Macrocell models. These
values need to be entered in the Propagation Models dialog box.
1. Complete the initial steps as described in Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page
378.
Important: These values only represent typical starting values based on an urban environment,
2. On the General tab, you can specify the frequency, mobile receive height, effective earth and they may not be suitable for all types of map data. For your live projects, you must tune
radius and standard deviation of interference. (calibrate) the pathloss values in accordance with the real environment.

Optionally, if the model type is Standard Macrocell 3, you can set up values for multiple
height pathloss predictions. See About Multiple Height Pathloss Predictions (this includes a Common Parameters
section on how to specify the additional heights).
Mobile Rx Height 1.5
3. On the Path Loss tab, set the various model parameters, sometimes referred to as the k-
values. For suggested values, see Recommended Starting Parameters for the Standard Earth Radius 8493
Macrocell Models on page 380. Effective Antenna Height (Heff)algorithm Relative
4. On the Eff Ant Height tab, choose the effective site antenna height calculation method to Diffraction Loss algorithm Epstein Peterson
be used. For more information, see the ASSET Technical Reference Guide.
Merge knife-edges closer than: 0.00
5. On the Diffraction tab, choose the diffraction loss calculation method to be used. For more Clutter parameters Leave unaltered (0.00)
information, see the ASSET Technical Reference Guide.

6. On the Clutter tab, you can specify clutter-based correction values to the pathloss
calculation. K values 450 MHz 900 MHz 1800 MHz 2000 MHz 2500 MHz 3500 MHz

k1 142.3 150.6 160.9 162.5 164.1 167

Important: Although it is possible to use any or all of the Clutter tab options, we generally
recommend that you only use the Offset-loss values. k2 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9
k1 (near) 129.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
You can:
k2 (near) 31.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
o Specify Offset-loss correction values. To do this, click each required category and edit
the value, using the 'Offset-loss' edit box. d< 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Offset-loss considers the clutter in which the mobile station is located. Values can be k3 -2.22 -2.55 -2.88 -2.93 -3.04 -3.20
positive or negative, but should always be considered as 'fine tuning' of the main k- k4 -0.8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
values of the pathloss formula. The fundamental focus should always be on the main
k-values. k5 -11.70 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82

o Optionally, specify a Through-loss (dB/km) correction value for each clutter type. To do k6 -4.30 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55
this, click each required category and edit the value, using the 'Through Loss' edit box. k7 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8
You also need to specify a generic Through Loss Distance, under the Clutter Options.
Through-loss considers all clutter on the path between the mobile station and the base If you are using frequencies that are not in the above tables, you can deduce the starting values
station (see About Through-Loss for Clutter on page 368). Values can be positive or from those of the nearest frequency.
negative, but should always be considered as 'fine tuning' of the main k-values of the
pathloss formula. The fundamental focus should always be on the main k-values.
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 Using Propagation Models ASSET User Reference Guide

Important: We generally recommend that you leave the Correction Distance at 0.00, so
Configuring a DHM Model that the correction value is only considered based on the clutter at the pixel location of the
mobile station.
The process to add or edit a DHM model is almost exactly the same as for a Standard Macrocell
Model, with the one difference that on the Diffraction tab you can activate the parameter to include
7. Click OK.
building height rasters (digital height maps) in the diffraction calculation:
8. Apply and Commit your changes as required, then click Close.

Recommended Starting Parameters for the Enhanced Macrocell Model

Building Height Raster parameter on Diffraction tab of DHM model These tables provide suggested default parameters for the Enhanced Macrocell model. These
values need to be entered in the Propagation Models dialog box.

Configuring an Enhanced Macrocell Model Important: These values only represent typical starting values based on an urban environment,
and they may not be suitable for all types of map data. For your live projects, you must tune
To configure an Enhanced Macrocell Propagation Model: (calibrate) the pathloss values in accordance with the real environment.
1. Complete the initial steps as described in Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page
378.
Common Parameters
2. On the General tab, you can specify the frequency, mobile receive height, effective earth
radius and standard deviation of interference. Mobile Rx Height 1.5
Earth Radius 8493
Optionally, you can also set up values for multiple height pathloss predictions. See About
Multiple Height Pathloss Predictions (this includes a section on how to specify the Effective Antenna Height (Heff)algorithm Relative
additional heights).
Diffraction Loss algorithm Giovaneli
3. On the Path Loss tab, set the various model parameters, sometimes referred to as the k- Merge knife-edges closer than: 0.00
values. For suggested values, see Recommended Starting Parameters for the Enhanced
Macrocell Model on page 382. Maximum number of knife-edges: 10
Clutter parameters Leave unaltered (0.00)
4. On the Eff Ant Height tab, choose the effective site antenna height calculation method to
be used.
For more information on the available methods, see the ASSET Technical Reference
K values 450 MHz 900 MHz 1800 MHz 2000 MHz 2500 MHz 3500 MHz
Guide.
k1 for LOS 142.3 150.6 160.9 162.5 164.1 167
5. On the Diffraction tab, choose the diffraction loss calculation method to be used.
k2 for LOS 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9
For more information on the available methods, see the ASSET Technical Reference
Guide. k1 (near) for LOS 129.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
k2 (near) for LOS 31.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tip: You can also set the knife-edge parameters.
d < for LOS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

6. On the Clutter tab, you can specify clutter-based 'Correction' values to the pathloss k1 for NLOS 142.3 150.6 160.9 162.5 164.1 167
calculation. To do this, click and edit the required values for each clutter category. k2 for NLOS 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9 44.9
The values can be positive or negative, but should always be considered as 'fine tuning' of k1 (near) for NLOS 129.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
the main k-values of the pathloss formula. The fundamental focus should always be on the
main k-values. k2 (near) for NLOS 31.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
d < for NLOS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
If required, you can specify a generic 'Correction Distance', which limits how far from the
mobile station the correction values are applicable. The total clutter loss for a prediction k3 -2.22 -2.55 -2.88 -2.93 -3.04 -3.20
point is calculated by examining the clutter lying between the mobile station and the base
k4 -0.8 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
station. Only points lying within the specified distance from the mobile station contribute to
the total clutter loss. You can choose either: k5 -11.70 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82 -13.82
o Distance Weighting: When calculating the total clutter loss, the individual clutter losses k6 -4.30 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55 -6.55
are weighted in a similar way to through-loss in other models. For more information,
k7 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8
see About Through-Loss for Clutter on page 368.
o Uniform Weighting: When calculating the total clutter loss, the individual clutter losses If you are using frequencies that are not in the above tables, you can deduce the starting values
are equally weighted. from those of the nearest frequency.

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Important: The Mobile Rx Height and Std. Deviation of Interference values are not used in
Configuring a Free Space Loss Model the calculation. However, on the SUI tab (see next step) there is a value you must specify
for CPE Height, which is used in the calculation.
The Free Space Loss model can be used to simulate the signal strength loss across a line-of-sight
path in which the transmit and receive antennas operate in an otherwise empty environment.
3. On the SUI tab, set the various model parameters. See Default Starting Parameters for the
SUI Model on page 384.
Note: A Free Space Loss model is supplied and used by default:
4. On the Diffraction tab, if you have set a non-zero value for
d 0 , choose the diffraction loss
 The Free Space Loss model is only available in ASSET Backhaul.
calculation method to be used.
 If you have upgraded from a version earlier than 9.1, then this model will be assigned to
your upgraded links. For more information on the available methods, see the ASSET Technical Reference
Guide.
 When you create a new link, this model is automatically assigned to it.
5. On the Clutter tab, you can select a category, then in the Clutter Info pane you can:
o Edit the Offset Loss value to allow for different loss characteristics in different clutter
To configure a Free Space Loss model: environments.
1. Complete the initial steps as described in Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page o Enter a through-loss for each clutter type, as well as a generic value for through-loss
378. distance. For information on how these values are used, see About Through-Loss for
Clutter on page 368.
2. On the General tab:
o Add clutter heights to the terrain height to incorporate them into the obstruction loss
o Set the mobile receiver height (in m). calculations.
o Select the type of heights that you want to use - clutter, building vector and/or building
raster. Important: Using clutter heights and separations will slow down the model. You do not
need to use them if you can tune your model satisfactorily. If you use clutter heights, for
o Select the diffraction loss calculation method that will be used with the model. each clutter category, you must specify a separation to reduce the diffraction effect at the
For more information on the methods, see the ASSET Technical Reference Guide. CPE. The clutter separation distance is used to separate the CPE from the surrounding
clutter in order to prevent the CPE from being swamped by high diffraction losses. Clutter
o If you also want to calculate reflection loss, select the checkbox and then choose which lying within this distance from the CPE is considered as having a clutter height of zero. The
method you want to use. clutter height is added to the terrain height along the profile except for the specified
Note: If you do not specify a calculation method, no reflection loss will be calculated in separation distance at the start and end of the profile.
the Link Budget.
Note: When you create pathloss predictions, the above three options are activated only if
3. If you have chosen to use clutter heights, on the Clutter tab, specify the values for the you select the appropriate checkboxes in the Clutter Options pane. You can select or
different clutter categories by: deselect these options at any time.

o Double-clicking the current value

6. Click OK.
o Typing the required value
7. Apply and Commit your changes as required, then click Close.
4. If you have chosen to use building vector heights, on the Building Vectors tab, select the
building vectors that you want to use.
Default Starting Parameters for the SUI Model
5. Click OK.
This table provides details of the default Terrain Type parameters for the SUI model. These values
can be edited on the SUI tab of the Propagation Models dialog box.
Configuring a SUI Model
Terrain Type Model constant 'a' Model constant 'b' Model constant 'c'

Note: The SUI model is designed for use in analysing fixed wireless broadband communication A 4.6 0.0075 12.6
networks at frequencies below 11GHz. See About the SUI Model on page 376.
B 4.0 0.0065 17.1
C 3.6 0.005 20
To configure a SUI propagation model:

1. Complete the initial steps as described in Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page Note: These values only represent typical starting values. They may not be suitable for all types of
378. map data. For your live projects, you must tune (calibrate) the pathloss values in accordance with
the real environment.
2. On the General tab, set up the general parameters, including the frequency and effective
earth radius.

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In addition, you can set:
 Minimum Distance (
d 0 ). The default is 100m.
X
 Terrain Type (A, B or C). This determines which value for h , and which values for a, b
and c (model constants) will be used in the path loss formula.
 CPE Height (Hm). This is used to calculate the value of .
 Diffraction Loss Scale factor. The default is 0.00 (zero value means diffraction will not be
used).
For more information on these parameters, see Path Loss Formula for the SUI Model on page 376.
Configuring an SLR Model
The SLR (Standard Long-range) model can be used for DVB-H analysis. For more information, see
About the SLR Model on page 377.
To configure an SLR model:
1. Complete the initial steps as described in Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page
378.
2. On the General tab, set up the general parameters, including the frequency and effective
earth radius.
Note: The Std. Deviation of Interference is not used for DVB-H analysis.
3. On the Clutter tab, you can select a clutter category, and then, using either the edit boxes
or the table columns:
o Add or edit the Offset values to allow for different loss characteristics in different clutter
environments.
o Add or edit clutter-specific Heights to incorporate them into the pathloss calculations.
However, using clutter heights will slow down the predictions.
o Select the appropriate Terrain Type for each type of clutter.
Ensure you select the Use Offsets and/or Use Heights checkboxes if you wish to
activate them in the model.
4. Click OK.
5. Apply and Commit your changes as required, then click Close.
Configuring an ASSET Propagation Model
The following are brief instructions on how to add the ASSET Propagation Model. For more
information on setting parameters, see the ASSET Propagation Model Technical Reference Guide.
To add the ASSET Propagation Model:
1. From the Configuration menu, click Propagation Models.
2. Click Add and, from the list that appears, choose ASSET Propagation Model.
3. Specify a name for the model, and any required comments.
4. Click the View/Edit Model Parameters button.
5. On each of the tabs, specify the required parameters and options.
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6. Click OK.
7. Apply and Commit your changes as required, then click Close.
Deleting a Propagation Model
To delete a propagation model:
1. If you are using ASSET Radio, from the Configuration menu, click Propagation Models.
- or -
If you are using ASSET Backhaul, from the Arrays menu, click Propagation Models.
2. Select the model you want to delete.
3. Click Remove.
If the model is currently assigned to any cells (ASSET Radio) or links (ASSET Backhaul),
you will receive a warning, asking whether you want to proceed. The number of affected
cells/links is displayed in the Message Log.
If you proceed, the model assignments for those cells/links will be changed to 'Unknown'.
4. Click Yes to delete the model.
The affected cells/links are displayed in the Message Log.
If you later want to create another propagation model with the same name, you must permanently
delete the propagation model from the Wastebasket.
Note: You cannot delete propagation models if the project has been opened with Partial Load or
Region Load.
About Multiple Height Pathloss Predictions
When performing coverage analysis or running a simulation, the ability to consider a range of
different receiver heights can be useful in various situations. For example, it could be of relevance
to buildings with multiple levels, because the mobile terminals could be at varying heights.
ASSET provides multiple height pathloss prediction capability for the following model types:
Enhanced, Standard Macrocell 3, MYRIAD, Volcano. For more information, see Model Types
Supported by Multiple Height Capability on page 388.
Note: Multiple heights are only applicable to the Coverage Analysis wizards and to the Simulator.
They play no part in any other ASSET Radio functionality such as the Neighbour Planner or Model
Tuning, where only the model's 'main height' is used.
ASSET's pathloss propagation system can produce pathloss predictions for:
 Main Height, as determined by the Mobile Rx Height parameter in the Propagation
Model Parameters dialog box of the individual model. (For Volcano, main height is
determined by the lowest defined height in the model.)
Whether there is only one propagation model involved in the analysis, or multiple models,
only a single array instance is generated, so it does not matter if propagation models are
configured with different main heights.
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Here is an example of how an output array appears in the Layer Control Pane when using This picture shows an example of the additional height settings in the Propagation Model
this mode: Parameters dialog box:

 All Heights, where additional heights have been configured in the Propagation Model
Parameters dialog box of the individual model. This mode will always include the main
height(s).
The heights you see displayed may be from just one model or from several models (if the
cells in the selected filters involve more than one model in the analysis).
One array instance will be generated for each height in the list. In this respect, main and
additional heights are not differentiated.
When you use this mode, the height values will be appended in the output array names.
Here is an example:

 Custom List, where additional heights have been configured in the Propagation Model
Parameters dialog box of the individual model.
You can specify any heights you want, but the arrays generated are only meaningful for the
main height and any additional heights that have been set up in the individual model. For
any requested heights where this is not the case, a blank array will be generated (in this
situation, the message log will alert you accordingly). This flexibility allows you to navigate
in the Map View to areas where different models have been configured for different heights Model Types Supported by Multiple Height Capability
(for example, urban/rural), without having to keep changing the custom list between runs.
ASSET provides multiple height capability for these model types:
One array instance will be generated for each height in the list.
 Enhanced Model
The custom list is persisted between runs of the coverage analysis wizard.
 Standard Macrocell 3 Model
When you use this mode, the height values will be appended in the output array names.
Here is an example:  MYRIAD Model
 Volcano Model

More models may be supported in future releases (please contact Product Support).

The choice of whether to configure multiple heights is on a model by model basis.

Note: When you run the coverage analysis wizard, and choose one of the multiple height modes
(All Heights or Custom List), the output arrays will exclude predictions relating to cells that are Whenever you use a model that is set up for multiple heights to create pathloss predictions, the
assigned with models that do not support multiple height capability. predictions at all requested heights are automatically created.

All components of the ASSET prediction system have been upgraded to support multiple heights.
If you want to take advantage of the multiple heights capability, you need to specify the additional This includes components such as Distributed Tasks Coordinator and Agents, File Management
heights you require on your propagation model(s). and Caching system for predictions, the Prediction SDK and Prediction Access Module.

In addition, ARRAYWIZARD analysis and prediction agents support multiple height propagation
models (for coverage only). For more information, see the ARRAYWIZARD User Reference Guide.

Note: In the case of the Enhanced Model and Standard Macrocell 3 Model:
 We do not recommend specifying receiver heights above 10m
 The multi heights capability does not restrict its results to ‘indoor’ pixels
These notes only apply to the above two models. For the other models, please consult the
appropriate user guide.

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Specifying Additional Heights on the Propagation Model
These instructions are supplementary to the main instructions for configuring the model (see
Adding and Editing Propagation Models on page 378).
Note: These instructions primarily relate to the Enhanced Model and Standard Macrocell 3 Model.
If you want to specify additional heights for a MYRIAD Model or VOLCANO Model, please consult
the model-specific user guide.
To specify additional heights on the propagation model:
1. In ASSET Radio, from the Configuration menu, click Propagation Models.
2. In the dialog box that appears, select the appropriate model.
3. Click the View/Edit Model Parameters button.
4. On the General tab, enable the 'Calculate additional pathloss values' checkbox.
Note: The specified heights will be in addition to the main height (Mobile Rx Height)
already specified on the model.
To specify the additional height values, you can:
o Add a specific height and then click Add.
o Add an evenly separated range by setting a number of heights and a separation value.
The separation value will be the first value, unless you select the 'Start from' checkbox
and specify it. When finished, click Add range.
You can also:
o Remove a height from the list by selecting it and clicking Remove.
o Remove all heights from the list by clicking Clear list.
Here is an example of this part of the General tab:
Note: The additional heights will not be considered for pathloss predictions unless the
checkbox is selected.
5. When you have specified the heights you require, click OK.
6. In the Propagation Models dialog box, click Apply to save the configuration.
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About the Receiver Heights Mode in the Coverage Analysis Wizard
When you run a coverage analysis, you can choose which receiver heights mode you require,
enabling you to activate the multiple height capability only when you want to.
When the coverage analysis wizard is run, the cells included in the filter selection are checked for
their propagation model assignments, and the resulting arrays are generated according to your
chosen method.
Note: When you choose one of the multiple height modes (All Heights or Custom List), the output
arrays will exclude predictions relating to cells that are assigned with models that do not support
multiple height capability.
For full information on using the receiver heights mode in the Coverage Analysis Wizard, see the
appropriate technology-specific section in the ASSET Radio User Reference Guide:
 Creating Signal Coverage Arrays (GSM)
 Creating Signal Coverage Arrays (UMTS)
 Creating Signal Coverage Arrays (LTE)
 Creating Signal Coverage Arrays (5G)
 Creating Signal Coverage Arrays (NB-IoT)
(Each of these has its own sub-section with the heading: 'Choosing the Receiver Heights Mode'.)
Generating Multiple Height-specific Arrays in a Simulation
When you run a simulation, you may want the output arrays that take account of floor levels in
buildings. You can achieve this if you have Building Vectors as part of your map data,
ASSET enables you to convert a raster that already exists in memory into a 3D version of it. In
simple terms, this feature spreads the values in the original raster over a number of floors of a
building. This means that you can output multiple height-specific array instances when you run the
Simulator.
Note: This feature is only available in ASSET Radio. It is not available in ARRAYWIZARD, because
traffic data cannot be loaded.
When the simulation is run, the cells included in the filter selection are checked for their
propagation model assignments, and the resulting arrays are generated according to the height-
specific predictions that match the additional heights set up in the corresponding propagation
model.
At the end of the simulation, one array instance will be generated for each height derived from the
3D traffic raster. The height values will be appended in the output array instance names.
Here is an example:
For information on how to produce a 3D traffic raster, see 'Converting 2D Traffic to 3D Traffic' in the
ASSET Radio User Reference Guide.
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Recommended Mapping Data for Propagation Models
Reliable mapping data plays an essential part in producing an accurate propagation model. This
section suggests what mapping data characteristics are required to produce a sufficiently accurate
model.
Note: This dataset shows typical values and may not be suitable for every situation.
Tip: If you have many clutter types (for accurate traffic modelling) you should consider grouping
similar propagation types when analysing model performance, to allow valid statistical analysis. The
model tuning may become problematic if too many types are included.

These are guidelines and may not be applicable to all situations.

 It is important that the mapping data supplied is as up-to-date as possible so that it reflects High Resolution Datasets Mapping Data
any recent changes in land use. It should be derived from source material less than two
years old. High-resolution datasets are recommended and should comprise:
 To support a certain degree of accuracy in the propagation model, it is recommended that  5m DTM raster 1m (above sea level).
these map datasets are used:
 5m building height (DEM) raster (that is, height above ground level).
o A countrywide dataset for macrocell modelling in rural and semi-rural locations.
 5m clutter type raster.
o More detailed datasets for macrocell /microcell / small cell modelling in the larger towns
and cities.  Building outline polygon layer with polygons having height attributes. Please note that
closed vectors in the dataset must not intersect each other.
o High resolution 3D datasets for microcell / small cell modelling in the dense urban
areas.
 Because ASSET can handle mixed resolution mapping, it is recommended that you use the Note: This dataset shows typical values and may not be suitable for every situation.
datasets in combination, that is, you do not need to define a different project for each
mapping data resolution. It is therefore important that the clutter datasets use common
classifications – even if some are not used in the less detailed sets.

For information about map data file formats, see the 'Map Data File Formats' chapter of the ASSET
Technical Reference Guide.

Countrywide Dataset Mapping Data

It is recommended that you use a countrywide dataset. It should comprise:

 50m digital terrain model (DTM) layer (Z accuracy of 10m).

 50m clutter type layer – categorised by 10 types typically, the classification will need to be
distinct in terms of propagation loss and traffic. A compromise of the two would be
preferable. Do not have too many types as tuning the model will become problematic.

This mapping data is not essential to propagation models, but is a useful addition:
 Vector information to include at least highways, roads, railways, coastline, rivers and
boundaries and so on
 Text information for the whole to include at least city and town names
 Map backdrops or satellite images

Note: This dataset shows typical values and may not be suitable for every situation.

Urban Datasets Mapping Data

Urban datasets are recommended and should comprise:

 20m digital terrain model (DTM) layer (Z accuracy of 5m).

 20m clutter type layer – categorised with the same codes as the countrywide dataset but
with additional clutter classifications to permit more accurate urban modelling, for example,
open in urban, parks in urban, isolated high rise and so on.

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