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    The Power Thing Rev6a

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    iba ogba
    1) RF power is an important factor in transmission systems but must be considered alongside other factors like propagation effects and system design. 2) To accurately compare microwave system performance, key factors like RF power output, receiver threshold, modulation type, and bandwidth must be reviewed. System gain, which considers transmitter power and receiver sensitivity, provides a useful way to evaluate potential transmission range. 3) For a CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver operating at 2GHz, system gain is 126dB in FM mode and 131dB in QPSK mode, showing digital modes can match or exceed analog performance depending on the modulation used.

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    The Power Thing Rev6a

    Uploaded by

    iba ogba
    55 views3 pages
    1) RF power is an important factor in transmission systems but must be considered alongside other factors like propagation effects and system design. 2) To accurately compare microwave system performance, key factors like RF power output, receiver threshold, modulation type, and bandwidth must be reviewed. System gain, which considers transmitter power and receiver sensitivity, provides a useful way to evaluate potential transmission range. 3) For a CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver operating at 2GHz, system gain is 126dB in FM mode and 131dB in QPSK mode, showing digital modes can match or exceed analog performance depending on the modulation used.

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    1) RF power is an important factor in transmission systems but must be considered alongside other factors like propagation effects and system design. 2) To accurately compare microwave system performance, key factors like RF power output, receiver threshold, modulation type, and bandwidth must be reviewed. System gain, which considers transmitter power and receiver sensitivity, provides a useful way to evaluate potential transmission range. 3) For a CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver operating at 2GHz, system gain is 126dB in FM mode and 131dB in QPSK mode, showing digital modes can match or exceed analog performance depending on the modulation used.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    55 views3 pages

    The Power Thing Rev6a

    Uploaded by

    iba ogba
    1) RF power is an important factor in transmission systems but must be considered alongside other factors like propagation effects and system design. 2) To accurately compare microwave system performance, key factors like RF power output, receiver threshold, modulation type, and bandwidth must be reviewed. System gain, which considers transmitter power and receiver sensitivity, provides a useful way to evaluate potential transmission range. 3) For a CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver operating at 2GHz, system gain is 126dB in FM mode and 131dB in QPSK mode, showing digital modes can match or exceed analog performance depending on the modulation used.

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    RF Power versus System Gain

    From the very beginnings of radio, engineers have been heavily focused on RF power output.
    While RF power level is certainly important in any transmission system, it is one of many factors
    that enter into the success formula. In long, medium and shortwave communications, propagation
    is not line of sight and is influenced by factors that can be difficult to predict, and more difficult to
    overcome, regardless of power levels. In microwave, most propagation effects are well
    understood and system performance can be accurately predicted under all but the most unusual
    conditions.
    Factors that effect microwave performance
    When the variable effects of propagation and antennas are set aside, it is relatively easy to
    characterize and compare the performance of microwave systems. The key factors that should
    be reviewed with regard to link performance include RF power, and how it is measured; receiver
    threshold, and what its based on; and modulation type. Factors like RF and IF bandwidth, are
    also important, and should be analyzed to be certain they are similar between different
    manufacturers for a given set of operating conditions. The difficulty arises in trying to read and
    interpret the various data sheets, which are not often comparable. Lets review some of the
    basics:
    RF power output
    Generally expressed in Watts, but much more useful when converted to dBm. For example, 12W
    = + 40.8 dBm. It is important to realize that the power output will change with modulation type. A
    transmitter capable of 12 Watts in FM mode will typically be operated at 5-6 Watts in QPSK mode
    to maintain sufficient linearity. As the modulation type becomes more complex, the power backoff factor will become more pronounced. To be useful, power output must be specified at ALL
    applicable modulation types, i.e. FM, QPSK, 16QAM, and 64 QAM. A specification that reads:
    Power output = 10 Watts digital, is meaningless without a reference as to how this measurement
    was taken, and it may be misleading to a user.
    Receiver Threshold
    In video systems, the receiver threshold is defined as the minimum RF input level required to
    provide an acceptable picture on a video monitor. In accordance with EIA/TIA standards, analog
    FM systems use the 37 dB S/N point as the acceptable minimum, and have done so for decades.
    In a digital ENG system, the threshold references are based on the minimum C/N ratio required to
    -6
    achieve a BER of 10 , or an average of one bit error per megabit of data. While there will be
    some variations due to IF bandwidth, error correction, and guard interval, the average
    performance of the MRC CodeRunner 4 and STRATA receivers may be characterized as follows:
    Mode
    Rx Threshold

    FM
    -86

    QPSK 16QAM 64QAM


    -94
    -89
    -84

    System Gain
    One of the quickest and most useful ways to compare microwave system performance is to study
    system gain values. System gain is the difference in dB between the transmitter RF output power
    and the practical threshold of the receiver. In the chart below, the system gain of an MRC
    CodeRunner 2 transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver is compared in analog FM and QPSK
    modes to provide the reader with an easy way to visual reference of these parameters. It is
    interesting to note that the system gain in QPSK mode has more than a 4 dB advantage over the
    FM analog mode.

    RX Threshold
    FM: - 86 dBm
    QPSK: 94 dBm FEC

    TX Power Output
    FM: 12 Watts / + 40.8 dBm
    QPSK: 5 Watts / + 37 dBm

    QPSK System Gain = 131 dB


    FM System Gain = 126.8 dB

    -80

    -60

    -40

    -20

    +20

    +40

    RF Power Level in dBm

    CodeRunner System Gain - 12 MHz Channel


    3 MHz FM deviation
    8 MHz COFDM Pedestal
    Based on MRC factory measured data for transmitter power output and receiver threshold
    sensitivity, it is now possible to construct an accurate view of system gain under all normal analog
    and digital operating conditions. Table below summarizes the system gain of a CodeRunner 2
    transmitter and CodeRunner 4 receiver at 2 GHz.

    RF Output
    Rx Threshold
    System Gain

    FM
    40
    -86
    126

    QPSK
    37
    -94
    131

    16QAM
    36
    -89
    125

    64QAM
    33
    -84
    117

    CodeRunner 2 + CodeRunner 4 System Gain Values


    The results illustrate how system gain varies with modulation type, and clearly reveal that some
    digital modes are better than, or close to analog in this regard. The only mode that underperforms
    legacy FM is 64QAM, which would not be deployed in the majority of ENG applications.
    The Last Word.
    RF output is a significant measurement with respect to a transmitter, however it is more important
    to study all of the RF parameters that effect microwave system performance, and how they are
    measured. The best way to evaluate the potential range of microwave equipment is to look at
    system gain, which takes both ends of the path into consideration. From the experience gained
    in over ten years of developing digital radios, MRC engineers know that generating one to two dB
    of additional transmit power in all specified digital modes typically requires the capability to
    generate 10 dB more in the analog mode. The additional heat, power requirements, size, weight
    and cost of such an amplifier is difficult to justify, and the reduced life expectancy creates a
    greater risk to our customers operational reliability.

    The tendency to view RF output as being the single most important parameter is understandable
    when looking at on-the-air broadcast transmitters, but it represents only a part of the answer in
    ENG and point to point microwave.

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