PART 1

Microwave Communication Principle

NEC Corporation

CONTENTS
1. Introduction to microwave system
2. Block diagram for microwave communication system
3. System hierarchy

1. Introduction to microwave system

1.1 DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION METHODS

Coaxial cable
Radio link

MUX

MUX

Satellite

Fiber-optics cable

1.2 Frequency for microwave 300MHZ 300GHZ

Wavelength 1m~1mm
Subband UHF: 0.3-1.12G X 8.2-12.4G
L: 1.12-1.7G
KU 12.4-18G
LS 1.7-2.6 G
K: 18-26G
S 2.6-3.95 G
Ka:26.5-40G
C 3.95-5.85G
U: 40-60G
XC 5.85-8.2G

LF

MF

HF

VHF

UHF

SHF

EHF

microwave

10Km

1Km

100m

10m

30KHz

300KHz

3MHz

30MHz

1m
300MHz

10cm
3GHz

1cm
30GHz

1mm
300GHz

1.3 Features:
1. Short wavelength / high frequency
easy to design compact and light aerial system and wide bandwidth, large capacity
2. Frequency plan
3. Line of sight propagation, reflection, diffraction and scattering etc.
4. Free space loss
5. Fade caused by other types of path loss. Multipath.
6. Interference

1.3.1RADIO-FREQUENCY USE

Regional network
1.5
2.5
2
8
34
Mbit/s

3.3

11 GHz

National network

Regional and local area network

34
140
155
Mbit/s

2
8
34
140
155
Mbit/s
8

10

20

GHz
30

40

50

1.3.2FREQUENCY PLAN

Lower half band

Upper half band

Channel number
1

1'

2'

n'

F3
Fo
Frequency
F1

F2
Center frequency

Fo: Center frequency

1.3.2 FREQUENCY SHIFT BETWEEN CHANNELS

CAPACITY

MODULATION

DEVIATION

1800 channels

MF 140 kHz rms/channel

30 MHz

2700 channels

MF 140 kHz rms/channel

40 MHz

30 channels 2 Mbit/s

4 PSK

3.5 MHz

120 channels 8 Mbit/s

4 PSK

7 MHz

4 QAM

30 MHz

16 QAM

14 MHz

16 QAM

40 MHz

64 QAM

30 MHz

ANALOG

DIGITAL

480 channels 34 Mbit/s

1920 channels 140 Mbit/s

1.3.3/4 RADIO PROPAGATION

The radio link propagation follows the line of sight: it requires a perfect clearing between transmiting
and receiving antennas. The propagation medium is made of the lower layers of the atmosphere
(a few meters to a few hundred of meters above ground)

The non homogeneity of the atmosphere influences the waves propagation:

1) Path curvature
2) Reflecting, diverging, focusing intermittent events

Free space loss=92.4+20*log(f*d) (dB)

among them, f:GHz, d:km

RADIO PROPAGATION
Atmosphere influence

Refraction

Partial reflection

Absorption

Gaz and water vapor

n2

n2

i.2

Diffusion

Diffusion volume

Frequ. < 15 GHz : insignificant

20 GHz : 0.1 dB / km

Rain
i.1

n1

n1*sin i.1 = n2*sin i.2

n1

Almost horizontal height

Frequ. > 10 GHz

500Km

RADIO PROPAGATION
Ground influence

Diffraction
Reflection

Diffraction on a ridge

Spherical diffraction

RADIO PROPAGATION
Radio path
Air refraction index at sea level : n = 1,000 315
N = 315 N units

Standard atmosphere N = - 39 N.units Km

Ro
Real Earth

K = R/Ro = 4/3

R
Imaginary Earth

N : Gradient of air refraction index

N may reach more extreme values than + 250 or - 350, during short percentage of time
Using an imaginary earth with a radius of 8500 km, allows to simplify the radio hop perception

1.3.5 FADING
Changes of transmitting media,such as, atmosphere, link, time, altitude,climate etc.
Fading due to multipath arising from surface reflection
Attenuation due to atmospheric gases;
Attenuation due to precipitation
Type of fading:
fast fading and slow fading;
fast fading: the channel impulse response changes rapidly within the symbol duration.
slow fading:the channel impulse response changes at a rate much lower than the
trasnsmitted baseband signal.
up fading and down fading;
up fading: direct wave arrives later than reflecting wave; down fading: virse versa
frequency selective fading and flat fading
the received signal spectrum remains a close replica of the transmitted signal spectrum
except for a change in amplitude.

SELECTIVE FADING
Cause: Multipath propagation
Refraction

A 1,T

A 2,T

Receiver
F=

Frequency
A1 -A 2
A1+ A

=T
=

A min

For A1 = A2

A1

Transmitter

A max

Reflection

-T
A2
A1

F
F0

Radio channel

A max dB = + 6
A min dB = -

< 1 minimal-phase fading

> 1 non-minimal phase fading
The direct signal is larger than the reflected signal.

FADING
Main cause: Rain snow for frequencies > 10 GHz
-80 < Pr < -20 dBm
Receiver
A

Demodulator
B

CAG

FI

Digital
Signal
Transmitter
dBm

IF

W0
Noise

dBm
A

Signal

W
Time

Noise

IF Level 0 dBr 2dB

B
C
N

Time

COUNTER-FADING MEASURES
A. Techniques without diversity
reduction of the levels of ground reflection
increase of path inclination
various equalizers

B. Diversity techniques
FD
SD

10.2/F1/2<H<37/F1/2

1.3.6 INTERFERENCE
A. Co-channel interference
Caused by other signal residing at the same frequency as the desired signal
B. Adjacent channel interference
Caused by RF leakage on the operational channel from a neighbouring RF
equipment using an adjacent frequency. This can occur when an adjacent channel
user is operating in close proximity to the users receiver, or when the user's signal is
much weaker than that of the adjacent channel user.

COUNTER-INTERFERENCE
MEASURES
A. Increase Transmit Power

B. Bandpass filter, sharp cut off filter

MICROWAVE RADIO LINK

Hop
NO.1

Hop
NO.2

Hop
No.n
or

TX/Rx

Terminal
Station
Cable

TX/Rx

TX/Rx TX/Rx

Relay station
(Active)

Relay station
(Passive)
Radio link

Distance between the transmitter and the receiver, some km < D < 100 km
Availability and quality are depending on distance according I.T.U.R. rules

Terminal
Station
Cable

2. Block diagram for microwave communication system

Block diagram for microwave system

Antennas
TX

Rx

(Modulator )

Source

encode

TX BB

UP
CONV

MOD

PWR
AMP

BR
CKT

LNA

BR
CKT

SYN

RX

decode

RX BB

DOWN
CONV

DEM
(Demodulator )

Base band

BB : Base band
IF : Intermediate Frequency
UHF : Ultra-High Frequency (300 - 3000 MHz)
SHF : Super-High Frequency (3000 - 30.000 MHz)

IF

UHF/SHF

MICROWAVE LINK STRUCTURE

MODULATOR

32/64/704/2048 kbit/s
Auxiliary rates

Zc = 75
CCITT
G.703

Digital
junction

Microwave
frame
organisation

IF output
Modulator
Zc = 75

2/8/34/140/155 Mbit/s
- Cable correction

- Serial/parallel conversion

- Coding

- Clock recovery
- Regeneration

- Data scrambling
- Sync. clock/microwave frame

- Filtering
- 2 n state modulation

- Code x NRZ transcoding

- AIS switching

- Forward Error Correction code (F.E.C)

- Calculation & coding of parity bit
- Auxiliary rate adaptation
- Multiplexing

MODULATOR PRINCIPLE

PSK 4 MODULATOR BLOCK DIAGRAM

PSK 4 - COHERENT DEMODULATOR PRINCIPLE

PSK4 - COHERENT DEMODULATOR - DECISION CIRCLES

PSK 4 - COHERENT DEMODULATOR BLOCK DIAGRAM

MODULATOR / DEMODULATOR - COMPLETE BLOCK DIAGRAM

16 QAM PRINCIPLE

16 QAM MODULATOR BLOCK DIAGRAM

16 QAM DEMODULATOR PRINCIPLE

- DECISION LEVELS

16 QAM DEMODULATOR - BLOCK DIAGRAM

DIGITAL RADIO TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT

Transmission

Reception

Main
Modulator

Transmitter

Receiver

Demodulator

rate

- Microwave frame
- Multiplexing
- Modulation

- Translation
- Amplification

- Translation
- Amplification

- Demodulation
- Microwave frame
.Demultiplexing
.Measurements of B.E.R.
- Distorsion correction

MICROWAVE FRAME

Microwave frame object:

Extra-bit insertion/extraction:

Service channel

Supervision of quality

Auxiliary rates

TS/RC function

Data scrambling

MODULATOR
Digital junction

Digital
access

Cable
correction
f

Clock
recovery
NRZ
Regenerator
Transcoder

Switch

2/8/34/140/155 Mbit/s
G703

AIS
Generator

Signalling

Ck

MODULATOR
Frame and modulator

Auxiliary data

NRZ

Multiplexer
Scrambler

Ck

Serial

Parity
ECC
Calculator

Modulator

Encoder
Converter

F.A.W

IF
Output

BB Filter

IF oscillator

SHAPING FILTERS

Forced-up cosinus response

H (f)
T

1
=0

T
2

0
Useful band

1
2T

=0

= 0.5

= 0.5

=1

=1

1
T

-3T

-2T

-T

Transcient response

(Nyquist)

Ideal

Eye diagram

with noise

2T

3T

TRANSMITTER
Principle

Oscillator: FnFI

IF

Amplifier

Converter

Amplifier

A
Translation
Frequency
IF

Fn SHF Canal

RECEIVER
Principle
Oscillator Fn'

Fn
IF
Converter

dB

Amplifier

dB
Frequency

Frequency
Fn

Fn'
IF

IF

DEMODULATOR
Auxiliary rates

Equalizer

Selective fading dynamic correction

Demodulator

- Demodulation
- Clock recovery
- Regeneration

Digital
processing

Digital
Signal

- MVT search
- Demultiplexing
- Descrambling
- Parallel/serial conversion
- NRZ/code x transcoding
- Quality analysis
-6

-4

(B.E.R. 1.10 ; 1.10 )

MINIMUM PHASE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM

Minimal phase

Processor
A'1
A1

Tb

A2

IF

Received
constellation

Regeneration
+
Digital
processing

Demodulator
A2

(T2)

A1

A1
(T1)
T2 - T1
A2
= A2
A1

<1

Delay =
A'1 =

Tb

A1

Recursive filter

Digital
output

EQUALIZATION SYSTEM
Non-minimal phase

Processor

A1 + A

Transversal filter

Tb
2

Demodulator

A2
A2

A 2, T 2

(A 2 +

A1)

A2

Tb
+ O
2

(Tb
2

+ O

A1

A 1, T 1

+
A2
=
>1
A1

A' 1 =

A' 2
A1
A' 1
A2
=
A1

(A 2

A1 )

1
A2
A' 1

,t=

T2 - T1

A1

t' = t +

Tb
+ O
2

SELECTIVE FADING: CORRECTION SYSTEM

Signature description

BER
measurement

= 6,3 ns
A2
A

Rx

Equ.

Demod.

0 dBr
20 log (1 -

1.10 -3

R
A

A2

=K
avec K impair

A2

A2
A1
The signature is the performance achieved by an equalizer circuit
for a given BER (10 -3)
S = 20 log (1 -

F
MHz

3. System hierarchy

DIGITAL SYSTEM HIERARCHY

2400/19200 bit/s
Data

VF Data

MUX

PCM

64 kbit/s
TN 1
2.048 Mbit/s

30 channels 64 kbit/s + 64 kbit/s signalling + 64 kbit/s frame

32 x 64 = 2.048 kbit/s
4 x 30 channels
TN 2

8.448 Mbit/s

+ frame + stuffing

120 channels
4 x 120 channels
TN 3

34.268 Mbit/s

480 channels
4 x 480 channels
TN 4

139.264 Mbit/s

1920 channels

TRT PRODUCTS

34,268 Mbit/s

8,448 Mbit/s

2,048 Mbit/s

4
3
2
1

4
3
2
1

TN2

4
3
2
1

TN3

155 Mbit/s

ADM
155

2/34 Mbit/s PDH

TN4

CMI

140 Mbit/s
CMI

34 Mbit/s
HDB3

Tx/Rx

Tx/Rx
or 16x2 Mbit/s

8 Mbit/s
HDB3

Tx/Rx

Tx/Rx
or 4x2 Mbit/s

30
64 kbit/s
1

TN1

2 Mbit/s
HDB3

Tx/Rx
4x2 Mbit/s