Contour Plots with Surfer
Contents
1. View Tools System Help Sample ip Measurements Export Lat Lon Gr Capture Screen Job SurferExample Edit Job New Job Log _ 5 1 0 rnm 7 rmrourwcy pn LATITUDE LONGITUDE Hot Initialized Hot Initialized 4 8 2005 1 15 PM With the Exporter open double click on the frequency you want to create a contour plot for In this example there is just one frequency that has been recorded Surfer for Drive Test Application Note DTExport SurferExample dto File Help DTExport SurferExample dto 665 WBFF ANALOG E gt Date Altitude Add All gt Speed GPS Quality Remove GPS HDOP lt Remove All Parameters to Export Longitude Latitude ANALOG 665 FFANALOG Move Up Move Down Include Records without GPS OK Cancel lt Back Next gt OK Cancel To change export parameter first click Remove Select a frequency Double click on the frequency on the next screen under Export Format select Surfer then click Next A progress bar appears followed by a screen asking if you would like to export another frequency Click No The Exporter screen disappears and the DriveTest screen re appears Close DriveTest by clicking on the X in th2. Files of tupe fan Recognized Types Cancel Help The browse window automatically open the CADT folder Click on DataLayer shp to select it then click on the Open button The DataLayer shp file is an ESRI shape file created by DriveTest as measurements are made It contains the graphic information to display the measurements on the DriveTest built in Maps An ESRI Shape Import Option DataLayer shp screen appears Click OK ESRI Shape Import Options DataLayer shp 7 Areas to Curves Converts each area object into ane or more curve objects Lancel The Surfer screen now shows the path driven to collect the measurement data ru Surfer Plot1 I B za File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help 8 x D g EB 518 56cm 92 6 amp Q O T de v Right A gt Left Axi v 4 Top Axis Bottom MHH Left Axi v 4 Top Axis MH Bottom Contour 10 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Change the Base Map symbol The default base map symbol is a large X for better view ability we will change it to a smaller dot Double click on the Base entry in the left column on the screen The base Map Properties screen appears Map Base Properties E x Base Map View Scale Limits Background Input File Esp T DutpursSurferE xample sD ataL ayer shp Properties Image Eoo
3. generate a second Contour Plot by using the new full set of measurement data points This approach allows one to improve the accuracy of Contour Plots by adding more actual measured data to the input file used to calculate contours The more measured values used the better the accuracy of a Contour Plot Contour Plots provide another tool to evaluate analyze and display signal coverage measurements They can be a valuable tool for estimating coverage beyond the actual measured locations and can provide extrapolations of expected coverage over an entire service area The method described here is an excellent addition to an engineer s tool set for understanding performance of a single RF transmitter or an entire wireless or broadcast network Of course Surfer and all other Contouring programs have their limitations for example in this demonstration we ve not directly take into account terrain or man 16 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note made obstructions When this is understood the operator can make full and effective use of Contour Plots Always remember if actual and precise data is required at a specific location the best approach is to take real measured data at that location using one of Z Technology s Drive Test Systems DSS5800 Drive Test System by Z Technology Inc 17
4. the 6 node then click on the Red color box The Color spectrum screen now looks like the following 14 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Chrl Click to insert new nodes Del ta remove gg wg p p L value 98 4729064 Color Aed Data to Color Wapping Use data limits Minimum 45 li 10 Cancel Click the OK button Click again then click again The main Surfer screen re appears with the color contouring visible Add a title to the contour map On the Surfer main screen click on toolbar Text icon T then click the top white space above the contour plot A text edit window appears Text Properties E 3 xl Text Font Points Color EP Gw Style m Sample W Bold Strikethrough let Italic Underline Sa e Press Ctrl E nter to start a new line Surfer Example Type in a title for the contour map In this case we use the title Surfer Example change the Point size to 36 check the Bold box then click OK The text appears in the white space where you clicked earlier If it is not quite centered click on the toolbar pointer arrow d then click on the title to select it the drag it to a new centered position Next add a units label for the color scale on the right side of the screen Referring back to the DriveTest PLOT we see that the original measurement units were dBuV M Cli
5. Creating Signal Coverage Contour Plots With Surfer Software from Measured Data Captured with ZTI Drive Test Systems Z Technology Application Note No 26 April 2005 ru Surfer Plot1 19 E File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help E 8 x ELA Text of FE Color Scale f JH H Top Axis Bottom Base E mi Map WHH Right A gt HH Left Axi MIH Top Axis Bottom Contour Nothing Selected 6 44 in 7 55 in Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Table of Contents INTRODUCTION RF SIGNAL COVERAGE MEASUREMENTS CONTOURING EXPORT DRIVETEST DATA TO A DAT FILE THAT CAN BE IMPORTED INTO SURFER IMPORT THE DAT FILE INTO SURFER TO CREATE A GRD GRID FILE USE SURFER TO CREATE A MAP CONTOUR DISPLAY CHANGE THE BASE MAP SYMBOL SET UP A COLOR SCALE ADD A TITLE TO THE CONTOUR MAP SUMMARY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 11 11 15 16 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Introduction This application note will describe how to export measurement data from a Z Technology DriveTest system to an intermediate data format suitable for importing into the Surfer 3D surface mapping program A step by step process for an example drive will be shown For variations on contour or surface mapping please see the included Surfer Users Guide surfer by Golden Software is a commercial Contouring and 3D Surface Mapping program for Scientists and Engineers It runs under Microsoft
6. Windows 95 98 2000 XP Surfer converts data into contour maps and surface plots All aspects of 2D or 3D maps can be customized to produce unique presentations Surfer can be purchased through Z Technology or purchased directly from Golden Software at www goldensoftware com For years Z Technology ZTI has supplied Signal Coverage Drive Test D T Measuring and Mapping Systems to the broadcast and wireless industries Our D T oystems are specifically designed for accurate signal parameter measurements of terrestrial transmission networks ZTI has developed a unique set of tools and special measurement parameters for use by the signal coverage analysis professional These include several signal parameters directly correlate with the ability to receive decode and process transmitted signals and or data RF Signal Coverage Measurements It was deemed highly desirable to record actual measurement parameters such as accurate signal strength at an exact location and then display that data precisely at the location where it was captured Using multiple measurements and associating each measurement with a GPS latitude and longitude a coverage map of an area of service was generated This map can be displayed in color by our Drive Test oystems Application software These maps consist of a series of colored dots overlaid on top of a geographic region Data can be analyzed for each location by observing the color coding of the displayed data Thi
7. ck on the toolbar Text Click a white space above the color scale Enter dBuV M then change the points to 16 check the Bold box then click OK Use the toolbar pointer arrow t to position the new label The contour map is now complete You may print it using the printing instructions described in the Surfer User Manual 15 18 x E File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help 15 x e e o T N RNG ANN TPN O nula Surfer Example dBuViM gt sS HH a 39 4 39 35 39 25 76 7 76 65 76 6 76 55 76 5 zi D ud Nothing Selected 6 44 in 7 55 in Click on the File menu then click on Save A Save As box appears with a file name plot click the Save Button and your plot has been saved in the CADT Output SurferExample folder with a file name Plot1 summary and Additional Information More measurement data can always be added to an existing Drive Test This can be done at a later time by simply placing the Drive Test System back into a vehicle calling up the original Job and begin taking more data After finishing the new measurement session with the Drive Test System again use the DriveTest Export button to create a new dat file for use by Surfer This new file will contain all the pertinent data from both the original and the new measurement sessions Surfer will need to
8. e upper right corner A dat data file has been created for import into Surfer The file resides in the CADT Ouput folder for the current job in this example C DT_Ouput SurferExample The file name automatically created in this example is SurferExample 665 WBFF ANALOG SUR dat Where SUR designates it was exported in Surfer format Import the dat file into surfer to create a ard arid file Start Surfer by clicking on the Surfer Desktop icon or clicking on the Start button then click All Programs Golden Software Surfer 8 then Surfer 8 The ourfer screen appears Surfer for Drive Test Application Note ru Surfer Plot1 Zr x d File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help 8 x D HB x Ps m 92 o e e o 4 TN ER I TE AT Click on the Grid Menu then click on Data An Open browsing window appears TE Qi2X Tn 2x 2x in Y k E3 Look in SurferExample j z ex E3 SurferExample File name Files of type Jal Recognized Types Cancel File name Files of type Recognized Types Cancel File name Files of type ai Recognized Types Cancel Click on the down arrow by the Surfer folder shown in the left screen above Select C then select DT Ouput then select SurferExample Click SurferExample 655 WBFF ANALOG SUR then click on the Open button The GridData wi
9. e program is already installed on the system PC and ready to use ourfer requires data to be formatted in a specific way The file must have three columns of data separated by commas A correctly formatted file will be structured as follows with the first column containing longitude values the second latitude values and the third column the measured parameter to be plotted An example is given here Longitude Latitude Integrated Pwr dBuV M 76 685970 39 196968 60 4 Oo 2 f 991969692 50 29 o 6065920759 196992905 4 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note e cung s m Os 76 x mL dir xdi zii UOS c ce 08592935939 60559295499 009924393 6557502 9 09099904995 20097092 US 59909 ps Oe 57 665 55 359 099995 T1 393 090922099 21 OpOUZ s 0989929 99 19695234905 19099590 126933700 190959 505 15909 79905 L19693 7p 0U 196939700 196940460 19094 998 1909979400 19009997 m JS OUS C CO BO MJ EI OT hBO OTI Cn Export DriveTest data to a dat file that be imported into Surfer It is easy to create a data file of this format by simply using the Export feature of the DriveTest Application Within DriveTest open the job you wish to work on in this example we use SurferExample then click on the Export Lat Lon button mj 2 Technology Drive Test SurferExample LOCKED 18 xl j 22254 File Job Capture
10. left column The Map Contours Properties screen appears Map Contours Properties xl General Levels View Scale Limits Background Input Grid File x CAD T_Output SurferE xample SurferE sample 665 WBFF ANALO o ae x Blanked Regions Fill Hone Line Invisible Smoothing Smooth Contours Amount Low Filled Contours v Fill Contours W Color Scale Fault Line Properties x In the Filled Contours box check Fill contours and check Color Scale then click on the OK button The main Surfer screen re appears with a gray scale color plot and color scale at the right margin 12 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note 2101 x ER File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help 8 x MHH Top Axis Bottom ACH Base c eim ae A gt ees Left Axi MHH Top Axis Bottom R RER A ARBRE RE BE Map Contours 2 35 in 2 75 in 6 51 in x 5 42 in The next step is to change the grey scale to a color scale that approximates the color scale of the original DriveTest PLOT Double click on the Contours again The Map Contours Properties screen appears Map Contours Properties 3 x General Levels View Scale Limits Background Input Grid File x CAD T_Output SurferE xample SurferE sample 665 WBFF ANALO ao ne x Filled Contours Smoothing Blanked Regions I Fill Contours Smooth Contour
11. ndow appears Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Grid Data C4DT DutputSurferExample SurferExample 665 BEF i EI Column Longitude Filter D ata Cancel T Column B Latitude Data e Column C Signal Statistics Grid Report Gridding Method Advanced Options Cross Validate Output Grid File C ADT_Output SurterE xample SurferE ample 665 WEFF ANALOG SUR grd arid Line Geometry Minimum Masimum Spacin of Lines A Direction 76 7481 02 76 4551 0 00295961 i 00 ES Y Direction 29 195117 38 4441 n 0 00236440476 85 Click the OK button The Surfer main screen re appears with a message Gridding using kriging with sector search in the status line at the bottom of the page while a status bar grows showing the progress of the gridding process A completion message appears when the process finishes j Grid File C DT_Output SurferExample SurferExample 665 WBFF ANALOG SUR grd has been created Click the OK button The Surfer Gridding Report appears A Surfer Reporta File Edit Gridding Report Fri Apr 08 13 49 54 2005 Elasped time for gridding 85 6 seconds Data Source Source Data File Name C DT_Output SurferExample SurferExample 665 X Column A Y Column B Z Column C Data Counts Active Data 1369 Original Data 1383 Excluded Data 0 Deleted Duplicates 14 Retained D
12. ps can be generated Contouring There are several Windows based programs available today that allow us to accomplish this task These programs rely on a variety of mathematical models to generate a complete signal coverage map even when only a limited number of measured data points are available These programs create pictorial views of a coverage area The views can be rendered as 2 dimensional Contour Plots representative of the various parameters relating to signal coverage The remainder of this Application note will cover how to create Contour Plots using the Surfer application lf you have purchased Surfer with a Z Technology DriveTest system an example plot of a Baltimore UHF DTV station is included This application note will describe the steps to e Export DriveTest data to a dat file that can be imported into Surfer Import the dat file into surfer to create grd grid file Use Surfer to create a Map Contour display Change the Base Map symbol Set up a color scale Add a title to the contour map Open the DriveTest shp layer file to create a drive background Downloading and installing Surfer on your PC is a straightforward process Follow the instructions found on the Golden Software website Once you have the program operational on your computer you are ready to move to the next step of preparing collected drive test data for use by this Application If you have purchased Surfer with your DriveTest system th
13. rdinates 76 748102 6455 uin 195917 54427 Line EE NNI Fill Font Symbol Set Defaut Symbols Color Number 12 l l _ Size 4 m Cancel Select the solid circle and change the size from 0 15 in to 0 05 in Then click the OK button then click the OK button again The Surfer screen re appears now with the base map as small dots instead of larger X s oet up a color scale The map contours need some color We will set up colors to approximate the colors of the original DriveTest data Within DriveTest the PLOT page looks like the following 11 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note 2 Technology Drive Test SurferExample LOCKED m 8j xj File Job Capture View Tools System Help Technology cS Q wm gt Properties Drill Data Cross Filter Frequency 665 000000 MHz to Signal aNatoG ao Sari Z am z Thresholds Auto New Edit elete Pv UNION Lochearne gt lt y 4 lt E pA 3 Gg fa De UAR at n P 0 ate Middle River Cuales D ae Below 55 1 dBuV m 2 9 miles 76 469382 W 39 270753 N 4 8 2005 3 02 PM In the next operation we will approximate the color scale on the right of the Drive est Plot Page into the Surfer contour data On the Surfer screen double click on the Contour entry in the
14. s Fill Noe v Color Scale low Gre Invisible Fault Line Click on the Levels tab the Level s tab screen appears Map Contours Properties Delete Load will bl kl x cms D 13 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Click on Fill the Fill screen appears Background Calor EP Background Made Transparent z Ctrl Click ta insert new nodes Delto remove Data to Color Mapping Use data limits Minimum 45 li 10 Cancel Notice there are two nodes at each side of the color spectrum box By moving the cursor above the box that now shows a grey scale and holding the control key down you can click to add a node Add 5 evenly spaced nodes like shown in the example below Crl Click to insert new nodes Del ta remove p iy J J value 98 4729064 Load m mael al aE BIIDDEENNSE Data to Color Mapping Use data limits Color Black Minimum 45 Maximum 10 Cancel Now click on the very left node to select it This represents the very lowest signal level With the left node selected click on the Blue color box Click the 2 node then click on the Purple color box Click on the 3 node then click on the Green color box Click on the 4 node then click on the Yellow color box Click on the 5 node then click on the Orange color box Click on
15. s generates colorful and very useful plots of parameters such as signal strength decoder locks signal to noise ratios etc In addition the ZT Application also provides a unique Drill Down feature for examining in detail information collect at various data points Drill Down lets the user examine all captured data for one GPS location or across an entire series of locations The Drill Down feature along with the color coded plot presentations have proven to be an excellent tool for characterizing overall coverage for a transmission network Hecently some users have requested the ability to have one additional method of displaying collected Drive Test data This need arises for users doing management presentations or when there is the requirement to describe coverage parameter values everywhere within a service area In these cases it is helpful to be able to extrapolate from measured Drive Test data and create signal coverage maps to give 3 Surfer for Drive Test Application Note estimates of expected coverage for all points across an entire service area By using what we know from measured signal information at a finite number of locations it is possible to mathematically calculate the expected values that would be measured if one were able to collect data over an entire service area Of course some assumptions must be made and math based on those assumptions employed When this is effectively done complete extrapolated signal coverage ma
16. uplicates 10 Artificial Data Superseded Data 0 Univariate Statistics 4 PIs i Surfer for Drive Test Application Note Close the Gridding report by clicking on the X in the upper right corner When the Save Changes message appears click YES on the next screen click Save Use Surfer to create a Map Contour display Back at the main Surfer Screen click on the Map Menu item then click on Contour then click New Contour The Open Grid window appears Look in SurferE ample Ht SurferExample 665 WBFF ANALOG SUR File name Files of type At Recognized Types Cancel Grid Info gt gt Check that SurferExample 665 WBFF ANALOG SUR is selected then click the Open button The Surfer window appears with the new contour data displayed in black and white r Surfer Plot1 Ioj x x File Edit View Draw Arrange Grid Map Window Help 8 x v 4 Top Axis v 4 Bottom Contour area Z RAN Pe aS 2 qo a Lt Jaz Ae T Sh S EEE ENE Nothing Selected 7 00 in 2 04 in Next load the base map which shows the original route and location of measurements Click the Map menu then click Base Map a Import File browse window appears Surfer for Drive Test Application Note dX Look in SurferE xample e E3 e DataLayer shp File name
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