Home

PathAlign-R User Manual Rev A

1. 1 3 6 Static Discharge CAUTION Internal circuitry may be damaged by static discharge Static discharge through the front panel SMA connectors during connection of coax cables may be fatal to the instrument especially during periods of dry and windy conditions Personnel should neutralize discharge any built up static charge they carry before connecting coax cables to the instrument by simultaneously touching the cable s connector shell and one of the instrument s front panel handles with the operator s uncovered hand no gloves YES XLMICROWAVE Path Align R 1 4 General Description The PathAlign R is a high performance microwave Antenna Path Alignment Test Set specifically designed to quickly and easily optimize a microwave antenna link This optimization process is done without the need of the individual antenna site s radio the PathAlign R directly drives the 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 1 3 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation site s antenna The PathAlign R s are sold as and used in pairs one at each antenna site Full duplex voice transmit receive capability between sites is provided with the enclosed headsets A Variable Alignment Tone switch selectable on the front panel indicates signal strength path loss via a variable tone which can be heard thru the speaker or the headset Transmit receive frequencies are selected with the front thumbwheel switches and pa
2. nu au aquya rete e e d it e tato kau 2 13 26 2 Attaching the Installation Removal TOOL ie titi teet n ti 2 13 2 59 Sparkplug Camere Hn aW tud 2 13 2 64 Sparkplug Installation tnnt 2 14 2 7 Incoming Confidence Verification 2 14 2 8 Optional Additional Checks 2 15 28 1 Transmitter a n ua ode UQ ua iei d ee qu sesta ort o dad 2 15 2 9 2 ss u qu ati du gau ruo herein Be SNC a hau in Dude 2 15 2 9 Field Verification Check us pene MER FARNE RR AY tas EARN sens FEN RANK aX Un CV uS 2 16 29 1 Band 1 1 5 2 5 GHz Field Verification Check sesenta 2 16 2 9 2 Band 2 Band 3 and Band 4 Field Verification Check sse 2 17 2 10 Preparation for Reshipment U uuu RR RR RAR RR RR RR RAR 2 18 2 1 Storage y uD AS A OCA EO DR Sn au aus 2 19 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual iii PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation aco donem 3 20 41 JntroducUON Gne CV nde Ori nie oci Enc vibe Drei EE 3 20 3 2 Front Panel
3. Transient Overvoltage Installation Category II EN 61010 1 J 1 5 9 Supplemental Specifications Warranty One Year Limited Warranty Montreal Protocol Nil Return ISO 9001 All Spectracom sites are registered to ISO 9001 2008 and are regularly audited and improved to provide you the best possible vendor support CE European Union EN 55011 1998 w A1 1999 Group 1 Class B emissions EN 61326 1 1997 w A1 1998 immunity 1 5 10 Battery Charger ACS MAINS Input 90 to 264 VAC 47 to 63 Hz AC MAINS Connector IEC 320 3 conductor Conforms to IEC 320 3 1987 EN 60 320 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R DC Output 15 VDC 1A DC Connector 5 5 mm x 2 1 mm Barrel Power connector 5 foot cord Dimensions HxWxD 33 mm x 51 mm x 86 mm 1 3 in x 2 0 in x 3 4 in Operating Temperature 0 C to 40 C 32 F to 104 F 1 5 11 Record R Specifications Model 2241 2241A Only Data Recorded Each record contains Model No Serial No Date Time UTC Longitude Latitude Frequency amp Path Loss Data Record Time 20 milliseconds Data Format CSV comma separated variable Max No of Records 250 stored in instruments non volatile memory Downloading Records Records are downloaded thru RS 232 C or USB rear panel connectors Downlo
4. EE lS Fn RE CE cu REY EB ER EE 3 20 3 24 Mode Selections onte dnas tels tee ie abi buta eger ere bete ne pid ead 3 20 3 2 2 _ Front Panel Display eon de potro c een es 3 21 3 2 3 LED LCD Indicators and Annunciators ca oct eter terr tette tite neben bet 3 21 3 24 Pour eor TEES 3 22 3 3 Rear PAM rr 3 23 3 4 Operating Characteristics u 3 23 3 4 1 Operating RANGES uu un usaha i remain 3 23 34 2 Band Resolution baa Bede iecit rueda beau 3 24 Range ay cod os ps cc v A Bode puto dt ip 3 24 EU TE ETT RETE 3 24 352 IRCCS DI MTM cm 3 24 3 4 4 5 5 eO oai eii Aa is e 3 24 3 5 Instrument Operating nnna 3 24 35 1 Pre Climb Checklist and SEIU ics ecce e eiie tne RR DONE 3 25 3 5 2 Antenna Path Alignment Procedure ico daturi cce antca di ecu de due ida 3 25 3 5 3 Frequencies outside the PathAlign R s Band 3 26 3 54 Aligning Antenna Links Using Frequencies Outside of the PathAlign R Band Range 3 28 3 6 Liner mc 3 30 I TEE 3 30 3 6 2 Troubleshooting and or Performance Verification sees 3 30 363 Maintenance Sched
5. Wavelength 5 5 3 5 Polarization The polarization of an antenna refers to the orientation of the electric field vector in the radiated wave For linear polarization horizontal or vertical the vector remains in one plane as the wave propagates through space To eliminate polarization mismatch loss the receiving antenna must have the same polarization orientation as the transmitting antenna 3 Note If the waveguide connection at the antenna is vertically oriented the antenna is said to have horizontal polarization and vice versa 5 3 6 Order Wire The term Order Wire or Engineering Order Wire is currently used with spread spectrum radios to describe the ability to have voice communications over the radio link This term comes from the telegraph telephone days when an order wire was equipment and the circuit specific cable pair within multi pair cable providing a telephone company with the means to establish voice contact between the central office and carrier repeater locations 4 5 3 7 References 1 T L Frey Jr The Effects of the Atmosphere and Weather on the Performance of a mm Wave Communication Link Applied Microwave and Wireless Magazine February 19989 pg 76 80 2 R L Freeman Telecommunication Transmission Handbook Third Edition John Wiley amp Sons Inc 1991 pg 494 3 A M Alevy Antenna Fundamentals for Microcellular Applications Base Station Earth Station Magazine January February
6. The Friis free space propagation equation is commonly used to determine the attenuation of a signal due to spreading of the electromagnetic wave Free space loss is given as Attenuation dB 92 467 20 log10 fGHz 20 log10 Dkm Attenuation dB 96 6 20 log10 fGHz 20 log10 Dmi Where fGHz frequency in GHz and Dkm distance between antennas link in kilometers or Dmi distance between antennas link in miles 5 1 1 Frequencies above 10 GHz For frequencies above 10 GHz there are several additional issues that affect propagation including e Absorption due to gasses or water vapor e Attenuation due to mist fog or rainfall Many gasses and pollutants have absorption lines in the millimeter bands but due to their low densities their effect is negligible in microwave and millimeter wave frequencies below 30 GHz Water vapor though has an absorption line at 22 235 GHz and can affect microwave frequencies above 10 GHz The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at sea level can vary from 0 001 gram per cubic meter in a cold dry climate to as much as 30 grams per cubic meter in hot humid climates In addition the effects of precipitation can be significant at microwave frequencies above 10 GHz The attenuation due to rainfall is dependent on the size and distribution of the water droplets Because snowfall rates are generally less than rainfall rates propagation is less effected by snowfall For both s
7. 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R factor of 1 indicates no bending of the signal a K factor of less than one means the electromagnetic wave is bent up away from the surface A K factor greater than one indicates a slight bending downward towards the earth The K factor value commonly used for microwave links is 1 333 4 3 for normal atmospheric conditions which means that the radio horizon is further away than the visual horizon 5 2 5 Link Design Links should be designed using the above information to accommodate obstructions mountains buildings trees and atmospheric conditions large bodies of water weather conditions and other natural reflectors and absorbers of electromagnetic energy The following image displays a typical microwave point to point link and the basic formulas for reliable link design f GHz Figure 5 2 Typical Point to Point Link Design Where R Curved path of the first Fresnel zone radius at the obstruction in feet ht Height above the earth s surface at the transmitting antenna in feet hr Height above the earth s surface at the receiving antenna in feet x Height of obstruction in feet h Earth s curvature from a flat plane between antennas at the obstruction in feet 91 Distance from transmitting antenna to obstruction in miles d2 Distance from receiving antenna to obstruction in miles Dt Total p
8. FRAGILE DELICATE INSTRUMENT and also affix appropriate handling symbols to the carton to ensure maximum care in transit 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 2 11 Storage Remove the battery from the unit The instrument should be shelved in a reasonably clean environment and protected from dirt and moisture Storage temperature is 40 C to 71 C 40 F to 160 F Place the instrument in its carrying bag or a cardboard container and seal it from dirt and moisture Do not wrap air tight with plastic For extended storage periods in excess of one year the shelf life of electrolytic capacitors must be considered The shelf life of electrolytic capacitors is governed by the storage temperature At a storage temperature of 25 C to 30 C the shelf like will be two years or more At temperatures below 25 C the shelf life will be several years When storage conditions are unknown capacitors should be reconditioned every six months or before they are put in service Capacitors stored for long periods especially at high temperatures may show significantly increased DC Leakage DCL The DCL can usually be decreased to original limits capacitor restored to normal operating specifications by application of voltage increasing in steps to the capacitors working voltage At six month intervals the instrument s electrolytic capacitors may be reconditioned by inserting a charged battery into the unit
9. cm 100 antenna Oft 0 3048 or 70 cm 100 antenna meters Where A cm wave length in centimeters 5 3 4 Radiation Fields The space around any antenna is usually divided into three traditional radiation fields regions in free space as a result of the radiated power of an antenna These three radiation fields where the boundary r radius around the antenna are known as 1 The near field also called the reactive near field region is that region that is closest to the antenna and for which the reactive field dominates over the radiative fields 2 The Fresnel zone also called the radiating near field is that region between the reactive near field and the far field regions and is the region in which the radiation fields dominate and where the angular field distribution depends on distance from the antenna see earlier definition of Fresnel Zone 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 5 47 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 3 The far field or Rayleigh distance historically called the Fraunhofer region is that region where the radiation pattern is independent of distance These distances where D is gt gt A andr is gt gt than A can be summarized as follows Region Distance from antenna r Near field 0 to 0 62v D3 Fresnel zone 0 62v D3 to 2 D2 A Far field 2 D2 A to 8 Where D The maximum dimension of the antenna r The distance from the antenna boundary radius and
10. 3 20 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R Switch is set to an appropriate frequency AUDIO Alignment Tone Toggling the AUDIO switch selects either the internal variable alignment tone or transmitted voice from the headset or speaker AUDIO Volume AUDIO volume is a knob that adjusts the volume heard in either the hidden front panel speaker located behind the circular front panel graphic or the headset s earpiece The speaker is only active when there is no headset plugged into the Headset jack MASTER SLAVE The setting of the MASTER SLAVE switch affects the transmitted frequency of the 2240 The transmitted frequency will be 20 MHz above the set frequency set by the thumbwheel switches when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set to MASTER 19 MHz below the set frequency when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set to SLAVE This 39 MHz offset makes possible full duplex voice transmission measurement between the two 2240s 3 2 2 Front Panel Path Loss Display The 4 digit display shows the received measured path loss in dB Name Function PATH LOSS The PathAlign R has a 4 digit 0 5 inch high numerical in line backlit LCD display with decimal point The display shows 4 digits of received Path Loss measurement information Path Loss is displayed in dB with 0 1 dB of resolution The high contrast LCD provides good readability in brig
11. NOT USE THE INSTRUMENT UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE FACTORY 2 3 Power Requirements The PathAlign R is powered by a 12VDC 2 3 Ah rechargeable battery which can be removed via the rear panel Battery Door Continuous Battery operating time is approximately 4 5 hours 25 C 77 F A Battery indicator is contained within the LCD display and is displayed when the battery has approximately 15 minutes of operations remaining Charging of the battery while inside of the PathAlign R is accomplished by plugging the battery charger s DC plug into the PathAlign R s rear panel External Charger In jack charging time is approximately 3 hours to fully charge the battery The PathAlign R Battery Charger operates when attached to an appropriate AC MAINS source over an AC line voltage of 90 VAC to 264 VAC 47 Hz to 63 Hz The charger s detachable AC MAINS three conductor power cord type IEC 320 3 1987 EN 60 320 conforms to the CEE Color Coding Standards Light Blue Neutral Brown Live Green Yellow Protective Ground and grounds the instrument s chassis when connected through a compatible grounded 3 wire power receptacle PathAlign R another charger may damage the PathAlign R or the battery If the charger is lost or damaged a replacement may purchased from Spectracom Note Use only the Battery Charger supplied with the 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 2 11 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 2 4 Batter
12. R to measure against The PathAlign R s very stable low level signal greatly reduces the possibility that the path alignment process will interfere with nearby active sites 3 4 3 2 Receiver The receiver section of the PathAlign R is a broad band receiver followed by a very narrow band tuned filter section The broad band receiver provides the necessary tuning range required of each band The filter section allows for high sensitivity of the selected receive signal 100 dBm 1 5 2 5 GHz 95 dBm 3 5 12 0 GHz 90 dBm nom 18 1 23 5 GHz while attenuating nearby frequencies noise due to its narrow bandwidth 100kHz nom 3 4 4 Overload Characteristics The overload point on the PathAlign R is 30 dBm Signals received that are less 30 dB path loss 0 dB to 30 dB will read 30 dB on meter regardless of level i e the path loss needs to be more than 30 dB for the 2240 to read correctly Caution Damage may be sustained by the PathAlign R if greater than 10 dBm is applied to the front panel SMA connectors 3 5 Instrument Operating Procedures Caution This instrument is not waterproof To minimize weather related problems keep instrument within its Weather resistant Backpack Prior to operation establish that the PathAlign R s battery is installed and fully charged refer to Section 2 for battery charging instructions 3 24 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 3 5 1 P
13. The path loss you observe should be close to the above numbers If the loss is significantly different check or replace the coax cables or waveguide adapters and repeat the above test This completes the field operational confidence check 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 2 17 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation Figure 2 1 Bands 2 3 amp 4 Field Verification Check Test Setup 2 10 Preparation for Reshipment When packing the instrument for reshipment use the original packing materials that the instrument was shipped in Pack the instrument using the following package procedures 1 2 18 Attach an identification tag to the unit indicating model number serial number name and address of instrument owner and a summary of the service or repairs required Battery Note Do not reship the battery carrying case or accessories to the factory as these items are not covered by the warranty and Spectracom does not repair these items Wrap the instrument in heavy paper or plastic prior to placing it in the shipping container Select a strong carton or wooden box as a shipping container Use an adequate layer of shock absorbing materials on all six sides of the unit Protect the instrument front panel with added layers of cardboard Ensure that the unit does not move in the container Seal the shipping container with strong tape or metal bands attach a packing list to the outside surface Mark the shipping container
14. and the door secured with the thumb screw When inserting the battery into its compartment orient the battery so that the positive terminal is up and the end with the terminals is inserted first note the battery cannot be fully inserted into its compartment if it is incorrectly oriented The PathAlign R can now be placed into the Weather resistant Instrument Back pack The battery may be changed out or recharged while it is in the backpack by opening the flap at the bottom of the bag and plugging the Battery Charger s DC plug into the External Charger In jack located on the PathAlign R s rear panel Connect the Chargers IEC 320 connector to the AC line cord the other end being connected to an appropriate AC source BATTERY ORIENTON NOTE The battery must be charged before first use 2 12 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 2 6 Mating Connectors The Band 1 through Band 4 front panel in out connectors are coaxial type female Super SMA sparkplug connectors 3 5 mm compatible with a 50 Q nominal impedance The rear panel Remote Read out connector is a coaxial type BNC connector 0 2 VDC The External Charger In rear panel connector is a 5 5 mm x 2 1 mm male barrel DC power connector center positive Replacing the Sparkplug thread in Connector The Band 1 4 female in out sparkplug connector is field replaceable if damaged during use Tools required SMA Female S
15. connector Provides 0 2 VDC output that tracks the front panel LCD Path Loss Meter 1 mV 0 1 dB Allows for external readout of path loss using a handheld DVM 3 4 Operating Characteristics The following paragraphs describe the operating range band resolution dynamic range and overload characteristics 3 4 1 Operating Ranges There are seven operating ranges available Band 1 1 5 GHz to 2 5 GHz Band 2 3 5 GHz to 5 0 GHz and 5 8 GHz to 6 6 GHz Band 3 7 5 GHz to 10 0 GHz and 11 0 to 12 0 GHz Band 4 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 3 23 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 18 1 GHz to 19 4 GHz and 22 0 GHz to 23 5 GHz The Transmit Receive frequency range in all four bands is manually selected via the five front panel thumbwheel switches Frequencies in all four bands are transmitted received through the four GOfemale Super SMA sparkplug connectors 3 5 mm compatible 3 4 2 Band Resolution Resolution is defined as the value represented by the least significant digit LSD displayed on the thumbwheel settings The Frequency resolution for all 4 bands is 1 MHz 3 4 3 Dynamic Range 3 4 3 4 Transmitter The transmitter section signal source of the PathAlign R is a synthesized signal source that provides the accuracy and stability found in signal sources of this type The output of all four band ranges is fixed at 0 dBm 1 mW which provides for a known signal level for the second receiving PathAlign
16. disk file name click on the Save All Records to Disk soft button This soft button will be grayed out not active unless you have deleted some of the individual files from the previously saved composite file Once this soft button is active selecting it will initiate the save function and all records displayed will be saved to disk with a unique composite file name in the same location the Log View R resides Since the file name used to store composite data records is derived from the serial number of the unit and the date of the last record of this set of records you may not change its name or location when saving it This default file naming convention prevents confusion caused by the possibility of multiple locations of the same record or the same record existing in more than one location The file name for composite records is in the form XLnnnn yymmdd CSV Where nnnn is the last four digits of the unit s serial number yy is the last two digits of the year is the month and is the day The is a variable letter used to distinguish records with the same date The first file with any given serial number date combination is assigned the letter A Further files with the same serial number year month day combination are assigned the next sequential letters to a maximum of 52 separate file names per day A Z plus a z When the day value changes the sequence starts over for the new year month day combination
17. precise travel time of the signal from satellite to receiver The receivers time and position are calculated using this range data the satellite s position and current time and a model of the transmission path characteristics Since the receiver knows the precise position of the satellite and its range from the receiver a simple triangulation calculation can give two dimensional position latitude amp longitude from three satellites and additional elevation information from a fourth satellite The final solution yields an exact three dimensional position of the receiver s antenna as well as time as determined on the UTC time scale note the Record R does not record altitude information Note An accuracy of one 1 second in 300 000 years is approximately the equivalent of an oscillator aging specification of 1 part in 1079 There are approximately 9 467 x 1012 seconds in 300 000 years 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 39 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 4 7 2 GPS Reference Information Almanac An annual publication including astronomical information C A Course Acquisition Ephemeris A transitory or short duration table showing the computed positions of the satellites at certain intervals of time P code Precise Code A very long sequence of pseudo random binary bi phase modulations on the GPS carrier at a chip rate of 12 23 MHz which repeats about every 267 days Each one week segment of this code is
18. review the safety practices given in this section These are recommended procedures which may prevent a serious accident save a life or protect the PathAlign R from damage The warranty commitments are rendered void if unauthorized access to the interior of the instrument has taken place during the given warranty period 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 1 1 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 1 3 2 Caution and Warning Statements CAUTION Shows where incorrect procedures can cause damage to or destruction of equipment or other property WARNING Shows a potential danger that requires correct procedures or practices to prevent personal injury 1 3 3 Symbols AN Indicates that the operator should consult the manual 1 3 4 Battery Safety The following information concerning the Battery should be observed Important safety considerations Do not incinerate battery may explode if disposed of in fire Do not directly connect the negative and positive terminals Do not use other that the included charger to charge the battery To prevent deterioration or damage to battery Do not drop or subject to strong physical shock Do not use to power equipment other than specified Do not use below 10 C 14 F or above 40 C 104 F If the temperature exceeds this upper limit a safety device will automatically prevent operation of the battery To ensure long battery life Do not discharge completely e Recharge battery immed
19. the measured path loss The LogView R utility allows you to access this save all of the data records to a disk file and save individual data records to separate disk files The data files generated are in a format suitable for importing into a spreadsheet program CSV 4 6 2 Connecting a Computer to the PathAlign R Prior to connecting the instrument to a computer the LogView R Data Logging Utility needs to be installed in the computer because the USB drivers that Windows needs are located on the utility disk The PathAlign R can be connected to any Windows computer containing an RS 232 or USB port When the instrument is connected to a PC computer through the USB port the instrument 4 34 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R will automatically go into the talk listen mode and normal signal acquisition will be disabled When the USB cable is removed the instrument will automatically return to acquisition If the instrument is connected to a PC through the RS 232 port once the PC sends a message to the instrument the instrument will automatically go into the talk listen mode and normal signal acquisition will be disabled but removing the RS 232 cable does not cause the instrument to revert to acquisition mode as with the USB connection The instrument will need to be powered down and re powered to return to signal acquisition mode Important Notes 1 The proper cable to use is a USB Series ma
20. turning the instrument on and allowing it to run for one hour After reconditioning return the instrument to storage 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 2 19 PathAlign R 3 Operation 3 1 Introduction Spectracom Corporation This section describes the operation of the PathAlign R Microwave Antenna Path Alignment Test Set This description includes the front panel and the rear panel controls indicators and connectors general instrument operating procedures or each mode and function and instrument operation Note This instrument is not waterproof To minimize weather related problems keep instrument within its carrying bag PATH LOSS dB P ath Align R wave Antenna Path MN a asa TES ES Lex Alignment Tone AUDIO Voice 5 Figure 3 1 Model 2240 Front Panel Front Panel Controls Indicators Display and Connectors Figure 3 1 depicts a typical 2240 Front Panel 3 2 Front Panel 3 2 1 Mode Selections The following modes of operation are selectable by setting the appropriate switch XXX or switches Appropriate LED indicators light where provided to indicate selection or operation of a function Name Function POWER On Off Toggling the POWER switch turns power to the 2240 ON and OFF When power to the 2240 is ON the unit s LCD display lights and transmit power is automatically output through one of the SMA front panel connectors provided the Thumbwheel
21. 1 6 HS ENDO MN 1 6 154 Internal Frequency Standard TXOQ pest etae te pest tege laete etse puta 1 7 1 5 5 Headset Informations prr re rmt ere 1 7 1 5 6 Battery CharacleristleS tex etre e Lee egt ete Haa 1 7 15 7 Mechahical i reor 1 8 15 8 Environmental e ua Ta uns u e eta ee pei ep eee gre dees diese es ete nae 1 8 1 5 9 Supplemental Specifications n 1 8 Batlery Charger usu 1 8 1 5 11 Record R Specifications Model 2241 2241A nn nanas 1 9 1 5 12 Accessories Furnished ete mete tre Rp emitte eerte tren et eere e tient 1 9 2 ANST LLA TION sS eds e 2 11 2 1 Introduction u tree enero eene nnne nee erar rn ker Ce sens aa ns 2 11 2 2 Receiving INspecti N nitus dui ivi fad ane vaa ard 2 11 2 3 Power 1 1 RR RR ARR RR RR ARR RNA ARR RR 2 11 2 4 Battery I f rmatio y 2 12 25 Battery Installation ciissceciniivissiteanitineniviaaecascsaanedesiasateaasdineaitiatceaanadedasateawsiannacadeauvadue 2 12 26 Mating uuu uuu eed etal eee 2 13 20 1
22. 1999 pg 28 33 4 H Newton Newton s Telecom Dictionary Fourteenth Edition Telecom Books 1998 5 W L Stutzman amp G A Thiele Antenna Theory and Design Second Edition John Wiley amp Sons Inc 1997 6 D G Fink Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers Tenth Edition McGraw Hill 1969 Section 15 80 7 D Fink Electronic Engineers Handbook First Edition McGraw Hill 1975 5 48 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 8 L Setian Practical Communication Antennas with Wireless Applications Prentice Hall PTR 1998 9 R L Freeman Radio System Design for Telecommunications Second Edition John Wiley amp Sons Inc 1997 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 5 49 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation Document Revision History Rev ECN Description Date A 2674 Initial release of manual for PathAlign R product models June 2011 5 50 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation 95 Methodist Hill Drive Rochester NY 14623 www spectracomcorp com Phone US 1 585 321 5800 Fax US 1 585 321 5219
23. 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Test Set for Microwave Antenna Alignment User Manual pendulum Test 8 Measurement by Spectracom www spectracomcorp com Part Number PEN9 9990 2240 Manual Revision A June 2011 Copyright 2002 2011 Spectracom Corporation The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Spectracom Corporation Printed in USA Specifications subject to change or improvement without notice SPECTRACOM LIMITED WARRANTY 1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY The Pendulum model 2200 2200A 2240 2240A 2241 2241 PathAlign R Microwave Antenna Alignment Test Set is warranted during a period of ONE YEAR from date of shipment to original purchaser to be free of defects in material and workmanship liability of Spectracom under this warranty is limited to replacing or repairing any instrument or component thereof which is returned by Buyer is proven to be defective WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS Batteries fuses or other material contained in a product normally consumed in operation Shipping and handling labor amp service fees EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY STATED ABOVE SPECTRACOM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO SPECTRACOM PRODUCTS OR OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED BY SPECTRACOM INCLUDING WITHOUT ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY MERCHANTABILITY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE Spectracom shall have no liability or responsibilit
24. 4 Rear Panel The following figure depicts the rear panel connectors found on PathAlign R with Record R Standard 2241 rear panel connectors are described in section 3 Ate Rope ROK CSI pele alee Le Al NG BATTERY LIFE LONG 0 Mw RY S WARNING 2 enot NODE 2 08 SERAN 440 M Figure 4 2 Model 2241 Rear Panel Connector Name Function RS 232 RECORDED DATA OUT DB 9 connector The RS 232 RECORDED DATA OUT connector provides a means for connecting a PC computer to the instrument to download recorded data This connector conforms to the RS 232 C Recommended Standard The correct cable to use is a D sub 9 pin male to female Extension Interface Cable not a Null Modem cable USB RECORDED DATA OUT USB Series B connector for peripherals The USB RECORDED DATA OUT connector provides a means for connecting a PC computer to the instrument to download recorded data This USB Series B connector conforms to all revisions of the Universal Serial Bus Specifications The USB data from the PathAlign R conforms to Revision 1 1 of the specification for Low Speed peripherals 1 5 Mb s 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 33 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation The correct cable to use is a USB Series A male to USB Series male Specified maximum USB cable length for Low Speed peripherals is 3 meters 9 84 ft 4 5
25. AL INFORMATIOLN 1 1 1 1 Introduction wees cinsccsvceseudesssesecersecendesnvesededcessucnsssesesescnectuousadess ersecssoscsdestersssecuendedusssevere 1 1 1 1 1 About this 1 1 1 1 2 Declaration of Conformity cata ceci au sae bt 1 1 1 2 Preparation forrUs uuu u I 1 1 12 4 introduction so n o e et suu RD Rec ERRARE 1 1 1 3 Safety Pre autions u ee eran L UL A a a e E ania Rua OE ERE ERU OE 1 1 15921 C ON rt nnne ine ee eene C PETERE EST 1 1 1 3 2 Caution arid Warning Statements a idet patina niece cua 1 2 E se e de eM 1 2 1 3 4 Battery Safely 1 2 Po 1 2 1 3 6 Static DISCHI OB saan SS uay 1 3 14 General Description 1 3 1 5 5 2 00 1 5 1 5 IP ED CU s A u A A A aN u Cu u u gu
26. Incoming Confidence Check The following information concerns the model 2241 2241A with Record R function and is in addition to the checks detailed previously in this document Turn on power The three LEDs next to the Record R pushbutton alternately turn ON and OFF in the following order Pushbutton Function Record R 1 GPS LOCK on Record 2 GPS LOCK and MEMORY on e 3 GPSLOCK MEMORY OK and Record R on 4 GPS LOCK off MEMORY OK and Record R on MEMORY OK 5 GPS LOCK and MEMORY off Record R on GPsLock 6 All three OFF 7 MEMORY on to indicate room in memory if available and the GPS LOCK LED will pulse once every four seconds to indicate the receiver is attempting to acquire satellites 4 6 Operating Procedures The following paragraphs describe the procedures for recording data using the Record R function on the PathAlign R and downloading and saving logged data using the LogView R Data Log Utility software and a PC computer 4 6 1 Recording Data When the Record R button on the PathAlign R is pressed an individual data record is created and stored in the instruments memory The memory used for this storage is non volatile it is not affected by turning the instrument off The information stored includes the instrument s model number serial number date and time location latitude and longitude frequency in use and
27. R Connect the other end of each cable to a 40 dB in line attenuator Note Without the attenuator the input circuits of the PathAlign R would overload The attenuator needs to pass frequencies from DC through 18 GHz An appropriate attenuator is manufactured by Mini Circuits model BW S40W2 2 Using the thumbwheel switches select any Band 1 frequency Note The 2240 s thumbwheels must be set to the same frequency on both units 3 Set one PathAlign R to MASTER and the other PathAlign R to SLAVE and then power up both units 4 Observe that the LED over the Band 1 connector on each unit is lit indicating operation of that band 5 The path loss indicated on the meter should be close to 40 dB If the loss is significantly different check or replace the coax cables or attenuator and repeat the test Note The two PathAlign Rs should typically read within 4 dB of one another 6 This completes the field operational confidence check of Band 1 Switch set to MASTER Smisch set to SUAVE Path Algn R 2 Do y the 24 the same o 2 both parts over Bond 1 LED it over fand 1 2 4048 Fad Figure 2 1 Band 1 Field Verification Check Test Setup 2 16 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 2 9 2 Band 2 Band 3 and Band 4 Field Verification Check 1 First connect the coax cable to the proper Band connector on each PathAlign R and then connect the waveguide ada
28. The saved format of a composite data record file is Model number Line 1 XL 2261 and firmware version lt CR gt lt LF gt Serial number Line 2 nnnnnnnnn the instruments 9 digit serial number lt CR gt lt LF gt Record 1 Line 3 date time latitude longitude frequency level mode lt CR gt lt LF gt 4 36 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R Record 2 Line 4 date time latitude longitude frequency level mode lt CR gt lt LF gt additional records follow one record per line Note on Date Time Date and Time recorded within the instrument are UTC values from the GPS satellites The time displayed in Log View R is the local time format set in the connected PC converted from the UTC time recorded in the instrument In Windows this time format choice is set through Windows Control Panel Regional Settings Coordinated Universal Time UTC is the international time standard It is the current term for what was commonly referred to as Greenwich Meridian Time GMT Zero 0 hours UTC is midnight in Greenwich England which lies on the zero longitudinal meridian Universal time is based on a 24 hour clock therefore afternoon hours such as 4 pm UTC are expressed as 16 00 UTC sixteen hours zero minutes 4 6 4 4 Saving an Individual Data Record You may wish to save an individual record under its own unique file name and the Log View R software utility provides for this After che
29. UPPORTING INFORMATIOLIN 5 42 2 1 Free Space Loss vix QT In TR VEEELRE CURE CERE E Ge Cup Ov Cun Pe Wie 5 42 842 Frequencies above T0 epe lecta adorti tret a aka ERE Ges 5 42 55 2 TotaliPatlibo88S teer eet Peeters bet wea iain ats 5 43 uta saman 5 43 5 14 Fade Aa ele 5 44 5 2 5 44 Eresnel ZOrie certe tees et S aus wu EIA 5 44 5 2 2 Fresnel Boundafles u ie b t t redet e cede eet 5 44 512593 OIN E ERR TREE 5 44 s eiecti ete ec Dii ua cec LER edes 5 44 5 29 link Desigrss coord e tet BU n Soe ganda 5 45 5 3 ul eere re n ra n n n 5 46 5 3 1 Wave Length amo ttc ede KARA 5 46 5 32 Antenna namun rt ile u GG sag l ale qas aka NUI 5 46 SE ENSIS 101111 0 PERCENT 5 47 534 sRadiation Fields uuu k u awa q Sw a aaa lene metet aaa bets 5 47 53 5 OE AS 5 46 536 Order WIIG s e
30. ading Baud Rate 9600 Baud Software included LogView R Data Log Utility software for Windows operating systems This software allows a remote computer to download display and save data records and clear the instrument s memory GPS Frequency L1 1575 42 MHz C A code SPS 8 channel cont tracking 32 correlators Position Accuracy 2 meters CEP 50 Timing Accuracy 95 nano seconds Position Fix Update 1 second Time To Lock Cold Start lt 130 seconds 90 Warm Start lt 45 seconds 90 Hot Start lt 20 seconds 90 Reacquisition Time lt 2 seconds 90 after loss of signal Mechanical RS 232 C Connector DB 9 female rear panel USB Connector USB type B female rear panel 1 5 12 Accessories Furnished With each of the set s two 2 units One 1 Operating Maintenance Manual with User Information Card One 1 Headset with noise cancelling mic 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation One 1 Weather resistant Instrument Back pack One 1 Coax Cable Assembly SMA male to SMA male 3 meters One 1 Battery Rechargeable Panasonic LSC 2312NC 12VDC 2 3 Ah Sealed Lead Acid Battery One 1 Battery Charger AC MAINS powered 90 264 VAC with IEC 320 Input connector One 1 AC MAINS power cord Conforms to IEC 320 3 1987 EN 60 320 an
31. ath distance between antennas in miles f Transmitted frequency in GHz As an example where d1 1 6 miles d2 2 1 miles 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 5 45 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation Dt 3 7 miles x 100 feet f 0 880 GHz 880 MHz The first Fresnel zone R 72v d1 d2 Dt f R 72v 1 6 2 1 3 7 0 88 R 72v 3 36 3 256 R 73 14 feet For 0 6 clearance from the first Fresnel zone 73 14 0 6 43 9 feet Earth s curvature h d1 d2 1 5 K At obstruction h 1 6 2 1 1 5 4 3 1 7 feet If Tx and Rx antennas are the same altitude above sea level The earth s curvature 1 7 feet 0 6 first Fresnel clearance for 880 MHz 43 9 feet Obstruction height 100 0 feet Then the minimum ht and hr antenna height above ground 145 6 feet 5 3 Definitions 5 3 1 Wave Length A The wavelength for a microwave frequency is given as 30 fGHz Where fGHz Frequency in Giga Hertz and A cm wave length in centimeters e g 30 GHz 1 cm A 20 GHz 1 5 A 10 GHz 3 cm 5 3 2 Antenna Gain For a paraboloid reflector microwave antenna greater than 960 MHz consisting of a dish shaped surface illuminated by a feed horn mounted at the focus of the reflector the antenna gain is given as 6 Antenna Gain dBi 20 log10 Dft 20 log10 fGHz 7 5 Antenna Gain dBi 20 log10 Dm 20 log10 fGHz 17 82 Where dBi decibels
32. ation signals This is sufficient to provide a clear view of at least four satellites at all times One satellite is required to acquire time once position is established and four satellites are required for a complete four dimensional solution latitude longitude altitude and time The GPS land based control stations track the satellites and upload orbital information ephemera and clock corrections There are five monitoring stations three up link stations and one master control station The U S Air Force has the responsibility for this segment of the system The satellites transmit two spread spectrum modulated carriers L1 1575 42 MHz and L2 1227 6 MHz There are two 20 MHz wide spread spectrum PRN strings transmitted Course Acquisition C A broadcast on the L1 carrier and Precision P broadcast on both the L1 and L2 Carriers P code is encrypted and for military use only At least four satellites are within sight of any ground station 24 hours a day Satellite position and time are derived from on board celestial navigation equipment and atomic clocks accurate to one second in 300 000 years however the heart of the GPS system is ranging The GPS receiver determines time and position with a process that starts with measuring the time of arrival of the satellite signals Each GPS satellite transmits its own position its time and a long pseudorandom noise code PRN The noise code is used by the receiver to calculate the range
33. cking the appropriate Save box next to the individual data record s you want to save the Save Selected Records to Disk soft button will become active not grayed out Selecting this soft button will initiate the save function and the individual data record s selected will be saved with unique individual file names to a default location the same location the Log View R resides Since the file name used to store an individual data record is derived from the date and time in that record you may not change its name or location when saving it If saving more than one individual record at a time each record selected will be saved individually with its own unique file name Once an individual file has been saved the word Saved will appear next to the Save box for that file and the Save box will be grayed out This default file naming convention prevents confusion caused by the possibility of multiple locations of the same record or the same record existing in more than one location The file name for individual records is in the form XLmm dd hh mm CSV Where The first mm is the month dd is the day hh is the hour The second is the minute The is a variable letter used to distinguish records with the same date and time The first record at any given date time combination is assigned the letter A Further records with the same month day hour minute value are assigned the next sequential letters When the minute value c
34. com will make repairs or replace components and charge its then current price which the customer agrees to In all cases the customer is responsible for all shipping and handling expenses in returning product to Spectracom for repair or evaluation Spectracom will pay for standard return shipment via common carrier Expediting or special delivery fees will be the responsibility of the customer WARRANTY PROCEDURE Spectracom highly recommends that prior to returning equipment for service work our technical support department be contacted to provide trouble shooting assistance while the equipment is still installed If equipment is returned without first contacting the support department and no problems are found during the repair work an evaluation fee may be charged Spectracom shall not have any warranty obligations if the procedure for warranty claims is not followed Customer must notify Spectracom of a claim with complete information regarding the claimed defect A Return Authorization RMA Number issued Spectracom is required for all returns Returned products must be returned with a description of the claimed defect the RMA number and the name and contact information of the individual to be contacted if additional information is required by Spectracom Products being returned on an RMA must be properly packaged with transportation charges prepaid Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R Contents 1 GENER
35. d CEE color coding UL listed type SVT 3 conductor Vinyl with NEMA type 5 15p plug and IEC 320 3 1987 EN 60 320 end termination With each set of two 2 units 2241 2241A only One 1 RS 232 Cable Assembly D sub 9 pin male to D sub 9 pin female 3 meters 9 84 ft One 1 USB Cable Assembly USB male to USB male 2 meters 6 56 ft 1 10 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 2 Installation 2 1 Introduction This chapter outlines the procedure for initial inspection and installation of the PathAlign R The subject matter includes receiving inspection power requirements battery information installation criteria mating connectors and incoming confidence check Instructions for preparing an instrument for reshipment and storage instructions are also included 2 2 Receiving Inspection Prior to accepting the unit from the shipper inspect the condition of the shipping container for any evidence of freight damage Any damage should be noted by both the shipper and the receiving customer and reported to the insurance investigator Immediately after removing the instrument from the shipping carton inspect it for any possible physical damage that may have been incurred in shipment Check for surface scratches and dents note the condition of switches buttons and connectors carrying bag battery cables etc Should any damaged be detected notify Spectracom DO
36. d highlight the file hold down the SHIFT key and right click the mouse then select Open with select NOTEPAD Excel Word or other appropriate application OK This will display the data file in the Windows 4 38 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R program selected The file can then be printed formatted modified saved under a different file name copied exported etc from the selected application The Log View R utility saves data records in the CSV Comma Separated Variable file format which allows them to be imported into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel Each portion of a data record will be placed in a separate cell of the active worksheet 4 7 GPS Global Positioning System The Record R data logger within the 2241 contains an imbedded GPS receiver that along with the front panel GPS antenna provides position date time data for incorporation into a data record The following information is provided to aid in understanding how the GPS system operates 4 7 1 NAVSTAR Global Positioning System GPS The Global Positioning System is designed and deployed by the U S Department of Defense as an all conditions world wide 24 hour three dimensional navigation system The system is composed of a constellation of at least 24 operational satellites in six different orbital planes at an altitude 10 900 nautical miles circling the earth twice a day broadcasting radio navig
37. e 12 VDC Nominal Capacity 2 3 Ah Capacity affected by 40 104 102 Temperature 25 C 77 F 100 0 C 32 F 85 15 C 5 F 65 Self Discharge 25 C Capacity after month storage 90 Capacity after 3 month storage 80 Capacity after 3 month storage 60 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 1 7 PathAlign R 1 5 7 Mechanical Spectracom Corporation Power DC 12 VDC 2 3 Ah Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid Battery Weight Net 3 2 kg 7 lbs per unit inc battery and backpack Shipping 5 kg 11 Ibs Dimensions HxWxD 89mm x 213mm x 333mm 3 5 in x 8 375 in x 13 1 in Connectors RF In Out Super SMA female sparkplug field replaceable Headset In Out 3 5 mm 1 8 front panel jack earpiece ring conn mic tip conn Remote Readout BNC rear panel connector 0 2 VDC Out 1mV 0 1 dB Battery Charger In 5 5 mm x 2 1 mm rear panel Power jasck 15 VDC 1A center positive 1 5 8 Environmental Designed to meet EN 61010 1 IEC 1010 1 Operating Temperature 10 C to 40 C 14 F to 104 F Storage Temperature 40 C to 71 C 40 F to 160 F Relative Humidity 95 5 10 C to 30 C 75 5 to 40 C 45 5 above 40 C Burn In Failure free burn in of no less than 100 hours at 40 C Pollution Degree 1 no pollution EN 61010 1 3 7
38. ec a eiie 4 35 4641 Viewing Previously Saved Records an n p bites 4 36 4642 Saving Data Records ee es es Cota E pt Ma 4 36 404 3 Saving All Data nhi 4 36 4644 Saving an Individual Data Record sse tette tnnt 4 37 4 6 4 5 Deleting Selected Records de parete Deam e Eb as 4 38 4646 Printing Displayed TRECONAS f dou acc e Hier rec eit 4 38 4647 Clearing Memory e oret du le td decree ote qe 4 38 4 6 4 8 Copying Deleting Renaming or Moving Data Files on the Hard Drive 4 38 4 6 4 9 Working with Data Files in Other 4 38 47 GPS Global Positioning System u u 4 39 iv 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 471 NAVSTAR Global Positioning System GPS sss 4 39 472 GPS Reference 4 40 48 LogView R Logging Utility Installation 4 40 4 8 1 Software Installation erecto ham asua ce ean deb e be eet to tees 4 40 48 2 Windows USB Driver Installation eese 4 40 5 WIRELESS S
39. ectly drives the site s antennas allowing the optimization process to be done without the need for on site radios complex test equipment ground technicians onsite AC power cell phones or two way radios 1 1 1 About this Manual This manual contains information pertaining to the specifications installation operation and maintenance of the Pendulum model 2200 2200A 2240 2240A 2241 2241A PathAlign R Microwave Antenna Alignment Test Sets hereafter referred to as the PathAlign R The 2241 2241A models are identical to the 2240 2241A except that the 2241 2241A includes the Record R Data logging function with imbedded GPS receiver These models operate on battery power via an internal 12 VDC 2 3 Ah rechargeable sealed Lead Acid battery 1 1 2 Declaration of Conformity The complete text with formal statements concerning product identification manufacturer and standards used for type testing is available on request 1 2 Preparation for Use 1 2 1 Introduction Even though we know that you are eager to get going we urge you to take a few minutes to read through this part of the introductory chapter carefully before using the equipment Study this manual thoroughly to acquire adequate knowledge of the instrument especially the section on Safety Precautions hereafter and the nstallation section 1 3 Safety Precautions 1 3 1 Introduction Personnel assigned to the operation or maintenance of the PathAlign R are encouraged to
40. eguides that span the 1 45 26 5 GHz microwave frequency range thirteen can be used with the model 2240 2241 ten for the model 2200 Path Align R for link alignment In the following section is a chart displaying the thirteen waveguides through which the Path Align R can launch a signal and achieve optimum path alignment 3 28 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R Compatable Waveguides EIA Waveguide Designations 8 0 9 0 10 0 1 0 rr Y A Band 3 Upper 1 0 12 0 GHz 12 0 om 15 0 14 0 15 0 16 0 17 0 20 0 21 0 LEAD 4 Upper OS are e 220 2059 GHZ TN a SL ey LL a ea a a meee og U mmn Figure 3 4 PathAlign R to Waveguide compatibility for out of Band Alignment 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 3 29 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 3 6 Maintenance Warning There are no user serviceable parts inside the PathAlign R Refer oscillator calibration to a qualified technician Refer all other calibration and all repairs to the factory 3 6 1 Cleaning Accumulated dirt on the exterior of the instrument or on the Weather resistant Instrument Back pack may be removed with a soft cloth or a small soft brush dampened with a mild detergent and water solution Abrasive cleanser should
41. elete function and the individual data record s selected will be deleted from the display Records below the deleted records will move up on the display so all displayed rows will be contiguous 4 6 4 6 Printing Displayed Records The records currently being displayed in Log View R can be printed at any time by pressing the Print Screen soft button in the upper right of the screen 4 6 4 7 Clearing the Memory In order to clear the memory in the Analyze R of all data you must first download save all data records currently in the instruments memory see Download Save Data Records After downloading saving all data records the Clear Data in Instrument soft button will be enabled Selecting this soft button will initiate the clear operation and you simply follow the prompts 4 6 4 8 Copying Deleting Renaming or Moving Data Files on the Hard Drive The Log View R software utility cannot copy delete rename or move data files on the hard drive of your computer This prevents accidental erasure alteration or relocation of original data which could not be recovered once the instruments memory has been cleared If it is desired to copy move rename or delete data files on the hard drive these file operations should be performed using Windows Explorer 4 6 4 9 Working with Data Files in Other Applications To view data records saved to disk using Windows Excel Word Notepad or similar applications go to C Program Files LogView an
42. entical to the date displayed on the instrument the moment the Record R pushbutton is pressed MEMORY OK GPSLOCK MEMORY OK LED illuminates to indicate that there is room in the instrument s memory to storage additional records If this LED is not illuminated internal memory is full and records must be downloaded via the instrument s USB or RS 232 ports a PC and the Log View R software utility before further data records can be recorded GPS LOCK LED has two ON states 1 The LED illuminates continuously when the internal GPS receiver is locked to three or more satellites giving a two dimensional solution latitude and longitude with UTC date time this could take 2 3 minutes from a cold start and indicates that UTC date time and position will be added to the recorded 4 32 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R data 2 The LED flashes briefly once every 4 seconds when the GPS receiver is attempting to acquire satellites indicating that there are not enough satellites locked onto to provide a fix Date may be recorded without GPS lock but will lack position information If this LED is not illuminated in one of the previously described ways it indicates a failure of the GPS receiver Note The GPS antenna the small plastic block located on the front panel of the instrument should face up to the sky for best signal acquisition and GPS lock 4
43. erforming this operation gue 2 6 3 Sparkplug Removal 1 Attach the installation removal tool per the above instructions 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 2 13 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 2 Place the 5 16 open end wrench on the longer section of the installation removal tool and turn the wrench counter clockwise removing the old sparkplug connector from the mixer block 3 Check to see that the coax center conductor inside the block in centered and has not been bent Note If the center conductor of the internal coax inside the mixer block is found to be bent the entire instrument must be returned to Spectracom for repair Attempting to straighten this center conductor will only deform it and correct mating with the sparkplug will no longer occur 2 6 4 Sparkplug Installation 1 Attach the installation removal tool per the above instructions 2 Apply a single drop of a low strength removable thread locking fluid only on the threads that will enter the threaded hole in the block of the new sparkplug connector 3 Using a Q tip cotton swab wipe away 90 of the fluid so only a trace remains in the threads of the connector that enter the threaded hole in the block 4 Carefully screw the new sparkplug connector into the mixer block by hand until finger tight 5 Place the 5 16 box end of the wrench on the shorter section of the installation removal tool and tighten to a firm but not hard torque To
44. eviation 50 100 kHz Transmit Receive Offset 39 MHz Transmit offset Switch set to Master 20 MHz Switch set to Slave 19 MHz of the Thumbwheel Frequency setting Modulation Choice Voice Alignment tone switch selectable on front panel Modulation Input Output Headset w 10 foot cable terminated in a 3 5 mm Plug Mic amp Earpiece Headset Microphone Input 3 5 mm front panel jack tip connector w 5 VDC thru a 2 2k resistor 1 5 2 Receiver Receiver Sensitivity 100 dBm nom 1 5 2 5 GHz 95 dBm nom 3 5 6 6 GHz 90 dBm nom 7 5 12 0 GHz 85 dBm 18 1 23 5 Ghz Receiver Bandwidth 100 kHz nominal Receiver Overload Point 30 dBm signals lt 30 dB path loss will read 30 dB on meter Receiver Damage Level 10 dBm Readout Resolution 0 1 dB External Readout External readout of path loss with DVM 0 2 VDC BNC connector rear panel Variable Alignment Tone 600 Hz to 6 kHz varies with signal strength switch selectable Internal Speaker 350 mW max variable behind front panel Earpiece Output 250 mW max variable 3 5 mm front panel jack ring connector Speaker Earpiece Control Audio Volume variable pot 1 5 3 Display Receiver Display 4 digit backlit LCD direct path loss in dB equivalent to signal input level in dBm 0 5 high digits with decimal point and low batte
45. gging allows the user to record the current path loss reading physical location and data time for later downloading to a PC allowing for viewing saving to disk and printing a permanent record of the results of the link alignment This chapter describes the operation of the Record R Data Logging function found in PathAlign R model 2241 4 2 Record R Data Logging Information The Record R allows the results of antenna alignment done with the Path Align R to be logged into internal memory The Record R also contains an embedded GPS receiver which provides accurate UTC date time and position information to be added to the above data This logged data is saved in non volatile memory it is not affected by turning the instrument off for later transfer download to a PC computer Up to 250 separate data records can be saved in the field 4 3 Front Panel Record R Controls and Indicators The following figure depicts a typical PathAlign R front panel with Record R Recon Model 2241 PATH LOSS dB HEADSET Alignment Tone I AUDIO Voice Figure 4 1 Model 2241 Front Panel 4 3 1 Front Panel Mode Selections The Data Logging mode of operation is selected by pressing the Record R pushbutton Appropriate LED indicators light to indicate selection or operation of the Record R function Standard PathAlign R front panel mode selections are described in Section 3 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 31 PathAlign R Spectracom Corpora
46. hanges the sequence starts over for the new month day hour minute combination The saved format of an individual data record file is Model number Line 1 XL 2261 amp firmware version Vx x Serial number Line 2 nnnnnnnnn the instrument s 9 digit serial number Date Line 3 mm dd yyyy is the month ad is the day yyyy is the year 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 37 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation Time Line 4 hh mm ss hh is the hour mm is the minutes 55 is the seconds Latitude Line 5 N 5 followed by degrees mm mmm minutes Longitude Line 6 E or W followed by degrees mmm minutes Frequency Line 7 the frequency in MHz of the measurement Level Line 8 111 1 the RSL in dB resolved to 1 10 dB 4 6 4 5 Deleting Selected Records The Log View R utility allows you to delete selected records from the composite record being displayed This operation does not delete records from the hard drive but only from the display Once deleted these records no longer appear in the display and a new composite record without the deleted individual records can now be saved see Saving All Data Records To delete a record s check the appropriate Delete box next to the individual data record s you want to delete The Delete Records soft button will now become active not grayed out Selecting this soft button will initiate the d
47. he other site commences Azimuth horizontal adjustment As the voice channel is full duplex FM each technician can communicate with the other during the alignment process Check for both side lobes as well as the main lobe response to ensure that the antenna is being aligned to the main lobe and not one of the side lobes The Path Align R sets have enough sensitivity to 100 dB and update speed 300 ms to quickly check for side lobe and main lobe response To use the Alignment Tone function the technician who will adjust his antenna first sets his front panel AUDIO switch to the Alignment Tone position He now adjusts his antenna s azimuth using the alignment tone as an indicator of the resultant path loss the front panel meters of both units are always operational When he gets the highest tone possible he then uses the Path Align R s meter reading to fine tune the adjustment One way voice communication from his unit to the second Path Align R is still operational but to carry on a two way conversation he would need to switch to voice position on his Audio switch The second technician sets his front panel AUDIO switch to the Voice position This provides the ability to hear the first technician s voice while he waits his turn to align Once Azimuth has been optimized the Elevation adjustment is performed When steps 7 amp 8 have been completed at the first site the technicians switch r
48. hs also vary Causing signals of differing phases and amplitudes to arrive at the receiving antenna at the same instant Multipath or interference fading is characterized by rapid fluctuations of received carrier power 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 5 43 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 5 1 4 Fade Margin Fade margin is the depth of fade expressed in dB that a microwave receiver can tolerate while still maintaining acceptable circuit quality 4 5 2 Fresnel Loss The primary component to path loss is the free space signal loss from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna But additional path loss may also exist from multi path reflections sometimes called Fresnel reflective loss due to reflective surfaces such as water near the direct wave and intervening obstacles such as buildings mountain peaks etc in the Fresnel zone 5 2 1 Fresnel Zone Fresnel fra named after Jean Augustin Fresnel 1788 1827 French physicist The Fresnel zone is an elliptically shaped conical zone of power that propagates from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna due to cancellation of some part of the wavefront by other parts that travel different distances If the total path distance between the transmitting antenna mountain peak and receiving antenna is one wavelength greater than the direct distance between antennas then the clearance is said to be two Fresnel zones 4 5 2 2 Fresnel Boundaries The oute
49. ht ambient light and the back lit LCD panel provides good contrast in low light dB indications are negative loss 3 2 3 LED LCD Indicators Annunciators This section identifies the PathAlign R front panel indicators and annunciators Name Function 1 5 2 5 GHz Band 1 Red LED Illuminates when Band 1 is active thumbwheel switch has selected a frequency that is within the Band s range 3 5 5 0 amp 5 8 6 6 GHz Band 2 Red LED 5 when Band 2 is active thumbwheel switch has selected a frequency that is within the Band s range 7 5 10 amp 11 12 GHz Band 3 Red LED Illuminates when Band 3 is active thumbwheel switch has selected a frequency that is within the Band s 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 3 21 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation range 15 GHz Red LED Illuminates when Band 4 is active thumbwheel 18 1 19 4 GHz I switch has selected a frequency that is within the Band s 22 23 5 GHz range Band 4 Battery Charge Indicator Icon in LCD Display The front panel LCD meter has a low battery annunciator in its upper left hand corner This battery annunciator will be displayed when the battery has approximately 15 minutes of its charge left Additionally when the battery charge becomes insufficient to properly operate the unit 3 2 4 Connectors This section identifies the front panel connectors Na
50. iately after use Recycling Battery The sealed Lead Acid battery shipped with the PathAlign R contains Lead Pb and must by recycled or disposed of properly after its useful life is exhausted Do not incinerate this battery or dispose of in garbage container 1 3 5 Safety Wire Stainless steel safety wires with quick links are now included with all PathAlign R s The safety wire attaches the instrument to the Backpack 1 2 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R WARNING To insure the integrity of the backpack to the instrument connection Spectracom provides a stainless steel wire and quick link connection between the PathAlign R and the backpack s D ring This safety wire connection is designed to prevent the possibility of the instrument separating from the backpack and possibly falling injuring the instrument or tower ground personnel The safety wire is looped thru the instrument s right hand front panel handle and the quick link connects the other end of the wire to the backpack s D ring This safety wire connection should never be removed or defeated when the unit is being used in the field Further whenever the PathAlign R is taken up a tower the unit should always be attached to the tower s superstructure The recommended attachment method is with a carabiner through the backpack s D ring and a nylon runner looped around superstructure with the free end attached to the carabiner
51. ign R Repeat this step for the other three Bands Caution When connecting the SMA terminated end of the cable to the front panel Band connector do not over tighten the SMA cable connector as it can damage the front panel connector s center pin A 5 16 open end wrench fits SMA connectors recommended torque is 8 inch pounds A special 5 16 open end is available from Torque Controls So El Monte California The manufacturer part number is A5 This completes the OPTIONAL incoming confidence verification check The instrument can now be placed in service 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 2 15 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 2 9 Field Verification Check The following operational checks of the PathAlign R may be made by personnel in the field to confirm proper operation of both PathAlign R units their coax cables and the waveguide adapters transitions This confirmation may be made prior to climbing the towers or whenever an operational confidence check needs to be made in the field without access to test equipment or electronic technicians The Band 1 1 5 2 5 GHz check is given first using a 40 dB attenuator Bands 2 3 and 4 are given next using the appropriate waveguide adapters Figures 2 1 Band 1 and 2 2 Bands 2 3 and 4 illustrate the setups 2 9 1 Band 1 1 5 2 5 GHz Field Verification Check 1 First using two SMA terminated coax cables connect one end to the Band 1 connector on each PathAlign
52. it to Master and the other PathAlign R unit to Slave it does not matter which is which as long as they are different 4 Using the front panel thumbwheel switches select the proper link frequency Note both units must be set to the same frequency e g 6 200 GHz 3 5 2 Antenna Path Alignment Procedure The following procedure may be used as a guide in path alignment when utilizing the PathAlign R test sets A copy of this procedure may be found in the User Information Card that was included with the PathAlign R 1 After reaching the antenna check that the antenna polarization is properly setup polarization should be the same for both transmitting and receiving antennas 2 Locate each PathAlign R unit near the back of the antenna 3 Attach the coax to waveguide adapter at the back of the antenna s waveguide flange 4 Connect the coax cable from the appropriate output connector on the Path Align R to the adapter 5 Connect the headset to the Path Align R 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 3 25 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 6 10 11 Turn the Power Switch ON An LED will indicate which output connector is active make sure the cable is connected to that connector and begin talking Typically the antennas can be off alignment by as much as several beamwidths and the voice channel will still operate While one technician simply observes the reading of the path loss meter at his her site t
53. le to USB Series B male Specified maximum USB cable length for Low Speed peripherals is 3 meters 9 84 ft 2 The proper cable to use is a D sub 9 pin male to female Extension Interface Cable not a Null Modem cable 3 If both the USB and RS 232 ports are connected at the same time only USB port will operate as USB is inherently faster than RS 232 4 6 3 Using the LogView R Utility With the supplied LogView R software any computer using the Windows operating system that contains a USB or RS 232 port can download data records logged into the PathAlign R First install the supplied LogView R Data Log Utility software into your computer system Ensure that the computer and the PathAlign R are connected Next run the LogView R utility and in the lower left corner of the utility s display near Connection select the appropriate COM 1 2 for RS 232 or USB for USB After a few seconds the circle next to the Connection will turn green indicating that the program is communicating with the instruments 4 6 4 Download Save Data Records Once communication has been established the Read Instrument and Save Data soft button will be enabled Selecting clicking on the Read Instrument and Save Data soft button initiates the download save function and all records stored in the memory of the PathAlign R instrument will be saved as a composite file to your hard drive in the same location that LogView R resides a
54. lume control adjusts the headset earpiece volume as well as the speaker s output level 1 4 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R The PathAlign R provides a switch selectable Alignment Tone on the front panel that functions as an audible path loss indicator This variable pitch tone is inversely proportional to the path loss of the link low tone greatest path loss high tone least path loss The pitch of the tone ranges from approximately 600 Hz to 5 kHz 3 octaves for a proportional path loss 100 dBm to 30 dBm the dynamic range of the PathAlign R In other words as the link alignment improves the tone rises The rear panel contains the battery access door allowing for removal or replacement of the internal battery A rear panel BNC connector outputs 0 2VDC relative to the front panel meter reading for providing remote reading of path loss 1mV 0 1dB A rear jack 5 5mm x 2 1mm allows connection of the Battery Charger for charging the internal battery Note Use only the Battery Charger supplied with the PathAlign R another charger may damage the PathAlign R or the battery If the charger is lost or damaged a replacement may be purchased from Spectracom The Record R Data Logger found in models 2241 2241A allows the user to record and store an individual data record in the instrument s memory with the push of a button The memory used for this storage is non volatile it is not affected by tu
55. me Function HEADSET 3 5 mm 1 87 conductor jack provides the Headset connection for both the microphone and the earpiece The Sleeve connector is common Gnd the Ring connector outputs the received modulation for 8 ohm earpieces and the connector received the voice modulation from the headset s electret microphone 5 VDC in series with a 2 2k resistor on the connector provides the electret microphone s bias voltage 1 5 2 5 GHz Band 1 Super SMA female sparkplug type connector provides antenna Transmit Receive frequencies from 1 5 GHz to 2 5 GHz 500 3 5 5 0 amp 5 8 6 6 GHz Band 2 Super SMA female sparkplug type connector provides antenna Transmit Receive frequencies from 3 5 GHz to 5 0 GHz and 5 8 GHz to 6 6 GHz 500 7 5 10 amp 11 12 GHz Band 3 Super SMA female sparkplug type connector provides antenna Transmit Receive frequencies from 7 5 GHz to 10 0 GHz and 11 0 GHz to 12 0 GHz 500 15 GHz 18 1 19 4 GHz 22 23 5 GHz Band 4 Super SMA female sparkplug type connector provides antenna Transmit Receive frequencies from 18 1 GHz to 19 4 GHz and 22 0 GHz to 23 5 GHz and 15 GHz 500 3 22 Caution When connecting the SMA terminated end of the cable to the front panel Band connector do not over tighten the SMA cable connector as it can damage the front panel connectors center pin A 5 16 open end wrench fits SMA connectors recommended torque is 8 inch po
56. nd displayed in the LogView R program displaying fifteen records at a time Scrolling up and down will show all the records downloaded This operation does not clear the instruments memory but simply downloads and saves a copy of the logged data to the computer Note If the GPS receiver was not locked at the time of the original recording the Latitude and Longitude data will have the word Unknown in those data fields If Date and Time data are captured the data will appear otherwise the word Unknown will also appear in those data fields 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 35 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 4 6 4 1 Viewing Previously Saved Records Records previously saved may be recalled to the screen by selecting the Load Records From Disk soft button The PathAlign R does not need to be connected to a computer to perform this operation 4 6 4 2 Saving Data Records While downloading a copy of the recorded data from the PathAlign R the composite data is automatically saved to your hard disc under a single unique composite file name In addition the software also provides two soft buttons to save data currently being displayed in Log View R to your hard drive You can save all of the records displayed under a single composite file name or by selecting an individual record from the composite set under an individual file name 4 6 4 3 Saving All Data Records To save the composite data files displayed to a single
57. never be used 3 6 2 Troubleshooting and or Performance Verification The Incoming Confidence Verification Check procedure may be used for troubleshooting performance verification as a confidence check for incoming inspection and to verify the need for recalibration maintenance or repair 3 6 3 Maintenance Schedule The 2240 does not require any regular maintenance except for the recommended annual calibration of the internal oscillator 3 7 Oscillator Calibration Procedure Spectracom recommends that the 2240 s internal reference oscillator TCXO be calibrated annually to a traceable Reference Frequency Standard such as NIST in order to maintain the PathAlign R s guaranteed specifications Using a fully charged battery turn the PathAlign R power ON and allow the instrument to warm up for 30 minutes Using a 20 GHz or better CW microwave frequency counter connect the traceable Reference Frequency Standard to the External Reference IN BNC jack on the Frequency Counter On the front panel of PathAlign R set the thumbwheel switches to read 19 000 GHz and the MASTER SLAVE toggle switch to MASTER Using a nonconductive tuning tool adjust the Osc Calib Trimmer R28 on the PathAlign R s rear panel until the frequency counter reads 19 020 000 000 GHz 10 kHz 3 30 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 4 Record R Data Logging Operation 4 1 Introduction Data lo
58. now and fog the attenuation loss is a function of temperature and can vary by a factor of between 0 C and 40 C 1 Total transmission loss for a microwave millimeter link is given by Freeman 2 as Attenuation dB 96 6 20 log10 fGHz 20 log10 Dmi excess attenuation dB due to water vapor mist fog and rainfall Where fGHz frequency in GHz and Dmi distance between antennas link in miles 5 42 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R Below is a chart showing specific attenuation verses frequency for various rainfall rates including Drizzle Light Rain Moderate Rain and Heavy Rain 1 0 1 Attenuation dB km 10 12 5 15 17 5 20 Frequency GHz Figure 5 1 Attenuation Frequency Chart 5 1 2 Total Path Loss The total path loss dB is the gain of both antennas dB added together minus the free space loss dB and any additional loss water vapor mist fog rainfall and Fresnel reflection loss 5 1 3 Fading Fades or variations with time in path loss are encountered during abnormal propagation conditions The most common type of fading is that due to multipath transmission Combinations of irregularities and fluctuations in atmospheric temperature humidity and pressure cause more than one and often many propagation paths to exist between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna As the atmospheric conditions vary the routes and distances of pat
59. oles and steps 7 amp 8 are repeated by the other technician at the second site Once step 9 is completed for both Azimuth and Elevation the link is aligned As a record note the final path loss value displayed on the meter 3 5 3 Frequencies outside the PathAlign R s Band Range An antenna system whose link frequency is designed outside the frequency band edge of the Path Align R e g 6 800 GHz can still have its path alignment correctly adjusted as long as the antenna system antenna waveguide etc can operate at both the link frequency 6 800 GHz and a nearby frequency covered by the Path Align R e g 6 600 GHz This applies equally to all four bands of the Path Align R Figure 3 3 is a chart showing Cable attenuation versus frequency for the coax cables supplied with this unit 3 26 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation dB 3 meters io Is Semflex 3 meter Cable Attenuation VII ET TT TT TTT TT ae E a 8 a g u B a 8 PathAlign R Freq GHz Figure 3 3 Semflex Chart 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II I2 13 14 IS 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 3 5 4 Aligning Antenna Links Using Frequencies Outside of the PathAlign R Band Range An antenna system whose link frequency is designed
60. oup Log View R click CONTINUE At the Set up was complete click OK Remove the CD from the drive The utility install is now complete 99 St OO Note Installation under Windows 2000 and XP on network may need to be done while logged in as an Administrator rather than as a normal user Windows 2000 install shows a message that file HID DLL is newer than the one the install package You will be asked if you want to keep the newer file You should answer Yes to this question 4 8 2 Windows USB Driver Installation After installing the logging utility the first time the instrument computer connection is made through USB Windows will detect a new device and launch its Hardware Wizard and search for USB Human Interface Device drivers for the instrument The following instructions apply 4 40 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 1 In The Hardware Wizard window select Next Select Search for the best driver for your device top selection and specify the C Program Files LogView default Select Install the updated driver If required insert the Windows 95 98 CD and follow the on screen instructions If required reboot your computer to activate the drivers The USB driver install is now complete ovi o 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 4 41 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation 5 Wireless Supporting Information 5 1 Free Space Loss
61. outside the frequency band edge of the Path Align R can still have its path alignment correctly adjusted as long as the antenna system uses a waveguide which can operate at both the link frequency and a nearby frequency covered by the Path Align R The main purpose of path alignment is to physically align the antenna s azimuth and elevation for maximum signal transfer minimum path loss All that is required is that a signal can be transmitted and received over the link so that the path loss can be measured and the antenna adjustment optimized The Received Signal Level RSL can be as low as 90 dBm and the Path Align R can still optimize the link If the test signal presented to the antennas is not the same frequency the antenna has been ideally tuned for to give minimum VSWR but is within the waveguide s frequency pass band this test signal will still be transmitted and received over the link with only a few dB difference in path loss from the intended link frequency the link can still be optimized As an example take a link designed to operate at 5 315 GHz using WR 159 waveguides 5 315 GHz is between the lower and upper frequencies of Band 2 s range on the Path Align R but the WR 159 waveguide can also accommodate 5 800 GHz a frequency available in the upper range of Band 2 Using the Path Align R set to 5 800 GHz with the WR 159 waveguide will allow precise alignment of this 5 315 GHz link Of the fourteen EIA designated wav
62. over an isotropic radiator Dft Antenna dish diameter in feet or Dm Antenna dish diameter in meters and 5 46 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R fGHz Frequency in GHz Note The above formula is based on the efficiency of a parabolic antenna being on the order 55 6 Some manufacturers may be able to improve on this number therefore the gain given by a manufacturer for a specific antenna should be used when available otherwise the above formula will suffice The general formula for computing the gain of any antenna is given as 4pA 2 Where A effective area of antenna 55 for a parabolic dish reflector antenna A wave length Area and Wavelength must be in same unit feet meters etc 5 3 3 Beamwidth Antenna beamwidth refers to the width of the main radiated beam main lobe between two equal power levels that are 3 dB down from the peak power of the center of the main beam Antenna gain and beamwidth are interrelated quantities and are inversely proportional thus the higher the gain an antenna has the smaller the beamwidth 3 Therefore increased care must be taken when aligning high gain antennas to insure that the antenna is accurately aligned on the center of the main beam which could be only few degrees wide For example a 6 foot parabolic dish antenna at 6 GHz has an antenna gain of 38 63 dB and a beamwidth of only 1 91 Beamwidth is given as 70
63. parkplug thread in connectors P N 220 500SF from Southwest Microwave Tempe AZ 85284 USA e Special installation removal tool for thread in connectors P N T 1020 1 from Southwest Microwave Tempe AZ 85284 USA e Two 5 16 or 8 mm open end box wrenches to use with the tool above Low strength removable thread locking fluid Thread locking Fluid A low strength removable thread locking fluid can be obtained from M G Chemicals Toronto Canada Cat 8701 Mouser P N 590 8701 10ML A second source is Loctite RC 609 2 6 1 Procedure Caution must be exercised when removing and replacing the sparkplug connector to ensure that the center conductor of the internal coax is not bent The following instructions should be followed when replacing the sparkplug connector 2 6 2 Attaching the Installation Removal Tool 1 Back the short part of the installation removal tool out from the longer section by hand until it stops rotating 2 While holding the tool by the longer section thread the installation removal tool onto the sparkplug connector by hand until it bottoms out While holding the tool by the longer section back the connector out 72 turn by hand Holding the longer section stable tighten the shorter section until it stops by hand Using the 5 16 open end wrench carefully hold the longer section stable while tightening the shorter section with the other wrench Be careful not to stress the sparkplug connector while p
64. pter transition to the other end of this coax making sure that the waveguide adapter band is appropriate for the PathAlign R s frequency band range Note It is absolutely necessary for the proper waveguide to the used Waveguides are designed to work within a limited frequency range and a waveguide s cutoff frequency WILL NOT allow frequencies to propagate below this cutoff frequency Frequencies above the waveguide s passband will encounter multi mode effects and their throughput will be unpredictable Using the thumbwheel switches select the appropriate Band frequency both PathAlign R s thumbwheels must be set to the same frequency on both units Set one PathAlign R to MASTER and the other PathAlign R to SLAVE and then power up both units Observe that the LED over the appropriate band connector on each unit is lit indicating operation of that band Face the opening of each waveguide adapter towards the other with approximately a 3 foot space between them If both PathAlign Rs coax cables and waveguide adapters are operating correctly you should observe the following path loss displayed on each PathAlign R s meter For Band 2 5 8 6 6 GHz amp a WR 137 waveguide adapter approx 40dB For Band 3 11 12 GHz amp a WR 90 waveguide adapter approx 50 dB For Band 4 18 1 19 4 GHz amp a WR 42 waveguide adapter approx 60 dB The two PathAlign Rs should typically read within 4 dB of one another
65. r boundary of the first Fresnel zone is defined as the additional path length of all paths which are one half wavelength of the frequency transmitted longer than the direct line of sight path between antennas If the total path distance is one wavelength longer than the direct path then the outer boundary is said to be two Fresnel zones There are an infinite number of Fresnel zones located coaxially around the center of the direct wave path Odd number Fresnel zones reinforce the direct wave path and even order number Fresnel zones cancel the direct wave path 5 2 3 Clearance For reliability point to point links are designed to have at least 0 6 of the first Fresnel zone clearance from any obstruction from all sides top bottom left and right of the first Fresnel zone 5 2 4 Refraction The earth s curvature as well as atmospheric conditions temperature pressure and water vapor can refract or bend electromagnetic waves either up away from or down toward the earth s surface This bending can change frequently hour to hour day to night season to season and weather pattern to weather pattern Refractivity is usually greatest close to the earth s surface and becomes smaller the higher above the surface you go To compensate for this effect a refractivity gradient or K factor is used when designing point to point communication links The K factor is the ratio of the effective Earth radius to the actual Earth radius 5 44 2200
66. re Climb Checklist and Set up The following information may be used as a basic PathAlign R checklist for technicians prior to climbing the antenna tower A copy of this list may be found in the User Information Card that was included with the PathAlign R This check list is in addition to any safety issues regarding personnel and equipment that may be relevant Safety issues regarding personnel and equipment are beyond the scope of this manual 1 Review the Engineering Profile to determine the expected RSL received signal level or path loss for the link under test this should include the free space path loss and the gain of the antennas Note The loss exhibited by the installed cable or waveguide transmission lines should be included in this figure if you are connecting the PathAlign R through these lines When connecting the PathAlign R directly to the back of the antenna with a short coax cable the insertion loss is minimal 2 Both tower technicians should go over their check lists prior to climbing the tower to assure that included with the Path Align R they have e Acharged battery installed possibly a spare if you are planning to be up for over 4 5 hours The proper waveguide to coax adapter for the antenna A coax cable SMA to appropriate coax connector on the waveguide adapter The supplied headset and A carabiner and a nylon runner of appropriate length to attach the bag strap to the tower 3 Set one PathAlign R un
67. requency measured agrees with the frequency set on the thumbwheel switches Note the setting of the MASTER SLAVE switch affects the transmitted frequency The output frequency will be 20 MHz 500 kHz above the set frequency when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set to MASTER 19 MHz 500 kHz below the set frequency when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set to SLAVE This 39 MHz offset makes possible the full duplex voice transmission and measurement of the PathAlign R Repeat this step for the other three Bands 2 8 2 Receiver Check Connect a microwave signal source Sweeper Synthesizer or Microwave Test Set with its output deactivated to the Band 1 IN OUT connector using the appropriate SMA coax cable With the PathAlign R s thumbwheel switches select a frequency that is within the Band 1 range Set the PathAlign R s MASTER SLAVE switch to MASTER Set the signal source to the same frequency as the thumbwheel frequency setting Minus 19 MHz Set the source s output to 60 dBm Activate the source and verify that the PathAlign R s LOSS meter reading is 60 dB nominal Note the setting of the MASTER SLAVE switch affects the received frequency The input frequency will be 19 MHz below the set frequency when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set MASTER 20 MHz above the set frequency when the MASTER SLAVE switch is set to SLAVE This 39 MHz offset makes possible the full duplex voice transmission and measurement of the PathAl
68. rning of instrument off The Data Logger also contains an imbedded GPS receiver to provide location date time information to the record The information stored included the instrument s model number e g 2241 serial number date and time location latitude and longitude frequency in use and the measured path loss Up to 250 individual records can be stored in memory Included with the Record R is a software utility called the LogView R which allows connection to a PC computer running Windows via RS 232 or USB for downloading viewing saving to disk and printing of the records stored as well as clearing the instruments memory 1 5 Specifications 1 5 1 Transmitter Transmission Full Duplex simultaneous transmission and reception Transmission Output 0 dBm nominal Power Transmitter Stability 5 1 x 10 day aging 1 x 10 temperature 0 C to 50 C Tuneable Frequency models must be ordered with a least one Frequency Band Bands Opt Opt 01 Band 1 range 1 5 GHz to 2 5 GHz Opt 02 Band 2 range 3 5 GHz to 5 0 GHz 5 8 GHz to 6 6 GHz Opt 03 Band 3 range 7 5 GHz to 10GHz 11 0 GHz to 12 0 GHz Opt 04 Band 4 range 15 GHz 18 1 GHz to 19 4 GHz 22 0 GHz to 23 5 GHz Transmit Receive Conn 4 Super SMA female sparkplug connectors front panel Modulation FM 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual 1 5 PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation D
69. rque specification is 1 8 N meters 6 Using the 5 16 open end wrench carefully hold the longer section stable while loosening the shorter section with the other wrench Be careful not to stress the sparkplug connector while performing this operation 7 When loose hand remove the tool from the connector Note 2 Using a 3 5 mm terminated cable with the instrument s 2 92 mm front panel connector will mate properly but the physical difference in construction between these two different size connectors will slightly degrade the VSWR specification The same is true when using a 2 4 mm terminated cable with the 1 85 mm front panel connector 2 7 Incoming Confidence Verification Check Prior to packaging the instrument for shipment extensive operational and calibration procedures were performed by Spectracom to verify that the instrument is operating to specifications To ensure the electronic integrity of the instrument on your receiving bench you must perform the following confidence verification check Battery Note It is necessary to first completely charge the battery This may be accomplished by placing the battery in the instrument connecting the Battery Charger to the PathAlign R and connecting the Charger s AC cord to an appropriate AC MAINS supply charging time is approximately 3 hours to fully charge the battery 1 Turn on the power The meter display turns on and displays a number path loss 2 Set the thumbwheel switches
70. ry indicator Display Resolution 0 1 dB Display Update Time 300 ms Low Battery Indicator Annunciator within LCD display ON when battery has approx 15 minutes left LED Status Indicators BAND1 BAND2 BAND3 BAND4 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 1 5 4 Internal Frequency Standard TXCO Frequency 10 MHz Aging Rate Second lt 1 part in 107 root Allen variance Aging Rate Day lt 5 1 part in 10 Aging Rate Year lt 7 6 part in 10 after 45 days Warm Up Stability lt 4 part in 107 in 5 minutes ref freq 1 hour Retrace lt 3 part in 10 after 24 hrs ON 24hrs OFF 1 hr ON ref to previous ON freq Temperature Stability 1 part in 10 0 C to 50 Calibration Schedule One 1 year 1 5 5 Headset Information Earpiece Dynamic 8 Ohms ring connector Microphone Electret noise cancelling tip connector Quick release adapter with right angle 3 5mm 1 8 in plug 1 5 6 Battery Characteristics Operating Time approx 4 to 5 hours continuous 25 C 77 F Low Battery indicator within LCD display ON when approx 15 min operating time remains Charge Time approx 3 hours Manufacture Panasonic Manuf Part No CS 2312NC Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid Battery Nominal Voltag
71. s need to be set differently from one another It does not matter which unit is which as long as one PathAlign R is Master and the other PathAlign R is Slave The transmit receive offset 39 MHz allows for full duplex voice communication and measurement over the link An internal microcontroller controls the operation of the PathAlign R The PathAlign R s transmitted frequency derives from a synthesized source which provides for very accurate control of the output frequency The output signal level is fixed at a constant 0 dBm enough to drive an antenna directly This combination of frequency stability and output level makes path alignment possible while severely reducing the possibility of interference to adjacent links The receive signal is detected via a broadband mixer and processed through a very narrow band filter allowing accurate measurements of the receive signal while providing a very high rejection of adjacent signals Nominal measurements are displayed in dB to a resolution of 0 1 dB on the front panel display The front panel has well defined controls and indicators for selecting bands frequency and resolution using the thumbwheel switches Toggle switches on the front panel select Power ON OFF and Audio Alignment Tone or Voice A 3 5 mm jack on the front panel provides connection to the headset A speaker is located just behind the circular graphic on the front panel to monitor the audio when not using the headset An Audio vo
72. th loss measurements are displayed on the front panel meter Four coax cable connectors Super SMA sparkplug connectors on the front panel facilitate connection to the Antenna via the appropriate coax to waveguide adapter The PathAlign R has four bands of frequency ranges that are available at the front panel via the Super SMA female sparkplug connector 50 ohm impedance Specific frequencies within these bands are selected with the front panel thumbwheel switches which provide 1 MHz resolution LEDs located over each connector indicate which output is active only one band is active at a time The frequency ranges of the four bands are Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 2200 1 5 GHz to 2 5 GHz 5 8 GHz to 6 6 GHz 11 0 GHz to 12 0 GHz 18 1 GHz to 19 4 GHz 2240 2241 1 5 GHz to 2 5 GHz 3 5 GHz to 5 0 GHz 7 5 GHz to 10 GHz 15 GHz 5 8 GHz to 6 6 GHz 11 0 GHz to 12 GHz 18 1 GHz to 19 4 GHz 22 0 GHz to 23 5 GHz The 2200A 2240A and 2241A are identical in operation to the model 2200 2240 and 2241 They differ only in Frequency Band configuration In the any combination of the Frequency Bands 1 2 3 and or 4 may be ordered instead of all four bands found on the model 2200 2240 2241 A Master Slave toggle switch located on the front panel selects whether an individual unit transmits 20 MHz above the selected frequency Master or 19 MHz below the selected frequency Slave The two PathAlign R
73. tion Pushbutton Function Record R When the Record R pushbutton is pressed an individual data record is created and stored in the instruments memory provided the MEMORY OK LED is continuously illuminated The memory used for this storage is non volatile it is not affected by turning the instrument off 4 3 2 Recording Data with GPS Lock If the GPS LOCK LED is illuminated continuously when the Record R button is pressed the information stored will consist of the instrument s model number serial number UTC date and time location latitude and longitude Frequency in use and the measured Path Loss power in dBm The data recorded is the information displayed at the instant the Record R LED illuminates 4 3 3 Recording Data without GPS Lock If the GPS LOCK is flashing no lock position is not known and cannot be recorded If the Record R button is pressed and held for three seconds until the Record R LED illuminates a data record will be recorded along with frequency path loss date and time The data recorded is the information displayed at the instant the Record R LED illuminates 4 3 4 LED Indicators This section identifies the PathAlign R with Record R front panel indicators Pushbutton Function Record R The Record R LED illuminates for 1 2 seconds when a data Record record is being recorded When logging a data record the data r recorded will be id
74. to a frequency within Band 1 1 5 2 5 GHz range shown over Band 1 front panel in out connector The appropriate annunciator LED over the connector will illuminate Using the thumbwheels change the frequency setting to verify operation throughout the Band 1 range the Band 1 LED will stay illuminated as 2 14 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R long as the selected frequency stays within the Band 1 range Repeat this step for each of the other three Bands 3 Next set the AUDIO Alignment Tone Voice switch to Alignment Tone and advance the AUDIO Volume knob until the tone can be heard coming from front panel speaker located behind the circular front panel graphic Advance and retard the AUDIO Volume knob to confirm its function Insert the Headset plug into the front panel HEADSET jack Tone will no longer be heard coming from the speaker but will now be heard in the Headset s earpiece 4 This completes the incoming confidence check The instrument can now be place in service 2 8 Optional Additional Checks 2 8 1 Transmitter Check Connect a microwave frequency counter and a microwave power meter to the Band 1 in out connector using the appropriate SMA coax cable With the PathAlign R thumbwheel switches select a frequency that is within the Band 1 range Using the power meter verify that the output power level is OdBm nominal Using the frequency counter confirm the f
75. tte teme tec tet taro tt ett tea bete tita 5 48 Biol References Z uu L uu puyaqa yaku D Mer I E I LT 5 48 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual V PathAlign R Spectracom Corporation List of Figures Figure 2 1 Bands 2 3 amp 4 Field Verification Check Test Setup 1 n nn naa 2 18 Figure 3 1 Model 2240 Front Panel Saeco cete er nott Se pio 3 20 Figure 3 2 Model 2240 Rear Panel eit u QS beer 3 23 FIGURE 33 Semflex a a u aan sana o cebat that 3 27 Figure 3 4 PathAlign R to Waveguide compatibility for out of Band Alignment e 3 29 Figure 4 1 Mod l2244 FrontiPanel u oS ter ba s 4 31 Figure 4 2 Model 2241 Rear Panel ciet n ten eter dnt esie ex a oue ue 4 33 Figure 5 1 Attenuation Frequency Chart sss nennen 5 43 Figure 5 2 Typical Point to Point Link Desigtr seed e e e d eee aptent ee ala pedi 5 45 vi 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 1 General Information 1 1 Introduction The PathAlign R test set is a high performance complete test solution designed to quickly and accurately optimize the transmission path between two microwave antenna sites The PathAlign R dir
76. ule eR dt 3 30 3 7 Oscillator Calibration 111 nenne 3 30 4 RECORD R DATA LOGGING OPERATION 4 31 introduction u u ard Don noon nd ori G Ex ue prr Re 4 31 42 Record R Data Logging Information 4 31 4 3 Front Panel Record R Controls and 5 4 31 4 3 1 Front Panel Mode SalectlOliS o eie gt wen 4 31 4 3 2 Recording Data with GPS LocKk ied ee E dee dor te ad cocti 4 32 43 3 Recording Data without GPS LOCK or ntum Serie ates 4 32 424 LED I diealorSu eph AS S iate oO D MURS 4 32 44 Rear Panek W II NA Di E eO CR Dna CUT EXE EE NET 4 33 45 Incoming Confidence Check 4 34 4 6 Operating Procedures ci un iqu u ulasan 4 34 201 Recording a qu 4 34 462 Connecting a Computer to the PathAlgn gR uuo rmn n Dem der ine 4 34 4 6 3 Using th LogView R Utlilily u A ta ema 4 35 464 Download Save Data Records R
77. unds A special 5 16 open end is available from Torque Controls So El Monte California The manufacturer part number is 5 Caution Damage may be sustained by the PathAlign R if greater than 10 dBm is applied to the SMA connectors 2200 2240 2241 PathAlign R Manual Spectracom Corporation PathAlign R 3 3 Rear Panel Figure 3 2 depicts the PathAlign R rear panel connectors and battery across door WARNING No usgr s rvicable parts Inside Refer oscillator calibration to qualified technician Refer all other calibration and all repalrs ta factory 15VDC Feadout Racomnended Batiery LCS 2312NC x 12 VDC 2 Rena gula Seaiad LesdiAcid Battery QA Max 0 2vDC O muma 1 Recharge Battery After 9 A WARNING piwas Figure 3 2 Model 2240 Rear Panel Name Function Battery Access Door Hinged battery access door provides for removal replacement of internal battery Door latches via a thumbscrew Osc Calib Access hole allowing the use of a trim pot adjusting tool to fine tune the internal oscillator during yearly calibration Note Refer oscillator calibration to a qualified technician External Charger IN Type 5 5 mm x 2 1 mm two terminal battery power connector connects the external 15VDC 1A Battery Charger to the PathAlign R center pin is positive maximum charge current 1 amp Remote Readout type
78. unique to one GPS satellite and is reset each week PRN PRN Number refers to a satellite s unique pseudo random noise code Pseudo random code A signal with random like properties It is a very complicated but repeating pattern of 1 s and O s SV SV Number refers to space vehicle number SPS Standard Positioning Service civilian use C A code 4 8 LogView R Logging Utility Installation 4 8 1 Software Installation Before installing the supplied Log View R Data Log Utility software into your computer the computer must use the Windows 95 98 or later operating system and contain a USB or RS 232 port ensure that the computer and the PathAlign R are not connected Windows 95 does not support USB only Windows 98 and later operating systems support USB If you are running Windows 95 use the RS 232 cable between the instrument and the COM2 port RS 232 in your PC Your computer display should be set to 600 x 800 or higher The following instructions should be followed in the order given 1 Close all running programs before installing utility If you are running Windows 2000 or XP on a network see note below Insert the CD into the CD drive Go to Start select RUN and enter the appropriate drive letter e g D setup exe and click OK At the close any applications you may be running click OK At the change directory click on the computer box icon in the upper left corner At the Choose Program Gr
79. y Information Caution The PathAlign R is provided with a Panasonic LCS 2312NC 12VDC 2 3 Ah Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid Camcorder Battery Do not use any other type or size of battery in the PathAlign R Additional batteries are available worldwide or direct from Spectracom The following information concerning the battery should be observed 1 Important safety considerations a Do not incinerate battery it may explode if disposed of in fire b Do not directly connect the negative and positive terminals together c Do not use other than the instrument s charger to recharge battery 2 To prevent deterioration or damage to battery a Do not drop or subject to strong physical shock b Do not use to power equipment other than the PathAlign R c Do not use below 10 C 14 F or above 40 C 104 F If the temperature exceeds this upper limit a safety device will automatically prevent operation of the battery 3 To ensure the longest and most optimal battery life a Do not discharge completely b Recharge battery immediately after use Recycling Battery The sealed Lead Acid battery shipped with the PathAlign R contains Lead Pb and must by recycled or disposed of properly after its useful life is exhausted Do not incinerate this battery or dispose of in garbage containers 2 5 Battery Installation The battery should first be placed into the PathAlign R s battery compartment through the battery rear panel door
80. y to the original customer or any other party with respect to any liability loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by any Spectracom product material or software sold or provided by Spectracom replacement parts or units or services provided including but not limited to any interruption of service excess charges resulting from malfunctions of hardware or software loss of business or anticipatory profits resulting from the use or operation of the Spectracom product software whatsoever or howsoever caused In event shall Spectracom be liable for any direct indirect special or consequential damages whether the claims are grounded in contract tort including negligence or strict liability EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE Extended warranties can be purchased for additional periods beyond the standard warranty Contact Spectracom no later than the last year of the standard warranty for extended coverage WARRANTY CLAIMS Spectracom s obligation under this warranty is limited to the cost of infactory repair replacement at Spectracom s option of the defective product or the product s defective component Spectracom s Warranly does not cover any costs for installation reinstallation removal or shipping and handling costs of any warranted product If in Spectracom s sole judgment the defect is not covered by the Spectracom limited Warranty unless notified to the contrary in advance by customer Spectra

PathAlign-R User Manual Rev A

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents