billaugust
2009-07-24, 07:41 PM
Hi Guys,
As we know that over 70% of the voice services and over 90% data services come from indoor. Which means the indoor network planning may become very important in the whole network planning procedures (indoor and outdoor).
But as far as I know, if we compared planning tool resources between indoor and outdoor, we can see a signinificant difference. For outdoor, there are plenty of mature commercial tools (i.e. TCPU, Asset, Planet, Atoll etc, etc...) . Although each tool has there own advantage and disadvantage, we can still see the general outdoor network planning procedure is quite the similar.
However, for indoor is a quite different story. I can not find many comprehensive tools (except Rf-Vu). Most of the tools are quite simple either Viso or Auto-CAD based plug-ins.
So here are my queries and some thoughts on them,
1. Do you think if it is necessary to have a comprehensive indoor planning tool?
From my understanding, to have a indoor planning tool is useful. As we know the indoor planning procedures are more detailed than outdoor (at least when using the tool). As indoor solution not only consider the RF parameters for the antennas but also need to consider the configuration of the distributed antenna system (including cables, splitters, combiners, repeaters etc...). The tool can help to draw the design papers and assist to control the transmit power and noise in the system.
A comprehensive indoor planning tool may have more enhancements. The most improvement is the consideration of the wireless environment. The tool may use some accurate propagation model with 3D inbuilding models to predict the exact pathloss between the transmitter and receiver. The pathloss may then used to predict the antenna coverage (i.e. pilot power).
Such improvement maybe helpful for the RF engineer to design the indoor system, but I am not sure if is the necessary? What do you think? :)
2. What functionalities do you think are very important for a indoor planning tool?
a). link budget
b). comprehensive indoor solutions and components (passive DAS, fiber DAS, distributed basestation or picocell and femtocell)
c). accurate wireless signal prediction
d). CAD edit environment
e). comprehensive reports. (cable routing, project budget etc.)
f). noise analysis
3. The future/evolution of the indoor network planning tools.
Two factors may drive the indoor tools even more important in the near future. One factor is the frequency of wireless system trends to be higher which means higher penetration. The other is data service become more and more important, which means the capacity may become a major concern as coverage.
So here are my thoughts on the future indoor tools.
a). Capacity planning
The capacity planing will based on the accurate pathloss prediction and indoor service modelling. Quite similar to outdoor planning tool, it can help the engineer to predict the exact capacity the indoor system can provider and/or further help the engineer to improve the capacity.
b). Indoor-Outdoor Co-planning
As the indoor system acts as a whole system with outdoor macrocells, the influence between the indoor and outdoor system is very important. Things like indoor to outdoor or outdoor to indoor interference and handover can be modelled and optimized by the tool.
Full 3D analysis may also become a interesting point, as the intereference may be different from one floor to another. To model the signal in a full 3D manor could be more helpful.
What do you think? :o Any comments are more than welcome. :D
As we know that over 70% of the voice services and over 90% data services come from indoor. Which means the indoor network planning may become very important in the whole network planning procedures (indoor and outdoor).
But as far as I know, if we compared planning tool resources between indoor and outdoor, we can see a signinificant difference. For outdoor, there are plenty of mature commercial tools (i.e. TCPU, Asset, Planet, Atoll etc, etc...) . Although each tool has there own advantage and disadvantage, we can still see the general outdoor network planning procedure is quite the similar.
However, for indoor is a quite different story. I can not find many comprehensive tools (except Rf-Vu). Most of the tools are quite simple either Viso or Auto-CAD based plug-ins.
So here are my queries and some thoughts on them,
1. Do you think if it is necessary to have a comprehensive indoor planning tool?
From my understanding, to have a indoor planning tool is useful. As we know the indoor planning procedures are more detailed than outdoor (at least when using the tool). As indoor solution not only consider the RF parameters for the antennas but also need to consider the configuration of the distributed antenna system (including cables, splitters, combiners, repeaters etc...). The tool can help to draw the design papers and assist to control the transmit power and noise in the system.
A comprehensive indoor planning tool may have more enhancements. The most improvement is the consideration of the wireless environment. The tool may use some accurate propagation model with 3D inbuilding models to predict the exact pathloss between the transmitter and receiver. The pathloss may then used to predict the antenna coverage (i.e. pilot power).
Such improvement maybe helpful for the RF engineer to design the indoor system, but I am not sure if is the necessary? What do you think? :)
2. What functionalities do you think are very important for a indoor planning tool?
a). link budget
b). comprehensive indoor solutions and components (passive DAS, fiber DAS, distributed basestation or picocell and femtocell)
c). accurate wireless signal prediction
d). CAD edit environment
e). comprehensive reports. (cable routing, project budget etc.)
f). noise analysis
3. The future/evolution of the indoor network planning tools.
Two factors may drive the indoor tools even more important in the near future. One factor is the frequency of wireless system trends to be higher which means higher penetration. The other is data service become more and more important, which means the capacity may become a major concern as coverage.
So here are my thoughts on the future indoor tools.
a). Capacity planning
The capacity planing will based on the accurate pathloss prediction and indoor service modelling. Quite similar to outdoor planning tool, it can help the engineer to predict the exact capacity the indoor system can provider and/or further help the engineer to improve the capacity.
b). Indoor-Outdoor Co-planning
As the indoor system acts as a whole system with outdoor macrocells, the influence between the indoor and outdoor system is very important. Things like indoor to outdoor or outdoor to indoor interference and handover can be modelled and optimized by the tool.
Full 3D analysis may also become a interesting point, as the intereference may be different from one floor to another. To model the signal in a full 3D manor could be more helpful.
What do you think? :o Any comments are more than welcome. :D