4RF Aprisa XE User manual

Aprisa XE
User Manual
Version 5.01
May 2005

Copyright
Copyright © 2001-2005 4RF Communications Ltd
This document is protected by copyright belonging to 4RF Communications Ltd and may not be
reproduced or republished in whole or part in any form without the prior written permission of
4RF Communications Ltd.
Trademarks
The 4RF, Aprisa, Aprisa XE, SuperVisor and Surveyor names and logotypes are trademarks or
registered trademarks of 4RF Communications Ltd.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other
countries. Java and all Java-related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other marks are the property of
their respective owners.
GoAhead WebServer. Copyright © 2000 GoAhead Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this literature, 4RF
Communications Ltd assumes no liability for errors and omissions, or from any damages
resulting from use of this information. The contents and any product specifications within it are
subject to revision due to ongoing product improvements and may change without notice.
ETSI performance standards
The radio is designed to comply with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute
(ETSI) specifications as follows:
!Radio performance—EN 302 217 Parts 1, 2.1, and 2.2
!EMI/EMC—EN 301 489 Parts 1 & 4
!Environmental—EN 300 019, Class 3.2
!Safety—EN 60950
The terminal operating in the 1.4GHz band has been tested and is compliant to the ETSI radio
specifications and suitably displays the CE logo. Other bands are compliant to the same radio
performance specifications as adapted by 4RF and therefore may be used in regions where
compliance requirements demand CE performance at other frequencies.

Contents | i
Contents
1Checklist............................................................................................................7
2About this manual.............................................................................................9
What it covers............................................................................................................... 9
Who should read it........................................................................................................ 9
Contact us .................................................................................................................... 9
3Preparation......................................................................................................10
Path planning.............................................................................................................. 10
Antenna selection and siting .............................................................................. 10
Coaxial feeder cables ........................................................................................ 12
Link budget........................................................................................................ 13
Site requirements........................................................................................................ 13
Power supply..................................................................................................... 13
Equipment cooling ............................................................................................. 13
Earthing and lightning protection........................................................................ 14
4About the terminal ..........................................................................................15
Introduction................................................................................................................. 15
Modules...................................................................................................................... 15
Front panel connections and indicators....................................................................... 17
Interface cards............................................................................................................ 18
5Mounting and installing the hardware ..........................................................19
Required tools ............................................................................................................ 19
Installing the terminal.................................................................................................. 19
Installing the antenna and feeder cable ...................................................................... 20
Alarm termination........................................................................................................ 21
Power connection ....................................................................................................... 21
DC power .......................................................................................................... 22
AC power........................................................................................................... 23
Installing interface cards ............................................................................................. 23
Configuring a slot............................................................................................... 24
Preparing the terminal for new cards ................................................................. 25
Installing Quad JET, 4-Wire E&M, V24 and 2-Wire interface cards.................... 27
Installing HSS interface cards............................................................................ 29
Bench setup................................................................................................................ 31
6Connecting to the terminal.............................................................................32
About SuperVisor........................................................................................................ 32
System requirements......................................................................................... 32

ii | Contents
Management Ethernet connection and capacity ......................................................... 33
IP addressing of terminals .......................................................................................... 33
Logging in................................................................................................................... 35
Understanding the SuperVisor window .............................................................. 35
Changing the terminals' default IP address................................................................. 36
Setting up users.......................................................................................................... 37
Changing passwords ......................................................................................... 37
Adding a user .................................................................................................... 38
Disabling a user................................................................................................. 38
Deleting a user .................................................................................................. 39
7Configuring the radio .....................................................................................40
Configuring the RF settings ........................................................................................ 40
Configuring the IP settings.......................................................................................... 41
Setting the clock sources............................................................................................ 42
8Configuring the traffic interface ....................................................................44
About Cross Connections ........................................................................................... 44
Understanding the Cross Connections window.................................................. 45
Creating new cross connects...................................................................................... 48
Example 1 ......................................................................................................... 49
Example 2 ......................................................................................................... 50
About the Quad JET card modes................................................................................ 53
Selecting a single bit.......................................................................................... 54
Selecting multiple bits........................................................................................ 54
Selecting a 64 kbps timeslot .............................................................................. 55
Selecting multiple timeslots................................................................................ 55
PCM31C mode.................................................................................................. 56
PCM30C mode.................................................................................................. 56
Viewing a summary of the interfaces .......................................................................... 58
Configuring the traffic interfaces—overview................................................................ 59
Initializing the Cross Connection application............................................................... 60
Loading the configuration into the terminals................................................................ 63
Quad JET ................................................................................................................... 64
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 64
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 65
Quad 4-Wire E&M....................................................................................................... 67
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 67
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 68
Quad V24 ................................................................................................................... 71
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 71
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 72
Dual 2-Wire Subscriber Interface (FXS)...................................................................... 74
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 74
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 77
Dual 2-Wire Exchange Interface (FXO)....................................................................... 79
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 79
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 82
High speed serial interface (HSS)............................................................................... 84
Specifying the port settings................................................................................ 84
Configuring the traffic cross connections ........................................................... 86

Contents | iii
9Protected terminals ........................................................................................88
Monitored Hot Standby (MHSB).................................................................................. 88
Tributary switch front panel................................................................................ 89
RF switch front panel......................................................................................... 90
MHSB cabling.................................................................................................... 90
Configuring the radios for protected mode ......................................................... 92
10 In-service commissioning..............................................................................96
Before you start .......................................................................................................... 96
What you will need............................................................................................. 96
Applying power to the terminals.................................................................................. 96
Configuring the terminals using SuperVisor ................................................................ 97
Antenna alignment...................................................................................................... 97
Checking the antenna polarisation..................................................................... 98
Visually aligning antennas ................................................................................. 98
Accurately aligning the antennas ....................................................................... 99
Synchronizing the terminals...................................................................................... 100
Power up .................................................................................................................. 100
Checking performance.............................................................................................. 100
Checking the receive input level ...................................................................... 101
Checking the fade margin................................................................................ 101
Checking long-term BER ................................................................................. 103
Bit Error Rate (BER) tests................................................................................ 103
Additional tests ................................................................................................ 103
Connect the traffic interfaces .................................................................................... 104
Configuring alarms.................................................................................................... 104
External alarms................................................................................................ 104
Remote alarms ................................................................................................ 105
11 Maintenance ..................................................................................................106
Routine maintenance................................................................................................ 106
Upgrading the terminal.............................................................................................. 107
Upgrading individual files................................................................................. 110
12 Troubleshooting............................................................................................117
Loopbacks ................................................................................................................ 117
Setting interface loopbacks.............................................................................. 117
Enabling and disabling the RF loopback .......................................................... 118
Alarms ...................................................................................................................... 119
Diagnosing alarms........................................................................................... 119
Viewing interface alarms.................................................................................. 120
Identifying causes............................................................................................ 121
Identifying radio alarms.................................................................................... 122
Changing the default IP address using HyperTerminal ............................................. 124
Overview ......................................................................................................... 124
Connecting the PC to the terminal ................................................................... 124
Configuring the COM port settings................................................................... 125
Starting a HyperTerminal session.................................................................... 127
Determining the terminal IP address................................................................ 129
Setting the IP address of the terminal .............................................................. 129

iv | Contents
Setting the IP address of the local PC ............................................................. 131
13 Interface connections...................................................................................135
RJ-45 connector pin assignments............................................................................. 135
Interface traffic direction............................................................................................ 135
E1 G.703 connections - Quad JET interface............................................................. 136
E1 alarm conditions ......................................................................................... 136
Ethernet bridge (10Base-T—100Base-TX) connections............................................ 137
4-Wire E&M connections .......................................................................................... 137
4-Wire E&M signalling connection ................................................................... 138
2-Wire FXS connections ........................................................................................... 140
2-Wire FXO connections........................................................................................... 141
HSS Connections ..................................................................................................... 142
Sync EIA/TIA-232 Cable Assembly for DTE—Cab Sync 232MT...................... 142
Sync EIA/TIA-232 Cable Assembly for DCE—Cab Sync 232FC...................... 142
EIA/TIA-449 Serial Cable Assembly for DTE—CAB SYNC 449MT.................. 143
EIA/TIA-449 Serial Cable Assembly for DCE—CAB SYNC 449FC.................. 143
V.35 Serial Cable Assembly for DTE—CAB SYNC V35MT ............................. 144
V.35 Serial Cable Assembly for DCE—CAB SYNC V35FC ............................. 145
X.21 Serial Cable Assembly for DTE—CAB SYNC X21MT ............................. 146
X.21 Serial Cable Assembly for DTE—CAB SYNC X21FC.............................. 146
EIA-530 Serial Cable Assembly for DTE—CAB SYNC 530MT ........................ 146
Async V.24/RS-232 connections............................................................................... 147
14 HSS handshaking and clocking...................................................................148
Handshaking and control line function ...................................................................... 148
X.21 compatibility ............................................................................................ 148
RTS CTS mode ............................................................................................... 148
DSR DTR mode............................................................................................... 150
DCD mode....................................................................................................... 151
Clocking.................................................................................................................... 152
Internal clocking............................................................................................... 152
Pass-through clocking ..................................................................................... 152
Primary/secondary master clocking ................................................................. 153
Clock interworking modes................................................................................ 153
Clocking diagrams ........................................................................................... 155
HSS cable WAN connectors ..................................................................................... 161
15 Alarm types and sources .............................................................................162
Alarm types............................................................................................................... 162
Transmitter alarms........................................................................................... 162
Receiver alarms............................................................................................... 163
MUX alarms..................................................................................................... 163
Modem alarms................................................................................................. 163
Motherboard alarms......................................................................................... 164
Quad JET alarms............................................................................................. 164
Dual FXO alarms ............................................................................................. 164
Dual FXS alarms ............................................................................................. 164
HSS alarms ..................................................................................................... 164
Quad V24 alarms............................................................................................. 165
External alarms................................................................................................ 165

Contents | v
Remote alarms ................................................................................................ 165
Cross connect alarms ...................................................................................... 165
MHSB alarms .................................................................................................. 165
Alarm source ............................................................................................................ 166
16 Abbreviations ................................................................................................167
17 Specifications................................................................................................169
18 Country-specific impedances ......................................................................177
19 Acknowledgments and licensing ................................................................182

Checklist | 7
1 CHECKLIST
Use this checklist to guide you through the steps required to commission a link in the field.
Pre-installation
1 Confirm path planning.
2 Ensure that the site preparation is complete:
!power requirements
!tower requirements
!environmental considerations, for example, temperature control
!rack space
3 Confirm the interface card configuration.
Installing the terminals
1 Position and mount the radio.
2 Connect earthing to the radio.
3 Confirm that the:
!antenna is mounted
!feeder is connected to the antenna
!tower earthing is complete
4 Install lightning protection.
5 Connect tail between lightning and radio duplexer.
6 Connect the power supply to radio and apply power.
Establishing the link
1 Connect the setup cable between the radio's Setup port and the PC using accessory kit
adaptor.
2 Confirm the IP settings for the radio:
!local IP address
!local subnet mask
!remote terminal IP address
3 Reset the radio.
4 Connect the Ethernet cable between the radio's 4-port Ethernet hub and the PC.
5 Confirm that the PC IP settings are correct for the 4-port Ethernet hub:

8 | Checklist
!IP address
!subnet mask
6 Confirm that Java is installed on the PC.
7 Start the web browser, and log into the terminal.
8 Set or confirm the RF characteristics:
!TX and RX frequencies
!modulation
!output power
9 Compare the actual RSSI to the expected RSSI value (from your path planning).
10 Fine-align the antennas.
11 Confirm that the radio clock sources are set correctly.
12 Confirm TX and RX are green. Disregard the OK LED status for the time being.
Configuring the traffic
1 Confirm that the interface hardware and software slot configurations match.
2 Confirm the interface card settings.
3 Start the Cross Connections application, and configure the cross connections:
!download configuration
!confirm or modify the traffic cross connections
!configure the configurations
!activate the configurations
4 Save the configuration to disk and close the Cross Connections application.
5 Connect the traffic interface cables.
6 Confirm or adjust the radio clocking for network synchronization, if required.
7 Test that the traffic is passing over the link as configured.
8 Confirm or configure the alarm settings in SuperVisor.
9 Configure the alarm output cable, if required.
10 Reset any alarms and error counters.
11 (Optional: Perform traffic pre-commissioning tests.)
12 Complete the commissioning form (at the back of the manual) and file.

About this manual | 9
2 ABOUT THIS MANUAL
What it covers
This user manual describes how to install and configure Aprisa XE™ point-to-point links. It is
recommended that you read the relevant sections of this manual before installing or operating
the terminal.
Who should read it
This manual has been written for professional field technicians and engineers who have an
appropriate level of education and experience.
Contact us
If you experience any difficulty installing or using Aprisa XE after reading this manual, please
contact Customer Support or your local 4RF representative. 4RF area representative contact
details are available from the 4RF website, www.4rf.com.
4RF Communications Ltd
26 Glover Street, Ngauranga
PO Box 13-506
Wellington 6032
New Zealand
E-mail [e-mail]
Web site www.4rf.com
Telephone [phone]
Facsimile [phone]
Attention Customer Services

10 | Preparation
3 PREPARATION
Path planning
Proper path planning is essential. When considering the components of your radio system, think
about:
!antenna selection and siting
!coaxial cable selection
!link budget
You can also use Surveyor to help you with path planning. Surveyor is a path propagation
calculator developed by 4RF to assist path planners quickly and efficiently verify the viability of
point-to-point transmission links deploying the Aprisa™ microwave radio systems.
The software program calculates the anticipated link performance for the transmission system
elements you have selected.
You will find Surveyor a valuable addition to your planning toolbox. A copy of Surveyor is
provided on the CD supplied with this manual. You can download updates from www.4rf.com.
Antenna selection and siting
Selecting and siting antennas are important considerations in your system design.
There are two main types of directional antenna that are commonly used with the radios:
parabolic grid and Yagi antennas. The antenna that should be used for a particular situation is
determined primarily by the frequency of operation, and the gain required to establish a reliable
link.
Parabolic grid antennas
Factors Result
Frequency Used in Aprisa XE bands
Often used in 1350-2700 MHz bands
Gain Varies with size (17 dB to 30 dB typical)
Wind loading Can be significant
Tower aperture
required
Can be significant
Size Range from 0.6 m to 3 m diameter
Cost Medium
Front to back ratio Good

Preparation | 11
Yagi antennas
Factors Result
Frequency Used in Aprisa XE bands
Often used in 330-960 MHz bands
Gain Varies with size (17 dB to 30 dB
typical)
Stackable gain increase 2 Yagi antennas - 2.8 dB
4 Yagi antennas - 5.6 dB
Wind loading Less than a parabolic grid antenna
Tower aperture required Less than a parabolic grid antenna
(unstacked)
Size Range from 0.6 m to 3 m diameter
Cost Low
Front to back ratio Low
It is possible to increase the gain of a Yagi antenna installation by placing 2 or more of them in a
stack. The relative position of the antennas is critical.
Example of stacked antennas
Antenna siting
When siting antennas, consider the following points:
!A site with a clear line of sight to the remote terminal is needed. Pay particular attention to
trees, buildings, and other obstructions close to the antenna site.

12 | Preparation
!Any large flat areas that reflect RF energy along the link path, for instance, water, could
cause multi-path fading. If the link path crosses a feature that is likely to cause RF
reflections, shield the antenna from the reflected signals by positioning it on the far side of
the roof of the equipment shelter or other structure.
!The antenna site should be as far as possible from other potential sources of RF
interference such as electrical equipment, power lines and roads.
!The antenna site should be as close as possible to the equipment shelter.
Note: Wide angle and zoom photographs taken at the proposed antenna location (looking down
the proposed path) can be useful when considering the best mounting positions.
Coaxial feeder cables
To ensure maximum performance it is recommended that you use good quality low-loss coaxial
cable for all feeder runs. For installations requiring long antenna cable runs, use Andrew
Heliax™ or equivalent. When using large diameter feeders, use a short flexible jumper cable
between the feeder and the terminal to reduce stress on the antenna port connector.
All coaxial cable has loss, that is, the RF energy traveling through it is attenuated. Generally
speaking, the larger the diameter of the cable, the less the loss. When selecting a coaxial cable
consider the following:
Factor Effect
Attenuation Occurs less in short cables and wide cables
Cost Small cables are cheaper
Ease of installation Easier with small or short cables
Note: 4RF can supply coaxial cable and connectors. Please contact your local 4RF
representative or Customer Support.
When running cables:
!Run coaxial cable from the installation to the antenna, ensuring you leave enough extra
cable at each end to allow drip loops to be formed.
!For 19-inch rack mount installations, cables may be run from the front of the rack directly
onto the antenna port. They may also be run through the back of the rack to the front.
!Terminate and earth or ground the cables in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions. Bond the outer conductor of the coaxial feeder cables to the base of the tower
mast.

Preparation | 13
Link budget
All of the above factors (and many others not mentioned) combine in any proposed installation
to create a link budget. The link budget predicts how well the radio hop will perform after it is
installed.
Use the outputs of the link budget during commissioning testing to confirm the link has been
installed correctly, and that it will provide reliable service.
Site requirements
Power supply
Ensure that the correct power supply is available for powering the radio. The nominal input
voltage for a terminal is ±24 or 48 volts DC with either polarity to ground or 115 / 230 volts AC.
The DC supply voltage is factory preset at time of order, and cannot be adjusted in the field.
The terminal voltage is indicated on the chassis label by the DC input connector and on the
specification label fitted to the terminal.
Warning: Before connecting power, ground the chassis using the ground terminal
on the front panel.
Equipment cooling
Mount the terminal so that air can flow through it. Do not obstruct the free flow of air around the
terminal. The internal, speed-controlled fans fitted into the chassis will provide sufficient cooling.
The two fans fitted are microprocessor-controlled to run at the minimum speed required to keep
the terminal below a preset temperature. The fans are constantly monitored and an alarm is
raised under failure conditions.
The environmental operating conditions are as follows:
!Operating temperature: -10°C to +50°C
!Storage temperature: -20°C to +70°C
!Humidity: Max. 95% non-condensing
!Altitude: Up to 5000 m

14 | Preparation
Earthing and lightning protection
Warning: Unless suitable external protection devices are installed, lightning can easily damage
high-performance electronic equipment. To avoid this risk, install primary lightning protection
devices (in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions) to protect the terminal.
As a minimum, the following lightning protection devices should be installed:
!Coaxial surge suppressor on the antenna port of the duplexer.
!Suitable lightning protectors on each communication interface that is connected to any line
that leaves or enters the equipment shelter (that is, 2-Wire or 4-Wire interfaces).
In addition, earth the antenna tower, feeders, and lightning protection devices in accordance
with the appropriate local and national standards. The diagram below shows the minimum
requirements.
Use grounding kits as specified or supplied by the coaxial cable manufacturer to properly
ground or bond the cable outer.

About the terminal | 15
4 ABOUT THE TERMINAL
Introduction
Aprisa radios operate in a number of frequency bands from 300 MHz up to 2.7 GHz carrying
Internet, voice and data traffic over long distances up to 100 kilometers. They are designed to
meet the demands of a wide range of low to medium capacity access and backhaul
applications. The digital access radio is a compact, powerful point-to-point linking solution with
up to 17 Mbps capacity, and customer-configurable interface options integrated within the radio
platform.
Modules
The radio is modular in design, which helps reduce mean time to repair (MTTR). Aprisa is
designed for 19-inch rack mounting and is only 2U high for standard configurations with an
internally mounted duplexer.
The five main modules housed inside the chassis are the RF brick, modem, motherboard,
power supply and duplexer. Interface cards are fitted into interface slots on the motherboard.
Modules are interconnected via several buses on the motherboard. A duplexer can be mounted
inside or outside the chassis.
Radio components

16 | About the terminal
Radio block diagram

About the terminal | 17
Front panel connections and indicators
All connections to the radio are made on the front panel of the unit. A description of each front
panel item is shown in the table below.
No. Label Description
1 AC/DC power
input
Two types of power supply are available. AC power supplies (shown
above) come with IEC power cable and country specific plug. DC
power supplies come with a pre-terminated cable suitable for
connection to a terminal block.
2 Protective
Earth
An M5 terminal intended for connection to an external protective
conductor for protection against electric shock in case of a fault.
3 Antenna 50ΩN-type male connector.
4 Interface slots
1 to 8
Eight interface slots labeled A through H are available on the
motherboard to fit interface cards. Refer to Integrated multiplexer and
cross-connect for a description of interface options.
5 Ethernet Integrated 4-port layer 2 switch.
6 Setup RJ-45 for initial configuration PC connection.
7 Alarm RJ-45 connector for 2 input and 4 output alarm connections.
8 LED
indicators
Three tri-color LEDs indicate the operational status of the link and one
blue LED for power.
OK LED indication for normal operation and minor/major alarm conditions.
RX LED indication for receive path status including normal operation and
alarms such as BER, RSSI and loss of sync.
TX LED indication for transmit path status including normal operation and
alarms such as forward/reverse power and temperature.
ON Blue power indicator.
9 RSSI RSSI test point suitable for 2 mm diameter multimeter test lead pin.

18 | About the terminal
Interface cards
Each radio has eight interface slots labeled A to H. Each slot can be fitted with any interface
card. Typically, the radio is delivered pre-configured with the interface cards you requested.
The following interface card types are available:
Name Interface Card Type Function
QJET Quad E1/T1 Interface Four E1 (Framed or Unframed) or T1
(Unframed only) Interfaces
Q4EM Quad 4-Wire E&M
Interface
Four voice channels, with optional E&M
signalling on each channel
DFXS Dual 2-Wire FXS
Interface
Two subscriber POTS channels,
complete with signalling on each
channel
DFXO Dual 2-Wire FXO
Interface
Two exchange POTS channels,
complete with signalling on each
channel
HSS High Speed Synchronous
Serial Interface
A single data channel configured as
synchronous V.24, V.35, X.21, V.36 /
RS 449, or EIA/TIA 530
QV24 Quad V24 Serial
Asynchronous Interface
Four asynchronous V.24/RS232 data
channels