Nortel Meridian Companion User manual

Meridian 1
Meridian Companion
Site Planning Reference Manual
Document Number: 553-3601-106
Document Release: Standard 2.00
Date: September 1996
Copyright @ 1996—1999 Nortel Networks, All Rights Reserved
Printed in Canada
NORTEL NETWORKS CONFIDENTIAL
The information contained herein is the property of Nortel Networks and is strictly confidential. Except as
expressly authorized in writing by Nortel Networks, the holder shall keep all information contained herein
confidential, shall disclose the information only to its employees with a need to know, and shall protect the
information, in whole or in part, from disclosure and dissemination to third parties with the same degree of
care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but with no less than reasonable care. Except as
expressly authorized in writing by Nortel Networks, the holder is granted no rights to use the information
contained herein.
Meridian 1, SL-1, and Companion are trademarks of Nortel Networks Corporation.
Meridian Companion Site Planning Reference Manual
NOTICE: Notwithstanding any explicit confidentiality or proprietary markings to the contrary, the
information contained in this document has been reviewed and approved for public disclosure
by Nortel. However, the access to, use and disclosure of this document and the information
contained therein continue to be subject to copyright and other restrictions, conditions and
limitations as detailed in the Terms of Use. (http://www.nortel.com/help/legal/index.html)

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Contents
About this manual ....................................................1
Companion system overview ..................................3
Introduction to the Companion system......................................3
Base Stations............................................................................5
Radios and antennas .............................................................................5
Base Station location ...............................................9
Base Station installation guidelines...........................................9
Installing multiple Base Stations in a cell center .................................. 11
Companion Deployment Tool ................................13
Using the CDT.........................................................................13
CDT components.................................................................................14
How the CDT works............................................................................. 14
Interpreting the portable’s tones...........................................................16
Conducting a CDT operational check .....................................17
Cell boundary values...............................................................18
Using the CDT to determine cell boundaries..........................19

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Site planning basics...............................................21
The basics of planning a site..................................................21
Site planning prerequisites.....................................................22
Required site information........................................................ 22
Labeling a floor plan...............................................................24
Cell center location................................................................. 26
Covering outdoor areas........................................................................26
Covering a single floor indoor area.......................................................29
Single-floor coverage techniques .........................................................31
Determining the number of Base Stations per cell.................37
Special cases .......................................................................................38
Reviewing your work...............................................................41
Checking system capacity....................................................................41
Reviewing with the customer................................................................41
Providing floor plan information............................................................42
Providing provisioning record information.............................................42
Planning a Sample Site..........................................43
Using what you learned..........................................................43
Sample Site: Site information.................................................43
Sample Site: Indoor cell center location.................................45
Sample Site: Determining the number of Base Stations per cell
48
Sample Site: Reviewing your work .........................................53
Example outdoor cell center location...................................... 54

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Planning complex sites ......................................... 57
Planning a multi-floor coverage area...................................... 57
Atriums................................................................................................. 57
High-rise buildings ............................................................................... 58
Differing floor areas.............................................................................. 61
Planning an area of high portable density.............................. 63
Example of a high portable density area.............................................. 64
Planning where there is an existing Companion system........ 66
Adjacent systems................................................................................. 66
Overlapping systems ........................................................................... 66
Planning multiple systems...................................................... 67
Parameters affecting multiple systems................................................. 67
System names ..................................................................................... 68
Guidelines............................................................................................ 68
Planning for multiple systems .............................................................. 69
Examples of four types of multiple systems......................................... 70
Appendix A: Derivation of traffic procedure........ 85
Derivation of traffic procedure ................................................ 85
Basic traffic procedure ......................................................................... 85
Detailed traffic procedure..................................................................... 86
Appendix B: Using indoor external antennas .....89
Selecting the appropriate indoor antenna .............................. 89
Simulating indoor external antennas with the CDT................ 91
Using coaxial cable and an external antenna ...................................... 91
Changing the cell boundary value........................................................ 91
Appendix C: Fading ...............................................93
Fading..................................................................................... 93

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Appendix D: Key planning concepts....................95
Key planning concepts............................................................95
Synchronization......................................................................95
Power control.......................................................................... 96
Portables...............................................................................................96
Base Stations .......................................................................................96
Optimizing power control......................................................................97
Base Station and cell relationships.........................................97
Auto administration...............................................................................97
Portable originated calls......................................................... 98
Optimizing portable originated calls......................................................99
System originated call ............................................................99
System..................................................................................................99
Portable ................................................................................................99
Optimizing system originated calls .....................................................100
Hand-off................................................................................100
Optimizing hand-off ............................................................................101

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About this manual
This manual is used by the Companion site planner to plan and install the best
possible Companion system for the site.
For the basics of Companion site planning, refer to yourGuide to Site Planning.

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Companion system overview
Introduction to the Companion system
The Companion system allows you to make and receive calls throughout your
site using a wireless telephone.
As shown in Figure 1, the basic Companion system consists of a Controller,
Base Stations and a portable for each user. The Controller provides the
connection between the external telephone system, using access lines, and the
Companion system, using ports. Base Stations relay call information between
the Controller and portables. Portables are wireless telephones.
Figure 1 : The basic Companion System
Controller
access lines
cell center
portable
Base Station
ports
cell
cell
cell link

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As shown in Figure 2, the coverage area is the part of the site where the
customer wants to use their Companion system. The coverage area can be
indoors and outdoors.
Figure 2 : Coverage terminology
When planning a site for coverage by a Companion system, the outermost
points from the center of the coverage area are critical points. These points
may be difficult to provide radio coverage for so are covered first when
planning a site.
Coverage is provided by grouping Base Stations into cell centers throughout
the coverage area. A cell center provides telephone coverage to a cell. The
point where coverage is no longer provided by the cell center is the cell
boundary. The distance from the cell center to the cell boundary is the range.
The radio communication between a portable and BaseStation is a link. When
a user walksfrom one cell into another,the link is transferred to a Base Station
in that cell by a hand-off between the two Base Stations. Any portable
registered to the system can roam, because it can make or receive calls in any
cell.
cell center
critical point
coverage area
coverage
not
required
coverage
not
required
cell boundary
range
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Base Stations
The Base Station,as shown in Figure 3,transmits call informationbetweenthe
Controller and the portable. The Base Station is connected to the Controller
using standard telephone wiring. The Base Station uses a wireless connection
(radio) to communicate with the portable.
Figure 3 : Base Station
Radios and antennas
The Base Station has two radios, each with two internal antennas and one
external antenna port. Using the two internal antennas one at a time, the radio
selects the internal antenna that has the best signal strength. This process is
antenna diversity.
The external antenna ports for each Base Station radio can be connected to
external antennas by coaxial cables. In this case, the installer configures the
radios to use only the external antenna ports and there is no antenna diversity.
external antenna port
for radio 2
external entenna port
for radio 1
COMPANION
1

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The antenna and lightning surge arrestor assembly for PCI is shown in
Figure 4.
Several types of antennas for CT2Plus are shown in Figure 5.
Figure 4 : Antenna and lightning surge arrestor for PCI
Note: The antenna has a gain between –1.2 and 1.5 dBi.
wall
proprietary
BNC connectors
lightning surge arrestor
with mounting bracket
to Base Station or proprietary extension cable
mounting bracket
antenna
1

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Figure 5 : Examples of external antennas for CT2Plus
Note: Not all types of external antennas are available in all countries.
Install external antennas at a cell center as close together as possible, with a
minimum distance of 40 in. (1 m). Table 1 shows the pattern and gain of these
antennas.
Table 1 : External antenna types
Type of antenna Pattern Gain
indoor omnidirectional 0 dB in all directions.
directional 3 dB in direction of beam, 0 dB at right
angles to direction of beam.
outdoor omnidirectional 2 dB in the horizontal plane. Gain is
negative above or below the antenna.
indoor omnidirectional
external antenna indoor directional external antenna outdoor omnidirectional external antenna
1

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Base Station location
Base Station installation guidelines
• Ensure that the installation complies with your local electrical code.
• Do not plan to install Base Stations in ducts, plenums or hollow spaces
that transport air, except where a suspended ceiling creates the duct,
plenum or hollow space with lay-in panels or tiles.
• Install Base Stations indoors where there is no condensation and the
temperature remains between 32°and 120°F (0°and 50°C). The ideal
temperature is between 60°and 95°F (15°and 35°C).
• Install all Base Stations within 4,000 ft (1 200 m) (wiring length for 24
AWG) of the Controller.
• Do not position Base Stations on large concrete or marble columns. Base
Stations must be at least 40 in. (1 m) from columns and located at a cell
center on the same side of the columns.
• Position Base Stations on ceilings or upright against walls at a height
where there is the least number of obstructions between the Base Stations
and the cell edge (usually close to the ceiling).
Installing Base Stations on the ceiling has the following advantages over
installing Base Stations on a wall:

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— it is easy for you to keep the Base Stations beyond the minimum
distance from where users frequently use their portable, such as in
offices
— it gives you more planning flexibility
Install Base Stations on the ceiling unless
— the ceiling has architectural or decorative features that prohibit the
installation of Base Stations
— the ceiling construction prevents you from mounting a Base Station
on it
— the ceiling is made of amaterial that does not allow you to runwiring
to Base Stations mounted on it
— the customer requests that Base Stations not be mounted on the
ceiling
• Position Base Stations away from where a portable is used in an office
by at least the amount shown in Table 2, and as illustrated in Figure 6.
Installing the Base Stations on ceilings or high on walls helps to
maintain these minimum distances.
Table 2 : Minimum distance between office areas and Base Stations
Number of Base Stations
in the cell Minimum distance between office areas and Base Stations
140in.(1.0m)
256in.(1.4m)
372in.(1.8m)
480in.(2.0m)
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Figure 6 : Minimum distance of portables to Base Stations
Installing multiple Base Stations in a cell center
In caseswhere there ismore than one Base Stationat acellcenter, follow these
guidelines:
• Position all of the Base Stations on the same surface with matching
composition.
• Allow a clearance of at least 31/2in. (9 cm) between the Base Stations
and surrounding objects.
• Do not position more than four Base Stations in a single cell.
For CT2Plus protocol
• Position all the Base Stations that are at the same cell center no more
than 5 ft (1.5 m) and no less than 31/2in. (9 cm) from each other.
• Position the Base Stations on a ceiling as shown in Figure 7.
For PCI protocol
• Position the Base Stations as close together as possible but maintain a
minimum distance of 54 in. (1.35 m) apart (center to center) at the same
cell center.
• Do not mount Base Stations in rows.
COMPANION
Northern
Telecom
COMPANION
Northern
Telecom
COMPANION
Northern
Telecom
COMPANION
Northern
Telecom
80 in. (2.0 m) minimum
user's office
1

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• If there are three or four Base Stations at the cell center, install them on
the ceiling.
• If there are one or two Base Stations at the cell centers, you can install
the Base Stations upright on a wall, or on a ceiling as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7 : Base Station positioning
COMPANIONCOMPANION
COMPANIONCOMPANION
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Companion Deployment Tool
Using the CDT
This section describes how you use the Companion Deployment Tool (CDT) to
determine cell centers and cell boundaries.
For more information on using the CDT, refer toCompanion Deployment Tool
User Guide.
Figure 8 : Companion Deployment Tool
COMPANION
Northern
Telecom
CDT transceiver
portable
stand
battery
documentation

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CDT components
The CDT consists of the following components:
•astand
• a CDT transceiver
Note: The CDT transceiver will not function as a Base Station. You
cannot connect it to the Controller.
• a battery inside a battery holder
•aportable
• CDT documentation
When used with the CDT transceiver, the portable continuously displays two
values. The signal strength is on the left and thecyclicredundancy check error
rate is on the right. The signal strength isthe signal transmitted by theportable
and received by the CDT transceiver. For an explanation of the cyclic
redundancy check, refer to Companion Deployment Tool User Guide.
How the CDT works
Refer to Companion Deployment Tool User Guide for instructions on
assembling the tool, establishing a link, setting the cell boundary value, and
choosing the external antenna with the CDT transceiver.
The CDT uses the internal antennas as a default, but this default can be
changed to the external antenna.The cell boundary value isthe signal strength
used with the CDT to determine the cell boundary and can also be changed.
When you have established a link with the portable, enter the numbers as
shown inTable 3 intothedialpad tosetwhich antennasand whatcellboundary
value you want to use.
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