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Antenna System Designer Powered by Connect802
An On-Line Calculator For Tower Height, Link Budget, and Wireless Network Design Suitability Analysis
The Antenna System Designer is an on-line calculator that creates a wireless network antenna system design report based on various parameters that you provide. It will help you predict end-to-end performance and evaluate your network design when you plan a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint outdoor wireless network deployment. You'll be able to analyze the radio link and tune network parameters for optimal link suitability.
All of the potentially obscure values that you'll need to have the Antenna System Designer create in an output report are provided as defaults. You only need to supply the distance for the proposed wireless link, the antenna tower height, or heights. Of course, you can enter your own values for the various transmitter characteristics, environmental factors, and RF parameters if they're available.
- Read the technical notes explaining various design issues and information that will help you understand how to best use the calculator
- Start the calculator
To Begin: Select a Calculation Mode Based on Which Distance or Height Information You Know
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NOTE: Results may be subject to arithmetic rounding errors. This calculator is designed to provide results with a level of precision that is sufficient for use in wireless network design. Calculated values represent the arbitrary arithmetic results of standard path loss, Fresnel zone, earth curvature, and link budget formulas. Measurements made in the field may vary from those calculated here since manufacturing tolerances and measurement accuracy introduce variability. Attenuation in cable connectors may vary substantially from theoretical values if oxidation is present. While every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the calculations, CWNP makes no guarantee of the accuracy or suitability of this information.
Technical Notes
- Frequency - The radio standard or frequency band you're using
- Distance Between Towers - Used to determine Free Space Path Loss, attenuation per mile or kilometer, and earth bulge
- Distance to Obstruction and Obstruction Height - Specifying obstructions between the antenna and the horizon
- Free Space Path Loss - The result of the geometric expansion of the spherical RF wavefront as distance increases
- Tower Height - Used to determine both visual- and radio-Line-of-Sight
- Cable Loss - The attenuation between the radio transmitter and the tower-mounted antenna
- Radio Transmitter Output Power - Used as the starting point for determining the suitability of the link
- Receiver Sensitivity - Radio specifications stipulate the bit rates at various received power levels
- Antenna Gain - This will normally be a calculated value and is used for link suitability analysis
- Terrain Roughness - Compensating for the type of terrain underlying the radio-to-radio link
- Refractive Index (K) - Adjusting the distance to the horizon for radio waves as opposed to visible light
- Earth Bulge - The apparent height of the horizon based on the refractive index (K) of the atmosphere
- Geodetic Distance - The length of a line from an elevated point to the horizon ignoring any refractive index
- Visual / Radio Line of Sight - The apparent distance from an elevated point to the horizon based on the refractive index
- Rain Fade Margin - Used to adjust link values based on standard rainfall tables
- Link Fade Margin - Additional attenuation to compensate for unanticipated link loss
- Antenna Maximum Linear Dimension - If provided, this value is used for near-field conflict assessment