Exalt Wireless 104P90I EX-4.9i User Manual i 4 9 fcc final
Exalt Communications Inc. EX-4.9i i 4 9 fcc final
Users Manual
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i-Series
Digital Microwave Radios
Installation and Management Guide
Models included:
EX-2.4i
EX-2.4i-16
EX-4.9i
EX-5i
EX-5i-16
Part Number: 50000001
Date: 2007-01-03 (draft)
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Exalt Communications, Inc.
Exalt i-Series Installation and Management Guide
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2007-01-03
Legal Notice
The information contained herein is the property of Exalt Communications, Inc. (“Exalt”)
and is supplied without liability for errors or omissions. No part of this document may be
reproduced, in any form, except as authorized by contract or other written permission
from the owner.
Any brand names and product names included in this manual are trademarks, registered
trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders.
The contents of this document are current as of the date of publication. Exalt reserves the
right to change the contents without prior notice.
The publication of information in this document does not imply freedom from patent or
other rights of Exalt or others.
© 2007 Exalt Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
The Exalt logo is a trademark of Exalt Communications, Inc.
Open-Source License Information
In addition to proprietary software/firmware, which is the sole intellectual property of
Exalt, the Exalt i-Series of Digital Microwave Radios make use of public (open-source)
software/firmware within the terms of use of their respective shared license agreements.
Exalt will supply copies of any of this code, within the terms of their individual licensing
agreements, upon request.
Open-Source Code License Agreement Website
Linux Operating
System GNU GPL Version 2 www.gnu.org
BusyBox CLI GNU GPL Version 2 www.gnu.org;
www.busybox.net
GoAhead Web Server Copyright (c) 2003 GoAhead Software,
Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.goahead.com
U-boot Boot Code GNU GPL Version 2 www.gnu.org
www.sourceforge.net
Net-SNMP (see Copyright Notices on page 127) www.sourceforge.net
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Exalt Communications, Inc.
Exalt i-Series Installation and Management Guide
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About this Document
This manual provides a complete description of the Exalt i-Series of Digital Microwave
Radios and related software. This manual provides planners, engineers, installers, system
administrators, and technicians general and specific information related to the planning,
installation, operation, management, and maintenance of these devices.
Revision History
Date Products and Release code
2006-04-28 EX-2.4i initial release v1.0
2006-05-03 EX-2.4i maintenance release v1.0.1
2006-07-06 EX-5i initial release v1.0.0
2006-09-01 EX-2.4i release v1.1.0 (Mode2 feature release)
EX-2.4i-16 and EX-5i-16 initial release v1.0.0
2006-09-27 EX-5i release 1.1.0 (SNMP feature release)
2006-10-27 EX-2.4i v1.2.0 (Sync and VLAN feature releases)
EX-5i release v2.0.0 (Sync and VLAN feature releases)
EX-2.4i and EX-5i-16 v1.1.1 (Sync feature release)
2007-01-03 EX-4.9i initial release
Icons
The following icons denote specific types of information.
(Warning) Denotes information pertaining to potential danger to human
life.
(Caution) Denotes information pertaining to potential danger to property.
(Note) Denotes useful or unique information.
CAUTION
!
Exalt Communications, Inc.
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General Compliance and Safety
The usage of radio transmission devices is subject to specific regulatory requirements
governed by regional legislation. In most cases, the specific device must be authorized
for use in a given country and must be installed and adjusted in accordance with specific
radio-frequency settings and in a manner that has been authorized specific to the device
itself in accordance with the specific location of the device. Some users may be
completely or partially restricted from use of the device. Please consult local
governmental agency/agencies for regulatory requirements before use, or contact Exalt or
your Exalt authorized dealer for assistance.
Do not modify this device in any way without the express written consent of Exalt.
Modification voids the manufacturer warranty, and may also be illegal in accordance to
government regulations. In addition, there are no user-serviceable parts or assemblies
inside the product housing. There may also be voltages, signals, and mechanisms within
the device that could be harmful to human safety.
The mounting of this device and associated peripherals and connections (inclusive of
antenna mast, antenna, cabling, egress, lightning protection devices, grounding, power,
and so on) may be subject to regional requirements for health and human safety. A
qualified professional installer and an electrician are highly recommended, and may be
required by law.
Exalt cannot warranty the device or be found liable for any unauthorized use or
installation of the device.
Regulatory Notices (2.4 and 5GHz Models)
(The following notices apply to the 2.4i and 5i version radios and generally apply to the
4.9i version. See following section for specifics on 4.9i)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States
The device is allowed to be used provided it does not cause interference to other devices.
It is not guaranteed to provide protection against interference from other electronic and
radio devices.
The system has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
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• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Shielded cables and I/O cords must be used for this equipment to comply with the
relevant FCC regulations.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved in writing by Exalt may void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment.
This device must be professionally installed.
To comply with regulations, the output power of this device may need to be adjusted in
accordance to the associated transmission system. See RF Output Power Setting on
page 29 for details.
The antenna associated with EX-2.4i family shall be mounted in a location that is at least
10 feet away from humans that may be subject to long-term or continuous exposure. The
antenna associated with the EX-5i family shall be mounted in a location that is at least
10.5 feet away from humans that may be subject to long-term or continuous exposure.
Industry Canada (IC), Canada
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
1. this device may not cause interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
Antennas Supported in Canada
The EX-2.4i is designed to operate with the antennas listed in Table 1, which have a
maximum gain of 30.3dBi. Antennas not included in the list or having a gain greater than
30.3dBi are strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna impedance
is 50 Ohms.
Table 1 EX-2.4i supported antennas
Manufacturer Model # Descri
p
tion Gain
(
dBi
)
Andrew 19T-2440-1 16-inch Solid Parabolic Dish 19
Andrew 21T-2441-1 24-inch Solid Parabolic Dish 21
Andrew 18T-2400-1 Semi-parabolic Grid 17
Andrew 26T-2400-1 Semi-parabolic Grid 23
Andrew P2F-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 21.6
Andrew P4F-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.3
Andrew KP3F-23 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 25.1
Andrew KP4F-23 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.5
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Manufacturer Model # Descri
p
tion Gain
(
dBi
)
Andrew KPR3F-23 2-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 23.6
Andrew KPR4F-23 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.3
Andrew QD-2402 11-inch Panel 16
Gabriel DFPS.5-23 6-inch Panel 10.3
Gabriel DFPS1-23 1-foot Panel 16.5
Gabriel P-24A36 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 25.7
Gabriel P-24A48 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.7
Gabriel SSP2-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 20.7
Gabriel SSP4-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 26.7
Gabriel SSP6-23 6-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 30.3
Gabriel HSSP2-23 2-foot Solid HP Parabolic Dish 20.5
Gabriel HSSP4-23 4-foot Solid HP Parabolic Dish 26.3
Gabriel HSSP6-23 6-foot Solid HP Parabolic Dish 30.0
RadioWaves SP1-2.4 1-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 14
RadioWaves SP2-2.4 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 21.3
RadioWaves SP3-2.4 3-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 24.3
RadioWaves SP4-2.4 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.2
RadioWaves SP6-2.4 6-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 30.3
RadioWaves G3-2.4 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 24.5
RadioWaves G4-2.4 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27
RadioWaves G6-2.4 6-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 30.3
RFS MGAR2-23 2-foot Grid Para
b
olic Dish 20.8
RFS MGAR3-23 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 24.2
RFS MGAR4-23 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.2
RFS SPF2-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 20.5
RFS SPF3-23 3-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 24.2
RFS SPF4-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.1
The antenna associated with the EX-2.4i family shall be mounted in a location that is at
least 10 feet away from humans that may be subject to long-term or continuous exposure.
The EX-5i family has been designed to operate with the antennas listed in Table 2, which
have a maximum gain of 37.9dBi. Antennas not included in the list or having a gain
greater than 37.9dBi are strictly prohibited for use with this device. The required antenna
impedance is 50 Ohms.
Table 2 EX-5i supported antennas
Manufacturer Model # Descri
p
tion Gain dBi (mid-band)
Andrew P2F-52-N 2-foot Dish 29.4
Andrew P3F-52-N 3-foot Dish 33.4
Andrew P4F-52-NXA 4-foot Dish 34.9
Andrew P6F-52-NXA 6-foot Dish 37.6
Andrew HP2F-52-NPA 2-foot HP Dish 29.0
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Manufacturer Model # Descri
p
tion Gain dBi (mid-band)
Andrew HP3F-52-NPA 3-foot HP Dish 33.0
Andrew HP4F-52-NPA 4-foot HP Dish 34.5
Andrew HP6F-52-NPA 6-foot HP Dish 37.2
Andrew FPA5250D06-N 6-inch Panel 18.0
Andrew FPA5250D12-N 1-foot Panel 23.6
Gabriel DFPS.5-52 6-inch Panel 18.0
Gabriel DFPD1-52 1-foot Panel 23.5
Gabriel DFPD2-52 2-foot Panel 28.0
Gabriel QF2-52-N 2-foot Dish 28.5
Gabriel QF2.5-52-N 2.5-foot Dish 31.2
Gabriel QF4-52-N 4-foot Dish 34.8
Gabriel QF6-52N 6-foot Dish 37.8
Gabriel HQF2-52-N 2-foot HP Dish 28.2
Gabriel HQF4-52-N 4-foot HP Dish 34.4
Gabriel HQF6-52-N 6-foot HP Dish 37.4
MTI MT-485001 7.5-inch Panel 19.0
MTI MT-485002 1-foot Panel 23.0
MTI MT-486004 18-inch Panel 26.0
MTI MT-486001 2-foot Panel 28.0
Radio Waves FP.5-5-18 6-inch Panel 18.0
Radio Waves FP1-5-24 1-foot Panel 23.8
Radio Waves FP2-5-28 2-foot Panel 28.0
Radio Waves SP1-5.2 1-foot Dish 22.5
Radio Waves SP2-5.2 2-foot Dish 29.0
Radio Waves HP2-5.2 2-foot HP Dish 28.6
Radio Waves SP3-5.2 3-foot Dish 32.0
Radio Waves SP4-5.2 4-foot Dish 34.8
Radio Waves SP6-5.2 6-foot Dish 37.9
RFS SPF2-52A 2-foot Dish 27.9
RFS SPF3-52A 3-foot Dish 31.4
RFS SPF4-52A 4-foot Dish 33.9
RFS SPF6-52A 6-foot Dish 37.4
RFS SDF4-52A 4-foot HP Dish 33.9
RFS SDF6-52A 6-foot HP Dish 37.4
RFS MA0528-19AN 7.5-inch Panel 19.0
RFS MA0528-23AN 1-foot Panel 23.0
RFS MA0528-28AN 2-foot Panel 28.0
The antenna associated with the EX-5i family shall be mounted in a location that is at
least 10.5 feet away from humans that may be subject to long-term or continuous
exposure.
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Regulatory Notices (4.9GHz Model)
The EX-4.9i is a licensed-band product operating within Part 90 of the FCC regulations
and RSS-211 of Industry Canada. These bands are specifically reserved for Public Safety
applications and related agencies, in accordance with these regulations.
Professional installation is required, and transmitter power reduction may be required,
depending on transmission system gains and losses, in accordance with instructions found
in RF Output Power Setting on page 29.
The transmitter power of the device must be reduced by 1dB for every 1dB that the
antenna gain exceeds 26dBi (inclusive of transmission system losses).
Exalt Communications, Inc.
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Safety Notices
1. Review this entire guide for important installation instructions BEFORE attempting
to install this product.
2. This product is intended to be installed, used, and maintained by experienced
telecommunications personnel only.
3. Employ a properly licensed or authorized electrician to install or evaluate/certify the
installation of all power and grounding related to the use of this equipment and all
connected devices.
4. The device(s) shall only be connected to AC power sources provided by the supplier
or to DC sources within the device specifications. Use a separate breaker circuit at
the power source.
5. Lightning, surge protection devices, and earth grounding are required for most
installations to ensure human safety. Consult a qualified electrician.
6. Servicing of this device should be performed by authorized personnel only. Do not
disassemble this device. By opening or removing any covers you may expose
yourself to hazardous energy parts. Incorrect reassembly of this product can cause a
malfunction, and/or electrical shock, when the unit is subsequently used.
7. Do not connect or disconnect the power connection to the device when the power
supply is plugged into an AC outlet. To connect, first connect the power connection
to the device, and then apply power (or plug in) at the outlet. To disconnect,
disengage power at the outlet or unplug, and then disconnect the direct connection
to the device.
8. Do not insert any object of any shape or size inside this product at any time, whether
powered or not. Objects may contact hazardous energy components that could result
in a risk of fire or personal injury.
9. Liquids shall not come in contact with, or enter the inside of the device at any time.
10. Proper ventilation and/or airflow shall be provided surrounding the equipment. Do
not block any intake or exhaust vents. Items shall not come in contact with heat-
sinking materials. Ensure that ambient operational and storage temperature
specifications are maintained at all times.
11. Equipment is suitable for mounting on noncombustible surfaces only.
12. Do not move or alter the marking labels.
Exalt Communications, Inc.
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Exalt Limited Hardware Warranty
Exalt Communications, Inc. (“Exalt”) warrants solely to the original purchaser
(“Purchaser”) that the EX-2.4i, the EX-5i, or the EX-4.9i (the “Product”) will
substantially conform in all material respects to the relevant Exalt published
specifications that apply at the time of manufacture of such Product for two (2) years
from the date of tender of Product by Exalt from FOB point designated by Exalt (the
“Warranty Period”). Proof-of-purchase in the form of an invoice, payment of invoice, or
delivery waybill must be supplied, if requested by Exalt, in case of any dispute of
warranty start date. Exalt shall within the Warranty Period, at its own option: (A) use
reasonable efforts to remedy any reproducible Product defect covered by this limited
warranty within a reasonable period of time; (B) replace the defective Product with a
functionally equivalent product (repair parts and products may be either reconditioned or
new, but, if reconditioned, shall be of the same quality as new parts or products); or (C) if
Exalt determines that it is unable to repair or replace such Product, Exalt will refund to
Purchaser the amount actually paid by Purchaser for the applicable Product. All replaced
parts become the property of Exalt. Exalt may, at its sole option, refuse to accept as
defective Product that (i) is subject to the exclusions set forth below; or (ii) cannot be
demonstrated to be defective by Exalt and Purchaser is unable to provide adequate
information describing how the Product failed. Such Product will, at Purchaser’s option
and expense, either be: (a) returned to Purchaser in the state received, or (b) repaired and
returned to Purchaser. Repaired or replaced Product will be warranted for the remainder
of the original Warranty Period, but not less than ninety (90) days.
Registration
Purchaser is required to register its Product, within ninety (90) days of purchase, for full
warranty support. Unregistered or late-registered Product will receive a Warranty Period
of only one (1) year.
Exclusions
This limited warranty will not apply to: (A) any Product that: (i) has been modified or
altered by any party other than Exalt; (ii) has been subject to accident, misuse, abnormal
wear and tear, neglect, or mistreatment; (iii) has been damaged during installation of the
Product; (iv) has been damaged by the equipment or system with which the Product is
used; (v) has sustained damage to the Products’ interface or power connectors; (vi) are
determined to be stolen; or (vii) has been damaged caused by fire, power changes, other
hazards, or acts of God (including without limitation lightning); or (B) any software
included in any such Product. The warranty applies only to Products that can be
identified by the Exalt trademark, trade name, serial number or logo affixed to them.
Exalt does not warrant any Product that is not manufactured by, for, or with permission
from Exalt. The Products covered by this warranty are not consumer products and are
not intended for personal, family, or household purposes.
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RMA Procedures
A return material authorization (RMA) is required prior to returning Product to Exalt for
warranty or out-of-warranty repair/evaluation. As such, Purchaser must use the following
procedure:
1. Contact Exalt and request an RMA number. Please be prepared to provide the serial
number of the Product, the date of purchase, and a description of the failure that is
as complete as possible.
2. Pack the Product in its original container and packing or an equivalent.
3. Write the RMA number CLEARLY on the outside of the shipping box.
4. For services during the Warranty Period, cost of shipment to Exalt’s authorized
service center, taxes, duty, tariffs, risk of loss and insurance charges to Exalt shall
be borne by the Purchaser. Cost of return shipment and insurance charges shall be
borne by Exalt and will be made by Exalt’s choice of carrier and method/schedule
of shipment. Purchaser may expedite return shipments, upon request, at its own
expense.
PRODUCTS RETURNED WITHOUT A DULY ISSUED RMA NUMBER WILL BE
RETURNED TO PURCHASER AT PURCHASER’S EXPENSE.
THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, REGARDING THE PRODUCT, AND
EXALT, ITS SUPPLIERS AND LICENSORS HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM
ALL SUCH IMPLIED AND EXPRESS WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION ANY AND ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, INTERFERENCE WITH QUIET ENJOYMENT,
NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD-PARTY RIGHTS AND MERCHANTABILITY.
FURTHER, EXALT DOES NOT WARRANT RESULTS OF USE OR THAT
PURCHASER’S USE OF THE PRODUCT WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR
FREE. NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE BY EXALT’S SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS.
EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTY STATED HEREIN, THE PRODUCT IS
PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WITH ALL FAULTS. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO
SATISFACTORY QUALITY, ACCURACY, AND EFFORT IS WITH PURCHASER.
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN FAILS OF ITS
ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OR OTHERWISE, AND EXCEPT FOR BODILY INJURY, IN
NO EVENT WILL EXALT, ITS SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE TO
PURCHASER OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY UNDER ANY TORT, CONTRACT,
NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE
THEORY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST OR CORRUPTED DATA, COMPUTER
FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS, OR OTHER
SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY
KIND ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, EVEN
IF EXALT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR
DAMAGES AND WHETHER OR NOT SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGES ARE
FORESEEABLE.
Exalt Communications, Inc.
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IN NO EVENT SHALL EXALT’S AND ITS SUPPLIERS’ AGGREGATE LIABILITY
EXCEED AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCT
PAID BY PURCHASER THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF A CLAIM. ANY CLAIM
ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT MUST BE BROUGHT
WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE OCCURRENCE OF THE EVENT GIVING
RISE TO SUCH CLAIM. IN ADDITION, EXALT DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY OF
ANY KIND OF EXALT’S SUPPLIERS.
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Table of Contents
Legal Notice........................................................................................................................ 1
Open-Source License Information...................................................................................... 1
About this Document.......................................................................................................... 2
Revision History ............................................................................................................. 2
Icons................................................................................................................................ 2
General Compliance and Safety.......................................................................................... 3
Regulatory Notices (2.4 and 5GHz Models)....................................................................... 3
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States ........................................ 3
Industry Canada (IC), Canada......................................................................................... 4
Antennas Supported in Canada................................................................................... 4
Regulatory Notices (4.9GHz Model).................................................................................. 7
Safety Notices..................................................................................................................... 8
Exalt Limited Hardware Warranty...................................................................................... 9
Registration..................................................................................................................... 9
Exclusions....................................................................................................................... 9
RMA Procedures........................................................................................................... 10
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 19
Related Documentation and Software .......................................................................... 19
The Exalt i-Series of Digital Microwave Radios.......................................................... 19
Basic Features............................................................................................................... 22
Pre-installation Tasks........................................................................................................ 25
Link Engineering and Site Planning ............................................................................. 25
Familiarization with i-Series Radios............................................................................. 26
Shipping Box Contents ............................................................................................. 27
Back-to-Back Bench Test and Configuration............................................................... 28
RF Output Power Setting.............................................................................................. 29
United States Compliance......................................................................................... 29
EX-2.4i FCC (USA) EIRP........................................................................................ 30
EX-4.9i FCC (USA) EIRP........................................................................................ 30
EX-5i FCC (USA) EIRP........................................................................................... 31
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Canada Compliance .................................................................................................. 31
EX-2.4i IC (Canada) EIRP ....................................................................................... 32
EX-4.9i IC (Canada) EIRP ....................................................................................... 32
EX-5i IC (Canada) EIRP .......................................................................................... 32
Time Division Duplex (TDD) Factors.......................................................................... 33
Link Orientation and Synchronization.......................................................................... 34
Radio A/B Configuration.......................................................................................... 34
Radio Synchronization.................................................................................................. 36
Synchronization Modes ............................................................................................ 36
Internal Synchronization........................................................................................... 37
External Synchronization.......................................................................................... 38
Offset Timing............................................................................................................ 39
When Sync is Lost .................................................................................................... 40
LEDs ......................................................................................................................... 40
System Installation and Initiation Process........................................................................ 41
Record Keeping ............................................................................................................ 42
Installation......................................................................................................................... 43
Mechanical Configuration and Mounting..................................................................... 43
Rack Mounting.......................................................................................................... 43
Table or Rack Shelf Mounting the System............................................................... 45
Radio Ports and Indicators............................................................................................ 45
Connector Overview................................................................................................. 45
LED Indicators.......................................................................................................... 47
RMT (Remote) Button.............................................................................................. 49
Power ............................................................................................................................ 49
Terminating the RF Connector ................................................................................. 49
AC Power.................................................................................................................. 50
DC Power.................................................................................................................. 51
Reset to Critical Factory Settings ............................................................................. 52
Antenna/Transmission System...................................................................................... 53
Initial Antenna Mounting.......................................................................................... 55
Transmission Line from Antenna to Egress.............................................................. 56
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RF Lightning Arrestor............................................................................................... 59
Transmission Line from Egress to Radio.................................................................. 59
Antenna Alignment....................................................................................................... 60
Configuration and Management ....................................................................................... 62
Command Line Interface (CLI) .................................................................................... 62
Connect to the Radio with a Serial Connection........................................................ 62
Connect to the Radio through a Telnet Connection.................................................. 62
CLI Screens and Menus................................................................................................ 63
Exalt Graphical User Interface (GUI)........................................................................... 64
Preparing to Connect................................................................................................. 64
Make Connections .................................................................................................... 65
Log In........................................................................................................................ 65
Login Privileges........................................................................................................ 66
Quick-Start.................................................................................................................... 67
Navigating the GUI....................................................................................................... 68
Summary Status Section ........................................................................................... 69
Navigation Panel....................................................................................................... 70
Radio Information Page................................................................................................ 71
Administration Settings Page........................................................................................ 72
System Configuration Page........................................................................................... 74
Ethernet Interface Configuration Page.......................................................................... 78
T1/E1 Configuration Pages........................................................................................... 79
T1 Interface Configuration Page............................................................................... 79
E1 Interface Configuration Page............................................................................... 80
T1/E1 Loopback........................................................................................................ 81
File Transfer Page......................................................................................................... 83
File Activation Page...................................................................................................... 86
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Configuration.................................. 87
Alarms Page.................................................................................................................. 88
Performance Page ......................................................................................................... 90
Event Log Page............................................................................................................. 93
Diagnostic Charts Page................................................................................................. 95
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Spectrum Analyzer Page............................................................................................... 97
Reboot Page .................................................................................................................. 98
Manual Page.................................................................................................................. 99
Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................. 100
General Practices ........................................................................................................ 100
Typical Indications of Issues ...................................................................................... 101
Improper RF Cable Termination................................................................................. 102
Multipath Propagation ................................................................................................ 103
RF Interference ........................................................................................................... 103
Path Obstruction.......................................................................................................... 104
Misaligned Antenna.................................................................................................... 104
Faulty Antenna............................................................................................................ 104
Improper Grounding ................................................................................................... 105
Insufficient Link Margin............................................................................................. 105
Moisture in the Transmission System......................................................................... 105
Specifications.................................................................................................................. 106
Physical Specifications ............................................................................................... 106
Common System Specifications ................................................................................. 106
EX-2.4i System Specifications ................................................................................... 107
EX-4.9i System Specifications ................................................................................... 108
EX-5i System Specifications, 5.3GHz Band .............................................................. 109
EX-5i System Specifications, 5.4GHz Band .............................................................. 110
EX-5i System Specifications, 5.8GHz Band .............................................................. 111
Interfaces..................................................................................................................... 112
Back-to-back Bench Testing........................................................................................... 114
Basic Test.................................................................................................................... 114
Specification Performance Verification...................................................................... 115
DC Coupler for Antenna Alignment............................................................................... 117
Required Items............................................................................................................ 117
Interconnections.......................................................................................................... 117
Interface Connections ..................................................................................................... 119
T1/E1 Connections...................................................................................................... 119
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Ethernet Connections.................................................................................................. 120
Sync Connections........................................................................................................ 121
Alarm Connector......................................................................................................... 122
Console Connector...................................................................................................... 123
DC Power Connector.................................................................................................. 123
DIP Switch Settings (-16 Models Only)......................................................................... 124
Copyright Notices........................................................................................................... 127
Net-SNMP................................................................................................................... 127
Index ............................................................................................................................... 132
List of Figures
Figure 1 EX-2.4i Digital Microwave Radio................................................................ 20
Figure 2 Indoor mount interconnection....................................................................... 22
Figure 3 Enclosure mount interconnection ................................................................. 23
Figure 4 Basic radio interconnectivity using internal synchronization....................... 37
Figure 5 Collocated radios, one in AUTO SYNC mode to provide redundancy........ 37
Figure 6 Multiple-link site configuration, using AUTO SYNC for redundancy ........ 38
Figure 7 GPS as primary sync source using AUTO SYNC........................................ 39
Figure 8 Synchronized GPS sources using AUTO SYNC.......................................... 39
Figure 9 Radio installation tasks ................................................................................. 41
Figure 10 Front flush mount configuration................................................................... 43
Figure 11 Front projection mount configuration........................................................... 44
Figure 12 Rear-mount locations.................................................................................... 44
Figure 13 Front panel (EX-2.4i or EX-5i)..................................................................... 45
Figure 14 Front panel (EX-2.4i-16 or EX-5i-16).......................................................... 45
Figure 15 Primary front panel connectors (standard models)....................................... 46
Figure 16 DC connector ................................................................................................ 52
Figure 17 CLI main menu ............................................................................................. 63
Figure 18 Initiating the browser connection.................................................................. 65
Figure 19 Browser Login screen ................................................................................... 66
Figure 20 Radio Information page ................................................................................ 67
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Figure 21 Exalt GUI window description ..................................................................... 69
Figure 22 Minimized browser windows for summary status of multiple radios........... 69
Figure 23 Radio Information page ................................................................................ 71
Figure 24 Administration Settings Page........................................................................ 72
Figure 25 System Configuration Page........................................................................... 74
Figure 26 Ethernet Interface Configuration Page.......................................................... 78
Figure 27 T1 Interface Configuration page (standard models)..................................... 80
Figure 28 E1 Interface Configuration page (standard models)..................................... 81
Figure 29 External (remote) loopback........................................................................... 82
Figure 30 External (local) loopback.............................................................................. 82
Figure 31 Internal loopback .......................................................................................... 82
Figure 32 File Transfer Page......................................................................................... 83
Figure 33 File Transfer page—download file link........................................................ 84
Figure 34 File Activation page...................................................................................... 86
Figure 35 Alarms page (standard models) .................................................................... 88
Figure 36 Performance page.......................................................................................... 90
Figure 37 Event Log page ............................................................................................. 93
Figure 38 Diagnostic Charts page ................................................................................. 96
Figure 39 Reboot page .................................................................................................. 98
Figure 40 Manual page.................................................................................................. 99
Figure 41 Basic back-to-back bench test configuration.............................................. 115
Figure 42 DC coupler interconnection........................................................................ 118
Figure 43 T1/E1 connectors ........................................................................................ 119
Figure 44 Ethernet connectors (MAIN and AUX)...................................................... 120
Figure 45 Sync In connector ....................................................................................... 121
Figure 46 Sync Out connector..................................................................................... 121
Figure 47 Alarm Connector......................................................................................... 122
Figure 48 Console Connector...................................................................................... 123
Figure 49 DC Power connector................................................................................... 123
Figure 50 DIP Switch Orientation............................................................................... 124
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List of Tables
Table 1 EX-2.4i supported antennas............................................................................ 4
Table 2 EX-5i supported antennas............................................................................... 5
Table 3 Factory default settings................................................................................. 35
Table 4 Connectors .................................................................................................... 46
Table 5 LED indicators.............................................................................................. 47
Table 6 EX-2.4i supported antennas.......................................................................... 53
Table 7 EX-5i supported antennas............................................................................. 54
Table 8 Recommended transmission line .................................................................. 57
Table 9 Default Login Information............................................................................ 66
Table 10 DIP Switch Functions ................................................................................. 124
Table 11 Standard Factory Defaults (-16 Models)..................................................... 125
Table 12 Common DIP Switch Applications............................................................. 125
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Introduction
Exalt Communications, Inc. thanks you for your purchase. Our goal is to build the
highest quality, highest reliability digital microwave radio products. This commitment to
quality and reliability extends to our employees and partners alike. We appreciate any
comments on how we can improve our products, as well as your sales and Customer Care
experience.
Customer Care Hotline (USA): (408) 871-9890
Toll-Free Customer Care Hotline (USA): (877) EXALT-01 (392-5801)
Direct-Dial Telephone (USA): (408) 871-1804
Website: www.exaltcom.com
Sales e-mail: sales@exaltcom.com
Customer Care e-mail: support@exaltcom.com
Mailing Address: Exalt Communications, Inc.
580 Division St.
Campbell, CA 95008
USA
Related Documentation and Software
This manual makes reference to other documentation and software files that may be
necessary. Any document or software mentioned in this manual can be found at:
http://www.exaltcom.com/support/downloads.htm
The Quick Start Guide provides any necessary username and password information to
gain access to these documents.
The Exalt i-Series of Digital Microwave Radios
The Exalt i-Series of Digital Microwave Radios are the most advanced carrier-class
point-to-point terrestrial radio communications devices operating in the 2400 to 2483.5
MHz, 4940 to 4990MHz and 5250 to 5850MHz frequency bands, respectively. Figure 1
shows the EX-2.4i Digital Microwave Radio.
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Figure 1 EX-2.4i Digital Microwave Radio
The i-Series radios connect voice and/or digital data from one location to another,
obviating the need for copper or fiber connectivity, or enhancing existing connectivity by
providing a redundancy solution, a primary solution, and/or additional capacity.
The following models of radios are covered in this manual:
• EX-2.4i, 10/100 Ethernet + 4xT1/E1
¶ Configured for 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
• EX-2.4i-16, 10/100 Ethernet + 16xT1/E1
¶ Configured for 4xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 8xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 12xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 16xT1/E1, 200Mbps (64MHz/Mode2)
• EX-4.9i, 10/100 Ethernet + 4xT1/E1
¶ Configured for 2xT1/E1, 27Mbps (10MHz/Mode2, 20MHz/Mode1)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 4xT1/E1, 55Mbps (20MHz/Mode2)
• EX-5i, 10/100 Ethernet + 4xT1/E1
¶ Configured for 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 200Mbps capacity (64MHz/Mode2)
• EX-5i-16, 10/100 Ethernet + 16xT1/E1
¶ Configured for 4xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 8xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 12xT1/E1, 100Mbps (32MHz/Mode2)
¶ With license-key upgrade for 16xT1/E1, 200Mbps (64MHz/Mode2)
Not all software features mentioned in this document are enabled on all
radios with the current firmware releases. Please note the revision history
in the front section of the manual and check the Exalt website download
section to verify the most recent firmware release available for your
product.
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This manual uses terminology to distinguish the characteristics of specific
radio models. The term standard refers to the EX-2.4i, EX-4.9i and EX-5i
models. The term -16 refers to the EX-2.4i-16 and EX-5i-16 models.
When no specific mention is made or the term i-Series is used, this refers
to all models.
Generally, the i-Series models require a clear line-of-sight and proper path clearance to
achieve a high-performance, reliable connection. Perform professional path engineering
and site planning BEFORE installing this equipment.
The primary focus of this document is the installation and maintenance of the digital
microwave radio, and assumes that path engineering and site planning has already been
performed. Please refer to the Exalt document, Guidance for Engineering and Site
Planning of Terrestrial Wireless Links, for detailed information on these activities.
The EX-2.4i models utilize radio frequencies in the range of 2400 to 2483.5MHz. The
EX-5i models utilize radio frequencies in the range of 5250 to 5850 MHz. In most
countries these frequency bands are considered as ‘license-exempt’ or ‘unlicensed.’ This
means that virtually any user may use these frequencies freely, without paying for access,
or any type of pre-notification, post-notification or registration. As a result of this
designation, users may also move or change these systems at any time, with significant
flexibility to the location, orientation and configuration of the system. However, due also
to this designation, there may be uncontrolled interference from other similar devices that
occupy this spectrum. In these cases, it is up to engineering and maintenance personnel to
design the system with existing and future interference sources in mind, recognizing that
there is a chance that the interference conditions could be very dynamic, and outages may
occur on the system as a result, and that, in some very rare cases, the system may cause
interference into another system and may be required to be disengaged or modified/re-
oriented to eliminate the interference.
If the spectrum in your country is designated as ‘license-exempt’ or similar, this does not
infer that the installer may configure the system in any manner at any location. In most
cases, there are regulations, or device-based conditions that limit the use of the device,
such as maximum gain antenna, antenna types and maximum output power, as well as, in
some cases, application limits, limited geography of use, and other unique regulations.
The link design engineer and/or professional installer must determine these
limitations and engineer/install the system within the confines of all local
regulations. Also, it is required to examine any regulations that may apply to peripheral
equipment, installation and cabling of the system that may be regulated for human safety,
electrical code, air-traffic control, and other safety-related categories.
In certain countries, the spectrum for this product is NOT considered to be license-
exempt. In these cases, there may be additional regulatory requirements concerning the
location, frequency, power, orientation, configuration, and other aspects of the system,
including, in some cases, a need for link registration, coordination, and fees that may
apply to the system usage. Please consult your local regulatory organization(s) to
determine usage requirements.
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The EX-4.9i utilizes frequencies in the 4940-4990MHz range, and is typically a licensed
band reserved for use by Public Safety agencies and applications. This band is not
generally available outside of North America.
In almost all cases, either for license-exempt or other designation, the product itself must
be authorized for use in your country. Either Exalt or Exalt’s agent must have applied for
certification or authorization to allow the sale and deployment of the system within the
country. It is also possible that only certain versions or configurations of the device are
allowed within a particular country. Please contact Exalt or your authorized Exalt
representative for information pertaining to your country.
It is the professional installer’s responsibility to ensure that the radio
system is implemented in a legal fashion. Exalt is not liable for any
unsafe or illegal installations.
Basic Features
The i-Series Digital Microwave Radios are single integrated units intended for all-indoor
or enclosure-based mounting. The associated antenna is typically mounted on a tower or
rooftop mast structure with RF cabling running from the antenna location, with an egress
through the structure or enclosure, with proper lightning suppression and grounding, to
the RF connector of the radio. In turn, the communications interfaces and power
connections are directly applied to the radio, or in some cases, also with an egress
through the structure or radio enclosure with proper lightning or surge-suppression
devices and associated grounding.
Figure 2 Indoor mount interconnection
RF LIGHTNING ARRESTOR (GROUNDED)
PRIMARY
TRANSMISSION LINE
A
NTENN
A
SECONDARY TRANSMISSION
LINE
RADIO
POWER/DATA/INTERFACES
STRUCTURE PENETRATION
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Figure 3 Enclosure mount interconnection
For highest performance and reliability, it is advised to minimize the length of RF cable
and associated transmission system losses between the antenna and the radio’s antenna
port.
All models provide connections for a combination of the following data communication
interfaces:
• 10/100BaseT Ethernet
• Up to 16xT1/E1 interfaces for synchronous voice traffic (number of TDM interfaces
is determined by specific model and license-key configuration)
The i-Series radios feature a wide-mouth direct DC connection (24V or 48V), and are
also provided with an external AC adapter.
All models provide the following primary features and benefits:
• Low-latency optimization and control for voice and data connections
• Very high throughput and flexible interface configurations with voice+data
combinations
• Encryption for extreme wireless security
• Easy-to-use management and configuration
• Flexible utilized channel bandwidth selection for interference avoidance and
frequency coordination
• Flexible center frequency tuning for interference avoidance and frequency
coordination
• Flexible capacity to meet current connection requirements and future growth needs
• Carrier-class reliability and performance
STRUCTURE PENETRATION
RF LIGHTNING ARRESTOR
(GROUNDED)
RADIO
GROUNDED
POWER/DATA/INTERFACES
LIGHTNING ARRESTOR
(
S
)
POWER/DATA/INTERFACES
POWER/DATA/INTERFACES
A
NTENN
A
CABINET
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• Intuitive graphical user interface for fast and easy configuration and management
• Advanced diagnostics monitoring and analysis tools for fast and easy troubleshooting
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Pre-installation Tasks
This section describes the steps necessary to prepare a site for the installation of the Exalt
Digital Microwave Radio.
Link Engineering and Site Planning
Design all terrestrial wireless links prior to purchase and installation. Generally,
professional wireless engineering personnel are engaged to determine the viability and
requirements for a well-engineered link to meet the users’ needs for performance and
reliability.
The reader is referred to the Exalt document, Guidance for Engineering and Site
Planning of Terrestrial Wireless Links and the ExaltCalc path calculator. This document
and calculator aid in the pre-planning and engineering required to determine following
attributes:
• Antenna type/gain at each end of the link
• Antenna mounting height/location for proper path clearance
• Antenna polarization orientation
• RF cabling type, length, connectors, route, and mounting
• Antenna system grounding
• Lightning arrestor type(s), location(s), and grounding
• Radio mounting location and mechanisms
• Radio grounding
• Radio transmitter output power setting
• Anticipated received signal level (RSL) at each end
• Anticipated fade margin and availability performance at each end
• Radio settings for TDD frame length and occupied bandwidth
• Anticipated throughput performance (TDM circuit support and Ethernet)
• Anticipated system latency
With respect to radio path and site planning, these radios are generally identical to any
other microwave terrestrial wireless systems. Engineering of these systems requires
specific knowledge about the radios, including:
• RF specifications (transmitter output power, receiver threshold, occupied channel
bandwidth, and carrier-to-interference tolerance)
• Regulatory limitations on transmitter output power setting and antenna type/gain
• Noise/interference profile for the intended location
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• Impact on throughput and latency relative to link distance, occupied bandwidth, and
TDD frame size setting, and the planned implementation of these parameters
Familiarization with i-Series Radios
The i-Series radios utilize time division duplex (TDD) radio transmission. This means
that the transmitted signal in both directions uses the same center frequency and transmits
in one direction for a period of time, and then in the opposite direction for another period
of time. This total period of time is referred to as the frame length or TDD frame length,
and is further discussed in Time Division Duplex (TDD) Factors on page 33.
The two radio terminals are identical hardware, except for the TDD setting in software.
When the radios are in their default state, both radios are configured as Radio B. One end
of the link must be configured as Radio A before the two ends of the radio system
can communicate.
It can be considered that Radio A is the primary radio in the link. Radio A provides the
master clock and control to Radio B. For most applications, it is not important how the
radio link is oriented, only that one end is configured for Radio A and the other for Radio
B. For some applications (such as, multi-radio hub sites or repeaters), the orientation of
the radio systems may be more critical. See Link Orientation and Synchronization on
page 34 for details.
There are three ways to configure the radios for Radio A/B determination:
1. Use the Exalt browser-based graphical user interface (GUI) – preferred.
2. Use the temporary hardware configuration key, in case of emergency (all models
except for -16 models).
3. Use the front panel DIP switch, in case of emergency (-16 models only).
Exalt recommends using the Exalt GUI for radio configuration. This interface requires a
computer with an Ethernet port and web browser software, such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 or above. See Configuration and Management on page 62 for details on how
to connect to and use the browser-based GUI interface.
Standard models: The temporary hardware configuration key can be used when no
computer is available to complete Radio A/Radio B configuration and there is a need for
immediate bench testing or initial link installation and/or antenna alignment. See Radio
A/B Configuration on page 34 for details on the temporary hardware configuration key.
-16 models: The front panel DIP switch provides a fast temporary means for Radio
A/Radio B configuration. See DIP Switch Settings (-16 Models Only) on page 124 for
details.
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Shipping Box Contents
Unless purchased as a spare terminal, the radios are shipped as a complete hop (that is, a
radio link pair consisting of two terminals). An outer box has labeling that indicates the
contents of the box, with the part number and serial number details for both radio
terminals.
Inside the outer box are two identical boxes, each of these boxes is also marked with the
part number and serial number of the individual terminal contained inside the box. The
terminal box contains the following items:
• Radio terminal (configured as Radio B)
• AC adapter
• Accessory kit
¶ Rack mount flanges
¶ Flange mounting hardware (4 x M4 screws; 4 x M4 wave washers)
¶ DC power connector (1)
¶ Temporary hardware configuration key (1 x 9-pin connector, labeled “A”)
¶ Grounding hardware (1 x M5 screw; 1 x M5 wave washer; 2 x M5 flat washers)
¶ Radio A temporary hardware configuration key (for standard models only)
• Registration card
• Quick-start guide
Inspect the outer packaging and the contents of the boxes upon receipt. If you suspect any
shipping damage or issues with the contents, contact Exalt Customer Care.
Register your system as soon as possible. A 2-year Warranty period
applies to products registered within 90 days of purchase. The Warranty
period is reduced to 1-year for unregistered products and products
registered after the first 90 days.
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Back-to-Back Bench Test and Configuration
Every Exalt digital microwave radio goes through extensive quality testing and
performance evaluation over the full operating temperature range prior to shipment.
However, before installation, it is strongly advised to perform several tests and tasks that
are much more difficult to perform once the radio link endpoints are distant from one
another. A back-to-back bench test and pre-configuration will provide confidence that the
radio link is operational and properly configured prior to installation, so that if
troubleshooting is necessary, the radio hardware and configuration settings are eliminated
from the troubleshooting process. Verify the following in the back-to-back testing:
• Confirm that the radio system is generally operational
¶ Radios power-up with planned power and wiring solutions
¶ RF link connects in both directions
¶ Traffic passes across the link
• Configure connected equipment and cabling
¶ Test Ethernet (CAT5) cabling, and/or T1/E1 cabling, any auxiliary connector
cabling and configure all interfaces
¶ Configure IP settings for configuration and management
¶ Configure passwords and security modes
¶ Become familiar with the configuration and management interfaces through the
Exalt GUI interface
• Configure radio parameters
¶ Set transmitter output power to engineered or allowed level (see RF Output Power
Setting on page 29)
¶ Set operating center frequency
¶ Set link distance, occupied channel bandwidth, and frame length
• Make detailed radio performance measurements
¶ Measure transmitter output power
¶ Measure receiver threshold performance
¶ Confirm unfaded error-free performance
Some of these tasks may not be possible or practical within a bench test environment due
to the nature of the remote connectivity of peripheral equipment. However, it is good
practice to perform as much as possible in this environment to minimize field/installation
time and troubleshooting efforts.
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Detailed performance measurements are usually not required for pre-installation, but can
be easily performed at this stage and may be helpful for later troubleshooting efforts or
for internal records. During troubleshooting, there may often be a point at which a back-
to-back bench test should be performed to verify many or all of the above items, and in
the case of a suspected faulty device, to help confirm the fault and determine which end
of the system is at fault and in need of repair or replacement.
See Back-to-back Bench Testing on page 114 for detailed instructions.
RF Output Power Setting
The maximum RF output power is bounded by one of the following criteria:
• Maximum RF output power setting capability of the radio device
• Maximum RF output power allowed/authorized by the local government regulations
and for this specific device
• Maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the transmission system
allowed/authorized by the local government regulations and for this specific device
• Desired RSL to not exceed the maximum RSL allowed by the device
• Desired RSL to minimize/eliminate interference into neighboring systems
In many cases the radio must be pre-configured for legal maximum output
power before connecting to the antenna and transmission system.
Instructions for adjusting the output power can also be found in System
Configuration Page on page 74.
The following information pertains to specific regulatory requirements based on up-to-
date information for countries where these radios are authorized. A list of recommended
antennas is listed in Antenna/Transmission System on page 53.
United States Compliance
The EX-2.4i and EX-5i families operate under FCC Rule Parts 15.247 and/or 15.407 as a
license-exempt device. The EX-4.9i operates under FCC Rule Part 90 as a licensed
device. All of these devices must be professionally installed. They may only be used as a
point-to-point transmission device for fixed or temporary-fixed (non-mobile)
installations. The devices are subject to the following restrictions:
• Do not use external amplifiers to boost the power or overcome transmission system
losses, unless the specific amplifier/cable/antenna combination has expressly been
authorized by the FCC. The output power must never exceed +30dBm.
• Cross-border transmissions are expressly prohibited, except with written permission
from both the FCC and the governing body of the neighboring country (Cofetel for
Mexico; Industry Canada for Canada).
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• Use only parabolic dish antennas or directional flat-panel antennas. No other types of
antennas (omni-directional, yagi, and so on) are authorized. Parabolic dishes of either
grid or solid type are allowed. Maximum mid-band gain of each type of antenna
certified is:
¶ EX-2.4i models:
– Parabolic dish: 30.3 dBi (6'/1.8m diameter)
– Directional flat panel: 20.5 dBi (~2'/61cm square)
¶ EX-4.9i models:
– Parabolic dish: 26dBi (larger gains are allowed, with Tx power reduction)
– Directional flat panel: 26 dBi (larger gains are allowed, with Tx power
reduction)
¶ EX-5i models:
– Parabolic dish: 37.9 dBi (6'/1.8m diameter)
– Directional flat panel: 28 dBi (~2'/61cm square)
EX-2.4i FCC (USA) EIRP
For the EX-2.4i models, maximum transmit power with respect to FCC (USA) EIRP
regulations is determined using the following equation:
P = 30 - [(G - 6)/3] + L
where:
P = Maximum transmitter output power of radio, in dBm
G = Specified gain of antenna, in dBi, from 2400 to 2483.5 MHz
L = Total transmission system losses of all elements between the
radio’s RF connector and the antenna’s RF connector (all
cables, connectors, and lightning suppressors), in dB, as
specified or measured between 2400 and 2483.5MHz
The maximum EIRP allowed for the EX-2.4i models is 52.2dBm. The maximum output
power of the radio shall never exceed +30dBm.
The professional installer is responsible to ensure that RF output power is properly
adjusted to not exceed the regulatory limit of these conditions.
EX-4.9i FCC (USA) EIRP
For the EX-4.9i model, within the 4940–4990 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed is
+50dBm. The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +24dBm.
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For the EX-4.9i models, the transmit power must be reduced from maximum (+24dBm
for 20MHz BW, +22dBm for 10MHz) by 1 dB for every 1dB that the antenna gain
exceeds 26dBi (including transmission system losses).
The professional installer is responsible to ensure that RF output power is properly
adjusted so that it does not exceed the regulatory limit of these conditions.
EX-5i FCC (USA) EIRP
For the EX-5i models, within the 5725–5850 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed is
61.9dBm. The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +24dBm.
For the EX-5i models, within the 5250–5350 MHz band, the maximum transmit power
with respect to FCC (USA) EIRP regulations is determined using the following equation:
P = 30 – G + L
where:
P = Maximum transmitter output power of radio, in dBm
G = Specified gain of antenna, in dBi, from 5250 to 5350 MHz
L = Total transmission system losses of all elements between the
radio’s RF connector and the antenna’s RF connector (all
cables, connectors, lightning suppressors), in dB, as specified or
measured between 5250 and 5350 MHz
For the 5250–5350 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed for this device is 30dBm.
The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +13dBm.
The professional installer is responsible to ensure that RF output power is properly
adjusted so that it does not exceed the regulatory limit of these conditions.
Canada Compliance
The EX-2.4i and EX-5i models operate under RSS-210 of Industry Canada regulations.
The EX-4.9i model operates under RSS-211 of Industry Canada regulations. Operation is
subject to the following conditions, unless express permission is granted by Industry
Canada to operate in a different manner:
• External amplifiers cannot be used to boost the power or to overcome transmission
system losses, unless the specific amplifier/cable/antenna combination is expressly
authorized by Industry Canada.
• Cross-border transmissions are expressly prohibited, except with written permission
from both Industry Canada and the governing body of the neighboring country (FCC
for USA)
• Only parabolic dish antennas or directional flat-panel antennas may be used. No other
types of antennas (omni-directional, yagi, and so on) are authorized. Parabolic dishes
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of either grid or solid type are allowed. Maximum gain of each type of antenna
allowed is:
¶ EX-2.4i models:
– Parabolic dish: 30.3 dBi (6'/1.8m diameter)
– Directional flat panel: 20.5 dBi (~2'/61cm square)
¶ EX-4.9i models:
– Parabolic dish: 26 dBi (larger gains are allowed with Tx power reduction)
– Directional flat panel: 26 dBi (larger gains are allowed with Tx power
reduction)
¶ EX-5i models:
– Parabolic dish: 37.9 dBi (6'/1.8m diameter)
– Directional flat panel: 28 dBi (~2'/61cm square)
A complete list of allowed antennas can be found in Industry Canada (IC), Canada on
page 4.
EX-2.4i IC (Canada) EIRP
For the EX-2.4i models, maximum transmit power (Pmax) with respect to Industry
Canada EIRP regulations is unlimited. The output power shall never exceed +30dBm.
EX-4.9i IC (Canada) EIRP
For the EX-4.9i model, within the 4940–4990 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed is
+50dBm. The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +24dBm.
For the EX-4.9i models, the transmit power must be reduced from maximum (+24dBm
for 20MHz BW, +22dBm for 10MHz) by 1 dB for every 1dB that the antenna gain
exceeds 26dBi (including transmission system losses).
The professional installer is responsible to ensure that RF output power is properly
adjusted so that it does not exceed the regulatory limit of these conditions.
EX-5i IC (Canada) EIRP
For the EX-5i models, within the 5725–5850 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed is
61.9dBm. The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +24dBm.
For the EX-5i models, within the 5250–5350 MHz band, the maximum transmit power
with respect to IC (Canada) EIRP regulations is determined using the following equation:
P = 30 – G + L
where:
P = Maximum transmitter output power of radio, in dBm
G = Specified gain of antenna, in dBi, from 5250 to 5350 MHz
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L = Total transmission system losses of all elements between the
radio’s RF connector and the antenna’s RF connector (all cables,
connectors, lightning suppressors), in dB, as specified or
measured between 5250 and 5350 MHz
For the 5250–5350 MHz band, the maximum EIRP allowed for this device is 30dBm.
The maximum output power of the radio shall never exceed +13dBm.
The professional installer is responsible to ensure that RF output power is properly
adjusted so that it does not exceed the regulatory limit of these conditions.
Time Division Duplex (TDD) Factors
The i-Series radios are very dynamic, allowing the installer to optimize and control the
performance of the radio system for the intended application. The following parameters
must be carefully determined during the link engineering phase:
• Link distance
• Bandwidth
• TDD frame size
• Mode (modulation)
The setting of the above parameters determines the following performance factors:
• Number of supported T1/E1 channels
• Ethernet throughput
• System latency (delay)
Use the ExaltCalc calculator to determine optimum settings for the above parameters to
meet the needs of your application.
The following generalizations can be made with regards to these factors:
• The shorter the TDD frame size, the lower the latency
• The shorter the link distance, the lower the latency, the higher the throughput
• The longer the TDD frame size, the higher the throughput
• The higher the bandwidth, the higher the capacity
• The higher the mode, the higher the capacity
Disable all T1/E1 ports if there are no T1/E1 interfaces connected. This
shifts all available throughput to the Ethernet interface.
If a selected combination of the Link Distance, Frame Size, Bandwidth,
and Mode parameters cannot support all the desired T1 or E1 ports, the
ports that cannot be supported are automatically disabled. Priority is
placed on the T1/E1 port number. That is, the first port to be disabled, if
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necessary, is the highest port number, such as Port 4 for the standard
models, and Port 16 for ‘-16’ models (assuming that all 16 TDM
interfaces are licensed for use). See T1/E1 Configuration Pages on page 79
for more information.
Link Orientation and Synchronization
Link orientation refers to the Radio A and Radio B placement in your network. Link
synchronization refers to using external or internal timing to coordinate multiple links.
For every link, one end of the radio link must be configured as Radio A, while the other
end is configured as Radio B. In single-link systems, it does not matter which end of the
system is mounted at which end of the link, and there is typically no requirement for any
link synchronization.
Link orientation and synchronization are more important for networks with site(s) where
there is more than one link of the same type or for sites using the same type of radio that
are very close to each another at one or both ends.
It can be advantageous to utilize link synchronization for collocated links. The radios
allow the use of an optional GPS synchronization kit or internal synchronization. This
synchronization controls the transmitter and receiver frame timing so that collocated
radios are transmitting at the same time and receiving at the same time. This can
substantially reduce the opportunity for self-interference. Without synchronization,
collocated radios may be transmitting and receiving at the same time, incurring near-end
interference.
It is not always necessary to synchronize collocated radios. If antennas are
substantially separated or blocked from one another and/or frequency
separation tuning is used, the opportunity for near-end interference can be
eliminated.
Internal and/or GPS sync features are not released for all models as of
printing. Contact your Exalt Communications representative for details.
Radio A/B Configuration
Use the Exalt GUI to configure the radio terminals for Radio A and Radio B orientation.
Since many other parameters also need to be set, and the Exalt GUI is needed for these
configurations, this is the best way to completely configure the radio terminals.
Radios arrive from manufacture in default configuration, orientated as Radio B and
configured as shown in Table 3.
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Table 3 Factory default settings
Parameter EX-2.4i EX-4.9i EX-5i
Frequency 2441 4965 MHz 5788
Transmit Power +7 dBm +4dBm +4dBm
Bandwidth 8MHz 10MHz 8MHz
Mode Mode 1
Link Distance <10 miles
TDD Frame Size 2ms
Link Security Key 000000000000
Administration Password password
User Password password
IP Address 10.0.0.1
IP Mask 255.0.0.0
IP Gateway 0.0.0.0
Ethernet Interfaces Enabled, 100/Full
AUX port NMS Access In-Band
T1/E1 Settings (-16 models) All Enabled, T1, B8ZS, AIS
T1/E1 Settings (std. models) Disabled
Standard models: If radio configuration is unknown, and you do not have access to a
computer and must install the radios immediately, the temporary hardware configuration
key can help to establish a link or perform back-to-back bench testing, by helping to
configure one of the radio terminals to Radio A.
In many cases, the system design will not be identical to the factory
default configuration, and in some cases, these differences prohibit the
installation of the radio. If at all possible, obtain a computer and configure
the radio terminals using the browser-based GUI. See Exalt Graphical
User Interface (GUI) on page 64 for details.
Temporary Hardware Configuration Key (Standard Models Only)
Use the following steps to enable the temporary hardware configuration key:
1. Remove power from the radio.
2. Remove anything connected to the ALARMS port.
3. Connect the key (found in the accessory kit) to the ALARMS port.
4. Hold down RMT button while applying power.
The LEDs toggle through the boot cycle.
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Continue to hold the RMT button until the LEDs stabilize (approximately 45
seconds).
5. Release the RMT button.
The following configurations are reset on the radio:
• IP address = 10.0.0.1
• IP mask = 255.0.0.0
• IP gateway = 0.0.0.0
• Administration password = password
• User password = password
• Endpoint Identifier = Radio A
DIP Switch Configuration (-16 Models Only)
The -16 models have a DIP switch to allow temporary configuration for Radio A and
Radio B. See DIP Switch Settings (-16 Models Only) on page 124 for information on DIP
switch functions.
Radio Synchronization
The radio synchronization feature improves the performance of Exalt radios operating
in the same frequency band and that are collocated (such as in repeater and hub
configurations). Radio synchronization ties radio systems together to operate off of a
common clock system, ensuring that all radios simultaneously transmit and receive, and
thus eliminating near-field interference issues and related radio system coupling.
The synchronization function is not currently available on all Exalt radio
models. A firmware upgrade may be required for models without sync if
sync is desired. Contact your Exalt representative for details.
Synchronization Modes
Synchronization can be accomplished using either an internal or external source. In
either case, one radio in the network must be defined as the primary sync source (A)
radio.
A Global Positioning System (GPS) kit from Exalt is required to implement external
source synchronization. GPS synchronization is not available on all radio models.
Contact your Exalt representative for details.
Synchronization implementation only requires one synchronization source for any
interconnected network. The system also implements a redundancy configuration to
maintain a majority of the synchronization functions in case of primary radio failure.
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For internal synchronization, the primary radio is designated SYNC SOURCE. This radio
provides the master timing for all interconnected radios. SYNC SOURCE radios and
collocated radios must be configured as Radio A.
Collocated radios must be in SYNC RECIPIENT mode; they receive sync signaling from
the SYNC SOURCE, either directly or daisy-chained with other collocated radios.
Alternatively, the radio(s) can be placed in AUTO SYNC mode. AUTO SYNC
synchronizes the radios to any source provided on the SYNC IN port. However, if an
appropriate synchronization signal is unavailable, the radio becomes the SYNC SOURCE
for all connected radios.
Internal Synchronization
Figure 4 illustrates the basic interconnectivity of a radio system using internal
synchronization. In this scenario, there are two radios collocated at one site.
Figure 4 Basic radio interconnectivity using internal synchronization
In Figure 5, there are three collocated radios. In this configuration it may be desirable to
make one radio a secondary sync source using AUTO SYNC. This provides
redundancy if the primary sync source radio (A) loses power or experiences any other
failure.
Figure 5 Collocated radios, one in AUTO SYNC mode to provide redundancy
The synchronization function can be carried across links to additional collocation sites.
For example, Figure 6 illustrates a multi-link backbone with two hub sites.
SYNC
SOURCE
(A)
SYNC
OUT
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
AUTO SYNC
(A)
SYNC
IN
SYNC
OUT
SYNC
RECIPIENT
(A)
SYNC
IN
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
SYNC SOURCE
(A) SYNC RECIPIENT
(A)
SYNC
OUT
SYNC
IN
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
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Figure 6 Multiple-link site configuration, using AUTO SYNC for redundancy
The configuration shown in Figure 6 is not supported in all models at the
time of this writing. Consult your Exalt representative for details.
Virtually any combination of hubs and repeater sites, star configurations, and/or
backbones can be implemented with synchronization using these configurations. It is
typically necessary or ideal in each configuration to match the following parameters on
every radio in the network:
• Link Distance – Match to the longest distance link in the network.
• Frame Length – Match to the lowest frame length to optimize total system latency
(for example, for TDM networks) or match to a highest frame length to optimize user
throughput. Choose an intermediate value to compromise between latency and
throughput.
• Mode – It is desirable, but not always necessary, to match the mode for all collocated
links.
• Bandwidth – It is desirable, but not always necessary, to match the bandwidth for all
collocated links.
For complex networks, an Exalt engineer should review multi-link networks before
deployment as several factors can optimize the network for desired performance.
External Synchronization
Use an external GPS source as an alternative to the internal synchronization source for
system synchronization. This is ideal for links that are nearby each other, but are not
directly collocated at the same site. Figure 7 illustrates using a GPS source for the
primary synchronization at a typical site with collated radios.
AUTO SYNC
(A)
SYNC
SOURCE
(A)
AUTO SYNC
(A)
SYNC
OUT
SYNC
IN
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
SYNC
OUT
SYNC
IN
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
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Figure 7 GPS as primary sync source using AUTO SYNC
Figure 8 illustrates two separate radio locations benefiting from synchronized GPS
sources.
Figure 8 Synchronized GPS sources using AUTO SYNC
Offset Timing
Manual control of offset timing is also allowed. This provides a means to delay the
synchronization signal using a user-defined offset. This is helpful when Exalt radios are
near other devices operating in the same frequency band that also use a timing source,
such as GPS. The timing source to the Exalt radios can be adjusted to match the other
radio system timing source mechanism.
Offset timing can also optimize timing intervals for repeaters and backbones. As the
distance of each link results in a unique factor for speed-of-light transmission of the radio
signal, a subsequent radio can be delayed in timing so that the overall synchronization of
radios is precisely maintained.
Offset timing can be adjusted in 1-ms intervals, from zero to the radio’s frame length
setting. For example, if using a 2-ms frame length, the offset timing can be set from zero
up to 1999 ms.
AUTO
SYNC
(A)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
SYNC
IN
GPS
ANTENNA
AUTO
SYNC
(A)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
SYNC
IN
GPS
ANTENNA
SYNC
RECIPIENT
(A)
SYNC
IN
GPS
ANTENNA
AUTO
SYNC
(A)
SYNC
OUT SYNC
IN
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
FAR-END
RADIO
(B)
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Offset timing is not supported in all models at the time of this writing.
Consult your Exalt representative for details.
When Sync is Lost
If the primary sync source (for example, the sync source radio or GPS source) signal is
lost due to equipment failure, a disconnected sync cable, or other conditions, the first
radio in the daisy-chain configuration set to AUTO SYNC resumes the sync function for
the remaining connected radios.
If a radio is configured as SYNC RECIPIENT, transmission ceases if the sync signal
does not appear at the SYNC IN connector.
A radio running in AUTO SYNC (without the sync source) is said to be flywheeling. That
is, the clock is free-running off internal clocking and is no longer synchronized to any
source.
If the original sync source is restored to the flywheeling radio configuration, the
flywheeling radio attempts to synchronize to this signal without causing transmission
interruption. All interconnected radios receiving sync from the flywheeling radio also
continue to operate without interruption.
When the flywheeling radio runs independently for long periods of time, the
synchronization signal can be too far outside of the capture range of the synchronization
loop, and portions of transmission frames can be lost during the re-synchronization
process. This condition is temporary and all interconnected radios re-synchronize to the
sync source, as necessary.
For GPS synchronization, the wiring inside the Exalt radio carries the GPS signal to the
next radio cabled in the system, even when power is removed from the SYNC SOURCE
radio or during radio failures. This provides redundancy for catastrophic failure of the
SYNC SOURCE and maintains GPS synchronization. If the GPS source is lost (for
example, due to failure of the GPS unit, a disconnected cable, or satellite blockage), the
AUTO SYNC radio resumes synchronization duties for all collocated radios.
LEDs
There are two LEDs on both the SYNC OUT and SYNC IN ports. Table 5 on page 47
describes the two SYNC IN and two SYNC OUT LEDs.
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System Installation and Initiation Process
The tasks required for radio installation and initiation are outlined in the following figure.
Figure 9 Radio installation tasks
Path & Site
Analysis
Link Design
Build Antenna
Structures &
Egress
Mount
Antennas &
Transmission
Line
Install & Test
Network &
Power Wiring
Read This
Manual
Completely
Pre-configure
Radios
Perform
Back-to-Back
Test
Mount Radios
Connect
Transmission
Line
Connect
Power
Align
Antennas to
Planned RSL
Verify LEDs
for Good Link
Test Network
Connectivity
Connect &
Test Primary
Services
Test Network
Management
System
Both Transmission
System & Radio
Preparation Tasks
Must Be Complete
Transmission System Tasks Radio Preparation Tasks
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Record Keeping
After installation, record the following items for ongoing maintenance and future
troubleshooting. Keep a record for each end of the radio link and store a copy of these
records at the radio location, at the opposite end radio location, and a central record
storage location.
• GPS coordinates for antenna locations at each site
• Antenna heights above ground level (AGL), as mounted
• Antenna model numbers, serial numbers, and specifications
• Antenna polarization as mounted
• Length/type of primary transmission lines at each site
• Model number and serial number of RF lightning arrestors
• Length/type of secondary transmission line(s)
• Transmitter output power setting as installed at each site
• RSL as measured after antenna alignment at each site
• Designed RSL per original design at each site
• RSL reading with far-end power off (from each end)
• Spectrum analyzer plot with far end off at each site
• Voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR)/return loss at radio’s antenna connector at each
site
• Radio’s network management IP address at each site
• Radio’s network management gateway address at each site
• Radio’s operating frequency, bandwidth setting, and mode of operation
• Optionally purchased extended warranty and/or emergency service contract details
In addition, certain information may be desired for central record-keeping only:
• Security codes and login passwords (kept in a secure place)
• Photographs of complete installation
• End-user sign-off/acceptance documentation (if any)
• Photo of rear panel label (part number, serial number, MAC address information)
• Site access information phone numbers, access codes, directions
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Installation
This section presents all tasks required to install the Exalt Digital Microwave Radio.
Mechanical Configuration and Mounting
The i-Series radios are one-piece radio designs intended for deployment in a telecom
equipment rack indoors or in an appropriate environmental enclosure. The device must be
deployed within an ambient temperature range as specified, and properly ventilated with
no obstructions to the air intake and exhaust. The standard models occupy 1 rack unit
(1RU = 1.75”/4.5cm ) height in a typical telecom rack. The -16 models occupy 1.5 RU
(2.625”/6.7cm).
In most cases, additional racked equipment can be placed directly above and/or below the
device with no empty spaces in the rack. However, depending on power consumption and
ventilation for adjoining devices, they may pass heat to the device, not allowing the radio
to cool properly and increasing the risk of malfunction. Heat dissipation from the radio
may also affect adjoining devices. Provide air space above and below the device, where
possible. If not possible, a thermal analysis may be required by a professional engineer to
determine the impact of thermal transfer between all adjoining units.
Provide proper clearance for all cables and connectors attached to the device. Notably,
the RF cable connector may require significant clearance for the bend radius of the
coaxial cable assembly. Use a properly specified 90º RF connector to minimize clearance
requirements, which may be necessary in enclosure implementations. All RF connectors,
cables, and adapters must be rated for operation within the radio’s frequency range
(2400–2483.5 MHz for EX-2.4i; 4940-4990 MHz for EX-4.9i; 5250–5850 MHz for EX-
5i). RF connector losses must be accounted for within the link engineering design and
output power settings.
Rack Mounting
Rack mounting hardware for a standard 19" (48cm) rack is included in the accessory kit.
Attach the rack mounting brackets to the sides of the unit with the provided screws. The
radio can be mounted in one of four configurations:
• Front flush mount (front panel even with the rack mounting surface)
Figure 10 Front flush mount configuration
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• Front projection mount (front panel extended forward from the rack mounting
surface)
Figure 11 Front projection mount configuration
• Rear flush mount (rear panel even with the rack mounting surface)
• Rear projection mount (rear panel extended forward from the rack mounting surface)
Figure 12 Rear-mount locations
The rack mounting brackets accommodate identical mounting configurations as shown in
the previous figures, and can be mounted three different ways with respect to the vertical
orientation in the rack:
1. Projecting down, using one full rack space and half of the space below, and leaving
a half-space gap below.
2. Projecting up, using one full rack space and half of the space above, and leaving a
half-space gap above.
3. Centered within two spaces, with ¼ rack space gap above and below.
Two radios mounted in the same rack can be mounted in adjoining spaces, utilizing a
total of three rack spaces.
Screws for attaching the radio to the telecom rack are not provided; use
the appropriate screw type that matches the equipment rack.
USE THESE BRACKET-MOUNTING HOLES FOR
REAR-FLUSH OR REAR-PROJECTION MOUNTING
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Table or Rack Shelf Mounting the System
Affix rubber feet or adhesive-backed non-slip pads (not included) near the corners of the
unit along the bottom panel when mounting on a table or a rack shelf. These pads help
keep the radio stable on a wooden or metal surface.
In many areas, it is necessary to strap the equipment to a table or rack
shelf if mounting in this manner. In case of earthquake or other shock or
vibration, or an accidental pull of a cable, the unit should be secured from
falling. It may also be necessary to secure the AC adapter, if it is used.
Radio Ports and Indicators
This section provides a brief overview of the connectors, controls, and indicators on the
device. Details about each item are in other sections of this document.
The EX-2.4i front panel is shown in Figure 13. The EX-4.9i and EX-5i front panels are
identical, except for the model number shown in the upper-right corner.
Figure 13 Front panel (EX-2.4i, EX-4.9i or EX-5i)
The EX-2.4i-16 front panel is shown in Figure 14. The EX-5i-16 front panel is identical,
except for the model number shown in the upper-right corner.
Figure 14 Front panel (EX-2.4i-16 or EX-5i-16)
Connector Overview
The primary user interfaces are shown in Figure 15. Table 4 provides details of the front
panel connectors of all radios. Detailed pin structures for each connector are in Interface
Connections on page 119.
CAUTION
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Figure 15 Primary front panel connectors (standard models)
Table 4 Connectors
Label Type Gender Function
Antenna N F Transmission line connection to GPS antenna.
T1/E1
(1–4 or 1–16) RJ-48C F Primary ports for User T1 or E1 circuits to traverse link.
ETHERNET
(MAIN/AUX)
RJ-45 F Primary ports for user Ethernet and/or management data
(10BaseT or 100BaseT) to traverse link.
SYNC
(IN/OUT)
RJ-45 F Internal or external radio synchronizing source (for
example, GPS) input and output.
CONSOLE 9-pin sub-D F Management port (serial) for PC/PDA for Command Line
Interface (CLI) communications.
ALARMS 9-pin sub-D F External alarm inputs and outputs.
GND (Ground) Bantam F Common (return) volt meter test point for measuring
RSL.
RSL Bantam F Voltmeter test point for measuring received signal level.
40–60VDC 6-pin modular M DC power input from DC source or AC adapter.
(Ground) Threaded (M5)
receptacle F Chassis ground connection (M5 x 0.8 threads).
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LED Indicators
Table 5 provides details of the LED indicators on all models.
Table 5 LED indicators
Location/Label Type Function
LINK 3-color
LED Indicates RF link status:
Green Solid = Error-free connection (BER<10e-6)
Yellow Solid = Errored connection (10e-3>BER >10e-6)
Red Solid = No link (BER>10e-3)
Red Flash= No remote information available (when RMT is
pressed and held)
Off = Improperly powered or fatal system failure
STATUS 3-color
LED Indicates system status:
Green Solid = No alarm conditions (normal operation)
Yellow Solid = Alarm conditions, not traffic effecting
Yellow Slow Flash = In loopback (from this end)
Yellow Fast Flash = In loopback (at this end)
Red Solid = Alarm conditions; traffic effecting
Red Flash = No remote information available (when RMT is
pressed and held)
Off = Improperly powered or fatal system failure
RADIO A 3-color
LED Indicates radio orientation:
Green Solid = Radio is configured as Radio A, based on software
setting
Green Flash = Radio is configured as Radio A, based on
temporary hardware configuration key
Off = Radio is configured as Radio B
ETHERNET
MAIN/AUX
Left Corner
Green
LED Solid/Flashing = Data present
Off = No data present
ETHERNET
MAIN/AUX
Right Corner
Green
LED Solid = Negotiated @ 100Mbps
Flash = Negotiated @ 10Mbps
Off = No connection negotiated
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Location/Label Type Function
T1/E1
Left Corner
Green
LED Solid = Connection present (clocking confirmed)
Fast Flash = Connection present; coding/clock problem
Slow Flash = Connection present, but unexpected
Off = No connection/clock
T1/E1
Right Corner
Green
LED Solid = In a loopback state
Fast Flash = Automatic indication signal (AIS) is active
Off = No loopback; no AIS activity
RMT
(LED inside button)
Amber
LED Off = Remote end LINK and STATUS LEDs are both green
Solid = No remote end status available
Flash = Alarm conditions at the remote end (LINK and/or
STATUS LEDs are non-green)
SYNC IN
Left Corner
Green
LED Solid on = GPS is normal (no alarms)
Flash = GPS is in alarm
Off = No GPS source detected
SYNC IN
Right Corner
Green
LED Solid on = Sync locked, no alarms
Flash = Sync signal detected, but not locked
Off = No input sync signals detected
SYNC OUT
Left Corner
Green
LED Solid on = Radio configured as SYNC SOURCE
Flash = Radio configured as AUTO SYNC
Off = Radio configured as SYNC RECIPIENT or sync is disabled
SYNC OUT
Right Corner
Green
LED Solid on = SYNC SOURCE is external (GPS 1 pps)
Off = SYNC SOURCE is internal
(Unmarked LED on rear
panel) 2-color
LED Indicates overall status (from the rear panel):
Green = LINK and STATUS LEDs are both green
Red Flash = LINK and/or STATUS are in a yellow state; no red
states exist
Red Solid = LINK and/or STATUS are in a red state
Off = Improperly powered or fatal system failure
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RMT (Remote) Button
The RMT button is the only external control on the radios. This button allows easy and
quick evaluation of the status of the remote-end radio. Press and hold the button and,
while held, all local-end status LEDs (LINK, STATUS, Radio A) represent the status of
the LEDs on the remote-end radio. In addition, the RSL voltage represents the remote-
end voltage.
When the RMT LED is amber flashes, this is an alert that the remote end has an alarm
condition. Press the RMT button to determine the alarm conditions.
When the RMT button is pressed and held and local LEDs flash, this indicates that no
remote-end information is available. This indicates that the remote radio is either not
powered, is booting, or is not linked in the direction towards the local radio, or the local
radio is receiving excessive errors in this direction. It could also indicate a serious failure
of either radio.
Local-end LEDs (when this button is not pressed) in combination with remote-end
information (from a technician located at the far end, and/or when the button is pressed)
can substantially aid in rapid troubleshooting analysis.
Power
The radio requires a DC power source within specifications. The DC can be provided
from a DC battery source, central lab/rack supply, or from the supplied AC adapter.
Read this section completely before applying power.
Terminating the RF Connector
Before applying power, the device’s RF connector must be properly terminated into a 50-
Ohm load. If this is not performed, the radio may be damaged by simply applying power.
Also, there are human safety factors to consider regarding potentially harmful RF
radiation.
There are a few simple means to accommodate proper termination:
• Connect a 50-Ohm coaxial termination device to the RF port of the radio. The
termination must be rated to 1W (or more). Example(s) include:
¶ Broadwave Technologies P/N 552-200-002, or similar
• Connect the complete transmission system. That is, the RF cabling including the
antenna. The cabled antenna provides a proper termination for the RF output.
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• Connect a fixed (or a series of fixed) 50-Ohm attenuator(s) to the RF connector,
either directly or at the end of an RF transmission line. The attenuator must be at least
30dB as specified at the operating frequency (~2400 MHz for the EX-2.4i; ~4950
MHz for the EX-4.9i, ~5700 MHz for the EX-5i), and rated for a minimum of 1W
input power. Examples include:
¶ Broadwave Technologies P/N 352-103-xxx
¶ Bird 2-A-MFN-xx
¶ JFW Industries 50FP-xxx-H6-N
AC Power
The AC adapter easily connects to the device. The AC rating of the adapter accepts most
standard voltages and frequencies worldwide. Refer to the input voltage requirements
stated on the label affixed to the adapter to ensure that the adapter can be used with the
AC mains supply.
The AC plug outlet provided with the adapter may need to be replaced to match the
country configuration. The adapter cable uses a standard connector for this cable for use
of a pre-wired cable appropriate to the outlet configuration. If the appropriate cable is not
available, the existing AC plug end can be severed and a replacement plug affixed.
Consult a qualified electrician for this activity.
Do not plug the adapter into the mains power. First, verify that the RF connector is
properly terminated (see Power on page 49), and then plug in the radio-side connector
from the AC adapter to the radio. If the AC mains can be turned off using a switch,
disable the power, plug the AC side of the adapter into the AC mains socket, and then
enable power to the circuit. If the AC mains cannot be turned off, plug in to the AC main
socket to apply power.
Verify that the radio is active by observing LED activity. All LEDs on the radio flash at
initial power cycle.
It is strongly encouraged that the AC mains supply be fused or on a separate breaker to
ensure against over-voltage and/or over-current situations and to provide some form of
protection to the radio electronics and other devices connected to the same supply. In
addition, if the AC power is subject to significant spikes or variation, power conditioning
is a worthwhile investment, as the quality of mains power may have a direct impact on
the device operation, performance and/or reliability. An Uninterruptible Power Source
(UPS) or other form of battery-backed system protects against brown-out and black-out
conditions, and condition the power presented to the adapter.
Evaluate the opportunity for lightning or other similar surges to be present on the
powering system, including the ability for surges to couple to the power wiring system. If
an evaluation indicates that there is a potential likelihood for these conditions to occur,
additional surge protection is recommended for the input power wiring, especially to
protect the radio electronics between the adapter and the radio’s DC input connector.
The above statement is similarly true for every wired connection to the device. While the
configuration for surge suppression or line conditioning is of a different type for each
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kind of signal interface, the opportunity for damage to the device, loss of
communications and property is significant. In some cases, there can also be a risk to
human life by not protecting against lightning entering a building through wiring or
improper grounding. If you do not have experience in this type of installation practice,
consult a qualified electrician and/or telecoms professional during the installation and
wiring of the equipment.
DC Power
The device accepts DC power within the voltage specifications. The DC voltage input
accepts either 24 volts or 48 volts, nominal. Ensure that the power source is specified for
the proper amount of current delivery capacity. The DC power may be connected as a
positive or negative voltage supply, and be referenced to ground or ‘floating’ (differential
voltage). There are different system grounding considerations depending on the nature of
the DC supply grounding, and consult a qualified electrician or telecoms professional on
the proper wiring and grounding process.
To connect a DC source, with the power disabled on the DC supply, connect proper
gauge wiring to the DC supply. For most (short) power cable runs, 18AWG or 24AWG
wire can be typically used. Strip the ends just long enough for enclosure to the DC radio
connector (approximately 0.25 inches/6mm). If using stranded wire, the stripped ends
inserted into the DC terminal connector must be solder-tipped. If using solid wire, a
solder tip is not necessary. Ensure that the power wiring is long enough to neatly traverse,
when properly dressed, between the source supply and the radio mounting location. If DC
wires are to be exposed to outdoor environments, use wire in the proper weatherproof
wiring jacket.
For longer runs of DC wiring, use a higher gauge wire and/or higher current source
supply to overcome the additional resistance of the DC wiring. However, the DC
connector for the radio may not be able to accept a high diameter wire, transition to
thinner gauge near the end of the wiring run or use the maximum diameter wire for the
entire wiring run, as long as it meets the powering requirements considering total
resistance of the wiring and the power source current load capacity.
Insert the wiring ends into the DC mating connector (supplied) and tighten the terminal
screws to secure the wire into the connector. Do not connect the mating connector to the
radio system and disable the power system.
Pay close attention to the polarization of the DC signals coming from the DC supply and
the ground conductor (if any), and ensure that they are connected to the proper pins of the
DC mating connector. The connector mate on the radio is clearly marked on the front
panel for proper polarization and for ground connection.
Wire across the plus (+) and minus (-) terminals from the DC supply. In addition, place a
separate jumper between the proper terminal and the ground terminal to reference one
side of the power supply line to the radio chassis ground. In some cases, the DC system
may need to be floating and this ground jumper is not necessary; however, many
configurations require one side to be grounded for proper electrical safety.
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Consult a qualified electrician if uncertain about how to properly ground
the system and connect power.
Figure 16 DC connector
Once the wires are connected to the mating connector, do not connect to the radio. First
test the DC connection to the connector from the DC supply. Engage power on the DC
supply, and use a volt meter to verify proper voltage level and polarity.
Verify that the RF connector is properly terminated, as described in Terminating the RF
Connector on page 49. Disengage power once again on the DC source, and connect the
mating connector to the radio device. Engage power on the DC source. Verify radio is
active by observing LED activity. All LEDs flash during the initial power cycle to verify
that they are operational. Secure the DC connector using the integral captive screws at
each end. This prevents accidental disconnection.
See Power on page 49 regarding fusing, breakers, lightning protection, surge protection
and power conditioning. Follow these recommendations for a DC supply.
Reset to Critical Factory Settings
If necessary, the radio terminal may be reset to critical factory settings. This may be
necessary if the IP address and/or passwords for the system are not known. All other
configurations are left at their current settings. If a complete default factory configuration
is desired, load the Default Configuration File into the system, as described in System
Configuration Page on page 74.
The following parameters are configured after a reset to critical factory settings:
• IP Address = 10.0.0.1
• IP Mask = 255.0.0.0
• IP Gateway = 0.0.0.0
• Administration password = password
• User password = password
• Endpoint Identifier = Radio B (unless temporary hardware configuration key is
installed on a standard model, or the DIP switch is used on a -16 model)
To perform a reset to critical factory settings:
1. Remove power.
2. Remove connections to the ALARMS port.
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3. Hold the RMT button on the front panel while applying power.
Continue to hold the RMT button through the entire boot cycle (approximately 45
seconds).
The front-panel LEDs toggle during the boot cycle.
4. Release the RMT button when LED behavior stabilizes.
Antenna/Transmission System
This section provides general guidance to the mounting and connecting of the RF
transmission system, consisting of the antenna, RF cabling, and RF lightning arrestors.
Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for proper mounting, grounding, and wiring of
these devices, and for definitive direction. These manufacturer’s instructions supersede
any information in this section.
The following tables list antennas recommended for use in the USA with the i-Series
radios. The EX-4.9i may use any antenna. In some countries, antennas exceeding a
certain level of gain may be unlawful. Refer to RF Output Power Setting on page 29 for
details on regulatory limits. See Regulatory Notices on page 3 for supported antennas in
Canada.
Table 6 EX-2.4i supported antennas
Manufacturer Model # Description Mid-band
Gain
(dBi)
3dB (Azimuth/Elevation)
Beamwidth
(degrees)
Andrew 19T-2440-1 16-inch Solid Parabolic Dish 19 16/17
Andrew 21T-2441-1 24-inch Solid Parabolic Dish 21 10/11
Andrew 18T-2400-1 Semi-parabolic Grid 17 14/13
Andrew 26T-2400-1 Semi-parabolic Grid 23 7.5/10
Andrew P2F-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 21.6 12/13.3
Andrew P4F-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.3 6.9
Andrew KP3F-23 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 25.1 8.1
Andrew KP4F-23 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.5 6.9
Andrew KPR3F-23 2-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 23.6 7.9/8.7
Andrew KPR4F-23 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.3 6.2/6.7
Andrew QD-2402 11-inch Panel 16 27
Gabriel DFPS.5-23 6-inch Panel 10.3 35/53
Gabriel DFPS1-23 1-foot Panel 16.5 36
Gabriel P-24A36 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 25.7 8.4
Gabriel P-24A48 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.7 6.5
Gabriel SSP2-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 20.7 14.5
Gabriel SSP4-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 26.7 7.2
Gabriel SSP6-23 6-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 30.3 4.8
Gabriel HSSP2-23 2-foot Solid HP Parabolic 20.5 14.5
Gabriel HSSP4-23 4-foot Solid HP Parabolic 26.3 7.2
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Manufacturer Model # Description Mid-band
Gain
(dBi)
3dB (Azimuth/Elevation)
Beamwidth
(degrees)
Gabriel HSSP6-23 6-foot Solid HP Parabolic 30.0 4.8
RadioWaves SP1-2.4 1-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 14 28
RadioWaves SP2-2.4 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 21.3 14
RadioWaves SP3-2.4 3-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 24.3 9.5
RadioWaves SP4-2.4 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.2 7.3
RadioWaves SP6-2.4 6-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 30.3 4.8
RadioWaves G3-2.4 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 24.5 9.2
RadioWaves G4-2.4 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27 7.1
RadioWaves G6-2.4 6-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 30.3 4.6
RFS MGAR2- 2-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 20.8 13.7
RFS MGAR3- 3-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 24.2 8.6
RFS MGAR4- 4-foot Grid Parabolic Dish 27.2 7
RFS SPF2-23 2-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 20.5 13.8
RFS SPF3-23 3-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 24.2 9.2
RFS SPF4-23 4-foot Solid Parabolic Dish 27.1 6.9
Table 7 lists antennas supported by the EX-5i family of Digital Microwave Radios.
Table 7 EX-5i supported antennas
Manufacturer Model # Description Mid-band Gain dBi
(mid-band) 3dB (Azimuth/Elevation) Beamwidth
(degrees)
Andrew P2F-52-N 2-foot Dish 29.4 5.4
Andrew P3F-52-N 3-foot Dish 33.4 3.8
Andrew P4F-52-NXA 4-foot Dish 34.9 3.0
Andrew P6F-52-NXA 6-foot Dish 37.6 1.8
Andrew HP2F-52-NPA 2-foot HP Dish 29.0 5.4
Andrew HP3F-52-NPA 3-foot HP Dish 33.0 3.8
Andrew HP4F-52-NPA 4-foot HP Dish 34.5 3.0
Andrew HP6F-52-NPA 6-foot HP Dish 37.2 1.8
Andrew FPA5250D06-N 6-inch Panel 18.0 19.3
Andrew FPA5250D12-N 1-foot Panel 23.6 9.6
Gabriel DFPS.5-52 6-inch Panel 18.0 19.0
Gabriel DFPD1-52 1-foot Panel 23.5 9.4
Gabriel DFPD2-52 2-foot Panel 28.0 4.6
Gabriel QF2-52-N 2-foot Dish 28.5 5.6
Gabriel QF2.5-52-N 2.5-foot Dish 31.2 4.4
Gabriel QF4-52-N 4-foot Dish 34.8 2.7
Gabriel QF6-52N 6-foot Dish 37.8 1.9
Gabriel HQF2-52-N 2-foot HP Dish 28.2 5.7
Gabriel HQF4-52-N 4-foot HP Dish 34.4 2.8
Gabriel HQF6-52-N 6-foot HP Dish 37.4 1.9
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Manufacturer Model # Description Mid-band Gain dBi
(mid-band) 3dB (Azimuth/Elevation) Beamwidth
(degrees)
MTI MT-485001 7.5-inch Panel 19.0 18.0
MTI MT-485002 1-foot Panel 23.0 9.0
MTI MT-486004 18-inch Panel 26.0 6.0
MTI MT-486001 2-foot Panel 28.0 4.5
Radio Waves FP.5-5-18 6-inch Panel 18.0 20.0
Radio Waves FP1-5-24 1-foot Panel 23.8 10.0
Radio Waves FP2-5-28 2-foot Panel 28.0 4.5
Radio Waves SP1-5.2 1-foot Dish 22.5 11.1
Radio Waves SP2-5.2 2-foot Dish 29.0 6.1
Radio Waves HP2-5.2 2-foot HP Dish 28.6 6.1
Radio Waves SP3-5.2 3-foot Dish 32.0 4.0
Radio Waves SP4-5.2 4-foot Dish 34.8 3.0
Radio Waves SP6-5.2 6-foot Dish 37.9 2.0
RFS SPF2-52A 2-foot Dish 27.9 6.2
RFS SPF3-52A 3-foot Dish 31.4 4.2
RFS SPF4-52A 4-foot Dish 33.9 3.1
RFS SPF6-52A 6-foot Dish 37.4 2.1
RFS SDF4-52A 4-foot HP Dish 33.9 3.1
RFS SDF6-52A 6-foot HP Dish 37.4 2.1
RFS MA0528-19AN 7.5-inch Panel 19.0 18.0
RFS MA0528-23AN 1-foot Panel 23.0 9.0
RFS MA0528-28AN 2-foot Panel 28.0 4.5
Initial Antenna Mounting
The antenna must be an exact model recommended by the path and site planning
engineer(s). Mount the antenna at the proper height, mast/mounting location and
polarization orientation as determined by the path and site planning engineer(s). The
model type, location, and orientation of the antenna is critical with respect to achieving
proper path clearance, as well as to mitigate external or self-interference from nearby or
collocated systems operating in or near the same frequency band.
Mount the antenna in a restricted area and in a manner preventing long-
term human exposure to the transmitted RF energy. To comply with FCC
and Industry Canada regulations, the minimum safe distance from the
antenna for continuous human exposure for the EX-2.4i models is 10 feet
(3m), 39 inches (1m) for the EX-4.9i, and 10.5 feet (3.2m) for the EX-5i
models.
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The antenna structure must be secure and safe with respect to the mounting of the
antenna, transmission system weight, and the combined weight of any personnel that may
climb or attach to the structure. The combined weight of items and forces on the structure
must be carefully considered in the design and construction of the structure. This must
include the weight bearing on the structure in the highest wind conditions possible in the
region, and with respect to all objects affixed to the structure.
If additional objects are affixed to the structure in the future, it may be important to
evaluate both the mechanical impact of these planned additions (with respect to wind and
weight loading), as well as the potential impact to RF interference and frequency
coordination (if additional radio equipment is anticipated). This is especially important if
future equipment is likely to operate within the same frequency band.
Once the antenna is mounted, cabled, and aligned, your goal is to never require
modification. This prior planning is important in the path and site planning stages and in
construction of the antenna structure.
Follow the antenna manufacturer’s instructions for mechanical mounting of the antenna.
Ensure that there is enough room around the antenna for alignment activities (moving the
antenna in vertical and horizontal arcs), and for the RF transmission line to connect to the
antenna connector unobstructed and within the specified bend radius requirements of the
transmission line.
At this point, the antenna mounts should be fully secure to the structure, the feed of the
antenna securely mounted to the antenna (if the feed is a separate assembly), and the
azimuth and elevation adjustments not completely tightened in preparation of the antenna
alignment activity. It is a good practice to connect the transmission line to the antenna
connector as early in the process as possible, to reduce the opportunity for debris or
moisture to enter either the antenna connector or the transmission line connector. Use a
connector cover or other temporary measures to ensure that the connector is kept clear.
Take extra care if the antenna is installed during inclement weather to ensure that no
moisture gets inside the antenna connector at any time.
Now the antenna can be aimed in the general direction required for the link. Use a
compass, a reference bearing, binoculars or any other similar device to point the antenna
in the direction (generally) of the far end radio, and then slightly tighten the azimuth and
elevation adjustments so that the antenna maintains its general position and is safe to be
left without additional securing. Refer to the Exalt white paper, Antenna Alignment, for
more information on antenna alignment techniques.
Transmission Line from Antenna to Egress
Most installations use coaxial transmission line for the connection between the antenna
and the radio device. Coaxial transmission line can either have a solid or braided shield.
Solid-shield cables are more resistant to external signal coupling and interference, but are
generally stiffer than braided cables. Consult the path or site engineer(s) to ensure that the
proper materials are chosen for the installation and that all factors were considered. Refer
to the Exalt white paper, Transmission Line for Exalt Indoor Radio Systems.
Generally, the larger the diameter of the transmission line, the lower the loss. So for
longer runs of transmission line, larger diameter cables are highly advised. However, at
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every frequency, there is a maximum diameter cable that supports the operating
frequency. Verify the specifications. This should is determined in the path and site
planning process.
In some cases, the choice of transmission line is not coaxial cable, but is instead air-
dielectric waveguide. This is an expensive solution and is generally not necessary, but
may be required for very long transmission line runs, and/or very long link distances,
and/or for systems requiring extremely high reliability.
Table 8 lists representative samples of transmission line types recommended for the Exalt
Digital Microwave Radio.
Table 8 Recommended transmission line
Manufacturer
Type
Description Loss at
2.4GHz Loss at
4.9GHz Loss at
5.3GHz Loss at
5.8GHz
Andrew LDF4-50 1/2-inch solid shield 3.3dB/100ft. 5.6dB/100ft. 5.7dB/100ft. 6.0dB/100ft.
Andrew LDF4.5-50 5/8-inch solid shield 2.5dB/100ft. 4.3dB/100ft. 4.4dB/100ft. 4.7dB/100ft.
Times LMR-600 1/2-inch braided shield 4.3dB/100ft. 6.8dB/100ft. 6.9dB/100ft. 7.3dB/100ft.
Times LMR-900 5/8-inch braided shield 2.9dB/100ft. 4.5dB/100ft. 4.6dB/100ft. 4.9dB/100ft.
RFS LCF12-50J 1/2-inch solid shield 3.5dB/100ft. 5.5dB/100ft. 5.6dB/100ft. 5.9dB/100ft.
RFS LCF12-58J 5/8-inch solid shield 2.8dB/100ft. 4.4dB/100ft. 4.5dB/100ft. 4.8dB/100ft.
There are several other brands and models of transmission line that are perfectly
acceptable. However, for extremely long transmission lines and/or extremely long radio
paths, it may be necessary to use waveguide transmission line instead of coaxial
transmission line. In these cases, waveguide type EW20 is recommended for EX-2.4i
models (0.45dB/100ft. loss at 2.4GHz), and type EW52 for the EX-4.9i and EX-5i
models (1.2dB/100ft. loss at 5.8GHz, 1.35dB/100ft. loss at 5.3GHz).
It is critical that the transmission line and antenna be capable of supporting the same type
of connector, or easily adapted. It can be important to minimize the number of connectors
and adapters, and it is ideal that they match directly without adaptation. In most cases,
transmission line allows for N-type male connectors and antennas have N-type female
connectors. For waveguide, the waveguide flange can typically accommodate a direct
adapter to an N connector, or alternatively, the antenna can be purchased with a direct
waveguide connection. But often a flexible coaxial jumper is required to connect between
the waveguide and antenna, as waveguide is generally inflexible and can be mechanically
challenging to align to the exact antenna connector location.
If possible, connect the primary transmission line directly to the antenna. It is desired to
have the fewest possible pieces of transmission line in the system, to minimize losses and
points of failure from connectors. The antenna can typically accommodate a direct
connection if planned in advance. Use a 90ºadapter for the connection to the antenna, if
necessary, but confirm that all connectors and transmission lines are properly specified
for the operating frequency with minimum loss, proper impedance (50 Ohm) and proper
VSWR characteristics.
Transmission line connector termination is a critical element of the installation. Many
‘factory built’ RF transmission lines do not provide the proper characteristics for proper
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transmission, despite their published specifications, often due to the fully or semi-
automated process of factory termination, which may not have considered the frequency
of your system. When buying pre-terminated transmission line, it is strongly advised to
obtain the documentation of test measurements on the connected transmission line
showing that the loss characteristics and VSWR are within the specified limits
specifically at your operating frequency. In addition to factory-built transmission line,
self-terminated transmission line can suffer the same issues.
Always follow the manufacturer’s termination process EXACTLY, and
only use the manufacturer’s authorized tools and connectors for a given
transmission line type.
The manufacturers of transmission line typically offer instruction and certification for
transmission line termination, and may also provide videos illustrating the process. There
is no amount of extra care, education, precision, and effort that can be overstated for this
process.
Once the transmission line is connected to the antenna, traverse the exact route provided
by the site planner. There is often a need for a small excess of transmission line near the
antenna to accommodate both the need for extra slack as the antenna is loosened and
moved for the alignment process, and to accommodate a drip loop for the transmission
line and the initial transmission line securing hardware and grounding near the antenna.
In addition, the transmission line is typically very stiff, and can provide undue pulling
force on the antenna connector. Take care to align the cable with the connector so that it
does not provide any torque or strain on the connector.
Consult your transmission line manufacturer for the proper transportation, hoisting,
securing, and grounding process. Always be very mindful of the entire length of
transmission line to ensure that the transmission line is never twisted, kinked, or over-
bent beyond the specified bend radius. Once a transmission line is over-bent or kinked, it
will likely never recover its specified characteristics, even after straightening, and will
often be completely unusable.
The opposite end of this primary transmission line typically terminates at the building or
enclosure egress point. This is where to locate the RF lightning arrestor. Ensure that a
proper termination to the connector-type of the lightning arrestor is made at this location.
A drip loop may be required and proper securing hardware and grounding must be
accommodated.
As soon as practical, weatherproof the connected ends of the transmission line to the
antenna and lightning arrestor. This process should be delayed as long as possible to
ensure that all systems are working properly before applying the weatherproofing. Once
weatherproofing is applied, it may have to be removed for testing or installation
modification. With this in mind, if the installation is occurring during inclement weather,
take extra care at all times to ensure that no moisture enters any connector at any time. If
moisture is suspected to have compromised the antenna or transmission line, it may
render those devices useless without any means for remedy except for full replacement.
CAUTION
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Indoor Mounting
On rare occasions the antenna can be mounted indoors behind a window. In these cases,
there would not be a need for drip loops or an RF lightning arrestor. Use a very short
transmission line connected directly between the antenna and the radio mounted nearby.
The weatherproofing process can also be omitted.
RF Lightning Arrestor
RF lightning arrestors provide a direct path to ground for lightning strikes that may
couple to or directly hit the outdoor transmission system or antenna structure. The RF
lightning arrestor prevents any associated voltage and current from entering the building
or enclosure, where it might harm the radio equipment, other equipment, or humans.
The following lightning arrestors are examples of proper devices for Exalt Digital
Microwave Radios:
• Polyphaser AL-LSXM
• Andrew BB-BNFNFE-26
Mount and ground the RF lightning arrestor in accordance to the manufacturer’s
recommendations. Place it as close as possible to the egress point where the next piece of
transmission line enters the building or enclosure. Minimize the distance to the egress to
lessen the opportunity for lightning to couple to or strike the unprotected section of
transmission line (if any). Where possible, use a bulkhead connector to eliminate any
opportunity of this risk. Keep cable lengths behind the arrestor and into the egress
substantially short (less than 3'/1m) as a safe practice. Consult a qualified electrician or
installer in all cases of grounding and lightning arrestor implementation.
Transmission Line from Egress to Radio
A single transmission line section from the egress to the radio RF connection is always
desired. Minimize the number of connectors and adapters. For indoor runs, a cable ladder
or tray may be needed to properly secure the cable. In some cases, a short flexible jumper
allows ease of connection to the radio’s RF connector. A properly specified 90º connector
can often eliminate this need. An installation with space around the radio to
accommodate a gentle bend radius of the transmission line is also good for a direct
connection. In all cases, ensure that the transmission line is not a pulling force of the RF
connector on the radio. Transmission lines can be very stiff and can damage the
connector if not dressed properly. Also, follow the transmission line manufacturer’s
instructions for the proper use of cable securing devices.
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Antenna Alignment
Antennas must be installed at both ends of the planned link to commence precision
alignment. Refer to the Exalt white paper, Antenna Alignment.
Antennas are typically aligned using the radio hardware for precise alignment. However,
there are many very useful tools available to aid in this process, inclusive of devices
specifically designed for the purpose of aligning antennas. Some examples are:
• XL Microwave Path Align-R
• Teletronics 17-402
Use of these devices may be extremely advantageous as compared to using the radio,
because they employ many unique facilities to aid in this process. Using these tools also
makes it possible to align the antennas before the radio equipment is delivered. However,
many installers successfully use the radios as the means for antenna alignment.
There are two primary facilities when using the radio to align the antenna:
• RSL voltage test point using a volt meter (recommended)
The RSL test point DC voltage is inversely proportional and numerically calibrated
to the received signal level. The voltage rises as the antennas are less in alignment,
and falls as antennas are more in alignment. The voltage measurement corresponds
to the received signal level in measurements of dBm (a negative number for RSL
measurements). For example, an RSL of -60dBm yields an RSL voltage
measurement of 0.60VDC; an RSL of -45dBm measures 0.45VDC.
• ExaltGUI RSL reading indicates the current RSL in dBm.
Alignment of the antennas using the RSL test point can be accomplished in the following
ways:
• Radio near or at antenna location
¶ Temporarily connect the radio to the antenna using a short piece of transmission
line, so that the radio is very close to the antenna location
– Run wires, as necessary, from the RSL test point to the volt meter so that the
antenna installer can directly view the volt meter
Using this method, the final RSL voltage readings during alignment may
be different (better) than the planned RSL, due to the short RF
transmission line. Use the path calculation tool to determine the RSL that
should result in this temporary configuration to ensure proper ideal
alignment.
• Run separate wires from radio mounted location to antenna location
¶ Temporarily connect a set of wires from the RSL test point to the antenna
location, to allow the radio installer to use a local volt meter
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Due to the resistance of the cable, the RSL readings might be impacted.
Use the thickest wiring possible. Test the impact of the voltage reading
due to the wiring by comparing a direct measurement at the RSL test point
as opposed to the end of the wiring.
• RF/DC coupler
Install a temporary DC coupling device at the radio antenna port and at the antenna
connector. Connect the RSL test point to the radio antenna port coupler, and the volt
meter to the antenna connector coupler. See DC Coupler for Antenna Alignment on
page 117 for more information
• Verbal relay/walkie-talkie/mobile radio/cell phone
¶ A person located at the radio front panel can use a short-range communication
device or verbal relay to communicate to the antenna installer and read off RSL
voltage measurements
Only use the browser-based GUI for antenna alignment if there is no other means
available. If this method is required, refer to Exalt Graphical User Interface (GUI) on
page 64. The RSL reading can be read on a PC or any handheld computing device that
supports an HTML browser and Ethernet connectivity.
There is a slight delay in RSL readings in the GUI as the RSL levels
change. In this case, fine alignment can be done in small adjustments
allowing a small gap of time so that the impact of the adjustment on the
GUI display catches up to real time.
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Configuration and Management
This section describes the command line interface (CLI) and Exalt graphical user
interface (GUI).
Command Line Interface (CLI)
Exalt Digital Microwave Radios provide a CLI to set key parameters on the system. Use
the Console port for serial devices, or use the Ethernet MAIN or AUX ports for a Telnet
session over a network connection.
Connect to the Radio with a Serial Connection
For serial interface to the CONSOLE port, on your PC, PDA, dumb terminal, or any
other device with a serial interface and text input capabilities, use Hyperterminal or a
similar application with the following settings:
Bits per second: 9600
Data bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow Control: None
Use a standard straight-through serial cable to connect between most computer serial
ports and the Console port on the radio. A null modem cable is not properly wired for this
interface. See Interface Connections on page 119 for wiring details.
After establishing the serial connection, press ENTER to display the login prompt.
Connect to the Radio through a Telnet Connection
Use the following steps for a Telnet connection to the radio through the ETHERNET
AUX port using Windows:
1. Open a command prompt, or MS-DOS prompt shell (Start>Run>cmd).
2. Type C:\>Telnet <IP Address> at the command line of the command prompt
window.
The default IP address is 10.0.0.1
You can reset the default address to a different address through serial CLI
using the Console port, or back to the default address by radio reset.
Your computer must be on the same IP subnet as the radio to use the
Telnet function.
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CLI Screens and Menus
Use CLI or Telnet when prompted, and enter the administration level login and password.
The default administration login is admin and password is password (or admin for early
firmware releases). It is recommended that the default administration password be reset
by performing a radio reset (see Reset to Critical Factory Settings on page 52).
The serial port CLI and Telnet CLI are identical. Figure 17 shows the three menu choices
available after log in.
Figure 17 CLI main menu
Select 1 or 2 to display the Configuration or Status menus, respectively. Select 3 to exit
the CLI/Telnet session. The following selections can be made on all screens:
• 0 = back to previous screen
• 9 = help
• Ctrl+\ (control and backslash keys) = exit session
The following depicts the complete CLI tree structure:
1. Radio information
2. Configuration
a. Current IP settings
b. Current system configuration
c. Set IP address and mask (admin only)
d. Set IP default gateway (admin only)
e. Administration (admin only)
– System time and date
– System reboot
– Password
– File transfer
– File activation
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3. Status
¶ Alarm summary
¶ Radio alarm
¶ Radio status
¶ Radio performance
¶ Radio performance reset (admin only)
4. Exit
Exalt Graphical User Interface (GUI)
The Exalt GUI is the primary user interface for configuring and troubleshooting the radio
and radio system. A computer or hand-held device with a conventional HTML browser
and Ethernet port is required. Microsoft Internet Explorer is the preferred browser.
Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox are also supported.
Preparing to Connect
If the radios are new, both radios are preconfigured as Radio B, and have the same IP
address. The initial priority is to configure one radio to Radio A and assign different IP
addresses, unique to each radio.
There are two ways to change the IP address:
1. Use the CLI interface through the console port (serial), as described in Command
Line Interface (CLI) on page 62
2. Connect to the GUI using the default IP address (10.0.0.1), and change the IP
address through the GUI interface.
If the radio’s current IP address is unknown, use the CLI interface through
the console port to retrieve it and/or change it. Or perform a complete
radio reset as described in Reset to Critical Factory Settings on page 52.
To connect to the radio’s Ethernet port and use the GUI interface, the
accessing computer must match the radio’s IP address subnet. It is
therefore necessary to either change the radio’s IP address through the CLI
to match the subnet of the computer, or change the computer’s IP address
to match the subnet of the radio (such as, a computer IP address of
10.0.0.10 if trying to connect to a radio set to the factory default IP
address of 10.0.0.1).
There are three ways to configure a radio as Radio A:
1. Use the temporary hardware configuration key, as discussed in Temporary
Hardware Configuration Key (Standard Models Only) on page 35.
2. Use the front panel DIP switch, as discussed in DIP Switch Configuration (-16
Models Only) on page 36.
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3. Connect to the GUI and change the configuration, as discussed in this section
(preferred).
Make Connections
It is recommended that one radio at a time be configured, on a bench, before taking the
radios to the field for installation:
• Terminate the RF connector with a 50-Ohm termination or a fixed attenuator of at
least 20dB (see Terminating the RF Connector on page 49).
• Apply power to the radio (see Power on page 49).
Do not connect the radios in a back-to-back configuration. If the radios are
set to their factory default settings, both radios are configured as Radio B
and cannot communicate. Both radios also have the same IP address,
which causes IP address conflicts.
Use the CONSOLE port and CLI interface to configure the IP address to match the
accessing computer or connect to the ETHERNET AUX port to the computer’s Ethernet
port.
The IP address subnet of the accessing computer must match the radio’s IP
address subnet to connect using Ethernet (see Preparing to Connect).
Either change the computer’s IP address to match the radio, or use the CLI
to change radio’s IP address to match the computer.
Once connected to the radio using Ethernet, log in to the Exalt GUI.
Log In
Use the following steps to log in to the Exalt GUI.
1. Open a browser window.
Microsoft Internet Explorer is the recommended browser. Netscape, Mozilla, and
Firefox are also supported. If there are issues with your browser, please report it to
Exalt Customer Care. You may be required to use a different browser to immediately
overcome issues.
2. Type the IP address of the radio in the address bar.
Figure 18 Initiating the browser connection
The following window displays after pressing the Enter key or clicking the Go
button in the browser window.
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Figure 19 Browser Login screen
Login Privileges
There are two levels of login privileges:
• Administrator (admin) – assigned complete permissions to view, edit, and configure
• User (user) – assigned limited, view-only permissions with no edit or configuration
rights
The default login names and passwords are as follows:
Table 9 Default Login Information
Privilege level User name Default password
Administrator admin password
User user password
Administrator login credentials are required for configuration purposes. Type the user
name and passwords for Administrator level and click OK. The following screen
displays.
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Figure 20 Radio Information page
Quick-Start
To establish a link on the bench, apply the following basic configurations to the radio
terminal. Use the steps in the Quick Start Guide included with the radio. A summary of
the items that need to be configured are:
• Radio IP address for each end.
¶ Each end must have a different IP address and cannot match the accessing
computer’s IP address or any address assigned if radios are part of a larger
network.
¶ It may be required to change the IP address of the accessing computer after
changing the IP address of the radio so that the IP subnet matches.
¶ The radio IP address is listed on the Administration Settings page.
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• Set one radio as Radio A.
¶ The radio selected as Radio A must be configured.
¶ Radio A/B selection is the Endpoint Identifier parameter on the System
Configuration page.
¶ Even though both radios are set as Radio B by default, confirm this configuration
on the radio intended to be Radio B.
If all other parameters are still configured at their factory default settings, the radios can
now be connected back-to-back to verify that the link is communicating and perform any
other desired tests. See Back-to-back Bench Testing on page 114 for test information.
Navigating the describes each page of the GUI. Most configuration parameter settings are
intuitive. The following link parameters must match at both ends for the link to
communicate:
• Link Security Key (Administration Settings page)
• Bandwidth (System Configuration page)
• RF Frequency (System Configuration page)
• Link Distance (System Configuration page)
• TDD Frame Size (System Configuration page)
Changing any of these parameters causes a temporary loss of link. The
GUI displays a warning and provides an opportunity to cancel changes.
Navigating the GUI
The GUI provides the primary interface for all configuration and management. There are
three sections of the main GUI window, as shown in Figure 21:
• Summary status information section (upper-left corner)
• Navigation panel
• Main window
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Figure 21 Exalt GUI window description
Summary Status Section
This section of the Exalt GUI provides a review of the system status.
Figure 22 Minimized browser windows for summary status of multiple radios
In the screens in Figure 22, the top bar illustrates the alarm condition of the link. The
background color of this bar is equivalent to the color of the LINK LED on the radio
front panel(s) (see Table 5 on page 47). The information inside the bar is equivalent to
the entry of the Link Name, as set by the administrator in the Administration Settings
page (see Administration Settings Page on page 72).
The background color of the left box illustrates the summary of alarm conditions of the
local radio (the radio that matches the IP address). The color follows the same convention
as the rear panel SUMMARY LED. The information inside the bar illustrates the IP
address and the endpoint identifier (Radio A or Radio B).
The background color of the right box illustrates the summary alarm conditions of the
remote radio (the radio linked to the local radio).
Main
Window
Navigation
Panel
Summary
Status
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The ‘local’ radio might be the near-end or the far-end radio,
depending on the management interface connection. The terms local and
remote refer to the orientation of the radio terminals relative to the IP
address you are managing. When making certain changes to a near-end
radio without first making changes to the far-end radio, the link may
become disconnected unless configuration changes are reverted to their
original settings. When making changes that have the opportunity to
disrupt the link, always change the far-end radio first, and then the
near-end radio to match.
The Summary Status Section allows the Exalt GUI to be a rudimentary management
system. Minimize the browser window to display just the top bar or the top bar and radio
information, and open several browsers on the desktop. When a window status changes to
yellow or red, you can quickly maximize that window to determine the issues.
Navigation Panel
In the navigation panel, pages with sub-pages have a plus (+) to the left of the page link.
Click the plus sign or page name title to view sub-page titles. The pages can be collapsed
to hide the sub-pages when a minus (–) sign appears to the left of the page link.
Management pages are indicated with an X to the left of the page name. Click the X or
page name to display the page within the main window.
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Radio Information Page
This page provides general information about the local radio terminal. This information is
helpful for troubleshooting and for record keeping.
Figure 23 Radio Information page
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Administration Settings Page
This page allows contains general parameters for the radio system. The Current Value
column lists entries actual settings. Desired changes are entered in the New Value
column.
After all desired changes are entered, click the Update button to accept and enable
changes.
Figure 24 Administration Settings Page
Most entries on this page are self-explanatory. The following lists unique or important
parameters.
• Fill in the date and time fields as soon as practical. Events are captured with time/date
stamps, which is valuable information for troubleshooting.
• Set the Link Security Key to something other than the factory default setting (12
characters, all zeros) at each end. The link security key must match at both sides of
the link. If the security key remains at the factory setting, the radio link is open to
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sabotage by a party with the same radio model. Each link should have a unique
security key. If using the same security key for every link in the network, the radio
could link to any other radio with the same security key. This is problematic in multi-
radio networks.
¶ Note that the security key must be exactly 12 characters. Any printable ASCII
character can be used. The link security key is case sensitive.
Changing the link security key interrupts transmission until the opposite
end is changed to match. Always change the far-end radio first, and
then change the near-end radio.
• Reset the admin and user passwords. These passwords should not match. If the admin
password remains at the factory default setting, it provides an opportunity for random
reassignment by a network-connected user.
¶ The new password must be entered twice: once in the main window and again in
the confirmation window. If the passwords do not match and the UPDATE button
is clicked, the password is not changed and remains set to the previous password.
• The License Key is set to all zeros. Enter the license key provided by Exalt to access
extended features or diagnostic capabilities. Click Update to accept the changes and
enable the new features. License keys are issued by radio serial number, so ensure
that the license key used was issued for this particular radio.
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System Configuration Page
This page contains several critical system parameters.
Figure 25 System Configuration Page
Most entries on this page are self-explanatory. The following lists unique or important
parameters:
• Set the Radio Transmit Power parameter to the designed level. The professional
installer sets this value or dictates the value of this setting to the system administrator
following the system design and local regulations. In many cases, this value must be
set to a proper value to comply with legal restrictions. Improper values can result in
liability to the user and/or installer.
Changing Radio Transmit Power may temporarily interrupt traffic.
Small changes in output power do not normally interrupt traffic, but larger
changes may.
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¶ Do not adjust the Radio Transmit Power parameter to a value higher than is
legally allowed.
¶ Do not adjust the Radio Transmit Power parameter lower than the link budget and
fade margin can afford.
The link may be lost and unrecoverable through GUI control. If the link is lost
due to reduction of Radio Transmit Power, travel to the radio location(s) may be
required to reset the value.
• Set the Bandwidth parameter to the designed level. The value of this is determined in
the design/engineering stage. The Bandwidth parameter must also match at both ends
of the link. In conjunction with the Mode parameter, the Bandwidth parameter
directly relates to the capacity, latency, and the number of TDM circuits supported.
The transmitter and receiver bandwidth are modified using this parameter, making it
critical that it be set with respect to the local RF noise and interference profile, and/or
in relation to any multi-link network design.
Changing Bandwidth will temporarily interrupt traffic. The
Bandwidth parameter must match at each end. Adjust the far-end radio
first, and then the near-end radio. Changing Bandwidth changes the
radio’s threshold. A narrower bandwidth has better threshold performance
and improved interference immunity, therefore if changing to a wider
bandwidth, there is an opportunity that the link may be lost and
unrecoverable through GUI control. Check the available fade margin and
interference profile to determine if the impact to threshold and increased
bandwidth is acceptable to maintain the link and the desired performance.
If the link is lost due to increasing the Bandwidth parameter, travel to the
radio location(s) may be required to reset the value.
• Set the Mode parameter to the designed selection. The value of this setting is
determined in the design/engineering stage. The Mode parameter must match at both
ends of the link. In conjunction with the Bandwidth parameter, the Mode parameter
setting directly relates to the capacity of the system, as well as critical RF parameters,
including receiver threshold, carrier-to-interference ratio, and in some cases,
maximum radio transmit power.
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Changing Mode will temporarily interrupt traffic. The Mode setting
must match at each end. Adjust the far-end radio first, and then the near-
end radio. Changing Mode changes the radio’s threshold, carrier-to-
interference ratio, and also may have impact on the Radio Transmit
Power. A lower mode has better threshold performance and carrier-to-
interference ratio, and in some cases, higher output power, therefore if
changing to a higher mode (for example, from Mode 1 to Mode 2), there is
an opportunity that the link may be lost and unrecoverable through GUI
control. Check the available fade margin and interference profile, and
determine if the impact to RF performance is sufficient to maintain the
link and desired performance. If the link is lost due to increasing the Mode
parameter, travel to the radio location(s) may be required to reset the
value.
• Set the RF Frequency parameter to the designed point. The value of this setting is
determined in the design/engineering stage. RF Frequency must match at both ends of
the link. It may be critical to set RF Frequency with respect to the local RF noise and
interference profiles, and/or in relation to any multi-link network design.
The frequency selection section includes the ability to select from either the complete
list of frequencies (“All”) that can be tuned for the selected band and bandwidth, or a
pre-selected list of non-overlapping center frequencies (“Preferred”) that Exalt
determined provides the most flexible collocation opportunities for large networks of
Exalt radios
For the EX-5i families, the frequency selection section includes a band selection
button that must be enabled for the frequency band of operation for which the link
was engineered. In some cases, some bands may not be selectable due to regulatory
constraints.
Changing RF Frequency will temporarily interrupt traffic. The RF
Frequency parameter setting must match at each end. Adjust the far-
end radio first, and then the near-end radio. If the RF Frequency parameter
is changed to a frequency with interference, the link may be lost and
unrecoverable through GUI control. If the link is lost due to changing the
RF Frequency parameter, travel to the radio location(s) may be required to
reset the value.
• Set the Endpoint Identifier so that one end of the link is set to Radio A and the
opposite end set to Radio B. In single-link networks, it is unimportant which
end is designated A or B. In multi-link networks, however, it may be
important to orient the links so that at any collocation site (where there are
multiple radios of the same type at the same site), all radios are set to the same
Endpoint Identifier (A or B). See Link Orientation and Synchronization on
page 34.
Changing Endpoint Identifier parameter requires a reboot of the radio to
take effect. The reboot temporarily interrupts traffic.
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• Set the Link Distance parameter to the range that is equal to or greater than the actual
link distance. The value of this setting is determined in the design/engineering stage.
Changing Link Distance parameter will temporarily interrupt traffic.
The Link Distance setting must match at each end and must not be less
than the actual link distance. Adjust the far-end radio first, and then the
near-end radio. If the Link Distance parameter is changed to a setting less
than the actual distance, the link may be lost and unrecoverable through
GUI control. If the link is lost due to this situation, travel to the radio
location(s) may be required to reset the value. If the Link Distance
parameter setting is set to a distance unnecessarily higher than the actual
link distance, the radio may have substantially reduced performance with
respect to throughput and latency.
• Set the TDD Frame Size parameter to the designed level. The value of this setting is
determined in the design/engineering stage. The TDD Frame Size parameter must
match at both ends of the link. The TDD Frame Size parameter setting directly relates
to the capacity, latency, and number of TDM circuits that can be supported over the
given link distance. In multi-link networks, especially where there are collocated
links, it is also important to set all radios to the same TDD Frame Size setting to
avoid self-interference. Note that the GPS or internal synch function may be
necessary for these networks. See Time Division Duplex (TDD) Factors, Link
Orientation and Synchronization, and Radio Synchronization for more information.
Changing the TDD Frame Size parameter will temporarily interrupt
traffic. TDD Frame Size parameters must match at each end. Adjust
the far-end radio first, and then the near-end radio. If the TDD Frame Size
parameter is set to a value that cannot be supported for the link distance,
the link may be lost and unrecoverable through GUI control. If the link
is lost due to this situation, travel to the radio location(s) may be required
to reset the value.
• The External Alarm Inputs parameter can be ignored unless connecting external
alarm sources to the radio for monitoring the status of these external alarms through
the radio management system (see Interface Connections on page 119).
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Ethernet Interface Configuration Page
This page allows the administrator to set the muting, alarm, and duplex settings of both
the ETHERNET MAIN and AUX connections.
It also allows determination of the management information for in-band (carried over the
air and available from both the MAIN and AUX connectors on either end of the link) or
out-of-band (not carried over the air and only available from the local AUX connector).
Figure 26 Ethernet Interface Configuration Page
Muting the MAIN connection is desirable when connected equipment senses Ethernet
signaling and makes decisions (such, as spanning tree protocol enable) based on the
presence or lack of presence of the Ethernet signal. If the MAIN connection has muting
enabled, the port mutes when the link is not active.
It may be desirable to disable the alarming of the AUX connector if it is not used.
Set the Ethernet interfaces on the radio and connected equipment to 100/full-duplex for
best performance. If the Ethernet ports are set to auto-negotiation, poor throughput
performance may be a result, as well as intermittent disconnections of the Ethernet
connection.
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T1/E1 Configuration Pages
These pages allow the administrator to selectively enable or disable the T1 or E1 circuits,
one at a time. For enabled T1/E1 circuits, additional configuration, including loopback
functions, are available. Disable the unused T1 or E1 so that the alarms are turned off and
more throughput is allocated to the Ethernet interface. Every enabled T1 or E1 input,
even if there is no T1 or E1 signal present, reduces the aggregate throughput of the
Ethernet interface by roughly 3Mbps (for T1) or 4Mbps (for E1).
This page toggles between T1 and E1, as required, by clicking the Set to T1 or Set to E1
button. A warning displays that a reboot is necessary, and the radio reboots if the
administrator continues. This will interrupt traffic. It may be necessary to re-login to the
radio after the reboot completes. T1/E1 mode self-coordinates across the link if the link is
active. This means that it only needs to be set while connected at one end. In addition,
enabling and disabling T1/E1 circuits also self-coordinates across the link if the link is
active. If a link is not active and T1/E1 enabling is a mismatch when a link is first
created, the Radio A configuration for T1/E1 enabling supersedes the settings on the
Radio B configuration, and changes the settings on Radio B.
Certain combinations of the TDD Frame Size, Link Distance, Mode, and
Bandwidth parameter settings limit the number of T1/E1 circuits that can
be carried by the radio. In these cases, certain fields on the T1/E1 Interface
Configuration pages are not available, starting with the highest port
number. For example, for a 4x T1/E1 radio version, if only three (3)
circuits can be carried, port 4 is not available for configuration and is
disabled. If only two circuits can be carried, both ports 3 and 4 are not
available. Increasing the TDD frame size and Mode parameters, and/or
increasing the Bandwidth parameter results in an increase in the supported
number of T1/E1 circuits. For ‘-16’models, the highest number channels
that are configurable (based on the currently installed license key) are
disabled if they cannot be supported with the current settings.
T1 Interface Configuration Page
This page allows the administrator to enable/disable each individual T1 channel, set the
Line Build Out (LBO), Line Code (either AMI or B8ZS), and AIS enabling/disabling for
each input. If enabled, the radio places an AIS code on the output of the associated
interface if and when the link fails or when there is no T1 signal available from the far
end to provide the user at the local end. Loopback controls are also provided (see T1/E1
Loopback on page 81).
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Figure 27 T1 Interface Configuration page (standard models)
E1 Interface Configuration Page
This page allows the administrator to enable/disable each individual E1 channel. The AIS
can also be enabled and disabled for each input. If enabled, the radio places an AIS code
on the output of the associated interface if and when the link fails or when there is no E1
signal available from the far end to provide the user at the local end. Loopback controls
are also provided (see T1/E1 Loopback on page 81).
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Figure 28 E1 Interface Configuration page (standard models)
T1/E1 Loopback
Loopback is provided for any enabled T1 or E1 port. As shown in Figure 29 and Figure
30, the choices are:
• No Loopback (default)
• External (local)
• External (remote)
• Internal
Only one Internal loopback can be enabled at any time.
All loopback configurations control the loop at the Line Interface integrated circuit,
which is the device wired directly to the front panel ports.
External loopback modes are used in conjunction with an external test source. The
designation of ‘local’ or ‘remote’ refers to where the loopback is occurring relative to the
location where the loopback is implemented. That is, on the radio being accessed, if
External (remote) is selected, this loops the signal back at the remote radio interface back
towards the local radio. Likewise, if External (local) is selected, the signal loops back at
the local interface towards the remote radio (Figure 29 and Figure 30).
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Figure 29 External (remote) loopback
Figure 30 External (local) loopback
When a local T1/E1 port is configured for External (remote) loopback, it is the same as
configuring the remote radio for External (local) loopback.
Internal loopback uses an internal test source, and sends the test source signal across the
link, looped at the remote radio’s interface, returned to the local radio, and looped at the
local radio’s interface back to the source. The inputs at both ends are looped back at the
line level. Figure 31 illustrates the internal loopback function.
Figure 31 Internal loopback
LOCAL REMOTE
IN
OUT OUT
IN
LOCAL REMOTE
IN
OUT OUT
IN
LOCAL REMOTE
IN
OUT OUT
IN
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File Transfer Page
This page allows the administrator to upload and download files to and from the radio.
Two types of files can be uploaded: configuration and radio firmware. When uploading
Configuration Files, current configuration parameters are immediately overwritten,
and the unit automatically reboots. When uploading radio firmware files, the file is
placed into reserve memory space. After the new radio firmware file uploads, use the File
Activation page to enable the files (see File Activation Page on page 86).
Up to three types of files can be downloaded: configuration, radio firmware, and MIB.
The MIB file refers to the Management Information Base related to the Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP) function, and is only available on models which support
SNMP. See Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) on page 87 for more
information.
Check the File Activation page before uploading radio firmware files.
New file uploads overwrite the secondary file location. If important files
reside in the primary or secondary file location, download them before
uploading the new files. Only the active radio firmware file can be
downloaded. Therefore, to download the reserve file, it must first be
activated (using the Swap button). See File Activation Page on page 86.
Figure 32 File Transfer Page
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Use the following steps to download a file
1. Select the type of file to download (configuration or radio firmware)
2. Click the DOWNLOAD button and wait for the radio to prepare the file for
download.
For the MIB file download, a second page/link appears (Figure 33).
3. Right-click the link on the page to download the file to a desired location.
Figure 33 File Transfer page—download file link
File download and upload is useful when configuring several radios with similar settings.
A copy of the configuration file can also help restore radio settings. In addition, a copy of
the Exalt default configuration file is helpful to restore the radio to factory settings.
Do not change the name of any downloaded file. The configuration file
must be named config.nv. To keep track of multiple configuration files,
use a folder naming system or temporarily rename the file, however, it
must be named config.nv it can be uploaded to a radio. Never change
radio firmware file names under any circumstances.
If copying the same configuration file into multiple radios, take as some parameters will
match and that may be undesirable. However, it may be easier to change just a subset of
parameters rather than every parameter.
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The following parameters can cause problems or confusion if they match at each of a
link:
• Radio Name
• Endpoint Identifier
• IP Address
• IP Subnet Mask
• Default Gateway
The following parameters can match at both ends of the link:
• Link Name
• Link Security Key (although each link should be different)
• Admin and User passwords
• Bandwidth
• RF Frequency
• Link Distance
• TDD Frame Size
• T1/E1 configurations
• Ethernet configurations
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File Activation Page
Use this page to move stored or uploaded files for use on the radio. The page indicates
which file is currently in use, and which file is available for use. Click the Swap button to
place the file in the Alternative File column into the active state and move the file in the
Current File column to the Alternative File column.
Figure 34 File Activation page
In all cases, the radio reboots after a new file is selected using the Swap
function. This places the radio out of service for a short period.
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Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Configuration
Use SNMP to manage networked devices and execute the following functions:
• GET: Obtain information from the device, such as a configuration setting or
parameter.
• SET: Change a configuration setting on the device.
• TRAP: The device proactively informs the management station of a change of state,
usually used for critical alarms or warnings.
Currently the SNMP implementation does not support TRAP functions.
For critical alarms, use the GET command for specific alarm conditions.
One feature of the SNMP implementation is that system configuration changes do not
take effect using the SET command. Instead, groups of configuration settings can be
preconfigured for global change, and a single ‘Save’ (Commit) command implements all
changes.
When some parameters are changed, a link may drop and/or management control lost.
MIB files allow many parameters to be set at once, allowing only a temporarily dropped
link or management control issue. The opposite end radio can be quickly reconfigured,
with little downtime for the link and management control. The save (Commit) command
is similar to the Update button.
Dropped links or management control issues do not occur with every parameter change.
Many configuration changes do not impact traffic or management access.
Exalt radios utilize SNMPv3, a high security version of SNMP, to ensure secure access to
and storing of management data. The SNMPv3 security string matches the admin and
user passwords. Passwords must be eight characters or longer.
Currently not all EX-series radios implement SNMP. Check the software
release notes to verify that the function is available. Generally, the radio
supports SNMP when MIB files are listed on the File Activation Page.
The SNMP MIBs are organized similar to the GUI. Become familiar with the GUI before
using the SNMP function.
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Alarms Page
This page provides an easy-to-read summary of the alarm status of both local and remote
radios. The colors on this page reflect the color of the alarms displayed on the radio front
panel. However, additional detail displays on this page to aid in quick assessment of
issues and status.
Figure 35 Alarms page (standard models)
See Table 5 for more information on the front panel LEDs. This page displays additional
information about the alarm status.
• The Internal Fan alarm monitors all three internal fans. The radio only requires that
one fan be operational for full-specification performance. The additional fans are
provided for redundancy and to increase overall reliability. If one or two fan alarms
are yellow or red, it is prudent to plan to install a spare radio at the earliest
opportunity and return the radio for repair (RMA authorization required). If all three
fans are in alarm, the radio must be taken out of service immediately, as damage may
occur to the internal electronics, especially in hotter environments or where thermal
exchange from neighboring equipment exists.
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• The Temperature alarm monitors the internal temperature of the unit based on
specific points inside the radio chassis. It is normal for the internal temperature to be
above the ambient temperature, so the temperature reading may be higher than the
highest specified ambient temperature. When the internal electronics reach a point
that is higher than the normal temperature rise at the highest ambient temperature, the
temperature alarm turns yellow. Power down the radio as soon as possible, and
investigate the cause of the temperature rise before the radio is put back into service.
In almost all cases, a temperature alarm is due to an external cause, unless the fans in
the unit are also in alarm, in which case, the fans are the likely cause.
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Performance Page
This page provides statistical information about the performance of the system in relation
to the integrity of the user data and the RF link.
Figure 36 Performance page
• The Current BER field indicates the current bit error rate of the link. If the link is
operating perfectly, this should indicate zero. Generally, the link should remain at a
BER less than 1x10-6 (1 bit out of every million bits errored). This is the threshold
performance specification and the standard to which the link was engineered.
However, radio links can and are affected by weather, interference, and other external
sources and will occasionally have a higher error rate. A link remains operational
unless the BER exceeds 1x10-3 (1 bit out of every hundred bits errored). Consult the
link design engineer for an understanding of the predicted error rate of the radio link
as it has been designed. Many applications are unaffected by bit errors, but TDM
circuits (for example, T1 or E1) are more sensitive. Also, if the link operator is
providing a service guarantee, this value may need to be monitored or examined in
cases of service issues. The behavior of BER in relation to other alarms or
measurements and external events can be very helpful in troubleshooting activities.
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• Current RSL is the measurement of the received signal level at the radio antenna port.
This is the measured level of the RF signal coming from the opposite end of the radio
link. The link was engineered to a specific RSL by the link design engineer, and this
RSL should be obtained during installation and remain relatively stable during the
operation of the link. RSL can and will vary as a result of weather changes and other
external sources, such as path obstructions. Once again, this variation was part of the
original design to achieve a certain level of performance over time. Bit errors occur
when the RSL falls to a level within roughly 3dB of the threshold specification. When
the RSL falls below the threshold specification, the link disconnects and will not
reconnect until the RSL is above the threshold specification. The behavior of RSL in
relation to other alarms or measurements and external events can be very helpful in
troubleshooting activities.
• Errored Seconds (ES) indicates the total number of seconds that occurred where there
was at least one bit error since the last time that the radio statistics counter was reset.
Generally, ES are not a significant concern, so long as they are not continuous or
above the anticipated performance based on the original link engineering goals. If ES
are continuous or at a high rate, this is normally an indication of poor link
performance due to poor RSL or interference, or severe impact by weather or other
environmental factors. However, similar to the performance factors previously listed,
ES can and will occur in any radio link. Once again, consult the link engineer to
determine the original design goals, and compare actual performance to these
expectations to determine if any improvements are necessary or if other problems
may be causing excessive ES.
Unavailable Seconds do not register as ES. In other words, the ES counter
counts all seconds that are errored NOT INCLUDING the seconds that
were classified as unavailable. The total number of seconds with errors or
outages is the sum of ES and Unavailable Seconds.
• Unavailable Seconds (also called UAS) are similar to ES, but this counter keeps track
of every second where the bit error rate equals or exceeds 1x10-3, as well as any
seconds where there is a complete loss of radio communication, over the period since
the last counter reset. If Unavailable Seconds are continuous or at a high rate, this is
normally an indication of poor link performance due to poor RSL or interference, or
severe impact by weather or other environmental factors. However, similar to the
performance factors listed above, Unavailable Seconds can and do occur in any radio
link. Consult the link engineer to determine the original design goals, and compare
actual performance to these expectations to determine if any improvements are
necessary or if other problems may be causing excessive Unavailable Seconds.
• Minimum RSL indicates the worst (lowest) received signal level that occurred since
the last counter reset. It is helpful to know if the RSL dropped significantly from the
normal level, or has reached a level near or below threshold.
• Minimum RSL Timestamp indicates the date and time when the Minimum RSL
occurred. This is helpful for general troubleshooting, and especially comparing to
items in the event log or diagnostic charts from the same time period.
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• Maximum RSL indicates the best (highest) RSL that occurred since the last counter
reset. This indicates the best performance of the radio link, which is normally equal to
the installed value, and is usually the designed value.
• Time Since Reset indicates the amount of time passed since the last counter reset.
This helps to quantify the seriousness of other statistics, such as ES and Unavailable
Seconds, if there have been high numbers of ES and/or Unavailable Seconds over a
relatively short period of time.
Each end of the link statistics on this page can be independently reset using the Reset
Statistics button for the local or remote radio. It is good practice to reset the statistics at
the time that the link is commissioned (after all antenna alignment is complete and stable
RSL at designed levels is achieved, and no more system reboots are anticipated). Make a
habit of viewing this page regularly, make records of the performance, and reset the
statistics so that the counters can more precisely pinpoint issues.
Resetting statistics from one end also resets the statistics for the same
radio at the opposite end. That is, if the Local statistics are reset, logging
into the remote end shows the Remote statistics on that end (which is the
local radio in the first condition) as being reset at the same time.
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Event Log Page
Use this page to review a list of the events logged by the radio. The following items are
listed in the event log:
• Alarms
• Alarms clearing (Normal)
• Radio Reboots
Figure 37 Event Log page
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Every event is tagged with the time that the event occurred, and a severity and type. The
event log also allows filtering to limit the view of the log to the lowest level of desired
information. For example, a filter level of Minor displays Minor, Major, and Critical
severity events.
The log contains the last 200 events. Events are deleted on a FIFO basis, erasing the
oldest entries to make room for the newest entries.
The event log can be cleared and be downloaded from the radio (some models may
require a software upgrade to enable this feature). A screen capture of the browser
window can serve as a useful record.
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Diagnostic Charts Page
Use this page as an aid in troubleshooting. This page illustrates the historical (and
current) performance for three parameters: RSL, Radio Temperature, and BER.
The horizontal scale illustrates 120 points of time measurement and is synchronized on
all three graphs. The scale displays in minutes, hours, or days from the last two hours
(120 minutes), five days (120 hours), or four months (120 days). All information is
stored, so all of these periods are available for short- and long-term performance analysis.
The right side of a graph represents the most recent measurement, and data ‘marches’
from the right-to-left at every interval.
The vertical scale of each chart independently scales to show the maximum resolution
based on the maximum variation of the data over the selected time measurement.
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Figure 38 Diagnostic Charts page
Use the cursor to point to any spot on any of the three charts, and all three charts illustrate
the measurements taken for that time interval in the upper-left corner of each chart. The
time interval is indicated by T=(value). This is followed by the value of the measurement,
listing the highest value, lowest value and average value measured over that time interval.
For example, in Figure 38 the displayed time interval is hours, and the cursor is held at
the T=13 mark on the horizontal axis. The measurements shown indicate performance
from 13 hours ago. The high/low/average values shown on each chart are measurements
made across that specific one-hour interval.
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Changes in RSL often have an impact on BER, and this can be confirmed by looking for
synchronized events. When BER events occur without corresponding changes in RSL,
this normally indicates interference, atmospheric changes, transmission system issues
(such as problems with cables, connectors or antennas), or possibly radio hardware
problems.
It is also useful to help determine if changes in radio temperature are occurring, and if
they are having any impact on RSL or BER. If the radio is mounted in an
environmentally controlled location, this has less relevance. However, temperature
monitoring can be helpful to ensure that the radio is operating within specifications.
Spectrum Analyzer Page
This page is not currently available. A built-in spectrum analyzer will be available in
future releases, and documented.
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Reboot Page
Use this page to reboot the radio. The function may never be required, but can be used in
emergencies. All configurations that require a reboot automatically reboot on
administrator confirmation.
Figure 39 Reboot page
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Manual Page
The manual (this document or the version that matches the installed firmware) is
available within the GUI. Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.5 or higher is required (go to
www.adobe.com to download Acrobat Reader). Click the Manual link and the manual
displays within the browser window. Once the manual displays, click the save button on
the PDF toolbar to download the manual locally.
Figure 40 Manual page
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Troubleshooting
This section provides information regarding troubleshooting of common issues and
alarms on these radios. Exalt Digital Microwave Radio systems are designed by Exalt’s
expert engineers with extensive experience through multiple generations of microwave
radio design. These new-generation systems contain extensive diagnostic tools, alarm
indications, and troubleshooting aids. And, as compared to other systems in their class,
are easier to install, maintain, and troubleshoot. The GUI provides information to aid in
troubleshooting (see Diagnostic Charts Page on page 95).
Contact Exalt Customer Care for further assistance with issues with your Exalt radio and
with suggestions on how the radio and documentation can be improved.
General Practices
Troubleshooting a microwave radio link can be a complex task. Approach
troubleshooting as a process of elimination, and first determine which portions of the
system are operating properly.
In a vast majority of cases, failures or poor performance of microwave links is attributed
to something other than the microwave radio hardware. In this respect, the back-to-back
bench test (see Back-to-back Bench Testing on page 114) is very important to determine
if radio hardware is operating properly and eliminate many variables in the
troubleshooting process.
If a back-to-back bench test fails, then the radio hardware is either broken or the radios
are improperly configured. Upgrade the radio to the most current release of firmware,
and/or reset the radio to its critical factory settings, following the quick start guide
instructions and those in Configuration and Management, helps to confirm if
configuration issues cause failure. The most common issues with microwave radio links
are:
• An improperly terminated RF cable
• Multipath propagation
• RF interference
• Path obstruction
• Misaligned antenna
• Faulty antenna
• Improper grounding
• Insufficient link margin in the design/implementation
• Moisture in the transmission system (antenna feed and/or RF cable)
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If the radio link has been operating without issues and is exhibiting new poor
performance behavior or becomes completely inoperative, the troubleshooting process
should pay close attention to any conditions that may have changed between the time
when the system was working without issue and the time when the issues started.
Also, it can be helpful to compare some performance parameters of the system before and
after the presence of issues. Often the source of the issues can be determined by
thoughtful consideration of changes, such as:
• Changes in weather, including high winds
• Changes made to the radio equipment, transmission system, or connected equipment
• New radio systems or electronic equipment the nearby radio or transmission system
• New construction nearby either end of the link, or along the path
• Tree growth, flooded fields, or changes in rivers/lakes along the path
Verify that configurations are set as follows:
• RF matches at each end of the link
• Bandwidth matches at each end of the link
• Link distance matches at each end of the link
• TDD Frame Length matches at each end of the link
• Endpoint Identifier is different at each end of the link (one end Radio A, one end
Radio B)
• Ethernet interfaces are enabled, as desired
• AUX Ethernet is set for in-band or out-of-band NMS, as desired
• T1/E1 enabling matches at each end of the link
• Link security key matches at each end of the link
Also, use the ExaltCalc tool in the design phase to determine the optimum setting for the
Bandwidth and TDD Frame Length parameters for the given link distance, and provides
guidance to the expected RF link performance, as well as throughput, latency, and
number of supported T1/E1 circuits.
Typical Indications of Issues
In many cases, microwave radio users do not notice changes or degradation to the radio
system until the radio system fails completely or becomes highly errored or significantly
intermittent. However, regular management of the radio system can help indicate changes
in performance that have not yet impacted user performance, but may impact
performance at a later date if left unchecked or unaddressed. The administrator can use
this as an opportunity to be proactive and monitor the radio link performance regularly,
watching for unexplained or unexpected changes in performance and trends in
performance changes.
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Most importantly, monitoring radio system RSL over time indicates the performance of
the radio system. Address any long-term drop in RSL and erratic or unsteady RSL. Some
RSL changes are expected and weather patterns and the related multipath can cause
dramatic RSL changes resulting in system outage. However, that outage should not occur
at a significantly greater rate than the designed long-term performance. Consult the path
design engineer for more information about link reliability expectations and anticipated
RSL deviation.
In addition, regular inspection of the transmission system (RF cables and antennas) and
paying close attention to changes along the path, such as construction or tree height, or
new microwave radio installations nearby, can be extremely helpful and proactive.
When link performance is very poor, alarms on the radio front panel and within the
radio’s management system indicates particular failures. Consult this manual for more
information on the specific alarms and diagnostics, or contact Exalt Customer Care for
assistance.
Exalt Customer Care is primarily motivated to determine if the radio hardware is faulty
and require return for repair, and to help execute an effective and efficient repair and
return process for radio terminals believed to be faulty. However, Exalt Customer Care
provides advice regarding the total radio system and RF path engineering and
environment, and advises on troubleshooting.
End users should first contact the installer and/or designer of the system. In many cases,
an in-depth understanding of RF design is required, and on-site analysis and special test
equipment, may be necessary. Compared to phone support from Exalt Customer Care,
troubleshooting is much more expeditious if the professional installer and/or link
designer examines the system and reviews the management information in the GUI. In
turn, if the professional installer and/or link designer contacts Exalt Customer Care, the
process to rectify the system is much more expedient due to the in-depth knowledge
related to the implementation and the RF environment.
Improper RF Cable Termination
Improper RF cable termination is a very common problem. In many cases, this is a
problem that occurs during installation and is not a problem that suddenly appears.
However, if cables are moved or flexed, especially near the termination points, and radio
errors, changes in RSL, or other performance issues occur, this is a certain sign of this
issue.
Another relatively easy method to test for this condition is to decrease the output power
of the radio system (at each end, one end at a time). A poor RF cable termination may be
reflecting too much RF energy back into the radio system, and reducing output power
reduces the reflected energy at a faster rate than the transmitted energy towards the far
end. Be careful not to reduce the output power to the point where the radio’s threshold is
reached. Typically, a reduction of just 3 to 6dB is enough to determine if this is the issue.
If the reduction of output power clears the error condition, this is the likely cause.
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Use a reflectometer or meter that can read VSWR at the operating frequency to identify
poor terminations as well as poor antenna feeds.
The Praxsym VSWR meter is an excellent tool for this purpose
Multipath Propagation
Multipath propagation is a term that encompasses changes to the RF path, such as
reflections and/or refraction, causing partial or complete destruction of the radio signal,
and thus excessive bit errors and/or system outages.
Rapid changes in temperature, inversion layers, humidity, air pressure, water evaporation,
as well as standing water or moisture on objects along the path are all examples of
changes that can cause multipath propagation. New building construction near either end
of the path or along the path can cause new reflection characteristics.
If your system has been operating without issue and is suddenly experiencing issues that
are symptomatic of a certain time of day or related to change in climatic events or some
of the external factors listed above, this is likely the cause. Consult a professional RF
path engineer in these cases. Often, minor repositioning of the antennas at either or both
ends can reduce or eliminate these problems.
RF Interference
RF interference is usually indicative of another radio system nearby either end of your
radio system or aimed towards one or both ends of your radio system – usually at or near
the same frequency and usually a signal level similar to the level of the signal of your
radio system.
Other forms of RF interference also exist, such as electronic equipment placed close to
the radio chassis or transmitters that couple onto the cabling or grounding system of the
radio. Microwave ovens and wireless communication devices used near the equipment or
cabling are examples of electronic equipment interference.
The EX-2.4i and EX-5i operate in license-exempt bands. Microwave
ovens, wireless Internet devices and cordless phone technology may also
use this frequency band. It may be necessary to separate the radio chassis,
cabling system and antenna from these devices.
RF interference, like most other causes of problems, is indicated by significant bit errors
and/or system outages.
One means to determine presence of interference is the use of a spectrum analyzer that
covers the same range as the radio system. A professional RF engineer can use a
spectrum analyzer to locate sources of interference, measure these sources, and determine
potential remedies to take to operate in the presence of interference.
If a spectrum analyzer is not available, the radio’s RSL port can help determine RSL
levels of interfering signals. By turning the far-end radio off, the residual RSL measured
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by the radio indicates the level of interference seen by the radio. It is possible that
interference levels below that which can be measured still have an impact on the radio
system – especially if the radio system has low fade margin or is using a high order
modulation.
The EX-2.4i and EX-5i families provide considerable flexibility to tune to different
frequencies across the bands within which they operate. This is the easiest method to use
to try to avoid existing interference. In addition, the occupied bandwidth of the radio can
be reduced. This, along with re-tuning, can be very effective, however throughput is
reduced.
Repositioning the antenna and/or changing polarization, or upgrading the antenna to a
higher gain, and/or using a high-performance antenna, are all secondary means that can
be used. It may be necessary to perform combinations of both radio changes (retuning,
occupied bandwidth reduction) and antenna system changes (position, polarization,
upgrade).
The EX-4.9i radio operates under licensed regulations. If interference is suspected, the
local frequency coordination organization, or other users of the spectrum should be
consulted before re-tuning the radio to a different frequency channel.
Path Obstruction
A path obstruction is defined as an object, such as a building or tree, impeding the proper
path of the radio system. If the system design was proper at the time of installation and
issues arise at a later date, an updated path profile and survey may be necessary to
identify changes in path clearance.
Misaligned Antenna
At the time of initial installation, it is critical that the antennas at each end are properly
aligned and that the designed RSL is achieved. However, antennas may become
misaligned due to high winds, changes in the guy-wiring systems keeping the antenna
mast stable, or loosening of the antenna mounting hardware. A reduction in the RSL of
the link is symptomatic of this condition, but this condition is not the only condition that
results in a reduction of RSL. However, if conditions occur where the antenna alignment
may be suspected, the mechanics must be inspected and the antennas realigned.
Faulty Antenna
A faulty antenna is rare, but is still a possibility. In some cases, the mechanics of the
antenna feed can get moisture inside, or a bad or weak connection in the pin and
connector structure of the antenna may occur. A VSWR measurement of the antenna
connection can be made to verify this condition.
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Improper Grounding
In addition to being a potential human safety issue, improper system grounding is a
somewhat common condition that can cause continuous bit errors or bit errors when
metal objects come in contact with the radio, transmission system, or racking system. If
touching the radio causes errors, grounding is the cause. It can be difficult to identify
grounding problems, but a professional electrician can normally inspect a system and
identify if there are deficiencies in the grounding system.
Insufficient Link Margin
Ideally, the link was designed with enough link margin (fade margin) to allow for
multipath propagation and atmospheric fading and still remain reliable. In some cases,
link margin is compromised by economic factors, such as using low-cost RF cabling or
lower-cost antennas that have less gain or deficient performance compared to higher cost
transmission system components. In some cases, there may be antenna size restrictions
that forced the design to not have the desired amount of link margin.
If the link was designed with poor link margin, there are likely many cases of bit errors
and outages. The antenna system and transmission line can be upgraded to help reduce
this. If the link design was installed with sufficient margin, but RSL is reduced, the
remaining link margin may no longer be enough to maintain a reliable link. The causes of
RSL reduction were previously described, but are usually due to new path obstruction(s)
or antenna misalignment due to wind or mechanical factors. The antenna height or
location can be changed to overcome new obstructions. Realignment of the antenna,
and/or improvement to mechanical structures can help overcome antenna misalignment.
Moisture in the Transmission System
If the connectors on cables and antennas and egress junctions are not properly
weatherproofed, moisture can get into the transmission system and cause significant error
conditions and erratic performance. In many cases, the transmission system must be
replaced. A VSWR meter is one means to identify such issues. Physical inspection can be
helpful, and if changes to the weatherproofing occur (such as cracks), the
weatherproofing must be replaced before it leaks.
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Specifications
This section presents specifications for the i-Series of Digital Microwave Radios.
Physical Specifications
Physical Configuration Single-piece Indoor Unit (IDU)
Dimensions (HxWxD), (std models) 1RU: 1.75" x 17" x 14"/ 4.5 x 43.2 x 35.6 cm
Dimensions (HxWxD), (-16 models) 1.5RU: 2.63" x 17" x 14"/ 6.7 x 43.2 x 35.6 cm
Weight (std models) 11.3 lbs/5.1 kg
Weight (-16 models) 12 lbs/5.5kg
Operating Temperature -13° +149°F /-25° to +65°C
Altitude 15,000'/4.6 km
Humidity 95% non-condensing
Common System Specifications
Tuning Resolution 1MHz (5MHz for EX-4.9i)
Power Control Resolution 0.5dB
Selectable Modulation Modes Mode 1 (QPSK); Mode 2 (16QAM)
Selectable Frame Lengths (ms) 0.5, 1, 2, 2.5, 4, 5
Maximum Aggregate User
Capacity
Error Floor 10-12
Frequency Stability +7 ppm
Link Security 96-bit Security Code
*Not all Bandwidth and Mode combinations are available on all radio models, and some
may require specific software license keys, which may be purchased from an authorized
Exalt representative.
Mbps Mode 1 Mode 2
8 / 10 MHz 13 27
16 / 20 MHz* 27 54
64MHz* 110 216
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EX-2.4i System Specifications
Frequency Band 2400 to 2483.5MHz
Tunable Range 2406 to 2468MHz
Output Power (at full power) +27dBm (0.5W), Mode 1
+24dBm (0.25W), Mode 2
Output Power (at minimum power) +7dBm
Selectable Channel Bandwidths 8MHz, 16MHz, 32MHz, 64MHz*
Receiver Threshold (BER=10-6)
Maximum RSL Mode 1: -25dBm error-free; 0dBm no damage
Non-overlapping channels 8MHz: 8; 16MHz: 4; 32MHz: 2; 64*: 1
Regulatory Compliance FCC 15.247; IC RSS-210
FCC ID TTM-102P40I
IC ID 6254A-102P40I
Emission Designator(s)
* For the EX-2.4i, a firmware option is required to enable 64MHz BW. For the EX-2.4i-
16, 64MHz BW is enabled when the 16xT1/E1 license key is enabled.
dBm Mode 1 Mode 2
8MHz -88 -80
16MHz -85 -77
32MHz -82 -74
64MHz* -79 -71
dBm Mode 1 Mode 2
8MHz 10M2W7D 9M9W7D
16MHz 17M3W7D 19M0W7D
32MHz 34M7W7D 36M0W7D
64MHz* 60M7W7D 61M3W7D
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EX-4.9i System Specifications
Frequency Band 4940 to 4990 MHz
Tunable Range 4945 to 4985 MHz
Output Power (at full power, Mode 1) +24dBm (20MHz BW)
+22dBm (10MHz BW)
Output Power (at minimum power) +4dBm
Selectable Channel Bandwidths 10MHz, 20MHz
Receiver Threshold (BER=10-6)
Maximum RSL Mode 1: -25dBm error-free; 0dBm no
damage
Non-overlapping channels 10MHz: 5; 20MHz: 2
Regulatory Compliance FCC Part 90; IC RSS-211
FCC ID TTM-104P90I
IC ID 6254A-104P90I
Emission Designator(s)
*For the EX-4.9i, firmware options are required to enable Mode 2/20MHz BW.
dBm Mode 1 Mode 2
10MHz -86 -78
20MHz -83 -75*
10MHz 10M9W7D
20MHz 21M8W7D
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EX-5i System Specifications, 5.3GHz Band
Frequency Band 5250 to 5350 MHz
Tunable Range 5260 to 5332 MHz
Output Power (at full power) +13dBm (0.02W)
Output Power (at minimum power) -7dBm
Selectable Channel Bandwidths 8MHz, 16MHz, 32MHz, 64MHz*
Receiver Threshold (BER=10-6)
Maximum RSL Mode 1: -25dBm error-free; 0dBm no damage
Non-overlapping channels 8MHz: 10; 16MHz: 5; 32MHz: 2; 64MHz*: 1
Regulatory Compliance FCC 15.407; IC RSS-210
FCC ID TTM-105P25I
IC ID 6254A-105P25I
Emission Designator(s)
*For the EX-5i, a firmware option is required to enable 64MHz BW. For the EX-5i-16,
64MHz BW is enabled when the 16xT1/E1 license key is enabled.
dBm Mode 1 Mode 2
8MHz -86 -78
16MHz -83 -75
32MHz -80 -72
64MHz* -77 -69
8MHz 8M7W7D
16MHz 17M2W7D
32MHz 34M5W7D
64MHz* 67M9W7D
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EX-5i System Specifications, 5.4GHz Band
Presently this band is not enabled. This band will be enabled through a
free software upgrade on regulatory approval.
Frequency Band 5470 to 5725 MHz
Tunable Range 5488 to 5715 MHz
Output Power (at full power) +13dBm (0.02W)
Output Power (at minimum power) -7dBm
Selectable Channel Bandwidths 8MHz, 16MHz, 32MHz*, 64MHz*
Receiver Threshold (BER=10-6)
Maximum RSL Mode 1: -25dBm error-free; 0dBm no damage
Non-overlapping channels 8MHz: 29; 16MHz: 14; 32MHz: 7; 64MHz*: 3
Regulatory Compliance FCC 15.407; IC RSS-210
FCC ID TTM-105P25I
IC ID 6254A-105P25I
Emission Designator(s)
* For the EX-5i, a firmware option is required to enable 64MHz BW. For the EX-5i-16,
64MHz BW is enabled when the 16xT1/E1 license key is enabled.
dBm Mode 1 Mode 2
8MHz -86 -78
16MHz -83 -75
32MHz -80 -72
64MHz* -77 -69
8MHz 8M7W7D
16MHz 17M2W7D
32MHz 34M5W7D
64MHz* 67M9W7D
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EX-5i System Specifications, 5.8GHz Band
Frequency Band 5725 to 5850 MHz
Tunable Range 5731 to 5844 MHz
Output Power (at full power) +24dBm (0.25W), Mode 1
+21dBm (0.13W), Mode 2
Output Power (at minimum power) +4dBm
Selectable Channel Bandwidths 8MHz, 16MHz, 32MHz*, 64MHz*
Receiver Threshold (BER=10-6)
Maximum RSL Mode 1: -25dBm error-free; 0dBm no damage
Non-overlapping channels 8MHz: 15; 16MHz: 7; 32MHz: 3; 64MHz*: 1
Regulatory Compliance FCC 15.247; IC RSS-210
FCC ID TTM-105P25I
IC ID 6254A-105P25I
Emission Designator(s)
* For the EX-5i, a firmware option is required to enable 64MHz BW. For the EX-5i-16,
64MHz BW is enabled when the 16xT1/E1 license key is enabled.
(dBm) Mode 1 Mode 2
8MHz -86 -78
16MHz -83 -75
32MHz -80 -72
64MHz* -77 -69
8MHz 9M1W7D
16MHz 16M5W7D
32MHz 31M8W7D
64MHz* 61M6W7D
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Interfaces
RF
Connector N-type female
Impedance 50 Ohms
T1/E1 (x4 or x16)
Connector RJ-45 (RJ48C), female
T1 Impedance 100 Ohms, balanced
T1 Line Codes AMI, B8ZS, selectable
T1 LBO Settings (in ft.) 0-133, 133-266, 266-399, 399-533, 533-655
T1 Clocking Speed 1.544 Mbps
T1 Compliance ANSI T1.102-1987; ITU-T; G.823; GR-49T-CORE
E1 Impedance 120 Ohms, balanced
E1 Line Codes HDB3
E1 Clocking Speed 2.048 Mbps
E1 Compliance CEPT-1; G.703; ITU-T-G703
Ethernet (x2)
Connectors RJ-45, female, auto-MDIX
Interface Speed 10 or 100 Mbps
Duplex Half, full, auto, selectable
Compliance 802.3
Console (Serial)
Connector 9-pin sub-D, female
Interface Speed 9600 bps
Compliance EIA-574 DTE (RS-232)
Alarm
Connector 9-pin sub-D, female
Inputs (2) TTL/Closure
Outputs (2) Relay (Form C)
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Sync (In and Out)
Connector RJ45, female
Signal 1 pps (GPS)
Power
Connector 6-pin barrier strip
Input Voltage (standard models) 20–60VDC
Consumption (standard models) <38.5W (0.8A @ 48V; 1.6A @ 24V)
Input Voltage (-16 models) 20–60VDC
Consumption (-16 models) < 45W (0.9A @ 48V; 1.8A @ 24V)
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Back-to-back Bench Testing
Use back-to-back bench testing to test the radio before installation, pre-configure the
radio and connected equipment before installation, or in the troubleshooting process to
identify if the radio hardware is the source of a system issue. It is a critical process, and
often required or highly desirable for any installation or troubleshooting exercise. This
section describes how to properly configure the radio hardware and accessories for a
proper back-to-back bench test.
For radio testing, there are two types of back-to-back configurations:
1. Basic test (test general operation)
2. Specification performance verification
Basic Test
The basic test is a simple test of radio functionality. It verifies that the radios are properly
configured to communicate to one another, and verifies general radio performance as
operational.
For the basic test, the following items are needed:
• Radio pair
• Powering source
• RF interconnect cable(s) (any length – short is best)
• Fixed or variable attenuation, between 60 and 90dB (note: attenuation for basic test
does not to be calibrated or precise)
• Computer/terminal with either serial or Ethernet port (helpful, but not necessary)
¶ If no computer is available, use the temporary hardware configuration key or DIP
switch, depending on radio model (see Radio A/B Configuration on page 34)
Connect the items as follows:
1. Connect attenuation and (known-good) RF cable(s) between radio pair, shown in
Figure 41.
2. Configure one radio as Radio A; the other as Radio B
3. Power on radio pair
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Figure 41 Basic back-to-back bench test configuration
After connecting and powering on, observe the front panel LEDs to verify that the LINK
and STATUS LEDs are green. If so, the radios are communicating and all radio-related
alarm conditions are normal.
It can be beneficial to have a computer to verify configuration in case of red LEDs or to
pre-configure the radio as desired for operation. Follow the instructions in Configuration
and Management.
Specification Performance Verification
The specification performance verification is a more detailed test that allows you to
verify that the radio’s output power and threshold specifications are being met. This is
typically a test that would only be performed in a troubleshooting scenario, but can be
performed before installation to provide a detailed record or ensure radio performance
before installation.
This test is identical to the basic test, but in place of the fixed attenuation, it requires the
use of calibrated variable attenuation, or a set of calibrated fixed attenuators, or a
combination of both, adding to a total attenuation value of 120dB, as measured at the
operating frequency of the radio. In addition, a volt meter or computer is also required.
Connect the system as shown in Figure 41, using the combination of fixed and variable
attenuation between the radio’s RF ports. Connect the volt meter to either radio’s RSL
test point and associated reference ground connection.
In this test, it is desirable to use pre-tested RF cables, known to be good, and the insertion
loss is known at the operating frequency. If the cables are short (6'/2m or less), you can
estimate the loss, including connectors, to be less than 1dB each. The estimate of cable
loss is critical to the overall confidence of the measurements made in this test.
There are two critical specifications that can be tested in this configuration:
1. RF output power
2. Radio receiver threshold
To measure transmitter output power, simply insert any value of attenuation between the
radios between 60 and 90dB. Ensure that both RF output power settings are at maximum.
RADIO B RADIO A
ATTENUATION
(60-90DB)
RF PORTS
POWER
(CONNECT LAST) POWER
(CONNECT LAST) COMPUTER
CONSOLE PORT
SERIAL PORT
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Use the volt meter to measure RSL in both directions. The RSL measured value should
match the appropriate value according to the inserted attenuation, such as:
RSL = RF Output Power – cabling losses – total attenuation
Verify output power by adjusting output power using the Exalt GUI (in administration
mode) and evaluate the corresponding change to the RSL measurement.
For threshold testing, the key is to insert a measured amount of loss that is close to, but
not exceeding the radio’s specified system gain. System gain is the difference between
RF output power and receiver threshold. At your selected modulation and bandwidth
settings, determine the specified threshold performance, and choose a value of
attenuation (including cable losses) that adds to roughly 5 to 15dB less than the system
gain.
For example, for the EX-2.4i, if the threshold for your measurement is -85dBm, the
output power is +27dBm, so the system gain is 112dB. Choose a value of total
attenuation in the range of roughly 100–105dB. Once this attenuation is inserted, verify
RSL readings as in the first step, and then, using the GUI, reduce radio output power in
1dB steps until the receiving radio (the one whose output power not being adjusted) Link
LED turns from green to yellow. This indicates that threshold has been reached. At this
point, verify the equation for system gain using the new output power level setting and
verify that the threshold performance is meeting or exceeding the published specification.
Due to the variation of measurements and accuracies involved in this test,
you may read a measurement that is 1dB to as much as 2dB off of the
expected value. It should be of no concern unless the value is more than
3dB worse than expected.
Once threshold is verified in this direction, repeat the process in the opposite direction by
adjusting RF output power of the radio at the opposite end. Return the first radio to its
original power setting before adjusting the second radio.
Perform threshold measurement tests for all combinations of bandwidth and mode
(modulation) being used–especially when troubleshooting. It should not be necessary to
vary center frequency, as this does not have any appreciable impact on system gain
performance, however, try any setting combination to gain confidence in the radio
performance parameters.
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DC Coupler for Antenna Alignment
One challenge associated with an all-indoor radio construction is the alignment of the
antennas. It can sometimes be challenging to place the radio near the antenna alignment
personnel, and can also be challenging to run a separate set of wires for the voltmeter to
be in view of the alignment personnel. If any of the conventional methods mentioned in
the manual are difficult to achieve, one of the simplest methods to use is to employ the
use of a DC coupling system as a temporary test configuration exclusively for the
purpose of aligning the antennas.
This type of system simply couples the DC voltage associated with RSL measurement at
the radio location, over the RF transmission line, up to the antenna port.
Remove all DC-blocked lightning arrestors in the transmission
system prior to applying the DC coupler system. Failure to do so
can result in electric shock and/or damage to the lightning arrestors
and/or other equipment.
Required Items
The following items are needed for the DC coupling system, per radio end (double the
quantities of these items for a complete link for simultaneous use at both ends):
• 2ea DC couplers: mini-circuits ZNBT-60-1W
• 1ea BNC male-male extension cable: Pomona 2249
• 1ea BNC female-to-mini Bantam (stackable Pin-tip plugs): Pomona 3221
• 1ea BNC female-to-banana male: Pomona 5268*
• 1ea digital volt meter
*This type of plug is typical for most professional hand-held digital volt meters (DVMs).
However, verify that your DVM can accept this type of Bantam connector. If not, a
different part number or adapter may be required to connect to the DVM.
Interconnections
Connect the items as shown in Figure 42. For the coupler installation, ensure that the DC
side of the coupler is facing away from the radio and away from the antenna – towards
the RF transmission line system. Using the BNC adapters and cables, attach the radio end
DC coupler to the RSL port on the radio, and the antenna end DC coupler to the DVM
that the antenna alignment personnel will use.
The DC voltage from the RSL port is now coupled to the transmission line system
between the radio and the antenna, and is available at the antenna location. This allows
the antenna alignment personnel to view the DVM output directly while adjusting the
antenna.
!
CAUTION
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Figure 42 DC coupler interconnection
After completing antenna alignment, remove the DC couplers and
associated wiring at both radio and antenna ends.
JUMPER CABLE OR ADAPTER (IN PLACE OF LIGHTNING ARRESTOR)
PRIMARY TRANSMISSION
LINE
A
NTENN
A
SECONDARY TRANSMISSION
LINE
RADIO
STRUCTURE PENETRATION
POWER/DATA/INTERFACES
COUPLER
(DC SIDE TOWARD RADIO)
COUPLER
(DC SIDE TOWARD ANTENNA) TO RSL PORT
DVM
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Interface Connections
This section provides the pin number assignment and wiring information for the
connectors on the i-Series radios. All connectors are shown as viewed from the radio
front panel.
T1/E1 Connections
There are two orientations of T1/E1 connections. Depending on model, some channels
have the securing tab towards the top of the connector, and others have the securing tab
towards the bottom of the connector. Figure 43 illustrates the pin orientation and
functionality of these connectors.
Figure 43 T1/E1 connectors
Pin Function
1 Tip Out (from radio)
2 Ring Out (from radio)
3 Ground
4 Tip In (to radio)
5 Ring In (to radio)
6 Ground
7 Unused
8 Unused
8 1
8
1
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Ethernet Connections
There are two orientations of Ethernet connections. AUX has the securing tab towards the
top of the connector while MAIN has the securing tab towards the bottom of the
connector. Figure 44 illustrates the pin orientation and functionality of these connectors.
Figure 44 Ethernet connectors (MAIN and AUX)
The Ethernet connections implement Auto-MDIX, and therefore either ‘straight’ or
‘crossover’ Ethernet cables can be used, independent of the wiring of the connected
device.
Depending on the settings of in-band or out-of-band NMS, both the MAIN and AUX
ports can access the far-end radio (if in-band) or not (out-of-band). In the case of out-of-
band setting, only the AUX port can access the GUI, while only the MAIN port carries
Ethernet traffic across the link.
Pin Function
1 Paired with Pin 2
2 Paired with Pin 1
3 Paired with Pin 6
4 Unused
5 Unused
6 Paired with Pin 3
7 Unused
8 Unused
8 1
8
1
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Sync Connections
There are two sync connectors: Sync In and Sync Out. The Sync In connector is normally
connected to a (custom) GPS antenna system, or to the Sync Out connector of a
collocated radio.
Figure 45 Sync In connector
Figure 46 Sync Out connector
For internal sync, pins 2 and 6 are the only required connections. Connect these pins
using a straight cable. A straight cable can be used for all pin connections.
For GPS connections, the interconnection cable between radios must cross over pins 3
and 5, with all other pins wired straight through.
All configurations do not require connections on pins 4, 7, and 8.
Pin Function
1 +5V Power Out (to GPS antenna)
2 Ground
3 Tx Data (to GPS antenna)
4 Enable (to GPS antenna)
5 Rx Data (from GPS antenna)
6 1 pps Timing Signal (from GPS antenna)
7 Unused
8 Unused
Pin Function
1 +5V Power In (from connected radio)
2 Ground
3 Tx Data (to connected radio)
4 Unused
5 Rx Data (from connected radio)
6 1 pps Timing Signal (to connected radio)
7 Unused
8 Unused
8
1
8 1
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Alarm Connector
The Alarm connector provides two alarm outputs that can be connected to external alarm
collection equipment. The connector also allows connection of up to two external alarm
sources, where the radio will report the status of these connections through the radio
network management. Output alarm connections are ‘Form C’ style connections,
performing alarm logic based on either Normally Opened (NO) or Normally Closed (NC)
connections compared to a Common (C) pin. Input alarm connections can be TTL logic
or NO/NC style relay closures.
Figure 47 Alarm Connector
Alarm Output 1 is in alarm any time that there is a traffic-impacting alarm condition
(Major). Alarm Output 2 is in alarm any time that there is an alarm that is not traffic-
impacting (Minor).
The administrator can set the polarity of the alarm inputs.
Pin Function
1 Alarm Output 1 - NO
2 Alarm Output 1 - NC
3 Ground (for Alarm Inputs)
4 Alarm Output 2 – NO
5 Alarm Output 2 – NC
6 Alarm Output 1 – Common
7 Alarm Input 1
8 Alarm Input 2
9 Alarm Output 2 – Common
5432
1
9 8 7 6
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Console Connector
The Console connector provides a serial interface for the Command Line Interface (CLI)
functions. Typically, a straight-through serial cable is used between a computer’s serial
port and the Console connector.
Figure 48 Console Connector
DC Power Connector
The nominal voltage input of the DC connector is 24V or 48V.
Figure 49 DC Power connector
Pin Function
1 Unused
2 Tx (from radio)
3 Rx (into radio)
4 Unused
5 Ground
6 Unused
7 Unused
8 Unused
9 Unused
Pin Function
1 Power Return (-)
2 Ground
3 Power (+)
4 Power (+)
5 Ground
6 Power Return (-)
5 4 3 2 1
9 8 7 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
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DIP Switch Settings (-16 Models Only)
The ‘-16’ models incorporate a front panel DIP switch. Use the DIP switch for
emergency configuration or restoration for installations where there is no computer
available for complete radio configuration. Only use the DIP switch for temporary
purposes, for the purpose of a bench test or antenna alignment. Use the Exalt GUI for
complete system configuration, as required before final system deployment.
The DIP switch is only read when the critical factory reset procedure is implemented (see
Radio A/B Configuration on page 34 and Reset to Critical Factory Settings on page 52).
That is, when the RMT button is pressed and held during power up, and held through the
boot cycle (approximately 45 seconds, until LED behavior stabilizes). If changes are
made while the radio is already powered or when power is not applied, the changes are
not executed until a reset is executed.
Figure 50 depicts DIP switch positions 1 through 8, left to right, when facing the front
panel. Also, the switch is considered in the ‘One’ position when it is toggled upward, and
in the ‘Zero’ position when it is toggled downward (default).
Figure 50 DIP Switch Orientation
Table 10 describes the function of each switch when placed in either position.
Table 10 DIP Switch Functions
Switch 0 (DOWN) 1 (UP)
Position 1 Ignore all DIP switch
positions If RMT button is held during boot cycle (reset to
critical factory defaults procedure), reset to factory
defaults, except IP address and password information,
and make changes as described in this table.
Position 2 Radio B Radio A
Position 3* TDM circuits = T1 TDM circuits = E1
Position 4 Standard factory defaults Standard factory defaults, except <50miles link
distance and full transmit power.
Positions 5–8 Unused Unused
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 (UP)
0 (DOWN)
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Table 11 provides the standard factory defaults for the ‘-16’ models.
Table 11 Standard Factory Defaults (-16 Models)
Parameter EX-2.4i-16 EX-5i-16
Frequency 2441 MHz 5788 MHz
Transmit Power +7 dBm +4dBm
Link Distance <10 miles
Bandwidth 8 MHz
Mode Mode 1
TDD Frame Size 2ms
Ethernet Interfaces Enabled, 100/Full
AUX port NMS Access In-Band
T1/E1 Settings All Enabled, T1, B8ZS, AIS
There are several scenarios for using the DIP switches. Table 12 describes common
configurations and related applications.
Table 12 Common DIP Switch Applications
Application Switch Positions Comments
Reset all critical factory defaults 0xxxxxxx If the IP address and/or passwords are
forgotten or lost, use this setting and execute
the critical reset procedure (RMT button held
through boot cycle).
Reset complete factory defaults
except for IP information and
passwords
1x00xxxx If the IP address and/or passwords are already
reset or are known but the configuration of the
radio parameters is unknown, use this setting
to restore all parameters to factory defaults.
Execute the critical reset procedure with these
settings. If trying to establish a link, configure
one radio as Radio A, the other as Radio B
using position 2.
Configure the radio as Radio A
while resetting. 11xxxxxx Choose the desired reset function using
position 4. Reset one radio as Radio A with
position 2 up, so that a link can be established.
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Change TDM interfaces to E1 1x1xxxxx Choose the desired reset function using
position 4. Reset both radios with position 3
up to configure E1 at each end. One radio
must be Radio B, and the other Radio A (using
position 2).
Configure for ideal antenna
alignment configuration 1xx1xxxx Reset the radio with position 4 up to configure
for the best setting to optimize antenna
alignment. One radio must be configured as
Radio A, the other as Radio B (using position
2).
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Copyright Notices
This section present copyright notices for third-party software licensed to Exalt
Communications, Inc.
Net-SNMP
The following copyright notice applies to the open-source licensing agreement for
Net-SNMP.
Copyright 1989, 1991, 1992 by Carnegie Mellon University
Derivative Work - 1996, 1998-2000
Copyright 1996, 1998-2000 The Regents of the University of California
All Rights Reserved
Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its documentation for
any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice
appears in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear
in supporting documentation, and that the name of CMU and The Regents of the
University of California not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution
of the software without specific written permission.
CMU AND THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DISCLAIM
ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT
SHALL CMU OR THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE
LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE LOSS OF USE, DATA
OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
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Network Associates Technology, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2001-2003, Networks Associates Technology, Inc
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of the Networks Associates Technology, Inc nor the names of its
contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR
CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Cambridge Broadband, Ltd.
Portions of this code are copyright (c) 2001-2003, Cambridge Broadband Ltd.
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* The name of Cambridge Broadband Ltd. may not be used to endorse or promote
products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER ``AS IS'' AND
ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
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TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara,
California 95054, U.S.A. All rights reserved.
Use is subject to license terms below.
This distribution may include materials developed by third parties.
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of the Sun Microsystems, Inc. nor the names of its contributors may
be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior
written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR
CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
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Sparta, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2003-2005, Sparta, Inc
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of Sparta, Inc nor the names of its contributors may be used to
endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written
permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR
CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Cisco, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2004, Cisco, Inc and Information Network
Center of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of Cisco, Inc, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications,
nor the names of their contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
from this software without specific prior written permission.
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THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR
CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Fabasoft R&D Software GmbH & Co.
Copyright (c) Fabasoft R&D Software GmbH & Co KG, 2003
oss@fabasoft.com
Author: Bernhard Penz
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
provided with the distribution.
* The name of Fabasoft R&D Software GmbH & Co KG or any of its subsidiaries, brand
or product names may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
software without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER ``AS IS'' AND
ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
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Index
A
AC adapter, 49, 50
accessory kit contents, 27
Administration Settings page, 72
administrator privileges, 66
AIS enabling/disabling, 79
alarm conditions, 69
Alarm connector, 122
alarms, 78, 88, 93, 112
clearing, 93
Internal Fan, 88
Temperature, 89
Alarms page, 88
AMI, 79
antennas
alignment, 60, 104
EX-2.4i
Canada, 4
US, 53
EX-5i
Canada, 5
US, 54
mounting, 22, 55
indoor, 58
mounting height, 25
polarization orientation, 25
site preparation considerations, 25
system grounding, 25
transmission line, 56
troubleshooting, 104
AUTO SYNC mode, 37
B
B8ZS, 79
back-to-back bench test, 28, 114
back-to-back bench test configuration, 115
bandwidth, 23, 25
Bandwidth parameter, 75, 85
battery source, 49
BER, 95
browsers, 64
C
cables
Ethernet (CAT5), 28
RF, 23, 25
T1/E1, 28
troubleshooting
improper RF cable termination, 102
carrier-to-interference tolerance, 25
center frequency, 28
center frequency tuning, 23
channel bandwidth, 23
CLI, 62
main menu, 63
menu options, 63
clock, 40
configuration file, 83
connectors
40-60VDC, 46
Alarm, 122
alarms, 46
antenna, 46
console, 46
CONSOLE, 62, 123
DC, 52
DC Power, 123
Ethernet, 46, 120
ETHERNET MAIN/AUX, 78
front panel, 45
Ground (GND), 46
out-of-band, 78
RSL, 46
Sync, 46
Sync (In/Out), 121
T1/E1, 46, 119
Console connector, 123
console interface, 112
CONSOLE port, 65
contact information, 19
Current BER field, 90
Current RSL field, 91
D
data communication interface, 23
date and time, 72
DC connector, 52
DC coupler, 61, 117
DC Power connector, 123
DC power source, 49
Diagnostic Charts page, 95
dimensions, 106
DIP switch, 36
DIP switch (-16 models only), 26, 64, 124
documentation, related, 19
duplex
100/full-duplex, 78
duplex settings, 78
E
E1 channels, 80
E1 Interface Configuration page, 80
effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), 29
encryption, 23
Endpoint Identifier, 68, 76, 85
Errored Seconds (ES) field, 91
Ethernet, 25
ETHERNET AUX port, 65
Ethernet configuration parameters, 85
Ethernet connectors, 120
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Ethernet interface, 112
throughput settings, 79
Ethernet Interface Configuration page, 78
ETHERNET MAIN/AUX LED, 47
Event Log page, 93
ExaltCalc tool, 33, 101
External Alarm Inputs parameter, 77
external GPS source, 38
external loopback modes, 81
F
factory default settings, 52, 84
fade margin, 25, 105
features, 20, 23
File Activation page, 83, 86
File Transfer page, 83
file transfers, 83
files
activating stored, 86
default configuration file, 84
frame length. See TDD frame
frequency
center, 26
G
gateway (default), 85
Global Positioning System (GPS) kit, 36
GPS sync features, 34
grounding, 105
GUI
Administration Settings page, 72
Alarms page, 88
browsers supported, 64
description, 64
Diagnostic Charts page, 95
E1 Interface Configuration page, 80
Ethernet Interface Configuration page, 78
Event Log page, 93
File Activation page, 83, 86
File Transfer page, 83
IP address (default), 64
log in, 65
login privileges, 66
navigation panel, 68, 70
Performance page, 90
Radio A configuration, 64
Radio Information page, 71
Reboot page, 98
Spectrum Analyzer page, 97
summary status information, 69
System Configuration page, 74
T1 Interface Configuration page, 79
T1/E1 Configuration page, 79
H
hop, 27
hub, 38
I
interfaces
alarm, 112
Ethernet, 112
power, 113
RF, 112
serial console, 112
Sync (In/Out), 113
T1/E1, 112
interference, 91
interference profile, 25
Internal Fan alarm, 88
IP address, 85
IP address conflicts, 65
IP address subnet, 65
IP settings, 28
IP subnet, 62
IP subnet mask, 85
L
latency optimization, 23
LED indicators
ETHERNET MAIN/AUX, 47
LINK, 47
RADIO A, 47
RMT, 48
STATUS, 47
SYNC IN, 48
SYNC OUT, 48
system status (rear panel), 48
T1/E1, 48
License Key, 73
lightning arrestor, 25
lightning arrestors, 59
Line Build Out (LBO), 79
Line Code, 79
link, 25
orientation, 34
RF link testing, 28
synchronization, 34
Link Distance parameter, 77, 85
LINK LED, 47, 69
link margin, 105
Link Name parameter, 85
link parameters, 68
Link Security Key, 72
Link Security Key parameter, 85
login names, 66
login privileges, 66
loopback, 79, 80, 81
external (local), 81
external (remote), 81
internal, 81
M
master timing, 37
Maximum RSL field, 92
MIB files, 83
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Minimum RSL field, 91
Minimum RSL Timestamp field, 91
Mode parameter, 75
modes
AUTO SYNC, 37
multi-link backbone, 37
multi-link network, 38
multipath, 102
multipath propagation, 103
muting, 78
N
noise profile, 25
O
offset timing, 39
P
passwords, 28, 66, 85
path obstruction, 104
performance degradation, 101
Performance page, 90
ports
SYNC IN, 40
SYNC OUT, 40
power
AC adapter, 50
DC specifications, 51
DC wiring, 51
system LEDs and, 50
power interface, 113
R
rack mounting
hardware, 43
temperature considerations, 43
radio
default settings, 34
grounding, 25, 105
initiation tasks, 41
installation tasks, 41
maximum transmit power setting, 75
mounting, 25, 43
parameters, 28
rebooting, 93, 98
transmitter output power, 25
Radio A, 34
Radio A configuration, 26
RADIO A LED, 47
radio configuration, 26
radio features, 23
radio firmware files, 83
radio frequency
EX-2.4i, 21
EX-5i, 21
Radio Information page, 71
radio mount
enclosure, 22
connections, 23
indoor, 22
connections, 22
Radio Name parameter, 85
Radio Transmit Power parameter, 74
Reboot page, 98
received signal level (RSL). See RSL
receiver threshold, 25
receiver threshold performance, 28
record keeping, 42
regulatory requirements, 29
EX-2.4i (Canada) EIRP, 32
EX-2.4i FCC EIRP, 30
EX-4.9i (Canada) EIRP, 32
EX-4.9i FCC EIRP, 30
EX-5i (Canada) EIRP, 32
EX-5i FCC EIRP, 31
USA, 29
regulatory rquirements
Canada, 31
repeater, 38
RF cable length, 23
RF connector, 59
RF connector termination, 49
RF Frequency parameter, 76, 85
RF interface, 112
RF interference, 103
RF lightning arrestor, 59
RF output power, 29
RMT button, 49
RMT LED, 48
RSL, 29
current RSL readings, 91
diagnostics, 95
Maximum RSL field, 92
Minimum RSL Timestamp field, 91
monitor for performance, 102
RSL voltage, 60
S
security mode, 28
serial connection settings, 62
serial console interface, 112
Set to E1 button, 79
Set to T1 button, 79
shipping box contents, 27
site preparation, 25
SNMP, 87
spanning tree protocol, 78
specifications, 106
Spectrum Analyzer page, 97
STATUS LED, 47
Swap button, 83, 86
Sync (In/Out) connectors, 121
Sync (In/Out) interface, 113
SYNC IN LED, 48
SYNC OUT LED, 48
SYNC RECIPIENT radio, 37
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SYNC SOURCE radios, 37
synchronization, 36
internal, 37
System Configuration page, 74
system latency, 25
system parameters
default settings, 52
system performance, 90
system reboot, 93
system settings
Current BER field, 90, 91
Errored Seconds (ES) field, 91
grounding, 105
Maximum RSL, 92
Minimum RSL field, 91
Time Since Reset field, 92
Unavailable Seconds field, 91
system specifications, 106
system synchronization, 38
T
T1 Interface Configuration page, 79
T1/E1 circuits, 79
T1/E1 Configuration page, 79
T1/E1 configuration parameters, 85
T1/E1 connections, 119
T1/E1 connectors, 119
T1/E1 interfaces, 112
T1/E1 LED, 48
T1/E1 loopback, 81
TDD factors, 33
TDD frame length, 25, 26
TDD frame size, 26
TDD Frame Size parameter, 77, 85
TDM circuit, 25
TDM circuits, 75
TDM interfaces, 34
Telnet connection, 62
temperature, 95, 106
Temperature alarm, 89
temporary hardware configuration key, 26, 35, 64
testing, 114
back-to-back bench, 28
threshold, 116
threshold measurement, 116
threshold measurement tests, 116
threshold testing, 116
time division duplex (TDD). See TDD frame
Time Since Reset, 92
timing
lost signal, 40
master timing, 37
offset timing, 39
using an external GPS source, 38
transmission line
coaxial, 56
egress, 59
transmitter
output power, 28
transmitter output power, 25
troubleshooting, 95, 100
U
Unavailable Seconds (UAS), 91
unfaded error-free performance, 28
Update button, 72
user privileges, 66
V
voltage test, 60
VSWR, 103
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