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Powerwave Introduces Twin 900 MHz Tower Mounted Amplifier

Weighing less than 6 Kg, the solution consists of two full-band TMAs supporting coverage from 880-960 MHz enclosed in one compact housing, to simplify site acquisition, reduce wind load and visual impact

GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009, BARCELONA, Stand #8C115 - Feb. 17, 2009 - Powerwave Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWAV), a global leader in end-to-end wireless coverage and capacity solutions, introduced its new Twin 900 MHz Tower Mounted Amplifier (TMA) today at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009, the mobile industry’s premier event, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 16-18.

The TMA is designed to support customers with 900 GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and W-CDMA (UMTS) networks in the elimination of weak signals in coverage areas, which can lead to dropped calls or poor uplink data rates. It is also ideal for UMTS 900 operators planning to reuse existing feeders for both GSM 900 and UMTS 900 to compensate for combining losses when combining GSM 900 and UMTS 900 on the same feeder.

“Powerwave’s Twin 900 MHz Tower Mounted Amplifier enhances coverage and increases uplink data rates for 2.5G (GSM GPRS, EDGE), 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE) wireless networks, decreasing the needed output power from the handset,” said Khurram P. Sheikh, chief product and development officer, Powerwave Technologies, Inc. “Benefits to wireless operators include improved network coverage and quality, increased data capacity and speed, and extended battery life for handsets. As with all Powerwave TMAs, this latest solution is based on the most field proven TMA design in the industry, with 1.7 million units installed globally since 1994.”

Weighing less than 6 Kg, the new Twin 900 MHz TMA consists of two full-band TMAs supporting coverage from 880-960 MHz enclosed in one compact housing, simplifying site acquisition and reducing wind load and visual impact.

The TMA is available in configurations that offer 12 dB gain and are AISG 2.0 and AISG 1.1 compatible; the AISG 1.1 version is fully field upgradeable to AISG 2.0. The product is also fully compatible with current alarm installations. Powerwave also plans to introduce a 16 dB gain version of its Twin 900 MHz TMA later this year.

W-CDMA (UMTS) in the 900 MHz band is seen as a complementary solution to existing 3G services, enabling operators to provide wireless services, such as high-speed wireless Internet, to rural and urban areas. UMTS in the 900 MHz band provides up to 90KM range, enabling operators to achieve a 60 percent reduction in the number of cell sites required to serve rural areas, and can deliver improved quality of service in urban areas by enhancing in-building

penetration by 25 percent. UMTS 900 MHz is also cost effective, in that it can be deployed by reusing GSM base station sites within an existing service area.

About Powerwave TechnologiesA global leader in end-to-end wireless coverage and capacity solutions, Powerwave Technologies, Inc. offers cutting edge wireless infrastructure to address the demands of enterprise and commercial customers. Powerwave offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, including Antennas, Base Station Solutions and Coverage Solutions. Powerwave’s product line supports all wireless network protocols and frequencies including Next Generation Networks in 4G technology such as WiMAX and LTE. Powerwave solutions, products and services also help wireless operators and OEMs reduce capital and operating expenses, speed rollout of services, improve coverage and capacity, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit us at http://www.powerwave.com/. Powerwave, Powerwave Technologies and the Powerwave logo are registered trademarks of Powerwave Technologies, Inc.

Back to: 2009 Press Releases

© Copyright 2012 Powerwave Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved

RoHS Compliance Environmental Management Legal Note Privacy 1 Application GSM1800 Full band, Dual Duplex, Twin TMA

TY-GSM1800-12-CWA TMA The TYCC TY-GSM1800-12-CWA Twin TMA is a full band Tower Mounted Amplifier (TMA). The

deployment of the small size, weight TMA System will provide enhanced coverage and improved up-link signal quality. Appropriate for new rollouts by optimizing coverage with a reduced number of BTSs or as an upgrade to

existing BTSs for enhancing the existing coverage. Full Band TMA facilitates simplified logistics, especially when the frequency bands are scattered. The unit comprises of high performance filters, dual balanced high linearity low noise amplifiers with circuits for active bias, supervision, alarms and lightning protection circuit. The TYCC TMA design with all active components integrated within the filter body provides an extremely reliable, compact and lightweight TMA solution. The

vented enclosure design is employed to prevent the effect of condensation, thereby guaranteeing long, reliable,

maintenance-free service in all environmental conditions. These TMAs offer an easy to install, maintenance free,

cost effective solution for coverage enhancement and increased quality in mobile communication networks. Figure 1 TY-GSM1800-12-CWA Twin TMA

T ongyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd No. 9- 1, Tor ch Road, Tor ch Hi - Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China T el : +86 (0)760 85318111 Fax: +86 (0) 760 855946 62 Website: www. tycc.cn email : [email protected]

2 Features GSM1800 Full band, Dual Duplex, Twin TMA 2.1 Compact, low weight, Duplex and full GSM1800 band.

2.2 Very low noise figure design contributes much to improve Base Station receiving sensitivity, expanding the

existing coverage. 2.3 Amplify uplink receiving signal level, compensate the RF cable loss and improve weak signal coverage.

2.4 Increase successful call rates, reduce dropped calls, maximize data transmission rate, improve call quality and

therefore extend handset battery life. 2.5 Low down handset RF power output, decrease uplink signal interface and clean the RF environment.

2.6 Fail-safe bypass mode.

2.7 High reliability.

2.8 Lighting protected.

2.9 Ideal for X-Pol systems

2.10 AISG1.1 optional

3 TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS 3.1 RX Channel

Frequency Band 1710~1785MHz Band Width 75MHz Gain 12dB±1 Gain Variation over frequency ±0.6 dB max. Input Intercept Point 12dBm min Noise Figure 1.3dB typ Noise Figure Max, Band edge and temperature 1.5dB max. Return Loss, normal mode, all ports 18dB min. Return Loss, Bypass mode, all ports 14dB min. Maximum Input Power with no damage <12 dBm Insertion Loss, Bypass mode 3.0 dB max. Impedance

50O T ongyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd No. 9- 1, Tor ch Road, Tor ch Hi - Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China T el : +86 (0)760 85318111 Fax: +86 (0) 760 855946 62 Website: www. tycc.cn email : [email protected]

3.2 TX Channel GSM1800 Full band, Dual Duplex, Twin TMA Frequency Band 1805~1880MHz Band Width 75MHz Insertion Loss 0.6 dB typ., 0.80 dB max. Return Loss, all ports 20 dB min Group Delay variation 25 ns max per 200kHz max Continuous Average Power 200 W max. Peak Envelope Power 1.6kW max Intermodulation, 2x 43 dBm Tx Carriers at BTS port

3.3 Power Supply and Alarm -110 dBm max. in RX band DC Supply Voltage via RF cable at BTS port, +10 to +15 V DC supply current, normal mode 125 mA at 12V DC DC supply current, minor alarm mode 200 to 250 mA at 12V DC DC Supply current,major alarm mode 300 to 350 mA at 12V DC

3.4 Environmental Operating Temperature Range -40 to +65ºC Environmental Sealing - Housing IP66 Ventilated Altitude 2,600 m max Enclosure Color Light Grey Enclosure Material Aluminum EMC ETSI EN 301 489-1 Lightning Protection IEC61000-4-5 MTBF >500,000 hours T ongyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd No. 9- 1, Tor ch Road, Tor ch Hi - Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China T el : +86 (0)760 85318111 Fax: +86 (0) 760 855946 62 Website: www. tycc.cn email : [email protected]

3.7 Mechanical

GSM1800 Full band, Dual Duplex, Twin TMA Dimensions 346.3 (H) x 218 (W) x 69 (D) mm Weight 6.5 kg Connectors DIN 7-16 (F) x 4 long shank Mounting Vertical, Pole / Wall T ongyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd No. 9- 1, Tor ch Road, Tor ch Hi - Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China T el : +86 (0)760 85318111 Fax: +86 (0) 760 855946 62 Website: www. tycc.cn email : [email protected]

GSM1800 Full band, Dual Duplex, Twin TMA

3.8 Accessory to be selected Figure 2 TY-GSM1800-12-CWA Dimension TYBT-0822O BiasTee injector

TYBT-0822 Power supply to TMA via RF cable at BTS port Power Distribution Unit (PDU) –40V~60V DC input, +12V DC output, 6ways output plus low current, over current alarm indication.

4 Typical Application Antenna Bypass LNA TX BiseTee ANT RX-in RX-out BiasTee& Surge BTS TX/RX +12V Antenna T ongyu Communication Equipment Co., Ltd No. 9- 1, Tor ch Road, Tor ch Hi - Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China Bypass LNA TX BiseTee ANT RX-in RX-out BiasTee& Surge BTS T el : +86 (0)760 85318111 Fax: +86 (0) 760 855946 62 Website: www. tycc.cn email : [email protected]

PDU TY-GSM1800-12-CWA duplex full band Twin TMA +12V Alarm to BTS TX/RX Figure 3 GSM1800 Duplexer Twin TMA Typical Application Alarm out

Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers (Kaelus white paper)

by Kaelus on May 30, 2012

93 views

The following discussion attempts to simplify the technical issues relevant to improving BTS cell coverage. The aim being to provide a broad yet substantial understanding of the subject for all network...

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Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers (Kaelus white paper) — Document Transcript

1. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 Network Coverage at its best Tower Mounted Amplifiers can help! Table of Contents 1. Overview 1 2. Introduction 2 3. BTS Cell Coverage Fundamentals 2 4. BTS Cell Coverage in Practice 3 5. BTS Receiver Sensitivity 4 6. Site Installation Influence on BTS Sensitivity 4 7. Benefit of Installing a MHA 5 8. TMA Influence on BTS System Parameters 6 9. Choosing the Right TMA 7 1. Overview: As cellular telephone networks continue to expand, operators keep finding cost effective ways to improve network performance. Improvements that provide increased capacity and better coverage. Achieving maximum coverage is often as easy as boosting the uplink signal from the network users cell phone, at the BTS (base station), and should not be confused with increasing the possible coverage from a site by boosting the downlink as well (increasing the link budget). Appropriately installed low noise amplifiers (LNA)s in the BTS uplink (receive channel) will significantly improve receiver system sensitivity when installed as close as possible to the receive antenna (particularly where cable losses are significant). LNAs located in this way are referred to as Tower Mounted Amplifiers (TMA). This paper provides a generalized overview of BTS receiver system sensitivity, and the benefits of installing a quality TMA.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |1|www.kaelus.com

2. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 2. Introduction: The following discussion attempts to simplify the technical issues relevant to improving BTS cell coverage. The aim being to provide a broad yet substantial understanding of the subject for all network stakeholders. The issues dealt with include: • BTS cell coverage fundamentals • BTS cell coverage in practice • BTS

Receiver sensitivity • Site installation influence on BTS sensitivity • Benefit of installing a TMA • TMA influence on BTS system parameters • Choosing the right TMA 3. BTS Cell Coverage Fundamentals: The two primary components of any cell are the operators BTS installation and the customer handset or cell phone. These two items must be able to communicate with each other. Installed at a fixed location, the BTS is the major component of the cell. While there are many geographic and environmental issues to be considered, this is where all network coverage improvements are to be made. The customer’s cell phone is powered from a battery, it has low transmit (TX) power and a small antenna, and is therefore often the weak link in the communications chain. The amount of “talk time” available is a function of the rate that stored power is consumed from the battery. The less power that the cell phone needs to output the longer the battery will last. TX power from the handset is controlled by a command from the BTS. Here the quality of the received (RX) signal from the cell phone is continually monitored. The result is a bit error rate (BER) value which the BTS attempts to minimize by instructing the cell phone to increase its TX power.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |2|www.kaelus.com

3. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 Generally, a BTS installation will support a number of cells or sectors from a common antenna tower. Each of these sectors has a theoretical foot print within which cell phones will operate. This is the BTS coverage referred to in this paper. BTS equipment is designed to have enough TX power for its signals to reach the outer limits of a cell and matching Rx sensitivity to detect signals from cell phones transmitting at this outer limit. Both are generally measured in dB and are referred to as the link budgets. The signal strength relationship between the BTS downlink (TX) and uplink (BTS RX or cell phone TX) is referred to as the link budget balance. In theory, improving the uplink sensitivity (budget) should be matched by the same improvement to the down link Tx power in order to maintain link balance. 4. BTS Cell Coverage in Practice: Cell coverage is also a function of the gain and positioning of the BTS antenna. Regardless of design choices made while considering these factors, the following remains true. In practice, network operators have found, through field tests, the BTS uplink is the cause of less than expected theoretical coverage. The BTS downlink signal strength at the outer limit of a cell is generally well within specification but the received signal from the cell phone is either marginal or not possible to be detected by the BTS receiver at all. This has been found to be caused by an uplink shortfall (imbalance) of typically 3 to 5dB. BTS sensitivity here is -105dB showing that a uplink carrier signal from a cell phone being barely detected. Figure 2 The above conceptual drawing (figure 2), attempts to present the situation where the sensitivity of the BTS uplink is found to be -105dBm and is therefore unable to detect a cell phone signal at -104dBm. With this BTS uplink sensitivity, the cell phone signal would need to be at -98dBm to be detected with a BER of 1%(7dB C/N). The following model shows the same problem in a different way. Here the downlink arrow shows sufficient power to comprehensively reach the cell phone while the uplink arrow shows a short fall in uplink signal of 3 to 5dB to balance the link.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |3|www.kaelus.com

4. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 Figure 3 5. BTS Receiver Sensitivity: Receiver sensitivity is a function of the sum of three fundamental factors. • Ambient Noise Power (NP) - Ambient Noise Power is a measure of the noise in nature. Noise being the random electromagnetic signals resulting from the movement of atomic particles of all matter. In the band width of a GSM carrier, this is approximately -120dBm. • Carrier to Noise ratio (C/N) - C/N is a measure of the relative strength that the received signal must be above the noise floor to ensure satisfactory detection. In a GSM BTS, a BER of 1% is achieved when the received carrier signal from the cell phone is 7dB above the background noise of the receiver. • Noise Figure (NF) - Noise Figure is a measure of extra noise caused by the receiver circuitry. For a GSM receiver this is typically 3.5dB. The maximum sensitivity of a GSM receiver channel is: Sensitivity = Noise

Power + Noise Figure + Carrier to Noise ratio Sensitivity = -120dB + 3.5dB + 7dB = -109.5dBm. Being a function of the GSM carrier bandwidth and circuit design, both Noise Power and Carrier to Noise ratio are fixed as far as the network operator is concerned. The only component effecting receiver sensitivity that may be improved by the operator is the system Noise Figure, NF. 6. Site Installation Influence on BTS Sensitivity: In any given installation, the BTS equipment must be connected to antennas. These are generally mounted at the top of a tower, some distance from the BTS equipment, and connected via coaxial cable. Depending on site configuration, filters and duplexer may also be used in the signal path. These components introduce a loss in the signal path which is added directly to the BTS receiver NF. Typically these additional losses can be as much as 4.5dB. The example of the GSM Rx sensitivity, given in the previous section (BTS Receiver sensitivity), now changes as follows: BTS NF = 3.5 dB + 4.5dB (3.5dB is BTS NF, 4.5dB Feeder losses) = 8dB Sensitivity = Noise Power + Noise Figure + Carrier to Noise ratio Sensitivity = -120dB + 8dB + 7dB = -105dBm Refer back to Figure 2.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |4|www.kaelus.com

5. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 7. Benefit of Installing a MHA: A TMA is used to reduce the system NF and therefore increase sensitivity. As previously mentioned a TMA is a LNA mounted as close as practical to the sector Rx antenna. In this way, the cable losses are negligible and do not significantly affect system noise figure. System NF is calculated as follows: NFs = 10 log(Fs) Fs = F1 + [(F2 -1)/G1] Where: NFs = System Noise Figure Fs = System Noise Factor F1 = Noise factor of the TMA low noise amplifier F2 = Noise factor of the BTS Rx (includes system losses) G1 = Gain of the TMA (multiplier not dB) Note: Noise factor is a multiplier not dB. In theory cascading LNAs will reduce the NF toward zero. A NF of between 1.5 and 2dB is the practical limit of the BTS system. The gain choice of gain in an LNA is as crucial as its NF. Typically the range is 8dB to 16dB. Less than 8dB gain and the NF improvement reduces significantly and with more than 16dB you will be only be amplifying the noise floor and incurring excessive BTS dynamic range compression. The following table gives an example of the typical improvements that are possible using TMAs with either a Picocell or a Macrocell. Base Station With 12dB Gain With 16dB Gain Configuration TMA NF = 1.6dB TMA NF = 1.6 Picocell The system The system 6dB NF – Base Station 2dB performance is performance is Feeder Loss improved to 2.5dB improved to 2.0dB 8dB total System NF NF. More than 5.5dB NF. More than 6dB better. better. Macrocell The system The system 3dB NF – Base Station 2dB performance is Performance is Feeder Loss improved to 2.0dB improved to 1.76dB 5dB total System NF NF. More than 3.0dB NF. More than 3.2dB better. better. Table 1 Here the Picocell system has its NF improved to as much as 2.0db and the Macrocell to 1.76db, a system sensitivity improvement of 6 and 3.2 dB respectively. Referring back to the example given in figure 2 where the BTS uplink sensitivity was calculated to be -105dB, the following diagram provides a conceptual view of the benefit of using a TMA.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |5|www.kaelus.com

6. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 Figure 4 Typically an low noise TMA with a gain of 12dB would be used to achieve the above results. These improvements in uplink sensitivity simply allow the BTS to work at its best. In return, as much as a 40% improvement in cell phone coverage can be achieved. Expected increase in cellular phone coverage by installing Tower Mounted Amplifiers Figure 5 This increase in coverage is a direct result of improving the BTS uplink sensitivity. The benefits are considerable: • More content network users, lower BER therefore less dropped calls • Lower Tx power from the user cell phone therefore longer battery life • Improved network performance, leading to a better investment returns • Happy customers, good coverage, no dropped calls 8. TMA Influence on BTS System Parameters: BTS manufacturers design their equipment so that the dynamic range of the BTS receiver is sufficient

to ensure un-distorted detection of the closest transmitting cell phone to those on the outer perimeter of the cell.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |6|www.kaelus.com

7. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 While a TMA will improve the BTS uplink sensitivity it also introduces additional gain to the RX system. This has the effect of reducing the dynamic range of the receiver making strong signals even stronger. Operator feedback suggests, for TMAs with gains in the order of 12dB, the detrimental effect on signal detection is negligible. Generally, no BTS parameter changes are needed when fitting a TMA. Within limits, the signal strength of in band receive signals will determine the output power of the relevant cell phone, therefore introducing a TMA should require no significant system parameter changes on this account. The possibility of additional “just” out of band interfering signals becoming a problem is relevant. The likelihood of a weak in band Rx signal being blocked by these signals should be considered when selecting the TMA. Well designed TMAs will include highly selective band pass filtering prior to the LNA stage. For well designed BTS installations, the out of band rejection characteristic of these filters will neutralize potential RX blocking problems and possibly even improve sector performance. 9. Choosing the Right TMA: Adding TMAs increases the investment in the network. Selecting the right product is paramount to achieving greater returns without increasing maintenance costs. The TMA should be selected, installed and forgotten. It should be as reliable as the coaxial cable it is connected to. Many companies can supply TMAs with very good Gain and NF specifications, however, to be able to “install and forget” requires the selection of a product designed and manufactured to survive often hostile installation environments. The TMA must: • Be easily added to a site installation • Include excellent out of band frequency rejection • Incorporate Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG) recommended specifications for digital remote control and monitoring • Use heavily de-rated electronic components and robust moisture proof coaxial cable connectors • Be housed in a strong weather proof enclosure made from materials that are corrosion resistant. • Be lightning strike protected • Be physically tested for the following at time of design and manufacture: o Sound design and construction by vibration testing, o Thermal reliability and stability by temperature testing o Pressure tested to ensure the design continues to work over a range of different installation altitudes.© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |7|www.kaelus.com

8. Selecting Tower Mounted Amplifiers – 1v0 These last three tests can only be achieved using the right laboratory equipment: (a) (b) (c) Figure 6 Shown above is: a. Thermal oven with a testing range of -40 to +65 Deg C. b. Pressure testing apparatus with altitude simulation to >4000m c. Vibration table with a capability of 5-3000Hz and up to 100g Americas +1.303.768.8080 Asia Pacific, Africa +61.(0).7.3907.1200 China +86.21.6084.2200 Europe, Middle East, India +44.(0).1383.410386 [email protected]© 2011 Kaelus Inc. All Rights Reserved. |8|www.kaelus.com Rev_B_8.31.11

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