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Technical White Paper for theEasyRET Antenna Solution

Author xingzengwu 193651

Issue 01

Date 2012-08-27

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

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Issue V1.0 (2012-08-27) Huawei Proprietary and ConfidentialCopyright Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

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Copyright Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2012. All rights reserved.No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without priorwritten consent of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Trademarks and Permissions

and other Huawei trademarks are trademarks of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

All other trademarks and trade names mentioned in this document are the property of their respectiveholders.

NoticeThe purchased products, services and features are stipulated by the contract made between Huawei andthe customer. All or part of the products, services and features described in this document may not bewithin the purchase scope or the usage scope. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, all statements,information, and recommendations in this document are provided "AS IS" without warranties, guarantees orrepresentations of any kind, either express or implied.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made in thepreparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all statements, information, andrecommendations in this document do not constitute a warranty of any kind, express or implied.

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Address: Huawei Industrial Base

Bantian, Longgang

Shenzhen 518129

People's Republic of China

Website: http://www.huawei.com

Email: [email protected]
http://www.huawei.com/http://www.huawei.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.huawei.com/

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Technical White Paper for the EasyRET Antenna Solution


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Contents

1 Abstract of the EasyRET Antenna Solution ............................................................................. 3

2 Introduction to Traditional RET Antenna Solutions ............................................................. 4

3 Problems Confronted by Traditional RET Antenna Solutions ............................................ 7

3.1 Complex Installation ..................................................................................... ................................................... 7 3.2 Complex Commissioning ............................................................................................................ ..................... 8

3.3 High Fault Rate and Poor Reliability Due to a Large Number of Connections................... ............................. 8

4 EasyRET Antenna Solution ......................................................................................................... 9 4.1 Overview ............................................................ ................................................................. ............................. 9

4.2 Advantages ......................................................... ................................................................. ........................... 10

5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 15

6 Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................... 16

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1 Abstract of the EasyRET AntennaSolution

With the coming of the mobile broadband (MBB) Era, radio networks are optimized more andmore frequently, and the antenna optimization cost is higher and higher. Currently, atraditional remote electrical tilt (RET) antenna is confronted with problems such as frequentmistakes in manual operations, high installation and maintenance cost, and poor reliability inlong-term operation. The EasyRET antenna solution can effectively resolve these problems.This solution facilitates installation, maintenance, and usage of the RET antenna; therefore,the O&M efficiency is improved. The solution has the following features:

Free of configuration Free of calibration Free of RCU installation

Free of manual recording of bar codes High reliability Excellent performance

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2 Introduction to Traditional RET AntennaSolutions

Based on the category of tilt angles, there are two types of electrical tilt antennas on basestations.

Mechanical electrical tilt (MET) antenna

The tilt angle of this type of antenna can be adjusted using the following methods: Manually adjusting the mechanical gauge to pull the internal phase shifter Installing an external remote control unit (RCU) connected to a portable control unit

(PCU) and adjusting the tilt angle using the PCU

Figure 2-1 Shows the solution for manually adjusting the tilt angle of the MET antenna

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Figure 2-2 Shows the solution for adjusting the tilt angle of the MET antenna using the PCU

RET antenna

The network management system (NMS) is adopted to remotely adjust the tilt angle of aRET antenna. This method allows constant and dynamic adjustment of the tilt angle ofan antenna beam. A site does not need to be powered off during the adjustment, whichenables continuous service provisioning.

A RET antenna is installed vertically. No clearance is required for a tilt angle of the RETantenna. The installation components are simple and reliable. The monitoring databasestores the current and historical data of antenna beams at each site on the live network tofacilitate remote monitoring and analysis. Currently, RET antennas are preferred, whichimproves the operator's operation and maintenance (O&M) efficiency.

Figure 2-3 shows the solution for remotely adjusting the tilt angle of the MET/RETantenna with an external RCU

Figure 2-3 Solution for remotely adjusting the tilt angle of the MET/RET antenna with an externalRCU

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3 Problems Confronted by Traditional RETAntenna Solutions

3.1 Complex InstallationInstallations of traditional RET antenna involves the following steps:

Step 1 Assemble the mounting bracket, and install the jumper and RCU, and provide waterproof protection to the jumper on the tower.

Step 2 Lift and install the antenna on the tower and set the mechanical tilt angle based on network planning requirements.

Step 3 Record the RCU serial numbers for each cell.

Step 4 Install the Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG) cables.Step 5 Record the site number, sector number, and antenna electrical tilt port mapping each RCU.

Step 6 After the installation, submit the records to network planning and optimization engineers to prepare for the subsequent remote commissioning.

The installation procedure includes operations on and under the tower, which increases theduration of base station deployment.

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3.2 Complex Commissioning

Figure 3-1 Process for remote commissioning of a RET antenna

The commissioning is conducted manually. Test engineers must confirm the execution statusand participate in the entire configuration process. The configuration of a single site takesmore than 12 minutes.

3.3 High Fault Rate and Poor Reliability Due to a LargeNumber of Connections

In a traditional RET antenna solution, multiple connection points exist on the RCUs, smartBias-Tee (SBT), AISG cables, and antennas. These connection points are vulnerable to faults.Statistics of a European operator shows that, inappropriate connections and water ingress

problems occur at 54% surveyed sites and RET connection problems (incorrect installation orconfiguration) occur at 27% surveyed sites.

External RCUs must be connected to electrical ports and mechanical ports during installation.More frequency bands require more complex installation. Network operation records indicatethat most problems related to the electrical tilt are caused by a large number of connections ofexternal RCUs. The following problems occur frequently:

Improper cable contact caused by incorrect connection

Short circuit resulted from water ingress caused by incorrect cable connection Damage of mechanical ports caused by collision during connection Operation failures of mechanical ports due to incorrect installation

If a traditional RET antenna is cascaded, RCU bar codes must be manually and locallyrecorded. There is a high probability that incorrect mapping relationship is recorded. As aresult, the tilt angle is incorrectly adjusted, which affects network key performance indicators(KPIs) and increases maintenance cost.

In addition, the RCU of a traditional RET antenna is exposed for a long time and affectedseverely by the environment and climate. Consequently, the antenna has a low reliability.

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4 EasyRET Antenna Solution4.1 Overview

The EasyRET antenna solution effectively resolves problems confronted by traditional RETantenna solutions. With comparison to the existing RET solution, the EasyRET solution hasthe following characteristics:

The antenna integrates with electrical tilt devices such as the RCU and SBT. The OneBox provides all components of an electrical tilt antenna, reducing the connectorquantity and site installation requirements to the minimum.

An electrical tilt device can be identified remotely, requires no configuration orcalibration on site, and provides accurate phase control. Meanwhile, an electrical tiltdevice allows a piece of AISG main equipment to manage multiple electrical tilt units orallows two pieces of AISG main equipment to manage one or multiple electrical tilt units

respectively.Figure 4-1 shows the EasyRET solution for remotely adjusting the tilt angle of an electricaltilt antenna.

Figure 4-1 EasyRET solution for remotely adjusting the tilt angle of an electrical tilt antenna

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4.2 AdvantagesThe EasyRET antenna solution has the following advantages:

The EasyRET antenna solution reduces jumpers and mechanical connections, improvesthe installation efficiency, and reduces the error probability.

Figure 4-2 shows the schematic drawing of the traditional antenna solution with anexternal RCU. Figure 4-3 shows the schematic drawing of the EasyRET antennasolution.

Figure 4-2 Schematic drawing of the traditional antenna solution with an external RCU

Figure 4-3 Schematic drawing of the EasyRET antenna solution

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Components

Number of Components in theTraditional RET AntennaSolution

Number of Components in theEasyRET Antenna Solution

AISG cable 4 1

STMA 1 1

RCUconnector

4 0

AISGconnector

8 2

The EasyRET antenna solution reduces the number of components from 17 in a RETsolution to 4, which facilitates component installation and greatly reduces the number ofconnections. A multi-frequency antenna connects to only one ASIG cable with nomechanical interface exposed. This reduces problems caused by interfaces. Meanwhile,water ingress problems are greatly reduced owing to the protection provided by theradome. Onsite operations are reduced and problems or risks caused by mistakes are alsoreduced. Figure 4-4 shows the comparison of a traditional RET antenna and an EasyRETantenna.

Figure 4-4 Comparison of a traditional RET antenna and an EasyRET antenna

The electrical tilt device can be identified remotely without configuration or calibration,which improves site deployment efficiency.

Before an EasyRET antenna solution is delivered, the electrical tilt components and theantenna are strictly matched. Meanwhile, related configuration data is loaded andcalibrated. This omits the data configuration and calibration during the installation of aRET antenna and improves the RET configuration efficiency significantly.

The EasyRET antenna solution adopts the creative Color Coding technology. The RCUcan be identified automatically and remotely and different ports are marked by variouscolors and shapes. The EasyRET antenna solution resolves problems caused by multiplecascaded RCUs in a RET solution, including incorrect configuration, heavy workloadgenerated from manual bar code recording, and incorrect feeder connections.

The Color Coding technology is defined by the ASIG. Antenna radio frequency (RF) ports of various frequency bands and types are differentiated by color and shape to

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ensure correct connections of antennas and feeders. Figure 4-5 shows the schematicdrawing of three antenna port types identified using the Color Coding technology.

Figure 4-5 Schematic drawing of three antenna port types identified using the Color Coding

technology

After an EasyRET antenna is powered on, the antenna automatically reports the RCU barcode to the network management center (MNC). The MNC saves the RCU bar code andmatches the EasyRET antenna with the port and frequency band automatically. If afrequency band needs to be adjusted, an RCU bar code can be queried from the NMSdirectly, which reduces manual recording of RCU bar codes and prevents adjustmenterrors caused by incorrect RCU bar codes.

The EasyRET antenna improves reliability.

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The EasyRET antenna resolves reliability problems of a RET antenna. Table 4-1 lists thecomparison between an EasyRET antenna solution and a RET antenna solution fromaspects such as waterproof performance, lightning protection capability, and corrosionresistance capability.

Table 4-1 Comparison of an EasyRET antenna solution and a RET antenna solution

Traditional RET AntennaSolution

EasyRET Antenna Solution

Waterproof performance

Waterproof protection is provided to multiple RCUsseparately.

There are many AISGinterfaces.

Multiple RCUs share thewaterproof protection inside thesame radome.

Only one or two external AISGinterfaces are configured.

Lightning protection

capability

Cables connected to the RCU

are long and the cablequantity is large. Lightningmay cause failures.

Most cables are short and routed

inside the radome. The cables areshielded. Failure risks caused bylightning are low.

Corrosion resistancecapability

The aluminum alloy enclosureand coating are easilycorroded in salt fogenvironments.

The external interfaces arevulnerable to oxidation andcorrosion.

The glass reinforced radomereduces corrosion risks.

Few external interfaces areconfigured. Therefore, thecorrosion risks are low.

Self-lock function The electric engine may shiftdue to external factors, whichleads to an incorrect tilt angle.As a result, the tilt angle isadjusted repeatedly and theworkload increases.

In the non-working state, theself-lock torque of the electricengine and gearbox ensures thatthe antenna tilt angle does notchange due to vibration.

Failure caused bymanual operations(configuration andcalibration)

The RCU is manuallyinstalled.

Multiple AISG cables aremanually connected.

The RCU bar code and themapping section number aremanually recorded.

Configuration data ismanually loaded and theantenna is manuallycalibrated.

The RCU installation is notrequired.

Only one or two AISG cables areconnected.

Manual recording of the RCU barcode is not required.

Configuration and calibration arenot required.

The EasyRET antenna adopts high reliability design and assurance measures to ensurethe product quality and long-term reliability, including:

1. Reliability is ensured using electric engines that have been deployed in batches on thenetwork, with passing environment tests and EMS tests:

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MTBF 88,0000 hours (100 years) Operating temperature: 40C to +75C Operating humidity: 15% to 98% no condensation Storage temperature: 55C to +85C Storage humidity: 15% to 98% no condensation Ingress protection: IP56 according to IEC 60529 Salt-Fog durability: 168 hours

2. Driving components that have been deployed in batches on the network are adopted toensure high reliability during material selection and manufacturing. For example, The driving screw thread pair that is verified in long-term operation is adopted. Aluminum alloy components are adopted. Standard fixtures are made of austenitic

stainless steel. Plastic components are produced using long-term verified materials. The flame spread rating of a plastic enclosure or plastic components of the equipment

must reach V-1 or above. The solution with the electric engine, gearbox, and driving screw thread pair is

adopted to provide the self-lock function. In the non-working state, the self-locktorque of the electric engine and gearbox ensures that the antenna tilt angle does notchange due to vibration.

The redundancy design is adopted. Material design and selection must be based onapplication scenarios, material hardness (with margin), and reliability.

The interface is widened for protection. The AISG standard interface is used as theexternal interface.

The product adopts the environment adaptability design.

3. Highly reliable components are used to provide end-to-end reliability design. Reliability

tests and verification tests are conducted to ensure highly reliable components of thecontrol panel. For example, Shielding design: The AISG connector connects to the control panel, which connects

to the electric engine. The AISG shielding cable is grounded at both ends. The control panel and electric engine are shielded by the enclosure.

Waterproof/lightning protection/corrosion resistance design of a board: The line board is painted with conformal coating.

Cable design: An external cable adopts AISG cable components that meet the EMC,waterproof/lightning protection/corrosion resistance, safety, and environmentrequirements.

Lightning protection and grounding design: An AISG connector (male or female) is

fixed under the antenna reflector. A shielding cable is grounded at both ends and isused to connect an AISG connector to a board and a board to an electric engine. The board enclosure and electric engine driving enclosure connect to the antenna reflectorthat is grounded. The lightning protection circuit of the power interface and signalinterface is grounded. The product adopts the environment adaptability design.

4. High-specification PIM design is adopted. The connection part of metal componentsmust be isolated to prevent direct contact.

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5 ConclusionThe EasyRET antenna solution resolves problems confronted by traditional RET antenna

solutions such as complex installation, long duration, high cost, frequent problems occurrence,and poor reliability. The EasyRET solution improves the installation accuracy, theconstruction efficiency, and the reliability of the antenna system. The EasyRET solution caneffectively avoid high maintenance costs due to secondary site deployment and help operatorsreduce the network optimization investment and maintenance cost.

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6 Acronyms and AbbreviationsA

AISG Antenna Interface Standard Group

M

MET Mechanical electrical tilt

MBB Mobile broadband

P

PCU Portable control unit

R

RET Remote electrical tilt

S

SBT Smart Bias-Tee

STMA Smart tower mounted amplifier

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