Can I limit the AP sector on the map to the antenna beamwidth?

Can I limit the AP sector on the map to the antenna beamwidth?

V4.2.8 introduces a new project property to control the Sector Coverage of the Access Point antenna. There are two possible settings:

  • Enhanced - (default) only affects PMP 450 and allows an additional 15 degrees on each side of the nominal beamwidth.
  • Nominal Beamwdith - limits the subscribers to only connect within stated beamwidth of the AP antenna selected.

The Sector Coverage affects the antenna visualisation in the maps and rules that determine if a Subscriber Module is in range.

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Sector Coverage Project Property

“Enhanced” Representation

The map in LINKPlanner is only a visualization of potential coverage, rather than a true prediction of area coverage as shown in a “heat map”. An antenna has an optimum area of coverage represented by the nominal beamwidth, however the RF signals do not stop at that boundary and will overlap into adjacent sectors. The Enhanced setting allows the possible overlap to be viewed and also gives a wider area in which to attach subscribers. With fixed PMP networks there may be some areas which will contain no subscribers, such as a park or lake and hence where it is not cost effective to deploy an Access Point. This may result in fewer sectors being used to cover slightly more than is possible by the nominal beamwidth.

 “Nominal Beamwidth” Representation

When planning contiguous networks of multiple Access Points it is recommended to use the Nominal Beamwidth setting, to ensure that all subscribers stay within the main beam of the Access Point.

Note

If Subscribers have been connected to an Access Point with the Sector Coverage set to Enhanced or using a PMP 450 product prior to V4.2.8 and the Sector Coverage is then changed to Nominal Beamwidth, any subscribers beyond the Nominal Beamwidth will no longer have a valid connection to that Access Point. They will be shown in red in the project navigation tree and will be excluded from the Access Point Performance Summary.

To keep these subscribers connected to Access Point, the Sector Coverage must be set to Enhanced, alternatively if there is an adjacent Access Point, which is providing coverage, delete the subscriber from the existing Access Point and connect it to the new Access Point.