Linkplanner custom antennas don't work with ePMP

Products LINKPlanner
1

Hi,

When I configure non-Cambium antennas on APs, the error "Bearing to Access Point is outside recommended range. Performance is not guaranteed" is shown and LinkPlanner refuses to calculate parameters.

For example, see the attached project, with one network site with a hub, and two subscribers.  The subscriber with the Cambium standard antenna works fine, the other subscriber is reported with an error even though the antenna parameters are almost identical.  Change the antenna back to a Cambium part, and the subscriber is calculated OK.

Also I can't seem to be able to configure 360 degree (omnidirectional) antennas.  This may be related or a different problem.

Issue seen with LinkPlanner ever since the first version supporting ePMP, this project was created with 4.1.1.

I have only tested this with ePMP.  There isn't a workaround.

Any idea about when this will be fixed?

Antony

2

Demo project

3

Sorry, I can't seem to add an attachment.  Paste the text below "--" into a new text file and rename it "Antenna issue demo.ptpprj" and you should be able to open this in LinkPlanner and reproduce the issue.

Antony

--

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<LinkPlanner file_version="2.0" app_version="4.1.1">
<MetaData>File created on Sat Nov 08 14:01:22 2014</MetaData>

<Project model="ITU-R">

<Antennas>

</Antennas>
<AccessPointAntennas>
<Antenna id="d5d232e2-a5db-43c1-81a8-8ae301a7f8eb" diameter="0.609600000931" description="Test" old_index="None" partno="Part" diameter_units="feet" beamwidth="90" internal="0" dual="1" user_defined="1" permitted="{&#34;5.8&#34;: &#34;ePMP 1000&#34;, &#34;5.4&#34;: &#34;ePMP 1000&#34;}" manufacturer="Miscellaneous 90deg">
<Gain band="band54" value="14.0"/><Gain band="band58" value="14.0"/>
</Antenna>
</AccessPointAntennas>
<SubscriberAntennas>

</SubscriberAntennas>
<CustomFields>
<CustomFieldSet kind="access_point">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="end">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="hub">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="link">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="place">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="project">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="subscriber">

</CustomFieldSet><CustomFieldSet kind="subscriber_place">

</CustomFieldSet>
</CustomFields>
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<Templates>

</Templates>
<TddSyncGroups>
<TddSyncGroup frame_duration="0" max_burst_duration="0" v2="1"/>
</TddSyncGroups>
<Rules>
<Rule name="Does not meet requirements" format="1" stop_execution="0" disabled="0" boolean="any" excluded="0" hidden="0" format_settings="{&#34;colour&#34;: &#34;#ff0000&#34;}" description="Link fails to meet performance requirements or has warnings">
<ExpressionGroup boolean="any">
<Expression comparison_value="False" predicate="equal to" property="link_ok">
</Expression>
</ExpressionGroup>
</Rule>
</Rules>
<Places>
<Place place_id="0" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" name="Network site" longitude="0.0" shape="circle" latitude="0.0" height_asl="None" maximum_height="10"><CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
</Place>
</Places>
<SubscriberPlaces>
<Place place_id="0" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" name="Subscriber 2" colour="#55a4f3ff" longitude="0.001" shape="circle" latitude="0.0" height_asl="None" maximum_height="10"><CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
</Place><Place place_id="1" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" name="Subscriber 1" colour="#55a4f3ff" longitude="-0.001" shape="circle" latitude="0.0" height_asl="None" maximum_height="10"><CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
</Place>
</SubscriberPlaces>
<Links>

</Links>
<Hubs>
<Hub place_id="0" name="Network site">
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<AccessPoints>
<AccessPoint antenna="9cf914e2-85c7-4418-bdc5-f04386d78650" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" antenna_azimuth="270" tilt="0" use_noise="0" number="1" noise_density="-90" shape="triangle" antenna_height="10" user_power="None" receive_target_level="-65">
<Equipment max_range="2" product="PMP58ePMP" dl_ul_ratio="75/25" capacity="N/A" color_code="N/A" license="GB_UnitedKingdom_80" aes_encryption="N/A" max_range_units="miles" adjacent_channel_support="N/A" downlink_data="N/A" sm_registration_limit="60" band="band58" bandwidth="20" phase1_end="Local" sync_source="Internal" control_slots="N/A" sync_input="N/A" high_priority_channel="N/A" broadcast_repeat_count="N/A"/>
<Subscribers>
<Subscriber antenna="9101b0d8-3f4e-45a1-8fa4-f055de7ded49" place_id="1" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" antenna_height="10" use_noise="0" noise_density="-90" shape="rectangle" user_cable_loss="0" dirty="0">
<Equipment max_range="2" product="PMP58ePMP" dl_ul_ratio="75/25" capacity="N/A" color_code="N/A" license="GB_UnitedKingdom_80" aes_encryption="N/A" max_range_units="miles" adjacent_channel_support="N/A" downlink_data="N/A" sm_registration_limit="60" band="band58" bandwidth="20" phase1_end="Local" sync_source="Internal" control_slots="N/A" sync_input="N/A" high_priority_channel="N/A" broadcast_repeat_count="N/A"/>
<Profile region_code="YE 11" reflection_height="None" profile_requested="1">

0.0,0.0,0

55.6597453966,0.0,0

111.319490793,0.0,0

</Profile>
<PMPLink/>
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<BOM>
<OptionalExtras>

</OptionalExtras>
<UserEdits>

</UserEdits>
<CustomNotes>

</CustomNotes>
</BOM>
</Subscriber>
</Subscribers>
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<BOM>
<OptionalExtras>

</OptionalExtras>
<UserEdits>

</UserEdits>
<CustomNotes>

</CustomNotes>
</BOM>
</AccessPoint><AccessPoint antenna="d5d232e2-a5db-43c1-81a8-8ae301a7f8eb" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" antenna_azimuth="90" tilt="0" use_noise="0" number="2" noise_density="-90" shape="triangle" antenna_height="10" user_power="None" receive_target_level="-65">
<Equipment max_range="2" product="PMP58ePMP" dl_ul_ratio="75/25" capacity="N/A" color_code="N/A" license="GB_UnitedKingdom_80" aes_encryption="N/A" max_range_units="miles" adjacent_channel_support="N/A" downlink_data="N/A" sm_registration_limit="60" band="band58" bandwidth="20" phase1_end="Local" sync_source="Internal" control_slots="N/A" sync_input="N/A" high_priority_channel="N/A" broadcast_repeat_count="N/A"/>
<Subscribers>
<Subscriber antenna="9101b0d8-3f4e-45a1-8fa4-f055de7ded49" place_id="0" label_delta_y="0" label_delta_x="0" antenna_height="10" use_noise="0" noise_density="-90" shape="rectangle" user_cable_loss="0" dirty="0">
<Equipment max_range="2" product="PMP58ePMP" dl_ul_ratio="75/25" capacity="N/A" color_code="N/A" license="GB_UnitedKingdom_80" aes_encryption="N/A" max_range_units="miles" adjacent_channel_support="N/A" downlink_data="N/A" sm_registration_limit="60" band="band58" bandwidth="20" phase1_end="Local" sync_source="Internal" control_slots="N/A" sync_input="N/A" high_priority_channel="N/A" broadcast_repeat_count="N/A"/>
<Profile region_code="YE 11" reflection_height="None" profile_requested="1">

0.0,0.0,0

55.6597453966,0.0,0

111.319490793,0.0,0

</Profile>
<PMPLink/>
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<BOM>
<OptionalExtras>

</OptionalExtras>
<UserEdits>

</UserEdits>
<CustomNotes>

</CustomNotes>
</BOM>
</Subscriber>
</Subscribers>
<CustomValues>

</CustomValues>
<BOM>
<OptionalExtras>

</OptionalExtras>
<UserEdits>

</UserEdits>
<CustomNotes>

</CustomNotes>
</BOM>
</AccessPoint>
</AccessPoints>
<BOM>
<OptionalExtras>

</OptionalExtras>
<UserEdits>

</UserEdits>
<CustomNotes>

</CustomNotes>
</BOM>
</Hub>
</Hubs>
<CustInfo></CustInfo>
<Description></Description>
</Project>
<UI>
<Tree state="[[0], [0, 0], [0, 1], [0, 1, 0], [0, 1, 0, 0], [0, 1, 1], [0, 1, 1, 0], [0, 3], [0, 3, 0], [0, 4]]"/>
</UI>
</LinkPlanner>

4

Sorry to hear you’re having problems. We will get one of our engineers to look into it.
Andy

5

Hi Antony, 

LINKPlanner does not natively support third party antennas and hence cannot reliably predict performace of a link when using a third party antenna. This is because LINKPlanner does not have the 3D pattern of the third party antenna built into its script (unlike the Cambium antennas). LINKPlanner uses 3D antenna pattern of gain values which are stored in a database, rather than a simple gain figure. So although you have added the antenna, these antennas don’t appear in the gain table and when LINKPlanner tries to look up the gain value for a particular subscriber there is nothing there. It is also not using the beamwidth value from the antenna table (because its a third party antenna) to work out whether the SM is in the right location, hence the message “Bearing to Access Point is outside recommended range. Performance is not guaranteed”.

You did the right thing by switching to a Cambium part. If you believe the specs of the third party antenna are the same as the Cambium part, then this gives you a good idea of how the link will perform. 

Sri

6

Do you have any plan to allow us to add our own antennas on projects????

7

We don't have plans to allow custom AP antennas for any products.

As has been mentioned on several other threads, we need a full 3D antenna pattern in order to accurately predict the link performance. Using peak gain or simplified gain patterns can give predictions that are inaccurate.

As we add new features in the future we may also require antenna patterns that are more detailed than those that we use today.

If you send us details of the antennas that you are interested in then we can try to add them to LINKPlanner, but this can be a time-consuming task to test the antennas and generate the appropriate data files.

Thanks,

Andy

9

I am having issues with ePMP and link planner. I can not even open the  window to review or change an antenna. Simply opening the  drop down menu for antennas will cause Link Planner to end.

10

Hi,

Can you provide more information to linkplanner.ptp@cambiumnetworks.com and I'll investigate the problem?

It would help if you could send a screen shot of any error, details of the version that you are using and possibly the log files as well. 

To locate the log files on Windows:

- Click Start -> Run
- Enter "%APPDATA%\LINKPlanner" in the "Open" text box
- Send me all of the "cambium_linkplanner" log files

To locate the log files on a Mac:

- Open Finder and then click "Go" -> "Go to Folder"
- Enter "~/Library" in the text box and click "Go"
- Navigate to the "~/Library/Application Support/LINKPlanner" folder
- Send me all of the "cambium_linkplanner" log files

There was an issue with an older release if you had a custom antenna on a PTP link, but that is fixed in the latest release.

Thanks,

Andy